#0003154

"No longer will you need the sun to shine by day, nor the moon to give its light by night, for the Lord your God will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your glory(Isaiah60:19). Your sun will never set; your moon will not go down, for the Lord will be your everlasting light. Your days of mourning will come to an end(v20). All your people will be righteous. They will possess their land forever, for I will plant them there with My own hands in order to bring Myself glory(v21). The smallest family will become a thousand people, and the tiniest group will become a mighty nation. At the right time, I, the Lord, will make it happen(Isa60:22)."

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#0003155

"Though you were once despised and hated, with no one traveling through you, I will make you beautiful forever, a joy to all generations(Isa60:15). Powerful kings and mighty nations will satisfy your every need, as though you were a child nursing at the breast of a queen. You will know at last that I, the Lord, am your Savior and your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Israel(v16). I will exchange your bronze for gold, your iron for silver, your wood for bronze, and your stones for iron. I will make peace your leader and righteousness your ruler(v17). Violence will disappear from your land; the desolation and destruction of war will end. Salvation will surround you like city walls, and praise will be on the lips of all who enter there(Isaiah60:18)."

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#0003156

The Storm Is Behind Us. . . We shall never understand the extent of God's love in Christ at the Cross until we understand that we shall never have to stand before the judgment of God for our sins. All our sins--without exception--were placed on Christ, and He took the judgment we deserve. He finished the work of redemption. . . If we are believers in Jesus Christ, we have already come through the storm of judgment. It happened at the Cross. Don't be bound by your guilt or your fears any longer, but realize that sin's penalty has already been paid by Christ--completely and fully...- Billy Graham, Hope For Each Day.....Isa38:16,17 "Lord your discipline is good, for it leads to life and health. You restore my health and allow me to live! Yes, this anguish was good for me, for You have rescued me from death and forgiven my sins."

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#0003157

"There are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but the same Spirit is the source of them all(1Cor12:4). There are different kinds of service, but we serve the same Lord(v5). God works in different ways, but it is the same God who does the work in all of us(v6). A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other(v7). To one person the Spirit gives the ability to give wise advice; to another the same Spirit gives a message of special knowledge(v8). The same Spirit gives great faith to another, and to someone else the one Spirit gives the gift of healing(v9). He gives one person the power to perform miracles, and another the ability to prophesy. He gives someone else the ability to discern whether a message is from the Spirit of God or from another spirit. Still another person is given the ability to speak in unknown languages, while another is given the ability to interpret what is being said(v10). It is the one and only Spirit who distributes all these gifts. He alone decides which gift each person should have (1Corinthians12:11).”

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#0003158

"The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up one whole body. So it is with the body of Christ(1Cor12:12). Some of us are Jews, some are Gentiles, some are slaves, and some are free. But we have all been baptized into one body by one Spirit, and we all share the same Spirit(v13). Yes, the body has many different parts, not just one part(v14). If the foot says, 'I am not a part of the body because I am not a hand,' that does not make it any less a part of the body(v15). And if the ear says, 'I am not part of the body because I am not an eye,' would that make it any less a part of the body(v16)? If the whole body were an eye, how would you hear? Or if your whole body were an ear, how would you smell anything(v17)? But our bodies have many parts, and God has put each part just where He wants it(v18). How strange a body would be if it had only one part(1Corinthians12:19)!"

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#0003159

"Yes, there are many parts, but only one body(1Cor12:20). The eye can never say to the hand, 'I don't need you.' The head can't say to the feet, 'I don't need you(v21).' In fact, some parts of the body that seem weakest and least important are actually the most necessary(v22). And the parts we regard as less honorable are those we clothe with the greatest care. So we carefully protect those parts that should not be seen(v23), while the more honorable parts do not require this special care. So God has put the body together such that extra honor and care are given to those parts that have less dignity(v24). This makes for harmony among the members, so that all the members care for each other(v25). If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it, and if one part is honored, all the parts are glad(v26). All of you together are Christ's body, and each of you is a part of it(1Corinthians12:27)."

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#0003160

"So God's rest is there for people to enter, but those who first heard this good news failed to enter because they disobeyed God(Heb4:6). So God set another time for entering His rest, and that time is today. God announced this through David much later in the words already quoted: 'Today when you hear His voice, don't harden your hearts(v7).' Now if Joshua had succeeded in giving them this rest, God would not have spoken about another day of rest still to come(v8). So there is a special rest still waiting for the people of God(v9). For all who have entered into God's rest have rested from their labors, just as God did after creating the world(v10). So let us do our best to enter that rest. But if we disobey God, as the people of Israel did, we will fall(v11)."

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#0003161

We still wrestle with the same problems that preoccupied Plato and Aristotle centuries ago: Where did we come from? Why are we here? Where are we going? We search for answers, but the signs all seem to say 'no exit.' . . But the cross boldly stands against the confusion of our world, a beacon of hope in the midst of darkness and doubt. In the Cross, Christ not only bridged the gap between God and us, but there we find the answers to life's deepest questions. There we discover our true identity: forgiven sinners who now belong to God. There we discover our true destiny: a glorious eternity with God in Heaven. There we discover our true purpose: to love God and serve Him with all our might. . . Never underestimate what Christ did for us through the Cross. By it our salvation was won, and by it our lives--and our world--can be transformed. What difference does the Cross make in your life?...- Billy Graham, Hope for Each Day.....Psa71:5 "You are my hope, O Lord God; You are my trust from my youth.”

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#0003162

"The light of the body is the eye: therefore when thine eye is single, thy whole body also is full of light(Lk11:34).- The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned(1Cor2:14).- Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law(Psa119:18).- I am the light of the world: he that followeth Me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life(Jn8:12).- God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ(2Cor3:18)."

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#0003163

The self-sufficient does not pray, the self-satisfied will not pray, the self-righteous cannot pray. No man is greater than his prayer life...- Leonard Ravenhill.....Heb11:6 "And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to Him must believe that God exists and that He rewards those who sincerely seek Him."

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#0003164

If you have an apple and I have an apple and we exchange these apples then you and I will still each have one apple. But if you have an idea and I have an idea and we exchange these ideas, then each of us will have two ideas...- George Bernard Shaw.....Eph1:16-18 "I have not stopped thanking for you. I pray for you constantly, asking God, the glorious Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, to give you spiritual wisdom and insight so that you might grow in your knowledge of God. I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope He has given to those He called--His holy people who are His rich and glorious inheritance."

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#0003165

One of the best rules in conversation is, never to say a thing which any of the company can reasonably wish had been left unsaid...- Jonathan Swift......Mat12:36,37 "Every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned."

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#0003166

The reason why all men honor love is because it looks up and not down; aspires and not despairs...- Ralph Waldo Emerson.....Col3:16 "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord."

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#0003167

Hold faithfulness and sincerity as first principles...- Confucius.....Matthew12:30 "Anyone who isn't with Me oppose Me, and anyone who isn't working with Me is actually working against Me."

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#0003168

"A tree is identified by its fruit. If a tree is good, its fruit will be good. If a tree is bad, its fruit will be bad(Mat12:33). You brood of snakes! How could evil men like you speak what is good and right? For whatever is in your heart determines what you say(v34). A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart(v35). And I tell you this, you must give an account on judgment day for every idle word you speak(v36). The words you say will either acquit you or condemn you(Matthew12:37)."

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#0003169

He who reigns within himself and rules his passions, desires and fears is more than a King...- John Milton.....Psalm92:12-14 "The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree: He shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon. Those that be planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God. They shall still bring forth fruit in old age; they shall be fat and flourishing."

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#0003170

"This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will take a branch from the top of a tall cedar, and will plant it on the top of Israel's highest mountain(Ezekiel17:22). It will become a majestic cedar, sending forth its branches and producing seed. Birds of every sort will nest in it, finding shelter in the shade of its branches(v23). And all the trees will know that it is I, The Lord, who cuts the tall tree down and makes the short tree grow tall. It is I who makes the green tree wither and gives the dead tree new life. I, The Lord, have spoken, and I will do what I said(Eze17:24)."

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#0003171

The greatest sweetener of human life is Friendship. To raise this to the highest pitch of enjoyment, is a secret which but few discover... - Joseph Addison.....Matthew18:20 "Where two or three are gathered together in My name, there am I in the midst of them."

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#0003172

"Look at My Servant, whom I have chosen. He is My Beloved, who pleases Me. I will put My Spirit upon Him, and He will proclaim justice to the nations(Matthew12:18). He will not fight or shout or raise His voice in public(v19). He will not crush the weakest reed or put out a flickering candle. Finally He will cause justice to be victorious(v20). And His name will be the hope of all the world(Mat12:21)."

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#0003173

Be without passions. This is the highest quality of the mind. Its very eminence redeems us from being affected by transient and low impulses. There is no higher rule than that over oneself, over one's impulses; there is the triumph of free will. When passion rules your character do not let it threaten your position, especially if it is a high one. It is the only refined way of avoiding trouble and the shortest way back to a good reputation...- Baltasar Gracian Aphorism8, Art Of Worldly Wisdom, by JJacobs.....Jer17:7,8 "But blessed are those who trust in the Lord and have made the Lord their hope and confidence. They are like trees planted along a riverbank, with roots that reach deep into the water. Such trees are not bothered by the heat or worried by long months of drought. Their leaves stay green, and they never stop producing fruit."

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#0003174

"The word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart(Heb4:12).- Thy Word hath quickened me(Psa119:50).- As the Father hath life in Himself; so hath He given to the Son to have life in Himself(Jn5:26).- I am the resurrection, and the life: He that believeth in Me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: and whosoever liveth and believeth in Me shall never die(Jn11:25,26).- In Him was life; and the life was the light of men. . . . As many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name: which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God(Jn1:4,12,13)."

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#0003175

"Keep me safe, O God, for I have come to You for refuge(Psalm16:1). I said to the Lord, 'You are my Master! Every good thing I have comes from You(v2).'The godly people in the land are my true heroes! I take pleasure in them(v3)! Troubles multiply for those who chase after other gods. I will not take part in their sacrifices of blood or even speak the names of their gods(v4). Lord, You alone are my inheritance, my cup of blessing. You guard all that is mine(v5). The land you have given me is a pleasant land. What a wonderful inheritance(v6)!"

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#0003176

"I will bless the Lord who guides me; even at night my heart instructs me(Psalm16:7). I know the Lord is always with me. I will not be shaken, for He is right beside me(v8). No wonder my heart is glad, and I rejoice. My body rests in safety.(v9). For you will not leave my soul among the dead or allow your holy one to rot in the grave(v10). You will show me the way of life, granting me the joy of your presence and the pleasures of living with you forever(v11)."

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#0003177

"Who can say, I have made my heart clean(Prv20:9)?- The Lord looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God. They are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy: there is none that doeth good, no, not one(Psa14:2,3).- They that are in the flesh cannot please God(Rom8:8).- To will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do(Rom7:18,19).- We are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousness are as filthy rags: and we all do fade as a leaf: and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away(Isa64:6).- If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness(1John1:8,9)."

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#0003178

"The Lord on high is mightier than the noise of many waters, yea, than the mighty waves of the sea(Psa93:4).- O Lord God of hosts, who is a strong Lord like unto thee? or to Thy faithfulness round about Thee? Thou rulest the raging of the sea: when the waves thereof arise, Thou stillest them(Psa89:8,9).-Fear ye not me? saith the Lord: will ye not tremble at my presence, which have placed the sand for the bound of the sea by a perpetual decree, that it cannot pass it(Jer5:22).- Peter . . . walked on the water, to go to Jesus. But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me. And immediately Jesus stretched forth His hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt(Mat14:29-31)?- What time I am afraid, I will trust in Thee(Psa56:3)."

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#0003179

"O Lord, hear my plea for justice. Listen to my cry for help. Pay attention to my prayer, for it comes from honest lips(Psa17:1). Declare me innocent, for you see those who do right(v2). You have tested my thoughts and examined my heart in the night. You have scrutinized me and found nothing wrong. I am determined not to sin in what I say(v3). I have followed your commands, which keep me from following cruel and evil people(v4). My steps have stayed on Your path; I have not wavered from following You(v5). I am praying to You because I know You will answer, O God. Bend down and listen as I pray(v6). Show me Your unfailing love in wonderful ways. By your mighty power you rescue those who seek refuge from their enemies(v7). Guard me as You would guard Your own eyes. Hide me in the shadow of Your wings(v8)."

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#0003180

"He is the God who made the world and everything in it. Since He is Lord of heaven and earth, he doesn't live in man-made temples(Acts17:24), and human hands can't serve His needs--for He has no needs. He Himself gives life and breath to everything, and He satisfies every need(v25). From one man He created all the nations throughout the whole earth. He decided beforehand when they should rise or fall, and He determined their boundaries(v26). His purpose was for the nations to seek after God and perhaps feel their way toward Him and find Him--though He is not far from any one of us(v27). For in Him we live and move and exist. As some of your own poets have said, 'We are His offspring(v28).' And since this is true, we shouldn't think of God as an idol designed by craftsmen from gold or silver or stone(v29). God overlooked these things in earlier times but now He commands everyone everywhere to repent of their sins and turn to Him(v30)."