#Charles Stanley

[toiich]

Charles “Tex” Smutney & Charles “Buddy” Stanley, photographed by George Platt Lynes, 1941

[gabebrodudeman]

"Somebody will say something like "I can't help myself" but let me tell you something. Listen, the devil can't make a Child of God do anything. He cannot make you. He will lead you, he will guide you, he'll entice you, tempt you but he can't make you." - Dr. Charles Stanley.

Once you have surrendered yourself to Christ, once you have been born again, and once you're gifted with the Holy Spirit, you are a Child of God and therefore you're no longer a slave to the world. You're no longer a slave to the spiritual principalities that rule this word (Ephesians 2:2, Proverbs 1:10).

As a Child of God we are called and expected to walk in step with the Holy Spirit on a "moment by moment" basis. Meaning we don't seek him once a day, once a week, once a month, only when we're in trouble and distress, but on a moment to moment basis. Seeking him every moment of everyday.

We do this because everyday we wake up we face three enemies:

The world

The flesh

The devil

This is why we seek the Spirit on a moment by moment basis. We seek his council, his wisdom, his strength. We seek him when we are inevitably confronted by one of these three enemies and they can come at any moment.

Moment by moment we should be listening to the Holy Spirit. Why? Because he is our guide. He is our gift from the Father above.

Trust me, I know how hard it can be to struggle with sin, to struggle with giving in. I understand just as much as anybody. But I promise you, it's possible to live life without sin, I've done it before, I can do it again. And I know you can too. Amen, may God bless you, always. 🤍

Ephesians 1:14 NLT

[14] The Spirit is God’s guarantee that he will give us the inheritance he promised and that he has purchased us to be his own people. He did this so we would praise and glorify him.

Romans 8:4

For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.

[tetha1950]

Cómo superar el fracaso...

Nuestro Padre, que quiere que sus hijos sean victoriosos, nos ha dado por medio de Cristo todo lo que necesitamos.

Romanos 7.15-20

La victoria es la voluntad de Dios para la vida del creyente. Sin embargo, a veces caemos repetidamente en el mismo pecado. Si queremos hacer lo correcto, ¿por qué no lo logramos?

Una razón es el arrepentimiento incompleto. Es posible que experimentemos pena, bochorno y vergüenza por el pecado sin estar arrepentidos. El arrepentimiento no es cuestión de llorar o sentirse culpable; más bien, es un cambio de mentalidad sobre el pecado, de manera que ya no nos aferramos a nuestra perspectiva, sino que estamos de acuerdo con lo que Dios dice. Al hacerlo, el corazón se vuelve en la dirección opuesta a la persistencia en el pecado (Pr 28.13).

La segunda razón del fracaso es una visión inadecuada de nuestra identidad en Cristo. Como hijos de Dios, tenemos a Dios viviendo en nosotros. Cuando comprendemos esta verdad, reconoceremos que el pecado no encaja con lo que somos y dejaremos de justificar nuestras faltas. Nuestro arrepentimiento genuino se basa en una comprensión sincera y bíblica de nuestra identidad.

Cuando juntamos estas dos verdades, creamos una herramienta poderosa contra la tentación. Nuestro Padre quiere que seamos victoriosos, y triunfamos cuando recordamos que Cristo es la fuente de vida en nosotros.

(Ps. Charles Stanley).

[prreskaa]

[andallshallbewell]

[walkswithmyfather]

From the Pastor’s Heart

“What a wonderful time of year! For those of us who are alive in Christ, the very air sparkles with excitement as we look forward to celebrating the birth of our Savior and King. We hope you’ll enjoy reading these seasonal words from Dr. Stanley below.

Let’s reflect with him on the true identity of our wonderful Lord.

The most important question every person must answer is: “Who is Jesus?”

When He was with His disciples, He asked this same question: “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” (Matt. 16:13). They gave Him several opinions they’d heard—all of which were wrong. So He then asked, “But who do you yourselves say that I am?” Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (vv. 15-17). Jesus said the future apostle was blessed because God alone, not human reasoning, had revealed the correct answer to him.

I want to give you a glimpse of the real Jesus, not based on man’s opinions, but on God’s Word.”

[You can read the rest at the link above.]

[musingongoodness]

Devotional: Jesus Is Interruptible

Choose to see interruptions as opportunities to love like Jesus.

John 9:1-7

In our passage today, the Lord was on His way somewhere but stopped to heal a blind man. He could easily have passed by—Jesus was a busy man, after all. But He allowed Himself to be interrupted, and one person’s life was forever changed.

“I am the Light of the world,” Jesus said before applying mud to the man’s sightless eyes (v. 5). The thought of putting mud in a blind man’s eyes to clear his vision might seem strange to us today. However, Jewish onlookers may have recognized this as a medical practice of the day. It’s even possible they interpreted it as a new act of creation, since mud could have reminded them of God forming Adam from the dust of the earth. If such scriptural imagery was, in fact, Jesus’ intention, it would convey that He truly was the Word who was with God in the beginning—one with God Himself.

Whatever the reason for this unusual-sounding treatment, we know that dirt and saliva became holy instruments in Jesus’ healing hands. So let’s consider what God might be doing in our midst and pray for His direction as we seek to love others through our time and attention. It’s exciting to realize that if we’re willing to alter our plans, we may become vessels of His healing work.

https://us18.campaign-archive.com/?e=3b838b1fe1&u=dc92245755b49b0fd033acd1c&id=2af49e48fa

[christianhomemaker]

Many people have a passing familiarity with the events of Easter and yet are hazy when it comes to the details. But it’s essential for us to have a solid grasp on what we believe. Then we will be able to share it with others on this Good Friday or whenever the opportunity arises (1 Peter 3:14-15; 2 Timothy 4:2-5).

Here are five words we can explain to anyone who is curious about our faith:

1. Redeemed. Jesus’ shed blood liberates all who believe in Him (1 Peter 1:18-19). This means we are freed from a life of slavery to sin.

2. Forgiven. The wrongs of our past, present, and future are totally washed away (Ephesians 1:7-8).

3. Justified. Everyone who trusts in Jesus is declared no longer guilty (Romans 5:8-9).

4. Reconciled. We are brought into relationship with God (Colossians 1:19-22).

5. Sanctified. The lifelong process of becoming more Christlike began as soon as we trusted in the Savior (Hebrews 13:12).

These five terms help tell the story of our faith. Meditate upon the verses listed here and ask God to write them on your heart.

Charles Stanley

[grits-galraisedinthesouth]

[geminiagentgreen]

God is good. God is SO good.

[gabebrodudeman]

John 14:15-18 NLT

[15] “If you love me, obey my commandments. [16] And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you. [17] He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world cannot receive him, because it isn’t looking for him and doesn’t recognize him. But you know him, because he lives with you now and later will be in you. [18] No, I will not abandon you as orphans—I will come to you.

At no point since the moment you trust in Christ as your personal savior have you ever been alone. At no point have you ever been helpless, you may have felt helpless, but when you trusted Jesus as your savior, God's seal upon you, his absolute assurance to you is the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit.

[alittlebitgoesalongway]

Bitterness and anger lead us down dangerous pathways of thinking.

[tetha1950]

No se trata solo de nosotros...

Cuando los creyentes practicamos el amor fraternal con sinceridad, las personas se sienten atraídas a Cristo.

Efesios 4.25-32

Imagínese que usted está sentado en un banco de un parque disfrutando de un día hermoso. Ve a dos personas caminando una hacia la otra, y ambas están distraídas. Una está mirando su teléfono celular. La otra hace malabarismos con unas llaves, un maletín y una taza de café. Antes de que usted pueda decir algo, ambas chocan. Nadie resulta lastimado, pero las cosas caen al suelo y se desparraman por todas partes.

Hay muchas maneras en que esta escena podría desarrollarse. Cada persona podría enfadarse con la otra por no prestar atención, o podrían aceptar la culpa y disculparse. Incluso podrían ignorarse y seguir caminando. La manera como elijan reaccionar revela su carácter, y tiene el potencial de influir en la opinión de quienes los miran, para bien o para mal.

Esto es muy importante para los que seguimos a Cristo. Nuestro comportamiento debe reflejar a Cristo y demostrar que somos personas transformadas. Si reaccionamos con ira o frustración, no estamos siguiendo el llamado de Pablo: “Sed benignos unos con otros, misericordiosos, perdonándoos unos a otros, como Dios también os perdonó a vosotros en Cristo” (Ef 4.32). Pero si elegimos el camino de la paz, la bondad y la compasión, otros verán al Señor en nosotros (He 12.14).

(Ps. Charles Stanley).

[focr]

Rely on God’s power instead of our own abilities

When we rely on God’s power instead of our own abilities, He produces supernatural boldness in us. Even in the midst of difficulty, we can live with confidence because the indwelling Spirit of the living God enables us to follow Him. He directs and strengthens us in every situation as we humble ourselves in dependence upon Him.

Are you facing situations that make you feel inadequate? Instead of shrinking back, consider them as opportunities to put your confidence in the Lord. You can trust the One who is your Creator, Redeemer, and Friend.

~ Charles Stanley

[tiand]

"Quote Of The Day" November 3, 2023

“Wisdom is the capacity to see things from God’s viewpoint.” — Charles Stanley