Thanks to our splendid Bible societies and to other effective agencies for the dissemination of the Word, there are today many millions of people who hole “right opinions.” probably more than ever before in the history of the Church. Yet I wonder if there was ever a time when true spiritual worship was at a lower ebb. To great sections of the Church the art of worship has been lost entirely, and in its place has come that strange and foreign thing called the “program.” This word has been borrowed from the stage and applied with sad wisdom to the type of public service which now passes for worship among us.
– A.W. Tozer

1897 – 1963

   A watch that does not keep time is as useless as a religion without Christ. But don’t let me be misunderstood. It is not the mere knowing of Christ’s name that I mean, it is the knowing of His mercy, grace, and power, the knowing of Him not by the hearing of the ear, but by the experience of your hearts.

– J.C. Ryle

1816 – 1900

   There is such an emphasis on church buildings in the United States that we sometimes forget that the church is the people–not the place where the people meet.

– K.P. Yohannan

   In prayer, it is better to have a heart without words, than words without a heart.

– John Bunyan

1628 – 1688 

Folk may chastise you for taking God’s Word so seriously. God will chastise you if you don’t.

– Leonard Ravenhill

1907 – 1994

   A friend in Dallas recently pointed out a new church building that cost $74 million. While this thought was still exploding in my mind, he pointed out another $7 million church building going up less than a minute away. These extravagant buildings are insanity from a Two-Thirds World perspective. The $74 million spent on one new building in the United States could build more than 7,000 average size churches in India. The same $74 million would be enough to guarantee the evangelization of a whole state–or even some of the smaller countries of Asia. . . .  It amazed me, though, that these buildings had been constructed to worship Jesus, who said, “The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay His head” (Matthew 8:20).

– K.P. Yohannan

I was constantly aware of how large–and overweight–most Americans seemed to be. Americans need big cars, big homes and large furniture, because they are big people. I was amazed at how important eating, drinking, smoking and even drug use were in the Western lifestyle. Even among Christians, food was a major part of fellowship events. . . . Often when I spoke at a church, the people would appear moved as I told of the suffering and needs of the native evangelists. They usually took an offering and presented me with a check for what seemed like a great amount of money. Then with their usual hospitality, they invited me to eat with the leaders following the meeting. To my horror, the food and “fellowship” frequently cost more than the money they had just given to missions.

– K.P. Yohannan

  Young men, be of good courage. Don’t worry what the world says or thinks: you will not always be with the world. Can man save your soul? No. Will man be your judge in the great and dreadful day of judgment? No. Can man give you a good conscience in this life, a good hope in death, a good answer in the morning of resurrection? No! No! No! Man can do nothing of the sort. Then “Do not fear the reproach of men or be terrified by their insults. For the moth will eat them up like a garment; the worm will devour them like wool” (Isaiah 51:7-8).

– J.C. Ryle

1816 – 1900

   Consider how unreasonable this fear of man is. How short lived is man’s hosility, and how little harm he can do! “Who are you that you fear mortal men, the sons of men, who are but grass, that you forget the Lord your Maker, who stretched out the heavens and laid the foundations of the earth?” (Isaiah 51:12-13). And how thankless is this fear! No one will really think better of you for it. The world always respects those the most who act boldly for God. Oh, break these bonds, and cast these chains from you! Never be ashamed of letting men see that you want to go to Heaven. Do not think it a disgrace to show that you are a servant of God. Never be afraid of doing what is right.  

– J.C. Ryle

1816 – 1900

I began with alarm to understand how misplaced are the spiritual values of most Western believers. Sad to say, it appeared to me that for the most part they had absorbed the same humanistic and materialistic values that dominated the secular culture. Almost immediately I sensed an awesome judgment was hanging over the United States–and that I had to warn God’s people that He was not going to lavish this abundance on them forever.

– K.P. Yohannan

The thought, “What will my friends say or think of me?” nips many good inclination in the bud. The fear of being looked at, laughed at, ridiculed, prevents many a good habit from being taken up. There are Bibles that would be read this very day, if the owners dared. They know they ought to read them, but they are afraid: “What will people say?” There are knees that would be bent in prayer this very night, but the fear of man forbids it: “What would my wife, my brother, my friend, my companion say, if they saw me praying?” Oh, what wretched slavery this is and yet how common!

– J.C. Ryle

1816 – 1900

For we know that the unrenewed will is set against the Gospel; it is enmity to God and His truth. It is the Gospel that the unbeliever hates; and the more clearly it is set before him, the more he hates it.

– Horatius Bonar

1808 – 1889

Men question the truth of Christianity because they hate the practice of it.

– J.C. Ryle

1816 – 1900

   People never reject the Bible because they cannot understand it. They understand it too well; they understand that it condemns their own behavior; they understand that it witnesses against their own sins, and summons them to judgment. They try to believe it is false and useless, because they don’t like to believe it is true. An evil lifestyle must always raise an objection to this book. 

– J.C. Ryle

1816 – 1900

   Men may tell you that there are difficulties in the Bible, things hard to understand. It would not be God’s book if there were not. And what if there are? You don’t despise medicines because you cannot explain all that your doctor does with them. But whatever men may say, the things needed for salvation are as clear as daylight. 

– J.C. Ryle

1816 – 1900

When we preach Christ crucified, we have no reason to stammer, or stutter, or hesitate, or apologize; there is nothing in the gospel of which we have any cause to be ashamed.

– Charles Spurgeon

1834 – 1892

   Young men, “Flee from sexual immorality” (1 Corinthians 6:18) if you love life. “Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God’s wrath comes on those who are disobedient” (Ephesians 5:6). Flee from the opportunity of it–from the company of those who might draw you into it–from the places where you might be tempted to do it. . . . Flee from talking about it. It is one of the things that ought not even be hinted about in conversation. You cannot even touch black grease without getting your hands dirty. Flee from the thoughts of it; resist them, destroy them, pray against them–make any sacrifice rather than give way to them. Imagination is the hotbed where this sin is too often hatched. Guard your thoughts, and there will be little fear about your actions. 

– J.C. Ryle

1816 – 1900

Avoid a sugared gospel as you would shun sugar of lead. Seek the gospel which rips up and tears and cuts and wounds and hacks and even kills, for that is the gospel that makes us alive again.

– Charles Spurgeon

1834 – 1892

Prayer will become effective when we stop using it as a substitute for obedience.

– A.W. Tozer

1897 – 1963