Great Writing – A Thinking Out Loud Encore Presentation of 033108

Stuart Briscoe is a personal favorite author and speaker. If there is an award for clarity of thought in Christian writing, this is my nominee.  Some women reading this may not know Stuart, but know his wife, Jill Briscoe who is also an accomplished author.

I hope that Shaw Publishing reconsiders the “out of stock indefinitely” status of some of his books on The Apostles Creed, The Sermon on the Mount, The Ten Commandments, The Fruit of the Spirit; these books form a set called the Foundations of the Faith series.

…‘God is Love’ is certainly one of the most profoundly simple statements of literature.  God’s love for mankind was first shown in creation, more sharply focused in the long and trying relationship between Jehovah and the children of Israel, and brought to excruciating clarity in Christ.  The love of God went to the trouble of creating us, providing for us, and instituting the means of preserving us.   God’s love rested on Abraham, blessed Isaac, wrestled with Jacob, rebuked through prophets, governed through kings, ministered through priests, waited through rebellion, persisted through captivities, and showed itself in many and varied forms through Israel’s long and checkered history.

But bright as the revelation of love has been, it shone with a new surpassing brilliance when Christ was born.   It was the Father’s agape that overlooked personal enjoyment of Christ’s beautiful presence in glory and for the sake of earth suffered the pain of his departure for faraway places…

~ Stuart Briscoe in The Fruit of the Spirit, Shaw Publishing 1983