Materialism wars against our souls in a twofold manner. First it makes us discontent and envious of others. Second, it leads us to pamper and indulge our bodies so that we become soft and lazy.
Modern Christians, especially those in the Western world, have generally been found wanting in the area of holiness of body. Gluttony and laziness, for example, were regarded by earlier Christians as sin. Today we may look on these as weaknesses of the will but certainly not sin. We even joke about our overeating and other indulgences instead of crying out to God in confession and repentance.
Perhaps we should stop talking about being "faithful" to have a quiet time with God each day, as if we were doing something to earn a reward. It would be better to talk about the privilege of spending time with the God of the universe and the importance for our own sake of being consistent in that practice.
Topics: Meditation Source: Transforming Grace, p. 128.
So often we try to develop Christian character and conduct without taking the time to develop God-centered devotion. We try to please God without taking the time to walk with Him and develop a relationship with Him. This is impossible to do.
Topics: Meditation, Worship Source: The Practice of Godliness, p. 14
The word meditate as used in the Old Testament literally means to murmur or to mutter and, by implication, to talk to oneself. When we meditate on the Scriptures we talk to ourselves about them, turning over in our minds the meanings, the implications, and the applications to our own lives.
Topics: Meditation Source: The Practice of Godliness, p. 43
To meditate on the Scriptures is to think about them, turning them over in our minds, and applying them to our life's situations... The objective of our meditation is application - obedience to the Scriptures.
The insurance companies refer to major natural disasters as "acts of God." The truth is, all expressions of nature, all occurrences of weather, whether it be a devastating tornado or a gentle rain on a spring day, are acts of God. The Bible teaches that God controls all the forces of nature, both destructive and productive, on a continuous, moment-by-moment basis.
Accept the cost of good deeds in time, thought, and effort. But remember that opportunities for doing good are not interruptions in God's plan for us, but part of that plan. We always have time to do what God wants us to do.
Topics: Obedience Source: The Practice of Godliness, p. 199.
God is worthy of my loving obedience because of who He is, not because of what He does.
Topics: Obedience Source: Transforming Grace, p. 84.
God searches the heart and understands every motive. To be acceptable to Him, our motives must spring from a love for Him and a desire to glorify Him. Obedience to God performed from a legalistic motive - that is a fear of the consequences or to gain favor with God - is not pleasing to God.
The great God not only loves His saints, but He loves to love them.