James MacDonald Quotes & Sayings

Evaluated by a single question: Do they advance our goal of the manifest presence of God in church? — James MacDonald

Church leaders raised on rationalism lead ministries where the supernatural, the Vertical, is suppressed and where God Himself is at best an observer and certainly seldom, if ever, and obvious participant in church. — James MacDonald

I'll take a bath and then I'll return. No, God is the bath. — James MacDonald

Proverbs 18:10, "The name of the LORD is a strong tower. — James MacDonald

Suffering related to circumstances beyond my control, suffering related to consequences of my besetting sin, and suffering caused by others who refused to see their own sin. In all these instances, the Lord has been at work, refining my focus upon personal holiness, amplifying my ministry through very humbling experiences, and reminding me repeatedly to extend grace not just to the gracious but to those who lack a grace I took too long to come to myself. — James MacDonald

This fight is not going to be over in 10 minutes or 10 weeks; there's no quick solution. If you think it's taking too long, remember, God is with you. — James MacDonald

When Scripture describes Satan as an angel of light, it should make the hair on your neck stand up with terror. Man's greatest enemy is most present when we are most certain he is not. He comes as an angel of light. Satan is working his deception through disguise. We think we are doing the right thing, taking the needed stand, fighting the most important foe, but if we are not careful, extremely wise, and cautious, we are doing the opposite. Intending to advance the agenda of our King, we slip very easily into fighting the Lord and assisting satanic schemes. In every section of this book, we will spend one study assessing how Satan deceives us into believing we do well even when we fail to act like men. — James MacDonald

people who have been saved by grace grow to love giving grace to others. — James MacDonald

Without a complete view of sin, people can burn out in their pursuit of pleasure. — James MacDonald

The Scriptures were written with built-in tension between texts and its resultant theology. — James MacDonald

Human sin is stubborn, but not as stubborn as the grace of God and not half as persistent, not half so ready to suffer to win its way — James MacDonald

Fear is the contradiction of faith. Faith says, Whatever it is, it'll be okay because of God. — James MacDonald

When you say, I don't know exactly what God is doing, but I know he's in control that's evidence you're trusting Him. — James MacDonald

Word-centered people who enter counseling will be more likely follow the guidance set out in Scripture. Because they know more of the depth of their sin, they are more willing to allow other church members to help them stay on that right path. — James MacDonald

A continual diet of the Word satisfies, and it builds an appetite for more. — James MacDonald

You would think that the more a man knows and loves God, the deeper he gets into understanding His Word, and the further he progresses in personal holiness, the better he would be at being a watchful man, but that is sadly not the case. — James MacDonald

We must not think of God as highest in an ascending order of beings starting with the single cell, then the fish, then the bird, then the animal, then man and angels and cherubs and God. ... This would be to grant God eminence or even preeminence but that is not enough. We must grant God transcendence in the fullest meaning of that word. He's wholly other. He breaks all the categories of being and knowing.24 — James MacDonald

The fundamental question in everything we do must be: Will this honor God? Does this display Jesus Christ? Does this make people see how awesome the LORD is? Failure to answer "Yes!" invites Ichabod. I have many, many wonderful — James MacDonald

When you come to the place where you can't do anything else, you must stand still and believe ... When you can't do anything, let God do it all. — James MacDonald

Praying is what confirms our true belief that we cannot succeed without God, and its absence confirms the exact opposite. — James MacDonald

The body of Christ is about doing life together, and by doing life together sin is revealed. — James MacDonald

Preachers who pride themselves on never giving a public invitation to be saved, never calling for a response of any kind, reveal not greater fidelity to the gospel but a lack of faith in its power. — James MacDonald

God will call; they won't answer. Stubbornness of the heart is a terminal sickness. There is no solution for that condition apart from repentance and God's work of grace to break the heart. — James MacDonald

God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth (John 4:24). — James MacDonald

A soul that is happy in the things of God can overcome tremendous obstacles. — James MacDonald

To complain is to say in effect; "God, You blew it! You had a chance to meet my expectations, but You couldn't handle it! Nice try, God, close - but not close enough." So complaining definitely injures you and the Lord. — James MacDonald

More of anything other than God will never fill that longing for fulfillment He has placed within you and me. — James MacDonald

Humility is a do thing, not a feel thing. Humility is an action, not a style. — James MacDonald

Church was never intended to be a place where we serve God to the exclusion of meeting with Him. — James MacDonald

When revival comes to the human heart, it's a torrent, it's a cascade, it's a deluge. It's a downpour! — James MacDonald

We preach so that people can hear the voice of God, period. — James MacDonald

We must not think that action alone is successful Christ-following. In God's eyes, the motives behind our actions are of paramount importance. You can want a godly family or a successful career or a low handicap or a beautiful lawn, but if you want them for yourself and not the glory of God, it's a fail. — James MacDonald

When will we see that the depravity of the human heart is not most clearly on display in the gay pride parade or at the abortion clinic? The greatest failures in human experience are not seen in the activist atheist rallying unbelief or the scorning skeptic ridiculing Jesus Christ, or the senseless wars, or baffling famines. The greatest failure in human existence is the failure of Christ-followers to love one another earnestly from a pure heart — James MacDonald

Reality is God-centered and all human beings are worshipers, whether or not they are conscious of this reality and its implications. — James MacDonald

At this moment, God is watching your life and at some point in this trial, He will say enough. You don't need to falter. — James MacDonald

Only God is perfect! None of us comes within a country, not a country mile, but a whole country, in proximity to perfection. — James MacDonald

When God promises, He's not saying, I'll try. He means, I can and I will. — James MacDonald

The people sang to the Lord, not about Him. — James MacDonald

You can't teach a person to love something. But you can get him to feel the heat of your love for something. — James MacDonald

In a society where rationality has ruled so long, the church frequently fails to see that in forsaking the weekly pursuit of the transcendent, we have given up the only ground that was uniquely ours in this world. In attempting to make the church something that can attract and add value to secular mind-sets, we have turned our backs on our one true proposition - transcendence. — James MacDonald

Faith doesn't grow or deepen when we cower in secrecy. Faith strengthens as we go public. — James MacDonald

Colossians 2:6 says, "As you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him." The path to salvation by faith travels down the way of repentance and we never leave that road. — James MacDonald

Our job is to get people to Jesus Christ and to get them back to Him in profound, life-altering ways every week. — James MacDonald

Fear is a self-protection we use to insulate ourselves from hurt by pulling back. Anger is self-protection we use to insulate ourselves from hurt by striking out. In both instances the answer is to face and forgive (more on forgiveness ahead) the hurt that expresses itself in fear or anger or both. How much good is left undone by failing to act like a quality man and conquer your fears? How much damage is suffered by those you love when you fail to act like a quality man and conquer your anger? — James MacDonald

Scripture is so clear that love for God must translate into love for those closest to us.2 — James MacDonald

When you worship, you are saying, "This one is worth more." At the same time you are implying, "I am worth less." Worship is the magnification of God and the minimization of self. One of the most succinct expressions of a worshipper's heart in all the New Testament came from John the Baptist: "He must increase, but I must decrease."5 — James MacDonald

Times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord (Acts 3:20). — James MacDonald

The reason I withdrew from formal, regular, scheduled community was that I failed to experience the two things my doctoral thesis revealed men absolutely must experience to remain in community. First, men need confidentiality. They have to believe that what they disclose will remain in that room and never be shared with anyone - not a spouse, not a cousin in a far country, no one. Second, men need to experience mutuality. Men need to know that if they bring you in on whatever battles they have kept secret, you won't "leave them hanging," or pridefully conceal the truth about yourself. They need you to quickly match their personal disclosure. — James MacDonald

Nothing worse than a man who makes excuses, blames others, and refuses responsibility for his own actions. No doubt there were real experiences that underlined the worthlessness of excuse makers for these men. — James MacDonald

Do the things you used to do, and you'll feel the feelings you used to feel. — James MacDonald

What kind of future is in God's plan? A good one to which you can look forward. That's why you can hope. — James MacDonald

Beware of begging God for things you don't have to have. — James MacDonald

Remember, it's not "stand firm for the faith" but "stand firm in the faith." You've got to own it and live it. — James MacDonald

The satanic strategy of using lies to disguise, divide, and destroy. Let's focus on the middle word of Satan's plan to defeat you. The word is divide and his strategy is to get a wedge between you and men who can support God's work in your life through loving mutual community. As always he does this through lies. — James MacDonald

A rebellion against God, even as believers, is fueled by the toxic fumes of unbelief. — James MacDonald

One of the consequences of covetousness is that it destroys the capacity to discern sufficiency. It distorts our thinking to the point where: Enough is never enough. — James MacDonald

Doubt is a lack of confidence or assurance that God will keep his promises. Faith is an active confidence that God's promises are always true. — James MacDonald

Faith sees the opportunity; doubt sees the obstacles. What you see is what you get! — James MacDonald

One of the most frequent sins of omission is the failure to get adequate rest. — James MacDonald

While you can't keep fear from visiting, you can slam the door in its face. With God's promise in your hand, that's exactly what you are able to do. — James MacDonald

In our humanness we can't handle all His holiness; so God, in mercy, raises the veil and dwells in mystery. — James MacDonald

Men who are cut off, careful, and closed are also lonely and just as vulnerable in a different way as their wives alone in a dark alley after midnight. — James MacDonald

As men we cannot take our eyes off the road for even a second. One bad moment can destroy a lifetime of careful watching. One weak, selfish decision can crash a decade of keeping your eyes on the road. God grant to us Holy Throne-Room clarity at all times in every situation so that what we are really living for doesn't crash before our eyes. — James MacDonald

While we wait, God builds our faith in His promises. — James MacDonald

Our prayer must be, Father, I'm waiting for You because I know You are good in what You do and in when you do it. — James MacDonald

Don't get a bad attitude like they did back in the wilderness, or you're going to be joining them. — James MacDonald

Let God Himself be the main attraction at church again, and let us be tireless in our insistence that church is for God, about God, through God, and to the glory of His great Son. — James MacDonald

I've learned to be careful of becoming a critic. Criticism really sours your heart. — James MacDonald

The problem in the church today is that we treat God's glory as a by-product and the missional activities of the church as the primary thing when the opposite is what Scripture demands. We don't proclaim the gospel and feed the poor and shepherd the flock in hopes that God's glory will be the by-product of those activities. We seek the revealing of the glory of God through the methods He prescribes so that His glory is revealed in the church. When that happens, the lost are converted, the poor are fed, the saints live in unity, and much more, all as by-products of God's manifest presence in the church. — James MacDonald

When an artist captures a mountain or an ocean on a canvas with color and we wonder where such talent could come from, he or she is declaring His glory. — James MacDonald

When your soul is satisfied, you have everything even if you have nothing. And when your soul is not at peace, you have nothing no matter what you have attained or acquired. — James MacDonald

At the end of life, each of us must answer the question, Whose story captured my soul? — James MacDonald

Vertical Church teaches its people to judge every circumstance and opportunity in terms of its potential to reveal "the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ."21 That is the goal for every person in our church — James MacDonald

Whether you realize it or not, your ongoing battle with unbelief drives all your sinful thoughts, emotions, desires, and actions. — James MacDonald

Most men are not alert, not paying attention, and not watching out for their families as God commands them to. — James MacDonald

When we ask people what they want in church instead of giving them what they were created to long for, we play in the very idolatry that church was created to dismantle. — James MacDonald

Turning to him, Spurgeon said, If you had gone up the way you came down, you could have come down the way you went up. — James MacDonald

Sin does not remain a contented servant; it seeks to seize and master its participants. — James MacDonald

You might not think it now, but if you're one of God's children, you're going to figure it out by the end of your life God is good. — James MacDonald

Churches closing at a rate of six thousand per year in North America are not doing so because of worship style or form of government or methodology. They are failing because regardless of your preference on those points, it's pointless to deny the true cause behind debates and divisions - a failure to love. — James MacDonald

No personal quiet time, no Christian book, no community or small group or service can substitute for the absence of God coming down to meet with His church corporately. — James MacDonald

Paternity is a long way from fatherhood. — James MacDonald

Small groups are the place to push past Bible knowledge and on to life application so that we can see people's lives transform more and more into the image of Christ. — James MacDonald

Men were made for war; designed to struggle and strive to protect and provide. — James MacDonald

When the people of God are not told the works of God, they lose the wonder of God, and everyone does that which is right in his or her own eyes. — James MacDonald

Only when we recognize God as our gracious provider do we comprehend our need for God and begin to express faith in Him. That is a very significant point. Faith grows in the soil of thankfulness. Only when a person outside of Christ is willing to acknowledge - "Yes, there is a God. I have received much from His hand and probably owe Him something more than passive acknowledgment. Perhaps I should turn and consider whether I ought to be reconciled to this God who made me and gives me life and strength" - only then will he be ready for faith. Faith — James MacDonald

Holy Spirit of God, thank You for filling my life with You. You are in control of all that I am - my thoughts, my actions, my words, and my feelings. Thank You, Spirit of God. I am now living under the downpour of Your power and strength and blessing, and I thank You for the riches of Your mercy. In the precious name of Jesus. Amen. — James MacDonald

Preferring the comforting messages of certain attributes of God, our lives have become a trifling with His holiness. We desperately need to regain this view of the highness and the holiness of God. His holiness is the ultimate clarity. — James MacDonald

Grace easily turns to hyper-grace in a world that has lost its view of God's throne room and a biblical theology of sin. — James MacDonald

When we want decisions more than we want disciples, we get tares instead of true converts and Ichabod, departed glory for the church. — James MacDonald

But extraordinary life is possible - find it. There's a better, higher, eternal life that can begin during this earthly life. It is an awesome life found in Christ! And we can live it now! — James MacDonald

God brings tests into your life because your faith in Him
your belief that He is in control and that He is good
can be proved only in times when life is hard. — James MacDonald

Take a deep breath and take this to heart; God has nothing to do with broken promises. When He says, I promise, mark it down it's going to happen. — James MacDonald

We are only prepared to receive and comprehend the grace of God when we have understood His infinite holiness and our incredible sinfulness. — James MacDonald

Nothing is more important than your family. Nothing comes before your responsibility to watch out for them and provide a home safe from any assault upon them, body or soul. — James MacDonald

We must evaluate every person, place, product, perspective, position, or pleasure we have looked to in place of the promises of God, and turn away from those things accordingly. — James MacDonald

Many pastors would rather preach God's Word and keep their distance than invest in a personal one-on-one counseling ministry. Most pastors counsel because they have to, not because they want to. — James MacDonald

Satan mounts his mutiny against God through a deceitful stronghold: God is untrustworthy. In subtle and not-so-subtle ways, he places God's heart on trial by whispering insidious lies: God is holding back on you. He wants you to jump through hoops in order to earn His love. He's stingy. He doesn't have your best interest in mind. You're better off trusting in yourself. Your resources and functional saviors work better then waiting and trusting in Him. — James MacDonald

Who we are is not a question we can ask without seeking to understand the context in which we live. Biblical counselors seek to understand the influences that shape the responses of the human heart. — James MacDonald

Gratitude is the attitude that sets the altitude for living! — James MacDonald