Classic Christian Quotes from Classic Ministers
How to conquer the world!
(Thomas Brooks, "The Unsearchable Riches of Christ!")
Perhaps the world--the smiling world or the frowning world, the tempting world or the persecuting world--lies as a heavy stone or burden upon your heart, as it does upon the hearts of thousands in these days. Witness their attempting anything to get the favors, honors and riches of this world! Ah! how many have turned their backs upon God, and Christ, and Heaven--to gain the world!
Men may hear many sermons--and yet remain worldly.
They may pray like angels--and yet live as if there were no Heaven nor Hell.
They will talk much of Heaven--and yet those who are spiritual and wise, smell their breath to stink strongly of earth.
All their endeavors can never cure them of this soul-killing disease--until faith breaks forth in its glorious actings. A man may hear sermons and pray many years--and yet remain as carnal, base, and worldly as ever! There is no way under Heaven to remove this burden--but by the exercise of faith!
"For everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God." 1 John 5:4-5
Faith presents the world to the soul under all those notions which the Scripture holds forth the world unto us by. The Scripture holds forth the world as . . .
an impotent thing,
as a mixed thing,
as a mutable thing,
as a momentary thing.
Now faith comes and sets this home with power upon the soul--and this takes the soul off from the world.
Faith causes the soul to converse with those more glorious, soul-satisfying, soul-delighting, and soul-contenting objects! Now when faith is busied and exercised about soul-ennobling, soul-greatening, soul-raising, and soul-cheering objects--a Christian tramples the world under his feet! In Hebrews 11, it was the exercise of faith and hope upon noble and glorious objects, which carried them above the world . . .
above the smiling world,
above the frowning world,
above the tempting world,
and above the persecuting world!
Faith conquers the world, by assuring the soul of enjoying of better things. Men may talk much of Heaven, and of Christ, and religion, etc.; but give me a man who really and clearly lives under the power of divine faith--and I cannot see how such a one can be carried out in an inordinate love to these poor transitory worldly things.
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Go dogs, and eat the garbage!
(Charles Spurgeon)
"Do not be yoked together with unbelievers.
For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common?
Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?
What harmony is there between Christ and Belial?
What does a believer have in common with an unbeliever?
What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols?
'Therefore come out from them and be separate,' says the Lord. 'Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you. I will be a Father to you, and you will be My sons and daughters,' says the Lord Almighty." 2 Corinthians 6:14-18
I believe that one reason why the church at this present moment has so little influence over the world, is because the world has so much influence over the church! Nowadays, we hear mere professors pleading that they may do this, and do that--that they may live like worldlings. My sad answer to them, when they crave this liberty is, "Do it if you dare. It may not cost you much hurt, for you are so bad already. Your worldly cravings show how rotten your hearts are! If you are hungering after such dog's food--go dogs, and eat the garbage!"
Worldly amusements are fit food for pretenders and hypocrites.
If you were God's children, you would loathe the thought of the world's evil joys. Your question would not be, "How far may we be like the world?" but your cry would be, "How can we get away from the world? How can we come out of it?"
"Whatever is true,
whatever is noble,
whatever is right,
whatever is pure,
whatever is lovely,
whatever is admirable,
if anything is excellent or praiseworthy
--think about such things!" Philippians 4:8
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You were fitter to be loathed, than loved!
(Thomas Boston, "Human Nature in its Fourfold State")
Call to mind the state you were in formerly. "Remember that at that time you were without Christ . . . having no hope and without God in the world." Ephesians 2:12
You are no longer a child of wrath--but an heir of God, and joint heir with Christ!
Remember--that in the day our Lord first took you by the hand, you were in no better a condition than others. O, what moved Him to take you--when He passed by so many others who were much better than you? He found you a child of wrath, even as others--but He did not leave you so. He came into the common prison where you lay in fetters, even as others. From among the multitude of condemned malefactors, He picked you out, commanded your fetters to be taken off, put a pardon in your hand, and brought you into the glorious liberty of the children of God--while He left others in the devil's fetters!
Remember--there was nothing in you to engage Him to love you, in the day He appeared for your deliverance. You were a child of wrath, even as others. You were fit for Hell, and altogether unfit for Heaven! Yet the King brought you into His palace. The King's Son loved you, a condemned criminal, and espoused you to Himself--on the day in which you might have been led forth to eternal execution! "Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Your sight!"
Remember--you were fitter to be loathed, than loved, in that day. Be amazed and wonder--that when He saw you in your blood, that He did not look upon you with abhorrence and pass you by!
Remember--it was He who took off your prison garments, and clothed you with robes of righteousness, garments of salvation! He took the chains from off your arms, the rope from around your neck; and put you in such a dress, as you might be fit for the court of Heaven--even to eat at the King's table!
Admire that matchless love which brought you out of the state of wrath! Christ's love brought your soul from the pit of corruption! He gave His life for your life. He gave His precious blood to quench the flames of wrath--which otherwise would have forever consumed you! He took you out of the horrible pit, and out of the miry clay. How broad was that love, which covered such a multitude of sins! See . . .
the length of it--reaching from everlasting to everlasting;
the depth of it--going so low as to deliver you from the lowest Hell;
the height of it--raising you up to sit in heavenly places!
That your soul is not overwhelmed with the wrath of God, is owing purely to Jesus Christ! That your heart is not filled with horror and despair, is owing to Him alone! That . . .
your eyes are not now blinded with the smoke of the bottomless pit;
your hands not now fettered with adamantine chains of darkness;
your tongue is not now broiling in the fire of Hell; and
your feet are not now standing in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone--is owing purely to Jesus Christ!
Walk humbly, as it befits debtors to free grace!
You have no reason to complain of your lot in the world, whatever it is.
Well may you bear the cross for Him . . . .
who bore your curse;
who has freed you from eternal wrath;
and who has quenched Hell-fire for you!
A Proliferation of Christian Devotionals and Sermons
Saturday, September 14, 2019
Classic Christian Quotes from Classic Ministers
Classic Christian Quotes from Classic Ministers
The picture of agonizing love!(Charles Spurgeon)
"Then Pilate took Jesus and had Him scourged. The soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on His head. They clothed Him in a purple robe and went up to Him again and again, saying, "Hail, king of the Jews!" And they struck Him in the face!" John 19:1-3
Pilate delivered our Lord to the lictors to be scourged. The Roman scourging was a most dreadful instrument of torture. It was made of the sinews of oxen, and sharp bones were inter-twisted among the sinews; so that every time the lash came down--these pieces of bone inflicted fearful laceration, and tore off some flesh from the victim. The Savior was, no doubt, bound to the pillar, and thus beaten. He had been beaten before, but this scourging of the Roman lictors was probably the most severe of His flagellations.
"With His stripes we are healed." Isaiah 53:5
My soul, stand here and weep over His poor stricken body. Believer in Jesus, can you gaze upon Him without tears, as He stands before you--the picture of agonizing love? He is at once as white as the lily for innocence, and as red as the rose with the crimson of His own blood. As we feel the sure and blessed healing which His stripes have wrought in us--does not our heart melt at once with love and grief? If ever we have loved our Lord Jesus--surely we must feel that affection glowing now within our bosoms.
"See how the patient Jesus stands,
Insulted in His lowest case!
Sinners have bound the Almighty's hands,
And spit in their Creator's face!
"With thorns His temples gored and gashed
Send streams of blood from every part.
His back's with knotted scourges lashed,
But sharper scourges tear His heart!"We would sincerely go to our chambers and weep. But since our business calls us away this morning, we will first ask our Beloved to print the image of His bleeding self upon the tablets of our hearts all the day; and at nightfall we will return to commune with Him, and sorrow that our sin should have cost Him so dear!
Send streams of blood from every part.
His back's with knotted scourges lashed,
But sharper scourges tear His heart!"We would sincerely go to our chambers and weep. But since our business calls us away this morning, we will first ask our Beloved to print the image of His bleeding self upon the tablets of our hearts all the day; and at nightfall we will return to commune with Him, and sorrow that our sin should have cost Him so dear!
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The Cross The Believer's Motivation
Paul was single-minded in the message he preached. The cross was not only his primary subject; it was also his motivation for living. When we begin to understand all that Jesus did for us at Calvary, we, too, can receive fresh motivation to live for Him. For instance, we can...
Walk humbly before God. Since the power to live the Christian life is supplied by Christ, there is no room for pride. When Jesus died, our "flesh" nature was crucified with Him so that we could live in newness of life. Any success we achieve in living righteously or walking in obedience is possible only because He is working through us.
Serve the Lord faithfully. At the cross, we were placed "in Christ," and He is in us (Gal. 2:20). We are now His body on earth, created for good works which God has prepared for us to do (Eph. 2:10). Jesus wasn’t crucified so we could sit in pews each Sunday and listen to sermons. He has specific tasks for each of us to achieve during our lifetime.
Share our faith. Knowing all that Jesus accomplished at the cross should motivate us to share the gospel with others. This world is filled with hurting people who know nothing about salvation. Since their eternal destiny is at stake, how can we keep our mouths closed?
Too often we view the cross only as a past event that secured our eternal destiny, and we fail to see how it can motivate daily choices and activities. Stop to contemplate all that God is continually accomplishing in you though the cross. Let it be your motivation to live wholeheartedly for Christ.
~Dr. Charles F. Stanley~
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Compromise
As we continue our consideration of prosperity, I want to turn your attention to Luke 12:31,
"But seek the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you."
This is a simple but powerful principle for life: We have to put God's Kingdom first if we are to realize God's prosperity.
A lot of Christians get caught up in the drive for prosperity and forget that God's greatest desire is for us to pursue His Kingdom. In fact, I think some of God's children today are frustrated as they are endeavoring to prosper. They can see the promise of prosperity in the Word, yet they are coming up short, and they are asking, "God, what's up?"
I really think this is an issue of the heart. God is not prospering them because they may not be mature enough spiritually to handle the degree of prosperity they are seeking. It might do them harm.
This brings to mind a young coworker of mine from a number of years ago. He was a believer but was struggling financially. One night we were in a restaurant after work when he shared a difficult struggle he was going through.
We prayed that God would do something supernatural to help him in his time of need. Two days later, he got an unexpected inheritance. It was huge! And you know what? The next week he wasn't at work. Instead he was out partying. All of a sudden, his church life stopped and he walked away from his relationship with God. He didn't have the maturity to handle the success.
~Bayless Conley~
Saturday, September 7, 2019
Classic Christian Quotes from Classic Ministers
Classic Christian Quotes from Classic Ministers
All honey would harm us!(Thomas Brooks)
"Weeping may endure for a night--but joy comes in the morning." Psalm 30:5
Our mourning shall last but until morning.
God will turn . . .
our winter's night, into a summer's day,
our sighing, into singing,
our grief, into gladness,
our mourning, into music,
our bitter, into sweet,
our wilderness, into a paradise.
The life of a Christian is filled up with interchanges of . . .
sickness, and health,
weakness, and strength,
want, and wealth,
disgrace, and honor,
crosses, and comforts,
miseries, and mercies,
joys, and sorrows,
mirth, and mourning.
All honey would harm us, and all wormwood would undo us; a composition of both is the best way to keep our souls in a healthy constitution. It is best and most for the health of the soul--that the warm south wind of mercy, and the cold north wind of adversity--both blow upon it. And though every wind which blows, shall blow good to the saints; yet certainly their sins die most, and their graces thrive best, when they are under the frigid, drying, nipping north wind of calamity--as well as under the warm, nourishing south wind of mercy and prosperity.
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All honey would harm us!(Thomas Brooks)
"Weeping may endure for a night--but joy comes in the morning." Psalm 30:5
Our mourning shall last but until morning.
God will turn . . .
our winter's night, into a summer's day,
our sighing, into singing,
our grief, into gladness,
our mourning, into music,
our bitter, into sweet,
our wilderness, into a paradise.
The life of a Christian is filled up with interchanges of . . .
sickness, and health,
weakness, and strength,
want, and wealth,
disgrace, and honor,
crosses, and comforts,
miseries, and mercies,
joys, and sorrows,
mirth, and mourning.
All honey would harm us, and all wormwood would undo us; a composition of both is the best way to keep our souls in a healthy constitution. It is best and most for the health of the soul--that the warm south wind of mercy, and the cold north wind of adversity--both blow upon it. And though every wind which blows, shall blow good to the saints; yet certainly their sins die most, and their graces thrive best, when they are under the frigid, drying, nipping north wind of calamity--as well as under the warm, nourishing south wind of mercy and prosperity.
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Praying the Promises of God
Jesus made it clear that we would endure hardship in this life. But God gave His children amazing tools to keep trials from overwhelming us. For instance, He placed His Spirit inside each believer to guide and empower. In addition, He gave us prayer so we could not only communicate and stay connected with our Father but also bring Him our requests.
Today I want to focus on yet another one of His marvelous gifts: the Bible. Scripture is the actual Word of God Almighty. It is truth. It never changes. It enables us in all circumstances, so we have a sure foundation on which to base our lives and decisions.
There are thousands of promises in the Bible--countless assurances that we can rely on with perfect confidence. God wants us to learn them so we won't miss out on blessings He wants to give. And wise believers will turn His promises into prayers and the cries of their hearts.
Let me give you an example that relates to difficult decisions. Psalms 32:8 states, "I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you should go; I will counsel you with My eye upon you." We can pray God's words back to Him, saying that we believe He will teach us and reveal His path, while remaining by our side as our caregiver through the entire situation.
When hardships arise, we need a solid foundation on which to stand. Otherwise, our emotions could easily lead us astray through faulty thinking. God is faithful and unchanging, so we can trust in His promises, which enable us to rest confidently and act boldly.
~Dr. Charles F. Stanley~
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Keep yourselves from idols.
My son, give me thine heart. — Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.
Son of man, these men have set up their idols in their heart and put the stumblingblock of their iniquity before their face: should I be enquired of at all by them? — Mortify ... your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry. — They that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare. For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. But thou, O man of God, flee these things.
If riches increase, set not your heart upon them. — My fruit is better than gold, yea, than fine gold; and my revenue than choice silver.
Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. — The Lord looketh on the heart.
I JOHN 5:21. Prov. 23:26. ‑Gal. 3:2. Ezek. 14:3. -Gal. 3:5. ‑I Tim. 6:9-11. Psa. 62:10. -Prov. 8:19. Matt. 6:21. ‑I Sam. 16:7.
~Samuel Bagster~
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Surely the Lord is in this place; and I knew it not.
Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them. — Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. — My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest.
Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence? If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there. — Am I a God at hand, saith the Lord, and not a God afar off? Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him? saith the Lord, Do not I fill heaven and earth? saith the Lord.
Behold, the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain thee, how much less this house that I have builded? — Thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy: I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones. — Ye are the temple of living God.
GEN. 28:16. Matt. 18:20. ‑Matt. 28:20. ‑Exo. 33:14. Psa. 139:7,8. ‑Jer. 23:23,24. I Kgs. 8:27. ‑Isa. 57:15. ‑II Cor. 6:16.
~Samuel Bagster
Classic Christian Quotes from Classic Ministers
Classic Christian Quotes from Classic Ministers
The Almighty has afflicted me!
(Charles Spurgeon)
"The Almighty has afflicted me!" Ruth 1:21
It is a sweet thing to be able to trace the hand of God in our afflictions, for nothing can come from that hand towards one of His children, but that which is good and right.
If you will think of those hands of which the Lord says, "I have engraved you upon the palms of My hands"--you may rest assured that nothing can come from those hands but what infinite wisdom directs, and infinite love has ordained!
"For the Lord disciplines the one He loves, and chastises every son whom He receives." Hebrews 12:6
"God disciplines us for our good, that we may share His holiness." Hebrews 12:10
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That hair's-breadth has sufficed to direct the current of our life!
(Charles Spurgeon)
"Now the donkeys belonging to Saul's father Kish were lost, and Kish said to his son Saul: Take one of the servants with you and go and look for the donkeys." 1 Samuel 9:3 , 20
Saul went out to seek his father's donkeys. He failed in the search, but he found a crown. He met with the Prophet Samuel, who anointed him king over God's people, Israel--and this was far better than finding the obstinate donkeys. Let us consider this amazing incident. Perhaps, though it treats of donkeys, it may yield us some royal thoughts.
Observe how the hand of God's providence causes little things to lead on to great matters.
This man Saul must be placed in the way of the Prophet Samuel. How shall a meeting be brought about? Poor beasts of burden shall be the intermediate means! The donkeys go astray and Saul's father bids him take a servant and go seek them. In the course of their wanderings, the animals might have gone North, South, East or West--for who shall account for the wild will of runaway donkeys? But so it happened, as men say, that they strayed in such a direction that, by-and-by, Saul found himself near to Ramah, where Samuel, the Prophet, was ready to anoint him king.
On how small an incident the greatest results may hinge!
The pivots of history are microscopic!
Hence, it is most important for us to learn that the smallest trifles are as much arranged by the God of Providence, as the most grandiose events. He who counts the stars, has also numbered the hairs of our heads! Our lives and deaths are predestined--but so, also, are our sitting down and our rising up.
Had we but sufficiently powerful perceptive faculties, we would see God's hand as clearly in each stone of our pathway, as in the revolution of the planets.
In watching our own lives, we may plainly see that on many occasions the merest trifle has turned the scale. Whereas there seemed to be but a hair's-breadth between one course of action and another--yet that hair's-breadth has sufficed to direct the current of our life!
Providence may be seen as the finger of God, not merely in those events which shake nations and are duly emblazoned on the pages of history, but also in little incidents of common life--yes, in the motion of a grain of dust, the trembling of a dewdrop, the flight of a swallow, or the leaping of a fish!
Head, hand, heart, lip, and life
(Thomas Brooks, "The Crown and Glory of Christianity, or, HOLINESS, the Only Way to Happiness")
True holiness is diffusive. It extends, diffuses, and spreads itself all over the whole person . . .
the head and the heart;
the lip and the life;
the inside and the outside.
The understanding is nourished on holiness,
the mind is adorned with holiness,
the will is bowed to holiness, and
all the affections are sprinkled, yes, clothed with holiness . . .
love is holy love,
grief is holy grief,
joy is holy joy,
sorrow is holy sorrow,
fear is holy fear,
care is holy care,
zeal is holy zeal.
Real holiness spreads itself over head, hand, heart, lip, and life.
"May God Himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." 1 Thessalonians 5:23
The Almighty has afflicted me!
(Charles Spurgeon)
"The Almighty has afflicted me!" Ruth 1:21
It is a sweet thing to be able to trace the hand of God in our afflictions, for nothing can come from that hand towards one of His children, but that which is good and right.
If you will think of those hands of which the Lord says, "I have engraved you upon the palms of My hands"--you may rest assured that nothing can come from those hands but what infinite wisdom directs, and infinite love has ordained!
"For the Lord disciplines the one He loves, and chastises every son whom He receives." Hebrews 12:6
"God disciplines us for our good, that we may share His holiness." Hebrews 12:10
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That hair's-breadth has sufficed to direct the current of our life!
(Charles Spurgeon)
"Now the donkeys belonging to Saul's father Kish were lost, and Kish said to his son Saul: Take one of the servants with you and go and look for the donkeys." 1 Samuel 9:3 , 20
Saul went out to seek his father's donkeys. He failed in the search, but he found a crown. He met with the Prophet Samuel, who anointed him king over God's people, Israel--and this was far better than finding the obstinate donkeys. Let us consider this amazing incident. Perhaps, though it treats of donkeys, it may yield us some royal thoughts.
Observe how the hand of God's providence causes little things to lead on to great matters.
This man Saul must be placed in the way of the Prophet Samuel. How shall a meeting be brought about? Poor beasts of burden shall be the intermediate means! The donkeys go astray and Saul's father bids him take a servant and go seek them. In the course of their wanderings, the animals might have gone North, South, East or West--for who shall account for the wild will of runaway donkeys? But so it happened, as men say, that they strayed in such a direction that, by-and-by, Saul found himself near to Ramah, where Samuel, the Prophet, was ready to anoint him king.
On how small an incident the greatest results may hinge!
The pivots of history are microscopic!
Hence, it is most important for us to learn that the smallest trifles are as much arranged by the God of Providence, as the most grandiose events. He who counts the stars, has also numbered the hairs of our heads! Our lives and deaths are predestined--but so, also, are our sitting down and our rising up.
Had we but sufficiently powerful perceptive faculties, we would see God's hand as clearly in each stone of our pathway, as in the revolution of the planets.
In watching our own lives, we may plainly see that on many occasions the merest trifle has turned the scale. Whereas there seemed to be but a hair's-breadth between one course of action and another--yet that hair's-breadth has sufficed to direct the current of our life!
Providence may be seen as the finger of God, not merely in those events which shake nations and are duly emblazoned on the pages of history, but also in little incidents of common life--yes, in the motion of a grain of dust, the trembling of a dewdrop, the flight of a swallow, or the leaping of a fish!
________________________
Head, hand, heart, lip, and life
(Thomas Brooks, "The Crown and Glory of Christianity, or, HOLINESS, the Only Way to Happiness")
True holiness is diffusive. It extends, diffuses, and spreads itself all over the whole person . . .
the head and the heart;
the lip and the life;
the inside and the outside.
The understanding is nourished on holiness,
the mind is adorned with holiness,
the will is bowed to holiness, and
all the affections are sprinkled, yes, clothed with holiness . . .
love is holy love,
grief is holy grief,
joy is holy joy,
sorrow is holy sorrow,
fear is holy fear,
care is holy care,
zeal is holy zeal.
Real holiness spreads itself over head, hand, heart, lip, and life.
"May God Himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." 1 Thessalonians 5:23
Saturday, August 31, 2019
And More Yet!
And More Yet!
Are the chips of the cross so heavy?(Thomas Case, "The Rod and the Word, A Treatise on Afflictions")
In the school of affliction, God teaches how to estimate, or at least to make some remote and imperfect guess, at the sufferings of Jesus Christ. In times of prosperity we pass by the Cross carelessly--at the best we do but shake our heads a little. The reading of the story of Christ's passion stirs us up some pity towards Him--but it is quickly gone; we forget as soon as we get into the world again.
But now . . .
let God pinch our flesh with some sore affliction;
let Him fill our bones with pain, and set us on fire with a burning fever;
let our feet be hurt in the stocks, and the irons enter into our souls;
let our souls be exceedingly filled with the scorning and contempt of the proud;
let us be destitute, afflicted, tormented, and so forth--
then we sit down and look upon Him whom we have pierced, and begin to say within ourselves:
"Are the chips of the cross so heavy? What then was the cross itself, which my Redeemer bore?
Are a few bodily pains so bitter? What then were those agonies which the Lord of glory sustained in His soul?
Is the wrath of man so piercing? What then was the wrath of God, which scorched His righteous soul, and forced His very heart's blood through His flesh on a cold winter's night, so that His sweat was as great drops of blood falling down to the ground?
Are the buffetings of men so grievous? What then were the buffetings of Satan, which our Lord sustained, when all the brood of the serpent lay nibbling at His heels?
Is a burning fever so hot? How then did the flames of Hell itself scald my Savior's soul?
Is a chain so heavy, a prison so loathsome, the sentence and execution of death so dreadful? O what then was it for Him who made Heaven and earth to be bound with chains, mocked, abused, spit upon, buffeted, reviled, cast into prison, arraigned, condemned, and executed in a most shameful and accursed manner?"
Blessed be God,
my prison is not the bottomless pit,
my burnings are not unquenchable flames,
my cup is not filled with divine wrath!
In a word, my sufferings are not Hell.
Blessed be God for Jesus Christ, by whom I am delivered from wrath to come!
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Let us try and not attend to its gewgaws!
(Mary Winslow)
How poor and unsatisfying are all things here below--even the best and the loveliest! Is it not strange that we can lose sight of Heaven and eternal glory--and grovel in the dust to gather pebbles, for the pleasure of throwing them away afterwards?
Oh, to walk more intimately with Him, to live above the world, and hold the creature with a looser hand, taking God's Word as our guiding light and our unfailing spring of comfort. God has eternally provided such a magnificent and holy Heaven for us above, that He is jealous lest we should set our hearts too fondly and closely upon the fleeting attractions of earth. Therefore it is that He withers our gourds and breaks our cisterns--only to dislodge us from this poor world, and lead us to seek those things which are above, where Christ our treasure is.
Let us keep our eye and our hearts upon our blessed eternal home. Earth is but a stage erected as our passage to the place Jesus has gone to prepare for us. What a place must that be--which infinite power and love has engaged to provide! Oh, let us not lose sight of Heaven for a moment.
How prone are we to allow our minds and hearts (our treacherous hearts!) to become entangled with the baubles of a dying world. No wonder Christ exhorted us to watch and pray. Heaven is our home--our glorious home. We are but strangers and pilgrims here on earth. Try and realize it. Let us keep ourselves ready to enter with Him to the marriage supper of the Lamb. In a little while, and we shall see Him, not as the 'Man of sorrows,' but the 'King in His beauty!' Then let us fight against the world and all its vain attractions, for it is passing away.
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!
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 believers who are traveling the same road might have their hearts and minds more disentangled from worthless 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 your home!
"Dearest Jesus! help Your pilgrims to live more like pilgrims--above a poor dying world, and more in full view of the glory that awaits us when we shall see You face to face!"
"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. When Christ, who is your life, appears--then you also will appear with Him in glory!" Colossians 3:1-4
"Therefore, holy brothers, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus!" Hebrews 3:1
Are the chips of the cross so heavy?(Thomas Case, "The Rod and the Word, A Treatise on Afflictions")
In the school of affliction, God teaches how to estimate, or at least to make some remote and imperfect guess, at the sufferings of Jesus Christ. In times of prosperity we pass by the Cross carelessly--at the best we do but shake our heads a little. The reading of the story of Christ's passion stirs us up some pity towards Him--but it is quickly gone; we forget as soon as we get into the world again.
But now . . .
let God pinch our flesh with some sore affliction;
let Him fill our bones with pain, and set us on fire with a burning fever;
let our feet be hurt in the stocks, and the irons enter into our souls;
let our souls be exceedingly filled with the scorning and contempt of the proud;
let us be destitute, afflicted, tormented, and so forth--
then we sit down and look upon Him whom we have pierced, and begin to say within ourselves:
"Are the chips of the cross so heavy? What then was the cross itself, which my Redeemer bore?
Are a few bodily pains so bitter? What then were those agonies which the Lord of glory sustained in His soul?
Is the wrath of man so piercing? What then was the wrath of God, which scorched His righteous soul, and forced His very heart's blood through His flesh on a cold winter's night, so that His sweat was as great drops of blood falling down to the ground?
Are the buffetings of men so grievous? What then were the buffetings of Satan, which our Lord sustained, when all the brood of the serpent lay nibbling at His heels?
Is a burning fever so hot? How then did the flames of Hell itself scald my Savior's soul?
Is a chain so heavy, a prison so loathsome, the sentence and execution of death so dreadful? O what then was it for Him who made Heaven and earth to be bound with chains, mocked, abused, spit upon, buffeted, reviled, cast into prison, arraigned, condemned, and executed in a most shameful and accursed manner?"
Blessed be God,
my prison is not the bottomless pit,
my burnings are not unquenchable flames,
my cup is not filled with divine wrath!
In a word, my sufferings are not Hell.
Blessed be God for Jesus Christ, by whom I am delivered from wrath to come!
______________________
Let us try and not attend to its gewgaws!
(Mary Winslow)
How poor and unsatisfying are all things here below--even the best and the loveliest! Is it not strange that we can lose sight of Heaven and eternal glory--and grovel in the dust to gather pebbles, for the pleasure of throwing them away afterwards?
Oh, to walk more intimately with Him, to live above the world, and hold the creature with a looser hand, taking God's Word as our guiding light and our unfailing spring of comfort. God has eternally provided such a magnificent and holy Heaven for us above, that He is jealous lest we should set our hearts too fondly and closely upon the fleeting attractions of earth. Therefore it is that He withers our gourds and breaks our cisterns--only to dislodge us from this poor world, and lead us to seek those things which are above, where Christ our treasure is.
Let us keep our eye and our hearts upon our blessed eternal home. Earth is but a stage erected as our passage to the place Jesus has gone to prepare for us. What a place must that be--which infinite power and love has engaged to provide! Oh, let us not lose sight of Heaven for a moment.
How prone are we to allow our minds and hearts (our treacherous hearts!) to become entangled with the baubles of a dying world. No wonder Christ exhorted us to watch and pray. Heaven is our home--our glorious home. We are but strangers and pilgrims here on earth. Try and realize it. Let us keep ourselves ready to enter with Him to the marriage supper of the Lamb. In a little while, and we shall see Him, not as the 'Man of sorrows,' but the 'King in His beauty!' Then let us fight against the world and all its vain attractions, for it is passing away.
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!
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 believers who are traveling the same road might have their hearts and minds more disentangled from worthless 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 your home!
"Dearest Jesus! help Your pilgrims to live more like pilgrims--above a poor dying world, and more in full view of the glory that awaits us when we shall see You face to face!"
"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. When Christ, who is your life, appears--then you also will appear with Him in glory!" Colossians 3:1-4
"Therefore, holy brothers, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus!" Hebrews 3:1
And Still More Classic Christian Quotes!
And Still More Classic Christian Quotes!
A rich man and a beggar!
(J.C. Ryle, Riches and Poverty)
"There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day.
At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores and longing to eat what fell from the rich man's table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores." Luke 16:19-21
The Lord Jesus begins the parable by telling us of a rich man and a beggar. He says not a word in praise either of poverty or of riches. He describes the circumstances of a wealthy man, and the circumstances of a poor man; but neither condemns the temporal position of one, nor praises that of the other.
We must take heed that we do not draw lessons from the parable which it was never meant to teach. The richare not always evil men, and do not always go to Hell. The poor are not always holy men, and do not always go to Heaven. We must not rush into the extreme of supposing that it is sinful to be rich. We must not run away with the idea that there is anything wicked in the difference of condition here described, and that God intended all men to be equal. There is nothing in our Lord Jesus Christ's words to warrant any such conclusion. He simply describes things as they are often seen in the world, and as we must expect to see them.
Many in every age have disturbed society by stirring up the poor against the rich. But so long as the world is under the present order of things, universal equality cannot be attained.
So long as . . .
some are wise, and some are foolish;
some are strong, and some are weak;
some are healthy, and some are diseased;
so long as children reap the fruit of their parent's misconduct;
so long as sun, and rain, and heat, and cold, and wind, and waves, and drought, and blight, and storm, and tempest are beyond man's control--so long will there be inequality in this world.
Take all the property in England by force this day, and divide it equally among the inhabitants. Give every man over twenty years old an equal portion. Let all share alike, and begin the world over again.
Do this, and see where you would be at the end of fifty years. You would just have come round to the point where you began! You would just find things as unequal as before!
Some would have worked--and some would have been idle;
some would have been always careless--and some always scheming;
some would have sold--and others would have bought;
some would have wasted--and others would have saved.
And the end would be, that some would be rich--and others poor.
We might as well say . . .
that all men ought to be of the same height, weight, strength, and cleverness;
or that all oak trees ought to be of the same shape and size;
or that all blades of grass ought to be of the same length
--as that all men were meant to be equal.
Settle it in your mind that the main cause of all the suffering you see around you, is sin. Sin is the grand cause . . .
of the enormous luxury of the rich--and the painful degradation of the poor;
of the heartless selfishness of the highest classes--and the helpless poverty of the lowest.
Sin must be first cast out of the world;
the hearts of all men must be renewed and sanctified;
the devil must be bound;
the Prince of Peace must come down and take His great power and reign
--all this must be before there ever can be universal happiness, or the gulf be filled up which now divides the rich and poor.
Beware of expecting a millennium to be brought about . . .
by any method of government,
by any system of education,
or by any political party.
Labor to do good to all men; pity your poorer brethren, and help every reasonable endeavor to raise them from their low estate; do not slacken your hand from any endeavor to increase knowledge--to promote morality--to improve the temporal condition of the poor.
But never, never forget that you live in a fallen world--that sin is all around you--and that the devil is abroad.
And be very sure that the rich man and Lazarus are emblems of two classes of people which will always be in the world until the Lord comes!
_______________________
Martyn Lloyd-Jones
The tragedy of sin, is that it affects man in his highest faculties.
Sin causes us to become fools, and behave in an irrational manner.
Modern man, far from being ruled by reason, is ruled by lust and passion.
The man who refuses to face the fact of his own death, is a fool!
The more Christian a person is, the simpler will that person's life be.
I'd rather hobble into Heaven, than walk into Hell!
God is nowhere more hidden, than in most churches!
Some tend to think that Christianity is a matter of being nice.
But niceness is purely biological. One dog is nicer than another dog!
We must never parade ourselves!
Do you think that you deserve forgiveness? If you do, you are not a Christian.
When a man truly sees himself, he knows that nobody can say anything about him that is too bad.
The trouble with man is not intellectual--but moral.
If you claim to love Christ and yet are living an unholy life, there is only one thing to say about you: You are a bare-faced liar!
To divorce forgiveness of sins from the actual living of the Christian life, is nothing but rank heresy!
Christians are generally at their best, when they are in the furnace of affliction and being persecuted and tried.
If you are not holy, you are not a Christian.
There are no shortcuts in the Christian life--no simple remedies.
Nothing we do in the Christian life, is harder than prayer.
The state of the world today, is nothing but an appalling monument to human failure.
Intellectual pride is the last citadel of self.
We have come to realize that a man can be educated and cultured, and still be a beast!
The biggest hoax in the world for the last 150 years, has been the theory of evolution!
The natural man is always looking at himself and admiring himself.
I would rather make bricks without straw--than try to live the Sermon on the Mount in my own strength.
No difficulty in believing the gospel is intellectual--it is always moral.
The whole trouble in life, is ultimately a concern about self.
A man is not a Christian unless he can say with Paul, "I am what I am by the grace of God!"
Many who go to the psychiatrist are like the woman in the Gospels--they are nothing bettered, but rather grow worse!
There is little difference between a fashion parade, and a dog show!
By definition, a Christian should be an enigma to every person who is not a Christian.
The first sign of spiritual life, is to feel that you are dead!
A rich man and a beggar!
(J.C. Ryle, Riches and Poverty)
"There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day.
At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores and longing to eat what fell from the rich man's table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores." Luke 16:19-21
The Lord Jesus begins the parable by telling us of a rich man and a beggar. He says not a word in praise either of poverty or of riches. He describes the circumstances of a wealthy man, and the circumstances of a poor man; but neither condemns the temporal position of one, nor praises that of the other.
We must take heed that we do not draw lessons from the parable which it was never meant to teach. The richare not always evil men, and do not always go to Hell. The poor are not always holy men, and do not always go to Heaven. We must not rush into the extreme of supposing that it is sinful to be rich. We must not run away with the idea that there is anything wicked in the difference of condition here described, and that God intended all men to be equal. There is nothing in our Lord Jesus Christ's words to warrant any such conclusion. He simply describes things as they are often seen in the world, and as we must expect to see them.
Many in every age have disturbed society by stirring up the poor against the rich. But so long as the world is under the present order of things, universal equality cannot be attained.
So long as . . .
some are wise, and some are foolish;
some are strong, and some are weak;
some are healthy, and some are diseased;
so long as children reap the fruit of their parent's misconduct;
so long as sun, and rain, and heat, and cold, and wind, and waves, and drought, and blight, and storm, and tempest are beyond man's control--so long will there be inequality in this world.
Take all the property in England by force this day, and divide it equally among the inhabitants. Give every man over twenty years old an equal portion. Let all share alike, and begin the world over again.
Do this, and see where you would be at the end of fifty years. You would just have come round to the point where you began! You would just find things as unequal as before!
Some would have worked--and some would have been idle;
some would have been always careless--and some always scheming;
some would have sold--and others would have bought;
some would have wasted--and others would have saved.
And the end would be, that some would be rich--and others poor.
We might as well say . . .
that all men ought to be of the same height, weight, strength, and cleverness;
or that all oak trees ought to be of the same shape and size;
or that all blades of grass ought to be of the same length
--as that all men were meant to be equal.
Settle it in your mind that the main cause of all the suffering you see around you, is sin. Sin is the grand cause . . .
of the enormous luxury of the rich--and the painful degradation of the poor;
of the heartless selfishness of the highest classes--and the helpless poverty of the lowest.
Sin must be first cast out of the world;
the hearts of all men must be renewed and sanctified;
the devil must be bound;
the Prince of Peace must come down and take His great power and reign
--all this must be before there ever can be universal happiness, or the gulf be filled up which now divides the rich and poor.
Beware of expecting a millennium to be brought about . . .
by any method of government,
by any system of education,
or by any political party.
Labor to do good to all men; pity your poorer brethren, and help every reasonable endeavor to raise them from their low estate; do not slacken your hand from any endeavor to increase knowledge--to promote morality--to improve the temporal condition of the poor.
But never, never forget that you live in a fallen world--that sin is all around you--and that the devil is abroad.
And be very sure that the rich man and Lazarus are emblems of two classes of people which will always be in the world until the Lord comes!
_______________________
Martyn Lloyd-Jones
The tragedy of sin, is that it affects man in his highest faculties.
Sin causes us to become fools, and behave in an irrational manner.
Modern man, far from being ruled by reason, is ruled by lust and passion.
The man who refuses to face the fact of his own death, is a fool!
The more Christian a person is, the simpler will that person's life be.
I'd rather hobble into Heaven, than walk into Hell!
God is nowhere more hidden, than in most churches!
Some tend to think that Christianity is a matter of being nice.
But niceness is purely biological. One dog is nicer than another dog!
We must never parade ourselves!
Do you think that you deserve forgiveness? If you do, you are not a Christian.
When a man truly sees himself, he knows that nobody can say anything about him that is too bad.
The trouble with man is not intellectual--but moral.
If you claim to love Christ and yet are living an unholy life, there is only one thing to say about you: You are a bare-faced liar!
To divorce forgiveness of sins from the actual living of the Christian life, is nothing but rank heresy!
Christians are generally at their best, when they are in the furnace of affliction and being persecuted and tried.
If you are not holy, you are not a Christian.
There are no shortcuts in the Christian life--no simple remedies.
Nothing we do in the Christian life, is harder than prayer.
The state of the world today, is nothing but an appalling monument to human failure.
Intellectual pride is the last citadel of self.
We have come to realize that a man can be educated and cultured, and still be a beast!
The biggest hoax in the world for the last 150 years, has been the theory of evolution!
The natural man is always looking at himself and admiring himself.
I would rather make bricks without straw--than try to live the Sermon on the Mount in my own strength.
No difficulty in believing the gospel is intellectual--it is always moral.
The whole trouble in life, is ultimately a concern about self.
A man is not a Christian unless he can say with Paul, "I am what I am by the grace of God!"
Many who go to the psychiatrist are like the woman in the Gospels--they are nothing bettered, but rather grow worse!
There is little difference between a fashion parade, and a dog show!
By definition, a Christian should be an enigma to every person who is not a Christian.
The first sign of spiritual life, is to feel that you are dead!
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