A Few Good Quotes

"One of the surest ways to shipwreck your faith is to not have a clear conscience."

Michael Lederman

"A longing for something greater, purer, higher than anything this world can provide (a holy discontent) is an evidence of the Spirit's work.  The closer we are to any given point, the greater and clearer our view. Distance yourself from the world's attractions. Draw near to Christ."

Paul Washer

"Let us cleave to Christ more closely, love Him more heartily, live to Him more thoroughly, copy Him more exactly, confess Him more boldly, and follow Him more fully."

J.C. Ryle

"To be prayerless is to be godless. He who does not hold daily deliberate times of communion with God does not know God and is surely still dead in sin and headed for hell. Where do you stand? The true Christian finds prayer a necessity and a delight (Psalms 27:4)."

Bob Jennings

“A Christian has no right to separate his life into two realms... to say the Bible is good for Sunday, but this is a week-day question, or the Scriptures are right in matters of religion, but this is a matter of business or politics. God reigns over all, everywhere. His will is the supreme law. His inspired Word, loyally read will inform us of His will in every relation and act of life, secular as well as religious; and the man is a traitor who refuses to walk therein with scrupulous care. The kingdom of God includes all sides of human life, and it is a kingdom of absolute righteousness. You are either a loyal subject, or a traitor. When the King comes, how will He find you doing?”

A. A. Hodge

"If we are to be holy, we must also see God as supreme over all things. And we must separate ourselves from the passions of this world and give everything that we are to him.
The man who is holy gives himself to God in passion and love for God. And the reason for everything he does is the glory of God."

Paul Washer

Posted by: Brittany

Hope ~ Romans 5:2-5

In interesting word study from my personal reading this morning. :-)

“Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God.  More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.”  -Romans 5:2-5

This list of steps in the growth of our Christian walk is sandwiched with hope.

Hope is:

(to anticipate, usually with pleasure); expectation (abstract or concrete) or confidence: - faith, hope.

Anticipate:

To foretaste or foresee; to have a previous view or impression of something future.

Expectation:

The act of expecting or looking forward to a future event with at least some reason to believe the event will happen. Expectation differs from hope. Hope originates in desire,and may exist with little or no ground of belief that the desired event will arrive. Expectation is founded on some reasons which render the event probably. Hope is directed to some good; expectation is directed to good or evil.

Confidence:

A trusting, or reliance; an assurance of mind or firm belief in the integrity, stability or veracity of another, or in the truth and reality of a fact.

Safety, or assurance of safety; security.

Boldness; courage.

“Courage is fear that has said its prayers.”  -Michael Lederman

“Hope is a gift of God's grace, and is implanted in regeneration, but abounds, increases, and becomes more strong and lively by experience of the love, grace, mercy, power, and faithfulness of God.”  - John Gill’s Commentary