Spurgeon on “Is There a Church in This House?” ~ 2 Minute Devotional

Today’s quote from Charles Spurgeon captures the hopes and prayers of christian parents everywhere. “Is there a Church in this house?” If there was one gift to leave with a son or daughter, it would be a strong vibrant faith in Jesus Christ as Savior. Just like the goose in the picture watches over its goslings, so the parents watch over the spiritual welfare of their children.

Have you strayed from the faith? You’ve probably seen the heartbreak in your parents eyes. Perhaps they’ve pleaded with you to return. Is it pride that keeps you away? Are your sins unforgivable? Is the pain too deep? Did the church’s practices turn you away?

There are so many stories in the Bible of redemption and returning to God. The Prodigal Son in Luke 15:11 is one that most of us are familiar with. In verse 17 it says that the son “came to himself,” and made a decision to return back to his father and confess his sin. All the time that the son was away, the father was watching for his return.

Is there a Church in this house? This special covenant family is not without aid from God. Prayers are not in vain! The Holy Spirit works in hearts with powerful effect, building, restoring and redeeming.

Dear Lord, Let there be a Church in my house. I need Your help to be a godly parent, son or daughter. Let Jesus be in my heart and let the Holy Spirit work in my life and in my family. Amen.

I hope you have been blessed by this quote and the accompanying image taken from the Spurgeon Daily Quotes iPhone app. Please visit our blog, twitter, or Facebook page regularly and pass these posts on to friends that need an encouraging word.

Great Praise to God – Psalm 148 NIV 2 Minute Devotional

We lavish praise on many things, children, pets, coworkers, spouse and others. Sometimes the praise is quite lavish, such as awards for national or community service. Perhaps the praise is for great sacrifice, such as an award of the Medal of Honor.

Yet, even the most heroic sacrifice or deed of man deserving of praise, cannot compare to the praise due to our God. Consider what he has done!

In Psalm 148, the Psalmist focuses on creation. NASA photographs show us wonders in the heavens displayed in unimagined beauty. Scientists spend entire lifetimes studying the stars, and rather than coming close to unlocking the mysteries of the universe, they discover complexities even more mysterious.

Praise the Lord, for such wonders as the heavens. But for all the praise to God for the heavens, there are even more wondrous things right here on earth.

Beyond all created things, consider salvation from Christ. Consider Jesus’ birth, life, death and resurrection. Consider what it means to mankind. Consider what it means to me, individually, personally.

Dear Lord, I praise you for your great creation, but most of all, I praise you for your great salvation through Jesus Christ. Amen.

I hope you have been blessed by Psalm 148 and the accompanying image taken from the Psalm Daily Quotes NIV iPhone app. Please visit our blog, twitter, or  Facebook page regularly and pass these posts on to friends that need an encouraging word.

Spurgeon on “Comfort in God’s Choosing” ~ 2 Minute Devotional

Do you remember, as a child, being taken somewhere by your parents? If it was a place you really wanted to go, like the state fair, you were very excited. Additionally, you were absolutely confident in their choice to take  you where they said they would. Not only was it exciting, it was a great comfort as well, that you could trust them at their word.

Now contrast that with being lost in a big city. You never know if the choice you made to turn left or right will be the right choice – the choice that will take you to your destination. There is no comfort, only anxiety as you search for the way home.

Election in the Bible has to do with God choosing us. It’s amazing, that as you read the Scriptures, how many times we come across passages about how God has chosen us.

As Spurgeon says, it is truly humbling to know that we are not chosen because of anything about us, what we have done or even accomplished. For that undeserved grace, gratitude should pour from our hearts. We can take great comfort in that.

Now if my salvation and standing with God is the product of my choice, it would be unsettling, just like being lost in the big city. Did I make the right choice? If I choose God, can I then “unchoose” God? If I ever do find the way, then it would have been done through my effort, my choices.

I’m no theologian, but it just seems that concerning salvation, God choosing me, is much more of a comfort than me choosing God. “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” Eph 2:8-9 ESV. If we look closely at this passage, we find that even our faith is the gift of God.

Dear Lord, Grant me the gift of faith, that I may believe. Help me to know how perfect your choice is. Help me to take comfort in your election, your choosing of the saints. If there is any uncertainty in me, help me to begin to understand the depth and completeness of your grace, and let my heart bring forth gratitude and praise. Amen.

I hope you have been blessed by this quote and the accompanying image taken from the Spurgeon Daily Quotes iPhone app. Please visit our blog, twitter, or Facebook page regularly and pass these posts on to friends that need an encouraging word.

Will Rogers & “Voters Can’t Remember”

This Will Rogers quote must be true. How else do you explain how legislators get reelected after scandalous behavior or legislating against the will of the people. It’s just astonishing that some of these politicians have any credibility left, but they keep getting elected. It’s as regular and predictable as the milking schedule on a farm.

Strange thing seems to be happening these days however. If the last election is any indication, people do seem to be remembering. People turned out to vote and sent a large number of legislators packing. Several legislators resigned or didn’t run in order to avoid defeat.

I recall that these defeated legislators, along with the current administration passed legislation that was extremely unpopular. Not only that, but people understood that the unpopular legislation was passed through manipulation and trickery, without review and accountability. Anyone remember the Speaker of the House’s famous proclamation that: “We have to pass this bill to find out what is in it.”

Don’t know about you, but I don’t take kindly to being manipulated, tricked or lied to by legislators or the media. I expect something better; something more honest; someone with integrity; someone accountable to the people they serve. People and businesses can’t conduct commerce by lying to each other. We don’t do business with people that lack integrity. So why is politics any different.

There’s a movement underway, where people seem to be remembering more than two months. They are holding politicians accountable. They are looking for some integrity and common sense coming from Washington.

The next election is more than two months away. We’ll see if this Will Rogers quote still holds true.

The image was taken directly from pictures at the Will Rogers Memorial Museum archive. I apologize for the quality of the image, but this is exactly what the 1920s photo looked like when I scanned it. In the hundreds of images contained in this iPhone application, I wanted to share as many different Will Rogers photos as possible from as wide a variety of times and situations – movies, cowboy, vaudeville, with famous people, and family scenes.

Will Rogers is a man worth remembering, and quoting. His wit, humor and insight into life will amaze and astonish you. His life will inspire you. Watch for new blog posts from my Will Rogers quotes collection.

I hope you have enjoyed this quote from Will Rogers and the accompanying image taken from the Will Rogers iPhone app. Please visit our blog, twitter, or Facebook page regularly and pass these posts on to friends that might enjoy a bit of wisdom from Will Rogers.

Will Rogers on “Mules and Speeches”

The mules were hee-hawing the other day in the lower chamber – I mean lower stall. They were kicking and bucking something terrible. There was so much commotion and noise that there wasn’t even a need for microphones – you could hear ’em clear across town. They was all bunched up in groups, trading oats back and forth until enough mules joined the group with the most oats.

The leader was a stubborn old mule, with a hee-haw so terrible loud, it would scare the hair off your ears. Listening in on all the noise, I couldn’t understand a thing they were braying, but there wasn’t any need to. Everyone knew that new leader was going to be the old leader. The only reason I was there was for the entertainment!

Image Information: This image is from a Will Rogers’ silent movie called Jubilo, released in 1919. Rogers plays Jubilo, a tramp, who makes himself useful doing odd jobs in a small farming community while he looks for the wife who deserted him while he was off in the war.

The image was taken directly from movie stills at the Will Rogers Memorial Museum archive. I apologize for the quality of the image, but this is exactly what the 1920s photo looked like when I scanned it. In the hundreds of images contained in this iPhone application, I wanted to share as many different Will Rogers photos as possible from as wide a variety of times and situations – movies, cowboy, vaudeville, with famous people, and family scenes.

Will Rogers is a man worth remembering, and quoting. His wit, humor and insight into life will amaze and astonish you. His life will inspire you. Watch for new blog posts from my Will Rogers quotes collection.

I hope you have enjoyed this quote from Will Rogers and the accompanying image taken from the Will Rogers iPhone app. Please visit our blog, twitter, or Facebook page regularly and pass these posts on to friends that might enjoy a bit of wisdom from Will Rogers.

Out of the Depths – Psalm 130 NASB 2 Minute Devotional

It constantly amazes me that the Psalmist can capture our deepest emotions in words across the ages. “Out of the depths” describes so many situations in my life – financial problems, relationship issues, dangerous situations, etc. “Lord, hear my voice!”

But, I also know that God is a holy God. I don’t want to approach Him when I am ashamed of the sin in my life. It takes faith to believe that “there is forgiveness with You,” as the Psalmist says. We know that forgiveness before God comes from the work of Jesus on the cross.

It’s hard to have faith from the depths, but God hasn’t left us alone. The Holy Spirit can help us and comfort us – he can even give us the faith we need. The image on the left is from a deep canyon filled with broken rocks. Let’s ask the Lord to help lift us up and set things right.

Dear Lord, out of the depths I call upon you! Give me the faith to believe you have provided forgiveness through Christ. Help me through these difficult situations. Amen.

I hope you have been blessed by Psalm 130 and the accompanying image taken from the Psalm Daily Quotes NASB iPhone app. Please visit our blog, twitter, or  Facebook page regularly and pass these posts on to friends that need an encouraging word.

Will Rogers on How to Finance Weapons Development

Will RogersHow is it that in 1929 Will Rogers could see through all the fancy rhetoric to the reality of what they called “disarmament” in those days, and today we are doing the same thing, but with different names? We call it SALT and START, but it’s all the same. I guess it gives the diplomats and politicians something to do so they can feel good about doing their part to bring about world peace.

Meanwhile, the rest of us wonder why it is that the U.S. is the only signer of the treaty that actually abides by the terms, while the others don’t seem to have any problem violating the terms or lying to us about compliance.

We make a big deal about destroying stockpiles of obsolete weapons, but everybody knows that the new weapons can kill more people more better.

Today, while our politicians and diplomats are feeling good about this great achievement, we have insane lunatics acquiring nuclear weapon capability, openly threatening to blow up their adversaries. Are they signing treaties to disarm? Of course not!

The best analogy I can come up with is two cowboys with guns pointed at each other and fingers on the trigger. They are both mad at each other, but the cowboy dressed in white has the advantage – he is a diplomat! He says: “I know you are mad, but just to show you I am a compassionate and understanding fellow, I’m going to put my weapon down first, and trust you to do the same.” Let’s just hope his negotiations don’t get holes blown in them.

Image Information: In this image, Will Rogers is shown standing in front of an airplane. Rogers was a huge proponent of aviation and flying was his main mode of transportation, even from the days of open cockpit aircraft. If you follow his Daily Telegram datelines, you will find him routinely flying from coast to coast, and everywhere in between.

The image was taken directly from movie stills at the Will Rogers Memorial Museum archive. I apologize for the quality of the image, but this is exactly what the 1920s photo looked like when I scanned it. In the hundreds of images contained in this iPhone application, I wanted to share as many different Will Rogers photos as possible from as wide a variety of times and situations – movies, cowboy, vaudeville, with famous people, and family scenes.

Will Rogers is a man worth remembering, and quoting. His wit, humor and insight into life will amaze and astonish you. His life will inspire you. Watch for new blog posts from my Will Rogers quotes collection.

I hope you have enjoyed this quote from Will Rogers and the accompanying image taken from the Will Rogers iPhone app. Please visit our blog, twitter, or Facebook page regularly and pass these posts on to friends that might enjoy a bit of wisdom from Will Rogers.

Will Rogers

Spurgeon on “Would your Zeal Grow Chill?” ~ 2 Minute Devotional

Have you ever been excited about something? I just received my new iPhone 4 in the mail the other day, and the anticipation of opening the package and using my new phone got my heart racing. Only a geek would understand!

All of us have our passions – things that set our hearts to racing in anticipation. Spurgeon reminds us in this quote that our love for God should excite us as well, and it should impact everything we do.

The beautiful image of frost on the trees in winter fits well with Spurgeon’s final thought. We should make God our only object – we need to focus on Him so that our zeal would not grow cold. I’ve got a long way to go, but I thank God for the help of His Spirit.

I hope you have been blessed by this quote from Charles Spurgeon and the accompanying image taken from the Spurgeon Daily Quotes iPhone app. Please visit our blog, twitter, or Facebook page regularly and pass these posts on to friends that need an encouraging word.

Psalm 2:7 Psalm Daily Quote KJV for iPhone

Psalm Daily Quote KJV
From a Friend

Psalm 2  ⁷I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee.

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Consider the Poor – Psalm 41 ESV 2 Minute Devotional

One of several reoccurring themes through the Psalms is God’s concern for the poor and oppressed. In Psalm 41, the Lord promises blessings and protection for those who consider the poor.

The Church and God’s people have always had a roll in ministering to the poor. Not only do they look after the needs for health care, clothing, food, and shelter, spiritual needs are considered important as well.

Why should I care about the poor? Because I was once destitute and without hope before someone shared the gospel with me. Because the church and God’s people have helped me with physical needs during difficult times. Because “Blessed is the one who considers the poor!”

Dear Lord, Help me to consider the poor, because I once was poor. Let my gratitude be my motivation, and my Your Spirit give me the strength. Amen.

I hope you have been blessed by Psalm 41 and the accompanying image taken from the Psalm Daily Quotes ESV iPhone app. Please visit our blog, twitter, or Facebook page regularly and pass these posts on to friends that need an encouraging word.

Let Me Dwell in Your Presence – Psalm 140 NASB 2 Minute Devotional

We don’t have to look far back into history to find oppression of innocent people. The holocaust during WWII certainly comes to mind along with many other cases of the brutal treatment of people whose only crime was being born in the wrong place at the wrong time. The Bible specifically records the oppression of the Jewish people under Pharaoh and Babylon.

We also see in Scripture that the suffering of God’s people did not go unnoticed. That God had a plan and a purpose all along. God would be glorified in the outcome and His people would be set free.

This is a bit hard to see when you are suffering persecution for your beliefs. The headlines today cover persecution of believers in many parts of the world. Some of them pay with their lives.

Some people will not see the day of vindication on this side of heaven, but through it all the Psalmist says the righteous “will give thanks to Your name; The upright will dwell in Your presence.”

Dear Lord, Give me strength to stand firm in my faith in the face of persecution and hard times. Let me learn to give thanks and dwell in your presence daily. Amen

I hope you have been blessed by Psalm 140 and the accompanying image taken from the Psalm Daily Quotes NASB iPhone app. Please visit our blog, twitter, or  Facebook page regularly and pass these posts on to friends that need an encouraging word.

As the Deer Pants – Psalm 42 NIV 2 Minute Devotional

There is perhaps no more beautiful expression of a desire to seek God than “As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God.” Once the image is in your mind, you can never forget it. Musicians have crafted it into their melodies (see Sons of Korah below) so we can sing it in the congregation or hum it to ourselves.

Yet the Psalmist, just like all of us, struggles with the question “Where is your God?” We pour out our hearts with tears as doubts creep in and our desire to seek God grows chill. What can I do?

I can remember happier days. Days when my heart was on fire, days when worship excited my soul. Those memories of God’s blessings can help carry us through the times of doubt, but why do we have to go through the valleys? Perhaps, because during time in the valley, my faith can grow even stronger. As my soul begins to thirst after better days I can “pant for streams of water.” I can be drawn toward Christ, the living water (John 4:10).

Dear Lord, Let me thirst for you. Let the dry times increase my desire for you, not diminish it. Let me remember past blessings and praise you for all you have done for me. Let me drink of the living water. Amen.

I hope you have been blessed by Psalm 42 and the accompanying image taken from the Psalm Daily Quotes NIV iPhone app. Please visit our blog, twitter, or  Facebook page regularly and pass these posts on to friends that need an encouraging word.

EXTRA!

Below is an extra treat! The Sons of Korah have put Psalm 42 to music. Listen to a sample below and purchase your own copy at the iTunes store by clicking on the button.

Psalm 42a – Rain Album

Will Rogers on “The Death of Golf”

Will RogersI’ve driven by golf courses at various times and wondered why people were out there in the middle of the work day. After reading this Will Rogers’ quote, I think I understand. They’re vagrants!

Actually, I don’t think Will Rogers was patient enough to play such a slow moving game as golf. He would much rather be spinning his lasso, riding a horse, playing polo, flying somewhere, performing for a crowd, or playing with his kids.

If all the vagrants were chased off the golf course, Will would give them a hammer, nails, barbed wire and a shovel and take them out to fix fences on the back forty. Why waste time chasing a ball around when you could be working?

Another reason I believe Will Rogers didn’t like golf is because he couldn’t take his typewriter out on the golf course. At a ball game he could at least type out his daily and weekly newspaper columns between pitches.

Well, after all these years, golf isn’t dead. The next time you drive by a golf course, wave to the vagrants, be glad you’ve got work to do, and do it with energy and passion, just like Will Rogers did.

Image Information: Will Rogers was an expert with the lasso. This image shows him performing one of his rope tricks.

The image was taken directly from pictures at the Will Rogers Memorial Museum archive. I apologize for the quality of the image, but this is exactly what the 1920s photo looked like when I scanned it. In the hundreds of images contained in this iPhone application, I wanted to share as many different Will Rogers photos as possible from as wide a variety of times and situations – movies, cowboy, vaudeville, with famous people, and family scenes.

Will Rogers is a man worth remembering, and quoting. His wit, humor and insight into life will amaze and astonish you. His life will inspire you. Watch for new blog posts from my Will Rogers quotes collection.

I hope you have enjoyed this quote from Will Rogers and the accompanying image taken from the Will Rogers iPhone app. Please visit our blog, twitter, or Facebook page regularly and pass these posts on to friends that might enjoy a bit of wisdom from Will Rogers.

Will Rogers

Will Rogers on “Rush, Hurry or Stay Put”

Will RogersWill Rogers’ published this quote and made the observation in 1929. We might think of those days as a bit slower and relaxed, but can you imagine what Will Rogers would think if he could see us today?

Cars, trains and airplanes are faster now. We are all still rushing to get somewhere, but we can “get somewhere we have no business” 10 times faster today.

This is such an interesting quote coming from Will Rogers because he was constantly going somewhere. When Will discovered he could get places faster by flying, he was constantly in the air.

In the picture, Will is in the back seat of an airplane carrying U.S. mail. He was one of the few people that was allowed to ride in mail planes.

The next time we get ready to rush out the door, perhaps we should take Will’s advice. Do we really need to hurry to a place we have no business?

The image was taken directly from pictures at the Will Rogers Memorial Museum archive. I apologize for the quality of the image, but this is exactly what the 1920s photo looked like when I scanned it. In the hundreds of images contained in this iPhone application, I wanted to share as many different Will Rogers photos as possible from as wide a variety of times and situations – movies, cowboy, vaudeville, with famous people, and family scenes.

Will Rogers is a man worth remembering, and quoting. His wit, humor and insight into life will amaze and astonish you. His life will inspire you. Watch for new blog posts from my Will Rogers quotes collection.

I hope you have enjoyed this quote from Will Rogers and the accompanying image taken from the Will Rogers iPhone app. Please visit our blog, twitter, or Facebook page regularly and pass these posts on to friends that might enjoy a bit of wisdom from Will Rogers.

Will Rogers