The law is meant to lead the sinner to faith in Christ, by showing the impossibility of any other way. It is the black dog to fetch the sheep to the shepherd, the burning heat which drives the traveler to the shadow of the great rock in a weary land.
– Charles Spurgeon –
From Christ’s Glorious Achievements
Wherever there is complaint of a lack of workers or of competent helpers for God’s work, prayer holds the promise for their supply. There is no work for God where He is not ready and able to provide workers for it. It may take time and importunity, but Christ’s command to ask the Lord of the harvest is the pledge that the prayer will be heard: “I tell you, he will get up and give him as much as he needs” (Luke 11:8)
– Andrew Murray –
If you could only know what one feels on finding oneself … where the least ray of the Gospel has not penetrated! If those friends who blame … could see from afar what we see, and feel what we feel, they would be the first to wonder that those redeemed by Christ should be so backward in devotion and know so little of the spirit of self-sacrifice. They would be ashamed of the hesitations that hinder us. … We must remember that it was not by interceding for the world in glory that Jesus saved it. He gave Himself. Our prayers for the evangelization of the world are but a bitter irony so long as we only give of our superfluity, and draw back before the sacrifice of ourselves.
– François Colliard –
from On the Threshold of Central Africa
When a Christian can walk in the midst of fiery trials, without his garments being singed, and has comfort and joy in the midst of everything (when like Paul in the stocks he can sing, which wrought upon the jailor) it will convince men, when they see the power of grace in the midst of afflictions. When they can behave themselves in a gracious and holy manner in such afflictions as would make others roar: Oh, this is the glory of a Christian.
– Jeremiah Burroughs –
from The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment, 1648
Suffering saints are living seed. Oh, that God might help us to such faith, that when we come to suffer in life, or to expire in death, we may so glorify God that others may believe in him! May we preach sermons by our faith which shall be better than sermons in words.
– Charles Spurgeon –
from his sermon The Trial Of Your Faith – December, 1888
Never water down or minimize the mighty Gospel of God by considering that people may be misled by certain statements. Present the Gospel in all its fullness and God will guard His own truth.
– Oswald Chambers –
Thy Soul must overflow, if thou
Another’s soul would reach,
It needs the overflow of heart
to give the lips full speech
– Charles Spurgeon –
(From Lectures To My Students)
It is said that Sheridan went to battle with all the fury of a madman, and recklessly exposed himself to the shot and shell of the enemy. He told General Horace Porter that he never went into a battle from which he cared to come back alive unless he came as a victor. This desperation made him an irresistible inspiration to his own troops, and enabled him to hurl them like thunderbolts against his foes. If he became so desperate in killing men, how much more desperate, if possible, should we become in our effort and desire to save them!
It was written of Jesus, “The zeal of Thine house hath eaten me up,” and so it can be of every great soul-winner.
– Samuel Brengle –
Christ’s soldiers must be imbued with the spirit of war. Love to the King and concern of His interests must be the master passion of the soul… If the hearts of the Christians of this generation were inspired with this spirit and set on winning the world for God, we should soon see the nations shaken to their center, and millions of souls translated into the Kingdom.
– Catherine Booth –