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.