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

Give Thanks

"This is the day the Lord has made;
We will rejoice and be glad in it." Psalm 118:24.

On this Sunday take a moment to give thanks for many things but particularly the little things we may take for granted like having food,a place to live and the ability to worship as we please. Far too many people in this world do not have these "little" things.

Silence In the Media Regarding the Killing of Christians

24 Egyptian Christians murdered. It happened today(5/26/17), it was committed by a Muslim terrorist group (of course). The event was not really covered much on any of the cable news channels.
So this is the new normal?
Meanwhile, a Muslim in America gets their car windows smashed by a vandal and it's all over the news.
The terrorist group had the following to say about their actions--"God gave orders to kill every infidel."
Pray for the persecuted Christians in Egypt and around the world. Call your representatives in Congress and ask what is this country and the United Nations doing about these murderous attacks?
You may remember that close to 50 Christians were killed in two separate attacks at churches in Egypt on Palm Sunday.
The news link to the article on the attack today is just below the picture.

Attack On Coptic Christians Kills At Least 24 In Egypt

Gunmen attacked a bus that was taking Egyptian Christians to a monastery Friday, killing at least 24 people and wounding 27 more, according to local sources.