Make God Your Portion 9.28.20

MAKE GOD YOUR PORTION

BREAD

24 You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will take me into glory. 25 Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you. 26 My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. Psalms 73:24-26 (NIV)

29 God gave Solomon wisdom and very great insight, and a breadth of understanding as measureless as the sand on the seashore. 1 Kings 4:29 (NIV)

19 He brought me out into a spacious place; he rescued me because he delighted in me. Psalms 18:19 (NIV)

26 “There is no one like the God of Jeshurun, who rides on the heavens to help you and on the clouds in his majesty. 27 The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms. Deuteronomy 33:26-27 (NIV)

1 Keep me safe, O God, for in you I take refuge. 2 I said to the LORD, “You are my Lord; apart from you I have no good thing.” Psalms 16:1-2 (NIV)

10 The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe. Proverbs 18:10 (NIV)

28 Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. 29 He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. 30 Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; 31 but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. Isaiah 40:28-31 (NIV)

7 But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. 8 What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ–the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. 10 I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11 and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead. Philippians 3:7-11 (NIV)

1 I love you, O LORD, my strength. 2 The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge. He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. Psalms 18:1-2 (NIV)

21 Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: 22 Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. 23 They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. 24 I say to myself, “The LORD is my portion; therefore I will wait for him.” Lamentations 3:21-24 (NIV)

14 But I trust in you, O LORD; I say, “You are my God.” 15 My times are in your hands. Psalms 31:14-15 (NIV)

8 “Those who cling to worthless idols forfeit the grace that could be theirs.” Jonah 2:8 (NIV)

BUTTER

“Upon some points a believer is absolutely sure. He knows, for instance, that God sits in the stern-sheets of the vessel when it rocks most. He believes that an invisible hand is always on the world’s tiller, and that wherever providence may drift, Jehovah steers it. That re-assuring knowledge prepares him for everything. He looks over the raging waters and sees the spirit of Jesus treading the billows, and he hears a voice saying, ‘It is I, be not afraid.’ He knows too that God is always wise, and, knowing this, he is confident that there can be no accidents, no mistakes; that nothing can occur which ought not to arise. He can say, ‘If I should lose all I have, it is better that I should lose than have, if God so wills: the worst calamity is the wisest and the kindest thing that could befall to me if God ordains it.’ ‘We know that all things work together for good to them that love God.’ The Christian does not merely hold this as a theory, but he knows it as a matter of fact. Everything has worked for good as yet; the poisonous drugs mixed in fit proportions have worked the cure; the sharp cuts of the lancet have cleansed out the proud flesh and facilitated the healing. Every event as yet has worked out the most divinely blessed results; and so, believing that God rules all, that He governs wisely, that He brings good out of evil, the believer’s heart is assured, and he is enabled calmly to meet each trial as it comes. The believer can in the spirit of true resignation pray, ‘Send me what thou wilt, my God, so long as it comes from Thee; never came there an ill portion from Thy table to any of Thy children.’” C. H. Spurgeon

“Martin Luther wrote in his book, Table Talk: ‘The greater God’s gifts and works, the less they are regarded.’ We tend to exhibit a degree of thanksgiving in reverse proportion to the amount of blessings we’ve received. A hungry man is more thankful for his morsel than a rich man for his heavily-laden table. A lonely woman in a nursing home will appreciate a visit more than a popular woman with a party thrown in her honor. If the birds only burst into song once a year, we’d all pay close attention. But because they are singing every morning, we scarcely bother to listen.” Robert J. Morgan
“Live today. Tomorrow we are not given. Yesterday we cannot change. Grace is given in exact proportion for the day and need we are in – never more or less – the right now and time of the moment – for every heir of mercy – just as manna was. It will be there tomorrow – and worry will not get it there. It is always bestowed by the gracious, faithful Hand of God.” BHY

“Even faithful people will go through the wilderness, even faithful people will have to surrender the most precious things. Yet because of the Lord’s great love, we are not consumed. We are not consumed by our circumstances. We are not consumed by rejection. We are not consumed by cancer or divorce or infertility or trauma or abuse or anxiety or fear or even death. Because of His great love, we are not consumed. We open our hands. We offer him the entire portion of Hard. Every last bit of it. Our anger, too? Yes, even our anger. We say, ‘Here it is. All of it. It’s a horrible mess. I cannot do anything here that will make this better. So I’m opening up my hands and I’m giving you the whole tangle.’ And then we do it again. And again. And again. A few times every hour, if needed. After all, His mercies are new, His compassions never fail. We choose to open our hands when what we’d rather do is clamp shut, protect, defend. We offer instead of hide. This is the only way I know to make the journey. You are held. It is all held. You are not lost. You are not broken. You are not disqualified. You are not sidelined. You are not silenced. You are not swallowed whole. You are held. Benevolently. Faithfully. Held. There is always a hand reaching toward you. There is always grace available. And there is always a chance to begin again.” Leeana Tankersley

“When you have God for your portion, you have more than everything else put together. In Him every need is met, whether in life or in death. With God for your portion you are rich indeed, for He will supply your need, comfort your heart, relieve your grief, guide your steps, walk with you in the dark valley, and then take you home to enjoy Him as your portion forever. ‘I have enough,’ said Esau; this is the best thing a worldly man can say, but Jacob replied in essence, ‘I have everything,’ which is a note too high for carnal minds.” C. H. Spurgeon revised by Alistair Begg

“The world is our passage, not our portion.” Matthew Henry

“Jesus knows the human heart. He made it, and then he took one himself when he became man. He knows, as both God and man, how to furnish courage to a fearful heart. He knows how to parcel joy to a sad heart. He is adept, and proven, at giving strength, in perfect portion, to a weak heart; peace to an anxious heart; forgiveness to a guilty heart; and wholeness to a broken heart. And how does he choose, over and over again, to do so? He speaks. What would he have us do when our hearts are wilting? Rehear his words.” David Mathis

“If the Lord calls you to suffering, do not be dismayed. For with it he will provide a deeper portion of Christ.” Samuel Rutherford

“God carries His children through this world through a variety of conditions. Sometimes we lack, and at other times we abound. This allows our graces to be tested. We will find that God’s love is stable, certain, and constant in a variety of conditions. God does not change, and His love is constant however our lives might change. We must learn not to quarrel with God’s government. Let God do as He pleases as He brings us to heaven. It is no matter what the way is like, or how rugged it is, as long as He brings us there. God’s grace is able to carry His children above all conditions. A man of grace is not overly dejected with abasement or overly lifted up in abundance, but carries himself in a uniform manner. He is able to abound or lack without yielding to the temptations of those estates. He can abound without pride and lack without impatience. God is His portion…Those that are not brought up in Christ’s school are not able to do this. If they abound, they are proud, and if they are cast down, they murmur, fret and are dejected, as if there were no providence to rule the world. This is the excellency of a Christian; he has learned to abound and lack without being trapped by their snares.” Richard Sibbs

HEART SAVOR

• God’s children lack no good thing.
• When God is your strength and portion you have all that you need.
• “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your path straight.” Proverbs 3:5-6

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God Is All Good Things And Every Good Thing 9.25.20

GOD IS ALL GOOD THINGS AND EVERY GOOD THING

BREAD

4 He is the Rock, his works are perfect, and all his ways are just. A faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is he. Deuteronomy 32:4 (NIV)

31 “As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the LORD is flawless. He is a shield for all who take refuge in him.” 2 Samuel 22:31 (NIV)

2 I said to the LORD, “You are my Lord; apart from you I have no good thing.” Psalms 16:2 (NIV)

11 You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand. Psalms 16:11 (NIV)

7 The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul. The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy, making wise the simple. 8 The precepts of the LORD are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the LORD are radiant, giving light to the eyes. 9 The fear of the LORD is pure, enduring forever. The ordinances of the LORD are sure and altogether righteous. 10 They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the comb. 11 By them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward. Psalms 19:7-11 (NIV)

14 Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne; love and faithfulness go before you. 15 Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim you, who walk in the light of your presence, O LORD. 16 They rejoice in your name all day long; they exult in your righteousness. 17 For you are their glory and strength, and by your favor you exalt our horn. Psalms 89:14-17 (NIV)

17 “Why do you ask me about what is good?” Jesus replied. “There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, obey the commandments.” Matthew 19:17 (NIV)

18 “Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good–except God alone.” Mark 10:18 (NIV)

19 “Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good–except God alone.” Luke 18:19 (NIV)

11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12 The hired hand is not the shepherd who owns the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. 13 The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. 14 I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me– 15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father–and I lay down my life for the sheep.” John 10:11-15 (NIV)

5 Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and 6 my God. Psalms 42:5-6 (NIV)

BUTTER

“If the world’s darlings enjoy many good things, they lack all without Christ. God is all good things, and every good thing. He is self-sufficient, alone-sufficient, and all-sufficient. If God were your portion, you would find in Him whatsoever your heart could desire, and tend to your happiness. Are you ambitious? He is a crown of glory. Are you covetous? He is unsearchable riches and righteousness. Do you desire pleasure? He is rivers of pleasures and fullness of joy. Are you hungry? He is a feast of wine on the lees and the fat things full of marrow. Are you weary? He is rest, a shadow from the heat, and a shelter from the storm. Are you weak? He is everlasting strength. Are you doubting? He is marvellous in counsel. Are you in darkness? He is the Sun of righteousness. Are you sick? He is the God of your health. Are you sorrowful? He is the God of all consolations. Whatever your calamity, He can remove it. Whatever your necessity, He can relieve it. He is silver, gold, honour, delight, food, raiment, house, land, peace, wisdom, power, beauty, father, mother, wife, husband, mercy, love, grace, glory, and infinitely more than all these. There are all sorts of delights in Him. He is the tree of life bearing all manner of fruits, and a variety of all comforts. See God, and you see all. Enjoy God, and enjoy all.” George Swinnock

“God alone can bless His people, keep them, look on them with favor (make His face shine and turn His face toward them), be gracious to them, and give them peace.” The Bible Knowledge Commentary

“We have every reason to hold on firmly to the faith we profess, for He who has called us is faithful! It is Jesus who saves us, lives to intercede for us, allows us to approach the throne of grace with confidence, and grants us His abundant grace, mercy, and peace.” BHY

“No joy can excel that of the soldier of Christ: Jesus reveals Himself so graciously, and gives such sweet refreshment, that the warrior feels more calm and peace in his daily strife than others in their hours of rest.” Charles H. Spurgeon
“When Naomi arrived in Bethlehem after her sorrowful sojourn in Moab, she could not see a harvest from her tears. It all looked like a tragedy; like ‘vanity and striving after wind’ (Ecclesiastes 1:14). That’s how it looked. That’s how it felt. But that’s not how it was. In reality, all of the ups and downs in Naomi’s life—the famine, the move to Moab, the deaths of Elimelech, Mahlon, and Chilion, Ruth’s loyalty, Naomi’s return at barley harvest, Boaz, and the kinsman who chose not to redeem Ruth—all of these events played parts in God’s plan to redeem millions and weave a Moabite into the royal, Messianic bloodline. The bigger story of redemption was far bigger than they imagined. Even though they were in the middle of the story, none of them could see it from their vantage point. We must remember this perspective in our times of desolation, grief and loss. How things appear to us, and how they actually are, are rarely the same. Sometimes it looks and feels like the Almighty is dealing “very bitterly” with us, when all the while He is doing us and many others more good than we could have imagined. God’s purposes in the lives of His children are always gracious. Always. If they don’t look like it, don’t trust your perceptions. Trust God’s promises. He is always fulfilling His promises.” Jon Bloom

“We can wait in eager expectation rather than wringing our hands in worry as God has promised to cause all things to work together for our good and we can trust Him in any and every circumstance. He is ever faithful to His promises and loving towards all He has made. He loves us with an everlasting love and His eye is ever on us. He was faithful in the past, He is faithful today and He will be faithful tomorrow. What a gracious and loving God we serve.” BHY

“When the goodness of Christ and the character of Christ and the Word of Christ are evident in the church, people in the world will be drawn to Him. This is why we guard the Truth so people will be saved by it. This is why we live with purity so people see the difference Christ makes. This is why we train for godliness so people see in us the majesty of Christ. May everything we do draw people to our great Savior.” David Platt

“Today, remember you are a child of God. Receive these good gifts from your heavenly Father. Savor the goodness of the Gospel and watch as it draws you to deeper faith – not through fear or obligation, but through delight.” Michael Youssef
“In American Christianity, we have bought into the lie that if it is good, then it cannot be hard. That goodness must exclude suffering. This is not true. In Jesus’ upside-down gospel good and hard totally coexist and weave together for our goodness and His glory.” Jay and Katherine Wolf

“Every dark place on the landscape of our lives is a place where we can realistically hope to see God’s goodness and glory break through. That’s just how He rolls.” Laura Story

“Praise to the Lord, Who does prosper thy work and defend thee; Surely His goodness and mercy Here daily attend thee. Ponder anew what the Almighty can do, If with His love He befriend thee.” Joachim Neander

“Do we entertain Christ to our loss? Doth he come empty? No; he comes with all grace. His goodness is a communicative, diffusive goodness. He comes to spread his treasures, to enrich the heart with all grace and strength, to bear all afflictions, to encounter all dangers, to bring peace of conscience, and joy in the Holy Ghost. He comes, indeed, to make our hearts, as it were, a heaven.” Richard Sibbes

“The most dangerous mistake that our souls are capable of is, to take the creature for God, and earth for heaven.” Richard Baxter

HEART SAVOR

• God satisfies our hearts with good things.
• There is fullness of joy in His presence.
• Taste and see that the Lord is good.

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The Holiness Of God 9.23.20

THE HOLINESS OF GOD

BREAD

11 “Who among the gods is like you, O LORD? Who is like you–majestic in holiness, awesome in glory, working wonders? Exodus 15:11 (NIV)

25 “To whom will you compare me? Or who is my equal?” says the Holy One. Isaiah 40:25 (NIV)

5 “To whom will you compare me or count me equal? To whom will you liken me that we may be compared?” Isaiah 46:5 (NIV)

2 “There is no one holy like the LORD; there is no one besides you; there is no Rock like our God.” 1 Samuel 2:2 (NIV)

13 Your ways, O God, are holy. What god is so great as our God? Psalms 77:13 (NIV)

28 Ascribe to the LORD, O families of nations, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength, 29 ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name. Bring an offering and come before him; worship the LORD in the splendor of his holiness. 1 Chronicles 16:28-29 (NIV)

3 Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous deeds among all peoples. 4 For great is the LORD and most worthy of praise; he is to be feared above all gods. 5 For all the gods of the nations are idols, but the LORD made the heavens. 6 Splendor and majesty are before him; strength and glory are in his sanctuary. 7 Ascribe to the LORD, O families of nations, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength. 8 Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name; bring an offering and come into his courts. 9 Worship the LORD in the splendor of his holiness; tremble before him, all the earth. 10 Say among the nations, “The LORD reigns.” The world is firmly established, it cannot be moved; he will judge the peoples with equity. Psalms 96:3-10 (NIV)

1 In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted, and the train of his robe filled the temple. 2 Above him were seraphs, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. 3 And they were calling to one another: “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.” 4 At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke. Isaiah 6:1-4 (NIV)

1 The LORD said to Moses, 2 “Speak to the entire assembly of Israel and say to them: ‘Be holy because I, the LORD your God, am holy.’” Leviticus 19:1-2 (NIV)

13 Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed. 14 As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. 15 But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; 16 for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.” 1 Peter 1:13-16 (NIV)

BUTTER

“There is a danger of forgetting that the Bible reveals not first the love of God, but the intense, blazing holiness of God.” Oswald Chambers

“His holiness is a pledge for the assurance of His promises. Power is His hand, omniscience His eye, mercy His heart, eternity His duration, but holiness His beauty. It renders Him lovely and gives beauty to all His attributes. Every action of His is free from all hints of evil. Holiness is the crown of all His attributes, the life of all His decrees, and the brightness of all His actions. Nothing is decreed by Him and nothing is acted by Him that is not consistent with the beauty of His holiness.” Stephen Charnock

“That which will elevate the soul must be more excellent than the soul.” George Swinnock

“It is not the constant thought of their sins, but the vision of the holiness of God that makes the saints aware of their own sinfulness.” Anthony Bloom

“The pervasive sinfulness of human beings becomes evident when contrasted with the radiant holiness of God.” Richard J. Foster

“A true love of God must begin with delight in His holiness…; for no other attribute is truly lovely without this.” Jonathan Edwards

“The nature of divine holiness is freedom from all evil. God is separate from every shade of evil. He acts according to the likeness of His own excellence and abhors everything contrary to it. There is no darkness in His understanding, and no spot in His will. His mind is possessed with all truth, and there is no deviation in His will from it. He loves all truth and goodness, and He hates all falsity and evil. He loves righteousness and has no pleasure in wickedness. He values purity in His creatures, and detests all impurity whether inward or outward. He knows what is right, and must do what is just.” Stephen Charnock

Regarding the pursuit of holiness, Scottish Pastor Robert Murray M’Cheyne writes:
“I know you will apply hard to German, but do not forget the culture of the inner man – I mean of the heart. How diligently the cavalry officer keeps his saber clean and sharp; every stain he rubs off with greatest care. Remember you are God’s sword, His instrument – I trust, a chosen vessel unto Him to bear His name. In great measure, according to the purity and perfection of the instrument, will be the success. It is not great talents God blesses so much as likeness to Jesus. A holy minister is an awful weapon in the hand of God.”

“It is one thing to love the ways of the Lord when all is fair, and quite another to hold to them in the face of discouragements and difficulties. The kiss of outward profession is very cheap and easy, but the practical clinging to the Lord, which must show itself in holy devotion to truth and holiness, is no small matter.” Alistair Begg

“To love Jesus is to love holiness.” David Smithers

“All we ever want for you is to be: radical about grace and relentless about truth and resolute about holiness and vows and the real hills worth dying on.” Ann Voskamp

“Professing Christian, is sin subdued in you? If your life is unholy, your heart is unchanged; and if your heart is unchanged, you are an unsaved person. If the Savior has not sanctified you, renewed you, given you a hatred of sin and a love of holiness, He has done nothing in you of a saving character. The grace that does not make a man better than others is a worthless counterfeit. Christ saves His people not in their sins but from them “. . . for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord.”1 “Let everyone who names the name of the Lord depart from iniquity.”2 If not saved from sin, how shall we hope to be counted among His people? Lord, save me now from all evil, and enable me to honor my Savior.” C. H. Spurgeon revised by Alistair Begg

“If you are really the chosen of God, and beloved by Him, do not allow all this lavish treasure of grace to be wasted on you. Pursue holiness; it is the Christian’s crown and glory. An unholy church is useless to the world and of no esteem among men. It is an abomination, hell’s laughter, heaven’s abhorrence.” C. H. Spurgeon revised by Alistair Begg

“My people’s greatest need is my personal holiness.” Robert Murray M’Cheyne

HEART SAVOR

• God has called us to holiness through His power for His glory, for our good.
• As believers in Jesus, our hearts are the sanctuary of the living God and as such we are to display His fruit – love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. This manifests His holiness to a watching world.
• God is so totally other and He has no equal.

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Not Ones Genius But Jesus 9.21.20

NOT ONES GENIUS BUT JESUS

BREAD

12 “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.” 13 When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus. Acts 4:12-13 (NIV)

14 Not until halfway through the Feast did Jesus go up to the temple courts and begin to teach. 15 The Jews were amazed and asked, “How did this man get such learning without having studied?” 16 Jesus answered, “My teaching is not my own. It comes from him who sent me. 17 If anyone chooses to do God’s will, he will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own. 18 He who speaks on his own does so to gain honor for himself, but he who works for the honor of the one who sent him is a man of truth; there is nothing false about him.” John 7:14-18 (NIV)

47 “As for the person who hears my words but does not keep them, I do not judge him. For I did not come to judge the world, but to save it. 48 There is a judge for the one who rejects me and does not accept my words; that very word which I spoke will condemn him at the last day. 49 For I did not speak of my own accord, but the Father who sent me commanded me what to say and how to say it. 50 I know that his command leads to eternal life. So whatever I say is just what the Father has told me to say.” John 12:47-50 (NIV)

11 “When you are brought before synagogues, rulers and authorities, do not worry about how you will defend yourselves or what you will say, 12 for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that time what you should say.” Luke 12:11-12 (NIV)

12 Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, or with the breadth of his hand marked off the heavens? Who has held the dust of the earth in a basket, or weighed the mountains on the scales and the hills in a balance? 13 Who has understood the mind of the LORD, or instructed him as his counselor? 14 Whom did the LORD consult to enlighten him, and who taught him the right way? Who was it that taught him knowledge or showed him the path of understanding? 15 Surely the nations are like a drop in a bucket; they are regarded as dust on the scales; he weighs the islands as though they were fine dust. 16 Lebanon is not sufficient for altar fires, nor its animals enough for burnt offerings. 17 Before him all the nations are as nothing; they are regarded by him as worthless and less than nothing. Isaiah 40:12-17 (NIV)

18 Have you comprehended the vast expanses of the earth? Tell me, if you know all this. Job 38:18 (NIV)

6 Then the LORD spoke to Job out of the storm: 7 “Brace yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer me. 8 “Would you discredit my justice? Would you condemn me to justify yourself? 9 Do you have an arm like God’s, and can your voice thunder like his? 10 Then adorn yourself with glory and splendor, and clothe yourself in honor and majesty. 11 Unleash the fury of your wrath, look at every proud man and bring him low, 12 look at every proud man and humble him, crush the wicked where they stand. 13 Bury them all in the dust together; shroud their faces in the grave. 14 Then I myself will admit to you that your own right hand can save you.” Job 40:6-14 (NIV)

15 Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth. 2 Timothy 2:14-15 (NIV)

BUTTER

“Spiritual truth is discernible only to a pure heart, not to a keen intellect.” Oswald Chambers

“The true secret to all ministry is spiritual power. It is not man’s genius, or man’s intellect, or man’s energy; but simply the power of the Spirit of the God of the Gospel. ‘Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit, saith the Lord of hosts (Zech.iv.6) It is well for all ministers (and believers) to bear this ever in mind. It will sustain the heart and give constant freshness to their ministry (and lives). A ministry which flows from abiding dependence upon the Holy Spirit can never become barren. If a man is drawing on his own resources, he will soon run dry. It matters not what his powers may be, or how extensive his reading, or how vast his stores of information; if the Holy Spirit be not the spring and power of his ministry, it must, sooner or later, lose its freshness and its effectiveness. How important then, that all who minister (and live) in the gospel…should lean continually and exclusively on the power of the Holy Spirit. He knows what souls need, and He can supply it. But he must be trusted and used. It will not do to lean partly on self and partly on the Spirit.” C H Macintosh

“For years I hid the inadequacy I felt as a counselor behind a professional demeanor, technical jargon, and sound psychological methods of treatment. Recently I’ve made a truly liberating discovery. I am inadequate. My sense of inadequacy is not the effect of deficient intellect or poor training, nor is it a symptom of emotional disorder. It is the painful admission of what is true. On my own, I can make nothing of importance happen. I can help no one. But if I abide in Christ, if I present myself before God’s Spirit for searching and filling, if I study and ponder the Scriptures and live my life in brokenness before a grace-dispensing community, I can transcend my inadequacy, I can find myself as I worship. I can struggle on behalf of others with the energy of Christ powerfully working in me.” Larry Crabb

“Whoever you are, good reader, and whatever your education may be, if you be the Lord’s, be assured you will find no rest in philosophizing divinity. You may receive this dogma of one great thinker, or that dream of another profound reasoned, but what the chaff is to wheat, that will these be to the pure word of God. All that reason, when best guided, can find out is but the A B C of truth, and even that lacks certainty, while in Christ Jesus there is treasured up all the fullness of wisdom and knowledge…..Jesus satisfies the most elevated intellect when He is believingly received, but apart from Him the mind of the regenerate discovers no rest. ‘The fear of the lord is the beginning of knowledge.’ ‘A good understanding have all they that do His commandments.’” Charles H. Spurgeon

“We judge things by their present appearance; but the Lord sees them in their consequences. If we could do the same we would be perfectly of His mind; but since we can’t, it is an unspeakable mercy that He will manage for us, whether we are pleased with His management or not; and it is regarded as one of His heaviest judgments when He gives any person up to the way of their own hearts, and to walk according to their own wisdom.” John Newton

“His wisdom’s vast, and knows no bounds, a deep where all our thoughts are drowned.” Isaac Watts

“Love the person of your Lord! Bring forth the alabaster box of your heart, even though it be broken, and let all the precious ointment of your affection come streaming onto His pierced feet. Let your intellect be exercised concerning the Lord Jesus. Meditate upon what you read. Stop not at the surface; dive into the depths. Be not as the swallow, which touches the brook with her wing, but as the fish, which penetrates the lowest wave.” C. H. Spurgeon revised by Alistair Begg

“All religion rests on authority. Someone or something always has the last word. Nobility is what you do with the Word of God. Beware of coming to church and being stirred but not changed. Our behavior with the Bible is indicative of our belief in the Bible.” Kevin DeYoung

“God alone knows the depth and riches of His Godhead, and divine wisdom alone can declare His secrets.” Thomas Aquinas

HEART SAVOR

• In Jesus are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
• We are to do our best to present ourselves to God as one approved, an unashamed workman correctly handling the Word of Truth.
• Who has understood the mind of the Lord or instructed Him as His counselor?

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The Necessity Of Our Crosses 9.18.20

THE NECESSITY OF OUR CROSSES

BREAD

21 They preached the good news in that city and won a large number of disciples. Then they returned to Lystra, Iconium and Antioch, 22 strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to remain true to the faith. “We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God,” they said. Acts 14:21-22 (NIV)

33 “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33 (NIV)

2 We sent Timothy, who is our brother and God’s fellow worker in spreading the gospel of Christ, to strengthen and encourage you in your faith, 3 so that no one would be unsettled by these trials. You know quite well that we were destined for them. 1 Thessalonians 3:2-3 (NIV)

10 You, however, know all about my teaching, my way of life, my purpose, faith, patience, love, endurance, 11 persecutions, sufferings–what kinds of things happened to me in Antioch, Iconium and Lystra, the persecutions I endured. Yet the Lord rescued me from all of them. 12 In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, 13 while evil men and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. 14 But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, 15 and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 2 Timothy 3:10-15 (NIV)

2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. 4 Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. James 1:2-4 (NIV)

3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade–kept in heaven for you, 5 who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. 7 These have come so that your faith–of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire–may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. 1 Peter 1:3-7 (NIV)

12 Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. 13 But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. 1 Peter 4:12-13 (NIV)

23 Then he said to them all: “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. 24 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it. 25 What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit his very self?” Luke 9:23-25 (NIV)

27 “And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.” Luke 14:27 (NIV)

BUTTER

“You can’t sneak quietly into heaven without a cross. Crosses form us into His image. They cut away the pieces of our corruption. Lord cut, carve, wound; Lord do anything to perfect your image in us and make us fit for glory. We need winnowing before we enter the kingdom of God. O what I owe to the file, hammer, and furnace!” Samuel Rutherford

“Lord, high and holy, meek and lowly, You have brought me to the valley of vision, where I live in the depths but see You in the heights; hemmed in by mountains of sin I behold Your glory. Let me learn by paradox that the way down is the way up, that to be low is to be high, that the broken heart is the healed heart, that the contrite spirit is the rejoicing spirit, that the repenting soul is the victorious soul, that to have nothing is to possess all, that to bear the cross is to wear the crown, that to give is to receive, Lord, in the daytime stars can be seen from deepest wells, and the deeper the wells the brighter Your stars shine; Let me find Your light in my darkness, Your life in my death, Your joy in my sorrow, Your grace in my sin, Your riches in my poverty, Your glory in my valley.” From: The Valley of Vision: A collection of Puritan Prayers & Devotions

“The cross is rough, and it is deadly, but it is effective.” A. W. Tozer

“O love that wilt not let me go, I rest my weary soul in Thee. I give Thee back the life I owe, that in Thine ocean depths its flow, may richer fuller be. O light that followest all my way, I yield my flickering torch to Thee. My heart restores its borrowed ray, that in thy sunshine’s blaze its day, may brighter fairer be. O joy that seekest me through pain, I cannot close my heart to Thee. I trace the rainbow through the rain, and feel the promise is not vain, that morn shall tearless be. O cross that liftest up my head, I dare not ask to fly from Thee. I lay in dust life’s glory dead, and from the ground there blossoms red, life that shall endless be.” George Matheson

“As we look back to our pains and sufferings, we shall see that suffering is not worthy to be compared to our first night’s welcome home in heaven. If we could smell of heaven and our country above, our crosses would not bite us. Lay all your loads by faith on Christ, ease yourself, and let Him bear all. He can, He does, and He will bear you.” Samuel Rutherford

“Submission is our duty; quibbling is our folly. Our Lord may say to us what he said to Peter, ‘What is that to you? You follow Me!’ Wherever Jesus may lead us, He goes before us. If we do not know where we go, we know with whom we go. With such a companion, who will dread the dangers of the journey? The road may be long, but His everlasting arms will carry us to the end.” C. H. Spurgeon revised by Alistair Begg

“My dear brother, let God do what He wills now, and He shall make glory out of your sufferings and end them with consolation.” Samuel Rutherford

“There are no crown-wearers in heaven who were not cross-bearers here below.” Charles Spurgeon

“If the worst things work for good to a believer, what shall the best things? Nothing hurts the godly…all things…shall co-operate for their good, that their crosses shall be turned into blessings.” Puritan Thomas Watson

“Nothing you hold onto in this life can be taken with you when your reign is over. If you will pick up your cross and lay down your dreams and desires, I will take you on a journey through this life that will be far more meaningful and adventurous than you could ever imagine. I know that what I ask feels like a great sacrifice–and it is! But What I offer you is a life that will live on long after you’re gone, and faith that will be carved into the hearts of all those with whom you shared my love. So I ask again, My beloved: will you pick up your cross and follow Me?” Sheri Rose Shepherd

“The cross you’ve been given —is always God’s kindest decision. The cross you carry — is carrying you toward who you are meant to be.” Ann Voskamp

HEART SAVOR

• Christian, do not be surprised at suffering.
• Our crosses are painful yet profitable.
• We want to be mature, complete and not lacking anything rather than to be found wanting.

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The Supplier And Satisfier Of All Needs 9.16.20

THE SUPPLIER AND SATISFIER OF ALL NEEDS

BREAD

The LORD is faithful to all his promises and loving toward all he has made. 14 The LORD upholds all those who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down. 15 The eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food at the proper time. 16 You open your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing. 17 The LORD is righteous in all his ways and loving toward all he has made. 18 The LORD is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth. 19 He fulfills the desires of those who fear him; he hears their cry and saves them. 20 The LORD watches over all who love him, but all the wicked he will destroy. Psalms 145:13-20 (NIV)

19 And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus. 20 To our God and Father be glory for ever and ever. Amen. Philippians 4:19-20 (NIV)

11 He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young. Isaiah 40:11 (NIV)

10 So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Isaiah 41:10 (NIV)

11 But let all who take refuge in you be glad; let them ever sing for joy. Spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may rejoice in you. 12 For surely, O LORD, you bless the righteous; you surround them with your favor as with a shield. Psalms 5:11-12 (NIV)

19 Moreover, when God gives any man wealth and possessions, and enables him to enjoy them, to accept his lot and be happy in his work–this is a gift of God. 20 He seldom reflects on the days of his life, because God keeps him occupied with gladness of heart. Ecclesiastes 5:19-20 (NIV)

57 You are my portion, O LORD; I have promised to obey your words. 58 I have sought your face with all my heart; be gracious to me according to your promise. Psalms 119:57-58 (NIV)

25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? 28 And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. Matthew 6:25-34 (NIV)

9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 10 That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 (NIV)

27 Why do you say, O Jacob, and complain, O Israel, “My way is hidden from the LORD; my cause is disregarded by my God”? 28 Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. 29 He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. 30 Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; 31 but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. Isaiah 40:27-31 (NIV)

BUTTER

“God is a satisfying portion. This world may fill a man, but can never satisfy him. Most have too much, but no one has enough. They are like ships that carry a burden heavy enough to sink it, but with room to hold more. The world cannot satisfy the senses, much less the soul. Where can true contentment be found? The earth says, ‘It is not in me’; no, heaven itself is not enough if God is not in it. If you long for things of the world, you will find them nothing when you receive them.” George Swinnock

“You will never need more than God can supply.” J. I. Packer

“I love Him because He first loved me. His goodness and mercy and compassion to me are new every day. And my assurance is lodged in these aspects of His character. My trust is in His love for me as His own. My serenity has as its basis an implicit, unshakable reliance on His ability to do the right thing, the best thing in any given situation. This to me is the supreme portrait of my Shepherd. Continually there flows out to me His goodness and His mercy, which even though I do not deserve them, come unremittingly from their source of supply – His own great heart of love.” Phillip Keller

“‘I will help thee.’ O my soul, is not this enough? Dost thou need more strength than the omnipotence of the United Trinity? Dost thou want more wisdom than exists in the Father, more love than displays itself in the Son, or more power than is manifest in the influences of the Spirit? Bring hither thine empty pitcher! Surely this well will fill it. Haste, gather up thy wants, and bring them there – thine emptiness, thy woes, thy needs. Behold, this river of God is full for thy supply; what canst thou desire beside? Go forth, my soul, in this thy might. The Eternal God is thine helper!” C. H. Spurgeon

“Do not give your heart to that which does not satisfy your heart.” Abba Poemen

“If you are thirsty in this life you have gone to the wrong well.” BHY

“God has promised to supply all our needs. What we don’t have now, we don’t need now.” Elisabeth Elliot

“God hath in Himself all power to defend you, all wisdom to direct you, all mercy to pardon you, all grace to enrich you, all righteousness to clothe you, all goodness to supply you, and all happiness to crown you.” Thomas Brooks
“When you have God for your portion, you have more than everything else put together. In Him every need is met, whether in life or in death. With God for your portion you are rich indeed, for He will supply your need, comfort your heart, relieve your grief, guide your steps, walk with you in the dark valley, and then take you home to enjoy Him as your portion forever. ‘I have enough,’ said Esau; this is the best thing a worldly man can say, but Jacob replied in essence, ‘I have everything,’ which is a note too high for carnal minds.” C. H. Spurgeon revised by Alistair Begg

“I am the Lord your God. I know no limitations. I know no lack. I need not reserve my stores, for I always have a fresh supply. You can by no means ever exhaust My infinite resources.” Frances J. Roberts

“David tells us that if the Lord is your portion, this fountain runs freely to full contentment. This portion is the best possible. It affords full contentment and happiness; ‘I have enough, and crave no more.’” George Swinnock

“God is both a wall and a well to his people, a wall to guard them from their adversaries, and a well to supply all their needs out of his ever-living, over-flowing fullness.” Charles H. Spurgeon

HEART SAVOR

• God is the lone satisfier of the heart.
• He is our sufficiency and strength, satisfying us with good things.
• His supply toward us never lacks. Indeed, He overflows our cups.

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The Worth And Wonder Of His Love 9.14.20

THE WORTH AND WONDER OF HIS LOVE

BREAD

16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.” John 3:16-18 (NIV)

9 This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. 10 This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. 11 Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 1 John 4:9-11 (NIV)

21 God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. 2 Corinthians 5:21 (NIV)

7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace 8 that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding. Ephesians 1:7-8 (NIV)

18 I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, 19 and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, 20 which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, 21 far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. Ephesians 1:18-21 (NIV)

31 What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all–how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? 33 Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died–more than that, who was raised to life–is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 36 As it is written: “For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” 37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:31-39 (NIV)

3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. Ephesians 1:3 (NIV)

14 For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. 15 And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again. 2 Corinthians 5:14-15 (NIV)

BUTTER

“To know God and love God always produces a longing to know God and love God more. It’s inevitable. For if we really know him in some measure, it implies that he has made himself known to us (Luke 10:21-22; Matthew 16:17). And if we really love him in some measure, it implies that he first loved us (1 John 4:19).” Jon Bloom

“God’s motivation toward people is love. God’s love is not limited to a few or to one group of people but His gift is for the whole world. God’s love was expressed in the giving of His most priceless gift—His unique Son.” Bible Knowledge Commentary

“The nature and person of God doesn’t give us earthly assurances that we will have no nights of weeping. But in Christ, God does give us final assurance. The night will end. Morning will come. Joy will be the final note.” David Mathis

“God’s love for us is higher and deeper and broader and longer than anyone can imagine. He loves us with an everlasting love and He rejoices over us with singing. He leads us with cords of kindness and we rest secure between His all-sufficient shoulders, finding repose in His shadow. His eye is ever on us for our good and His glory never one surpassing the other. His way is the best way even though oftentimes extraordinarily, breath takingly difficult. In love, He meets our needs – not necessarily our wants – as He is always in the process of conforming us into the image of His Son AND He uses everything in our life towards that end as Jesus was to be the first among many brothers. This is taking hold of life that is truly life btw. How are we to respond to this great love? The psalmist rightly proclaims: ‘25 Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you. 26 My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.’ Psalms 73:25-26 (NIV).” BHY

“Unconditional love is the source and foundation of the human transformation that makes the sweetness of conditional love possible. If God did not love us unconditionally, he would not penetrate our unattractive lives, bring us to faith, unite us to Christ, give us his Spirit, and make us progressively like Jesus.” John Piper

“He longs to speak with us as one would speak to a friend. And He longs for us to talk back to Him in never-ending conversation. Don’t miss out on connecting with the ultimate Lover of our Souls.” Chrystal Evans Hurst

“The trials that come from God are sent to prove and strengthen our graces and immediately illustrate the power of divine grace, to test the genuineness of our virtues and to add to their energy. Our Lord in His infinite wisdom and superabundant love sets such a high value upon His people’s faith that He will not protect them from those trials by which faith is strengthened. You would never have possessed the precious faith that now supports you if the trial of your faith had not put you through the fire.” C. H. Spurgeon

“To be intimate with God is to know his mercy, grace, patience, love, faithfulness, and forgiveness, and it is to know God’s severity and wrath against sin with reverent fear.” Jon Bloom

“Believer, rest assured that the heart of Jesus cares about your lesser affairs. The breadth of His tender love is such that you may resort to Him in all matters; for in all your afflictions He is afflicted, and as a father pities his children, so He pities you. The humblest interests of all His saints are all borne upon the broad bosom of the Son of God. Oh, what a heart is His that not only comprehends each one of His people, but also comprehends the diverse and innumerable concerns of each of those individuals!” Charles H. Spurgeon

“To encounter the living God is to get a glimpse of the Source of all joy and pleasure (Psalms 16:11), all hope (Romans 15:13), all power (Job 42:1-2; Luke 1:37; Revelation 1:8), and indestructible life (Hebrews 7:16; John 3:16). It is to get a glimpse, in the words of C.S. Lewis, of ‘the place where all the beauty came from’ (Till We Have Faces, 86). And to get such a glimpse, a taste, an apprehension of this magnitude of glory can’t help but leave us longing for more.” John Bloom

“O Christian, is not this a singular comfort; that the Lord reflects with an eye of love upon your thoughts, upon your desires, upon your tears, and upon your groans? The Lord casts an eye of love upon you.” Thomas Brooks

“All we have is in His loving, capable, Hands and His heart is as tender as His arms are strong. We can trust Him with our lives and the lives of those we love. Convert fear into faith. How steady is His Hand to guide me through this world. My needs shall be His care. Make your faith a defiant response.” BHY

HEART SAVOR

• God loves us with an everlasting love. To know Him and love Him produces a longing to know and love Him more.
• His motivation towards us is love – always.
• He casts His eye of love upon us for our good and His glory.

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Live A Life Worthy 9.9.20

LIVE A LIFE WORTHY

BREAD

1 As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. 2 Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. 3 Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. Ephesians 4:1-3 (NIV)

17 So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. 18 They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts. 19 Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, with a continual lust for more. Ephesians 4:17-19 (NIV)

22 You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; 23 to be made new in the attitude of your minds; 24 and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. 25 Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor, for we are all members of one body. 26 “In your anger do not sin” : Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, 27 and do not give the devil a foothold. 28 He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with his own hands, that he may have something to share with those in need. 29 Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. 30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. 32 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. Ephesians 4:22-32 (NIV)

8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light 9 (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) 10 and find out what pleases the Lord. Ephesians 5:8-10 (NIV)

23 Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, 24 since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. 25 Anyone who does wrong will be repaid for his wrong, and there is no favoritism. Colossians 3:23-25 (NIV)

9 For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. 10 And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, 11 being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully 12 giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light. 13 For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. Colossians 1:9-14 (NIV)

15 Be very careful, then, how you live–not as unwise but as wise, 16 making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. 17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. Ephesians 5:15-17 (NIV)

10 For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Ephesians 2:9-10 (NIV)

BUTTER

“That is a very cheap sort of virtue; bullying other people’s vices. The easiest thing in all the world is to be constantly denouncing popular faults; but to wring the neck of one of my own bosom sins is a harder work by far, and a much better sign of conversion. To be earnest against the sin of others may be praiseworthy, but it is no sign of grace in the heart; for natural men have been some of the greatest leaders in this matter. To loathe my own sin, to humble myself on account of my own personal faults, and to endeavour in the sight of God to renounce every false way, is a work of something more than human nature.” Charles H. Spurgeon

“Our world is hungry for genuinely changed people. Leo Tolstoy observes, ‘Everybody thinks of changing humanity and nobody thinks of changing himself.’ Let us be among those who believe that the inner transformation of our lives is a goal worthy of our best effort.” Richard J. Foster

“Part of the whole process of walking worthy of God’s call is the active engagement of our will in resolving to do righteousness.” John Piper

“God is God, and since He is God, He is worthy of my worship and my service. I will find rest nowhere else but in His will, and that will is necessarily infinitely, immeasurably, unspeakably beyond my largest notions of what He is up to.” Elisabeth Elliot

“How strange the world is! It speaks evil of men because they will not do evil. Yet it has always been so. Those of whom the ‘world was not worthy’ mentioned in Hebrews 11 Hall of Fame, have been the people of whom the worldly have said, ‘He should not be allowed to live’. The world’s verdict concerning Christians is of little value.” C. H. Spurgeon

“There is a difference between brokenness over one’s sin and living in shame for the rest of our days. A broken and contrite heart the Lord will never despise. This means one agrees with the Lord that the sin was wrong and desires not to continue on in it. It is a turning from it into the ways of the Lord through His power, for His glory, for our good. This leads to peace with God which passes all understanding not continued shame over the transgression. Guilt is Satan’s trademark and often keeps the forgiven believer paralyzed in their walk with the Lord believing themselves to be unworthy to be used in kingdom work or even approach the throne of grace through prayer. If Satan can’t keep us from being saved, he desires to keep us from being used and from feeling the comfort of God’s love and forgiveness. Believers are accepted in the Beloved.” BHY

“Cheered by the presence of God, I will do at each moment, without anxiety, according to the strength which He shall give me, the work that His Providence assigns me. I will leave the rest without concern; it is not my affair. I ought to consider the duty to which I am called each day, as the work that God has given me to do, and to apply myself to it in a manner worthy of His glory, that is to say, in exactness and peace.” Fenelon

“If you would grow into the beauty of the Master, you must accept the conflicts, and fight the battles. You can live easy if you will, by declining every struggle — but you will then get little out of life which is truly noble and worthy. The best things all come after the battle — you must fight your way across the field to get them. Heaven is only for those who overcome. No one gets the crown — without the conflict!” J R Miller

“Oh that God would give every mother a vision of the glory and splendor of the work that is given to her when a babe is place in her bosom to be nursed and trained! Could she have but one glimpse in to the future of that life as it reaches on into eternity; could she look into it’s soul to see its possibilities; could she be made to understand her own personal responsibility for the training of this child, for the development of its life, and for its destiny,–she would see that in all God’s world there is no other work so noble and so worthy of her best powers, and she would commit to no others hands the sacred and holy trust given to her.” JR Miller

“When it’s hard to hold on, no one holds on to what is cool. They hold on to Christ. When it’s hard to hold on, no one holds on to what is hip. They hold on to Him who is holy and healing. When it’s hard to hold on, we don’t hold on to what’s trendy. We hold on to the True Vine. We don’t hold on to the prevailing and the popular, we hold on to the Prince of Peace, the true Perfecter of our Faith. We only rise because of the Gospel — the astonishing news that grace has grabbed the unworthy, and Christ cleans the unbearable, and God redeems the unlikely, and we live the unexpected.” Ken Shigematsu

“Before we speak we should put our words through the sieve of: Is it true? Is it noble? Is it right? Is it pure? Is it lovely? Is it admirable? Is it excellent? Is it praiseworthy? Is it necessary????” BHY

“The invitation to enjoy God is not icing. It is the cake of Christianity. If he is not enjoyed in real measure, then he is not truly believed, trusted, feared, obeyed, or worshiped. God is not seeking disinterested praise, but “worship in spirit and truth” (John 4:24). He isn’t enlisting dutiful soldiers, but those who will serve with gladness (Psalms 100:2). He is the kind of God, so rich and full, so free and secure, that he will not settle for human compulsion and going through the external motions. He calls, and effects, the willing and eager. He wants, and is worthy, to capture the heart. The trust he wins is not disinterested faith (as if that were really possible), but the kind of faith that enjoys him (2 Corinthians 1:24; Philippians 1:25; Hebrews 11:6).” David Mathis

“Strengthen me Lord according to Your glorious might. Give me great endurance and patience and joy so that I may walk in a manner worthy of the Gospel. May I please You in all that I say and do. You alone are faithful to keep me from falling and to equip me for this so great an endeavor. May I, through Your great power, leave the aroma of sweet Jesus in my every encounter that I may change my sphere by bringing Your Presence to every circumstance You present me with today. Always for your glory alone and my good.” BHY

HEART SAVOR

• Believers are called to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord.
• It is He that we are to please – not the world. We live our lives for an audience of One.
• If you are a child of the King, walk as one.

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Cry Out In Prayer 9.7.20

CRY OUT IN PRAYER

BREAD

9 Jabez was more honorable than his brothers. His mother had named him Jabez, saying, “I gave birth to him in pain.” 10 Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, “Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my territory! Let your hand be with me, and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain.” And God granted his request. 1 Chronicles 4:9-10 (NIV)

6 In my distress I called to the LORD; I cried to my God for help. From his temple he heard my voice; my cry came before him, into his ears. 7 The earth trembled and quaked, and the foundations of the mountains shook; they trembled because he was angry. 8 Smoke rose from his nostrils; consuming fire came from his mouth, burning coals blazed out of it. 9 He parted the heavens and came down; dark clouds were under his feet. 10 He mounted the cherubim and flew; he soared on the wings of the wind. Psalms 18:6-10 (NIV)

“The LORD is with you when you are with him. If you seek him, he will be found by you, but if you forsake him, he will forsake you. 3 For a long time Israel was without the true God, without a priest to teach and without the law. 4 But in their distress they turned to the LORD, the God of Israel, and sought him, and he was found by them.” 2 Chronicles 15:2-4 (NIV)

7 In your distress you called and I rescued you, I answered you out of a thundercloud; I tested you at the waters of Meribah. Selah 8 “Hear, O my people, and I will warn you–if you would but listen to me, O Israel! 9 You shall have no foreign god among you; you shall not bow down to an alien god. 10 I am the LORD your God, who brought you up out of Egypt. Open wide your mouth and I will fill it. Psalms 81:7-10 (NIV)

20 They were helped in fighting them, and God handed the Hagrites and all their allies over to them, because they cried out to him during the battle. He answered their prayers, because they trusted in him. 1 Chronicles 5:19-20 (NIV)

7 What other nation is so great as to have their gods near them the way the LORD our God is near us whenever we pray to him? Deuteronomy 4:7 (NIV)

13 “When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command locusts to devour the land or send a plague among my people, 14 if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land. 15 Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayers offered in this place.” 2 Chronicles 7:13-15 (NIV)

6 Therefore let everyone who is godly pray to you while you may be found; surely when the mighty waters rise, they will not reach him. 7 You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance. Psalms 32:6-7 (NIV)

7 To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. 8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. 9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 10 That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. 2 Corinthians 12:7-10 (NIV)

7 The end of all things is near. Therefore be clear minded and self-controlled so that you can pray. 1 Peter 4:7 (NIV)

The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. James 5:16 (NIV)

17 Pray continually. 1 Thessalonians 5:17 (NIV)

BUTTER

“Something happened when I consistently postured my heart towards God throughout the day. Talking to Him became a rhythm of living. I was abiding — enjoying the journey of connecting with God through a beautiful new habit of ongoing conversation.” Chrystal Evans Hurst

“What is ‘good’? Just as Pilate asked Jesus ‘What is Truth?’ while all the while looking straight at Truth Incarnate, we as humans often misconstrue ‘What is good?’ and end up missing out on God’s best by ‘kicking against the goads’ and not walking in His ways. We so often buy into what the world believes as good. Do we believe it’s all about more – More clothes in the closet? More comforts in the den? More money in the bank? More health in the body? More buildings, marquees, publications or whatever’s bearing our names? More children in the home? And on and on and on it goes. ‘Good’ is not merely ‘wants. ‘Good’ can be as varied as the people who populate this dusty earth. Simply put, ‘good’ is always God’s best for a life. The Maker of all humankind has a plan for each life and our best is always to walk in it – be it ever so hard. His will is revealed in a myriad of ways from His Word, from the Holy Spirit’s promptings Who indwells every true believer in Christ, from prayer and petition with thanksgiving, from fellow sojourners – why God can even use a donkey or a great big fish! And believe me, you always want to be in the center of His will as it is good and pleasing and perfect. Don’t fight against God’s best because it is hard. Allow Him to conform you to the image of Christ. We are the ultimate losers if we don’t. It is the life of true blessedness.” BHY

“Let a few of God’s people, they don’t need to be many, get thoroughly right with God themselves—the rest will count for nothing unless you start right there; then let them band themselves together to pray for a revival until God opens the heavens and comes down. Then let them put themselves at God’s disposal to use them as He sees fit. That will bring a revival to any church, any community.” R. A. Torrey

“There comes a time, in spite of our soft, modern ways, when we must be desperate in prayer, when we must wrestle, when we must be outspoken, shameless and importunate. Many of the prayers recorded in Scripture are ‘cries,’ and the Hebrew and Greek words are very strong. Despite opinions to the contrary, the Bible recognizes such a thing as storming heaven- ‘praying through.’ The fervent prayer of a righteous man is mighty in its working.” Cameron Thompson

“So, write it down. Bare your heart before Him and place every desire at His feet; yielding to His ultimate will being done above all. Asking and yielding are in a delicate balance together. Yes, we can ask. But along with asking, we have to yield. This means letting go of control and leaving it all up to Him. Ask, and then let go of the breath that you have been holding in for so long. It’s not all up to you. Surrender.” Chrystal Evans Hurst

“Grant especially, blessed Lord, that Your church may believe that it is by the power of united prayer that she can bind and loose in heaven, cast out Satan, save souls, remove mountains, and hasten the coming of the kingdom.” A prayer from Andrew Murray

“‘Pray without ceasing’”…and here the word ‘pray’ does not mean to beg or to plead as if God were unwilling to give – but simply to expose by faith every situation as it arises, to the all-sufficiency of the One who indwells you by His life.” Major W. Ian Thomas

“The one concern of the devil is to keep Christians from praying. He fears nothing from prayerless studies, prayerless work, and prayerless religion. He laughs at our toil, mocks at our wisdom, but trembles when we pray.” Samuel Chadwick

“Philippians 4:6 instructs us to pray about everything. If Paul had wanted us to limit our praying to everything big, he certainly would have told us. God is as interested in your small, seemingly insignificant requests as he is your kingdom-level, life changing needs. God’s interest in your prayers isn’t dependent upon their relative kingdom weightiness. Its’ based on his love for and interest in you. Praying for the little things teaches you to depend on God. Since prayer is communication and dialogue with God, praying for little things teaches you to enjoy his presence. Seeking God in the little things increases your gratitude and offers perspective. You should pray for little things, because they often turn into big things.” Anonymous

“He longs to speak with us as one would speak to a friend. And He longs for us to talk back to Him in never-ending conversation. Don’t miss out on connecting with the ultimate Lover of our Souls.” Chrystal Evans Hurst

HEART SAVOR

• Call to Him and He will come near to you. If you will seek Him He will be found by you. He is amazingly kind and loving. He listens and records as we pour out our hearts to Him even to placing our tears in a bottle. While He may or may not change our circumstances, He will change what is far greater, by changing us in them, ever conforming us into the image of His Son.
• Prayer is a precious gift from God – purchased for mankind by the blood of Jesus – enabling the believer access into the Holy of Holies – the Presence of the Living God – never, never neglect this high privilege.
• There is power in prayer – power that is far beyond mere fleshly power. The Hand of God moves through prayer – amazing.

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Longing For Further Still 9.4.20

LONGING FOR FURTHER STILL

BREAD

1 As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God. 2 My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God? Psalms 42:1-2 (NIV)

1 O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water. Psalms 63:1 (NIV)

11 You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand. Psalms 16:11 (NIV)

8 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the LORD. 9 “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. Isaiah 55:8-9 (NIV)

14 “And these are but the outer fringe of his works; how faint the whisper we hear of him! Who then can understand the thunder of his power?” Job 26:14 (NIV)

15 Then Moses said to him, “If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here. 16 How will anyone know that you are pleased with me and with your people unless you go with us? What else will distinguish me and your people from all the other people on the face of the earth?” 17 And the LORD said to Moses, “I will do the very thing you have asked, because I am pleased with you and I know you by name.” 18 Then Moses said, “Now show me your glory.” 19 And the LORD said, “I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim my name, the LORD, in your presence. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. 20 But,” he said, “you cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live.” 21 Then the LORD said, “There is a place near me where you may stand on a rock. 22 When my glory passes by, I will put you in a cleft in the rock and cover you with my hand until I have passed by. 23 Then I will remove my hand and you will see my back; but my face must not be seen.” Exodus 33:15-23 (NIV)

7 But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. 8 What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ–the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. 10 I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11 and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead. 12 Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. 13 Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. 15 All of us who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you. 16 Only let us live up to what we have already attained. Philippians 3:7-16 (NIV)

12 “‘Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. 14 I will be found by you,’ declares the LORD. Jeremiah 29:12-14 (NIV)

28 But as for me, it is good to be near God. I have made the Sovereign LORD my refuge; I will tell of all your deeds. Psalms 73:28 (NIV)

BUTTER

“To know God and love God always produces a longing to know God and love God more. It’s inevitable. For if we really know him in some measure, it implies that he has made himself known to us (Luke 10:21-22; Matthew 16:17). And if we really love him in some measure, it implies that he first loved us (1 John 4:19).” John Bloom

“If you wish to know God, you must know his Word. If you wish to perceive His power, you must see how He works by his Word. If you wish to know His purpose before it comes to pass, you can only discover it by His Word.” C.H. Spurgeon

“For the highest good any of God’s saints will ever experience is to be near God (Psalms 73:28).” John Bloom

“None honors God like the thirst of desire.” Frederick Faber

“You’ll know your heart’s been set aflame by the fire of revival when nothing else matters to you as much as He does – and your love for Him.” Anne Graham Lotz

“I hear some speak or sing about intimacy with God, I sometimes wonder if we grasp what a real experience of intimacy with him is truly like. A dimension of appropriate (biblical) fear often seems lacking. I know the apostle John wrote that ‘perfect love casts out fear’ (1 John 4:18). But fear of condemnation in judgment isn’t the kind of fear I mean. I’m talking about the fear the apostle John experienced when the risen Son of God — the same person on whom John leaned during the Last Supper (John 13:25) — manifested himself to him on Patmos and caused him to ‘[fall] at his feet as though dead’ (Revelation 1:17)….To be intimate with God is to know his mercy, grace, patience, love, faithfulness, and forgiveness, and it is to know God’s severity and wrath against sin with reverent fear.” John Bloom

“This crisis of faith sent grasping hands in search of His loving grip. Wrestling in this wasteland led me to know God in a deeper way. Day by day I came to trust the kind of love that never fails and never leaves. And this same love is yours in Christ too. Even when we’re afraid.” Jolene Underwood

“To encounter the living God is to get a glimpse of the Source of all joy and pleasure (Psalms 16:11), all hope (Romans 15:13), all power (Job 42:1-2; Luke 1:37; Revelation 1:8), and indestructible life (Hebrews 7:16; John 3:16). It is to get a glimpse, in the words of C.S. Lewis, of ‘the place where all the beauty came from’ (Till We Have Faces, 86). And to get such a glimpse, a taste, an apprehension of this magnitude of glory can’t help but leave us longing for more.” John Bloom
“God loves you, and because He loves you, He cares what happens to you. He loves you too much to let you wander aimlessly through life, without meaning or purpose. The Bible says, ‘You will show me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy’ (Psalms 16:11). Covet God’s will for your life more than anything else. To know God’s will – and to do it – is life’s greatest joy.” Billy Graham

“The end of learning is to know God, and out of that knowledge to love Him and imitate Him.” John Milton

“What were we made for? To know God. What aim should we set ourselves in life? To know God. What is the eternal life that Jesus gives? Knowledge of God. What is the best thing in life, bringing more joy, delight, and contentment, than anything else? Knowledge of God. What, of all the states God ever sees man in, gives Him most pleasure? Knowledge of Himself.” J.I. Packer

“Those who know God will be humble. Those who know themselves cannot be proud.” John Trapp

“Jesus wants to do much more with our lives than simply meeting our needs and making us feel better….I am deeply motivated to know God. I want to know Him as He truly is, not through the distorted reflection of those who call themselves by His Name. And I want to make Him known to others as accurately, winsomely, clearly and compellingly as I can.” Anne Graham Lotz

“God is the kindest person in existence, and the most severe. In Christ, he is ‘gentle and lowly’ (Matthew 11:29), and he is ‘the Almighty’ whose wrath is terrifying (Revelation 1:8; 6:15-17). He is ‘a friend of . . . sinners’ (Luke 7:34), but only to ‘those who fear him’ (Psalms 25:14)….His nearness really is our greatest good.” Jon Bloom

HEART SAVOR

• We will never get to the end of knowing God – His ways are infinitely higher than our own – yet we are to longingly desire to know Him more.
• God blesses our desires to know Him further.
• His nearness to us is for our greatest good. It is the cup which overflows. It is the soul’s satisfaction with nothing wanting. It is why we are here. Draw near to Him and He will draw near to you and tell you great and unsearchable things that you do not know. “22 let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.” Hebrews 10:22-23 (NIV)

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