Saturday, August 28, 2010

The Essence of Faith...

"A saint is to put forth his faith in prayer, and afterwards follow his prayer with faith."   
~Vavasor Powell

"Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." ~Hebrews 11:1
"And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit...." ~Romans 5:5

Thursday, August 26, 2010

God's Plan and The Wonderful Surprises It Brings!

"Rejoice in knowing that you belong to God and that He is conforming you to the image of His Son. See every event of this day as part of that process. Yield to the Spirit's prompting, and take heart that God will accomplish His will." ~ John MacArthur

"Did you ever run for shelter in a storm, and find fruit which you expected not? Did you never go to God for safeguard, driven by outward storms, and there find unexpected fruit?" ~ John Owen
"But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him." ~ I Corinthians 2:9

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

Leading Us Safely Onward

"It would have been easy for God to show us the plan for this period, as He had it all fixed up...But then again we would not have learned that most valuable lesson, so He left us in the dark and gave us only one thing at a time." ~ Maria Augusta Von Trapp (In reference to the real journey her family experienced that was depicted in the "Sound of Music")
"I will lead the blind by ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths I will guide them; I will turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth. These are the things I will do; I will not forsake them." ~ Isaiah 42:16

Thursday, August 12, 2010

Made to glorify God

"Man, made in the image of God, has a purpose - to be in relationship to God, who is there. Man forgets his purpose and thus he forgets who he is and what life means." ~ Francis Schaeffer
"Let us be exhorted to exalt God Alone, and to ascribe to him all the glory of redemption. Let us endeavor to obtain and increase in, a sensibleness of our great dependence on God… to mortify a self-dependant and self-righteous disposition. Man is naturally exceeding, prone to exalt himself, and depend on his own power or goodness… But this doctrine should teach us to exalt God alone; as by trust and reliance, so by praise. Let him that glorieth, glory in the Lord. Hath any man hope that he is converted and sanctified.. that his sins are forgiven, and he received into God’s favour, and exalted to the honour and blessedness of being his child, and an heir to eternal life? Let him give God all the glory; who alone makes him to differ from the worst of men in this world, or the most miserable of the damned in hell ...Is any man eminent in holiness, and abundant in good works, let him take nothing of the glory of it to himself, but ascribe it unto him whose 'workmanship we are, created in Christ Jesus unto good works'." ~Jonathan Edwards
Even "The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands." ~Psalm 19:1

Wednesday, August 11, 2010

Sola gratia...in grace alone...

"It is grace at the beginning, and grace at the end. So that when you and I come to lie upon our death beds, the one thing that should comfort and help and strengthen us there is the thing that helped us in the beginning. Not what we have been, not what we have done, but the Grace of God in Jesus Christ our Lord. The Christian life starts with grace, it must continue with grace, it ends with grace. Grace wondrous grace. By the grace of God I am what I am. Yet not I, but the Grace of God which was with me." ~Martyn Lloyd-Jones
"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God--not by works, so that no one can boast." ~ Ephesians 2:8-9

Thursday, August 05, 2010

Our newest grandson (5 1/2 weeks old)...what joy he spreads around!!

"I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well!" ~Psalm 139:14
"A cheerful look brings joy to the heart..." ~Proverbs 15:30
"A happy heart makes the face cheerful...." ~ Proverbs 15:13

Sunday, August 01, 2010

Trusting in God's Will for Our Lives

Have you ever had a plan for your life, and yet find that, at least for the time being, God has a different one? How hard it is to lay aside where we would want to be,







knowing God is taking us where HE has planned for us. May we rest in His sovereign hand, trusting that He knows the desires of our heart...but with that, He knows what is best for us, for HIS purposes, and HIS glory. When I read these two quotes this week, how I felt they so spoke to what I want most of all...GOD's wisdom and HIS plan for our lives. May we joyfully go where He has planned, resting in HIS perfect will for our lives.

"Not until we have become humble and teachable, standing in awe of God's holiness and sovereignty...acknowledging our own littleness, distrusting our own thoughts, and willing to have our minds turned upside down, can divine wisdom become ours." ~ J. I. Packer
"I want Thy plan, O God, for my life. May I be happy and contented whether in the homeland or on the foreign field; whether married or alone, in happiness or sorrow, health or sickness, prosperity or adversity - I want Thy plan, O God, for my life. I want it; oh, I want it." ~ Oswald J. Smith

"Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the LORD's purpose that prevails." ~ Proverbs 19:21