EXTRACTS
Ques As to this house-to-house work, is it much done nowadays, or is it possible?
JT
It is very important that it should come to our attention, because I am sure it is the most effective service that can be rendered; that is, visiting the saints in their houses in the endeavour to bring God to them, to bring God in as He is in Christ.
J. Taylor (Vol. 23, p.298)
Extending care to each or any simply means that I am caring for the assembly, and I think the idea of care for one another should never be lost sight of, the youngest Christian ought to begin at the outset to care for others.
J. Taylor (Vol. 84, p.197)
For the testimony, it needs decided, morally decided persons, persons who for the love of Christ have broken with the world. One such is worth more than a thousand laggards.
J. N. Darby (‘Letters’, 13 March 1853. Vol. 3, p.283)
What an honour to be counted worthy to stand in the crisis!—the honour to which all Scripture from the beginning has been looking; the winding-up of time. Let us bear in our bodies the last blows of the flesh; let us manifest in our mortal bodies that Jesus is alive; let us be willing to endure all things for the elect’s sake; let us put by our play-things, because the world is in flames. Why creep about in this deadening atmosphere of falsehood, instead of ever abiding in the region of truth and reality? Why are not our visits to earth only as messengers of mercy to dress the
wounds of the church—to glorify Him by finishing the work He has given us to do? sent of Jesus, even as He was sent of the Father. And, while seeking to be worthy of the name put upon her, may she remember that it is not of herself the bride is to speak, but her object, her subject, her delight, her hope, her only resting-place is her Beloved the Bridegroom of her heart.
(‘Letters and Papers of Viscountess Powerscourt’, pp.245, 246) But David learned his lesson. The proof of a man’s spiritual stamina is that he can learn his lesson, and own his fault, and learn from it. David learned that the cart would not do, that the oxen had stumbled, and now he is bringing the ark back, recognising the blessing of God in connection with it, and the Levites are carrying it. He has come back to the highest note of his predecessors. I wonder if we understand this? It is ‘Higher and higher yet’.
J. Taylor (Vol. 28, pp.399, 400)
The idea of a leader is not simply that one can answer questions in a Bible reading, but one who goes on in service and suffering, whom others can emulate; a leader is one who goes before in a spiritual way, acceptable to God and profitable to men; such give a lead.
J. Taylor (Vol. 92, p.264)
The new covenant is the bearing of God towards us; reconciliation carries with it the thought of what we are in Christ to God. It brings us to the rejoicing over the prodigal; they began to be merry, and we never hear of their leaving off. It is a wonderful thing when you see the heavens opened and the glory of God and Jesus, and have no sense of the flesh which encumbers. The glory of God and Jesus fills the universe of bliss. When you apprehend the glory of God and Jesus, you apprehend all God’s ways, there is nothing beyond.
F. E. Raven (Vol. 14, p.268)
A man may be well informed, without being a man divinely taught. The latter does not necessarily follow. I do not think you know God by understanding Scripture; it is rather that you understand Scripture by knowing God.
F. E. Raven (Vol. 14, p.352)
In chapter 12 (of Exodus) Aaron is not in view. It is now Moses. It is more directly the authority of the Lord that is in mind in this particular ministry in chapter 12, and it is to be noted that while the communications of Jehovah to Moses about the passover include twenty verses of the chapter, Moses in delivering the message to the people only gives us the seven verses I have read. Now I think we ought to pay attention to this, especially in regard to ministry, that we do not need to say everything we know. The idea is that intelligence and instinct would lead the minister to present what is needed at the moment. Saints are not able to take in very much at one time, and the skill of the minister is necessary to discern what is the need and what the capacity, and to make the thing as concise and yet as spiritual as possible, so that saints can assimilate it.
J. Taylor (Vol. 41, p.36)
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