We are saved for good works

“Who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.” (Titus 2:14, ESV)

“Gospel-motivated works do for the soul what food does for the body.  They bring refreshment, enjoyment, blessing and strengthening to the doer of the deeds, even more so than to the receiver.  Hence, the fact that God has prepared such works for me to do becomes a part of what makes the gospel such great news for me.”

Milton Vincent, A Gospel Primer, p. 37

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Moms need a habitual sense of God’s presence

“Mothers are always on call, expected to have all the answers and limitless energies. They’re supposed to do everything; it’s taken for granted. How can you be and do everything expected of you? What you need is a habitual sense of the presence of God. Think that Almighty God, who created the stars and keeps the seasons revolving in perfect rhythm, is there in your kitchen, in your bathroom, in the laundry room, in the grocery store. Mothers, be prepared for an arduous struggle. Your calling is impossible without prayer, the comfort and instruction of the Scriptures and fellowship in your church.”

~Elisabeth Elliot (HT: GirlTalk)

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Unhurried gospel meditation: need of our day

“Our age has been sadly deficient in what may be termed spiritual greatness.  At the root of this is the modern disease of shallowness.  We are all too impatient to meditate on the faith we profess. . . .Rather, it is unhurried meditation on gospel truths and the exposing of our minds to these truths that yields the fruit of sanctified character.”

–Maurice Roberts, “O The Depth!”,  Banner of Truth, July 1990, p. 2.

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Annular solar eclipse pictures

From the Big Picture:

A rare annular eclipse – a ring of sunlight as the new moon, passing between Earth and sun, blocks most, but not all, of the sun’s disc. It is striking to see. Differing from a total solar eclipse, the moon in an annular eclipse appears too small to cover the sun completely, leaving a ring of fire effect around the moon. The eclipse cast its shallow path crossing the West from west Texas to Oregon then arcing across the northern Pacific Ocean to Tokyo, Japan.

See all 49 photos by clicking here.  

A sea lion wears a solar viewer during an annular solar eclipse at an aquarium in Tokyo, May 21, 2012. (Yomiuri Shimbun/Reuters) #

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Life’s struggles and God’s attributes

“Our battle  from and against sin and suffering is first and foremost a battle toward and for God. . . .

If, in our struggle to conquer sin and alleviate suffering, we fail to learn and treasure God more, we have missed the most important thing God is doing in the midst of these experiences.”

–Brad Hambrick in God’s Attributes: Rest for Life’s Struggles, p. 8-9

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