Ray and Anne Ortlund

One of the daily emails that I receive is from Nancy Leigh DeMoss's daily manuscript of her radio program. Her web address is www.reviveourhearts.com.

Yesterday and today her guests were taped interviews of the past with Ray and Anne Ortlund (he is now with the Lord). Here are some quotes that blessed me from the Ortlunds:

"How is anyone going to live a godly life in today’s world not having time alone with God? There’s not the slightest chance, guys, for you to be a man of God if you’re not spending time each day just feasting on His Word. "

“Your danger and mine is not that we become criminals, but rather that we become respectable, decent, commonplace, mediocre Christians. The 21st century temptations that really sap our spiritual power are the television, banana cream pie, the easy chair and the credit card.”

"Every one of us. You don’t have to be a superstar to live in the glorious presence and the wonderful, wonderful, miracle working power of Christ in your life. He wants to do more than to bring His sons to glory. He wants to bring glory to His sons. He has more in mind than just taking His saints to heaven. He wants to bring heaven to His saints. "

"We haven’t talked much about fasting, Nancy, not anything with Ray and me on this program. And I haven’t done a lot of it, but I know that sometimes we get so desperate to be with God, for God to do something in our lives, something. When my tummy would growl that would call me to pray. And that was a very precious time in my life. "


"When we go into corporate worship this is not for what we get out of it. That’s so self-centered. It’s for what the Lord gets out of it. It’s for Him. So we make His heart happy with our songs and our listening and our giving. "


"...the average church is like a bag of marbles clanging up against each other, hard, not really connecting to each other. But we should be like a bag of ripe grapes. Sushed together and our lives as we’re blended together in love and in Christ producing a juice of sweetness that ministers to others. ... so many people go to church today and stay unknown and lonely sitting in their place in their pew, giving their offerings, maybe even serving in some way in the church, but not really connected to the people of God. "


What is revival or spiritual renewal? "We’re not talking about sawdust trails, although there’s nothing wrong with that. We’re talking about an inward work of God where the Holy Spirit comes in and fills you again with the love of God and worship of God."


"It means practice the presence. That means live in continual awareness of Jesus. Like right now I want to be aware of Jesus. Again, it’s not about me. It’s about Jesus. More than being aware of we’re on radio. You know, that can be scary, but know we’re in the presence of Jesus."