Godly discipleship

"Godly discipleship is never a natural characteristic in man: it has to be learned, and it has to be practiced. Like a skilled musician, the disciple can become rusty if he grows indolent or lethargic, or if he fails to practice his discipleship every minute of every day. But, while even regular practice can never turn a clumsy-fingered pianist into a concert virtuoso, God has promised that constant attention to the essentials of discipleship will have its reward now, and in the age to come."

an honest self-examination

When self-examining, ask yourself questions about these things: love of self, love of the world, desire for things, love of home and family.

"Estimated positively we must understand that the character is formed out of conduct. If you desire a loving character, then begin to act lovingly. If you want to become trustworthy then be ready to receive and reverence the trust of others. In the end it is never achieved by talking and disputing. To speculate and never to venture is to render the process barren: the blessing of God thwarted by indifference. The way to holiness is by a genuine surrender to the commands of God--will, intellect and emotion."

seek out wisdom

"If we are honest hearted, or at least striving with all our might to be honest-hearted--and this should be absolutely fundamental with any claiming to be a brother or sister of Christ--then the greatest thing we need, and what we should most pray for--is to SEE the right way in any circumstance, condition, doctrine or issue."

He requires

God's requirements:
"Hear"
"Believe"
"Repent"
"Be baptized"
"Continue in well-doing"

that I might learn

"It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn thy statutes." {Psalm 119:71}

fair

"Fair is not always equal."

flesh must be crucified

"We cannot just rearrange our old flesh in a new way that seems improving, it must be crucified."

what would my Master say?

"What did I do with my talent today?
Did I bring it out or let it stay?
What would my Master say?

Here I am at the end of day
Without any works to display
Thinking of how tomorrow lay
Without the seizing of today."

use self discipline

"When we desire to change our ways we are using self discipline, not merely modifying our old habits."

a serious matter

"Marriage is a very onerous and serious matter. A broken marriage can destroy the innocent partner spiritually and mentally. The quality of a marriage therefore can help or hinder in the battle of eternal life. It can lay the foundations for happiness or for misery."

open and obvious

"Your allegiance to God, once you take it on, must be open and obvious. {Matthew 10:32; Mark 8:38} Your conduct must be outstandingly noticeable and must reflect the glory of God."

as the sculptor molds

"We are modified by our associations, by our studies, by our varying experiences, and as the sculptor molds the yielding clay, so God molds us, little by little, bit by bit, while the years go on."

mercy

"Mercy means waiving our own advantages and interest out of consideration for others."

take all to the Helper

"The little sharp vexations,
And the briers that catch and fret,
Why not take all to the Helper,
Who has never failed us yet?
Tell Him about the heartache
And tell Him the longings too;
Tell Him the baffled purpose,
When we scarce know what to do.
Then leaving all our weakness
With the One Divinely Strong
Forget that we bore the burden
And carry away the song."

desire to be pleasing to God

"The believer's desire to be pleasing in the sight of God must dominate his consciousness and direct all his actions."

Spirit of Christ

"The Spirit of Christ does not worry about its own advantage or welfare or pride or justification. It does not mind even if it has no place to lay its head. It is anxious to help and heal and comfort, to stir up zeal, to promote harmony and righteousness and peace, to be about its Father's business, to labor in the vineyard, even though it be in but the humblest capacity."

outside of ourselves

"Surely part of our daily prayer should be that we may remain loving enough and large enough to care for objects outside of ourselves, that we may keep the freshness of the child-heart and its springing enthusiasm over small pleasures, and new discoveries; that we may live in other lives, not exclusively our own."

learn

"We are no good to God until we learn to control ourselves."

service to God

"It is not marriage but service to God that is the greatest thing in life. Even in married life this should be recognized and acted upon. In fact, all those who embrace the Truth are married in the sense that they are espoused to Christ {II Cor. 11:2}, and their greatest love and duty is to him, even above husband, wife, and children {Luke 14:26}. Therefore, Christ should take pre-eminence over any other consideration. That will not make the wife less attractive to her husband, but will add to her beauty, because it requires of her to submit herself to him, 'as unto the Lord' {Eph. 5:22}. Nor will it cause the husband to neglect his wife, for he will show her the same sacrificial love as Christ has revealed towards the ecclesia, and he will give up his life for the love of his bride {Eph.5:25}."

meditate on the Word

"Read and think;
read a little, think much;
read when at leisure, think when at work."

read in the morning

"... the Bible should not be left to the chances of inclination; it should be read seriously and at stated seasons. The morning watch makes safe and sure the day. Before the business of the day intrudes, while you are still rested after sleep, sit down for a little while to listen to God's message to you... Make the daily closet service a habit, not to be lightly broken, and do not leave your room until you have read your chapter, or your few texts, if you have the time for no more. Take a text with you each morning as your motto for the whole day."

the Lord is coming quickly

"The Judge of the earth is coming,
The night is nearly spent;
And long hath the cry been given,
To the sons of men 'repent'!

He'll come when he's least expected
When there's mirth on every side,
When the merchant plies his business,
And the bridegroom woos his bride.

When the world, in scorn, is pointing
To the few who watch and wait,
There's a sudden start to terror--
For the Judge is at the gate.

Oh! The Lord is coming quickly,
Though the slumbers grow more deep,
Of the careless world that's lying
In a drunken, dreamy sleep.

And swift will be the awakening,
In an hour they thought secure;
For the vintage is ripening,
And the harvest day is sure."