Antidote for Fear

Oswald Chambers said, "The remarkable thing about fearing God is that when you fear God, you fear nothing else, whereas if you do not fear God, you fear everything else."

"This is a wise, sane Christian faith: that a man commit himself, his life, and his hopes to God; that God undertakes the special protection of that man; that therefore that man ought not to be afraid of anything." (George MacDonald)

F. B. Meyer said, "God incarnate is the end of fear; and the heart that realizes that he is in the midst... will be quiet in the midst of alarm."

Where do you invest your time?

Jesus... set time aside for the training of the twelve. With a world of millions to reach, Jesus budgeted the majority of His time to be with just a few simple men.

Prime time was invested in taking them through the Scriptures and sharing His heavenly insights. Key moments were spent sharing ministry with individuals and permitting them to watch every action and hear every word. Special days were set aside to explain to them the deeper meanings of His talks to the crowds. And valuable hours were seized in order to debrief them when they returned from assignments, to rebuke them when they failed, and to affirm them when they succeeded.

We might have been tempted to ask more than once why Jesus was spending so much valuable time with a group of simple-minded men when He could have taught men who could have intellectually appreciated His theological expertise. But Jesus was aware of where true importance lies, where the priorities are. And where your priorities are, there your time will be. (pp. 71-12) -- Ordering Your Private World, Gordon MacDonald

Inestimable Blessing

"A tender conscience is an inestimable blessing; that is, a conscience not only quick to discern what is evil, but instantly to shun it, as the yield closes itself against the mote." (Pastor Nehemiah Adams, 1806-1878)

It is the broken heart that pleases God

"The best things of life come out of wounding. Wheat is crushed before it becomes bread. Incense must be cast upon the fire before its odors are set free. The ground must be broken with the sharp plough before it is ready to receive the seed. It is the broken heart that pleases God. The sweetest joys in life are the fruits of sorrow. Human nature seems to need suffering to fit it for being a blessing to the world." (Steams in the Desert) -- L. B. Cowan

A Meek Person is ...

"He knows he is as weak and helpless as God declared him to be, but paradoxically, he knows at the same time that he is in the sight of God of more importance than angels. IN HIMSELF, NOTHING; IN GOD, EVERYTHING. THAT IS HIS MOTTO." -- A.W. Tozer

That thing is sin

If you wish to determine the lawfulness of a pleasure, follow this rule:

"Whatever weakens your reason, impairs the tenderness of your conscience, obscures your sense of God,, or takes away the relish of spiritual things; whatever increases the authority of your body over your mind, that thing is sin." -- Mother of John Wesley

"Whether therefore you eat, or drink, or whatsoever you do, do all to the glory of God" 1 Cor. 10:31

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)