“The Bible is filled with statements of what God is able to do for His people. Here are seven verses which cover almost all the fundamental doctrines of Christianity.

1. Hebrews 7:25 declares that Christ is ‘able to save completely those who come to God through him.’ Mel Trotter, and evangelist whom God called from a life of alcoholism, said this verse proclaimed God’s ability to save a person ‘from the guttermost to the uttermost.’

2. In 2 Timothy 1:12 Paul writes, ‘I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him for that day.’ God has the power to keep my spiritual deposits.

3. 2 Corinthians 9:8 says, ‘God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.’

4. The Bible says of Jesus, ‘Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.’ (Hebrews 2:18)

5. Ephesians 3:20 tells us that God ‘is able to do immeasurable more than all we ask or imagine.’

6. The Lord Jesus Christ, ‘by the power than enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.’ (Philippians 3:21)

7. Jude says the Lord, ‘is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy.’ (Jude 24)

Taken together, these verses declare that God is able to save us for this life and for eternity, to keep us from falling into sin and temptation, to lead us to the best in human experience, and to satisfy us completely.”

from the pen of Dr. James Montgomery Boice HOW GREAT THOU ART, published by Multnomah.

It ought to break your heart to hear of God’s love, and it ought to bring you right to Him. You may say you do not deserve it, and that is true. But because you do not deserve it, God offers it to you.
Some people say, ‘You must turn away from sin and then Christ will love you.’ But how can you get rid of it until you come to Him. He takes us into His own embrace, then He cleanses us from sin.
Many years ago a boy was kidnapped in London. Through the months and years his mother prayed and prayed for his safe return, but all her efforts failed. But while others gave up all hope, the mother did not quite give up her hope.
One day the boy was sent to a neighbor’s house to sweep the chimney. By some mistake he went down the wrong chimney into what had been his own home. His memory began to travel back through the years, and he thought things looked strangely familiar; scenes of his early days of youth were drawing upon him. As he stood there surveying the place, his mother came into the room.
Did she wait until she had sent him to be washed before she rushed to take him in her arms? He stood there, covered with rags and soot. No, indeed, IT WAS HER OWN BOY! She took him to her arms, all black and sooty, hugged him to her breast, and shed tears of joy on his head.
You may have wandered very far from God, and there may not be a sound spot on you. But if you will come to God, He will forgive and receive you.”

from the pen of D. L. Moody from HOW GREAT THOU ART, published by Multnomah
“To all who received Him, to those who believed in His name, he gave the right to become children of God.” (John 1:12)

1. I told you so.
2. You’re just like your mother.
3. You always make me help around the house.
4. You never listen to me.
5. You’re always in a bad mood.
6. You’re always ____________.
7. You never ________________.
8. You just don’t think.
9. It’s all your fault.
10. You should have listened to me.
11. What’s wrong with you?
12. I wish you were more like __________.
13. All you ever do is complain.
14. I can never please you.
15. What did you expect?
16. You got what you deserve.
17. You’re lazy.
18. If you’d have more ambition, just think what you’d get done.
19. You’re irresponsible.
20. You’re impossible.
21. What were you thinking?
22. I don’t know why I put up with you.
23. I don’t know how much more of this I can take.
24. God help you, I sure can’t
25. I can talk to you until I am blue in the face and it doesn’t do any good.

Adapted from Becoming the Woman of His Dreams, published by Harvest House

By Philip Atterbery

1. Listen to what is being said rather than planning the next statements you intend to make.

2. Eliminate distractions such as loud noises, the telephone, the TV, or computer.

3. Repeat what has been said. This helps your wife know you have truly understood what she said and meant.

4. Ask questions if you need something clarified.

5. Stay on the issue being discussed rather than making it personal. I Corinthians 13:5 declares that love keeps no record of wrongs. That means a loving spouse does not bring up old arguments or issues to use in an attack. Statements such as, “There you go again!” or “You always . . .” only create hostility and defensiveness.

6. Remember that love always hopes for the best (I Corinthians 13:7). It assumes the best. Assume that your wife is concerned about what is best for you and herself.

7. Use “I” centered messages. Make statements such as “I feel discouraged,” rather than “You make me so mad!” Center upon you own emotions and feelings, but remain on the real issue. The use of “you” during an argument may cause the listener to be defensive and feel
personally attacked.

8. Remember that love is patient (1 Corinthians 13:4). Wait for the most appropriate time to bring up an important issue. Introducing a big issue when your spouse first comes in the door from a long day at work or after a hectic day of running errands is simply not a good idea.

Practical Tips on Listening and Speaking from Romancing Your Wife … A Little Effort Can Spice Up Your Marriage by Debra White Smith and Daniel W. Smith published by Harvest House

“Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed,’ says the Lord, who has compassion on you.” (Isaiah 54:10)

“No philosophy of history is true which does not take into account the sovereign hand of God controlling all permitted developments. God is still God. He has not abdicated. Neither has He changed. Nor has he slackened His control over the nations. He is yet just as truly God though millions of people are still self-blinded to His sovereign activity.

As the poet said, ‘When statesmen have had their last parley,/And despots have made their last threat;/When prophets are dumb with misgiving,/And forces of conflict are set;/When factions misleading and treacherous/Bring chaos where order prevailed;/When freedom long-cherished is vanquished,/And leaders long trusted have failed,/ When God and His Word are derided,/And men call it useless to pray; Remember that God is still sovereign,/And HE has the last word to say.’

For the unbeliever and the wicked, the sovereignty of God may well be terrifying; but to the yielded, trusting Christian it is ‘JOY UNSPEAKABLE!’ Commit everything to God even though your world seems shaken to its foundations. Lie still on His bosom, and listen to the heartbeat of that boundless love from which all demons either inside of
Hades can never pluck you.

God is still on the throne,
And He will take care of His own;
Though trials distress us,
And burdens oppress us,
He never will leave us alone;
God is still on the throne,
And He will take care of His own;
His promise is true,
He will see us right through;
God is still on the throne.

Good words this morning from the late Dr. J. Sidlow Baxter in the daily devotional HOW GREAT THOU ART, published by Multnomah.

“Then the end will come, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power . . . When He has done this, then the Son himself will be made subject to him who put everything under him, so that God may be all in all.” (1
Corinthians 15:24, 28)

“After Arturo Toscanini finished conducting a brilliant performance of Beethoven’s Symphony, the audience rose to its feet and applauded, shouting its delight. But Toscanini waved his arms violently for it all to stop. He turned to the orchestra and shouted hoarsely, ‘You are nothing!’ He pointed to himself and shouted, ‘I am nothing!’ Then he shouted, ‘Beethoven, is everything, everything, everything.’

Christian worship must say, ‘God is everything, everything, everything.’What we do on Sunday mornings (or whenever we gather), the order of events and the manner in which we enact the drama, must always point to God, must reinforce again and again that God has taken the initiative and called us together, that God’s grace is more important than our sin, that God’s will is more important than our desires, and that God’s glorification is more important that our edification.

All worship ought to be ordered toward God; service should be put together in a way that keeps our attention centered on God. As we look up to the One seated on the throne, we lose sight of everything else; the Holy God commands and consumes our attention. What we really need when we show up for worship is for our attention to be turned toward the glory of God . . . it is only then, before the Holy One that our deepest needs will be met, for only then will we enter into our full humanity as sons and daughters of God.”

Written by Donald McCullough in the daily devotional HOW GREAT THOU ART, published by Multnomah.

“There is nowhere in space, whether within or without creation, where God is not. The great God, the eternal, the almighty Spirit, is as limitless in His presence as in His existence and power.

In condescension to our limited understanding, He is said to dwell in heaven. But strictly speaking, the heaven of heavens cannot contain Him. He fills every of His dominion. The universal God dwells in universal space. What is the space occupied by a grain of sand, compared to that which is occupied by the starry heavens? Is it as a cipher; it is nothing; it vanished in comparison.

And what is this grain of sand compared to the whole expanse of space? The whole creation itself, when seen in proportion with the universe, is infinitely less than a grain of sand. And yet this expanse of space, to which the whole creation bears no proportion at all, is infinitely less,
in comparison to the great God, than a grain of sand, yes, even a millionth part of it!

This seems to be the plain meaning of those solemn words which God speaks of Himself: ‘Do I not fill heaven and earth?’ God acts everywhere and therefore IS everywhere. It is utterly impossible that any being, created or uncreated, should work where it is not. God acts in heaven, in earth, and under the earth — throughout the whole compass of His creation — by sustaining all things. Without Him, everything would in an instant sink into is primitive nothing.”

“Can anyone hide in secret places so that I cannot see him?” declares the Lord. “Do I not fill heaven and earth?” declares the Lord.” (Jeremiah 23:24)

This morning’s devotional was written by John Wesley and published in the devotional book, HOW GREAT THOU ART, published by Multnomah.
Good words to ponder today.

>From Max Lucado’s book, JUST LIKE JESUS, published by WORD.

Max writes, “Let me urge you to come to worship prepared to worship.
Pray before you come so you will be ready to pray when you arrive. Sleep before you come so you’ll stay alert when you arrive. Read the Word before you come so your heart will be soft when you worship. Come hungry. Come willing. Come expecting God to speak. Come asking.
The purpose of worship — to change the face of the worshipper. The connection between the face and worship is more than coincidental. Our face is the most public part of our bodies, covered less than any area.
It is also the most recognizable part of our bodies. We don’t fill a school annual with photo’s of people’s feet but rather with photos of faces. God desires to take our faces, this exposed memorable part of our bodies, and use them to reflect His goodness. Paul writes, “Our faces, then, are not covered. We all show the Lord’s glory, and we are being changed to be like him. This change brings ever greater glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the spirit.’ (2 Corinthians 3:18)
God loves to change the face of his children. By his fingers, wrinkles of worry are rubbed away. Shadows of shame and doubt become portraits of grace and trust. He relaxes clenched jaws and smoothes furrowed brows.
His touch can remove the bags of exhaustion from beneath the eyes and turn tears of despair into tears of peace!
Worship is the act of magnifying God. Enlarging our vision of him.
Stepping into the cockpit to see where he sits and observe how he works.
Of course, his size doesn’t change, but our perception of him does. As we draw nearer, he seems larger. Isn’t that what we need? A BIG view of God? Don’t we have BIG problems, BIG worries, BIG questions? Of course we do. Hence we need a big view of God.
God is in the business of changing the face of the world! This change is HIS job, not ours! Our goal is not to make faces radiant. Remember that Moses didn’t even know that his face was shining. Our goal is not to conjure up some fake, frozen expression. Our goal is simply to stand before God with a prepared and willing heart and then let God do his work.
And he does. He wipes away the tears. He mops away the perspiration. He softens our furrowed brows. He touches our cheeks. He changes our faces.
And the result? Not only does God change the face of those who worship, he will change those who watch us worship!
Good words to ponder as you prepare for the Lord’s Day.

” . . . speaking to one another in psalms, hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord.” (Ephesians 5:19)

As you prepare your heart for the Lord’s Day, here are some thoughts on singing for you to ponder!

I. Learn these tunes before you learn any others; afterwards learn as many as you please.

II. Sing them exactly as they are printed here, without altering or mending them at all; and if you have learned to sing them otherwise,

unlearn it as soon as you can.

III. Sing all. See that you join with the congregation as frequently as you can. Let not a single degree of weakness or weariness hinder you. If it is a cross to you, take it up, and you will find it a blessing.

IV. Sing lustily and with good courage. Beware of singing as if you were half dead, or half asleep; but lift up your voice with strength. Be no more afraid of your voice now, nor more ashamed of its being heard, then when you sung the songs of Satan.

V. Sing modestly. Do not bawl, so as to be heard above or distinct from the rest of the congregation, that you may not destroy the harmony; but strive to unite your voices together, so as to make one clear melodious sound.

VI. Sing in time. Whatever time is sung be sure to keep with it. Do not run before nor stay behind it; but attend close to the leading voices, and move therewith as exactly as you can; and take care not to sing to slow. This drawling way naturally steals on all who are lazy; and it is
high time to drive it out from us, and sing all our tunes just as quick as we did at first.

VII. Above all sing spiritually. Have an eye to God in every word you sing. Aim at pleasing him more than yourself, or any other creature. In order to do this attend strictly to the sense of what you sing, and see that your heart is not carried away with the sound, but offered to God continually; so shall your singing be such as the Lord will approve here, and reward you when he cometh in the clouds of heaven.

From John Wesley’s Select Hymns, 1761

Max Lucado in his book, JUST LIKE JESUS, gives four ways to practice the presence of God each day. I ask you to prayerfully ponder them today.

1. Give God your waking thoughts. “Before you step out of bed, step into His presence.” C. S. Lewis says, “The moment you wake up each morning . . . all your wishes and hopes for the day rush at you like wild animals. And the first job of each morning consists in shoving them all back; in listening to that other voice, taking that other point of view, letting that other, larger, stronger, quieter life come flowing in.” David said, “Every morning, I tell You what I need, and I wait for Your answer.” Psalm 5:3

2. Give God your waiting thoughts. Rather that rush into His presence and start yakking, why not try sitting in silence and being still! “Be still, and know that I am God.” Psalm 46:10. Someone once asked Mother Teresa, “What do you say to God when you pray?” Mother Teresa answered, “I listen.” The answer puzzled the person who asked the question, and they asked “What does God say?” Mother Teresa smile, “He listens!”

3. Give God your whispering thoughts. “Through the centuries Christians have learned the value of brief sentence prayers that can be whispered anywhere, in any setting One of the church historians would ask every three or four minutes, “Am I in your will, Lord?” “Am I pleasing you, Lord?” Max suggests several others — “Thank You, Father.” “Be sovereign in this hour, Lord.” “You are my resting place, Jesus.”

4. Give God your waning thoughts. “At the end of the day, let your mind settle on Him. Conclude the day as you began it: talking to God. Thank Him for the good parts. Question the bad parts. Seek His mercy. Seek His strength. And as you close your eyes, take assurance in the promise: ‘He who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.’ (Psalm 121:4) If you fall asleep as you pray, don’t worry. What a better place to doze off than in the arms of the Lord.”