God's Word on That

  • Come, Let Us Worship Together

    But the hour is coming and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him (John 4:23).

    May my heart show compassion and my words thanksgiving; and like the rest of the universe and all creation, may my very being sing praises to our God. 

    Arise! Shine! For your light has come! The glory of the Lord rises upon you! (Isaiah 60:1)

    God gave you the world – enjoy it.  (Max Lucado)

    Because Your loving-kindness is better than life, my lips shall praise You. Thus I will bless You while I live. I will lift up my hands in Your holy name (Psalm 63:3-4).

    Come, let us bow down in worship. Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker (Psalm 95:6).

    Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord; Let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation (Psalm 95:1).

    You make me glad by Your deeds, O Lord. I sing for joy at the works of Your hands (Psalm 92:4)

    Satisfy us in the morning with Your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our day (Psalm 90:14).

    Sing for joy to God our strength; shout aloud to the God of Jacob (Psalms 81:1).

    Sing joyfully to the Lord, you righteous; it is fitting for the upright to praise Him (Psalm 33:1).

    They will celebrate Your abundant goodness and joyfully sing of Your righteousness (Psalm 145:7).

    It is good to give thanks to the Lord and to sing praises to Your name, O Most High. To declare Your loving-kindness in the morning and Your faithfulness every night (Psalm 92:1-2).

    I will sing to the Lord as long as I live; I will sing praises to my God while I have my being! (Psalm 104:33)

    My soul magnifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior… His mercy is on those who fear Him (Luke 1:46-47, 50).

    Worship is the thank you that refuses to be silenced.

    Blessed be the Lord God of Israel from everlasting to everlasting! And let all the peoples say “Amen!” (Psalm 106:48)

    We will not hide them from our children; we will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord, His power, and the wonders He has done! (Psalm 78:4)

    Let those who take refuge in You be glad; let them ever sing for joy. Spread Your protection over them that those who love Your name may rejoice in You (Psalm 5:11).

    Rejoice in the Lord always! Again I say: rejoice! (Philippians 4:4)

    May my meditations be pleasing to Him as I rejoice in the Lord (Psalm 104:34).

    Rejoice before the Lord your God in everything you put your hand to (Deuteronomy 12:18).

    Let us rejoice and be glad and give Him glory! (Revelation 19:7)

    Rejoice always! Pray without ceasing. In everything give thanks (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18).

    May the Lord’s face radiate with joy because of you! (Numbers 6:25 TLB).

  • Let Us Return to Praising Him

    Our task is not to try and understand the world and His plan, or even all creation; our task is but to reflect the spirit of the Creator and sing His praises.

    You are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation [a people set apart]. His own special people that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light (1 Peter 2:9).

    Praise and give thanks to God continually, in all ways on all days, regardless of your circumstances. (Bill Bright).

    Sing to God, sing praises to His name; cast up a highway for Him who rides through [our] deserts – His name is the Lord (Psalm 68:4).

    Praising God for troubles ends them. Praising God for blessings extends them. 

    Let God be magnified! (Psalm 70:4)

    Praise be to the Lord God, the God of Israel, who alone does marvelous deeds. Praise be to His glorious name forever. May the whole earth be filled with His glory (Psalm 72:18-19).

    Praise God for His solution to the problem.  Instead of focusing on yourself and your problem, focus on God’s care for you.

    You have turned my mourning into dancing. You have put off my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness to the end that my glory may sing praises to You, and not be silent! O Lord my God, I will give thanks to You… (Psalm 30:11-12)

    O Lord God, You have [only] begun to show Your servant Your greatness and Your mighty hand! For what God is there in heaven or on earth who can do anything like Your works and Your mighty deeds? (Deuteronomy 3:24).

    Stop and consider God’s wonders!  (Job 37:14)

    Delight yourself in the Lord and He shall give you the desires of your heart (Psalm 37:4).

    How great are Your works, O Lord.  How profound Your thoughts!  (Psalm 92:5)

    I will sing to the Lord for He has been good to me (Psalm 13:6).

    How can I repay the Lord for all His goodness to me? (Psalm 116:12)

    Be at rest once more, O my soul, for the Lord has been good to you (Psalm 116:7)

    Are you looking for a miracle? Then open your eyes cause there’s one that happens every morning just around sunrise.

    It is God alone that one takes seriously. But to take God seriously is to find joy and spontaneity in everything, for everything is a gift and a grace.

    The conviction of God’s grace results in expressions of joy!

    He has put a new song in my mouth: Praise to our God. Many will see it and fear and will trust in the Lord [through my praises]. (Psalm 40:3)

    A merry heart does good, like medicine (Proverbs 17:22).

    He who is of a merry heart has a continual feast (Proverbs 15:15).

    A merry heart makes a cheerful countenance (Proverbs 15:13).

    I have learned in whatever state I am to be content (Philippians 4:11).

  • Let Us Examine Our Ways

    If we will get alone with God, He will reveal the reason for our present pain. And as we learn the Word and do the Word, we will experience His healing and the blessings of freedom as He restores our soul. The battle you are in will soon become a meal for you – an experience that will nourish and build you up spiritually.

    Being alone with God through our desert wanderings can be a beautiful experience.

    Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths (Proverbs 3:5-6).

    Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through [and for] Him (Colossians 3:17).

    As a saint of God, my attitude toward sorrow and difficulty should not be to ask that they be prevented, but to ask God to protect me so that I may remain what He created me to be in spite of all my fires of sorrow… We say that there ought to be no sorrow, but there is sorrow, and we have to accept and receive ourselves in its fires. If we try to evade sorrow, refusing to deal with it, we are foolish. Sorrow is one of the biggest facts in life, and there is no use in saying it should not be. Sin, sorrow, and suffering are. And it is not for us to say that God has made a mistake in allowing them. Sorrow removes a great deal of a person’s shallowness, but it does not always make that person better. Suffering either gives me to myself or it destroys me. You cannot find or receive yourself through success, because you lose your head over pride. And you cannot receive yourself through the monotony of your daily life, because you give in to complaining. The only way to find yourself is in the fires of sorrow. Why it should be this way is immaterial. The fact is that it is true in the Scriptures and in human experience. You can always recognize who has been through the fires of sorrow and received himself, and you know that you can go to him in your moment of trouble and find he has plenty of time for you.. But if a person has not been through the fires of sorrow, he is apt to be contemptuous… If you will receive yourself in the fires of sorrow, God will make you nourishment for others! (Oswald Chambers)

    [Do] not trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment (1 Timothy 6:17).

    Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the first fruits of all your crops. Then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim with new wine (Proverbs 3:9-10).

    So are the ways of everyone who is greedy for gain, it takes away the life of it’s possessor (Proverbs 1:19).

    Why do you call Me “Lord, Lord” and not do as I say? (Luke 6:40)

    No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and man/money (Matthew 6:24).

    Therefore strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees. Make level paths for your feet so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed (Hebrews 12:12-13).

    Let all the godly confess their rebellion to You while there is time, that they may not drown in the floodwaters of judgment! (Psalm 32:6)

  • Love Even Your Enemy

    In demanding that I respect the rights of another, God is not merely asking me to conform to some abstract, arbitrary law. He is enabling me to share, as His son/daughter, in His own care for my brothers. (Thomas Merton)

    Care for my brother, even if he considers himself to be an enemy, is my duty.

    The King will answer them, “I can guarantee this truth: Whatever you did for one of my brothers or sisters, no matter how unimportant they seemed, you did for Me.” (Matthew 25:40).

    All that is physical is passing away. As long as I keep holding onto a ‘thing’, I continually set myself up for disappointment. If all I see is how you look and what you have, I’ll miss the point that you – like me – are a hurting spirit just looking for home. (Fr. Everding)

    Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this sums up the law and the prophets (Matthew 7:12).

    “He who showed mercy”… Jesus answered, “Go and do likewise.” (Luke 10:37)

    Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ (Galatians 6:2).

    If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself”, you are doing right (James 2:8).

    So then my beloved brothers, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slower[er] to wrath (James 1:19).

    Let go of anger, and leave rage behind. Do not be preoccupied. It only leads to evil (Psalm 37:8).

    Don’t take revenge, dear friends. Instead, let God’s anger take care of it. After all, Scripture says, “I alone have the right to take revenge. I will pay back, says the Lord” (Romans 12:19).

    If your enemy is hungry, give him some food to eat, and if he is thirsty, give him some water to drink. In this way you will make him feel guilty and ashamed, and the Lord will reward you (Proverbs 25:21-22).

    Do not be happy when your enemy falls, and do not feel glad when he stumbles. The Lord will see it, He won’t like it, and He will turn His anger away from that person (Proverbs 24:17-18).

    Forgiving one’s enemies does not mean to be faint hearted but to have a strong soul.

    Let all things be done for edification (1 Corinthians 14:26).

    It is better to be alone than in bad company. (George Washington)

    Don’t let anyone deceive you. Associating with bad people will ruin decent people (1 Corinthians 15:33).

    [Yet] A man who isolates himself seeks his own desires; he quarrels against all sound wisdom (Proverbs 18:1).

    So then, take your stand! Fasten truth around your waist like a belt. Put on God’s approval as your breastplate. Put on your shoes so that you are ready to spread the Good News that gives peace. In addition to all these, take the Christian faith as your shield. With it you can put out all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Also take salvation as your helmet and the Word of God as the sword that the Spirit supplies. Pray in the Spirit in every situation; use every kind of prayer and request there is. For the same reason be alert; use every kind of effort and make every kind of request for all of God’s people. (Ephesians 6:14-18).

    Do not be overcome by evil but overcome evil with good. (Romans 12:21).

    Dear children, keep yourselves from idols! (1 John 5:21).

  • Now We Are To Love Each Other

    “Do you love Me?”  We will not likely hear this same question as an audible voice from Jesus as Peter did.  Instead the Lord will ask it again and again through the circumstances of our own life, and in particular through the crosses He sends us.  The occasion to express our love might be a physical suffering, a need to forgive or show patience to someone who has wronged us, or an interior wound or painful memory that just doesn’t go away.  But Jesus will ask, “Do you love Me?”

    With His love in us, it is possible for us to love each other as He loves.

    My command is this: love each other as I have loved you… Greater love has no one than this; that he lay down his life for his friends (John 15:12-13).

    This is how we know what love is: Jesus the Christ laid down His life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers! (1 John 3:16)

    I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other in the same way that I have loved you. Everyone will know that you are My disciples because of your love for each other (John 13:34-35).

    Love is the fulfillment of the law. (Romans 13:10)

    God loved me not because I was loveable but because it was His nature to do so.  Now He commands me to show the same love to others by saying: “Love one another as I have loved you.”  I may get irritated at others while trying to do this, but just think how God has a right to be irritated with me!  Love is displayed in spontaneous ways, but it has to be maintained in the heart through discipline.

    Dear Friends, if this is the way God loved us, we must also love each other [with the same way]. No one has ever seen God. If we love each other, God lives in us, and His love is perfected in us [so we can share it] (1 John 4:11-12).

    Above all, love each other deeply because love covers over a multitude of sins (1 Peter 4:8).

    For this is the message that you heard from the beginning: that we should love one another (1 John 3:11).

    My goal in giving these orders is for love to flow from a pure heart, from a clear conscience, and from a sincere faith (1 Timothy 1:5).

    Dear children, we must show love through actions that are sincere, not through empty words (1 John 3:18).

    Hatred stirs up dissension, but love covers over all wrongs (Proverbs 10:12).

    This is my command: love each other! (John 15:17)

    Love means that we live by doing what He commands. We were commanded to live in love, and you have heard this from the beginning (2 John 6).

    … I ask that we love one another (2 John 5).

    Show family affection to one another with brotherly love. Outdo one another in showing honor. Do not lack diligence; be fervent in spirit; serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope; be patient in affliction; be persistent in prayer. Share with the saints in their needs; pursue hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice; weep with those who weep. Be in agreement with one another. Do not be proud; instead, associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own estimation. Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Try to do what is honorable in everyone’s eyes. If possible, on your part, live at peace with everyone. (Romans 12:10-18).

    Be imitators of God therefore, as dearly loved children.  And live a life of love (Ephesians 5:1-2).

  • God First Loved Us

    We think God’s love for us rises and falls with our performance. It does not. His love is not normal. He loves us for whose we are, not what we do. He loves pious John and adulterous Mary Magdalene the same. It is not normal love!

    Love has been perfected among us for this reason: that we may have boldness in the Day of Judgment; because as He is so are we in this world! (1 John 4:17)

    And now these three [still] remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love (1 Corinthians 13:13).

    We know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffs up but love edifies. And if any man thinks he knows anything, he knows nothing yet as he ought to know. But if any man loves God, the same is known of him (1 Corinthians 8:1-3).

    The Christian soul ought to go forward with her love, leaving all her understanding behind. Let her love God as He is in Himself, and not as her imagination says He is or pictures Him. (Miguel de Molinos)

    Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage. God loves you deeply!

    I love You, O Lord, my strength (Psalm 18:1).

    That you may love the Lord your God, that you may obey His voice and may cling to Him, for He is your life and the length of your days! (Deuteronomy 30:20)

    Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good (Romans 12:9).

    May Your unfailing love be my comfort according to Your promise to Your servant (Psalm 119:76).

    This is how God showed His love among us: He sent His one and only Son into the world that we might live through Him! This is love! Not that we loved God [first] but that He loved us [first] and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins (1 John 4:9-10).

    A Christian seeks justice, true. But justice is primarily a negative concept, based on avoiding or preventing doing wrong to others. The law of love seeks the positive doing of good. It is the only law a Christian needs.

    Love is patient. Love is kind. It does not envy. It does not boast. It is not proud. It is not rude. It is not self-seeking. It is not easily angered. It keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the true. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails (1 Corinthians 13:4-8).

    There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. We love [God] because He first loved us (1 John 4:18-19).

    God is love. And he who abides in love, abides in God and God in him (1 John 4:16).

    It is simply not normal or natural for us to “love” God in a drastic discipline of a laid-down life.  We are a selfish people.  When called to serve others, we feel insulted.  We have a strange, worldly idea that to be of lowly service is to be “used” or “abused”.  Yet Jesus came among us as a servant. So we must be abnormal…

    Love going upward is worship.  Love going outward is affection.  Love stooping downward is grace.

    Whoever has My commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves Me. He who loves Me will be loved by My Father. And I too will love him and show myself to him (John 14:21).

    If you love Me, keep My commandments… If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word, and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him… (John 14:15, 23)

    As the Father gave me commandment, so I do! (John 14:31)

  • Let Us Walk By The Spirit

    “Death to the Flesh” is to be the battle cry of every child of God because if you don’t, it [the flesh] can kill you. When will we determine that we will walk by the spirit who dwells within? [Because the spirit realm is the reality, the material realm is only supplemental.] Many lose crowns by sparing Amalekites and their possessions, thinking some good could be used as a sacrifice to Christ Jesus somehow (1 Samuel 15:15).

    The first heaven we see by day, the second heaven we see by night. The third heaven we see by faith.

    Brothers and sisters, in view of all we have shared about God’s mercies and compassion, I encourage you to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, dedicated to God and pleasing to Him. This kind of worship is appropriate for you. Don’t become like the people of this world [stuck in the material]. Instead, change the way you think. Then you will always be able to determine what God really wants – what is good, pleasing, and perfect (Romans 12:1-2).

    Get rid of your bitterness, hot tempers, anger, loud quarreling, cursing, and hatred. Be kind to each other, sympathetic, forgiving each other as God has forgiven you through Christ Jesus (Ephesians 4:31-32).

    Flee from youthful passions, and [instead] pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart (2 Timothy 2:22).

    Character is made by what you stand for; reputation by what you fall far. (Alexander Woollcott)

    So then brothers and sisters, don’t let anyone move you off the foundation of your faith. Always excel in the work you do for the Lord. You know that the hard work you do for the Lord is not pointless (1 Corinthians 15:58).

    Watch! Stand fast in the faith.  Be brave!  Be strong!  Let all you do be done with love (1 Corinthians 16:13-14).

    So let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven! (Matthew 5:16)

    Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others as better than yourself (Philippians 2:3).

    Aim for perfection. Listen to my appeal. Be of one mind, live in peace. And the God of love and peace will be with you (2 Corinthians 13:11).

    Be completely humble and gentle. Be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace (Ephesians 4:2-3).

    Try to live peacefully with everyone, and try to live holy lives, because if you don’t, you will not see the Lord. (Hebrews 12:14).

    Be a peace among yourselves (1 Thessalonians 5:13).

    Live as children of the light (Ephesians 5:8).

  • God’s Design For Us

    The willingness to be and to have just what God wants us to be and to have – nothing more and nothing less, and nothing else – would set our hearts at rest and we would discover that the simpler the life the greater the peace.

    God gave us many graces. Let us share them with those around us.

    Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need (Hebrews 4:16).

    It is not what you are nor what you have been that God sees with His all-merciful eyes, but what you desire to be.

    A child delights in what he has, a youth in what he does, an adult in what he is. The thing that delights you will direct you.

    May [God] grant you according to your heart’s desire, and fulfill all your purpose/goals (Psalm 20:4).

    Man and women are both necessary, unequal in nature, but equal in value; mutually dependent. Without either we would have only half a world, and a very dull one.

    Coming to Christ as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men but chosen by God and precious. You also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ (1 Peter 2:4-5).

    For I – through the law – died to the law, that I might live to God. I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer [the old] I who lives, but Christ lives in [the new] me. And the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God… who loves me (Galatians 2:19-20).

    For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do (Ephesians 2:10).

    Is our attitude today an attitude that flows from our vision of God? Are we expecting God to do greater things today than He has ever done before?

    Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him, for God’s temple is sacred [already set aside for Him and His use]. You are that temple! (1 Corinthians 3:16-17)

    Nor will people say “here it is” or “there it is”, because the kingdom of God is within you (Luke 17:21).

    I am the vine. You are the branches.  If a man remains in Me and I in him, he will bear much fruit.  Apart from Me you can do nothing (John 15:5).

    Jesus demands the adventurous spirit in those who have placed their trust in Him.

    Be confident of this very thing: that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it on the day of Christ Jesus (Philippians 1:6).

    To You, O Lord, I lift up my soul. In You, O my God, I trust. Let me not be put to shame; let not my enemies exalt over me… Show me Your ways, O Lord, teach me Your paths (Psalm 25:1-2, 4).

    This is the one I esteem: he who is humble and contrite in spirit, and who trembles at My Word (Isaiah 66:2).

    God gave you a mind – use it to know Him better; study the doctrines that put steal into the cement of your faith. God gave you a will – use it to obey Him; make decisions that honor Him and please Him. God gave you emotions – use them; let your heart show through. If we refuse to allow the full prism of His love and truth to shine through our lives, we will miss much of the color life has to offer!

  • Our Vulnerability

    Hard times can cause frustration, but easy times can cause us to forget God and depend on ourselves. Because He loves us so, God may allow situations to enter our lives to redirect our attention back to Him.

    Tribulations always surround us, but only God’s path will keep us from true harm.

    The fear of the Lord leads to life, and such a person will rest easy without suffering harm (Proverbs 19:23).

    While in the presence of the Lord one day, He showed me… two things: a revolving door and an escalator. I knew that I had to make a choice. A step into the revolving door would lead me in circles and wear me out. But one easy step on the escalator would carry me into the presence of God and renew my strength. God showed me that when I neglect time with him, I get stuck in that revolving door and stay frustrated. But when I spend time praising Him, suddenly I am climbing high above the distractions and demands of this life and walking with the Most High. Things look a whole lot different when you stand in God’s presence. In a moment He can unravel the most complicated situations and fill you with an unexplainable peace. He can make a way where there is no way! (Cathy Duplantis)

    Though a righteous man falls seven times, he rises again (Proverbs 24:16)

    Oral Roberts said, after losing his son in an accident, “The only way to get through the grief is to praise God!”

    For the battle [for your heart] is not yours but God’s (2 Chronicles 20:15).

    God loves those who need Him most, rely on Him, depend on Him, trust Him in/for everything! Little He cares whether you have been as pure as John or as sinful as Mary Magdalene. All that matters to Him is your trust in Him.

    Keep falsehoods and lies far from me, give me neither poverty nor riches; but give me only my daily bread. Otherwise I may have too much and disown You and say “who is the Lord?” Or I may become poor and steal and so dishonor the name of my God (Proverbs 30:8-9).

    The Holy Spirit comes to comfort the afflicted, but the Holy Spirit also comes to afflict the comfortable! (Fr. Payne)

    We cannot know the meaning of every event, but we can know that every event is meaningful.

    I am the vine and My Father is the Master of the vineyard. He cuts off every branch in Me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit He prunes so it will be even more fruitful (John 15:1-2).

    Tribulations are not pleasant (Hebrews 12:1-13; Romans 5:3-4). However, all things do work together for good to us as long as we love God (Romans 8:28). Our tribulations are meant to strengthen our faith (James 1:2-3). They also assist us in being better witnesses for Christ Jesus. They allow us to speak from personal experience about God’s love.

    If you are reproached for the name of Christ, blessed are you! For the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. On their part He is blasphemed, but on your part He is glorified (1 Peter 4:14).

    According to Hebrews 12:1 and Philippians 3:12-14, each one of us is given a different path to run. We do not run against each other; we simply are compelled to run our own course.

    Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loves us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, nor angels [nor demons], nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth [forces in the world above or in the world below], nor any other created thing shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is found in Christ Jesus, our Lord (Romans 8:37-39).

  • Our Responsibility

    Only by a life of obedience to the voice of the Spirit, by daily dying to self, by a full dedication to Christ Jesus, and constant fellowship with Him are we able to live a godly life and have a positive influence in the present ungodly world.

    Let us stand tall in God’s light, showing forth the beauty of following His ways.

    Because of this [to be partakers of the divine nature], make every effort to add integrity to your faith; and to integrity add knowledge; to knowledge add self-control; to self-control add endurance; to endurance add godliness; to godliness add Christian affection; and to Christian affection add love. If you have these qualities and they are increasing, it demonstrates that your knowledge about our Lord Jesus Christ is living and productive (2 Peter 1:5-8).

    Keep to the point — shut out every other thought and keep yourself before God in this one thing: “My utmost for His highest; my best for His glory. I am determined to be absolutely and irrevocably for Him and Him alone.” (Oswald Chambers)

    I tell you the truth; unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 18:3).

    Christianity must change human nature. If it doesn’t then it has no more power than a good set of morals. (Jesse Duplantis)

    The reason I don’t do wrong is because of what it would do to my Father, not what my Father would do to me.

    Be very careful, then, how you live – not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity. Because these days are evil (Ephesians 5:15-16).

    Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight (Proverbs 3:5-6).

    So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary. What is unseen is eternal (2 Corinthians 4:18).

    Let the peace of Christ rule in your heart, since as members of one body you were called to peace.  And be thankful (Colossians 3:15).

    Therefore since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses [for faith in God], let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us (Hebrews 12:1).

    Let us run with a passion through the fields of forgiveness and grace! (Steven Curtis Chapman)

    Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life; by deeds done in the humility that comes from [godly] wisdom (James 3:13)

    That you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him; being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God (Colossians 1:10).

    Spiritual vision depends on our character, since “the pure in heart shall see God.” A practical help in keeping personal purity is to begin to see others as God does. That friend or relative may irritate you, but he/she is perfect through Christ Jesus!

    Always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself. (The Desiderata)

    Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your Master’s happiness (Matthew 25:21).

    Faithfulness = honesty + dependability + reliability (loyalty)

    Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has hears, let him hear! (Matthew 13:43)