Calvary Syracuse Media

“ Some men hold God’s law like a rod…over Christians, and say, ‘If you sin you will be punished with it.’ It is not so. The law is under a Christian; it is for him to walk on, to be his guide, his rule, his pattern… Law is the road which guides us, not the rod which drives us, nor the spirit which actuates us” Charles Spurgeon

Sacrifice comes at a cost - love is not cheap. Charles Spurgeon said, "The exercise of benevolence is joy to loving hearts: the more pain it costs, the more joy it is. Kind actions make us happy, and in such joy we find communion with the great heart of Jesus."

John Donne wrote the poem, "No Man Is An Island." It first stanza goes, "No man is an island, Entire of itself; Every man is a piece of the continent, A part of the main. In other words, we belong to each other - we are interconnected like a body." "Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it" (1 Corinthians 12:27)

A lot of people lose their temper quickly these days - a mistake on the highway, an unintended slight in the store, etc. Solomon said, "A fool gives full vent to his anger, but a wise person holds it in check." (Proverbs 29:11). The Holy Spirit empowers us to hold back and not lose our heads. Lord help us lower the emotional temperature around us!

The coming of the Lord has never been more attractive especially with all that is going on in the world. The time to welcome him is now and not when he returns for then it will be too late. "Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation." (2 Corinthians 6:2)

C.S.Lewis said, “Everyone says forgiveness is a lovely idea until they have something to forgive.” We all identify with that. Theoretically, forgiveness is wonderful, but personally, we find it much more difficult to do. Paul said, “be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.” (Ephesians 4:32)

May we all grow in the wisdom, love and grace of the Lord till the day we finish our race and stand before our God.. Psalm 119:33 Teach me, O LORD, the way of your statutes; and I will keep it to the end. 34 Give me understanding, that I may keep your law and observe it with my whole heart.

We can choose our behaviors but we can't choose the consequences. If we choose good behaviors, then there will be good consequences and the same for those that are bad (Galatians 6:7-8). Robert Lewis Stevenson said, "Sooner or later everyone sits down to a banquet of consequences." Therefore, live to glorify Christ!

“…your status with Him (God) was settled on the day you were declared righteous…but there is more …you have a new relationship with God in which He communes with you and sustains you…with love, affection and strength. Coming to Christ changes who we are.” David Platt

We have all had experiences where we felt outnumbered. We may wonder if anyone can help us? Paul said, " What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? (Romans 8:31) God is for us! Even if the whole world is against us, God tips the scales in our favor. Hallelujah!

Sometimes we are forced to press on in difficulty. Facing the Battle of the Wilderness, General Grant sent this to President Lincoln, "If you see the President, tell him from me that whatever happens there will be no turning back." Beloved, in our battle with sin and the devil, there is no turning back. Let's press on in faith!

Whether it is good things or bad things, we all get a turn in life. Good things come our way from time to time and we never question it. Likewise, bad things come as well and we ask, "Why me?" Like David, let's cry out to God and he will answer us from his holy hill. (Psalm 3:4)

The only sin Jesus ever had was ours. And the only righteousness we can ever have is his. A.W. Tozer

Rejection is difficult to handle; you feel isolated. But it's going to happen. Jesus said, "If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first." (John 15:18). But if we yield to God and trust him, he will help us overcome.

Imagine someone intervening in a dangerous situation that saves your life. How could you adequately say thank you? Just saying the words seems hollow. But, what could we give in return? The demon possessed man was told just to tell others what the Lord had done for him (Mark 5:19)

Have you ever done a home remodeling project? It requires more than just a trip to Home Depot. You have to develop a plan, expend resources, gather materials, and then expend the effort. The same is true of remodeling our lives for Christ. "Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind." (Romans 12:2)

We all live busy lives with so many commitments such as work, family, activities, etc. It's hard to find time to just unplug from our devices and spend time with Christ. Let's make room for the Savior in our hearts so that we might experience his glory (Luke 2:14)

We can all identify with the prodigal son - wasting all that God has given us not realizing that Christ alone has all we need. Henri Nouwen said, "I am the prodigal son every time I search for unconditional love where it cannot be found." Let's look for it in Christ alone.

God calls us to obedience. The Psalmist said, “How can a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed according to Your word.” (Psalm 119:9). Remember, selective obedience brings selective blessings! - Pastor Ken

John Wesley said, "Give me one hundred preachers who fear nothing but sin and desire nothing but God, and I care not whether they be clergymen or laymen, they alone will shake the gates of Hell and set up the kingdom of Heaven upon Earth."

Each year, we set aside one day to be especially thankful - is that enough? That’s only 0.3% of the year to be especially thankful. I submit that if we thought about it and what we have, we could be thankful for the other 99.7% of the year too. Paul said, “Give thanks in everything” (1 Thess. 5:18)

Christians think that we are saved by the gospel but then we grow by applying biblical principles…but we are not just saved by the gospel, we grow by applying the gospel to every area of life. - Dick Kaufmann

The world tells us that there is no difference between so-called lifestyle choices, but there is. Sin is pleasurable, but just for a season (Hebrews 11:25), and the consequences of bad choices can't be avoided. Sow to the Spirit and reap life everlasting! (Galatians 6:7-8)

It's a fool's errand to think that we can get away with sin. God sees it all. You might fool some people for a while but it eventually gets exposed. Moses wrote, "You can be sure your sin will find you out." (Numbers 32:23)