Macarthur Quotes

The best luck of all is the luck you make for yourself. ~ Douglas MacArthur

That's the choice: eternal death or eternal life. To gain eternal life, you have to let go of your spiritual pride, and die to yourself. To lead others to Christ, to save them from this eternal judgment, you have to speak that truth in love; you have to tell them the truth without pulling any punches. Does that seem impossible? Will your audience turn you off? Well, as we can see, they turned Jesus off. In fact, they hated His message so much, His own neighbors and relatives, in a rage, tried to kill him for preaching it. ~ John F. MacArthur Jr.

Last, but by no means least, courage of one's convictions, the courage to see things through. The world is in a constant conspiracy against the brave. It's the age-old struggle_ the roar of the crowd on one side and the voice of your conscience on the other. ~ Douglas MacArthur

Nothing can separate us from the love of Christ, not even our own disobedience or our failure to love Him as we should. We can be thankful for His love which is unending and will reach out to recover us. ~ John F. MacArthur Jr.

But Scripture says that before they even entered Egypt, Abraham discussed with Sarah the dangers this place posed for a man with a beautiful wife. "When the Egyptians see you...they will say, "this is his wife"; and they will kill me, but they will let you live," he told her (Gen.12:12) Abraham's motives were selfish and cowardly, and the scheme reflected a serious weakness in faith. But Sarah's devotion to her husband is nonetheless commendable, and God honored her for it. ~ John F. MacArthur Jr.

The nations of the world will have to unite for the next war will be an interplanetary war. The nations of Earth must some day make a common front against attack by people from other planets. ~ Douglas MacArthur

But a prudent wife is from the LORD. ~ John F. MacArthur Jr.

11The discretion of a man makes him slow to anger, And his glory is to overlook a transgression. ~ John F. MacArthur Jr.

The sad fact is that biblical truth has never been the hallmark of the Charismatic Movement, where spiritual experience is continually elevated above sound doctrine. ~ John F. MacArthur Jr.

With the MacArthur grant, I realized that people have high expectations of me, that they were placing me in this group of achievers. I compared what Id actually achieved in my life with what I would like to achieve and what other people have achieved, and I found that comparison depressing. ~ Jared Diamond

The only right response to Christ's lordship is wholehearted submission, loving obedience, and passionate worship. ~ John F. MacArthur Jr.

Consider this simple thought. The Lord could have made everything brown. Brown grass, brown flowers, brown sky, brown sea. But He didn't. There is much for us to enjoy in the variety and the beauty of His creation. These things illustrate His essential goodness. God is good. His goodness is seen in all His works. ~ John F. MacArthur Jr.

Look in your local Christian Bookstore. You could take most of the books there, throw them into the sea, and not lose anything valuable. The vast majority of them are just placebos that superficially attack trivial problems. During the eras when the church was most holy, Christians had very few books to read, but the ones they did have told them how to have a relationship with God. Most books today don't do that. ~ John F. MacArthur Jr.

It seems to me the worst possible concept, militarily, that we would simply stay there, resisting aggression, so-called ... it seems to me that the way to "resist aggression" is to destroy the potentialities of the aggressor to continually hit you ... When you say, merely, "we are going to continue to fight aggression," that is not what the enemy is fighting for. The enemy is fighting for a very definite purpose-to destroy our forces ... ~ Douglas MacArthur

The gospel confronts man and exposes him for what he really is. It ignores the disappointment that he feels. It offers him no relief from the struggles of being human. Rather it goes to the profound and eternal issue of the fact that he is damned and desperately needs to be rescued. Only death can accomplish rescue, but God, in His mercy, has provided a Substitute. ~ John F. MacArthur Jr.

None other than the Skeptic's Dictionary points out an obvious and troubling irony: "When spoken by schizophrenics, glossolalia is recognized as gibberish. In charismatic Christian communities glossolalia is sacred and referred to as 'speaking in tongues' or having 'the gift of tongues. ~ John F. MacArthur Jr.

My staff was unanimous in believing that Japan was on the point of collapse and surrender. ~ Douglas MacArthur

It is the highest activity of the human soul, and therefore it is at the same time the ultimate test of a man's true spiritual condition. There is nothing that tells the truth about us as Christian people so much as our prayer life. ... ~ John F. MacArthur Jr.

That democracy works and will always work, because the people are allowed to think, to talk, and keep their minds free, open, and supple. ~ Douglas MacArthur

Almost no one tolerates the exclusivity and supremacy of Christ these days, even some who profess to be Christians. The message of the cross is not politically correct - it's the singularity of the gospel, on top of everything else, that bothers people. Can you imagine for a moment what might happen if a celebrity or political leader just said, "I'm a Christian and if you're not, you're going to hell"? Yikes! And then imagine if he said, "All the Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, and all the people who believe they can earn salvation, whether liberal Protestants or Roman Catholics, and all the Mormons and Jehovah's Witnesses - you're all going to eternal hell. But I care about you so much, I want to give you the gospel of Jesus Christ, because it is far more important than wars in the Middle East, terrorism, or any domestic policy." You can't be faithful and popular, so take your pick. ~ John F. MacArthur Jr.

In the case of Five-O, I believe it was a combination of many ingredients - timing, chemistry, Hawaii. ~ James MacArthur

Men of vision. Oh, I love the fine names men give each other to hide their greed and lust for adventure. ~ Charles MacArthur

On the fields of friendly strife are sown the seeds that on other days, on other fields will bear the fruits of victory. ~ Douglas MacArthur

In short, is American life of the future to be characterized by freedom or by servitude, strength or weakness? The answer must be clear and unequivocal if we are to avoid the pitfalls toward which we are now heading with such certainty. In many respects it is not to be found in any dogma of political philosophy but in those immutable precepts which underlie the Ten Commandments. ~ Douglas MacArthur

By profession I am a soldier and take pride in that fact. But I am prouder - infinitely prouder - to be a father. A soldier destroys in order to build; the father only builds, never destroys. The one has the potentiality of death; the other embodies creation and life. And while the hordes of death are mighty, the battalions of life are mightier still. It is my hope that my son, when I am gone, will remember me not from the battle field but in the home repeating with him our simple daily prayer, Our Father Who Art in Heaven. ~ Douglas MacArthur

It is true that despite occasional gleams of Churchillian eloquence he [Gen. Douglas MacArthur] usually spoke poorly. He was far more effective in conversations a deux. But those who dismiss him as shallow because his rhetoric was fustian err. ~ William Manchester

When the major studios flourished many years ago, an actor was groomed, developed, and worked frequently at his craft. The studios really took care of their actors. ~ James MacArthur

I'm honored to have been chosen as a fellow of the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. I am hugely appreciative for the support I have had throughout my life, and I look forward to using the grant to help institutions that have fed my soul and to support new work that inspires me. ~ Lin-Manuel Miranda

The more you study the Word of God, the more it saturates your mind and life. ~ John F. MacArthur Jr.

Why is discipline important? Discipline teaches us to operate by principle rather than desire. Saying no to our impulses (even the ones that are not inherently sinful) puts us in control of our appetites rather than vice versa. It deposes our lust and permits truth, virtue, and integrity to rule our minds instead. ~ John F. MacArthur Jr.

But the day of our death will be better than the day of our birth, because the first time we were born into sin. But when we die, we will awaken into the glorious presence of Christ (cf. 2 Cor. 5:8). ~ John F. MacArthur Jr.

Actually, if I could find a woman who was that wonderful; that understanding, well, I'd give her everything in the world that was in my power to give. And, I'd love her more than I ever thought it possible to love any woman. ~ James MacArthur

She was under her husband's headship, yet she was in many ways an even more glorious creature than he, treasured and extolled by him. They were partners and companions, fellow-laborers in the garden. ~ John F. MacArthur Jr.

And a gentle tongue breaks a bone. ~ John F. MacArthur Jr.

Within the church, it is possible for believers to possess a profound unity based on a shared commitment to Biblical truth, an intimate knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ, and a deep level of spiritual maturity. Paul also adds "sound doctrine" and "growing in Christlikeness" as additional benefits that result from the saints being properly equipped to build up the body of Christ."(Comments on Ephesians 4 vs 11-13) ~ John F. MacArthur Jr.

The doctrine of adoption establishes the reality that believers, once saved, are always saved. ~ John F. MacArthur Jr.

I suppose, in a way, this has become part of my soul. It is a symbol of my life. Whatever I have done that really matters, I've done wearing it. When the time comes, it will be in this that I journey forth. What greater honor could come to an American, and a soldier? ~ Douglas MacArthur

I have known war as few men now living know it. It's very destructiveness on both friend and foe has rendered it useless as a means of settling international disputes. ~ Douglas MacArthur

We were living in a tumultuous time, when the world was upside down. Freeman produced a show that was black and white, the good guys versus the bad guys. ~ James MacArthur

If I had one more division like this First Marine Division I could win this war. ~ Douglas MacArthur

Columbus was an Abraham, for he went out not knowing whither he went. Columbus was a Moses, for he endured as seeing Him who is invisible. Only the man of faith is the man of power. Only he who can see the invisible can do the impossible. God grant that to-day in that bark we may be wafted by God's blessing, and may land at last on the shores of Heaven, where we shall sing a sweeter Te Deum than that which awoke the echoes on the soil of virgin America, or those amid the splendors of the court at Barcelona. ~ Robert Stuart MacArthur

Jesus was always angered when the Father was maligned or when others were mistreated, but He was never selfishly angry at what was done against Him. That is the measure of righteous anger. ~ John F. MacArthur Jr.

Simply because God loved us, He provided a way for us to return to Him. ~ John F. MacArthur Jr.

Old soldiers never die; they just fade away. ~ Douglas MacArthur

God's purpose in prayer is not for us to inform or persuade Him to respond to our needs but to open sincere and continual lines of communication with Him. Prayer, more than anything else, is sharing the needs, burdens, and hungers of our hearts with a God who cares. He wants to hear us and commune with us more than we could ever want to commune with Him, because His love for us is so much greater than our love for Him. ~ John F. MacArthur Jr.

Obedience is the basic definition of worship. Like obedience, worship is to be a way of life rather than just an exercise on Sunday. ~ John F. MacArthur Jr.

The results of that charismatic takeover have been devastating. In recent history, no other movement has done more to damage the cause of the gospel, to distort the truth, and to smother the articulation of sound doctrine. Charismatic theology has turned the evangelical church into a cesspool of error and a breeding ground for false teachers. It has warped genuine worship through unbridled emotionalism, polluted prayer with private gibberish, contaminated true spirituality with unbiblical mysticism, and corrupted faith by turning it into a creative force for speaking worldly desires into existence. By elevating the authority of experience over the authority of Scripture, the Charismatic Movement has destroyed the church's immune system - uncritically granting free access to every imaginable form of heretical teaching and practice. ~ John F. MacArthur Jr.

I have just returned from visiting the Marines at the front, and there is not a finer fighting organization in the world! ~ Douglas MacArthur

Men will not fight and die without knowing what they are fighting and dying for. ~ Douglas MacArthur

Music in the church ought to be much more than an emotional stimulant. In fact, this means music and preaching should have the same aim. Both properly pertain to the proclamation of God's Word. Preaching is properly seen as an aspect of or worship. And conversely, music is properly seen as an aspect of the ministry of the Word, just like preaching. Therefore the songwriter ought to be skilled in Scripture and as concerned for theological precision as the preacher. Even more so, because the songs he writes are likely to be sung again and again (unlike a sermon that is preached only once). ~ John F. MacArthur Jr.

If Jesus expresses loving concern for the smallest of our troubles, certainly in His role as the perfect sufferer He cares for our greatest traumas. ~ John F. MacArthur Jr.

It is my earnest hope - indeed the hope of all mankind - that from this solemn occasion a better world shall emerge out of the blood and carnage of the past, a world found upon faith and understanding, a world dedicated to the dignity of man and the fulfillment of his most cherished wish for freedom, tolerance and justice. ~ Douglas MacArthur

No spiritual exercise is such a blending of complexity and simplicity. It is the simplest form of speech that infant lips can try, yet the sublimest strains that reach the Majesty on high. It is as appropriate to the aged philosopher as to the little child. It is the ejaculation of a moment and the attitude of a lifetime. It is the expression of the rest of faith and of the fight of faith. It is an agony and an ecstasy. It is submissive and yet importunate. In the one moment it lays hold of God and binds the devil. It can be focused on a single objective and it can roam the world. It can be abject confession and rapt adoration. ~ John F. MacArthur Jr.

And like the old soldier in that ballad, I now close my military career and just fade away, an old soldier who tried to do his duty as God gave him the sight to see that duty. ~ Douglas MacArthur

The world is in a constant conspiracy against the brave. ~ Douglas MacArthur

Even when opportunity knocks, a man still has to get up off his seat and open the door. ~ Douglas MacArthur

When all our needs are met and all is well in our lives, we tend to take credit for what we have, to feel that we carry our own loads. We work hard to earn the money we need to buy food and clothes, pay our rent or mortgage. But even the hardest-working individual owes all he earns to God's provision. Moses reminded Israel that God "is giving you power to make wealth" (Deut. 8:18). ~ John F. MacArthur Jr.

Beware not the enemy from 'without' but the enemy from 'within'. ~ Douglas MacArthur

Our greatest limitation isn't the leader of the lives; it is the spirit within us. ~ John F. MacArthur Jr.

Prayer is not an attempt to get God to agree with you or provide for your selfish desires, but that it is both an affirmation of His sovereignty, righteousness, and majesty and an exercise to conform your desires and purposes to His will and Glory ~ John F. MacArthur Jr.

Rather than demanding our rights and creating for ourselves a world where we feel safe and accepted, we need to see the deep spiritual needs of the world and concern ourselves with offering people hope through Jesus Christ. That's what being a living sacrifice is all about. Third, ~ John F. MacArthur Jr.

I know that this operation will be sort of helter-skelter. But the First Marine Division is going to win the war by landing at Inchon. ~ Douglas MacArthur

Imagine spending an entire workday with your best friend at your side. You would no doubt acknowledge his presence throughout the day by introducing him to your friends or business associates and talking to him about the various activities of the day. But how would your friend feel if you never talked to him or acknowledged his presence? Yet that's how we treat the Lord when we fail to pray. If we communicated with our friends as infrequently as some of us communicate with the Lord, those friends might soon disappear. Our fellowship with God is not meant to wait until we are in heaven. ~ John F. MacArthur Jr.

What you cant forget... God cant remember! ~ John F. MacArthur Jr.

Why the kingdom? Because the Kingdom is God's total answer to man's total need. ~ John F. MacArthur Jr.

Roosevelt is dead: a man who would never tell the truth when a lie would serve him just as well. ~ Douglas MacArthur

Training distinguishes an army from an armed mob. ~ Douglas MacArthur

Human ideas and concepts are temporal and completely incapable of producing spiritual truth or guidance. ~ John F. MacArthur Jr.

You don't win wars by dying for your country you win wars by making the other son of a bitch die for his ~ Douglas MacArthur

We did nothing to earn our adoption into God's family, and we can do nothing to lose it either. ~ John F. MacArthur Jr.

It's not the length of man's life that establishes his importance and influence, in fact, the length of a man's life has very little to do with it's impact. ~ John F. MacArthur Jr.

God's wisdom is like the rainbow, in symmetry, beauty, and variety. He does not paint scenes merely in black and white, but uses a riot of colour from the heavenly palette in order to show the wonder of His wise dealings with His people. - Sinclair Ferguson ~ John F. MacArthur Jr.

In war, as it is waged now, with the enormous losses on both sides, both sides will lose. It is a form of mutual suicide. ~ Douglas MacArthur

The hated system of land tenure, so contributory to general unrest in Asia, has been abolished. Every farmer is now accorded the right and dignity of ownership of the land he long has tilled. ~ Douglas MacArthur

Our government has kept us in a perpetual state of fear - kept us in a continuous stampede of patriotic fervor - with the cry of grave national emergency. ~ Douglas MacArthur

Accept suffering as a part of God's tenderizing process. ~ John F. MacArthur Jr.

No man is entitled to the blessings of freedom unless he be vigilant in its preservation. ~ Douglas MacArthur

Contrary to popular opinion, the most important characteristic of a godly mother is not her relationship with her children. It is her love for her husband. The love between husband and wife is the real key to a thriving family. A healthy home environment cannot be built exclusively on the parents' love for their children. The properly situated family has marriage at the center; families shouldn't revolve around the children. ~ John F. MacArthur Jr.

Whenever God brings us through a severe trial, it will reveal to us either the strength or weakness of our faith and the faithfulness of God. ~ John F. MacArthur Jr.

Meanwhile, modern feminists heap scorn on women who want family and household to be their first priorities--disparaging the role of motherhood, the one calling that is most uniquely and exclusively feminine. The whole message of feminist egalitarianism is that there is really nothing extraordinary about women. ~ John F. MacArthur Jr.

A soldier plods and groans, sweats and toils, he growls and curses, and at the end he dies. ~ Douglas MacArthur

Third, the circumstances of Eve's creation illustrate how deep and meaningful the marriage of husband and wife is designed to be. It is not merely a physical union, but a union of heart and soul as well. ~ John F. MacArthur Jr.

In no other profession are the penalties for employing untrained personnel so appalling or so irrevocable as in the military. ~ Douglas MacArthur

Build me a son, O Lord, who will be strong enough to know when he is weak, and brave enough to face himself when he is afraid, one who will be proud and unbending in honest defeat, and humble and gentle in victory. ~ Douglas MacArthur

To be Spirit-filled is to be Christ-centered. ~ John F. MacArthur Jr.

Commentator Arthur W. Pink wrote: If God is in heaven then prayer needs to be a thing of the heart and not of the lips, for no physical voice on earth can rend the skies, but sighs and groans will reach the ears of God. If we are to pray to God in heaven, then our souls must be detached from all the earth. If we pray to God in heaven, then faith must wing our petitions.4 ~ John F. MacArthur Jr.

God's Word is our only reliable source of truth about Satan and demons. ~ John F. MacArthur Jr.

If the disciples had their eyes set on great prominence and high rewards in eternity, they had to know the path to that end is marked by great suffering and endurance. ~ John F. MacArthur Jr.

Like the old soldier of the ballad, I now close my military career and just fade away, an old soldier who tried to do his duty as God gave him the light to see that duty. Goodbye. ~ Douglas MacArthur

I came out of Bataan and I shall return! ~ Douglas MacArthur

You are as young as your faith, as old as your doubt; as young as your self-confidence, as old as your fear; as young as your hope, as old as your despair. Douglas MacArthur ~ Terri Marie

On the flip side, those who profess salvation but later fall away, demonstrate that their profession was never genuine (1 John 2:19). ~ John F. MacArthur Jr.

It's time to stop thinking like an employee and become the business owner of your own career. ~ H.V. MacArthur

Our lives must reflect a continual commitment to the constant exercise of prayer. All that you learn about God should drive you into His presence. Make that your goal as you take every aspect of your life to Him in prayer. ~ John F. MacArthur Jr.

The worst extremes usually start with slight deviations. ~ John F. MacArthur Jr.

The gospel message is not simply a plan of salvation; it is also a call to embrace the Person of salvation. ~ John F. MacArthur Jr.

The world doesn't judge us by our theology; it judges us by our behavior. The validity of Scripture in the world's view is determined by how it affects us. ~ John F. MacArthur Jr.

Reputation is seeming; character is being. Reputation is manufactured; character is grown. Reputation is your photograph; There is a vast difference between character and reputation. Reputation is what men think we are; character is what God knows us to be. Reputation is seeming; character is being. Reputation is the breath of men; character is the inbreathing of the eternal God. One may for a time have a good reputation and a bad character, or the reverse ; but not for long. ~ Robert Stuart MacArthur

Because ours is such a free and prosperous society, it is easier for Christians to feel secure by presuming on instead of depending on God's grace. To many believers become satisfied with physical blessings and have little desire for spiritual blessings. ~ John F. MacArthur Jr.

For those to whom much is given, much is required. It is not whether you get knocked down, it's whether you get up. There is no substitute for victory. ~ Douglas MacArthur