School and quotes: go well together.

Today was my busiest day of the week, but it all went well I thought. It was interesting though, in my Statics class, the instructor put on the projector that our problems we were to turn in for homework were:
2-16,44

So when I got home, I started working on them, starting with number two and kept right on through. They weren't especially hard, they were just lengthy! I noticed myself getting faster but at the same time (three hours later) I was thinking that this was going to be a very time-consuming class, especially since we are going to be turning in homework every class session (M,W,F). I was following all the homework guidelines carefully and when I was folding all sixteen pages in half and writing on the outside, I noticed in the example that it said "2-1,8,12"

And I smacked myself. It wasn't "2 through 16" it was CHAPTER 2, numbers 16 and 44. So I did a bunch more homework than required. I had a good laugh over it and realized that I only got more practice because of it. Though I still have other homework to finish up for other classes!

Lights on Stillwater went well this evening. Lots of people from the church were there, Sarah, Anna, Ruth, Jesse, Bill, Jeanne, Missy, Katie, Sam, JD, Stephen, Laura, Alan, Liz, Jonathan, Jon, JP, Kacey, Will, sorry if I missed anyone. The crew set out to hand out flyers (which disappeared very quickly) and then finished up with the pens. We handed out everything we had (that was for that purpose) and finished it by 9:00! I stayed until 9:45 talking with JP and then headed on home. I like to stay away from crowds as much as possible. We did have about 9 people sign their names to the sheet we had, interested in a study, so that was encouraging. Hopefully something comes of that. Hopefully the seeds we spread don't fall in vain! God gives the increase. Keep remembering that Shadow.

Now let me see, time for some great Spurgeon quotes! Here's one I really appreciated today and for everyday, it puts into words what I have often thought, and F.B. it reminded me of some of those discussions:

"I would cheerfully give up many doctrines if I believed they were only party watchwords, and were merely employed for the maintenance of a sect; but those doctrines of grace, those precious doctrines of grace, against which so many contend, I could not renounce or bate a jot of them, because they are the joy and rejoicing of my heart. When one is full of health and vigour, and everything going well, you might, perhaps, live on the elementary truths of Christianity very comfortably; but in times of stern pressure of spirit, when the soul is cast down, you want the marrow and the fatness. In times of inward conflict, salvation must be all of grace from first to last."

And again, reminding me of the discussion recently with GW:

"I have known some that, at first conversion, have not been very clear in the gospel, who have been made evangelical by their discoveries of their own need of mercy. They could not spell the word 'grace.' They began with a G, but they very soon went on with an F, till it spelt very like 'freewill' before they had done with it. But after they have learned their weakness, after they have fallen into serious fault, and God has restored them, or after they have passed through deep depression of mind, they have sung a new song. In the school of repentance they have learned to spell. They began to write the word 'free', but they went on from free, not to 'will' but to 'grace', and there it stood in capitals, 'FREE GRACE'... They became clearer in their divinity, and truer in their faith than ever they were before."

And lastly, reminding of me of my last post:

"If there were only one prayer which I might pray before I died, it should be this: 'Lord, send thy Church men filled with the Holy Ghost and with fire.' Give to any denomination such men, and its progress must be mighty: keep back such men, send them college gentlemen, of great refinement and profound learning, but of little fire and grace, dumb dogs which cannot bark, and straightway that denomination must decline."

The more I read of Spurgeon, the more I realize that he wasn't just a good preacher or a good "baptist," his heart truly was for the gospel. His wife recalled a sermon where she thought he would die, so passionate was he and finally croaked out "Jesus, Jesus, Jesus! Believe on Him!" before sitting down exhausted. He always had time for a person before the sermon, to kneel in prayer with them one-on-one, and yet he preached to ten thousand at a time (common gathering at the Metropolitan Tabernacle). And at the last, so I hear, he died more of a broken heart than anything. The man was bold in the things of Christ, yet mild and humble and I've come to realize a greater appreciation for his passion, and want that to be who I am too. Not someone who is shy about telling others in whom my trust is placed but one who will gladly proclaim, and indeed feel it an honour to do so! May my life be lived for Christ and may that be my consuming passion. Theology is good, very good. Doctrine enhances one's love. But that's just it. Without love for Christ, without Christ being the center of one's doctrine, that doctrine is rather dead.