To Stand Exodus 14:13-14 2 Chronicles 20:17 Psalms 1:5-6 Psalms 130:3-5 Romans 14:4 Galatians 5:1 Ephesians 6:10-18 08.31.15

TO STAND

BREAD

13 Moses answered the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. 14 The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.”  Exodus 14:13-14 (NIV)

17 “You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will give you, O Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the Lord will be with you.”   2 Chronicles 20:17 (NIV)

5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous. 6 For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.  Psalms 1:5-6 (NIV)

3 If you, O Lord, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand? 4 But with you there is forgiveness; therefore you are feared. 5 I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I put my hope.   Psalms 130:3-5 (NIV)

4 Who are you to judge someone else's servant? To his own master he stands or falls. And he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand.   Romans 14:4 (NIV)

1 It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.   Galatians 5:1 (NIV)

10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.   14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints. Ephesians 6:10-18 (NIV)

BUTTER

“Despair whispers, "Lie down and die; give it all up."... But, however much Satan may urge this course upon you, you cannot follow it if you are a child of God. His divine fiat has bid thee go from strength to strength, and so thou shalt, and neither death nor hell shall turn thee from thy course. What if for a while thou art called to stand still; yet this is but to renew thy strength for some greater advance in due time.”  Charles H. Spurgeon  

“Faith raises the soul above the difficulty, straight to God Himself, and enables one to stand still.  We gain nothing by our restless and anxious efforts….It is therefore true wisdom, in all times of difficulty and perplexity, to stand still – to wait only upon God, and He will assuredly open a way for us.”  C.H. Mackintosh 

“The Isle of Man has for its coat of arms three legs, and turn them which way you will, you know they always stand; and such is the believer—throw him which way you will, he finds something to stand on; throw him into death, or into life, into the lion’s den, or into the whale’s belly, cast him into fire, or into water, the Christian still trusts in his God, and finds him a very present help in time of trouble. ‘On whom dost thou trust?’ We can answer boldly, ‘We trust in him whose power will never be exhausted, whose love will never cease, whose kindness will never change, whose faithfulness will never be sullied, whose wisdom will never be nonplussed, and whose perfect goodness never can know a diminution.’”  Charles H. Spurgeon

“This is a world on information overload and our souls are obese with data that doesn’t matter, but who slowly savours Living Bread?  This is the nation and the generation that is gluttonous for Google, starved for social streams on screens, but who is hungry for God?......Why be fat with the world and anemic for Christ who took nails so you’d have the iron to stand?”   Ann Voskamp

“Do not question and do not doubt.  Each day holds some small joy that shall escape you if you are preoccupied with tomorrow.  Nothing daunts your Father.  Nothing can restore the past and nothing can bind the future, but today you may live in the full blessing of the Father’s smile.  Hold to His words, for they are like a nail driven into solid wood.  All else may seem shifting and transitory, but His Word is firm.  It is a rock that shall not be moved.  It is a firm place to stand.”   Frances J. Roberts

HEART SAVOR

·       Jesus causes me to stand because He is faithful and able to cause me to stand.

·       I stand firm not in my own strength but in the power of God Who is all-powerful.

·       The wicked will not stand in the judgment.

Cheer Up! On Your Feet! He's Calling You! Mark 10:49-52 Matthew 9:12-13 Matthew 11:28-30 John 7:37-39 Isaiah 55:1-3 Isaiah 55:6-9 08.28.15

CHEER UP!  ON YOUR FEET!  HE’S CALLING YOU!

BREAD

49 Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.” So they called to the blind man, “Cheer up! On your feet! He's calling you.” 50 Throwing his cloak aside, he jumped to his feet and came to Jesus. 51 “What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asked him. The blind man said, “Rabbi, I want to see.” 52 “Go,” said Jesus, “your faith has healed you.” Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road.   Mark 10:49-52 (NIV)

12 On hearing this, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. 13 But go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice.' For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”   Matthew 9:12-13 (NIV)

28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”   Matthew 11:28-30 (NIV)

37 On the last and greatest day of the Feast, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. 38 Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.” 39 By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive.   John 7:37-39 (NIV)

1 “Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost. 2 Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the richest of fare. 3 Give ear and come to me; hear me, that your soul may live.”   Isaiah 55:1-3 (NIV)

6 Seek the Lord while he may be found; call on him while he is near. 7 Let the wicked forsake his way and the evil man his thoughts. Let him turn to the Lord, and he will have mercy on him, and to our God, for he will freely pardon. 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 55:6-9 (NIV)

BUTTER

“We must remember that God will never drag us along the path of true-hearted discipleship. This would greatly lack the moral excellency which characterizes all the ways of God. He does not drag, but draws us along the path which leads to ineffable blessedness in Himself; and if we do see that it is for our real advantage to break through all the barriers of nature, in order to respond to Gods’ call, we forsake our own mercies. But alas! Our hearts little enter into this. We begin to calculate about the sacrifices, the hindrances, and the difficulties, instead of bounding along the path, in eagerness of soul, as knowing and loving the One whose call has sounded in our ears”.   C H Macintosh

“Nothing is really lost by a life of sacrifice; everything is lost by failure to obey God’s call.”   Henry P. Liddon

“Grant, Almighty God, that as You have made known Your law, and has also added Your gospel, in which You call us to Your service, and also have invited us with all kindness to partake of Your grace; O grant, that we may not be deaf, either to Your command or to the promises of Your mercy, but render ourselves submissive to You everywhere, and so learn to devote all our faculties to You, that we may in truth avow that the rule of a holy and religious life, has been delivered to us in Your law, and that we may firmly adhere to Your promises, lest through any of the allurements of the world, or through the flatteries and delusions of Satan, You should suffer our minds to be drawn away from that love which You have once for all manifested to us in Your only begotten Son, and in which You daily confirm us by the teaching of the gospel, until we at length shall come to the full enjoyment of this love in that celestial inheritance, which has been purchased for us by the blood of Your only Son.”     John Calvin

“Costly grace is the Gospel which must be sought again and again, the gift which must be asked for, the door at which a man must knock.  Such grace is costly because it calls us to follow, and it is grace because it calls us to follow Jesus Christ.  It is costly because it costs a man his life, and it is grace because it gives a man the only true life.  It is costly because it condemns sin, and grace because it justifies the sinner.  Above all, it is costly because it cost God the life of his Son.  ‘Ye were bought at a price,’ and what has cost God much cannot be cheap for us.  Above all, it is grace because God did not reckon his Son too dear a price to pay for our life, but delivered him up for us.  Costly grace is the incarnation of God.”   Dietrich Bonhoeffer

“Every sermon, every Bible lesson, every word of testimony, and every verse of Scripture is a warning, calling us to repentance and revival.  Our God is a consuming fire, and a day of judgment is coming.  We must not neglect the warning, and today’s church must not forget that our message includes the ministry of warning.”   Robert J. Morgan

HEART SAVOR

• ·       We are all blind beggars before Jesus.  His ministry was and is directed towards those who realize that they have a need (which, btw, is all of us).   He calls us to be courageous, articulate our need and to express our faith in Him
• ·       Jesus’ call is to all who are tired and weary of their loaded down burdened down backs and their hard toils ensuing from sin and its consequences.  He knows our souls will find rest in Him alone not in all the myriad of other things we tend to run to.
• ·       I do not have the power to live the Christian life in my flesh – I need a power higher than my own – the Holy Spirit which is living water given to every believer in Christ.

Oh For The Love 1 Corinthians 13:8 1 John 3:11 1 John 3:16-18 1 John 4:7-12 Romans 5:6-8 John 3:16 1 John 2:4-6 08.26.15

OH FOR THE LOVE

BREAD

8 Love never fails.   1 Corinthians 13:8 (NIV)

11 This is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love one another.   1 John 3:11 (NIV)

16 This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. 17 If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? 18 Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.  1 John 3:16-18 (NIV)

7 Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. 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. 12 No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.   1 John 4:7-12 (NIV)

6 You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. 7 Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. 8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.   Romans 5:6-8 (NIV)

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.”   John 3:16 (NIV)

5 But if anyone obeys his word, God's love is truly made complete in him. This is how we know we are in him: 6 Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did.   1 John 2:4-6 (NIV)

BUTTER

“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

“Jesus was truly free.  His freedom was rooted in his spiritual awareness that he was the Beloved Child of God.  He knew in the depth of his being that he belonged to God before he was born, that he was sent into the world to proclaim God's love, and that he would return to God after his mission was fulfilled.   This knowledge gave him the freedom to speak and act without having to please the world and the power to respond to people's pains with the healing love of God.  That's why the Gospels say:  ‘Everyone in the crowd was trying to touch him because power came out of him that cured them all’ (Luke 6:19).”  Henri Nouwen

“The principle of sacrifice is that we choose to do or to suffer what apart from our love we should not choose to do or suffer.”   William Temple 

“Seek, O believer, that every good thing you have may be an abiding thing. May your character not be a writing upon the sand, but an inscription upon the rock! May your faith be no 'baseless fabric of a vision,' but may it be built of material able to endure that awful fire which shall consume the wood, hay, and stubble of the hypocrite.  May you be rooted and grounded in love. May your convictions be deep, your love real, your desire earnest. May your whole life be so firm and strong, that all the blasts of hell and the storms of earth shall never be able to remove you.”   Charles Spurgeon

“There is something contagious about a heart of love. People who are selfless with their love can make giant waves in this world where those who cling to selfish desires cause only ripples. In fact, those who have hearts of love view the people around them as being most important. A heart that bears the marks of God's intimate love is not a selfish heart. When we look directly into God's heart of love, we are transformed forever. The selfish desires that once dominated our heart's landscapes vanish in an instant, replaced by a desire to lavish love on others. As God begins to transform our hearts through His grace and kindness, we become vessels willing to reciprocate this type of love. Something happens inside of us. We begin to realize the twofold effect of loving God and loving others - not just friends and family, but others who cross our paths every day. Hardened hearts begin to melt beneath the warmth of Christ's love overflowing from our lives. People who we never thought would let the name of Jesus roll off their lips suddenly praise Him because we have taken the time to love them the way God has commanded us to love. Once we learn how to abide in His love, our feelings of jealousy, greed, and anger die a quick death. A true champion extends grace and kindness because he knows the transformation that has taken place in his own heart, and he realizes those who receive God's love and grace have no other course of action but to give God's love away.”   Michael Youssef

“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 foll’west all my way,
I yield my flick’ring 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 Mattheson

HEART SAVOR

• ·       I am to love as Christ – a supernatural love empowered by the Spirit – which is patient and kind, not envious, not boastful, not proud, not rude, not self-seeking, not easily angered, it does not keep a record of wrongs.  This agape love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the Truth.  It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, and always perseveres.  It will never fail.  A sparkling diamond compared to the paste gem variety of Hollywood.     
• ·       I am to love in word AND deed.
• ·       God loves and gives.

Jesus Saves Acts 4:12 John 14:6 1 Timothy 2:1-7 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 1 John 3:2-3 1 Corinthians 10:13 John 16:12-14 Philippians 4:13 08.24.15

JESUS SAVES

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.   Acts 4:12 (NIV)

6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”   John 14:6 (NIV)

1 I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone-- 2 for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. 3 This is good, and pleases God our Savior, 4 who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. 5 For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave himself as a ransom for all men--the testimony given in its proper time. 7 And for this purpose I was appointed a herald and an apostle--I am telling the truth, I am not lying--and a teacher of the true faith to the Gentiles.   1 Timothy 2:1-7 (NIV)

9 Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders 10 nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 (NIV)

2 Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. 3 Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure.   1 John 3:2-3 (NIV)

13 No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.  1 Corinthians 10:13 (NIV)

12 “I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. 13 But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. 14 He will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you.”   John 16:12-14 (NIV)

13 I can do everything through him who gives me strength.    Philippians 4:13 (NIV)

BUTTER

Jesus not only saves us eternally, He saves us from sin and self as well.  We need only to trust (rely, depend upon) the Holy Spirit’s power which dwells within every child of the King.  9 You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ.   Romans 8:9 (NIV) BHY

“The Grand Doctrines of eternal truth are frequently treated as venerable non-entities, and have no effect whatever upon the conduct of those who profess to receive them, because they do not realize them as matters of fact, or see their solemn bearings. It is shocking to reflect that a change in the weather has more effect on some men's lives than the dread alternative of heaven or hell.  A woman's glance affects them more than the eye of God.   We cannot, however, be content with this; we labor that those around us may savingly believe by putting their trust in the Lord Jesus Christ. This is the grand saving act: The man brings his soul and commits it to Christ for safe keeping, and that entrusting of the soul to Jesus saves him. He makes the Saviour trustee of his spiritual estates, and leaves himself and all his eternal interests in those dear hands which once were nailed to the cross. Oh, how we long to see the Holy Spirit bringing men to this, that they may believe in Jesus Christ by resting in Him and trusting upon Him. For this we live, for this we would be content to die, that many might believe.”  Charles Haddon Spurgeon

“Though, your faith is as weak as a single strand of a spider’s web, if it is faith in Christ, it is saving faith; because it is not faith that saves, it is not even faith in Christ that saves, it is Christ who saves.”   John Murray

“There is only one rescuer I know, I told Sonia and the rest of the women, with the power to free us from the darkest prison. That rescuer is the God I love, who loves us so much he left everything to come for us, to free us. He is the one who made us, each of us, for a unique purpose and a magnificent destiny. He makes right what the world makes wrong. His plans are for good, not for evil. His ways are straight and merciful. He came to give me a hope and a future — and to give you one too. His promises are true. His love is full of forgiveness and peace, joy and kindness, grace. He is the true rescuer. He saves us from any prison, whether physical or emotional or spiritual, the ones we’re forced into and the ones we fall into on our own. He chooses us. He can make all things new. He loves us without condition, unrelentingly, forever. He loves us broken, and he loves making us whole again. And he asks those of us who love him to love others the same way. To choose them. To be agents of his hope, his forgiveness, his grace. He asks us to join him in rescuing others.” Christine Caine

“We have heard the joyful sound: Jesus saves! Jesus saves!  Spread the tidings all around: Jesus saves! Jesus saves! Bear the news to every land, Climb the mountains, cross the waves; Onward! ’tis our Lord’s command; Jesus saves! Jesus saves!  Waft it on the rolling tide: Jesus saves! Jesus saves!  Tell to sinners far and wide:  Jesus saves! Jesus saves! Sing, you islands of the sea; Echo back, you ocean caves; Earth shall keep her jubilee: Jesus saves! Jesus saves!  Sing above the battle strife: Jesus saves! Jesus saves!  By His death and endless life Jesus saves! Jesus saves! Shout it brightly through the gloom, When the heart for mercy craves; Sing in triumph o’er the tomb: Jesus saves! Jesus saves! Give the winds a mighty voice: Jesus saves! Jesus saves! Let the nations now rejoice: Jesus saves! Jesus saves! Shout salvation full and free; Highest hills and deepest caves; This our song of victory:  Jesus saves! Jesus saves!”  Priscilla J. Owens

HEART SAVOR

• ·       Jesus came to seek and to save the lost (which, btw, is all of us).
• ·       Jesus not only saves us eternally He also saves us from ourselves and from the world as we depend upon His power which dwells within each believer in Him.
• ·       I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.    

The Gracious Hand Of God Psalms 145:16-17 1 Chronicles 29:10-14 Psalms 37:23-24 Psalms 44:3 Psalms 63:8 Psalms 139:7-10 Isaiah 41:13-14 John 10:27-30 08.21.15

THE GRACIOUS HAND OF GOD

BREAD

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.   Psalms 145:16-17 (NIV)

10 David praised the Lord in the presence of the whole assembly, saying, “Praise be to you, O Lord, God of our father Israel, from everlasting to everlasting. 11 Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours. Yours, O Lord, is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all. 12 Wealth and honor come from you; you are the ruler of all things. In your hands are strength and power to exalt and give strength to all. 13 Now, our God, we give you thanks, and praise your glorious name. 14 But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to give as generously as this? Everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from your hand.” 1 Chronicles 29:10-14 (NIV)

23 If the Lord delights in a man's way, he makes his steps firm; 24 though he stumble, he will not fall, for the Lord upholds him with his hand.   Psalms 37:23-24 (NIV)

3 It was not by their sword that they won the land, nor did their arm bring them victory; it was your right hand, your arm, and the light of your face, for you loved them.   Psalms 44:3 (NIV)

8 My soul clings to you; your right hand upholds me.   Psalms 63:8 (NIV)

7 Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? 8 If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. 9 If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, 10 even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.  Psalms 139:7-10 (NIV)

13 For I am the Lord, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you. 14 Do not be afraid, O worm Jacob, O little Israel, for I myself will help you," declares the Lord, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.   Isaiah 41:13-14 (NIV)

27 “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father's hand. 30 I and the Father are one.”   John 10:27-30 (NIV)

BUTTER

“God is wonderful in all his doings, his ways are past finding out; at the end we can see best the wise and gracious steps he took with us:  therefore, when things take such a wonderful turn that we are quite at our wits’ end, and do not know which way to go, we may believe the hand of the Lord is in it, and some good will come of it at last.  As we experience the name of Christ to be wonderful at such times, we may well expect that he will show himself to be our Counsellor and mighty God also.  At first, everything may seem to be against us, and go quite contrary; but at last, we see plainly that it was highly needful that it should go contrary to our corrupt nature, and that thus it went well; for though the ways of God are marvelous, yet they are glorious.”   K. H. Von Bogatzky

“When God fixes our position for us, we may rest assured that it is a wise and salutary one; and even when we foolishly and willfully choose a position for ourselves, He most graciously overrules our folly, and causes the influences of our self-chosen circumstances to work for our spiritual benefit.”  Older Commentator of Exodus 14

“Let me carefully mark the inward workings of thy grace, and the outward tokens of thy providence, so as daily to have a true sense of thy gracious presence in every thing, more or less important; and thereby to be ever strengthened in faith, and kept in a composed state of mind; considering that nothing happens by mere chance, but all is wisely ordered by thy providential care to our good; firmly believing, if anything goes contrary to expectation, that something better will follow in its stead, if we only can be quiet, and wait the time.”  K.H. Von Bogatzky

“However, faith has its trials, as well as its answers.  It is not to be imagined that the man of faith, having pushed out from the shore of circumstances, finds it all smooth and easy sailing.  By no means.  Again and again, he is called to encounter rough sea and stormy skies; but it is all graciously designed to lead him into deeper and more matured experience of what God is to the heart that confides in Him.  Were the sky always without a cloud and the ocean without a ripple, the believer would not know so well that God with Whom he has to do; for alas, we know how prone that heart is to mistake the peace of circumstances for the peace of God.  When everything is going on smoothly and pleasantly—our property safe, our business prosperous, our children carrying themselves agreeably, our residence comfortable, our health excellent—everything in short, just to our mind, how apt we are to mistake the peace which reposes upon such circumstances for that peace which flows from the realized presence of Christ.”  C.H. Mackintosh

“Forgetfulness is the fuel for idolatry (Deuteronomy 4:23). Spiritual amnesia often leads to faithlessness. This is the most important lesson for us in Deuteronomy 4. God's concern is that his people might ‘forget the things’ that they had seen and that the memory of their gracious deliverance might ‘depart’ from their hearts (Deuteronomy 4:9). Thus we read here of the critical importance of remembrance, of calling to mind again and again the history of God's dealing with us and His faithfulness at every turn.”   Sam Storms

HEART SAVOR

• ·       It is the Lord’s hand that bestows all.
• ·       The Lord upholds me with His righteous right hand.
• ·       The Lord is my constant guide, my source of strength, my refuge.

Ban Excess - Fan Temperance Ecclesiastes 7:18 Proverbs 6:9-11 Proverbs 25:28 Ephesians 5:1-5 Ephesians 5:15-18 Proverbs 23:20-21 Matthew 23:25 2 Timothy 3:1-5 08.19.15

BAN EXCESS - FAN TEMPERANCE

BREAD

18 It is good to grasp the one and not let go of the other. The man who fears God will avoid all [extremes].   Ecclesiastes 7:18 (NIV)

9 How long will you lie there, you sluggard? When will you get up from your sleep? 10 A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest-- 11 and poverty will come on you like a bandit and scarcity like an armed man.  Proverbs 6:9-11 (NIV)

28 Like a city whose walls are broken down is a man who lacks self-control.   Proverbs 25:28 (NIV)

1 Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children 2 and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. 3 But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God's holy people. 4 Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving. 5 For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person--such a man is an idolater--has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.   Ephesians 5:1-5 (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. 18 Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit.   Ephesians 5:15-18 (NIV)

20 Do not join those who drink too much wine or gorge themselves on meat, 21 for drunkards and gluttons become poor, and drowsiness clothes them in rags.   Proverbs 23:20-21 (NIV)

25 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence.”   Matthew 23:25 (NIV)

1 But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. 2 People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, 4 treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God-- 5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them. 2 Timothy 3:1-5 (NIV)

BUTTER

“The glutton may enjoy his food, but he does not enjoy his condition.”   Gary Thomas

“Contrary to the world's beliefs, the spiritual fruit of self-control does not come about through the discipline of self-mastery, but rather through surrendering ourselves to God's control. None of us fully have the power, capability, or wisdom to master our own lives. You cannot resist all the temptations that are hurled at you, control the behavior of those closest to you, or limit the ideas that pop into your mind. What you can do is surrender your life to the Holy Spirit. You can control how you respond, yield, and submit to Him.”    Michael Youssef

“He was the most balanced and perhaps the most beloved being ever to enter the society of men.  Though born amid most disgusting surroundings, the member of a modest working family, He bore Himself always with great dignity and assurance.  Though He enjoyed no special advantages as a child, either in education or employment, His entire philosophy and outlook on life were the highest standards of human conduct ever set before mankind.  Though He had no vast economic assets, political power or military might, no other person ever made such an enormous impact on the world’s history.  Because of Him……..people have come into a life of decency and honor and noble conduct………He came to set men free from their own sins, their own selves, their own fears.  Those so liberated loved Him with fierce loyalty.  It is this One who insists that He was the Good Shepherd, the understanding Shepherd, the concerned Shepherd who cares enough to seek out and save and restore lost men and women.”   Phillip Keller

“Jesus modeled for us the proper balance. He walked among the worldly without becoming like them. He mingled with sinners but He never sinned. He showed them God’s love and spoke the Truth without compromise. Even when He faced betrayal and torture and an excruciating death, Jesus stood for Truth because He knew the eternal significance of His sacrifices.”   Michael Youssef

“Scripture permits us to broaden the definition of idolatry so that it includes anything on which we set our affections and indulge as an excessive and sinful attachment.  Therefore, the idols that we can see are certainly not the whole problem.  Idolatry includes anything we worship:  the lust for pleasure, respect, love, power, control, or freedom from pain.  Furthermore, the problem is not outside of us….the problem is in us….the heart’s instinctive plotting in this idol construction is amazing.  We know we are called to imitate God.  This means we are to live for His glory, not our own.  We are to make Him famous, not ourselves….the purpose of all idolatry is to manipulate the idol for our own benefit…..but (we) need the power of God, the message of Christ crucified and risen.  Other therapies can offer sobriety, but only this good news is powerful enough to liberate the soul.”  Ed Welch

“God will be our compensation for every ‘sacrifice’ we have made.”  F. B. Meyer

HEART SAVOR

• ·       As God’s child I am to avoid all extremes.  I am to keep my life in balance for my good and His glory.
• ·       Self-control is the wall around the “city” of my life.  I am to look for and correct breaches in this wall through the power of the Spirit.  The quicker I handle them the better it is for me.  Satan looks for breaches as well.  Ancient cities were only as strong as the walls around them as the enemy would always hit at their weakest point.
• ·       I am to be careful how I live my life submitting my will to the control and power of the Holy Spirit.  This is a blessing for me.