Centrality of Christ

Have You Found Our King? – George MacDonald

“Jesus said, ‘Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 19:14

Brother, sister, have you found our King? There He is, kissing little children and drawing them to Himself with utmost affection. There He is at a table with the head of a fisherman lying on His bosom, and somewhat heavy at heart that even he, the beloved disciple, cannot yet understand Him well. The mothers and fathers who show the greatest care, compassion, and sympathy for their children are but an earthly representative of our all-loving God.

– George MacDonald –
from The Best of George Macdonald

Communion with Christ – Jonathan Edwards

John 4:14 states, “Whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.” Compare this with John 7:38-39: “‘He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’ But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive.” It is by partaking of the Holy Spirit that the saints have communion with Christ in His fullness.

– Jonathan Edwards –
from The Best of Jonathan Edwards

Oh, For the Old Fire Again – Charles Spurgeon

Oh, for the old fire again! The Church will never prosper till it comes once more. Oh, for the old fanaticism, for that indeed was the Spirit of God making men’s spirits in earnest! Oh, for the old doing and daring that risked everything and cared for nothing, except to glorify him who shed his blood upon the cross! May we live to see such bright and holy days again!

– Charles Spurgeon –

Take Hold of God – Andrew Murray

Learn to believe in God, take hold of God, let God take possession of your life, and it will be easy to take hold of the promises. He who knows and trusts God will find it easy to trust the promises too.

– Andrew Murray –
from Teach Me To Pray

Compare Yourself Only With Christ – Ralph Venning

There are some poor souls, and I believe there are some among the Corinthians, that are apt to become discouraged when they compare themselves with others.  When a dwarf stands by a giant, a man of low stature by a tall one, as David by Goliath, he seems to be nobody; yet he is a man, a perfect man, in spite of the vast difference between them.

Many poor souls, when they see themselves outstripped in knowledge, faith, love and patience by some that came into Christ long after them, are apt to think that they are not saints because they are not saints such as those.

– Ralph Venning –
from Learning in Christ’s School, 1675

The Body Of The Word – Athanasius

The body of the Word, then, being a real human body, in spite of its having been uniquely formed from a virgin, was of itself mortal and, like other bodies, liable to death. But the indwelling of the Word loosed it from this natural liability, so that corruption could not touch it. Thus it happened that two opposite marvels too place at once: the death of all was consummated in the Lord’s body; yet, because the Word was in it, death and corruption were in the same act utterly abolished.

– Athanasius –

Then Christ cries to justice – Charles Spurgeon

Then Christ cries to justice, “Find a fault in this man; I have put my robe upon him; I have washed him in my blood; I have cleansed him from his sin. All the past is gone; … As for the penalty, I have borne it myself; at one tremendous draught of love I have drunk that mans destruction dry; I have borne what he should have suffered; I have endured the agonies he ought to have endured. Justice have I not satisfied thee?

– Charles Spurgeon –