Life in the winter - Richard Sibbes

I am very dark, but lovely, O daughters of Jerusalem,

Song of Solomon 1:5 ESV

 

Those who are given to quarrelling with themselves always lack comfort, and through their infirmities they are prone to feed on such bitter things as will most nourish that disease which troubles them. These delight to be looking on the dark side of the cloud only.

 

We must not judge of ourselves always according to present feeling, for in temptations we shall see nothing but smoke of distrustful thoughts. Fire may be raked up in the ashes, though not seen. Life in the winter is hid in the root.

 

We must beware of false reasoning, such as: because our fire does not blaze out as others, therefore we have no fire at all. By false conclusions we may come to sin against the commandment in bearing false witness against ourselves. The prodigal would not say he was no son, but that he was not worthy to be called a son (Luke 15:19).

 

We must neither trust to false evidence, nor deny true; for so we should dishonor the work of God's Spirit in us, and lose the help of that evidence which would cherish our love to Christ, and arm us against Satan's discouragements. Some are as faulty in this way as if they had been hired by Satan, the `accuser of the brethren' (Rev. 12:10), to plead for him in accusing themselves.

 

Taken from the book The Bruised Reed by Richard Sibbes 1630

To Teach you to Live by Faith - Charles Spurgeon

It is a common error of young converts that they attempt to live by their experience, instead of tracing their life up to its precious source. I have known persons rejoicing in the fullest assurance one day, and sinking into the deepest despondency the next. The Lord will sometimes strip you of the leaves of evidence to teach you to live by faith, as John Kent says—

 

"If to-day he deigns to bless us
With a sense of pardoned sin;
He to-morrow may distress us
Make us feel the plague within;
All to make us
Sick of self and fond of him."

 

Charles Spurgeon From the Sermon The Leafless Tree March 8, 1857
Hymn Writer John Kent 1766 - 1843

from the outside - Oswald Chambers

Just as our Lord came into human history from the outside, so He must come into us from the outside. Have we allowed our personal human lives to become a "Bethlehem" for the Son of God?

 

Oswald Chambers 1874-1917

 

 

The staggering proposition the Bible gives - Oswald Chalmers

The essential nature of Deity is holiness, and the power of God is proved in his becoming a Baby. That is the staggering proposition the Bible gives - God became the weakest thing we know.

 

 Oswald Chalmers 1874-1917

The Babyhood of God - Oswald Chalmers

The tremendous revelation of Christianity is not the Fatherhood of God, but the Babyhood of God - God became the weakest thing in His own creation, and in flesh and blood He levered it back to where it was intended to be.  No one helped Him; it was done absolutely by God manifest in human flesh.  God has undertaken not only to repair the damage, but in Jesus Christ the human race is put in a better condition than when it was originally designed. 

 

 Oswald Chalmers 1874-1917

 

Happiness Does not Depend On - JC Ryle

Jesus can make those happy who trust him and call him, whatever be their outward condition. He can give them peace of heart in a prison, contentment in the midst of poverty, comfort in the midst of bereavements, joy on the brink of the grave. There is a mighty fullness that is ready to be poured out on

every one that will ask in prayer. Oh that people would understand that happiness does not depend on outward circumstances, but on the state of the heart.

 

Taken from the book A Call to Prayer by JC Ryle 1816-1900

Whenever you get a blessing from God - Oswald Chambers

Whenever you get a blessing from God, give it back to him as a love gift. … Offer the blessing back to him in a deliberate act of worship. If you hoard a thing for yourself, it will turn into spiritual dry rot, as the manna did when it was hoarded. God will never let you hold a spiritual thing for yourself; it has to be given back to him that he may make it a blessing to others.

 

Oswald Chambers         My Utmost for His Highest

If We are Devoted To - Oswald Chambers

If we are devoted to the cause of humanity, we shall soon be crushed and broken-hearted, for we shall often meet with more ingratitude from men than we would from a dog; but if our motive is love to God, no ingratitude can hinder us from serving our fellow men.

…When we realize that Jesus Christ has served us to the end of our meanness, our selfishness, and sin, nothing that we meet with from others can exhaust our determination to serve men for His sake.

Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest Oswald Chambers 1874-1917

 

Without the help of the Holy Spirit - John Owen

We are commanded to attend to particular duties through 'the Holy Spirit who dwells in us' (2 Tim 1:14). For without the help of the Holy Spirit, we can do nothing.

 

Taken from the book The Holy Spirit by John Owen 1674 
Abridged by R.J.K. Law

 

The Glass of the Gospel - Richard Sibbes

The glass of the gospel is excellent and eminent above all other glasses. It is a mirror that changes us. When we see ourselves and our corruptions in the glass of the law, we see ourselves dead. The law finds us dead and leaves us dead; it cannot give us any life.

But when we look into the gospel and see the glory of God, the mercy of God, and the gracious promises of the gospel, we are changed into the likeness of Christ, whom we see in the gospel. This excellent glass has a transforming power to make beautiful. Such a glass would be much prized in this proud world; such a glass is the gospel.

Taken from the book Glorious Freedom by Richard Sibbes 1639

Pray as Martin Luther used to Pray

Pray as Martin Luther used to pray "Lord, teach me, teach me,teach me,'

 

Martin Luther 1483-1546

Quoted in the book Listen up! A Practical Guide to Listening to Sermons by Christopher Ash 2009

 

 

 

The True Labor Lies In - Charles Spurgeon

In commencing any Christian work, novelty greatly assists enthusiasm, and it is very natural that under first impulses the beginner should achieve an easy success. The difficulty of the Christian is very seldom the commencement of the work; the true labor lies in the perseverance which alone can win the victory.

 

Taken from the book Council for Christian Workers

by Charles Spurgeon  1834-1892

So Many of Us Limit Our Praying - Oswald Chambers

So many of us limit our praying because we are not reckless in our confidence in God.

 

Oswald Chambers 1874- 1917

All God’s Giants Have Been - Hudson Taylor

All God's giants have been weak men, who did great things for God because they believed that God would be with them.

Hudson Taylor 1832 –1905

Faith Is - St Augustine

Faith is to believe what we do not see;

and the reward of this faith is to see what we believe.

 

St Augustine 354 – 430

Beware of no Man More Than - Charles Spurgeon

Beware of no man more than of yourself, for we often carry our worst enemies within us.

Taken from the book The Complete John Ploughman
by Charles Spurgeon 1834-1892

 

God is True To - Oswald Chambers

God is true to the laws of His own nature,

not to my way of expounding how He works.

 

Taken from the book The Quotable Oswald Chambers 
Oswald Chambers 1874-1917

few of us are willing to - Dwight L. Moody

There are many of us that are willing to do great things for the Lord,

but few of us are willing to do little things.

Dwight L. Moody 1837-1899