CQOD: 11/11/06 -- Barth: the deceptive silence

Christian Quotation of the Day

November 11, 2006

Feast of Martin, Monk, Bishop of Tours, 397

Meditation:
    For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
    -- John 1:17 (ESV)

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Quotation:
    People naturally do not shout it out, least of all into the ears of us ministers; but let us not be deceived by their silence. Blood and tears, deepest despair and highest hope, a passionate longing to lay hold of ... Him who overcomes the world because He is its Creator and Redeemer, its beginning and ending and lord—a passionate longing to have the word spoken, the word which promises grace in judgment, life in death, and the beyond in the here and now, God’s word—this it is that animates our church-goers.
    ... Karl Barth (1886-1968)

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Quiet time reflection:
    Lord, we are hungry for Your word.

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CQOD Compilation Copyright 2006, Robert McAnally Adams, Curator
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CQOD: 11/10/06 -- Thomas à Kempis: the need to begin

Christian Quotation of the Day

November 10, 2006

Feast of Leo the Great, Bishop of Rome, 461

Meditation:
    So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, "If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."
    -- John 8:31-32 (ESV)

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Quotation:
    If we would put some slight stress on ourselves at the beginning, then afterwards we should be able to do all things with ease and joy. It is a hard thing to break through a habit, and a yet harder thing to go contrary to our own will. Yet, if thou overcome not slight and easy obstacles, how wilt thou overcome greater ones? Withstand thy will at the beginning, and unlearn an evil habit, lest it lead thee little by little into worse difficulties. Oh, if thou knewest what peace to thyself thy holy life should bring, ... and what joy to others, methinketh thou wouldst be more zealous for spiritual profit.
    ... Thomas à Kempis (1380-1471), Of the Imitation of Christ, I.xi. [1418]

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Quiet time reflection:
    Lord, I prefer my own luxury to Your call. Make me see the Your truth that I might have freedom from my own evil will.

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See Believer's Desktop Companion 2004
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CQOD Compilation Copyright 2006, Robert McAnally Adams, Curator
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CQOD: 11/09/06 -- Barclay: Who is using whom?

Christian Quotation of the Day

November 9, 2006

Commemoration of Margery Kempe, Mystic, after 1433

Meditation:
    When the people saw the sign that he had done, they said, "This is indeed the Prophet who is to come into the world!" Perceiving then that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, Jesus withdrew again to the mountain by himself.
    -- John 6:14-15 (ESV)

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Quotation:
    That crowd of Jews would have followed Christ at that moment because He was giving them what they wanted [bread], and they wished to use Him for their plans and dreams and purposes. That attitude to Christ still lingers in men’s minds. We would like Christ’s gifts without Christ’s Cross; we would like to use Christ instead of allowing Him to use us.
    ... William Barclay (1907-1978), The Gospel of John [1975] Vol. 1, p. 210

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Quiet time reflection:
    Lord, You are King in my heart.

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See Believer's Desktop Companion 2004
    http://www.cqod.com/cqoddtcb.html

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CQOD Compilation Copyright 2006, Robert McAnally Adams, Curator
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CQOD: 11/08/06 -- Law: Creation's law and order

Christian Quotation of the Day

November 8, 2006

Feast of Saints & Martyrs of England

Meditation:
    You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
    -- Matthew 22:37-39 (ESV)

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Quotation:
    The one supreme, unchangeable rule of love, which is a law to all intelligent beings of all worlds, and will be a law to all eternity, is this, viz., that God alone is to be loved for himself, and all other beings only in him, and for him. Whatever intelligent creature lives not under this rule of love, is so far fallen from the order of his creation, and is, till he returns to this eternal law of love, an apostate from God, and incapable of the kingdom of heaven. Now if God alone is to be loved for himself, then no creature is to be loved for itself; and so all self-love in every creature is absolutely condemned. And if all created beings are only to be loved in and for God, then my neighbor is to be loved, as I love myself, and I am only to love myself, as I love my neighbor, or any other created being, that is only in and for God.
    ... William Law (1686-1761), The Spirit of Prayer, 1.2-38,39,40 [1749]

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Quiet time reflection:
    Lord, implant in my heart the love You have for my neighbor.

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See Believer's Desktop Companion 2004
    http://www.cqod.com/cqoddtcb.html

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CQOD Compilation Copyright 2006, Robert McAnally Adams, Curator
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CQOD: 11/07/06 -- Eckhart: Seeking God for profit

Christian Quotation of the Day

November 7, 2006

Feast of Willibrord of York, Archbishop of Utrecht, Apostle of Frisia, 739

Meditation:
    But if God so clothes the grass, which is alive in the field today, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will he clothe you, O you of little faith! And do not seek what you are to eat and what you are to drink, nor be worried. For all the nations of the world seek after these things, and your Father knows that you need them. Instead, seek his kingdom, and these things will be added to you.
    -- Luke 12:28-31 (ESV)

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Quotation:
    Whoso goes seeking God and seeking aught with God does not find God; but he who seeks God by himself in truth does not find God alone: all God affords he finds, as well as God. Art thou looking for God, seeking God with a view to thy personal good, thy personal profit? Then in truth thou art not seeking God.
    ... Meister Eckhart (1260?-1327?)

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Quiet time reflection:
    Lord, cleanse and purify my motives.

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See Believer's Desktop Companion 2004
    http://www.cqod.com/cqoddtcb.html

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CQOD Compilation Copyright 2006, Robert McAnally Adams, Curator
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CQOD: 11/06/06 -- Temple: hope in the Spirit

Christian Quotation of the Day

November 6, 2006

Feast of William Temple, Archbishop of Canterbury, Teacher, 1944

Meditation:
    For I tell you that Christ became a servant to the circumcised to show God's truthfulness, in order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs, and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written, "Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles, and sing to your name."
    -- Romans 15:8-9 (ESV)

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Quotation:
    There is no hope of establishing a Christian social order except through the labor and sacrifice of those in whom the Spirit of Christ is active.
    ... Archbishop William Temple (1881-1944)

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Quiet time reflection:
    Lord, make me an instrument of Your will for my society.

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See Believer's Desktop Companion 2004
    http://www.cqod.com/cqoddtcb.html

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CQOD Compilation Copyright 2006, Robert McAnally Adams, Curator
CQOD Home Page:    http://www.cqod.com/
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CQOD: 11/05/06 -- Tozer: self-promotion

Christian Quotation of the Day

November 5, 2006Meditation:
    But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people.
    -- 2 Timothy 3:1-5 (ESV)

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Quotation:
    The self-sins... dwell too deep within us and are too much a part of our natures to come to our attention till the light of God is focused upon them. The grosser manifestations of these sins—egotism, exhibitionism, self-promotion—are strangely tolerated in Christian leaders, even in circles of impeccable orthodoxy. They are so much in evidence as actually, for many people, to become identified with the gospel. I trust it is not a cynical observation to say that they appear these days to be a requisite for popularity in some sections of the Church visible. Promoting self under the guise of promoting Christ is currently so common as to excite little notice.
    ... A. W. Tozer (1897-1963), Pursuit of God [1948]

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Quiet time reflection:
    Lord, grant us all the wisdom and discernment to turn away from false teachers.

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See Believer's Desktop Companion 2004
    http://www.cqod.com/cqoddtcb.html

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CQOD Compilation Copyright 2006, Robert McAnally Adams, Curator
CQOD Home Page:    http://www.cqod.com/
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Comments and problems: email to curator@cqod.com