Gems from August 2015 (part 1)

“And the children of Issachar, which were men that had understanding of the times.”

(1 Chronicles 12:32)

At a time when Israel was in disarray, with the kings of God’s choosing in exile, how valuable it was for David to have these men of Issachar on his side. These men were not stuck in theoretical ivory palaces of committees and research groups.

They were men in tune with reality.

Their counsel was practical.

`

Like Israel of old, this world is in disarray, with God’s true Anointed in exile. Now, more than ever, God is looking for men and women with an “understanding of the times” to effectively carry out His will.

(C. Mark Hogan)

God give us men.

Time demands true faith and willing hands;

Men who can denounce the world without winking,

God’s men in public duty and in private thinking.

(J.H.)

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August 1

“He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.”

(John 3:36)

Here is a text from Holy Scripture with two sides, 

having an action and a promise on each side.

As a result of the action, the promise is fulfilled.

The person who believes (trusts) on the Son of God —

that is the action — the promise is hath everlasting life, and that is salvation.

On the other side, the one who believes not (disobeys) the Son,

then the other promise stands — shall not see life and the wrath of 

God abideth upon him.

Solemn, is it not?

(Reg L. Jordan)

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August 2

“Lazarus was sick.  Therefore his sisters sent unto Him, saying, Lord, behold, he whom Thou lovest is sick.”

(John 11:2-3)

The little home at Bethany, where Jesus was always welcome, had been thrown into great sorrow.  Lazarus was sick. Now “Lazarus” means ”GOD MY HELPER.”  

To whom, therefore, should they turn in their distress but to Him who had come so near to them in grace?  Short was the message which the sisters sent: "Lord, behold, he whom Thou lovest is sick.”And there was every reason to believe that the Lord would hasten to their relief.  

For Jesus loved Lazarus, and if earthly love delights to do its best, what would not the love of Jesus do?  So everything encouraged them to look for an early deliverance.  Yet it did not come!  Their expectations were not fulfilled.

The sisters' message was received, but after the swift feet of the messenger had departed Jesus abode "two days" in the same place where He was.  This delay must have sorely tried their hearts, nor could they divine a reason for it.

And all the while Lazarus grew worse, and grim death knocked loudly at the door.  In vain they looked for Jesus.  He did not come, and their flickering hopes were finally extinguished when their brother breathed his last.

Nevertheless, though they knew it not, His hand was all the time upon the helm, steering the ship aright.  In the whirlwind and in the storm He has His way, and the clouds from which they shrank were but the sure sign that He was near, for they were“the dust of His feet" (Nahum 1:3).  (Comforted of God - A.J. Pollock)

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August 3

“Unto every one which hath shall be given.”

(Luke 19:26)

Truth, if it reveals Christ, humbles me and deals with the evil within.

Then it is not only Christ as an object outside me, but a living Christ in my soul.

Knowledge, which has not power over the conscience, only puffs up.

If truth be not acted on it troubles the conscience.

(The Man of Sorrows - JND)

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August 4

OUTNUMBERED

“Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them." (2 Kings 6:16) 

ELISHA’S SERVANT SAW only the visible host of the enemy.

Elisha saw heavenly horses and chariots for the angel of the 

Lord encamped round about to deliver them that feared Him. 

When our Lord was arrested in the Garden, He seemed to be outnumbered by

His adversaries, but He said to Peter,

“Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to My Father, 

and He shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels?” 

(Matthew 26:53)    

That is a lot of angels!

We are inclined to count ourselves as God’s minority,

but even statistics are on our side!

There are more of us than there are of them!

(Vance Havner)

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August 5

“And herein do I exercise myself, to have always a conscience void of offence toward God and toward men.”  (Acts 24:16)

A drop of water on a polished knife may leave very little mark if wiped off instantly. But if it is allowed to remain for days and weeks, how different will be the effect produced!

Thus it is with sin.

Whether it be in thought or action, the forbidden thing indulged in will gradually intrench itself in your moral being, and if not mortified by the power of the Spirit, it will become a part of yourself in spite of yourself! 

How all-important, then, to see that no iniquity is having the dominion,

and that you are not acquiring any habit that shall yet involve you in eternal loss.

“When you have done an evil thing no matter what its size,

No matter what reward it brings; something in you dies.”

A bad habit is first a caller,

then a guest, 

and at last a master.” 

(Mountain Trailways for Youth)

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August 6

“In pressure Thou hast enlarged me” (Psalm 4:1).  [JND Trans.]

“How can God, of whom you say that He is love, of whom you claim He can do whatever is His will—how can He look upon a body racked with terrible pain without stepping in with a helping hand?  How can He see all the misery, the suffering, the need of humanity without putting an end to it?”  It was a bitter voice that spoke this.  Has such a question ever been raised in your heart?

It was asked by a once jovial young lady.  By falling from a horse, she had received serious injury, and had just overheard the doctors say, “Helpless for life!”  At this, her whole being rebelled.  “I hate God!” she yelled, “yes, I hate Him.  How could He allow this, since He is almighty?  He has no love!”

For a while her true friend, who stood by her side at this time of trouble, was silent.  Then as though he would speak of something else, he asked: “Child, did it hurt very much when they applied the cast?”

“Hurt?  Why it was terrible!” she answered.

“But wasn’t your father present then?”

“Of course he was.”

“And he allowed them to torture you so?  He could have stopped them.”

“But it was necessary.  It’s to help me, that I may at least be able to sit up again.”

The friend said slowly and with feeling:  “So, therefore, your father looked on, when the doctor caused you such pain, and he allowed it to be although he loved you so much, or just because he loved you so dearly?”

The patient gazed into the face of the speaker with a strange light in her large eyes.  “You mean to say,” she asked hesitatingly, “that God has allowed this accident because He loves me?”

He nodded his head, unable to speak.

“A Father’s hand will never cause His child a needless tear.”
(The Lord is Near)

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August 7

“Tell me, O Thou whom my soul loveth, where Thou feedest, where Thou makest Thy flock to rest at noon: for why should I be as one that turneth aside by the flocks of Thy companions? 

(Song of Solomon 1:7)

It is the love of Christ filling the heart, that alone can keep us from turning aside. And yet, alas, have we not each to confess that too often, we are

“as one that turneth aside” 

to seek our food and rest in earthly things.

And then we wonder why we make such little progress, 

and yet, if feeding on the husks of this poor world, 

the wonder would be if we made any spiritual growth. 

The philosophy, science and literature of this world will not attract,

still less feed, the souls of the lovers of Christ.

If we truly say, 

“Thou whom my soul loveth,”

we shall surely desire the heavenly food and the divine rest;

and the ardent desire for spiritual food 

is the best antidote against turning aside to earthly supplies.  

(Hamilton Smith)

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August 8

“And when He rose up from prayer, and was come to His disciples,

He found them sleeping.”

(Luke 22:45)

They were His thought, not He theirs.  He their thought!

They could not watch with Him one hour.

So it is now.

“He ever liveth to make intercession for us”(Hebrews 7:25).

Do we “ever live” to love Him, to serve Him?

He ever lives for you; do you live ever for Him? 

(J.G. Bellett)

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August 9

“One thing have I desired of the Lord . . . to behold the beauty 
of the Lord, and to enquire in His temple.”

(Psalm 27:4)

There are seasons when many believers feel as if they could 

not get into the presence, or obtain the ear of God. . . . 

Surely it would prove an antidote to Satan’s temptations at such periods

to remember, that if we cannot pray ourselves,

Christ never fails to bear us up in His prevailing intercession. . . .

it would soon dispel our gloom and coldness of heart, because it would

lead us to look away from ourselves, and to expect all from Him,

and from His continual ministry for us in the presence of God.

(Edward Dennett)

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August 10

“Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down and the feeble knees.” (Hebrews 12:12)

Encourage One Another

Though not everyone had yet arrived for Sunday School, the singing had already begun.  The voices of the little group were a bit on the quiet side — except for one little boy.  His clear sweet voice could easily be heard enthusiastically  singing the words which he was intently following in his book.

Other children who were sitting in the front row began stealing furtive glances at the source of the vibrant, happy sound.  Smiles began playing over their faces (Smiles had already appeared on adult faces).

Then perhaps without realizing it, they too began to sing more enthusiastically.  Stirred by by the energy of one happy, eager young voice, other heads began diligently bending over song books, voices sang out with fresh energy and hands eagerly waved to choose the next song.

The room was now filled with a more spirited, joyous singing — from young and old alike.  And all was inspired in large measure by one little singer, oblivious to the influence his example had produced.

The present spiritually dark and cold day needs just such encouragers to lift up the hands which hang down and strengthen the feeble knees (Hebrews 12:12). 

 Such service however, can only be effective in the measure it is produced by real heart love for Christ and those for whom He died that they all may be one (John 17:11,21,22) (TCS August 2015)

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August 11

"Upon this rock I will build My church.”

(Matthew 16:18)

Solomon “built” the temple (1 Kings 6:14), but, as king, undoubtedly did not lower himself to lift a hammer or saw in its actual construction.

Christ used the singular when He referred to His church.

"I will build,”  He said.

What grace that the King of kings would take this responsibility to Himself.

I wonder if we realize that we are building too — the very structure of our lives.

One day the Judgment Seat of Christ will determine whether our work has been done with flammable or fire-proof material (1 Corinthians 3:12).

As Christ builds with perfection, let us build with carefulness too,

following the specifications of the incomparable Master-Builder.

(R.E. Harlow)

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August 12

"Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him: Fret not thyself 

because of him who prospereth in his way, because of 

the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass.”

(Psalm 37:7)

It is a mistake to be always turning back to recover the past. 

The law for christian living is not backward, but forward;

not for experiences that lie behind, 

but for doing the will of God, 

which is always ahead and beckoning us to follow. 

Leave the things that are behind, and reach forward to those that are before, 

for on each new height to which we attain, 

there are the appropriate joys that befit the new experience. 

Don't fret because life's joys are fled. 

There are more in front. 

Look up, press forward, the best is yet to be!

(F.B. Meyer)

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August 13

“Hast thou not procured this unto thyself, in that thou hast forsaken the Lord thy God, when He led thee by the way?"

(Jeremiah 2:17)

“Are not these evils come upon us because our God is not among us? (Deuteronomy 31:17)

OUR PLIGHT TODAY is our own fault.  

We asked for it.

All our modern evils are come upon us because God is not among us.

Of course, He is omnipresent, but He is not among us 

in that we have not His favour, 

the smile of His approval.

God has been among us in blessings unnumbered, 

but we have forgotten Him.

And to be lost it is not necessary for a nation to blaspheme God.

“The wicked shall be turned into hell and all nations that forget God.”
(Psalm 9:17)

Even God’s people sometimes ask, “Is the Lord among us or not?”

And in the absence of Him we are faced with the presence of evils galore.

We have lost the sense of God in the nation, in the churches, in our lives.

The biggest business of the hour is to draw nigh to God 

that He may draw night to us.

His presence with us is too often an assumption in our heads

instead of an awareness in our hearts. 

(Day by Day -Vance Havner) 

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August 14

Prayer (1 of 3)

“Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving.”

(Colossians 4:2)

One of the most common sins among Christians to-day is that of prayerlessness.

No doubt this has been true throughout the centuries.

And yet we are again and again not only exhorted, but distinctly commanded to pray.

“Men ought aways to pray and not to faint” (Luke 18:1).

“Pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:16).

“Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit” (Ephesians 6:18).

  "Praying in the Holy Ghost” (Jude 1:20).

Prayer is in very truth “the Christians’s vital breath.”  

It is the life of the new man.

One can no more have a happy, 

triumphant Christian experience who neglects this 

spiritual exercise than one can be well and strong physically 

who shuts himself up 

in a close room to which the sun never 

penetrates and where pure air is unknown.

The soul flourishes in an atmosphere of prayer. 

(H.A. Ironside)

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August 15

Prayer (2 of 3)

“And it came to pass in those days, that He (Jesus) went out into a 

mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God.”

(Luke 6:12)

Why does a Christian need to pray?

If God is infinitely wise and infinitely good, as the Holy Scriptures declare Him to be, why need any of His creatures  petition Him regarding anything which they conceive to be either for their own good or for the blessing of others?

Is it not a higher and purer faith that leads one to ignore these exercises altogether and simply to trust Him to do what He sees to be best in every circumstance?

Those who reason thus manifest but little acquaintance with the 

Word of God, and little realize the needs of the soul.

Prayer, is first of all, communion with God.

Our blessed Lord Himself, in the days of His flesh, is seen again and again leaving the company of His disciples and going out into some desert place on a mountains side, or into a garden, that His spirit might be refreshed as He bowed in prayer alone with the Father.

From such reasons of fellowship He returned to do His mightiest 

works and to bear witness to the truth.

And in this He is our great Exemplar.

We need to pray as much as we need to breath.

Our souls will languish without it, and our testimony will be utterly fruitless if we neglect it.

(H.A. Ironside)

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August 16

Prayer (3 of 3)

“Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving.”

(Colossians 4:2)

We are told to continue in prayer.

This does not mean that we are to be constantly urging God in order that we may obtain what we might think would add most to our happiness or be best for us, but we are to abide in a sense of His presence and of our dependence upon His bounty.  We are to learn to talk to Him and to quietly wait before Him, too, 

in order that we may hear His voice as He speaks to us.

We are bidden to bring everything to Him in prayer, 

assured that if we ask anything according to His will He heareth us.

But because we are so ignorant and so shortsighted we need ever to remember that we are to leave the final disposal of things with Him who makes no mistakes.

Without anxiety as to anything, 

we may bring everything to Him in prayer and supplication 

with thanksgiving, making known our requests in childlike simplicity;

 then, leaving all in His hands, we go forth in fullest confidence as our hearts say,  “Thy will be done,” 

knowing that He will do for us exceeding abundantly above all that we we ask or think.

(H.A. Ironside)

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August 17

“Is it nothing to you, all ye that pass by? 
behold, and see if there be any sorrow like unto my sorrow, 
which is done unto me, wherewith the Lord hath afflicted me in the day of his fierce anger.”
 (Lamentations 1:12).

I admire those sensitive souls who are so moved by the sufferings
of the dying Redeemer that they break down and cry. I think of my Christian barber, Ralph Ruocco.
Often as he stood over me, he would talk about the agonies which the Savior endured.
Then with his tears falling on the cloth cover, he would say,
“I don’t know why He was willing to die for me. I am such a wretch.
Yet He bore the penalty of my sins in His body on the Cross.”

I think of the sinful woman who washed the Savior’s feet with her tears,
and wiped them with her hair, and kissed His feet, and anointed them with ointment (Lu. 7:38).
Although living on the other side of the Cross,
she was more attuned emotionally than I with all my superior knowledge and privilege.

And I take as my own the immortal words of Isaac Watts:
Well might I hide my blushing face, while His dear cross appears;
Dissolve my heart in thankfulness, and melt my eyes to tears.
Lord, deliver me from the curse of a dry-eyed Christianity!
(Adapted)

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August 18

“For we are not as many, which corrupt the word of God: but as of sincerity, but as of God, in the sight of God speak we in Christ.”

(2 Corinthians 2:17) 

I have often thought that the ideal way of speaking would be to be so conscious of the

Lord’s presence as to have no eyes for the saints who are present.

Indeed, this should always be the case,

and then one would only seek to commend oneself to the Lord.

Alas! how seldom this is the case.

And yet, even in preaching the apostle says, 

“As from God, and as before God, we speak in Christ.” 

This would be the perfection of speaking.

(Edward Dennett)

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August 19

“They did flatter Him with their mouth, and they lied unto Him with 

their tongues.  For their heart was not right with Him, 

neither were they stedfast in His covenant."

(Psalm 78:36-37)

We are flattered into good thoughts of people,

and slighted into hard ones.

(J.G. Bellett)

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August 20

"Who gave Himself for our sins,

that He might deliver us from this present evil world.”

(Galatians 1:4)

The world is menace, violence, lust, self-love, fraud, deceit, envy.

The list of sins could go on and on.

The person without God is lost in it, tied to it, tainted by it.

Fear and sorrow is his lot.

His end is death.

But the child of God can be delivered from it all now. 

The work of Christ offers present salvation — freedom from this world,

peace despite this world, and joy while in this world!

On our behalf, Christ has overcome this world.

Let us so live, as truly delivered from this awful world.

(Doug Kazen)

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August 21

“I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound.”
(Philippians 4:12)

Cold is the affection, and small the energy; but in principle I know nothing at all worthy
of such visions of faith, but that spirit of devotedness that can say with Paul,
“I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound,”
and that spirit of desire which looks after Him still, 
and says, Come, Lord Jesus, come quickly.
Our God has joined Himself thus by links which never can be broken,
which His own delight and glory in them, as well as 
His counsel and strength, will secure for ever.
These links we have gazed at, mysterious and precious as they are.
He has formed them, yes, He constitutes them, faith understands them;
and on the Rock of Ages the believing sinner rests,
and rests in peace and safety.
(J.G. Bellett)

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August 22

see part 2