Abracadabra!

f salvation was wholly a matter of outward ordinances, then this would be easy enough, and hence men cling to a religion of ceremonies; for heart religion is troublesome, and the ungodly cannot endure it.

Ritualism is the most popular religion in the world, because it is all "Abracadabra!" Done in a minute nothing to think of nothing to care about, nothing to sorrow over. It is all a mere matter of external religious forms. The little that is needed of them can be done without thought, and they can go on in their sins as pleasantly as ever.

Next to that in popularity, is the religion of mere morality. "Yes, we know we do amiss, but we will amend. We will at once purge ourselves from everything which our fellowmen would consider criminal. Is not that enough?" Many hope that it is and live as if they felt sure it was.

But the religion of the Word of God is not so. It is, "Rend your hearts, and not your garments!" "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength!" This is too hard a demand for the wicked. And as for repentance and faith, the ungodly cannot enter upon such spiritual duties, for they have no desire for them. The carnal mind hates the mention of spiritual things.

This I take it, while it makes the Christian religion so solemn, throws us back upon one of its great first principles: that salvation must be of grace. For if it is necessary that my heart must be changed, I simply cannot change it. Shall a fountain purify itself? "Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots?" That would be a very simple business, for skin and spots are external things; but how shall a man change his heart his very nature? Do you expect the Crabtree to change itself into a tree bearing sweet apples? It cannot be.

Salvation is the work of God. If ever it is done, then God must intervene. It is a fact that nature cannot rise above itself. Just so, no man by his own power, is able to rise above his sinful and depraved nature.  The sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so.  We must be born from above, if ever we are to enter Heaven. 

[Charles H. Spurgeon]

John 3:7 ... Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.

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Change of Thinking!!

In the Interlinear Greek New Testament, Mark 11:22 is properly translated "...Have faith from God," not "...Have faith in God." Similar translations have Jesus calling us to "...have the faith of God." But what does that even look like?

As New Covenant believers, this means resting in the finished work of Christ on our behalf. (Galatians 2:20) It's embracing what God believes to be true about each one of us. It's seeing things from the Lord's perspective and agreeing with Him about His Kingdom. This requires a change of outlook, and this is what "true repentance" is all about!

The Greek word for "repentance" (metanoia) means "a change of thinking." It's not about "re-penance!" (penance on steroids) It's not about self-abasement or proving our devotion to God by our religious performance! "Metanoia" is all about letting Holy Spirit change our way of thinking to embrace all Father has given us in Jesus and acting accordingly.

We are sons and daughters; we're the bride of Christ! It's time to live like it and live loved!!

[Stephen S.J. Hill]

Romans 12:2 ... And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

Acts 2:38 ...  Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. ❤

Until ...

 Pray. 

Not until God hears you, pray until you hear God!!

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1 Thessalonians 5:17 ... Pray without ceasing.

James 1:5 ... If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.

Jeremiah 33:3 ... Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not. ❤

Do Not Worry ~~~

The Lord knows all His people all their needs, and all their trials. He thinks upon them to bless, deliver and supply them. He keeps His eye upon them in all places, at all times, and under all circumstances. He has them in His hand and will not loosen His hold.

He looks upon them always as His own 'treasured possession' objects of His eternal love, the purchase of His Son's blood, the temples of His Holy Spirit. They are precious in His sight!

He knows they are weak and fearful, and that they have many enemies. He teaches them to cast themselves and all their cares into His hands! And He has given them His promise that He will care for them.

It is a Father's care which He exercises.  It is a wise, holy, tender, and constant care.

Therefore, all will be well with you only trust Him.

Believe that He cares for you this day. Carry all your concerns to Him, in the arms of faith! Leave all with Him, persuaded that He will manage all by His infinite wisdom, and bring all to a good outcome by His omnipotent power.

Cast all your cares upon Him as fast as they come in.

Do not worry about anything.

[James Smith]

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1 Peter 5:7 ...  Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.

Psalm 55:22 ... Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved. ❤

You are Sons and Daughters!

YHWH sent us the Spirit of His Son because He desires that we know Him as Abba-Father (or, Daddy-God). He is NOT God-too-High-or-far-off-from-us but through His Son is “God with us”. 

And with Almighty YHWH, Creator of Heaven and Earth, not just FOR US but living WITH US as Abba-YHWH, can anything be too hard or impossible for us? (Ephesians 2:13; Jeremiah 32:27; Matthew 1:23; Romans 8:31; Mark 14:36) 

And since our Daddy-God is KING of the Universe, doesn’t that make each of us either a PRINCE or PRINCESS of the universe, as well?

[Tracie Justice]

Romans 8:15 ...  For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.

Galatians 4:6 ... And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. ❤

Compass and Chart!!

The Psalmist deposited the precepts and promises of God in his heart and proved their value and efficacy to preserve him from sin, to comfort him in trouble, and to cheer him in a dying hour.

Just so, Christians must "let the Word of Christ dwell in them richly, in all wisdom." This will preserve them from sin and make them wise unto salvation.

The Word must be deposited in our hearts and woven into our natures by carefully reading and meditating upon it. "Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it." (Joshua 1:8)

The Word is the perpetual standard of all moral excellence.  All its precepts tend to purity.  Its doctrines present the most powerful motives against sin.

When the Christian looks at the sufferings and death of the Redeemer in His intense agony, in His bloody sweat, in His transfixing on the cruel cross, in the desertion of His Father, in the endurance of the penalty of sin, then he sees in all these unparalleled sorrows, "the exceeding sinfulness of sin!"

Why is he redeemed? "Christ gave Himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for Himself a people that are His very own, eager to do what is good!" (Titus 2:14)

Why is he regenerated? "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" (2 Corinthians 5:17)

Why is he adopted into God's family but to bear the image of Him who adopts.

What is the tendency of all the doctrines of grace which he has received? "For the grace of God teaches us to say 'No' to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age!"  (Titus 2:11-12)

Why is he preserved? "May God Himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ!" (1 Thessalonians 5:23) "But now He has reconciled you by Christ's physical body through death to present you holy in His sight, without blemish and free from accusation!" (Colossians 1:22)

Above all, when he contemplates the character of his Savior His ardent love, His ineffable meekness, His profound humility, and his perfect obedience, then he perceives such a bright constellation of virtues, that he is dazzled by their splendor, and longs and prays to be impressed with the image and likeness of Jesus.

Thus, the Word of God is hidden in his heart as his counselor, as his guide, as his pattern!

The Word of God is the Christian's compass and chart, by which he is steered safely over the tempestuous ocean of life!

[William Nicholson]

Psalm 119:11 ... Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.

2 Timothy 3:16-17 ... All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:  That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.

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The Bird of Thought ~~~

What we think about when we are free to think about whatever we desire--that is what we are or will soon become.

Anyone who wishes to check on his true spiritual condition, may do so by noting what his voluntary thoughts have been over the last hours or days. What has he thought about, when free to think about whatever he pleased? Toward what has his inner heart turned, when it was free to turn wherever it desired?

When the bird of thought was let go, did it fly out like the raven to settle upon floating carcasses? Or did it like the dove circle and return again to the ark of God? Such a test is easy to run; and if we are honest with ourselves, then we can discover not only what we are; but what we are going to become. We will soon be the sum of our voluntary thoughts!

Long practice in the art of frequent, heartfelt prayers (that is, talking to God inwardly as we work or travel) will help to form the habit of holy thoughts. "For as a man thinks in his heart, so he is." (Proverbs 23:7)

"Oh, Lord, you know the constant struggle which we have with our thought life. You know how often our thoughts settle on rotten carcasses. Take control of my thoughts today and give me grace to develop the habit of spiritual mindedness. Amen."

[A. W. Tozer]

Hebrews 3:1 .... Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus;

2 Corinthians 10:5 ... Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;

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Spread The Good News ~~~

Dear friends and cow folk,

Though many will criticize and even persecute you for using the name of Jesus Christ, don’t be afraid. It is a holy calling from God to spread the Good News of Jesus Christ and the salvation He brings, always remembering that to share the Gospel is God’s purpose for us.

Jesus Christ abolished the threat of death only through God’s grace and not by any work of man. It is that grace that draws us to Him and that amazing grace that brings us finally home for eternity. Spread the Good News!

Jesus is Lord!

Ride straight, ride strong, ride true, ride with love for one another and always ride for the Brand!

In Jesus’ name,

K&D

[Cowboys For Christ]

2 Timothy 1:8 ...  Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God; ❤

Fleeting and Uncertain!

You alone, O Lord, can teach to profit, help me to number my days aright! Surely my days are few and fleeting and uncertain! Days past is gone beyond recall; and my future days I cannot number. Let me then this day, and day by day, confide in You; and look to You for the very help and grace I need.

Surely it is the highest wisdom to renounce self, to cleave to Jesus, and to keep the great end of my being in view: "to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever." This is an object worth living for, and which may well engage all the powers of my mind.

Nor let me suppose that it is needful to turn aside from the occupations of my daily life, in order to honor the God of my salvation; for He teaches me that whether I eat or drink, or whatever I do, that I may do all to His glory. To this then may I apply my heart, with all diligence and constancy; constrained by the love of Him who gave Himself for me!

[Author Unknown]

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Psalm 145:2 ... Every day will I bless thee; and I will praise thy name for ever and ever.

Psalm 39:4-5 ...  Lord, make me to know mine end, and the measure of my days, what it is: that I may know how frail I am. Behold, thou hast made my days as an handbreadth; and mine age is as nothing before thee: verily every man at his best state is altogether vanity. Selah.

Psalm 90:12 ... So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom. ❤

Every Small Joy ...

Lord, let every small joy remind me You are near, using the simple pleasures of my day as whispers of Your presence, turning ordinary moments into awareness of You.

I forget you're near so easily, letting busyness and worry crowd out awareness of Your closeness, missing the evidence You leave throughout my day that You're right here.

Teach me to connect small joys with Your nearness, to see them not as random pleasant moments but as intentional reminders from You that I'm not alone, You're close.

A small joy, a moment of laughter, unexpected beauty, a warm cup of coffee, someone's smile, these aren't just nice things, but You are tapping my shoulder, saying "I'm here."

Help me train my heart to respond to small joys by thinking of You, to let pleasure point me toward Your presence, to use happiness as a trigger for remembering You're nearby.

Remind me that You're in the small things as much as the big things, that nearness isn't only felt in dramatic moments but in the gentle, ordinary joys You scatter through my day.

Give me a heart that turns naturally toward You when joy comes, even small joy, recognizing that every good gift is from You and evidence that You're close.

Let every small joy remind me You are near today, creating a rhythm where pleasure leads to awareness, where happiness points to Your presence right beside me.

Amen.

                                                                   faithfulgrace.com

Hebrews 13:5 ... Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. ❤

Divine Love!!

The greatest treasure of all of God's unsearchable riches, was His only begotten Son. God took Jesus from His bosom, where He had forever dwelt serenely; and sent Him to earth, that He might live and die to save rebellious sinners.

The death of Jesus manifests the solemnity of God's dealings with sin and is fitted to bow the soul in lowliest humility before Him. If the evil of sin is seen in the tremendous price required to atone for it, then sin must be evil beyond thought for nothing less than the bloody death of the Son of God could remedy it.

In the presence of the sin-atoning sacrifice of Jesus on Calvary, sin must be an evil so great that it is not possible to exaggerate its horrors. Oh, sinful men, your transgressions are horrendous indeed, since they can only be expiated by such a sacrifice! Oh, reprehensible creatures, you required a dying God to save you!

The sin-atoning death of Jesus displayed the supreme love of God to heinous men. He gave up the darling of His heart, to save wicked sinners. God has manifested His love in the death of His beloved Son, in a way which must have astonished every inhabitant of Heaven; and it ought to ravish every man of this lower globe.

Truly, the blood of Jesus is the ruby gem of the ring of divine love! Brethren, we have but a faint idea of how much the Lord our God loves us. "God commends His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8)

There was nothing lovable in us; we were enemies to God, polluted and polluting. There was everything in us that was obnoxious to the holy mind of God. And yet, because of the riches of His grace and the supremacy of His mercy. He loved us to the uttermost.

Lament that you should be guilty of such a horrible thing, that even God's own spotless Son must suffer, bleed, and die; before our sin, with all its scarlet dye, could be washed out.

[Charles H. Spurgeon]

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1 Peter 1:18-19 ...  Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:

Hebrews 9:22 ...  And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission. ❤