070211

(Robison) Servanthood is the key to genuine spiritual success and significance. At no other time than when we serve others does our meaning and purpose in life become more clear and more Christ-like. Real success is measured by the degree you care and share. Servanthood should be a  life-long attitude, not just a temporary response to a crisis .  Mercy is not something we intend; it is something we extend. Servanthood is a function of mercy.It stems from a genuine desire to seek the best for others, to put their interests before our own, and to exercise authentic love

(Robison) Faith in God transcends self-interest and self-fulfillment. Faith in faith descends into self-reliance and self-assurance. 
                                                                                                                        (Robison) The sad fact is that great " success" brings the greatest temptations and battles one can imagine. Look at how many have failed after gaining so much. Muhammed Ali stated a few years ago,  " I had the world in my hands and it was nothin' "  Few things  can destroy a person as quickly as the pressures and temptations that often accompany great " success"  Just look at the athletes,entertainers, business people, politicians, and sadly, even ministers. All were " successful" in their public life, but failures in their privte and personal lives.
                                                                                                                        ( Robison) The Christian has nothing to prove, only Someone to please

(Robison) Our culture teaches us from our earliest days to look out for # 1, to pamper ourselves,  and to encourage self-actualization, self-awareness, and self-esteem. As a result, we have become self-absorbed, self-concerned, and self-consumed. We have also become supremely unhappy and unfulfilled.. The whole of history contradicts our society's emphasis on self-and self- satisfaction

(Paul Kellerman)  The only path to genuine happiness and fulfillment is through service to others. It is only as we give ourselves away that we can truly discover ourselves

(Robison) Early in America's history, the church had cultural auntenticity it had earned by serving

(Robison) It is sad to note that political activists did  far more to secure civil rights for minorities than did the church

(Ron Schumann) The old  adage that  "  time heals all wounds"  is a myth. Time does not heal grief; it simply spreads the loss across time

(Charles Stanley) Disappointments are inevitable; discouragement is a choice

(A. Rogers)  The most glorious fact in the universe is that men may know God personally. The saddest fact is that so few have availed themselves of this opportunity

(Our Daily Bread) No one is hopeless whose hope is in God

(James Robison) When Christ stated that " the greatest among you shall be your servant", He did not mean greatest in recognition, appreciation, or admiration. He meant great in impact and effectiveness for eternity. Only by the legacy we leave can the true impact of our lives be guaged

( Robison) Speaking of William Wilberforce: " He was a non-conformist in a day of enforced conformity. He was a genuine reformer and a man of unswerving principle in a day of blatant compromise "

(Thomas Chalmers)  Speaking of William Wilberforce: "  He was one of those who had the  knack of losing every battle on his way to winning the war"

(Dolly Madison) Love doubles our joy and halves our grief

(James Robison) Genuine love is innately sacrificial, sees the opportunities, not the obstacles, is tenaciously persistent and boldly active , cannot be faked, has a certain air of authenticity about it, and does not  give in when the going gets tough

( Robison) In the end, the worst that evil can do is no match for the best that love in action can accomplish

(Robison) We must be clear about the identity of the enemy. It is not the people;it is the force of evil that holds them in bondage

(Robison) For all intents and purposes, Saul was a Middle Eastern terrorist who thought he was doing God a service by trying to destroy everything and everyone connected with the church of Jesus Christ. In the name of religion, he was filled with hatred. He watched approvingly as an innocent man was stoned to death. If we want to break the power of evil in this world, it's going to take a Stephen-like commitment to love other people. The difference  between mere religion and  genuine faith in God is our undeniable expression of love

(Robison) God has never given us an assignment without the resources to fulfill it

(Robison) Commenting on what Chinese interpreters told staff of Life Outreach International about the government's assessment of their ministry: " What Chinese leaders were saying was that these people are strange. They're not typical capitalists from the West. These people love us, they love our people, they love our children, they want to help "

( Robison) Commenting of LOI's ministry  and impact in China: " If they never gave us a chance to talk about the love of God, we would still love them and do everything we could to help them. We would still do our best to show them God's love in action"

(Warren Wiersbe) One of the most common problems I encounter with discouraged Christians is that of  a spiritual inferiority complex
( Wiersbe)  I have never made spiritual gifts a test of fellowship. The deity of Christ, Yes! Spiritual gifts are  tools to build with, not toys to play with and not weapons to fight with

( Wiersbe) Four foundational facts about spiritual gifts: (1) they are very important;(2) they are governed by the Word of God;(3) they are varied;(4) they are given for the good of the whole church, not for the magnifying of individuals.

(Wiersbe)  The proper use of spiritual gifts will result in humility, harmony, and growth. Improper use will result in their opposites. We are to discover, develop, and discipline our gifts

(James Dobson)  Commenting on John chapter 11: " The Master was not really late at all. He only appeared to be overdue. He arrived at the precise moment necessary to fulfill the purposes of God, just as He always does. It is extremely important to recognize that He is never actually late. His time table is simply different from ours and it is usaully slower . As long as I know that He loves me and that He never makes a mistake, why should I not be content to rest in His protection? God's economy of time and energy is  different  from ours. Obviously there is  no " tyranny of the urgent"  in God's scheme of things. He acts according to His own ordered schedule

( James Dobson) Mozart died penniless  at thirty-five, being unable to attract any interest in his compositions. His most valuable possession at the time of his death was a violin worth about two dollars. He was buried in an unmarked pauper's grave, and no one attended his funeral. Who was it that said that life was fair?

It has been said that the only thing in life that is fair   is Snow White's complexion

It has also been said that the only truly committed men in America are those in asylums and prisons

(James Dobson)  Commenting on the deaths of Jim Elliott , Oswald  Chambers, Peter Marshall, and Dietrich Bonhoffer : " Why would God invest such extraordinary ability in those whose lives would be abbreviated by death?
I simply do not know . What conclusions can we draw from these seeming contradictions, except to " let God be God? ".  He does not explain Himself  to man. We can say with confidence that while His purposes and plans are very different from ours, He is infinitely just and His timing is always perfect. He  intervenes at just the right moment for our ultimate good. Until we hear from Him, then, we would be wise not to get in a lather. For reasons that are impossible to  explain, we human beings are incredibly precious to God. One of the most breathtaking concepts in all of Scripture is the revelation that God knows each of us personally and that we are in His mind both day and night-there is simply no way to comprehend the full implications of this love. Why would He care about us-about our needs, our welfare, our fears? His concern for us mere mortals is ultimately inexplicable to us"