By W. B. Dunkum
Factions speak louder than words, some people have enough religion to make them miserable when they should have enough salvation to make them happy.
Excuse makers get in full time; they work seven days a week, never stop for flu epidemic, political campaign, or the scarcity of finance. Wall Street may fail to function, yet they are busy day and night, winter and summer, hot or cold, soon or late, wet or dry, north, east, south and west.
Some men in active service on fat salaries are suffering intensely because of a swollen head, and are giving very little or no attention to a dried-up heart.
Jesus Christ came to redeem from sin, and His work is a glorious success, yet thousands are not accepting Him.
Don't let your ears be a dumping ground for the busy tattlers and fire-side gossipers.
Since shouters have lost their zeal and fire, it may be they haven't anything to shout about, as they are no longer heard to shout in the sanctuary.
Out of one million holiness people of today, we are at times caused to wonder where the holy people are: for there is a vast difference in their manner of worship and everyday life; such as actions, walk, talk, conversation, and dress.
The holiness churches will never rise higher than its pulpit leadership, therefore we need a trained ministry to intelligently indoctrinate those of our faith in the fundamentals for which west and.
Why should a Church function when it fails to get people to God, is it worthy of its name?
Some want to know where Cain got his wife. To be frank, it is none of your business where he got her, but if you must know, he got her where he found her. Now the question that concerns you is not where you got your wife but how have you treated her since you got her.
Some people can only see the mote in their neighbor's eye, when, no doubt, both a beam and saw-log are in their own eye.
I frequently see people who act as if their religion hurts them.
You will never make a success in peddling excuses, as you will find the people are all well supplied.
Did you meet Mr. "A" who has a swollen head and a dried up heart?
If you are big enough to give advice, then be Christian enough to take advice.
Your spirituality is not seen by your ability to see the faults and flaws of others, but by lifting them to a higher plane of victory, usefulness, and Christian living. By all means be uncompromising, but don't be Pharisaical.
Let us build into our every day living such valuable principles and character which will stand the test of time with values only seen when the cobwebs of familiarity, prejudice, jealousy, and misunderstandings have been swept away by the hand of time and our hearts softened by regrets, sorrows, and the consciousness of our own shortcomings.
The brave generals and the strong soldiers will some day fight their last battle, but it is better to fight under the banner of Jesus Christ against sin, the world, and the devil. We may get but little praise while we fight and go down to the grave with little honor, but we expect that which is far better than earthly praise, honor and rewards. We shall have "a crown of glory that fadeth not away.
A Crucified Lord must have a Crucified Bride.
No longer do we look to the blood of bulls and goats to atone for our sins, but to Jesus Christ. All the types and shadows of the old Covenant culminate in Him as the Mediator of the New Covenant, once for all, and, by faith in His blood, we obtain eternal redemption. Truly they did kill the beast and sprinkle the blood upon the altar, but now we are to get on the altar ourselves.
Some refer to holiness indirectly and incidentally as if it were an added privilege or private luxury, as though other matters were of equal or greater importance; yet we insist that nothing in all the universe is of equal importance as sanctification. Holiness becomes an absolute necessity in order to retain our justified relationship with God. While we admit it is a luxurious experience, yet it is an absolute necessity when it comes to preparation and fitness for heaven.
Richter said, "He who being the holiest among the mighty, and the mightiest among the holy, lifted with His pierced hands empires off their hinges and turned the stream of the centuries out of its channel and still governs the ages."
The natural fallen man in his fallibility and limitations cannot fully comprehend the infinite love of God.
Social Service Workers may put a new suit on a man, but it takes Jesus Christ to put a new man into the suit.
When all doors seem closed, you will find the way to the Throne of Grace open unless you closed it yourself.
God is looking for intercessors as a miner looks for gold. An intercessor is one who prays for another as if he were that other person. Can the Lord count on you becoming that type of an intercessor?
Who ever heard of a man marrying a woman to reform her, yet women will marry men to reform them; the decision is they have failed in their chosen field of service. Such women might be more successful both here and hereafter if they operated having headquarters only in no man's land."
While the devil hates the Church, yet he puts his approval upon much of its work. No doubt many from the "amen corner" and front pews will awaken in hell to be lost forever.
Of all the contemptible people of earth, I think it would be difficult to find anyone to go in class with the community gossiper.
Don't you know an angel in heaven could not afford to come down and mix with some church members I know and then go back to heaven without being fumigated and cleansed with carbolic acid, and lye, and soap before returning.
Noah built the Ark without an ocean to swim it in. Such faith will triumph over every difficulty and master every situation.
You had better limp all the way to heaven than not get there at all. God is a God of retribution.
Chickens will come home to roost. There is no logic like the logic of facts.
You can bring glory to God and be a blessing to others as you give a clear and definite testimony to what He has done for you.
Christianity has from the beginning caused people to be amazed and when it stops amazing people, it stops being truly Christian.
There is an appalling spiritual dearth and spiritual fatality among converts in these awful days.
The Campmeeting and the Church revivals are giving their time largely to getting back into line those who have gone astray. We deplore the instability, changeableness, and fickleness of the human race. Perhaps a large per cent of this loss and tragic condition is due to our coldness, formality, and indifference. My personal belief is that ten-day evangelism is not conducive to deep spirituality and the building of strong, rugged spiritual character. The short meeting points to shallowness. Hence in my judgment, the ordinary revival should run from four to six weeks.
The preparation of self is of more importance than the preparation of the message. The surgeon studies for years before he begins to practice. He will rest his body, quiet his nerves, and disinfect with utmost care before an operation. As a surgeon of souls, are we careful or careless?
Jesus of Nazareth is the only one who can save us, if He does not we are lost. God took upon Himself human flesh and became a man. He lived among men and was tempted as we are, was touched with the feelings of our infirmities. Why did He thus come? To start a new religion? To establish a higher and nobler philosophy of life? Oh, no, but to redeem a lost and fallen race. To give His life a ransom for others that those who repent, confess, and forsake their sins and take up the Cross and follow Him, might not perish but have everlasting life. Today, He may be passing by to save the unsaved and sanctify those who will go with Him all the way and bear the reproach.
His presence will sanctify your joys, relieve your sorrows; it will sweeten your victories, compensate your defeats, it will make life abundant and worth while and death a triumphant victory.
We have passed through a depression which has hit us tremendously hard morally, commercially, and spiritually. Such unscriptural sermons coming from the pulpit, we are caused to wonder, what next. Truly the preacher is preaching from his head and not from his heart. Many of his sermons contain ministerial and brain sweat but almost wholly void of heart and soul agony.
We are told that the work of sixty-six muscles are necessary to produce a frown, but we only use sixteen for a smile. Why not wear a smile and save the difference?
You say you don't believe in revivals, neither does the devil. So you are a chip off the old block and believe like your father, the devil.
Start early in life to use everything that comes to you whether pleasant or unpleasant, fortunate or unfortunate to your advantage and as a stepping stone. Do not allow an unpleasant letter, an unreasonable criticism, an un-Christian remark, or the loss of property, cast a shadow over your life, but let all such become stepping stones to higher and nobler activity and greater usefulness in the Master's service. Don't let your pathway become darkened by others who would injure you, but when an object confronts you, surmount it as a stepping stone and do not allow it for one moment to become a stumbling block.
"Good news which shall be to all people." Indeed it is good news, it has become a cosmopolitan story. God puts everybody on a common level. No privileged group among the upper circles will ever monopolize redemption. It is free to all, rulers and beggars, tax-payers and tax-collectors.
You will find peace at Calvary and power at Pentecost.
An open outbreaking sinner is easier reached than a religious formalist who has never experienced a change of heart.
If you keep a "red hot" experience, you can burn your way through this cold world.
Everybody seems to be ready for physical healing, but a hunger for spiritual healing has to be created.
If your life is hid with Christ in God, you will automatically do right, not just to get to heaven.
Those who live in the Spirit, walk in the Spirit, and have their conversation in heaven, area puzzle to those who have only reached the water works, churchanity, and wrapped in the garment of morality.
Let us always bear in mind that Christian character without Christ is an utter impossibility.
Wesley in writing to a preacher said, "Study to be small." Mr. Finney said, "Unless a Christian was broken to pieces every few weeks they are unfit for service."
When you begin to argue, you are on slippery ground. I would advise you to argue with no one, not even the devil.
Sanctified people are a blessing to any church, but a dry, hollow, hypocritical professor will ruin any church just as he has defiled the church he is now in.
To go with God one hundred per cent looks like a lonely and isolated route, but it pays remarkable dividends both here and hereafter.
A religion that costs nothing is worth nothing.
A religion without a Cross is without a Crown.
Christianity is neither selfish nor clannish. We must give to God in order to keep, and share with others in order to hold our standing with God and man.
If the Church of today is to live and function, she must return to primitive Christianity.
Some people I know desire to please God when it does not offend the devil.
No one has to have a lawsuit to collect the wages of sin. "For the wages of sin is death."
The Mercy Seat is the place where heaven and earth meet and the place where you meet God.
Don't allow yourself to become run-down dodging duty.
Jesus Christ understood both sin and its cure as He can well handle all questions pertaining to sin and its fearful consequences.
It is hard to think of parents sending their children to Sunday-School to be taught by teachers who teach a Sunday School class in the morning, then refuse to stay for preaching service, but rush home to get an early hot dinner, then on the devil's territory the rest of the day. They will be mighty poor examples for the children the coming week.
Religion is nothing funny-aiming to make a fool out of you-but if you get enough of it, it will make you either a gentleman or a lady.
If you will let God clean you up on the inside, you will not be long cleaning up the outside.
You may feel humiliated if caught praying, but nobler people than you are have been mighty in prevailing with God.
Brethren, I tell you the actual fact, lots of people have religion not worth paying taxes on.
When you get good salvation, you will wash your face, comb your hair, and take a bath often. You will not be like that lady coming down the street smoking like a chimney and by the time you pass her the first scripture you can think of is, "By this time she stinketh."
God does not direct some things He permits.
Be a tither or be uncomfortable.
The sort of Christianity some people have will not give them an easy pillow in the dying hour, neither will it admit them into heaven on good works, nor on their own extraordinary reputation.
Putting your converts into some Churches I know would be equivalent to putting a live baby into a dead mother's arms.
The meanest trick I know of to play on an unregenerate man is to take him into the Church in his unconverted condition and then expect him to be religious and spiritual when he does not know the ABC's of conviction.
To be a physical dwarf is most unfortunate, to be an intellectual dwarf is much worse, but to be a Christian dwarf is an awful tragedy and there are entirely too many such tragedies.
God is good, always good, and only good.
God is wise, always wise, and only wise.
God is love, always love, and only love.
The true philosophy of life is the Christian philosophy and their philosophy is self denial, cross bearing, and following Jesus day by day, hour by hour, and moment by moment.
An infidel lay dying, a friend came along and said, "John, hold on." "The dying infidel said, "hold on, I have nothing to hold on to."
An educated crook is the most dangerous man in the world.
While it is no disgrace to be poor, yet it is mighty inconvenient.
People may be healthful, wealthy, witty, learned and famous, but miserable because they lack holiness.
One may be poor, weak, and ignorant, but supremely happy because of his religious status.
Mr. Wesley said, "Anything that is essentially new in religion is essentially false."
Bishop Warren said, "We have made much advancement in missions as a Church the last hundred years, but we need to swing back a hundred years to the spirituality, of our forefathers."
To reject new light, we run against the God Who loves us, the Christ Who redeemed us, and the Holy Spirit Who witnesses to our salvation.
In a crucial hour Nelson said, "England expects every man to do his duty." Could God expect less?
We may not be without faults and mistakes, but we must be without sin.
We need jet black conviction, a blood red regeneration, a sky blue conversion, and a snow white sanctification.
The first man fell-Adam.
The strongest man fell-Samson.
The wisest man fell-Solomon.
Yet people tell us it is impossible to backslide.
Men would be glad to be Christians if they could be on their own terms.
A lady said to Mr. Moody, "Don't you think it will be all right for me to give lessons in dancing to my daughter in order for her to be graceful?" Mr. Moody replied, "She had better have grace in her heart than in her heels."
One said, his preaching was both soothing and satisfying; so soothing that one could sleep all the time he was preaching, and so satisfying one could hear him one time and never come back again.
The Church of Jesus Christ is not made up simply of formal or even holiness denominations; they are but nicknames. His church is not a dead church. It is not composed of stone and mortar, great organs, tremendous choirs, and a well trained ministry, not even as a ritualistic form. It is a spiritual church, yes, the Bride of Christ.
Amanda Smith said, "If I were riding down the boulevard of heaven in a golden chariot and the devil from a back alley would say, there goes Amanda Smith in a golden chariot, I would not look at him, but would say, "Drive on, Gabriel, drive on." God can put mettle in you until you will not want to stop and discuss matters with Satan over a fence from some back alley.
Mr. Wesley said, "Make all you can, save all you can, and give all you can." Yet many seem to say today, "Make all you can, and can all you make."
You cannot pray loud enough and shed tears enough to get God to change the plan of salvation.
Having a wrong attitude, you close heaven to you.
Your present attitude toward people and things, essentials and nonessentials, will have much to do with your future.
Your latch string hangs on the inside and Jesus knocks at the outside, but will not come in until invited.
Get the consent of your will to do right while God speaks and the Holy Spirit strives.
He will straighten all question marks into exclamation points.
No man is so well born but what he needs to be born again.
What did Judas have in mind as he leaped into a suicide's eternity?
In the mathematics of Christianity there is a subtraction as well as there is an addition.
Nothing good to say about inbred sin.
Christianity will fix you up so you can get along with people as a Christian should.
Hurry up and grow big enough not to ask so many silly questions, for tribulation worketh patience.