Yes, I know; in our time that almost sounds like an oxymoron. Pulpit Magazine with a fine quote from Richard Baxter which puts preaching in proper perspective.

“We cannot blink the fact that gentle Jesus, meek and mild, was so stiff in His opinions and so inflammatory in His language, that He was thrown out of church, stoned, hunted from place to place, and finally gibbetted as a firebrand and a public danger. We have very efficiently pared the claws of the Lion of Judah into a household pet for pale curates and pious old ladies.â€

Dorothy L. Sayers

HT: HadleyBlog

Following Sam’s post Franchising Church? I found this quote from A.W. Tozer at Reformed Voices very apt:

“Evangelical Christianity is now tragically below the New Testament standard. Worldliness is an accepted part of our way of life. Our religious mood is social instead of spiritual. We have lost the art of worship. We are not producing saints. Our models are successful business men, celebrated athletes and theatrical personalities. We carry on our religious activities after the methods of the modern advertiser. Our literature is shallow and our hymnody borders on sacrilege. And scarcely anyone appears to care.”
-A.W. Tozer

“Friendship must be cemented by piety. A wicked man cannot be a true friend; and, if you befriend their wickedness, you show that you are wicked yourselves. Pretend not to love them, if you favor their sins, and seek not their salvation. By favoring their sins, you will show your enmity to God; and then how can you love your brother? If you be their best friends, help them against their worst enemies.” -Richard Baxter. Full quote here.

HT: No Cross No Crown.

“…there will be three effects of nearness to Jesus–humility,
happiness, and holiness.” -Charles Spurgeon

Ingrid will be away for the next few days, so I would like to share this excellent Spurgeon quote. Many well meaning pastors turn the pulpit into a platform for defending the Bible through expounding on the scientific and philosophical proofs for God. While apologetics certainly has its place, there is a danger of neglecting to feed the sheep. Instead of expounding on the evidence that supports the Bible, pastors are to expound on what the Bible actually says. Spurgeon says the following regarding this issue:

Puritan Fellowship’s blog has this extremely apt quote posted. What’s being done in the name of “evangelical” today is an outrage and is shame on the face of Christ. The word “evangelical” was originally taken from the term Evangel, referring to our Lord Jesus. Most of what’s going on in that name today is a farce and a mockery of our Savior.

–George Duffield, Jr.

These wonderful quotes on prayer have both blessed me and challenged me in the last week (more quotes on the links):

James Hudson Taylor: “Do not have your concert first, and then tune your instrument afterwards. Begin the day with the Word of God and prayer, and get first of all into harmony with Him.â€- from James Hudson Taylor - Powerful Prayer Quotes”.

Paul Washer on worthless prayer Meetings: “Most prayer meetings are absolutely worthless. So that I’m really clear, most prayer meetings are absolutely worthless. First of all because they are like town meetings. They spend 20 minutes telling people news… it’s almost like a town gossip session…

Don’t even think about the hypocritical thing that goes on in churches today, in which you stand up, and you share with people a need that you’ve never even prayed about. How many times have you done that? You share a need and you haven’t even prayed about it. You’re not burdened about it...” Click here to listen to the 6 min audio

Andrew A Bonar: “We have not been men of prayer. The spirit of prayer has slumbered among us. The closet has been too little frequented and delighted in. We have allowed business, study or active labor to interfere with our closet-hours. And the feverish atmosphere in which both the church and the nation are enveloped has found its way into our prayer closets…” from: Andrew A Bonar - Quotes on Prayer.

Keith Green: If your heart takes more pleasure in reading novels, or watching TV, or going to the movies, or talking to friends, rather than just sitting alone with God and embracing Him, sharing His cares and His burdens, weeping and rejoicing with Him, then how are you going to handle forever and ever in His presence…? You’d be bored to tears in heaven, if you’re not ecstatic about God now!†Puritan Fellowship.

HT: Thoughts On The Way.

“The fact is that the world expects us to be different; and this idea that you can win the world by showing that after all you are very similar to it, with scarcely any difference at all, or but a very slight one, is basically wrong not only theologically but even psychologically. Our Lord attracted sinners because He was different. They drew near to Him because they felt that there was something different about Him… this idea that you are going to win people to the Christian faith by showing them that after all you are remarkably like them, is theologically and psychologically a profound blunder. In this realm we are dealing with God, and our knowledge of God, and our relationship to God. So everything here must be ‘under God’ and must be done ‘with reverence and godly fear’. We do not decide this; we are not in charge and in control, it is God. It is His service, and He has to be approached ‘with reverence and with godly fear, because our God is a consuming fire’….light entertainment, easy familiarity and jocularity are not compatible with a realisation of the seriousness of the condition of the souls of all men by nature, the fact that they are lost and in danger of eternal perdition, and their consequent need of salvation.”
-D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Preaching and Preachers, 139-140

Speaking the truth is hard. It will cost us in many ways, and yet faithfulness requires it. A.W. Tozer writes the following on the kind of men the church needs today: men who are not afraid to speak on God’s behalf, regardless of the consequences; men who are driven by a higher motive than themselves and who consider themselves expendable in the cause of God.

HT: Thoughts on the Way

HT: PuritanFellowship

“As I have often told you, there is never a week without some of our number being taken up. Although I have visited a large number of dying believers, I have never yet visited a member of this church who has expressed the least fear in his dying moments, or the slightest dismay in the hour of departure. It makes me feel happy to see how the brethren and sisters die; they pass away as if they were going to a wedding rather than to a tomb, as if it were the most joyful thing that ever happened to them to have reached their expected end.“

Do the heaven and earth then contain Thee, since Thou fillest them? or dost Thou fill them and yet overflow, since they do not contain Thee? And whither, when the heaven and the earth are filled, pourest Thou forth the remainder of Thyself? or hast Thou no need that aught contain Thee, who containest all things, since what Thou fillest Thou fillest by containing it? for the vessels which Thou fillest uphold Thee not, since, though they were broken, Thou wert not poured out. And when Thou art poured out on us, Thou art not cast down, but Thou upliftest us; Thou art not dissipated, but Thou gatherest us. But Thou who fillest all things, fillest Thou them with Thy whole self? or, since all things cannot contain Thee wholly, do they contain part of Thee? and all at once the same part? or each its own part, the greater more, the smaller less? And is, then one part of Thee greater, another less? or, art Thou wholly every where, while nothing contains Thee wholly?

What art Thou then, my God? what, but the Lord God? For who is Lord but the Lord? or who is God save our God? Most highest, most good, most potent, most omnipotent; most merciful, yet most just; most hidden, yet most present; most beautiful, yet most strong, stable, yet incomprehensible; unchangeable, yet all-changing; never new, never old; all-renewing, and bringing age upon the proud, and they know it not; ever working, ever at rest; still gathering, yet nothing lacking; supporting, filling, and overspreading; creating, nourishing, and maturing; seeking, yet having all things. Thou lovest, without passion; art jealous, without anxiety; repentest, yet grievest not; art angry, yet serene; changest Thy works, Thy purpose unchanged; receivest again what Thou findest, yet didst never lose; never in need, yet rejoicing in gains; never covetous, yet exacting usury. Thou receivest over and above, that Thou mayest owe; and who hath aught that is not Thine? Thou payest debts, owing nothing; remittest debts, losing nothing. And what had I now said, my God, my life, my holy joy? or what saith any man when he speaks of Thee? Yet woe to him that speaketh not, since mute are even the most eloquent.

“Let no man pretend to fear sin that does not fear temptation also! These two are too closely united to be separated. He does not truly hate the fruit who delights in the root.”

“Do you mortify? Do you make it your daily work? Be always at it whilst you live; cease not a day from this work; be killing sin or it will be killing youâ€

“Let no man think to kill sin with few, easy, or gentle strokes. He who hath once smitten a serpent, if he follow not on his blow until it be slain, may repent that ever he began the quarrel. And so he who undertakes to deal with sin, and pursues it not constantly to the death. ”

“The vigor and power and comfort of our spiritual life depends on our mortification of deeds of the flesh”

“A minister may fill his pews, his communion roll, the mouths of the public, but what that minister is on his knees in secret before God Almighty, that he is and no more. ”

“See in the meantime that your faith brings forth obedience, and God in due time will cause it to bring forth peace.”

“If we do not abide in prayer, we will abide in temptation. Let this be one aspect of our daily intercession: “God, preserve my soul, and keep my heart and all its ways so that I will not be entangled.” When this is true in our lives, a passing temptation will not overcome us. We will remain free while others lie in bondage.”

“Without absolutes revealed from without by God Himself, we are left rudderless in a sea of conflicting ideas about manners, justice and right and wrong, issuing from a multitude of self-opinionated thinkers. ”

“How can we possibly believe the promises concerning Heaven, immortality, and glory, when we do not believe the promises concerning our present life? And how can we be trusted when we say we believe these promises but make no effort to experience them ourselves? It is just here that men deceive themselves. It is not that they do not want the Gospel privileges of joy, peace and assurance, but they are not prepared to repent of their evil attitudes and careless life-styles. Some have even attempted to reconcile these things and ruined their souls. But without the diligent exercise of the grace of obedience, we shall never enjoy the graces of joy, peace and assurance.”

“If we would talk less and pray more about them, things would be better than they are in the world: at least, we should be better enabled to bear them. ”

Puritan Fellowship

In line with what I’ve posted today on the use of filth as music in false churches today, Christian Research Net brings us a brief, but apt devotional by A.W. Tozer who points out the heart of the problem.

The Reformed Voices blog has a great Spurgeon quote on the danger of the “revivals” that end up producing nothing but scorched earth in the end.

“The more you love something, the more you will want to defend it against abuse. If you want to get a mother bear mad, just attack her cubs. Jesus, who was normally meek and gentle, cleansed the temple because he loved his Father’s house so much and it made him angry to see it abused. We often forget that Jesus is not just a Lamb, he is also the Lion of Judah. So also when we see God’s Word misused and abused, it is an issue worth defending. If anything is worth fighting for, it is God’s truth.”

–Words of wisdom today in an email today

I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ.

But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.

As we said before, so say I now again, if any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.

–Galatians 1:6-9

“Do you imagine that the Gospel is magnified or God glorified by going to worldlings and telling them that they “may be saved at this moment by simply accepting Christ as their personal Savior” while they are wedded to their idols and their hearts are still in love with sin? If I do so, I tell them a lie, pervert the Gospel, insult Christ, and turn the grace of God into lasciviousness. ”

- A.W. Pink

“True faith is a cordial belief of the divine record concerning the admirable suitableness of Christ Jesus as a Savior to all the cases and wants of sinners. It is the suitableness or fitness of anything that renders it desirable and acceptable to us. Christ is altogether lovely, or exceedingly desirable, for He is exquisitely suitable. If we are by nature dead in sin, He is life; if we are lost sinners, He is the Savior; if we are sick, and sick unto death, He is the Physician; if we are the captives of sin and Satan, He is the almighty Redeemer; if we are under the power and tyranny of strong corruptions, or deceitful and imperious lusts that we are utterly unable of ourselves to conquer, He is the almighty King. Are we naked? Christ has a robe of righteousness to clothe us. Are we poor? He has gold tried in the fire to enrich us. Are we spiritually blind? He has eye-salve for us. Are we hungry and thirsty? He is the bread of life and the water of life. Are we prisoners? He says to the prisoners, “Go forth.†Are we ready to stray from the right path? He is a Leader and Commander. If we have been overcome and oppressed by our spiritual enemies, Christ is the Captain of our salvation who will teach our hands to war and our fingers to fight, and so lead us forth to victory. If we are by nature unholy, He is made unto us sanctification; and if we are disquieted and disconsolate, He is the Consolation of Israel. The Lord Jesus Christ and His great salvation, then, are every way adapted to the various cases and wants of our souls. As a compassionate Savior, He is suitable even in an infinite degree. None in heaven or upon earth, besides Him, can supply every want of our souls and save them with a complete and everlasting salvation. Now genuine faith is a spiritual discernment and an affecting belief of His infinite suitableness as a Savior to sinners, and to us in particular.”

–John Colquhoun, A View of Saving Faith, 1824

Thanks to Contending for the Truth for sending in this quote. To those who call for greater charity towards those who mislead others by denying the basics of Bible doctrine, I submit these words to you written by a pastor who stood for truth in his own era. We have our own “downgrade today”, as Spurgeon did, and the wailing chorus of compromised evangelicals can be heard once again: “Dialogue, find common ground, achieve unity at all costs!”