{"id":3139,"date":"2010-04-30T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2010-04-30T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/banneroftruth.co\/us\/resources\/articles\/2010\/serious-thoughts-for-christian-ministers-2"},"modified":"2014-11-05T17:44:03","modified_gmt":"2014-11-05T17:44:03","slug":"serious-thoughts-for-christian-ministers-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/staging.banneroftruth.org\/uk\/resources\/articles\/2010\/serious-thoughts-for-christian-ministers-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Serious Thoughts for Christian Ministers [2]"},"content":{"rendered":"

I never preached a sermon which did not cost me prayers with strong cries and tears. Thomas Shepard<\/i><\/font><\/p>\n

It is not marriage that spoils ministers, but sloth, self-indulgence, and the fear of the cross. Oecolampadius<\/i><\/font><\/p>\n

Men are ever to be prepared for the Gospel by the preaching of the Law. Theodore Beza<\/i><\/font><\/p>\n

Pray often, for prayer is a shield to the soul, a sacrifice to God, and a scourge to Satan. John Bunyan<\/i><\/font><\/p>\n

In the plainest text there is a world of holiness and spirituality. Joseph Caryl<\/i><\/font><\/p>\n

Preach Scriptural truths in Scriptural language. John Brown<\/i><\/font><\/p>\n

Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. (Exodus 20:8)<\/b><\/p>\n

To preach plainly and simply is a great art. Martin Luther<\/i><\/font><\/p>\n

The doctrine of a minister must credit his life, and his life must adorn his doctrine. Jean Daille<\/i><\/font><\/p>\n

The ministry will not grace the man; the man may disgrace the ministry. Joseph Hall<\/i><\/font><\/p>\n

An ignorant minister is none of God’s making, for God gives gifts where he gives a calling. Henry Wilkinson<\/i><\/font><\/p>\n

Three things make a preacher: reading, prayer and temptation. John Trapp<\/i><\/font><\/p>\n

If God were not my Friend, Satan would not be so much my enemy. Thomas Brooks<\/i><\/font><\/p>\n

He was a burning and a shining light. (John 5:35)<\/b><\/p>\n

In what God smites you, see if you have not in that sinned against him. William Whately<\/i><\/font><\/p>\n

Never was a biography written like this: ‘Enoch walked with God, and he was not, for God took him.’ John MacDonald<\/i><\/font><\/p>\n

The world would use us just as it did the martyrs, if we loved God as they did. Daniel Wilson<\/i><\/font><\/p>\n

I dare not play fast and loose with God and my conscience. Oliver Heywood<\/i><\/font><\/p>\n

If God will help me to take care of my duty, I will leave him to take care of my comfort. John Angier<\/i><\/font><\/p>\n

When Satan borrows sense to speak one thing, let faith borrow Scripture to speak the contrary. David Dickson<\/i><\/font><\/p>\n

Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved. (Romans 10:1)<\/b><\/p>\n

O, Spirit of God, bring back thy church to a belief in the Gospel! Charles Haddon Spurgeon<\/i><\/font><\/p>\n

What difference, do you think, will God make between an open enemy and a counterfeit friend? John Oldfield<\/i><\/font><\/p>\n

It is not wishes that glorify God, but practice. Thomas Manton<\/i><\/font><\/p>\n

Heaven! What would you do there, you who are not born again? Thomas Boston<\/i><\/font><\/p>\n

We must still take it for a door of hope when we get grace to abide at any duty. Michael Bruce<\/i><\/font><\/p>\n

Oh that thou wouldest rend the heavens, that thou wouldest come down, that the mountains might flow down at thy presence. (Isaiah 64:1)<\/b><\/p>\n

The text is the Word of God abridged; preaching is the Word of God enlarged. Nehemiah Rogers<\/i><\/font><\/p>\n

My Master infinitely surpasses my commendations; he is so excellent that it would be but an obscuring of his excellence for me to babble about it. James Renwick<\/i><\/font><\/p>\n

I long to be engaged in the blessed work of saying to the heathen: ‘Behold your God!’ Robert Moffat<\/i><\/font><\/p>\n

Pray for Reformation by the Word preached. Thomas Cartwright<\/i><\/font><\/p>\n

God shall bless us, and all the ends of the earth shall fear him. (Psalm 67.7)<\/b><\/p>\n

Seven Secrets of Powerful Preaching<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Reverence for God.<\/li>\n
  2. Sincere aims: be faithful to the Word and profitable to souls.<\/li>\n
  3. Diligent and prayerful preparation: be diligent in studying the Word, prayerful for the presence of God.<\/li>\n
  4. Be keenly sensitive to spiritual and eternal realities.<\/li>\n
  5. Have faith in the power and mercy of God.<\/li>\n
  6. A holy character.<\/li>\n
  7. The presence of God.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    (Drawn from the writings of Robert Bruce of Kinnaird)<\/i><\/font><\/p>\n

    \n

    Compiled by John Brentnall, editor of Peace and Truth<\/i>, the magazine of the Sovereign Grace Union from which 2010:2 edition the above is taken with permission. Other articles in this series can be found here<\/a> and here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

    www.sgu.org.uk<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    I never preached a sermon which did not cost me prayers with strong cries and tears. Thomas Shepard It is not marriage that spoils ministers, but sloth, self-indulgence, and the fear of the cross. Oecolampadius Men are ever to be prepared for the Gospel by the preaching of the Law. Theodore Beza Pray often, for […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[15],"tags":[],"resource-author":[5999],"topic":[525],"class_list":["post-3139","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-articles","resource-author-brentnall-john-m","topic-pastoral-theologypastoral-helps-2"],"yoast_head":"\nSerious Thoughts for Christian Ministers [2] - Banner of Truth UK<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Serious Thoughts for Christian Ministers [2]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"I never preached a sermon which did not cost me prayers with strong cries and tears. Thomas Shepard It is not marriage that spoils ministers, but sloth, self-indulgence, and the fear of the cross. Oecolampadius Men are ever to be prepared for the Gospel by the preaching of the Law. 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