#0002905

"All of us used to live that way, following the passionate desires and inclinations of our sinful nature. By our very nature we were subject to God's anger, just like everyone else(Eph2:3). But God is so rich in mercy, and He loved us so much(v4), 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(Eph2:5)!"

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#0002906

"We ourselves also were sometime foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving diverse lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another(Tit3:3).- Jesus replied, 'I assure you, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit(Jn3:5). Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives birth to spiritual life(v6). So don't be surprised when I say, 'You must be born again(v7).' The wind blows wherever it wants. Just as you can hear the wind but can't tell where it comes from or where it is going, so you can't explain how people are born of the Spirit (Eph3:8)."

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#0002907

The soul that walks in love neither tires others nor grows tired...- John of the Cross.....Isaiah58:11 "The Lord will guide you always. He will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail."

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#0002908

If God be our God, He will give us peace in trouble. When there is a storm without, He will make peace within. The world can create trouble in peace, but God can create peace in trouble...- Thomas Watson........Isaiah40:31 "But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint."

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#0002909

"My prayer is not for the world, but for those You have given Me, because they belong to You(Jn17:9). All who are mine belong to You, and You have given them to Me, so they bring Me glory(v10). Now I am departing from the world; they are staying in this world, but I am coming to You. Holy Father, You have given Me Your name; now protect them by the power of Your name so that they will be united just as We are(v11). During My time here, I protected them by the power of the name You gave Me. I guarded them so that not one was lost, except the one headed for destruction, as the Scriptures foretold(John17:12)."

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#0002910

"When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father(Eph3:14), the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth(v15). I pray that from His glorious, unlimited resources He will empower you with inner strength through His Spirit(v16). Then Christ will make His home in your hearts as you trust in Him. Your roots will grow down into God's love and keep you strong(v17). And may you have the power to understand, as all God's people should, how wide, how long, how high, how deep His love is(v18). May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God(Ephesians3:19)."

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#0002911

"Now all glory to God, who is able, through His mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think(Eph3:20). Glory to Him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen(Ephesians3:21)."

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#0002912

Life has a way of writing the story of your life, no matter what it is, in the lines of your face--lines that cosmetics cannot camouflage and plastic surgeons cannot entirely remove. The faces of some reflect harshness--the tightness of a smile, the lines that crease the forehead, and the way eyes often reflect a kind of deadness. Others, well up in years, have eyes that sparkle and smiles that warm your heart. Some are old at 30; others are young at 80...- Sala, Refuge And Strength.....1Cor2:12 "And we have received God's Spirit (not the world's spirit), so we can know the wonderful things God has freely given us."

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#0002913

When the North Koreans captured General William Dean, he was permitted to write one letter home. He wrote to his son to whom he said, 'Bill, remember that integrity is the most important thing of all. Let it always be your aim.' . . It is interesting to note that the enemies of Jesus were the ones who bore the strongest and most explicit testimony to His character. The Pharisees constantly sought to discredit Jesus. They sent their disciples to Him along with the Herodians....Mat22:16 "'Teacher,' they said, 'we know you are a man of integrity and that you teach the way of God in accord with the truth. You aren't swayed by men, because you pay no attention to who they are."

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#0002914

We belong to no one and no one to us entirely. Neither relationship nor friendship nor the most intimate connection is sufficient to effect this. To give one's whole confidence is quite different from giving one's regard. The closest intimacy has its exceptions, without which the laws of friendship would be broken. The friend always keeps one secret to himself, and even the son always hides something from his father. Some things are kept from one that are revealed to another and vice versa. In this way one reveals all and conceals all, by making a distinction among the persons with whom we are connected...- Baltasar Gracian Aphorism260, The Art of Worldly Wisdom by JJacobs.....Eph5:11 "Have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them."

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#0002915

Get to know what is needed in different occupations. Different qualities are required. To know which is needed taxes attention and calls for masterly discernment. Some demand courage, others tact. Those that merely require rectitude are the easiest, the most difficult are those requiring cleverness. For the former all that is necessary is character, for the latter all of one's attention and zeal may not suffice. It is a troublesome business to rule people, still more fools or blockheads--twice as much sense is needed with those who have none...- Baltasar Gracian Aphorism104a, The Art of Worldly Wisdom by JJacobs.....2Tim2:20 "In a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour."

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#0002916

Know your chief fault. There is no one who lives who has not in himself a counterbalance to his most conspicuous merit, and if it is nourished by desire it may grow to be a tyrant. Commence war against it summoning prudence as your ally. The first thing to do is to make it public, for an evil once known is soon conquered, especially when the one afflicted regards it in the same light as the onlookers. To be master of oneself one should know oneself. If the chief imperfection is surrendered, the rest will also come to an end...- Baltasar Gracian Aphorism225, The Art of Worldly Wisdom by JJacobs.....Phi2:15 "That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world."

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#0002917

"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(1Cor12:3)."

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#0002918

"And so, dear brothers and sisters, we can boldly enter heaven's Most Holy Place because of the blood of Jesus(Heb10:19). By His death, Jesus opened a new and life-giving way through the curtain into the Most Holy Place(v20). And since we have a great High Priest who rules over God's house(v21), let us go right into the presence of God with sincere hearts fully trusting Him. For our guilty consciences have been sprinkled with Christ's blood to make us clean, and our bodies have been washed with pure water(Hebrews10:22)."

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#0002919

"Don't love money; be satisfied with what you have. For God has said, 'I will never fail you. I will never abandon you(Heb13:5).' So we can say with confidence, 'The Lord is my helper, so I will have no fear. What can mere people do to me'(Hebrews13:6)?"

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#0002920

The gospel and the gift of God are structured so wonderfully that the very enemies and forces that are marshaled to fight against us actually help pave our way to the very gates of heaven and into the presence of God. Those forces can be used in the same way an eagle uses the fierce winds of a storm to soar to the sky. At first he sits perfectly still, high on a cliff, watching the sky as it fills with darkness and as the lightning strikes all around him. Yet he never moves until he feels the burst of the storm, and then with a screech he dives toward the winds, using them to carry him ever higher. This is also what God desires of each of his children. He wants us to be 'more than conquerors,' turning storm clouds into chariots of victory...- Cowman-Reimann, Streams.....Rom8:37 "In all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us."

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#0002921

How will you direct your thoughts today? Will you obey the words of Philippians4:8 by dwelling upon those things that are honorable, just, and commendable? Or will you allow your thoughts to be hijacked by the negativity that seems to dominate our troubled world? Are you fearful, angry, bored, or worried? Are you so preoccupied with the concerns of this day that you fail to thank God for the promise of eternity? Are you confused, bitter, or pessimistic? If so, God wants to have a little talk with you. God intends that you experience joy and abundance. So, today and everyday, celebrate the life that God has given you by focusing your thoughts upon those things that are worthy of praise. Count your blessings instead of your hardships. And thank the Giver of all things good for gifts that are simply too numerous to count.....Phi4:8 "Finally brothers, whatever is true, . . pure, . . lovely, . . commendable--if there is any moral excellence and if there is any praise--dwell on these things.” …. – A Daily Walk Through Proverbs, Fresman-Smith…..

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#0002922

We would never learn to be brave and patient if there were only joy in the world...- Hellen Keller on Life.....James1:25 "Whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed."

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#0002923

What I am looking for is not out there; it is in me...-Helen Keller, On Self-Confidence.....Jn8:32 "Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."

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#0002924

"A wise child brings joy to a father; a foolish child brings grief to a mother(Prv10:1). Tainted wealth has no lasting value, but right living can save your life(v2). The Lord will not let the godly go hungry, but He refuses to satisfy the craving of the wicked(v3). Lazy people are soon poor; hard workers get rich(v4). A wise youth harvests in the summer, but one who sleeps during harvest is a disgrace(v5). The godly are showered with blessings; the words of the wicked conceal violent intentions(Proverbs10:6)."

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#0002925

"We have happy memories of the godly, but the name of a wicked person rots away(Proverbs10:7). The wise are glad to be instructed, but babbling fools fall flat on their faces(v8). People with integrity walk safely, but those who follow crooked paths will slip and fall(v9). People who wink at wrong cause trouble, but a bold reproof promotes peace(v10). The words of the godly are a life-giving fountain; the words of the wicked conceal violent intentions(Prv10:11)."

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#0002926

Few things in life are more sad, or, for that matter, more absurd, than a grumpy soul. Christ promises us lives of abundance and joy, but He does not force His joy upon us. We must claim His joy for ourselves, and when we do, Jesus, in turn, fills our spirits with His power and His love. . . How can we receive from Christ the joy that is rightfully ours? By giving Him what is rightfully His: our hearts and our souls. . . When we earnestly commit ourselves to the Savior of mankind, when we place Jesus at the center of our lives and trust Him as our personal Savior, He will transform us, not just for today, but for all eternity. Then we, as God's children, can share Christ's joy and His message with a world that needs both...- John Wesley, A Daily Walk Through Proverbs.....Psalm100:1,2 "Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands! Serve the Lord with gladness; Come before His presence with singing."

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#0002927

The art of undertaking things. Fools rush in through the door--for folly is always bold. The same simplicity that robs them of all attention to caution deprives them of all sense of shame at failure. But prudence enters with more deliberation. Its forerunners are caution and care; they advance and discover whether you can also advance without danger. Every rush forward might have been freed from danger by caution, but fortune sometimes helps in such cases. Go cautiously where you suspect depth. Sagacity goes cautiously forward while discretion covers the ground. Nowadays there are unsuspected depths in human intercourse, you must therefore plumb the waters as you go...- Baltasar Gracian Aphorism78, The Art Of Worldly Wisdom, by JJacobs.....Matthew6:22,23 "Your eye is a lamp that provides light for your body. When your eye is good, your whole body is filled with light. But when your eye is bad, your whole body is filled with darkness. And if the light you think you have is actually darkness, how deep that darkness is!”

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#0002928

Select the lucky and avoid the unlucky. Bad luck is generally the penalty of folly and for the unfortunate there is no disease so contagious. Never open the door to a lesser evil, for other and greater ones will invariably slink in after it. The greatest skill at cards is to know when to discard; the smallest of current trumps is worth more than the ace of trumps of the last game. When in doubt, follow the suit of the wise and prudent--sooner or later they will win the odd trick...- Baltasar Gracian, Aphorism31, The Art Of Worldly Wisdom, by JJacobs.....Ezekiel36:26 "A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh."

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#0002929

"Sensible children bring joy to their father; foolish children despise their mother(Prv15:20). Foolishness brings joy to those with no sense; a sensible person stays on the right path(v21). Plans go wrong for lack of advise; many advisers bring success(v22). Everyone enjoys a fitting reply; it is wonderful to say the right thing at the right time(v23)! The path of life leads upward for the wise; they leave the grave behind(v24). The Lord tears down the house of the proud, but He protects the property of widows(Proverbs15:25)."

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#0002930

"The Lord detests evil plans, but He delights in pure words(Prv15:26). Greed brings grief to the whole family, but those who hate bribes will live(v27). The heart of the godly thinks carefully before speaking; the mouth of the wicked overflows with evil words(v28). The Lord is far from the wicked, but He hears the prayers of the righteous(v29). A cheerful look brings joy to the heart; good news makes for good health(Proverbs15:30)."

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#0002931

December may be the best or the worst month of your year. It depends on whether it makes you better or bitter, whether it depresses you or you defeat its darkness. Choose wisely, for your choices lead to your future...- Harold Sala, Refuge And Strength.....Psa147:3 "He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds."

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#0002932

Is prayer an integral part of your daily life, or is it a hit-or-miss habit? Do you 'pray without ceasing,' or is your prayer life an afterthought? Do you regularly pray in the solitude of the early morning darkness, or do you lower your head only when others are watching? The answer to these questions will determine the direction of your day--and your life. . . So here's your challenge: during the next year, make yourself a man of prayer. Begin your prayers early in the morning and continue them throughout the day. And remember this: God does answer your prayers, but He's not likely to answer those prayers until you've prayed them. . . Prayer is getting into perfect communion with God...- Oswald Chambers, A Daily Walk Through Proverbs by Freeman-Smith.....1Thess5:16-18 "Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you."

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#0002933

Life is a steep climb, and it is always encouraging to have those ahead of us 'call back' and cheerfully summon us to higher ground. We all climb together, so we should help one another. The mountain climbing of life is serious, but glorious, business; it takes strength and steadiness to reach the summit. And as our view becomes better as we gain altitude, and as we discover things of importance, we should 'call back' our encouragement to others...- Cowman-Reimann, Streams In The Desert.....Luke21:13 "This will result in your being witnesses to them."

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#0002934

"If you listen to constructive criticism, you will be at home among the wise(Prv15:31). If you reject discipline, you only harm yourself; but if you listen to correction, you grow in understanding(v32). Fear of the Lord teaches wisdom; humility precedes honor(Proverbs15:33)."

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#0002935

"Don't be misled--you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant. He that soweth to his flesh, shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting(Gal6:7,8).- We are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them(Eph2:10).- He gave His life to free us from every kind of sin, to cleanse us, and to make us His very own people, totally committed to doing good deeds(Tit2:14)."