True Discipleship, Part 2

"For the zeal of thy house hath eaten me up." -- Psalm 69:9 (Webster's Bible Translation, applied to Jesus in John 2:17.)

More from "True Discipleship" by William MacDonald. The complete book can be downloaded HERE. Some notes:

From Chapter 5, Zeal

• A disciple can be forgiven if he does not have great mental ability. He can be forgiven also if he does not display outstanding physical prowess. But no disciple can be excused if he does not have zeal. (Page 39)
• "If I firmly believed, as millions say they do, that the knowledge and practice of religion in this life influences destiny in another, then religion would mean to me everything. I would cast away earthly enjoyments and feelings as vanity. Religion would be my first waking thought and my last image before sleep sank me into unconsciousness. I should labor its cause alone. I would take thought for the morrow of eterinity alone. I would esteem one soul gained for heaven worth a life of suffering. Earthly consequences would never stay my hand, or seal my lips. Earth, its joys and enticements, would occupy no moment of my thoughts. I would strive to look upon eternity alone, and on the immortal souls around me, soon to be everlastingly miserable. I would go forth to the world and preach to it in season and out of season, and my text would be, "What shall it profit a man if he gain the whole world and lose his own soul." (Mark 8:36) -- an article written by an atheist that motivated C.T. Studd to become a missionary (quoted on Page 41)
• "Am I ignitable? God deliver me from the asbestos of 'other things.' Saturate me with the oil of the Spirit that I may be a flame. ... Make me thy fuel, Flame of God." -- Jim Elliott, meditating on Hebrews 1:7. (quoted on page 41)

From Chapter 6, Faith

• "All God's giants have been weak men who did great things for God because they reckoned on God being with them." -- Hudson Taylor (quoted on page 47)
• Since faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God, the disciple's desire should be to saturate himself in the Scriptures -- to read them, study them, memorize them, meditate upon them day and night. (Page 51)

Chapter 7, Prayer

• "The arrow that is to enter heaven must be launched from a bow fully bent." -- Anonymous (quoted on page 53)

Chapter 18, The Case for Frozen Assets

• Give while you live. (Page 126)

Chapter 21, God Wants Us All to be Broken

• God knows how to resist the proud (James 4:6), but He cannot resist a humble person. (Psalm 34:18; Psalm 51:17) (Page 147)
• What is meant by brokenness? Repentance, confession, apology, restitution. (Page 149)
• (Jesus') anger flared not because of any wrong that was done to Him personally, but because His father's house had been dishonored. ... He was a lion in God's cause but a lamb in His own. (Page 161)