He that has any feeling of his own sinfulness, ought to thank God for it.
Monday, November 30, 2015
Do You Have These Marks of a Christian?
Are we ourselves people of God? Have we been born again? Have we the MARKS which always accompany the new birth–sense of sin, faith in Jesus, love of others, righteous living, separation from the world? Let us never be content until we can give a satisfactory answer to these questions.
~ J.C. Ryle
Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: John, volume 1, [Carlisle, PA: Banner of Truth, 1987], 17.
Tuesday, November 24, 2015
Christ Suffered, So Shall You
Let it never surprise us, if we have to endure mockery, and ridicule, and false reports, because we belong to Christ. The disciple is not greater than His Master, nor the servant than His Lord.
Train Your Children in the Habit of Prayer.
Prayer is the very life-breath of true religion. It is one of
the first evidences that a man is born again. "Behold," said
the Lord of Saul, in the day he sent Ananias to him,
"Behold, he prayeth" (Acts 9:11). He had begun to pray,
and that was proof enough.
Monday, November 23, 2015
Healthy Preaching = Healthy Churches
The importance of preaching is God’s chosen instrument for doing good to souls. By it sinners are converted, inquirers led on, and saints built up.
Sunday, November 22, 2015
Coming to Christ With An Empty Hand
“Beware of mistakes as to the manner of coming to Christ. Dismiss from your mind forever all ideas of worthiness, merit, and fitness in yourself.
Thursday, November 19, 2015
Take Comfort in Christ
Are there any among you who have tasted of this blessed change—who have put off the old man which is corrupt, and put on the new man which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness—
Growing In Holiness
“Another mark of ‘growing in grace’ is increased holiness of life and conversation.
The Difficult Road to Heaven
You all wish to go to heaven. I know it. I am fully persuaded of it. I am certain of it. There is not one of you, however false may be your views of what you must believe and what you must do, however unscriptural the ground of your hope, however worldly-minded you may be, however careless when you get outside that church door
Wednesday, November 18, 2015
The Humble New Believer
To see a calm-minded young believer, who is not stuck up, self confident and self-conceited, but content with a daily steady effort to grow up into Christ’s likeness, and to do Christ’s work quietly and simply, at home, is really becoming almost a rarity!
~ J.C. Ryle
Practical Religion, “Self-Inquiry”, [Carlisle, PA: Banner of Truth, 1998], 4.
Tuesday, November 17, 2015
Ryle’s Thoughts on His Conversion
“Nothing I can remember to this day appeared to me so clear and distinct, as my own sinfulness, Christ’s preciousness, the value of the Bible, the absolute necessity of coming out of the world, the need of being born again…”
Sunday, November 15, 2015
Pray For Your Pastor
Do we desire to help forward the cause of pure and undefiled religion in the world? Then let us never forget to pray for ministers, and especially for young men about to enter the ministry.
9 Lessons From God Concerning Sickness
Sickness is meant…
1. To make us think, to remind us that we have a soul as well as a body – an immortal soul, a soul that will live forever in happiness or in misery – and that if this soul is not saved we had better never have been born.
Friday, November 13, 2015
Look Away From Self and Towards Christ
Look not to yourselves! You are by nature wretched, miserable, poor, blind and naked; you cannot make atonement for your past transgressions, you cannot wipe out a single page on that long black list.
Hold Your Possessions Loosely
Are you prosperous in the world? Have death, sickness, disappointment, poverty and family troubles passed over your door up to this time and not come in? Are you secretly saying to yourself, “Nothing can hurt me much.
Thursday, November 12, 2015
Don’t Add Anything to the Bible
Let us beware of attempting to add anything to the word of God, as necessary to salvation. It provokes God to give us over to judicial blindness. It is as good as saying that His Bible is not perfect, and that we know better than He does what is necessary for man’s salvation.
God’s View of Man
Young men, God does not show favoritism or respects the honors bestowed by men. He rewards no man’s heritage, or wealth, or rank, or position. He does not see with man’s eyes.
Wednesday, November 11, 2015
Living Like a Pilgrim
We must beware of thinking too much about our meals, our furniture, our houses, and all those many things which concern the life of the body.
The Blessedness of Christ’s Return
True Christians shall alone be found ready at the second advent. Washed in the blood of atonement, clothed in Christ’s righteousness, renewed by the Spirit, they shall meet their Lord with boldness, and sit down at the marriage supper of the Lamb, to go out no more.
Tuesday, November 10, 2015
The Mighty Cost Of Our Freedom
“The freedom of Christ’s people has been procured, like all other freedom, at a mighty cost and by a mighty sacrifice. Great was the bondage in which they were naturally held, and great was the price necessary to be paid to set them free. Mighty was the enemy who claimed them as his captives, and it needed mighty power to release them out of his hands.
Monday, November 9, 2015
Exercising Your Faith Diligently
Would you have more faith? Do you find believing so pleasant that you would like to believe more? Then take heed that you are diligent in the use of every means of grace –diligent in your private communion with God
The Stark Contrast of Believers and Unbelievers
There are two points in religion on which the teaching of the Bible is very plain and distinct. One of these points is the fearful danger of the ungodly; the other is the perfect safety of the righteous. One is the happiness of those who are converted; the other is the misery of those who are unconverted. One is the blessedness of being in the way to heaven; the other is the wretchedness of being in the way to hell.
Saturday, November 7, 2015
Don’t Undervalue the Old Testament
Let us beware of undervaluing, or despising the Old Testament. In its place and proportion, the Old Testament is just as valuable as the New.
Are You Elect? Do You Have Fruit?
Election can only be known by its fruits. The Elect of God can only be discerned from those who are not Elect by their faith and life. We cannot climb up into the secret of God’s eternal counsels.
Friday, November 6, 2015
The Fruits of Your Public Worship
“The best public worship is that which produces the best private Christianity. The best Church services for the congregation are those which make its individual members most holy at home and alone.
How to Walk with God
To walk with God is to walk in the light of God’s countenance; to live as people who remember that all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of Him with whom we walk, that the darkness is no darkness with Him,
Thursday, November 5, 2015
Do YOU Possess the Marks of the New Birth?
Would we know what the marks of the new birth are? We shall find them already written for our learning in the First Epistle of John. The person born of God “believes that Jesus is the Christ,” – “does not commit sin,” – “does righteousness,” – “loves the brethren,” – “overcomes the world,” – “keeps himself from the wicked one.” This is the person born of the Spirit! Where these fruits are to be seen, there is the new birth of which our Lord is speaking. They that lacks these marks, is yet dead in trespasses and sins. (1 John 5:1; 3:9; 2:29; 3:14; 5:4; 5:18).
Bringing Children to Christ
We must never allow ourselves to suppose that little children’s souls may be safely let alone. Their character depends exceedingly on what they see and hear during their first seven years.
Wednesday, November 4, 2015
Getting Beyond Selfish Prayers
Let us take heed that we pray for others also. Let us beware of selfish prayers – the prayers which are wholly taken up with our own affairs, and in which there is no place for other souls beside our own.
Tuesday, November 3, 2015
Oh, To Be Pardoned!
“Where must a man go for pardon? Where is forgiveness to be found? There is a way both sure and plain and that way is simply to trust in the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior. It is to cast your soul, with all its sins, unreservedly on Christ,
Monday, November 2, 2015
Suffering Savior, Suffering Disciples
Suffering is a part of the process by which the children of God are made holy. They are chastened to wean them from the world, and make them partakers of God’s holiness. The Captain of their salvation was made “perfect through suffering,” and so are they (Hebrews 2:10; 12:10). There never was a great saint who had not experienced either great hardships, or great persecutions.
Sunday, November 1, 2015
Assurance (Sermon)
Assurance
By J.C. Ryle
“I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love His appearing.”
(2 TIMOTHY 4:6-8)
In the words of Scripture, which head this page, you see the Apostle Paul looking three ways: downward, backward, forward. Downward to the grave,-backward to his own ministry,-forward to that great day, the day of judgment.
I invite you this day to stand by the Apostle’s side a few minutes, and mark the words he uses. Happy is that soul who can look where Paul looked, and then speak as Paul spoke!
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