Tweaking God’s plans?

HT: 52Home

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That was random #29

I haven’t posted random quotes for quite sometime.  I actually have done so 28 times on this blog but the last time was over a year ago.  Well, Barry York posted some good quotes he had read over the last month so I thought I would resurrect this tradition.  Enjoy (especially the last one):

“The Father, Son, and Holy Ghost were happy in themselves, and enjoyed one another before the world was. Apart from the fact that God delights to communicate and spread his goodness, there had never been a creation or redemption.”

Richard Sibbes

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“In no other subject is error more dangerous, or inquiry more laborious, or the discovery of truth more profitable.”

Augustine (from his work On the Trinity)

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“Father, make of me a crisis man. Bring those I contact to decision. Let me not be a milepost on a single road; make me a fork, that men must turn one way or another on facing Christ in me.” 

Jim Elliott

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“When Luther threw an inkwell at the devil, he symbolized his whole career.”

Richard Lovelace

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“The doctrine of election… is the family secret of the children of God.”

J.I. Packer

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“I’ve often reflected on the rather obvious thought that when his disciples were about to have the world collapse in on them, our Lord spent so much time in the Upper Room speaking to them about the mystery of the Trinity.   If anything could underline the necessity of Trinitarianism for practical Christianity, that must surely be it!”

Sinclair Ferguson

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“I have sinned not only against the law of God, but against the love of God.”

John Flavel

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“Spiritual pride is very  apt to suspect others; whereas a humble saint is most jealous of himself, he is so  suspicious of nothing in the world as he is of his own heart.”

Jonathan Edwards

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“Mommy, I would rather have all my owies and God than have no owies and no God.” 

Five year-old Victoria, niece of Joel Beeke, upon seeing a Buddhist child while recovering in a hospital from severe injuries.  She also told her mother, ”All these owies are OK, Mommy. Jesus had owies much worse than mine, and He did nothing wrong, but I have sinned my whole life.”

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Longing to be free from sin’s presence and power

“Our joys here are born weeping rather than laughing, and they die weeping. Sin, sin, this body of sin and corruption embittereth and poisoneth all our enjoyments. O that I were where I shall sin no more! to be freed of these chains and iron fetters, which we carry about with us! Lord, loose the sad prisoners! Who of the children of God have not cause to say, that they have their fill of this vain life? and, like a full and sick stomach, to wish at mid-supper that the supper were ended, and the table drawn, that the sick man might win [get] to bed, and enjoy rest? We have cause to tire at mid-supper of the best messes that this world can dress up for us; and to cry to God, that He would remove the table and put the sin-sick souls to rest with Himself.”

~ Samuel Rutherford (Letters)

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Ten Dynamic Wiersbe Quotes

From Logos Blog: 

1. “The Christian life is not a playground; it is a battleground, and we must be on our guard at all times.”—from The Bumps Are What You Climb On

 2. “This modern emphasis only on personal salvation makes us lose sight of the grandeur and glory of God’s church. I am not minimizing our personal experience with Christ, but I am affirming that it is not the primary goal that God has in mind. He is building His church. He is building up the Body of Christ. The glory and greatness of our personal salvation is but a reflection of what God is doing corporately in and through His church.”—from Prayer: Basic Training

3. “You don’t have to read very far in your Bible to discover that God forgives His servants and restores them to ministry.”—from Be Amazed

4. “The immediate purpose of prayer is the accomplishing of God’s will on earth; the ultimate purpose of prayer is the eternal glory of God.”—from On Earth as It Is in Heaven: How the Lord’s Prayer Teaches Us to Pray More Effectively

5. “For the most part, the people we serve in our congregations don’t look like Josephs, Esthers, or Davids, nor do we; but the same God who glorified himself in the lives of ‘ordinary people’ in ancient days will glorify himself in our lives today if we will trust him.”—from 10 Power Principles for Christian Service

6. “God’s people don’t live on explanations; they live on promises.”—from Be Heroic

7. “We may be statistics and numbers as far as the world’s computers are concerned, but we are precious individuals as far as our Shepherd is concerned. He knows his sheep personally.”—from Be What You Are

8. “Satan wants us to think that our ‘disobedience detours’ must become the permanent road for the rest of our lives, but this is a lie.”—from Be Obedient

9. “The most important meeting we as leaders attend is that daily personal meeting with the Lord, before the day begins, when worship and meditation increase our faith as we receive the orders for the day.”—from On Being a Leader for God

10. “If you serve only to earn a salary, you will never do your best as long as you think you’re underpaid. If you minister to get recognition, you will start doing less when people don’t show their appreciation. The only motivation that will take you through the storms and keep you on the job is, ‘I’m serving Jesus Christ.’ “—from On Being a Servant of God

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That was random–quotes #28

“It is tragic to go through our days making Christ the subject of our study but not the sustenance of our souls.”–Vance Havner

“Cherishing our pet sin is like craving to eat our own, warm vomit. I’m sorry to be so gross, but that is biblical imagery” (see Provbers 26:11)  –Paul Tautages

What we feed our minds and hearts will determine whether we live a life of faith or fear.–unknown

Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so, little ones to him belong, we are weak, but he is strong.

O GOD, Mercifully grant that thy Holy Spirit may in all things direct and rule our hearts; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

“The enjoyment of God is the only happiness with which our souls can be satisfied. “-J. Edwards

“The gospel is a fact; therefore tell it simply.” -Archibald Brown.

“I have one desire now—to live a life of reckless abandon for the Lord, putting all my energy and strength into it.”–Elisabeth Elliot:

“The point of Job is no in ch 1 or 42. Its 28. Tonight at Grace on Campus, Job 28 and wisdom”–Jesse Johnson

“If you love to give, sacrifice and serve and have quit demanding to be served, you know grace has visited you”.–Paul Tripp

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That was random #26

“Think of someone today you really don’t want to forgive, but know the gospel is calling and will empower you to do so”–Scotty Ward Smith

“Just as you allot time to eating, sleeping, and business, so also allot time to prayer”.–J.C. Ryle

“Faith sees the invisible, believes the unbelievable, and receives the impossible.”- Corrie ten Boom

“Man differs little from man by nature, but he is best who trains in the hardest school.” -Thucydides quoting a Spartan

“To trust and obey is not just a well-known lyric; it is the heartbeat of a godly life.”–Nathan Busenitz

“God can provide far greater care of our children than we could ever pray for.” -Joel Beeke

“The foundation of true holiness and true Christian worship is the doctrine of the gospel.”–John Owen

“If your God’s child, you can live with hope and courage because your Heavenly Father knows exactly what you need. If you’re God’s child, you can live with hope and courage because your Savior rules over all things for his glory and your good. If you’re God’s child, you can live with hope and courage because you are the object of forgiving, empowering grace.”–Paul Tripp

“It’s absurd to defend a specific choice on the basis that it’s a choice. Not all choices are good— some are downright evil.”–Randy Alcorn

“The glory of God is nowhere more effulgent than in the face of Jesus Christ.”–John Murray

“Yet one thing secures us what ever betide, the Scriptures assure us the Lord will provide”–Isaac Newton.”

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That was random #25

Don’t invite Jesus into your life. Your life’s a wreck. Jesus invites you into his life.–Dr. Russell Moore

The only Christian you want to listen to is the one who gives you more of a hunger for God.–Tozer

The troubles you face as God’s child do not indicate his absence, but are sure signs of the zeal of his transforming grace.–Paul Tripp

Work for Christ with heart and soul, but never dream for a second of placing confidence in any work of your own.–Ryle

To be prayerless is to be without God, without Christ, without grace, without hope, and without heaven.–J.C. Ryle

The things that men love not, they care not for:—the matters of their love are continually in their thoughts. ~John Owen

Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God.–Corrie Ten Boom

All things would instantly come to nothing, were they not sustained by God’s power.–Calvin.

Compromise must always be impossible where the truth is essential and fundamental. Christ Jesus is either God or He is not… -Spurgeon

If a commission by an earthly king is considered a honor, how can a commission by a Heavenly King be considered a sacrifice? -Livingstone

If we eliminate all abortion in the US, 97% of the abortions (40.8 million) will continue worldwide.–Justin Taylor

It is one thing to be a terrified sinner and another to be a repenting sinner. -Thomas Watson

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Fill your affections with the cross of Christ!

As to the object of your affections, in a special manner, let it be the cross of Christ, which has exceeding efficacy toward the disappointment of the whole work of indwelling sin: “God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, whereby the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world” (Gal. 6:14). The cross of Christ he gloried and rejoiced in; this his heart was set upon; and these were the effects of it—it crucified the world unto him, made it a dead and undesirable thing. The baits and pleasures of sin are taken all of them out of the world, and the things that are in the world— namely, “the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life.” These are the things that are in the world; from these does sin take all its baits, whereby it entices and entangles our souls. If the heart be filled with the cross of Christ, it casts death and undesirableness upon them all; it leaves no seem ing beauty, no appearing pleasure or comeliness, in them. Again, says he, “It crucifies me to the world; makes my heart, my affections, my desires, dead unto any of these things.” It roots up corrupt lusts and affections, leaves no principle to go forth and make provision for the flesh, to fulfill the lusts thereof. Labor, therefore, to fill your hearts with the cross of Christ. Consider the sor rows he underwent, the curse he bore, the blood he shed, the cries he put forth, the love that was in all this to your souls, and the mystery of the grace of God therein. Meditate on the vileness, the demerit, and punishment of sin as rep resented in the cross, the blood, the death of Christ. Is Christ crucified for sin, and shall not our hearts be crucified with him unto sin? Shall we give entertainment unto that, or hearken unto its dalliances, which wounded, which pierced, which slew our dear Lord Jesus? God forbid! Fill your affections with the cross of Christ, that there may be no room for sin. The world once put him out of the house into a stable, when he came to save us; let him now turn the world out of doors, when he is come to sanctify us.

~John Owen~

Overcoming Sin & Temptation (Wheaton, IL; Crossway Books; 2006) p.332. Indwelling Sin – Part 1, Chapter 2: The Power and Efficacy of Indwelling Sin. http://www.crossway.org – eBook.

HT: The Old Guys

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That was random #24

“What matters most in this life is not what God does with us but who God is for us in Christ. Not Providence but Gospel.”–Ray Ortlund

“God notices every one of us; there is not a sparrow or a worm that continues to live apart from His decrees.”–Charles Spurgeon

“When Job questions God, God does not offer “Chicken Soup for the Soul” but takes Job straight into the disorienting depths of sovereignty.”–Jared Wilson

“The Psalms are an anatomy of all the parts of the soul.” – Calvin

“We know but little of true Christianity, if we don’t feel a deep concern about the souls of unconverted people.” – JC Ryle

“No matter how clearly and how much of the gospel we already see, we’re still like the blind staring at the sun.”–Scotty Smith

“Our greatest fear should not be of failure but of succeeding at things in life that don’t really matter.”~DL Moody

“For the damned who inhabit that place of eternal wrath, Hell is truth learned too late.” William Nichols

Don’t invite Jesus into your life. Your life’s a wreck. Jesus invites you into his life.–Dr. Russell Moore

“The only Christian you want to listen to is the one who gives you more of a hunger for God.” Tozer

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That was random #23

“Being a husband and a father is a job. Viewed properly, it’s not second to our vocation. It’s first and foremost, a calling of God.”–Randy Alcorn

“Our future is tied not to making the right decisions but trusting the right Lord”.–Scotty Ward Smith

“The problem for most of us not that we don’t embrace the doctrine of eternity. No, it’s that on Tuesday we live as if it doesn’t exist”.–Paul Tripp

“Engaging the culture is not the same thing as capitulating to it.” – David Wells

“Grace not only forgives you, but enables you to live for something hugely bigger than yourself. Why go back to your little kingdom of one?”–Paul Tripp

“Leadership is not a role you play but a responsibility you own.”–Dan Dumas

“He will bring forth justice to the nations” = He will create the ideal, humane community. God’s promise.–Ray Ortlund

“While the world observes quaint little moments of silence, through prayer with the Lord of hosts we enter the battlefield of spiritual war”.–Burk Parsons

“Some sell their soul for a few hours’ guilty pleasure.” – J.R. Miller

“How can we love sin when we remember that because of our sin Jesus died?” JC Ryle

 

 

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