The counterfeit of obedience

is the state of mind in which you

work up occasions to 

to sacrifice yourself.

"To obey is better than sacrifice."

It is a great deal better to fulfill

the purpose of God in your life by 

discerning His will than it is to

perform great acts of self sacrifice.

~ Oswald Chambers ~

The clothes we wear are what people see.

Only God can look on the heart.

The outward signs are important,

they reveal something of what is inside.

If charity is there, it will become visible outwardly,

but if you have no charitable feelings, 

you can still obey the command.

Put it on as simply and as consciously

as you put on a coat.

You choose it; you pick it up; 

you put it on.

This is what you want to be.

Elisabeth Elliot

Comfort in Fellowship with Others

If Satan continues to hound you, call in help and do not listen to the devil's counsel to the contrary.The very strength of some temptations lies in trying to keep them hidden. Telling a trusted, godly friend of your struggles often brings relief. Satan knows this too well, so in order more freely to rifle the soul of its peace and comfort, he frightens it into silence. "Oh, my," Satan says, "if your friends knew such a thing of you, they would cast you off. You had better hope they would never find out!" He has kept many a poor soul in misery by swearing it to secrecy. You lose two blessings by keeping the devil's secret--the counsel of your fellow brethren, and their prayers. And what a serious loss this is!

Reverence for Dreams

The Bible always incarnates ideals in great personalities, and Joseph stands for the magnificent integrity of boyhood. No man thinks so clearly or has such high ideals as he does in his teens; but unless we live out our ideals, they become a mockery. Joseph was amazingly susceptible to God, and he "dreamed dreams." The dreams of the Old Testament are the touch of God on  Spirit of man; but Joseph's brothers did not reverence such dreams.

Beware what you brood on in secret, for the fateful opportunity will come when God and the devil will meet in your soul, and you will do according to your brooding, swept beyond all control. This is a law as sure as God is God.

Beware of saying,"O well, it doesn't matter much what I think about in secret."It does, for the time will come when what you think about in secret will find expression in an act. the fateful opportunity came to Joseph's brothers. The Bible always speaks of sin as it appears in its final analysis. Jesus did not say,"You must not covet because it will lead to stealing." He said, "You must not covet because it is stealing." He did not say,"You must not be angry with your brother because it will lead to murder." He said, "You must not be angry with your brother because it is murder." When the climax of these things is reached, we begin to see the meaning of Calvary.

By William Gurnal on the Christian in complete Armor

Awhile back in my time with God I read this piece and it really spoke to me. There was a time in my life when I gave free reign to my thoughts and when I became a child of God, this was where the devil had the time of his life in harassing me. I just pass this on for anyone who struggles with this, there is victory but only if we come to grips of how much of me I allow God to have. I use to read books that would lead to fantasizing and I would call it dreaming, dear friends, it was a slough I don't ever want to get back in to. I just want to warn anybody, watch what you read or feast your eyes upon because that is who you really are.

The Greatest Teacher

The ecclesiastical idea of a servant of God is not Jesus Christ's idea. His idea is that we serve Him by being the servants of other men.Jesus Christ out-socialists the socialists. He says that in His Kingdom he that is greatest shall be the servant of all. The real test of the saint is not preaching the gospel, but washing the disciples' feet, that is, doing the things that do not count in the actual estimate of men but count everything in the estimate of God. Paul delighted to spend himself out for God's interest in other people, and did not care what it cost. We come in with our economical notions-"Suppose God wants me to go there--what about the salary? What about the climate? How shall I be looked after? A man must consider these things." All that is an indication that we are serving God with a reserve. Paul focuses Jesus Christ's idea of a New Testament saint in his life, namely, not one who proclaims the gospel merely, but one who is broken bread and poured out wine in the hands of Jesus Christ for other lives.

By Utmost

I just thought how often  I've resisted the breaking and the being poured out because of my own comforts, or the measely bit I think I understand of what God really means when it comes to being a servant of Jesus Christ, to be broken bread or being poured out means theres not much of me left, but a surrendering of my will to be used of God totally, no matter what my family, friends think makes sense but to walk in the spirit in obedience.

It is No Secret What God Can Do

No man

is greater then

his prayer life.

The pastor

who is

not praying

is playing;

the people

who are

not praying

are straying,

we have many

organizers,

but few

agonizers;

many players

and payers,

but few prayers;

many singers

but few

clingers;

lots of pastors, 

few wrestlers;

many fears,

few tears;

much fashion, 

little passion;

many

 interferers,

few intercessors;

many writers,

few fighters.

Failing here, 

we fail

everywhere.

~Leonard

Ravenhill