Favorite Pastor Quotes 4

Favorite Pastor Quotes 4

Let us try and not attend to its gewgaws!

(Mary Winslow)

"They are not of the world any more than I am of the world." John 17:14

The world and its 'nothings' are often a sad snare to God's saints! Oh that by faith we may overcome it all, and keep close to Jesus! We are not of the world--let us try and not attend to its gewgaws! Keep a more steadfast, unwavering eye upon Christ. He has gone a little before us, and stands beckoning us to follow Him.

Live for eternity! Let go of your hold upon the world! Receive this exhortation from an aged pilgrim, who, as she nears the solemn scenes of eternity, and more realizes the inexpressible joys that await us there--is anxious that all the believers who are traveling the same road might have their hearts and minds more disentangled from earth and earthly things, and themselves unreservedly given to Christ. Let us aim in all things to follow Him who, despising this world's show, left us an example how we should walk. Have your lamp trimmed and brightly burning, for every day and every hour brings us nearer and nearer to our eternal home!

"They are not of the world, even as I am not of it." John 17:16

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Infinite wisdom directs every event! 
(John Dagg)

"The Lord does whatever pleases Him--in the heavens and on the earth, in the seas and all their depths!" Psalm 135:5-6It should fill us with joy, that God's infinite wisdom guides the affairs of the world! 

Many of its events are shrouded in darkness and mystery, and inextricable confusion sometimes seems to reign.

Often wickedness prevails, and God seems to have forgotten the creatures that He has made.

Our own path through life is dark and devious, and beset with difficulties and dangers.

How full of consolation is the doctrine, that infinite wisdom directs every event, brings order out of confusion, and light out of darkness--and, to those who love God, His infinite wisdom causes all things, whatever their present aspect and apparent tendency is, to work together for good!

"We know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose!" Romans 8:28

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Death, to the believer!(Mary Winslow)

"I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far!" Philippians 1:23

Death, to the believer, is but passing out of a world of sorrow and of sin--and entering upon a world of indescribable glory!

If we lived more in anticipation of the happiness that waits us--earth would have less hold on our hearts' best affections.
 "Since, then, you have been raised with Christ--set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above--not on earthly things!" Colossians 3:1-2

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Ten thousand times more precious!

(William Dyer, "Christ's Famous Titles")

"To you who believe--He is precious!" 1 Peter 2:7

Christ is MOST precious! Oh, sirs! angels are precious, saints are precious, friends are precious, Heaven is precious--but Christ is ten thousand times more precious than these!

A believer had rather have Christ without Heaven--than Heaven without Christ! "Whom have I in Heaven but You? and there is none on earth that I desire besides You!" Psalm 73:25. Let a believer search Heaven and earth--and yet he will find nothing comparable to Christ. To be like to Him--is our happiness! To draw near to Him--is our holiness! You see, beloved, life is precious, freedom is precious, health is precious, peace is precious, food and clothing are precious, gold and silver are precious, kingdoms and crowns are precious. Indeed they are, in their places--but nothing is as precious as Jesus Christ!

Mark, sirs, what the apostle says, "But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ!" Philippians 3:7-8.

The believer is the only blessed man, the only happy man, the only rich man. Revelation 21:7, "He who overcomes shall inherit all things." Oh what a glorious inheritance are they born to--who are new-born! All things are theirs--and they shall inherit all things! What can they desire, more than all? All that Christ has, is theirs!
His wisdom is theirs to teach them,
His love is theirs to pity them,
His Spirit is theirs to comfort them,
His righteousness is theirs to justify them,
His power is theirs to protect them, and
His glory is theirs to crown them!

Oh, sirs! Christ cannot but be most precious to a believer--because all his precious comforts come from Christ. The Lord Jesus is . . .
  fairer than the fairest,
  sweeter than the sweetest,
  nearer than the nearest,
  dearer than the dearest,
  richer than the richest, and
  better than the best!

"Yes, He is altogether lovely! This is my Beloved--and this is my Friend!" Song of Songs 5:16 

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GOLGOTHA

By Newman Hall

They brought Jesus to the place called Golgotha (which means The Place of the Skull). Mark 15:22

Jesus to Golgotha? The perfectly pure One—He who was holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners—He, brought to a spot regarded as the most polluted and defiled, where skulls and bones marked the place of public execution, and which was branded with the anathema of all—Jesus to Golgotha? Jesus—the greatest Philanthropist whom the world has ever known—who went about doing good, whose life was love—He, brought to the place to which were dragged the violent and the dishonest, the assassin and the murderer—Jesus to Golgotha? Jesus—the incarnate Deity—to whom all power was given in heaven and on earth, whose will the armies of heaven obey—He, seized by wicked men, and dragged as if He were a helpless victim of their cruelty, instead of being their Monarch and their Judge—Jesus to Golgotha?

They bring Him—and He comes! They could not have brought Him against His will. One thought in opposition to their malice would have rescued Him from their impotent grasp. Therefore, if they brought Him, it was because He did not resist them. He said of His own life, "No man takes it from me—I lay it down of myself." Why, then, did He allow Himself to be led to Golgotha—the pure to the place of impurity, the 'benevolent One' to a spot identified with violence—the 'omnipotent One', as if, like common culprits dragged there, he was helpless?

Because He was pure and holy He went to Golgotha; for thus He fulfilled the purposes of the Father, as He said, "I delight to do Your will, O my God."

Because He was benevolent He went to Golgotha; for thus it was He must accomplish the redemption of the sinful race He came to save.

Because He was the Son of God He went to Golgotha; for it was with a view to this very hour that He took our nature, and was found in fashion as a man, "made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death." And so "they brought Jesus to the place called Golgotha."

Golgotha was a spot of all others the most disgraceful; and so He who occupied the loftiest seat of honor in heaven stooped to the very lowest, in order to lift up to the highest those for whom Golgotha had been a more fitting place.

Golgotha was a region of death. Here was the palace of the last enemy; here he held his revels. It was death's chief temple; here ghastly sacrifices were continually offered up. Here, at the very citadel of death, they led Christ to do battle with death.

Golgotha! There is a legend that it was the very center of the earth's surface—the middle point of the habitable globe. We think nothing of the legend, but very much of the truth it suggests. For the cross of Christ is the true center of the church, where all believers meet, of all tribes and nations, of all parties and sects. Here all may forget their differences; here all, who from different directions converge, are one church.

Golgotha! There is a legend that the body of Adam was buried there, and that the blood of Christ trickled down until it reached the bones; which then were clothed again with flesh and revived. We think nothing of the legend, but very much of the truth which it suggests. For when by faith the blood of Christ is applied to our guilty souls, the old Adam, dead by sin, lives again, but lives renewed and purified. Christ is the second Adam, who remedies the ruin of the first, and by whom paradise lost becomes paradise regained.

Golgotha! It was the "place of a skull." And all are going there. Every possession, every enjoyment, has death for its goal. However beautiful the path, it leads us ever onward to Golgotha. How closely does affection bind us to our friends! But they, too, are traveling to Golgotha; and every day brings us nearer to that "place of a skull." Those who have everything to make life happy, as well as those to whom life is a dreary waste of disappointment, are on their way to Golgotha! Those who are radiant with health and beauty, as well as those who are sickly or deformed, and to whom existence is a burden, are on their way to Golgotha! Those who have riches, and honor, and fame, and power, as well as the poor, the unknown or despised, are on their way to Golgotha!

But if by faith we are disciples and followers of Jesus, our Golgotha is changed by His. No longer the place of a skull, it becomes the gateway of glory. Sorrow turns to joy, sickness to health, poverty to riches, when, in company with Jesus, we are on our way to Golgotha. Yes, afflictions all become blessings, and death is life, through the grace of Him who was led to Golgotha.

Then we will look to Golgotha no longer as the place of a skull, but as the Hill of Paradise, the Mount of Salvation. Golgotha? It is where the lily and the rose exhale their fragrance. Golgotha? It is where the Tree of Life grows, whose leaves are for the healing of the nations, and whose fruit is ever fresh. Golgotha? It is where the river bursts forth, which flows in every direction for the salvation of the world. Golgotha? It is thence that we catch distant but transporting views of the glories of the heavenly city, and see the open gates of the New Jerusalem inviting us to enter. Golgotha? It is where heavenly breezes blow, and the Sun of Righteousness shines, and where angel voices sing, "Lift your eyes; O, lift your eyes unto this hill, where comes—where comes help." Yes, we will lift our eyes to this Hill of Salvation, and triumph in this place of a skull—mysterious, life-giving, glorious Golgotha.

"They gave him to drink, wine mingled with myrrh, but He received it not." This was the customary drugged draught, intended to stupefy, and thus deaden pain. It may sometimes be thought necessary to administer such a dose to a dying person; but the responsibility is very great of giving it to a patient who has but a few days or hours to live, and whose real life is thus cut short, inasmuch as all power of thought is destroyed. There was a woman, of whom I heard, who, in her last illness, entreated her physician, saying, "O, doctor, do let me go before my Maker sober." But whatever we suffer, Christ suffered. He endured without mitigation all the pain of that most painful death. Alleviations of suffering are allowed to us, and may be received with thankfulness; but Jesus died as a sacrifice, and would neither avail Himself of His divine power or of human expedients to escape any portion of the trial, and so when "they gave Him wine mingled with myrrh He would not drink." He would not allow His mind to be for a moment incapacitated for His great work, and so "He would not drink." He had to implore forgiveness for His murderers, and so "He would not drink." He had to manifest sympathy for His mother, and commend her to another's care, and so "He would not drink." He had to receive the prayer of the dying thief, and to assure him of paradise, and so "He would not drink." He had to maintain the battle with the foe, and to cry with the loud voice of victory, "It is finished," and so "He would not drink."

"And they crucified Him." They tore off His clothing, which the sick had touched for healing. With cruel nails they fastened to the cross the feet which had borne Him about on errands of mercy, and the hands which had been stretched out only to bless. They raised Him up to be an object of their scorn, while His life's blood slowly ebbed away. Hear the blows of the hammer which drives in those nails! Hear them, you careless ones! Jesus was crucified for you. Can you neglect the salvation which cost Him so dear? "Is it nothing to you, all you that pass by?"

Who nailed Him there? Was it the priests? Was it Pilate? Was it the soldiers? It was our sins—yours and mine. Those sins struck the hammer. We crucified Him. O, let us hate those sins; let us renounce them forever. Backslider, will you crucify the Son of God afresh, and put Him to an open shame? Shall we repeat, in any degree, so far as we are able, the insults of His murderers? Lord, forgive us that we should ever have pierced You. Henceforth may we crucify the world, our sins, ourselves. Henceforth let us trust, adore, and love You as our only Savior, our Lord, our Friend, reigning now on Your glorious throne, though once, for our redemption, crucified at Golgotha.