Cultivate a Love for Him

"The pious [that is, godly] mind . . . restrains itself from sinning, not out of dread of punishment alone; but, because it loves and reveres God as Father, it worships and adores Him as Lord. Even if there were no hell, it will still shudder at offending Him alone."

- John Calvin, / Institutes 1.3.2 /

My God, My God, Why Have You Forsaken Me?

"The cry of dereliction sounds like a scream of utter distress and anguish over something so beautiful. This cry is one of the most devastating cries in all of Scripture. It breaks my heart. You want to know why. Jesus screamed this cry, in agony, so that we may never be forsaken by God."

- Yours Truly

Sola Deo Gloria!!!!!!

Why Does the Universe Exist?

"The universe exists primarily to display the wealth of the glory of the mercy of God for the enjoyment of His redeemed people from every tribe and tongue and people and nation."

- John Piper

Thankful for a God Who Is Slow to Anger

In light of a passage in Luke 13, John Piper explains,

"What Jesus teaches then is that all of us are extremely sinful. We are so sinful that calamities and disasters should not shock as though something unwarranted were coming upon innocent human beings. There are no innocent human beings. All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. There is none righteous, no not one. And what should amaze us is not that some are taken in calamity, but that we are spared and given another day to repent. The really amazing thing in this universe is not that guilty sinners perish, but that God is so slow to anger that you and I can sit here this morning and have one more chance to repent."

- John Piper

It would be helpful to read Luke 13:1-5 to understand the full complexity of what Piper is saying here.


Soli Deo Gloria!!!!~

Contrasting Yourself With the Majesty of God

"Men are never duly touched and impressed with a conviction of their insignificance, until they have contrasted themselves with the majesty of God."

- R.C. Sproul, The Holiness of God (Carol Stream, Ill.: Tyndale House, 2000), 68.

Destroy Sin or Pay the Consequences

"Do you mortify sin? Do you make it your daily work? You must always be at it while you live; do not take a day off from this work; always be killing sin or it will be killing you."

- John Owen, The Mortification of Sin (Carlisle, PA.; The Banner of Truth Trust, 2004), 5. (Abridged Version)

Do We Really Believe Scripture?

"Though we claim to believe the whole of Scripture, in practice we frequently deny much of it by ignoring it."

- D. Martin Lloyd Jones

Remembering Our Depravity in Light of the Cross

"My memory is nearly gone; but I remember two things; That I am a great sinner, and that Christ is a great Saviour."

- John Newton

How to Ascertain the Will of God Pt. 2

Sorry! I have been on vacation these past few days and have had no computer access at all, which is the reason why I have not been posting. Anyways, Happy New Year!!!! I will begin the new year off on a fresh start by completing George Mueller's quote that I began last time on how to ascertain the will of God. Pt. 1 was the first step in a series of six steps on how to ascertain the Will of God. I will quote the final five steps here:

"2. - Having done this, I do not leave the result to feeling or simple impression. If so, I make myself liable to great delusions.

3. - I seek the Will of the Spirit of God through, or in connection with, the Word of God. The Spirit and the Word must be combined. If I look to the Spirit alone without the Word, I lay myself open to great delusions also. If the Holy Ghost guides us at all, He will do it according to the Scriptures and never contrary to them.

4. - Next I take into account providential circumstances. These often plainly indicate God's Will in connection with His Word and Spirit.

5. - I ask God in prayer to reveal His Will to me aright.

6. - Thus, through prayer to God, the study of the Word, and reflection, I come to a deliberate judgment according to the best of my ability and knowledge, and if my mind is thus at peace, and continues so after two or three more petitions, I proceed accordingly. In trivial matters, and in transactions involving most important issues, I have found this method always effective."

- George Mueller, Answers to Prayer (Chicago, Ill.; Moody Publishers, 2007), 11-12.

You need to refer back to Part 1 to get the full taste of what George Mueller is saying here. However, I found it really helpful and I pray that you found these quotes helpful as well on how to determine God's Will for a certain aspect of your life.

Soli Deo Gloria!!!~