Quotes | A People for His Name

Thomas Case on Affliction

May 3, 2013

God by discipline takes our hearts by degrees from this present world and makes us look homeward. He lessons the esteem of the world that we might discover the excellencies of heavenly comforts and draws out the desire of the soul to fully desire God’s presence. Affliction shows the glories of heaven: to the weary it is rest; to the banished it is home; to the scorned it is glory; to the captive it is liberty; to the struggling soul it is conquest; to the conqueror it is a crown of life; to the hungry it is hidden manna; to the thirsty it is the fountain and waters of life, and rivers of pleasure; to the grieved soul it is fullness of joy; to the mourner it is pleasures forevermore; to the afflicted soul heaven cannot fail to be precious.

—Thomas Case, When Christians Suffers, 57

In Quotes

F. B. Meyer on Suffering in the Will of God

April 28, 2013

Suffering in the will of God challenges us to persevere in our faith. God desires to use such suffering to advance His kingdom and righteousness in many ways, including further conforming us to the image of His Son. We need to keep the right perspective about such suffering:

The tears of those who suffer according to the will of God are spiritual lenses and windows of agate. As the weights of the clock or the ballast in the vessel are necessary for their right ordering, so is trouble in the soul-life. The sweetest scents are only obtained by tremendous pressure; the fairest flowers grow amid Alpine snow-solitudes; the rarest gems have suffered longest from the lapidary’s wheel; the noblest statues have borne most blows of the chisel. All, however, is under law. Nothing happens that has not been appointed with consummate care and foresight.

—F.B. Meyer, Our Daily Homily; bold text is in italics in the original

In Quotes

Andrew Murray on Hebrews 11:35-38 and Our Suffering

April 26, 2013

In his book, The Holiest of All, Andrew Murray provides some excellent comments on Hebrews 11:35-38 and suffering:

Heb 11:35 Women received their dead raised to life again: and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection:

³⁶ And others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment:

³⁷ They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented;

³⁸ (Of whom the world was not worthy:) they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.

God has given us these examples of those who by faith triumphed over the extremities of suffering , that we might from them learn how to bear our lesser trials. Their faith in extraordinary suffering must strengthen ours in ordinary. It is in the little common trials of daily life that every believer can follow in the footsteps of these saints, in the footsteps of the great Leader of our salvation. By faith alone are we able to bear suffering, great or small, aright to God’s glory or our own welfare.

Yes, by faith alone. Faith sees it in the light of God and eternity; its short pain, its everlasting gain; its impotence to hurt the soul, its power to purify and to bless it. It sees Him who allows it, with us in the fire, as a refiner watching our purging and perfecting, as a helper of our strength and comfort. It sees that the forming of a character like that of the Son of God, maintaining at every cost the Father’s will and honour, is more than all the world can give. It sees that to be made partaker of His holiness, to have the humility and weakness and gentleness of the Lamb of God inwrought into us, and like Him to be made perfect in suffering, is the spirit of heaven, and it counts nothing too great to gain this treasure. By faith alone, but by faith most surely, we can, in the midst of the deepest suffering, be more than conquerors.

—Andrew Murray, The Holiest of All, 470-71.

In Discipleship, Quotes

The Bible!

April 15, 2013

THE BIBLE contains the mind of God, the state of man, the way of salvation, the doom of sinners, and the happiness of believers. Its doctrines are holy, its precepts are binding, its histories are true, and its decisions are immutable. Read it to be wise, believe it to be safe, and practice it to be holy. It contains light to direct you, food to support you, and comfort to cheer you.

It is the traveler’s map, the pilgrim’s staff, the pilot’s compass, the soldier’s sword, and the Christian’s charter. Here Paradise is restored, Heaven opened, and the gates of hell disclosed.

CHRIST is its grand subject, our good the design, and the glory of God its end.

It should fill the memory, rule the heart, and guide the feet. Read it slowly, frequently, and prayerfully. It is a mine of wealth, a paradise of glory, and a river of pleasure. It is given you in life, will be opened at the judgment, and be remembered forever. It involves the highest responsibility, will reward the greatest labor, and will condemn all who trifle with its sacred contents.

—From the Gideons International New Testament

In Bible reading, Christian Books, Quotes

Beware This Widely Overlooked, Deadly Type of Hypocrisy

April 8, 2013

In the thinking of most people, being a hypocrite probably means something along the lines of saying one thing but doing another. In Luke 12, we learn that Jesus challenged people about a much more deadly type of hypocrisy that is widely overlooked.

Jesus Instructs His Disciples and the People about Hypocrisy

Speaking to a vast multitude of people (Luke 12:1), Jesus warned His disciples about the hypocrisy of the Pharisees (12:1-13). On that same occasion, he challenged the people about hypocrisy by pointing out a glaring discrepancy in their lives:

Luk 12:54 And he said also to the people, When ye see a cloud rise out of the west, straightway ye say, There cometh a shower; and so it is.

⁵⁵ And when ye see the south wind blow, ye say, There will be heat; and it cometh to pass.

⁵⁶ Ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky and of the earth; but how is it that ye do not discern this time?

⁵⁷Yea, and why even of yourselves judge ye not what is right?

Jesus sternly chided these people because they capably assessed some indicators of their time but did not do so with others that were equally obvious. John A. Martin explains their hypocritical failure:

Jesus taught the crowds that they needed to be sensitive to interpret the things they were seeing. Though they had been observing His ministry they were not able to ascertain that He was truly the Messiah. He made the point that they, with no trouble, could interpret natural signs (western clouds and south winds—the appearance of the earth and the sky). But they could not discern spiritual signs. They should discern what was going on right in their midst—He was offering the kingdom and they were not responding properly to His offer.—BKC: NT, 239; emphasis in original

Jesus thus reproached people for being hypocrites by their rightly discerning specific weather indicators but not doing so with spiritual ones.

Darrell L. Bock summarizes Jesus’ forceful challenge:

Jesus then turns to the crowd. He rebukes them for not spotting the obvious. They can read the weather, but they are blind to what God is doing. Jesus clearly reveals the nature of the time; yet they do not respond. —Luke 9:51-24:53, 1200

Based on Jesus teaching here, Norval Geldenhuys gives this sobering warning:

To-day also there are for us all many signs pointing to the seriousness of life and to the necessity of right living. Especially those who have the opportunity of reading the Bible and listening to the preaching of the Gospel have the fullest opportunities of discerning the signs of the times and of knowing that Jesus is the Redeemer. He who is blind to this and who does not take heed, while the period of grace continues, to have peace with God through the Saviour, must await a dark future.—Luke, NICOT, 369.

These commentators reveal that Jesus challenges us all to be sensitive to judge rightly the valid spiritual information that we have been exposed to in our lives. Failing to do so, we will be guilty of a deadly hypocrisy that is much more serious than what people often complain about concerning the so-called hypocrisy of religious people.

Please take a few moments and read the good news that God has for all people and believe: The Good News for All

In Exhortation, Exposition, Quotes

Christian Health/Fitness Quotes II

March 7, 2013

1. Robert Burton on the lack of exercise:

Opposite to exercise is idleness . . . or want of exercise, the bane of the body and mind . . . the chiefe author of all mischiefe, one of the seven deadly sinnes.

—The Anatomy of Melancholy, 242

2. R. Jaeggli on Proverbs 31:17 -“She girdeth her loins with strength, and strengtheneth her arms”:

This woman is no couch potato. In order to achieve all the activity she has planned, she knows that she must be in peak condition. In addition to developing strength, also she has trained herself in special abilities.

—Biblical Viewpoint, 11/01, 8

3. Charles Bridges on slavery to carnal appetites:

If the unsaved Seneca could say, ‘I am greater and born to greater things, than to be the servant of my body’ – is it not a shame for a Christian, born as he is, the heir of an everlasting crown, to be the slave of his carnal appetites?

—A Modern Study in the Book of Proverbs, 502

4. Jerry Bridges on the lack of holiness in body:

Twentieth-century Christians, especially those in the Western world, have generally been wanting in the area of holiness of the body. . . . Quite possibly there is no greater conformity to the world among evangelical Christians today than the way in which we, instead of presenting our bodies as holy sacrifices, pamper and indulge them in defiance of our better judgment and our Christian purpose in life.

—The Pursuit of Holiness, 110-112

5. J. Oswald Sanders on the importance of bodily discipline:

Paul believed he could be disqualified not merely because of errors of doctrine or misjudgments of ethics, but because of the body’s passions. Paul worked toward mastering the body’s appetites through disciplined moderation – neither asceticism on the one hand (such as causing oneself harm by denial of basic needs) or self-indulgence on the other (losing strength through careless diet, for example).

—Spiritual Leadership, 160

6. Richard S. Taylor on self-indulgence and character:

The person who is habitually self-indulgent in eating and drinking, without regard to health or need, almost as if he lived to eat rather than ate to live, is very apt to be weak and exposed in other phases of his life. Flabbiness in one area of character tends to loose the whole.

—The Disciplined Life, 92

7. E. Fitzpatrick on losing weight in a way that glorifies God:

Godly motivation and sacrificial living must be at the core of any spiritual discipline program, or it is doomed to failure. The failure isn’t only in not losing weight; even if weight is lost, if it is done for self-centered reasons, the fruit of this action will not be eternal or bring glory to God.

—Uncommon Vessels: A Program for Developing Godly Eating Habits, 10

8. William & Colleen Dedrick on hygiene and cleanliness:

When we care for our bodies with nourishment or good hygiene, we prevent disease and preserve life. We must love our families and neighbors enough not to bring sickness and disease on them.

—The Little Book of Christian Character & Manners, 82

See also my post Christian Health/Fitness Quotes I

In Discipleship, Health, Quotes

Sexton on Friendship

November 27, 2012

Friendship is one of God’s special gifts to the human race. It is more precious than we can imagine. Friendship begins with God. Most of us have the idea that people can be friends and never know the Lord Jesus Christ. But the truest friendship must begin with the Lord. . . .

Friendship is of divine design. It is the free (given without charge), spontaneous outflow of the heart, and it is a gift from the great Giver of our souls. It is never something we demand of another human being. It comes to us as a gift, and it must be cultivated in lovingkindness.

—Clarence Sexton, The Gift of Friendship, 7

In Quotes

"The Reality of Injustice"

September 15, 2012

The truth is that injustice is a reality in this world. Leaders often make unjust laws. Judges often issue unjust decisions. Crooked deals are made in political chambers and courtrooms alike. The hands of leaders are too often filled with violence, not justice. The sad truth is that this is the case not only in the civil sphere but also in the church. The church is not beyond the influence of unjust politics or self-serving injustice. Injustice is a reality.

Injustice, like all sin, is not a superficial problem of a few wrong decisions here and there. Injustice, like all sin, is systemic in nature. It is the fruit of fallen human nature. Injustice is rooted in the human heart when that heart is still in the womb (see 51:5). It only takes the right conditions for the seeds of injustice in our own hearts to produce that hideous fruit. So while we are grieved at injustice in the world, we are not surprised . . .

Injustice will be avenged one day, not by us as humans but by God himself . . . On that day we will experience in fullness the truth that it does pay to live for God because God is the just judge of all the earth.

This day of ultimate judgment still lies in the future (Rev. 20:11-15). Until this day comes, the unjust can repent and find mercy and grace to experience the forgiveness of their sin. The delay of God’s justice demonstrates his kindness, tolerance, and patience, which are intended to lead the unjust to repentance.

As those who have repented and experienced the love of God in Christ, we now live to see justice established in this world to the degree that it is possible. We begin by rooting injustice out of our own hearts, homes, and churches, so that we will be fair and compassionate in all our dealings, even as our Father in heaven is fair and compassionate.

—Comments on Psalm 58:1-5 by Mark D. Futato, The Book of Psalms in Cornerstone Biblical Commentary, 7:201-202.

In Quotes

What Exemplary Love for the Bible!

September 8, 2012

Evangelist Robert L. Sumner, in his book The Wonder of the Word of God, tells of a man in Kansas City who was severely injured in an explosion. His face was badly disfigured, and he lost his eyesight as well as both hands. He had just become a Christian when the accident happened, and one of his greatest disappointments was that he could no longer read the Bible. Then he heard about a lady in England who read braille with her lips. Hoping to do the same, he sent for some books of the Bible in braille. But he discovered that the nerve endings in his lips had been too badly damaged to distinguish the characters. One day, as he brought one of the braille pages to his lips, his tongue happened to touch a few of the raised characters and he could feel them. Like a flash he thought, “I can read the Bible using my tongue.” At the time Robert Sumner wrote his book, the man had read through the entire Bible four times. If he can do that, can you discipline yourself to read the Bible?

—Donald S. Whitney, Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life, 35; bold text is in italics in the original

In Bible reading, Quotes

Culver on "The Final Destiny of the Unsaved"

July 5, 2012

The doctrine of the dreadful destiny of the lost is an unpleasant shadow across biblical doctrine. So it is not very remarkable that the surveys of religious opinion, frequently reported in the press, will relate that of the same church people, who by strong majority believe in God, immortality, the divinity of Jesus and heaven, many dissent from a belief in hell. Yet that doctrine stands behind and enforces the need for the incarnation of the Son of God, His sinless life, and especially His substitutionary atonement and present ministry of intercession. It also sustains the common moral life of mankind and is indispensable to any strong apostolic fervor in Christian missions and evangelism.

—Robert Duncan Culver, Systematic Theology: Historical and Theological, 1074

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