Quotes That Made Me Think

Every now and then, when I'm listening to a sermon, I'll hear the preacher make a statement that is "inside-of-my-Bible-flap-worthy."  In other words, there are a few blank pages at the front and back of my Bible.  Over time, those pages have been covered with quotes from sermons I've heard.  Here are a few of the really good ones:

"Men do not reject the Bible because it contradicts itself, they reject it because it contradicts them."

"The twentieth century never saw a revival." - Dr. John Goetsch

"If God took the power of the Holy Spirit out of this world, most of what Christians would do would keep on going and nobody would know the difference." - Evangelist Dave McCracken

"If you don't want to fall, stand." - A preacher who fell

"All of my problems are equally infinitesimal in the sight of God."

"Why would the devil waste his resources on you when he knows you can't even get the victory over your own flesh?"

"Don't ever lose sight of the One who is unseen."

"Somewhere, sometime, someone is going to come along who really believes the Bible and they'll embarrass us all." - R. B. Oullette

"The entire world is against what we're doing for God, but all of Heaven is for us."

"Holiness is more important than happiness, but you can have both." - John Bishop

"You're going to have problems with or without Jesus, I'd rather have Jesus."

"The supernatural realm is God's natural realm." - Sidney Stone

Have you heard a great quote lately?

Time for Celebration?

A wedding ceremony is an obvious cause for celebration. Two people are starting a brand new life together. Two families become one. Dreams are big. Joy is everywhere. A wedding is an exciting event for all involved. Marriage was God's idea. It's His institution and He has something to say about it.

Genesis 2:24, "Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh."

Matthew 19:6, "Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder."

As far as our culture is wandering from God and His Word, I guess I shouldn't be surprised by this piece of news. Things are bad when we're celebrating the demise of God's plan.

Duh

Only a Harvard University economist could come up with this.  It actually took two of them!

The Replacement Principle

"Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper." -Psalm 1:1-3

I think it would be safe to assume that most Christians would want to be like that fruitful, prosperous tree described in verse 3. They want God's hand of power and blessing on their life.  There's certainly nothing wrong with desiring those things.

The problem comes when we only apply part of the formula described here to get those results. There are a lot of Christians who pride themselves in applying the principle found in verse 1. (I know I've been guilty of this at times!) They are separated from the world and it's philosophies.  They truly shun influence from people who want nothing to do with God.  These are good things, but they're only part of the formula!

This is where the Replacement Principle comes in.  God doesn't just want certain things to be removed from your life.  There are also things He wants put in.  The Christian life is not just about abstaining or separating from certain influences.  It's about filling that void with something that glorifies God.

The first part of the formula is found in verse 1.  The second part is found in verse 2.  It's not all about despising the world, it's also about delighting in His Word.  It's not just about removing something from your life, it's also about adding something to it. If you're seeking the blessing of God on your life, make sure you're applying the whole formula to it.  If you don't you'll just end up being a frustrated, unusable vessel.

Here's a convicting question that will tell you where you're really at with this: Do you delight in the Word as much as you despise the world?

The truth is, our delight in God's Word should be greater than our disdain for the world.

God Have Mercy on America

Last Sunday morning, Dr. David Gibbs III preached for our Sunday morning service. His sermon was a testimony/message wrapped around the Terri Schiavo case. Dr. Gibbs is an attorney for the Christian Law Association. He was the lead attorney for Terri's parents as they fought to preserve her life. What we heard last Sunday was beyond powerful. I've never heard a message that made me so burdened about the state of our country. I strongly suggest taking 35-40 minutes and listening to it. Click here and find the Sunday morning sermon from February 24th. The title is "Fighting for Dear Life."

Pray for our country.