The goal of the Gospel of the kingdom (Matt 4:23) is this: "thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven." Which is to say the establishment of a God-fearing civilization upon the earth (Matt 28:18-20; Acts 17:30), one in which lawlessness is overthrown and obedience to the King of Kings and Lord of Lords is established. Then the end shall come (Psalm 110; 1 Cor. 15:24-25).

What a day in Church History! Sept 14, 258 St. Cyprian Martyred/Beheaded Sept 14, 407 St. John Chrysostom Died Sept 14, 1321 Dante Alighieri Died Chrysostom gave us some of the first and greatest commentaries on Scripture (Matthew, John, Acts, all of Paul's Letters, Hebrews), Dante gave us the greatest poem ever written, The Divine Comedy, and Cyprian gave his life, refusing to sacrifice to the gods of Rome and confess Caesar as Lord. Take up and read today from any of the writings of the three and you will be blessed.

"Faith is the telegraphic wire which links earth and heaven—on which God’s messages of love fly so fast, that before we call He answers, and while we are yet speaking He hears us." — Charles Spurgeon

“If people searched the Scriptures, we would find them come together in union—but the least-read book in all the world, in proportion to its circulation, is the Word of God. It is distributed everywhere, but it is scarcely read anywhere with care and attention—and with a sincere resolve to follow its precepts at all hazards.”- C.H. Spurgeon

September 11th is the day that the army of Suleiman the Magnificent and his 40,000 men were driven from the shores of Malta by the Knights of St. John (Hospitallers) after a tremendous siege. The French commander of the Knights, 70 year old Jean Parisot de la Valette addressed his vastly outnumbered forces: "A formidable army composed of audacious barbarians is descending on this island. These persons, my brothers, are the enemies of Jesus Christ. . .Today is a question of the defense of our faith--as to whether the Gospels are to be superceded by the Koran. God, on this occasion demands of us our lives, already vowed to his service."

“Ecumenical thinking is to take the churches as they are and to bring them all together. So they take up a minimal statement of faith and even that they do not apply…The first thing we want to know with regard to a man who comes to us for fellowship is, What is his attitude to this. To have fellowship with men who deny the truth is to deny the truth by implying that the truth does not matter.” –Martyn Lloyd-Jones (Biography, Vol 2, Pg 546)

"God taught man to make coats to cover his naked body, but the Devil taught him to weave deceit to cover his naked soul." William Gurnall

“Do not pray for easy lives; pray to be stronger men. Do not pray for tasks equal to your powers; pray for powers equal to your tasks. Then, the doing of your work shall be no miracle, but you shall be a miracle.” -Bishop Philip Brooks

The great thing about faith in God is that it keeps a man undisturbed in the midst of disturbance. - Oswald Chambees

79 years ago (Sept 8, 1947), CS Lewis was on the cover of Time magazine with a demon (Screwtape?) perched on his shoulder. "Lewis (like T. S. Eliot, W. H. Auden, et al.) is one of a growing band of heretics among modern intellectuals: an intellectual who believes in God."

"The early history of our country was written by men who valued the freedom of religion and who had in common a deep faith in God. I believe it is no accident of history, no coincidence that this Nation, which declared its dependence on God even while declaring its independence from foreign domination, has become the most richly blessed nation in the history of mankind and the world. For it is as true today as it was in the Old Testament times that "blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord." I believe that very deeply, and so do you. "In my own life and throughout my career in public service, I have found in the pages of the Bible a steady compass and a source of great strength and peace. As each of my predecessors in the Presidency has done, I asked for God's guidance as I undertook the duties of this office. I have asked for that guidance many times since." -- Gerald R. Ford, American politician who served as the 38th president of the United States from 1974 to 1977. Remarks at the Southern Baptist Convention, Norfolk, Virginia, 15 June 1976.

“There exists not a more undoubted evidence of a renewed nature than prayer. The absence of it is the unmistakable evidence of death, its existence a palpable and positive evidence of life. Prayer is the most vital, spiritual, and pure emanation of the indwelling of the Spirit in the soul.” -Octavius Winslow British Minister 1808-1878

*Here are thirteen quotes by Spurgeon about raising Godly children* 1. “As soon as a child is capable of being lost, it is capable of being saved.” 2. “Whether we teach young children truth or not, the devil will be sure to teach them error.” 3. “Children will imitate their fathers in their vices, seldom in their repentance.” 4. “Some of the worst of men have been the children of godly parents.” 5. “If we never have headaches through rebuking our children, we shall have plenty of heartaches when they grow up.” 6. “We must not expect to see our children blessed unless we ourselves grow in grace.” 7. “What a blessing to have our children enlisted in Christ’s army!” 8. “If you want the eminent men in God’s Church, look for them amongst those converted in youth.” 9. “I hope we seldom bow the knee without praying for our children.” 10. “You cannot pray for your children if you do not pray for yourselves.” 11. “It is not your instruction that can save the souls of your children; it is the blessing of God the Holy Spirit accompanying your labours.” 12. “It is not very easy, I know, to preach Christ to little children, but there is nothing else worth preaching.” 13. “Give us the first seven years of a child, with God’s grace, and we may defy the world, the flesh, and the devil.” ~ Charles Spurgeon 1834-1892

“Every time you ask for forgiveness, you recognize that the biggest problems you face in life exist inside of you, not outside of you.” Paul David Tripp

"We really are not going to understand the Bible and the Kingdom of God and what it means until we understand that the law of God, by and large, is not enforced by the state, nor by the church; that it is for individuals to enforce. "As you can see, God’s Kingdom is not a statist one, nor an ecclesiastical one. It is not controlled by church nor state, nor by compulsion. It is controlled by the faith of believers … This is the way the world should be ruled. Just as we are to be ruled by faith, so, too, is the world." RJ Rushdoony, Commentary on Corinthians

“Sin is not only a revolt against God, but a deification of self. It is a determination to gratify my own inclinations; it is saying, “I will be lord over myself.” -A.W. Pink British Minister 1886-1952

“If the Lord be with me, I shall conquer in the battle of life, and the greater my trials the more glorious will be my victory.” -Charles Spurgeon English Preacher 1834-1892 “Corrupt worship invariably replaces and relatives God and ends up dulling moral vision (Ezekiel 8:17).” -D.A. Carson Theologian and Professor 1946 "What is happening around you in the world is the backdrop to what God is doing for you and with you as the believing people of God. The Bible makes the kingdom story the main story." -Jim Elliff American Minister

"Faith is the rope tied to the bucket of reality, dipping itself into the fullness of God."—Lester Roloff

“Religious worship ought to be performed in private families daily. This is a duty which the light of nature very plainly teaches. And the heathens will rise up in judgment against the prayerless families of professed Christians” Robert Shaw

"If you want to destroy a civilization: scorn a teacher, humiliate a doctor, marginalize a scientist, and value what is insignificant." Malik Bennabi

“A deal of mischief is often done to good men, under colour of law and justice.” – Matthew Henry

"Freedom only prospers when religion is vibrant & the rule of law under God is acknowledged." Ronald Reagan

“For they that correct not evil doings when they may, and when their office requires it, are guilty of it themselves. For example, if a preacher winks at the vices that reign, surely he is a traitor and unfaithful: For he should keep good watch and wake such as are in danger of undoing. If I bear with the evil wittingly or through negligence, I am the first that shall be condemned. Likewise, if those who hold the sword of justice, execute not the rigor which they ought to address men’s misbehaviors, surely the wrath of God is upon them continually, yeah and upon the whole country, because no man is found that complains of this, that the mischief was so borne with all. One good zealous man is enough to turn away the wrath of God; for he will move others that were negligent.” ~ John Calvin, Sermons on Deuteronomy Chapter 5