13 More Quotes From “Notes On Ezekiel”

The Complete Works Of Oswald ChambersHere are some more quotes from Oswald Chambers’ book Notes On Ezekiel. My book review is here, and my first set of quotes from this book is here.

“We are too shallow to be afraid of God. … It requires a miracle of grace before we believe this, consequently we are foolishly fearless, but when the grace of God lifts us into the life of God we fear nothing and no one saving God alone. … Confusion arises when we do not see God as Almighty.”

“God will put us in circumstances where we have to take steps of which we do not see the meaning, only on looking back do we discern that it was God’s will for us.”

“We are always on the wrong line when we come to God with a pre-occupied mind because a pre-occupied mind springs from a disloyal heart: ‘I don’t want to do God’s will, what I want is for God to give me permission to do what I want to do.’” 

“What God burns is not weakness, not imperfection, but perverted goodness.”

“Every part of our human nature which is not brought into subjection to the Holy Spirit after experiencing deliverance from sin will prove a corrupting influence.”

“We all have the sneaking idea that we are the favorites of God—‘It’s alright for me to do this, God will understand.’ If I as a child of God commit sin, I will be as sternly dealt with as if I were not His child.”

“Don’t tie God up in your own conceptions, or say too surely you know what God will do. … The sovereign purposes of God work out slowly and inexorably, but ever be careful to note where God’s sovereignty is at work among men in matters of history and Time, and where it is at work in matters of eternal destiny. Beware of allowing your memory of how God has worked to take the place of present vital moral relationship to Him.”

“When I have been using ‘the sword of the Spirit’ in a spirit of indignation against another, it is a terrible experience to find the sword suddenly wrested out of my hand and laid about me personally by God. Let your personal experience of the work of God’s Spirit instruct you at the foot of Calvary; let the light of God riddle you through, then you will never use the Word of God to another, never turn the light of God on him, without fear and trembling.”

“Liberty is the ability to obey the law of God, with the power to live according to its demands; license is the unrestrained impulse to traffic against the law of God. … The seal of immorality is that I do what I like; the seal of freedom is that I do what God likes.”

“If the Holy Spirit is obeyed the stubbornness is blown out, the dynamite of the Holy Ghost blows it out.”

“Pride in its most estimable as well as its most debased form is self-deification; it is not a yielding to temptation from without, but a distinct alteration of relationships within.”

“I may suffer because of the sins of my progenitors—I am never punished for them.”

“In dealing with Bible experiences we must ever make allowance for the miraculous, which never contradicts reason, but very often does contradict common sense. The miraculous transcends reason and lifts it into another world than the logical one, consequently spiritual experience is something I have lived through, not thought through.”

10 Quotes From “Notes On Ezekiel”

The Complete Works Of Oswald ChambersI loved reading Oswald Chambers’ insights on the book of Ezekiel as I read that book of the Bible side-by-side. Seeing what Chambers saw is astounding! You can read by book review of Notes On Ezekiel by clicking here. Below are a few quotes I especially appreciated.

“If you imagine you are called on to be isolated and aloof…you will be as free from sanity as from the Spirit of God.”

“We have to beware lest our impatience makes us infidel; impatience means unbelief in God’s providence, and is due to lack of right relationship of the personal life to God.”

“What is called practical work is the greatest hindrance in God’s dealing with souls. We rush through life and call ourselves practical, we mistake bustle for busyness, activity for real life, and when the activities stop we go out like vapor, our work is not based on the fundamental energy of God.” 

“We are not here to serve God, but for God; the self-consciousness of being a saint never enters in.”

“There is no call of God to be prosperous, but there is a call to be a proclaimer of God’s truth to the gates of death. It is the winsome note that men want today—‘I don’t mind listening as long as you talk about the kindness of God, but don’t tell me God damns sin, don’t tell me He allows no quarter for lying or for lust.’ The Gospel awakens an intense craving and an equally intense resentment. The snare of the devil, through God’s own servants, comes when they say ‘Now remember the people.’ Never water-down God’s Word to suit men’s experience. … Be possessed with unflinching courage in preaching the truth of God, but when you deal with sinners, remember who you are.”

“God must make His prophets vitally one with His voice—holy man and holy message, one.”

“Fanaticism comes in when we say, ‘I won’t appropriate the words of God, I don’t want to be limited to what Jesus Christ says, I must get other messages.’”

“Ezekiel had to receive what he heard before he repeated it; this is imperative in all spiritual development. Reception of God’s Word implies personal devotion to the One who speaks it. … Ezekiel, in common with all the Old Testament prophets, had not to generate his message out of his own individuality, he had simply to obey God.”

“Whenever in the prophets or in the New Testament we come to statements of the justice of God at work it is always the same—inescapably terrible and full of doom. Viewed apart from the interpretation of the Spirit of God, God’s dealings with men and with nations are perplexing. … The terrible side of God’s character is only realized by us when the truth dawns on us individually that God is no respecter of persons. Beware of tying God up in His own laws and saying He can’t do what He says He is going to do. The greatest ingredient in the sovereignty of God is the measure of free will He has given man; but be careful you don’t make the sovereignty of God the binding of Almighty God by human logic.”

Links & Quotes

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John Calvin explaining how singing together in church is like praying together. “We do this [sing corporately] openly, that all men mutually, each one from his brother, may receive the confession of faith and be invited and prompted by his example.” —John Calvin

“It is not that we prepare a palace for God, but that He comes into our mortal flesh and we do our ordinary work, in an ordinary setting, amongst ordinary people, as for Him.” —Oswald Chambers

“Let every man remember that to violate the law is to trample on the blood of his father, and to tear the character of his own, and his children’s, liberty. Let reverence for the laws be breathed by every American mother to the lisping babe that prattles on her lap. Let it be taught in schools, in seminaries, and in colleges. Let it be written in primers, spelling books, and in almanacs. Let it be preached from the pulpit, proclaimed in legislative halls, and enforced in courts of justice.” —Abraham Lincoln

This makes me respect Tim Tebow even more―he is organizing Valentine proms for students with special needs.

Have you ever read how Solomon describes his bride in the Song of Songs? The talented folks at The Overview Bible Project have actually put this together, and it is quite…eye-opening! Check it out.

[VIDEO] I like Kid President! Check out his letter to the future―

The Wit Of Will Rogers

Will RogersThere are few who have rivaled the wit and homespun wisdom of Will Rogers!

“Even if you are on the right track you’ll get run over if you just sit there.” —Will Rogers

“You can’t tell what a man is like or what he is thinking when you are looking at him. You must get around behind him and see what he has been looking at.” —Will Rogers

“People who fly into a rage always make a bad landing.” —Will Rogers

“Live in such a way that you would not be ashamed to sell your parrot to the town gossip.” —Will Rogers

“It doesn’t take much to see something is wrong, but it does take some eyesight to see what will put it right again.” —Will Rogers

“Income tax has made more liars out of the American people than golf.” —Will Rogers

“There are two theories to arguing with a woman. Neither works.” —Will Rogers

“Never miss a good chance to shut up.” —Will Rogers

“The quickest way to double your money is to fold it and put it back in your pocket.” —Will Rogers

“There are three kinds of men: ones who learn by reading, few who learn by observation, and the rest of them who have to grab the electric fence and find out for themselves.” —Will Rogers

“Good judgment comes from experience, and a lot of that comes from bad judgment.” —Will Rogers

“If you’re riding ahead of the herd, take a look back every now and then to make sure it’s still there.” —Will Rogers

“After eating an entire bull, a mountain lion felt so good he started roaring. He kept it up until a hunter came along and shot him. The moral: when you’re full of bull, keep your mouth shut.” —Will Rogers

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“I have no business on the bed of sloth; I have no right to be wandering abroad after private business; I can claim no time which I may set apart for my own follies, or to my own aggrandizement. My true position as a Christian is to be always ministering to God, always standing before His altar. Do I hear you ask how this can be, with your farms and with your merchandise? Know you not, brethren, that whether you eat, or drink, or whatsoever you do, you may do it all to the glory of God?” —Charles Spurgeon

“It ill becomes a man of God to be ungrateful, or to sponge upon those that are generous.” ―Matthew Henry

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“When we look at the love of Christ, we make a wonderful discovery. Love is more a decision than an emotion! Christ-like love applauds good behavior. At the same time Christ-like love refuses to endorse misbehavior. Jesus loved His apostles, but He wasn’t silent when they were faithless. Jesus loved the people in the temple, but He didn’t sit still when they were hypocritical.” —Max Lucado

“One of the great enemies of hope is forgetting God’s promises.” —John Piper

“If you perform deeds of charity with the idea of getting to heaven by them, it is yourself that you are feeding and clothing; all your virtue is not virtue, it is rank selfishness, and Christ will never accept it; you will never hear Him say, ‘Thank you’ for it. You served yourself, and no reward is due. You must first come to the Lord Jesus Christ, and look to Him to save you; you will forever renounce all idea of doing anything to save yourself, and being saved, you will be able to give to the poor without selfishness mixing with your motive.” —Charles Spurgeon

Dave Barringer has a good word for pastors: 8 reasons why being vulnerable is better.

8 Quotes From “Life Cartography”

Life CartographyCharles Porter wrote a thought-provoking book for young people just starting out on life’s journey. You can read my full book review by clicking here. Below are some of the quotes I highlighted as I read.

“Everyone has baggage. Emotional hurts. Dysfunctions. Strange and broken ideas about the world. Some are small. Some are massive. The people who develop beautiful lives, that I’ve seen at least, learn early how to unload that baggage somewhere and not pick it back up. The emotional catharsis of unloading is easy. The mental, physical and spiritual disciplines of not picking it back up—that’s the hard part.”

“Good intentions don’t make up for bad thinking. You can’t be anything you want to be. But there is something, some unique place, where you can be you, and where your life will have meaning and purpose. The key is discovering what and where that is. Those who discover that early multiply their life satisfaction exponentially.”

“Emotions are real but not necessarily true. … I’ve ruined very few relationships when I was calm. But when I’ve been angry, I’ve done serious damage. … The flip side is that relationships come with an ebb and flow of feelings. Denying emotions is just as dangerous. Suppressed anger becomes depression. Feelings of rejection lead to private humiliation. Telling someone not to feel is like telling spring not to come.”

“We all tell our stories from our own perspectives. We see the world through our lenses. An editor can help us bring some balance, some clarity, and sometimes help us tell those stories in a way that others understand. The tough part is that editors usually aren’t popular. They challenge us. They forced us to rewrite, rethink, and reconsider. They generally don’t fall for the lies we sometimes tell ourselves.”

“When I start with the idea that everyone is interesting, questions become conversations.”

“Developing character is the most important, life-long process you’ll ever engage in. … Character is the product of a life sent through the fire of circumstances.”

“Sometimes, standing on the sidelines is an endorsement. By not taking a stand, you’re allowing things you wouldn’t endorse to take root and flourish.” 

“Have you ever met people who won’t take ‘no’ for an answer? I’ll bet they get things done. I’ll bet they succeed. And I’ll bet they leave a wake of relational destruction in their pads. ‘I never take “no” for an answer.’ That, my friends, doesn’t make you consistent. It makes you a bully.”

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“Do not forget the close bond between the inner room and the outside world. The attitude of the inner prayer room must remain with us all day. The object of secret prayer is to unite us to God that we may know His abiding presence with us.” ―Andrew Murray

“There are two ways by which man might have been for ever blessed. The one was by works: ‘This do and thou shalt live; be obedient and receive the reward.’ The other plan was: ‘Receive grace and blessedness as the free gift of God; stand as a guilty sinner having no merit, and as a rebellious sinner deserving the very reverse of goodness, but stand there and receive all thy good things, simply, wholly, and alone of the free love and sovereign mercy of God.’ Now, the Lord has not chosen the system of works.” —Charles Spurgeon

It is appalling to me that people still try to defend abortion. This post talks about the pain that babies experience during the abortion procedure.

Interesting: 11 trends in American marriages and families.

[VIDEO] A very intriguing interview on Meet The Press with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in 1965―

Links & Quotes

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“You may claim to love Jesus but your life proves you are still walking in darkness—confused, befuddled and foggy! When you are truly in love with Jesus, conversing with Him, He turns up the light. There is no darkness at all in His presence. The worst possible darkness to mankind is not in the hearts of God-hating Communist leaders or Christ-hating atheists. It is, rather, the horrible darkness that blinds so-called Christians who refuse to walk in the light.” —David Wilkerson

“It is not your business to succeed (no one can be sure of that) but to do right: when you have done so, the rest lies with God.” ―C.S. Lewis

“O how quickly we are given to defending God, or sometimes the truth, from words that are only for the wind. If we had discernment, we could tell the difference between the words with roots and the words blowing in the wind. There are words with roots in deep error and deep evil. But not all grey words get their color from a black heart. Some are colored mainly by the pain, the despair. What you hear is not the deepest thing within. There is something real within where they come from. But it is temporary—like a passing infection—real, painful, but not the true person. Let us learn to discern whether the words spoken against us or against God or against the truth are merely for the wind—spoken not from the soul, but from the sore. If they are for the wind, let us wait in silence and not reprove. Restoring the soul, not reproving the sore, is the aim of our love.” —John Piper

“What must you do so that you may know that your sins are taken away by the blood of Christ, and that, when He comes, He will shield you from the wrath of God and bring me into eternal life? The answer is this: trust Christ in a way that makes you eager for Him to come.” —John Piper

John Stonestreet has a great take on worldviews in Radical Islam, Secularism & Christianity.

“O beloved, what a defense is God to His church! Ah, the devil cannot cross this broad river of God. Between me and you, O fiend of hell, is my God. Do remember this, Christian; between you and your arch-enemy is your God; satan has to stand on the other side, and how he wishes he could dry up that stream, but God is omnipotent.” —Charles Spurgeon

 

13 Other Quotes From “JumpStart Your Leadership”

JumpStart Your LeadershipOne of the things I appreciate about John Maxwell’s work is how many other authors and deep thinkers he reads. Dr. Maxwell then sifts through all those works and brings the best of the best to his books. Here are some of the other quotes John shared in his book JumpStart Your Leadership.

“Destiny is no matter of chance. It is a matter of choice. It is not a thing to be waited for; it is a thing to be achieved.” —William Jennings Bryan

“No man is a leader until his appointment is ratified in the mines and the hearts of his men.” —Infantryman’s Journal (1954)

“The supreme quality of leadership is unquestionably integrity.” —Dwight Eisenhower

“You don’t lead by pointing and telling people some place to go. You lead by going to that place and making a case.” —Ken Kesey

“Let him that would move the world, first move himself.” —Socrates

“The most essential quality for leadership is not perfection but credibility. People must be able to trust you.” —Rick Warren

“Looking back, my life seems like one big obstacle race, with me being the chief obstacle.” —Jack Paar 

“Effective leaders reward dissent, as well as encourage it. They understand that whatever momentary discomfort they experience as a result of being told from time to time that they are wrong is more than offset by the fact that ‘reflective back talk’ increases a leaders ability to make good decisions.” —Warren Bennis

“You can dream, create, design, and build the most wonderful idea in the world, but it requires people to make the dream a reality.” —Walt Disney

“A leader takes people where they want to go. A great leader takes people where they don’t necessarily want to go, but ought to be.” —Rosalynn Carter

“The outstanding leaders of every age are those who set up their own quotas and constantly exceed them.” —Thomas Watson

“Do what you do so well that those who see you do what you do are going to come back to see you do it again and tell others that they should see you do what you do.” —Walt Disney

“The secret is to work less as individuals and more as a team. As a coach, I play not my eleven best, but my best eleven.” —Knute Rockne

You can read quotes from John Maxwell in this book by clicking here.

You can read my review of JumpStart Your Leadership by clicking here.