These profound and penetrating quotations and comments from experienced men who knew what they were saying are worth taking time to read consider and contemplate. It was Martin Luther who voiced these words, "If I profess with the loudest voice and clearest exposition every portion of the Word of God except precisely that little point which the world and the devil are at that moment attacking, I am not confessing Christ, however boldly I may be professing Him. Where the battle rages there the loyalty of the soldier is proved, and to be steady on all the battle front besides, is mere flight and disgrace if he flinches at that point."
If you don't plan to live the Christian life totally committed to knowing your God and to walking in obedience to Him, then don't begin. This is what Christianity is all about. It is a change of citizenship, a change of governments, a change of allegiance. If you have no intention of letting Christ rule your life, then forget Christianity; it's not for you. Wow, that is strong and piercing!
Our murmuring is the devil's music. Is that true? It certainly sounds like it at times!
Preach abroad! It is the cooping yourselves up in rooms that has dampened the work of God, which never was and never will be carried out to any purpose without going into the highways and hedges and compelling men and women to come in.
"No sort of defense is needed for preaching outdoors, but it would take a very strong argument to prove that a man who has never preached beyond the walls of his meetinghouse has done his duty." It is good to read this having preached outdoors!
"A defense is required for services within buildings rather than for worship outside of them," said William Booth of the Salvation Army. Another challenge which almost takes one's breath away.
"The true man of God is heartsick, grieved at the worldliness of the Church: grieved at the toleration of sin in the Church, grieved at the prayerlessness in the Church. He is disturbed that the corporate prayer of the Church no longer pulls down the strongholds of the devil." said Leonard Ravenhill, a most inspiring and motivating leader.
One hundred religious persons knit into a unity by careful organization do no constitute a church any more than eleven dead men make a football team. The first requisite is life, always.
It is God's way to let ministers try all their strength first, and then He Himself comes and subdues the hearts they cannot. How many of us have found to be true through what we have experienced? But nations as well as individual men can find this to be so very true.
A man full of hope will be full of action. Jesus Christ was forever acting and ministering and travelling. Jesus was positive and mobile.
"We have the truth and we need not be afraid to say so" are words which come from the lips of Bishop J.C. Ryle. That can give any preacher and Bible teacher courage and inspiration.
"Finney preached, and sometimes the whole congregation would get up and leave! That's good preaching," commented Leonard Ravenhill. There are times when people are deeply convicted of their sin by the Holy Spirit, rather than 'Repent' they arise and run off as fast as they can and as far as possible.
Sandy Shaw
Sandy Shaw is Pastor of Nairn Christian Fellowship, Chaplain at Inverness Prison, and Nairn Academy, and serves on The Children's Panel in Scotland, and has travelled extensively over these past years teaching, speaking, in America, Canada, South Africa, Australia, making 12 visits to Israel conducting Tours and Pilgrimages, and most recently in Uganda and Kenya, ministering at Pastors and Leaders Seminars, in the poor areas surrounding Kampala, Nairobi, Mombasa and Kisumu.
He broadcasts regularly on WSHO radio out of New Orleans, and writes a weekly commentary at http://www.studylight.org entitled "Word from Scotland" on various biblical themes, as well as a weekly newspaper column.
His M.A. and B.D. degrees are from The University of Edinburgh, and he continues to run and exercise regularly to maintain a level of physical fitness.
Sandy Shaw
sandyshaw63@yahoo.com
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