Test for our love of God

"You shall not be known by special rites or habits, not by a special form of dress or manner of speech; not by special austerities and unusual customs, like the Pharisees, the Essenes or the scribes, but by deep, genuine, and tender affection. And it is well known it was this which eminently distinguished the first Christians, and was the subject of remark by the surrounding pagans. 'See,' said the pagan, 'see how they love one another! They are ready to lay down their lives for each other.' " (from Barnes' Notes, Electronic Database Copyright © 1997, 2003, 2005 by Biblesoft)

Look to the "Faithful One" for Victory

J. Hudson Taylor, the great missionary often said, "It is not by trying to be faithful, but in looking to the Faithful One, that we win the victory."

Doing God's Work--God's Way

"Yet another way of working is to begin with God; to ask His plans, and to offer ourselves to Him to carry out His purposes." -- Hudson Taylor (Emphasis supplied). Wycliffe Handbook of Preaching and Preachers, W. Wiersbe, p. 243.

'My name is I AM'

"I was regretting the past and fearing the future. Suddenly my Lord was speaking. 'My name is I AM.' He paused, I waited. He continued. 'When you live in the past with its mistakes and regrets it is hard. I am not there. My name is not, I WAS. When you live in the future with its problems and fears it is hard. I am not there. My name is not, I WILL BE. But when you live in this moment, it is not hard. I am here. My name is I AM.'" - Helen Malacoat

Faith and Hope

"…Faith looks backward—hope looks onward and upward. Faith is concerned with the Person who promises—hope with the One and the things promised. Faith accepts—hope expects. Faith appropriates—hope anticipates. Faith believes and takes—hope desires and waits. Faith comes by hearing—hope comes by experience. Faith the root—hope is the fruit." -- G.H. Knight

Kindness is the "common-language" of Love

"One time Paul Harvey spoke about a man named Carl Coleman who was driving to work when a woman tried to pass him with her car and got too close and dinged his fender with hers.

They both pulled over and when she saw the damage she started crying. She admitted that it was her fault, but it was a brand-new car, it had only been out of the showroom two days!

How was she ever going to face her husband?

Mr. Coleman was sympathetic but explained they had to exchange their licenses and registrations.

When the woman reached into the glove compartment and pulled out the papers the first paper was a note, obviously written by a man; it read: "In case of accident, remember, Honey, it's you I love, not the car." (Paul Harvey Jr., Paul Harvey's for What It's Worth, 1992, p. 31)

Attributes of God

"There are seasons in the lives of all when it is not easy, no not even for Christians, to believe that God is faithful. Our faith is sorely tried, our eyes bedimmed with tears, and we can no longer trace the outworkings of His love. Our ears are distracted with the noises of the world, harassed by the atheistic whisperings of Satan, and we can no longer hear the sweet accents of His still small voice. Cherished plans have been thwarted, friends on whom we relied have failed us, a professed brother or sister in Christ has betrayed us. We are staggered. We sought to be faithful to God, and now a dark cloud hides Him from us. We find it difficult, yea, impossible, for carnal reason to harmonize His frowning providence with His gracious promises. Ah, faltering soul, severely tried fellow pilgrim, seek grace to heed Isa. 50:10..." (A.W. Pink, The Attributes of God, pp. 53-54)