WALKING WITH GOD-- GEORGE WHITEFIELD

I do not need to tell you that walking with God is not only honorable, but is pleasant and profitable also. For by it you know happy experience and will find it so more and more every day. Only give me permission to stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance and to beseech you, by the mercies of God in Christ Jesus, to take heed to yourselves and walk closer with God than you have in days past.

For the nearer you walk with God, the more you will enjoy Him, whose presence is life and be better prepared for being placed at his right hand, where are pleasures forevermore. O do not follow Jesus afar off! Do not be ritualistic, dead and ignorant in your attendance of public worship. Do not shamefully forsake the assembling yourselves together or be so indifferent about the things of God. Remember what Jesus says of the church of Laodicea, ‘Because thou art neither hot nor cold, I will spew thee out of my mouth.’ Think of the love of Jesus and let that love constrain you to keep near unto Him. Even if you die for Him, do not deny Him, do not keep at a distance from Him in any way.

CHRIST OUR REDEEEMER--B.B. WARFIELD

“There is no one of the titles of Christ which is more precious to Christian hearts than “Redeemer.” There are others, it is true, which are more often on the lips of Christians. The acknowledgment of our submission to Christ as our Lord, the recognition of what we owe to Him as our Saviour,–these things, naturally, are most frequently expressed in the names we call Him by. “Redeemer,” however, is a title of more intimate revelation than either “Lord” or “Saviour.” It gives expression not merely to our sense that we have received salvation from Him, but also to our appreciation of what it cost Him to procure this salvation for us. It is the name specifically of the Christ of the cross. Whenever we pronounce it, the cross is placarded before our eyes and our hearts are filled with loving remembrance not only that Christ has given us salvation, but that He paid a mighty price for it.”
- B.B. Warfield (1851-1921) taken from: The Person and Work of Christ, P&R Publishing, Phillipsburg, NJ, 1950, pg. 325.

MINISTERS SPECIAL PAINS OF PREPARATION

                               RICHARD BAXTER---1615-1691

(Richard Baxter's, The Reformed Pastor is one of the best books to instruct pastors, even today, over 300 years after it was written. Here is a short excerpt that may lead you to purchase the book.I hope it helps you.  Let me know what you think of it.)

"But, besides this general course of watchfulness, methinks a minister should take some special pains with his heart, before he is to go to the congregation: if it be then cold, how is he likely to warm the hearts of his hearers? Therefore, go then specially to God for life: read some rousing, awakening book, or meditate on the weight of the subject of which you are to speak, and on the great necessity of your people's souls, that you may go in the zeal of the Lord into his house.  

Maintain, in this manner, the life of grace in yourselves, that it may appear in all your sermons from the pulpit, - that everyone who comes cold to the assembly, may have some warmth imparted to him before he depart."