Indeed, if we consider the unblushing promises of reward and the staggering nature of the rewards in the Gospels, it would seem that Our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.
– CS Lewis –
We are not called to proclaim philosophy and metaphysics, but the simple gospel. Man’s fall, his need of a new birth, forgiveness through atonement, and salvation as the result of faith, these are our battle-ax and weapons of war.
– Charles Spurgeon –
Whom have I in heaven but Thee? The only heaven I wish above is but to see Thy face. Let others form confused ideas of the upper world, and desire it as a place where something is to be enjoyed, they know not what; but I know what a heaven I desire. Could I ascend to the highest heavens and find the presence of my God withdrawn, it would be no heaven for me. The only reason I pant to ascend above the sun and all these ruinable worlds, is that I may bask in the sunshine of His smiles, and forever behold the source of Light without one envious cloud between. Let me but sit at His feet and gaze upon His lovely face, and cry, with unutterable wonder and gratitude, “My Lord and my God,” and I ask no more.
– Edward Griffin –
The Christian life is an impossible one and it isn’t for everyone. You must enter through the narrow [gate] where you must leave everything behind and be stripped naked of yourself. You must get rid of your pride. Many so-called Christians are on the wide road leading to destruction. they may have all the outward signs of being a Christian (go to church, serve, read their bible, pray, etc.) but there is no inward change of repentance.
– Unknown –
“Not called!” did you say?
“Not heard the call,” I think you should say.
Put your ear down to the Bible, and hear Him bid you go and pull sinners out of the fire of sin. Put your ear down to the burdened, agonized heart of humanity, and listen to its pitiful wail for help. Go stand by the gates of hell, and hear the damned entreat you to go to their father’s house and bid their brothers and sisters and servants and masters not to come there. Then look Christ in the face—whose mercy you have professed to obey—and tell Him whether you will join heart and soul and body and circumstances in the march to publish His mercy to the world.
– William Booth –
If you don’t desire to meet the Devil during the day, meet Jesus before dawn.
– CT Studd –
One day a lady criticized DL Moody for his methods of evangelism in attempting to win people to the Lord. Moody’s reply was “I agree with you. I don’t like the way I do it either. Tell me, how do you do it?” The lady replied, “I don’t do it.” Moody responded, “I like my way of doing it better than your way of not doing it.”
Salt seasons, purifies, preserves. But somebody ought to remind us that salt also irritates. Real living Christianity rubs this world the wrong way.
– Vance Havner –
Instead of preaching the good news that sinners can be made righteous in Christ and escape the wrath to come, the gospel has degenerated into the pretext that we can be happy in Christ and escape the hassles of life.
– Ray Comfort –