These are quotes which stood out to me, possibly for use in a sermon someday. Their presence here does not mean I agree with them, it merely shows that I might want to reference them later. The default view is five random selections. Use the tag list on the right to view all quotes relevant to that theme.
If someone says "Prove to me God exists," say "What would you accept as proof?"
------------------------------------------------------- "BYLINE with Dan Betzer" Program #1987 Release Tuesday, May 15, 2001 "Sheep Gone Astray" by Dan Betzer ------------------------------------------------------- Hello again, this is Dan Betzer. The strangest thing happened the other day in Alexandria, Egypt. It happened to a Muslim who was preparing a sacrifice for Eid al-Adha, the Muslim feast of sacrifice. If you've been to Egypt, you know that over-crowding is just about everywhere. Many city-dwellers keep livestock on their rooftops, balconies or basements. Especially in the run up to the day of sacrifice. 56-year-old Waheeb Hamoudah had been feeding his sheep which he had tethered on the rooftop. Suddenly, the sheep broke loose from its moorings and butted its owner, and in the process knocked him off the third story roof. Hamoudah fell to his death. Killed by his own sacrifice. Several things are sad about that story. One is that the man was killed. And the other was that the sacrifice was completely unnecessary. The New Testament book of Hebrews teaches that it is not possible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. Christ died to set us free from the penalty of the sins we committed. Christ died only once as a sacrifice to take away the sins of all the people. He will come again but not to deal with our sins again. What a wonderful passage! The debt for my sin and yours had already been paid in full at Calvary. When Jesus cried out with his last breath, "It is finished," He meant not only His earthly life, but also the price of our redemption. No more sacrifices, no more bloodshed. What Christ did was full and complete. Now comes only the matter of the sinner accepting what Jesus purchased. So that poor guy in Egypt was butted off the third story by the very sacrifice he believed would redeem him. He had his trust in the wrong place. Where do you have your trust today, good friend? Dan Betzer here and that's BYLINE.
Sow a thought, reap an action; sow an action, reap a habit; sow a habit, reap a character; sow a character and reap a destiny.
Professional golfer Paul Azinger was diagnosed with cancer at age 33. He had just won a PGA championship and had ten tournament victories to his credit. He wrote, "A genuine feeling of fear came over me. I could die from cancer. Then another reality hit me even harder. I'm going to die eventually anyway, whether from cancer or something else. It's just a question of when. Everything I had accomplished in golf became meaningless to me. All I wanted to do was live." Then he remembered something that Larry Moody, who teaches a Bible study on the tour, had said to him. "Zinger, we're not in the land of the living going to the land of the dying. We're in the land of the dying trying to get to the land of the living." Golfer Paul Azinger recovered from chemotherapy and returned to the PGA tour. He's done pretty well. But that bout with cancer deepened his perspective. He wrote, "I've made a lot of money since I've been on the tour, and I've won a lot of tournaments, but that happiness is always temporary. The only way you will ever have true contentment is in a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. I'm not saying that nothing ever bothers me and I don't have problems, but I feel like I've found the answer to the six-foot hole." Citation: Robert Russell, "Resurrection Promises," Preaching Today, Tape No. 151.
<strong>Judas</strong> Betrayed Jesus Premeditated sin (Luke 22:4-6) Was seized with remorse (Luke 27:3) Felt guilty not after his action, but after the consequences of his action (Luke 27:3) Condemned himself (Matthew 27:5) Experienced death <strong>Peter</strong> Denied Jesus three times Spontaneous sin (Luke 22:33) Wept bitterly (Luke 22:62) Felt guilty after his action (Luke 22:60-62) Received Christ’s forgiveness (John 21:19) Experienced new life