A gift without a heart behind it is a bribe. God asks for our heart, not our gifts.
Samuel ChadwickRead
Men ablaze are invincible. Hell trembles when men kindle. The stronghold of Satan is proof against everything but fire. The Church is powerless without the flame of the Holy Ghost. Destitute of fire, nothing else really counts; possessed of fire, nothing else really matters. The one vital need is fire. Without the flame and fervour of the Holy Ghost the Church will never accomplish its mission.
Interpretation
The quote emphasizes the transformative power of spiritual fervor and passion in fulfilling one's purpose.
Samuel Chadwick's quote highlights the essential role of divine inspiration and zeal, comparing it to a 'fire' that empowers individuals and the Church to perform their mission. It suggests that without such passion, efforts are ineffective, while a burning spirit ignites strength and courage to overcome any challenge, including the forces of evil. Essentially, Chadwick advocates for the necessity of fervent devotion for meaningful action.
In practice
In a church sermon to encourage congregants to embrace their spiritual gifts.
A gift without a heart behind it is a bribe. God asks for our heart, not our gifts.
Great grief prays with great earnestness. Prayer is not a collection of balanced phrases; it is the pouring out of the soul. What is love if it be not fiery? What are prayers if the heart be not ablaze? They are the battles of the soul. In them men wrestle with principalities and powers... _x000D_ ”The prayer that prevails is not the work of lips and fingertips. It is the cry of a broken heart and the travail of a stricken soul.
Prayer turns ordinary mortals into men of power. It brings power. It brings fire. It brings rain. It brings life. It brings God.
The prayer that prevails is not the work of lips and fingertips. It is the cry of a broken heart and the travail of a stricken soul.
In these days there is no time to pray; but without time, and a lot of it, we shall never learn to pray.
Compassion costs. It is easy enough to argue, criticize and condemn, but redemption is costly, and comfort draws from the deep. Brains can argue, but It takes heart to comfort.
If you can get them once, man, get them standing up when they should be sitting down, sweaty when they should be decorous, smile when they should be applauding politely-and I think you sort of switch on their brain, man, so that makes them say: 'Wait a minute, maybe I can do anything.' Whoooooo! It's life. That's what rock and roll is for, turn that switch on, and man, it can all be.
I would dream. I focused all my attention on going to America. The subculture, James Dean, the rock n' roll, the beat writers.
I know I'm stronger in the songs than I really am. Sometimes I need to hear it myself. We all need to hear those empowering songs to remind us.
When you sing gospel you have a feeling there is a cure for what's wrong.
Mr. Olsen in the fifth grade made me want to be a writer. He said, 'Chuck, you do this really well. And this is much better than setting fires, so keep it up.' That made me a writer.
Never stop hoping for all of the righteous desires of your heart. But don't close your eyes and hearts to the simple and elegant beauties of each day's ordinary moments that make up a rich, well-lived life
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