A WAY OF LIFE

“We must never forget that true Christianity is more than teaching - it is a way of life. In fact, it is life itself. 

"He who has the Son has life," remember? When we talk about life, we are talking about something that is far more than mere morality, far more than doctrinal accuracy.” -  Ray C. Stedman.

Jesus said, “I am the Way and the Truth and the Life…” (Jn 14:6 NLV)

“Christianity is not a religion or a philosophy, but a relationship and a lifestyle. The core of that lifestyle is thinking of others, as Jesus did, instead of ourselves.” -  Rick Warren.

“The Christian life is a life that consists of following Jesus.” -  A.W. Pink.

SATAN’S TRICK

The devil & his cohorts were devising plans to get people to reject the Gospel.

“Let’s go to them and say there is no God,” proposed one. Silence prevailed. Every devil knew that most people believe in a supreme being.

“Let’s tell them there is no hell, no future punishment for the wicked,” offered another. That was turned down, because men obviously have consciences which tell them that sin must be punished.

The concave was going to end in failure when there came a voice from the rear: “Tell them there is a God, there is a hell & that the Bible is the Word of God. But tell them there is plenty of time to decide the question. Let them ‘neglect’ the Gospel, until it is too late.”

All hell erupted with ghoulish glee, for they knew that if a person procrastinates on Christ, they usually never accept Him.

Source: Resource, Jul/Aug, 1990 (ministry127.com)

2 Cor 6:2 (GNT): Hear what God says: “When the time came for me to show you favor, I heard you; when the day arrived for me to save you, I helped you.” Listen! This is the hour to receive God's favor; today is the day to be saved!

“Truth has no special time of its own. Its hour is now - always.” -  Albert Schweitzer.

VICTORY THROUGH THE BLOOD OF THE LAMB

Dr. Sewall, an old Methodist, when dying, shouted aloud the praises of God.

His friends said, "Dr. Sewall, do not exert yourself; whisper, doctor, whisper."

"Let angels whisper," said he, "but the soul cleansed from sin by the Blood of Christ, a soul redeemed from death & hell, just on the threshold of eternal glory - oh, if I had a voice that would reach from pole to pole, I would proclaim it to all the world: Victory! Victory! through the Blood of the Lamb!"

Perhaps we the saints, who are still alive & well, ought to shout out the glorious Gospel more!

- Christian Victory. (moreillustrations.com)

1 Cor 15:57 (ESV): “But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

WORK REFLECTS YOUR CHARACTER

Your work is an expression of the image of God in you & it's worth thinking about how your work reflects His character.

Work as simple as cleaning out a closet reflects the God who makes order out of chaos.

Holding a stop sign for children to cross the road creates an environment of safety that reflects the God who protects.

The person who flips burgers is providing food, which is something that God does.

A father or mother who nurtures a child reflects the love, patience & perseverance of God.

The CEO of a large business holds things together & moves things forward. This too is a reflection of God's work.

- (ministry127.com)

Heb 13:21 (NLT): “May he equip you with all you need for doing his will. May he produce in you, through the power of Jesus Christ, every good thing that is pleasing to him. All glory to him forever and ever! Amen.”

“The will of God for your life is simply that you submit yourself to Him each day and say, "Father, Your will for today is mine. Your pleasure for today is mine. Your work for today is mine. I trust You to be God. You lead me today and I will follow." -  Kay Arthur.

PRACTICE

'Christianity refuses to be proved first & practiced afterwards: its practice & its proof go hand in hand,' wrote I. R. Illingworth.

The sermons of a certain preacher were magnificent, but his life was so inconsistent with his profession that, when he was in the pulpit, his congregation wished he would never leave it; and, when he was out of the pulpit, they wished he would never enter it again.

“But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.” – Paul (1 Cor 9:27 ESV)

- (moreillustrations.com)

“A man's life is always more forcible than his speech. When men take stock of him they reckon his deeds as dollars and his words as pennies. If his life and doctrine disagree the mass of onlookers accept his practice and reject his preaching.” -  Charles Spurgeon.

GIFTS

Aspiring vocalist - "Teacher, do you think I will ever be able to do anything with my voice?"

Perspiring teacher - "Well it might come in handy in case of fire or shipwreck."

- Cornell Widow. (moreillustrations.com)

“Your greatest fulfillment in life will come when you discover your unique gifts and abilities and use them to edify others and glorify the LORD.” -  Neil T. Anderson.

1 Cor 12:11 (GNT): “But it is one and the same Spirit who does all this; as he wishes, he gives a different gift to each person.”

“I used to think that God's gifts were on shelves one above the other and that the taller we grow in Christian character the more easily we could reach them. I now find that God's gifts are on shelves one beneath the other and that it is not a question of growing taller but of stooping lower.” -  F.B. Meyer.

FLY LIKE AN EAGLE

Once when I was in Switzerland I saw an eagle, a splendid bird, but it was chained to a rock. It had some twenty or thirty feet of chain attached to its legs & to an iron bolt in the rock.

There was the king of birds, meant to soar into Heaven, chained to earth.

That is the life of multitudes of believers. Are you allowing business, are you allowing the cares of the world, are you allowing the flesh to chain you down, so that you cannot rise?

- Selected. (moreillustrations.com)

Isa 40:31 (ERV): “But those who trust in the Lord will become strong again. They will be like eagles that grow new feathers. They will run and not get weak. They will walk and not get tired.”

“What you can't go through, God will help you fly over.” -  Woodrow Kroll.