Ray Pritchard > Quotes

“May you be filled with the wonder of Mary, the obedience of Joseph, the joy of the angels, the eagerness of the shepherds, the determination of the Magi, and the peace of the Christ child. Almighty God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit bless you now and forever. Amen.”
― Ray Pritchard, Why He Came - Daily Advent Devotional

“O Come, O Come, Emmanuel “T hey shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us)” (Matthew 1:23 ESV). This is perhaps our oldest Christmas carol. Historians say its roots go back to the 8th century. In its earliest form, it was a “plain song” or a chant and the monks sang it a cappella. It was sung or chanted in Latin during the seven days leading up to Christmas. Translated into English by John Mason Neale in 1851, we sing it to the tune “Veni, Emmanuel,” a 15th-century melody. Many churches sing it early in the Advent season because of its plaintive tone of expectant waiting. Traditionally Advent centers on the Old Testament preparation for the coming of the Messiah who will establish his kingdom on the earth. When the words form a prayer that Christ will come and “ransom captive Israel,” we ought to remember the long years of Babylonian captivity. Each verse of this carol features a different Old Testament name or title of the coming Messiah: “O come, O come, Emmanuel.” “O come, Thou Wisdom from on high.” “O come, Thou Rod of Jesse.” “O come, Thou Day-spring.” “O come, Thou Key of David.” “O come, Thou Lord of Might.” “O come, Desire of Nations.” This carol assumes a high level of biblical literacy. That fact might argue against singing it today because so many churchgoers don’t have any idea what “Day-spring” means or they think Jesse refers to a wrestler or maybe to a reality TV star. But that argument works both ways. We ought to sing this carol and we ought to use it as a teaching tool. Sing it—and explain it! We can see the Jewish roots of this carol in the refrain: Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel Shall come to thee, O Israel. But Israel’s Messiah is also our Savior and Lord. What Israel was waiting for turns out to be the long-expected Jesus. So this carol rightly belongs to us as well. The first verse suggests the longing of the Jewish people waiting for Messiah to come: O come, O come, Emmanuel And ransom captive Israel That mourns in lonely exile here Until the Son of God appears The second verse pictures Christ redeeming us from hell and death: O come, Thou Rod of Jesse, free Thine own from Satan’s tyranny From depths of Hell Thy people save And give them victory o’er the grave This verse reminds us only Christ can take us home to heaven: O come, Thou Key of David, come, And open wide our heavenly home; Make safe the way that leads on high, And close the path to misery. Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel Shall come to thee, O Israel. Let’s listen as Selah captures the Jewish flavor of this carol. Lord, we pray today for all those lost in the darkness of sin. We pray for those who feel there is no hope. May the light of Jesus shine in their hearts today. Amen.”
― Ray Pritchard, Joy to the World! An Advent Devotional Journey through the Songs of Christmas

“Keep the faith, brothers and sisters. Yesterday our Lord was crucified. Today his body lies in the tomb. Tomorrow he rises from the dead. Saturday can seem like a long day–and it is–but be of good cheer. The crucifixion is behind us, Saturday will not last forever. Sooner than we think, Sunday will be here.”
― Ray Pritchard, Lord of Glory: A Daily Lenten Devotional on the Names of Christ

“He is therefore the perfect teacher and the ultimate counselor. This gives us insight into his working. His plans are not our plans, his ways not our ways. He will accomplish things beyond human comprehension, and he will do it in ways we cannot fathom. He will do the greatest work ever accomplished, and he will do it successfully.”
― Ray Pritchard, Let's Go Straight to Bethlehem - Daily Advent Devotional

“My Lord, you have fought and won every battle. You are the undisputed Victor. When I am tempted to doubt, remind me of your unlimited power. Amen.”
― Ray Pritchard, Let's Go Straight to Bethlehem - Daily Advent Devotional

“Christ was not like that. Even as an infant, he had come for a purpose. Knowing that it would mean his bloody death on the cross, he said, “I have come to do your will, God!”
― Ray Pritchard, Why He Came - Daily Advent Devotional

“As the Wonderful Counselor — He makes the plans. As the Mighty God —He makes the plans work.”
― Ray Pritchard, Lord of Glory: A Daily Lenten Devotional on the Names of Christ

“The four gospels do not tell us much about what happened on the Saturday between Good Friday and Easter Sunday. We know that after Jesus died, the disciples stayed behind locked doors for fear of the Jewish leaders (John 20:19). Their fear was well-founded because on that Saturday, the chief priests and the Pharisees met with Pilate and asked him to order the tomb sealed to prevent the disciples from stealing Jesus’ body (Matthew 27:62-66). After the resurrection, those same religious leaders would bribe the guards so they would spread the rumor that the disciples had indeed stolen Jesus’ body from the tomb (Matthew 28:11-15). In a bizarre twist, Jesus’ opponents had a greater belief in his resurrection than his disciples.”
― Ray Pritchard, In His Steps: A daily Lenten devotional journey through the life of Christ

“To paraphrase C. S. Lewis, Jesus is not safe, but he is good. He does not always do what we expect, but what he does is always for the best.”
― Ray Pritchard, In His Steps: A daily Lenten devotional journey through the life of Christ

“First, there is the great question: Can God forgive someone like me? Depth of mercy! Can there be Mercy still reserved for me? Can my God His wrath forbear, Me, the chief of sinners, spare? Second, there is the admission of guilt: I have long withstood His grace, Long provoked Him to His face, Would not hearken to His calls, Grieved Him by a thousand falls. Then there is hope found in the gospel: There for me the Savior stands, shows His wounds and spreads His hands God is love! I know, I feel; Jesus weeps, but loves me still! Finally, there is a new commitment to the Lord: Now incline me to repent, Let me now my sins lament, Now my foul revolt deplore, Weep, believe, and sin no more.”
― Ray Pritchard, Next Man Up: Building the Future God's Way

“Jesus Christ, who is . . . the ruler of the kings of the earth” (Revelation 1:5). The word for “ruler” means he is the ultimate authority over all the kings of the earth. They are great, but he is greater. They are mighty, but he is mightier. Millions answer to them, but they answer to him. He is not merely one of the kings. He rules over them all. In the first century the mighty emperor Nero thought he was the ruler of the kings of the earth. He held in his hands the power of life and death. Thumbs up: one man lived. Thumbs down: one man died. It is said that he ordered the burning of Rome and then blamed it on the early Christians. He had Paul the apostle beheaded, thinking that the pernicious Christian movement would die with him. But now 2000 years have passed, and the tables have turned. We name our dogs Nero and our sons Paul. Who are the kings of the earth John is talking about? They are political leaders in their various spheres–mayors and council members, governors, congressmen and senators, presidents and prime ministers, and potentates of every variety. There are small-time kings who rule tiny realms and mighty kings who rule vast empires. Their names are Obama, Putin, Netanyahu, Ahmadinejad, Komorowski, Mukherjee, Harper, Kim, Abdullah, Sarkozy, Karzai, Xi, Mugabe, Remengesau, Calderon, Merkel, Cartes and Cameron. And a thousand others just like them. Jesus rules over them all. We all know that the world is in a mess. That’s why it’s hard to believe this is true. All the evidence seems to move in the opposite direction. The pornographers go free, the baby-killers are untouched, the politicians break the laws they write, the drug dealers make their millions, and the nations arm themselves for total destruction. Without trying very hard, you could make a good case that Satan is the ruler of the kings of the earth. But it only seems that way. Satan has no power except that granted to him by God. In due time and at the proper moment, Jesus will step back on the stage of world history. Think of it. The hands that were nailed to the cross will someday rule the world. Though we do not see it today, it is certain and sure of fulfillment. That’s what the book of Revelation is all about. Read it for yourself and see how the story ends.”
― Ray Pritchard, Lord of Glory: A Daily Lenten Devotional on the Names of Christ

“We have our ways, our plans, our ideas, and God has his. Guess whose plan wins out? Zechariah”
― Ray Pritchard, Faces Around the Manger: Daily Advent Devotional

“This much we all know. But notice the verb—He became poor. Not, He was made poor. That’s what happens to us. We are made poor by circumstances. But of his own free will, he became poor. That’s something we would never do. He voluntarily gave up the riches of heaven for the poverty of earth. He who was richer than any man has ever been gave it up freely and became poorer than any man has ever been.   We understand riches. And we understand poverty. But to choose poverty is beyond us and something we would never do. But that is the heart of the gospel. The richest person in the universe, of his own free will, became poorer than the poor.”
― Ray Pritchard, Why He Came - Daily Advent Devotional

“The word for “followed” means “to walk the same road.” That’s what a disciple does—he walks the same road as Jesus. He gets on the “Jesus road” and follows it wherever it may lead. No guarantees, no deals, no special promises. He simply walks that road every day, following in his Master’s steps.”
― Ray Pritchard, In His Steps: A daily Lenten devotional journey through the life of Christ

“The real point of the story is that you can't always tell by looking at the outside who is a Christian and who is an unbeliever.”
― Ray Pritchard, Stealth Attack: Protecting Yourself Against Satan's Plan to Destroy Your Life

“A violent death would not be man’s way to victory, but it was God’s plan and our Lord carried it out perfectly.”
― Ray Pritchard, Let's Go Straight to Bethlehem - Daily Advent Devotional

“Everything of this world is shakable. Buildings crumble into dust, companies declare bankruptcy, our degrees fade into illegibility, our houses age and creak and crumble, our cars rust out, and worst of all, our bodies eventually wear out. But the kingdom of God lasts forever. When the angel Gabriel came to Mary, he said that she would give birth to a Son who would “rule over the house of his father Jacob, and of his kingdom there will be no end” (Luke 1:33).”
― Ray Pritchard, Why He Came - Daily Advent Devotional

“Waiting does not mean doing nothing . Waiting for the Lord means, "I know God is at work in this situation even though I cannot see it at the moment. I will not let this overwhelm me because being overwhelmed will not solve the problem anyway. By God's grace I will do the next thing that needs to be done, trusting that God is at work behind the scenes." That little step forward is a step of faith . While you wait, you do what needs to be done because you believe God is at work in the midst of the crisis.”
― Ray Pritchard, Simple Christmas: Daily Advent Devotional

“Hatred is the most damaging emotion, for it gives the person you hate a double victory—once in the past, once in the present.”
― Ray Pritchard, Stealth Attack: Protecting Yourself Against Satan's Plan to Destroy Your Life

“Little by little we become conditioned to moral decline and intellectual apostasy until it no longer seems so wrong to us.”
― Ray Pritchard, Green Pastures, Quiet Waters: Refreshing Moments From the Psalms

“Sometimes we need a “divine disruption” so God can speak to us. When Christ came to this sad world, God sent the angels to say, “Pay attention. Something big is happening here!” If our greatest need had been education, God would have sent a teacher. If our greatest need had been money, God would have sent a banker. If our greatest need had been advice, God would have sent a counselor. If our greatest need had been pleasure, God would have sent an entertainer. But since our greatest need was forgiveness, God sent a Savior. His name is Jesus. He is Christ the Lord, the Son of God who came from heaven to earth. Are”
― Ray Pritchard, Faces Around the Manger: Daily Advent Devotional

“Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people” (Hebrews 2:17).”
― Ray Pritchard, Why He Came - Daily Advent Devotional

“In 1833 the familiar Christmas carol God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen was first published in Britain. It became widely known in America in the late 1800s and is still popular today. Many people miss the meaning of the first line because they leave out the comma between “merry” and “gentlemen.” This is not a song about “merry gentlemen,” but rather an exhortation to godly men. It helps to know that the word “merry” originally meant strong or valiant, as in Robin Hood and his “Merry Men,” meaning his strong, brave men. The word “rest” meant to make. So the first line really means, “God make you strong and valiant, gentlemen.” That explains the second line, “Let nothing you dismay.” What is it that makes us strong in the face of the struggles of life and our own repeated failures? “Remember Christ our Savior was born on Christmas Day.” The whole essence of the gospel is in the opening verse.”
― Ray Pritchard, Why He Came - Daily Advent Devotional

“Faith is belief plus unbelief and acting on the belief part.”
― Ray Pritchard, Next Man Up: Building the Future God's Way

“Do not despair if the answer is slow in coming. Bethlehem proves the faithfulness of God. He answers our fears with a baby wrapped in rags. They that wait upon the Lord will renew their strength. This is the promise of God.”
― Ray Pritchard, Simple Christmas: Daily Advent Devotional

“Christmas is the end of thinking you are better than someone else.” That might make a good banner to hang over the front door of every church. At least it would serve up a dollop of humility every time we passed under the banner. Those of us who believe in Jesus aren’t any better than anyone else. Sometimes we seem like we’re worse than a lot of people, but that’s not the point.”
― Ray Pritchard, Why He Came - Daily Advent Devotional

“My favorite definition of faith comes from Philip Yancey: “Faith means believing in advance what will only make sense in reverse.” Many things in this life make no sense to us. It’s only as we look back that we say, “I can see why it had to happen that way.” So it is for all of us. God often sends us to “Egypt” to protect us and to prepare us for what is to come. Do not despair if you feel like you are in “Egypt” today. What seems like a punishment or a detour may turn out to be a great gift from the Lord. When we view our trials through the lens of God’s providence, they turn out to be gifts from heaven. This is true even when our trials seem like a great burden. God knows what he is doing even when we can’t see it. Father, help us to trust you when the way forward seems unclear.”
― Ray Pritchard, Faces Around the Manger: Daily Advent Devotional