Gems from April 2021
As soon as the soles of the feet of the priests . . . shall rest in the waters . . . the waters shall be cut off.
Joshua 3:13
The people were not to wait in their camps until the way was opened, they were to walk by faith. They were to break camp, pack up their goods, form in line to march, and move down to the very banks before the river would be opened.
If they had come down to the edge of the river and then had stopped for the stream to divide before they stepped into it, they would have waited in vain. They must take one step into the water before the river would be cut off.
We must learn to take God at His Word, and go straight on in duty, although we see no way in which we can go for forward. The reason we are so often balked by difficulties is that we expect to see them removed before we try to pass through them.
If we would move straight on in faith, the path would be opened for us. We stand still, waiting for the obstacle to be removed, when we ought to go forward as if there were no obstacles. Evening Thoughts
Worship, and thanks, and blessing, and strength ascribe to Jesus!
The Lord alone defends His own, when earth or hell oppresses.
Omnipotent Redeemer! Our ransomed souls adore Thee;
Our Saviour Thou, we own it now, and give to Thee the glory.
Thine arm hath safely brought us a way no more expected,
Than when Thy sheep passed through the deep, by crystal walls protected.
Thy glory is our rear-ward, Thy hand our lives doth cover;
And we, even we, have passed the sea, and marched triumphant over.
Charles Wesley
N.J. Hiebert - 8436
The people were not to wait in their camps until the way was opened, they were to walk by faith. They were to break camp, pack up their goods, form in line to march, and move down to the very banks before the river would be opened.
If they had come down to the edge of the river and then had stopped for the stream to divide before they stepped into it, they would have waited in vain. They must take one step into the water before the river would be cut off.
We must learn to take God at His Word, and go straight on in duty, although we see no way in which we can go for forward. The reason we are so often balked by difficulties is that we expect to see them removed before we try to pass through them.
If we would move straight on in faith, the path would be opened for us. We stand still, waiting for the obstacle to be removed, when we ought to go forward as if there were no obstacles. Evening Thoughts
Worship, and thanks, and blessing, and strength ascribe to Jesus!
The Lord alone defends His own, when earth or hell oppresses.
Omnipotent Redeemer! Our ransomed souls adore Thee;
Our Saviour Thou, we own it now, and give to Thee the glory.
Thine arm hath safely brought us a way no more expected,
Than when Thy sheep passed through the deep, by crystal walls protected.
Thy glory is our rear-ward, Thy hand our lives doth cover;
And we, even we, have passed the sea, and marched triumphant over.
Charles Wesley
N.J. Hiebert - 8436
March 31
He commandeth even the winds and water, and they obey Him.
Luke 8:25
Even. Is there anything you find quite impossible to command in your circumstances or character? Something as deaf to command as the winds and the water? Something that has baffled you a thousand times, and appears as if it would win in the end? Do not despair. Better hath He been for years than thy fears. Better can He be, far better. He can command even this that seems as if it would not be commanded. Let that "even" be a comfort to you. "He arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm." (Mark 4:39).
Is there one who is facing something that seems impossible? Does the appointed burden feel too heavy to be carried? The disappointment too sharp to be welcomed? The duty too toilsome to be performed with joy? You have not to do it in your unaided strength: it is God who is all the while supplying the impulse, giving you the power to resolve, the strength to perform, the execution of His good pleasure. And so, I am equal to every lot through the help of Him who gives me inward strength. (Philippians 4:13)
And here is another beautiful word written down long, long ago for us: "Thy God hath commanded thy strength." (Psalm 68:28) So we need never be weak. We can be sure that every day strength is sent forth for us. So we need never be defeated, but can always be strong in the strength of our mighty God.
All the tremendous forces of Nature in the world today are at the call of our God, and are only a faint shadow of the spiritual power that is His, and that He is ready to put forth for us. Is it not amazing? How utterly foolish it is to plead weakness when we, even we, may (if we will) move into the stream of that power. Amy Carmichael
N.J. Hiebert - 8437
Luke 8:25
Even. Is there anything you find quite impossible to command in your circumstances or character? Something as deaf to command as the winds and the water? Something that has baffled you a thousand times, and appears as if it would win in the end? Do not despair. Better hath He been for years than thy fears. Better can He be, far better. He can command even this that seems as if it would not be commanded. Let that "even" be a comfort to you. "He arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm." (Mark 4:39).
Is there one who is facing something that seems impossible? Does the appointed burden feel too heavy to be carried? The disappointment too sharp to be welcomed? The duty too toilsome to be performed with joy? You have not to do it in your unaided strength: it is God who is all the while supplying the impulse, giving you the power to resolve, the strength to perform, the execution of His good pleasure. And so, I am equal to every lot through the help of Him who gives me inward strength. (Philippians 4:13)
And here is another beautiful word written down long, long ago for us: "Thy God hath commanded thy strength." (Psalm 68:28) So we need never be weak. We can be sure that every day strength is sent forth for us. So we need never be defeated, but can always be strong in the strength of our mighty God.
All the tremendous forces of Nature in the world today are at the call of our God, and are only a faint shadow of the spiritual power that is His, and that He is ready to put forth for us. Is it not amazing? How utterly foolish it is to plead weakness when we, even we, may (if we will) move into the stream of that power. Amy Carmichael
N.J. Hiebert - 8437
April 1
The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion (fellowship) of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? For we being many are one bread, and one body: for we are all partakers of that one bread. 1 Corinthians 10:16,17
A young man in New Guinea who had been away to school and had gotten a good education after his conversion, returned to his own island and to his own village. On the Lord's Day the group of missionaries and believers were gathered together to observe the Lord's Supper.
As this young man sat by one of the older missionaries, the missionary recognized that a sudden tremor had passed through the young man's body and that he had laid his hand upon the arm of the other in a way that indicated he was under a great nervous strain. Then in a moment all was quiet again. The missionary whispered, "What was it that troubled you?"
"Ah," the young man said, "it is all right. But the man who just came in killed and ate the body of my father. And now he has come in to remember the Lord with us. At first I was so shocked to see the murderer of my own father sit down with us at the table of the Lord, I didn't know whether I could endure it. But it is all right now. He is washed in the same precious blood." And so together they had communion. Does the world know anything of this? It is a marvellous thing, the work of the blessed Holy Spirit of God.
I think of Saul of Tarsus seated there with that little group of believers around him. And I think of them looking over and saying, "That is the man that arrested my father. That is the man that threw my mother into prison. That is the man that tried to make me blaspheme the name of the Lord Jesus. There he sits, a humble, contrite believer, receiving the bread and the wine in commemoration of the Lord who died." What a wonderful fellowship! H. A. Ironside
N.J. Hiebert - 8438
A young man in New Guinea who had been away to school and had gotten a good education after his conversion, returned to his own island and to his own village. On the Lord's Day the group of missionaries and believers were gathered together to observe the Lord's Supper.
As this young man sat by one of the older missionaries, the missionary recognized that a sudden tremor had passed through the young man's body and that he had laid his hand upon the arm of the other in a way that indicated he was under a great nervous strain. Then in a moment all was quiet again. The missionary whispered, "What was it that troubled you?"
"Ah," the young man said, "it is all right. But the man who just came in killed and ate the body of my father. And now he has come in to remember the Lord with us. At first I was so shocked to see the murderer of my own father sit down with us at the table of the Lord, I didn't know whether I could endure it. But it is all right now. He is washed in the same precious blood." And so together they had communion. Does the world know anything of this? It is a marvellous thing, the work of the blessed Holy Spirit of God.
I think of Saul of Tarsus seated there with that little group of believers around him. And I think of them looking over and saying, "That is the man that arrested my father. That is the man that threw my mother into prison. That is the man that tried to make me blaspheme the name of the Lord Jesus. There he sits, a humble, contrite believer, receiving the bread and the wine in commemoration of the Lord who died." What a wonderful fellowship! H. A. Ironside
N.J. Hiebert - 8438
April 2
He (a certain Samaritan) set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him. (Luke 10:33,34)
A certain man went down from Jerusalem, to Jericho, the city of the curse. But on the way he fell among thieves, who left him naked and wounded and half dead. A priest and a Levite passed by, but did nothing to help the wretched man. Then came "a certain Samaritan", and as he journeyed, he came where he was; and he had compassion on him, and went right down into the ditch with him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine. I am sure he clothed him with his own clothes and he put him on his own beast, and he took him to an inn.
Will there be room for him in this inn? Yes, Thank God, there is room, abundance of room, for him: for the Greek name of this inn is pan-docheion: 'the place that receives all.' Not one has ever been turned away from this inn.
Poverty, wretchedness, sin will never keep a person outside the inn called 'Pan-docheion.' It is God's own inn. Never yet has an applicant been told there is 'no room.' It 'receives all'. "Him that cometh unto Me, I will in no wise cast out," (John 6:37) is inscribed over that door.
And this inn has a "Host," and the Spirit of God tells us His name: "Pan-docheus": "The person who receives all." And the Samaritan only stayed a short time, for He went away the next day; but before He left, He promised to come back, and in the meantime, He left orders with the "Host": to take care of this poor man. He left Him two pence, but added, Whatsoever Thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay Thee. Luke 10:35.
Since He only paid "two pence" the poor man knew that his good Friend meant to come again soon; and I am sure he kept watching down the road to see if He was coming. "Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, Come, Lord Jesus. (Revelation 22:20). Hid Treasures - G. C. Willis
N.J. Hiebert - 8439
A certain man went down from Jerusalem, to Jericho, the city of the curse. But on the way he fell among thieves, who left him naked and wounded and half dead. A priest and a Levite passed by, but did nothing to help the wretched man. Then came "a certain Samaritan", and as he journeyed, he came where he was; and he had compassion on him, and went right down into the ditch with him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine. I am sure he clothed him with his own clothes and he put him on his own beast, and he took him to an inn.
Will there be room for him in this inn? Yes, Thank God, there is room, abundance of room, for him: for the Greek name of this inn is pan-docheion: 'the place that receives all.' Not one has ever been turned away from this inn.
Poverty, wretchedness, sin will never keep a person outside the inn called 'Pan-docheion.' It is God's own inn. Never yet has an applicant been told there is 'no room.' It 'receives all'. "Him that cometh unto Me, I will in no wise cast out," (John 6:37) is inscribed over that door.
And this inn has a "Host," and the Spirit of God tells us His name: "Pan-docheus": "The person who receives all." And the Samaritan only stayed a short time, for He went away the next day; but before He left, He promised to come back, and in the meantime, He left orders with the "Host": to take care of this poor man. He left Him two pence, but added, Whatsoever Thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay Thee. Luke 10:35.
Since He only paid "two pence" the poor man knew that his good Friend meant to come again soon; and I am sure he kept watching down the road to see if He was coming. "Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, Come, Lord Jesus. (Revelation 22:20). Hid Treasures - G. C. Willis
N.J. Hiebert - 8439
April 3
For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. Philippians 1:21
THE KING AND QUEEN OF ENGLAND
King George VI and the Queen of England were visiting President and Mrs. Roosevelt in the White House. The Queen later became known to us as the Queen Mother after her husband passed away and her daughter Elizabeth ascended the throne. The Queen mother lived to be 101, passing away in 2002.
On that particular visit to the United States, a well-known Native American singer, Chief Whitefeather, was invited to sing for the king and queen and President and Mrs. Roosevelt. After singing two operatic arias, for which his small audience showed great appreciation, the chief asked, "May I sing something from deep within my heart?"
Soon they were hearing the beautiful words of "I'd Rather Have Jesus." When he finished, in the silence of the moment, the queen said to him, "This song bespeaks the sentiment of my heart--and that of my husband."
The inspiring and challenging words of this hymn, written by Rhea F. Miller, so influenced twenty-three year-old George Beverly Shea that they determined the direction of his entire life. As he began to compose a melody for these moving lines, he decided to devote his singing talents to God's glory alone.
Growing up with devoted Christian parents, Bev was encouraged to use his fine singing voice as his career. One Sunday as Bev went to the family piano to prepare a song he found there the poem "I'd Rather Have Jesus." His mother, who collected beautiful quotations and literary selections, had begun to leave some of them around the house for her son to read, hoping to guide him spiritually. Bev was deeply moved with the challenging message of this text. Immediately he began to compose the music for the lines and used the song the same day.
I'd rather have Jesus than silver or gold; I'd rather be His than have riches untold;
I'd rather have Jesus than houses or lands. I'd rather be led by His nail-pierced hand.
I'd rather have Jesus than men's applause; I'd rather be faithful to His dear cause;
I'd rather have Jesus than world-wide fame; I'd rather be true to His holy name.
He's fairer than lilies of rarest bloom; He's sweeter than honey from out of the comb;
He's all than my hungering spirit needs, I'd rather have Jesus and let Him lead.
CHORUS:
Than to to be the king of a vast domain and be held in sin's dread sway;
I'd rather have Jesus than anything this world affords today.
N.J. Hiebert - 8440
THE KING AND QUEEN OF ENGLAND
King George VI and the Queen of England were visiting President and Mrs. Roosevelt in the White House. The Queen later became known to us as the Queen Mother after her husband passed away and her daughter Elizabeth ascended the throne. The Queen mother lived to be 101, passing away in 2002.
On that particular visit to the United States, a well-known Native American singer, Chief Whitefeather, was invited to sing for the king and queen and President and Mrs. Roosevelt. After singing two operatic arias, for which his small audience showed great appreciation, the chief asked, "May I sing something from deep within my heart?"
Soon they were hearing the beautiful words of "I'd Rather Have Jesus." When he finished, in the silence of the moment, the queen said to him, "This song bespeaks the sentiment of my heart--and that of my husband."
The inspiring and challenging words of this hymn, written by Rhea F. Miller, so influenced twenty-three year-old George Beverly Shea that they determined the direction of his entire life. As he began to compose a melody for these moving lines, he decided to devote his singing talents to God's glory alone.
Growing up with devoted Christian parents, Bev was encouraged to use his fine singing voice as his career. One Sunday as Bev went to the family piano to prepare a song he found there the poem "I'd Rather Have Jesus." His mother, who collected beautiful quotations and literary selections, had begun to leave some of them around the house for her son to read, hoping to guide him spiritually. Bev was deeply moved with the challenging message of this text. Immediately he began to compose the music for the lines and used the song the same day.
I'd rather have Jesus than silver or gold; I'd rather be His than have riches untold;
I'd rather have Jesus than houses or lands. I'd rather be led by His nail-pierced hand.
I'd rather have Jesus than men's applause; I'd rather be faithful to His dear cause;
I'd rather have Jesus than world-wide fame; I'd rather be true to His holy name.
He's fairer than lilies of rarest bloom; He's sweeter than honey from out of the comb;
He's all than my hungering spirit needs, I'd rather have Jesus and let Him lead.
CHORUS:
Than to to be the king of a vast domain and be held in sin's dread sway;
I'd rather have Jesus than anything this world affords today.
N.J. Hiebert - 8440
April 4
And the (thief) said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when Thou comest into Thy kingdom. And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, today shalt thou be with Me in paradise. Luke 23:42,43
There is not a more striking instance of grace--the grace of Christ--in all Scripture, than in the case of the dying robber. In all the pages of the Word of God you cannot find anything more touching, or more expressive, of the blessed grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, than the way in which He deals with this man; for every person must admit it was a desperate case.
He was a pest on earth, and he certainly was not fit for heaven. His faults nailed him to the tree. He was a man whose history was of such a character, that he was going out of the world in ignominy and shame, a sinner in his sins, to meet God. He was within six hours of his death, and Christ met him, and saved him.
Has He met you yet? Has He saved you yet? Perhaps--nobody knows--you may be within six hours of your death. Who can tell? I am not a prophet, but I am a physician, and I have in my day seen many a healthy man, and know that he has been cut off in less than six hours. If you have never met that robber's Saviour, if you have never met my Saviour, do not let the few minutes that we shall spend together pass without your coming into contact with Him now. Seekers of light - W. T. P. Wolston, MD
Behold the Saviour at the door! He gently knocks--has knocked before;
Has waited long--is waiting still: You use no other friend so ill.
Admit Him, ere His anger burn, lest He depart and n'er return;
Admit Him or the hour's at hand when at His door denied you'll stand.
REFRAIN Open the door, He'll enter in,
And and sup with you , and you with Him. Joseph Grigg
N.J. Hiebert - 8441
There is not a more striking instance of grace--the grace of Christ--in all Scripture, than in the case of the dying robber. In all the pages of the Word of God you cannot find anything more touching, or more expressive, of the blessed grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, than the way in which He deals with this man; for every person must admit it was a desperate case.
He was a pest on earth, and he certainly was not fit for heaven. His faults nailed him to the tree. He was a man whose history was of such a character, that he was going out of the world in ignominy and shame, a sinner in his sins, to meet God. He was within six hours of his death, and Christ met him, and saved him.
Has He met you yet? Has He saved you yet? Perhaps--nobody knows--you may be within six hours of your death. Who can tell? I am not a prophet, but I am a physician, and I have in my day seen many a healthy man, and know that he has been cut off in less than six hours. If you have never met that robber's Saviour, if you have never met my Saviour, do not let the few minutes that we shall spend together pass without your coming into contact with Him now. Seekers of light - W. T. P. Wolston, MD
Behold the Saviour at the door! He gently knocks--has knocked before;
Has waited long--is waiting still: You use no other friend so ill.
Admit Him, ere His anger burn, lest He depart and n'er return;
Admit Him or the hour's at hand when at His door denied you'll stand.
REFRAIN Open the door, He'll enter in,
And and sup with you , and you with Him. Joseph Grigg
N.J. Hiebert - 8441
April 5
But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart. Luke 2:19 And they remembered His words. Luke 24:8
The only writing of our Lord was with His finger, and that in the loose sand of the ground. (John 8:6) Other men who spoke words acclaimed by their fellows wrote in books to preserve to themselves a perpetual memorial of literary glory. Not so the Son of God. When He expired, forsaken on the cross, His words only remained sown on the hearts of men. There the Holy Spirit, like the sun and the rain, made them bear fruit after His resurrection.
When the Lord Jesus died, His works were doubted; His disciples seemed hopeless, and His words appeared lost, like the seed of the harvest, in the cold ground during the frozen winter. Peter had said, "Thou hast the words of eternal life," (John 6:68) but those words were not written, and now Peter has denied Him in the presence of His enemies.
The officers testified, "Never man spake like this man." (John 7:46) but now they have seen Him answering not a word, "as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so He openeth not His mouth." (Isaiah 53:7). All His friends were disappointed, and despaired when He was crucified. Who now would care about His words? The tree is cut down; how can it now bear any fruit? No other person's words have been so cherished as the words of the Lord Jesus; no other person's words would be remembered at all, were they not written when he was living.
Imperishable words! Here then is one of the wonders of words of Christ. His words are indestructible. He said, "Heaven and earth shall pass away, but My words shall not pass away" (Mathew 24:35). Millions of people lived when He lived. Countless millions had lived and died before Him. How very few of them spoke words that have survived the centuries! But of Him they said, "How knoweth this man letters, having never leaned?" (John 7:15)
Plant of Renown - Leonard Sheldrake
N.J. Hebert - 8442
The only writing of our Lord was with His finger, and that in the loose sand of the ground. (John 8:6) Other men who spoke words acclaimed by their fellows wrote in books to preserve to themselves a perpetual memorial of literary glory. Not so the Son of God. When He expired, forsaken on the cross, His words only remained sown on the hearts of men. There the Holy Spirit, like the sun and the rain, made them bear fruit after His resurrection.
When the Lord Jesus died, His works were doubted; His disciples seemed hopeless, and His words appeared lost, like the seed of the harvest, in the cold ground during the frozen winter. Peter had said, "Thou hast the words of eternal life," (John 6:68) but those words were not written, and now Peter has denied Him in the presence of His enemies.
The officers testified, "Never man spake like this man." (John 7:46) but now they have seen Him answering not a word, "as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so He openeth not His mouth." (Isaiah 53:7). All His friends were disappointed, and despaired when He was crucified. Who now would care about His words? The tree is cut down; how can it now bear any fruit? No other person's words have been so cherished as the words of the Lord Jesus; no other person's words would be remembered at all, were they not written when he was living.
Imperishable words! Here then is one of the wonders of words of Christ. His words are indestructible. He said, "Heaven and earth shall pass away, but My words shall not pass away" (Mathew 24:35). Millions of people lived when He lived. Countless millions had lived and died before Him. How very few of them spoke words that have survived the centuries! But of Him they said, "How knoweth this man letters, having never leaned?" (John 7:15)
Plant of Renown - Leonard Sheldrake
N.J. Hebert - 8442
April 6
Whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: and the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock." Matthew 7:24,25.
The wise man is the believer whose life is built upon the Rock, "Christ".
Looking at the trees at timberline we see a dimension to their growth not often recognized by the casual passerby.
It is the rare and elegant quality of the actual wood produced within the wind-tossed trees. Its grain is of exquisite texture interspersed with whorls and curving lines of unusual gracefulness. The stresses and strains of being tossed and twisted by the wind and sleet and deep snows of winter produce an extra flow of resins in the tree. Not only does this give the fibres a remarkable tight-grained texture but it gives off also an exquisite fragrance.
An expert violin maker, who is a master craftsman, tells me that he spends weeks each summer searching for special trees above timberline. From these he takes his choicest materials to create musical instruments of the finest quality and tone.
Wood produced in the high and tough terrain above the usual timber bears within it a rare timbre and lovely resonance not found in ordinary lumber cut at lower elevations. The fury of storms, the shortness of the growing season, the wrenching of the winds, the strain of survival in such an austere setting--all these combine to produce some of the toughest, choicest, most wondrous wood in all the world. Songs of My Soul - W. Phillip Keller
Make us Thy mountaineers; we would not linger on the lower slope.
Fill us afresh with hope, Thou God of hope, that undefeated,
We may climb the hill, as seeing Him who is invisible. Amy Carmichael
N.J. Hiebert - 8443
The wise man is the believer whose life is built upon the Rock, "Christ".
Looking at the trees at timberline we see a dimension to their growth not often recognized by the casual passerby.
It is the rare and elegant quality of the actual wood produced within the wind-tossed trees. Its grain is of exquisite texture interspersed with whorls and curving lines of unusual gracefulness. The stresses and strains of being tossed and twisted by the wind and sleet and deep snows of winter produce an extra flow of resins in the tree. Not only does this give the fibres a remarkable tight-grained texture but it gives off also an exquisite fragrance.
An expert violin maker, who is a master craftsman, tells me that he spends weeks each summer searching for special trees above timberline. From these he takes his choicest materials to create musical instruments of the finest quality and tone.
Wood produced in the high and tough terrain above the usual timber bears within it a rare timbre and lovely resonance not found in ordinary lumber cut at lower elevations. The fury of storms, the shortness of the growing season, the wrenching of the winds, the strain of survival in such an austere setting--all these combine to produce some of the toughest, choicest, most wondrous wood in all the world. Songs of My Soul - W. Phillip Keller
Make us Thy mountaineers; we would not linger on the lower slope.
Fill us afresh with hope, Thou God of hope, that undefeated,
We may climb the hill, as seeing Him who is invisible. Amy Carmichael
N.J. Hiebert - 8443
April 7
" . . . For thou hast a little strength, and hast kept My word, and hast not denied My name." Revelation 3:8
A preacher was walking along Madison Square, New York, where a number of street meetings can always be found in session. He came across a group of extraordinary size, to which a speaker, mounted on a box, was airing his religious views. He was shouting at the top of his voice: "There is no God!--and there never was a God!" I dare anyone here to stand up on this box and prove that there is a God!"
The speaker flung the taunt at the crowd: "God hasn't a friend among you!" A fresh young voice rang out: "YES, HE HAS!" A young lad elbowing his way through the center of the throng was welcomed by his challenger and asked to state his proofs.
The young lad, throwing back his head and straightening his shoulders, began: "This man here says that there ain't no God. He tells an untruth! I know there IS a God! He says that God hasn't a friend in this crowd. He tells an untruth! I am a friend of God! He says that no one can prove that there is a God. Again, he tells an untruth, and I can prove it. God is in here right now," he said as he put his hand on his heart; "HE LIVES! He lives in ME! I hear His voice saying to me right now, 'Don't let that man put such lies over on this crowd!' "
It was truly a dramatic scene! In one solitary moment the leadership had passed from this blatant unbeliever to the boy of faith and vision! The infidel orator was unable recapture his crowd.
Someone in the crowd started to sing the old familiar hymn "Nearer My God to Thee." The preacher said, "It swelled from lip to lip, until a mighty chorus rolled up agains the great tower, and broke in a benediction upon every heart!"
Mountain Trailways for Youth.
N.J. Hiebert - 8444
A preacher was walking along Madison Square, New York, where a number of street meetings can always be found in session. He came across a group of extraordinary size, to which a speaker, mounted on a box, was airing his religious views. He was shouting at the top of his voice: "There is no God!--and there never was a God!" I dare anyone here to stand up on this box and prove that there is a God!"
The speaker flung the taunt at the crowd: "God hasn't a friend among you!" A fresh young voice rang out: "YES, HE HAS!" A young lad elbowing his way through the center of the throng was welcomed by his challenger and asked to state his proofs.
The young lad, throwing back his head and straightening his shoulders, began: "This man here says that there ain't no God. He tells an untruth! I know there IS a God! He says that God hasn't a friend in this crowd. He tells an untruth! I am a friend of God! He says that no one can prove that there is a God. Again, he tells an untruth, and I can prove it. God is in here right now," he said as he put his hand on his heart; "HE LIVES! He lives in ME! I hear His voice saying to me right now, 'Don't let that man put such lies over on this crowd!' "
It was truly a dramatic scene! In one solitary moment the leadership had passed from this blatant unbeliever to the boy of faith and vision! The infidel orator was unable recapture his crowd.
Someone in the crowd started to sing the old familiar hymn "Nearer My God to Thee." The preacher said, "It swelled from lip to lip, until a mighty chorus rolled up agains the great tower, and broke in a benediction upon every heart!"
Mountain Trailways for Youth.
N.J. Hiebert - 8444
April 8
And they bring Him unto the place Golgotha, which is, being interpreted, the place of a skull . . . and they crucified Him. Mark 15:22,25
Golgotha was the place where the death penalty was usually carried out. The Romans called it Calvary-- ("The place of a skull"). Here an alleged criminal named Jesus was crucified. Who was He? He was the Creator! (Colossians 1:16), the Son of God.
At about age 30, He began His public ministry. That is when all His troubles with the Jewish religious authorities began--His teaching and His claims for Himself put Him on a collision course with them. They had Him arrested and, after a mock court, turned Him over to the Roman authorities to be crucified--they themselves did not have the authority to do this. The Roman judge found Him not guilty, but then folded under pressure and turned Him over to be crucified. (Matthew 27:20,26; Luke 23;21-25)
Who is to blame for this greatest crime ever committed? Well, the religious leaders and the people were certainly to blame; the Roman authorities and soldiers were to blame because they actually crucified Him, an innocent Man; but most of all, we are guilty! It was our sins that caused Him to be nailed to the cross-- "For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit." (1 Peter 3:18). But death and the grave could not hold Him--HE AROSE!
And, He will come back again to take all the redeemed to spend eternity with Him. God has turned the worst crime ever committed into a way of blessing for all who will come to Him! R. Salcido
My conscience felt and owned the guilt, and plunged me in despair;
I saw my sins His blood had spilt and helped to nail Him there. . . . Jesus said:
This blood is for your ransom paid, I died that you may live. John Newton
N.J. Hiebert - 8445
Golgotha was the place where the death penalty was usually carried out. The Romans called it Calvary-- ("The place of a skull"). Here an alleged criminal named Jesus was crucified. Who was He? He was the Creator! (Colossians 1:16), the Son of God.
At about age 30, He began His public ministry. That is when all His troubles with the Jewish religious authorities began--His teaching and His claims for Himself put Him on a collision course with them. They had Him arrested and, after a mock court, turned Him over to the Roman authorities to be crucified--they themselves did not have the authority to do this. The Roman judge found Him not guilty, but then folded under pressure and turned Him over to be crucified. (Matthew 27:20,26; Luke 23;21-25)
Who is to blame for this greatest crime ever committed? Well, the religious leaders and the people were certainly to blame; the Roman authorities and soldiers were to blame because they actually crucified Him, an innocent Man; but most of all, we are guilty! It was our sins that caused Him to be nailed to the cross-- "For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit." (1 Peter 3:18). But death and the grave could not hold Him--HE AROSE!
And, He will come back again to take all the redeemed to spend eternity with Him. God has turned the worst crime ever committed into a way of blessing for all who will come to Him! R. Salcido
My conscience felt and owned the guilt, and plunged me in despair;
I saw my sins His blood had spilt and helped to nail Him there. . . . Jesus said:
This blood is for your ransom paid, I died that you may live. John Newton
N.J. Hiebert - 8445
April 9
". . . Henceforth . . . unto Him, . . . " 2 Corinthians 5:15
In the cemetery of an English town there is a tombstone which attracts the attention of many visitors. It marks the grave where the celebrated Swedish singer, Jenny Lind, known as the Swedish Nightingale, was buried, and upon the stone is the text, "I know that my Redeemer liveth." Job 19:25
Jenny Lind was born 1820. When only seventeen she came from her native land, and her lovely voice took the concert-loving people by storm. Queen Victoria often was found in her audience and signally honoured "the girl with a marvellous voice,"as she was called, by throwing to her a bouquet of flowers.
Jenny Lind received honour, and gifts were showered upon her from all sides. Wealth poured in, but her success did not make her proud as is so often the case, and she humbly wrote to a friend in later years, "My unceasing prayer is that what I gave others may continue to live on through eternity and that the Giver of the gift and not the creature to whom He lent it may be acknowledged."
Nothing is more astonishing about the career of Jenny Lind than its comparative shortness. She sang in the English opera for only two years and retired in five years after her first appearance in London. To many it would seem strange circumstances which led a young girl to abandon such a promising career and retire to the quietness of an English country home.
On one occasion she sat on the seashore, reading a Bible, when one who greatly admired her beautiful voice saw her and asked, "How is it, madam, that you abandoned the stage at the very height of your success?" Jenny Lind replied: "When every day it made me think less of this"--laying her hand upon the open Bible, "what else could I do?" What a beautiful answer and how convincing! It was the knowledge of a Saviour's love which led her to abandon what the world counts of such value--riches, honour and popularity. Selected
N.J. Hiebert - 8446
In the cemetery of an English town there is a tombstone which attracts the attention of many visitors. It marks the grave where the celebrated Swedish singer, Jenny Lind, known as the Swedish Nightingale, was buried, and upon the stone is the text, "I know that my Redeemer liveth." Job 19:25
Jenny Lind was born 1820. When only seventeen she came from her native land, and her lovely voice took the concert-loving people by storm. Queen Victoria often was found in her audience and signally honoured "the girl with a marvellous voice,"as she was called, by throwing to her a bouquet of flowers.
Jenny Lind received honour, and gifts were showered upon her from all sides. Wealth poured in, but her success did not make her proud as is so often the case, and she humbly wrote to a friend in later years, "My unceasing prayer is that what I gave others may continue to live on through eternity and that the Giver of the gift and not the creature to whom He lent it may be acknowledged."
Nothing is more astonishing about the career of Jenny Lind than its comparative shortness. She sang in the English opera for only two years and retired in five years after her first appearance in London. To many it would seem strange circumstances which led a young girl to abandon such a promising career and retire to the quietness of an English country home.
On one occasion she sat on the seashore, reading a Bible, when one who greatly admired her beautiful voice saw her and asked, "How is it, madam, that you abandoned the stage at the very height of your success?" Jenny Lind replied: "When every day it made me think less of this"--laying her hand upon the open Bible, "what else could I do?" What a beautiful answer and how convincing! It was the knowledge of a Saviour's love which led her to abandon what the world counts of such value--riches, honour and popularity. Selected
N.J. Hiebert - 8446
April 10
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice . . . Romans 12:1
"By the mercies of God." What does that mean? It is like this. One evening you are walking quietly home from your place of business. Suddenly the fire alarm rings out; your heart leaps with fear as the thought of home and loved ones flashes upon you. As you near home your worst fears are realized: your house is in flames. You rush thither and find that your wife and children have been saved, except for one little one who is still in the house. The next instance a brave fireman hurries past and dashing into the burning house, finds his way to the little one, carries her out through the flames and smoke, and puts her in your arms--safe.
Weeks go by, and then one day this same brave man comes to you and showing his hands, says, "Behold my love and mercies to you. See these burned and blistered hands; see this scarred face, and these scorched feet. I am in need. I want help. I beseech you, by my mercies to your child, that you help me." There is nothing in the world you would not give to that man.
Even so, Jesus Christ, our loving Lord, stands here tonight. He stretches forth His hands, pierced with cruel nails for you and me. He points to the wound in His side, made by the blood-thirsty spear. He shows you the scars on His forehead, made by the crown of thorns. He says, "My child, behold, My mercies to you. I saved you from the guilt of sin; I brought you from death unto life; I gave you the Spirit of God.
Some day I will glorify your body and will make you to sit down with Me on My throne. My child, by My mercies, I beseech you." You say, "Lord, what do you want from me?" He answers, "I want you for My service. I beseech you, by My mercies to you, give your life to Me."
James McConkey
N.J. Hiebert - 8447
"By the mercies of God." What does that mean? It is like this. One evening you are walking quietly home from your place of business. Suddenly the fire alarm rings out; your heart leaps with fear as the thought of home and loved ones flashes upon you. As you near home your worst fears are realized: your house is in flames. You rush thither and find that your wife and children have been saved, except for one little one who is still in the house. The next instance a brave fireman hurries past and dashing into the burning house, finds his way to the little one, carries her out through the flames and smoke, and puts her in your arms--safe.
Weeks go by, and then one day this same brave man comes to you and showing his hands, says, "Behold my love and mercies to you. See these burned and blistered hands; see this scarred face, and these scorched feet. I am in need. I want help. I beseech you, by my mercies to your child, that you help me." There is nothing in the world you would not give to that man.
Even so, Jesus Christ, our loving Lord, stands here tonight. He stretches forth His hands, pierced with cruel nails for you and me. He points to the wound in His side, made by the blood-thirsty spear. He shows you the scars on His forehead, made by the crown of thorns. He says, "My child, behold, My mercies to you. I saved you from the guilt of sin; I brought you from death unto life; I gave you the Spirit of God.
Some day I will glorify your body and will make you to sit down with Me on My throne. My child, by My mercies, I beseech you." You say, "Lord, what do you want from me?" He answers, "I want you for My service. I beseech you, by My mercies to you, give your life to Me."
James McConkey
N.J. Hiebert - 8447
April 11
Jonah rose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. Jonah 1:3
It is always going down when we seek to leave the Lord. This was Jonah's first outward step down, but it was by no means his last. The outward step is generally preceded by an inward or spiritual step down. It is easier to go down than to go up, whether it be for body or soul. Beware dear fellow-Christian, when the path begins to go downward, when the travel is easy, and there is no hill to climb! We can be sure then that we have got on the wrong road.
Notice, too, that apparently with no difficulty or delay, he "found a ship going to Tarshish." Perhaps he thought, "this is quite providential! This is surely a sign that I am being prospered in my way." It is wonderful how easy the devil makes our downward pathway. He is always ready to provide all we need to get away from the Lord. Do not let us think for a moment that because the downward road is an easy one, therefore it must be right. The ship already "going to Tarshish" was absolutely no proof that God had "prepared " it. Quite the reverse was the truth, and we ever need to bear in mind that things made ready to our hand to help us to do our own will, are by no means prepared for us by God, but very possibly prepared for us by the devil. "So he paid the fare thereof, and went down into it, to go with them unto Tarshish from the presence of Jehovah."
"So he paid the fare thereof." A terribly high fare it must have been for that long journey. The Lord asks, "Who goeth a warfare at any time at his own charges" (1 Corinthians 9:7). If we are going in the service of the Lord, we may be quite sure that He will see about "the fare;" but if we are going to please ourselves, or in the service of the devil, "the fare" must be paid!
Friends, how very costly is that fare at times! There is many a man who has refused the call of God, and turned to his own way and "the fare" has been his peace of mind, the rest of heart that the Lord alone can give as we bear His yoke and perhaps the eternal loss of family, comfort and possessions. All these cannot begin to make up for the price we had to pay for "the fare". It is a costly thing to disobey God.
The devil takes but he does not give, and the only wages he pays is death. (Romans 6:23) His service is bad, his "fares" are the highest, and his wages are the worst: yet strange to say, he always has a mighty following.
Jonah - G. C. Willis
N.J. Hiebert - 8448
It is always going down when we seek to leave the Lord. This was Jonah's first outward step down, but it was by no means his last. The outward step is generally preceded by an inward or spiritual step down. It is easier to go down than to go up, whether it be for body or soul. Beware dear fellow-Christian, when the path begins to go downward, when the travel is easy, and there is no hill to climb! We can be sure then that we have got on the wrong road.
Notice, too, that apparently with no difficulty or delay, he "found a ship going to Tarshish." Perhaps he thought, "this is quite providential! This is surely a sign that I am being prospered in my way." It is wonderful how easy the devil makes our downward pathway. He is always ready to provide all we need to get away from the Lord. Do not let us think for a moment that because the downward road is an easy one, therefore it must be right. The ship already "going to Tarshish" was absolutely no proof that God had "prepared " it. Quite the reverse was the truth, and we ever need to bear in mind that things made ready to our hand to help us to do our own will, are by no means prepared for us by God, but very possibly prepared for us by the devil. "So he paid the fare thereof, and went down into it, to go with them unto Tarshish from the presence of Jehovah."
"So he paid the fare thereof." A terribly high fare it must have been for that long journey. The Lord asks, "Who goeth a warfare at any time at his own charges" (1 Corinthians 9:7). If we are going in the service of the Lord, we may be quite sure that He will see about "the fare;" but if we are going to please ourselves, or in the service of the devil, "the fare" must be paid!
Friends, how very costly is that fare at times! There is many a man who has refused the call of God, and turned to his own way and "the fare" has been his peace of mind, the rest of heart that the Lord alone can give as we bear His yoke and perhaps the eternal loss of family, comfort and possessions. All these cannot begin to make up for the price we had to pay for "the fare". It is a costly thing to disobey God.
The devil takes but he does not give, and the only wages he pays is death. (Romans 6:23) His service is bad, his "fares" are the highest, and his wages are the worst: yet strange to say, he always has a mighty following.
Jonah - G. C. Willis
N.J. Hiebert - 8448
April 12
John did no miracle: but all things that John spake of this Man were true. John 10:41
You may be very discontented with yourself. You are no genius, have no brilliant gifts, and are inconspicuous for any special faculty. Mediocrity is the law of your existence. Your days are remarkable for nothing but sameness and insipidity. Yet you may live a great life.
John did no miracle, but Jesus said that among those born of women there had not appeared a greater than he. (Luke 7:28)
John's main business was to bear witness to the Light, and this may be yours and mine. John was content to be only a voice, if men would think of Christ. (John 1:23)
Be willing to be only a voice, heard but not seen; a mirror whose surface is lost to view, because it reflects the dazzling glory of the sun; a breeze that springs up just before daylight, and says "The dawn! the dawn!" and then dies away.
Do the commonest and smallest things as beneath His eye. If you must live with uncongenial people, set to their conquest by love. If you have made a great mistake in your life, do not let it becloud all of it; but, locking the secret in your breast, compel it to yield strength and sweetness.
We are doing more good than we know, sowing seeds, starting stream-lets, giving men true thoughts of Christ, to which they will refer one day as the first things that started them thinking of Him; and, of my part, I shall be satisfied if no great mausoleum is raised over my grave, but that simple souls shall gather there when I am gone, and say: "He was a good man; he wrought no miracles, but he spake words about Christ, which led me to know Him for myself." George Matheson.
N.J. Hiebert - 8449
You may be very discontented with yourself. You are no genius, have no brilliant gifts, and are inconspicuous for any special faculty. Mediocrity is the law of your existence. Your days are remarkable for nothing but sameness and insipidity. Yet you may live a great life.
John did no miracle, but Jesus said that among those born of women there had not appeared a greater than he. (Luke 7:28)
John's main business was to bear witness to the Light, and this may be yours and mine. John was content to be only a voice, if men would think of Christ. (John 1:23)
Be willing to be only a voice, heard but not seen; a mirror whose surface is lost to view, because it reflects the dazzling glory of the sun; a breeze that springs up just before daylight, and says "The dawn! the dawn!" and then dies away.
Do the commonest and smallest things as beneath His eye. If you must live with uncongenial people, set to their conquest by love. If you have made a great mistake in your life, do not let it becloud all of it; but, locking the secret in your breast, compel it to yield strength and sweetness.
We are doing more good than we know, sowing seeds, starting stream-lets, giving men true thoughts of Christ, to which they will refer one day as the first things that started them thinking of Him; and, of my part, I shall be satisfied if no great mausoleum is raised over my grave, but that simple souls shall gather there when I am gone, and say: "He was a good man; he wrought no miracles, but he spake words about Christ, which led me to know Him for myself." George Matheson.
N.J. Hiebert - 8449
April 13
He [God] that spared not His own Son [Jesus], but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?
Romans 8:32
Fiorello H. La Guardia was the mayor of New York City from 1933 to to 1945. Previously he had served in the United States Congress. He was known as a man of honesty and integrity. His tenure as mayor was marked by a constant fight against various forms of corruption which plagued New York City.
Mayor La Guardia made a habit of making unannounced visits to night courts which were held during those years in the city. One of the poorest wards of the city had a reputation of judicial corruption, specially the night courts. One night in 1935 he unexpectedly appeared at a night court in that impoverished ward of the city. A news reporter who happened to be there phoned others and before long the court room was filled with curious spectators.
Mayor La Guardia dismissed the night court judge for that evening and took over the bench. The cases were routine and the 'judge' passed fair and legal judicial rulings in each case that came before him.
During the course of the night court one case came up which involved an elderly woman. She had been caught stealing bread to feed her grandchildren. The courtroom waited in expectancy--knowing well the kind heart of the mayor, all wondered what sentence he would pass on the guilty old grandmother.
Weeping, she explained to him that she was in charge of caring for her grandchildren. She had run out of money, they were hungry and in desperation she had stolen the bread in order to give them a little food. Mayor La Guardia listened sympathetically, but when she was done speaking said, "I'm very sorry ma'am, but I still have to punish you for stealing. Your sentence is ten dollars or ten days in jail." The elderly lady broke down sobbing as he spoke.
Mayor La Guardia pulled out his billfold, picked up his hat and placed a $10 bill in it. Handing it to the court clerk he then 'fined' everyone in the packed courtroom .50 cents for "living in a city where a person has to steal bread so her grandchildren can eat." His hat was passed around the room and the grandmother was able to leave with her fine paid and with an additional $47.50 to provide for her family. The Christian Shepherd - August 2011
N.J. Hiebert - 8450
Romans 8:32
Fiorello H. La Guardia was the mayor of New York City from 1933 to to 1945. Previously he had served in the United States Congress. He was known as a man of honesty and integrity. His tenure as mayor was marked by a constant fight against various forms of corruption which plagued New York City.
Mayor La Guardia made a habit of making unannounced visits to night courts which were held during those years in the city. One of the poorest wards of the city had a reputation of judicial corruption, specially the night courts. One night in 1935 he unexpectedly appeared at a night court in that impoverished ward of the city. A news reporter who happened to be there phoned others and before long the court room was filled with curious spectators.
Mayor La Guardia dismissed the night court judge for that evening and took over the bench. The cases were routine and the 'judge' passed fair and legal judicial rulings in each case that came before him.
During the course of the night court one case came up which involved an elderly woman. She had been caught stealing bread to feed her grandchildren. The courtroom waited in expectancy--knowing well the kind heart of the mayor, all wondered what sentence he would pass on the guilty old grandmother.
Weeping, she explained to him that she was in charge of caring for her grandchildren. She had run out of money, they were hungry and in desperation she had stolen the bread in order to give them a little food. Mayor La Guardia listened sympathetically, but when she was done speaking said, "I'm very sorry ma'am, but I still have to punish you for stealing. Your sentence is ten dollars or ten days in jail." The elderly lady broke down sobbing as he spoke.
Mayor La Guardia pulled out his billfold, picked up his hat and placed a $10 bill in it. Handing it to the court clerk he then 'fined' everyone in the packed courtroom .50 cents for "living in a city where a person has to steal bread so her grandchildren can eat." His hat was passed around the room and the grandmother was able to leave with her fine paid and with an additional $47.50 to provide for her family. The Christian Shepherd - August 2011
N.J. Hiebert - 8450
April 14
God hath showed Pharaoh what He is about to do. Genesis 41:25
The wise men of Egypt doubtless had their theories as to the future of Egypt, and shaped their policies and made their plans in accordance with their own ideas--even as today the leaders of this world, whether political, religious, intellectual, capitalist, or labour, have their various theories of future government of the world. But from the most exalted imperialist through all shades of thought to the most degraded Bolshevist, there is one thing in common--all the theories of men leave God out of God's world.
Men will not own God as "the God of heaven and earth." God is welcome to heaven, about which man knows nothing and cares less, but as for earth, the centre of all man's affections, it must be governed according to man's ideals, an ideal which enthrones the will of man as supreme to the total exclusion of God. Nevertheless, God has His plans for the future government of the world, and of these plans He has not left us in ignorance. In Pharaoh's day, "He showed Pharaoh by a dream what He was about to do."
God was going to govern Egypt by one who had been rejected by his brethren, cast out, and forgotten by the world. And God has disclosed to us that according to His good pleasure He has purposed to head up all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are in earth.
The One, who when He entered the world, found "no room" even in a wayside inn, who, as he passed through it, was "as a stranger in the land" and a "wayfaring man" with not where to lay His head, who when He went out of the world was nailed to a cross between two thieves, is the One of whom God has decreed, "The government shall be upon His shoulder; and His name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, Mighty God, the everlasting Father, the Prince of peace. (Isaiah 9:6). Hamilton Smith
N.J. Hiebert - 8451
The wise men of Egypt doubtless had their theories as to the future of Egypt, and shaped their policies and made their plans in accordance with their own ideas--even as today the leaders of this world, whether political, religious, intellectual, capitalist, or labour, have their various theories of future government of the world. But from the most exalted imperialist through all shades of thought to the most degraded Bolshevist, there is one thing in common--all the theories of men leave God out of God's world.
Men will not own God as "the God of heaven and earth." God is welcome to heaven, about which man knows nothing and cares less, but as for earth, the centre of all man's affections, it must be governed according to man's ideals, an ideal which enthrones the will of man as supreme to the total exclusion of God. Nevertheless, God has His plans for the future government of the world, and of these plans He has not left us in ignorance. In Pharaoh's day, "He showed Pharaoh by a dream what He was about to do."
God was going to govern Egypt by one who had been rejected by his brethren, cast out, and forgotten by the world. And God has disclosed to us that according to His good pleasure He has purposed to head up all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are in earth.
The One, who when He entered the world, found "no room" even in a wayside inn, who, as he passed through it, was "as a stranger in the land" and a "wayfaring man" with not where to lay His head, who when He went out of the world was nailed to a cross between two thieves, is the One of whom God has decreed, "The government shall be upon His shoulder; and His name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, Mighty God, the everlasting Father, the Prince of peace. (Isaiah 9:6). Hamilton Smith
N.J. Hiebert - 8451
April 15
For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that ye through His poverty might be rich. 2 Corinthians 8:9
What do we know of the riches of our Lord Jesus Christ? Except that we have the Word of God, we would not be able to form a realistic opinion of His riches. But as we turn to the only reliable source for information, we are amazed at what we find. In the book of Job, probably the oldest book of the Bible, God interviews Job.
God asked Job rhetorical questions. By asking these questions, the answer is obvious. For example in Job 38:4: "Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth?" Revelation 4:11: "Thou hast created all things, and for Thy pleasure they are and were created." Psalm 50:10: "For every beast of the forest is Mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills." Haggai 2:8: "The silver is mine, and the gold is Mine, saith the LORD of hosts."After Job had heard God speaking to him, he was humbled and said, "I abhor myself and repent in dust and ashes." (Job 42:6)
It is becoming for us to take a low place as we consider the surpassing riches of the Lord Jesus and then hear the words of the apostle, "Yet for your sakes He became poor" (2 Corinthians 8:9). "The Son of Man hath not where to lay His head" in the world He had created. On another occasion He said, "Show Me a penny," for He had none of His own. Then after being taken from the cross, He was buried in a rich man's tomb (Matthew 8:20, 27:52,60).
The Lord of glory stooped down to such great depths in search for a goodly pearl, and when He found it He sold all that He possessed in order to purchase the pearl of great price (Matthew 13:46). We have been made rich beyond measure according to His estimate, for "He that spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?" (Romans 8:32) Jacob Redekop
N.J. Hiebert - 8452
What do we know of the riches of our Lord Jesus Christ? Except that we have the Word of God, we would not be able to form a realistic opinion of His riches. But as we turn to the only reliable source for information, we are amazed at what we find. In the book of Job, probably the oldest book of the Bible, God interviews Job.
God asked Job rhetorical questions. By asking these questions, the answer is obvious. For example in Job 38:4: "Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth?" Revelation 4:11: "Thou hast created all things, and for Thy pleasure they are and were created." Psalm 50:10: "For every beast of the forest is Mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills." Haggai 2:8: "The silver is mine, and the gold is Mine, saith the LORD of hosts."After Job had heard God speaking to him, he was humbled and said, "I abhor myself and repent in dust and ashes." (Job 42:6)
It is becoming for us to take a low place as we consider the surpassing riches of the Lord Jesus and then hear the words of the apostle, "Yet for your sakes He became poor" (2 Corinthians 8:9). "The Son of Man hath not where to lay His head" in the world He had created. On another occasion He said, "Show Me a penny," for He had none of His own. Then after being taken from the cross, He was buried in a rich man's tomb (Matthew 8:20, 27:52,60).
The Lord of glory stooped down to such great depths in search for a goodly pearl, and when He found it He sold all that He possessed in order to purchase the pearl of great price (Matthew 13:46). We have been made rich beyond measure according to His estimate, for "He that spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?" (Romans 8:32) Jacob Redekop
N.J. Hiebert - 8452
April 16
RICH AND HEALTHY
Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth. 3 John 2
John is not conditioning Gaius' prosperity and health on the state of his soul, but rather is assuming his soul's prosperity as a fact. Nevertheless, it is true that God wants no man to be richer than his soul, and the spiritual condition is the true gauge of a man's real success. No man with a sick soul is really prosperous. Even the medical world stresses as never before the connection between health and faith in God.
Prosperity, health, and spirituality are here joined, and well they may be. The man who is right with God and men, is in a fair way to being in good health. Even if the outer man decay, the inner man is renewed from day to day. And a changed body is guaranteed as part of his salvation. (Philippians 3:21). And prosperity is assured, for whatsoever the righteous man doeth shall prosper. (Psalm 1:3).
The man who is rich toward God is truly rich, and he who is healthy in his soul is truly healthy. Along with it, we shall have such material prosperity and physical health as we need--and why should we want more? (Luke 12:21).
Day by Day with Vance Havner
N.J. Hiebert - 8453
Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth. 3 John 2
John is not conditioning Gaius' prosperity and health on the state of his soul, but rather is assuming his soul's prosperity as a fact. Nevertheless, it is true that God wants no man to be richer than his soul, and the spiritual condition is the true gauge of a man's real success. No man with a sick soul is really prosperous. Even the medical world stresses as never before the connection between health and faith in God.
Prosperity, health, and spirituality are here joined, and well they may be. The man who is right with God and men, is in a fair way to being in good health. Even if the outer man decay, the inner man is renewed from day to day. And a changed body is guaranteed as part of his salvation. (Philippians 3:21). And prosperity is assured, for whatsoever the righteous man doeth shall prosper. (Psalm 1:3).
The man who is rich toward God is truly rich, and he who is healthy in his soul is truly healthy. Along with it, we shall have such material prosperity and physical health as we need--and why should we want more? (Luke 12:21).
Day by Day with Vance Havner
N.J. Hiebert - 8453
April 17
Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead was laid. And Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said, Father, I thank Thee that Thou hast heard Me. And I knew that thou hearest Me always: but because of the people which stand by I said it, that they may believe that Thou hast sent Me. John 11:41,42
This is a very strange and unusual order. Lazarus is still in the grave, and the thanksgiving precedes the miracle of resurrection. I thought that the thanksgiving would have risen when the great deed had been wrought, and Lazarus was restored to life again.
But Jesus gave thanks for that which He was about to receive. The gratitude breaks forth before the bounty has arrived, in the assurance that it is certainly on the way. The song of victory is sung before the battle has been fought. It is the sower who is singing the song of the harvest home. It is thanksgiving before the miracle!
We think of announcing a victory-psalm when the crusaders are just starting out for the field? Where can we hear the grateful song for the answer which has not yet been received? And after all, there is nothing strange or forced, or unreasonable in the Master's order.
Praise is really the most vital preparatory ministry to the working of the miracles. Miracles are wrought by spiritual power. Spiritual power is always proportioned to our faith. Dr. Jowett
N.J. Hiebert - 8454
This is a very strange and unusual order. Lazarus is still in the grave, and the thanksgiving precedes the miracle of resurrection. I thought that the thanksgiving would have risen when the great deed had been wrought, and Lazarus was restored to life again.
But Jesus gave thanks for that which He was about to receive. The gratitude breaks forth before the bounty has arrived, in the assurance that it is certainly on the way. The song of victory is sung before the battle has been fought. It is the sower who is singing the song of the harvest home. It is thanksgiving before the miracle!
We think of announcing a victory-psalm when the crusaders are just starting out for the field? Where can we hear the grateful song for the answer which has not yet been received? And after all, there is nothing strange or forced, or unreasonable in the Master's order.
Praise is really the most vital preparatory ministry to the working of the miracles. Miracles are wrought by spiritual power. Spiritual power is always proportioned to our faith. Dr. Jowett
N.J. Hiebert - 8454
April 18
My peace I give unto you. John 14:27
"Peace I leave with you" is much; "My peace I give unto you" is more. The added word tells the fathomless marvel of the gift--"My peace". Not merely "peace with God;" Christ has made that by the blood of His cross, being justified by faith we have it through HIm. But after we are thus reconciled, the enmity and the separation being ended, Jesus has a gift for us from His own treasures; and this is its special and wonderful value, it is His very own.
How we value a gift which was the giver's own possession! What a special token of intimate friendship we feel it to be! To others we give what we have made or purchased; it is only to very near and dear ones that we give what has been our own personal enjoyment or use. And so Jesus gives us not only peace made and peace purchased, but a share in His very own peace,--divine, eternal, incomprehensible peace,--which dwells in His own heart as God, and which shone in splendour of calmness through His life as Man. No wonder that it "passeth all understanding." (Philippians 4:7)
But how? Why does the sap flow from the vine to the branch? Simply because the branch is joined to the vine. Then the sap flows into it by the very law of its nature. So, being joined to our Lord Jesus by faith, that which is His becomes ours, and flows into us by the very law of our spiritual life. If there were no hindrance, it would indeed flow as a river. Then how earnestly we should seek to have every barrier removed to the inflowing of such a gift! Let it be our prayer that He would clear the way for it, that He would take away all the unbelief, all the self, all the hidden clogging of the channel.
Then He will give a seven-fold blessing: "My peace," "My joy," "My love," at once and always, now and for ever; "My grace" and "My strength" for all the needs of our pilgrimage; "My rest" "My glory" for all the grand sweet home-life of eternity with Him.
"Peace I leave with you" is much; "My peace I give unto you" is more. The added word tells the fathomless marvel of the gift--"My peace". Not merely "peace with God;" Christ has made that by the blood of His cross, being justified by faith we have it through HIm. But after we are thus reconciled, the enmity and the separation being ended, Jesus has a gift for us from His own treasures; and this is its special and wonderful value, it is His very own.
How we value a gift which was the giver's own possession! What a special token of intimate friendship we feel it to be! To others we give what we have made or purchased; it is only to very near and dear ones that we give what has been our own personal enjoyment or use. And so Jesus gives us not only peace made and peace purchased, but a share in His very own peace,--divine, eternal, incomprehensible peace,--which dwells in His own heart as God, and which shone in splendour of calmness through His life as Man. No wonder that it "passeth all understanding." (Philippians 4:7)
But how? Why does the sap flow from the vine to the branch? Simply because the branch is joined to the vine. Then the sap flows into it by the very law of its nature. So, being joined to our Lord Jesus by faith, that which is His becomes ours, and flows into us by the very law of our spiritual life. If there were no hindrance, it would indeed flow as a river. Then how earnestly we should seek to have every barrier removed to the inflowing of such a gift! Let it be our prayer that He would clear the way for it, that He would take away all the unbelief, all the self, all the hidden clogging of the channel.
Then He will give a seven-fold blessing: "My peace," "My joy," "My love," at once and always, now and for ever; "My grace" and "My strength" for all the needs of our pilgrimage; "My rest" "My glory" for all the grand sweet home-life of eternity with Him.
1 Thessalonians 4:17 France Ridley Havergal
N.J. Hiebert - 8455
N.J. Hiebert - 8455
April 19
But made Himself of no reputation, and took upon Him the form of a servant (slave), and was made in the likeness of men. Philippians 2:7.
There are three special marks that should characterize "a slave of Jesus Christ." Redemption, Ownership, and Devotedness. We were slaves of sin and Satan, but our Lord Jesus Christ redeemed us.
Perhaps you recall the story of the man who bought a slave at a very high cost: and when he had paid the price, and the slave was his own, he took the chains from his hands and feet, and threw them away, and said: "I bought you to set you free. You are a free man!" He was redeemed. The freed slave fell at the feet of him who bought him crying: "I am your slave for ever!" It was love, the bonds of love which are stronger than the bonds of steel, that made that freed man once again a slave, "a slave for ever."
Only one other of Paul's friends bears the honourable title of "slave": and that was Epaphras, Colossians 1:7,4:12, who is called slave of Christ Jesus." (Greek). Note the peculiar beauty of the salutation of James and Jude, if they are the brothers of our Lord; and we may see that each salutation is a proof of His Deity, by those who had probably been "brought up" with Him.
And so we read: "Paul and Timotheus, slaves of Jesus Christ." (Philippians 1:1) Slaves, because they were bought with a price: (1 Corinthians 6:20, 7:23): but slaves also because they were bound to their Master, Christ Jesus, with the strongest of all bonds, the bonds of love.
Can I, Can you, truthfully be called "slaves of Christ Jesus"? That men may be His slaves, we can in measure understand: but when we come to Chapter 2 and find that Christ Jesus has taken upon Himself the form of a slave: when we find that He is "a slave forever", that is beyond us: and we joyfully fall at His feet, and cry: "Whose I am, and Whom I serve (Acts 27:23). Well may we sing, "I am His, and He is mine, for ever and for ever!" C. Willis - Philippians
N.J. Hiebert - 8456
There are three special marks that should characterize "a slave of Jesus Christ." Redemption, Ownership, and Devotedness. We were slaves of sin and Satan, but our Lord Jesus Christ redeemed us.
Perhaps you recall the story of the man who bought a slave at a very high cost: and when he had paid the price, and the slave was his own, he took the chains from his hands and feet, and threw them away, and said: "I bought you to set you free. You are a free man!" He was redeemed. The freed slave fell at the feet of him who bought him crying: "I am your slave for ever!" It was love, the bonds of love which are stronger than the bonds of steel, that made that freed man once again a slave, "a slave for ever."
Only one other of Paul's friends bears the honourable title of "slave": and that was Epaphras, Colossians 1:7,4:12, who is called slave of Christ Jesus." (Greek). Note the peculiar beauty of the salutation of James and Jude, if they are the brothers of our Lord; and we may see that each salutation is a proof of His Deity, by those who had probably been "brought up" with Him.
And so we read: "Paul and Timotheus, slaves of Jesus Christ." (Philippians 1:1) Slaves, because they were bought with a price: (1 Corinthians 6:20, 7:23): but slaves also because they were bound to their Master, Christ Jesus, with the strongest of all bonds, the bonds of love.
Can I, Can you, truthfully be called "slaves of Christ Jesus"? That men may be His slaves, we can in measure understand: but when we come to Chapter 2 and find that Christ Jesus has taken upon Himself the form of a slave: when we find that He is "a slave forever", that is beyond us: and we joyfully fall at His feet, and cry: "Whose I am, and Whom I serve (Acts 27:23). Well may we sing, "I am His, and He is mine, for ever and for ever!" C. Willis - Philippians
N.J. Hiebert - 8456
April 20
What man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God, knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.
1 Corinthians 2:11.
THERE ARE MANY THINGS IN THE BIBLE WE CANNOT UNDERSTAND.
This is as we should expect. If man could fully understand the Bible that would prove it to be written by men. If man could fully understand the Bible, then man must be God, or God must be man.
I remember looking at a busy ant colony on a broiling summer day in Australia. My thoughts ran as follows. The distance between a man and an ant is very great, but after all it is but a finite distance. You can weigh the substance of a man and that of an ant, and you can find out how much heavier a man is than an ant. But can an ant understand what is passing through a man's mind? Can an ant understand the achievement of men? We know it cannot.
But the distance between God and man is infinitely greater than that between man and ant. God is the Creator. Man is the creature. The distance between them is infinite. No arithmetic is of any use here. Is it possible that the mind of man can understand and comprehend God? He is the "only potentate, the King of kings, and the Lord of lords; who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honour and power everlasting. Amen" (1 Timothy 6:15,16).
Zophar said: "Canst thou by searching find out God? canst thou find out the Almighty unto perfection? It is as high as heaven; what canst thou do? deeper than hell; what canst thou know? The measure thereof is longer than the earth, and broader than the sea." (Job 11:7-9)
That there are mysteries insoluble is what my faith feeds upon. They are darkness to my intellect, but sunshine to my heart." A. J Pollock
N.J. Hiebert - 8457
1 Corinthians 2:11.
THERE ARE MANY THINGS IN THE BIBLE WE CANNOT UNDERSTAND.
This is as we should expect. If man could fully understand the Bible that would prove it to be written by men. If man could fully understand the Bible, then man must be God, or God must be man.
I remember looking at a busy ant colony on a broiling summer day in Australia. My thoughts ran as follows. The distance between a man and an ant is very great, but after all it is but a finite distance. You can weigh the substance of a man and that of an ant, and you can find out how much heavier a man is than an ant. But can an ant understand what is passing through a man's mind? Can an ant understand the achievement of men? We know it cannot.
But the distance between God and man is infinitely greater than that between man and ant. God is the Creator. Man is the creature. The distance between them is infinite. No arithmetic is of any use here. Is it possible that the mind of man can understand and comprehend God? He is the "only potentate, the King of kings, and the Lord of lords; who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honour and power everlasting. Amen" (1 Timothy 6:15,16).
Zophar said: "Canst thou by searching find out God? canst thou find out the Almighty unto perfection? It is as high as heaven; what canst thou do? deeper than hell; what canst thou know? The measure thereof is longer than the earth, and broader than the sea." (Job 11:7-9)
That there are mysteries insoluble is what my faith feeds upon. They are darkness to my intellect, but sunshine to my heart." A. J Pollock
N.J. Hiebert - 8457
April 21
And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God. Romans 8:28
How wide is this assertion of the Apostle Paul! He does not say, "We know that some things,"or "most things," or "joyous things," but "ALL things." From the minutest to the most momentous; from the humblest event in daily providence to the great crisis hours in grace. And all things "work"--they are working; not all things have worked, or shall work; but it is a present operation.
At this very moment, when some voice may be saying, "Thy judgments are a great deep," the angels above, who are watching the development of the great plan, are with folded wings exclaiming, "The Lord is righteous in all His ways, and holy in all His work." (Psalm 145:17) And then all things "work together." It is a beautiful blending. Many different colours, in themselves raw and unsightly, are required in order to weave the harmonious pattern.
Many separate tones and notes of music, even discords and dissonances, are required to make up the harmonious anthem. Many separate wheels and joints are required to make the piece of machinery. Take a thread separately, or a note separately, or a wheel or a tooth of a wheel separately, and there may be neither use nor beauty discernible. But complete the web, combine the notes, put together the separate parts of steel and iron, and you see how perfect and symmetrical is the result. Here is the lesson for faith: "What I do thou knowest not now, but thou shalt know hereafter." Macduff.
In one thousand trials it is not five hundred of them that work for the believer's good, but nine hundred and ninety-nine of them, and one beside. George Müeller
"God meant it for good"- (Genesis 50:20) O blest assurance,
Falling like sunshine all across life's way,
Touching with heaven's gold earth's darkest storm clouds,
Bringing fresh peace and comfort day by day. Freda Hanbury Allen
N.J. Hiebert - 8458
How wide is this assertion of the Apostle Paul! He does not say, "We know that some things,"or "most things," or "joyous things," but "ALL things." From the minutest to the most momentous; from the humblest event in daily providence to the great crisis hours in grace. And all things "work"--they are working; not all things have worked, or shall work; but it is a present operation.
At this very moment, when some voice may be saying, "Thy judgments are a great deep," the angels above, who are watching the development of the great plan, are with folded wings exclaiming, "The Lord is righteous in all His ways, and holy in all His work." (Psalm 145:17) And then all things "work together." It is a beautiful blending. Many different colours, in themselves raw and unsightly, are required in order to weave the harmonious pattern.
Many separate tones and notes of music, even discords and dissonances, are required to make up the harmonious anthem. Many separate wheels and joints are required to make the piece of machinery. Take a thread separately, or a note separately, or a wheel or a tooth of a wheel separately, and there may be neither use nor beauty discernible. But complete the web, combine the notes, put together the separate parts of steel and iron, and you see how perfect and symmetrical is the result. Here is the lesson for faith: "What I do thou knowest not now, but thou shalt know hereafter." Macduff.
In one thousand trials it is not five hundred of them that work for the believer's good, but nine hundred and ninety-nine of them, and one beside. George Müeller
"God meant it for good"- (Genesis 50:20) O blest assurance,
Falling like sunshine all across life's way,
Touching with heaven's gold earth's darkest storm clouds,
Bringing fresh peace and comfort day by day. Freda Hanbury Allen
N.J. Hiebert - 8458
April 22
"Then being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were . . . came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you. And when He had so said He showed unto them His hands and His side. Then were the disciples glad, when they saw the Lord. Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you. John 20:19-21
On the first day of the week, the resurrection day, the disciples were together and suddenly Jesus was in their midst--for neither doors not locks exist for the glorified body of the Risen One! Now He says, "Peace be to you!" And to let them see why they could now have peace, peace with God, He lets them see His nail-pierced hands and His spear-pierced side. This is the basis for peace with God: "And, having made peace through the blood of the cross" (Colossians 1:20)
Peace with God! In Genesis 6:3, The Lord said, My Spirit shall not always strive with man." As long as there is something in man that is opposed to God's holiness and righteousness, indeed, opposed to anything that is of God, there can be no peace with God. But now the Man Christ Jesus has not only borne the sins of all who believe on Him, but also has glorified God exceedingly upon the cross. The love and grace of God, the righteousness and holiness of God, yes, all the attributes of God have been gloriously revealed through the work of the Lord Jesus. God has been glorified in the Man Jesus and can look down upon Him with pleasure.
Now all who believe on Him are seen as one with Him--we are united with the glorified Man in heaven. And the pleasure that God has in the Son on the basis of His work on the cross rests also upon those who are united with Him. We have peace with God! H. L. Heijkoop
So dear, so very dear to God, More dear I cannot be;
The love wherewith He loves the Son, Such is His love to me. Catesby Paget
N.J. Hiebert - 8459
On the first day of the week, the resurrection day, the disciples were together and suddenly Jesus was in their midst--for neither doors not locks exist for the glorified body of the Risen One! Now He says, "Peace be to you!" And to let them see why they could now have peace, peace with God, He lets them see His nail-pierced hands and His spear-pierced side. This is the basis for peace with God: "And, having made peace through the blood of the cross" (Colossians 1:20)
Peace with God! In Genesis 6:3, The Lord said, My Spirit shall not always strive with man." As long as there is something in man that is opposed to God's holiness and righteousness, indeed, opposed to anything that is of God, there can be no peace with God. But now the Man Christ Jesus has not only borne the sins of all who believe on Him, but also has glorified God exceedingly upon the cross. The love and grace of God, the righteousness and holiness of God, yes, all the attributes of God have been gloriously revealed through the work of the Lord Jesus. God has been glorified in the Man Jesus and can look down upon Him with pleasure.
Now all who believe on Him are seen as one with Him--we are united with the glorified Man in heaven. And the pleasure that God has in the Son on the basis of His work on the cross rests also upon those who are united with Him. We have peace with God! H. L. Heijkoop
So dear, so very dear to God, More dear I cannot be;
The love wherewith He loves the Son, Such is His love to me. Catesby Paget
N.J. Hiebert - 8459
April 23
"(Joseph) Whose feet they hurt with fetters: he was laid in iron." Psalm 105:18
Turn that about and render it in our language, and it reads thus, "Iron entered his soul." Is there not a truth in this? That sorrow and privation, the yoke borne in the youth, the soul's enforced restraint, are all conducive to an iron tenacity and strength of purpose, and endurance or fortitude, which are the indispensable foundation and framework of a noble character.
Do not flinch from suffering; bear it silently, patiently, resignedly; and be sure that it is God's way of infusing iron into your spiritual life. The world wants iron dukes, iron battalions, iron sinews, and thews (courage) of steel. God wants iron saints; and since there is no way of imparting iron to the moral nature but by letting people suffer, He lets them suffer.
Are the best years of your life slipping away in enforced monotony? Are you beset by opposition, misunderstanding, and scorn, as the thick undergrowth besets the passage of the woodsman pioneer? Then take heart; the time is not wasted; God is only putting you through the iron regimen. The iron crown of suffering precedes the golden crown of glory. And iron is entering into your soul to make it strong and brave. F. B. Meyer
"But you will not mind the roughness nor the steepness of the way,
Nor the chill, unrested morning, nor the searness (dryness) of the day;
And you will not take a turning to the left or the right,
But go straight ahead, nor tremble at the coming of the night,
For the road leads home."
N.J. Hiebert - 8460
Turn that about and render it in our language, and it reads thus, "Iron entered his soul." Is there not a truth in this? That sorrow and privation, the yoke borne in the youth, the soul's enforced restraint, are all conducive to an iron tenacity and strength of purpose, and endurance or fortitude, which are the indispensable foundation and framework of a noble character.
Do not flinch from suffering; bear it silently, patiently, resignedly; and be sure that it is God's way of infusing iron into your spiritual life. The world wants iron dukes, iron battalions, iron sinews, and thews (courage) of steel. God wants iron saints; and since there is no way of imparting iron to the moral nature but by letting people suffer, He lets them suffer.
Are the best years of your life slipping away in enforced monotony? Are you beset by opposition, misunderstanding, and scorn, as the thick undergrowth besets the passage of the woodsman pioneer? Then take heart; the time is not wasted; God is only putting you through the iron regimen. The iron crown of suffering precedes the golden crown of glory. And iron is entering into your soul to make it strong and brave. F. B. Meyer
"But you will not mind the roughness nor the steepness of the way,
Nor the chill, unrested morning, nor the searness (dryness) of the day;
And you will not take a turning to the left or the right,
But go straight ahead, nor tremble at the coming of the night,
For the road leads home."
N.J. Hiebert - 8460
April 24
But go your way, tell His disciples and Peter that He goeth before you into Galilee. Mark 16:7
It is very instructive to see that the very servant--John whose surname was Mark--who broke down in his own service, and for awhile tuned back from the Lord's work (Acts 13:13), should be used of God to record the sentence, "Go tell His disciples and Peter," a message of deep comfort to another servant who had broken down.
Unless we have ourselves been broken down, we are not really able to help those who are broken down. There is wonderful grace in the words, "Go, tell His disciples and Peter." His Lord had not forgotten him. He had not cast him off, and blest be His name, He does not drop us because we have been feeble and failing.
"And they departed from the sepulchre with fear and great joy, and did run to bring His disciple word" (verse 8). There is a wonderful mingling of feelings there, "Fear and great joy." There was fear on the one hand, and great joy on the other. "And as they went to tell His disciples, behold, Jesus met them saying, All hail." Here is the second interview.
What is the meaning of "All hail"? I could not put it into words exactly; but for these lovers of Christ, whose hearts had been broken with the thought they had lost their blessed Lord, all of a sudden to hear His gracious voice thus saluting them, was joy indeed. To them it surely was "Welcome." That is the idea. It said in effect to them: Every difficulty is over: The darkness has gone by, all is bright and clear. "And they came and held Him by the feet, and worshipped Him (verse 9). "Forty Days" of Scripture - W. T. P. Wolston
N.J. Hiebert - 8461
It is very instructive to see that the very servant--John whose surname was Mark--who broke down in his own service, and for awhile tuned back from the Lord's work (Acts 13:13), should be used of God to record the sentence, "Go tell His disciples and Peter," a message of deep comfort to another servant who had broken down.
Unless we have ourselves been broken down, we are not really able to help those who are broken down. There is wonderful grace in the words, "Go, tell His disciples and Peter." His Lord had not forgotten him. He had not cast him off, and blest be His name, He does not drop us because we have been feeble and failing.
"And they departed from the sepulchre with fear and great joy, and did run to bring His disciple word" (verse 8). There is a wonderful mingling of feelings there, "Fear and great joy." There was fear on the one hand, and great joy on the other. "And as they went to tell His disciples, behold, Jesus met them saying, All hail." Here is the second interview.
What is the meaning of "All hail"? I could not put it into words exactly; but for these lovers of Christ, whose hearts had been broken with the thought they had lost their blessed Lord, all of a sudden to hear His gracious voice thus saluting them, was joy indeed. To them it surely was "Welcome." That is the idea. It said in effect to them: Every difficulty is over: The darkness has gone by, all is bright and clear. "And they came and held Him by the feet, and worshipped Him (verse 9). "Forty Days" of Scripture - W. T. P. Wolston
N.J. Hiebert - 8461
April 25
Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. Psalm 119:105
One time I was cross-country skiing on a snow-covered lake, heading for a point on the other side. It was essential to keep aiming for the goal, but I needed also to keep my skis aligned and maintain the pace. For a short time I found myself concentrating on my feet, and when I looked up I noticed I was no longer aiming in the right direction. Both views were necessary. It doesn't take much deviation, perhaps a degree or two, to throw us off course.
In spiritual terms, our destination is heaven, where the Lord Jesus is ready to welcome us, but we also need to keep a close watch on where we're stepping. It is so easy to make a miss-step in this life, especially when we get our eye off the destination, and the Person waiting there. And remember, that a little shift in direction soon leads to a major error.
It is the Word of God that gives us life for both the path, and for each step along it. Driving at night on a winding road we depend on our headlights to show the way, but they only show the very next part of the road. As we move, so do the lights. We need the Word of God every day to keep us on the road and out of the ditches. Remember, there's a ditch on our side of the road, as well as on the wrong side; a few moments of distraction could easily lead us into trouble.
The original Hebrew words tell us that a "lamp" is much less powerful and far reaching than a "light". Perhaps a lamp easily shows us the two meters to our feet, but we need a bright light to see any distance ahead.
"Thou shalt walk in thy way safely, and thy feet shall not stumble" Proverbs 4:6
"For God who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ." 2 Corinthians 4:6. Lorne Perry
N.J. Hiebert - 8462
One time I was cross-country skiing on a snow-covered lake, heading for a point on the other side. It was essential to keep aiming for the goal, but I needed also to keep my skis aligned and maintain the pace. For a short time I found myself concentrating on my feet, and when I looked up I noticed I was no longer aiming in the right direction. Both views were necessary. It doesn't take much deviation, perhaps a degree or two, to throw us off course.
In spiritual terms, our destination is heaven, where the Lord Jesus is ready to welcome us, but we also need to keep a close watch on where we're stepping. It is so easy to make a miss-step in this life, especially when we get our eye off the destination, and the Person waiting there. And remember, that a little shift in direction soon leads to a major error.
It is the Word of God that gives us life for both the path, and for each step along it. Driving at night on a winding road we depend on our headlights to show the way, but they only show the very next part of the road. As we move, so do the lights. We need the Word of God every day to keep us on the road and out of the ditches. Remember, there's a ditch on our side of the road, as well as on the wrong side; a few moments of distraction could easily lead us into trouble.
The original Hebrew words tell us that a "lamp" is much less powerful and far reaching than a "light". Perhaps a lamp easily shows us the two meters to our feet, but we need a bright light to see any distance ahead.
"Thou shalt walk in thy way safely, and thy feet shall not stumble" Proverbs 4:6
"For God who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ." 2 Corinthians 4:6. Lorne Perry
N.J. Hiebert - 8462
April 26
And one of them smote the servant of the high priest, and cut off his right ear. And Jesus answered and said, Suffer ye thus far. And He touched his ear, and healed him. Luke 22:50,51
Then the band and the captain and officers of the Jews took Jesus, and bound Him. John 18:12
The last thing the Lord Jesus did before His hands were bound was to heal. Have you ever asked yourself, If I knew this was the last thing I should do, what would I do? I have never found the answer to that question. There are so very, very many things that we would want to do for those whom we love, that I do not think we are likely to be able to find the chief one of all these. So the best thing is just to go simply, doing each thing as it comes as well as we can.
Our Lord Jesus spent much time in healing sick people, and in the natural course of events it happened that the last thing He did with His kind hands was to heal a bad cut. (I wonder how they could have the heart to bind His hands after that.)
In this, as in everything, He left us an example that we should follow in His steps. "For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow His steps." (1 Peter 2:21). Do the thing that this next minute, this next hour, brings you, faithfully and lovingly and patiently; and then the last thing you do before power to do is taken from you (if that should be), will be only the continuation of all that went before. Edges of His Ways - Amy Carmichael
N.J. Hiebert - 8463
Then the band and the captain and officers of the Jews took Jesus, and bound Him. John 18:12
The last thing the Lord Jesus did before His hands were bound was to heal. Have you ever asked yourself, If I knew this was the last thing I should do, what would I do? I have never found the answer to that question. There are so very, very many things that we would want to do for those whom we love, that I do not think we are likely to be able to find the chief one of all these. So the best thing is just to go simply, doing each thing as it comes as well as we can.
Our Lord Jesus spent much time in healing sick people, and in the natural course of events it happened that the last thing He did with His kind hands was to heal a bad cut. (I wonder how they could have the heart to bind His hands after that.)
In this, as in everything, He left us an example that we should follow in His steps. "For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow His steps." (1 Peter 2:21). Do the thing that this next minute, this next hour, brings you, faithfully and lovingly and patiently; and then the last thing you do before power to do is taken from you (if that should be), will be only the continuation of all that went before. Edges of His Ways - Amy Carmichael
N.J. Hiebert - 8463
April 27
THE DIFFICULTIES OF THE WAY
For consider Him that endured such contradiction of sinners against Himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds. Hebrews 12:3
Have we that faith which so realizes Christ's presence so as to keep us as calm and composed in the rough sea as the smooth? It was not really a question of the rough or the smooth sea when Peter was sinking in the water, for he would have sunk without Christ just as much in the smooth as in the rough sea.
The fact was, the eye was off Jesus and on the wave, and that made him sink. If we go on with Christ, we shall get into all kinds of difficulty, many a boisterous sea; but being one with Him, His safety is ours.
If a storm arise, and if Christ appear asleep, and insensible to the danger--though "He that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep" (Psalm 121:3)--as disciples we are in the same boat with Him. The Lord give us to rest on that with undivided, undistracted hearts, for Christ is in the boat, as well as the water. Footprints for Pilgrims J. N. Darby
O Lord, through tribulation our pilgrim-journey lies,
Through scorn and sore temptation, and watchful enemies;
Mid never-ceasing dangers we through the desert roam,
As pilgrims here and strangers, we seek the rest to come.
O Lord, Thou too once hasted this weary desert through,
Once fully tried and tasted its bitterness and woe.
And hence Thy heart is tender in truest sympathy,
Though now the heavens render all praise to Thee on high. J. G. Deck
N.J. Hiebert - 8464
For consider Him that endured such contradiction of sinners against Himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds. Hebrews 12:3
Have we that faith which so realizes Christ's presence so as to keep us as calm and composed in the rough sea as the smooth? It was not really a question of the rough or the smooth sea when Peter was sinking in the water, for he would have sunk without Christ just as much in the smooth as in the rough sea.
The fact was, the eye was off Jesus and on the wave, and that made him sink. If we go on with Christ, we shall get into all kinds of difficulty, many a boisterous sea; but being one with Him, His safety is ours.
If a storm arise, and if Christ appear asleep, and insensible to the danger--though "He that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep" (Psalm 121:3)--as disciples we are in the same boat with Him. The Lord give us to rest on that with undivided, undistracted hearts, for Christ is in the boat, as well as the water. Footprints for Pilgrims J. N. Darby
O Lord, through tribulation our pilgrim-journey lies,
Through scorn and sore temptation, and watchful enemies;
Mid never-ceasing dangers we through the desert roam,
As pilgrims here and strangers, we seek the rest to come.
O Lord, Thou too once hasted this weary desert through,
Once fully tried and tasted its bitterness and woe.
And hence Thy heart is tender in truest sympathy,
Though now the heavens render all praise to Thee on high. J. G. Deck
N.J. Hiebert - 8464
April 28
SWEET HOUR OF PRAYER
"Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints. Ephesians 6:18
Through the ages, devout believers in Christ have recognized the necessity of maintaining an intimate relationship with God through His ordained channel of prayer. It has often been said that prayer is as basic to spiritual life as breathing is to our natural lives. It is not merely an occasional impulse to which we respond when we are in trouble; prayer is a way of life.
Nevertheless, we need to set aside a special time for prayer. We need that daily "Sweet Hour of Prayer." This song is thought to have been written in 1842 by William W. Walford, an obscure and blind preacher who was the owner of a small trinket shop in the little village of Coleshill, England.
Sweet hour of prayer, sweet hour of prayer, that calls me from a world of care And bids me at my Father's throne make all my wants and wishes known!
In seasons of distress and grief, my soul has often found relief, And oft escaped the tempter's snare by thy return, sweet hour of prayer.
Sweet hour of prayer, sweet hour of prayer, thy wings shall my petition bear To Him whose truth and faithfulness engage the waiting soul to bless;
And since He bids me seek His face, believe His Word and trust His grace, I'll cast on Him my ev'ry care, and wait for thee, sweet hour of prayer.
Sweet hour of prayer, sweet hour of prayer, may I thy consolation share, Till from Mount Pisgah's lofty height I view my home and take my flight;
This robe of flesh I'll drop, and rise to seize the everlasting prize, And shout while passing through the air, Farewell, farewell, sweet hour of prayer!
Amazing Grace - K. W. Osbeck
N.J. Hiebert - 8465
"Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints. Ephesians 6:18
Through the ages, devout believers in Christ have recognized the necessity of maintaining an intimate relationship with God through His ordained channel of prayer. It has often been said that prayer is as basic to spiritual life as breathing is to our natural lives. It is not merely an occasional impulse to which we respond when we are in trouble; prayer is a way of life.
Nevertheless, we need to set aside a special time for prayer. We need that daily "Sweet Hour of Prayer." This song is thought to have been written in 1842 by William W. Walford, an obscure and blind preacher who was the owner of a small trinket shop in the little village of Coleshill, England.
Sweet hour of prayer, sweet hour of prayer, that calls me from a world of care And bids me at my Father's throne make all my wants and wishes known!
In seasons of distress and grief, my soul has often found relief, And oft escaped the tempter's snare by thy return, sweet hour of prayer.
Sweet hour of prayer, sweet hour of prayer, thy wings shall my petition bear To Him whose truth and faithfulness engage the waiting soul to bless;
And since He bids me seek His face, believe His Word and trust His grace, I'll cast on Him my ev'ry care, and wait for thee, sweet hour of prayer.
Sweet hour of prayer, sweet hour of prayer, may I thy consolation share, Till from Mount Pisgah's lofty height I view my home and take my flight;
This robe of flesh I'll drop, and rise to seize the everlasting prize, And shout while passing through the air, Farewell, farewell, sweet hour of prayer!
Amazing Grace - K. W. Osbeck
N.J. Hiebert - 8465
April 29
This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Matthew 3:17
The Father has given us the very object He delights in to be the object of our affection. The Father could not be silent when Christ was here. The perfection of the object is the reason of the imperfectness of our apprehension of it; but that is the way God brings our affections into tune with Himself. He could say at the beginning, because of Christ's intrinsic perfectness, and at the end because of His displayed perfectness, "This is My beloved Son."
Then what do we say? In weakness and poverty, yet surely each can say with unhesitating heart, I know He is perfect. We cannot reach His perfectness, but we do feel our hearts, poor and feeble as they are, responding. The Father has shown us something of Christ's perfectness.
The Father is communicating of His delight. "This is My beloved Son in whom I am well pleased," not in whom you ought to be well pleased (which is true too); but His way is to communicate to them of His own love to Christ. It is a wonderful thing that the Father should tell of His affection for Christ--and that, when He was here among us, the Son of man on earth among sinful men.
With the woman in the Pharisee's house, It was what was revealed in Christ to her that made her love much, not what she got from Him. The blessedness of what was in Christ had so attracted her and absorbed her mind that she found her way into the house, thinking not of the dinner or of others present.
She was taken up with Him; she wept, but had nothing to say. Jesus was there. He commanded all her thoughts, her tears, her silence, her anointing of His feet--all noticed by Him, and all before she knew what He had done for her. Attracted there by what she saw in Him, she got the answer as regards peace of conscience from Himself. W. Reid
N.J. Hiebert - 8466
The Father has given us the very object He delights in to be the object of our affection. The Father could not be silent when Christ was here. The perfection of the object is the reason of the imperfectness of our apprehension of it; but that is the way God brings our affections into tune with Himself. He could say at the beginning, because of Christ's intrinsic perfectness, and at the end because of His displayed perfectness, "This is My beloved Son."
Then what do we say? In weakness and poverty, yet surely each can say with unhesitating heart, I know He is perfect. We cannot reach His perfectness, but we do feel our hearts, poor and feeble as they are, responding. The Father has shown us something of Christ's perfectness.
The Father is communicating of His delight. "This is My beloved Son in whom I am well pleased," not in whom you ought to be well pleased (which is true too); but His way is to communicate to them of His own love to Christ. It is a wonderful thing that the Father should tell of His affection for Christ--and that, when He was here among us, the Son of man on earth among sinful men.
With the woman in the Pharisee's house, It was what was revealed in Christ to her that made her love much, not what she got from Him. The blessedness of what was in Christ had so attracted her and absorbed her mind that she found her way into the house, thinking not of the dinner or of others present.
She was taken up with Him; she wept, but had nothing to say. Jesus was there. He commanded all her thoughts, her tears, her silence, her anointing of His feet--all noticed by Him, and all before she knew what He had done for her. Attracted there by what she saw in Him, she got the answer as regards peace of conscience from Himself. W. Reid
N.J. Hiebert - 8466
April 30
CHRIST FOR US
The voice of my beloved that knocketh, saying, open to me, my sister, my love, my dove, my undefiled . . ." Song of Solomon 5:2
The voice that His sheep hear and know, and that calls out the fervent response, "Master say on." This is not all. It was the literal Voice of the Lord Jesus which uttered that one echoless cry of desolation on the cross for thee, and it will be His own literal voice which will say, "Come ye blessed" to thee. And that same tender and glorious Voice has literally sung and will sing for thee.
I think He consecrated song for us and made it a sweet and sacred thing forever when He Himself sang an hymn the very last thing before He went forth to consecrate suffering for us. (Mark 14:26) That was not His last song. "The Lord thy God . . . will joy over thee with singing." And the time is coming when He will not only sing for thee or over thee but with thee. He says He will. "In the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee." (Hebrews 2:12)
Now what a magnificent glimpse of joy this is. "Jesus Himself leading the praise of His brethren," and we ourselves singing not merely in such a chorus but with such a leader! If singing for Jesus is such delight here, what will this singing with Jesus be? Surely song may well be a holy thing to us henceforth. Frances Ridley Havergal
Join the singing that He leadeth, loud to God our voices raise;
Every step that we have trodden is a triumph of His grace;
Whether joy, or whether trial, all can only work for good,
For He healeth all--Who loves us, and hath bought us with His blood.
Mrs. J. A. Trench
N.J. Hiebert - 8467
The voice of my beloved that knocketh, saying, open to me, my sister, my love, my dove, my undefiled . . ." Song of Solomon 5:2
The voice that His sheep hear and know, and that calls out the fervent response, "Master say on." This is not all. It was the literal Voice of the Lord Jesus which uttered that one echoless cry of desolation on the cross for thee, and it will be His own literal voice which will say, "Come ye blessed" to thee. And that same tender and glorious Voice has literally sung and will sing for thee.
I think He consecrated song for us and made it a sweet and sacred thing forever when He Himself sang an hymn the very last thing before He went forth to consecrate suffering for us. (Mark 14:26) That was not His last song. "The Lord thy God . . . will joy over thee with singing." And the time is coming when He will not only sing for thee or over thee but with thee. He says He will. "In the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee." (Hebrews 2:12)
Now what a magnificent glimpse of joy this is. "Jesus Himself leading the praise of His brethren," and we ourselves singing not merely in such a chorus but with such a leader! If singing for Jesus is such delight here, what will this singing with Jesus be? Surely song may well be a holy thing to us henceforth. Frances Ridley Havergal
Join the singing that He leadeth, loud to God our voices raise;
Every step that we have trodden is a triumph of His grace;
Whether joy, or whether trial, all can only work for good,
For He healeth all--Who loves us, and hath bought us with His blood.
Mrs. J. A. Trench
N.J. Hiebert - 8467
May 1
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us.
John 1:1,14
These were more noble...in that they received the Word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily whether those things were so. Acts 17:11
All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable"
2 Timothy 3:16
It is well to remind ourselves of the close connection that exists between the written Word of God and the incarnate Word of God (God became flesh). We shall never enjoy the one apart from the other. It is through God's own revelation in the written Word that we really see and know the Word Who was made flesh, and Who rose from the dead.
It is through the written Word we shall feed on Him, not through our own speculations. It is important that we bear in mind that as the incarnate Word is a Divine Person, so is the written Word a Divine Message; and as we may rest all our soul's interest on Jesus Christ, so we may rest all our souls weight on the Word of God.
To be unsettled on the question of inspiration is to be overcome by temptation, and to be unable to accomplish God's work. The connection between full faith in God's will as revealed in His written Word (Scripture) and in the incarnate Word (Jesus) is so close and intimate, that you can no more separate them than you can separate between body and soul, or soul and spirit.
Begin to separate them, and to study theology instead of the Word of God (rather than as a mere aid in gaining a fuller grasp of it) and if it does not make you weaker rather than stronger you will be fortunate indeed. No! Take God's Word as it stands, and God's Christ as He reveals Himself to us, and enjoy all in Him. Hudson Taylor
N.J. Hiebert - 8468
John 1:1,14
These were more noble...in that they received the Word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily whether those things were so. Acts 17:11
All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable"
2 Timothy 3:16
It is well to remind ourselves of the close connection that exists between the written Word of God and the incarnate Word of God (God became flesh). We shall never enjoy the one apart from the other. It is through God's own revelation in the written Word that we really see and know the Word Who was made flesh, and Who rose from the dead.
It is through the written Word we shall feed on Him, not through our own speculations. It is important that we bear in mind that as the incarnate Word is a Divine Person, so is the written Word a Divine Message; and as we may rest all our soul's interest on Jesus Christ, so we may rest all our souls weight on the Word of God.
To be unsettled on the question of inspiration is to be overcome by temptation, and to be unable to accomplish God's work. The connection between full faith in God's will as revealed in His written Word (Scripture) and in the incarnate Word (Jesus) is so close and intimate, that you can no more separate them than you can separate between body and soul, or soul and spirit.
Begin to separate them, and to study theology instead of the Word of God (rather than as a mere aid in gaining a fuller grasp of it) and if it does not make you weaker rather than stronger you will be fortunate indeed. No! Take God's Word as it stands, and God's Christ as He reveals Himself to us, and enjoy all in Him. Hudson Taylor
N.J. Hiebert - 8468
May 2
Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, one thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow Me. And he was sad at that saying, and went away grieved: for he had great possessions." Mark 10:21,22
As the rich man sweeps away sorrowfully in his costly robes, Peter looks upon him with apparent scorn, and turns to Jesus with some self-complacency to say, "Lo, we have left all, and have followed thee." He also asks a question, "What shall our reward be?" (Matthew 19:27) It is not a noble question; it expresses a commercial, worldly spirit; but Jesus refrains from uttering a rebuke. He gives instead a promise; and some of us need to listen to it, at times.
Occasionally a whisper steals into our hearts. We have sacrificed for Christ's sake; "does it pay?" Jesus replies that every sacrifice, made for His sake, receives a hundred-fold recompense in this life, not in literal kind, but such as to satisfy the soul a hundred times more than the thing surrendered ever could, and then, in the future, that completed, perfected, "eternal life" which the rich man craved, but which he lost that, for a few fleeting years, he might retain his wealth.
Jesus adds, however, that Peter must beware of self-confident pride. Many who had the opportunity of being nearest to Christ in this present life, may not receive the greatest rewards. Men will be judged according to faithfulness. Still more solemn is the warning to such as would cling to their wealth. Their power and riches place them now in the first place of opportunity; they may be the last to accept Christ and the life He offers. The Gospel of Mark - Charles R. Erdman
N.J. Hiebert - 8469
As the rich man sweeps away sorrowfully in his costly robes, Peter looks upon him with apparent scorn, and turns to Jesus with some self-complacency to say, "Lo, we have left all, and have followed thee." He also asks a question, "What shall our reward be?" (Matthew 19:27) It is not a noble question; it expresses a commercial, worldly spirit; but Jesus refrains from uttering a rebuke. He gives instead a promise; and some of us need to listen to it, at times.
Occasionally a whisper steals into our hearts. We have sacrificed for Christ's sake; "does it pay?" Jesus replies that every sacrifice, made for His sake, receives a hundred-fold recompense in this life, not in literal kind, but such as to satisfy the soul a hundred times more than the thing surrendered ever could, and then, in the future, that completed, perfected, "eternal life" which the rich man craved, but which he lost that, for a few fleeting years, he might retain his wealth.
Jesus adds, however, that Peter must beware of self-confident pride. Many who had the opportunity of being nearest to Christ in this present life, may not receive the greatest rewards. Men will be judged according to faithfulness. Still more solemn is the warning to such as would cling to their wealth. Their power and riches place them now in the first place of opportunity; they may be the last to accept Christ and the life He offers. The Gospel of Mark - Charles R. Erdman
N.J. Hiebert - 8469
May 3
THE BEAUTY OF COURTESY
I beseech thee for my son Onesimus, whom I have begotten in my bonds: which in time past was to thee unprofitable, but now profitable to thee and to me: whom I have sent again: . . . receive him . . . not now as a servant, but above a servant, a brother beloved. . . receive him as myself. If he hath wronged thee, or oweth thee ought, put that on mine account. Philemon (verses 10,11,12,16,17)
Therefore, my dearly beloved and longed for, my joy and crown, so stand fast in the Lord . . . I intreat thee also, true yoke fellow . . . help those women which laboured with me in the gospel, with Clement also and with other my fellow labourers . . ." (Philippians 4:1,3)
Courtesy is like an air-cushion: there is nothing in it, but it eases the jolts of life. There is, however, another sense in which there is a great deal in it; for the supreme characteristic of courtesy is that thoughtfulness for others which is the very heart of Christianity. Schools of etiquette produce it by training; love does it by instinct.
A man usually reveals himself in his private letters; and in the only personal letter which we have of the apostle Paul--the epistle to Philemon--we see how courteous a gentleman he was. Someone has commented, "The most gentlemanly letter ever written, by the most perfect gentleman, is, in my opinion, Paul's epistle to Philemon. If you study its courtesies, you will see how manifold and how delicate they are."
If you want to see how Paul asks a favour, read Philemon; if you want to see how he returns thanks, read Philippians 4:10-21. If we all resolve that henceforth we will be gentle, courteous, thoughtful, unobtrusively sympathetic, and persistently friendly, how many unpleasant things will be prevented! Winsome Christianity - Henry Durbanville
N.J.Hiebert - 8470
I beseech thee for my son Onesimus, whom I have begotten in my bonds: which in time past was to thee unprofitable, but now profitable to thee and to me: whom I have sent again: . . . receive him . . . not now as a servant, but above a servant, a brother beloved. . . receive him as myself. If he hath wronged thee, or oweth thee ought, put that on mine account. Philemon (verses 10,11,12,16,17)
Therefore, my dearly beloved and longed for, my joy and crown, so stand fast in the Lord . . . I intreat thee also, true yoke fellow . . . help those women which laboured with me in the gospel, with Clement also and with other my fellow labourers . . ." (Philippians 4:1,3)
Courtesy is like an air-cushion: there is nothing in it, but it eases the jolts of life. There is, however, another sense in which there is a great deal in it; for the supreme characteristic of courtesy is that thoughtfulness for others which is the very heart of Christianity. Schools of etiquette produce it by training; love does it by instinct.
A man usually reveals himself in his private letters; and in the only personal letter which we have of the apostle Paul--the epistle to Philemon--we see how courteous a gentleman he was. Someone has commented, "The most gentlemanly letter ever written, by the most perfect gentleman, is, in my opinion, Paul's epistle to Philemon. If you study its courtesies, you will see how manifold and how delicate they are."
If you want to see how Paul asks a favour, read Philemon; if you want to see how he returns thanks, read Philippians 4:10-21. If we all resolve that henceforth we will be gentle, courteous, thoughtful, unobtrusively sympathetic, and persistently friendly, how many unpleasant things will be prevented! Winsome Christianity - Henry Durbanville
N.J.Hiebert - 8470
posted by soundwords at
April 01, 2021
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