Maurice: the spirit of judging

Saturday, June 8, 2019
    Feast of Thomas Ken, Bishop of Bath & Wells, Hymnographer, 1711
    Commemoration of Roland Allen, Mission Strategist, 1947
Meditation:
    You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things.
    —Romans 2:1 (NIV)
Quotation:
    Of all spirits, I believe the spirit of judging is the worst, and it has had the rule of me, I cannot tell you how dreadfully and how long... This, I find, has more hindered my progress in love and gentleness than all things else. I never knew what the words, “Judge not that ye be not judged,” meant before; now they seem to me some of the most awful, necessary, and beautiful in the whole Word of God.
    ... Frederick Denison Maurice (1805-1872), letter to his motherThe Life of Frederick Denison Maurice: Chiefly Told in His Own Letters, v. 1, ed. John Frederick Maurice, London: Macmillan, 1885, p. 129-130 (see the book)
    See also Rom. 2:1; Matt. 7:1-2; Luke 6:37; Rom. 14:4; Jas. 4:11-12
Quiet time reflection:
    Lord, purge my heart of the judging spirit. CQOD    Blog    email    RSS
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Luther: the ideal preacher

Friday, June 7, 2019
Meditation:
    If you point these things out to the brothers, you will be a good minister of Christ Jesus, brought up in the truths of the faith and of the good teaching that you have followed.
    —1 Timothy 4:6 (NIV)
Quotation:
    A good preacher should have these properties and virtues: first, to teach systematically; secondly, he should have a ready wit; thirdly, he should be eloquent; fourthly, he should have a good voice; fifthly, a good memory; sixthly, he should know when to make an end; seventhly, he should be sure of his doctrine; eighthly, he should venture and engage body and blood, wealth and honor, in the Word; ninthly, he should suffer himself to be mocked and jeered of every one.
    ... Martin Luther (1483-1546), Table-Talk [1566], CCCXCVII. (see the book)
    See also 1 Tim. 4:6; Matt. 5:11-12; 1 Cor. 4:10-13; 1 Tim. 3:1-15; Heb. 13:9; 1 Pet. 2:23
Quiet time reflection:
    Lord, strengthen the character of Your ministers, for the sake of Your name. CQOD    Blog    email    RSS
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Brother Lawrence: being mindful of God

Thursday, June 6, 2019
    Commemoration of Ini Kopuria, Founder of the Melanesian Brotherhood, 1945
Meditation:
    They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain, for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea.
    —Isaiah 11:9 (NIV)
Quotation:
    One way to recollect the mind easily in the time of prayer, and preserve it more in tranquillity, is not to let it wander too far at other times. You should keep it strictly in the Presence of God; and, being accustomed to think of Him often, you will find it easy to keep your mind calm in the time of prayer, or at least to recall it from its wanderings.
    ... Brother Lawrence (c.1605-1691), The Practice of the Presence of God, New York, Revell, 1895, Eighth Letter, p. 35-36 (see the book)
    See also Isa. 11:9; Job 34:21-22; Ps. 16:8-11; 73:23; 139:7-10; Acts 2:25-28; Phil. 4:8
Quiet time reflection:
    Lord, I acknowledge that You are present at all times. CQOD    Blog    email    RSS
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Hilton: Scripture knowledge

Wednesday, June 5, 2019
    Feast of Boniface (Wynfrith) of Crediton, Archbishop of Mainz, Apostle of Germany, Martyr, 754
Meditation:
    If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.
    —1 Corinthians 13:2 (NIV)
Quotation:
    Learned men and great scholars have devoted great effort and prolonged study to the Holy Scriptures... employing the gifts which God gives to every person who has the use of reason.
    This knowledge is good... but it does not bring with it any spiritual experience of God, for these graces are granted only to those who have a great love for Him. This fountain of love issues from our Lord alone, and no stranger may approach it. But knowledge of this kind is common to good and bad alike, since it can be acquired without love, ... and men of a worldly life are sometimes more knowledgeable than many true Christians although they do not possess this love. St. Paul describes this kind of knowledge: “If I had full knowledge of all things and knew all secrets, but had no love, I should be nothing.”
    Some people who possess this knowledge become proud and misuse it in order to increase their personal reputation, worldly rank, honours and riches, when they should use it humbly to the praise of God and for the benefit of their fellow Christians in true charity. St. Paul says of this kind of knowledge: “Knowledge by itself stirs the heart with pride, but united to love it turns to edification.”
    By itself this knowledge is like water, tasteless and cold. But if those who have it will offer it humbly to our Lord and ask for His grace, He will turn the water into wine with His blessing.
    ... Walter Hilton (1330?-1396), The Scale of Perfection [early 15th century], ed. Serenus Cressy, Book I, I.iv (see the book)
    See also 1 Cor. 13:2; Pr. 26:12; Isa. 5:21; 1 Cor. 8:1-3; Gal. 6:3; 1 Tim. 1:5-7; 6:3-4
Quiet time reflection:
    Lord, add love to my understanding of You. CQOD    Blog    email    RSS
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Robinson: where Scripture leads

Tuesday, June 4, 2019
Meditation:
    Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.
    —Acts 17:11 (NIV)
Quotation:
    I am verily persuaded the Lord has more truth yet to break forth out of his holy Word. For my part, I cannot sufficiently bewail the condition of the Reformed churches, who are come to a period in religion, and will go at present no farther than the instruments of their reformation. The Lutherans cannot be drawn to go beyond what Luther saw; ... and the Calvinists, you see, stick fast where they were left by that great man of God, who yet saw not all things... I beseech you, remember, it is an Article of your church-covenant, that you be ready to receive whatever truth shall be made known to you from the written Word of God. [1620]
    ... John Robinson (1576?-1625), quoted in The History of the Puritans, or Protestant Noncomformists, Daniel Neal, Harper, 1844, vol. 1, p. 269 (see the book)
    See also Acts 17:11; Luke 12:57; Rom. 12:2; 1 Cor. 2:14-15; 14:29; Phil. 4:8; 1 Thes. 5:21
Quiet time reflection:
    Lord, open our hearts to Your word, wherever it may lead. CQOD    Blog    email    RSS
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Mulford: the transcendental communique

Monday, June 3, 2019
    Feast of Edward King, Bishop of Lincoln, Teacher, 1910
    Commemoration of Martyrs of Uganda, 1886 & 1978
Meditation:
    Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, descended from David. This is my gospel, for which I am suffering even to the point of being chained like a criminal. But God’s word is not chained.
    —2 Timothy 2:8-9 (NIV)
Quotation:
    The Word of God is the informing power of the revelation of God in the finite world. The Word of God is not, by any figure, to be identified with a book, or a temple, or a minister, or a shrine.
    ... Elisha Mulford (1833-1885), The Republic of God [1897], Boston, New York: Houghton Mifflin, 1893, p. 215 (see the book)
    See also 2 Tim. 2:8-9; John 1:1-5,14; Acts 4:31; Eph. 6:17; Heb. 4:12; Rev. 2:16
Quiet time reflection:
    Lord, let Your saving word go out to Your people. CQOD    Blog    email    RSS
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Gloag: truth leading to holiness

Sunday, June 2, 2019
Meditation:
    For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
    —2 Peter 1:5-8 (NIV)
Quotation:
    And by ‘knowledge’ here [II Peter 1:2,5,8;2:20;3:18] is not to be understood a mere theoretical knowledge of the truths of Christianity or the gnosis of the Gnostics; but a realization of these truths influencing the practice and leading to holiness of life.
    ... Paton J. Gloag (1823-1906), Introduction to the Catholic Epistles, Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark, 1887, p. 232 (see the book)
    See also 2 Pet. 1:2,5-8; Matt. 12:50; Luke 6:46-47; Luke 11:28; John 13:17; Rom. 2:13; Jas. 1:22; 4:17; 2 Pet. 2:20; 3:18; 1 John 2:3
Quiet time reflection:
    Lord, Your truth keeps me from straying. CQOD    Blog    email    RSS
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