#0003124

Keep yourself free from common follies. This is a special stroke of policy. They are of special power because they are common, so that many who would not be led away by any individual folly cannot escape the universal failing. Among these are to be counted the common prejudice of anyone who is satisfied with his fortune, however great, or unsatisfied with his intellect, however poor it is. Or again, that each, being discontented with his own lot, envies that of others. Or further, that persons of today praise the things of yesterday, and those here the things there. Everything past seems best and everything distant is more valued. He is as great a fool that laughs at everything as is he that weeps at everything...- Gracian Aphorism209, Worldly Wisdom, by JJacobs.....Gal5:16 "So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won't be doing what your sinful nature craves."

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#0003125

"We walk by faith, not by sight(2Cor5:7).- We love Him, because He first loved us(1Jn4:19).- 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(1Jn4:16).- In whom ye trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise(Eph1:13).- God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory(Col1:27)."

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#0003126

"Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For His sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ(Phi3:8) and become one with Him. I no longer count on my own righteousness through obeying the law; rather, I become righteous through faith in Christ. For God's way of making us right with Himself depends on faith(v9). I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised Him from the dead. I want to suffer with Him, sharing in His death(v10), so that one way or another I will experience the resurrection from the dead(Philippians3:11)."

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#0003127

Always With Us! Many times we make the mistake of thinking that Christ's help is needed only for sickrooms or in times of overwhelming sorrow and suffering. This is not true. Certainly, God is with us in times of distress, and that is a comforting truth. But listen: Jesus wants to be part of every experience and every moment of our lives. . . He went to the wedding at Cana as well as to the home of Mary and Martha when Lazarus died. He wept with those who wept and rejoiced with those who rejoiced. 'There are just as many stars in the sky at noon as at midnight, although we cannot see them in the sun's glare.'. . . I seriously doubt if we will ever understand our trials and adversities until we are safely in heaven. Then when we look back we are going to be absolutely amazed at how God took care of us and blessed us even in the storms of life. But God is with us in the good times also, and we should thank Him for them and commit them to Him just as surely as we do the hard times...- Billy Graham… - Hope for Each Day….Psa84:11 “No good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly.”

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#0003128

Friendship with oneself is all-important, because without it one cannot be friends with anyone else in the world...- Eleanor Roosevelt.....Daniel12:3 "They that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever."

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#0003129

There is plenty of courage among us for the abstract, but not for the concrete...- Helen Keller.....Ephesians4:31,32 "Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you."

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#0003130

My home is on a mountain nearly four thousand feet high. Many times we can see below us the clouds in the valley. At other times thunderstorms come up, and we can see the lightning flash and hear the thunder roar down below, while we are enjoying beautiful sunlight and clear skies above. . . I have thought of the clouds of discouragement and suffering that temporarily veil the sunlight of God's love from us. Many people live with a cloud hanging over their lives. . . The Bible has a great deal to say about clouds, for they sometimes symbolize the spiritual forces that obscure the face of God. But He has not abandoned us. He is still there, and in faith we know we can trust His promise: "I will never leave you nor forsake you(Heb13:5)."...- Billy Graham, Hope For Each Day.....Psa36:5 "Your faithfulness reaches to the clouds."

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#0003131

Keeping Your Perspective. . . Until a person finds God, he begins at no beginning and works to no end. Life will never make sense without God--full of sound and fury but signifying nothing. . . The prophet Isaiah, some 700 years before Jesus Christ was born, spoke about a time of great conflict and confusion. He described the madness of a world without God, saying, 'Like the blind we grope along the wall, feeling our way like men without eyes. At midday we stumble as if it were twilight; among the strong, we are like the dead'(Isaiah59:10). . . The bottom line is that until you include God in your life, yours will be a world without rhyme or reason. He's the one who gives meaning, definition, and understanding to life...- Sala, Refuge And Strength.....Daniel4:34 "At the end of that time, I, Nebuchadnezzar, raised my eyes toward heaven, and my sanity was restored. Then I praised the Most High; I honored and glorified Him who lives forever."

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#0003132

The worst solitude is to be destitute of sincere friendship...- Francis Bacon.......Titus3:9-11 "But avoid foolish controversies and genealogies and arguments and quarrels about the law, because these are unprofitable and useless. Warn a divisive person once, and then warn them a second time. After that, have nothing to do with them. You may be sure that such people are warped and sinful; they are self-condemned."

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#0003133

"Do not be afraid of the terrors of the night, nor the arrow that flies in the day(Psa91:5). Do not dread the disease that stalks in darkness, nor the disaster that strikes at midday(v6). Though a thousand fall at your side, though ten thousand are dying around you, these evils will not touch you(v7). Just open your eyes and see how the wicked are punished(v8). If you make the Lord your refuge, if you make the Most High your shelter(v9), no evil will conquer you; no plague will come near your home(v10). For He will order His angels to protect you wherever you go(v11). They will hold you up with their hands so you won't even hurt your foot on a stone(v12). You will trample upon lions and cobras; you will crush fierce lions and serpents under your feet(Psalm91:13)."

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#0003134

"Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty(Psa91:1). This I declare about the Lord: He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; He is my God, and I trust Him(v2). For He will rescue you from every trap and protect you from deadly disease(v3). He will cover you with His feathers. He will shelter you with His wings. His faithful promises are your armor and protection(Psalm91v:4).- The Lord says, 'I will rescue those who love me. I will protect those who trust in my name(Psa91:14). When they call on me I will answer, I will be with them in trouble. I will rescue and honor them(v15). I will reward them with a long life and give them My salvation(Psalm91:16)."

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#0003135

"Stay away from fools, for you won't find knowledge on their lips(Prv14:7). The prudent understand where they are going, but fools deceive themselves(v8). Fools make fun of guilt, but the godly acknowledge it and seek reconciliation(v9). Each heart knows its own bitterness, and no one else can fully share its joy(v10). The house of the wicked will be destroyed, but the tent of the godly will flourish(Proverbs14:11)."

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#0003136

"There is a path before each person that seems right, but it ends in death(Proverbs14:12). Laughter can conceal a heavy heart, but when the laughter ends, the grief remains(v13). Backsliders get what they deserve, good people receive their reward(v14). Only simpletons believe everything they're told! The prudent carefully consider their steps(v15). The wise are cautious and avoid danger; fools plunge ahead with reckless confidence(Prv14:16)."

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#0003137

"Now, dear brothers and sisters, regarding your question about the special abilities the Spirit gives us. I don't want you to misunderstand this(1Cor12:1). You know that when you were still pagans, you were led astray and swept along in worshiping speechless idols(v2). So I want you to know that no one speaking by the Spirit of God will curse Jesus, and no one can say Jesus is Lord, except by the Holy Spirit(1Corinthians12:3)."

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#0003138

Instead of comparing our lot with that of those who are more fortunate than we are, we should compare it with the lot of the great majority of our fellow men. It then appears that we are among the privileged...- Helen Keller.......John10:9,10 "Yes, I am the gate. Those who come in through Me will be saved. They will come and go freely and will find good pastures. The thief's purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life."

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#0003139

True friendship can afford true knowledge. It does not depend on darkness and ignorance...- Henry David Thoreau.....John10;1-4 "I tell you the truth, anyone who sneaks over the wall of a sheepfold, rather than going through the gate, must surely be a thief and robber! But the one who enters through the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep recognize his voice and come to him. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. After he has gathered his own flock, he walks ahead of them, and they follow Him because they know His voice. They don't follow a stranger; they will run from him because they don't know his voice."

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#0003140

People do not like to think. If one thinks, one must reach conclusions. Conclusions are not always pleasant...- Helen Keller.......John10:11-13 "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd sacrifices his life for the sheep. A hired hand will run when he sees a wolf coming. He will abandon the sheep because they don't belong to him and he isn't their shepherd. And so the wolf attacks them and scatters the flock. The hired hand runs away because he's working only for the money and doesn't really care about the sheep."

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#0003141

"So God can point to us in all future ages as examples of the incredible wealth of His grace and kindness toward us, as shown in all He has done for us who are united with Christ Jesus(Ephesians2:7). God saved you by His grace when you believed. And you can't take credit for this; it is a gift from God(v8). Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it(v9). For we are God's masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things He planned for us long ago(Eph2:10)."

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#0003142

"Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified(Galatians2:16).- According to His mercy He saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Spirit; which He shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour(Titus3:5,6).- The grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus(1Timothy1:14)."

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#0003143

"I am . . . the bright and morning Star(Rev22:16).- There shall come a star out of Jacob(Num24:17).- The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light(Rom13:12).- Until the day break, and the shadows flee away, turn, My beloved, and be thou like a roe or a young hart upon the mountains of Bether(Ca2:17).- Watchman, what of the night? The watchman said, 'The morning cometh, and also the night: if ye will enquire, enquire ye: return, come'(Isa21:11,12).- I Am the light of the world(Jn8:12).- I will give him the morning star(Rev22:16)."

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#0003144

"One of them, when he saw that he was healed, came back to Jesus, shouting, 'Praise God(Lk17:15)!' He fell to the ground at Jesus feet, thanking Him for what He had done. This man was a Samaritan(v16). Jesus asked, 'Didn't I heal ten men? Where are the other nine(v17)?' Has no one returned to give glory to God except this foreigner(v18)? And Jesus said to the man, 'Stand up and go. Your faith has healed you'(Luke17:19)."

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#0003145

"The Lord gives righteousness and justice to all who are treated unfairly(Psa103:6). He revealed His character to Moses and His deeds to the people of Israel(v7). The Lord is compassionate and merciful, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love(v8). He will not constantly accuse us, nor remain angry forever(v9). He does not punish us for all our sins; He does not deal harshly with us, as we deserve(v10). For His unfailing love toward those who fear Him is as great as the height of the heavens above the earth(Psalm103:11)."

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#0003146

"He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west(Psalm103:12). The Lord is like a father to his children, tender and compassionate to those who fear Him(v13). For He knows how weak we are; He remembers we are only dust(v14). Our days on earth are like grass; like wildflowers, we bloom and die(v15). The wind blows, and we are gone--as though we had never been here(v16). But the love of the Lord remains forever with those who fear Him. His salvation extends to the children's children(v17) of those who are faithful to His covenant, of those who obey His commandments(Psalm103:18)!"

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#0003147

"The Lord has made the heavens His throne; from there He rules over everything(Psalm103:19). Praise the Lord, you angels, you mighty ones who carry out His plans, listening for each of His commands(v20). Yes, praise the Lord, you armies of angels who serve Him and do His will(v21)! Praise the Lord, everything He has created, everything in all His Kingdom. Let all that I am praise the Lord(Psalm103:22)."

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#0003148

"You are my friends if you do what I command(Jn15:14). I no longer call you slaves, because a master doesn't confide in his slaves. Now you are my friends, since I have told you everything the Father told me(v15). You didn't choose me. I chose you. I appointed you to go and produce lasting fruit, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask for, using My name(v16). This is My command: Love each other(John15:17)."

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#0003149

Long ago David said God lifted him out of a slimy pit and set his feet on a solid rock. . . The pit that David referred to could be a metaphorical pit. We say someone is in the 'pit of depression.' Some of the things that drive us into the pit are not because of our doing. And sometimes we dig the pit ourselves. . . But ultimately, it doesn't matter how you got in the pit as much as who can get you out of it. Where is God? No matter how deep your pit, His hand can reach down to lift you up. No dungeon or pit is deep enough to shut out the presence of God. No darkness can overwhelm the light of His presence. . . Sometimes God lets you wait until you call on Him for deliverance so that you know it was Him--not your ingenuity, money, or connections--that freed you. When you know where you have been and who delivered you from the darkness, you can appreciate your wonderful Rescuer and Savior...- Sala, Refuge And Strength.....Psa40:2 "He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; He set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand.”

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#0003150

I like to listen. I have learned a great deal from listening carefully. Most people never listen...- Ernest Hemingway.....James1:19 "Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry."

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#0003151

"I have seen everything in this meaningless life, including the death of good young people and the long life of wicked people(Ecclesiastes7:15). So don't be too good or too wise! Why destroy yourself(v16)? On the other hand, don't be too wicked either. Don't be a fool! Why die before your time(v19)? Pay attention to these instructions, for anyone who fears God will avoid both extremes(Ecc7:18)."

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#0003152

"One wise person is stronger than ten leading citizens of a town(Ecclesiastes7:19)! Not a single person on earth is always good and never sins(v20). Don't eavesdrop on others--you may hear your servant curse you(v21). For you know how often you yourself have cursed others(v22). I have always tried my best to let wisdom guide my thoughts and actions. I said to myself, 'I am determined to be wise.' But it didn't work(v23). Wisdom is always distant and difficult to find(v24).- How wonderful to be wise, to analyze and interpret things. Wisdom lights up a person's face, softening its harshness(Ecc8:1)."

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#0003153

Avoid the faults of your nation. Water shares the good or bad qualities of the channels through which it flows and people share those of the climate in which they are born. Some owe more than others to their native land, because there is a more favorable sky in the zenith. There is not a nation among even the most civilized that has not some fault peculiar to itself that other nations blame by way of boast or as a warning. It is a triumph of cleverness to correct in oneself such failings, or even to hide them. You get great credit for being unique among your fellows because what is less expected is esteemed all the more. There are also family failings as well as faults of position, of office, or of age. If these all meet in one person and are not carefully guarded against, they make an intolerable monster...- Gracian Aphorism9, Art of Worldly Wisdom by JJacobs.....Isa60:18 "Thou shalt call thy walls Salvation, and thy gates Praise."