Fruit of the Spirit

Christian Quotations of the Day
for October, 2001

October 1, 2001

Commemoration of Remigius, Bishop of Rheims, Apostle of the Franks, 533
Commemoration of Thérèse of Lisieux, Carmelite Nun, Spiritual Writer, 1897
To die of love, O martyrdom most blest!
         For this I long, this is my heart's desire;
My exile ends; I soon will be at rest.
         Ye Cherubim, lend, lend to me your lyre!
O dart of Seraphim, O flame of love,
         Consume me wholly; hear my ardent cry!
Jesu, make real my dream! Come Holy Dove!
                 Of love I die!
         ... Thérèse of Lisieux

October 2, 2001


         We can stand affliction better than we can prosperity, for in prosperity we forget God.
         ... Dwight Lyman Moody

October 3, 2001

Commemoration of William Morris, Artist, Writer, 1896
Commemoration of George Kennedy Bell, Bishop of Chichester, Ecumenist, Peacemaker, 1958

         If Jesus Christ be God and died for me, then no sacrifice can be too great for me to make for Him.
         ... C. T. Studd

October 4, 2001

Feast of Francis of Assisi, Friar, Deacon, Founder of the Friars Minor, 1226

         Where there is fear of God to keep the house, the enemy can find no way to enter.
         ... Francis of Assisi

October 5, 2001


         The Old-Testament doctrine of salvation gives us no encouragement, on strictly hermeneutical grounds, to argue from what was true politically of Israel to what could or should be true of any modern political state. Even if we were first to grant the presence of a "Christendom" situation [where] Church and State would be virtually coextensive, the nation of Israel would still remain unique. The focus of salvation is on the historical action of God in forming a people for Himself, and there is no indication anywhere in the Bible that God promises political salvation even inside the context of the full salvation of His people, let alone outside it.
         ... Michael Sadgrove & Tom Wright

October 6, 2001

Feast of William Tyndale, Translator of the Scriptures, Martyr, 1536

         Now go to, reader, and according to the order of Paul's writing [in Romans], even so do thou. First behold thyself diligently in the law of God, and see there thy just damnation. Secondarily, turn thine eyes to Christ, and see there the exceeding mercy of thy most kind and loving Father. Thirdly, remember that Christ made not this atonement that thou shouldest anger God again; neither cleansed he thee, that thou shouldest return (as a swine) unto thine old puddle again: but that thou shouldest be a new creature and live a new life after the will of God and not of the flesh. And be diligent lest through thine own negligence and unthankfulness thou lose this favor and mercy again.
         ... William Tyndale, Prologue to Romans

October 7, 2001


         Millions of hells of sinners cannot come near to exhaust infinite grace.
         ... Samuel Rutherford, a letter [1646]
         [Thanks to Bill Blake at pilgrimwb@aol.com]

October 8, 2001


         Resolved, never to do anything which I should be afraid to do if it were the last hour of my life.
         ... Jonathan Edwards

October 9, 2001

Commemoration of Denys, Bishop of Paris, & his Companions, Martyrs, 258
Commemoration of Robert Grosseteste, Bishop of Lincoln, Philosopher, Scientist, 1253

         Prayer should be short, without giving God Almighty reasons why He should grant this, or that; He knows best what is good for us. If your boy should ask you [for] a suit of clothes, and give you reasons, would you endure it? You know his needs better than he: let him ask a suit of clothes.
         ... John Selden

October 10, 2001

Feast of Paulinus, Bishop of York, Missionary, 644

         God's Road is all uphill, but do not tire:
         Rejoice that we may still keep climbing higher.
                 ... Arthur Guiterman

October 11, 2001

Commemoration of Ethelburga, Abbess of Barking, 675

         It is not necessary to maintain a conversation when we are in the presence of God. We can come into His presence and rest our weary souls in quiet contemplation of Him. Our groanings, which cannot be uttered, rise to Him and tell Him better than words how dependent we are upon Him.
         ... O. Hallesby, Prayer
         [Thanks to Gary Horn at horngary@aol.com]

October 12, 2001

Commemoration of Wilfrid, Abbot of Ripon, Bishop of York, Missionary, 709
Commemoration of Elizabeth Fry, Prison Reformer, 1845

         While many Americans are still firmly committed to the traditional, supernatural conceptions of a personal God, a Divine Savior, and the promise of eternal life, the trend is away from these convictions. The fact is that a demythologized modernism is overwhelming the traditional Christ-centered, mystical faith. For the modern skeptics are not the apostates, village atheists, or political revolutionaries of old. The leaders of today's challenge to traditional beliefs are principally theologians -- those in whose care the church entrusts its sacred teachings.
         ... Rodney Stark & Charles Glock in Trans-Action (1971)

October 13, 2001

Feast of Edward the Confessor, 1066

         The trouble with nearly everybody who prays is that he says "Amen" and runs away before God has a chance to reply. Listening to God is far more important than giving Him your ideas.
         ... Frank Laubach

October 14, 2001


         Our Adversary majors in three things: noise, hurry and crowds. If he can keep us engaged in "muchness" and "manyness," he will rest satisfied.
         ... Richard J. Foster

October 15, 2001

Feast of Teresa of Avila, Mystic, Teacher, 1582

         Our body has this defect that, the more it is provided care and comforts, the more needs and desires it finds.
         ... Teresa of Avila

October 16, 2001

Thee, Lord, before the close of day,
Maker of all things, Thee we pray
for Thy dear loving kindness' sake
to guard and guide us in Thy way.

Banish the dreams that terrify,
and night's fantastic company;
keep us from Satan's tyranny;
defend us from unchastity.

Protect us, Father, God ador'd,
Thou, too, coequal Son and Lord,
Thou, Holy Ghost, our Advocate,
whose reign can know nor bound nor date.
         ... Old Latin hymn (St. Ambrose?)

October 17, 2001

Feast of Ignatius, Bishop of Antioch, Martyr, c.107

         I have but one passion - it is He, it is He alone. The world is the field and the field is the world; and henceforth that country shall be my home where I can be most used in winning souls for Christ.
         ... Count Nicolaus Ludwig von Zinzendorf

October 18, 2001

Feast of Luke the Evangelist

         He who prays as he ought will endeavour to live as he prays.
         ... John Owen

October 19, 2001

Feast of Henry Martyn, Translator of the Scriptures, Missionary in India & Persia, 1812

         Relieve and comfort all the persecuted and afflicted; speak peace to troubled consciences; strengthen the weak; confirm the strong; instruct the ignorant; deliver the oppressed from him that spoileth him; and relieve the needy that hath no helper; and bring us all, by the waters of comfort, and in the ways of righteousness, to the kingdom of rest and glory, through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.
         ... Jeremy Taylor, Holy Living

October 20, 2001


         Jesus Christ came to tell men that they have no enemies but themselves.
         ... Blaise Pascal

October 21, 2001


         The doctrine of the blessed Trinity is a reminder of the supernaturalness of biblical Christianity. The doctrine defies rationalization, yet it provides for the believer the answer to the unity and diversity of the world.
         ... Robert P. Lightner

October 22, 2001


         One mustn't make the Christian life into a punctilious system of law, like the Jewish, for two reasons. (1) It raises scruples when we don't keep the routine. (2) It raises presumption when we do. Nothing gives one a more spuriously good conscience than keeping rules, even if there has been a total absence of all real charity and faith.
         ... C. S. Lewis, Letters to an American Lady

October 23, 2001


         Division has always been a disease of the church... The Love Feast, which should have been the sign and symbol of perfect unity, has become a thing of divisions and class distinctions. And here there is something which only the newer translations reveal. In the older translations, it is said that to eat and drink at the sacrament without discerning the Lord's body is the way to judgment and not to salvation. But in the best Greek text, the word Lord's is not included. The sin is not to discern the body; that is to say, not to discern that the church is a body, not to be aware of the oneness of the church, not to be aware of the togetherness in which all its members should be joined.
         ... William Barclay, Ethics in a Permissive Society

October 24, 2001


         Christ came... in a purpose, ... to manifest himself in the Christian Religion, to all the nations of the world; and therefore, says David, The Lord reigneth, let the Islands rejoice -- the Islands who by reason of their situation, provision, and trading have most means of conveying Christ Jesus over the world. He hath carried us up to heaven & set us at the right hand of God, & shall not we endeavour to carry him to those nations, who have not yet heard of his name? Shall we still brag that we have brought our clothes, and our hatchets, and our knives, and bread to this and this value and estimation amongst those poor ignorant Souls, and shall we never glory that we have brought the name, and Religion of Christ Jesus in estimation amongst them? Shall we stay till other nations have planted a false Christ among them? And then either continue in our sloth, or take more pains in rooting out a false Christ than would have planted the true?
         ... John Donne, "A Sermon preached April 2, 1621"

October 25, 2001

Commemoration of Crispin & Crispinian, Martyrs at Rome, c.285

         If I slip into the place that can be filled by Christ alone, making myself the first necessity to a soul instead of leading it to fasten upon Him, then I know nothing of Calvary love.
         ... Amy Carmichael

October 26, 2001

Feast of Alfred the Great, King of the West Saxons, Scholar, 899
Commemoration of Cedd, Founding Abbot of Lastingham, Bishop of the East Saxons, 664

         All the revelations of God, as well as the laws of men, go upon this presumption, that men are not stark fools, but that they will consider their interest and have some regard to the great concernment of their eternal salvation. And this is as much to secure men from mistake in matters of belief as God hath afforded to keep men from sin in matters of practice. He hath made no effectual and infallible provision that men shall not sin; and yet it would puzzle any man to give a good reason why God should take more care to secure men against errors in belief than against sin and wickedness in their lives.
         ... John Tillotson

October 27, 2001


         "Did not I, through faith, conquer kingdoms, apply justice, obtain promises, stop the mouths of lions, put out raging fires, escape the edge of the sword, win strength out of weakness, become valiant in war, and put foreign armies to flight? Was I not a man of faith and a man of action in one skin? Why are the faithful so afraid of deeds for fear they should fall into 'Justification by works'? And why is Thy Church so uncomfortable with its men of action? And why do men of spirit so often have to work apart from, and even against it? Are there no longer kingdoms to be conquered, injustice to be destroyed, promises to be obtained? The Son of David is a warrior still. Must He tread the winepress alone?"
         ... David Head, Shout for Joy

October 28, 2001

Feast of Simon & Jude, Apostles

         Some natures will endure an immense amount of misery before they feel compelled to look there for help whence all help and healing come. They cannot believe that there is verily an unseen, mysterious power, till the world and all that is in it has vanished in the smoke of despair; till cause and effect are nothing to the intellect, and possible glories have faded from the imagination. Then, deprived of all that made life pleasant or hopeful, the immortal essence, lonely and wretched and unable to cease, looks up with its now unfettered and wakened instinct to the source of its own life -- to the possible God who, notwithstanding all the improbabilities of His existence, may yet perhaps be, and may yet perhaps hear His wretched creature that calls. In this loneliness of despair, life must find The Life: for joy is gone, and life is all that is left; it is compelled to seek its source, its root, its eternal life. This alone remains a possible thing. Strange condition of despair into which the Spirit of God drives a man -- a condition in which the Best alone is the Possible!
         ... George Macdonald, David Elginbrod

October 29, 2001

Commemoration of James Hannington, Bishop of Eastern Equatorial Africa, Martyr in Uganda, 1885

         After saying our prayers, we ought to do something to make them come true.
         ... William Feather

October 30, 2001

Commemoration of Martin Luther, Teacher, Reformer, 1546

         All who call on God in true faith, earnestly from the heart, will certainly be heard, and will receive what they have asked and desired, although not in the hour or in the measure, or the very thing which they ask; yet they will obtain something greater and more glorious than they had dared to ask.
         ... Martin Luther

October 31, 2001


         As the enjoyment of God is the heaven of the Saints, so the loss of God is the hell of the ungodly. And, as the enjoying of God is the enjoying of all, so the loss of God is the loss of all.
         ... Richard Baxter

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Curator, Christian Quotation of the Day.
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