The Ten-Cent Store Jesus ...

Unfortunately, the ten-cent-store Jesus being preached now by many is not the Jesus that will come to judge the world.

This harmless, plastic, painted Jesus who has no spine, nor justice, nor wrath but is a soft and pliant friend to everybody; if He is the only Christ, then we might as well close our Bibles, bar our doors and make a bakery or garage out of our church buildings!

The popular Christ being preached today is not the Christ of the Bible, nor the Christ who will be our final Judge.

Jesus Christ our Lord, the Judge with the flaming eyes is the one with whom we must deal. We cannot escape it.

[A. W. Tozer]

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Revelation 1:14-16 ... His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire; And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters. And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength. 

Revelation 6:15-17 ... And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand? ❤

Refinement

 Refinement is not rejection.

It’s preparation.

We pray for growth.

We pray for influence.

We pray for impact.

But we don’t always pray for the fire.

Fire exposes impurities.

Fire burns off what can’t stay.

Fire reveals what’s real.

Gold doesn’t fear heat.

It becomes purer because of it.

If this season feels intense…

If the pressure feels higher…

If the testing feels deeper…

Maybe it’s not punishment.

Maybe it’s refinement.

God doesn’t waste fire.

He uses it.

And when this season is over,

you won’t look the same.

You’ll be stronger.

Clearer.

More anchored.

More surrendered.

[David Baugh]

Job 23:10 ... But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold.

1 Peter 1:7 ... That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ: ❤

Doggie Still Went!!

Dear friend, if you have been praying for a long time for the salvation of one who is near and dear to you, and your prayer has not been answered, and that person has even gone from bad to worse than I want you to never give up praying. Remember that Jesus can save any man, while he is yet out of Hell. No case is absolutely hopeless, while Jesus lives.

We sometimes meet with amazing instances where prayer is answered at last. I have read of a woman who prayed long for her unsaved husband. She used to attend a certain meeting-house in the north of England, but her husband never went with her. He was a drinking, swearing man, and she had much anguish of heart about him. She never ceased to pray, and yet she never saw any result. She went to the meetinghouse alone, and her dog always went with her. This faithful animal would curl himself up under her seat and lie quiet during the service.

When she was dead, her husband was still unsaved, but doggie still went to the meetinghouse. Curiosity made him follow the dog one Sunday. The dog led him down the aisle to the seat of his dear old mistress. The man sat on that seat, and the dog curled himself up as usual. God guided the minister that day; the Word came with power, and that man wept until he found the Savior.

Never give up hope for your loved ones; for the Lord may even use a dog to bring them to Jesus, when you are dead and gone. Never give up praying, hoping, and expecting.

Others have been converted to God under very extraordinary circumstances. Two vile fellows planned to rob the house of a minister, who was accustomed on Sunday evenings to gather people together in his parlor, and preach the gospel to them. The thieves thought that if they could get into the house with the people during the evening and hide themselves away then they could rob the house easily during the night; and so, they snuck into the room next to that in which the Word was being preached. But they never robbed that house, for through the godly minister's sermon, the Lord Jesus conquered their hearts, and they came forth to confess their sin, and to become followers of the Savior!

Let the same truth be fully believed as to yourselves. O my dear reader, you may think you have gone too far into sin to be saved, but you have not. You may imagine that your case is altogether hopeless; but you are just the sort of person that Jesus saves.

[Charles H. Spurgeon]

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1 Timothy 1:15 ...  This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.

Luke 5:32 ...  I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. ❤

Secret, Subtle, and Insinuating!!

The pride of the wicked is the principal reason why they will not seek after the knowledge of God. Pride renders God a disagreeable and undesirable object of contemplation, to the wicked.

Pride consists in an unduly exalted opinion of oneself. It is, therefore, impatient of a rival, hates a superior, and cannot endure a master!

In proportion as pride prevails in the heart, it makes us wish to see no God above us,

to acknowledge no law but our own wills, to follow no rule but our own inclinations. Thus, pride led Satan to rebel against his Creator; and our first parents to desire to be as gods.

Since such are the effects of pride, it is evident that nothing can be more painful to a proud heart, than the thoughts of such a being as God one who is infinitely powerful, just, and holy; one who can neither be resisted, deceived, nor deluded; one who disposes, according to His own sovereign pleasure, of all creatures and events;  one who, in an especial manner, hates pride, and is determined to abase and punish it! Such a being, the proud man can contemplate only with feelings of dread, aversion, and abhorrence! The proud man must look upon God as his natural enemy; his great enemy, whom he has to fear!

But the knowledge of God directly tends to bring this infinite, irresistible, irreconcilable Enemy fully to the view of the proud man. It teaches proud man that he has a superior, a master from whose authority he cannot escape, whose power he cannot resist, and whose will, he must obey or be crushed before Him and be rendered miserable forever! It shows proud man what he hates to see that, in despite of his opposition God's counsel shall stand, that God will do all His pleasure, and that in all things, God is above them.

These truths torture the proud unhumbled hearts of the wicked, and hence they hate that knowledge of God which teaches these truths and will not seek it. On the contrary, they wish to remain ignorant of such a being, and to banish all thoughts of Him from their minds!

They endeavor to believe that God is altogether such a one as themselves. How foolish, how absurd, how ruinous, how blindly destructive of itself does pride appear! By attempting to soar, pride only plunges itself in the mire! And while endeavoring to erect a throne for itself pride undermines the ground on which it stands and digs its own grave!

Pride plunged Satan from Heaven into Hell, banished our first parents from paradise, and will, in a similar manner, eternally ruin all who indulge in it!

Unrepented pride keeps us in ignorance of God, shuts us out from His favor, prevents us from resembling Him, deprives us in this world, of communion with Him, and will bar the door of Heaven forever against us, and close upon us the gates of Hell.

O then, my friends, beware, above all things, beware of pride! Beware, lest you indulge it imperceptibly, for it is the most secret, subtle, and insinuating of all sins!

[Edward Payson]

Psalm 10:4 ... The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God: God is not in all his thoughts.

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When in Need ...

When you are in need, whether the need is emotional, psychological, or even financial, God wants you to come to Him. Because of your FAITH and TRUST in Jesus Christ you have immediate access to Him through PRAYER. God is compassionate AND already knows what you need, He just wants you to be humble enough to ask. It’s simple, although not always easy to ask for help, but as the saying goes “you don’t get 100% of what you don’t ask for.”  God loves you and wants a true and meaningful relationship with you always and FOREVER.

Lord, thank you for being available always. You know our needs and we know You can help when nobody else can. We ask you to look into our heart, grant us mercy and grace, and show us the way that YOU would have us go in times of need. Let Your will be done always in all ways. In Jesus’ Holy name we pray. Amen!

If you seek answers, you won't find them, but if you seek God, the answers will find you.

[Mark Batterson]

Hebrews 4:16 ... Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. ❤

All the Hell That You Shall Ever Have!

Cheer up, Christian. The sweetness of the crown which shall be enjoyed, will make amends for the bitterness of the cross which was endured. This world is all the Hell that you shall ever have. 

Here you have your bad things; your good things are yet to come. Here you have your bitter things, but your sweet things are yet to come. Here you have your prison, but your palace is yet to come. Here you have your rags; your royal robes are yet to come. Here you have your sorrow; your joy is yet to come. Here you have your Hell; your Heaven is yet to come! 

After the cup of affliction, comes the cup of salvation. 

Oh sirs, under the greatest troubles, lie your greatest treasures. The seed of sorrow on earth, shall reap a golden crop of joy in Heaven. Those who sow holiness in the seedtime of their lives, shall reap happiness in the harvest of eternity. 

Oh sirs, never think to have an end of your sorrow, until there is an end of your sin. The apostle tells us, "Our light affliction, which is for a moment, works for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory." (2 Corinthians 4:17) A grain of affliction works a weight of glory. A short moment of pain works an eternity of pleasures. 

Therefore saints, be of good cheer. Here is comfort for you: your best days are yet to come! 

[William Dyer] 

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John 16:33 ... These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.

Psalm 16:11 ... Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore. ❤

Beloved Better Than Others

Does not our Friend as far excel all other friends as Heaven exceeds earth, as eternity exceeds time, as the Creator surpasses His creatures?

See all the fullness of the Godhead dwelling in One who is as meek and mild as a child. See His countenance beaming with ineffable glories full of mingled majesty, condescension and love. Hear the soul-reviving invitations and gracious words which proceed from His lips. See that hand in which dwells everlasting strength swaying the scepter of universal empire over all creatures and all worlds. See His arms expanded to receive and embrace returning sinners. While His heart, a bottomless, shoreless ocean of benevolence overflows with tenderness, compassion, and love.

Such, O sinner, is our Beloved and such is our Friend. Will you not then embrace Him as your Friend? If you can be persuaded to do this you will find that half, nay, that the thousandth part has not been told to you! All the excellency, glory and beauty which is found in men or angels flows from Christ, as a drop of water from the ocean, or a ray of light from the sun.

If then, you supremely love the creature can you wonder that Christians should love the Creator! Can you wonder that those who behold the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ, should be sweetly drawn to Him by the cords of love, and lose their fondness for created glories? All that you love and admire and wish for in creatures, and indeed infinitely more they find in Him!

Do you wish for a friend possessed of power to protect you? Our Friend possesses all power in Heaven and earth and is able to save even to the uttermost! Do you wish for a wise friend? In Christ are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.  Do you wish for a tender, compassionate friend? Christ is tenderness and compassion itself. Do you wish for a faithful, unchangeable friend? With Christ there is no variableness nor shadow of turning. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

His unchangeable love will ever prompt Him to make His people happy!  His unerring wisdom will point out the best means to promote their happiness! His infinite power will enable Him to employ those means. In all these respects, our Beloved is more than any other beloved!

[Edward Payson]

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Song of Solomon 5:9-10 ... What is thy beloved more than another beloved, O thou fairest among women? what is thy beloved more than another beloved, that thou dost so charge us? My beloved is white and ruddy, the chiefest among ten thousand.

John 15:15 ... Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.

Ephesians 3:17-19 ... That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God. ❤

Understand His Resurrection

1. Victory Over Death: The resurrection demonstrates Christ's triumph over death, offering believers hope of their own resurrection. As Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 15:55-57, "Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting? But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." 

2. Assurance of Salvation: The resurrection assures believers of their justification and salvation. Romans 4:25 states, "He was delivered over to death for our trespasses and was raised to life for our justification." 

3. New Life in Christ: The resurrection signifies the believer's new life in Christ. Romans 6:4 explains, "We were therefore buried with Him through baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may walk in newness of life." 

4. Future Resurrection: The resurrection of Jesus is a precursor to the future resurrection of all believers. In 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17, Paul describes the event: "For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a loud command... and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air."

[Bible Hub]

 Matthew 28:6 ... He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.

Happy Resurrection Day!!

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Sing Praises!!

At midnight, Paul and Silas were singing and the foundations shook. Your praise isn't just a song; it's a key. It has the power to break chains and open prison doors: not just for you, but for those around you too. Keep singing.

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Acts 16:25-26 ...  And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them. And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one's bands were loosed.

2 Chronicles 20:22 ... And when they began to sing and to praise, the Lord set ambushments against the children of Ammon, Moab, and mount Seir, which were come against Judah; and they were smitten.

Psalm 7:17 ... I will praise the Lord according to his righteousness: and will sing praise to the name of the Lord most high.

Pdalm 47:6-7 ... Sing praises to God, sing praises: sing praises unto our King, sing praises.  For God is the King of all the earth: sing ye praises with understanding. ❤

Third Day ...

 A lot can happen in three days!

 www.ChristianPhotoshops.com

Luke 24:6-7 ... He is not here, but is risen: remember how he spake unto you when he was yet in Galilee, Saying, The Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.

1 Corinthians 15:3-4 ... For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:

Matthew 20:19 ... And shall deliver him to the Gentiles to mock, and to scourge, and to crucify him: and the third day he shall rise again. ❤

Our Secret Sins!!

There are sin that shout from rooftops, and there are sin that whisper in the shadows of the soul. These are our "secret sins" hidden from human eyes, unnoticed by those around us, and often even concealed from our own self-awareness. Yet Scripture makes it solemnly clear: No sin is hidden from the all-seeing eye of God!

David, the man after God's own heart, cried out in Psalm 19:12, "Who can discern his errors? Forgive my hidden faults." In humility, he acknowledged what every believer must: We are blind to the full depth of our depravity! There are corrupt motives we do not fully grasp, selfish thoughts we excuse or forget, and subtle pride cloaked in religious activity. We are often strangers to the worst parts of our own hearts!

God, however, sees all. "You have set our iniquities before You, our secret sins in the light of Your presence!" Psalm 90:8. In the brightness of His holiness, there are no shadows. The thoughts we nurse, the desires we entertain, the motives behind our service these are all laid bare before Him. Hebrews 4:13 reminds us, "Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of Him to whom we must give an account." Oh, how many Christians think themselves safe, because their sin is hidden from others, yet it is festering in the sight of God!

The sobering truth is that secret sins are not secret to God. But for the believer, this is not merely terrifying it is transforming. It drives us to the cross of Jesus. There, even the most hidden iniquities were placed upon our sin-atoning Substitute. Jesus died not only for our open sins but for those we alone know, and those we do not even recognize.

The awareness of God's all-seeing gaze ought to breed both reverence and rejoicing. Reverence, because no act, thought, or word escapes His notice. Rejoicing, because Jesus has atoned for all. Therefore, let us walk before Him with sincerity. 

[Charles H. Spurgeon]

Psalm 139:23-24 ... Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me and lead me in the way everlasting.

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