Category: Self-examination / Self-observation

We Blunder and Stumble in our Holiest Endeavors – J. R. Miller (Christian devotional)

This brief devotional will give you some clarity about what God would have you doing with your life. To be more specific, and to summarize Miller’s words: God has placed you in a specific place, amid a specific group of people, with specific needs…; He has given you talents, interests, abilities… that He expects you to use to SERVE those around you…. J R Miller states that message in a pleasing and kind manner. His words will help you to see and act on those little specific things all around you.  [After publishing this post I discovered shorts by MacArthur and Baucham that apply to the matter discussed by Miller, these were added under the Miller video]

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Precious Remedies Against Satan’s Devices – Thomas Brooks

The following are the 12 DEVICES that Satan uses to draw the soul to sin. I included no REMEDIES that Brooks noted in his book, but wanted readers to know these such that they might be moved to read his book. Usually, Brooks provided 4 – 8 remedies about each device, in a few cases, more. Also, part of the table of contents is herein: Satan’s DEVICES to keep souls from holy duties; DEVICES to keep saints in sad condition; DEVICES to destroy and ensnare; Five more of Satan’s DEVICES; Seven characteristics of false teachers; Six propositions concerning Satan and his devices; and, Conclusion: ten special helps and rules

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Galatians 5:17 For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit….

Learning to walk in the Spirit is absolutely essential if you would please God and make it into heaven. I am not satisfied with my own comprehension of such verses found in Paul’s epistles. These verses specifically identify a problem that occurs throughout scripture in that God calls us to repent and obey, and we want to rule our own lives and follow our own inclinations…. Seeing the problem clearly in your own walk is the first step in rectifying it. Exhortations that hold out the solution are found in the epistles and generally in scripture; that would be submitting to the Spirit’s guidance out of a love of God; using God’s appointed means, the armor He has given us with which to fight the fight of faith. But to use God’s appointed means of prayer and scripture reading, e.g., when we are bent on pleasure seeking to fulfill the inclinations/lusts of our heart, is impossible….

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False Christianity | Voddie Baucham

This post contains 2 videos: the first is a 1-minute video featuring Voddie Baucham wherein he talks about how biblical Christians are being further marginalized in this culture by those worldly Christian professors who drink the world’s Kool-aid and are praised by the world for this foolishness; the second video is 15 minutes in length and provides numerous examples of Baucham’s words playing out in our current culture. The point of these videos is to encourage biblical Christians to continue on in God’s WAY and do not be de-railed by those Christian around you that turn away and receive praise from the world, as your Judge is the One who wrote the Bible and expects His children to honor and obey Him.

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Guarding the Heart by Joel Fick — Tabletalk Magazine Ligonier Ministries

If you’ve ever owned a car or a home, you know that deferred maintenance often leads to much more serious and expensive repairs. Doing ordinary, regular, and required maintenance can extend the life of a car or a house for many years. So it is with keeping our hearts. If in our work of surveillance we find that our hearts are growing cold or calloused, we need to make sure that we are doing the necessary upkeep to maintain the spiritual condition of the castle. Fortunately, the Lord has given us a way to ensure that our hearts are maintained. We call these things the ordinary means of grace, which include attending to the reading and preaching of the Word, the sacraments, and prayer….

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The Call of the Christian Soldier by Megan K. Taylor, Tabletalk Magazine

The article in this post is from Ligonier Ministries, Tabletalk magazine; it is about those things that entangle the Christian soldier. The author, Megan K. Taylor, uses examples of WWII propaganda, and worldly things around us that move us to crave the comforts of civilian life as opposed to getting out and staying on the Christian battle field; she also provided some ideas about dis-“entangling” oneself such as to rejoin the ranks of the active Christian soldiers

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God’s Purposes for taking His children through grief, loss, darkness…. Pastor Patrick Hines

The video in this post is a podcast of Pastor Patrick Hines wherein he addresses Christian suffering. He used the text of 1 Peter 1:3-9 and after a brief intro, talked about a Christian pastor who committed suicide, and near the end, he discussed a man who was tortured by Vladimir Lenin’s officers and imprisoned for more than a decade. The latter, grew immeasurably from his ordeal and was more used by God…. Much was said about each man and his response / reaction to afflictions sent by our Sovereign God. You can learn something from Pastor Hines teaching to deal with the afflictions God sends into your life. He discusses a couple of useful books in the podcast.

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