I love to read. When I happen to come by a box of books at a garage sale or a used book store I can't help rummaging through it. I hope to find some treasure that no one else has found. It is not often I come away from a bookstore without a good book. Anything to make me think on my life and walk with Christ. Occasionally I will come away with one on fish or plants or something else which pricks my interest. Anything to make me ponder and think on.
This hasn't always been the case. I used to despise reading. Even thinking altogether I found brought me troubles. When I thought too much I would end up thinking about my situation and how I didn't like where I was at in life or how I wished I had what others had. I concluded that it was better not to think too much and to just keep myself occupied. This led me away from reading anything that would cause me to think too deeply. After I became a believer, however, I began to enjoy reading. God showed me that I could learn so much from His word as well as others who knew Him well. At first it was with small books because that's all I could stomach. One of the things that led me to read more was finding quotes. Quotes here and there from people who read often drew me in. I wanted to learn more about where these quotes came from and how the rest of the book was. Here are some quotes from books I've read in the past few years. If you see a quote or two you like maybe just maybe it will entice you to pick up that book too.
This hasn't always been the case. I used to despise reading. Even thinking altogether I found brought me troubles. When I thought too much I would end up thinking about my situation and how I didn't like where I was at in life or how I wished I had what others had. I concluded that it was better not to think too much and to just keep myself occupied. This led me away from reading anything that would cause me to think too deeply. After I became a believer, however, I began to enjoy reading. God showed me that I could learn so much from His word as well as others who knew Him well. At first it was with small books because that's all I could stomach. One of the things that led me to read more was finding quotes. Quotes here and there from people who read often drew me in. I wanted to learn more about where these quotes came from and how the rest of the book was. Here are some quotes from books I've read in the past few years. If you see a quote or two you like maybe just maybe it will entice you to pick up that book too.
Quotes
"Every man lives by faith, the nonbeliever as well as the saint; the one by faith in natural laws and the other by faith in God" -
p.17 A.W.Tozer, The Knowledge of the Holy.
"If you are born again- if you were wakened from spiritual death, and given eyes to see, and ears to hear, and a spiritual sense to taste that Jesus is supremely satisfying, and a heart to trust him- it is owing to the kindness of God."
p.93 John Piper, Finally Alive
"We have been timid. Fear has often led us to smooth down or generalize truths which if broadly stated must have brought hatred and reproach upon us. We have thus often failed to declare to our people the whole counsel of God. We have shrunk from reproving, rebuking and exhorting with all long suffering and doctrine. We have feared to alienate friends, or to awaken the wrath of enemies. Hence our preaching of the law has been feeble and straitened; and hence our preaching of a free gospel has been yet more vague, uncertain and timorous. We are greatly deficient in that majestic boldness and nobility of spirit which peculiarly marked Luther, Calvin, Knox, and the mighty men of the reformation. Of Luther it was said, "Every word was a thunderbolt." p.41 Horatius Bonar, Words to winners of Souls
"I wish the Lord's power would come upon some of His people who do nothing- that they may be dreadfully miserable and so unhappy and they cannot stay at home but are compelled to start out and do good."
p.88 Charles Spurgeon, The Power of Prayer in a believers life
"If a church is not even willing to take a firm stand against abortion, how will that church deal with erosion of crucial doctrine? If a church lacks discernment enough to condemn such overt errors as homosexuality and feminism, how will that church handle a subtle attack on doctrinal integrity?"
p.193 John MacArthur, Ashamed of the Gospel
(Martin Luther's father is upset at Martin for becoming a monk which makes no money. Hans had nothing to look forward to money wise in his old age if his son would not support them.)
"Hans Luther: You learned scholar, have you never read in the Bible that you should honor your father and your mother? And here you have left me and your dear mother to look after ourselves in our old age."
Martin Luther: But, father, I could do you more good by prayers than if I had stayed in the world."
p.31-32 Roland H. Bainton, Here I Stand
As Christians we should love to read. God has chosen to give us His Word in the form of text. Here is what Spurgeon had to say about reading:
As the apostle says to Timothy, so also he says to every-one, 'Give yourself to reading.' ... He who will not use the thoughts of other men's brains proves that he has no brains of his own... You need to read. Renounce as much as you will all light literature, but study as much as possible sound theological works, especially the Puritanic writers, and expositions of the Bible... the best way for you to spend your leisure is to be either reading or praying." - Charles Spurgeon
JMScallan
"Every man lives by faith, the nonbeliever as well as the saint; the one by faith in natural laws and the other by faith in God" -
p.17 A.W.Tozer, The Knowledge of the Holy.
"If you are born again- if you were wakened from spiritual death, and given eyes to see, and ears to hear, and a spiritual sense to taste that Jesus is supremely satisfying, and a heart to trust him- it is owing to the kindness of God."
p.93 John Piper, Finally Alive
"We have been timid. Fear has often led us to smooth down or generalize truths which if broadly stated must have brought hatred and reproach upon us. We have thus often failed to declare to our people the whole counsel of God. We have shrunk from reproving, rebuking and exhorting with all long suffering and doctrine. We have feared to alienate friends, or to awaken the wrath of enemies. Hence our preaching of the law has been feeble and straitened; and hence our preaching of a free gospel has been yet more vague, uncertain and timorous. We are greatly deficient in that majestic boldness and nobility of spirit which peculiarly marked Luther, Calvin, Knox, and the mighty men of the reformation. Of Luther it was said, "Every word was a thunderbolt." p.41 Horatius Bonar, Words to winners of Souls
"I wish the Lord's power would come upon some of His people who do nothing- that they may be dreadfully miserable and so unhappy and they cannot stay at home but are compelled to start out and do good."
p.88 Charles Spurgeon, The Power of Prayer in a believers life
"If a church is not even willing to take a firm stand against abortion, how will that church deal with erosion of crucial doctrine? If a church lacks discernment enough to condemn such overt errors as homosexuality and feminism, how will that church handle a subtle attack on doctrinal integrity?"
p.193 John MacArthur, Ashamed of the Gospel
(Martin Luther's father is upset at Martin for becoming a monk which makes no money. Hans had nothing to look forward to money wise in his old age if his son would not support them.)
"Hans Luther: You learned scholar, have you never read in the Bible that you should honor your father and your mother? And here you have left me and your dear mother to look after ourselves in our old age."
Martin Luther: But, father, I could do you more good by prayers than if I had stayed in the world."
p.31-32 Roland H. Bainton, Here I Stand
As Christians we should love to read. God has chosen to give us His Word in the form of text. Here is what Spurgeon had to say about reading:
As the apostle says to Timothy, so also he says to every-one, 'Give yourself to reading.' ... He who will not use the thoughts of other men's brains proves that he has no brains of his own... You need to read. Renounce as much as you will all light literature, but study as much as possible sound theological works, especially the Puritanic writers, and expositions of the Bible... the best way for you to spend your leisure is to be either reading or praying." - Charles Spurgeon
JMScallan