Gems from January 2024
Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you. 1st Peter 5:7
A Teacher's Privilege
To-day, dear friends, you’re much in my mind,
Who start your work to do.
What a privilege you have of training the minds
Of the children who go to school.
There will be days that are hard,
And days that are blue,
And days that you hardly know, just what to do,
But keep on praying, His Grace is sufficient for you.
If for Christ your work is done,
Though oft you feel tired and worn,
He does know you did not shirk.
With care He will watch your work,
For He knows the seed of love
Planted here doth bloom above.
Thus, in trust and faith, work on;
You will see the fruit at dawn.
Ruby McKenzie
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Your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask Him.
Matthew 6:8
We must not look on that only as prayer to which our lips give utterance. The wish of the believing heart is counted prayer by God. It is the smoke of the incense which ascends in silence before Him. Every wish that the Holy Spirit breathes into the soul of a believer is a voice which enters the ear of God. Choice Supplication
Prayer is the soul's sincere desire, uttered or unexpressed,
The motion of a hidden fire that trembles in the breast;
Prayer is the burden of a sigh, the falling of a tear,
The upward glancing of an eye when none but God is near. James Montgomery
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Verily God hath heard me, He hath attended to the voice of my prayer.
Psalm 66:19
A nineteenth-century magazine rebukes the expression, "REMARKABLE answers to prayers," saying we should think it unacceptable if applied to the case of a boy who took sick away from home and sent to his father for help. We would not say, "Remarkably enough, his father assisted him at once." It would certainly be good if we could expect heavenly succour just as surely as the boy would expect an answer from his father — yet there ought to be a thankful awe for every reply.
What will He not bestow?
Who freely gave this mighty gift, unbought,
Unmerited, unheeded, and unsought,
What will He not bestow? (Selected)
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Forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forth unto those things which are before.”
Philippians 3:13
The New Year is not present with us. Only a new day! So it will be continually. We shall see but one day at a time.
If each day is lived right, the whole year will be right; if each day is wrong, the year will be all wrong.
Each day is a white page to be written. Write it beautifully, and the year will be beautiful."
NEW YEAR PRAYER
Lord, Thou hast given me a clean, new year.
Help me to keep its pages pure, unspoiled;
To write upon its scroll but kindly thoughts,
With no unsightly blots to have it soiled.
Let me not mar, in thought or word or deed,
This page, so white, so pure, unsullied, fair.
Help me to know that when I stand in need
Of help from Thee, Thou art always standing there.
When duty calls me, Lord, let pleasure wait.
Let me fulfill my calling. Let Thy will,
Not mine, be done. Oh, let me ever hear
Thy calm, approving voice. Thy guidance still.
Lead me, dear Lord, in paths of peacefulness.
But if, perchance, Thy paths should ever lie
O’er mountain trails, though they be rough and bleak,
Then may I answer, “Master, here am I.” I. S. Ellis
An artist who was asked, ”What is your best picture?” answered, “My next.”
Make tomorrow your best day!
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Make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed. Hebrews 12:13
THE BRIDGE BUILDER
An old man, going a lone highway,
Came at the evening, cold and gray,
To a chasm vast and deep and wide,
Through which was flowing a raging tide.
The old man crossed in the twilight dim;
The sullen stream had no fears for him;
But he turned when safe on the other side,
And built a bridge to span the tide.
“Old man,” said a fellow-pilgrim near,
“You are wasting your strength with building here;
Your journey will end with the closing day;
You never again will pass this way.
You've crossed the chasm deep and wide.
Why build you this bridge at eventide?”
The builder lifted his old gray head.
“Good friend, in the path I have come,” he said,
“There follows after me today
A youth whose feet must pass this way.
This chasm which has been as naught to me,
To that fair-haired youth may a pitfall be;
He, too, must cross in the twilight dim;
Good friend, I am building this bridge for him." Mountain Trailways
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For I the Lord thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, fear not; I will help thee. Isaiah 41:13
Dr. S. D. Gordon once wrote: "Our Lord has been everywhere that we are called to go. His feet have trodden down smooth a path through every experience that comes to us. He knows each road, and knows it well-the steep path of temptation down through the rocky ravines and slippery gullies, the dizzy road along the heights of victory, the old beaten road of commonplace daily routine."
I said to the man who stood at the gate of the year,
"Give me a light that I may tread safely into the unknown."
And he replied,
"Go out into the darkness and put your hand
Into the hand of God;
That shall be to you better than light
and safer than a known way." M. Louise Haskins.
(Quoted by His Majesty the King in an Empire broadcast.)
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“None of these things move me.” Acts 20:24
We read in the book of Samuel that the moment that David was crowned at Hebron, “All the Philistines came to seek David.” (2 Samuel 5:17) And the moment we get anything from the Lord worth contending for, then the devil comes to seek us.
When the enemy meets us at the threshold of any great work for God, let us accept it as “a token of salvation,” (Philippians 1:28) and claim double blessing, victory, and power.
Power is developed by resistance. The cannon carries twice as far because the exploding power has to find its way through resistance. the way electricity is produced in the power house yonder is by the sharp friction of the revolving wheels. And so we shall find someday that even Satan has been one of God’s agencies for blessing.— Days of Heaven Upon the Earth
A hero is not fed on sweets,
Daily his own heart he eats;
Chambers of the great are jails,
And head winds right for royal sales. Emerson
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Teach me, O Lord, the way of Thy statutes . . . Give me understanding . . .make me to go in the path of Thy commandments. Psalm 119:33-35
Another year is dawning! Dear Master, let it be,
In working or in waiting, another year with Thee.
Another year of leaning; upon Thy loving breast,
Of ever-deepening trustfulness—of quiet, happy rest.
Another year of mercies, of faithfulness and grace;
Another year of gladness in the shining of Thy face.
Another year of progress; another year of praise;
Another year of proving Thy presence “all the days.”
Another year of service, of witness for Thy love;
Another year of training for holier work above.
Another year is dawning! Dear Master, let it be,
On earth, or else in heaven, another year for Thee!
Francis Ridley Havergal
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And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give; them light; to go by day and night.
Exodus 13:21
Guided By The PiIlars of God
What is of importance to notice here is that the people of Israel were divinely guided on their march. He who selected their path guided them in it, went before them in the pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night, in all their wanderings. These gracious symbols of His presence He never took from them as long as they were in the wilderness.
This is only an illustration of the truth, that the Lord is ever the guide of His people. He who leads them out of Egypt may ever be seen before them in the path on which they have entered. He never says, “Go”; but His word is always “Follow Me.” He Himself is the Way, as well as the Truth and the Life. (John 14:6).
It is quite true that we have not the visible guidance which the children of Israel enjoyed; but it is no less discernible and certain to the spiritual eye. The Word is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path (Psalm 119:105)
It is interesting to remark that there was no such guidance in Egypt or in the land. This brings out the important truth, that it is only in the wilderness that the indication of a way is needed. And there it is in His tenderness and mercy that the Lord leads His own, showing them the way in which they should walk, where they should rest, and when they should march, leaving nothing to them, but Himself undertaking all for them, only requiring that their eyes should be kept fixed on their Guide.
Happy are the people who are thus lead, and who are made willing to follow, who by grace are enabled to say, “Only Thou our Leader be, and we still will follow Thee.” Edward Dennett
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Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before. (Philippians 3:12-13)
Now we are nearing the end of the race: the prize is in view: “I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” (V.14) Before we look at the prize, we must consider the calling.
- We are ”Called ones of Christ Jesus” (Romans 1:6)
- We are “called saints,” or “saints by calling.” (Romans 1:7)
- It is a “holy calling” (2 Timothy 1:9)
- it is a “heavenly calling.” (Hebrews 3:1)
- Paul prays we should “know what is the hope of His calling.” (Ephesians 1:18)
- It is a “calling of God . . . not subject to repentance.” (Romans 11:29)
- We are exhorted “to walk worthy of the calling wherewith ye have been called.” (Ephesians 4:1)
What, then, does it mean,—”the calling on high of God in Christ Jesus“? When, as a child, I ran in the Hundred Yard Dash, I might have said: “Down to the goal I press for the prize of The Hundred Yard Dash.” “The Hundred Yard dash” described the race l was running. So the “the calling on high” describes the race Paul was running. It is the calling which bears the character of the world above . . . the calling whose origin, nature, and goal are heavenly.
And what is the prize that Paul so valued:
Run the straight race, through God’s good grace,
Lift up thine eyes, and seek His face.
Life, with its way, before us lies,
CHRIST is the Path and CHRIST the prize.
The prize for the winner of the Marathon was a crown of leaves,—a fading crown: but our Prize is an unfading one. (1 Peter 5:4)
Philippians - G. Christopher Willis
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"As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts." Isaiah 55:9
I read this story long ago - here's the way I remember it.There was a man whose wife and children were all saved, but he was not, and he had little interest in spiritual things, though he had heard the gospel.
One snowy Christmas Eve his family asked him, as they often had, did he want to go with them to the service. He declined. While they were gone, he heard a thump against a window. Looking out, he saw a little bird, injured by the crash, struggling in the snow. The man felt compassion for it, went outside to rescue it, but, as expected, it tried to get away. Nevertheless, he was able to pick it up; and he brought it into the warm house.
As he cared for the helpless little bird, it suddenly dawned on him —he was like that little bird. He had long been in need of being saved but had resisted. He realized, for the first time, how God had wanted to rescue him and save him. His heart was broken. He surrendered to the Lord.
When the family returned home, they found a tearfully joyous husband and father who had finally joined them in being new creations in Christ Jesus. God used a little, wounded bird to awaken him to his need.
Dear friend, God knew the way to reach that man's heart; He knows how to reach yours too. If you, like that man, have been resisting God's loving entreaties, won't you surrender today?
"This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners..." (1 Timothy 1:15)
Only a step to Jesus: oh why not take it now? L.I.F.E.LINES
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...the person of Christ. 2 Corinthians 2:10
The person of the Christ,
Enfolding every grace,
Once slain, but now alive again,
In heaven demands our praise. Miss Wigram
First, the hymn-writer declares the scope of the expression; The Person of the Christ, encompassing every one of the graces revealed to us in the character, work and glory of our Lord and Saviour. Then the writer goes on to address the two facts central to the Gospel: the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And finally, the Lord is seen as back in Heaven and He will be there eternally. A song of praise has begun in the hearts of the redeemed now, and will be sung perfectly when we are with Him.
Although not stated in the hymn, His love, and that of God, are felt by believers every day. It takes in (1) the very beginnings of our blessings, part of God's plan from a past eternity, (2) the reality experienced during our lives on earth as believers, and (3) its continuation forever.
Meditating on our Lord - We could go on down a long list of the attributes of our Lord, and it is a worthwhile subject for personal meditation. This short document doesn't allow room for such a full exploration, but you only have to read through the four Gospels to see His qualities played out in love, kindness, mercy, sympathy and grace, as the Lord Jesus interacted with people of the world, who were not unlike us in our needs, attitudes and relative insensitivity. Hebrews 1:3 speaks of the Lord Jesus being the brightness of God's glory, and the precise image of God's persona. This a wonderful confirmation of all that The Person of Christ stands for. The more our thoughts take in the whole Person of Christ, the more we will want to live as a reflection of His life. And this will lead to more praise and worship, to the glory of God.
Hebrews 2:9: “But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that He by the grace of God should taste death for every man.” Lorne Perry
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The coming of the Lord draweth nigh. James 5:8
Early 2023, we wrote: "The new year is well under way; the first month already behind us! What do the next ones have in store for us? The bad news from previous months is still haunting us and the horizon seems all the more uncertain. Stability and peace do not appear in the forecast".
What about the start of 2024? To the enduring Ukraine/Russia conflict now is added the terrible Israël/Hamas war. This new element perfectly matches the Bible prophecies concerning the last days where Israel is central. And what about the accelerating moral decline and confusion of the West, even upheld by it's leaders? We must be on the very edge of the Great Tribulation described in the Bible.
Be not deceived, God is in control and will work all things out according to His counsel and purpose, according to His final solution. "But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape" (1 Thessalonians 5:1-3).
When men will say Peace and safety, that will surely be after a time of trouble and great concern and instability such as we are now facing. The solution then proposed and accepted by the majority will lead to the forceful imposing of the system of the Beast described in chapter 13 of the book of Revelation in the Bible. But as the Word of God indicates, that will be a sign of sudden judgment and ruin!
The Perspective of Faith
The plan of God is to establish His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, as the supreme ruler over this world and establish a thousand year reign of peace and righteousness. This unequaled period of peace will be followed by an eternal new creation where righteousness will dwell (2 Peter 3:13). All the details pertaining to this are given in the Bible, the Word of God. Everything predicted in it about the past has been fulfilled exactly as prophesied; we are persuaded that the same applies to future events God has told us about. We send out this message to challenge the reader to inquire, to search, to be attentive and believe what god has given us to know in His Word.
The past year was full of upheavals; the coming months seem to predict even more tragic developments, polarizing the masses. It is urgent to seek the Lord, time is running out. God in His patience is waiting for the last ones. He sent His Son into the world for the world to be saved by Him. Those who have put their trust in Him will not be condemned; but those who reject Him or neglect to trust Him will. For these there is no mercy or grace for they have refused the wonderful offer of God. Be not part of those who reject and will experience the forewarned sudden destruction. Trust in the Lord Jesus now, accepting Him as your Saviour.
World leaders propose various paths to peace and safety that will never come to pass; those of God will surely come to pass and exactly as He has said. The final solution can only be the coming of the Lord Jesus and the establishment of His rule over this world. Turn to Him now without delay! God offers only one route to peace and safety; through His Son who died to prepare the way. Michel for Vision 2020 in 2024
"Neither is there salvation in any other." (Acts 4:12).
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The Comforter...the Spirit of truth … He shall testify of Me. (John 15:26.)
Does it really matter in a practical sense whether the Holy Spirit is a person, a power, or an influence? Yes! How one thinks of Him changes everything for one's practical life. If He is only a power that works in me, I can make and carry out plans availing myself of this power. However, if this is a divine Person who dwells in me, then it should be He who makes the plans and carries them out. I am not to be the worker then, but merely an instrument that He may use for whatsoever He will.
And is there not an enormous difference between a creature such as I, on the one hand, wanting to lay hold of God to use Him for my purpose, and, on the other hand, the Almighty God condescending to use me to carry out His will? The first concept leads to an overestimation of self and to acting in self-will. The second leads to humility and dependence, but also to the glorious assurance of being in the ways of God and of having His approval.
A person is a living being that is conscious of its existence and that consciously thinks, wills, and acts. This is what Scripture teaches about the Holy Spirit:
He loves (Rom. 15:30);
He has a mind and intercedes for us (Rom. 8:26-27);
He searches, knows, instructs, and convicts (1 Cor. 2:10-11; Neh. 9:20; In.
16:8,13);
4. He has a sovereign will (1 Cor. 12:11; Acts 13:2);
5. He can be grieved (Eph. 4:30; Isa. 63:10)
6. He can be insulted (Heb. 10:29);
7.He can be lied to (Acts 5:3). Further-more, Scripture says (Acts 5:3-4) that the Holy Spirit is God.
Thus, the Holy Spirit is not only a person—He is a divine Person. He is God the Holy Spirit! H. L. Heijkoop
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THE BLESSEDNESS OF CHRISTLIKENESS
"Now thanks be unto God, which always causes us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of His knowledge by us in every place."
2 Corinthians 2. I4.
The supreme witness for God in this world is the one whose life is Christlike in spirit and conduct. "To be like Christ," says Henry Drummond "compared with that, every ambition is folly, and all lower achievement vain." Just as glass may be considered as brilliantly beautiful until we see the fascinating radiance of a diamond, so, when we behold our all-glorious Lord, we are ready to cry out with one of old : "He is altogether lovely" Song of Solomon 5:16.
"No mortal can with Him compare,
Among the sons of men;
Fairer is He than all the fair,
That fill the heavenly train.
In Mark 3:I4 it is said that the Lord Jesus ordained twelve, that they should be with Him, and that He might send them forth to preach; and in Acts 4.13 we have an illustration of the effects of that. The officers took knowledge of Peter and John that they had been with Jesus, because these two men of God carried with them the fragrance of the One in Whose presence they had been dwelling.
For us to-day who have not access to His physical presence, the whole secret is enshrined in a word which occurs three times in the New Testament; the word metamorphoomai. This word is found in Matthew 17. 2, where it is translated " transfigured "; in Romans 12. 2, where it is rendered "transformed "; and in 2 Corinthians 3. 18, where it appears as "changed". The first of these occurrences shows the pattern to which; the second, the principle upon which; and the third, the power by which, we are transformed."
“We all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord" 2 Corinthians 3:18). The transformation produces the fragrance. Samuel Rutherford prayed that the Rose of Sharon growing in his heart, might shed its fragrance abroad in his life; and wherever he went, he scattered abroad the perfume of the knowledge of God. Henry Durbanville
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“Adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things.” Titus 2:10
Dr Watkinson says: “There is a piece of music spread out before me. I am told it is magnificent, but as I do not know anything about music I cannot read it; I simply believe what I am told, namely, that it is a beautiful piece of music. But I hand it to someone who can play.
The musician sits at the organ, and with his eyes upon the page sweeps the keys with his fingers. That musician is not making the music: he is not the composer; but he is adorning the music by interpreting it to me so that I can understand it.” The men and women whose lives are filled with good works are the most practical exponents and interpreters of the music of the gospel message; for they apply the spiritual blessings and material benefits of the Evangel to the needs and circumstances of the hour.
Thus, Florence Nightingale, spending and being spent on behalf of the soldiers amid the rigours of the Crimea; Mary Slessor, wearing herself out in loving-hearted service to the benighted Africans; Mary Reed, giving her life to the lepers of India, and eventually dying among them, herself a leper: these noble women, impelled to their sacred tasks by a yearning pity for mankind, the burning charity divine, are among the choicest of the gifts with which God has blessed and enriched our poor world. They adorn the gospel, and were themselves adorned by it (1 Timothy 2:9-10).
It was in this way that many of the early pagans were won for our Lord. When maligned and persecuted, the Christians did not retaliate, but laid before their persecutors the unanswerable argument of kindly deeds (1 Peter 2:12). “In the deed,” says Cowper, “the unequivocal authentic deed, we find the true argument, we read the heart.” Winsome Christianity
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If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. Luke 9:23
Byways
Long ago I read these words of George Herbert:
“Who goeth in the way which Christ hath gone, is much more sure to meet with Him, than one that traveleth byways.”
Are we going in the way which Christ has gone, or are we only talking and praying and singing about it? What about likes and dislikes?What about choices? What about Self?
Christ’s way is the way that says “No” to the “I” that rises up so often and in many different disguises. “If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself [say “No” to himself], and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.” A “by-way” is any other way, any easier way, any self-pleasing way. We shall not meet Christ if we travel in a byway. Thou Givest . . . They Gather - Amy Carmichael
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Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. Philippians 4:8
There are not so many hours in a year as there may be thoughts in an hour. Thoughts fly in flocks like starlings, and swarm like bees. Like the dry leaves in autumn, there is no counting them and like the links in a chain, one draws on another. What a restless being man is!
His thoughts dance up and down like small flies on a summer’s evening. Like a clock full of wheels, with the pendulum in full swing, his mind moves as fast as time flies. This makes thinking such an important business, “For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he” (Proverbs 23:7).
We ought to mind our thoughts, for if they turn to be our enemies they will be too many for us and will drag us down to ruin. Thoughts from heaven, like birds in spring, will fill our souls with music; but thoughts of evil will sting us like vipers.
There is a notion abroad that thought is free; but I remember reading that although thoughts are toll-free, they are not hell-free; and that saying quite agrees with the Bible. We cannot be summoned before an earthly court for thinking, but depend upon it, we shall have to be tried for it at the Bar of God.
Evil thoughts are the marrow of sin; the malt that sin is brewed from; the tinder which catches the sparks of the devil’s temptations; the churn in which the milk of imagination is churned into purpose and plan; the nest in which all evil birds lay their eggs. Be certain, then. that as sure as fire burns brushwood as well as logs, God will punish thoughts of sin as well as deeds of sin. C. H. Spurgeon
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- But they cried saying crucify Him, crucify Him . . . Luke 23:21
- And Pilate gave sentence that it should be as they required . . . (v.24)
- And when they were come to the place, which is called Calvary, there they crucified Him . . . (v.33)
- Then said Jesus, Father forgive them; for they know not what they do. (v.34)
- And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, He said, Father into Thy hands I commend My spirit: and having said thus, He gave up the ghost. (v.46)
On that same night, Lord Jesus, when all around Thee joined
To cast its darkest shadow across Thy holy mind,
We hear Thy voice, blest Saviour, “This do remember Me:”
With joyful hearts responding, we do remember Thee.
The depth of all Thy suffering no heart could e’er conceive;
The cup of wrath o’er flowing for us Thou didst receive;
And, oh! of God forsaken, on the accursèd tree.
With grateful hearts, Lord Jesus, we now remember Thee.
We think of all the darkness which round Thy spirit pressed,
Of all those waves and billows which rolled across Thy breast.
Oh, there Thy grace unbounded and perfect love we see;
With joy and sorrow mingling, we would remember Thee.
G. W. Frazer
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Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God. 1 Corinthians 10:31
As a boy I worked for a Scottish shoemaker named Dan Mackay, a forthright Christian. It was my responsibility to pound leather for shoe soles. A piece of cow hide would be cut to suit, then soaked in water. I had a piece of iron over my knees and, with a flat-headed hammer, I pounded these soles until they were hard and dry. It seemed an endless operation, and I wearied of it many times.
What made my task worse was the fact that, a block away, there was another shop, and in it sat a jolly, godless cobbler who regaled the neighbourhood with lewd tales that made him dreaded by respectable parents. Yet, somehow, he seemed to thrive.
I noticed that he never pounded the soles at all, but took them from the water and nailed them on, with the water splashing from them as he drove each nail in. One day I ventured inside. Timidly, I said, “I notice you put the soles on while still wet. Are they just as good as if they were pounded?” He gave me a wicked leer as he answered, “They come back all the quicker this way, my boy!”
Feeling I had learned something, I related the instance to my boss. Mr. Mackay stopped his work and opened his Bible to the passage that reads,”Whatsoever you do, do all to the glory of God.”“Harry,” he said, “I do not cobble shoes just for the money I get from my customers. I am doing this for the glory of God.
I expect to see every shoe I have ever repaired in a big pile at the judgment seat of Christ, and I do not want the Lord to say to me in that day, ‘Dan, this was a poor job.’ I want Him to be able to say,’well done, good and faithful servant.’ (Matthew 25:21)” He went on to explain that just as some men are called to preach, so he was called to fix shoes, and only as he did this well would his testimony count for God. Colossians 3:23-25) H. A. Ironside
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Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:2
THE AUTHOR OF SALVATION
The whole of His saving work is warranted in the light of His own worthiness. His holiness and honour stand highest in heaven. The salvation Christ accomplished does not depend on human behaviour but on the beloved Saviour Himself, for "He became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey Him" (Heb. 5:9). Nor does this speak of a transient deliverance from temporal troubles and trivialities, but of deliverance from the domain of the Devil and from the dominion of sin and death forever.
Therefore, we can safely say that His will determined the purpose, His wisdom planned it, His work wrought it, and His own Word declared it finished. The perfect suitability of His precious blood for propitiation supplies a permanent basis for the peace of salvation. Charles J. Rolls
Great Captain of salvation,
Now crowned with highest glory,
Joyful we raise,
Our songs of praise,
And lowly bow before Thee;
We worship and adore Thee,
Each heart and tongue confessing,
Worthy to reign,
The Lamb once slain,
Of honour, power, and blessing. J.G. Deck
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Yet in the church I had rather speak five words with my understanding, that by my voice I might teach others also, than ten thousand words in an unknown tongue. 1 Corinthians 14:19
FIVE WORDS
How important for all speakers to remember this! We know that tongues had their value. They were for a sign to the unbelieving. The grand end of speaking in the assembly is edification, and this end can only be reached when people understand what is said. It is impossible for a man to edify me if I cannot understand what he
says. He must speak in an intelligible language and in an audible voice, else I cannot receive any edification. This surely is plain and worthy of the serious attention of all who speak in public.
Further, we would do well to bear in mind that our only warrant for standing up to speak in the assembly is that the Lord Himself has given us something to say. If it be but "five words," let us say the five and sit down. Nothing can be more unintelligent than for a man to attempt to speak ten thousand words when God has only given him five. It is regretful that something like this should so often occur! What a mercy it would be if we could only keep within our measure! That measure may be small. It matters not; let us be simple, earnest, and real. An earnest heart is better than a clever head. A fervent spirit is better than an eloquent tongue.
Where there is a genuine, hearty desire to promote the good of souls, it will prove more effective with me and more acceptable to God than the most brilliant gifts without it. We should covet earnestly the best gifts, but we should also remember the "more excellent way," even the way of love that ever hides itself and seeks only the profit of others. It is not that we value gifts less, but we value love more.
C. H. Mackintosh
May the love of Jesus fill me, as the waters fill the sea;
Him exalting, self abasing, this is victory. K. B. Wilkinson
N.J.Hiebert - 9464
Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. Philippians 1:2
Grace means “Free, undeserved favour.” And, Thanks be to God, that is just what God has shown us; and this is the message with which this lovely Epistle begins. But let us remember it is Grace, not from pity, but from Love. I write in Hong Kong, surrounded by tens of thousands of refugees in the most desperate poverty, misery, and squalor: daily I see the children in their rags and wretchedness, and my heart is moved with pity, and I seek to do what little I can to remove their misery.
In a measure I show them Grace, for they do nothing to deserve help. But it is Grace moved by pity. But there are a few whom I dearly love, what a difference that makes! A few days ago a dear child we have known and loved for several years, showed me the soles of her shoes, without saying a word: both had great holes right through to her bare feet. I got her new shoes, and at the same time a pretty new dress, for I think she had only the shabby one she had on: I paid about ninety cents for it.
When I gave them to her, she climbed on my knee, buried her head on my shoulder, her heart too full for words: and then at last she looked up with wonder, saying: “Mr. Lee, you must have paid a great deal for it!” It was grace, but grace moved by Love, and who can say whose pleasure was greater, the Child’s or mine? Let us ponder the love behind the words “GRACE TO YOU,” and let us remember always the unfathomable cost. May our hearts respond, not with any formal thanks, but like the Child, may our hearts burst forth: “THANKS BE UNTO GOD FOR HIS UNSPEAKABLE GIFT ! ! !”
Sacrifices of Joy Being Meditations of Philippians - G. Christopher Willis
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He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still. Psalm 107:29
We are well into the season of stormy weather; storms of rain, sleet, hail, snow, wind. Other parts of the world experience hurricanes, typhoons, dust and sand storms and more. We just hunker down and wait for it to blow over. And afterwards the sun comes out.
Then there are other kinds of “storms” in our lives; such as depression, anxiety, disappointments, health issues, accidents, fires, floods and so on. Again, we live through them and pray they’ll soon be in the past.
Many will acknowledge that God is in overall control and allows these things as tests of our faith, or to bring us to the realization that some things are beyond us to manage, however smart we may be. Some ascribe such events as “everything is against me” or “its just nature taking its course” or “fate is what life throws at you”. These are an attempt to exclude God’s role in the overall destiny of the world and
mankind.
But God…
Actually, God’s holy word, the Bible, does not allow for any interpretation of personal disaster, except that it is in the will of God. In Genesis 6:5, God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, so He unleashed a great rainstorm that drowned every sinful person, BUT GOD spared faithful Noah and his family.
Genesis 7: 23 to Genesis 8:23: and Noah only remained alive, and they that were with him in the ark.
And the waters prevailed upon the earth an hundred and fifty days. Genesis 8:1: AND GOD remembered Noah. Romans 6:23: For the wages of sin is death, BUT the gift of GOD is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Believers are under God’s care but not immune from troubles. 1 Corinthians 10:13 says: There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man, BUT GOD is faithful who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able.
These verses emphasize that, while God allows the difficulties that come into the lives of believers, whether physical or spiritual, He provides what it takes to ride out the storm, as long as we simply trust in Him and rely on His Word. The Lord has sent His Comforter, the Holy Spirit to dwell in each believer and He becomes our welcome resource in time of trouble. The Lord said in John 14:16: And I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you forever.
We can pray for the storm to end, but God is always in control and has perfect timing.
Psalm 18:30: As for God, His way is perfect. And in verse 32: God....maketh my way perfect.
Lorne Perry
N.J.Hiebert - 9466
Comfort ye, comfort ye My people, saith your God. Isaiah 40:1
THE DIVINE COMFORTER
God means to comfort His people, but in doing so He has to bring before them very definitely their true condition in His sight; and then He shows His remedy. The first part of this message may not sound very comforting, and yet God must begin that way. God wounds that He may heal; He kills that He may make alive. We never know Him in the fullness of His power to sustain and comfort until we have come to the end of our own resources.
In His gracious ministry of comfort, God always begins by showing us our need and our dependence upon His omnipotent power. In Isaiah 40, He says to the prophet,
"Comfort My people,” and then proceeds to instruct the servant as to the character of the message.
The voice said, "Cry." Isaiah asked, " What shall I cry?" The answer was, “All flesh is grass, and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field:(v. 6). This is ever the divine order. It is not until we realize our own utter nothingness and helplessness that we are in a position to avail ourselves of the comfort which the Lord waits to give.
In the New Testament we see each Person of the blessed Trinity engaged in this ministry of comfort. God the Father is called “the God of all comfort" (2 Cor. 1:3).
God the Holy Spirit is spoken of four times in our Lord's last discourse to His disciples as "the Comforter" (Jn. 14:16, 26; 15:26; 16:7). One character of our Lord's
work and ministry is "to comfort all who mourn" (Isa. 61:2). He is also called our Advocate with the Father" (1John 2:1). The word for "Advocate" is exactly the same in the Greek as that for "Comforter" in John's Gospel.
How blessed to be in fellowship with the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, so that one can enter into and enjoy the comfort God delights to give! H. A. Ironside
N.J.Hiebert - 9467
And no man could bind him, no, not with chains: because that he had been often bound with fetters and the chains, had been plucked asunder by him, and the fetters broken in pieces; neither could any man tame him. And always, night and day, he was in the mountains, and in the tombs, crying, and cutting himself with stones. Mark 5:3-5
THE GADARENE
"No man was able to bind him." Measures have been taken everywhere to "bind" the worst effects of sin on man, and there are prisons in many places to keep the worst offenders away from human society. But generally speaking, it doesn't work. As soon as people get out of prison they are still lost sinners—unless they have met the
Saviour in prison.
No one was strong enough to subdue him. Man has tried to subdue or to "cultivate" sin by education, philosophy, theology, religion, and all kinds of other efforts to make human sinfulness look less ugly. Or man has tried to change his value system so that
behaviour, attitudes, and lifestyles that were considered sinful in the past are no longer considered so, but are now accepted behaviour. All this does not change man, nor does it change God's perspective. Nor does it change the effect that sin has on man: he is still in bondage.
He was crying. Very often in Scripture crying or shouting is mentioned in connection with the activities of Satan. During the Lord's trial on earth we read, "They kept on crying out, saying, “Crucify, crucify Him!'" (Lk. 23:21). Or consider Paul's case: "Some therefore cried one thing and some another: for the assembly was confused. (Acts 19:32). Satan is the originator of noise and confusion — past and present. The Lord Jesus, as the servant of God in the Book of the prophet Isaiah, acts just the opposite: "He shall not cry, nor lift up, nor cause His voice to be heard in the street. (Isaiah 42:2).What a contrast! Michael Vogelsang
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But ye are not in the flesh but in the Spirit.
Romans 8:9
THE BELIEVER'S UNION WITH CHRIST
The believer is not in the flesh, but in the Spirit; he is in Christ; he has died out of his old Adam standing in the death of Jesus, and has been quickened, raised up, and seated in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. He has been born of the Spirit, and is indwelt by the Spirit. He has been brought out and brought in. Hence Scripture speaks of us as "accepted in the Beloved," "complete in Him," "preserved in Christ Jesus," and "sanctified in Christ Jesus."
We are a new creation in Him who is Head of all principality and power, are always before God in Christ, in all His acceptability and nearness, and loved by the Father as He loved the Son.
This is where redemption has brought us, where divine, perfect love has set us; so “that we may have boldness in the day of judgment, because as He is, so are we in this world” (1Jn. 4:17). We have died unto sin, died with Christ, and are alive unto God in Him. Having received remission of sins, we are united to Christ by the Holy Spirit, joined to the Lord—one spirit (1Cor. 6:17). This is a man in Christ.
"We were in the flesh," (Romans 7:5) but having died with Christ, and risen with Him, we have eternal life in Him, and are united to Him by the Spirit. Oh the marvellous depths and heights of divine grace! Its depths, in embracing us when in our sins and guilt, exposed to the wrath of God; and its heights, in bringing us to God in Christ for everlasting blessing.
Those who have not received this truth may be trying to work themselves into nearness to God-and be always disappointed - instead of taking, in simple faith, the nearness and acceptance in Christ which His own grace has given us. H. H. Snell
N.J.Hiebert — 9469
Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and He shall
sustain thee. . . (Psa.55:22).
Burdens
The story is told of two young Christian men who lived many, many years ago. They were walking from their small village through the countryside, heading towards another village where they planned to earn some money helping with the fall harvesting of crops. As they walked, they came to a wide river. There was no bridge in that particular location but since the river was shallow, people who needed to
cross at that place often waded through the water. The two young men decided to do the same thing.
When they came to the river they saw an elderly woman sitting at the edge of the water. She had come from the village with a bundle of food and some other supplies. She was quite downcast because since there was no bridge, with the weight of her burdens, she was now afraid to try to wade back across the river, fearing she would lose her balance.
The first young man kindly spoke to her. "We will be glad to carry you across with your bundle, if you would like us to do that."
The old lady was very grateful. "Oh, thank you so much" she said.
"I would very much appreciate your help”. The two young men joined hands together and carefully lifted the elderly woman and her bundle between them. They slowly walked through the river, carrying her to the other side. They put her down on the opposite shore and she heartily thanked them as she continued on her journey.
After the two had walked about a mile, the second young man began to complain. "Look at my shoes and pants" he said. "They are wet and stained from carrying that woman across the river. Besides, my back is very stiff and hurts from lifting her."
The first young man just smiled and nodded.
After 4 more miles the second man began to complain again. "My back is really hurting—all because we had to carry that silly old woman across the river! I can't continue" he said as he lay down moaning.
The first man looked at him and asked; "Do you wonder why I'm not complaining? Your back hurts because you're still carrying that woman. I set her down five miles ago.” Doug Nicolet, The Christian Shepherd (December 2013)
N.J Hiebert—9470
Call unto Me and I will answer Thee, and show thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not. Jeremiah 33:3
There is an eye that never sleeps beneath the wing of night; There is an ear that never shuts when sink the beams of light.
There is an arm that never tires when human strength gives way; There is a love that never fails when earthly loves decay.
That eye is fixed on seraph throngs; that arm upholds the sky; That ear is filled with angel songs; that love is throned on high.
But there’s a power which man can wield when mortal aid is vain, That eye, that arm, that love to reach, that listening ear to gain.
That power is prayer, which soars on high, through Jesus, to the throne, And moves the hand which moves the world to bring salvation down.
James Cowden Wallace
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THE GOOD SHEPHERD
The Lord is my Shepherd: I shall not want. Psalm 23:1
I am the good Shepherd: the good Shepherd giveth His life for the sheep. John 10:11
I know my own Good Shepherd; He knows I am His own.
He gives me His protection; I’m never left alone.
No stranger’s voice beguiling shall lure me from His care;
No promised greener pastures tempt me to follow there.
My Shepherd goes before me to lead me in the way;
Staying in His voice-range I’ll never go astray;
But should I lose my footing, fall to a ledge below,
A cry will bring Him to me to rescue me, I know.
I am of the other “sheep” who knew Him not of old;
Yet He softly called my name and brought me to His fold.
He’s gone with love so tender, a safe place to prepare;
All His sheep and “other sheep” shall soon be gathered there!
None of His shall be left out; He’ll name them, one by one;
No skulking wolf can enter, so well the work He’s done.
His Father knows and loves us, sent His Son to be the Door;
Safely we may come and go, our Shepherd guarding o’er.
No eyes ever yet beheld such pastures green and fair
As those to which He’ll lead us when He calls us to the air!
His scattered sheep, all gathered, shall wander off no more;
Slain for His sheep, our Shepherd forever we’ll adore! Elizabeth Byland
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"Wherefore say unto the children of Israel, I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will rid you out of their bondage, and I will redeem you with a stretched-out arm, and with great judgments.
I will take you to Me for a people, and I will be to you a God; and ye shall know that I am the Lord your God, which bringeth you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians.
And I will bring you in unto the land concerning the which I did swear to give it unto Abraham to Isaac, and to Jacob; andI will give it to you for a heritage: I am the Lord." (Exodus 6:6-8.)
All this speaks the purest, freest, richest grace. Jehovah presents Himself to the hearts of His people as the One who was to act in them, for them, and with them, for the display of His own glory. Ruined and helpless as they were, He had come down to show forth His glory, to exhibit His grace, and to furnish a sample of His power, in their full deliverance.
His glory and their salvation were inseparably connected. They were afterwards re-
minded of all this, as we read in the book of Deuteronomy. “The Lord did not set His love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; for ye were the fewest of all people: but because the Lord loved you, and because He would keep the oath which He had sworn unto your fathers, hath the Lord brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you out of the house of bondmen, from the hand of Pharaoh, king of Egypt”. Deuteronomy 7:6-8 C. H. Mackintosh - Notes On Exodus
N.J.Hiebert—9473
I grew up in Southern Manitoba. The wide open plains and large fields of grain were often referred to as the "Bread Basket" of the world. Most of the grain produced was wheat, which was sent to the mills to make flour for bread.
One afternoon as we were going about our farming duties we noticed some unusually dark clouds in the sky moving in from the west. They were moving quickly and appeared like a pot of boiling water. Everything became very quiet and calm. There was no wind, the birds stopped singing, the cows were walking towards the barn for shelter and the chickens and turkeys settled restlessly on their roosts.
Suddenly, there was a roaring as a fierce wind came up followed by severe lightening, thunder and a down pouring of heavy rain. This was quickly followed by hailstones the size of golf balls. They pounded the fields, gardens, buildings, cars and animals. I recall the fear in my mother's voice as she herded the children into the root cellar, while my father attempted to close the shutters on the windows and calm our fears. There was crying and pleading in prayer to the Lord to keep us safely.
The storm subsided as quickly as it had started and we left our safe haven in the cellar to view the damage. Windows shattered, shingles demolished, garden vegetables shredded like salad, fields of grain totally destroyed, chickens and turkeys dead from fear and exposure and water everywhere. For us youngsters our fear quickly disappeared and we enjoyed wading in the water. For our parents there was the concern for the loss and damage. Our food which would ordinarily have been laid up for the winter was gone.
In the last few months we have heard much about destruction of property and loss of crops, in many parts of the world. Fear has been expressed because of lack of food supplies. Money supplies have been greatly reduced - people are afraid. The Bible tells us that these are some of the signs of the last days before Jesus will come again to take all who believe and trust in Him to heaven. (N.J.H.)
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"Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth. ("Luke 21:22)
God is speaking to all of us. He is in full control.
“God sent His Son the Lord Jesus Christ into the world…that the world through Him might be saved”. (John 3:17)
“Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation”. (2 Corinthians 6:2)
Hark! the voice of Jesus calling—
"Come, ye laden, come to Me;
I have rest and peace to offer,
Rest, thou labouring one, for thee.
Soon that voice will cease its calling,
Now it speaks, and speaks to thee:
Sinner, heed the gracious message; To His side for refuge flee:
Take salvation—take it now and happy be.
N.J.Hiebert - 9474
According as His divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness. 2 Peter1:3
Only worship that is in spirit and in truth is right worship, such worship must come from the overflow of grateful hearts, as we gaze upon our Lord Jesus Christ in all His loveliness and beauty, and as we ponder His love that passeth knowledge. “Looking upon Jesus as He walked” John exclaimed, “Behold the Lamb of God!” (John 1:36) That was true worship, right worship: “it is such worshippers that the Father seeks to worship Him.” (John 4:23).
It is only as our hearts are filled with Christ, by gazing upon Him, that our hearts will overflow, and give forth Right Worship to Him and to His Father.
Paul said to the Athenians “Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, Him declare I unto you” (Acts 17:23) May it be that the wondrous grace of God reckoned this ignorant worship of an unknown God, by those who were “feeling after Him” as right worship? But He is not to us an ‘Unknown God,‘ but One whom we know well: One who is our best Friend: One to whom we owe all. As we gaze upon Him, well may our hearts rise up in true worship and adoration, until they overflow! May it be so, more and more!
O fix our earnest gaze so wholly, Lord, on Thee,
That with Thy beauty occupied, we elsewhere none may see.
Hid Treasures - G. C. Willis
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Tremble, thou earth, at the presence of the Lord at the presence of the God of Jacob; which turned the rock into a standing water, the flint into a fountain of waters. Psalms 114:7-8
Sometimes we pray, and pray, and pray about a matter. If it’s a request, the answer just never seems to come; if its a problem, it never seems to budge. If that is so, we are still praying to One who has promised, “Ask that ye may receive.” (John 16:24) If there is a delay there is a good reason and perhaps we should try to find it. It is in the hands of the One who turns the hard rock into flowing water.
Through manifold temptation,
My soul holds on its course,
Christ’s mighty intercession
Alone is my resource Choice Supplications
N.J.Hiebert —9476
posted by soundwords at
January 01, 2024
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