Mindset For Success

He must increase, but I must decrease. - John 3:30 (LSB) Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen. - 2 Peter 3:18 (LSB) Am I growing in the grace and knowledge of my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ? Feed what you want to grow, starve what you want to die. Like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation. - 1 Peter 2:2 LSB Am I growing in the knowledge of His Word? You are either growing or you are shrinking, there is no net neutral. For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you the elementary principles of the oracles of God, and you have come to need milk and not solid food. For everyone who partakes only of milk is not accustomed to the word of righteousness, for he is an infant. But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern both good and evil

And He summoned the crowd with His disciples, and said to them, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it. - John 8:34-35 (LSB) Here are the words of our Lord to sinners, inviting them to come to Him for forgiveness, and blessing, and peace, and joy, and eternal life. This is our Lord’s own invitation. Those of us who’ve been in the church for any length of time are used to invitations. They have been a part of the church, at least in America, for many, many years. Perhaps today there will be thousands of invitations given across America in churches to sinners to come to Christ. However, I think I’m safe in saying that few of them will follow the pattern of our Lord’s own invitation. It doesn’t sound, perhaps, like any invitation you ever heard in a church. This invitation deals a death blow to man-centered, self-cen

“Write this letter to the angel of the church in Pergamum. This is the message from the one with the sharp two-edged sword: “I know that you live in the city where Satan has his throne, yet you have remained loyal to me. You refused to deny me even when Antipas, my faithful witness, was martyred among you there in Satan’s city. “But I have a few complaints against you. You tolerate some among you whose teaching is like that of Balaam, who showed Balak how to trip up the people of Israel. He taught them to sin by eating food offered to idols and by committing sexual sin. In a similar way, you have some Nicolaitans among you who follow the same teaching. Repent of your sin, or I will come to you suddenly and fight against them with the sword of my mouth. “Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches. To everyone who is victorious I will give some of the manna that has been hidden away in heaven. And I will give to each one a white st

 “And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write: This is what the the first and the last, who was dead, and has come to life, says: ‘I know your tribulation and your poverty (but you are rich), and the blasphemy by those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to cast some of you into prison, so that you will be tested, and you will have tribulation for ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes will never be hurt by the second death.’ - Revelation 2:8-11 (LSB) I really believe on a supernatural level that God and Satan are engaged in a battle over the strength of faith. And Satan is constantly trying to destroy true faith. And God says, “All right, give it a try.” And Satan in total frustration comes back defeated. So God says I’m engaged in a war with Satan, and I’m going to

For the eyes of Yahweh move to and fro throughout the earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is wholly devoted to Him. - 2 Chronicles 16:9a (LSB) Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. James 4:8 (LSB) "Cleansing of the hands" symbolizes external behavior, whereas "purify your heart" refers to inner thoughts, motives, and desires of the heart. - John MacArthur It is Direction, not Intention, that determines Destination. It may be your intention, or you may be able to justify in your own mind what you are doing is the right thing, but God is Omniscient, knows your heart and the true motives of every action you execute. He will evaluate them on purity of your heart and obedience to Him. Whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. - 1 Corinthians 10:31b (LSB) Is what I am doing and how I am doing it bringing glory to God? But Yahweh said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appe