Expect Great Things From God. Attempt Great Things For God. –William Carey

We can expect great things from God and attempt great things for Him when we step out in faith to serve Him, because He is so great!

William Carey, known as the “Father of modern Protestant missions,” embodied this quote. His conviction for reaching the lost by traveling to remote locations based on Matthew 28:18-20, was considered radical by his contemporaries in the 18th and 19th centuries. However, undaunted, he forged ahead in faith and God used him to inspire a great missionary movement that continues today.

This is a guest post by Beth Harris. She is a wife, mother, Bible study leader and volunteer editor for markalanwilliams.net.

I have learned that I can expect great things from God and attempt great things for Him when He leads me to step out in faith. Over the years many opportunities to serve have come through pastors and leaders from my church. Sometimes it feels like I’m stepping off a cliff with no net, until I remember that He will catch me. As a result, God has worked through me to accomplish things that I could have never imagined; and He has never disappointed or failed me.

The key to expecting great things from God and attempting great things for Him is realizing that He is the One accomplishing the work through us. Our motive must be to glorify Him and I’ve discovered that when we stay consistent and don’t give up; He is faithful to use us.

Do you expect great things from God and do you attempt great things for Him?

We can both expect great things from God and attempt great things for Him because, He is omnipotent or all-powerful. He is the supreme Ruler, reigning with unlimited power. He is invincible and undefeated. He has no equal or match.

All throughout the Bible, we can read about the greatness of God and His awesome works.

• Psalm 66:3 says, “Say to God, “How awesome are your deeds! So great is your power that your enemies cringe before you.” (NIV)

• Psalm 48:1 says, “Great is the Lord, and most worthy of praise, in the city of our God, his holy mountain.” (NIV)

• Psalm 77:13 says, “Your ways, God, are holy. What god is as great as our God?” (NIV)

Jesus said that believers would do the works that He did and even greater things because He was going to the Father.

Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. 13 And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it. John 14:12-14 (NIV)

Christians can expect great things from God and attempt great things for Him, because we have the Holy Spirit living within us.

John 14:15-18 says, “If you love me, obey my commandments. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you. 17 He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world cannot receive him, because it isn’t looking for him and doesn’t recognize him. But you know him, because he lives with you now and later will be in you. 18 No, I will not abandon you as orphans—I will come to you. (NLT)

Does that mean that believers can expect any great thing from God or attempt any great thing for Him?

The answer is both yes and no. Yes, because with God all things are possible (Matthew 19:26), but no if the great thing we want to attempt conflicts with His will and His Word.

If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. 9 As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. 10 If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. (John 15:7-10 ESV)

God wants us to bear much fruit for Him however, our dreams and goals must be to glorify Him and not ourselves or others.

Sometimes we may have God’s blessing to move forward in faith and we’re expecting great things and ready to attempt great things; but like William Carey we may face opposition from people or from the devil.

It’s always wise to take a step back and make sure we’re in God’s will. We can take time to use discernment and obtain confirmation from the Lord. Personally, if I’m faced with resistance, but I have prayed, sought God and His Word, and obtained wise counsel from pastors and mature believers; then I will confidently move forward in faith.

What great things are you expecting from God or attempting for Him?

Have you accepted Christ as your personal Lord and Savior? Please click here if you would like to do so now.

Your thoughts are welcome! You can leave a comment below.

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For God So Loved The World, That He Gave His Only Son,

that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

or God so loved, that he gave his only Son…” (John 3:16), is perhaps one of the most widely recognized and quoted Bible verses in the world. But how often do we really take the time to ponder the depth of God’s love and what it cost Him?

This is a guest post by Beth Harris. She is a wife, mother, Bible study leader and volunteer editor for markalanwilliams.net.

I have received some really nice and costly gifts over the years; especially from my husband. I know that my husband and family love me and not just because they tell me, but more importantly their actions demonstrate their love. Most people would agree that they know they are loved, because the people near and dear to them show it in some way. In other words, talk is cheap but true love requires sacrifice and action.

As much as my family loves me, they could not purchase forgiveness for my sins or eternal life for me even if they wanted to. But God, the only One who could afford to pay the cost to forgive my sins and give me eternal life, has done so. “For God so loved the world,” that He demonstrated His love when He gave His one and only Son. Therefore, no gift is more costly or precious to me than God’s gift of Jesus Christ. What could be more important than a person’s soul and their eternal welfare?

The beautiful part about John 3:16, is “For God so loved the world…,” that He took action to show His love. His love was much more than wishful sentiment and the gift that He gave cost Him dearly.

We needed a Savior and He graciously gave us One by His grace. Salvation is a gift and we can’t earn it.

• Ephesians 2:8-9 says, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.” (NIV)

• 1 John 4:10 says, “This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.” (NLT)

But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.” (Romans 5:8 NLT)

Our situation without Jesus was so dire, (Romans 3:23), (Romans 6:23), that God chose to pay an incalculable ransom and sacrificed His Son to get us back.

Jesus lived a sinless life and died a substitutionary death on our behalf. He was punished for our sins so that we could be forgiven and have eternal life. He took the full wrath of God for the sins of the whole world (Isaiah 53:5).

• 2 Corinthians 5:21 says, “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” (NIV)

• 1 Peter 1:18-19 says, “For you know that God paid a ransom to save you from the empty life you inherited from your ancestors. And the ransom he paid was not mere gold or silver. It was the precious blood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God.” (NLT)

Salvation is a free gift that Jesus purchased with His blood.

The good news is that whoever believes in Him, means the invitation for salvation is open for all to believe and receive what Christ has done on their behalf.

Forgiveness and salvation are to be accepted individually. Each person must recognize that they have sinned; and believe and receive Jesus Christ as their own personal Lord and Savior.

John 1:12 says, “Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.” (NIV)Romans 10:9-10 says, “If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.” (NIV)

For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day.” (John 6:40 NIV)

God so loved the world that He gave His Son to save people from going to hell. God does not want us to perish, but to believe and have eternal life.

2 Peter 3:9 says, “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” (NIV)

God is patiently waiting for people to turn to Him through Jesus Christ and be reconciled. He desires peace with us and Jesus Christ is the only way (John 14:6).

Have you accepted Christ as your personal Lord and Savior? Please click here if you would like to do so now.

Your thoughts are welcome! You can leave a comment below.

Help Spread the Word! If you found this article helpful, we’d love for you to share it with others on social media or otherwise. This will help get the Word in front of more people who need biblical guidance. Thanks for your help!

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16 ESV)

For more FREE Inspirational Quote Cards you can use and share click HERE | CLICK TO TWEET

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The Best Way To Rise To The Heights Is To Stay On The Level.

This quote for us to stay on the level in order to rise to the heights is a good reminder. It’s especially important for believers to live with honesty and integrity. After all, we are God’s representatives and witnesses for the Lord Jesus Christ. Our lives should be marked by truth and we should be even more convinced that God desires for us to stay on the level.

This is a guest post by Beth Harris. She is a wife, mother, Bible study leader and volunteer editor for markalanwilliams.net. 

Before I became a Christian, I found it very easy and natural to lie. But, after becoming a born- again Christian nearly 30 years ago, I became a lover and pursuer of truth.

After I had children, I was determined to raise them in the Christian faith. I wanted to teach them to stay on the level. So, as they were growing up, I would always tell them to tell me the truth. It didn’t matter how difficult it was for them to tell me or for me to hear the reality of what they had done; I still wanted to hear the truth. I cautioned them that I would show much more understanding if they were truthful then if they lied to me and I found out about it later.

Everyone makes mistakes and sometimes as humans it is hard to stay on the level, but lying is a sin and a betrayal against God and others. We may think we are getting away with something, but God is always watching and He hates lying (Proverbs 6:16-17). So, why would we deliberately lie in His presence?

Proverbs 12:22 says, “The Lord hates lying lips, but those who speak the truth are His joy.” (NIV)

We definitely need the Lord’s help to stay on the level because sometimes we may not realize we have been deceptive until after the fact. If so we can confess our sin and be forgiven (1John 1:9).

The truth is extremely important to the Lord and it should be for believers as well, because He is the truth (John 14:6), His Word is truth (John 17:7), and He wants us to practice the truth.

If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.” (1 John 1:6 ESV)

God wants us to stay on the level. He wants Christians to live lives of honesty and integrity. He wants our lives to be marked by truth and good character. All throughout Scripture we are cautioned to live by the truth as these verses state.

• Psalm 25:5 says, “Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long.” (NIV)

• 2 Corinthians 8:21 says, “We are careful to be honorable before the Lord, but we also want everyone else to see that we are honorable. (NLT)

• Ephesians 4:15 says, “Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ.” (NIV)

• Psalm 145:18 says, “The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.”(NIV)

Furthermore, the Biblical principle of sowing and reaping proves that the best way to rise to the heights is to stay on the level. We don’t want to live dishonest lives, in fact lying entraps us and the truth usually has a way of revealing itself over time.

• Galatians 6:7 says, “Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap.” (ESV)

• Job 4:8 says, “As I have seen, those who plow iniquity and sow trouble reap the same.”(ESV)

• Proverbs 11:3 says, “The integrity of the upright guides them, but the unfaithful are destroyed by their duplicity.” (NIV)

• “The godly are directed by honesty; the wicked fall beneath their load of sin.” (Proverbs 11:5 NLT)

There are consequences when we don’t stay on the level, including discipline from the Lord; and breaking fellowship with Him and others.

Lastly, staying on the level is so liberating!

John 8:31-32 says, “Jesus said to the people who believed in him, ‘You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.’” (NLT)

I like this quote: “Honesty is the best policy.” –Benjamin Franklin

What about you? Do you strive to stay on the level?

Have you accepted Christ as your personal Lord and Savior? Please click here if you would like to do so now.

Your thoughts are welcome! You can leave a comment below.

Help Spread the Word! If you found this article helpful, we’d love for you to share it with others on social media or otherwise. This will help get the Word in front of more people who need biblical guidance. Thanks for your help!

For more FREE Inspirational Quote Cards you can use and share click HERE

Additional resources about related subjects on this site:

• How to Conquer a Horrible Habit You Hate

• Who Needs Jesus, I’m a Good Person

• How to Receive Biblical Correction and Guidance

• How to Share Biblical Correction and Guidance

• 3 Acceptable Sins You Can Enjoy Today…or NOT!

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• Have You Written Your Own Bible?

• Video vlog: Twisting Scripture

• Podcast: Are all Sins Equal?

• Podcast: Will someone lose their salvation if they commit terrible sins?

NOTE: Facebook is random. Email is reliable. Subscribe via email and you won’t miss any of my articles, podcasts or videos. You’ll also get my eBook: 10 Prayers to Unlock Heaven on Earth