I am mended by my sickness, enriched by my poverty and strengthened by my weakness… What fools are we, then, to frown upon our afflictions! Those, how crabbed soever, are our best friends. They are not intended for our pleasure, they are for our profit.
We covenant, as a church in Dorchester, Massachusetts, to reform our families, engaging ourselves to a conscientious care to set up and maintain the worship of God in our homes. And to walk in our homes with perfect hearts. We resolve, in a faithful discharge of all domestic duties in seeking to educate, instruct and charge our little ones and our whole households to seek to keep the ways of the Lord.
From a Puritan Church in Dorchester. Quoted in: Leland Ryken, Worldly Saints, Zondervan, 1986, p. 80.
Man was originally created in the image of God and was furnished in his mind with a true and salutary knowledge of his Creator and things spiritual, in his will and heart with righteousness, and in all his emotions with purity; indeed, the whole man was holy. However, rebelling against God at the devil’s instigation and by his own free will, he deprived himself of these outstanding gifts. Rather, in their place he brought upon himself blindness, terrible darkness, futility, and distortion of judgment in his mind; perversity, defiance, and hardness in his heart and will; and finally impurity in all his emotions.
The Canons of Dort, The Third and Forth Main Points of Doctrine: Human Corruption, Conversion to God, and the Way It Occurs. Article 1- The Effect of the Fall on Human Nature.
Thou…seest more defilement in my [good works] than I ever saw in any of my sins.
The Valley of Vision, ed. Arthur Bennett, 1975, p. 21, by permission Banner of Truth, Carlisle, PA.
Worry is faith in the negative; trust in the unpleasant, assurance of disaster and belief in defeat. Worry is wasting today’s time to clutter up tomorrow’s opportunities with yesterday’s troubles.
Worry is a thin stream of fear that trickles through the mind, which, if encouraged, will cut a channel so wide that all other thoughts will be drained out.
Nothing great has ever been achieved without enthusiasm. Colossians 3:23…do it heartily.
When the wife of missionary Adoniram Judson told him that a newspaper article likened him to some of the apostles, Judson replied, “I do not want to be like a Paul or any mere man. I want to be like Christ. I want to follow Him only, copy His teachings, drink in His Spirit, and place my feet in His footprints. Oh, to be more like Christ!”
You can tell how popular a church is by who comes on Sunday morning. You can tell how popular the pastor or evangelist is by who comes on Sunday night. But you can tell how popular Jesus is by who comes to the prayer meeting.
Five young college students were spending a Sunday in London, so they went to hear the famed C.H. Spurgeon preach. While waiting for the doors to open, the students were greeted by a man who asked, "Gentlemen, let me show you around. Would you like to see the heating plant of this church?" They were not particularly interested, for it was a hot day in July. But they didn’t want to offend the stranger, so they consented. The young men were taken down a stairway, a door was quietly opened, and their guide whispered, "This is our heating plant." Surprised, the students saw 700 people bowed in prayer, seeking a blessing on the service that was soon to begin in the auditorium above. Softly closing the door, the gentleman then introduced himself. It was none other than Charles Spurgeon.
Our Daily Bread, April 24.
Very many of our churches not only have no prayer-meeting, but sometimes unblushingly condemn such meetings, and even ridicule them… And what of those churches where the old-fashioned weekly prayer-meeting is retained? Would not “weakly” be the more appropriate word?
The Kneeling Christian, circa 1930, ch. 1.
We feel sure that the weakness in the spiritual life of many churches is to be traced to an inefficient prayer-meeting, or the absence of meetings for prayer. Daily matins and evensong, even when reverent and without the unseemly haste which is so often associated with them, cannot take the place of less formal gatherings for prayer, in which everyone may take part. Can we not make the weekly prayer-meeting a live thing and a living force?
The Kneeling Christian, circa 1930, ch. 11.
Even though we may not take part audibly in the action, yet if we are there in a right spirit – there really to wait upon God, we marvelously help the tone of a meeting.
Prayer meetings were the arteries of the early church. Through them, life-sustaining power was derived.
The simple fact is, we are too vague and, as a consequence, too indifferent in our prayers and prayer meetings. We do not seem like people asking for what they want, and waiting for what they ask. This is what destroys our prayer meetings, rendering them pithless, pointless, powerless; turning them into teaching or talking meetings, rather than deep-toned, earnest prayer meetings.
Do our churches that have a prayer meeting have a weekly prayer meeting or a weakly prayer meeting?
Answers to prayer, however, do not depend upon our feelings, but upon the trustworthiness of the Promiser.
The Kneeling Christian, circa 1930, ch. 4.
To call it wonderful is to show our want of faith. It is natural to God to answer prayer: normal, not extraordinary.
The Kneeling Christian, circa 1930, ch. 4.
It is only when whatsoever we do is done in His name that He will do whatsoever we ask in His name.
The Kneeling Christian, circa 1930, ch. 6.
God’s answer to prayer may be “Yes,” or it may be “No.” It may be “Wait,” for it may be that He plans a much larger blessing than we imagined, and one which involves other lives as well as our own.
The Kneeling Christian, circa 1930, ch. 8.
It is as natural to Him to answer prayer as it is for us to ask. How He delights to hear our petitions, and how He loves to answer them!
The Kneeling Christian, circa 1930, ch. 9.
God delights to answer prayer; and He has given us His word that He will answer.
Prayer is our highest privilege, our gravest responsibility, and the greatest power God has put into our hands. Prayer, real prayer, is the noblest, the sublimest, the most stupendous act that any creature of God can perform.
The Kneeling Christian, circa 1930, ch. 12.
1. Prayer is a form of serving God (Luke 2:36-38). We pray because God commands us to pray (Philippians 4:6-7).
2. Prayer is exemplified for us by Christ and the early church (Mark 1:35; Acts 1:14; 2:42; 3:1; 4:23-31; 6:4; 13:1-3). If Jesus thought it was worthwhile to pray, we should also.
3. God intends for prayer to be the means of obtaining His solutions in a number of situations:
a. Preparation for major decisions (Luke 6:12-13).
a. Overcoming demonic barriers in lives (Matthew 17:14-21).
b. The gathering of workers for the spiritual harvest (Luke 10:2).
c. The gaining of strength to overcome temptation (Matthew 26:41).
d. The means of strengthening others spiritually (Ephesians 6:18-19).
4. We have God’s promise that our prayers are not in vain, even if we don’t receive specifically what we asked for (Matthew 6:6; Romans 8:26-27).
5. He has promised that when we ask for things that are in accordance with His will, He will give us what we ask for (1 John 5:14-15).
Why Pray? www.GotQuestions.org. Used by Permission.
The greatest trick the devil ever played was convincing the world he didn’t exist.
After consuming a quantity of junk food, we have no appetite for healthy food. In the same manner, after feeding our souls on Satan’s sinful, sour, salacious cesspool, (media) we have no desire for God’s spiritual food (Bible).
Christ is present in all Christians; Christ in prominent in some Christians; But in only a few Christians is Christ preeminent.
More empirical evidence exists for the doctrine of original sin than for any other truth of Scripture.
It must be obvious that the most important ingredient of the minister’s sermon is his character.
Quoted by Curtis C. Thomas, Practical Wisdom for Pastors, Crossway Books, 2001, p. 193.
Mr. Muller began this work in such a manner that aid could not be expected from anyone but God. He did not, of course, expect God to create gold and silver and put them into his hands. He knew that God could incline the hearts of men to aid him, and he believed that if the work was of Him, He would meet every need. Thus, in childlike simplicity, he looked to God, and all that he needed was furnished as punctually as if he were a millionaire drawing regularly on his bank account.
The Autobiography of George Muller, 1984, p. 6. All quotations taken from books published by Whitaker House are used with permission of the publisher. Whitaker House books are available at Christian bookstores everywhere.
When he preached, he would read a whole chapter or part of one and then proceed to draw out rich treasures that made it worth crossing the ocean to hear. His method of preaching caused the members of his congregation to become mighty in the Scriptures. They were better qualified to guide inquiring souls to Christ than many young ministers who had spent three years in a theological seminary.
The Autobiography of George Muller, 1984, p. 7. All quotations taken from books published by Whitaker House are used with permission of the publisher. Whitaker House books are available at Christian bookstores everywhere.
If our prayers are not answered – always answered, but not necessarily granted – the fault must be entirely in ourselves, and not in God. God delights to answer prayer; and He has given us His word that He will answer.
Author Unknown The Kneeling Christian, circa 1930, ch. 2.
If we ask and God does not give, then the fault is with us. Every unanswered prayer is a clarion call to search the heart to see what is wrong there; for the promise is unmistakable in its clearness: “If ye shall ask anything in My name, that will I do” (John 14:14). Truly he who prays puts, not God, but his own spiritual life to the test!
The Kneeling Christian, circa 1930, ch. 3.
When we confess that we “never get answers to our prayers,” we are condemning not God, or His promises, or the power of prayer, but ourselves. There is no greater test of spirituality than prayer.
The Kneeling Christian, circa 1930, ch. 6.
Most Christians do not give God a chance to show His delight in granting His children’s petitions; for their requests are so vague and indefinite. If this is so, it is not surprising that prayer is so often a mere form – man almost mechanical repetition, day by day, of certain phrases; a few minutes’ “exercise” morning and evening.
The Kneeling Christian, circa 1930, ch. 4.
God cannot always grant our petitions immediately. Sometimes we are not fitted to receive the gift. Sometimes He says "No" in order to give us something far better.
The Kneeling Christian, circa 1930, ch. 7.
Do not stop to ask the writer if God has granted all his prayers. He has not. To have said “Yes” to some of them would have spelt curse instead of blessing. To have answered others was, alas! a spiritual impossibility – he was not worthy of the gifts he sought. The granting of some of them would but have fostered spiritual pride and self-satisfaction. How plain all these things seem now, in the fuller light of God’s Holy Spirit!
The Kneeling Christian, circa 1930, ch. 8.
It is a very singular thing…that the only petition recorded of St. Paul seeking something for his own individual need [removal of the “thorn in the flesh”] was refused! The difficulty, however, is this: Why did St. Paul, who had the “mind” of Christ, ask for something which he soon discovered was contrary to God’s wishes? There are doubtless many fully-consecrated Christians reading these words who have been perplexed because God has not given some things they prayed for… St. Paul was tempted to think that he could do far better work for his beloved Master if only that “thorn” could be removed. But God knew that Paul would be a better man with the “thorn” than without it.
The Kneeling Christian, circa 1930, ch. 8.
We all want God’s voice to thunder through the air with the answer to our problem. But God’s is the still, small voice…the gentle whisper. Perhaps there’s a reason. Nothing draws human focus quite like a whisper. God’s whisper means I must stop my ranting and move close to Him, until my head is bent together with His. And then, as I listen, I will find my answer. Better still, I find myself closer to God.
If your prayers were always answered, you’d have a reason to doubt the wisdom of God.
God delays in answering our prayers because men would pluck their mercies green; God would have them ripe.
When the emperor Valens threatened Eusebuis with confiscation of all his goods, torture, banishment, or even death, the courageous Christian replied, “He needs not fear confiscation, who has nothing to lose; nor banishment, to whom heaven is his country; nor torments, when his body can be destroyed at one blow; nor death, which is the only way to set him at liberty from sin and sorrow.”
Those who have minutely studied the character of the Saviour will find it difficult to determine whether there is most to admire or to imitate in it – there is so much of both.
The character of Jesus Christ:
Humble service (John 13:1-5).
Holiness (I Peter 1:15-16).
Righteousness (I John 3:7).
Purity (I John 3:3).
Love (Ephesians 5:1-2).
Forgiveness (Colossians 3:13).
Compassion (Ephesians 4:32).
Endurance (Hebrews 12:2-4).
Submission (I Peter 2:21-4).
Humility, obedience (Philippians 2:5-8).
Kindness (Luke 6:35).
Generous giving (II Corinthians 8:1-9).
Parents who want a child to live wisely must train him according to the wisdom of God. Put him under the church’s teaching. Pray for him. Do not indulge him by allowing him to rule the family; instead, rule him with firm and consistent love. Be in travail to see Christ formed in his soul.
Giftedness with character is important, but giftedness without character is lethal!
I am a disciple of the Messiah. I will not let up, look back or slow down. My past is redeemed, my future is secure. I am done with low living, small planning, smooth knees, mundane talking, chincy giving, and dwarfed goals. I no longer need pre-eminence, prosperity, position or popularity. I don’t have to be right, first, tops, recognized, praised or rewarded. My face is set; my goal is sure. My road is narrow, my way is rough, my companions few. My God is reliable, my mission is clear. I cannot be bought, compromised, detoured, delayed or deluded. I will not flinch in the face of adversity, not negotiate at the table of the enemy or meander in the maze of mediocrity. I am a disciple of the Messiah. I must go until He comes, speak of all I know of Him and work until He stops me. And when He comes for His own, by the grace of God, He will have no problem recognizing me, because my colors are clear.
Unknown Zimbabwean Pastor
Grace is God giving us what we do not deserve and mercy is God not giving us what we do deserve.
Missions is not the “ministry of choice” for a few hyperactive Christians in the church. Missions is the purpose of the church.
It may readily be conceived that by thus attempting to make one sex equal to the other, both are degraded, and from so preposterous a medley of the works of nature nothing could ever result but weak men and disorderly women.
The Rise and Fall and Rise of Motherhood in America, May 9, 2008, Vision Forum Ministries, Used by Permission.
My calling is sure. My challenge is big. My vision is clear. My desire is strong. My influence is eternal. My impact is critical. My values are solid. My faith is tough. My mission is urgent. My purpose is unmistakable. My direction is forward. My heart is genuine. My strength is supernatural. My reward is promised. And my God is real. I refuse to be dismayed, disengaged, disgruntled, discouraged, or distracted. Neither will I look back, stand back, fall back, go back or sit back. I do not need applause, flattery, adulation, prestige, stature or veneration. I have no time for business as usual, mediocre standards, small thinking, normal expectations, average results, ordinary ideas, petty disputes or low vision. I will not give up, give in, bail out, lie down, turn over, quit or surrender. I am a minister. That is what I do.
God’s most striking victories arise out of the graves of apparent defeat.
Assurance comes not by inquisitive searching into the hidden and deep things of God, but by noticing within themselves, with spiritual joy and holy delight, the unmistakable fruits of election pointed out in God’s Word – such as a true faith in Christ, a childlike fear of God, a godly sorrow for their sins, a hunger and thirst for righteousness, and so on.
The Canons of Dort, The First Main Point of Doctrine: Divine Election and Reprobation. Article 12-The Assurance of Election.
He who might have been placing a vial of wrath in the hand of every angel around His throne, with a commission to pour it out on this rebellious world until it was utterly consumed, is standing at the moment, at the altar of incense, presenting our prayers for mercy, and officiating there as our great High Priest.
Moreover, it is the promise of the gospel that whoever believes in Christ crucified shall not perish but have eternal life. His promise, together with the command to repent and believe, ought to be announced and declared without differentiation or discrimination to all nations and people, to whom God in His good pleasure sends the gospel.
The Canons of Dort, The Second Main Point of Doctrine: Christ’s Death and Human Redemption Through It. Article 5- The Mandate to Proclaim the Gospel to All.
The sins of the wicked pierced Christ’s side; but the sins of the righteous pierce His heart.
Excellence is best described as doing the right things right – selecting the most important things to be done and then accomplishing them 100 percent correctly.
If you are a Christian, you can expect folks to criticize, but you ought to live so nobody will believe them.
The battle between the Seed of the woman and the Seed of the Serpent began with these words: ‘Did God really say?’ From that day forward, the Word of God has been attacked, maligned, distorted and suppressed. The assault comes both from inside and outside the church, as those outside claim that Scripture is not the Word of God and those inside fail to handle the Word rightly
Men do not reject the Bible because it contradicts itself but because it contradicts them.
Funny how we believe what the newspaper says, but question what the Bible says.
We are not God’s children because we imitate God, rather we imitate God because we are His children. We do not "walk in love" so that God will love us. Rather, we walk in love because God has loved us. We do not "let our light shine" (upon the deeds of darkness) so that we’ll be made "children of light". Rather, we let our light shine because we are children of light. There are ramifications of being united to Christ (if we are united to Him!) and they cannot be avoided.
www.Abort73.com
Has it ever struck you that we trust the word of our fellow-man more easily than we trust God’s word?
The Kneeling Christian, circa 1930, ch. 4.
The cost of obedience is nothing compared to the cost of disobedience.
Our Daily Bread.
Lead your life so you won’t be ashamed to sell the family parrot to the town gossip.
Three essential rules when speaking of others are: Is it true? Is it kind? Is it necessary?
O Lord, I live here as a fish in a vessel of water only enough to keep me alive, but in heaven I shall swim in the ocean. Here I have a little air in me to keep me breathing, but there I shall have sweet and fresh gales. Here I have a beam of sun to lighten my darkness, a warm ray to keep me from freezing; yonder I shall live in light and warmth forever.
The inner chamber is the place where the decisive victory is obtained.
Subjectivism is the inevitable consequence of making man the final arbiter of what is true. Without an objective, transcendent norm all we have are individual preferences to guide us. We must then ask, whose preferences will guide us?
Tabletalk, March 2008, p. 55.
Asking with shameless persistence, the importunity that will not be denied, returns with the answer in hand.
Fasting is not intended to punish your flesh, but to focus on God.
Christian Fasting – What Does the Bible Say? www.GotQuestions.org. Used by Permission.
Fasting is a way to demonstrate to God, and to yourself, that you are serious about your relationship with Him. Fasting helps you to gain a new perspective and a renewed reliance upon God.
Christian Fasting – What Does the Bible Say? www.GotQuestions.org. Used by Permission.