Ryle: no cross, no crown

Saturday, August 14, 2021
    Commemoration of Maximilian Kolbe, Franciscan Friar, Priest, Martyr, 1941
Meditation:
    Then [Jesus] called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.”
    —Mark 8:34 (NIV)
Quotation:
    We must not conceal from ourselves that true Christianity brings with it a daily cross in this life, while it offers us a crown of glory in the life to come. The flesh must be daily crucified. The devil must be daily resisted. The world must be daily overcome. There is a warfare to be waged, and a battle to be fought. All this is the inseparable accompaniment of true religion. Heaven is not to be won without it. Never was there a truer word than the old saying, “No cross, no crown!” If we never found this out by experience, our souls are in a poor condition.
    ... J. C. Ryle (1816-1900), Expository thoughts on the Gospels, with the text complete, St. Matthew, Ipswitch: William Hunt, 1856, p. 202 (see the book)
    See also Matt. 10:38; 16:24; Mark 8:34; Luke 9:23; 14:27; Rom. 6:6; 1 Cor. 1:17-18; Gal. 2:20; 5:24; Jas. 1:12
Quiet time reflection:
    Lord, by Your mercy, may I win that crown You have promised, for the sake of Your glory. CQOD    Blog    email    RSS
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Taylor: Teach me, Lord

Friday, August 13, 2021
    Feast of Jeremy Taylor, Bishop of Down & Connor, Priest, Teacher, 1667
    Commemoration of Florence Nightingale, Social Reformer, 1910
    Commemoration of Octavia Hill, Worker for the Poor, 1912
Meditation:
    If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless.
    —James 1:26 (NIV)
Quotation:
    Teach me to watch over all my ways, that I may never be surprised by sudden temptations or a careless spirit, nor ever return to folly and vanity. Set a watch, O Lord, before my mouth, and keep the door of my lips, that I offend not in my tongue, neither against piety nor charity. Teach me to think of nothing but Thee, and what is in order to Thy glory and service; to speak nothing but Thee and Thy glories; and to do nothing but what becomes Thy servant, whom Thy infinite mercy by the graces of Thy Holy Spirit hath sealed up to the day of redemption.
    ... Jeremy Taylor (1613-1667), Holy Living [1650], in The Whole Works of the Right Rev. Jeremy Taylor, D.D., v. III, London: Longman, Brown, Green & Longmans, 1847, p. 35 (see the book)
    See also Jas. 1:26; Ps. 34:12-13; 85:8; Phil. 4:8; Jas. 3:5-6
Quiet time reflection:
    Praise to the One in whose grace I live. CQOD    Blog    email    RSS
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Mother Teresa: the future

Thursday, August 12, 2021
Meditation:
    The fruit of righteousness will be peace; the effect of righteousness will be quietness and confidence forever.
    —Isaiah 32:17 (NIV)
Quotation:
    We must never get into the habit of being preoccupied with the future. There is no reason to do so. God is there.
    ... Mother Teresa of Calcutta (Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu) (1910-1997), Total Surrender, Mother Teresa of Calcutta, Servant Pubns, 1990, p. 56 (see the book)
    See also Isa. 32:17; Job 19:25; Ps. 3:6; 46:1-3; Matt. 6:25-32; Rom. 8:38-39; 2 Tim. 1:12; Heb. 6:17-20
Quiet time reflection:
    Lord, grant me faith to rely on You. CQOD    Blog    email    RSS
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Newman: difficulties

Wednesday, August 11, 2021
    Feast of Clare of Assisi, Founder of the Order of Minoresses (Poor Clares), 1253
    Commemoration of John Henry Newman, Priest, Teacher, Tractarian, 1890
Meditation:
    During the fourth watch of the night Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear.
    But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”
    “Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.”
    “Come,” he said.
    Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”
    Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”
    And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”
    —Matthew 14:25-33 (NIV)
Quotation:
    Ten thousand difficulties do not make one doubt.
    ... John Henry Cardinal Newman (1801-1890), Apologia pro Vita Sua [1864], London: Longman, Green, Longman, Roberts, and Green, 1864, p. 374 (see the book)
    See also Matt. 14:25-33; Gen. 18:12-14; Matt. 17:20; 28:17; Luke 8:22-25; 12:28; John 11:39-40; 14:8-11; 20:24-28
Quiet time reflection:
    Lord, You have conquered all difficulties. CQOD    Blog    email    RSS
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Lewis: fueling the human machine

Tuesday, August 10, 2021
    Feast of Lawrence, Deacon at Rome, Martyr, 258
Meditation:
    But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
    —Galatians 5:22-23 (NIV)
Quotation:
    God designed the human machine to run on Himself. He Himself is the fuel our spirits were designed to burn, or the food our spirits were designed to feed on. There is no other. That is why it is just no good asking God to make us happy in our own way without bothering about religion. God cannot give us a happiness and peace apart from Himself, because it is not there. There is no such thing.
    ... C. S. Lewis (1898-1963), Mere Christianity, New York: MacMillan, 1952, reprint, HarperCollins, 2001, p. 50 (see the book)
    See also Gal. 5:22-23; Ps. 37:35-36; 73:3; Jer. 6:14; Luke 12:16-21
Quiet time reflection:
    Lord, I seek no happiness apart from You. CQOD    Blog    email    RSS
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Ellul: the calling

Monday, August 9, 2021
    Feast of Mary Sumner, Founder of the Mothers’ Union, 1921
Meditation:
    The LORD had said to Abram, “Leave your country, your people and your father’s household and go to the land I will show you.”
    —Genesis 12:1 (NIV)
Quotation:
    When God picks out a man and speaks to him, it is to engage him in a work, an action. Nowhere in Scripture do we find indeterminate or purely mystical vocation.
    ... Jacques Ellul (1912-1994), The Judgment of Jonah, tr. Geoffrey W. Bromiley, Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing, 1971, p. 23 (see the book)
    See also Gen. 12:1; Amos 7:14-15; Jonah 1:2; 2 Tim. 1:8-9
Quiet time reflection:
    Lord, make me know my calling, that I may do it. CQOD    Blog    email    RSS
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Tillotson: the delusion

Sunday, August 8, 2021
    Feast of Dominic, Priest, Founder of the Order of Preachers, 1221
Meditation:
    Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles. Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another.
    —Romans 1:22-24 (NIV)
Quotation:
    If men once “have pleasure in unrighteousness,” it will not be long before they give over “believing the truth,” because God by his just judgment will give them over to themselves, to follow the bias of their own corrupt hearts, which incline them to believe lies. Of all persons in the world, a wicked and unholy Christian is most likely to turn a speculative infidel and atheist; and none so likely to fall into this gross darkness, as those who resist and quench so great a light as that of the gospel is, which they profess to believe.
    ... John Tillotson (1630-1694), Works of Dr. John Tillotson, v. IX, London: J. F. Dove, for R. Priestley, 1820, p. 345-346 (see the book)
    See also Rom. 1:22-24; John 20:31; 2 Thess. 2:9-12; Heb. 6:4-8
Quiet time reflection:
    Lord, never allow me to stray. CQOD    Blog    email    RSS
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