

2009
THE CP GROUP GUIDANCE THOUGHTS
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#0002114
Never set to work at anything if you have any doubts about its prudence. A suspicion of failure in the mind of the doer is proof positive of it in the mind of the onlooker, especially if he is a rival. If in the heat of action your judgement wavers, it will afterwards in cool reflection be condemned as folly. Action is dangerous where prudence is in doubt –better leave such things alone. Wisdom does not trust to probabilities, it always marches in the midday light of reason. How can an enterprise succeed which the judgement condemns as soon as it was conceived? If resolutions passed unanimously by an inner court often turn out badly, what can we expect of those undertaken by a doubting reason and a vacillating judgement?..-Baltasar Gracian Aphorism91, The Art of Worldly Wisdom……Psa61:2 “From the end of the earth I call to You when my heart is faint; Lead me the rock that is higher than I.”
#0002115
"I am overwhelmed with joy in the Lord my God! For He has dressed me with the clothing of salvation and draped me in a robe of righteousness. I am like a bridegroom in his wedding suit or a bride with her jewels. The Sovereign Lord will show His justice to the nations of the world. Everyone will praise Him! His righteousness will be like a garden in early spring, with plants springing up everywhere(Isa61:10,11).....-Tyndale NLV Bible, Life Application footnote: The imagery of the bridegroom is often used in Scripture to depict the Messiah(Mat9:15), while the imagery of the bride is used to depict God's people(Rev19:6-8). We, too, can put on our new clothes--right relationship with God--by putting our trust in Christ(2Cor5:21).
#0002116
"Little children, keep yourselves from idols(1John5:21).- Come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, and will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be My sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty(2Cor6:17,18).- Ye cannot serve God and Mammon(Mat6:24).- Thou shalt worship no other God: for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God(Ex34:14).- Serve Him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind: for the Lord searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts(1Chr28:9).- Behold, Thou desireth truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part Thou shalt make me to know wisdom(1Chr28:9).- Man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart(1Sam16:7).- Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God(1John3:21).
#0002117
"Faith is not conjuring up, through an act of your will, a sense of certainty that something is going to happen. No, it is recognizing God's promise as an actual fact, believing it is true, rejoicing in the knowledge of that truth, and then simply resting because God said it. Faith turns a promise into a prophecy. A promise is contingent upon our cooperation, but when we excercise genuine faith in it, it becomes a prophecy. Then we can move ahead with certainty that it will come to pass, because 'God . . . does not lie'...- from Days of Heaven upon Earth, LBCowman , Streams.....Titus1:2 "This truth gives them confidence that they have eternal life which God--who does not lie--promised them before the world began."
#0002118
"I often hear people praying for faith, but when I listen carefully to them and get to the essence of their prayer, I realize it is not more faith they are wanting at all. What they are wanting is their faith to be changed to sight. Faith does not say, 'I see this is good for me; therefore God must have sent it.' Instead, faith declares, 'God sent it; therefore it must be good for me.' Faith, when walking in the dark with God, only asks Him to hold his hand more tightly...- Phillips Brooks, Streams.....Titus1:1 " . . . I have been sent to proclaim faith to those God has chosen and to teach them to know the truth that shows them how to live godly lives."
#0002119
"The cows that were ugly and gaunt ate up the seven sleek, fat cows. . . The thin heads of grain swallowed up the seven healthy, full heads(Gen41:4,7)."...- The dream should be a warning to each of us. Yes, it is possible for the best years of our life, the best experiences we have enjoyed, the best victories we have won, and the best service we have rendered, to be swallowed up by times of failure, defeat, dishonor, and uselessness in God's kingdom. Some people whose lives offered exceptional promise and achievement have come to such an end. My blessed, fruitful, and victorious experiences of yesterday have no lingering value to me today. In fact, they can be 'swallowed up' or reversed by today's failures, unless I see them as incentives to spur me on to even better and richer circumstances today. Maintaining a 'fresh touch with God,' by abiding in Christ, will be the only thing to keep the "ugly and gaunt cows" and the "thin heads of grain" from consuming my life."- Cowman-Reimann, S…
#0002120
We see what we look for--whether it is the flaws of others (and of ourselves, too) or the majesty of God. Instead of focusing on the difficulties and challenges you face, strive to find refuge and solace in God's nature and character. Think about what is true and wholesome and endeavor to be true to God and to ourselves no matter what others may say or do...- Harold Sala, Refuge And Strength.....Psa118:8 "It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man."
#0002121
The face is the mirror of the mind, and eyes without speaking confess the secrets of the heart...- Saint Jerome.....1Sam16:7 "The Lord looketh on the heart."
#0002122
Do not be too timid and squeamish about your actions. All life is an experiment. The more experiments you make the better. What if they are a little course, and you may get your coat soiled or torn. What if you do fail, and get fairly rolled in the dirt once or twice. Up again, you shall never be so afraid of a tumble...- Ralph Waldo Emerson.....Mat28:20 "Lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world."
#0002123
I am writing to you who are God's children because your sins have been forgiven through Jesus(1Jn2:12). I am writing to you who are mature in faith because you know Christ, who existed from the beginning. I am writing to you who are young in the faith because you have won your battle with the evil one(v13). I have written to you who are God's children because you know the Father. I have written to you who are mature in the faith because you know Christ, who existed from the beginning. I have written to you who are young in the faith because you are strong. God's word lives in your hearts, and you have won your battle with the evil one(v14)."
#0002124
"Keep yourselves from idols(1Jn5:21).- My son, give Me thine heart(Prv23:26).- Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth(Col3:2).- They that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare. For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. But thou, O man of God, flee these things(1Tim6:9-11). If riches increase, set not your heart upon them(Psa62:10).- My fruit is better than gold, yea, than fine gold; and My revenue than choice silver(Prv8:19).- Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also(Mat6:21).- The Lord looketh on the heart(1Sam16:7)."
#0002125
"He spread a cloud for a covering; and fire to give light in the night(Psa105:39).- Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear Him. For He knoweth our frame; He remembereth that we are dust(Psa103:13,14).- The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night(Psa121:6).- There shall be a tabernacle for a shadow in the daytime from the heat, and for a place of refuge, and for a covert from storm and from rain(Isa4:6)."
#0002126
"The Lord is thy keeper: the Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand. The Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore(Psa121:5,8).- The Lord went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night: He took not away the pillar of cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, from before the people(Exo13:21,22).- Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever(Heb13:8)."
#0002127
The natural mind says, 'Why pray if you can work around something? Why pray if you can use some muscle and push people to do what you want? Why pray when you can't see the one to whom you are speaking? None of that makes sense.' There will always be conflict between what you see and what you must take by faith. It is the battle of flesh versus spirit, the seen and unseen, and the natural and supernatural. But in trusting the living God and responding to His command, you can say with Oswald Chambers: 'I am not many kinds of fools in one, but only one kind--the kind of fool that believes and obeys God.'.....-Mat17:20 "I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you."
#0002128
Partake of some of life's sweet pleasures. And yes, get comfortable with yourself...- Oprah Winfrey.......Mat9:29,30 "Then He touched their eyes and said, 'Because of your faith, it will happen.' Then their eyes were opened, and they could see!"
#0002129
I try not to worry about life too much because I read the last page of THE book and it all turns out all right...- Billy Graham.....Rom10:14,15 "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? And how will anyone go and tell them without being sent? That is why the Scriptures say, 'How beautiful are the feet of messengers who bring good news'!"
#0002130
"Father, if Thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but Thine, be done. And there appeared an angel unto Him from heaven, strengthening Him(Luke22:42,43).- Therefore doth My Father love Me, because I lay down My life, that I might take it again(Jn10:17).- For I came down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him that sent Me(Jn6:38).- The cup which My Father hath given Me, shall I not drink it(Jn18:11).- The Father hath not left Me alone; for I do always those things that please Him(Jn8:29).- My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased(Mat3:17).- Mine elect, in whom My soul delighteth(Isa42:1)."
#0002131
"Vanity of vanities; all is vanity(Ecc1:2).- We live our lives beneath Your wrath, ending our years with a groan(Psa90:9). Seventy years are given to us! Some even live to eighty. But even the best years are filled with pain and trouble; soon they disappear and we fly away(v10).- If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable(1Cor15:19).- Here have we no continuing city, but we seek one to come(Heb13:14).- I am the Lord, I change not(Mal3:6).- But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for Him to return as our Savior. He will take our weak mortal bodies and change them into glorious bodies like His own, using the same power with which He will bring everything under His control(Phi3:20,21).- Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come(Rev4:5)."
#0002132
Our greatest pretenses are built up not to hide the evil and the ugly in us, but our emptiness. The hardest thing to hide is something that is not there...-Eric Hoffer.....Romans8:20 "Against its will, all creation was subjected to God's curse. But with eager hope, the creation looks forward to the day when it will join God's children in glorious freedom from death and decay."
#0002133
It may seem paradoxical, but the only person who is at rest has achieved it through conflict. This peace, born of conflict, is not like the ominous lull before the storm but like the serenity and the quietness following the storm, with its fresh, purified air. The person who may appear to be blessed, having been untouched by sorrow, is typically not one who is strong and at peace. His qualities have never been tested, and he does not know how he would handle even a mild setback...- Cowman-Reimann, Streams.....Psa66:12 "We went through fire and water, but you brought us to a place of abundance."
#0002134
It takes a great man to be a good listener...- Calvin Coolidge.....John1:4,5"The Word gave life to everything that was created, and His life brought light to everyone. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it."
#0002135
Did you know that the word 'fool' is used more than 90times in Scripture? A fool is one who spurns wisdom, rejects sound counsel, disdains God and civility, and holds on to the worthless while ignoring good things. In two places in the book of Psalms we read these words, "The fool says in his heart, 'There is no God'(Psa14:1,Psa53:1)." The verse literally means, 'No God for me!' Only a fool rejects the obvious and holds on to that which is doomed to fail. Twice the Bible says, "There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death(Proverbs14:12 and 16:25)." God's grace is sufficient to turn a fool's heart toward Him and change his foolish ways. In God, he will find a sure path for his feet, his emotions, and his heart...- Sala, Refuge And Strength.....1Cor1:18 "For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God."
#0002136
You may delay but time will not...-Benjamin Franklin.......Eph4:31,32 "Get rid of all bitterness, passion, and anger. No more shouting or insults, no more hateful feelings of any sort. Instead, be kind and tender hearted to one another, and forgive one another, as God has forgiven you in Christ."
#0002137
Think of these things, whence you came, where you are going, and to whom you must account... - Benjamin Franklin.....Psa139:1-6 "O Lord, You have examined my heart and know everything about me. You know when I sit down or stand up. You know my thoughts even when I'm far away. You see me when I travel and when I rest at home. You know everything I do. You know what I am going to say even before I say it, Lord. You go before me and follow me. You place Your Hand of blessing on my head. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too great for me to understand."
#0002138
Have you ever had one of those moments when something that you've read a thousand times before suddenly jumps at you? Take for instance the King James version of Isaiah26:3. The text says, "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is 'stayed' on Thee: because he trusteth in Thee." The New International Version translates the verse this way, "You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is 'steadfast', because he trusts in You. The Hebrew word for Steadfast is 'camak', and it means 'to lean upon' or 'to take hold of'. Synonyms are to 'rest yourself upon,' or 'sustain yourself upon.' Ah! What Isaiah was telling us is that perfect peace is the reward of steadfast, unwavering trust in God. We can have confidence that no matter how chaotic the circumstances of our lives may be, God will take us through the storm. We stand secure, knowing that God is powerful enough to help us, and that He cares for us...-Sala, Refuge and Strength.....Phi1:6 "Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will completeituntil the day of Jesus Christ;”
#0002139
What does 'Steadfast' mean, especially when you are bothered by so many things that can make you lose focus? Steadfast describes you when you don't focus on the darkness of the difficulty, the gloom of the circumstances, nor the discouragement of your feelings. Steadfast describes you when you take the attitudd of Isaiah who later wrote, "But my work seems so useless! I have spent my strength for nothing and to no purpose. Yet I leave it all in the Lord's hand; I will trust God for my reward(Isa49:4)." There is a peace that the world doesn't understand which is the result of steadfastly trusting God. Peace comes through focusing on God...- Sala, Refuge And Strength............1Cor15:58 "Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord."
#0002140
Whoever marries the spirit of this age will find himself a widower in the next...-W. R. Inge.....Rom3:4 "Let God be true and every man a liar."
#0002141
I believe the first test of a truly great man is his humility...- John Ruskin.....Mat10:24 "It is enough for the disciple that he be as his Master, and the servant as his Lord."
#0002142
God delights to bring ordinary people close to Himself, to transform them from the inside out, and then do extraordinary things through them...-John MacArthur.....1Cor1:26-29 "Remember, dear brothers and sisters, that few of you were wise in the world's eyes or powerful or wealthy when God called you. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things--and the things that are not--to
nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him."