Facts

”If you will not accept facts, because you cannot solve all the accompanying difficulties,
you will have to live a life of perfect Pyrrhonism, of absolute skepticism.”

- John Cummin

”Yet Christianity, so far from being hostile to intellectual progress, has been singularly favorable to it,
as a comparison of the intellectual present or past, will plainly show. 
Nor is the belief in miracles confined to the unintelligent or unscientific. 
Many of the most prominent men of science are believers in the miraculous.”

- Unknown

On Government

“You cannot legislate the poor into freedom by legislating the wealthy out of freedom. What one person receives without working for, another person must work for without receiving. The government cannot give to anybody anything that the government does not first take from somebody else. When half of the people get the idea that they do not have to work because the other half is going to take care of them, and when the other half gets the idea that it does no good to work because somebody else is going to get what they work for, that my dear friend, is about the end of any nation. You cannot multiply wealth by dividing it.” -Adrian Rogers

Quotes #3

“One reason there are so few shepherd elders or good church elderships is that, generally speaking, men are spiritually lazy. Spiritual laziness is an enormous problem in the Christian community. Spiritual laziness is a major reason why most churches never establish Biblical eldership. Men are more than willing to let someone else fulfill their spiritual responsibilities, whether it be their wives, the clergy, or church professionals.”
- Alexander Strauch from ”Biblical Eldership”

“The blacker the sin,
the redder the blood.”
- Thomas Watson

“The greatest lies of all
are the lies we tell ourselves
about our selves.”
- Unknown

Rules For Living

Abby looked up from her Sunday school book. “It seems to me that the Bible is full of rules,” she observed. “Doesn’t God want us to have any fun?” “We can stay within God’s rules and still have lots of fun,” said Dad. He put his newspaper on the sofa and took off his glasses. “It may not always seem like it, but God’s rules actually help you enjoy life.” Abby looked out the window and changed the subject. “It’s a windy day, Dad,” she said. “Can we go out and fly the kite I got for my birthday?” “Sure,” agreed Dad. “Let’s take it out to the park.” Abby ran to get the kite from her closet. Then she and Dad walked down the street to the large, open field connected with the neighborhood park. They saw that many kites already dotted the sky with their bright colors. Dad helped Abby get the kite in the air. Then he put the spool of string entirely into her hands. Abby held it tightly. She laughed as she felt the wind lift and move the kite. “My kite pulls and tugs at the string as if it were alive,” she called to Dad. “I wonder how high it would soar with the wind if you didn’t hold it back,” replied Dad. “Wouldn’t the kite look beautiful?” “Dad!” protested Abby. “You’re not suggesting I let it go, are you? If I did that, my kite might be lost, or it might crash and get torn. I don’t want that to happen. I like my kite!” She held the string even more tightly. Dad smiled. “If you let it go, it would crash,” he said. “I’m not suggesting that. I was just thinking of how pretty it would look - until it crashed, that is.” After flying the kite for a while, they decided it must be time for lunch, so they headed home. “I really do like my kite,” Abby repeated as they walked along. “Good,” said Dad. After a moment, he asked, “Remember what you said this morning about God’s rules?” Abby nodded. “Well, honey, His rules are something like the kite string,” Dad told her. “The string keeps the kite safe, and God gave rules to keep us safe and to allow us to enjoy life in His care. When you feel like you’d rather be free of His rules, remind yourself of what would happen to your kite without the string.” “Whoa! I’ll do my best to follow His rules,” decided Abby. “I’d hate to crash!”

HOW ABOUT YOU?
Do you think you’d have more fun if you didn’t have to follow rules? Or do you realize that following God’s rules keeps you from “crashing”? Disobeying and getting into trouble is not fun for anybody. Obeying God’s rules may seem hard at times, but overall, it’s worth it! Obeying actually protects you and allows you to have fun as you enjoy God’s loving care.

TODAY’S KEY VERSE:
”Keep His (God’s) statutes and His commandments . . . that it may go well with you.” Deuteronomy 4:40

Jonathan Edwards

On March 22, 1758, Princeton University President Jonathan Edwards died from a smallpox inoculation. Valedictorian of his class at Yale, Jonathan Edwards’ preaching began the Great Awakening, a revival so widespread history credits it with uniting the colonies prior to the Revolution. Of the awakening, Ben Franklin wrote,
“It was wonderful to see...From being thoughtless or indifferent...it seemed as if all the world were growing religious, so that one could not walk thro’ the town in an evening without hearing psalms sung in...every street.”

Jonathan Edwards’ grandson was Yale President Timothy Dwight. On July 4, 1798, Timothy Dwight explained how Voltaire’s atheism inspired the French Revolution’s Reign of Terror, 1793-1794, where 40,000 people were beheaded: “The...ends proposed by the Illuminati...are the overthrow of religion, government and human society...Murder, butchery and war...are declared by them to be completely justifiable...No villainy...can be named which was not vindicated...Satanic lips polluted the pages of God...inundated the country with...immorality...Where religion prevails, Illumination cannot make disciples, a French Directory cannot govern, a nation cannot be made slaves.”
Timothy Dwight concluded,
“To destroy us therefore...our enemies must first...seduce us from the house of God.”

He who truly believes in Christ

There is a dead faith as well as a living one. There is a faith of devils as well as a faith of God’s elect. There is a faith which is vain and useless, as well as a faith which justifies and saves. How shall a man know whether he has true saving faith? The thing may be found out! The Ethiopian may be known by the color of his skin; and the leopard may be known by his spots. True faith may always be known by certain marks. These marks are laid down unmistakably in Scripture. Reader, let me endeavor to set these marks plainly before you. Look at them carefully—and test your own soul by what I am going to say. He who truly believes in Christ—has a NEW HEART. It is written, “If any man is in Christ, he is a new creature—old things are passed away; behold, all things have become new.” (2 Corinthians 5:17.) A believer has no longer the same nature with which he was born. He is changed, renewed, and transformed after the image of his Lord and Savior. He who minds first, the things of the flesh—has no saving faith. True faith, and spiritual regeneration, are inseparable companions. An unconverted person—is not a genuine believer! He who truly believes in Christ—is a HOLY person in heart and life. It is written that God “purifies the heart by faith,” and that Christians are “sanctified by faith.” “Whoever has this hope in him, purifies himself.” (Acts 15:9; 26:18; 1 John 3:3.). A believer loves what God loves—and hates what God hates. His heart’s desire is to walk in the way of God’s commandments, and to abstain from all manner of evil. His wish is to follow after the things which are just, and pure, and honest, and lovely—and to cleanse himself from all filthiness of flesh and spirit. He falls far short of his aim, in many things. He finds his daily life, a constant fight with indwelling corruption. But he fights on—and resolutely refuses to serve sin.
Where there is no holiness, we may be sure there is no saving faith! An unholy man is not a genuine believer! He who truly believes in Christ—works godly WORKS. It is written, that “faith works by love” (Gal. 5:6). True belief will never make a man idle, or allow him to sit still, contented with his own religion. It will stir him to do acts of love, kindness, and charity, according as he sees opportunity. It will constrain him to walk in the steps of his Master, who “went about doing good.” In one way or another, it will make him work. The works that he does may attract no notice from the world. They may seem trifling and insignificant to many people. But they are not forgotten by Him who notices a cup of cold water given for His sake. Where there is no working love—there is no faith. A lazy, selfish professing Christian—has no right to regard himself as a genuine believer! He who truly believes in Christ—overcomes the WORLD. It is written, that “whoever is born of God, overcomes the world—and this is the victory which overcomes the world—even our faith” (1 John 5:4). A true believer is not ruled by the world’s standard of right or wrong, of truth or error. He is independent of the world’s opinion. He cares little for the world’s praise. He is not moved by the world’s censure. He does not seek for the world’s pleasures. He is not ambitious of the world’s rewards. He looks at things unseen—he sees an invisible Savior, a coming judgment, and a crown of glory which never fades away. The sight of these objects, makes him think comparatively little of this present world. Where the world reigns in the heart—there is no genuine faith. A man who is habitually conformed to the world—is not a genuine believer. He who truly believes in Christ—has the witness of the Holy Spirit. He has hopes, joys, fears, sorrows, consolations, expectations, of which he knew nothing before he believed. He has internal evidences which the world cannot understand. Where there are no inward pious feelings—there is no faith. A man who knows nothing of an inward, spiritual, experimental religion—is not a genuine believer! He who truly believes in Christ—has a special regard to the person of CHRIST Himself. It is written, “Unto you who believe—Christ is precious” (1 Peter 2:7). That text deserves especial notice. It does not say “Christianity” is precious, or the “Gospel” is precious, or “salvation” is precious—but Christ Himself! A true believer’s religion does not consist in mere intellectual assent to a certain set of propositions and doctrines. It is not a mere cold belief of a certain set of truths and facts concerning Christ. It consists in union, communion, and fellowship with an actual living Person, even Jesus the Son of God.
It is a life of . . .

Faith in Jesus,
Confidence in Jesus,
Leaning on Jesus,
Drawing out of the fullness of Jesus,
Speaking to Jesus,
Working for Jesus,
Loving Jesus, and
Looking for Jesus to come again.

Such life may sound like enthusiasm to many. But where there is true faith, Christ will always be known and realized, as an actual living personal Friend, He
who knows nothing of Christ as his own Priest, Physician, Redeemer, Advocate, Friend, Teacher, and Shepherd—knows nothing yet of genuine believing!
Where these marks of which I have been speaking, are utterly lacking, I dare not tell a man that he is a true believer. He may be called a Christian, and attend a Christian church. But if he knows nothing of these marks—I dare not pronounce him a believer. He is yet dead in trespasses and sins. Except he awakes to newness of life, he will perish everlastingly. Show me a man who has these marks—and I feel a strong confidence about the state of his soul. He may be poor and needy in this world—but he is rich in the sight of God. He may be despised and sneered at by man—but he is honorable in the sight of the King of kings. He is traveling towards heaven! He has a mansion ready for him in the Father’s house. He is cared for by Christ, while on earth. He will be owned by Christ before assembled worlds, in the life which is to come!

- Excerpts from a sermon, “Do You Believe?” , by J. C. Ryle

Sin

The deepest conviction of sin is not that of the newly awakened sinner,
but that of the most advanced saint,
for to his cleansed eye and purged heart sin
is a far more hideous and repulsive thing than it can possibly be
to one who has just found out that he is guilty before God.

- Author Unkown