Pearls

Pearls to Ponder

Pearls to Ponder

This page is devoted to those tidbits of information and inspiration that we all pick up in our Christian studies and prayer lives that are just too good to keep to ourselves. If you have something to share, please send it to the web servant for posting. Please remember to mention where you got it so we can give credit to the source of your inspiration.

“I AM A CHRISTIAN”

by Pastor Mike Weiser

I have a LOVE in my heart that leads me to give of myself for the glory of God and the welfare of other people.

I have a JOY deep within that assures me of God’s ultimate control of my life, even–and especially–when I face difficult and distressing circumstances.

I have a PEACE of mind, a calmness of spirit that carries me through the most tumultuous of times.

I have a PATIENCE that enables me to endure opposition that comes from other people, or from life itself.

I have a KINDNESS in my character that leads me to do good toward others whenever and wherever opportunities arise.

I have a GOODNESS in my heart that compels me to choose what is morally right over what is morally wrong and good over evil.

I have a FAITHFULNESS in my character that makes me reliable and trustworthy in the sight of God and other people.

I have a GENTLENESS within me that enables me to be meek without being weak, and to be humble before God and others.

I have a sense of SELF-CONTROL that enables me to be the master of my emotions, my desires, my impulses, and my love for pleasure.

I AM A CHRISTIAN!

Christian by Maya Angelou

When I say... "I am a Christian"
I'm not shouting "I'm clean livin."
I'm whispering "I was lost,"
Now I'm found and forgiven.

When I say..."I am a Christian"
I don't speak of this with pride.
I'm confessing that I stumble
and need CHRIST to be my guide.

When I say... "I am a Christian"
I'm not trying to be strong.
I'm professing that I'm weak
and need HIS strength to carry on.

When I say... "I am a Christian"
I'm not bragging of success.
I'm admitting I have failed
and need God to clean my mess.

When I say... "I am a Christian"
I'm not claiming to be perfect,
My flaws are far too visible
but, God believes I am worth it.

When I say... "I am a Christian"
I still feel the sting of pain,
I have my share of heartaches
So I call upon His name.

When I say... "I am a Christian"
I'm not holier than thou,
I'm just a simple sinner
who received God's good grace, somehow.

~Maya Angelou~

"Joy is a net of love by which you can catch souls. A joyful hart is the inevitable result of a heart burning with love."

— Mother Teresa

"Faith is not believing in spite of the evidence. Faith is obeying in spite of the consequence. Faith is developed through struggle. Faith says, 'I will do what the Lord says even though it might mean a storm is headed my way.' "

— Courson, Jon. A Day's Journey. page 13. Santa Ana: Calvary Chapel Publishing, 2004.

"The unforgivable sin is not a single act but a continuous ongoing rejection. . . . Those who sincerely desire God's forgiveness can be absolutely certain that they will never be turned away."

— Hanegraaff, Hank. The Bible Answer Book. page 24. Nashville: J. Countryman, 2004.

"And I am comforted in knowing that the people of faith include Rahab, a whore; David, an adulterer; Peter, a man who lacked self-control; and Paul, seemingly a contentious man, because this reminds me that they were human beings, that they struggled, that they sometimes failed—which is to say that they were something like me."

— Taylor, Daniel. The Myth of Certainty: the Reflective Christian & the Risk of Commitment. page 104. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1992.

What does it mean to follow Christ?