“One proof of the inspiration of the Bible is that it has withstood such poor preaching.” – A.T. Robertson
“Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God.” – Corrie ten Boom
Luther, to Erasmus, in Bondage of the Will: “For even I, by the grace of God, am not such a fool or so mad as to have been willing to maintain and defend this cause for so long, with so much zeal and constancy (which you call obstinacy) amid so many dangers to life, so much hatred, so many treacheries, in short, amid the fury of men and demons, simply for the sake of money (which I neither possess nor desire), or popularity (which I could not obtain if I wished, in a world so incensed against me), or physical safety (of which I cannot for a moment be certain)… When nothing else can be done, we prefer to be battered by temporal tumult, rejoicing in the grace of God, for the sake of the Word of God, which must be asserted with an invincible and incorruptible mind, rather than to be shattered by eternal tumult under the wrath of God, with intolerable torment.” – Luther’s Works
“Strive not to be a success, but rather to be of value.” – Albert Einstein
“The devil has more knowledge than any of us, and yet is no better for it.” – J.C. Ryle
Tim Keller pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church explains the difference between all world religions and Christianity: “At the end of The Abolition of Man, C. S. Lewis demonstrates how the major religions agree on certain moral absolutes. Christians find that in today’s culture wars, they often are on the same side with believing Jews, Muslims, and Hindus. The Christian preacher seems to be saying, “Be moral,” along with exponents of other philosophies.
But when we ask, “Why be moral?” the other systems say, “In order to find God,” while Christianity says, “Because God has found you.” The Christian gospel is that we are not saved by moral living, we are saved for it. We are saved by grace alone, but that grace will inevitably issue a moral life.”
“If you read history you will find that the Christians who did most for the present world were precisely those who thought most of the next. . . . It is since Christians have largely ceased to think of the other world that they have become so ineffective in this” (C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity, chapter 10).
“The object of opening the mind, as of opening the mouth, is to shut it again on something solid.” – The Autobiography, vol. 16 of The Collected Works of G. K. Chesterton (San Francisco: Ignatius, 1988), 212.
“Since God has a Son of his own, and such a Son, how wonderful God’s love in adopting us! We needed a Father, but he did not need sons.” – Thomas Watson
“God has this funny idea about church… He thinks it’s about HIM.” – Max Lucado
“No verse of Scripture yields its meaning to lazy people.” – A.W. Pink
“You can’t open your eyes in this universe without seeing a theater of divine revelation.” – R.C. Sproul
“One of the first ways you can tell that you are moving beyond temptation into a pattern of sin is if you find yourself in a time of prayerlessness. That isn’t just a “spiritual maturity issue”—it’s a gospel issue. You are recreated through the gospel with a nature that longs for communion with God. The Spirit within you cries out, “Abba! Father!” (Rom. 8:15; Gal. 4:6). Prayer is exactly how you experience the sympathy of your high priest who has triumphed over your temptation. After all, you are not the only one praying when you pray. The Spirit himself prays through you, and as he does so, he works to align your will and desires with those of Christ Jesus (Rom. 8:26–27). If you are reluctant to pray, it just might be that you, like Adam and Israel before you, are hiding in the vegetation, ashamed to hear the rustling of the leaves that signals he is here.” – Russell Moore, Tempted and Tried: Temptation and the Triumph of Christ, p. 171.
“Too many are willing to sit at God’s table, but not work in his field.” – Vance Havner
“Morality may damn as well as vice. A vessel may be sunk with gold as well as with dung.” – Thomas Watson
“You are required to believe, to preach, and to teach what the Bible says is true, not what you want the Bible to say is true.” – R.C. Sproul, Chosen by God, p. 12.
“Grace is not a reward for faith; faith is the inevitable result of grace.” Unknown
“Man fell by a desire to be independent of God, and now man wishes to be equally independent of God in returning to him.” – T.C. Hammond
Back in the year 2004, I attended a seminary class taught by Dr. James White on the Early Church Fathers (also known as Patristics). It was fascinating to read the writings of precious men of God from the first few centuries who hold to the same faith as I do. Yet it has to be said, the Early Church Fathers were indeed a mixed bag.