Gems from November 2023
These words . . . shall be in thine heart . . . bind them for a sign upon thine hand . . . as frontlets between thine eyes. Deuteronomy 6:6,8.
Israelites bound pouches containing specific portions of God’s Word to their foreheads and hands, literally indicating that His words of wisdom were at the forefront of every thought and that His words would strengthen their hands for the day’s labour.
Our mouth is not only for food, but for the spiritual nutrition of His sustaining Word.
“Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.” (Matthew 4:4).
Bound to our fingers, His words help us manipulate life’s complexities. “Bind them upon thy fingers, write them upon the table of thine heart.” Proverbs 7:3 and at our feet they illuminate our walk. “Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.” (Psalm 119:105).
The Scriptures should be no empty word for us but our every life. “Set your hearts unto all the words which I testify upon you. (Deuteronomy 32:46).” A daily read is a must!
Sing them over again to me, wonderful words of life;
Let me more of Thy beauty see wonderful words of life,
Philip Bliss
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That I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings. Philippians 3:10
Hudson Taylor stopped at no sacrifice in following Christ. “Cross-loving men are needed,” he wrote in the midst of his labours in China, and if he could speak to us today would it not be to call us to the highest of all ambitions; “That I may know Him [the One we, too, supremely love], and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings.” Can we not hear again the tones of His quiet voice as He says:
“There is a needs be for us to give ourselves for the life of the world. An easy, non-self-denying life will never be one of power. Fruit-bearing in-and feeding upon the Word through which He reveals Himself to the waiting soul.”
It was not easy for Mr. Taylor, in his changeful life, to make time for prayer and Bible study, but he knew that it was vital. Well do the writers remember traveling with him month after month in Northern China, by cart and wheelbarrow, with the poorest of inns at night.
Often with only one large room for coolies and travellers alike, they would screen off a corner for their father and another for themselves, with curtains of some sort; and then, after sleep at last had brought a measure of quiet, they would hear a match struck and see the flicker of candlelight which told that Mr. Taylor, however weary, was pouring over the little Bible in two volumes always at hand. From two to four A. M. was the time he usually gave to prayer; the time when he could be most sure of being undisturbed to wait upon God. That flicker of candlelight has meant more to them than all they have read or heard on secret prayer; it meant reality, not preaching but practise.
The hardest part of a missionary career, Mr. Taylor found, is to maintain regular, prayerful Bible study. “Satan will always find you something to do,”he would say, “When you ought to be occupied about that, if it is only arranging a window blind. Take time. Give God time to reveal Himself to you. Take time to read His Word as in His presence, that from it you may know what He asks of you and what He promise you.” Hudson Taylor’s Spiritual Secret
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Take us the foxes, the little foxes, that spoil the vines: for our vines have tender grapes.
Song of Solomon 2:15
As I set traps for the little foxes, so now I have to judge in myself anything that would hinder fellowship with Him, that would hinder my spiritual growth.
What are the little foxes that spoil the vine? I can tell you a good many. There are the little foxes of vanity, of pride, of envy, of evil speaking, of impurity (I think this though is a wolf instead of a little fox).
Then there are the little foxes of carelessness, of neglect of the Bible, of neglect of prayer, of neglect of fellowship with the people of God. These are the things that spoil the vine, that hinder spiritual growth. Deal with them in the light of the cross of Christ; put them to death before they ruin your Christian experience, do not give them any place.
Song of Solomon - H. A. Ironside
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He Humbled Himself
Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus. Philippians 2:5-8
He that is down need fear no fall:
He that is low, no pride.
He that is humble ever shall
Have God to be his guide.
Pilgrim’s progress by J. Bunyan
Wouldst thou be great, then lowly serve;
Wouldest thou go up, go down;
But go as low as e’er you will,
The Highest has gone lower still.
Author Unknown
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Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in Me.” John 14:1
Many can say with Job (chapter 5:7) that man is born unto trouble; for their passage through life is marked by a succession of happenings that have turned existence into one long-drawn-out catastrophe. They tread a path that is beset with difficulties; it is “through much tribulation that we enter the kingdom of God”.
To all believers, therefore, the words in the opening verses of John 14 come laden with comfort, with healing, and with uplifting power. They are words that have consoled the prisoner in his lonely dungeon, the slave in his little cabin, the pilgrim on his weary journey, the martyr marching to his painful death. For the heart trouble there is but one remedy, and and it is prescribed by the Good Physician.
“Let not your heart be troubled.”The italicized word includes the entire personality—intellect, emotion, and will. “Let not your heart be troubled.”The word means, to be agitated, to be disturbed, or thrown into confusion, as its use in John 5:7 indicates. To counteract the sorrows which were filling their hearts, the Master imparts to His disciples consolations appropriate to their griefs, and encouragements adapted to their fears. He claims their faith, strengthens their hope, and deepens their love. His Last Words - Henry Durbanville
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“Can a man take fire in his bosom, and his cloths not be burned?”
Proverbs 6:27
It does not matter what the alliance, marriage or partnership is, if you cannot honestly take it to God in prayer, then you should have nothing whatever to do with it (see 2 Corinthians 6:14-18).
“Oh,” some people say, “when you are in Rome, you must do as the Romans do.” Must you? If so do not go within a thousand miles of Rome. You will not enjoy heaven a bit less because you have not seen Rome. Keep clear!
Master, we would no longer be
At home in that which hated Thee;
But patient in Thy footsteps go,
Thy sorrow and Thy joy to know. — J.G. Deck
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Thus saith the Lord…This thing is from Me.
1 Kings 12:24 (PART 1)
Only five words, but let them sink into your inmost soul, use them as a pillow upon which to rest your weary head. Have you ever thought of it, that all that concerns you, concerns Me too? For he that touches you touches the apple of Mine eye. (Zechariah 2:8).
“You are very precious in My sight.” (Isaiah 43:4) Therefore it is My special delight to educate you. I would have you learn when temptations assail you, and the “enemy comes in like a flood,” (Isaiah 59:19) that this thing is from Me, that your weakness needs My might, and your safety lies in letting Me fight for you.
Are you in difficult circumstances, surrounded by people who do not understand you, who never consult your taste, who put you in the background? “This thing is from Me.” I am the God of circumstances, “You came not to this place by accident, it is the very place God meant for you.” Have you not asked to be made humble? See then, I have placed you in the very school where this lesson is taught; your surroundings and companions are only working out My will.
Are you in money difficulties? Is it hard to make both ends meet? “This thing is from Me,” for I am your purse bearer and would have you draw from, and depend upon Me. My supplies are limitless (Philippines 4:19). I would have you prove My promises. Let it not be said of you, “In this thing ye did not believe the Lord your God.” (Deuteronomy 1:32)
Are you passing through a night of sorrow? “This thing is from Me.” I am the “Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.” I have let earthly comforts fail you, that by turning to Me you may obtain everlasting consolation. (2 Thessalonians 2:16-17).
Has some friend disappointed you? One to whom you opened up your heart? “This thing is from Me.” I have allowed this disappointment to come, that you may learn that:
“The best friend to have is Jesus He will hear you when you call,
He will keep you lest you fall, the best friend to have is Jesus.”
Laura Snow
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He shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday. Psalm 37:6 (PART 2)
I want to be your confidant. Has someone repeated things about you that are untrue? Leave them to Me, and draw closer unto Me, thy shelter, out of reach of “the strife of tongues,” for “I will bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday.” (Psalm 37:6).
Have your plans been all upset? Are you bowed down and weary? This thing is from Me. You made your plans, then came asking Me to bless them, but I would have you let Me plan for you and then I take the responsibility, for “This thing is too heavy for thee, thou art not able to perform it thyself alone” (Exodus18:18). You are only an instrument, not an agent.
Have you longed to do some great work for Me, and instead been laid aside on a bed of pain and weakness? This thing is from Me. I could not get your attention in your busy days, and I want to teach you some of My deepest lessons. “They also serve who only stand and wait.”
Some of My greatest workers are those shut out from active service, that they may learn to wield the weapon of prayer. Are you suddenly called upon to occupy a difficult and responsible position? Launch out on Me. I am trusting you with the ”possession of difficulties,” and “for this thing the Lord thy God shall bless thee in all thy works, and in all that thou puttest thy hand unto.” (Deuteronomy 15:10).
Let every circumstance as it arises, every word that pains you, every interruption that would make you impatient, every revelation of your own weakness, be smoothed out. “This thing from Me.” Remember, interruptions are divine instructions. The sting will go as you learn to see Me in all things. Laura Snow
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The Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in. Psalm 121:8
Here is a promise-laden psalm to rest in when burdens grow heavy and life’s path becomes steep. When the weight of the load makes us unsteady, we need assurance that God has not given us more than we can carry, and that He will keep us from falling.
A beautiful picture of how we can face each day with confidence is illustrated in a camel’s day, which begins and ends in the kneeling position. At the end of the day it kneels before the master and has its burden lifted. Sunrise finds the camel again kneeling, and its master adjusts its measured load according to its ability for that day’s journey, whether through the desert or across the watered plains.
All of us bear some kind of burden (Galatians 6:5). It may be a bundle of small cares made up of everyday duties, but to one with a sensitive nature their combined weight sometimes seems unbearable. Some are burdened for the spiritual welfare of unsaved loved ones or those who are not living for Christ.
Then there are those labouring under the burden of disease, infirmity, weakness, or a handicap. Such weights can turn simple household duties into mountainous chores, and at times a day may stretch out before us as a steep and treacherous path.
Oh, what comfort and encouragement to know that the Lord “preserves our going out and our coming in”— and all our steps from sunrise to sunset. He will keep our feet from slipping and protect us along the way. D.J.D.
The Lord upholds the faltering step and makes the weak securely stand;
The burdened ones bowed down with grief are helped by His most gracious hand.
With God behind you and His arms beneath you,
you can face whatever lies ahead of you.
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And when they were come to the place, which is called Calvary, there they crucified Him.
Luke 23:33
What does Calvary mean to you? To the crowd on that day it was the place of crucifixion and the end (for so they thought) of the Lord.
To the believer, however, Calvary means so much more. It is the high point of love displayed by our Lord. For it was “at the cross, at the cross, where I first saw the light, and the burden of my heart rolled away.”
Tell me, what does Calvary mean to you today? John M. Clegg
Calvary! O Calvary! Mercy’s vast unfathomed sea,
Love, eternal love to me. Saviour, we adore Thee! S. Trevor Francis
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Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort me. (Psalm 23:4)
At my father’s house in the country there is a little closet in the chimney corner where are kept the canes and walking-sticks of several generations. When my father and I are going out for a walk, we often go to the cane closet, and pick out our sticks to suit the occasion. In this I have frequently been reminded that the Word of God is a staff.
During the war, when the season of discouragement and pending danger was upon us, the verse, “He shall not be afraid of evil tidings; his heart is fixed, trusting in the Lord,” (Psalm 112:7), was a staff to walk with many dark days.
When death took away our child and left us almost heart-broken, I found another staff in the promise that “Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.” (Psalm 30:5)
When in impaired health, I was exiled for a year, not knowing whether I should be permitted to return to my home and work again, I took with me this staff which never failed, “He knoweth the thoughts that He thinketh toward me, thoughts of peace and not of evil.” (Jeremiah 29:11)
In times of special danger or doubt when human judgment has seemed to be set at naught, I have found it easy to go forward with this staff “In quietness and confidence shall be your strength.” (Isaiah 30:15)
In emergencies, when there has seemed to be no adequate time for deliberation or for action, I have never found that this staff has failed me, “He that believeth shall not make haste.” (Isaiah 28:16) Benjamin Abbott
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The law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.”
(John 1:17)
The law was truth, but it was truth without grace. This latter having come by Jesus Christ the believer is exhorted to be speaking the truth in love. (Ephesians 4:15) “Speaking the truth” is one word in the original and is a participle. Mr. J. N. Darby suggested coining a word to express it; “truthing.” It is not merely speaking the truth. It is being characterized by the truth; but all must be in love.
A hard and fast intolerant spirit that makes the truth like a series of legal enactments, and is censorious toward those who see not eye to eye with oneself; this is far removed from the Spirit of truth. Lovingkindness will commend the truth, when an acrimonious, judging spirit, will deter the timid from its reception.
They are to be bound about the neck, in this way displayed in the sight of man; and written upon the heart, thus finding favour with God. H.A. Ironside
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And herein do I exercise myself, to have always a conscience void of offence toward God, and toward men. Acts 24:16
The word conscience appears more than 30 times in the New Testament. It is the inner monitor of the soul that judges all we do, say, and think. But conscience is not always reliable. While this inner voice passes judgment by either clearing or condemning us, the critical factor is the standard by which it makes these decisions.
An English writer points out that the conscience has something in common with a sundial. During the hours of daylight when the sun is brightly shining, a sun dial gives a reasonably accurate reading of the time. But when the light from the moon or any other source falls on it, the reading is not at all reliable.
The same is true of man’s conscience. Because it has been darkened by sin, it must be exposed to the light of God’s Word before it can tell us what is right and what is wrong. Without the standard of objective truth in the Bible, our conscience may make us feel comfortable when we do wrong.
The apostle Paul lived so close to the Lord and was so influenced by divine revelation that he could confidently testify in Acts 23:1, “I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day.”
Christians can enjoy peace of mind only if that inner monitor of the soul is continually sensitized by the Word of God. We must be careful not to let our conscience be deadened. We must not engage in wicked practices nor accept the low moral standards of the world. Do you have a good clear conscience? H. G. B.
There is a treasure you can own thats greater than a crown or throne:
This treasure is a conscious clear that brings the sweetest peace and cheer. Isenhour
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Draw me, we will run after Thee.
The Song of Solomon 1:4
There is a beautiful connection between the Lord’s drawing, and our running. “We will run,” but carefully note the last two words—”after Thee.” There is much more, much more, in these words than can here be noted. They are all-important. “After Thee.” not after our own notions, or even after the best of men on earth, but “after Thee.”
As it is said in that beautiful sixteenth (Psalm 16:8), “I have set the Lord always before me.” Not at times, merely, but “always”. Oh! what a path ours on earth would be were this the case! How separated would it be from everything that is not Christ. And surely, in all fairness, when we pray, “draw me,” we should be ready to add, like the spouse and her companions, “We will run after Thee.” Andrew Miller
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Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.
2 Corinthians 6:2
Time flies or, as the Romans would say, “tempus fugit”. There is also and expression that says: “Time and time wait for no man.” We can’t stop the passage of time. So, how much do YOU have left? Actually, you cannot even tell if you will be around tomorrow. The past is but a memory, and the future is walled off from our view. We just have to wait for the clock to tick often enough to show us tomorrow; bit by bit.
The Present - We live our lives in the moment of NOW. That truism kind of puts life in perspective. Another often-sighted Latin expression is “carpe diem”, meaning, “Seize the day”. Some people take it as “enjoy life, live in the moment, try everything,” in other words “Be careful, you only live once”. That is short-sighted, to say the least!, because God says, there will be a day of reckoning, (Hebrews 9:27); “And as it is appointed unto men once to die but after this the judgment; So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many.” Since you only die once, this is the point we must consider eternity.
Your personal Time ends when your natural life here comes to an end. But your soul, the spiritual part of you, lives on. Everyone would like that to be in heaven (certainly no one plans to go to hell!). But one life is over, you have no more power to control your eternal destiny. Decisions about that has to be made NOW.
Decide for Christ today - Jesus Christ, God’s only Son had to die in order that the Way into eternal blessings could be offered. You need to come realizing that you could never make your way into God’s favour.
Before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear. Isaiah 65:24
Sometimes we find ourselves in circumstances like Peter (Matthew 14: 30,31), which demand an immediate answer to our prayers. Delay may be disastrous. For him, delay meant drowning. At such a time, today’s promise is most precious and peace -producing. But more often, we must become “followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises” (Hebrews 6:12).
Faith believes God will do it; patience waits for His time to do it. And the waiting period can prove to be a fruitful experience. There are three possible answers to prayer: “yes,” “no,” and “wait.” H. G. Mackay
God’s delays are not denials; you will find Him true,
Working through the darkest trials what is best for you. - G. T.
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Judas then, having received a band of men and officers from the chief priests and Pharisees, cometh thither with lanterns and torches and weapons.
John 18:3
The Lord comes forth to the band of cruel officers and soldiers, as they were, with this word, “Whom seek ye?” (18:4)—thus addressing them as in the repose of heaven, which was His. And He comes forth in the power of heaven, as well as in its repose—for afterwards saying to them, “I am He,”They go backward, and fall to the ground. No man could take His life from Him.
He has even to show them their prey; for all their torches and lanterns would not otherwise have discovered Him to them. Every stage in the way was His own. He laid down His life of Himself. They that would eat up His flesh must stumble and fall. They that desired His hurt must be turned back and put to confusion. Had the Son of God pleased, there, on the ground, the enemy still have lain.
He had come, however, not to destroy men’s lives, but to save them; (Luke 9:56) and therefore He would lay down His own. He rather leaves Himself in the hands of enemies. “Then the band and the captain and officers of the Jews took Jesus, and bound Him.” (v.12) The Evangelists - J. G. Bellett
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Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning. Psalm 30:5
Do you want comfort? Nothing can give it so much as the thought of Christ’s coming. There may be sorrow in the night, but joy enough—”fullness of joy”— (Psalm 16:11) In that morning when we shall see Him as He is: fullness of joy in being like Him and with Him for ever more. (1 John 3:2)
Gleanings - G. V. Wigram
Soon will the Master come: soon pass away
Our times of conflict, grief, and suffering here;
Our night of weeping end in cloudless day,
And sorrow’s moment like a dream appear;
Eternity—with Jesus—in the skies—
How soon that Sun of righteousness may rise!
We shall behold Him, whom not seen we love,
We shall be with Him, whom we long to see;
We shall be like Him, fit for realms above,
With Him, and like Him, for eternity!
Is now to sit at Jesus’ feet our choice?
How will fruition then our souls rejoice!
J. G. Deck
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And I am sure that, when I come unto you, I shall come in the fullness of the blessing of the gospel of Christ. Romans 15:29
Nothing perhaps has been a more common source falling out by the way than the holding of favourite religious opinions, or the undue, disproportioned estimation of certain doctrines or points of truth.
If we were only happy in Him, we should work much better for Him. It is joy in Christ that gains victory over the world. Why are we in subjection to the world? Just because we have not found in Christ all the joy we ought to find.
It is one thing to be the advocate of Christianity, and another to be the disciple of it. And though it may sound strange at first, far easier is it to teach its lessons than to learn them.
We need not so much to covet information about Him as power to use divinely what we know. J.G. Bellet
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They which builded on the wall, and they that bare burdens, with those that laded (loaded), everyone with one of his hands wrought in the work, and with the other hand held a weapon. Nehemiah 4:17
No soldier on service is ever “laid aside”; he is only given another commission, sometimes just to suffer (we are not told yet the use of that), sometimes, when pain and weakness lessen a little, to fight among the unseen forces of the field. Never, never is he shelved as of no further use to his Beloved Captain. To feel so, even for a moment, is to be terribly weakened and disappointed.
The soldier must let his Captain say where, and for what, He needs him most, and he must not cloud his mind with questions. A wise master never wastes his servant’s time, nor a commander his soldier’s—there is great comfort in remembering that.
There is no discharge in our warfare. No not for a single day. We may be called to serve on the visible field. We may be called off the visible. That dreary word “laid aside” is never for us; we are soldiers of the King of kings. Soldiers are not shelved.
Rose From Briar - Amy Carmichael
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Daniel…Kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed. Daniel. 6:10.
It is well to accustom oneself to stated seasons of prayer, and to refuse to allow even pressing business to turn one aside. Who has not heard of the white handkerchief in front of General “Chinese Gordon’s'' tent? The sentry, pacing to and fro, allowed no courier to enter—no matter how urgent - till that handkerchief was removed. It indicated that Gordon was having an audience with God, and all other matters must wait. How often it is otherwise with many of us. God is put last!
H.A.Ironside
I’m busy! No, I cannot stay,
A thousand things call me away;
Tomorrow I will stop to pray.
And so I lost me one great day.
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Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Philippians 4 :4,7
THE TYRNNY OF WORRY
One does not need to travel very far along the road of life before one discovers that probably the greatest foe with which the human heart has to contend is worry. The terrible havoc which it works is written on the faces of men and women everywhere.
It destroys the vitality of the body, turns the mind into a seething caldron of unrest, and robs the soul of peace. No one is exempt from its attacks; for it possesses the fatal power of entering the palace of the king as easily as it does the humblest cottage in the land.
Since the grace that makes us Christians still leaves us men, we too— believers in the Lord Jesus Christ—are faced by this demon of worry; and it may be helpful to enquire how it is that we so frequently get into its grip; to show how sadly it hinders us in our witness for God; and to point out how we may be finally delivered from its power.
Our theme then is: worry—its prevalence, uselessness and baselessness ; its causes, consequences and cure. Heaven’s Cure for Earth’s Care - George Henderson
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(To be continued)
WORRY - ITS CAUSES
Casting all your care upon Him, for He careth for you. 1 Peter 5:7
By reason of our complex personality, we stand related to three realms of being—physical, mental and spiritual; and worry may come to us from any one of these. On the physical plane, life for very many is a constant battle for the bread that perisheth; and the worry that reaches us from this source is largely occasioned by such questions as: what shall we eat? What shall we drink? or wherewithall shall we be clothed? (Matthew 6:31)
Mentally, some are so constituted that they live in perpetual dread of coming disaster. An incurable malady is imagined to be on its way, an impending doom, an overhanging sword is already perceived.
Finally, in the spiritual realm, the happenings of the hour frequently furnish occasion for our faithless hearts to doubt the tenderness of God.
Now it is an indisputable fact that, people worry more about their imaginary troubles than they do about those which are actually upon them.
The troubles that never come form the heaviest part of our daily load. The worry and the fear caused by these apprehended miseries often work said havoc with brain and nerves. The actual sorrows, the bereavements, the disappointments, have their comfort and cure. But there is no cure for the troubles that never come. They are haunting ghosts, unsubstantial as mist, yet very real in their depressing and harmful power over us. Heaven’s Cure for Earth’s care. George Henderson
N.J.Hiebert - 9404 (To be continued)
Draw me, we will run after Thee! Song of Solomon1:4
Were I to read the heart of the loving bride through these words, I should say that her desire to be near the person of the Lord is so great that, near and dear though she be, there is something like distance experienced. Hence the deep breathings of her heart, “Draw me”—oh! draw me nearer—closer—my Lord, to Thee! The more we know of Christ the more we shall desire to know of Him.
The nearer we are to Him, the more we shall desire to be drawn nearer still. As Paul says, “That I may know Him” (Philippians 3:10), and yet none on earth knew Him so well! Do you speak thus, my soul, to yourself? Do you know this in you own experience?
There is a beautiful connection between the Lord’s drawing and our running. Note the last two words—not after our own notions, or even after the best of men on earth—but “after Thee”. The one who draws, goes before. Thus the Lord goes before His people in the wilderness and sees the danger and meets it before they come to it. Many, many are the dangers He delivers us from that we know nothing about.
A snare may be laid for us by the enemy in the way that we said we would go; but our divine Leader, seeing the snare, turns into another path, leads in another direction, and the snare which might have proved fatal is escaped. And yet I may feel so disappointed and so discontented because something hindered me from reaching my previously appointed place.
Blessed Lord, may we ever and only “run after Thee!” Andrew Miller
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ANXIETY—ITS CURE
As thy days, so shall thy strength be.
Deuteronomy 33:25
Sometimes, “says John Newton, “I compare the troubles we have to undergo in the course of a year to a great bundle of sticks far too large for us to lift. But God does not require us to carry the whole at once. He mercifully unties the bundles, and gives us first one stick, which we are able to carry today, and then another, which we are able to carry tomorrow, and so on.
This we can easily manage, if we could only take the burden appointed for us each day; but we chose to increase our trouble by carrying yesterday’s stock over again today, and adding tomorrow’s burden before we are required to bear it.”
Heaven’s Cure for Earth’s Care—George Henderson
Apart from the woes that are past and gone
And the shadow of future care,
The heaviest load of the present hour
Is easy enough to bear.
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What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? 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?
Rom. 8:31-32
Trust... in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy. 1 Tim. 6:17
His love has no limit,
His grace has no measure,
His power no boundary known unto
men;
For out of His infinite
Riches in Jesus
He giveth and giveth and giveth again.
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Men ought always to pray, and not to faint.
Luke 18:1
A man, past eighty years, stood in a prayer meeting and said,
"Friends, I would like to share with you my joy today. Sixty-five years ago my dying mother said to me, 'You are the only Christian in the family so I commend your brothers to you. Pray for them every day until they are saved.' This morning I received a letter from my remaining brother, in which he said he had the very best news - he was saved!" Are your prayers yet to be answered? Keep on praying!
I will pray on. Though distant it may seem, The answer may be almost at my door, Or iust around the corner on its way.
But whether near or far, yes, I shall pray - I will pray on.
- E. L. Mapes
N.J. Hiebert 9408
We love Him, because He first loved us. 1 John 4:19
If you consult the Greek you will find that one word does not appear. Correctly we read, “We love, because He first love us.” Maybe some of you feel that you have lost something, you like to think, “We love Him because He first loved us.” But take it just as the Spirit of God originally wrote it, “We love, because He first loved us.” Think it over, and you will see how much more precious that is after all.
Many a one will talk about loving Him who has not very much love for His! How easy it is to talk about loving Christ and loving God, and yet be cold and unkind and discourteous toward those for whom Jesus died. The test of whether we really love Him is found in the way we behave toward His, and what a test that is! You say you love Him, but you do not love Him a bit more than you love the child of God of whom you think the least.
Just try to think who that is, that cantankerous, cross-grained person who always seems to upset you, and yet you know that that one belongs to the Lord Jesus Christ, that he is a member of Christ's Body. You do not love Christ any more than you love His members, and so "We love, because He first loved us."
When our hearts are occupied with His wondrous love, we remember that He loved us when we were unlovely, and some of us are not very lovely now; we remember that He loved us when we were unlovable, and some of us are not very lovable yet. If He could do that when we were rebellious, and if that same love is now shed abroad in our hearts, we ought to be able to love those who are sinful and unkind and selfish. It is love triumphing in the midst of evil. “We love because He first loved us.”Epistles of John — H. A. Ironside
N.J.Hiebert - 9409
Now is the accepted time; behold now is the day of salvation. 2 Corinthians 6:2.
The Mystery at the End
Sooner or later, we’ll face the end of life sometime in the future. What then? Writers and philosophers have many varied answers, but the fact remains, we can’t see beyond that Mystery Wall with certainty. We can wish for a blissful paradise, a land of plenty where the sun always shines, or we can take the “cop out” position: that there is only oblivion to come. No God, no heaven, no hell; just nothing.
Unless - Unless we turn to what God says in His Word, the Holy Bible speaking to us all. It starts at page one: in the beginning, God. From before time began, God was, always was, is now and always will be. Reading on: God created the heaven and the earth. His creative power points clearly to His eternal existence. The heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament shows His handiwork. (Psalm 19:1)
Look at (Romans1:20) For the invisible things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they (we) are without excuse. Believe these basic truths and you are well on your way to actually KNOWING your destiny beyond your lifespan on earth.
One Route to Heaven - Everyone makes the choice whether to look diligently for God’s only way, or ignore it at their peril. The default position is Hell forever. The Old Testament part of the Bible, two-thirds of it, firmly establishes that we can do nothing by our own strength, logic, keeping the Ten Commandments or will power to make our way into heaven. All have sinned and come short of the glory of God. (Romans 3:23). The New Testament tells us exactly how to go about it.
The route is summed up in several specific verses. If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved. This is an absolute promise from God. The Old Testament has many illustrative true stories pointing to Jesus’ birth, life, death, resurrection and ascension; but we read the details about these events in the New Testament.
Lorne Perry for Vision 2020 in 2023 (To be continued)
N.J.Hiebert - 9410
The Mystery at the end - (continued)
For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3:16)
One Book Inspired by God - God’s Holy Spirit guided faithful men to write down His thoughts for us, and the resulting book has been remarkably preserved for thousands of years (example; recent discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls written in Bible times). Even if your Bible, is left on the shelf unopened, that does not change what it says. You are already guilty before God and badly need a rescue package.
That package is yours by faith in Jesus Christ, God’s only and eternal Son. He is presented as the ONLY way. He declared I am the way, the truth and the life, no man comes to the Father (God) but by Me. John 14:6.
One Thing to do? - First, realize that you can do nothing by your own strength, logic or will power to get into heaven. It’s only by believing what God says about His Son. When on earth, the Lord Jesus declared in John 3:17: God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him, might be saved.
Now in Romans 3:22: even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe. There is no room for believing collectively; it is an individual and personal matter.
One step to Jesus - Take it now! Come believing what God says about you, and about His Son, Jesus Christ. Once the deal is done, you have Eternal Life from that very moment. Plus you have peace with God now your loving Father. And you have Jesus as your Saviour, Shepherd and Friend. You have nothing to lose, and everything to gain. The Mystery Wall crumbles and you have no more uncertainty about your future beyond this life. Jesus will be there waiting to take you to paradise. And so shall we ever be with the Lord. (1 Thessalonians 4:17).
Lorne for Vision 2020 in 2023
N.J. Hiebert 9411
Therefore have I set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be ashamed. Isaiah 50:7
It came to pass, when the time was come that He should be received up,
He steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem.
Luke 9:51
Then came the day of unleavened bread, when the Passover must be killed.
Luke 22:7
Himself He could not save; He on the cross must die,
Or mercy cannot come to ruined sinners nigh.
Yes, Christ, the Son of God, must bleed,
That sinners might from sin be freed.
Himself He could not save; for justice must be done;
Our sins full weight must fall upon the sinless One;
For nothing less can God accept
In payment of that fearful debt.
Himself He could not save, For He the surety stood
For all who now rely upon His precious blood;
He bore the penalty of guilt
When on the cross His blood was spilt.
Himself He could not save, Love’s stream too deeply flowed,
In love Himself He gave, to pay the debt we owed.
Obedience to His Father’s will,
And love to Him did all fulfil.
And now exalted high—a Prince and Saviour He,
That sinners might draw nigh and drink of mercy free,
Of mercy now so richly shed,
For Jesus liveth who was dead.
A. Midlane
N.J.Hiebert - 9412
Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain.
1 Corinthians 9:24
Ye were running well! Paul loves the picture of the race. In 1 Corinthians 9:24-27, he exhorts the Corinthian believers from the same picture: ”So run, that ye may obtain!” In Galatians 2:2 and Philippians 2:16, Paul speaks of himself in his own race, that he had not run in vain, or to no purpose. In Philippians 3:12-14, Paul sees himself still as the runner, but drawing nearer the end of the race.
The goal is in sight, and that is not the time to relax; on the contrary, now is the time to put forth all his strength, so “down to the goal I press!” As he parted from his dear Ephesian brethren he thinks of the time when, the race finished, the goal passed, the prize won, only the joy remains: “…neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy.” (Acts 20:24).
It is the Greek word for the race course that Paul uses here once again. And in 2 Timothy 4:7, using the same word, he sees the race is over: “I have finished my course (again, the word means “race course”)…henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness.” This was not the kingly crown of royalty, but it was the victor’s wreath that the winner of the race received at the Olympic Games. That wreath was made of leaves, a corruptible crown. ” But the crown that we receive is “an incorruptible” one (1 Corinthians 9:25). Meditations on Galatians - G. C. Willis
N.J.Hiebert - 9413
I sat down under his shadow with great delight.
Song of Solomon 2:3
Communion with God is the retiring place of the heart.
If living in communion with God we are not thinking of ourselves. Moses did not know his face shone when when every one else did. He had been looking up out of himself and turned towards the earth, bearing upon him the light of heaven.
None can be so intimately near us as God, for He is in us. Yet what an intimacy it is!
The cross and the crown go together; and, more than this, the cross and communion go together. The cross touches my natural will, and therefore it breaks down and takes away that which hinders communion.
If I am not in communion it is for the Holy Spirit to speak to my conscience, instead of using me.
May our work be a work of faith, drawing its strength, its existence even from our communion with God our Father.
In speaking of God’s truth, whenever we cannot “speak as the oracles of God” through communion, it is our business to be silent.
I may study the word again and again, but unless I get into communion with Him by it, it will profit me nothing—at least at that time.
What is the joy of a Redeemer but the joy and communion, the happiness of His redeemed? Pilgrim Portions for the Day of Rest - J. N. Darby
N.J.Hiebert - 9414
Attend unto me, and hear me: I mourn in my complaint, and make a noise; because of the voice of the enemy, because of the oppression of the wicked.
Psalm 55:2,3
I have been driven many times to my knees by the over-whelming conviction that I had nowhere else to go. My own wisdom, and that of all about me, seemed insufficient for the day. Abraham Lincoln
What e’er the care that breaks your rest,
What e’er the wish that swells your breast;
Spread before God that wish, that care,
And change anxiety to prayer.
N.J. Hiebert 9415
posted by soundwords at
November 01, 2023
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