Vance Havner Quotes - Page 8

If the church would only be the church- if Christians would only be Christians- nothing could halt our onward march.

Too many are not willing to give the Gospel a fair trial. They are too ignorant to speak wisely but not wise enough to speak ignorantly. A man is not a sinner because he is a skeptic; he is a skeptic because he is a sinner.

The first step towards the evangelizing of the world is the christianizing of the church.

When Christ possesses the will He keeps it fixed. The trouble comes when we take matters out of His hand and try to handle them ourselves.

God knows His own. It is well that He does, for sometimes it would be difficult for us to determine who are His!

Life is like a grain of wheat: to plant it is to recognize its value; to keep it is to destroy its value. The 'planted' Christian counts life dear not unto himself but unto God.

If the Lord tarries, there may yet be a grass-roots awakening that will overflow all sectarian barriers. There are a host of good people... who long for a visitation from heaven in old-time power. The kindling wood is scattered all round in all the churches. May God help us to rake off the ashes, uncover the live coals and may He blow upon us with the breath of His Spirit!

It is not our responsibility to make it acceptable; it is our duty to make it available.

Another thing I liked about my Dad at church: he did his sleeping at home. He never used the church as an adult nursery.

To the average professed Christian today, living so far below normal, New Testament Christianity would be a shock.

I can conceive of no greater, more romantic and interesting adventure than to undertake to live like Jesus in this complicated day.

When we are weakest and most despondent, Jesus is most considerate. When there is a break in our progress or we have a spell of depression, he sees the whole of our lives and in the light of that He is longsuffering with discordant details.

Too many Christians are stuffing themselves with gospel blessings while millions have never had a taste.

Progress is a farce because man's head and hand have created wonders that stun the imagination, but his heart does not keep step and his morals undo all that his mind has wrought.

We can often do more by doing less. God is not particularly interested in quantity production. That is an American standard, not a Bible standard.

I suspect that much of our praying to be used is selfish, and underneath it is the sneaking desire to make our mark and be recognized.

When we sin, we are often upset, not because we have grieved the Spirit but because our pride has been injured.

A deep and sober concern to please God is the rarest of rarities.

Popularity has killed more prophets than persecution.

There is great need today for the New Testament prophet who speaks to edification, exhortation, and comfort, a strengthening, stirring and soothing ministry.

We are not bearing our crosses every time we have a headache; an aspirin tablet will take care of that. What is meant is the trouble we would not have if we were not Christians.

It's hard to be optimistic when you have a misty optic.

Men seek fame and high places only to learn that they were happier in obscurity

If you would try out a preacher, send him to preach to farmers: if he cannot make the grade there, let him reconsider his call - or maybe he needs to be converted.

If the fire of hell is not literal, it is worse than actual fire, and if the gates of the Celestial City are not actual gold, they are far finer.