“The hearts of the wicked are, of course, never hardened by the direct influence of God–He simply permits some men to follow out the evil impulses which are already in their hearts, so that, as a result of their own choices, they become more and more calloused and obstinate. God is ultimately responsible for the hardening of the heart in that he permits it to occur, but never are we to understand that God is the immediate and efficient cause.”
Loraine Boettner
“No one with proper ideas of God supposes that He suddenly does something which He had not thought of before. Since His is an eternal purpose, what He does in time is what He purposed from eternity to do. Those whom He saves are those whom He purposed from eternity to save, and those whom He leaves to perish are those whom He purposed from eternity to leave. If it is just for God to do a certain thing in time, it is, by parity of argument, just for Him to resolve upon and decree it from eternity, for the principle of the action is the same in either case. And if we are justified in saying that from all eternity God has intended to display His mercy in pardoning a vast multitude of sinners why do some people object so strenuously when we say that from all eternity God has intended to display His justice in punishing other sinners?”
Loraine Boettner
The Lord brings the counsel of the nations to nothing; he frustrates the plans of the peoples. The counsel of the Lord stands forever, the plans of his heart to all generations. Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people whom he has chosen as his heritage! The Lord looks down from heaven; he sees all the children of man; from where he sits enthroned he looks out on all the inhabitants of the earth, he who fashions the hearts of them all and observes all their deeds.
Psalms 33:10-15 (ESV) Continue reading
“God is not mocked. We cannot expect to be admitted into his presence with an attitude of disrespect.”
John Bevere
“It’s not out of a compliment that lovers keep on telling one another how beautiful they are. The delight is incomplete until it is expressed. In the same way, we delight to praise God because our praise of him not merely expresses, but it completes our enjoyment.”
C.S. Lewis
“Events of all sorts creep or fly exactly as God pleases.”
William Cowper
“So you can see what is happening in the New Testament. Worship is being significantly deinstitutionalized, delocalized, de-externalized. The whole thrust is being taken off of ceremony and seasons and places and forms and is being shifted to what is happening in the heart – not just on Sunday but every day and all the time in all of life.”
John Piper
Written by Karen Holland
I will lift up my eyes
To my help and shield
To the One to whom my spirit yields
In the Lord I put all my hope and trust.
I will lift up my eyes
To the Maker of heaven and earth
Ever watching, ever guarding
He never sleeps
He alone has the power to keep my stumbling feet.
As I lift up my eyes
To the One who guards my ways
I will lift up my hands
To Him I will give all my praise
He is my Rock, my strength,
my impenetrable shield and
my joyful song!