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Showing posts from February, 2011

Quote: Luther on People calling themselves "Lutheran"

"The first thing I ask that people should not make use of my name, and should not call themselves Lutherans but Christians. What is Luther? The teaching is not mine. nor was I crucified for anyone . . . How did I, poor stinking bag of maggots that I am, come to the point where people call the Children of Christ by my evil name?" Theology of the Reformers, Timothy George, pg. 53.

Bonhoeffer Quote on Seperation

Bonhoeffer stood alone apposing the 'German Christian' church for a while . . . Hitler was just beginning to show his true colors but patriotic church leaders still wanted to think the best. When Hitler's church representative would not allow Jewish men in the pastoral ministry Bonhoeffer came to the conclusion that it was no longer part of the church. Keeping unity with such heresy was not an option for him - it was a Gospel issue. I like his quote to illustrate the foolishness of staying in a group that teaches against the Gospel in order to win the group over to the Gospel: "He was far ahead of the curve, as usual. Some wondered whether he was just kicking against the goads, but when someone asked Bonhoeffer whether he shouldn't join the German Christians in order to work against them from within, he answered that he couldn't. 'If you board the wrong train,' he said, 'it is no use running along the corridor in the opposite direction.'&qu

Simeon's Early Rising

Charles Simeon was a Pastor near Cambridge in the late 1700s. He had many traits that are commendable for anyone to follow: "Simeon arose every morning even in the winter season, at four o’clock; and, after lighting his fire, he devoted the first four hours of the day to private prayer and the devotional study of the Scriptures. Here was the secret of his great grace and spiritual strength. . . The early rising did not come easily to him; it was a habit resolutely fought for and acquired. Finding himself too fond of his bed, he had resolved to pay a fine for every offence, giving half-a-crown to his servant. One morning, as he lay warm and comfortable, he caught himself reasoning that the good woman was poor and that the half-crown would be very useful to her. But that practical fallacy was not to be tolerated; if he rose late again, he would walk down to the Cam and throw a guinea into the water. And so he did, though not without a great struggle, for guineas were not abundant in