Two Quotes on Prayer by E.M.Bounds

The first is on how prayer is viewed by far too many people:


"There is power through prayer. For many Christians, prayer is nothing special, just something we're supposed to do - go to church, tithe, read the Bible, pray. But prayer should be so much more than an item on our "to do" lists."

We must not forget this regarding prayer:


"Four things let us ever keep in mind: God hears prayer, God heeds prayer, God answers prayer and God delivers by prayer."

Self Examination, Pt.1

This page often addresses the subject of being a real Christian, one who walks the talk of their faith. You know what I mean by that, a person who reads the Bible daily, prays daily and attempts to model themselves after Jesus. Below is a list of questions to ask yourself, after reading and thinking about them, consider whether or not your answers are in line with what a true Christian's should be?
The following was comprised by A.W.Tozer.

“Rules for Self Discovery:
1. What we want most;
2. What we think about most;
3. How we use our money;
4. What we do with our leisure time;
5. The company we enjoy;
6. Who and what we admire;
7. What we laugh at.”

Your Body is the Temple of the Holy Spirit, Treat it That Way!

"Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies." 1Corinthians 6:19 and 20.


Two things come to mind when I read the above passage:

1.Since our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit we need to treat it with respect. That means we don't abuse it though drinking alcohol excessively, taking illegal drugs, overeating(gluttony) or engaging in any other activity that is offensive to it.
2.We are told in the above quote that the Christian's body is no longer his own, that it belongs to God. It is a spiritual temple in which the Spirit of Christ lives.For example, every act of adultery, fornication or any other sin is committed in the temple (our body) where God dwells. When looked at from this vantage point, the true seriousness of sin is clearly evident.
In closing Brother's and Sisters, we must not become "comfortable' with sinning. We must understand that out body is His, not ours.
Keep this quote from Romans 12:1 in your mind daily:
"Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God-this is your true and proper worship." 

The Falling Away Continues, Pt.3

ln the latter days it is repeatedly stated that many will depart from "the faith once delivered unto the saints."
The Southern Baptists are one of the last groups I ever thought would make concessions to political correctness. History has taught us that what doesn't really seem to be a big thing initially, leads to other things that clearly are. Don't believe this? Look at the actions in recent decades of The Episcopal Church USA, The United Methodist Church and the The Presbyterian Church.
The New Testament in no way teaches what I call big tent inclusiveness.


Click on the picture below to read the article and hear a short commentary.

The Bible is UNDER ATTACK: Southern Baptists Remove All Masculine References From Scripture, Even From The Father

The Bible, Christians, and the Church in America and all over the world are all under assault by culture.

christiantruther.com

Who Are Your gods, Pt.2, My Story

Part 1 is below this article.


It's funny how those who claim to be real Christians sort of put God and their relationship with Jesus on the backburner of their lives. Yeah, they say they believe and are very faithful about attending Church but that is about as far as it goes.
It only takes a casual familiarity of the New Testament to see how dangerous this belief is. Jesus says in Matthew 10:37-39 that our relationship with Him takes precedence over even our relationship with family members and loved ones. The rewards for doing so in this life and the one to come are greater than any unbeliever will ever experience.
I am always amazed when Christians say they are surprised when a non-Christian celebrity, sports hero, musician or whomever, descends into some kind of calamity or premature death. "He had it all, how could this happen?" they ask. The answer is obvious, there is just so long that all the fame, money, sex, alconol and drugs will satisfy that deep spiritual longing for the true God which exists in all of us. If a Christian doesn't know this they really haven't been studying their Bibles.
So, the question again becomes: who is the god or gods in your life who have been pushing the real God into the background?
For me, it was my involvement in athletics, more specifically running. I did it for many decades.I competed, I coached, I trained faithfully and diligently. It was the focal part of my life for a long, long time. Priority wise, it was family,running and God, in that order.
Fast forward many decades, after three meniscus surgeries on my now arthritic knees, I was still running.
Then it happened, a mysterious ailment to both legs suddenly developed. Initially I dismissed it as the result of an increase in the number of hours working on what is basically a cement floor. A trip to my orthopedic doctor revealed what I had been once told, keep running and you will be looking at a knee replacement within 5 years. He had no explanation for the problems in my legs and neither has the physical therapist I have been seeing.
So, as far as running, what am I left with? Lots of good memories and some medals and plaques that I have no clue where they are.
Isn't it funny how when we have a crisis or problem come up in our life we suddenly reach out to that God we've placed on the backburner? I know I did.
Here's what I found: the truth of Matthew 10:37-39 for starters, that Jesus must be at the forefront of your life, He demands it, the reality that we are not to have any other Gods but Him; that means not only pagan gods but making gods of anything that takes pre-eminence over a relationship with God (my running for example),the realization that God allows us to suffer and may or may not deliver us from it( consider the Apostle Paul),we should not complain and fight against adversities but instead use these tribulations to draw closer to God.He WILL get us through.
The New Testament is loaded with what I will call quotes to support what I found above, I just never gave them a whole lot of thought.Everything was going so good.
I would urge everyone, don't wait for tomorrow to reset your priorities. Our Lord says if we do, He will give us what is needed to achieve happiness, true happiness.

Dr. Charles Stanley's 30 Life Principles.

I just came across this and thought it was a treasure.The following is a guideline for living the Christian life.


1. Our intimacy with God – His highest priority for our lives – determines the impact of our lives.
Genesis 1:26
2. Obey God and leave all the consequences to Him.
Exodus 19:5
3. God’s Word is an immovable anchor in times of storm.
Numbers 23:19
4. The awareness of God’s presence energizes us for our work.
Deuteronomy 20:1
5. God does not require us to understand His will, just obey it, even if it seems unreasonable.
Joshua 3:8
6. You reap what you sow, more than you sow, and later than you sow.
Judges 2:1-4
7. The dark moments of our life will last only so long as is necessary for God to accomplish His purpose in us.
1 Samuel 30:1-6
8. Fight all your battles on your knees and you win every time.
2 Samuel 15:31
9. Trusting God means looking beyond what we can see to what God sees.
2 Kings 6:17
10. If necessary, God will move heaven and earth to show us His will.
2 Chronicles 20:12
11. God assumes full responsibility for our needs when we obey Him.
Job 42:7-17
12. Peace with God is the fruit of oneness with God.
Psalm 4:8
13. Listening to God is essential to walking with God.
Psalm 81:8
14. God acts on behalf of those who wait for Him.
Isaiah 64:4
15. Brokenness is God’s requirement for maximum usefulness.
Jeremiah 15:19
16. Whatever you acquire outside of God’s will eventually turns to ashes.
Ezekiel 25:6-7
17. We stand tallest and strongest on our knees.
Daniel 6:10-11
18. As children of a sovereign God, we are never victims of our circumstances.
Hosea 3:4-5
19. Anything you hold too tightly, you will lose.
Amos 6:6-7
20. Disappointments are inevitable, discouragement is a choice.
Habakkuk 3:17-19
21. Obedience always brings blessing.
Luke 11:28
22. To walk in the Spirit is to obey the initial promptings of the Spirit.
Acts 10:19
23. You can never outgive God.
2 Corinthians 9:8
24. To live the Christian life is to allow Jesus to live His life in and through us.
Galatians 2:20
25. God blesses us so that we might bless others.
Ephesians 4:28
26. Adversity is a bridge to a deeper relationship with God.
Philippians 3:10-11
27. Prayer is life's greatest time saver.
2 Thessalonians 3:1
28. No Christian has ever been called to “go it alone” in his or her walk of faith.
Hebrews 10:24-25
29. We learn more in our valley experiences than on our mountaintops.
James 5:10
30. An eager anticipation of the Lord’s return keeps us living productively.
Revelation 22:12

Who Are Your gods?, Pt.1.

If you are wondering why I didn't capitalize God in the above title, there is a reason why. The god I refer to in this brief article is the god(s) that people make for themselves instead of the real God.
I am focusing on those things we engage in which take us away from establishing a real relationship with Him.
The question I now ask you is, who is your god?
Is it working out? Being entertained? Yoga? Your special way of eating? Social causes? Games? Gaming? Politics? I could go on with other activities but you get the picture.
Now, people who reject the Christian faith naturally gravitate to things that can fill that void. Activities like social and human rights issues come to mind as well as, to a lesser degree, involvement in performance driven athletic activities(marathoning, cycling,triathlons.etc.).
Those of you who say you are a real Christian recognize where your priorites need to be, and that's in a relationship with Jesus.
I am not saying that a real Believer has to live like a monk and have no other outside interests but let me say this: if you claim to be a devout Christian and spend more time training, practicing your guitar,gaming, or whatever, then you may be "worshipping" what I call your little god more than the big God.
How does the time spent with your little god(s) compare with your time spent praying and Bible reading with your big God?
What is of more importance in this life and the life after?
More to come on this subject in my next post.

In Churches Too, The Falling Away Also Continues,Why?

Read the following excerpt from an article and I will give some thoughts on it after.
"According to the Hartford Institute of Religion Research, more than 40 percent of Americans “say” they go to church weekly. As it turns out, however, less than 20 percent are actually in church.
Somewhere between 4,000 and 7,000 churches close their doors every year. Southern Baptist researcher, Thom Rainer, in a recent article entitled “13 Issues for Churches in 2013“ puts the estimate higher. He says between 8,000 and 10,000 churches will likely close this year.
Between the years 2010 and 2012, more than half of all churches in America added not one new member. Each year, nearly 3 million more previous churchgoers enter the ranks of the 'religiously unaffiliated'.”
The above was taken in part from The Huffington Post who never prints an article in favor of traditional Bible beiieving Christianity. Oddly, I have yet to see them run an article on their "Religion" page that is critical of any aspect of Islam. That however is the subject for another post in the future.
Readers to this page and my blog have seen what I believe is the reason for the downward trend in Chrisitianity,and now, the gradual disappearing of churches that naturally follow this trend. By the way, it is my understanding that the sitiuation is even worse in Great Britain.I should add that as always, my point of view is coming from that of a Bible believing Christian.
If I had to pick the two main reasons it would be, in brief;
1.The assault on the Christian faith by all facets of the media, schools,colleges and universities over the past several decades.
2. The promotion and glorification of the self coupled with the mindset that we must cast off "old and outdated" (esp.Christian) mores. This mindset swung into high gear in the late 60's and has been gaining strength since then, in large part(again) to the promotion of it from all facets of the media.
So what are we to do about this situation?
1.Yes, prayer is definitely called for but more needs to be done.
We can begin by being living,breathing examples of followers of Jesus.By being in this world but "not of this world." Called out ones as they say. You don't act and react like your average "unsaved" person does.
Now I am not telling you that no one should have any interests outside of Jesus and their Bible but I am always surprised at how "worldly" the conversations are after Church on Sunday and Wednesday.
2.We must be equipped to give a witness for why we believe to a world that has never been more skeptical and doubtful of Christianity. To do this takes time. It also takes prayer and Bible study. Are you ready to give answers to questions like: Is hell real? Can't I have sex with this person even though we are not married but I truly love them? Is having sex with a person of the same gender not accepted by the Bible? Some churches say it is OK and others say it isn't, I'm confused.
I could go on but you see what I am getting at. People will ask tough questions, especially those people who are clueless about the Bible.
We may not be able to do much to stem the tide of church closings but we can do something that is more important, we can turn people to following Jesus, someone who will give them that peace that passes all understanding on this earth and in the world to come.
Onward Christian Soldiers!

Every Day

Every Day A Real Christian Will


Love God
Trust God
Follow God
Honor God
Seek God

Diary of a Bible

May this not be your story.


January 15th:
“I’ve been resting quietly for a week. The first few nights after the first of the year my owner read me regularly; but now, he has forgotten me, I guess.”

February 2nd:
“Cleaned up. I was dusted today, along with other things, and put back in my place.”
February 22nd:
" My owner used to me for a short time after dinner. looked up a few references. Going to Sunday school ‘tomorrow.’"
March 7th:
" Cleaned up. Dusted, and in my old place again. I have been down in the lower hall since my trip to Sunday School."
April 2nd:
"Busy day. My owner led a Christian Endeavor meeting and had to look up references. He had an awful time finding me, although I was right there in my place all the time."
May 5th:
" In Grandma’s lap. She is here on a visit. Today she left a teardrop on Colossians 2 : 5-7.”
May 6th:
"In Grandma’s lap again this afternoon. She spent most of her time on 1 Corinthians 13, and the last four versus of the 15th chapter ."
May 7, 8 and 9th:
"In Grandma’s lap every afternoon now. It’s a comforting spot. Sometimes she reads me, sometimes she talks to me."
May 10th:
"Grandma’s gone. Back in my old place again. She kissed me goodbye."
June 4th:
"Had a couple of four-leaf clover stuck in me today."
July 1st:
"Packed any trunk with clothes and other things. Off on a vacation, I guess. "
July 7th:
"Still in the old trunk."
July 10th:
"Still in the old trunk, although nearly everything else has been taken out."
July15th:
"Home again and in my old place . Quite a journey, although I do not see why I went, I was never taken out of the trunk."
August 1st:
"Rather stuffy and hot. Have two magazines, a novel and an old hat on top of me. Wish they would take them off."
September 10th:
"Cleaned up. Dusted and set right again."
September 22nd:
"Used by Mary a few minutes today. She was writing a letter to a friend whose brother had died and wanted an appropriate verse.”
October 1st:
"Back in my old place again. Not even dusted this week. I seem to be used only for emergencies. Wonder why they bother with me at all?"
Author Unknown