Excerpts from "Heart Breathings"
By Leonard Ravenhill




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Strings for Your Harp

     Part III. The Church

        B. The Persecuted Church

           The power of His resurrection is sought.
           The fellowship of His suffering is shirked.

           Better to die doing something for God
           than live to do nothing for Him.

         C. The Evangelistic Church

           In Acts 27 Paul was the insurance policy for all
           on board.

           We have been spiritually satisfied with so little
           for so long,
           when there is so much land for us to possess!

           0 for a thousand tongues to speak of Him,
           0 for a thousand hearts to love Him,
           0 for a thousand minds to think of Him,
           0 for a thousand wills to surrender to Him,
           0 for a thousand lives to serve Him.

           It is not always easy to do God's will,
           but it is always possible.

           Mercy is love in action.

           Believers should not need to be corralled in a
           church building once a week
           to be stirred on behalf of lost men.

           Millions of dollars have been raised "for missions"
           because the preachers have said that
           the last great commandment of Jesus to the
           Church was, "Go ye into all the world and
           preach the Gospel." NOT SO! The first (Mat. 4:17)
           and the last great word of Christ to His
           church was "REPENT" (Rev. 2:5; Rev. 3:19)!

        D. The Lukewarm Church

           Instead of the Church penetrating the provinces
           of materialism,
           materialism has punctured the power of the
           Church.

           Beware of an unholy attitude towards holy
           things.

           Criticism is one thing at least which we feel it
           is more blessed to give than to receive.

           We talk Apostolic doctrine
           but lack Apostolic deeds.
           We claim Apostolic faith
           but lack Apostolic fruit.
           Some trumpet Apostolic power
           but lack Apostolic poverty.
           Some claim Apostolic enduement
           but lack Apostolic accomplishment.
           We may have Apostolic vocabularies.
           Do we have Apostolic victories?
           Many claim Apostolic succession.
           Few, if any, dare claim Apostolic success!

           In the past the Church has had too little of the
           mighty stuff,
           and therefore too much of the wrong stuff,
           to move the world for God.

           Many present-day "Christians" are
                      hazy in their convictions,
                      lazy in their commitments,
                      and crazy if they think God will endure
                      this torpor much longer.

           I am constantly amazed that so many "well-
           rounded" persons who are so edgy.

           The Church used to be a lifeboat
           rescuing the perishing.
           Now she is a cruise ship
           recruiting the promising.

           If we have not too many men studying church
           history,
           we have too few making it.

           Our present "Christianity" sputters along on
           the two cylinders of tithing and token commitment
           instead of speeding along on the eight
           cylinders of total commitment.

           This is a day of healthy unbelief
           and of sick faith.

           A high steeple is useless if the pew-
           dwellers beneath it are walking low.

           In this age of arrogant science, the church
           does not need to bow its head in shame, but
           rather to bow its knees in repentance for its
           apathy.

           I am embarrassed to be part of a church that
           is an embarrassment to God.

           If you dope the dog, why complain when it does
           not bark?

           One can ride the current charismatic circuit
           today without any Biblical integrity or theo-
           logical allegiance.

           There is more truth muttered than uttered.

           Jealousy is love gone sour.

           I am distressed at the zeal of the heretics
           and the amnesia of the believers.

           If God had a "School of Failure," most of us
           would have graduated with honors -
           but He is merciful.

           How little it takes to make us laugh.
           How much it takes to make us weep.


     Excerpts taken from "Heart Breathings"
     by Leonard Ravenhill.
     Used by permission.
      Copyright 1995 by
     Harvey Christian Publishers, L.L.P.

     United States Address:
     Harvey Christian Publishers, L.L.P.
     3107 Hwy 321
     Hampton, TN 37658
     Tel / Fax (423) 768 2297
     E-Mail Harveycp@psknet.com

     British Address:
     Harvey Christian Publishers, L.L.P.
     PO Box 510, Cheadle
     Stoke-on-Trent, ST10 2NQ
     Tel / Fax (01538) 756391
     E-Mail jjcook@mac.com




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