Jeff Ragan > Recent Status Updates

"If any of you wants to be my follower, you must put aside your selfish ambition, shoulder your cross, and follow me. If you try to keep your life for yourself, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for me, you will find true life. And how do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul in the process? Is anything worth more than your soul?" - Matthew 16:24-26

"Then Jesus said, 'Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke fits perfectly, and the burden I give you is light.'" - Matthew 11:28-30

"China, left without a government that all sections would recognize, deprived of the unifying symbol of the monarchy, broken of its habit of obedience to custom and law, and weak in the patriotism that attaches the soul not to a district but to the country as a whole, fell into an intermittent war of north against south, of section against section, of property against hunger, of old against young" (811-12).

"Then Jesus said, 'Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke fits perfectly, and the burden I give you is light.'" - Matthew 11:28-30

"Penetrating this culture to gain information can be very difficult. The populace have to be convinced that it is in their interest to talk to the authorities, and that they will not come to harm by dong so" (147).

"You are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it has lost its flavor? Can you make it useful again? It will be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless. You are the light of the world - like a city on a mountain, glowing in the night for all to see. Don't hide your light under a basket! Instead, put it on a stand and let it shine for all." - Matthew 5:13-15

"Peter learned this lesson that night: leaders take risks. They see Jesus walking where angels fear to tread and follow him there. They aren't content to sit safely, watching other people take risks. Leaders get out of the boat" (38).

"Look, I am sending you the prophet Elijah before the great and dreadful day of the Lord arrives. His preaching will turn the hearts of parents to their children, and the hearts of children to their parents. Otherwise I will come and strike the land with a curse." - Malachi 4:5-6

"...Shout in triumph, O people of Jerusalem! Look, your king is coming to you. He is righteous & victorious, yet he is humble, riding on a donkey - even on a donkey's colt. I will remove the battle chariots from Israel & the warhorses from Jerusalem... Your king will bring peace to the nations...His realm will stretch from sea to sea & from the Euphrates River to the ends of the earth." - Zechariah 9:9-10

"Without the debate and deliberation that such a dubious step required it was taken for granted that we should follow in the wake of these two vessels. I suppose I ought to have known better, but I confess I did not anticipate our having much difficulty in following behind them. So, in happy ignorance of what was in store, we now devoted ourselves to getting into trouble with complete success" (445).

"The Lord says, 'Shout and rejoice, O Jerusalem, for I am coming to live among you. Many nations will join themselves to the Lord on that day, and they, too, will be my people. I will live among you, and you will know that the Lord almighty sent me to you...Be silent before the Lord, all humanity, for he is springing into action from his holy dwelling.'" - Zechariah 3:10-13

"I have heard all about you, Lord, and I am filled with awe by the amazing things you have done. In this time of our deep need, begin again to help us, as you did in years gone by. Show us your power to save us. And in your anger, remember your mercy." - Habakkuk 3:2

"In the last days, the Temple of the Lord...will become the most important place on earth. People from all over the world will go there to worship. Many nations will come & say, 'Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the Temple of the God of Israel. There he will teach us his ways, so that we may obey him.' For in those days the Lord's teaching & his word will go out from Jerusalem." - Mic 4:1-2

"Blessed Lord, who was tempted in all things like we are, have mercy on our frailty. Out of weakness give us strength. Grant to us your fear so that we may fear you only. Support us in time of temptation. Embolden us in time of danger. Help us to do your work with good courage and to continue as your faithful soldiers and servants to the end of our life, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen" (1116).

"The reference to both Jews and Gentiles is all-important. That there should be the called from Jewry belongs to the argument of the passage as a whole...the covenant promise and the electing grace of God have broader scope than Jewry" (37-38).

While the author treats this as a sub-point, this is actually the MAIN point of the whole letter! He is so close, but so far...so very, very far!

"The time will come,' says the Lord, 'when the grain and grapes will grow faster than they can be harvested. Then the terraced vineyards on the hills of Israel will drip with sweet wine! I will bring my exiled people of Israel back from distant lands, and they will rebuild their ruined cities and live in them again." - Amos 9:13-14

"The Gospels are not biographies in the modern sense of the word, but are inspired testimonies that give us portraits of Jesus...each Gospel writer arranged the material to suit the overall picture he wanted to paint of Jesus...The Synoptics paid special attention to the ministry in Galilee...John emphasized Jesus' Jerusalem ministry..." (216).

"'Turn to me now, while there is time! Give me your hearts...Don't tear your clothing in your grief; instead, tear your hearts.' Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious & merciful. He is not easily angered. He is filled with kindness & is eager not to punish you. Who knows? Perhaps even yet he will give you a reprieve, sending you a blessing instead of this terrible curse." - Joel 2:12-14

"Then I will heal you of your idolatry and faithlessness, and my love will know no bounds, for my anger will be gone forever! I will be to Israel like a refreshing dew from heaven. It will blossom like the lily, it will send roots deep into the soil like the cedars in Lebanon. Its branches will spread out like those of beautiful olive trees, as fragrant as the cedar forests of Lebanon." - Hosea 14:4-6

"The federal government is no longer subject to the people who elect representatives. It is an amalgamation of actors who, in the masquerade of a republic, work as part of a single system whose sole purpose is to enlarge the government and enrich themselves" (111).

"Is there anything or anyone unchanging that we can cling to for security? The Lord is the Ancient One. He has always existed, and his reign will endure forever. Let us look to the Lord, the Ancient One, for our security in these ever-changing days" (1067).

"Daniel replied, 'There are no wise men, enchanters, magicians, or fortune-tellers who can tell the king such things. But there is a God in heaven who reveals secrets, and he has shown King Nebuchadnezzar what will happen in the future. Now I will tell you your dream and the visions you saw as you lay on your bed'" (Daniel 2:27-28).

"God doesn't want me to have all the money needed - personally or professionally. He wants me to trust him, in the moment, to provide. By doing so, he accomplishes several objectives. He hones my spiritual edge. He controls the timing and pace of ministry advance. He makes it clear it's his ministry. And, most important, he gets all the glory" (25-26).

"Lord God, while you have given us your Spirit, we also anxiously look forward to our eternal home, where you will be with us forever. Help us to reflect this excitement to those around us so that they might desire to gain this hope in you as well." Amen (1051).

"Confucianism and ancestor worship survived so many rivals and so many attacks, during twenty centuries, because they were felt to be indispensable to that intense and exalted moral tradition upon which China had founded its life. As these were the religious sanctions, so the family was the great vehicle, of this ethical heritage...and became the invisible government of Chinese society" (788).

"Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean. Your filth will be washed away, and you will no longer worship idols. And I will give you a new heart with new and right desires, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony heart of sin and give you a new, obedient heart. And I will put my Spirit in you so you will obey my laws and do whatever I command." - Ezekiel 36:25-27

"Virtually every fighting force in history has contained an elite group and/or troops trained and equipped for a specialist role...In all cases they are fit, tough, aggressive and highly skilled and, above all, adaptable" (127).

"Having motored in & made fast alongside a small fishing boat we were boarded by one of her crew, already more than a little drunk. Our gin was too mild for friend Gunnar who produced from his pocket a bottle of evil-tasting spirit known locally as 'BlackDeath'...Gunnar took us to a ship's chandlers where he battered pitilessly upon the door...As friends of his we received a moderately hearty welcome..." (441).

"I myself will search and find my sheep. I will be like a shepherd looking for his scattered flock. I will find my sheep and rescue them from all the places to which they were scattered on that dark and cloudy day. I will bring them back home to their own land of Israel from among the peoples and nations." - Ezekiel 34:11-13