This is from the book Soul Winner by C.H. Spurgeon
A person who is to be used by God must believe that what he is going to do is for the glory of God, and he must work from no other motive. When outsiders go to hear some preachers, all that they remember is that they were excellent actors, but here is a very different kind of preacher. After they have heard him preach, they do not think about how he looked or how he spoke, but about the solemn truths he uttered. A preacher may keep rolling out what he has to say in such a fashion that those who listen to him say to one another, “Do not see that he lives by his preaching? He preaches for a living.” I would rather hear it said, “That man said something in his message that made many of the people think less of him; he uttered the most distasteful sentiments; he did nothing but drive at us with the Word of the Lord while he was preaching. His one aim was to bring us to repentance and faith in Christ.” That is the kind of man whom the Lord delights to bless.
Proverbs 21:1
The king’s heart is like channels of water in the hand of the LORD; He turns it wherever He wishes.
Me: I have a prayer for you before you start your work for today.
Prodigal: Yes, I would love a prayer.
This is from A.W. Tozer in The Pursuit of God
O Lord, I have heard a good word inviting me to look away to Thee and be satisfied. My heart longs to respond, but sin has clouded by vision till I see Thee but dimly. Be pleased to cleanse me in Thine own precious blood, and make me inwardly pure, so that I may with unveiled eyes gaze upon Thee all the days of my earthly pilgrimage. Then shall I be prepared to behold Thee in full splendor in the day when Thou shalt appear to be glorified in Thy saints and admired in all them that believe. Amen
Thy righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, and thy law is the truth.
Me: I don’t know if we should be talking about her behind her back.
Prodigal: I agree. Gossip is a sin and we should just continue with our sewing.
This is from the book Respectable Sins from Jerry Bridges
The Bible has a word for conduct unbecoming a saint. It is sin. And just as “conduct unbecoming an office” covers a wide range of misconduct, so the word sin covers a wide range of misbehavior. It covers everything from gossip to adultery, from impatience to murder. Obviously, there are degrees of seriousness of sin. But in the final analysis, sin is sin.
The devil would like us to ignore it as sin. If we have no sin then we do not have to repent. If we do not repent, it can cause distance from us and God. Also our prayers may not be heard. This is not about shame and condemnation. This is about getting with God and asking for forgiveness and feel your spirit being wiped clean.
The LORD is righteous: he hath cut asunder the cords of the wicked.
Bouts of pneumonia and severe asthma had dogged our child since birth—but never like this. Sitting in the hospital waiting room, my husband and I didn’t know if he’d survive the night. We’d been at Grandma’s house when his lungs suddenly seized up. Epinephrine injections didn’t help. Now he was on a ventilator.
The nurse checked in on us from time to time to see if we needed anything. Otherwise, we were alone with our worries. Until a chaplain entered the room. I expected him to say the obligatory prayers, wish us well, and move on to others in need. And indeed, he sat across from us, leaned forward and bowed his head. But he said nothing.
Perhaps he doesn’t want to intrude, I thought. Still, I was grateful for his presence. His silent prayer was comforting. I tried to sleep. Each time I briefly opened my eyes, I saw the chaplain there, deep in meditation.
After a restless night, the first rays of dawn finally crept through the window blinds. The nurse entered the room. “Your son is out of danger.” she said. “He’s going to be fine!” My husband and I raced to his bedside.
Afterward, we asked the nurse how we could thank the hospital chaplain for waiting with us so long during the night.
“The chaplain?” the nurse said, puzzled. “He’s on vacation.”
“So who was sitting in the waiting room with us?” I asked.
“I checked on you all night.” the nurse said. “You were alone.”
“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.”
This is from the book The Pursuit of God by A.W. Tozer
In our desire after God, let us keep always in mind that God also hath desire, and His desire is toward the sons of men, and more particularly toward those sons of men who will make the once-for-all decision to exalt Him over all. Such as these are precious to God above all treasures of earth or sea. In them God finds a theater where He can display His exceeding kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. With them God can walk unhindered, toward them He can act like the God He is.
1 Peter 1:3-5
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
Prodigal: Christmas this year, felt right as rain!
Me: Yes, we have to understand what Christmas is.
This is from the book The Jesus I Never Knew by Philip Yancey
It is almost beyond my comprehension too, and yet I accept that this notion is the key to understanding Christmas and is, in fact, the touchstone of my faith. As a Christian I believe that we live in parallel worlds. One world consists of hills and lakes and barns and politicians and shepherds watching their flocks by night. The other consists of angels and sinister forces and somewhere out there places called heaven and hell. One night in the cold, in the dark, among the wrinkled hills of Bethlehem, those two worlds came together at a dramatic point of intersection. God, who knows no before or after, entered time and space. God, who knows no boundaries took on the shocking confines of a baby’s skin, the ominous restraints of mortality.
Thank you for that Gift!
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness