Stanley's analytical statements about Christian Life and Ministry
__________________
"Unless" and "until" are the two keywords of the Kingdom of God.
"Unless" you are born of the Spirit, you cannot enter the Kingdom.
"Until" you are baptized with the Spirit, you cannot expand the Kingdom.
_________________
All believers in Christ are theologians.
But all theologians are not necessarily believers.
Theology is simply the knowledge of God-
but, knowing God begins with a personal faith in Christ.
_______________________
It is wrong to specify any particular believer as "gifted."
All believers are "gifted."
There's no believer who is not gifted within the Body of Christ.
________________________
By dividing the people of God as clergy and laymen,
we have made the latter a majority of lame men.
________________________
The Holy Spirit is either too poor or stingy if He has only nine gifts to give us.
Let's not dare to limit God to any list.
________________________
If we collect all the unread Bibles from Christians,
we will not need to print new Bibles for several years!
_______________________
We talk so much about the pattern of the New Testament church and ministry.
Good - But, where is the power?
I'd prefer a bullock cart to a Benz car that has no engine.
__________________________
Beware of a Christless Pentecost as much as of a Pentecostless Christianity.
___________________________
We have Bible-minus churches as well as Bible-plus churches.
The former subtract the positive and explicit teaching of the Scriptures towards their traditions.
To Christian life the latter add laws and regulations which the Bible does not plainly teach.
We must stand for Bible plus-or- minus nothing, both in our doctrine and deed.
________________________
The pastor who builds his congregation without the help
of apostles, prophets, evangelists and teachers is like the mason
who tries to construct a building without carpenters, blacksmiths, plumbers, and electricians.
Hardly does any minister have all the gifts.
Even Moses and Solomon needed men like Bezaleel and Hiram for their building work.
_____________________________
It is not enough to claim the power of Acts 1 :8;
we should also carry out the programme outlined therein.
___________________________
The Church has developed bed sores.
__________________________
One who is sent is not superior to the One who sent him (Jn 13:16).
The spirituality of the sending churches is as important as that of the missionaries they send.
__________________________
Those not dead to casteism and regionalism have no right to talk about cross-cultural evangelism.
_________________________
If the work becomes more important than the worker
in the philosophy of a missionary organisation,
it will no more be a mission but a machine.
____________________________If you present the prospects of missionary work, you will enroll workers.
But if you present the problems, you will only enroll supporters.
____________________________
It is hypocrisy to shake hands when hearts are separated (2 Ki 10:15,16).
____________________________
The greatest miracle of Pentecost was not tongues or prophecies or healings,
but thousands of believers enjoying their material goods in common.
This is the most difficult thing to practice. Try and see!
____________________________
If we cannot put our heads together,
let's atleast join our tails like Samson's foxes and together burn down the enemy-altars.
_____________________________
Leadership training programmes are numerous these days.
The tragedy however is that many trainers are not leaders themselves!
They have simply learnt the principles of leadership from books
or they happen to be holding executive positions.
Little wonder we have more managers than leaders in our churches and missions.
____________________________
Leadership means sacrifice. Good leadership means a greater sacrifice (Jn 10:11).
_________________________
I admire two men - John the Baptist and John (Wesley) the Methodist!
Prophets are trained by God and trimmed by the Spirit.
They can neither be tutored by men nor tamed by systems.
________________________
We have lots of discussions but little direction. The horizontal is useless without the vertical.
Elijah said, It's enough. Jesus said, It's finished. It's never enough until it's finished.
_________________________
If you don't open the door of your heart when Jesus knocks at it,
how do you expect Him to open the door of Heaven when you knock at it in an hour of need?
_____________________________
Rebirth makes us allergic to what we were addicted to
and it makes us addicted to what we were allergic to.
That is the meaning of all things becoming new.
____________________________
TB affects the lungs; TV affects the heart.
____________________________
The Bible nowhere teaches that speaking in tongues is the only evidence of receiving the Spirit.
On the other hand, it emphatically states that subduing the tongue is the ultimate evidence of true spirituality. We need gifts as well as fruits but we are known by our fruits.
Leave a Comment: