Mountain High Isaiah 40:9-10 Isaiah 52:7-10 Isaiah 25:6-8 Psalms 36:5-7 Psalms 18:30-33 10.30.15

MOUNTAIN HIGH

BREAD

9 You who bring good tidings to Zion, go up on a high mountain. You who bring good tidings to Jerusalem, lift up your voice with a shout, lift it up, do not be afraid; say to the towns of Judah, “Here is your God!” 10 See, the Sovereign Lord comes with power, and his arm rules for him. See, his reward is with him, and his recompense accompanies him.   Isaiah 40:9-10 (NIV)

7 How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, "Your God reigns!" 8 Listen! Your watchmen lift up their voices; together they shout for joy. When the Lord returns to Zion, they will see it with their own eyes. 9 Burst into songs of joy together, you ruins of Jerusalem, for the Lord has comforted his people, he has redeemed Jerusalem. 10 The Lord will lay bare his holy arm in the sight of all the nations, and all the ends of the earth will see the salvation of our God.   Isaiah 52:7-10 (NIV)

6 On this mountain the Lord Almighty will prepare a feast of rich food for all peoples, a banquet of aged wine-- the best of meats and the finest of wines. 7 On this mountain he will destroy the shroud that enfolds all peoples, the sheet that covers all nations; 8 he will swallow up death forever. The Sovereign Lord will wipe away the tears from all faces; he will remove the disgrace of his people from all the earth. The Lord has spoken.    Isaiah 25:6-8 (NIV)

5 Your love, O Lord, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies. 6 Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains, your justice like the great deep. O Lord, you preserve both man and beast. 7 How priceless is your unfailing love! Both high and low among men find refuge in the shadow of your wings.    Psalms 36:5-7 (NIV)

30 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. 31 For who is God besides the Lord? And who is the Rock except our God? 32 It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way perfect. 33 He makes my feet like the feet of a deer; he enables me to stand on the heights.   Psalms 18:30-33 (NIV)

BUTTER

“When God would quicken my affections, he gives me a glance of heaven, that so I may be in love with what I see.  When I begin to bless myself, and rest in my happy privileges, he draws a veil over the bright vision, that I may rest in nothing but himself, nor loathe what I so greatly love.  He suffers my happiness here to be imperfect, that so I may be pressing on to that place where I shall be perfectly happy forever.  Lord, when thou showest thyself, let me love thee; when my mountain stands strong, let me praise thee; when thou withdrawest thyself, let me follow thee; when thy countenance is hid, let me still believe that thou lovest me:  under all my changes here, let my soul be always breathing, panting, longing, and reaching after thee, till I shall so perfectly enjoy thee, that I may never lose thee more Amen.  Lord, guide me in this Christian race, And keep my mind intent on thee; Rejoicing when I see thy face, And trusting when I cannot see.”     K. H. Bogatzky

“The colored sunsets and starry heavens, the beautiful mountains and the shining seas, the fragrant woods and painted flowers, are not half so beautiful as a soul that is serving Jesus out of love in the wear and tear of common, unpoetic life.”   Faber

“God has as a strong reserve with which to discharge this engagement; for He is able to do all things.  Believer, until you can drain the ocean dry of omnipotence and break the towering mountains of almighty strength into pieces, you never need to be afraid.  Don’t think that the strength of a human being shall ever be able to overcome the power of God.  As long as the earth’s huge pillars stand, you have enough reason to remain firm in your faith.  The same God who directs the earth in its orbit, feeds the burning furnace of the sun, and trims the lamps of heaven, has promised to supply you with daily strength.  While He is able to uphold the universe, don’t even dream that He will prove unable to fulfill His own promises.  Remember what He did in ages past, in the former generations.  Remember how He spoke, and it was done; how He commanded, and it stood fast.  Shall He that created the world grow weary?  He hangs the world upon nothing; shall He who does this be unable to support His children?  Shall He be unfaithful to His word for want of power?  Who is it that restrains the tempest?   Doesn’t He ride upon the wings of the wind, and make the clouds His chariots, and hold the ocean in the hollow of His hand?  How can He fail you?  When He has put such a faithful promise as this on record, will you for a moment indulge the thought that He has out promised Himself, and gone beyond his power to fulfill?  Ah, no!  You cannot doubt any longer.”    Charles H. Spurgeon ispower to fulfill?  Ah, no!  ou cannot doubt any longer.”   Charlesd H. Spurgeon

“If I could I would thrust a thorn into the seat where you are now sitting, and make you spring up for a moment to the dignity of a thought of your responsibilities. Why, sirs, what has God made you for? What has he sent you here for? Did he make stars that should not shine, and suns that should give no light, and moons that should not cheer the darkness? Has he made rivers that shall not be filled with water, and mountains that shall not stay the clouds? Has he made even the forests which shall not give a habitation to the birds; or has he made the prairie which shall not feed the wild flocks? And has he made thee for nothing? Why, man, the nettle in the corner of the churchyard has its uses, and the spider on the wall serves her Maker; and you, a man in the image of God, a blood-bought man, a man who is in the path and track to heaven, a man regenerated, twice created, are you made for nothing at all but to buy and to sell, to eat and to drink, to wake and to sleep, to laugh and to weep, to live to yourself?”   Charles H. Spurgeon

“Discipleship is much more than simply strolling with the Savior.”   Detzler

HEART SAVOR

·       I am to bring the good news of Jesus to others.  It makes me have beautiful feet!  The Sovereign Lord is my helper, sufficiency and strength.

·       My God is a God of love, faithfulness and justice.

·       God’s Word is flawless.  He is a Shield for all who take refuge in Him.  

Be Prepared 2 Timothy 4:1-4 2 Timothy 2:15 1 Peter 3:15-17 Colossians 4:5-6 Ephesians 5:15-17 2 Timothy 3:16-17 10.28.15

BE PREPARED

BREAD

1 In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: 2 Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage--with great patience and careful instruction. 3 For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. 4 They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.   2 Timothy 4:1-4 (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 2:15 (NIV)

15 But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, 16 keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander. 17 It is better, if it is God's will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil.    1 Peter 3:15-17 (NIV)

5 Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. 6 Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.    Colossians 4:5-6 (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)

16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.   2 Tim 3:16-17 (NIV)

BUTTER

“The sign of our professed love for the gospel is the measure of sacrifice we are prepared to make in order to help its progress.”    Ralph Martin

“Heaven is a prepared place for a prepared people.”   Lewis Sperry Chafer

“A man’s god is that for which he lives, for which he is prepared to give his time, his energy, his money.”      Martyn Lloyd Jones

“God wants us to trust Him daily with our needs. This trust does not make us poor planners or careless with our futures, unprepared to face what may come. Rather, it keeps our relationship with the Lord in its proper perspective as He reminds us daily of our dependence upon Him. God is aware of what tomorrow will bring and how we should prepare for it. He knows the problems we will face, and He has already made provision for us to overcome them. He asks us to trust in Him daily. Our faith in Him today cannot substitute for our trust in Him tomorrow. If we will walk with Him closely today, we will be in the center of His will tomorrow.”   Henry Blackaby, Richard Blackaby

“The Word of God well understood and religiously obeyed is the shortest route to spiritual perfection.  And we must not select a few favorite passages to the exclusion of others.
Nothing less than a whole Bible can make a whole Christian.”   A.W. Tozer

“We Christians too often substitute prayer for playing the game. Prayer is good; but when used as a substitute for obedience, it is nothing but a blatant hypocrisy, a despicable Pharisaism...To your knees, man! And to your Bible! Decide at once! Don't hedge! Time flies! Cease your insults to God, quit consulting flesh and blood. Stop your lame, lying, and cowardly excuses. Enlist!” C. T. Studd

“Maturity is for ministry! We grow up in order to give out. It is not enough to keep learning more and more. We must act on what we know and practice what we claim to believe. Impression without expression causes depression. Study without service leads to spiritual stagnation. Most of the time we’re more interested in ‘serve us’ than service. We say, ‘I’m looking for a church that meets my needs and blesses me,’ not ‘I’m looking for a place to serve and be a blessing.’ We expect others to serve us, not vice versa. But as we mature in Christ, the focus of our lives should increasingly shift to living a life of service. The mature follower of Jesus stops asking, ‘Who’s going to meet my needs?’ and starts asking, ‘Whose needs can I meet?’    Rick Warren

“Let us never forget that the message of the Bible is addressed primarily to the mind, to the understanding.”    Martyn Lloyd Jones 

“When the Bible speaks of ‘following Jesus’ it is proclaiming a discipleship which will liberate mankind from all man-made dogma, from every burden and oppression, from every anxiety and torture which afflicts the conscience.  If they follow Jesus, men escape from the hard yoke of their own laws, and submit to the kindly yoke of Jesus Christ.  But does this mean that we can ignore the seriousness of His command?  Far from it!  We can only achieve perfect liberty and enjoy fellowship with Jesus when His command, His call to absolute discipleship, is appreciated in its entirety.  Only the man who follows the command of Jesus without reserve, and submits unresistingly to His yoke, finds his burden easy, and under its gentle pressure receives the power to persevere in the right way.  The command of Jesus is hard—unutterably hard—for those who try to resist it.”    Dietrich Bonhoeffer

HEART SAVOR

• ·       I am to do my best to present myself to God as one approved - one who correctly handles the Word of Truth.
• ·       I am to be prepared in season and out of season.
• ·       I am to be wise making the most of every opportunity. 

Peace and Calming Philippians 4:4-7 Ephesians 2:14 Isaiah 26:3 Mark 4:35-41 Ephesians 3:16-21 Psalms 119:165 John 14:27 10.26.15

PEACE AND CALMING

BREAD

4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.   Philippians 4:4-7 (NIV)

14 For he himself is our peace.     Ephesians 2:14 (NIV)

3 You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you.    Isaiah 26:3 (NIV)

35 That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side.” 36 Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. 37 A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. 38 Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, "Teacher, don't you care if we drown?" 39 He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. 40 He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?” 41 They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!”   Mark 4:35-41 (NIV)

16 I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18 may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge--that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. 20 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.    Ephesians 3:16-21 (NIV)

165 Great peace have they who love your law, and nothing can make them stumble.   Psalms 119:165 (NIV)

27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.    John 14:27 (NIV)

BUTTER

“There may be no trumpet sound or loud applause when we make the right decision, just a calm sense of resolution and peace.” Gloria Gaither

“Never be in a hurry; do everything quietly and in a calm spirit.  Do not lose your inward peace for anything whatsoever, even if your whole world seems upset.  Commend all to God, and then lie still and be at rest in His bosom.  Whatever happens, abide steadfast in a determination to cling simply to God……Maintain a holy simplicity of mind, and do not smother yourself with a host of cares, wishes, or longings, under any pretext.”     St. Francis de Sales 

“Hudson Taylor was an object lesson in quietness.  He drew from the bank of heaven every farthing of his daily income – ‘My peace I give unto you.’  Whatever did not agitate the Saviour or ruffle His spirit, was not to agitate him.  The serenity of the Lord Jesus concerning any matter, and at its most critical moment, was his ideal and practical possession.  He knew nothing of rush or hurry, or quivering nerves or vexation of spirit.  He knew that there is a peace passing all understanding and that he could not do without it…Christ his reason for peace, his power for calm.  Dwelling in Christ, he drew upon His very being and resources, in the midst of and concerning the matters in question.  And this he did by an attitude of faith as simple as it was continuous.”    Dr. & Mrs. Howard Taylor 

    

“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

“See God in everything, and God will calm and color all that thou doest see!  It may be that the circumstances of our sorrows will not be removed, their condition will remain unchanged; but if Christ, as Lord and Master of our life, is brought into our grief and gloom, ‘He will compass us about with songs of deliverance.’  To see HIM, and to be sure that His wisdom cannot err, His power cannot fail, His love can never change; to know that even His direst dealings with us are for our deepest spiritual gain, is to be able to say, in the midst of bereavement, sorrow, pain, and loss, ‘The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.’  Nothing else but seeing God in everything will make us loving and patient with those who annoy and trouble us.  They will be to us then only instruments for accomplishing His tender and wise purposes toward us, and we shall even find ourselves at last inwardly thanking them for the blessing they bring us.  Nothing else will completely put an end to all murmuring or rebelling thoughts.”  Hannah W. Smith

HEART SAVOR

·       Jesus keeps me in perfect peace as I stay fixed upon Him.

·       Jesus can calm every turbulent sea in my life.  Everything is subject to Him.  Everything He allows in my life will bring forth good for me – in some way – everything.

·       The peace Jesus gives is nothing like the worlds.

The Mouth Divulges The Heart Matthew 12:33-37 Matthew 15:10-11 James 3:3-6 James 1:26 1 Chronicles 28:9 2 Chronicles 16:9 Psalms 37:30-31 Proverbs 16:24 Psalms 19:14 10.23.15

THE MOUTH DIVULGES THE HEART

BREAD

33 “Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad, for a tree is recognized by its fruit. 34 You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks. 35 The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him. 36 But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken. 37 For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.”   Matthew 12:33-37 (NIV)

10 Jesus called the crowd to him and said, “Listen and understand. 11 What goes into a man's mouth does not make him 'unclean,' but what comes out of his mouth, that is what makes him ‘unclean.’”   Matthew 15:10-11 (NIV)

3 When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. 4 Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. 5 Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. 6 The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.    James 3:3-6 (NIV)

26 If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless.   James 1:26 (NIV)

9 “And you, my son Solomon, acknowledge the God of your father, and serve him with wholehearted devotion and with a willing mind, for the Lord searches every heart and understands every motive behind the thoughts. If you seek him, he will be found by you; but if you forsake him, he will reject you forever.”   1 Chronicles 28:9 (NIV)

9 For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him.   2 Chronicles 16:9 (NIV)

30 The mouth of the righteous man utters wisdom, and his tongue speaks what is just. 31 The law of his God is in his heart; his feet do not slip.   Psalms 37:30-31 (NIV)

24 Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.   Proverbs 16:24 (NIV)

14 May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.    Psalms 19:14 (NIV)

BUTTER

“There must be a practical outworking of our faith here in this present world, or it will never endure in the world to come.  We need fewer words and more charitable works; less palaver and more pity; less repetition of creed and more compassion.”  Billy Graham

“Each day offers us an opportunity to build or to tear down. We do both with our actions, attitudes, and most of all, with our words. Wherever you are today, the critical question to ask yourself is, ‘Am I building or am I tearing down?’ We build our legacy one choice and one day at a time. Hudson Taylor once wrote that there are three phases to any impossible project, ‘Impossible...difficult...done!’”  Donna Evans

“No matter how just your words may be, you ruin everything when you speak in anger.”    John Chrysostom

“Words and ideology on a page are cheap. Grace and incarnating the love of Christ isn’t.”  Ann Voskamp

“The most important thing in life isn’t what we think about ourselves or what others think about us, but what God thinks about us. He is the final Judge. When He examines and evaluates our motives, words, and actions, are we commended, as was Abel, or are we condemned, as was his brother Cain? ‘The Lord does not look at the things man looks at,’ God told the prophet Samuel. ‘Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart’ (1 Sam. 16:7).   Warren Wiersbe

“Kind words can be short and easy to speak, but their echoes are truly endless.”   Mother Teresa

“Cold words freeze people, hot words scorch them, and bitter words make them bitter.  Kind words produce their image on men’s souls; and a beautiful image it is.”   Blaise Pascal

“God promises victory to those who endure, so He gives us enough strength – usually just enough so faith is still required – to keep us going.  He wants us to succeed and not give up.  In the walk of faith, we can’t afford to doubt, worry, fear, or complain – the very symptoms that kept a generation of Israelites out of their Promised Land.  All of these attitudes severely undermine God’s work on our behalf, not because He can’t do whatever He wants but because He has chosen to relate to us on the basis of our faith.  Negative attitudes and words undermine faith.  They devalue the very currency we have to use in God’s Kingdom.  Wherever God’s voice and your faith are leading you, do not be afraid or dismayed.”   Chris Tiegreen

“Though it might be easier to say nothing, how much better to say something. To get our focus off ourselves and on others. To look for ways to lift up rather than tear down. To whisper words from God and bring refreshment to a parched soul.”   Liz Curtis Higgs

“On Him then reckon, to Him look, on Him depend:  and be assured that if you walk with Him, look to Him and expect help from Him, He will never fail you.  An older brother, who has known the Lord for forty-four years, who writes this, says for your encouragement that He has never failed him.  In the greatest difficulties, in the heaviest trials, in the deepest poverty and necessities, He has never failed me; but because I was enabled by His grace to trust in Him, He has always appeared for my help.  I delight in speaking well of His Name.”   George Mueller  

“--Blazingly, Jesus illustrated this with the Samaritan woman at the well (John 4).  No self-respecting Jew of that time would speak to a Samaritan.  But Jesus, caring more for the person than the tradition, knew she had an unquenched thirst.  He sought her out, found common ground -- and the rest is history.  It’s a model I’m seeing lived out all around me - people finding common ground, taking risks, running toward instead of away from threat.  Being brave to love and heal and bless -- no matter the cost to self. Daring to hold back, or to step in to forge a way for peace, stem a destructive tide, or build a river in a desert.  I’m seeing that being salt and light means engaging our world precisely where we are placed. Wherever we find ourselves, there, living simply, profoundly, giving our best at all times for Jesus’ sake.  Upfront or behind the scenes, whether like me you are a helper, or whether you are a leader; a doctor, an executive, a parent, a principal, a granny or a golfer, it matters not -- only that we are givers and love at all times.”   Paula Kirby

HEART SAVOR

• ·       My words matter – they can soften a heart or break one.
• ·       I want my words to be healing and pleasant – this please God.
• ·       My words are merely the overflow of my heart (ugh!).

Faithful To The Finish 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 1 Timothy 1:18-19 1 Timothy 6:11-16 Acts 20:24 2 Timothy 4:6-8 10.21.15

FAITHFUL TO THE FINISH

BREAD

24 Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. 25 Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. 26 Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. 27 No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.   1 Corinthians 9:24-27 (NIV)

18 Timothy, my son, I give you this instruction in keeping with the prophecies once made about you, so that by following them you may fight the good fight, 19 holding on to faith and a good conscience. Some have rejected these and so have shipwrecked their faith.    1 Timothy 1:18-19 (NIV)

11 But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. 12 Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses. 13 In the sight of God, who gives life to everything, and of Christ Jesus, who while testifying before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, I charge you 14 to keep this command without spot or blame until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15 which God will bring about in his own time--God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords, 16 who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see. To him be honor and might forever. Amen.     1 Timothy 6:11-16 (NIV)

24 However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me--the task of testifying to the gospel of God's grace.    Acts 20:24 (NIV)

6 For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time has come for my departure. 7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8 Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day--and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing. 2 Timothy 4:6-8 (NIV)

BUTTER

“This life therefore is not righteousness, but growth in righteousness; not health, but healing; not being but becoming; not rest but exercise. We are not yet what we shall be, but we are growing toward it. The process is not yet finished, but it is going on. This is not the end, but it is the road. All does not yet gleam in glory, but all is being purified.” Martin Luther

“There must be a beginning of any great matter, but the continuing to the end until it be thoroughly finished yields the true glory.”    Francis Drake

“We should follow Christ in simplicity and faith, because the paths in which He leads us all end in glory and immortality.  It is true they may not be smooth paths – they may be covered with sharp flinty trials, but they lead to the ‘city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God.’  ‘All the ways of the Lord are loving and faithful for those who keep the demands of His covenant.’  Let’s put full trust in our Leader, since we know that, come prosperity or adversity, sickness or health, popularity or contempt, His purpose shall be worked out, and that purpose shall be pure, unmingled good to every heir of mercy…..His dear love will make us far more blessed than those who sit at home and warm their hands at the world’s fire.”   Charles H. Spurgeon

“Never dread any consequence resulting from absolute obedience to His command.  Never fear the rough waters ahead, which through their proud contempt impede your progress.  God is greater than the roar of raging water and the mighty waves of the sea.  ‘The Lord sits enthroned over the flood; the Lord is enthroned as King forever’ (Psalm 29:10).  A storm is simply the hem of His robe, the sign of His coming, and the evidence of His presence.  Dare to trust Him!  Dare to follow Him!  Then discover that the forces that blocked your progress and threatened your life become at His command the very materials He uses to build your street of freedom.”  F. B. Meyer

“Our significance isn’t found in fame or fortune, but in knowing that we have been links in God’s chain.  Our faithfulness to Him, even in obscurity, will yield results that can only be calculated in eternity…..Our only duty in life is to be faithful to all the work the Lord assigns.”   Robert J. Morgan

“We're pilgrims on the journey - Of the narrow road - And those who've gone before us line the way - Cheering on the faithful, encouraging the weary - Their lives a stirring testament to God's sustaining grace - Surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses - Let us run the race not only for the prize - But as those who've gone before us - Let us leave to those behind us - The heritage of faithfulness passed on through godly lives - After all our hopes and dreams have come and gone - And our children sift through all we've left behind - May the clues that they discover and the memories they uncover - Become the light that leads them to the road we each must find - Oh may all who come behind us find us faithful - May the fire of our devotion light their way - May the footprints that we leave - Lead them to believe - And the lives we live inspire them to obey - Oh may all who come behind us find us faithful.”   Steve Green

HEART SAVOR

·       I am to finish well both for my good and God’s glory.

·       I want to be found faithful to the finish – it’s way too easy to poop out in the process.

·       It is God Who empowers me to fight the good fight of faith and finish the race.  

Memory - Hopes Precious Handmaid Lamentations 3:21-23 1 Chronicles 16:8-12 Psalms 63:1-7 Psalms 77:11-14 1 Corinthians 11:23-26 Hebrews 6:16-20 10.19.15

MEMORY - HOPES PRECIOUS HANDMAID

BREAD

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.   Lamentations 3:21-23 (NIV)

8 Give thanks to the Lord, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done. 9 Sing to him, sing praise to him; tell of all his wonderful acts. 10 Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice. 11 Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always. 12 Remember the wonders he has done, his miracles, and the judgments he pronounced.   1 Chronicles 16:8-12 (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. 2 I have seen you in the sanctuary and beheld your power and your glory. 3 Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you. 4 I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands. 5 My soul will be satisfied as with the richest of foods; with singing lips my mouth will praise you. 6 On my bed I remember you; I think of you through the watches of the night. 7 Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.    Psalms 63:1-7 (NIV)

11 I will remember the deeds of the Lord; yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago. 12 I will meditate on all your works and consider all your mighty deeds. 13 Your ways, O God, are holy. What god is so great as our God? 14 You are the God who performs miracles; you display your power among the peoples.   Psalms 77:11-14 (NIV)

23 For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.” 25 In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 26 For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.    1 Corinthians 11:23-26 (NIV)

16 Men swear by someone greater than themselves, and the oath confirms what is said and puts an end to all argument. 17 Because God wanted to make the unchanging nature of his purpose very clear to the heirs of what was promised, he confirmed it with an oath. 18 God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope offered to us may be greatly encouraged. 19 We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, 20 where Jesus, who went before us, has entered on our behalf. He has become a high priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.    Hebrews 6:16-20 (NIV)

BUTTER

“As a general principle, if we would exercise our memories more wisely, we might, in our very darkest distress, strike a match that would instantaneously kindle the lamp of comfort.  There is no need for God to create a new thing upon the earth in order to restore believers’ joy; if they would prayerfully rake the ashes of the past, they would find light for the present; and if they would turn to the book of truth and the throne of grace, their candle would soon shine as before.  Let us then remember the loving-kindness of the Lord and rehearse His deeds of grace.  Let us open the volume of recollection, which so richly illuminated with memories of His mercy, and we will soon be happy.  When the Divine Comforter bends memory to His service, it is then the greatest earthly comfort we can know.”   C. H. Spurgeon     

“So, take a deep breath and recall this deeper secret of the Christian life:  when you are in a difficult place, realize that the Lord either placed you there or allowed you to be there, for reasons perhaps known for now only to Himself.  The same God who led you in will lead you out.”  Robert J. Morgan 

“I remember two things:  that I am a great sinner, and that Christ is a great Savior.”  John Newton

“So if you find yourself in a difficult spot, remember:  you are there by God’s appointment, in His keeping, under His training, and for His time.  And all evidence to the contrary, there’s no better place to be.”  Robert J. Morgan

“Sometimes the enemy seems to get an advantage over us; but the battle is not over yet.  At last thou shalt have the victory, and carry the day for all that.  In hard struggles remember the power of Christ, who, in his resurrection, broke through everything.  With him thou canst also break through, and be more than conqueror.  Yea, in every conflict, if thy faith be firm, thou canst be sure of victory beforehand; for faith engages Christ’s power, and his power ensureth victory; it is as impossible for thine enemies to keep thee always in bonds, as it was impossible that Christ could be kept in the grave by the stone, seal, and keepers.  Nay, the greater their force is, the more glorious will be the victory of Christ over them.”  K. H. Von Bogatzky

“It is impossible for that man to despair who remembers that his Helper is omnipotent.”   Jeremy Taylor

HEART SAVOR

• ·       I remember God’s great love, compassion and faithfulness.
• ·       I remember His power and the works of His hands.
• ·       I remember He is my hope, the anchor for my soul.  I will not be moved.