Gems from March 2015

TEMPTATION DEFEATED

“Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation."

(Matthew 26:41)

None of His commands clash with or supersede one another. 

Trusting does not supersede watching; it does but complete and effectuate it.

Unwatchful trust is a delusion, and untrustingful watching is in vain.

Therefore let us not either wilfully or carelessly enter into temptation, whether of place, or person, or topic,

which has any tendency to endanger the keeping of our lips for Jesus.

Let us pray that grace may be more and more poured into our lips as it was into His,

so that our speech may be alway with grace.  

May they be pure, and sweet, and lovely, even as - 

“His lips, like lilies, dropping sweet-smelling myrrh.” 

(Opened Treasures - Francis Ridley Havergal)

N.J. Hiebert - 5812  

March 1

“Moses when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter.”

(Hebrews 11:24)

Moses beautifully refused glory, but Jesus hid it.

And a lovely victory over the world that was.

We like to wear our honours to make the most of what we are, 

and even to take more than we are entitled to, 

if men will make mistakes in our favour.

But Moses humbled himself in the Egyptian palace; 

and that was a beautiful victory of faith over the course and spirit of the world.

But Jesus did more.

It is true, He had not servants and courtiers to teach, 

for He was a stranger to palaces.

But the villagers of Nazareth adopted 

Him as ’the carpenter’s son,’ and He would have it so.

The Glory of glories, the Lord of angels, the Creator of the ends of the earth, 

the God of heaven, was hid under that common report, 

and there He lay without an answer to it. 

(The Son of God - J.G. Bellett)

N.J. Hiebert - 5813 

March 2

“Our God whom we serve is able to deliver us out of thine hand, O king.  But if not be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.” 

(Daniel 3:17-18) 

The three Hebrew children faced the fiery furnace with unshaken faith.  

There was no doubt that God COULD deliver.  

Whether or not He WOULD was in His hands.  So they made provision for the possibility that He might not.  

But if He should not deliver them FROM the furnace, He would deliver them IN the furnace and,

come what might, they would be true to Him.

It is well to be prepared for the IF NOTS.  God does not always spare us trouble.  

Indeed in the world we shall have tribulation (pressure).  But when it comes He will be with us in it.  

There was Another with the Hebrew children in the fiery furnace, the Fourth in the fire.  

And the form of the  Fourth was like the Son of God.  

There is another with us in life’s fiery furnace and He is the Son of God.  

He suffered being tempted and is able to succour them that are tempted.  

He is with us all the days even unto the end of the age.  He will not leave us or forsake us.  

The Comforter, the One called alongside to help is by our side.  

Whether God will deliver us FROM the furnace or IN it is in His hands.

We will be true, whatever happens.  

We will not bow to the gods of this age or its images. 

(Though I walk Through the Valley - Vance Havner)

N.J. Hiebert - 5814  

March 3

“Behold, I set before you this day a blessing and a curse; a blessing, if ye obey the commandments of the Lord your God, which I command you this day: and a curse, if ye will not obey the commandments of the Lord your God, but turn aside out of the way which I command you this day, to go after other gods, which ye have not known.”

(Deuteronomy 11:26-28)

Take the two Sauls.  They lived about one thousand years apart.  One started out well and ended poorly, and the other started out poorly and ended well.

The first Saul got a kingdom and a crown; he had a lovely family (no father ever had a better son than Saul had in Jonathan); he had the friendship of Samuel, the best prophet there was on the face of the earth; and yet he lost the friendship of Samuel, lost his crown, his kingdom, and his life, all through an act of disobedience.

Now take the Saul of the New Testament.  When God called him he was obedient to the heavenly vision, and he was given a heavenly kingdom.

One act of obedience, one act of disobedience.  The act of obedience gained all, and the act of disobedience lost everything.  I believe the wretchedness and misery and woe in this country today comes from disobedience to God.  If they won’t obey God as a nation, let us begin individually.  Let us make up our minds that we will do it, cost us what it will; and we will have peace and joy.  (D.L. Moody)

N.J. Hiebert - 5815    

March 4

“The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.”

(James 5:16)

In Luke 18, the widow’s persistent  request to the judge for justice against her adversary 

made her sound like a “squeaky wheel” until she got the results she needed.  

Luke explains that Jesus told this story to teach us the need to pray continually and 

not to give up, even if it appears that the answer to our prayer is delayed  (vv.1-5) 

God is certainly not an unjust judge who must be harassed before He responds to us.  

He is our loving Father who cares about us and hears us when we cry to Him.

Regular, persistent prayer draws us closer to Him.  

It may feel like we are a squeaky wheel, but the Lord welcomes our prayer and 

encourages us to approach Him with our cries.  

He hears us and will come to our aid in ways that we may not expect.

As Jesus teaches in Matthew 6:5-8, constant prayer 

does not require long periods of “vain receptions.”  

Rather, as we bring our needs before God “day and night” (Luke 18:7) and walk with the 

One who already knows our needs, we learn to trust God and wait patiently for His response. 

 (Selected)

N.J. Hiebert - 5816  

March 5

“Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, 
rightly dividing the Word of truth.”  (2 Timothy 2:15)

“Thy word is truth.”

(John 17:17)

Trafficking in unfelt truth brings on heartless indifference, 

levity of spirit, and insensibility of conscience.

The mere profession of truth - 

truth which does not act on the conscience -

is one of the special dangers of the day.

Better to know a little in reality and power than to profess a large quantity of truth 

that lies powerless in the region of the understanding. 

(C.H. Mackintosh)

N.J. Hiebert - 5817

March 6

“They stripped Him, and put on Him a  scarlet robe.  And when they had platted crown of thorns, they put it on His head, and a reed in His right hand: and they bowed the knee before Him, and mocked, Him saying, Hail, King of the Jews!  And they spit upon Him, and took the reed, and smote Him on the head.”  

(Matthew 27:28-30)

The heart of man is fully revealed here.

They strip the Lord of glory of His garments -

those that smell of myrrh, aloes and cassia.

How very poor He became that we might be rich (2 Corinthians 8:9)!

Man wickedly striped the Lord Jesus of everything - even taking His garments from Him.

Yet how infinitely precious that He was willing to go through all that for us.

The day is coming when man must give answer to God for his treatment of His beloved Son.

Then He will be clothed with garments of judgment (Revelation 1:13, 19:13).

What a solemn day that will be for those who rejected Him as Saviour.

For we, the redeemed, may we daily delight in the sweet fragrance of His garments.  

(Ralph Klassen)

N.J. Hiebert - 5818 

March 7

“Wherefore He saith also in another psalm, Thou shalt not suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.”

(Acts 13:35)

"The Son of God became the Son of Man that the sons of men might become the sons of God.”

The Lord Jesus was very God, yet fully man.

Our finite minds cannot understand this, but we humbly bow to to its majestic truth,

knowing that though He died and was buried,

yet His blessed body saw no corruption before rising from among the dead.

The Lord fully and forever won the victory over death and the grave,

and believers now share in wonderful liberty as children of God 

possessing His very life - eternal life.  

“O death where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?

(1 Corinthians 15:55)

(Doug Nicolet - TCS  - December 2001)

N.J. Hiebert - 5819

March 8

“And told him, saying, Joseph is yet alive and he is governor over all the land of Egypt . . . It is enough; Joseph my son is yet alive: I will go and see him before I die.”

(Genesis 45:26,28)

There are heart-breaks of joy in God’s plan for His children.  

We can no more imagine the good things He has waiting ahead for us, 

both in this life and in the life to come, 

than Jacob could have imagined his lost boy alive and ruling Egypt.

That is the sort of miracle-surprise awaiting me daily in the tingling, vibrant throbbing life of 

Jesus Christ who is my life, 

when I let Him fulfill His will and lavish Himself and His gifts and surprises upon me; 

when I let Him become all that there is of me.

What a here and hereafter He gives me, when I can say, 

“To me to live is Christ, and to die is gain!”

(Messages for the Morning Watch)

 I have a heritage of joy that yet I must not see;

The Hand that bled to make it mine is keeping it for me.

My heart is resting on His truth who hath made all things mine,

Who draws my captive will to Him and makes it one with Thine!

(A.L. Waring)

“For Thou preventest (surprises) him” (Psalm 21:3)

N.J. Hiebert - 5820

March 9

“God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.”

(Galatians 6:14)

At the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus, His accusation was written in Hebrew and Greek and Latin,

to show the whole world had part in it:

Hebrew tells of the religious world,

Greek tells of the literary and scientific world, and

Latin (representing Rome) tells of the government and power of the world.

All had their part.

(G.C. Willis)

N.J. Hiebert - 5821  

March 10

Discouraging or Stilling?

“Wherefore discourage ye the heart of the children of Israel from going 

over into the land which the Lord hath given them?”

(Numbers 32:7)

Caleb stilled the people before Moses, and said, let us go up at once,

and posses it; for we are well able to overcome it.”

(Numbers 13:30)

There is a blessed contrast between these two verses,

from which we learn vitally important lessons.

We underestimate the effect we have on our brethren.

Moses charges the tribes who wanted to settle down without crossing Jordan

with discouraging their brethren from going over and taking possession of the land of promise.

Was this because of something they said?

It was their action which discouraged.

We may not say discouraging things, but our actions speak loudly.

How nice, then, when the people were disheartened by the words of the other ten spies, to read that 

“Caleb stilled the people.”  

May the Lord grant us to be stillers, not discouragers, of His beloved people.

(R.K Gorgas)  

N.J. Hiebert - 5822 

March 11

“Looking unto Jesus the Author and Finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

(Hebrews 12:2)

UNTO JESUS and not to the apparent success of our efforts.  

The apparent success is not the measure of the real success; and besides,

God has not told us to succeed, but to work;

It is of our work that He requires an account, and not of our success, - why then concern ourselves with it?

It is for us to scatter the seed, for God to gather the fruit; if not today, then it will be tomorrow;

If He does not employ us to gather it, then He will employ others.

Even when success is granted to us, it is always dangerous to fix our attention on it:

On the one hand we are tempted to take some of the credit of it to ourselves;

On the other hand we thus accustom ourselves to abate our zeal when we cease to perceive its result,

That is to say, at the very time when we should redouble our energy.

To look at the success is to walk by sight; 

To look at Jesus, and to persevere in following Him and serving Him, 

in spite of all discouragements, is to walk by faith.

(Theodore Monod - translated from French by Helen Willis)

N.J. Hiebert - 5823  

March 12

“And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which He will show to you to-day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen today, ye shall see them again no more for ever.  The Lord shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace.”  (Exodus 14:13-14)

Salvation is His own perfect, finished work.

To add to it in any way by our own doings or strivings is only to mar its beauty and completeness.

Nay, what is there that man can do when Satan and death are in question?

Man is helpless in the presence of such foes.

He cannot escape, he cannot overcome them, and hence perforce -

if he would but learn the lesson - he must stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord.

How quieting to the heart of the timid and the anxious!

Let them then enter upon the full enjoyment of this precious message,

if terrified by Satan’s power in the prospect of death:

“The Lord shall fight for you and ye shall hold your peace.”

(Edward Dennett)

N.J. Hiebert - 5824

March 13

“The joy of the Lord is your strength.”

(Nehemiah 8:10)

Am I happy?

It is because Christ loves me and He is happy.

Who, that is made one with the Lord, shall say, I am not blest, if Christ is?

If we knew how to use Christ’s experience, it would have a marvellous effect upon us.

If in sorrow, we should not like to speak of it in the presence of Christ’s sorrow: and so of joy too.

And He has a large heart, and knows how to be the Giver of joy.

The people of God may have to taste a little of the waters of death’s dark river, 

but Christ went to the very bottom of it, and rose again, and is alive for evermore.

(G.V. Wigram)

N.J. Hiebert - 5825  

March 14

“They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength;

they shall mount up with wings as eagles;

they shall run and not be weary, and 

they shall walk and not faint.”

(Isaiah 40:31)

We see first that “they shall mount up with wings as eagles.”  

You say, there are a lot of problems in my life, and I can’t seem to get above them.”  

The Lord can help you to rise above them.  

But you say, “Well, I haven’t yet risen above them.”

But next it says, “They shall run and not be weary.”  Maybe you can’t get above them, but you can run.  

“Lord, Thou has drawn us after Thee; now let us run, and never tire (Little Flock Hymnbook # 166). 

But, you say, I can’t even run; “They shall walk and not faint.” 

 Another may say, “I can’t seem to run. 

I see other Christians happy and enjoying these things, but it just doesn’t seem to be my portion.”  

Well, perhaps you are just walking, but don’t faint.

The Lord will give you the strength.  He understands you and He loves you.  

Even when we get slowed down - and sometimes we do in our Christian pathway - 

Isn’t it blessed to know that He gives us the strength even just to walk along.

But don’t stop - don’t give in to the thought, “Well I’m just going to give up.”  

No, it says that “they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength.” 

He is able to give you the strength that you need in 

whatever circumstances of life you may find yourself.

"Jesus Himself drew near, and went with them” (Luke 24:15). 

(G.H. Hayhoe)

N.J. Hiebert - 5826  

March 15

“But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtlety, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.”

(2 Corinthians 11:3)

Do you know this?

God’s truth is always manifested right on the very surface of His Word.

Wherever people have to enter into a long course of argument in order to support a system which they 

are trying to foist on the saints, it is not the truth of God.

Anything not characterized by a holy simplicity is not God’s testimony.

Test every teaching by searching the Word, 

and if you do not find it plainly revealed in the Book, reject all unscriptrual reasoning, 

no matter how learned may be the man who does the reasoning.

(H.A. Ironside)

N.J. Hiebert - 5827   

March 16

“Take therefore no thought for the morrow.”

(Matthew 6:34)

I have nothing to do with tomorrow, my Father knows all I can bear,

He comforts in sadness and sorrow, and saves me from withering care.

I have nothing to do with tomorrow; why yield then to terror and tears?

Its mercy I never can borrow; ’twill come when the morrow appears.

I have nothing to do with tomorrow, though I know not the grief it may bring;

But the hand that provides for the sparrow o’er me its protection will fling.

His love can dispel all my sadness, so that songs of rejoicing I raise;

His care has turned gloom into gladness, and sighing and sorrow to praise.

(Anon)

N.J. Hiebert - 5828 

March 17

"Comfort, comfort My people—saith your God.” (Isaiah 40:1)

Those who would be wise in comforting—must be sympathetic. They must be patient with even the smallest griefs of others. It is not easy for the strong, to sympathize with the weak. They cannot understand how little sufferings and troubles, such as those which seem so hard for others to bear—should really cause any distress. They are disposed to laugh at the complaints of those who seem to have so little of which to complain. 

It is not easy for persons of a strong, brave spirit, who are accustomed to look with contempt on the little trials and sufferings in their own life—to have patience with those who are really weak and unable to endure; or with those who so magnify their little ills and troubles. 

But if the strong would become real helpers of the weak, they must learn to be patient with every phase of their weakness, and to condescend to it. Indeed, weakness of this kind needs comfort that will cure it and transform it—into manly strength. 

Sympathy, to be truly rich and adequate, in its helpfulness, must be able to enter into every form of suffering, even the smallest, and to listen to every kind of complaining and discontent, to every fear and anxiety, however needless.

It was thus that Christ condescended to all human fraility. He never treated any one's trouble, however small, or any one's worry, however groundless, with lightness, as if it were unimportant. He bade to come to him, all who were weary, receiving graciously everyone who came. 

He was infinitely strong—but his strength was infinitely gentle to the weakest. Nothing in this world is more beautiful than the sight of a strong man giving his strength to one who is weak, that he may help him also to grow strong.  (J.R.Miller - 1912)

N.J. Hiebert - 5829

March 18

"I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” 

(John 10:10)

Jascha Heifetz, the world-renowned violinist, described the difference between 

one who plays a "fiddle” and one who plays a "violin.” 

He said the fiddler plays musical notes. 

The violinist interprets the notes and the spirit of the 

composer from his soul, and the result is beautiful music.

It's the same in our spiritual life. 

God wants to make active in our daily lives the 

"intent and spirit of the Master Composer.” 

This cannot be done by simply following a form of godliness and denying the power thereof. 

It is when we open our hearts to be filled to overflowing with HIS LIFE, 

surrendering our "worn-out instrument" into the hands of His masterful artistry. 

HE will transform the redundant notes of our life into an abundant life in Christ. 

Then, and only then, will we know what it truly means to be "IN CHRIST."

Christ must have pre-eminence in all things. 

WHEN HE IS LORD, HE GIVES US AN ABUNDANT LIFE!

(Adapted)

N.J. Hiebert - 5830

March 19

“Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.”

(Proverbs 3:5)

Believe God’s Word and power more than you believe 

your own feelings and experiences.

Your Rock is Christ,

and it is not the Rock which ebbs and flows,

but rather your sea.

(S. Rutherford - 1600-1661)

N.J. Hiebert - 5831

March 20

"And He said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.  Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”

(2 Corinthians 12:9)

“It seemed to me that God looked over the whole world to 

find a man who was weak enough to do His work, 

and when He at last found me, He said, ‘He is weak enough—he’ll do.’ 

All God’s giants have been weak men who did great things for 

God because they reckoned on His being with them.”  

(Hudson Taylor)

Hudson Taylor’s words ring true today, as they have down through history. 

When God looks for people to use, 

He doesn’t look for the strongest or the smartest, but for the weak and humble in heart. 

Then God takes those weak people and equips them for His service. 

In other words, God doesn’t always call the equipped, but He always equips the called.

Perhaps today you see yourself as weak, as if your best days are behind you. 

My friend, that’s a lie from the enemy. 

The truth is that God will use the weak to do amazing things for Him if they’ll only submit to Him. 

Let God empower you for His purpose and He’ll use you in profound ways!

(Sam Ludvicek)

N.J. Hiebert - 5832

March 21

“Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving 

let your requests be made known unto God.  And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”

(Philippians 4:6-7)

CARES. 

We all have them.

What can we do with them?

Let them weigh us down?

What Scripture tells us is, to tell them all to the everlasting God, who never grows weary.

It doesn’t say He will give us everything that we might ask for, but the result will be that 

His peace will keep our hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.  

It does not say, either, that our hearts and minds will keep the peace of God.

Rather, that peace that ever surrounds the throne of 

God and that nothing can disturb, will keep our hears and minds.

The picture is of an amy host camped around one of those walled towns of biblical times.

How can we be careful (worry) if the eternal God is the One who has promised to take care?

He takes care on a much grander scale than we could ever imagine.

(R. Thonney - TCS - June 2004)

N.J. Hiebert - 5833

March 22

“For I rejoiced greatly, when the brethren came and testified of the truth that is in thee, 

even as thou walkest in the truth.”

(3 John 3)

How are you going to get the truth in a path of spiritual laziness?

You can’t just sit around indifferently and let your Bible lie on the shelf,

while expecting to mature, deepen and develop in the truth of God.

It says, “even as thou walkest in the truth” (John 3:3).

(C.H. Brown (excerpt from an address)

N.J. Hiebert - 5834 

March 23

ALL FOR JESUS

“But know that the Lord hath set apart him that is godly for Himself."

(Psalm 4:3)

It is not what we say or do, so much as what we are, that influences others.  

We have heard this and very likely repeated it again and again, but I do not know anything which, 

thoughtfully considered, makes us realize more vividly the need and 

the importance of our whole selves being kept for Jesus.

Any part not wholly committed and not wholly kept must hinder and neutralize 

the real influence for Him of all the rest. 

If we ourselves are kept all for Jesus, then our influence will be all kept for Him, too.  

If not, then, however much we may wish and talk and try we cannot 

throw our full weight into the right scale.

And just insofar as it is not in the one scale, it must be in the other; weighing against the little 

which we have tried to put in the right one and making the short weight still shorter.

So large a proportion of it is entirely involuntary while yet 

the responsibility of it is so enormous that our helplessness 

comes out in exceptionally strong relief while our past debt in this matter is simply incalculable.  

Are we feeling this a little? - getting just a glimpse, down the misty defiles of memory, 

of the neutral influence, the wasted influence, the mistaken influence,

the actually wrong influence

which has marked the ineffaceable although untraceable course?

And all the while we owed Him all that influence.

It ought to have been all for Him. We have nothing to say.

But what has our Lord to say?

“I forgave thee all that debt.”

(Francis Ridley Havergal -  Opened Treasures)

N.J. Hiebert - 5835   

March 24

Progressing?

“That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God.” 

(Colossians 1:10) 

When I was five years old my mother started me taking piano lessons. 

By the time I was ten I was burned out, so she let me quit. 

In my teens I taught myself and memorized a couple of songs, 

and replayed some of my favourites from before.

Sadly, if you asked me to play something now, all I could do would be to 

make an attempt to play one of those songs from distant yesteryear. 

I have not progressed a whit.

I recently read of the greatest cellist of the 20^th century, Pablo Casals. 

At the age of ninety-five he still practiced six hours a day. 

When asked as to why he still did that, he humbly replied, 

“Because I think I’m making progress.”

Isn’t that splendid?

Now, returning to today’s verse, I wonder if we’re content to be where we are spiritually or if we’re still energized to “make progress” in the knowledge of God.

Listen to these challenging verses:

“I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord:

for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, 

. . . That I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings,

being made conformable unto His death.”(Philippians 3:8,10)

  

Let’s spend time with Him, talking to Him, listening to Him, meditating on His precious Word.

(LIFELines)

N.J. Hiebert - 5836

March 25

"I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, 
but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.” 

(John 17:15)

God’s way is not to take us out of the difficulties and trials, not to avoid them. 

His way is to enable us and to strengthen us, so that we can go through them with heads erect and undefeated, more than conquerors in them and over them. And that is a wonderful thing. 

We must never grumble at our lot, nor ask doubting questions. 

We must rather believe that there is always a purpose in these trials, if we can but see it; 

we must believe that God has laid this thing upon us and that He has left us in 

this situation in order that we may show forth His glory.

The disciples were left in the world to do that, and you and I can be certain that whatever 

we may be passing through at this moment is a part of 

God’s plan and purpose for us to show forth His glory.

(Daily Meditations)

N.J. Hiebert - 5837

March 26

“Therefore, leaving the . . . first principles . . . let us go on unto perfection.”

(Hebrews 6:1)

Some of us stay at the cross, some of us wait at the tomb,

Quickened and raised together with Christ, yet lingering still in its gloom;

Some of us bide at the passover feast with Pentecost all unknown -

The triumph of grace in the heavenly place that our Lord has made our own.

If the Christ who died had stopped at the cross His work had been incomplete,

If the Christ who was buried had stayed in the tomb He had only known defeat;

But the way of the Cross never stops at the Cross, and the way of the Tomb leads on 

To victorious grace in the heavenly place where the risen Lord has gone.

So, let us go on with our Lord - to the fulness of God He has brought,

Unsearchable riches of glory and good - exceeding our uttermost thought;

Let us grow up into Christ, claiming His life and its powers,

The triumphs of grace in the heavenly place that our conquering Lord has made ours.

(Annie Johnson Flint)

N.J. Hiebert - 5838 

March 27

"All these men of war, that could keep rank, 
came with a perfect heart to Hebron, 
to make David king over all Israel.”

(1 Chronicles 12:38)

Christians friends, if you and I are to "keep rank,” we will have to be in company with those who are 

marching under the commands of our great “Head General.”

You'll not be able to keep rank with stragglers, but with those who are in the battle line.

We don’t want to drop out of the ranks or lag behind.  

We don’t want to get out of step and join the stragglers.  How sad that would be.

Are you in your local gathering, keeping rank?  Are you keeping step with those who are going on with God?

Or do you lag behind and by your example become a hindrance, discouraging those who would keep rank?

These who followed David didn’t learn to do that all in one moment - it took energy and effort to learn.

There is something wrong when we cannot keep rank with our brethren - when we find ourselves superior to all 

the rest of our brethren.  There is something wrong with a condition like that.

God expects us to go on with our brethren, not, of course, in what is wrong - never! -

But there is such a thing as being found going on with the saints of God.

When we find ourselves going off to ourselves, taking the ground of superior holiness -

all our brethren are wrong and we alone are right - there something fundamentally wrong with us.

(C.H. Brown)

N.J. Hiebert - 5839  

March 28

“Paul also and Barnabas continued in Antioch, 
teaching and preaching the word of the Lord, with many others also.” 

(Acts 15:35)

Paul and Barnabas taught and proclaimed the Word “with many others.”

Though unnamed, these brethren also were doing the Lord’s work.

May we be found daily doing whatever it is the Lord has given us to do.

Eternity will reveal the blessings resulting from the efforts of the myriad of unnamed labourers.

Let each one labour today in view of the coming day of revelation.

(TCS - June 2002) 

N.J. Hiebert - 5840 

March 29

"Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, 
the evidence of things not seen.”

(Hebrews 11:1) 

Faith does not rest upon promises. It rests in the One who has made the promise. 

Faith is the "whereby" that the just live by. 

It is a divine, supernatural, justifying, saving faith, the faith of God's own. 

It is not of us; it is the operation of God, whereby all believers are endowed from above. 

Faith gives the "things hoped for" a real substance, as if they were already present.

Some years ago, a friend of mine commuted each week to New York City.

About 50 miles north, the train would stop in the little town of Harmon, New York. 

He asked the conductor on one occasion, "Why are we stopping here?” 

"Oh, we switch engines here. We're not allowed to bring a steam engine into the city, 

so we're switching to an electric engine.” 

When the conductor showed him the engine that would soon be attached to the train, 

my friend exclaimed, “You don't mean that little thing is going to pull this long train!” 

The conductor said, "No problem.” He explained that there was a third rail along the 

tracks to which the "shoe" of the engine connected, supplying the power. With that, the 

train started forward, ever so smoothly, all the way to New York City. When they arrived, 

the conductor leaned over to my friend and said, "We made it, didn't we? You see, when that 

electric engine connected to the third rail, all the power generated from Niagara Falls 

was at its disposal.! " It's not the size of the engine that counts, but the SOURCE OF POWER 

to which it is connected. The "shoe" was the conduit. There was no power in the "shoe.” 

It simply acted in "faith" and connected to the unlimited source of power from Niagara Falls. 

Let me ask you: Is your "shoe" in place? Are you connected by faith to His infinite power? 

It will take you safely all the way home. Remember, it's not the size of the engine that counts, 

but the source of power that determines our journey. Get connected to His "power plant"! 

"The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?" (Psalm 27:1).  

(Adapted)

N.J. Hiebert - 5841

March 30

 "As thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee.” 

(Matthew 8:13)

And this is the Voice of the miracle wrought here through the hand of Elisha (2 Kings 4:2). 

For as long as the poor widow produced her vessels, the pot produced its oil. 

The oil waited on the vessels. The vessels were the measure of the oil. 

In other words, divine power waited on faith,­ faith measured the active resources of God on the occasion. 

This was like the Lord, of old, standing with Abraham. 

For as long as Abraham stood interceding, the Lord stood promising. (Genesis 18:17-33)

This blessed grace of God has its illustration here. But there is another thing. 

"What hast thou in the house?” (2 Kings 4:2), said the prophet to the woman.

As Jesus afterward said to His disciples, "How many loaves have ye?” (Mark 6:38) ­ 

He had said to Moses at the hill, "What is that in thine hand?” (Exodus 4:2). 

For it is suitable, that whatever we have should be put to use. 

(J.G. Bellett - D.H.)

N.J. Hiebert - 5842

March 31

What is a Christian

“Now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.”

(Ephesians 2:13)

We do not become Christians by being born of Christian parents,

or because our lot has been cast in what is called a Christian country,

or because we have been religiously educated,

or by attending to any outward ordinances,

or by being associated with any who are truly saints of God.

No, we only become Christians by having to do with Christ and His atoning blood.

Whatever may have been our previous history or character, 

we are far from God and enemies to God till we are reconciled to God by the death of His Son.

If I were asked to give, in a few words of Scripture, the true definition of what a Christian is,

I do not think I could give a better reply than we find in the latter part of this verse -

one who was far off but is now in Christ made nigh to God by His blood.

(H.H. Snell)  

N.J. Hiebert - 5843