Studd: the devotion that matters

Saturday, June 27, 2009

Meditation:
    Jesus answered them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”
    —Luke 5:31-32 (NIV)

Quotation:
    Christ’s call is ... to save the lost, not the stiff-necked; He came not to call scoffers but sinners to repentance; not to build and furnish comfortable chapels, churches, and cathedrals at home in which to rock Christian professors to sleep by means of clever essays, stereotyped prayers and artistic musical performances, but to capture men from the devil’s clutches and snatch them from the very jaws of Hell. But this can be accomplished only by a red-hot, unconventional, unfettered Holy Ghost religion, where neither man nor traditions are worshipped or preached, but only Christ and Him crucified.
    ... C. T. Studd (1860-1931), quoted in C. T. Studd—Cricketer and Pioneer [1933], Norman P. Grubb, Read Books, 2008, p. 163 (see the book)

Quiet time reflection:
    Lord, You have loved the lost ones.

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Donne: periods of silent sin

Friday, June 26, 2009

Meditation:
    Who can discern his errors? Forgive my hidden faults.
    —Psalm 19:12 (NIV)

Quotation:
    Men perish with whispering sins, nay with silent sins, sins that never tell the conscience that they are sins, as often as with crying sins; and in hell there shall meet as many men that never thought what was sin, as that spent all their thoughts in the compassing of sin.
    ... John Donne (1573-1631), Works of John Donne, vol. I, London: John W. Parker, 1839, Sermon XIV, p. 276 (see the book)

Quiet time reflection:
    Lord, correct my conscience.

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Tillotson: pre-testing for martyrdom

Thursday, June 25, 2009

Meditation:
    Endure hardship with us like a good soldier of Christ Jesus.
    —2 Timothy 2:3 (NIV)

Quotation:
    In vain does any man pretend that he will be a martyr for his religion, when he will not rule an appetite, nor restrain a lust, nor subdue a passion, nor cross his covetousness and ambition, for the sake of it, and in hope of that eternal life “which God that cannot lie hath promised.’ He that refuseth to do the less is not like to do the greater. It is very improbable that a man will die for his religion, when he cannot be persuaded to live according to it. He that cannot take up a resolution to live a saint, hath a demonstration within himself, that he is never like to die a martyr.
    ... John Tillotson (1630-1694), Works of Dr. John Tillotson, v. IV, London: J. F. Dove, for R. Priestley, 1820, Sermon LXXVII, p. 451-452 (see the book)

Quiet time reflection:
    Lord, You are the eternal judge of men.

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Lewis: the holy present

Wednesday, June 24, 2009
    Feast of the Birth of John the Baptist

Meditation:
    With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and much grace was upon them all. There were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned lands or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales and put it at the apostles' feet, and it was distributed to anyone as he had need.
    —Acts 4:33-35 (NIV)

Quotation:
    The Present is the point at which Time touches Eternity. Of the present moment, and of it only, humans have an experience analogous to the experience which [God] has of reality as a whole; in it alone, freedom and actuality are offered them. He would therefore have them continually concerned either with Eternity (which means being concerned with Him) or with the Present—either meditating on their eternal union with, or separation from, Himself; or else obeying the present voice of conscience, bearing the present cross, receiving the present grace, giving thanks for the present pleasure.
    ... C. S. Lewis (1898-1963), The Screwtape Letters & Screwtape proposes a toast, Macmillan, 1962, reissue, Bantam Books, 1995, p. 68 (see the book)

Quiet time reflection:
    Lord, I receive You now.

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Kurosaki: following the Bible

Tuesday, June 23, 2009
    Feast of Etheldreda, Abbess of Ely, c.678

Meditation:
    I know that the LORD is great, that our Lord is greater than all gods.
    —Psalm 135:5 (NIV)

Quotation:
    One might think that with the Bible as the center of Christianity, the unity of Christians could be easily realized. Unfortunately this has not proved true, though we can consider it fortunate that, as this inability to unify proves, the letter of the Bible cannot really replace the living Christ as the center of our faith.
    The Bible is the expression of the life and work of God, and since “life” is greater than its manifestation, it cannot be expressed completely in any logical or theological form. Therefore, the Bible itself cannot escape being understood in many different ways. Thus we see how in the wisdom of God it is impossible in practice to make the Scriptures the end or final authority in themselves, for they only express God's authority to those who live in fellowship with the Spirit.
    ... Kokichi Kurosaki (1886-1970), One Body in Christ, Kobe, Japan: Eternal Life Press, 1954, ch. 3 (see the book)

Quiet time reflection:
    Lord, I know that Your presence is more real even than my own.

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Lichtenberg: divine service

Monday, June 22, 2009
    Feast of Alban, first Martyr of Britain, c.209

Meditation:
    But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.
    —James 1:22 (KJV)

Quotation:
    The words divine service should be reassigned and no longer used for attending church, but only for good deeds.
    ... G. C. Lichtenberg (1742-1799), Aphorisms & Letters, Cape, 1969, p. 54 (see the book)

Quiet time reflection:
    Rekindle my heart to action, Lord.

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Bonhoeffer: listening

Sunday, June 21, 2009

Meditation:
    For there are many rebellious people, mere talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision group. They must be silenced, because they are ruining whole households by teaching things they ought not to teach--and that for the sake of dishonest gain.
    —Titus 1:10,11 (NIV)

Quotation:
    Many people seek a sympathetic ear and do not find it among Christians, because these Christians are talking where they should be listening. But he who can no longer listen to one another will soon no longer be listening to God either; they will always be talking even in the presence of God. This is the beginning of the death of the spiritual life, and in the end there will be nothing left but spiritual chatter and clerical condescension arrayed in pious words ... never really speaking to others.
    ... Dietrich Bonhoeffer (1906-1945), Life Together [1954], tr. Daniel W. Bloesch & James H. Burtness, Fortress Press, 2004, p. 98 (see the book)

Quiet time reflection:
    Spirit of God, open my ears and be a guard on my tongue.

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