Required Today - Leaders With Similar Qualities And Characteristics As These Spiritual Leaders
“You must pray with all your might. That does not mean saying your prayers, or sitting gazing about in church or chapel with eyes wide open while someone else says them for you. It means fervent, effectual, untiring wrestling with God. This kind of prayer be sure the devil and the world and your own indolent, unbelieving nature will oppose. They will pour water on this flame.” So said William Booth of the Salvation Army in a day when the fire of God was upon him and those around him.
A man set on fire is an apostle of his age. And the only one who can kindle the spark of light and fire on the hearth where it has died down is He who has revealed Himself as the God of fire, our Lord Jesus Christ. ‘Our God is a consuming fire.’ Tell me, is your ministry a burning and shining light, or a smoking wick, slowly dying out to ashes? We need the dynamic of a flaming ministry that will set the Church on fire.
Prayer is self-discipline. The effort to realize the presence and power of God stretches the sinews of the soul and hardens its muscles. To pray is to grow in grace. To tarry in the presence of the King leads to new loyalty and devotion on the part of the faithful subjects. Christian character grows in the secret-place of prayer.
A marble cutter, with chisel and hammer, was changing a stone into a statue. A preacher looking on said: ‘I wish I could deal such changing blows on stony hearts.’ The workman answered: ‘Maybe you could, if you worked like me, upon your knees.’” Is that not a serious reprimand and challenge to many of us?
How often has very earnest prayer for the fullness of the Holy Spirit been in vain, because he who sought that unspeakable blessing sought it rather for the glory which the possession of it, or the reputation for the possession of it, might bring to man, than for the honor and praise that might be brought to God.
Our power in drawing others after the Lord mainly rests in our joy and communion with Him ourselves.
Do not be satisfied with as much Christianity as will only ease your conscience.
By the time the average Christian gets his temperature up to normal, everybody thinks he has a FEVER!” So wrote dear Watchman Nee of China.
If sinners be damned, at least let them leap to Hell over our bodies. If they will perish, let them perish with our arms about their knees. Let no one GO there UNWARNED and UNPRAYED for.” These were the words of that powerful London preacher, Charles Spurgeon.
The great battles, the battles that decide our destiny and the destiny of generations yet unborn, are not fought on public platforms, but in the lonely hours of the night and in moments of agony.
“Do we give sufficient attention to the theme of gaining Christ? It is our joy and privilege to know Him as God’s unspeakable gift
“What labor and pains worldlings take to obtain the vain things of this life-to obtain the poor things of this world, which are but shadows and dreams, and mere nothings! Pambus wept when he saw a harlot dressed with much care and cost-partly to see one take so much pains to go to hell; and partly because he had not been so careful to please God, as she had been to please her sluttish lovers. Ah, Christians! - what great reason have you to sit down and weep bitterly-that worldlings take so much pains to make themselves miserable-and that you have taken no more pains to get more of Christ into your hearts!” Such searching words from Thomas Brooks need no further comment.
These prophetic preachers and inspired writers knew what true spirituality was and they shared these words to encourage those who would come after them.
Sandy Shaw
Sandy Shaw is Pastor of Nairn Christian Fellowship, Chaplain at Inverness Prison, and Nairn Academy, and serves on The Children’s Panel in Scotland, and has travelled extensively over these past years teaching, speaking, in America, Canada, South Africa, Australia, making 12 visits to Israel conducting Tours and Pilgrimages, and most recently in Uganda and Kenya, ministering at Pastors and Leaders Seminars, in the poor areas surrounding Kampala, Nairobi, Mombasa and Kisumu.
He broadcasts regularly on WSHO radio out of New Orleans, and writes a weekly commentary at http://www.studylight.org entitled “Word from Scotland” on various biblical themes, as well as a weekly newspaper column.
His M.A. and B.D. degrees are from The University of Edinburgh, and he continues to run and exercise regularly to maintain a level of physical fitness.
Sandy Shaw
sandyshaw63@yahoo.com
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