Category: Christian Worldview

With The Humble

~ A Prayer Life ~ 2 Comments

“When pride comes, then comes shame; But with the humble is wisdom.”

~ Proverbs 11:2

Pride has been the arch nemesis of humanity since the dawn of man. It was pride that made Adam believe he could “be like God“. Sinful willful pride is a hinderance to our prayers and fellowship with God (Job 35:12). And, of course, pride is always the prerequisite for our fall into sin and leads to our ultimate destruction. But the path to true holiness and spiritual life is one of true humility. Godly wisdom is the fruit borne from a life given to God in deference, faith and love. The Lord saves the humble (Ps. 18:27). With pride, man foolishly strives to lift himself. But it is the Lord who lifts the humble. And it is only the humble who find God’s grace.

~ apl

On Our Knees

~ A Prayer Life ~ 3 Comments

“Bring your life into accord with the Sermon on the Mount and such other New Testament Scriptures as are designed to instruct us in the way of righteousness. An honest man with an open Bible and a pad and pencil is sure to find out what is wrong with him very quickly. I recommend that the self-examination be made on our knees, rising to obey God’s commandments as they are revealed to us from the Word.”

~ A.W. Tozer

Don’t Settle In Egypt!

~ A Prayer Life ~ Leave a comment

“Now the Israelites settled in Egypt…”

~ Genesis 47:27

If Israel is representative of God’s people, certainly Egypt represents bondage, suffering and sin. For 400 years God’s people languished in Egypt under the heavy hand of Pharaoh’s rule. It was there God’s people began to worship evil idols and false gods. And it wasn’t until God sent His deliverer that His people were set free. May Christians today never settle in their sins. May we never grow comfortable in the chains of iniquity. But may we always look in faith to our freedom from sin in Jesus Christ, our hope and Deliverer.

~ apl

A Hereafter

~ A Prayer Life ~ 1 Comment

“For surely there is a hereafter, and your hope will not be cut off.”

~ Proverbs 23:18

As sure as the Bible teaches there is a God, a Savior and a need for salvation, the Scriptures teach there is a hereafter. This present world is not all there is. There is another place, another time, which spans all eternity. Each person has an appointment with the hereafter. The Bible describes the hereafter as one of two places: heaven or hell, paradise or perdition, eternal joy or everlasting justice. Where will you be? For those trusting in Jesus Christ, your hope will not be cut off.

~ apl

The Bible, The Believer’s Ship

~ A Prayer Life ~ Leave a comment

The Bible could be likened to the Believer’s ship:

It’s cover is like the hull which contains the whole.

It’s binder then is like the mast which holds it upright and together.

It’s pages are like the sails which catch the Spirit’s blowing.

It’s words are like our rudder which guide us to peaceful seas.

It’s Author, our Compass who shows us the way.

It’s Christ, our Captain who steers us to glory.

~ apl

Two Separate Systems

~ A Prayer Life ~ Leave a comment

“The plain truth is, there are two distinct and separate systems of Christianity in England at the present day. It is useless to deny it. Their existence is a great fact, and one that cannot be too clearly known. According to one system, religion is a mere corporate business. You are to belong to a certain body of people. By virtue of your membership of this body, vast privileges, both for time and eternity, are conferred upon you. It matters little what you are and what you feel. You are not to try yourself by your feelings. You are a member of a great ecclesiastical corporation. Then all its privileges and immunities are your own. Do you belong to the one true visible ecclesiastical corporation? That is the grand question.

According to the other system, religion is eminently a personal business between yourself and Christ. It will not save your soul to be an outward member of any ecclesiastical body whatever, however sound that body may be. Such membership will not wash away one sin, or give you confidence in the day of judgement. There must be personal faith in Christ, personal dealings between yourself and God, personal felt communion between your own heart and the Holy Ghost. Have you this personal faith? Have you this felt work of the Spirit in your soul? This is the grand question. If not you will be lost.

This last system is the system which those who are called evangelical ministers cleave to and teach. They do so, because they are satisfied that it is the system of Holy Scripture. They do so, because they are convinced that any other system is productive of most dangerous consequences, and calculated to delude men fatally as to their actual state. They do so, because they believe it to be the only system of teaching which God will bless, and that no church will flourish so much as that in which repentance, faith, conversion and the work of the Spirit are the grand subjects of the minister’s sermon”.

~ J.C. Ryle (1816-1900)

Tradition’s Proper Place

~ A Prayer Life ~ Leave a comment

[Y]ou reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition.

~ Mark 7:9

Traditions in the life of God’s people can be of benefit unless they conflict with Scripture and the commandments of God. When we take more pride in keeping our traditions rather than in obeying the Lord, we have put ourselves in opposition to Him. In this passage, as elsewhere in Scripture, holding to traditions is not condemned all together. It is when Christ’s Church supplants God’s ways with their own that tradition becomes an idol. Therefore let us continue in those traditions which exalt Christ, enhance God’s glory and strengthen our faith, holding fast to that which is good, and reject anything, any tradition, that places our wants, will, or ways above His own.

~ apl

Inasmuch As You Do

~ A Prayer Life ~ 2 Comments

“Inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me”

~ Matthew 25:40b

Jesus teaches His followers a very valuable lesson in these few words taken from Matthew’s Gospel. His lesson is this: The love, mercy and compassion we show to the least of those in this world who belong to Him, His brethren, is as if we are doing it unto Jesus Himself. Our Lord so identifies with us, that we when we serve one another, it is as if we are personally serving Him. Do we look at our charity, compassion and care for our fellow saints in this light? Does the knowledge that loving and serving the Body of Christ is as if we are loving and serving Him increase your motivation to labor in His kingdom? My prayer is the least of these know Christ’s love because it is seen and felt through you. Amen.

~ apl

Worthy of the Gospel

~ A Prayer Life ~ 2 Comments

Only let your conduct be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of your affairs, that you stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel.

~ Philippians 1:27

Prayer Life Pause: Heavenly Father, conform my conduct such that it is worthy of the Gospel of Christ, that I might stand fast in the Spirit and with a renewed heart and mind serve Jesus in the hope of the Gospel. In Jesus’ name, amen.