Fri, Jul 14th - 3:06PM

Food For Thought!

Hey everyone, here is a collection of a few profound quotes that I've gathered along the way. Ponder them.

 The atheistic German philosopher,Friedrich Nietzsche, made the following surly remark to some Christians one day: "If you want me to believe in your Redeemer,then you've go to look a lot more redeemed."

"People are driven from the Church not so much by stern truth that makes them uneasy as by weak nothings that make them contemptuous."
(George Buttrick)

"Faith is not something one 'loses'; we merely cease to shape our lives by it." (George Bernanos)

"I have some shocking news for you: Church is not for you to enjoy; it exists to change you!" - (Bishop Eddie Long from his book "CALLED
TO CONQUER")

"If you believe what you like in the gospel and reject what you don't like, it is not the gospel you believe, but yourself." (Augustine)

Truth With A Twist of Humor:

A man was asked by an interviewer, "Sir, what do you believe?"
"I believe what my church believes," he replied.
"Well," asked the reporter, "what does your church believe?"
"The church believes what I believe!"
"That's interesting," the reporter said. "Well, what do you and your church believe?"
The man thought for a moment and then replied, "We believe the same thing, dummy!"

"I discovered an astonishing truth: God is attracted to weakness. He can't resist those who humbly and honestly admit how desperately they need Him. Our weakness, in fact, makes room for His power." - Jim
Cymbala, from his book, "FRESH WIND, FRESH FIRE".

"Whenever God determines to do a great work, he first sets His people to pray." - C.H. Spurgeon

"There is no power like that of prevailing prayer. It turns ordinary mortals into men of power. It brings power. It brings fire. It brings rain. It brings life. It brings God." - Samuel Chadwick

"Most churches are not scriptural; they are 'boardural.' That means boards run them like a business corporation. Many of them operate
like something that has nothing to do with God! They do not know the Scripture because they do not exercise or follow the patterns and precepts that Scripture prescribes. Most of these churches are
miserable and unbearably jealous of any church that is scriptural in its government and operations. Most of the jealousy arises because these other churches are birthing new things all the time." (Bishop
Eddie Long, from his book "Called To Conquer"

"We are not called to be the honey of the world but the salt of the earth. Salt stings on an open wound, but it saves one from gangrene.
(Donald Bloesch)

"The society which scorns excellence in plumbing because plumbing is a humble activity, and tolerates shoddiness in philosophy because it is an exalted activity, will have neither good plumbing nor good
philosophy. Neither its pipes nor it theories will hold water." (John Gardner)

"Christians at war with each other cannot be at peace with their heavenly Father."

"From Genesis to Revelation, the Scriptures constantly command us in one way or another to 'come our and be separate.' It is amazing to see how strongly we resist this command! We prefer to represent the kingdom while continuing to play with hell!" - (Bishop Eddie Long from his book, "Called To Conquer")

"Someone has said, 'Before you criticize a man, walk a mile in his shoes. That way, if he gets angry, he's a mile away and barefoot!'"

"In the walk of faith, there is no room on the highway of life for spiritual hitch-hikers!" - (Larry Dixon from the book - "Doc Devos")

"Talk about what you believe and you have disunity. Talk about WHO you believe IN and you have unity." (E.Stanley Jones)

"We must all learn to live together as brothers or we will perish together as fools." (Martin Luther King, Jr.)

Blessings!

Pastor Mike

Fri, Jul 14th - 2:48PM

"As We Forgive Those..." (Continued)

 You Want To Make God Happy? 

Give No Place To the Devil!

Look with me for a bit in the fourth chapter of Ephesians.  Ephes. 4:27 – "Neither give place to the devil."  What place could Paul be referring to? You'll find the answer in verses 29 – 31, "Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. [30] And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. [31] Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:"

Some of the by-products of un-forgiveness are:

      1.                  Corrupt communication out of your mouth

2.                  Grieving the Holy Spirit

3.                  Bitterness, wrath, anger, clamour (Gr. – uproar)

4.                  Evil speaking = blasphemia [Greek] = abusive negative language, evil       reports, resisting the convicting power of the Holy Spirit

 Ephes. 4:32-5:10 gives us the antidote to giving place to the devil.  "And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you. [5:1] Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; [2] And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour. [3] But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints; [4] Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks. [5] For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. [6] Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience. [7] Be not ye therefore partakers with them. [8] For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light: [9] (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;) [10] Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord."

The Amplified Bible gives us verse 10 like this:  "And try to learn  [in your experience] what is pleasing to the Lord [let your lives be constant proofs of what is most acceptable to Him]."  Some of those acceptable and pleasing things to the Lord are being kind, tender hearted, and forgiving one another.  We must walk in love as Christ loved us.

(Continued Next Issue)

Pastor Mike

ctlfwc@...

www.calltolife.org