"Faith And Prayer Move God" - Inspirational Weekend

The title of this post, "Faith And Prayer Move God", is a quote from E.M. Bounds.  In his book on prayer, he stresses that faith and prayer work together.  There is power in prayer!  There is power in faith!  "Prayer is simply faith", says Mr. Bounds.  It is said also that faith is trust in something....a belief, a conviction, and a hope.

"True godliness is just as true, steady, and persevering in the realm of faith as it is in the province of prayer.  Moreover, when faith ceases to pray, it ceases to live."   -  E. M. Bounds

In my own life, I have discovered that when God does answer my prayers, it serves to increase my faith whenever I reflect on those answered prayers in hindsight.  I have also learned that to wait on God is a strong demonstration of faith.  

"Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen."  -  Hebrews 11:1

The entire chapter of Hebrews 11 defines faith and mentions prophets and others, like Noah and Abraham (and many others), who proved their faith.  

"Faith is trust or commitment to what you think is true."    -  William Lane Craig

"Faith knows there will be delays in answering prayer, and regards such delays as times of testing, in the which, it is privileged to show its mettle, and the stern stuff of which it is made."     - E. M. Bounds

The power of prayer is the power of God.  He hears and answers all prayers, even if the answer is no.  

"And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive."   -   Matthew 21:22

"Prayer is a shield to the soul, a sacrifice to God, and a scourge for satan."  -  John Bunyan

"Prayer - secret, fervent, believing prayer - lies at the root of all personal godliness."  -  William Carey

"Prayer is the acid test of devotion."  -  Samuel Chadwick

Following is a beautiful hymn from 1740 by Charles Wesley.

So much could be written about faith and prayer; indeed, much has already been written on those topics.  In writing this post and in reading Scriptures on faith and prayer, I was very edified and I hope you are as well.

Following is an excellent sermon by Charles Spurgeon on the life and walk of faith :

In the above sermon, Charles Spurgeon stresses abiding in Christ always.  "Jesus is your all in all" and we should "find substance in Christ.....Ye are complete in Christ!"   Spurgeon is known as "The prince of preachers" and his sermons are deep yet explanatory.  I pray that you will listen to the entire message.

When you pray and have faith in the Lord, your priorities will change.   You will realize that the only important thing in this life is God and Jesus, and you will live your life accordingly, with the goal of being more like the Savior. 

Remember, when we pray, we need to ask according to God's will, or our prayers will not be answered.   Also, we need to repent of any and all sin so that we come to the Lord forgiven and clean, and He will listen to us with love and understanding.

"Now we know that God heareth not sinners: but if any man be a worshipper of God, and doeth His will, him He heareth."  -  John 9:31


Have a blessed and Christ-centered weekend !



"Be careful [anxious] for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.  And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."      -  Philippians 4:6-7

"Pray without ceasing."  -  1 Thessalonians 5:17

"So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God."  -   Romans 10:17

"And whatsoever ye shall ask in My name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.  If ye shall ask any thing in My name, I will do it."   -   John 14:13-14

"Be Child-like And Humble" - Inspirational Weekend

My photograph here is of a female peacock with her baby behind her.  The baby eventually snuggled under the mama's breast feathers for safety and comfort.  It reminds me of Matthew 23:37 where Jesus says,  "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not."

This shows how Jesus had wanted to display tenderness and compassion and love to Jerusalem even though He was pointing out its great sins. In the preceding verses He had condemned the Pharisees and scribes in very strong language.  

But the verses I would like to concentrate on in this post are found at Matthew 18:3-4 which follows:

"Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.  Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven."

Jesus' disciples were overly concerned with who would be the greatest in the kingdom of heaven, which prompted Jesus to say the above statement.

In the previous post last weekend, we talked about the kingdom of heaven and how, in order to be a part of it, you needed to repent and also be born again.   In the above verses, Jesus is telling us we need to become child-like and be humble in order to see the kingdom of heaven.   Children are trusting and unpretentious.  As believers in Christ, we should become as trusting and as humble as little children, having faith in the Lord and in His loving words to us which guide us in the Christian walk and in His footsteps.  There is simplicity and meekness in the helpless and inexperienced child.  We adult Christians should be meek as well, and simply trust in the Lord with all of our heart, mind, and soul.  It is as much a duty to trust God as it is to serve Him.

We must, like little children, be teachable; and open to truth and to conviction.   Also, it is a child's character to obey.  If you are a true believer, you will endeavor to always obey God.  Not self-willed and self-sufficient, but dependent on the Lord for guidance.  His will, not yours, be done.

The child also has undoubting faith in his parents and teachers.  We Christians should be the same toward God.   Remember,  "Without faith it is impossible to please God: for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him."  (Hebrews 11:6).

"Pride makes faith impossible."  -  Andrew Murray

The proud will say, "I can handle this", and not turn to the Lord for guidance.   The proud will not be able to have true faith; that is why we need to be humble as little children.   We are God's children, after all.

"According to what we have of God will be our real humility, because humility is nothing but the disappearance of self in the vision that God is all."   -  Andrew Murray

Remember, God hates pride.  

"The fear of the LORD is to hate evil:  Pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth, do I hate."  -  Proverbs 8:13

To me, male peacocks are very prideful in their display and attitude.  It's as if they know they are beautiful and so they strut their stuff.   Christians should not be that way.

How do we cultivate the grace of humility?

The first root of humility is love.  

Realize yourself the object of great mercy.  Take all of your blessings as an act of an individual favor to you.  Be grateful.

Be more reverential.  If your health permits, get down on your knees in prayer to the Sovereign God of the universe, and realize every breath you take comes from Him.  He is the Almighty God and He is in control.   

Always try to keep yourself a little child, spiritually speaking.  You are God's child; rely on Him and trust in Him as you would if you were a child.   Your heavenly Father loves you and wants the best for you.  Read and study your Bible and pray continuously in order to develop a close, personal, intimate relationship with Him through Jesus Christ.  If you have such a close relationship with God, you will learn humility and obey Him as a child does its earthly Father.  You will reverence the Lord.  

Have a happy and a Christ centered weekend!

"Passport To Heaven" - Inspirational Weekend

The majority of Americans say that they are Christians and believe that they will go to heaven.   Many of these persons never attend Church, except perhaps on holidays.  And it is true many of them are good people that love their families and are law-abiding citizens.   However, it is sad but true that a good portion of these do not have a personal relationship with the Lord and have never been born again.   So how can we be assured that we will go to heaven, either when we die or when Jesus comes in the Rapture to take us alive to be with Him in glory?

"Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life:  no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me."   -  John 14:6

Jesus is our passport to heaven.   That is, we must by faith believe in Him as the Savior, and that He was resurrected.  (Romans 10:9-13).   We must repent of our sins - turn away from all wrongdoing and do not continue to live a life of sin.  Pray for forgiveness.  So forgiveness from God and Jesus is also part of that passport to heaven.    

"And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in His Son.  He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life."  -  1 John 5:11-12

This belief in Jesus is not mere head knowledge.  Many years ago I myself believed in my head (but not deep in my heart) that Jesus was God's Son, yet at the same time I was living a worldly, carnal life and was not putting the Lord first in my life.  I had no relationship with Him.   At 16 years old I was baptized, yet I did not truly and totally understand what that meant, what that required of me.   The devil wasted no time in luring me astray.   Many years later, and in dire circumstances, the Lord really got my attention.  One hardship and catastrophe after another until there was nothing left to hang on to.   But God.   I turned to Him with all my heart and then began a relationship with Him and Jesus that filled the void in my heart and soul and life and He began to transform me and mold me.  Romans 12:1-2 tells us, "(1) I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.  (2) And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God."  The way to transform your mind is by much prayer and reading of the Bible, God's Holy Word.   If you are truly saved and born again, you will become a new creation.  "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are past away, behold, all things are become new."  (1 Corinthians 5:17).  As a new believer, and especially as you mature in your Christian walk, you will seek the things above and put spiritual things first.  (Colossians 3:1-2).  In particular, put the good Lord first in your life and seek His guidance in all of your ways and in your life.  The point is, you must have true repentance and from the very heart of your soul seek the Lord with all you've got and put Him first in your life.   It must be a true conversion.  If you are still living like the ungodly world,  you should not expect to go to heaven.

"Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God?  whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God."  -  James 4:4

Some people believe they are too wicked to approach God, or that they must first "clean up their act" before they can come to Jesus.  

Remember the woman at the well (John 4:1-26) ?  She was living in sin, yet Jesus approached her and offered her salvation.   

Remember the woman caught in adultery, and Jesus told her "Go and sin no more."  (John 8:1-11)

God expects us to leave our sins,  but it is not a prerequisite to being saved.  He will cleanse us and wash us whiter than snow, if we will but come to Him first in true repentance.  And in faith in His Son Jesus.

This reminds me of that old hymn "Just As I Am" which I am sharing here now.   Pay close attention to the words.

"All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out."   -  Jesus at John 6:37

There is hope, my friends !    God is love, and He is a God who gives us hope.   What more could we possibly want than to spend eternity with Jesus!    Did you realize that Jesus spoke more about hell than He did about heaven?  No doubt because it breaks His heart to see people go to hell and so He warned us of the doom and torment that awaits there.   Remember, God does not send people to hell; it is our choice to go there if we do not accept Jesus as our Savior and repent.

To summarize, the way to Heaven is by Jesus Christ, the Savior.  We must come to Him in faith.  We must admit that we are a sinner (Romans 3:23; 6:23).  We must confess our sins and repent of them.  To repent means to change your mind, to turn away from sin, to avoid sin and truly become a new person in Christ. 

"That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.  For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.    ......For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."  -  Romans 10:9,10,13

Jesus loves you.

Jesus is giving you the invitation to eternal life.

Fall on your knees in repentance and pray for forgiveness.

Accept Jesus as your Savior.  

Jesus will return soon to take believers to be with Him at the Rapture of the church.

Don't be left behind !

Our citizenship is in heaven.   Don't forget the Passport to make the journey there!

"And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the LORD shall be delivered......"   -  Joel 2:32a 

"Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD:  though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool."  -  Isaiah 1:18

"If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.  Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth."  -  Colossians 3:1-2

"And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth forever."           -  1 John 2:17

"Casting All Your Care Upon Him" (With Sermon By A.W. Tozer) - Inspirational Weekend

"Casting all your care upon Him; for He careth for you."  -  1 Peter 5:7

The above Scripture is very comforting and a reminder that the good Lord cares for all of His children.    When it says "Casting all your care", it means to take all of your "anxieties" to the Lord, "cast" them to Him, which takes effort and is not easy to do.  And then do not take all your cares right back upon yourself once again and bear the burden alone.  Leave them with the Lord, and have faith that He will take care of them for you -  All of them.

It should be mentioned that before you can cast all of your anxieties on God, you must first have confessed all known sin and been repentant and thereby have a clear conscience in order to cast your cares on the Lord and then to expect Him to help you; to take the burden off of you and onto Himself.   First you must feel Him to be a reconciled and loving Father.  If there is any unconfessed sin in your life, you will probably not even cast your anxieties and burdens upon Him.

God never told us that we shall never have anxieties; they are a part of this fallen world in which we live.   And this fallen world is a cause for anxieties in itself.   Right now we have the threat of nuclear war looming over us, and many other fears as well in this evil and lawless and cold world.   We need to take all of our concerns to the Lord in prayer.  Prayer has a way of putting things in their proper perspective and thereby giving you a peace and the sense that, in the end, everything will be alright.
 
"Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.  And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."   -  Philippians 4:6-7    

Here is a song about casting all your cares upon the Lord:

God loves His children, and constantly thinks about them and wants them to come to Him with all their cares.

"But I am poor and needy; yet the Lord thinketh upon me:  Thou art my help and my deliverer; Make no tarrying, O my God."  -  Psalm  40:17

Family, friends, and neighbors may abandon you or neglect you, but God never will !!  "If we are what we should be, we shall never be without a friend as long as there is a God."   This is true if you are a genuine believer in Jesus Christ as your Savior, Lord, and Master.  To all unbelievers, God is waiting to hear from you and for you to give your heart and soul to Jesus in sincere belief in the redemptive power of His shed blood, and to believe that He rose again from the dead.   (Romans 10:9)

Believers, stop and recall how many times God has shown you that He was thinking of you.....in answered prayers, in protecting you from harm, in all His blessings that He has bestowed upon you, and in so many other ways.  And He does this even when we do not think of Him as often as we should.  God's care for His people is always true and always unchanging.  He is always there for us.

Many people who do not trust in the Lord and who do not cast their cares upon Him, go around all glum and fretful, often complaining and being very dissatisfied with life.  They are also fearful of many things. Don't let that be you.   Cast your burdens on the Lord.  (Psalm 55:22).

Believers in Christ have a blessed hope that sustains them and gives them solace (Titus 2:13).  They have the promise of eternal life and of being with the Lord forever.  Their faith in God gives them strength and endurance to face obstacles and to surrender all to the Lord.  Consequently, they do not let anxieties get control over them and make them all fretful and filled with dread.   They have the love of Christ in their hearts, and His many promises of better things to transpire in the future, all of which gives them hope and encourages them to pray about their concerns and to draw ever nearer to the Lord.

Following is a 26 minute sermon by A.W. Tozer on "Casting All Your Cares Upon Him" :

A. W. Tozer became a Christian as a teenager.  He was born in 1897 and passed away in 1963.  He was an American pastor and author.

Have a blessed and Christ-filled weekend !

"That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved."    -  Romans 10:9

"Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and He shall sustain thee: He shall never suffer the righteous to be moved."  -  Psalm 55:22

"Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ;"  -  Titus 2:13

"Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest."                                          Jesus at Matthew 11:28

"Prayer For Wisdom and Knowledge To Walk Worthy Of The Lord" - Inspirational Weekend

Do you ever feel at a loss as to know how to please the Lord?  It may be because you need to read your Bible more, because His Word is rich in showing us how to please Him and how to walk as Jesus walked, in total surrender to Yahweh.

Total surrender.  That is a primary way to please God the Father.

There are two prayers we will consider here that will show us how to please the Lord and to walk worthy of Him; one in Ephesians and the other in Colossians.  Both deal with prayers for knowledge and wisdom.  In truth, how can we please God and walk in His will without knowledge of His Word and without His guidance?   You might want to read a previous post on being wise by knowing God's will.  Here we will explore walking worthy of the Lord with the help of wisdom from Him and as found in His Holy Word.

"That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him: The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of His calling, and what the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints:"   -  Ephesians 1:17-18

The above prayer for wisdom and knowledge in Ephesians is the first prayer we will discuss.  To know God is to be wise.  This is not just mere acknowledgment, but true knowledge.  The Ephesians did possess knowledge and enlightenment to some degree, but Paul prayed that they might more clearly and fully hold their present views.   Since we are imperfect humans and prone to error, we are not totally pure and we may have some dimness or not have a clear understanding where spiritual things are concerned.   That is why we need to be constantly reading the Bible and in frequent prayer.  Pray for God to give you a clear understanding of spiritual matters.

Until the Lord opens the eyes of our heart, we are as if blind.

I remember, before I was truly born-again, there was something like a veil that prevented me from completely comprehending revelations from the Lord; from understanding the Bible as I should have.   I may still understand in part, but the Lord has opened my eyes and my heart to a greater degree than ever I could have imagined.

Colossians 1:9-10 is part of the second prayer for wisdom that we will now consider:

(9) " For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; (10) that ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;"

Let's just concentrate on verse 10 above, particularly "that ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing."   We can see from this verse that to please God, we need to be fruitful in good works, and to also increase in the knowledge of God.   When we increase in the knowledge of God, we grow closer to Him and can therefore have a close and personal relationship with Him through Jesus Christ.  God wants to fellowship with us, and this is possible only with a close, intimate relationship with Him.  That pleases Him.  And if we have this close bond, we will naturally be inclined to please God in return and to obey Him and keep His commandments.  That is part of walking worthy of the Lord.  When we put God's kingdom first and endeavor to be as Christ-like as we possibly can, that is also pleasing to God and walking worthy of Him.  Put God and Jesus first in your life.

Be filled with the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) and walk in the Spirit and crucify the flesh, killing the lusts and desires which are of the world (Galatians 5:24-25).

All of these things may seem impossible to do but, if you are a true believer, the Holy Spirit will help you to walk worthy of the Lord.  Be constantly in the Holy Word and fervent in prayer; it will enable you to draw close to the Lord and to understand and do His will.

"Wisdom is the right use of knowledge.  To know is not to be wise.  Many men know a great deal, and are all the greater fools for it.  There is no fool so great a fool as a knowing fool.  But to know how to use knowledge is to have wisdom."  -  Charles Spurgeon

"Not until we have become humble and teachable, standing in awe of God's holiness and sovereignty, acknowledging our own littleness, distrusting our own thoughts, and willing to have our minds turned upside down, can Divine wisdom become ours."    -   J.I. Packer

I have not mentioned love.   "God is love" (1 John 4:16), "He that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him."  Without love, we cannot truly begin to walk worthy of the Lord and please Him.
 If we love God with all of our heart, soul, mind, and with all of our strength (Mark 12:30), we will gladly obey Him and display true godliness, which enables us to walk worthy of Him.

First, be sure you are walking in the Spirit and not in the flesh. Get rid of all worldly lusts and desires and sinful thoughts.

"So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God."  -  Romans 8:8

You need to have vigorous faith to please the Lord, as that will enable you to be strong and to endure trials and to wait on the Lord, thereby walking worthy of Him.

"For we walk by faith, not by sight:"  -  2 Corinthians 5:7

"The just shall live by faith."  -  Galatians 3:11b

"But without faith it is impossible to please Him: for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him."  -  Hebrews 11:6

"Furthermore then we beseech you, brethren, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus, that as ye have received of us how ye ought to walk and please God, so ye would abound more and more."                       -   1 Thessalonians 4:1

"Don't Forget The Armor" - Inspirational Weekend

The above flower and fruit (the ball) are on the Cannonball Tree; a tree with its own weapon !   When the cannonballs fall to the ground (or on your head!)  they burst open and emit a foul odor.  You might say this is a tree with its own armor.  

Christians have armor for their use as well.  The armor of God, that is.  In last weekend's post  I dealt with the subject of strength: how to be strong.  This weekend we will discuss how the armor of God can make you strong and can protect you in this spiritual battle we find ourselves in every day.  Following are verses from Ephesians 6 that describe this armor of God, which verses most Christians are familiar with but I quote it here for unbelievers or those who are not aware of this passage in the Bible.

"(10) Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might.  (11) Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.  (12) For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against  powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.  (13) Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.  (14) Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;  (15) And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;  (16) Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.  (17)  And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God: "  -  Ephesians 6:10-17

We cannot win this spiritual battle by our own human effort; we need the Lord's help and His Spirit, and these verses above inform us how to do just that.   It is good to take note that, in verse 12, it tells us that we do not wrestle against flesh and blood....in other words, we should not lash out at humans that give us a hard time as though they were the real culprits or enemy.  The devil is the real enemy and is able to use people to tear us down and persecute us and to make us lose heart.

Also in verse 12, satan and his fallen angels (demons) are referred to as "spiritual wickedness" and "the rulers of the darkness of this world."  Though powerful, they are not as powerful as God and the Lord can protect us and help us by means of the armor of God.

Please note also that verses 11 and 13 admonish us to "put on the whole armor of God."  Not just a part of it, but all of it.  That is the only way we can stand firm and be strong.  Ancient soldiers equipped themselves with all of their armor when in battle, and we should do the same with our spiritual armor.  

"Having your loins girt about with truth"  (verse 14) ;  The girdle or sash was always an important part of their dress in war as well as in peace.  It was designed to keep every part of the armor in its place, and to gird the soldier on every side. Likewise, believers need the truth of God's Word to keep things in perspective and to help them endure the battle we face with the darkness of evil.  In other words, to hold everything else together as only God's Word is able to do.

"Having on the breastplate of righteousness" (verse 14) ;  Here Paul is showing that true believers are to put on righteousness to protect their hearts as a soldier puts on a breastplate to protect himself.  This righteousness includes integrity, holiness, purity of life, and sincere piety.  

"And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;" (verse 15);  A peaceful and benevolent attitude which is an essential part of the Christian character.  This, like the boots worn by soldiers, will keep you from being harmed by the many difficulties and trials which, like sharp-pointed thorns, may lie in your way and thereby obstruct your progress.

"The shield of faith"   (verse 16)  The apostle alludes to the great oblong shield which covers the whole body.  As faith is the grace by which all others are preserved and rendered active, so faith is properly represented here by a shield by which the whole body is covered and protected.   True faith can quench any dart of the devil.

"The helmet of salvation"  (verse 17).   This protects one's understanding from being darkened and confused by any temptations of the evil one.  It also protects from any subtle views of the ungodly.

"The sword of the Spirit."  The Word of God; the Holy Scriptures.  It comes from the Holy Spirit, and receives its fulfillment in the soul through the workings of the Holy Spirit.  The ability to quote God's Holy Word, especially in times of temptation and trials, can cut in pieces (like a sword) the snares of the adversary and his demons.  

Ephesians 1:19 tells us:  "And what is the exceeding greatness of His power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of His mighty power."

In other words, God gives us the strength to help us to resist the devil.  As stated previously, we are in a war; a spiritual warfare against the wicked forces of darkness.   This is particularly true of Christians who are living godly lives and sharing the Gospel.  The devil strikes at them especially hard, to bring them down, because he already has the ungodly...the world in general...in his grasp.

So put on the armor that God provides.  The Lord will protect you and help you to endure.

"Do not strive in your own strength; cast yourself at the feet of the Lord Jesus, and wait upon Him in the sure confidence that He is with you, and works in you.  Strive in prayer; let faith fill your heart - so will you be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might."  -  Andrew Murray

We should not overlook what Ephesians 6:18 tells us,  "Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints."

Prayer gives you strength from the Lord.  It just simply makes all things better to pray.   When you pray and read your Bible daily, you draw ever closer to the Lord, and that alone gives you victory over temptation and discouragement.  When you love the Lord with all your heart, soul, strength and mind, you will live more and more in His presence and grow stronger every day.


"Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong."   -  1 Corinthians 16:13

"How To Be Strong" - Inspirational Weekend

How refreshing is this small waterfall !  It reminds me of what Jesus called "living water".  (John 7:38).  God's holy Word is even more refreshing - and more rejuvenating - than even this delightful waterfall shown here.  Just a side-note: when I do my daily Bible study I have an internet video going depicting a stream with waterfalls and with birds chirping in the background.  It is very soothing to watch and listen to as I read my Bible.  It is not distracting as the sound is on low and I only occasionally glance at the moving water.  Try it sometime.    

This post is about acquiring strength to face obstacles.  Reading God's Word and immersing yourself in its faith-building truths will enable you to do just that.... to face hardships and trials with the Lord as your strength.   

"My soul melteth for heaviness: strengthen Thou me according to Thy word."  -  Psalm 119:28

Philippians 4:13 tells us,  "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."   I could almost end this post with that verse, because it just about sums up everything concerning strength and how it is possible when you have the Lord by your side.  You can face anything by the power of God/Jesus and you can endure the impossible in His strength.  Philippians 4:13 is a only a part of what Paul had in mind in this epistle as to Christ's abilities to meet all of our needs.  

A large part of endurance and learning to be strong is found in the ability to learn to be content in whatever circumstances one finds himself in.  (Philippians 4:11).  The more you have your mind on Christ and on heavenly things (and not on the lusts of the world), the more you will find yourself content, serving the Lord and living a godly life, with Jesus to guide and strengthen you in all things.

"And what is the exceeding greatness of His power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of His mighty power, which He wrought in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead, and set Him at His own right hand in the heavenly places,"  -  Ephesians 1:19-20

"Only he who can say, 'The Lord is the strength of my life' can say 'Of whom shall I be afraid?' "  -  Alexander MacLaren

"You become stronger only when you become weaker.  When you surrender your will to God, you discover the resources to do what God requires."  -  Erwin Lutzer

We need to rely on the power of God.  God cannot use a person who is self-centered and who relies on his own strength and not on Him.  That is the epitome of conceit and pride to rely on your own strength.  When we were saved, we were to rely on Jesus as our Lord and Master as well as our Savior.  Inquire of the Lord when you are in doubt and need guidance.   He is waiting to hear from you.   He will give you strength to endure and to face your mountains.   

"He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might He increaseth strength...........But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint."    -  Isaiah 40:29, 31

Remember, however, that if you ask for strength, God may give you difficulties to make you strong.  It is through endurance that we learn to be strong.   

"Occasions of adversity best discover how great virtue or strength each one hath.  For occasions do not make a man frail, but they show what he is."   -  Thomas A. Kempis

Remember Paul and his thorn in the flesh.  In 2 Corinthians 12 Paul describes how he was caught up to the third heaven and that he "heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter."  Verse 7 tells us that to keep him from being prideful he was given a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of satan to buffet him.  He prayed to the Lord to remove it, but verse 9 tells us:

"And He said to me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for My strength is made perfect in weakness.  Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me."    And continuing with verse 10 of 2 Corinthians 12:  "Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong."

We can see that the Lord's grace was sufficient for Paul because it was a better solution than to remove Paul's thorn.  "Human weakness provides the perfect opportunity for the display of divine power."  

To be strong requires strong faith.  If you have been born-again the Holy Spirit will increase your faith as you study your Bible and as you come to the Lord in much prayer.   Answered prayers is one of the greatest faith-builders there is !    When you are in distress or feeling blue, just remember how many times God has answered your prayers showing how much He loves you and cares for you.  Recalling His goodness and faithfulness toward you will guarantee that you snap out of your negative mood and that you will also be encouraged to continue life's journey with much faith in the Lord, which in turn will make you stronger in your walk with Him.

"Nothing is so strong as gentleness, nothing so gentle as real strength."  -  Francis de Sales

"The remedy for discouragement is the Word of God.  When you feed your heart and mind with its truth, you regain your perspective and find renewed strength."  -  Warren Wiersbe

We find ourselves now living in the end times, the last hours of the last days.  We need our faith and strength in the Lord to be able to endure these perilous times.  (2 Timothy 3:1-5).  But, if you are a true believer in and follower of Jesus Christ,  you will be included in the Rapture of the Church which is soon to happen.  You will therefore not suffer the wrath of God which occurs during the seven year Tribulation period.  You do not want to be "left behind" and see and experience the horrendous judgments during the Tribulation; that is, if you are not saved now, you must give your life to the Lord in faith, believing in Him with all of your heart and also in His resurrection; repenting sincerely of all your sins and asking the Lord to forgive you and give you a humble and contrite spirit.

Time is short !!  


"That He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened  with might by His Spirit in the inner man; that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; and to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fullness  of God."   -  Ephesians 3:16-19   

"Fear Not; God Will Save And Deliver You" - Inspirational Weekend

Let us focus now on the good, the lovely, the godly; on the Scriptures and on faith, hope, and love.   The world is full of chaos, deception, terrorism, and the threat of nuclear war.  Many people are fearful and anxious of the things coming upon the earth.  Let us take a peaceful break from all of that and concentrate on the good instead.

"Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things."  -  Philippians 4:8

What good? you may ask.   You are alive and privileged to draw breath another day.  If you are a Christian - a true believer in Jesus Christ - you have the hope of living forever in all eternity with Jesus and God.  That is good news!

Here is a worship song by Chris Tomlin titled "Fear Not" :

The above song reminds us that God is mighty to save and that He will not abandon us.   (Hebrews 13:5; Deuteronomy 31:6)  Even if we die or are killed in a war, etc., God does not abandon us to that fate in the sense that true believers when they die will go immediately into the Lord's presence.   

1 Corinthians 5:6-8 informs us,  (6) "Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord: (7) For we walk by faith, not by sight:  (8) We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord."

According to the above Scripture, the believer who has died is immediately at home with Jesus.  That is so much more preferable to this life on this troubled earth.   

It has been said that the subject Jesus mentioned most was "Fear not".  We are so inclined to do just that - to fear.  That is, perhaps, why He mentioned it so often -  365 times - either "fear not" or something along similar lines was spoken by the Lord.  

Once you become a "new creature" in Christ (1 Corinthians 5:17) you will develop a close, personal and intimate relationship with the Lord; that means your faith and trust in Him will grow and you will not fear the unknown or death.   God is in control.  He is watching over you and will take care of you.   

We need to be still and know that He is God.  (Psalm 46:10)

Here is a worship video with beautiful landscapes and Scriptures to help relax you and to help you to take in the healing words and message it contains :

And if you will read your Bible, it tells us how everything will end when all is said and done.   

God wins!  He will gain the victory over satan and the evil principalities.  We will live forever with Him in eternity.  What a hope!   What a future!  

"For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."  -  Romans 8:38-39

For the above to be true for you, you need to accept Jesus as your Savior, Lord, and Master.  Have faith in Him; believe in Him and in His resurrection, and you will be saved.   (Romans 10:9,10,13)

But first you must sincerely repent of your sins and ask the Lord for forgiveness.  God looks at the heart, and if you are truly repentant and have a humble and sincere faith, the Lord will hear and answer that prayer to Him for forgiveness and salvation.

The next step is to find a true Bible-based Christian church and to fellowship with other believers.   (Hebrews 10:25).  Tell the pastor of your decision to follow Christ and to be baptized.   Just a note, baptism does not save you but, rather, it is a public declaration of your faith in the Lord and symbolizes being now dead to sin and raised to life.

And please remember how important it is to read your Bible daily.  That is the primary way God speaks to us.  By daily reading of God's Holy Word you learn of His attributes, His love, and His forgiveness; and you will grow in your love for Him.  This draws you ever closer to Him, as does daily prayer.  The Lord wants to fellowship with us.  And you will discover the power in His Word and the power of prayer.  Which in turn empowers us to live a godly life as we become a friend of God.

"We need never shout across the spaces to an absent God.  He is nearer than our own soul, closer than our most secret thoughts."    A. W. Tozer

"Assurance is the fruit that grows out of the root of faith."  -  Stephen Charnock

Faith is the killer of fear.  I used to be fearful of many things before I came to know the Lord.  Now I have peace and know that I am in God's hands, no matter what happens.  Faith gives you a positive attitude and gives you hope.


"Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for Thou art with me; Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort me."  -  Psalm 23:4

"Be careful {anxious} for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.  And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."  -   Philippians 4:6-7  

Have a wonderful and Christ-centered weekend !

"Help My Unbelief" - Inspirational Weekend

"Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief."  -  Mark 9:24b

These words were spoken by a distraught father because of his son who was demon possessed; this father went to Jesus and spoke these words of weak faith to Him (like a prayer) after Jesus had previously told him, 

"If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth."  -  Mark 9:23  

 Many of us can relate to this father's plea.  We believe, yet sometimes doubt creeps in and it can be hard to shake.  Like when Peter believed he could walk on water; he had faith until he took his eyes off of Jesus and began to concentrate on the howling wind and the turbulent waters.  His faith and belief faltered when he took his eyes off of Jesus, and then he began to sink.   When Jesus caught him, He said to Peter:  "Oh thou of little faith wherefore didst thou doubt?"   -  Matthew 14:22-31

But in the case of the father of the demoniac boy, Jesus did not rebuke the father for his weak faith.  The man tearfully appealed to Jesus, recognizing he did believe but had unbelief or doubts at the same time.   A true sense of the need for grace to believe is the greatest step towards the act of believing.  Perhaps part of this father's unbelief was due to the fact that Jesus' disciples had tried and could not cast out the demon from the boy.  Jesus healed the young man and afterwards was questioned by His disciples as to why they could not successfully heal him.  -  Mark 9:28-29.   In verse 29 Jesus told his disciples that that kind of demon would not come out but by prayer and fasting.

In this dim life we see spiritual things imperfectly, but we should continue on with prayer and Bible study to come to a full, clear knowledge.   Faith and unbelief are often found in the same heart. Full deliverance from doubt only comes by a personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ.  The more intimate and deep your relationship with God, the more you learn to trust Him and the more your faith will grow.   

Unbelief is a criminal thing because it doubts.  Unbelief robs God of His glory in every way and therefore one who has unbelief cannot receive a blessing from the Lord.   Hebrews 11:6 tells us that without faith it is impossible to please God.  This is more true of unbelievers (those not born-again), because they are deliberate in their stubborn unbelief.  Christians tend to have doubts which are not deliberate; doubts just creep into our minds out of nowhere, it seems.  But the devil is a master of deception and tries to make us fall by putting doubts in our minds.   Pray to God in Jesus' name for deliverance and pray to have a strong faith.

We doubt because we are fallen creatures, prone to sin.   Divine truth is not yet fully comprehended by us.  Little faith can still trust in Christ as well as great faith can.  One commentator says:  " If your faith is weak, at least let it be sincere and unfeigned  The act of faith is to apply Christ to the soul; and this the weakest faith can do as well as the strongest, if it be true."

"Unbelief is criminal because it is a moral act of the whole nature.  Belief or unbelief is a test of a man's whole spiritual condition, because it is the whole being, affections, will, conscience, as well as the understanding, which are concerned in it." - Alexander MacLaren

Following is a sermon on the sin of unbelief by Charles Spurgeon:

In this sermon, Spurgeon tells us that "Unbelief is the parent of every other iniquity."  I hope you watch the entire 39 minute sermon as it is excellent.  

"Unbelief is never cheap; it costs more than it pays."  -  Andrew Kroll

One commentator said that "nothing is so provoking to God as unbelief, and yet there is nothing to which we are more prone."  When you consider all that the Lord has done, all of His promises and the many times He has answered our prayers, the sacrifice of His Son at Calvary to redeem us and wash us white as snow by the blood of Jesus, and all of His many other blessings including the gift of life itself, who are we to doubt Him ?   What would provoke an earthly father like a child who refuses to believe him?  We are God's children, and we should trust Him and believe in Him in all areas of our lives and in all spiritual matters.  

"He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself:  he that believeth not God hath made Him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of His Son."  -  1 John 5:10

Remember what God said to Moses concerning the stubborn and complaining and unbelieving Israelites: "....How long will this people provoke Me?  and how long will it be ere they believe Me, for all the signs which I have shewed among them?"  -  Numbers 14:11

We serve a loving and a forgiving God.  He knows we are but dust and how weak we are.   But faith and belief in Jesus can make us strong.   Pray without ceasing. (1 Thessalonians 5:17).  Prayer is a strong faith-builder.

"Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: By  Whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God."  -  Romans 5:1-2

"The Power of Faith, Hope, And Love" - Inspirational Weekend

Faith, hope and love are often found together in the New Testament. One instance is at 1 Thessalonians 1:3 which tells us,

"Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father;"

Below is an example and explanation of what the triad faith, hope, and love actually mean.

Let's take faith first.  The power of faith produces action.  The Bible tells us that without faith it is impossible to please God  (Hebrews 11:6).  A brand new believer in Jesus as Savior exhibits faith that the Lord is the Messiah and his Redeemer.  As he studies God's Word and is often in prayer, his faith will grow.  Answered prayer is a mighty faith builder.   Belief that we will be with the Lord in heaven one day also takes faith.   

The patriarch Abraham was saved by his faith, not by his works. Romans 4:3 says, "For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God and it was counted unto him for righteousness."    He followed and obeyed God when the Lord told him to leave his country and go to a land He would show him.  (Hebrews 11:8).  That took faith. What took much faith was when God told Abraham to sacrifice his own son Isaac and Abraham obeyed, but the Lord stopped him from actually killing Isaac.  God was putting Abraham to the test so He could see how strong was Abraham's faith.   

Yes, there is power in faith.  There are many more examples in the Bible of the transforming power of faith, such as Moses and Gideon.   

Then there is the power of hope.   I have shared here previously about how I went through difficult times for a period of about 4 years, and all seemed hopeless to me for a while.   But God.   He put it within my heart to begin reading the Bible again, which began to renew my mind.  I know first-hand the power of hope, because His Word began to give me a hope for something better. Without hope, there appears to be no reason to exist.  You see, without God there is no hope.  The only sound and just object of hope is God Himself.  The hope that Jesus gives and the promises of God can give meaning to your life, can give you a purpose, and a desire to keep-on-keeping-on despite obstacles.     The ultimate hope is one of eternal life with the Lord in heaven.  

"(18) That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us:  (19) Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the vail; "  -  Hebrews 6:18-19

You can observe, then, that hope is not whimsical wishful thinking.  When we hope in God, we can rest assured that it is a reliable and true thing.  HE is called the God of hope.

"Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost."   -  Romans 15:13

Now let us consider love.  The most famous and most loved chapter in the Bible about love is 1 Corinthians 13.  Following are the first 3 verses of that chapter:

"(1)Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.  (2) And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have no charity, I am nothing. (3) And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing."

The King James version uses the word "charity" instead of the more appropriate word "love" in the above verses.   The point is obvious: you can do many mighty works and good deeds, but if you do not have love and act out of love, it is to no avail.  Love is above all other gifts....it is preeminent.  (1 Corinthians 13:13).  We should love God and other people more than we love ourselves.   

That brings us to the important fact that God loves us.  

God is love.

"And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us.  God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him."  -  1 John 4:16

Following is a sermon by Charles Spurgeon on how much Jesus loves us. 

Jesus loved us so much that he suffered and died for us and shed His blood at Calvary so that all who would believe in Him and His resurrection could have eternal life.   Even when we fall or backslide, Jesus still loves us and is patient with us and willing to forgive us.   We need to repent of and confess all known sin and run to Him for refuge and solace.

"But the God of all grace, Who hath called us into His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you."  -  1 Peter 5:10

"Grace be to you and peace from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ, Who gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father"     -  Galatians 1:3-4

How To Escape The 7-Year Tribulation

(Internet Image)

Some people think we are already in the prophesied Tribulation period.   They need to study their Bible more to discern that that is not the case.  To begin with, the Rapture of the Church has not yet occurred, and that must happen before the Tribulation because the Lord's people are not appointed to wrath.

"Much more then, being now justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him."  -  Romans 5:9

"For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ."                        -  1 Thessalonians 5:9

The above two Scriptures tell us how to escape the 7-year Tribulation.   We need to be followers of Jesus Christ; we need to be born-again  (John 3:16).   We need to repent of our sins, pray and ask God for forgiveness, and put our faith and trust in Jesus as our Savior, Lord, and Master.   We must put God and Jesus first in our lives.   

"Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved."   -  Acts 16:31

"Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me."          John 14:6

Once saved by faith in Jesus, you will be raptured to be with the Lord in heaven sometime soon before the 7-year Tribulation occurs and will be in heaven while the Tribulation is taking place on the earth.   What a blessed hope !   (Titus 2:13).  God is loving and merciful to His people.

Following is a video featuring Gary Stearman and Bob Ulrich of prophecywatchers.com.  It deals with myths of the tribulation, and gives great insight into Scriptures concerning the Tribulation and answers questions such as "The reasons why the Tribulation has to happen."  They also discuss a new DVD they are offering which  is about a girl who wakes up one day and finds herself in the Tribulation period.   

If you read the Book of Revelation in the Bible, you will discern that the Tribulation is full of God's wrath and judgment on the ungodly left on the earth after the true believers in Christ are raptured to heaven.   You do not want to go through the horrors of the time of "Jacob's Trouble"  (Jeremiah 30:7).  Turn in faith to Jesus Christ now before it is too late !

"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast.:   -  Ephesians 2:8-9

"How To Be Courageous" - Inspirational Weekend

(Internet Photo)

Courage is when someone's heart moves them to do something brave.  Dr. Charles Stanley defines courage thus, "The quality of mind or spirit enabling us to meet danger, face opposition, or the challenges of life with fearlessness, calmness, and firmness."

This post will focus on Biblical courage, which relies upon the power of God to strengthen us and to help us demonstrate courage as befits children of God.  It takes courage to "be different" and to take a stand for what is true and righteous while living in a wicked and selfish and materialistic world.  It takes courage to suffer persecution and insults because of your faith.  God is there to help you in all of your trials.

"The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?  The LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?"  - Psalm 27:1

"Wait on the LORD; Be of good courage, and He shall strengthen thine heart:  wait, I say, on the LORD."  -  Psalm 27:14

The two verses above (and the Holy Spirit) have helped me to be strong and to face opposition.  Waiting on the Lord will build your faith and strengthen you as you let God be God and wait for His guidance and His help.   He is in control and knows the end from the beginning and what the future holds.  His plan is best.  Trust Him. 

Hebrews 13:5b also says that God "will never leave thee, nor forsake thee."  How comforting.  God and Jesus are always with you.  That knowledge alone will give you courage.  As a child I was moved around from one relative to another; as an adult I have been forsaken by my husband.  These verses, Deuteronomy 31:6 and Hebrews 13:5, fill my heart with love and gratitude for the Lord's tender care and His promises.  I can trust God.  He will not abandon me nor forsake me.

I was shy, fearful, and insecure as a child and as a young adult.  The good Lord has worked mightily in my behalf and when I look back on how many times He has "rescued" me, it has built my faith and trust in Him.  He has given me the courage to face the obstacles.  It is all by the grace of God and not any of my doing.   

"I can do all things through Christ Who strengthens me."  -  Philippians 4:13

In short, to be courageous, you need to have faith in the good Lord. The Holy Spirit will guide you and help you.  You need to have a close, personal, intimate relationship with God through Jesus Christ.  That relationship is built by prayer and Bible study. You need to have faith and believe in Jesus as your Savior and Lord and Master.  

"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life."  - John 3:16

"(9) That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. (10) For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.  (13)  For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."   -  Romans 10: 9,10,13

 Dr. Stanley tells us that the key to courage and to live your life acceptably is to mediate on God's Word day and night.  (Joshua 1:8)

One example in the Bible of courage in action is one we are all familiar with:  the story of David and Goliath.   David trusted in the Lord because of how he had been helped by God in the past to be delivered from a lion and also from a bear.  He had faith and therefore courage to slay the giant, knowing the Lord would help him this time as well.  (1 Samuel 17).

"Courage is not simply one of the virtues, but the form of every virtue at the testing point."  -  C. S. Lewis

"Even a coward can praise Christ, but it takes a man of courage to follow Him."  - Unknown

"Have courage for the great sorrows in life, and patience for the small ones.  And when you have laboriously accomplished your daily tasks, go to sleep in peace.  God is awake."   -  Victor Hugo

"Have not I commanded thee?  Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee withersoever thou goest."  -  Joshua 1:9

"Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you.  Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid."  -  Jesus at John 14:27