This year I will be sharing brief excerpts from the articles, sermons, and books I am currently reading. My posts will not follow a regular schedule but will be published as I find well-written thoughts that should be of interest to maturing Christian readers. Whenever possible, I encourage you to go to the source and read the complete work of the author.
“All of history is moving toward one great goal, the white-hot worship of God and His Son among all the peoples of the earth. Missions is not that goal. It is the means. And for that reason it is the second greatest human activity in the world.”
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Sir Ambrose Flemming, British electrical engineer and inventor:
“Ignorance of the Scriptures is ignorance of Christ.”
Filed under: Bible, Christianity, Economy, Gospel, Jesus Christ, Quotes, Samuel at Gilgal, Scriptures | Tagged: Economy | 4 Comments »
Many of us try hard at times to love others. We try to force ourselves to love. And what is the reason? The reason is simply that we have never learned to believe and accept the truth that the Holy Spirit can pour God’s love into our hearts. Andrew Murray writes:
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love …” (Galatians 5:22 ESV)
You all know what it is to wear a badge. And Christ said to His disciples in effect: “I give you a badge, and that badge is love. That is to be your mark. It is the only thing in heaven or on earth by which men can know me.” Do we not begin to fear that love has fled from the earth? That if we were to ask the world: “Have you seen us wear the badge of love?” The world would say: “No, what we have heard of the Church of Christ is that there is not a place where there is no quarreling and separation.” Let us ask God with one heart that we may wear the badge of Jesus’ love. God is able to give it.
“The fruit of the Spirit is love.” Why? Because nothing but love can expel and conquer our selfishness.
Self is the great curse, whether in its relation to God, or to our fellowmen in general, or to fellow Christians, thinking of ourselves and seeking our own. Self is our greatest curse. But, praise God, Christ came to redeem us from self. We sometimes talk about deliverance from the self-life and thank God for every word that can be said about it to help us, But I am afraid some people think deliverance from the self-life means that now they are no longer going to have any trouble in serving God. They forget that deliverance from self-life means to be a vessel overflowing with love to everybody all the day.
And there you have the reason why many people pray for the power of the Holy Spirit. They get something, but oh, so little! Because they prayed for power for work, and power for blessing, but they have not prayed for power for full deliverance from self. That means not only the righteous self in fellowship with God, but also the unloving self in fellowship with men. And there is deliverance. “The fruit of the Spirit is love.” I bring you the glorious promise of Christ that He is able to fill our hearts with love. (“The Fruit of the Spirit Is Love”)
Filed under: Andrew Murray, Bible, Christianity, Grace, Jesus Christ, Love, Samuel at Gilgal | 5 Comments »
John Piper
Samuel at Gilgal 