Christian Quotes: Timothy Keller

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“We instinctively tend to limit for whom we exert ourselves. We do it for people like us, and for people whom we like. Jesus will have none of that. By depicting a Samaritan helping a Jew, Jesus could not have found a more forceful way to say that anyone at all in need – regardless of race, politics, class, and religion – is your neighbour. Not everyone is your brother or sister in faith, but everyone is your neighbour, and you must love your neighbour.”
Timothy Keller

 

“If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Matthew 5:46-48

Today’s Worship Walk: Ephesians 1:3-5

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“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will…”

Ephesians 1:3-5

I used to get confused by Paul’s writing. It seemed to me that every sentence was long and hard to get through. After several years of being discouraged, I finally got smart and SLOWED DOWN. I started to reread verses, and to pull apart phrases so that I could make sense of them, though some are still hard to grasp.

What I discovered was a treasure trove of wonderful truths. Paul’s writing became less overwhelming and richer in meaning. The picture emerged of a man who was so in love with Jesus, he felt a passion to teach and share as much as he could about Him. I sensed the urgency Paul must have felt to help believers grow in knowledge while he still had the chance.

With all that in mind, passages like this one in Ephesians generate a new gratitude and excitement in my spirit. Phrases like “blessed us…with every spiritual blessing in Christ,” or “in love he predestined us for adoption to sonship” stir up hope about my present and my future. Paul wanted to awaken his readers to all the wonders of what Jesus has done for them – for us. Because the more we know of Christ, the more we’ll fall in love with him, too.

That’s worth taking the time to slow down and savor!

 

Click herefor more info about Heather and Worship Walk Ministries.

 

 

Christian Quotes: Craig D. Lounsbrough

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“Sometimes to destroy the monsters that we face, we have to come against them in the same way that they have come against us. But if I do so in the power of God, I might have come against them in the same way, but I have come against them with a very kind of different power. And in that sense, nothing is the same.”

 Craig D. Lounsbrough

 

“The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.”

Exodus 14:14

Christian Quotes: Dr Paul Gitwaza

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“Your trials equal the power of God that works in you. If your battles are intense, then what God has deposited in you is deep.”

Dr Paul Gitwaza

 

“…we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance;  perseverance, character; and character, hope.  And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.”

Romans 5:3-5

Today’s Worship Walk: Proverbs 10:12

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“Hatred stirs up conflict, but love covers over all wrongs.”

Proverbs 10:12

I always admire how sharp a thinker Solomon was. He had a gift of making simple statements that cut to the heart of our thoughts, behaviors and motivations. And what Solomon wrote over 2000 years ago still clearly applies today, because both human nature and God’s Will haven’t changed!

This verse is a great one to meditate on. Look at the first phrase: hatred stirs up conflict. It’s absolutely true, isn’t it? If we let resentments or rivalries fester, they’ll eventually come out in bad behavior towards someone else. But try turning the words around, and you get another caution: conflict stirs up hatred. In other words we can actually create bad feelings between us and others by how we choose to act. 

In his Proverbs, Solomon often used opposites to make a point, and he does just that here. Now, in the second phrase, we see the better way, that: love covers all wrongs. Again, Solomon is talking about decisions – in this case, to plan ahead of time to assume the best about people, and to be ready to forgive. 

Proverbs is full of wisdom, yes, but it also shows a passion for God. Solomon wanted to encourage the Lord’s people to grow into maturity, to truly be a “holy nation,” and he knew that living rightly with one other each day is a vital part of that.

Click here for more info about Heather and Worship Walk Ministries.

 

Christian Quotes: Charles Spurgeon

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 “God has a way of giving by the cartloads to those who give away by shovelfuls.”

Charles Spurgeon

 

“Therefore, since we receive a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us show gratitude, by which we may offer to God an acceptable service with reverence and awe…”

Hebrews 12:28

Christian Quotes: A. W. Tozer

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“An infinite God can give all of Himself to each of His children. He does not distribute Himself that each may have a part, but to each one He gives all of Himself as fully as if there were no others.”

A. W. Tozer

“He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things?”

Romans 8:32

Today’s Worship Walk: James 1:5

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“If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.”

James 1:5

I believe asking questions is an important skill, one I wish I’d cultivated when I was younger. It wasn’t that I didn’t have much curiosity – I always had LOTS of questions. But because of my timidity, they stayed locked in my head. I often wonder how much more I would have learned, in school or later, if I had raised my hand when I had the chance instead of trying not to draw attention to myself!

That’s why this verse resonates with me. James not only says that it’s okay to ask God for wisdom, but that we should. Better yet, there’s no need for hesitation, or embarrassment – God is already waiting for us to approach Him.

It’s so exciting to me that having curiosity about God is a good thing. And I can trust that He’s delighted to reveal answers to me. When our hearts are seeking Him, our Heavenly Father will always be willing to hear any of our questions and to grow our wisdom.

Click here for more info about Heather and Worship Walk Ministries.

 

Today’s Worship Walk: Psalm 143:10

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“Teach me to do your will, for you are my God; may your good Spirit lead me on level ground.”

Psalm 143:10

I don’t know about you, but the phrase “level ground” sounds so sweet to me. It brings to mind a calmness of spirit that helps a person keep walking steadily through the ups and downs of life. And I’m a person who tends to ride those waves instead.

Some people are born with that sense of emotional balance already in them. I’ve always looked for ways to “get off the roller coaster.” So, discovering this verse was such an encouragement to my dizzy soul!

For a while, I focused on the second half of the passage, because it was such a wonderful promise: God’s Holy Spirit would guide and steady me. But the first part is just as important, maybe more. It’s a request, a prayer really, from a heart that wants to live in a righteous way. It’s saying, “I love you God, I want my life to be pleasing to you – show me how.

That’s a prayer that our Heavenly Father will always answer. He delights in revealing Himself to us, whether through teaching His unchanging commands or providing what we need to follow them. And, we receive the grace to keep going forward, finding that level ground in a shifting and often wobbly world.

 

Click here for more info about Heather and Worship Walk Ministries.

Christian Quotes: C.S. Lewis

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“The Christian does not think God will love us because we are good, but that God will make us good because He loves us.”

C.S. Lewis

 

“The LORD loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of his unfailing love.”

Psalm 33:5