Links & Quotes

Links & Quotes

link quote

These are links to articles and quotes I found interesting today.

“If you asked twenty good men today what they thought the highest of the virtues, nineteen of them would reply, Unselfishness. But if you had asked almost any of the great Christians of old, he would have replied, Love. You see what has happened? A negative term has been substituted for a positive, and this is of more than philological importance. The negative idea of Unselfishness carries with it the suggestion not primarily of securing good things for others, but of going without them ourselves, as if our abstinence and not their happiness was the important point. I do not think this is the Christian virtue of Love.” —C.S. Lewis

“Since the end of World War II, at least 188 countries have drafted at least 729 versions of constitutions, while we’ve made only minor changes to ours through a constitutionally-provided amendment process. Our Constitution is unique in its simplicity, and uniquely effective.” Happy 225th Birthday, U.S. Constitution!

“Faith in God is to be demonstrated, not defined.” —A.W. Tozer

“Let us look to it that in all things we are just—in our trade, in our judgment of others, in our treatment of neighbors, and in our own personal character. A just God cannot bless unjust transactions.” —Charles Spurgeon

“Our old history ends with the Cross; our new history begins with the resurrection.” —Watchman Nee

Links & Quotes

link quote

These are links to articles and quotes I found interesting today.

“The Hebrews have done more to civilize men than any other nation. … [God] ordered the Jews to preserve and propagate to all mankind the doctrine of a supreme, intelligent, wise, almighty sovereign of the universe… the great essential principle of morality, and consequently all civilization.” —John Adams, in a letter to Judge F. A. Van der Kemp, February 16, 1809

I will not execute the fierceness of mine anger, I will not return to destroy Ephraim: for I am God, and not man. (Hosea 11:9) 

The Lord thus makes known His sparing mercies. It may be that the reader is now under heavy displeasure, and everything threatens his speedy doom. Let the text hold him up from despair. The Lord now invites you to consider your ways and confess your sins. If He had been man, He would long ago have cut you off. If He were now to act after the manner of men, it would be a word and a blow and then there would be an end of you: but it is not so, for “as high as the heavens are above the earth, so high are His ways above your ways.” 

You rightly judge that He is angry, but He keepeth not His anger forever: if you turn from sin to Jesus, God will turn from wrath. Because God is God, and not man, there is still forgiveness for you, even though you may be steeped up to your throat in iniquity. You have a God to deal with and not a hard man, or even a merely just man. No human being could have patience with you. You would have wearied out an angel, as you have wearied your sorrowing Father; but God is longsuffering. Come and try Him at once. Confess, believe, and turn from your evil way, and you shall be saved. —Charles Spurgeon, Faith′s Checkbook (February 16) 

Stomach-churning: Former Planned Parenthood Nurse Speaks Out

“It was not an easy task which the Church faced when she came down from that upper room…. Left to herself the Church must have perished as a thousand abortive sects had done before her, and have left nothing for a future generation to remember. That the Church did not so perish was due entirely to the miraculous element within her. That element was supplied by the Holy Spirit who came at Pentecost to empower her for her task. For the Church was not an organization merely, not a movement, but a walking incarnation of spiritual energy. And she accomplished within a few brief years such prodigies of moral conquest as to leave us wholly without an explanation—apart from God.” —A.W. Tozer

Mansfield’s Book Of Manly Men (book review)

Mansfield's Book Of Manly MenIn my experience, men today aren’t allowed to be true men, manly men. I’m sure there are a lot of reasons why (but that’s another subject for another time), but for those men who are yearning to be the manly men that God has created them to be, Mansfield’s Book Of Manly Men by Stephen Mansfield will make you jump up and growl!

Men are wired by God in a unique way that makes them, well, men. When men embrace their God-implanted uniqueness they become manly men (which is another way of saying God-honoring men) who are better husbands, fathers, friends, and citizens. Stephen Mansfield quickly outlines his four maxims for manly men, and then shares a list of manly qualities to which all manly men should strive.

Each of these manly qualities are introduced by the life story of a manly man from history’s pages. Mansfield presents these men in all their manliness, including both their strengths and weaknesses; there are no perfect men, but there are many real men from which Mansfield allows us to learn. These manly qualities also come with some real in-your-face challenges of how to assess the growth of that quality in a man’s life.

In the foreword, written by retired Lt. General William G. Boykin (himself a true manly man), is this challenge: “This book is a must read for every American male. We must restore the understanding of what it means to be a manly man. The nation’s future depends on getting back to the fundamentals of being men of courage and values.” I couldn’t have said it any better!

I am a Thomas Nelson book reviewer.

Is It Too Late For America?

photoThis is not a political post; this is a biblical post. 

“Do not add to what I command you and do not subtract from it, but keep the commandments of the Lord your God I give you. … Observe them carefully, for this will show your wisdom and understanding to the nations, who will hear about all these decrees and say, ‘Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.’” (Deuteronomy 4:2, 6). 

The truthfulness of this passage has been proven in history time and time again. Nations who have followed God’s laws have been blessed; nations who ignore or depart from His laws suffer defeat. 

America has been blessed because of her God-fearing Founding Fathers who fashioned our Constitution on biblically-sound wisdom, and because her God-fearing citizenry recognized we were one nation under God. But America has departed so grievously from that foundation that we will suffer defeat unless we repent. 

It reminds me of what Jesus said to the church in Sardis in Revelation 3, “You have a reputation for being alive, but you are dying. Wake up! Strengthen what remains before it’s too late!” 

Lord God, we as a nation have ignored Your laws and are subject to Your judgment. I pray You would send us another Great Awakening! Let hearts turn to You once again in this nation. Extend Your mercy to this land, giving us time to nationally repent. I don’t believe it’s too late for America … yet. But we will suffer defeat if we persist on this current path. Oh God, help us repent and turn back to You!

Happy Veterans Day

Ronald Reagan“In our hearts you will always be young, full of the love that is youth, love of life, love of joy, love of country—you fought for your country and for its safety and for the freedom of others with strength and courage. We love you for it. We honor you. And we have faith that, as He does all His sacred children, the Lord will bless you and keep you, the Lord will make His face to shine upon you and give you peace, now and forevermore.” —Ronald Reagan, in his 1988 Veterans Day address

Ho Hum, It’s Election Day

Calvin CoolidgeSadly, that’s the attitude of far too many people in the United States of America. And it’s flat-out wrong! 

If America is to stay true to the designs of our brilliant Founding Fathers, we must vote intelligently. In this age of easy internet access, there is no excuse for you not to find out where each candidate stands. So get informed and go vote!

Almost 90 years ago President Calvin Coolidge had some challenging words for Americans which should still grab our attention today—

“All the opportunity for self-government through the rule of the people depends upon one single factor. That is the ballot box…. The people of our country are sovereign. If they do not vote they abdicate that sovereignty, and they may be entirely sure that if they relinquish it other forces will seize it, and if they fail to govern themselves some other power will rise up to govern them. The choice is always before them, whether they will be slaves or whether they will be free. The only way to be free is to exercise actively and energetically the privileges, and discharge faithfully the duties which make freedom. It is not to be secured by passive resistance. It is the result of energy and action. … Persons who have the right to vote are trustees for the benefit of their country and their countrymen. They have no right to say they do not care. They must care! They have no right to say that whatever the result of the election they can get along. They must remember that their country and their countrymen cannot get along, cannot remain sound, cannot preserve its institutions, cannot protect its citizens, cannot maintain its place in the world, unless those who have the right to vote do sustain and do guide the course of public affairs by the thoughtful exercise of that right on election day.” (emphasis added)

What Do You Remember about 9/11?

Patriots' DaySeptember 11, 2001, was a momentous, historical day. What do you remember about it?

You could choose to remember the acts of cowards—men who didn’t care whether they killed innocent people.

Or…

You could choose remember the acts of heroes—men and women who rushed into harm’s way to save lives … men and women who volunteered to serve in the US armed forces, police, and fire departments …. men and women who lined up to donate blood to help the wounded … men and women who spent countless hours sifting through rubble to find any who might have survived … men and women who gladly made personal sacrifices for the safety of fellow citizens … men and women who define the word PATRIOT.

September 11 is rightly called Patriots’ Day. It’s a day to remember heroes, not cowards.

Happy Birthday, America

Happy Birthday America“We cannot there do a more faithful or important service for our country than to pray fervently and perseveringly to the Father of mercies, that He would by the energy of the Holy Ghost, form the hearts of this people to an holy life, and thus ‘Purify unto Himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.’”

—Samuel Wales

Politics In The Pulpit

John Witherspoon

John Witherspoon

Is there right time to address politicized topics from the pulpit? I believe there is, but I believe we must make sure we’re not promoting our opinion but standing up for biblical principles.

Pastors were pivotal in swaying public opinion prior to the American Revolution and in the abolition of slavery in the United States. One pastor that spoke forcefully and biblically about the independence of the thirteen colonies was John Witherspoon—

“If your cause is just—you may look with confidence to the Lord and intreat [sic] Him to plead it as His own. You are all my witnesses, that this is the first time of my introducing any political subject into the pulpit. At this season however, it is not only lawful but necessary, and I willingly embrace the opportunity of declaring my opinion without hesitation, that the cause in which America is now in arms, is the cause of justice, of liberty, and of human nature.”

Commenting on the decision of Rev. Witherspoon to address this topic from the pulpit, theologian T.M. Moore wrote—

“Preachers tend to stay away from sticky moral and political issues, simply because they know it riles up certain folks for them to do so. Witherspoon spoke out in his day because the cause of the nation was just. But so many unjust causes are afoot in our nation at the moment, that for pastors not to speak up and equip their people to understand the times and know what we as communities should do, is not only a betrayal of our Founders, but a betrayal of their calling and of the Word of God (Ezekiel 33).”

That’s a strong statement: Pastors that don’t speak out on the immoral issues of our time are betraying their calling. I tend to agree with him. What do you think? Is there a time and place for politics in the pulpit?

You may also want to check out my videos How Christians can live biblically in an election season and The Church should be pre-political