Category Archives: Quotes

Leadership, Passages of the Bible, Quotes

True Courage

Leave a comment

winston-churchill

Good word on this side of time by Winston Churchill, “Success is never final, failure is never fatal; it is the courage to continue that counts.”

Paul the Apostle summed this up in Philippians 3:12-14.

Even though Paul had done so much in the ministry and he loved the Lord passionately, he didn’t allow his success to slow him down – he kept going and growing.

Not only did Paul refuse to look back in order to see how many hurdles he cleared, he also refused to look back to see how many hurdles he knocked down, and I’m sure he did – we all do. We all fail and fall short from time to time – but our failures do not have to define us. There are countless characters in the Bible (like Peter), and throughout church history who exemplify the fact that we serve the God of the second-chance.

It takes courage, but my prayer is that none of us would ever give up.

Get up, keep going, put one foot in front of the other while keeping both eyes on Jesus Christ. Get back to church, to consistent prayer and Bible study, and watch what God does.

Winston Churchill was used mightily to lead the allied forces to victory in WWII. God wants to use your life to win an even greater war – so I pray we’d yield to His awesome love.

Your brother in Christ, Manny

Modern Miracles, Passages of the Bible, Quotes

Honoring God

1 Comment

Eric Liddell

1 Samuel 2:30b, “…for those who honor Me I will honor.”

Have you ever heard of Eric Liddel? Many of us have seen his life-story on the big (or smaller) screen, as told in the Oscar winning film, “Chariots of Fire.”

In the 1924 Olympics in Paris, Eric was the favorite to win the gold medal in the 100-meter race, but under deep conviction, he withdrew his name, refusing to run on a Sunday, the day he had always given completely to the Lord.

Eric was criticized and pressured by many to run on Sunday, but he refused to compromise his deep convictions. As an alternative, Liddell registered to run in the 400-meter race, but he wasn’t expected to win. Just moments before the race, an American handed him a piece of paper on which was written this passage from 1 Samuel 2:30, “Those who honor Me I will honor.” Liddell ran the race with the verse in his hand and ended up winning Olympic Gold and setting a new world record with a time of 47.6 seconds!

Here’s the part that really got to me – when Eric described his strategy for the race, he said, “The secret of my success over the 400 meters is that I run the first 200 meters as fast as I can. Then, for the second 200 meters, with God’s help, I run faster.”

I’ve always loved that quote as a strategy to win my race and to finish well. In a day and age where many are compromising, falling away, and giving in to the criticism and pressures of the world, Eric Liddel is one of those guys in the Christian Hall of Faith, set there as an example for us to learn from.

My brothers and sisters, I beg you to hold to your Christian convictions without compromise, no matter what it costs, and regardless of the criticism and pressures of the world. By God’s grace – as time goes on – run harder, and stronger, and faster, in order that you might win the race and finish well. And last but not least, honor the Lord with all of your heart – if you do, as we’ve seen modeled through the lives of Eric Liddell and so many others, the Lord will honor you – yes, I promise you, you will be rewarded with that “Gold-Medal” given to you on that day, by God Himself.

In His love, your brother in Christ,

Manny

Bible Studies, Passages of the Bible, Quotes

Under the Sun?

1 Comment

Sun CrayonThe book of Ecclesiastes can be a very challenging book of the Bible, but it is also very rich and stirs up practical truths we can apply to our lives. Not too long ago I was reading through Ecclesiastes and I was asking the Lord to teach me the truths of His Word. I noticed a phrase repeated throughout the book, and that is the phrase, “Under the sun.” As a matter of fact, thirty-seven times the phrase, “under the sun” is found in Ecclesiastes, and in 1:14 Solomon writes, “I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and indeed, all is vanity and grasping for the wind.”

As I prayed, the Lord really spoke to me – you see, all that is done “under the sun,” really is in vain. “Under the sun” means just for this world, this temporary place, this puny planet. “Under the sun” is being engaged in the wrong things, or doing anything for the wrong reason. “Under the sun” is either earthly (wasteful), or ungodly (evil), and anything done “under the sun,” really is vanity.

How can this be remedied? Well, I’ve discover that the antidote from doing things, “Under the Sun,” is doing things, “Under the Son.” Notice what a difference one letter can make? To do things under the Son, means that we’re captured by Jesus, God’s Son, and therefore do things in submission to Jesus, and in service to Jesus.

Are you living life “Under the Son?” I pray you would. Please pray that I would.

The beautiful thing about this, is that when you live life “Under the Son,” nothing is in vain, as we read in 1 Corinthians 15:58, “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.”

May God fill all of your days, with all of His ways – the Lord, with a labor, and a life that is never, ever in vain!

“A life spent in the service of God and communion with Him is the most pleasant life that anyone can live in this world.” – Matthew Henry on his deathbed