#0002426

Is He near you each hour, does He stand at your side?/ Does He clothe you with strength, has He come to abide?/ Does He teach you to know that all things may be done/ Through the grace and the power of the Crucified One?/ Does He witness to you of the glorified Son?// Has He purified you with the fire from above?/ Is He first in your thoughts, does He have all your love?/ Is His service your choice, and your sacrifice sweet?/ Is your doing His will both your drink and your meat?/ Do you run at His calling with glad eager feet?/...- Cowman-Reimann, Streams.............John21:17 "Lord, Thou knowest all things: Thou knowest that I love Thee."

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#0002427

Has He freed you from self and from all of your greed?/ Do you hasten to comfort your brother in need?/ As a soldier of Christ does your power endure?/ Is your hope in the Lord everlasting and sure?/ Are you patient and meek, are you tender and pure?// Oh, the Spirit-filled life may be thine, may be thine,/ Ever in your soul Shechinah glory may shine;/ It is yours to live with the tempests all stilled,/ It is yours with God's blest Holy Spirit to be filled;/ It is yours, even yours, for your Lord has so willed./...- Cowman-Reimann, Streams.......Psalm24:9,10 "Open up, ancient gates! Open up, ancient doors, and let the King of glory enter. Who is the King of glory? The Lord of Heaven's Armies--He is the King of glory."

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#0002428

Do not become responsible for all or for everyone. Otherwise you become a slave and the slave of all. Some are born more fortunate than others; they are born to do good as others are to receive it. Freedom is more precious than any gifts for which you may be tempted to give it up. Lay less stress on making many dependent on you than on keeping yourself independent of any. The sole advantage of power is that you can do more good. Above all do not regard a responsibility as a favor, for generally it is another's plan to make you dependent on him...- Baltasar Gracian, Maxim286, The Art of Worldly Wisdom, translated by Joseph Jacobs...........Proverbs4:18 "The path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.

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#0002429

"Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved(Rom10:13).- Him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out(Jn6:37). I have written this to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know you have eternal life(1Jn5:13). And we are confident that He hears us whenever we ask for anything that pleases Him(v14). And since we know He hears us when we make our requests, we also know that He will give us what we ask for(v15). You fathers--if your children ask for a fish, do you give them a snake instead? Or if they ask for an egg, do you give them a scorpion? Of course not(Luk11:12)! So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him(v13)?"

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#0002430

The Bible also stresses the fact that life now is your opportunity to prepare for eternity. Paul puts it, "I tell you, now is the time of God's favor, now is the day of salvation(2Cor6:2)." God is a God of second, third, and fourth chances, but we should not test His patience and grace. The Bible is the revelation of God. The focus of concern should be our lives now, because what we do now settles our eternal destiny...- Sala, Refuge And Strength.........Hebrews4:7 "Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts."

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#0002431

Comfort is not given to us when we are lighthearted and cheerful. We must travel the depths of emotion in order to experience comfort--one of God's most precious gifts. And then we must be prepared to become coworkers with Him. When the shadows of night--needed night--gather over the garden of our souls, when leaves close up and flowers no longer reflect any sunlight within their folded petals, and when we experience even the thickest darkness, we must remember that we will never be found wanting and that the comforting drops of heavenly dew fall only after the sun has set...- LB Cowman, Streams.........Psalm84:5,6 "Blessed are those whose strength is in You. . . . As they pass through the Valley of Baca, they make it a place of springs."

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#0002432

A story is told about Vladimir Putin, former head of the Russian KGB, as well as President of Russia. Putin is online before a group of reporters and reads aloud the ff: "A question has come anonymously, 'Hey, Vova, are you scared by the anonymous users on the Internet'?" Putin looks at the journalists, then writes and reads his response: "To the author of the anonymous question, the user with the IP address 193.200.15.129 using the Internet service provider Vladivostok.net, living on Lenin Prospekt3, flr2, Apt8, Ivan Ivanovich Ivanon; I respond: 'No, I am not scared by the anonymous users on the Internet, and, incidentally, you may expect a knock on your locked door within 20minutes. Spaseba[thank you]! Anonymity is a myth that doesn't fit reality in a modern, wired and electronic world. And there never has been such a thing as anonymity with God, either. The realization that God knows everything--will cause your heart to rejoice or be filled with fear. It all depends on your relationship with Him...- Sala, Refuge...Heb4:13 "Nothingin all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account."

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#0002433

When God is at the center of your life, you Worship. When He is not, you Worry... -Rick Warren, Saddleback...Proverbs 9:9-10 "Teach the wise, and they will be wiser. Teach the righteous, and they will learn more. Fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. Knowledge of the Holy One results in understanding."

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#0002434

If my life is fruitless, it doesn't matter who praises me, and if my life is fruitful, it doesn't matter who criticizes me...- John Bunyan, Pilgrim's Progress.....Galatians5:22 "But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, humility, and self-control. There is no law against these things!"

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#0002435

Invest For The Long Term. Buffett so deplores short-term trading that he has suggested a 100 percent tax on profits made on stock held for less than one year. . . 'Charlie and I expect to hold our stock for a very long time. In fact, you may see us up here when we're so old that neither of us knows who the other guy is. Most of our large stock positions are going to be held for many years; and the scorecard on our investment decisions will be provided by business results over that period, and not by prices on any given day. Just as it would be foolish to focus unduly on short-term prospects when acquiring an entire company, we think it equally unsound to become mesmerized by the prospective near-term earnings when purchasing small pieces of a company, i.e., marketable common stocks'...- Warren Buffett Speaks, by Janet Lowe.....2Tim1:7 "God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind."

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#0002436

"Where is the way where light dwelleth(Job38:19)?- God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all(1Jn1:5).- If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: but if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin(1Jn1:6,7).- Always thanking the Father. He has enabled you to share in the inheritance that belongs to His people, who live in the light. For He has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of His dear Son, who purchased our freedom and forgave our sins(Col1:12-14).- Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness(1Thess5:5)."

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#0002437

Kindness is the language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see...-Mark Twain.....Zec4:6 "Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit, saith the Lord of hosts."

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#0002438

When we are in fear we can do nothing less than pray to God, but our Lord has a right to expect that those who name His Name should have an understanding confidence in Him. God expects His children to be so confident in Him that in any crisis they are the reliable ones. Our trust is in God up to a certain point, then we go back to the elementary panic prayers of those who do not know God. We get to our wit's end, showing that we have not the slightest confidence in Him and His government of the world; He seems to be asleep, and we see nothing but breakers ahead. There are stages in life when there is no storm, no crisis, when we do our human best; it is when a crisis arises that we instantly reveal upon whom we rely. If we have been learning to worship God and to trust Him, the crisis will reveal that we will go to the breaking point and not break in our confidence in Him...- Chambers, My Utmost........Mat8:26 "You of little faith, why are you so afraid?"

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#0002439

Who can estimate the great debt we owe to suffering and pain? If not for them, we would have little capacity for many of the great virtues of the Christian life. Where would our faith be if not for the trials that test it; or patience, without anything to endure or experience and without tribulations to develop it?. . . Loved! then the way will not be drear;/ For One we know is ever near,/ Proving it to our hearts so clear/ That we are loved.// Loved when our sky is clouded over,/ And days of sorrow press us sore;/ Still we will trust Him evermore,/ For we are loved.// Time, that affects all things below,/ Can never change the love He'll show;/ The heart of Christ with love will flow,/ And we are loved...- Cowman-Reimann.....Lam3:31,32 "For no one is abandoned by the Lord forever. Though He brings grief, He also shows compassion because of the greatness of His unfailing love."

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#0002440

Guard well within yourself that treasure, Kindness. Know how to give without hesitation, how to lose without regret, how to acquire without meanness...- George Sand.......1Thess3:12,13 "And may the Lord make your love for one another and for all people grow and overflow, just as our love for you overflows. May He, as a result, make your hearts strong, blameless, and holy as you stand before God our Father when our Lord Jesus comes again with all His holy people. Amen."

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#0002441

"If you think you are too important to help someone, you are only fooling yourself. You are not that important(Gal6:3). Pay careful attention to your own work, for then you will get the satisfaction of a job well done, and you won't need to compare yourself to anyone else(v4). For we are each responsible for our own conduct(v5). Those who are taught the word of God should provide for their teachers, sharing all good things with them(v6). Don't be misled--you cannot mock the justice of God you will always harvest what you plant(v7). Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature(v8). But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit(v8). So let's not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don't give up(v9). Therefore, whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone--especially to those in the family of faith(v10)."

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#0002442

Nothing that is not part of God's will is allowed to come into the life of someone who trusts and obeys Him. This truth should be enough to make our life one of ceaseless thanksgiving and joy, because God's will is the most hopeful, pleasant, and glorious thing in the world. It is the continuous working of His Omnipotent power for our benefit, with nothing to prevent it, if we remain surrendered and believing. Isn't it glorious to know that no matter how unjust something may be, even when it seems to have come from Satan himself, by the time it reaches us it is God's will for us and will ultimately work to our good?...- Hannah Whitall Smith, Streams In The Desert.....Rom8:28 "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him."

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#0002443

We live fascinating lives if we are living in the center of God's will. All the attacks that Satan hurls at us through the sins of others are not only powerless to harm us but are transformed into blessings along the way. Think of what Jesus Christ said as He was betrayed: "Shall I not drink the cup the Father has given Me(John18:11)?"...- HW Smith, Streams.....Jn19:11 "You would have no power over Me if it were not given to you from above."

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#0002444

It is very easy to quench the Spirit; we do it by despising the chastening of the Lord, by fainting when we are rebuked by Him. If we have only a shallow experience of sanctification, we mistake the shadow for the reality, and when the Spirit of God begins to check, we say--oh, that must be the devil. . . Never quench the Spirit, and do not despise Him when He says to you--'Don't be blind on this point; you are not where you thought you were. Up to the present I have not been able to reveal it to you, but I reveal it now.' When the Lord chastens you like that, let Him have His way. Let Him relate you rightly to God. . . 'Nor faint when thou art rebuked of Him.' We get into sulks with God and say--'Oh well, I can't help it; I did pray and things did not turn out right, and I am going to give it all up.' Sanctification is not my idea of what I want God to do for me; it is God's idea of what He wants to do for me, and He has to get me into the attitude of mind and spirit where at any cost I will let Him sanctify me wholly...- Chambers, My Utmost.....Heb12:5 "Do not make light of the Lord's discipline, and do not lose heart when He rebukes you."

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#0002445

"But God is so rich in mercy, and He loved us so much(Ephesians2:4), that even though we were dead because of our sins, He gave us life when He raised Christ from the dead. It is only by God's grace that you have been saved(v5)! For He raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus(v6). 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(v7). 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(v10)."

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#0002446

"Are we beginning to praise ourselves again? Are we like others, who need to bring you letters of recommendation, or who ask you to write such letters on their behalf? Surely not(2Corinthians3:1)! The only letter of recommendation we need is you yourselves. Your lives are a letter written in our hearts; everyone can read it and recognize our good work among you(v2). Clearly, you are a letter from Christ showing our ministry among you. This 'letter' is written not with pen and ink, but with the Spirit of the living God. It is carved not on tablets of stone, but on human hearts(v3). We are confident of all this because of our great trust in God through Christ(v4). It is not that we think we are qualified to do anything on our own. Our qualification comes from God(v5). He has enabled us to be ministers of His new covenant. This is a covenant not of written laws, but of the Spirit. The old written covenant ends in death; but under the new covenant, the Spirit gives life(v6)."

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#0002447

Once we learn to wait for the Lord's leading in everything, we will know the strength that finds 'its highest point in an even and steady walk'. Many of us are lacking the strength we so desire, but God gives complete power for every task He calls us to perform. Waiting--keeping yourself faithful to His leading--this is the secret of strength. And anything that does not align with obedience to Him is a waste of time and energy. Watch and wait for His leading. The greatest life is: "after you have done everything, to stand(Ephesians6:13)."...- Gordon-Miller, Streams In The Desert.....Psa40:1 "I waited patiently for the Lord."

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#0002448

"A prudent person foresees danger and takes precautions. The simpleton goes blindly on and suffers the consequences(Proverbs22:3)."

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#0002449

"True humility and fear of the Lord lead to riches, honor, and long life(Proverbs22:4). Corrupt people walk a thorny, treacherous road; whoever values life will avoid it(v5)."

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#0002450

"Direct your children onto the right path, and when they are older, they will not leave it(Proverbs22:6)."

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#0002451

If you judge people, you have no time to love them...- Mother Teresa.....Galatians5:25,26 "Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit's leading in every part of our lives. Let us not become conceited, or provoke one another, or be jealous of one another."

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#0002452

"But how can they call on Him to save them unless they believe in Him? And how can they believe in Him if they have never heard about Him? And how can they hear about Him unless someone tells them(Rom10:14)?