Bible Gems monthly archive

Gems from February 2012

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January 29

"Verily, verily, I say unto you, whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in My name, He will give it you."
(John 16:23)

Our Lord brings before us in a truly illuminating way, the privilege now extended to us, as believers, to go directly to the Father in prayer, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. I do not think that there is any subject on which there seems to be more confusion than that of prayer. So many people have an idea that prayer is the effort to overcome God's unwillingness; to make Him willing to do something for us which He does not desire to do. That is not the case.

We are not told to pray in order to overcome God's unwillingness. Our God delights to bless, but he chooses to bless in answer to prayer, and that for a number of reasons. When I go to God directly, when various things are pressing upon heart and mind, and they drive me to Him, I find that just speaking to Him of the things that burden me has a sanctifying effect upon my own soul. (H.A. Ironside)

"It is good for me to draw near to God."
(Psalm 73:28)

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January 30

“The LORD…saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.”
(Jeremiah 31:3)

“In math, if you divide an infinite number by any number, no matter how large, you still have an infinite quotient.
So Jesus' love, being infinite, even though it is divided up for every person on earth, is still infinitely poured out on each one of us!”
(C.H. Spurgeon)
“…the Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me.” Galatians 2:20

“Jesus, Captain of salvation,
Conqueror both of death and hell!
Thou who didst as sin's oblation,
Feel what Thou alone couldst feel:
Through Thy suff'rings, death, and merit,
We eternal bliss inherit,
Thousand, thousand thanks to Thee,
Jesus, Lord, for ever be!”

(Jacobi)
(Selected - SL with thanks)

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January 31

"Love suffereth long and is kind. Love envieth not. Love vaunteth not itself."
(1 Corinthians 13:4)

Get these ingredients, fellow Christian, into your life.

Then everything that you do is eternal, it is worth doing.

It is worth giving time to.
(A Thought for Every Day - Henry Drummond)

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February 1

"God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work."
(2 Corinthians 9:8)

Amazing grace! How sweet the sound.
That saved a wretch like me!
I once was lost, but now am found,
Blind, but now I see.
(John Newton)

"All grace."
"All sufficiency."
"All things."
"Abound."

Unlocked by prayer, here is a treasury that is never empty.
It is a fountain,

Full flowing.
Ever flowing.
Overflowing.

Our great need can never diminish this inexhaustible treasure.
Myriads of saints on the earth can draw from this eternal source of grace.
There will always be a sufficient supply when they return for more.

There is grace for sunshine and storm.
Grace for the old believer and the young.
In health and sickness.
In life and death.
There is sufficient grace to say, through tears,
"Thy will be done."
(M. Haack)

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February 2

"Thus saith the Lord the maker thereof, the Lord that formed it, to establish it; the Lord is His name; Call unto Me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not."
(Jeremiah 33:2-3)

The Christian story is about a God who goes out of His way to know and to be known, to offer us His name, to call us by name, to show us He is worth knowing and loving. Jesus came near so that God would be fathomable. And yet how unfathomable is a God who comes near? There is so much to life and mystery that is unplumbed by our own minds, even as it is held in our minds and in minds long before our own. Why do we have these minds? Why this instinct to search and know? How is it that we should know God by name, or know the voice of the Son? And how shall we respond to the kind of God who invites a love of knowing Him? (Jeremiah 33:2-3)

(A Slice of Infinity - RZIM)

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February 3

February 4

February 5

Gems from January 2012

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December 27

". . . launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught . . . At Thy word I will let down the net."
(Luke 5:4,5)

When Peter made Christ the captain of his boat he was commanded to "launch out into the deep!" When Christ was in control, Peter must no longer stay in the shallows.

Are you hugging the shore of the world? Do you wonder why there is no success in your Christian life? Have you been a Christian for so long, and yet do you still dabble in the world's pleasures? Do you still compromise with the world's standards? Are you still content to come down to the level of the world? Have you never burned your bridges and cut your shorelines and launched out into the deep, with Christ in full control?

If it is a choice between the social evenings and the prayer meeting, which wins? (Frederick P. Wood)

Oh, let us launch out on this ocean so broad,
Where the floods of salvation o'erflow;
Oh let us be lost in the mercy of God,
Till the depth of His fullness we know.

Launch out into the deep!
Oh let the shoreline go;
Launch out, launch out in the ocean divine,
Out where the full tides flow.

A great ship asks deep waters.
(G. Herbert)

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December 30

"Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God. . . "
(Luke 2:12-13)

Praising God for What? "The mystery of godliness: God was manifested in the flesh" (1 Timothy 3:16). The hope of Israel is revealed to them - glad tidings of great joy to all the people. For JESUS is the pivot of all God's counsels in grace. Adam himself was but a type of Him who was to come. Christ was ever in the mind of God. Such displays of glory are not shown to mortal eyes every day; but God sets them before us in His Word, and we must every day follow the sign given, follow Jesus the babe in the manger. If He filled the eye, the ear, the heart, how we should see the effects in person, spirit, conversation, dress, house, money, and other things.

Such, then, is the sign of God's accomplishment of promise and of His presence in the world - "a babe in the manger" - the least and lowest thing. But God is found there, though these things are beyond man, who cannot walk with God, nor understand His moral glory. But God's sign is within the reach of faith. It is the token of perfect weakness; a little infant who can only weep. Such, born into this world, is Christ the Lord. Such is the place God chose - the low degree. God's intervention is recognized by a sign like this. Man would not have sought that. (J.N. Darby)

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December 31

"Jesus . . . leadeth them up into an hight mountain, apart by themselves; and He was transfigured before them."
(Mark 9:2)

A mountain top perspective makes all the difference in life.
As the new year beckons, consider that for a moment. Problems seem so much smaller.
Possibilities seem so much greater.
Our Saviour leads the way, for His heart longs to have us there.
The journey is not easy - the mountain is high; but the loftier the summit the greater the view.
It will involve separation - they went up "apart by themselves."
Smaller problems, greater possibilities, these will be wonderful.
But the greatest blessing of the mountain top is a Person - Christ Jesus in His glory.
In the new year, make the mountain top your goal. (S. McEachern)

Lord, lead us to the mountain height; to Thy transfiguring glow;
And clothe us with the Spirit's might, for grander work below.
(D.H. Ela)

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January 1

"I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth to those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus."
(Philippians 3:13,14)

One of God's glorious gifts to mankind is to bestow upon him the dawn of a new year.
New opportunities and challenges are before him.
A chance to try again, to make another endeavour to successfully accomplish the ambitions which were perhaps cast aside with discouragement in the year past.
Life is full of beginnings.
As one stands at the gate and with doubtful hand draws aside the curtain and peers into the unknown,
He begins today by taking his first step across the threshold of the new year.
It is already a beautiful year because it is another year of Our Lord.

It is part of our nature to want to live in the yesterdays of life, in "the days that come not back again."
We would rather relive the strifes, the bad habits, the heartaches, and stumbling steps than to face the uncertain.
With tenacity the past does cling, and like barnacles, would hinder us from pushing out from the shore and launching into the deep.
Standing at the parting of the ways, there is a choice to make, some road to take, we must consider which.
How is it that we intend to live?
Will it be repetitious of the past?
"I do not see my way: I do not care to; but I know that He sees His way, and that I see Him."
Shining destinies ahead!
We must keep our eyes upon Jesus as we now face the dawn.
(Streams in the Desert)
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)

Best wishes for the New Year as we anticipate the Lord's promise,
"I will come again, and receive you unto Myself; that where I am, there ye may be also" (John 14:3)

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January 2

"Behold, I make all things new."
(Revelation 21:5)

THE NEW YEAR should remind us of the greatest renovation project of time and eternity.
The first creation was wrecked by sin, but God began,

A new race
With a new Adam
New creatures with
A new life
A new name
A new song
A new commandment
A new heaven, and,
A new earth!

God is not running an antique shop! He is making all things new!
(All the Days - Vance Havner)

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January 3

"This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners."
(1 Timothy 1:15)

Are you a Christian? Oh, you say, that is a very plain question. Then let it have an honest answer now. But what do you mean by a Christian? you ask. I mean by a Christian a person that really knows Christ - not a person that knows something about Him but a person that really knows Christ as his own Saviour. A Christian is one who knows the rejected and once slain, but now raised and glorified, Saviour at God's right hand, and is connected with and united to that risen Saviour where He now is. A Christian is one who is born again of God, whose sins are all forgiven, all blotted out - and who has received the Holy Spirit. These are all things you can know. If you can only say, "I hope this is all mine," you are not a true Christian in the proper sense of the word; and, frankly, you have not got hold of the real essence of Christianity yet.

A Christian is one that is indissolubly connected with the victorious risen Saviour. He is linked to the One who went down first of all into death for him, bore his sins, blotted them all out, and met all the claims of God in righteousness in respect of those sins. That Saviour is risen without a single sin, and has gone into God's presence to prepare a place and take him to it.

The blessing of the believer is this - he knows his sins are forgiven, he knows he is saved, and he knows God is his Father; he has the Holy Spirit dwelling in him, and he is a person standing on the other side of death and judgment, waiting, at the return of the Bridegroom (Jesus), for glory.

Are you a Christian? Have you that title to glory without a flaw? What is that title? The precious blood of Christ - nothing more, and nothing less. (W.T.P. Wolston)

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January 4

"For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God."
(1 Corinthians 1:18)

It is one thing to master Christianity; it is quite another thing to be mastered by it!
Oh for the power to preach Christ so that the hearers will turn to Him who died on the cross for them and will live devoted lives for Him. (R. Anderson)

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January 5

"And when she was risen up to glean, Boaz commanded his young men, saying, let her glean even among the sheaves, and reproach her not:and
let fall also some of the handfuls of purpose for her, and leave them, that she may glean them, and rebuke her not."
(Ruth 2:15,16)

How kind, how wise, and how tactful Boaz was. The same thing is true about our service. Has not the Lord repeatedly let us find such handfuls when we did not expect to find them? And in turn He has commissioned us to drop such handfuls for others.

If the brethren who minister think also of the new converts and weak believers, their ministry will manifest it. They may be acquainted with particular needs, and able to drop a handful here and there, but they should follow the example of Boaz. He dropped the handfuls so that Ruth could pick them up.

Neither the person for whom the handfuls are meant not the others present should detect that the handfuls were dropped for a particular person. Ministry should not be personal, nor should it draw attention to any one person. (H.L Heijkoop)

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January 6

"Therefore we are always confident (of good cheer)."
(2 Corinthians 5:6)

"GOOD CHEER" is quite a different word. How often we find some who refuse to have confidence in those who have confessed the Lord's Name: and perhaps these very doubts raise doubts in the hearts of those who are truly the Lord's; and so stumble them. What good cheer to our own hearts should this confidence of the Apostle prove. Sometimes we see the saints we love going on so badly that we stand in doubt of them, we are perplexed as to them, are they truly saints or not?

And yet we are persuaded that the Lord did begin a good work in them: and, coming nearer home, sometimes, perhaps, we are so disappointed in ourselves, that we wonder if it is possible that we ourselves are truly saints. How often does our heart condemn us! Let us remember, then, that "God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things" (1 John 3:20). Yes, at such times we need to look off unto Jesus, and we also may be persuaded that HE will finish up that work which HE began, unto, or, until, or, against, Christ Jesus' day.

"Christian love is clear-sighted and full of trust with regard to its objects, because God Himself, and the energy of His grace, are in that love." (J.N.D.) Knowing all the failures of the Corinthians, the Apostle falls back on the words: "God is faithful." What encouragement for us! (Sacrifices of Joy Being Meditations on Philippians - G. Christopher Willis)

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January 7

". . . (Paul) took bread, and gave thanks to God in the presence of them all (sailors): and when he had broken it, he began to eat.
Then were they all of good cheer, and they also took . . . and when they had eaten enough they lightened the ship, and cast out the wheat into the sea,"
(Acts 27:35-38)

To continue now on a safe and happy journey after the Lord has graciously restored, you must have Christ as the strength of of your life.
Just like the children of Israel in the wilderness had manna (God's heavenly food) to feed on, so you now have Christ, the Bread of Heaven to feed on for your strength and satisfaction.

- Do feed on Him
- Think about Him
- Talk to Him
- Read about Him - daily!
- Don't throw the wheat overboard!

"Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus" (2 Timothy 2:1).
(The Journey of Life - D.N.)

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January 8

"The eternal God is Thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms."
(Deuteronomy 33:27)

When close friends or family members turn to us for comfort in their grief following the loss of a loved one, often we find it difficult to express just the right words of consolation. One day a successful author and businessman, Anthony J. Showalter received sorrowful letters from two different friends, telling him of their recent bereavements. In sending messages of comfort to them, Mr. Showalter included Deuteronomy 33:27. As he concluded his letters the thought occurred to him that this verse would be a fine theme for a hymn. Almost spontaneously he jotted down the words and music for the refrain of this soon-to-be-favorite.

Feeling that he should have some assistance in completing a text based on this comforting verse, he asked his friend Elisha A. Hoffman the author of more than two thousand gospel songs to furnish the stanzas. The hymn then was published in 1887.

It is not surprising that "Leaning on the Everlasting Arms," with its assurance of God's steadfast care and guidance and the peace that is ours as we enjoy the intimacy of His fellowship, has been another of the gospel song favorites enjoyed by all ages. Each day we need to relearn the truths of these words. (Amazing Grace -Kenneth W. Osbeck)

What a fellowship, what a joy divine, leaning on the everlasting arms;
What a blessedness, what a peace is mine, leaning on the everlasting arms.

O how sweet to walk in this pilgrim way, leaning on the everlasting arms;
O how bright the path grows from day to day, leaning on the everlasting arms.

What have I to dread, what have I to fear, leaning on the everlasting arms?
I have blessed blessed peace with my Lord so near, leaning on the everlasting arms.

Chorus: Leaning, leaning, safe and secure from all alarms;
Leaning, leaning, leaning on the everlasting arms.

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January 9

"Only fear the Lord, and serve Him in truth with all your heart: for consider how great things He hath done for you."
(1 Samuel 12:24)

Take time to be holy; the world rushes on;
Spend much time in secret with Jesus alone;
By looking to Jesus, like Him thou shalt be;
Thy friends in thy conduct His likeness shall see.

For both godly living and wholehearted service, there is no stronger motivation than a sincere appreciation of "how great things He has done for you."
Take time, in spite of the many demands of a busy lifestyle, to reflect upon the Lord's innumerable blessings.
To do so will act as an effective counter-balance to the inroads of selfishness and materialism.
(G. Hall)

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January 10

"Without faith it is impossible to please Him" (Hebrews 11:6).

Cain presumed that God would accept his attractive sacrifice instead of the prescribed one, but God refused both him and his offering.

Pharaoh presumed that he could take his armies through the Red Sea as Moses had done, but he perished in the sea for presuming on God.

Naaman, the leper, refused God's way of cleansing, saying, "I thought . . .", but the great general remained a leper until he took God at His Word.

Will YOU take God at His Word and trust Christ as your Saviour?
(Adapted)

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January 11

"The coming of the Lord draweth nigh."
(James 5:8)

"Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come." (Matthew 24:42)

If I am looking for the coming of Christ, I do not stop to look at my shadow behind, but up to the Lord's appearing. My only object is to reach the goal, and, receiving a glorified body, to be with Him for ever.
(Gleanings - G.V. Wigram)

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January 12

"Nevertheless among the chief rulers also many believed on Him; but because of the Pharisees they did not confess Him, lest they should be put out out of the synagogue: for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God."
(John 12:42-43)

Years ago, there was a conflict which took place between two Indian Rajahs. The one defeated the other and took captive the son of his rival, and the day he was to return to his own palace he prepared to march into the city in triumph. There was a great procession of elephants, cavalry, infantry and a long line of captives. Among them was the young prince. He was told that he was to walk bare-footed and bare-headed. He was indignant and said, "What! Go in like that! What will the people think? What kind of faces will they make?"

The Rajah said, "You haven't heard all yet. You shall carry a bowl of milk in your hand, and if you spill so much as a drop, you will lose your head at the close of the procession." In a few minutes they had brought that bowl of milk, and two guards walked with him, one on either side, and the procession started to move. On and on they went, for perhaps a mile or more, into the presence of the rajah. And that young prince walked along, holding the bowl of milk. It seemed as though he would never finish without spilling some of it, but he completed the ordeal safely.

Finally he stood before the rajah, "Well, Sir Prince, what kind of faces did the people make?" He looked up and said, "Your majesty, I did not see the faces of the people. I saw only my life, which I held in my hands, and I knew one false step would make me lose my life." (Selected)

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January 13

"The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light."
(Romans 13:12)

"Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil."
(Ephesians 6:11)

"Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand."
(Ephesians 6:13)

It is to late to put the armour on when we ought to be in the battle.
A man living with God, when he gets into trial, goes through it, in his measure, as Christ did. He stands in the evil day, because he as been walking with God when there was no evil day.
(J.N. Darby)

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January 14

"God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto us by His Son, whom He hath appointed Heir of all things, by Whom also He made the worlds; Who being the brightness of His glory, and the express image of His Person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high."
(Hebrews 1:1-3)

He is speaking about Jesus who is the exact expression of the Father's character. So if you want to know what God, the Father, is like, just get better acquainted with the Lord Jesus Christ. The better you know Him, the better you know the Father. Everything in the character of Christ tells out that which is in the heart of God; His love for holiness, His delight in righteousness, His interest in men - even unconverted men - His deep tender affection for His own as evidenced by His love for that little company of disciples who walked with Him three-and-a-half years, of whom we read, "Having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them unto the end," His sweet gracious interest in the little children, His love for the girls and boys, so that they delighted to come to Him and sit upon His knee. He took them in His arms and put His hands on them in blessing. All this tells us of God the Father's love for the children. (H.A. Ironside)

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January 15

"Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith…set down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
(Hebrews 12:2)

"And looking upon Jesus as He walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God."
(John 1:36)

Has it ever occurred to you that one hundred pianos all tuned to the same fork are automatically tuned to each other? They are of one accord by being tuned, not to each other, but to another standard to which each one must individually bow. So one hundred worshippers meeting together, each one looking away to Christ, are in heart nearer to each other than they could possibly be were they to become "unity" conscious and turn their eyes away from God to strive for closer fellowship.
(A.W. Tozer)

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January 16

"And God appeared unto Jacob again . . . and blessed him."
(Genesis 35:9)

Higher than the highest heaven,
Deeper than the deepest sea,
Lord, Thy love at last hath conquered.
Grant me now my supplication,
None of self and all of Thee!
(Theodore Monod)

Jacob, the deceiver, was told by God to go to Bethel ("house of God") and dwell there.
So it was that he went with his family to the place where he intended to make an altar to the Lord.
Upon his arrival, he did and the divine record states,
"God appeared unto him again and God blessed him."
Thankfully, our God is the God of the second chance.
Jacob returned and was blessed.
When you and I return to the Lord through the altar of Calvary-love, He will bless us, as He did Jacob.
What a God!
(Arnot P. McIntee)

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January 17

"Call upon Me in the day of trouble! I will deliver thee--and thou shall glorify Me!"
(Psalm 50:15)

"I will deliver YOU!" This is the laying of God's hand on His needy child.

My poor brother--are you in trouble? Are you calling upon God? The Lord says, "I will deliver YOU!"
You are the person God had in His eye and in His heart. -- when He caused this precious portion to be penned.

Take up the language, and say, "He will deliver ME!" And you, being delivered, proving God to be faithful, realizing the power of prayer, and enjoying delivering mercy -- shall, though Satan will try to hinder, and unbelief would gladly shut your mouth -- you shall glorify Me!

How truly blessed, how pleasant, how satisfactory is this! Every believer must say:
"It is just as I would have it! I get all the mercy -- and God gets all the glory!"

Brethren in Jesus . . .
   expect your portion -- troubles,
   prize your privilege -- prayer, and
   look forward to your prospect -- deliverance!
(The Believer's Companion in Season's of Affliction & Trouble - 1842)

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January 18

"Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others."
(Philippians 2:4)

Supreme regard for our own things at the expense of others violates God's principle of loving our neighbour as our self. Such selfishness not only harms the slighted brother, but it also injures the one who practices it.

There is a parable, oft repeated in India, concerning a selfish fool to whom a rice-field was bequeathed. The first season the irrigation water covered his property, making it abundantly fruitful, and then flowed on to his neighbour's fields, bringing equal fertility everywhere. The next season, however, the selfish fool said in his heart, "This water is wealth; it is liquid harvest. I was too generous in letting this treasure escape to others." He therefore stopped the water with a specially made dam and robbed his friends of the beneficial flood. In so doing he spoiled his own crop, for the irrigation water brought blessing while it flowed, but when it became stagnant it turned his rice-paddy into an unfruitful marsh. Love that stops at itself breeds trouble!

How much different the true spirit of Christianity manifested by a farmer in Denmark who, when his own house and the entire section surrounding him was threatened by fire, first rushed next door to take care of his sick neigbour because he knew the man relied upon him. At the hazard of of his life he entered the flames, gathered the invalid into his arms, and rushed to a place of safety. While he did this his own possessions burned. He was, however, rewarded by his government with a special gift which made up for all of his losses. What is more, he saved a life and built a reputation. So, too, there is not a believer, who for Christ's sake has unselfishly given up things for others, who will not receive a special reward at the Judgment Seat.

Remember, friend, selfishness is a terrible tyrant. Wherever it reigns it blights and ruins. (H.G.B.)

Not as we take, but as we give, not as we pray, but as we live -
These are the things that make for peace, both now and after time shall cease.
(Anon)

"Extreme self-love has often blinded even the wisest."
(Villefre)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Our Daily Bread - Bread for Each Day, RBC Ministries, Copyright (1962), Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted permission."

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January 19

"Ye have not chosen Me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in My name, He may give it you. These things I command you, that ye love one another."
(John 15:16-17)

Tis' not that I did choose Thee, for, Lord, that could not be;
This heart would still refuse Thee, but Thou hast chosen me.

Twas the same love that spread the feast, that gently forced me in,
Else I had still refused to come, and perished in my sin.

Long before my heart was inclined to come to Christ, He touched me by the blessed Holy Spirit, and at last when I was utterly broken down and brought to repentance, and cried to Him in shame, "Save, Lord, or I perish." He took me in and made me His own.

And then when it is a question of service, it is He who chooses for this or that special work. And it is He who selects our sphere of ministry, whether at home or abroad. You remember the man who wanted to follow the Master, and the Lord said, "Return to thine own house, and show how great things the Lord hath done unto thee" (Luke 8:39). We can glorify Christ in whatever place we may be and we must recognize that He chose that task for us. "Ye have not chosen Me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you." (H.A. Ironside)

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January 20

"Being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus."
(Romans 3:24)

Burdened by sin, a young man asked the question, "What can I do to be saved?" He was shattered by the answer, "I am sorry to tell you but you are too late!" Thankfully the speaker went on to explain, "You see, everything needed for your salvation was done by Christ. He finished the work that was needed for you to be saved when He took your sins upon Himself on the cross." You can do nothing to earn salvation! Simply cry out to Christ in your distress and trust in Him. Receive by faith what He died to give you - salvation full and free. (David Croudace)

Jesus bled and died for me; Jesus suffered on the tree;
Jesus waits to make me free; He alone can save me.

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January 21

"Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ."
(1 Thessalonians 1:3)

Faith looks backward to the Cross and that saves.
Hope looks onward to the Coming and that sanctifies.
Love looks upward to the throne and that satisfies.

The first gives us a flawless title.
The second, a cloudless prospect.
The third, a changeless Friend.

Faith believes and toils.
Hope anticipates and waits.
Love, enjoys and serves.
(Selected)

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January 22

"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)

- If, indeed, it is true that God so loved the world as to give His only begotten Son,
- If "the righteousness of God is unto all" (Romans 3:22),
- If it be God's gracious will that "all should be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth" (1 Timothy 2:4),
- If He is "not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance" (2 Peter 3:9),
- Then verily is every man who hears/reads this glorious gospel laid
under the most solemn responsibility to believe and be saved.

No one can honestly and truthfully turn round and say,
"I longed to be saved, but could not, because I was not one of the elect.
I longed to flee from the wrath to come but was prevented by the insuperable barrier of the divine decree which irresistibly consigned me to an everlasting hell."
C.H. Mackintosh)

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January 23

"For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for My sake, the same shall save it."
(Luke 9:24)

“Do not have your concert first and tune your instruments afterward.
Begin the day with God.”
(Hudson Taylor - SL)

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January 24

"The peace of God which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."
(Philippians 4:7)

There are depths in the ocean, I am told, which no tempest ever stirs - beyond the reach of all storms that sweep and agitate the surface of the sea. And there are heights in the blue sky above, to which no cloud ever ascends; where no tempest ever rages; where all is perpetual sunshine; where naught exists to disturb the deep serenity. Even at the center of the cyclone there is rest.

Each of these is an emblem of the soul which Jesus visits, to whom He speaks peace, whose fear He dispels, whose lamps of hope He trims.

During the test of a submarine it remained submerged for many hours. When it had returned to the harbour, the commander was asked: "Well how did the storm affect you last night?" The Commander looked at him in surprise and said: "Storm? We knew nothing of any storm!"

"When He giveth quietness, who then can make trouble?"
(Job 34:29)
(Springs in the Valley)

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January 25

A Word to Doubters

"Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth My word, and believeth on Him that sent Me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life." (John 5:24)

If all the shalls in Scripture meant perhaps,
And all the haths meant simply hope to have,
And all the ares depended on an if,
I well might doubt;
But since our Saviour-God meant what He says, and cannot lie,
I trust His faithful word, and know that I
Shall surely dwell throughout eternity
With Him whose love led Him for me to die,
E'en Christ Himself.

The word know occurs forty-two times in John's Epistles,
which are addressed to believers
in the Lord Jesus Christ.

("Comforted of God" - A.J. Pollock)

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January 26

"And David said unto God, I have sinned greatly . . . I am in a great strait: let me fall now into the hand of the Lord; for very great are His mercies."
(1 Chronicles 21:8,13)

"Let me now fall into the hands of the Lord; for very great are His mercies."
A weak person can tumble.
Relinquish yourself into the hands of Christ.
Those blessed hands have been nailed to the cross;
Fall into them, and He will give you rest.
(E.P Corrin)

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January 27

"Thou wilt show me the path of life: in Thy presence is fulness of joy; at Thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore."
(Psalm 15:11)

Do you want comfort?
Nothing can give it so much as the thought of His coming.
There may be sorrow in the night,
But joy enough - fulness of joy -
In that morning when we shall see Him as He is:
Fulness of joy in being like Him and with Him for evermore.
(Gleanings - G.V. Wigram)

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January 28

"Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting."
(Psalm 139:23,24)

If we should all honestly make this prayer once every day, there would be a good deal of change in our lives.
"Search me" - not my neighbour. It is so easy to pray for other people, but so hard to get home to ourselves.
I am afraid that we, who are busy in the Lord's work, are especially in danger of neglecting our own vineyards.
In this psalm, David got home to himself.
There is a difference between God searching me and my searching myself.
I may search my heart, and pronounce it all right, but when God searches me as with a lighted candle,
a good many things will come to light that perhaps I knew nothing about.
(D.L. Moody)

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January 29

"Verily, verily, I say unto you, whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in My name, He will give it you."
(John 16:23)

Our Lord brings before us in a truly illuminating way, the privilege now extended to us, as believers, to go directly to the Father in prayer, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. I do not think that there is any subject on which there seems to be more confusion than that of prayer. So many people have an idea that prayer is the effort to overcome God's unwillingness; to make Him willing to do something for us which He does not desire to do. That is not the case.

We are not told to pray in order to overcome God's unwillingness. Our God delights to bless, but he chooses to bless in answer to prayer, and that for a number of reasons. When I go to God directly, when various things are pressing upon heart and mind, and they drive me to Him, I find that just speaking to Him of the things that burden me has a sanctifying effect upon my own soul. (H.A. Ironside)

"It is good for me to draw near to God."
(Psalm 73:28)

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January 30

“The LORD…saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.”
(Jeremiah 31:3)

“In math, if you divide an infinite number by any number, no matter how large, you still have an infinite quotient.
So Jesus' love, being infinite, even though it is divided up for every person on earth, is still infinitely poured out on each one of us!”
(C.H. Spurgeon)
“…the Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me.” Galatians 2:20

“Jesus, Captain of salvation,
Conqueror both of death and hell!
Thou who didst as sin's oblation,
Feel what Thou alone couldst feel:
Through Thy suff'rings, death, and merit,
We eternal bliss inherit,
Thousand, thousand thanks to Thee,
Jesus, Lord, for ever be!”

(Jacobi)
(Selected - SL with thanks)

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January 31

"Love suffereth long and is kind. Love envieth not. Love vaunteth not itself."
(1 Corinthians 13:4)

Get these ingredients, fellow Christian, into your life.

Then everything that you do is eternal, it is worth doing.

It is worth giving time to.
(A Thought for Every Day - Henry Drummond)

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Gems from December 2011

2011-12-01T03:35:00.039-05:00

November 30

“Surely I come quickly.” (Rev. 22:20)

As we approach the end of the age, it is predictable that many will abandon the hope of Christ’s any-moment return. But the truth is still there whether men hold it or not.

The fact is that the Lord Jesus may come at any time. We do not know the day or hour of the Bridegroom’s return for His bride; this means that He could come today. There is no prophecy that needs to be fulfilled before we hear His shout, the voice of the archangel and the trump of God. True, the church expects to experience tribulation throughout its time on earth, but the horrors of the Tribulation period are not part of its destiny. If the church has to go through, the Tribulation, that would mean that the Lord couldn’t come for at least seven years, because we certainly are not in the Tribulation now, and when it does come, it will last for seven years.

There is a large body of Scripture texts that teach us to be ready at all times for the Savior to appear. Notice the following:

• “…nearer than when we believed”(Romans 13:11).
• “The night is far spent, the day is at hand” (Romans 13:12).
• “The Lord is at hand” (Philippians 4:5).
• “For yet a little while, and He that shall come will come, and will not tarry” (Hebrews 10:37)
• “…the coming of the Lord draweth nigh” (James 5:8).
• “…the judge standeth before the door” (James 5:9).
• “But the end of all things is at hand’”(1 Peter 4:7).

These verses seem designed to create the impression on the mind that the Lord’s coming is imminent. It is an event for which we should be watching and waiting. We should be busy in His service, faithfully carrying out our stewardship.

R. A. Torrey once said, “The imminent return of our Lord is the great Bible argument for a pure, unselfish, devoted, unworldly, active life of service. In much of our preaching we urge people to live holy and work diligently because death is swiftly coming, but this is never the Bible argument. The Bible argument always is, Christ is coming; be ready when He comes.”

Our responsibility is clear. Our loins should be girded, our lights should be burning, and we should be like those who wait for their Lord (see Luke 12:36,36). Let us not succumb to those who teach that we have no right to expect Him at any moment. Rather let us believe in His imminent return, teach it enthusiastically, and let the truth shine out in our lives. (With thanks and appreciation for this timely posting from R. Lucas)

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December 1

"So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it."
(Isaiah 55:11)

"Let what will befall you,"said William Farel, "but see that for no threats, for no commands, you turn aside from Jesus and His Word - but cleave to that, with full purpose of heart, at the cost of your lives, and of the lives you hold dear, of the loss and ruin of all you have; let not any of these things hinder you from following Jesus. For there is nothing better spent, no money put out to better interest, than that which is lost for the gospel; for you have the Lord's word for it, that it shall turn to good account, not only for this life, but for that which is to come." (William Farel 1489 - 1565)

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December 2

"And now abideth faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love."
(1 Corinthians 13:13)

Nothing is sweeter than love. nothing more courageous, nothing higher, nothing wider, nothing more pleasant, nothing fuller nor better in heaven and earth, because love is born of God, and cannot rest but in God, above all created things.

He that loves, flies, runs and rejoices; he is free, and not bound. Love feels no burden, thinks nothing of trouble, attempts what is above its strength, pleads no excuse of impossibility; for it thinks all things lawful for itself, and all things possible. It is therefore able to undertake all things, and it completes many things and brings them to a conclusion, where he who does not love faints and lies down.

Love watches; and sleeping, slumbers not. Though weary, love is not tired; though pressed, it is not straitened; though alarmed, it is not confounded; but as a lively flame and burning torch, it forces its way upwards, and securely passes through all. (Selected)

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December 3

"Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity, Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy profiting may appear to all. Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee."
(1 Timothy 4:12-16)

On three distinct occasions, and at widely separated periods of time, God speaks of the value of meditation on His word; and, in doing so, He reveals three great secrets.

In Joshua 1:8, it is set forth as the secret of prosperity.
In Psalm 1:3, it is declared to be the secret of fruitfulness.
In James 1:22-25, it is affirmed to be the secret of blessedness.

That man hath perfect blessedness,
Who placeth his delight
Upon God's law, and meditates
On His law, day and night.
(In Pastures Green - George Henderson)

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December 4

"Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree."
(Galatians 3:13)

Much interesting truth in God's Word gathers around trees. In the Garden of Eden were the Tree of Life and the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. Man is shut out from the Tree of Life, and we go clear through the Bible before we reach it again in the paradise of God in Revelation. That is true in more ways than one; we must go all the way by Calvary to reach the tree we lost in Genesis. The way to the garden of God from the garden we lost through sin lies through another garden, Gethsemane, but the Lord has traveled the road for us.

In Genesis we find a man behind a tree. Adam hiding from the Lord after his sin. How men seek to hide today behind this excuse and that, behind arguments which often seem plausible, when the real trouble is that they are sinners and dread His presence. There is no tree that can hide you from Him. When He calls "Where art thou?" you must stand before Him naked and ashamed.

In John 1:48 we find a man under a tree - Nathanael under the fig tree in prayer and and devotion. Instead of hiding behind the tree, the place for us is beneath the tree in repentance and prayer. We like to parade this silly excuse and that, but the truth is, it is "not my brother nor my sister but its me, O Lord, standing in the need of prayer."

In Luke 19:4-6 we find a man up a tree, Zaccheus looking for Jesus. If you earnestly, anxiously are seeking Him along the roads He travels He soon will bid you come down from your sycamore, for He must abide at your house. Then, like Zaccheus, come down and receive Him gladly into your heart and home.

All this is possible because of One upon a tree. It was Jesus "Who His own self bare our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins should live unto righteousness." (Note quotation above) Back of all the mystery of the atonement, the at-one-ment of God and man through Calvary, lies the simple fact that Christ died for us, and there is hope for us only at the foot of the cross. (In Tune With Heaven - Vance Havner)

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December 5

"I was greatly afflicted" (Psalm 116:10).
"Notwithstanding the Lord stood with me, and strengthened me."
(2 Timothy 4:17)

When some persons are visited with any trouble, their first thought is apt to be,
"How grievously I am afflicted";
Though the nobler thought would be,
"How graciously I am sustained!"
When a cross is laid upon them, they cry out,
"What a burden I have to carry"
Whereas they might better say,
"What a burden Christ carries for me!"
(Henry Beecher)

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December 6

"I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me."
(Galatians 2:20)

Just when we most earnestly desire to live like this, the weary old self seems to come to life again - the "I' that we had trusted was crucified with Christ.
It is very disappointing when this happens, and the devil watches not far away, and very quietly and with great subtlety he tries to draw us into hopeless distress and despair.
If he can do that he is satisfied, for then we are occupied with ourselves, which is what he wants us to be.

The one and only thing is to look straight off ourselves and our wretched failure, and cry to Him Who is mighty to save.
He never refuses that cry; so do not fear.
The moment self is recognized, look to Him.
Do not be discouraged; He is not discouraged.
He Who has begun a good work in us will go on to perfect it.
The going on may take time; even so, He will go on till (O blessed "till") we are perfected.
(Edges of His Way - Amy Carmichael)

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December 7

"And the Spirit and the bride say, COME. And let him that heareth say, COME. And let him that is athirst COME. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely."
(Revelation 22:17)

A story is told about a minister who was preaching on Revelation 22:17. The day was hot and some people had trouble paying attention. The heat bothered the preacher too, so from time to time he would take a drink of water. After each sip he would say, "Whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely."

In the audience was a little boy. Each time the preacher lifted the sparkling glass of water to his lips, the boy's thirst increased. Finally he decided that if the preacher said once more, "Whosever will, let him take the water of life freely," he would go to the front and take a drink for himself.

Just then the inviting words rang our once more. Resolutely the little fellow left his seat and walked up to the pulpit. The audience watched in astonishment as the youngster picked up the glass and took a deep swallow. Then with a kind "thank you!" he returned to his seat. The preacher was moved and used the incident to make a spiritual point. He said that we must accept God's invitation and drink of the Living Water by faith if we are to be saved.

Many stay spiritually thirsty because they do not heed the Lord's clear and simple invitation. Today repent of your sin. Trust Jesus as your Saviour. Drink and live! (Adapted)

"Freely COME drink," words the soul to thrill!
Oh, with what joy they my heart do fill!
For when He said, "Whosoever will,"
Jesus included me too!
(Oatman)

Unless one drinks now of the "water of life," He will thirst forever!

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December 8

"For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory."
(2 Corinthians 4:17)

Christian are not exempt from suffering. When one trusts in Christ, it does not mean that he is at once freed from all the consequences of sin. So far as divine judgment is concerned, he is forever delivered from that "He that believeth on Him is not condemned" (John 3:18); but he is still in the body from which the Adamic curse has not yet been lifted. Consequently, he suffers with the groaning creation, of which that body is still a part. Then, in addition to this, he now finds that the world to which he once belonged, has now become a scene of hostility because of the place he has taken in association with a rejected Christ. All this involves suffering, but with every trial and affliction there will come needed grace to endure, "as seeing Him who is invisible" (Hebrews 11:27).

There is a difference between suffering with Christ (Romans 8:17) and suffering for Him (Acts 5:41). All Christians suffer with Him because of the very fact that they are partakers of the divine nature, and therefore are quick to feel the adverse conditions through which they are called to pass. But to suffer for Him is to bear shame and reproach - even unto persecution and death - for Christ's name sake (Acts 9:16). (H.A. Ironside)

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December 9

"Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving."
(Psalm 95:2)

Thanksgiving is a sure index of spiritual health.

Seeds of discouragement will not grow in a thankful heart.

Gratitude is the memory of the heart.

More than enough is too much
(A Collection of Wise sayings - R.K.)

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December 10

"Her children rise up and call her blessed."
(Proverbs 31:28)

Good parents are always looking for ways to help their children. That's why there are music teachers, gymnastic lessons, and parent-teacher conferences.

But what really helps the children? Besides leading them to a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, the next best way parents can influence their children is by modeling a good husband-wife relationship. This will give them the security and love they need to spark their endeavors.

Have you ever noticed the husband-wife relationship described in Proverbs 31? Although we usually concentrate on the "super mom" aspects of the passage, it's important to note what was said about her husband. This gives us insight into the relationship of two successful parents.

1. He trusts her; she does good things for him and never does him harm (verses 11,12).
2. He is respected - evidently earned in part because of a positive relationship at home (verse 23).
3. He praises her openly (verse 28).

These two people are obviously in love, and they know how to show it to their children. No wonder the children "rise up and call her blessed."

Do you want to help your children? Then love, respect, praise, and trust your spouse. (J.D.B.)

The children in a Christian home
Are rich beyond compare;
A blessed heritage is theirs
Whose parents love and care.
(D.J.D.)

Our children are watching: what we are speaks louder than what we say.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Our Daily Bread, RBC Ministries, Copyright, Grand Rapids, MI, Reprinted Permission

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December 11

"The just shall live by faith."
(Romans 1:17)

Every child of God is called to walk by faith.
To walk by faith is to walk with God;
To cling to Him;
To lean on Him;
To draw from His exhaustless springs;
To find all our resources in Him;
To have Him as a covering for our eyes and a satisfying object for our hearts,
To know Him as our only resource in all difficulties, and in all our trials.
It is to be absolutely, completely, and continually shut up to Him;
To be undividedly dependent upon Him, apart from and above every creature confidence,
every human hope and every earthly expectation.

Such is the life of faith.
Let us see that we understand it.
It must be a reality or nothing at all.
(C.H. Mackintosh)

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December 12

"I have glorified Thee on the earth: I have finished the work which Thou gavest Me to do."
(John 17:4)

Life and glory were His by personal right, and by moral title. One delights to dwell on such a truth, to repeat it again and again. He never forfeited the garden of Eden. Truly indeed did He walk outside it all His days, amid the thorns and briers, the sorrows and privations, of a ruined world. But this He did in grace. He took such a condition upon Him; but He was not exposed to it .

He was not, like Adam, like us all, on one side of the cherubim and the flaming sword, and the tree of life and the garden of Eden, on the other. In His history, instead of angels keeping Him outside or beyond the gate, when He had gone through His temptation, they come and minister to Him. For He stood where Adam failed and fell. Therefore, man as he was, verily and simply man, he was this distinguished man. God was glorified in Him, as in all beside He had been dishonoured and disappointed. (J.G. Bellett)

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December 13

"Open Thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of Thy law."
(Psalm 119:18)

In Luke 24 three "openings" are spoken of:
He opened to His disciples the Scriptures, verse 32.
He opened their understanding that they might understand the scriptures, verse 45.
Their eyes were opened and they knew Him, verse 31.

Prayer plays a vital part in all these things, as David well knew. "Open Thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of Thy law" (Psalm 119:18).

"Pray before all things," said his teacher to Justin Martyr, "that the gates of light be opened to you; for the truths for which you seek are not comprehensible by the eye or mind of man, unless God and His Christ give him understanding." The promise of the Lord Jesus is that, when the Spirit would come, He would guide us into all truth (John 16:13); and, as the Spirit is now here, one of the great requirements on our part is that prayerfulness which creates the mental mood for the reception of divine truth and which produces the reverence and humility that ever accompany it. (The Wonderful Word - George Henderson)

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December 14

The Things That Remain

"And this word . . . signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken . . . that those things which cannot be shaken may remain."
(Hebrews 12:27)

Times change and men change with them,
For still the New allures,
Their purpose falters ever,
No plan of theirs endures;
Strange gods demand their worship,
Strange creeds that come and go.
Men's thoughts and men's opinions
Are tides that ebb and flow.

On ever-shifting currents
Their minds drift to and fro,
Their wavering wills are shaken
By all the winds that blow;
But steadfast as the mountains,
And surer than the sea,
And fixed as are the heavens,
God is and God shall be.

And though the little hills shall melt,
The mighty mountains move,
Though earth and heaven shall pass away,
And suns unstable prove,
Though faithless stars shall cease to shine,
And there is no more sea,
Still changeless as the changeless God
The Word of God shall be.
(Annie Johnson Flint)

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December 15

"Woe to them that go down to Egypt for help; and stay on horses, and trust in chariots, because they are many; and in horsemen, because they are very strong; but they look not unto the Holy One of Israel, neither seek the Lord!"
(Isaiah 31:1)

Trust in Him ye saints forever,
He is faithful changing never,
Neither force not guile can sever,
Those He loves from Him.
(T. Kelly)

Why do we have such a hard time trusting the Lord?
We trusted Him for salvation, yet in practical matters, we resort to walking by sight and not by faith.
We "stay on horses" - until we either fall or get thrown off.
We "trust in chariots" until they get bogged down or break.
Yes, we truly do "go down" every time we look for help apart from the Lord.
Let's not trust in things or people, but rather let us remember the name of the Lord and trust Him alone.
(Mark Kolchin)

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December 16

"How excellent (precious) is Thy lovingkindness, O God!"
(Psalm 36:7)

The prodigal afar off from his father asks to be made as one of his hired servants.
When he comes into his father's presence, no such word.
Before he was only thinking of what he was to his father, and not what his father was to him.
(Footprints for Pilgrims)

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December 17

"As thy days, so shall thy strength be."
(Deuteronomy 33:25)

The whole force of this scripture depends upon the connection.
The last words of verse 24 are, "Let him dip his foot in oil";
That is, in its christian interpretation, let him walk in the power of the Holy Spirit,
And then his shoes should be as iron and brass - a firm and consistent walk,
And his spiritual strength should never decay.
As thy days, thy strength shall be.
(Edward Dennett)

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December 18

God Will Know When To Exalt Us

"Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He shall lift you up." (James 4:10)

Christians have often asked: "Must I humble myself and meekly accept every situation in life?"

I think this is the answer: As Christians, we must never violate morals or truth in humility.

If in humbling ourselves we compromise the truth, we must never do it.

If it means a compromise of morality, we must never do it.

I am confident that no man or woman is ever called of God to degrade himself or herself, either morally or in truth.
But we do have a calling from God to humble ourselves under His mighty hand - and let the other party do the rock-throwing!

In this call to His people for true humility, God adds the promise that He will exalt us in due time! "Due time."
It will be the time that God knows is best suited to perfect us and a time that will bring honour to God and the most good to men.
That is "due time."

It may be that in God's will He will expect us to wait a long time before He can honour us or exalt us.
But God knows what is best for each of us in His desire to make us the kind of saints that will glorify and honour Him in all things!

It is well for us to remember here that Jesus willingly humbled Himself under the hand of men and so He humbled Himself under the hand of God!
(A.W. Tozer - Renewed Day By Day)

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December 19

THE MIGHTY POWER OF GOD

"That I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being made conformable unto His death." (Philippians 3:10)

In 1866 Alfred Nobel invented an explosive made of nitroglycerin absorbed in a porous material. It was by far the most powerful explosive that had so far been invented.

When Nobel and his friends saw what his invention could do, and had to decide on a name, they sought for the strongest possible word for power -- in any language. The word they finally chose was the Greek word dunamis, from which our word dynamite is derived.

This word, in Greek also the strongest word for power, is used again and again in the New Testament and is generally translated simply "power".

When our Lord wrought miracles, for example, St. Luke testifies that "the POWER [dunamis] of the Lord was present to heal" (Luke 5:17). In promising His apostles that they too would work miracles, He said: "Ye [shall] be endued with POWER [dunamis] from on high" (Luke 24:49).

When the Sadducees questioned the resurrection, Jesus answered: "Ye do err, not knowing the Scriptures, nor the POWER [dunamis] of God" (Matt.22:29), and St. Paul declares that Christ was "declared to be the Son of God with POWER [dunamis]...by the resurrection from the dead" (Rom.1:4).

Using this same word, Paul, by inspiration, declares that "the gospel of Christ...is THE POWER OF GOD UNTO SALVATION, to every one that believeth..." (Rom. 1:16). This is because, according to this gospel, or good news, "CHRIST DIED FOR OUR SINS", and "THE PREACHING OF THE CROSS", he says, is to believers "THE POWER OF GOD" (ICor.1:18).

But not only are believers saved by the power of God; they are "KEPT BY THE POWER OF GOD" (I Pet. 1:5). Indeed, the adjective of this same word "dunamis" is used in Hebrews 7:25, where we read that the Lord Jesus Christ is "ABLE...TO SAVE...TO THE UTTERMOST [THOSE] THAT COME UNTO GOD BY HIM". Thus the Bible uses the very strongest word for power to show how secure is the salvation of those who trust in Christ. (Cornelius R. Stam - R.L.)

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December 20

"All these things are against me."
(Genesis 42:36)

Jacob was in trouble. There was famine over all the land. One of his sons had been held in captivity because Joseph wanted to see his brother, Benjamin, but Jacob was determined that Benjamin should not go down to Egypt. But in his distress he does not know what to do, and his other sons say, "We cannot go without Benjamin." Jacob throws up his hands and says,
"All these things are against me."
At that very time God was planning for him a wonderful way, and it was not long before the brothers came and took him and his family to Egypt, where he was provided for abundantly.

Do you feel like wringing your hands and crying out in despair, "Everything is going wrong. All these things are against me." Oh, no; they are not; God is for you, and if God is for you, who can be against you? Our blessed Lord is for you. "We have not a high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet apart from sin;" and because "He Himself hath suffered being tempted [tried], He is able to succor them that are tempted."

And He knows what He is going to do.
He is planning for you, my brother, at this very moment.
He is planning for you, my sister.
Believe it. Trust Him, and be assured that He is going to undertake in His own good time for you. (Adapted)

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December 21

"Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen."
(Hebrews 11:1)

"Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God."
(Romans 10:17)

Responding to Gem # 4641 (December 10, 2011) a reader submitted the following quotation.

"To one who has faith, no explanation is necessary.
To one without faith, no explanation is possible."
(With thanks to C.K.)

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December 22

"The God of all comfort who comforts us in all our tribulations, (so that) that we may be able to comfort others which are in any trouble by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God. For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also abounds by Christ."
(2 Corinthians 1:3-5)

God does not comfort us just to make us comfortable, but that we may become comforters.
If we see a fellow believer in sorrow, how blessed to be able to say,
“Cheer up, brother, cheer up sister, I’ve passed through a similar trial;
God sustained me and He will you, if you but trust Him.”

“…What confidence is this wherein thou trustest?”
(2 Kings 18:19)

“…I have trusted also in the LORD; therefore I shall not slide.”
(Psalm 26:1)

“The comfort God has given us
He wants us now to share
With others who are suffering
And caught in life's despair.”
(David Sper)

“That their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding. . . .”
(Colossians 2:2)
(Meditations - S.L.)

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December 23

"The shepherds said . . . Let us now go even unto Bethlehem."
(Luke 2:15)

One of the most picturesque places in all the world is the little town of Bethlehem nestled in the Judean hills. A visit is a never-to-be-forgotten experience. Ancient rock-hewn stables, that may well have been the birthplace of the Lord, still exist. Not far away are shepherds' fields where wondering men heard a divine message centuries ago. At the "House of Bread" (Bethlehem) was born the Bread of Life. He is the Saviour of the world. May the One who gave His life on the cross of Calvary bring you love, joy and peace, throughout the year, and on into eternity. (Choice Gleanings - Les Rainy)

A Saviour is this tiny One, the promised Lord, Immanuel;
All glory be to God the Son who came on earth to dwell.
We lift our voice in grateful song and all His praises tell.

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December 24

"He hath made us accepted in the beloved."
(Ephesians 1:6)

"Go up in peace to thine house; see, I have hearkened to thy voice, and have accepted thy person."
(1 Samuel 25:35)

As surely as the prayers go up from the accepted one, so surely will the blessings come down.
When Esther had touched the golden sceptre, "then said the king unto her, What wilt thou, Queen Esther? and what is thy request?
It shall be given thee to the half of the kingdom."
But there is no "half" in our King's promise.
He says "all things" and "whatsoever."

And He does do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think,
And more than fulfills our little scanty requests.
(Francis Ridley Havergal)

Be sure you are on the ground of acceptance, and then all else will follow.
That ground is not in anything we are or do, it is in Christ.
Our prayers are accepted not because of
Their earnestness, Or sincerity, but
Because we are one with Christ,
because we abide in Him.

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December 25

"He came and preached peace to you which were afar and to those who were near."
(Ephesians 2:17)

It was the night before Christmas in 1870. French and German armies faced each other on the field of battle in the Franco-Prussian War. A French soldier started walking toward the German lines. His comrades watched breathlessly, expecting to hear at any instant the crack of a rifle that would end his life. As he neared the enemy lines, he stopped and began singing, "Noel, noel! Noel, noel! BORN IS THE KING OF ISRAEL!" No shot rang out.

Slowly the Frenchman returned to his ranks. There was silence! Then from the German side came a lone soldier to that same spot and sang the German version of the same song. After each stanza both armies united in the chorus. For a few minutes Christ brought peace to that battlefield.

God is a peacemaker who always takes the first step. Jesus came as a baby, and when he grew to manhood He preached peace to a warring world. Then, in the greatest peace initiative this world has ever seen, Christ made peace between God and man by dying for our sins "Having made peace through the blood of His cross"(Colossians 1:20).

Peacemaking efforts may be rejected, but the alternative is continued hostility. God didn't settle for that, nor should we. Let's take the first step in healing a broken relationship, even at the risk of being "shot down."

O Prince of Peace, keep us, we pray,
From strife and enmity;
Help us to speak with loving words
That quell hostility.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
What this world needs is the peace that passes all misunderstanding.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Best wishes for a Happy Christmas season and blessing for the New Year

December 26

"And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call His name Jesus: for He shall save His people from their sins."
(Matthew 1:21)

"This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen Him go into heaven."
(Acts 1:11)

What name is this?
At His birth it was a divine indication of His purpose.
At His ascension it was a glorious declaration of His accomplishment.
In the parenthesis between, He lived as no other lived,
Spoke as no other spoke,
Ministered as no other ministered
And saved as none other could.
Full of the melody of salvation,
His name stirs our hearts to sing of our blessed Jesus today.
(S. McEachern)

This, this is Christ the King, whom shepherds guard and angels sing;
Haste, haste, to bring Him laud, the Babe, the Son of Mary.
(W.C. Dix)

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December 27

". . . launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught . . . At Thy word I will let down the net."
(Luke 5:4,5)

When Peter made Christ the captain of his boat he was commanded to "launch out into the deep!" When Christ was in control, Peter must no longer stay in the shallows.

Are you hugging the shore of the world? Do you wonder why there is no success in your Christian life? Have you been a Christian for so long, and yet do you still dabble in the world's pleasures? Do you still compromise with the world's standards? Are you still content to come down to the level of the world? Have you never burned your bridges and cut your shorelines and launched out into the deep, with Christ in full control?

If it is a choice between the social evenings and the prayer meeting, which wins? (Frederick P. Wood)

Oh, let us launch out on this ocean so broad,
Where the floods of salvation o'erflow;
Oh let us be lost in the mercy of God,
Till the depth of His fullness we know.

Launch out into the deep!
Oh let the shoreline go;
Launch out, launch out in the ocean divine,
Out where the full tides flow.

A great ship asks deep waters.
(G. Herbert)

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December 28

"Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby."
(Hebrews 12:11)

I am not to despise the child-training, like a duck in the rain, indifferent to it, braving as it were everything; Neither am I to "faint when. . . rebuked of Him," like a hen in the rain, which is a miserable object. I am neither to be miserable nor indifferent, but thoughtful and exercised.
(J.B.S.)

My times are in Thy hand; my God, I wish them there;
My life, my friends, my soul I leave entirely to Thy care.

My times are in Thy hand; whatever they may be;
Pleasing or painful, dark or bright, as best may seem to Thee.

My times are in Thy hand; why should I doubt or fear?
My Father’s hand will never cause His child a needless tear.

My times are in Thy hand, Jesus, the crucified!
Those hands my cruel sins had pierced are now my guard and guide.

My times are in Thy hand, I’ll always trust in Thee;
And, after death, at Thy right hand I shall forever be.

(By William F. Lloyd)
(With thanks S.L.)

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December 29

“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”
(Hebrews 11:1)

"As it is written, the just shall live by faith."
(Romans 1:17)

“Faith goes up the stairs that love has made and looks out of the windows which hope has opened.”
(Charles Spurgeon - SL)

N.J. Hiebert - 4659

December 30

"Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God. . . "
(Luke 2:12-13)

Praising God for What? "The mystery of godliness: God was manifested in the flesh" (1 Timothy 3:16). The hope of Israel is revealed to them - glad tidings of great joy to all the people. For JESUS is the pivot of all God's counsels in grace. Adam himself was but a type of Him who was to come. Christ was ever in the mind of God. Such displays of glory are not shown to mortal eyes every day; but God sets them before us in His Word, and we must every day follow the sign given, follow Jesus the babe in the manger. If He filled the eye, the ear, the heart, how we should see the effects in person, spirit, conversation, dress, house, money, and other things.

Such, then, is the sign of God's accomplishment of promise and of His presence in the world - "a babe in the manger" - the least and lowest thing. But God is found there, though these things are beyond man, who cannot walk with God, nor understand His moral glory. But God's sign is within the reach of faith. It is the token of perfect weakness; a little infant who can only weep. Such, born into this world, is Christ the Lord. Such is the place God chose - the low degree. God's intervention is recognized by a sign like this. Man would not have sought that. (J.N. Darby)

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December 31

"Jesus . . . leadeth them up into an hight mountain, apart by themselves; and He was transfigured before them."
(Mark 9:2)

A mountain top perspective makes all the difference in life.
As the new year beckons, consider that for a moment. Problems seem so much smaller.
Possibilities seem so much greater.
Our Saviour leads the way, for His heart longs to have us there.
The journey is not easy - the mountain is high; but the loftier the summit the greater the view.
It will involve separation - they went up "apart by themselves."
Smaller problems, greater possibilities, these will be wonderful.
But the greatest blessing of the mountain top is a Person - Christ Jesus in His glory.
In the new year, make the mountain top your goal. (S. McEachern)

Lord, lead us to the mountain height; to Thy transfiguring glow;
And clothe us with the Spirit's might, for grander work below.
(D.H. Ela)

N.J. Hiebert - 4661

Gems from November 2011

2011-11-01T02:56:00.030-04:00

October 27

"Christ is all, and in all" (Colossians 3:11).

Christ is all to us that we make Him to be.
I want to emphasize that word all.
Some men make Him to be "A root out of a dry ground," "Without form or comeliness" (Isaiah 53:2).
He is nothing to them; they do not want Him.

Some Christians have a very small Saviour, for they are not willing to receive Him fully, and let Him do great and mighty things for them.
Others have a mighty Saviour, because they make Him to be great and mighty." (D.L. Moody)

N.J. Hiebert - 4599

October 28

"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)

Worldliness and selfishness have no power to breathe the atmosphere of the kingdom of God.

Are our hearts upon such enjoyments as God can sanction and Jesus share with us?

We need not so much to covet information about Him as power to use divinely what we know.
(J.G. Bellett)

N.J. Hiebert - 4600

October 31

"What man of you having an hundred sheep, if he loose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and goeth after that which is lost, until he find it? And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing ... saying, ... rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost."
(Luke 15:4-6)

The strayed sheep would not let itself be caught by the shepherd who would lift it into his bosom.
And here we get what I call the aggressive character of God's love.
I won't have Him; but He says, "I will and must have you, struggle as you may to escape from my arms.
I have prepared a place for you up there, and I must have you there with Me for ever."
It is the heart God wants.
He has done all that love could do in the cross of Christ to lead the heart of poor sinners to Himself.
He has thrown Himself open to your hearts to draw you into joy and blessing-the whole door wide opened to receive you. (G.V. Wigram)

N.J. Hiebert - 4603

November 1

"Produce your cause saith, the Lord; bring forth your strong reasons, saith the King of Jacob."
(Isaiah 41:21)

There was an Irish lady living in Canada called "Holy Ann." She lived to be 100 years old. When she was a young girl, she was working in a family for very small wages under a very cruel master and mistress. They made her carry water for a mile up a steep hill. At one time there had been a well dug there, but it had gone dry; but it stood there year after year. One night she was very tired, and she fell on her knees and cried to God; and while on her knees she read these words: "I will open . . . fountains in the midst of valleys: I will make the wilderness a pool of water, and the dry land springs of water" (Isaiah 41:18). "Produce your cause, saith the Lord; bring forth your strong reasons."

These words struck Holy Ann, and she produced her cause before the Lord. She told Him how badly they needed the water and how hard it was for her to carry the water up the steep hill; then she lay down and fell asleep. She had pleaded her cause and brought forth her strong reasons. The next morning early she was seen to take a bucket and start for the well. someone asked her where she was going, and she replied, "I am going to draw water from the well." "Why, it is dry," was the answer. But that did not stop Holy Ann. She knew whom she had believed, and on she went; and, lo and behold, there in the well was 83 feet of pure, cold water, and she told me that the well never did run dry! That is the way the Lord can fulfill His promises. "Produce your cause, bring forth your strong reason," and see Him work in your behalf. (Selected - Springs in the Desert)

How little we use this method of holy argument in prayer; and yet there are examples of it in scripture: Abraham, Jacob, Moses, Elijah, Daniel. All used arguments in prayer, and claimed the divine interposition on the ground of the pleas which they presented. (Anonymous)

N.J. Hiebert - 4604

November 2

"When I am weak, then am I strong."
(2 Corinthians 12:10)

Paul had none of these external resources; he was poor, despised, homeless, persecuted. He was conscious of inner frailties and personal weaknesses that distressed him. But he turned it into a blessing, for his own poverty drove him to count earthly treasures nothing and lean the more heavily upon the eternal. His own weakness was his strength.

Indeed, he speaks of God saying to Him, "My strength is made perfect in weakness" (2 Corinthians 12:9). The world today would have us glorify our own selves, our personal smartness and cleverness. Christianity would make a man conscious of his own frailty and dependent utterly upon God, counting himself only a medium through which the Infinite may work.

Such an idea is not palatable to some psychologists and modern humanists. But deeper minds perceive its truth as did William James when he says:

There is a state of mind known to Christians, but to no others, in which the will to assert ourselves and hold our own has been displaced by a willingness to close our mouths and be as nothing in the floods, and waterspouts of God. The time for tension in our soul is over and that of happy relaxation, of calm deep breathing, of an eternal present with no discordant future to be anxious about, has arrived.

How far ahead of modern egotism is the happy state of those whose strength is from above, whose treasures are kept
"where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt and where thieves do not break through nor steal" (Matthew 6:20).
(In Tune With Heaven - Vance Havner - May 25, 1930)

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November 3

"Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed."
(Genesis 32:28)

Jacob's name is changed to Israel, meaning "a Prince of God." How is it that God can put such a name upon one who is a Jacob (a "taker by the heel"), and manifests that character throughout the greater part of his life? because He is able to make him a prince of God; He is able to take up the most unpromising material and make out of it a vessel of glory, and having taken up one like Jacob, He does not abandon His purpose, He knew the character of the material He was working with from the beginning, and "I am Jehovah, I change not, therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed" (Malachi 3:6). (J. B.Jackson)

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November 4

"Peter saith unto Him, 'Lord, dost Thou wash my feet?' . . . Jesus answered him, 'if I wash thee not, thou has no part with Me'. Simon Peter saith unto Him, 'Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head'. Jesus saith to him, 'he that is washed needeth not save to wash his feet, but is clean every whit: and ye are clean, but not all'. For He knew who should betray Him; therefore said He, 'Ye are not all clean'."
(John 13:6-11)

To receive spiritual communications ever calls for a spiritual condition. Hence feet-washing was a needed preparation for those who were about to listen to the Lord's last words, so rich with divine truth and spiritual comfort. There was one present, however, who had never been washed all over, on whom feet-washing would have no effect, and to whom the teaching of Jesus would have no meaning. The presence of Judas, plotting in his heart the coming betrayal, cast a dark shadow over the little company. Ere the last instructions can be communicated by the Lord, or received by the disciples, Judas must pass from the upper room into the night. (John 13:30) (Hamilton Smith)

N.J. Hiebert - 4607

November 5

". . . come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while . . ."
(Mark 6:31)

Alone with God, the world forbidden,
Alone with God, O blest retreat!
Alone with God, and in Him hidden,
To hold with Him communion sweet.

(Oatman)
(Selected - S.L.)

“…they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint” (Isaiah 40:31)

“… stand still, and consider the wondrous works of God” (Job 37:14).

“Be still, and know that I am God…” (Psalm 46:10).

N.J. Hiebert - 4608

November 6

"God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work."
(2 Corinthians 9:8)

The beauty of life is to be found, not in luxury but in simplicity;

- In sweat of the hand,
- Sweat of the brow,
- And sweat of the heart;
- In pride of work without greed of gold;
- In thoughts that rise above the needs of self;
- In loving-kindness to one's fellow men.

To be honest in handicraft,
- Loyal in friendship,
- Strong in suffering,
- And rich in laughter,

Is to be a good comrade in the workshops of life; and to such faithful believers who thus serve,
God will pay the fair wages of Peace and Joy.
(Heaven's Cure for Earth's Care)

N.J. Hiebert - 4609

November 7

"My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from Him."
(Psalm 62:5)

"O may God preserve us," Monod wrote, "from making the word of man the first thing, and communion with Jesus a secondary matter."

We all know the temptation, when something distressing or perplexing happens, to turn to the nearest one, or the wisest and most loving, and talk the thing over with that one. It is right to do this. The help that often comes in this way is the good gift of the "Father of Compassions." But it does not take the place of the other. Communion with Jesus must come first. When it does not, we weaken and become discouraged. Perhaps we say something or write something better not said or written.

Our Lord is the great encourager of souls. Our expectation is from Him. (Whispers of His Power - Amy Carmichael)

N.J. Hiebert - 4610

November 8

"The Lord shall be thy confidence, and shall keep thy foot from being taken."
(Proverbs 3:26)

David exhibits that never-failing token of a heart that knows the Lord - confidence in God above all, and at whatever cost. "Let me fall into the hand of Jehovah." Sweet and precious thought of what the Lord is unto His people! and well He knows how to fill the heart with the certainty that He deserves its confidence. Even while chastening, God is more loving, more faithful, more worthy of confidence than any other.

The simple refuge of the saint is in God. "God is my defence." It is not counter-plotting, nor using human means to meet the power of the enemy. We may partially perhaps and for a time so succeed, but in using carnal weapons we have lost the dependence which calls God in, and the perfection of walk and testimony which waiting on Him gives.

There are moments when God makes us feel that we cannot rely on man but only on Him. Often we have comfort from men. "God, that comforteth those that are cast down, comforted us by the coming of Titus." But we must not rely on man. Hence there are moments when we have to say "all men are liars," and we are cast on the Lord. (Pilgrim Portions for the Day of Rest -JND)

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November 9

"This is the Word of the Lord unto Zerubbabel: Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit, saith the Lord of hosts."
(Zechariah 4:6)

I challenge the idea that we are advanced. I know the majority of modern educators, newspaper writers, TV personalities, radio reporters, politicians and all the rest do not agree with me. Nevertheless I challenge the idea that we are any further advanced than they were in the days of Jesus.

If we are so advanced, then I want to ask some questions,

- Why do we kill thousands of human beings each year with cars?
- Because we ride cars instead of donkeys we are advanced?
- If we are so advanced in our day, why are the penitentiaries packed full and the mental hospitals crowded?
- If we are so advanced, why is the whole world a powder keg?
- If we are so advanced, how is it that we have weapons that can annihilate the world?
- If are so advanced, why is it that people cannot walk alone in the parks anymore?
- Why is it that workers who get out at midnight never walk home alone anymore?
- Why is it in this advanced age that drugs, violence, abortion and divorce are soaring?

There is a mind-set that thinks every motion is progress.
Every time you move you are progressing.
Then there is the mind-set that thinks whenever you move in a straight line you are going forward,
forgetting that you can move in a straight line and be going backward.
(A.W. Tozer)

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November 10

"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)

To God be the glory, great things He has done,
So loved He the world that He gave us His Son,
Who yielded His life an atonement for sin,
And opened the life gate that all may go in
(Fanny Crosby)

The perfect love of the Father is shown to us by the gift of His only begotten Son.
The perfect love of the Son is shown to us by the giving of His life on the cross.
He took our sins upon Himself to pay our debt to God in full.
Here lies the true passion and peerless love of Jesus Christ.
He gave Himself for us.
Have you experienced that sweet perfect love?
If not, then give Him your heart; it is only safe in His keeping.
(V. Gaynier)

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November 11

"The LORD is good unto them that wait for Him, to the soul that seeketh Him. It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the LORD."
(Lamentations 3:25,26)

It is easier to WORK than to WAIT. It is often more important to wait than to work. We can trust God to do the needed working while we are waiting; but if we are not willing to wait, and insist upon working while He would have us be still, we may interfere with the effective and triumphant working that He would do in our behalf. Our waiting may be the most difficult thing we can do; it may be the severest test that God can give us.

Oswald Chambers has said truly: One of the greatest strains in life is the strain of waiting for God. God takes the saint like a bow which He stretches; we get to a certain point and say I cannot stand any more; but God goes on stretching. He is not aiming at our mark, but at his own, and the patience of the saints is that we hold on until He lets the arrow fly straight to His goal. If we are willing to remember God's call and assurance there need be no strain at all while we are waiting. The "stretched bow" time may be a time of unbroken rest for us as we "rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for Him" (Psalm 37:7).

Unless a violin string is stretched until it cries out when the bow is drawn over it, there is no music.
A loose violin string with no strain upon it is of no use - it is dead, has no voice.
But when stretched till it strains it is brought to the proper tone, and then only is it useful to the music-maker.
(A.B. Sims)

"In God's eternal plan, a month, a year,
Is but an hour of some slow April day,
Holding the germs of what we hope or fear,
To blossom far away."

The Almighty is tedious, but He's sure!

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November 12

"Therefore I say unto you, what things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.
And when ye stand praying, FORGIVE, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses."
(Mark 11:24,25)

- True prayer brings a person's will into accordance with God's will, not the other way around.

- No prayers can be heard which do not come from a forgiving heart.

- There is nothing that makes us love a man so much as praying for him.

- There are four ways God answers prayer: No, not yet; No, I love you too much; Yes, you finally asked; Yes, and here's more.

- Just when I need Him, He is my all, answering when upon Him I call; tenderly watching lest I should fall.

- It is impossible to lose your footing while on your knees.
(A Collection of Wise Sayings - R.K.)

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November 14

November 15

November 16

"All the presidents of the Kingdom, the governors, and the princes, the counsellors, and the captains, have consulted together to establish a royal statute, and to make a firm decree, that whosoever shall ask a petition of any God or man for thirty days, save of thee, O king [Darius],
he shall be cast into the den of lions. . . . King Darius signed the writing and the decree" (Daniel 6:7,9).

"Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house; and his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did afore time. Then these men assembled, and found Daniel praying and making supplication before his God." (Daniel 6:10, 11).

King Darius had issued an order throughout the nation that for thirty days, anyone found praying to anyone or anything other than the king would be sentenced to death.
Daniel did not comply.
He refused to rationalize that the order would remain in effect for only thirty days.
He rejected the pragmatic decision that he could further his career if he complied.
He simply would not bow down to any being other than God.

Worship is exclusionary. You cannot compromise on worship.
(The Grand Weaver - Ravi Zacharias)

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November 17

"But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made night by the blood of Christ."
(Ephesians 2:13)

Have you accepted Jesus as your Saviour?
That is a great experience.
Yet, when one is converted and says yes to Jesus, it does not mean the end of a new experience, but the beginning.
You have entered the gate to a new life.
You will find complete joy and liberty there.
Don't be too concerned about what Christians should and should not do.
You can leave those things safely to the Holy Spirit to show you,
for you have not been brought to a religion or doctrIne, but to a PERSON: JESUS CHRIST.
(This Day is the Lord's - Corrie Ten Boom)

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November 18

"Behold, thou art fair, my love; behold, thou art fair . . ."
(Song of Solomon 4:1)

How the Lord sees us is entirely different from our perception of ourselves.
He always sees us in what we will be, knowing full well who and what we are and were.

We find ourselves totally blessed in every area of our lives in Him and in His touch and estimation of ourselves.

All the description here speaks of that which we receive being in relationship with Him, providing for others through us.
(Meditations in the Song of Songs - B.R.)

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November 19

"But we were gentle among you, even as a nurse cherisheth her children."
(1 Thessalonians 2:7)

Paul was an apostle of Jesus Christ, a teacher, an evangelist, a shepherd, and a spiritual father.
His fathering care and tender love for his children is evident throughout all his epistles.

- In Galatians he refers to those he was so concerned about, as "my little children."
- The Thessalonian believers knew the apostle as one who was gentle as a nurse who cherishes her children.
- He also exhorted, comforted and charged them as a father his children.
- In Timothy the apostle found a dearly beloved son,
- In Titus, his own child after the faith,
- And to the Corinthians he expressed concern because they had not many fathers, while he warned them as his beloved sons.

All these prove the solemn, immeasurable impact parents have on their children, and the normal love and affection that ought to mark every parent-child relationship.
(The Christian Shepherd - June 2008)

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November 20

"For I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth; to the Jew first and also to the Greek."
(Romans 1:16)

Oh, the wonders the gospel will accomplish!

It wipes guilt from the conscience, rolls the world out of the heart, and darkness from the mind . . .
It will put honey into the bitterest cup, and health into the most diseased soul.

It will give hope to the heart, health to the face, oil to the head, light to the eye, strength to the hand, and swiftness to the foot.
It will make life pleasant, labour sweet, and death triumphant. It gives faith to the fearful, courage to the timid, and strength to the weak.

It robs the grave of its terror and death of its sting.
It subdues sin, severs from self, makes faith strong, love active, hope lively, and zeal invincible.

It gives sonship for slavery, robes for rags, makes the Cross light and reproach pleasant; it will transform a dungeon into a palace,
and make the fires of martyrdom as refreshing as the cool breeze of summer.

It snaps legal bonds, loosens the soul, clarifies the mind, purifies the affections, and often lifts the saint to the very gates of Heaven.
No man can deserve it; money cannot buy it, or good deeds procure it; grace reigns here!
(J.K. - W. Poole Balfern- 1858)

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November 21

"For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall arise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words."
(1 Thessalonians 4:16-18)

Those who are waiting for Him, the living ones who remain unto the coming of the Lord, are caught up with those that slept (died), together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so shall we ever be with the Lord. And he adds, "Wherefore comfort one another with these words," referring to the sorrow in the hearts of some who had not their hearts centered in the heart of Christ. Let me appeal to your souls individually, What do you think of Christ? What is that day to you? What is the Lord to you?

Oh what a tale will steal out in that day, when we see what the Lord's love has been to us! I know His distinct love to me. I know His determination, but nothing but His blood shall be known as the atonement for my sin, His determination that no false prop shall suit me. I know His arm as an arm that may be leaned upon. And well He knows now in the days of His solitude, His service, his sorrow down here, His Father's love was enough for Him, and He knows how His own individual love for the child of God is enough for the path, were it multiplied with sorrows ten thousand times more. (Food for the Desert)

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November 22

"I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction."
(Isaiah 48:10)

Does not the Word come like a soft shower, assuaging the fury of the flame?
Yes, is it not an asbestos armour, against which the heat has no power?
Let the affliction come - God has chosen me.
Poverty, may stride in at my door; but God is in the house already, and He has chosen me.
Sickness may intrude; but I have a balsam ready - God has chosen me.
Whatever befall me in this vale of tears, I know that He has chosen me.

Fear not, Christian; Jesus is with you.
In all your fiery trials, His presence is both your comfort and safety.
He will never leave one whom He has chosen for His own.
"Fear not, for I am with thee," is His sure word of promise to His chosen ones in "the furnace of affliction."
(C.H. Spurgeon)

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November 23

"God said unto Noah . . . the earth is filled with violence."
(Genesis 6:13)

"But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of Man be."
(Matthew 24:37)

Let us then be true and faithful,
Trusting, serving every day;
Just one glimpse of Him in glory,
Shall the toils of life repay.
(Eliza Hewitt)

We live in a violent world - fighting, terrorism, gangsterism!
Beloved let us not be discouraged or even surprised at such an increase of violence.
Rather let us take courage and see it as one more indication that He who promised, "Behold I come quickly"
May be on the very threshold.
Let us also reach out with the gospel, so that He finds us not only watching but also working,
When He comes to take us into His peaceful presence.
(David Croudace)

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November 24

"It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord, and to sing praises unto Thy name, O Most High."
(Psalm 92:1)

"MUCH OBLIGED, LORD!"

The person who loves God and has a grateful heart will enjoy spiritual health and be able to thank Him even in the face of death. Fulton Oursler learned this lesson from a black lady who helped care for him when he was a little boy. Every time she sat down to eat, she would bow her head and say, "Much obliged, Lord." Ourseler asked her why she did this, because the food was there for her to enjoy whether she gave thanks or not. She replied, "Sure, we get our vittles, but it makes everything taste better to be grateful. Looking for good things is a kind of game an old preacher taught me to play. Take this morning. I woke up and thought, what's there to praise God for today? You know what? I couldn't think of a thing! Then from the kitchen came the most delicious odour that ever tickled my nose. Coffee! 'Much obliged, Lord, for the coffee,' I said, 'and much obliged, too, for the smell of it.' "

Many years later Oursler stood at the bedside of that woman as she lay dying. Seeing her in much pain, he wondered if she could still find something to be grateful for. Just then she opened her eyes. As she saw him and the others gathered around, she folded her hands and said with a smile, "Much obliged, Lord, for such fine friends."

I can't think of a better time than today to begin looking for things to be thankful for. It won't matter what words you use, whether you say "Thank You, Father," or "Much obliged, Lord." The important thing is to praise Him. And the more you do, the more you'll improve your outlook on life. (H.V.L.)

How good it is to thank the Lord,
And praise to Thee, most High, accord,
To show Thy love with morning light,
And tell Thy faithfulness each night!

If you can't think of anything to be thankful for, you have a poor memory
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Our daily Bread, RBC Ministries, Copyright 1977. Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted Permission

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November 25

"And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren."
(Luke 22:31-32)

All of us must go through some sifting in life to get rid of the chaff in our lives.
When the sifting is done we are better able to strengthen our brothers and sisters in Christ.

When through the deep waters I call thee to go,
The rivers of sorrow shall not overflow,
For I will be with thee thy trials to bless,
And sanctify to to thee thy deepest distress.
(Henry Durbanville)
(S.L.- With thanks)

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November 26

"He only is my rock and my salvation; He is my defence; I shall not be greatly moved."
"He only is my rock and my salvation: He is my defence; I shall not be moved."
(Psalm 62:2,6)

A scene of sorrow and misery, though this world has become through disobedience, yet what blessings and joy the children of God may experience in the midst of it all, in the place and path of obedience and dependence upon that obedient One, Who has left us such an example!

But it is not only the sin and spirit of disobedience that has made, and does make, this earth such a scene of misery. The sin of Cain, envy, hatred and murder has turned it into a place of violence as well as corruption. Adam sinned against obedience, Cain against love. And what is the fruit of man's second sin against the "Royal commandment," culminating in the murder of the Holy and Just One? Take up any of this world's daily papers, and you will find them teeming with the most horrible accounts of all kinds of murder, corruption and violence, generally softened down by writers with sensational pens, and callous consciences, by calling them "tragedies," - where even the most sacred family-ties exercise no longer any restraint upon men's passions. (Light in Our Dwellings - J.A. Von Poseck)

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November 27

"When I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice; and I am persuaded that in thee also."
(2 Timothy 1:5)

The effect we grandparents have on our grandchildren may not be realized until we can see the principles they live by and the adults they have become. Grand-parenting will become one of life's most rewarding experiences if we invest spiritually in our children and grandchildren, as Lois did with Eunice and Timothy. Paul's letters to Timothy show us that her effort has been a blessing to every generation since.

As we attempt to influence our grandchildren for Christ, we are changed, as I am sure Lois was, in at least three ways. First, we are drawn closer to God in dependence upon Him. Second, we become more concerned with the legacy we are leaving our children and their children. Third, we end up living richer, fuller spiritual lives. As we pass along our values and see our children and grandchildren make decisions to follow Jesus, we see afresh that He must be first in our life, and everything else secondary.

It is harder to consistently live the Christian life in front of our grandchildren than in front of anyone else. They compare what they see with what they have heard about us from their parents. We become painfully aware of our spiritual shortcomings because we become increasingly aware of how much our grandchildren are watching us walk the path of faith. We are drawn closer to God as we see where we need to improve as Christians.

We will also become more concerned about the legacy we leave our families - not earthly things, but spiritual values that will affect them for the rest of their lives. We should pray that our grandchildren remember not only the good times we had together, but also that we helped them to know and to live closer to their Saviour. (L.J. Ondrejack)

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November 28

"Behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world."
(John 1:29)

He does not say merely "sins." It is sin, in the singular. I think that you will find that when people attempt to quote this verse they generally say sins. Sins are only the effect of a cause, and the Lamb of God came, not only to take away the individual's sins, but to take away or deal with, the sin-question as a whole. The Apostle Paul said, "God hath made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin." He is not only the bearer of our transgressions, He not only atoned for all our acts of sin, but He died for what we are as sinners by nature. . . .

Within this heart of mine there are tendencies to sin that are worse than any act of sin I have ever committed. This is true of us all. We are sinners by nature. Sin dwells in us. Christ died to put away sin, not merely sins, by the sacrifice of Himself. We have in us that thing which God calls "sin in the flesh." God took all that into account when Christ hung on the cross. He died because of what we were. He took our place. He was made sin for us, and sin, as a barrier, was taken away, and now the vilest sinner can come into the presence of God and find forgiveness. Do you know the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world? (H.A. Ironside)

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November 29

"“…He abideth faithful: He cannot deny Himself."” (2 Timothy 2:13)

“God's delays are not denials; He has heard your prayer;
He knows all about your trials, knows your every care.

God's delays are not denials; help is on the way;
He is watching o'er life's dials, bringing forth the day.

God's delays are not denials; you will find Him true,
Working through the darkest trials, what is best for you.”
(With thanks - S.L.)

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November 30

“Surely I come quickly.” (Rev. 22:20)

As we approach the end of the age, it is predictable that many will abandon the hope of Christ’s any-moment return. But the truth is still there whether men hold it or not.

The fact is that the Lord Jesus may come at any time. We do not know the day or hour of the Bridegroom’s return for His bride; this means that He could come today. There is no prophecy that needs to be fulfilled before we hear His shout, the voice of the archangel and the trump of God. True, the church expects to experience tribulation throughout its time on earth, but the horrors of the Tribulation period are not part of its destiny. If the church has to go through, the Tribulation, that would mean that the Lord couldn’t come for at least seven years, because we certainly are not in the Tribulation now, and when it does come, it will last for seven years.

There is a large body of Scripture texts that teach us to be ready at all times for the Savior to appear. Notice the following:

• “…nearer than when we believed”(Romans 13:11).
• “The night is far spent, the day is at hand” (Romans 13:12).
• “The Lord is at hand” (Philippians 4:5).
• “For yet a little while, and He that shall come will come, and will not tarry” (Hebrews 10:37)
• “…the coming of the Lord draweth nigh” (James 5:8).
• “…the judge standeth before the door” (James 5:9).
• “But the end of all things is at hand’”(1 Peter 4:7).

These verses seem designed to create the impression on the mind that the Lord’s coming is imminent. It is an event for which we should be watching and waiting. We should be busy in His service, faithfully carrying out our stewardship.

R. A. Torrey once said, “The imminent return of our Lord is the great Bible argument for a pure, unselfish, devoted, unworldly, active life of service. In much of our preaching we urge people to live holy and work diligently because death is swiftly coming, but this is never the Bible argument. The Bible argument always is, Christ is coming; be ready when He comes.”

Our responsibility is clear. Our loins should be girded, our lights should be burning, and we should be like those who wait for their Lord (see Luke 12:36,36). Let us not succumb to those who teach that we have no right to expect Him at any moment. Rather let us believe in His imminent return, teach it enthusiastically, and let the truth shine out in our lives. (With thanks and appreciation for this timely posting from R. Lucas)

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Gems from October 2011

2011-10-01T05:00:00.035-04:00

"To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some."
(1 Corinthians 9:22)

No Affliction would trouble us if we knew God's reasons for permitting it.

God often uses a setback to move us forward.

God pours His love into our hearts to flow out to others.

Living in the past paralyzes the present and bankrupts the future.

You cannot start a fire in another's heart till it is burning in your own.
(Some Thoughts to Consider - R.K.)

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October 1

"With good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men: knowing that whatsoever good thing any man doeth, the same shall he receive of the Lord, whether he be bond or free."
(Ephesians 6:7-8)

Passing an ambulance doing nothing and parked in an odd location of our city I complained, "What a waste of taxpayers money!" I found out later that these ambulances are located strategically throughout the city, ready to respond in a moment's notice. In the same way, God has strategically located His servants everywhere as He would - ready, waiting for His direction. Christian, don't despair about where you are. He has placed you exactly where He wants you to be. Be ready to fulfill His purposes today. (Jerry Proctor)

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October 2

"That I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being made conformable unto His death."
(Philippians 4:10)

"So often in the battle," says Austin-Sparks, "we go to the Lord, and pray, and plead, and appeal for victory, for ascendency, for mastery over the forces of evil and death, and our thought is that in some way the Lord is going to come in with a mighty exercise of power and put us into a place of victory and spiritual ascendency as in an act. We must have this mentality corrected. What the Lord does is to enlarge us to possess. He pets us through some exercise, through some experience, takes us by some way which means our spiritual expansion, and exercise spirituality so we occupy the larger lace spontaneously.

"I will not drive them out from before thee in one year; lest the land become desolate, and the beast of the field multiply against thee. By little and little I will drive them out before thee, until thou be increased." (Exodus 23:29-30)

"One day in the House of Commons, British Prime Minister Disraeli made a brilliant speech on the spur of the moment. That night a friend said to him, 'I must tell you how much I enjoyed your extemporaneous talk. It's been on my mind all day.' 'Madam,' confessed Disraeli, 'that extemporaneous talk has been on my mind for twenty years.' " (MJS - SL)

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October 3

" . . . There is no discharge in that war . . ." (Ecclesiastes 8:8)

Years ago Sir. Wm. Robertson Nicol showed in a remarkable article that men died within eighteen months of their retirement because, having no hobby, they lost the zest of life that had been borne up in their life of labour. A famous insurance company doctor explained that men who retire don't live long because they are not prepared for leisure and it is a shock to them. Idleness is the greatest enemy of the aged and may easily present them with their ticket to death.

Our tasks may glow with jewels or scintillate like gems,
But once their motive is withdrawn, the deadly ebb begins;
We call it "hardened arteries," "pneumonia," and "flu,"
But men will die of "heartbreak," when they've nothing left to do.

Each stage of life has something peculiar to itself in possibility and achievement. To be victorious at each stage one must accept the fact of change and make out of that particular period through which he is passing something beautiful and effective.

Take courage in the words of a well know psychiatrist, "I have never seen a case of mental disease in the aged where they have a faith in God, are free from the fear of death, and are active."
(Traveling Toward Sunrise)

"I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith."
(2 Timothy 4:7)

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October 4

"What I do thou knowest not now; but thou shalt know hereafter."
(John 13:7)

Much is baffling and perplexing to us in God's present dealings. "What!" we are often ready to exclaim, "could not the cup have been less bitter - the trial less severe - the road less rough and dreary?" Hush thy misgivings, says a gracious God; arraign not the rectitude of My dispensations. Thou shalt yet see all revealed and made bright in the mirror of eternity. What I do - it is all My doing, My appointment. Thou hast but a a partial view of these dealings; thou canst seen nought but plans crossed and gourds laid low. But I see the end from the beginning. (Comforted of God - A.J. Pollock)

"Who is wise, and he shall understand these things? Prudent, and he shall know them? For the ways of the Lord are right, and the just shall walk in them."
(Hosea 14:9)

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October 5

"If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me."
(Luke 9:23)

No one was ever saved through following Jesus. If you and I could be saved by following Jesus, then salvation would be the result of human efforts. We cannot be saved by imitating our blessed Lord. We are not told that we are saved by taking up our cross. But after we know that our sins are forgiven and that we have eternal life, we are called upon to follow Him. If you profess to have believed in Him and trusted Him as your Saviour, you are called upon to follow in His steps.

You are not left to choose your own path. He has marked out the way that you are to go. It is to such that He says, "If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me." What does it mean to deny oneself? What did it mean for Peter to deny our Lord? They came to Peter and said, "You are one of His disciples." Peter said, "I am not!" They said unto him again, "Of a truth this fellow also was with Him: for he is a Galilean. And Peter said, Man, I know not what thou sayest." Challenged a third time, Peter, with an oath, denied that he was one of Jesus' disciples. He refused to own Christ in any way.

What does it mean when Jesus said, "If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow me?" You are to refuse to know yourself in order that He may have His way with you on this earth. I am no longer to seek my own interest, but I am to seek that which will glorify Him. I am to say, "I know not this man, but I do know that MAN, and for Him I will gladly surrender everything." (Selected)

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October 6

"She gleaned in the field until even, and beat out what she had gleaned: and it was about an ephah of barley."
(Ruth 2:17)

Ruth was industrious and diligent in character, for she wanted to appropriate everything that divine grace had put at her disposal. She gleaned until evening. Are we this diligent too?

Ruth also beat out the ears she had gleaned. Grain cannot grow without straw. But straw is not food for human beings. Of necessity there must often be straw in messages and meditations. Illustrations are given to drive home a truth or a principle, and sometimes it is necessary to say something over agin two or three times so that it will be understood and remembered. Besides, we all have certain weaknesses in expressing ourselves. Sometimes a speaker deliberately tries to be interesting and popular. He tries to say things differently from everyone else; he tries to bring out new things, or the like. Then there may be so much straw that we will have to search for the grain.

There is only one way to give much grain. "If any man speak. let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ" (1 Peter 4:11). The words of the speaker not only must be in accord with the words of God, but the words must be spoken at the will of God, uttered at the time and place where God wants them to be uttered.

So often we take only the straw home with us after we have been at a meeting. We may remember the speaker's weaknesses and imperfections, or perhaps the beautiful external form of the message. But Ruth was not interested in the straw. She beat out the barley because this was what she wanted to sift out and take home. Only the barley was real food. (H.L Heijkoop)

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October 7

Hopeless Despair

"And when neither sun nor stars in many days appeared, and no small tempest lay on us, all hope that we should be saved was then taken away."
(Acts 27:20)

Now everything is gone! - fun, excitement, peace, rest, cargo, furniture - one thing alone - HOPE - is left, and now that too is taken away. Please carefully notice the solemn words of scripture. Hope wasn't lost, it wasn't misused or misplaced - it was taken away. This is the final, awful price that is exacted from a life lived according to self-will and disregard for God's thoughts. Here it is that the fiery darts of the enemy find their mark in a disobedient Christian (Ephesians 6:16). After everything else had been lost or thrown away, hope, the one thing that those on the ship with the centurion absolutely could not afford to lose - the one thing to which they all were desperately clinging and dared not lose - was taken from them.

There was no sun, no stars, no indication whatever that the storm was lessening. Had they seen even one tiny star or ray of sunlight during those raging nights and days, they could have had the comfort of a little hope. But no, the cost of leaving Fair Havens was only hopeless darkness, wind, and waves.

You may not think that the self-willed decisions you have made during your journey of life will require the giving up or the losing of anything. The world and its angel of light - the god of this world - are masters at hiding the truth - blinding the minds of those that believe not. However, ". . . all hope that we should be saved was then taken away", is to be replaced by the wonderful words, "BE OF GOOD CHEER." (The Journey of life - D.N.)

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October 8

"Finally my brethren, rejoice in the Lord."
(Philippians 3:1)

"Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice."
(Philippians 4:4)

You may say, "I cannot rejoice;" but if the Spirit of God gives a command, He gives power too in connection with it. Looking at exhortations as coming from the Lord, one finds help by bringing in the thought of His power with them. My hands may hang down, but if the command comes, "Now are you to rejoice in the Lord," I can begin rejoicing, and I find He gives strength for it. (Gleanings of G.V. Wigram)

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October 9

"Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ . . ." (Philippians 1:27).

Someone once said,
“If you are a Christian, you can expect folks to criticize, but you ought to live so nobody will believe them.” (S.L.)

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October 10

"Now faith is the substance of things hoped for the evidence of things not seen."
(Hebrews 11:1)

When we exercise spiritual faith, we are trusting in the integrity and invincible character of God. Our heart is established on the eternal truth that God is holy love. We fling ourselves in reckless confidence in the unchanging infinite truth of His Word. Faith operates from a singleness of heart, a definitive purpose to pursue without wavering, a life that is abandoned to His will, and seeks to magnify His name in all of our life.

Faith by its very nature must be tried. When we encounter some trying experience, it will reveal the reality of our faith. It will bring to light whether our faith is an intellectual assent to the truth, or if our faith proceeds from a personal relationship with Christ. God tries us to purify our faith, our life, and our relationship with Him (1 Peter 1:7).

Faith is the whole man rightly related to God by the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit that finds expression in trusting God when we have nothing to lean on but God. Faith rests alone on the verity and validity of Almighty God. Faith is not of us; it is the operation of God, whereby all believers are endowed from above.

It is faith that lifts us "above" our circumstances while we are yet "in" them. It enables us to live with things that are future and invisible. It gives sustenance to the believer, provides evidence of the truth, and reality that will secure him from falling, whatever the trial may be.

When we exercise faith, we are putting our confidence, trust, and reliance in the "infallible character and integrity of God," and the merits of His Son Jesus Christ. "And this is the victory that overcomes the world, even our faith" (1 John 5:4). (R.L.)

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October 11

"And He spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others."
(Luke 18:9)

We cannot come to God on the ground of our own righteousness; we have no title to approach Him in that way. All our righteousnesses are as filthy rags in His sight. We can come to God only as confessed sinners, recognizing that all He does for us must be on the ground of grace.

These two men had gone to the temple which God had ordained as a house of prayer for all men. One was a Pharisee, a self-righteous man, giving himself credit for exceptional merit. Significantly we read: "[He} prayed thus with himself." That is, his prayer never went up to God at all; it went no higher than the ceiling, because he was simply speaking of his own goodness. Yes it was a prayer of THANKSGIVING.

Is it not right to come to God with THANKSGIVING? We are taught again and again that is the way we should approach God. But notice this man was not THANKING God for what grace had done for him; he was THANKING God for what he himself had done, and that is the wrong attitude. When I approach God my heart should be filled with THANKSGIVING because of what He has done for me, recognizing that everything I have comes by divine grace. But this man said, "I thank Thee for my own goodness; I thank Thee, that I am not as other men are."

You, perhaps, would not use the same language, but do you approach God in that attitude? "I thank Thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers." Then the Pharisee looked and saw the publican standing there, and he said, "Or even as this publican. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess." Surely these things are all good, but no man has a right to plead his own goodness as the reason why God should hear his cry. And, actually, most of his prayer was just pretense, claiming a righteousness he did not possess. (Adapted)

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October 12

"Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine? There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger."
(Luke 17:17)

There is so little real worship on the part of Christian people today. Even when believers come together so often it is not to worship God. Do we realize God is seeking worshipers? Too many have the idea that God is seeking workers, but there is something that must come before work, and that is worship. To be in the presence of God with a heart filled with adoration means more to Him than to busy ourselves in His service. We shall not serve any less acceptably or earnestly because we worship first, rather than if we gave all our time to service. The Lord Jesus is still saying, "Where are the nine?" He appreciates those who come into His presence with worshipful hearts, but He misses those who have been saved by His grace and do not return to give Him glory. (H.A. Ironside)

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October 13

"I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase."
(1 Corinthians 3:6)

Do not attempt to do too much.
Let quality, not quantity, be the desire of your heart as to your service.

The great secret of all blessing is to come from the Lord. . . . The Lord draw your heart so to Himself that you may come from Him to do every service.

You may find Christians . . . who are really thinking more of themselves than of the Lord, exacting love and consideration instead of truly in the fear of the Lord labouring to confer it.

Whenever a soul makes itself the object, the Lord is far from it.

Every servant knows the past of of our Lord, and many know the future, but what really helps is knowing Him in the present.
(Footprints for Pilgrims)

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October 14

"How excellent (precious) is Thy loving kindness, O God!"
(Psalm 36:7)

The Lord intercedes for us without our even asking.
We do not gain Him to intercede for us because of our repentance or prayers.
He did not intercede for Peter when he repented, but before he sinned.
He interceded for Peter because he needed it. "If any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father."
. . . It is the exercise of grace in His own heart towards us to restore our souls.
(J.N. Darby)

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October 15

"How can ye believe, which receive honour one of another, and seek not the honour that cometh from God only?"
(John 5:44)

The whole course of our lives will be upset by failure to put God where He belongs. We exalt ourselves instead of God and the curse follows!

Consider the very disturbing question that Jesus asked of men when He was on earth: "How can we believe, which receive honour of one another, and seek not the honour that cometh from God alone?" Christ taught here the alarming doctrine that the desire for honour among men made belief impossible! Is this sin at the root of religious unbelief?

Could it be that those "intellectual difficulties" which men blame for their inability to believe are but smoke screens to conceal the real cause that lies behind them? Was it this greedy desire for honour from man that made men into Pharisees and Pharisees into Deicides (crucifixion of Christ)? Is this the secret back of religious self-righteousness and empty worship? I believe it may be.

Men and women who will make the honest once-for-all decision to exalt and honour God and His Christ over all are precious to God above all treasures of earth or sea, for He knows that His honour is safe in such consecrated hands! (A.W. Tozer - Renewed Day By Day)

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October 16

“For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee.”
(Psalm 86:5)

“But thou, O Lord, art a God full of compassion, and gracious, long suffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth.” (Psalm 86:15)

“The LORD…saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.”
(Jeremiah 31:3)

The life of a Christian has periods of waiting. Sometimes like Daniel, God asks us to wait and trust Him in the dark. Daniel waited 21 days for an answer.
If you do, you will receive His song in the night. Someone once said, “God gives a song in the night, but it must first be night.”

“When a tear is wept by you, think not your Father does not behold; for, “Like as a father pities his children so the Lord pities them that fear Him.”
Your sigh is able to move the heart of Jehovah; your whisper can incline His ear unto you; your prayer can stay His hands; your faith can move His arm.
Oh! Think not that God sits on high in an eternal slumber, taking no account of you.” (C.H. Spurgeon)

“Though I walk in the midst of trouble, thou wilt revive me: thou shalt stretch forth thine hand…and thy right hand shall save me.
The LORD will perfect that which concerneth me: thy mercy, O LORD, endureth for ever: forsake not the works of thine own hands.”
(Psalm 138:7-8)

“I wait for the LORD, my soul doth wait, and in his word do I hope.”
(Psalm 130:5)

“I’m standing on the promises of God.
Standing on the promises that cannot fail,
When the howling storms of doubt and fear assail,
By the living Word of God I shall prevail,
Standing on the promises of God.”(R.K. Carter)
(Adapted)
“O my God, incline thine ear, and hear; open thine eyes…for we do not present our supplications before thee for our righteousnesses, but for thy great mercies.” (Daniel 9:18)

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October 17

"Come unto Me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest."
(Matthew 11:28)

The words of the Lord Jesus were like the heavens that declare the glory of God, and like the firmament that shows His handiwork. They are like the stars that shine forever.

We get so used to the stars being there that we seldom look at them, and completely forget their glory. When some of Napoleon's generals were contending that there was no God, the Emperor led them outside the tent and pointed to the stars, "If there be no God," said Napoleon, "who made all these?"

In the same spirit we would point to the words of Jesus the Christ, and say to those who doubt the truth of the gospel story; "Who spoke all these?" The miracles of Christ are not more wonderful than His words.

There is a fly in the ointment of the words of the best of men.

- Moses spoke unadvisedly with his lips (Psalms 106:33).
- Peter was guilty of dissimulation, and Paul had to rebuke him (Galatians 2:13).
- Paul himself had to retract what he said in the courtroom (Acts 23:5).
- Job, the patient one, opened his mouth and cursed his day (Job 3:1).
- Elijah uttered words of discouragement and had to be reproved (1 Kings 19:9-10).

But Jesus of Nazareth never uttered a word that revealed any of the frailties and faults of the whole human race. Like the Passover lamb, His words were "without blemish"; and like the Bride's description of Him, "Altogether lovely."
(Leonard Sheldrake - A Plant of Renown)

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October 18

Useless . . . Unless

"Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves."
(2 Corinthians 13:5)

To examine ourselves is good, but useless unless we also examine environment.
To bewail our weakness is right, but not remedial.
The cause must be investigated as well as the result.
(A Thought for Every Day - Henry Drummond)

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October 19

GOD OUR SHIELD

"Our soul waiteth for the Lord: He is our help and our shield."
(Psalm 33:20)

In Himself man is weak and vulnerable; therefore, he often needs a shield to protect him. Today we hear of the special equipment which is necessary to preserve human life in atomic plants and in space travel. We're also told of a radar shield, consisting of many military bases encircling American territory, which is needed to warn us of approaching danger from enemy attack. Everywhere there is talk of the envelope of air that guards the earth and its inhabitants from deadly rays and meteors that bombard us from outer space.

Spiritually, too, man is certain to fall before the onslaughts of the powers of evil unless he has a "hedge" built about him by the love and providence of God. When we are saved we may claim the promise of Christ's abiding presence and protection, and we may confidently say, "He is our help and our shield." Nothing can touch us that is outside His perfect will.

There is a sweet story that illustrates what it means to have Christ between us and everything else. A lady in England tells of being awakened one morning by a very strange noise. It sounded like the pecking of a bird. When she got up she saw a butterfly flying back and forth inside the windowpane in great fright. Outside a sparrow was frantically pecking and trying to get in. The butterfly did not see the glass, and expected every moment to be caught; the sparrow did not see the window either and expected every minute to catch the butterfly. Yet all the while the butterfly was as safe as if it had been miles away, because of the glass which came between it and the sparrow.

So it is with Christians who are abiding in Christ. His presence is between them and every danger. How blessed to be able to look into the future confidently and say with assurance, "Thou art my hiding place and my shield" (Psalm 119:114). (Adapted)

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October 20

"Now our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and God, even our Father . . . comfort your hearts, and establish you in every good word and work."
(2 Thessalonians 2:16,17)

We are as dependent upon God when we speak to one soul as when we preach to a thousand. I have learned this by experience; I have gone to see a sick person in great self-confidence and found I had nothing to say. And then the Lord taught me I must wait upon Him for the message for a single soul as much as when I was going to preach. May we ever remember this, that there may be no trace of self-confidence remaining in the heart.

The wonder is that the Lord condescends to use anything which He gives one to say, seeing that we so often adulterate it with our own thoughts.

It is so gracious of Him to give us any encouragement in our service, but I am convinced that, in the issue, the fruit of our labours which we have not seen will be far more abundant than that which we have been permitted to know of, and hence it is that we have to scatter the seed in faith.

I am certain that we must leave results until the judgment seat of Christ. In the mean time our one desire must be to gain his approbation and be content with that. Nothing else is worth seeking for.

I suspect that we shall see in the future that the meetings we thought the least of were among the best. We may therefore take courage and go forward in the knowledge that He who can appraise them at their true value is the One who will praise us most for what we have really done for Him. (Edward Dennett)

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October 21

"Wherefore hast thou afflicted Thy servant? and wherefore have I not found favour in Thy sight that Thou layest the burden of all this people upon me (Moses)?"
(Numbers 11:11)

"And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; and patience, experience; and experience, hope."
(Romans 5:3,4)

- We would not hear the music of the harp--if the strings were left untouched.
- Enjoy the juice of grapes if not trodden in the winepress.
- Nor the sweet scent of cinnamon if it were not crushed and beaten.
- We would not feel the warmth of the fire if the logs were not burned.

Our present afflictions tend to heighten our joy for the future.
Peace is much sweeter after conflict and rest more welcome and deep after hard work.
Charles Spurgeon (P.S.)

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October 22

"But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ."
(1 Corinthians 17:57)

There are many things in the Christian experience that might almost cause us to think that we are in constant defeat: sickness, persecution, death. But Paul closes this noble chapter with words of thanksgiving for victory. Victory, not through our own efforts, but through the Lord Jesus Christ. It is easy to be overwhelmed with our circumstances and to fall prey to a failing of our faith. Thankfully our victory is already assured. Let's get out from under our circumstances and enter into our Lord's victory today. (Reg L. Jordan)

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October 23

“For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.”
(Romans 15:4)

As we experience the comfort of God's word in the midst of a trial we gain the wisdom and understanding we need in order to have something to share with others who are going through difficult times.

“Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.”
(2 Corinthians 1:3-4)

“The comfort God has given us
He wants us all to share
With others who, with broken hearts,
Are caught in deep despair.”
(David Sper)

A kind word and an arm around the shoulder, when from the heart,
can do much and maybe even save a life.
(With thanks - S.L.)

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October 24

Yield Not to Temptation

"Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation."
(Matthew 26:41)

Temptations are common to everyone, even mature Christians. The noblest souls are often the ones most tempted. It seems that Satan assaults Christians in positions of leadership with his strongest weapons. Therefore, we must all be on our constant spiritual guard.

Jesus' forty-day temptation in the wilderness dramatically instructs us how to overcome Satan's attacks. In each temptation, Jesus answered the Devil with Scripture. All of the scriptural quotations Jesus used were from the book of Deuteronomy, an indication of the importance of being well-acquainted with the Old Testament (Deuteronomy 8:3; Matthew 4:4).

It is impossible to isolate ourselves from all of life's temptations. The allurements of modern living are ever near. But we are not alone in this struggle because "For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin" (Hebrews 4:15). "For in that He Himself hath suffered being tempted, He is able to succour them that are tempted" (Hebrews 2:18). Regardless of the temptation, our Lord understands what we are facing and stands ready to provide the strength to resist and to emerge victorious.

Horatio R. Palmer, author and composer, was an American musician. One day while he was working on a music theory exercise, the idea for this hymn suddenly came to him. He wrote it down as quickly as possible and with few exceptions the hymn has remained as it was written. The hymn has been an excellent teaching song for both young and old in learning how to face the daily temptations of life.

Yield not to temptation for yielding is sin; each vict'ry will help you some other to win;
Fight manfully onward, dark passions subdue; look ever to Jesus - He'll carry you through.

Shun evil companions, bad language disdain; God's name hold in rev'rence, nor take it in vain; Be thoughtful and earnest, kind-hearted and true; look ever to Jesus - He'll carry you through.

To him that o'ercometh God giveth a crown; thru faith we will conquer tho often cast down; He who is our Saviour our strength will renew; look ever to Jesus-He'll carry you through.

Chorus: Ask the Saviour to help you, comfort, strengthen and keep you;
He is willing to aid you-He will carry you through.

(From - Amazing Grace by Kenneth W. Osbeck)

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October 25

"Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented. And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence."
(Luke 16:25-26)

The thought is really over-powering. The heart is crushed by the appalling contemplation. Do let us entreat of you, to turn, this very hour, to a dear, loving Saviour who stands with open arms and open bosom to receive all who come to Him, and who assures you that "him that cometh unto Me I will in no wise cast out." Do come and trust in God's faithful Word and Christ's finished work.

Here lies the precious secret of the whole matter. Look away from self, look straight to Jesus, confide simply in Him, and in what He has done for you on the Cross, and all your sins shall be blotted out, Divine righteousness shall be yours, eternal life, sonship, and indwelling Spirit, and all-prevailing Advocate, a bright home in heaven, a portion in Christ's eternal glory - if you will but believe in Jesus all shall be yours - Himself the best of all.

May the Holy Spirit lead you, this moment, to the feet of Jesus, and enable you to cry out, in holy triumph, "If God be for us, who can be against us?" God grant it for Jesus Christ's Sake! (C.H. Mackintosh)

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October 26

"I have found no cause of death in HIM: I will therefore chastise HIM, and let HIM go. And they were instant with loud voices, requiring that HE might be crucified. And the voices of them and of the Chief Priests prevailed. And Pilate gave sentence that it should be as they required."
(Luke 23:22-24)

As we consider the inspired account of the condemnation and crucifixion of our blessed Lord, we may well approach the subject with repentant hearts and broken spirits while we remind ourselves afresh that it was for our sins that HE went to the cross. Apart from this solemn fact there was no power on earth or in hell that could have forced JESUS CHRIST to die as He did. HE need not have died at all. HE was the sinless SON of GOD. But He chose to die as our substitute. He voluntarily became our Surety and undertook in grace to pay the debt we owed. The pitiable thing is that men, led on by Satan, should have raised wicked hands against HIM and heaped such shame and ignominy upon HIM.

But it only told out the vileness of the sinful heart of man and the malignity of Satan. As we follow our LORD in HIS mock trials before Pilate and Herod, and from Pilate's judgment hall to Calvary with its bitter cross, it should surely break down our pride and subdue us as we reflect upon what sin really is, when we see the lengths to which men like ourselves could go when under its power. (H.A.Ironside)

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October 27

"Christ is all, and in all" (Colossians 3:11).

Christ is all to us that we make Him to be.
I want to emphasize that word all.
Some men make Him to be "A root out of a dry ground," "Without form or comeliness" (Isaiah 53:2).
He is nothing to them; they do not want Him.

Some Christians have a very small Saviour, for they are not willing to receive Him fully, and let Him do great and mighty things for them.
Others have a mighty Saviour, because they make Him to be great and mighty." (D.L. Moody)

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October 28

"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)

Worldliness and selfishness have no power to breathe the atmosphere of the kingdom of God.

Are our hearts upon such enjoyments as God can sanction and Jesus share with us?

We need not so much to covet information about Him as power to use divinely what we know.
(J.G. Bellett)

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October 29

"Choose you this day whom ye will serve."
(Joshua 24:15)

How can I determine whether something that I find attractive is legitimate or illegitimate pursuit?

Getting sidetracked into secondary pursuits is the bane of our lives. Joshua reminds us that we must each deliberately choose whom we will serve (Joshua 24:15). That's why it is crucial to Identify, describe, and mark down your life's goal. It becomes the measuring stick to determine whether attractions and distractions are legitimate or illegitimate. Susanna Wesley, mother of John and Charles Wesley, once gave wise counsel here: "Whatever weakens your reasoning, impairs the tenderness of your conscience, obscures your sense of God, or takes away your relish for spiritual things; in short, if anything increases the authority and power of the flesh over the Spirit, then that to you becomes sin, however good it is in itself." (The Grand Weaver - Ravi Zacharias)

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October 30

"All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way . . . "
(Isaiah 53:6)
"Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest."
(Matthew 11:28)

In answer to the question: Does God Exist? Someone wrote . . .

A man went to a barbershop to have his hair cut and his beard trimmed. As the barber began to work, they began to have a good conversation. They talked about many things and various subjects.
When they eventually touched on the subject of God, the barber said: 'I don't believe that God exists.'

'Why do you say that?' asked the customer. 'Well, you just have to go out in the street to realize that God doesn't exist. Tell me, if God exists, would there be so many sick people? Would there be abandoned children?'

'If God existed, there would be neither suffering nor pain. I can't imagine a loving God who would allow all of these things.'

The customer thought for a moment, but didn't respond because he didn't want to start an argument. The barber finished his job and the customer left the shop.

Just after he left the barbershop, he saw a man in the street with long, stringy, dirty hair and an untrimmed beard. He looked dirty and unkempt.
The customer turned back and entered the barber shop again, and he said to the barber: 'You know what? Barbers do not exist.'

'How can you say that?', asked the surprised barber. 'I am here, and I am a barber. And I just worked on you!'

'No!', the customer exclaimed. 'Barbers don't exist because if they did, there would be no people with dirty, long hair and untrimmed beards, like that man outside.'

'Ah, but barbers DO exist! Said the barber. ‘That's what happens when people do not come to me.'

'Exactly!', affirmed the customer. 'That's the point! God, too, DOES exist! That's why there's so much pain and suffering in the world.'
That's what happens when people do not go to Him and don't look to Him for help. (Author Unknown - Submitted by S.L.}

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October 31

"What man of you having an hundred sheep, if he loose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and goeth after that which is lost, until he find it? And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing ... saying, ... rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost."
(Luke 15:4-6)

The strayed sheep would not let itself be caught by the shepherd who would lift it into his bosom.
And here we get what I call the aggressive character of God's love.
I won't have Him; but He says, "I will and must have you, struggle as you may to escape from my arms.
I have prepared a place for you up there, and I must have you there with Me for ever."
It is the heart God wants.
He has done all that love could do in the cross of Christ to lead the heart of poor sinners to Himself.
He has thrown Himself open to your hearts to draw you into joy and blessing-the whole door wide opened to receive you. (G.V. Wigram)

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Gems from September 2011

2011-09-01T07:32:00.038-04:00

August 30

"The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament showeth His handiwork."
(Psalm 19:1)

In this new age of video technology, it might be hard to believe that some teachers still feel the best way to depict Bible stories is the low-tech flannelgraph board. I recall that my childhood Sunday School teachers used those flat boards covered with flannel, which enabled them to display cutouts of David, Daniel, Jonah, and all the other characters. The flannelgraphs helped my teachers capture the essence of the Bible story in an artistic way.

Those old-school flannelgraphs aren't the oldest graphic teaching devices, however. God has long had a kind of "flannelgraph" of His own, and and it is called creation. God uses the marvel of creation to instruct us and to display His power.

In Psalm 19:1, David wrote, "The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament showeth His handiwork." In creation, God has revealed Himself so clearly that Paul declared, "For the invisible things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen." Those who have the witness of creation are "without excuse" (Romans 1:20). Why? On the flannelgraph of God's creation, we see God's order and design. We see His power and glory. This should lead us to worship. "O Lord, our Lord, how excellent is Thy name in all the earth!" (Psalm 8:1). (Selected)

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August 31

"Then took he (Simeon) Him (Jesus) up in his arms and blessed God." (Luke 2:28)

"And Simeon blessed them."
(Luke 2:34)

When you bless God you will be able to bless other people, for all service must be carried on in the spirit of worship.
No service is effective that is not the overflowing of the heart.
(Edward Dennett)

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September 1

“Joy Unspeakable”

"Jesus Christ: Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see Him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory."
(1 Peter 1:7-8)

“I bear my testimony that there is no joy to be found in all this world like that of sweet communion with Christ.
I would barter all else there is of heaven for that. Indeed, that is heaven.
As for the harps of gold and the gold streets like clear glass and the songs of seraphs and the shouts of the redeemed,
one could very well give all these up, counting them as a drop in a bucket,
if we might forever live in fellowship and communion with Jesus.”
(C.H. Spurgeon)

Awake, each saint, in joyful lays,
To sing the great Redeemer's praise;
He justly claims a song from thee;
His loving-kindness, oh how free!

Soon shall we mount and soar away
To the bright realms of endless day,
And sing with rapture and surprise
His loving-kindness in the skies.”
(Medley - 1785)
....................................................................................
(From a reader of the "Gems" - S.L)

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September 2

" . . . I know who I have believed . . . "
(2 Timothy 1:12)

God loves an uttermost confidence in Himself - to be wholly trusted!
This is the sublimest of all the characteristics of a true Christian - the basis of all character.

Is there anything that pleases you more than to be trusted - to have even a little child look up into your face, and put out its hand to meet yours, and come to you confidingly? By so much as God is better than you are, by so much more does He love to be trusted.

There is a Hand stretched out to you; a Hand with a wound in the palm of it. Reach out the hand of your faith to clasp it, and cling to it, for "without faith it is impossible to please God."
(Henry Van Dyke)

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September 3

"Lo, I come to do Thy will, O God."
(Hebrews 10:7)

We have only to find His will and we shall find Him in it.

Whenever God has made His will known to us, we are not to allow any after-influence whatever to call it in question, even although the latter may take the form of the word of God.
If we were morally nearer to the Lord we should feel that the only true and right position is to follow that which He told us at first.

We may lose God's purpose of blessing to our own souls, by not seeing His mind in that which grieves us.

The law of God's mouth is precious above all, the expression of His own perfect mind and will, and of His will about us.
We live by it, but we live on it too, and with delight as from Him and perfect for us.
(Pilgrims Portions for the day of Rest)

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September 4

"God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away." (Revelation 21:4)

God shall wipe away all tears, some bright, golden morning,
When the journey's ended, and the course is run;
No more crying, pain or death, in that home of gladness,
Trials cease, all is peace, when we see His face.
(Norman J. Clayton)

No curse; no sea; no pain; no sorrow; no crying; no tears; no death; no night; no sun; no moon; no candle; no temple.
A land alight with the glory of Christ and filled with the fragrance of His presence.
How beautiful heaven must be!
(Jim Flanigan)

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September 5

"But now thus saith the Lord that created thee, O Jacob, and He that formed thee, O Israel, fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine. When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flames kindle upon thee. For I am the Lord thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour."
(Isaiah 43:1-3)

What God has done for anyone He will do for anybody else. Let us get a hold of this and not write the lives of our fathers and gild the sepulchers of the ones who have gone before, imagining that we live in a vacuum, void of those who have experienced God. Anything God ever did for anyone in faith He will do for anyone else who meets His condition.

The voice of unbelief says, "Yes, I'm a believer. I believe the Bible. I don't like those modernists, liberals and modern scientists who deny the Bible. I would not do that for the world. I believe in God, and I believe that God will bless." That is, He will bless at some other time, in some other place and some other people. Those are three sleepers that bring the work of God to a halt. We are believers and we can quote the creed with approval. We believe it, but we believe that God will bless some other people, some other place, some other time - but not now, not here and not us.

Here is the problem: We have to have faith if God is going to do anything for us. Faith is the vitamin that makes all we take from the Bible digestible and makes us able to receive it and assimilate it. If we do not have faith, we cannot get anything. If we allow the gloomy voice of unbelief to whisper to us that God will bless some other time but not now, some other place but not here, some other people but not us, we might as well turn off the lights because nobody will get anywhere. (A.W. Tozer -Rut, Rot or Revival)

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September 6

"I foresaw the Lord always before my face, for He is on My right hand, that I should not be moved: therefore did my heart rejoice, and my tongue was glad."
(Acts 2:25,26)

What is it that renders a man superior to circumstances, and makes him behave rightly (i.e. according to God) in the midst of them?
Nothing, but a right object before him, and a right motive within him.
(J.A. von Poseck)

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September 7

"The trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and and entire, wanting nothing."
(James 1:3-4)

Patience is one character trait that we cannot manufacture on our own. Our nature is so self-centered that we often fail to see or understand that the world and its affairs have their own timetable. Each new trial brings its own individual difficulty but all require our "waiting upon God" to deliver or at least enlighten as to the reason or remedy for this trial. The more we suffer the more we learn and grow in faith, realizing all is in His perfect control. (Meditations in James - Bry'n Ross)

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September 8

"Man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the Lord doth man live."
(Deuteronomy 8:3)

There is something more important than bread to sustain the body, and that is the Word that sustains the spirit. So the Lord Jesus repudiated the suggestion of the Devil. He had no word from the Father commanding Him to change stones into bread. He would not put forth such power in obedience to Satan.

Alas, how often have we who profess His name failed in similar circumstances. We have reached the place of grave extremity in some experience of life. Satan presents an opportunity to prosper through doing something that is a little bit off-color and that is not quite in keeping with the full Christian profession. How many a child of God has failed right there and has allowed himself to take up with something which even the world recognizes as shady or crooked, in order that he might procure more of the bread that perishes, only to find out at last that he breaks his teeth upon the very stones which he attempted thus to change into food.

That is not God's way. He does not call upon His people to make bread out of stones. He feeds us both naturally and spiritually as we labour day by day for that which is for our blessing. There is something more important than bread, and that is to do the will of God. (H.A. Ironside)

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September 9

"My (Jesus) yoke is easy, and My burden is light."
(Matthew 11:30)

"God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it."
(1 Corinthians 10:13)

If a man, in the vanity of his mind, thrust himself forward and take a burden upon his shoulders, which God never intended him to bear, and, therefore, never fitted him to bear, we may then, surely, expect to see him crushed beneath the weight; but if God lays it upon him, He will qualify and strengthen him it carry it.
(Food for the Desert)

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September 10

"Speak unto the children of Israel, that they go forward."
(Exodus 14:15)

Imagine, O child of God, if you can, that triumphal march! The excited children restrained from ejaculations of wonder by the perpetual hush of their parents; the most uncontrollable excitement of the women as they found themselves suddenly saved from a fate worse than death; while the men followed or accompanied them ashamed or confounded that they had ever mistrusted God or murmured against Moses; and as you see those mighty walls of water piled by the outstretched hand of the Eternal, in response to the faith of a single man, learn what God will do for His own.

Dread not any result of implicit obedience to his command;
fear not the angry waters which, in their proud insolence, forbid your progress.
Above the voices of many waters, the mighty breakers of the sea, "the Lord sitteth King for ever."
A storm is only as the outskirts of his robe,
the symptom of his advent,
the environment of His presence.
Dare to trust Him; dare to follow Him!
And discover that the very forces which barred your progress and threatened your life, at His bidding become the materials of which an avenue is made to liberty.
(F.B. Meyer)

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September 11

"Grace be unto you, and peace, from Him which is, and which was, and which is to come."
(Revelation 1:4)

In this verse we see the effects of the gospel on the heart, and the enjoyment of its privileges by John.
He stands with his eyes turned upward, contemplating the glory of God and seeing in each of the three Persons of the Godhead severally grace and peace.
This grace and peace come in varied forms, according to the varied circumstances of the people of God.

Grace and peace would come differently to John at Patmos,
and to Paul traveling about in busy service,
and to you in your connection with things here - your own
internal conflict with self and Satan, your want of faith, etc.
Well, for each there is grace and peace, according to each individual need.
(G.V. Wigram)

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September 12

"When they had laid many stripes upon them (Paul & Silas), they cast them into prison, charging the jailer to keep them safely: who, having received such a charge, thrust them them into the inner prison, and made their feet fast in the stocks. And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto unto God: and the prisoners heard them."
(Acts 16:23-25)

Years ago, I had the great privilege to be in Shanghai in the home of the famed Chinese evangelist Wang Mingdao.
He had served twenty-two years in prison for his faith, under the order of Mao Tse Tung. He told us that every day in prison he woke up and sang a hymn:

All the way my Saviour leads me -
What have I to ask beside?
Can I doubt His tender mercy,
Who through life has been my guide?
Heavenly peace, divinest comfort,
Here by faith in Him to dwell!
For I know what'er befall me,
Jesus doeth all things well;
For I know what'er befall me,
Jesus doeth all things well.

At first the guards tried to silence him.
When they weren't able to succeed, they reluctantly put up with his singing.
Gradually, as the years went by, they would gather near the opening to his cell to listen as he sang of God's faithfulness to him.
Eventually, they began to ask him to sing to them and to teach them the words of the song.
Such is the impact of one who understands and walks with God.
(Ravi Zacharias)

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September 13

"Being let go, they went to their own company."
(Acts 4:23)

Many of God's people serve a corporation every working day.
The atmosphere, conversation and general attitudes are hardly conducive to spiritual growth.
What do we do when we are let free?
Do we seek the joy, comfort and blessing of our own fellowship of believers?
When my mind is free, do I turn like a compass needle to the center of attraction for the whole universe, my Lord Jesus Christ?

Blest be the tie that binds our hearts in Christian love;
The fellowship of kindred minds is like to that above.
We share our mutual woes; our mutual burdens bear;
And often for each other flows a sympathizing tear.
(Choice Gleanings)

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September 14

The Necessity of Meditation

"This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt MEDITATE therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success."
(Joshua 1:8)

All stringed instruments quickly get out of tune. The action of the atmosphere, and the constant vibration in playing, relax the strings so that they need to be retuned frequently. No matter how good the violin is, it needs to be tuned daily; and often, many times a day. It is even so with the Christian heart - the most delicate instrument in the world. And, just as before a concert takes place all instruments are harmonized, so that the audience may get only the concord and the melody; so, if the music of the Evangel is to be heard in our lives, we must be continually adjusted in the presence of the Lord. (In Pastures Green - George Henderson)

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September 15

Capacity to Think: God Wants You to Understand

"Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on Thee."
(Isaiah 26:3)

The Book of Proverbs tells us about the man who lies on his bed, turning like a door on its hinges, while the weeds grow up in his garden, choking and killing his crop. Then, when harvest has come, he has nothing and is reduced to begging for help.

Now, staying in bed when he should be cultivating his garden may not be overly sinful - but I think there is no argument but what a willfully lazy man is a sinful man!

It follows, then, in my estimation, that a person who is intellectually lazy is a sinful person. God had a reason for giving us our heads with intellectual capacity for thinking and reasoning and considering. But what a great company of humans there are who refuse to use their heads and many of these are Christians, we must confess.

Many a preacher would like to challenge the intellectual and thinking capacity of his congregation, but he has been warned about preaching over the people's heads.

As a preacher, I deny that any of the truths of God which I teach and expound are over the heads of the people. I deny it!

I say to my Christian brother: "You ought to take that head of yours, oil it and rub the dust off and begin to use it as God has always expected you would. God expects you to understand and have a grasp of His truth because you need it from day to day!" (A.W. Tozer - Renewed Day by Day)

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September 16

"The living God, Who giveth us richly all things to enjoy."
(1 Timothy 6:17)

The Lord was continually giving, but He was rarely assenting.
He made great communications where He found but little communion.
This magnifies or illustrates His goodness.
There was, as it were, nothing to draw Him forth, and yet He was ever imparting.
He was as the Father in heaven, of whom He Himself spoke, making His sun to rise on the evil
and on the good, and and sending His rain on the just and the unjust.
This tells us what He is, to His praise - what we are, to our shame.
(J.G. Bellett - The Moral Glory of the Lord Jesus Christ.)

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September 17

"Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not know me, Philip? he that hath seen Me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, show us the Father?"
(John 14:9)

"And all the people were amazed, and said, Is not this the Son of David (Jesus)? But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, This fellow doth not cast out devils, but by Beelzebub the prince of the devils."
(Matthew 12:23-24)

The Difference Between What is Recorded and what is Taught

For instance: Scripture plainly teaches that the Lord Jesus Christ was God manifested in human form (John 14:9); it inculcates loyalty on the part of all who name the name of Christ; and it expressly condemns untruthfulness. And yet you will find in its pages a statement by the enemies of Christ to the effect that He was demon-possessed (Matthew 12:24); you will find there the story of the disloyalty of one who truly loved the Master (Matthew 26:69-70); you will find recounted there the history of the lie by which our first mother was deceived (Genesis 3:4).

These illustrate the difference which I would have you note. The enemies of the Master were not inspired to say of Him what they did say, but the record of their statement is inspired. Peter was not inspired to deny his Lord, but the record of his denial is inspired. Satan was not inspired to tell the falsehood which he uttered, but the record of it is inspired. In each case you have the true account of a false statement; the inspired record of uninspired words. (The Wonderful Word - George Henderson)

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September 18

"Bending Low"

"That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow."
Philippians 2:10

Servants resist stubbornness. Ulrich Zwingli manifested such a spirit.
He promoted unity during Europe's Great Reformation.
At one point he found himself at odds with Martin Luther.
Zwingli did not know what to do. He found his answer one morning on the side of a Swiss mountain.
He watched two goats traversing a narrow path from opposite directions, one ascending, the other descending.
At one point the narrow trail prevented them from passing each other.
When they saw each other, they backed up and lowered their heads, as though ready to lunge.
But then a wonderful thing happened. The ascending goat lay down on the path.
The other stepped over his back.
The first animal then arose and continued on his climb to the top.
Zwingli observed that the goat made it higher because he was willing to bend lower.

Didn't the same happen to Jesus?
"Wherefore God also hath highly exalted Him, and given Him a name which is above every name: that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow."

Bending Low
(With thanks to D.H.)

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September 19

"Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for Him shall He appear the second time, without sin, unto salvation."
(Hebrews 9:28)

The salvation which is ready to be revealed is at the second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. For this we are taught, as Christians, to look for at any moment. There is literally nothing so far as God is concerned, nothing so far as the work of Christ is concerned, nothing so far as the testimony of the Holy Spirit is concerned, to hinder our hearing "the shout of the archangel and the trump of God" this very night, this very hour. All is done that needed to be done. Atonement is made, redemption is accomplished, God has been glorified by the work of Christ, as is proved by the fact of Christ's present place on the throne of the Majesty in the heavens. From the moment that our Lord Christ took His seat upon that throne, it could always be said that "salvation is ready to be revealed."

But it could not have been said before. Salvation could not be said to be ready until the divine groundwork thereof was laid in the death and resurrection of the Saviour. But when once that most glorious work of all works was accomplished, it could at any moment be said that "salvation is ready to be revealed." "The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit Thou at My right hand, until I make Thine enemies Thy footstool" (Psalm 110:1). (C.H. Mackintosh)

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September 20

Emmanuel

"They shall call His name Emmanuel, God with us."
(Matthew 1:23)

"God with us" in this world of sin,
This life of weakness and of woe:
His love, His power and His strength
With us, wherever we may go,
Since Jesus came to earth to dwell
And be for aye Emmanuel.

No weary days, no starless nights,
No sorrow deep, no trial sore,
But we can feel His presence near,
"God with us", now and evermore;
Since He hath come to earth to dwell
Whose name is still Emmanuel.
(Annie Johnson Flint)

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September 21

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

Jesus never sends anyone ahead alone.
He blazes a clear way through every thicket and woods, and then softly calls,
"Follow me. Let's go on together, you and I."
He 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 valley road of disappointment with its dark shadows;
The steep path of temptation down through the rocky ravines and slippery gullies;
The narrow path of pain, with the brambly thorn bushes so close on each side, with their slash and sting;
The dizzy road along the heights of victory;
The old beaten road of commonplace daily routine.

Everyday paths He has trodden and glorified, and will walk anew with each of us.
The only safe way to travel is with Him alongside and in control.
(S.D. Gordon)

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September 22

"Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature (creation) old thing are passed away; behold all things are become new."
(2 Corinthians 5:17)

"The Spirit itself beareth witness . . . , that we are the children of God."
(Romans 8:16)

A new creature! The new birth! 'Except a man be born again' - what does it mean? I cannot explain the mystery of birth, but what does it matter? Here is the child. I cannot explain the truth that something darting like a flash of lightning into the soul of that Oxford student transformed his whole life, but, explained or unexplained, here is George Whitfield! (Boreham)

"In the evening I went very unwillingly to a society, where one was reading Luther's preface to the Epistle to the Romans. About a quarter before nine, while he was describing the change which God works in the heart through faith in Christ, I felt my heart strangely warmed. I felt I did trust in Christ, CHRIST ALONE, for salvation; and an assurance was give me, that He had taken away my sins, even mine, and saved me from the law of sin and death." (John Wesley's Journal - May 24, 1738)

I HAVE BEEN CHANGED

And can it be that I should gain an interest in the Saviour's blood?
Died He for me, who caused His pain? For me, who Him to death pursued?
Amazing love! how can it be that Thou, my Lord, shoulds't die for me?

Long my imprisoned spirit lay, fast bound in sin and nature's night;
Thine eye diffused a quickening ray; I woke; the dungeon flamed with light:
My chains fell off, my heart was free, I rose, went forth, and followed Thee.

No condemnation now I dread, Jesus, with all in Him, is mine;
Alive in Him, my living Head, and clothed in righteousness divine.
Behold I approach the eternal throne, and claim the crown, through Christ, my own.
(Charles Wesley - 1707-1788)

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September 23

"Abide in Me and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye except ye abide in Me."
(John 15:4)

Abiding in Christ means a life of converse with Him.
To tell Him all;
To talk over all anxieties and occurrences with Him;
To speak with Him aloud as to a familiar and interested friend;
To ask His counsel or advice;
To stop to praise, to adore,
And utter words of love;
To draw heavily upon His resources,
As the branch on the sap and life of the vine;
To be content to be only a channel,
So long as His power and grace are ever flowing through;
To be only the bed of a stream hidden from view beneath the hurrying waters,
Speeding without pausing toward the sea.
This is abiding in Christ.
(F.B. Meyer)

"Draw heavily upon His resources."
Prayer does that.
Prayer is to the soul what the sap veins are to the vine,
It is the channel through which divine life comes into the soul.
Let there be much prayer,
Let there be much intimate converse with Christ,
And there will be fullness of His indwelling.

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September 24

"In everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God."
(Philippians 4:6)

In the hour alone let us speak quite out, into the Lord's ears, the very thing, the very need, the very temptation, yes, and the very discovery of the grace that is for us in Christ, which then and there is present to the soul. Let us rescue our friends, not formally, as if the mere naming of them had an efficacy in it, but as realizing the individuals before the Lord and so presenting them to Him. Let us be freely explicit about them, about anything. Let us take our blessed Master into confidence. He invites it, He loves it. (H.C.G. Moule)

How a child pours out its heart to its mother, telling all its grief and woe. And then how tenderly the mother comforts the distressed heart. So will he comfort us, (Isaiah 66:13)

"Oft I tell Him I am weary, and I fain would be at rest;
That I'm daily, hourly, longing to repose upon His breast;
And He answers me so kindly, in the tenderest tones of love,
I am coming soon to take thee to my happy home above."
(Author Unknown)

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September 25

"To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some."
(1 Corinthians 9:22)

No Affliction would trouble us if we knew God's reasons for permitting it.

God often uses a setback to move us forward.

God pours His love into our hearts to flow out to others.

Living in the past paralyzes the present and bankrupts the future.

You cannot start a fire in another's heart till it is burning in your own.
(Some Thoughts to Consider - R.K.)

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September 26

"Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself."
(Luke 10:27

A lawyer comes and asks how he is to get eternal life. The Lord brings him to the law - keep the law and you shall live. But he is stopped directly with the simplicity of this, "Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself." He does not love his neigbour as himself! He asks, Who does love his neighbour as himself! The good Samaritan is the one who does not ask who the neighbour is, but acts in grace, without asking what title the other had. Christ has the title of doing good to him that is in need and misery. This is grace that gives without title.

See how thoughtful this grace and love is.

He went to him.
He did not send someone else.
He bound up his wounds.
He poured in oil and wine.
He set him on His own beast.
He brought him to an inn.
He took care of him.
He gave him in charge to the host.
He said, "When I come again I will repay thee."

How beautiful are all the details of the actings of this love which flows from what is within, and acts according to what is working there, and not according to the claims upon it!
(JND - The Man of Sorrows)

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September 27

"For as a man thinketh in his heart so is he."
(Proverbs 23:7)

The Bible places great value on the thought-life and its capacity to shape all of life. "As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he," Solomon wrote.

Jesus asserted that sin's gravity lay at the level of the idea itself, not just the act. Paul admonished the church at Philippi to have the mind of Christ, and to the same people he wrote:

"Whatsoever things are true . . . honest . . . just . . . pure . . . lovely . . . are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things" (Philippians 4:8).

The follower of Christ must demonstrate to the world what it means not just to think, but to think justly. That is, in the words of aging David to his son Solomon, to

"Know thou the God of thy father, and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind: for the Lord searches all hearts , and understandeth all imaginations of the thoughts: if thou seek Him, he will be found of thee; but if thou forsake Him, he will cast thee off forever"
(1 Chronicles 28:9).

With both hearts and minds, we can follow the God of creation. After all, it is not that I think, therefore, I am, but rather, the great I Am has asked us to think, and therefore, we must. (Selected)

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September 28

"Come unto Me . . . and . . . rest."
(Matthew 11:28-30)

Earth Can Give No Rest

Let wit, and all her studied plots effect the best they can,
Let smiling fortune prosper and perfect what wit began;
Let earth advise with both, and so project a happy man,
Let wit or fawning fortune vie their best--he may be blest
With all the earth can give--but earth can give no rest.

Whose gold is double with a careful hand, his cares are double.
The pleasure, honor, wealth of sea and land bring but a trouble.
The world itself, and all the world's command, is but a bubble.
The strong desires of man's insatiate breast may stand possessed
Of all that earth can give; but earth can give no rest.

All is vanity and vexation of spirit. Ecclesiastes 2:17
Come unto Me . . . and . . . rest. Matthew 11:28-30
From Emblems - by Francis Quaries - 1635 (J.K.)

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September 29

"Thou wilt keep Him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on Thee, because He trusted in Thee."
(Isaiah 26:3)

There is no peace for the world because it has rejected Christ. But there is lasting peace for those who trust Him, even in the midst of the most dreadful circumstances. What He promises in regard to Israel will someday be fulfilled, "That He would grant unto us that we being delivered out of the hands of our enemies might serve Him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before Him all the days of our life." Neither Jew nor Gentile can expect God's deliverance unless there is a real heart-turning to Him. That is the trouble with the world today. Men would like God to intervene for them. They would like Him to come in and show mercy, but they are not willing to honour Him by bowing before Him in repentance and seeking to live for His glory. (H.A. Ironside - Luke)

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September 30

"He said unto him, Go in peace. So he departed."
(2 Kings 5:19)

After being cleansed of leprosy and claiming Jehovah as his God, Naaman made some unorthodox statements to Elisha - he wanted two mule-loads of Israel's dirt for the trip back to Syria, so he could "stand on holy ground" when he sacrificed to the Lord. then he sought pardon in advance for bowing in the Temple of Rimmon (v.18). How many of us would have promptly sought to "straighten out" this new convert? But not so Elisha -- he offered no rebuke or endorsement - only a simple "Go in peace". May God give us such grace and discernment in responding to the immature ideas sometimes found in young believers. (S. Thorpe)

No wisdom can I lack while Thou art wise;
No teaching do I crave save Thine alone.
(Horatius Bonar)

N.J. Hiebert - 4572

Gems from August 2011

2011-08-01T04:14:00.036-04:00

July 28

"All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness."
(2 Timothy 3:16)

Careful examination reveals that there is nothing in inspiration that conflicts with the unfettered play of the individuality of the writers of the Book of God. When God made a prophet, He did not unmake the man. The personality, mental traits, and even the forms of literary expression of the divine penmen, were left perfectly free.

- The burning sarcasm of Isaiah.
- The tender, melancholy pathos of Jeremiah.
- The homeliness of the herdsman's son and the gatherer of figs.
- The deep philosophy of John.
- The clear and sharp logic of Paul.

All these were truly and really their own. As every pipe of the organ is so fashioned that it might give one note and not another - and yet all are filled by the same breath - so , these souls, fashioned by the conditions of humanity and the circumstances of their lives, were made each to give out his own note, yet all were filled by the breath of the Divine Spirit, that has made these human and yet divine utterances ring with a melody unquenched and unquenchable. (The Wonderful Word - George Henderson)

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July 29

"Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world . . ."
(1 John 2:15)

This universe is but the expression of the Father's wisdom and goodness.

Heaven above is softer blue,
Earth beneath is sweeter green!
Something lives in ev'ry hue
Christless eyes have never seen:
Birds with gladder songs o'erflow,
Flow'rs with deeper beauties shine,
Since I know, as now I know,
I am His, and He is mine!"

The Lord loved the lilies of the field. He drew attention to the beauties of nature, they stirred His own soul, and He would have His people see in them the evidences of the wisdom and goodness of the Father. But what, then, is the world? It is that system that man has built up in this scene, in which he is trying to make himself happy without God. You get it away back in Genesis, where Cain went out from the presence of the Lord and built a city, and there what we call the world really began. It was a wonderful world; they were exercised in all kinds of arts, sciences, business, and pleasure, anything and everything to make them happy without God; but it ended in corruption and violence, and God had to sweep the whole thing away with a flood.

The principles of the world that caused the corruption and violence before the flood were carried into the ark in the hearts of some of Noah's children. They brought the world into the ark, and when the new world was started after the judgment of the flood, they brought the world out of the ark with them, and again set it up. (H.A. Ironside)

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July 30

"Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved. . . ."
(Acts 16:31)

The famous French tightrope walker Charles Blondin's greatest fame came in June of 1859 when he attempted to become the first person to cross a tightrope stretched over a quarter of a mile across the mighty Niagara Falls.

It was a sunny day. Large crowds had gathered on both sides of the great Niagra Falls. The mighty waters crashed on the rocks below. Above the Falls, a long tightrope stretched from one bank to the other. In a few minutes the world's greatest tightrope walker would cross it.

Carefully he balanced his long pole and stepped onto the rope. The crowd watched silently. He started across. One dangerous step, and then another, and then... Finally, he stepped upon the bank on the other side. The crowd cheered.

He followed that by standing on a chair precariously balanced over the most turbulent part of the falls. Next he pushed a wheelbarrow full of sandbags across – acting the whole time as if he was in the middle of a wide country road.

Finally, he turned to the crowd and asked, “Do you believe that I can push this wheelbarrow across the rope with a man in it and arrive safely on the other side?” The crowd roared, “Yes, we believe!” “Okay,” Bondin replied, “then who will be the volunteer?” The roar of the crowd turned to utter silence.

"What about you?" Blondin asked a man standing nearby. "Will you trust me?" "No way, not me." The man answered! Not one person volunteered. (During a repeat performance in August 1859, his manager, Harry Colcord, did ride on Blondin's back across the Falls.)

Believing about someone - and trusting in someone, are two different things. It’s the difference between heaven and hell!

“…Christ. In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,” Ephesians 1:12-13

If you have never trusted in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior then trust in Him now!

“…if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation… For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” Romans 10:9,10,13

(From the writings of S.L.)

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July 31

"Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ."
(Philippians 1:2)

The Epistle to Philippians begins with , "Grace to you," and ends with, "The Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ (be) with your spirit." And in verse 7, Chapter 1, Paul writes that they were all his "Joint-partners" in this grace. In this grace we all have a share. Well may every one of us sing:

GRACE IS THE SWEETEST SOUND
That ever reached our ears,
When conscience charged, and justice frowned,
'Twas Grace removed our fears.

As we grow older, and learn to know ourselves more and more, perhaps we learn to value more highly that Grace that picked us up, gave us the privilege of hearing the Gospel, and believing it; and, perhaps most wonderful of all, to know the Grace that has borne with us all along the way, through all these years, and has never cast us off, or given us up, but will perform that work, that "good work," begun in us; right on to the Day of Jesus Christ. (Verse 6). It has all been Grace; All must be Grace; right from start to finish. Grace means "Free, undeserved favour." (G. Christopher Wills - Sacrifices of Joy - Being Meditations on Philippians)

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August 1

"If it Were Not So"

"In My Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto Myself; that where I am, there ye may be also."
(John 14:2,3)

I thought I heard my Saviour say to me,
My love will never weary, child, of thee.
Then in me, whispering doubtfully and low,
How can that be?
He answered me,
But if it were not so I would have told thee.

I thought I heard my Saviour say to me,
My strength encamps on weakness - so on thee.
And when a wind of fear did through me blow,
How can that be?
He answered me,
But if it were not so I would have told thee.

O most fine Gold
That nought in me can dim,
Eternal love
That hath her home in Him
Whom seeing not I love,
I worship Thee.
(Amy Carmichael)

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August 2

"Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; and that He was buried, and that He arose again the third day according to the scriptures."
(1 Corinthians 15:3-4)

We marvel that the Son of God ever left His home above, but He did!
We wonder more at the way He came by virgin birth, but He did!
It amazes the heart that He came to save sinners, but He did!
In order to save us, He died on a cruel cross and shed His precious blood to atone for our sins.
It is beyond human words to explain how He triumphed and rose from the dead, ascended to heaven and now lives forever.
He has promised to come again and receive us (believers) to Himself in heaven.
For you He came.
Come to Him in true repentance, asking Him to forgive you. HE WILL!
(Adapted)

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August 3

"And falling into a place where two seas met, they ran the ship aground; and the forepart stuck fast, and remained unmovable, but the hinder part was broken with the violence of the waves."
(Acts 27:41)

Had they not given up control of the ship to the storm, those on board would have experienced a far more pleasant landing. The very same thing happens when a believer tries to follow the Lord, while at the same time listening to worldly advice. Children of God walk by faith not by sight, so when a Christian tries to do both, the result is they get stuck - no real progress in the Christian pathway can be made. "A double minded man is unstable in all his ways" (James 1:8).

There are two seas which frequently beat upon a believer, hindering spiritual progress by faith. They are the religious world and the natural world. Neither world can help a child of God walk by faith through life. Not only are they opposed to the life of faith, but they often violently oppose each other. A believer who gets caught up in them can receive serious damage in life. Just as part of the ship broke up in the violence of these two opposing forces, so the life of faith cannot be fully and properly lived if following these "two seas" of man's opinions and standards.

Of course the Christian is safe. A believer can never lose his salvation. But the ability to walk through the storms of life, by faith, can be lost in the violence of "two seas." (The Journey of life - D.N.)

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August 4

"Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you with all malice. And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you."
(Ephesians 4:31,32)

The prayer must wait for its answer until some wrong is taken out of the way. The wrong feeling toward another, the quarrel the bitterness of which remains, the transaction which we are not willing to review calmly because afraid we may have to say that there is sin in it, the plea whereby we justify conformity to the world - are all to be considered when we stand waiting for the answer that does not come. We are made to ask whether the cause is not in something we have done or not done. It will not take a large sin. A small bit of iron will disturb the magnetic needle on a compass. A small grain of sand will grate harshly in the delicate mechanism of the eye. (D.W. Faunce)

The vessel must be clean into which God would pour His richest blessings.

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August 5

The Permanent and the Passing Away

"But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, establish, strengthen, settle you."
(1 Peter 5:10)

Doubting and inconsistency and unbelief are but passing away. Sorrow and pain and trial are not permanent. A few more turns of the clock and swings of the pendulum, and then farewell for ever to sin and failures. Farewell to doubts and fears - a final farewell. We are to be conformed to the image of His Son. We shall be ushered into the reign of light and of eternal realities. Then goodbye Faith. Farewell Hope. I am launched out into one great eternal sea of love. Faith and Hope make very good companions on the road, but not for eternity. They go with us to the gate, but Love is inside. GOD is LOVE.

We shall be plunged into the ocean of love, lost in it, never to come out. It is shoreless, bottomless, and infinite. We shall soon be in a region where we shall know as known, and there will not be a thought or a feeling, which will be unlike Christ. No trouble or sorrow, all will have passed away. The first thousand years in glory will roll along with Hallelujah to the Lamb! Another comes, and we are still praising the Lord together. The pendulum of praise never ceases to swing.

He will be the object of our adoring praise and worship for ever. Eternity! Eternity! Eternity! How long art thou? Not too long to gaze on the Lamb. Then the permanent. Nothing but Christ - the Christ of God, for ever, for ever, and for ever. Amen. (A.J. Pollock)

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August 6

"The Lord delayeth His coming."
(Luke 12:45 )

It is according to what a man has heard and holds with God that there can be any growth. For what is the use of teaching me that the Lord may come tomorrow if I am going on living as though He were not coming for a hundred years? Or where is the comfort and blessedness of the truth to my soul if I am saying in my heart "My Lord delayeth His coming." Though I cannot lose my eternal life, yet if I am losing the truth and light I have had I shall be merely floating on in the current of life, half world and half Christ, and all power of Christian life will be dimmed in my soul. (J.N.D)

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August 7

". . . Even so Father; for so it seemed good in Thy sight."
(Luke 10:21)

One day Bramwell Booth went to his aged father and told him that the doctors said they could do no more for his eyes. "Do you mean that I am blind and must remain blind?"

"I fear it is so," said Bramwell."

"Shall I never see your face again?" asked the old man.

"No, probably not in this world."

The General moved out his hand until he felt and clasped the hand of his son. "God must know best. Bramwell, I have done what I could for God and the people with my eyes. Now I shall do what I can for God and the people without my eyes."

Physical handicaps are often a blessing. Edison could have had his hearing restored by an operation. However, he refused; he said his deafness shut out noises and a lot of nonsense and enabled him to concentrate better on his work. Alfred Adler, psychologist, maintains that nearly all civilization is the outcome of efforts to overcome feelings of inferiority, often caused by physical weakness. (Traveling Toward Sunrise)

It must be that when the Lord took from me one faculty, He gave me another; which is in no way impossible.
I think of the beautiful Italian proverb: "When God shuts a door, He opens a window."
(Helen Keller)

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August 8

Prove Anything By Scripture?

". . . no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation."
(2 Peter 1:20)

"You can prove anything by the Bible," is an expression we hear all too often. It is not true - it is a lie! You cannot prove just anything by the Bible if you take the Bible as a whole and remember that no part of it can contradict any other part. There are several hundred so-called Christian sects, denominations, and organizations in America, all claiming to be based on the Bible and able to quote texts to prove it. But we cannot build a doctrine or system of faith on an isolated passage of the Bible. It must be viewed and interpreted in harmony with all the rest of Scripture. Yes, you can "prove" anything by an isolated text taken out of its context. For instance the Bible says, "There is no God." That statement is found in Psalm 14. But the rest of the verse is: "The fool hath said in his heart, there is no God." That makes quite a difference.

If you are confused by the many different sects, churches, and denominations, study the whole Bible. If a "church" builds its theology on isolated verses and pet doctrines instead of on the Book as a whole, beware of it.

A man asked his friend this riddle: "There was a donkey tied to a rope only four feet long. Eight feet away was a bale of hay which the donkey wanted because he was hungry. How did he get it?" His friend said, "I've heard that one before. You want me to say, 'I give up - and you'll say, thats what the other donkey did too.' " "Not at all," said the man. "It's really quite simple. You see the donkey just walked over to the hay and ate it." The friend, now confused, replied, "But you said the rope was only four feet long." "Very true," was the reply, "but the rope wasn't tied to anything. You mustn't jump at conclusions before you have all the facts.

Only as you study the Bible with the guidance of the Holy Spirit, can you get all the facts and get the true message. Study for Yourself! (M.R.D.)

Lamp of our feet, whereby we trace
Our path, when wont to stray,
Stream from the fount of heavenly grace
Refresh us on our way!
(B. Burton)

"When you have studied the WHOLE Bible you will have found in it the key to your own heart, your own happiness, and to all truth!"

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Our Daily Bread, RBC Ministries. Copyright (1962), Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted permission."

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August 9

Organ of Knowledge

"If any man will do His will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of Myself."
(John 7:17)

The organ of knowledge is not nearly so much mind, as the organ that Christ used, namely, obedience; and that was the organ which He Himself insisted upon when He said: "If any man will do His will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God. . . ." It doesn't read, "If any man do His will," which no man can do perfectly; but if any man be simply willing to do His will - if He has an absolutely undivided mind about it - that man will know what truth is and know what falsehood is; a stranger will he not follow. (A thought for Every Day - Henry Drummond)

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August 10

"And He is the Head of the Body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things He might have the preeminence."
(Colossians 1:18)

May the Lord teach us this lesson - that HE is the only thing that is indispensable to us.

There is always a response to the ministry of Christ.

Christ in some aspect is suited to the need of every soul.

The only object of the preacher is to exalt and make much of Christ. The Spirit's testimony is Christ, and His work is to glorify Christ, and I desire to be in the line of the Spirit, otherwise one could not count upon being used in blessing.

Half the preaching in the world today might be done away with to advantage. Nothing can meet the need of the people but Christ.
There is nothing worth ministering but Christ. (Footprints for Pilgrims - Edward Dennett)

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August 11

Jesus Loves Me this I Know

"Suffer little children to come unto Me, and forbid them not: for of such is the Kingdom of God. Whosoever shall not receive the Kingdom of God as a little child shall in no wise enter therein."
(Luke 18:16-17)

The story is told of a brilliant professor at Princeton who always left the graduation class with these words: "Gentlemen, there is still much in this world and in the Bible that I do not understand, but of one thing I am certain - 'Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so' - and gentlemen, that is sufficient!"

Without doubt the song that has been sung more by children than any other hymn is this simply stated one by Anna B. Warner. Written in 1860, it is still one of the first hymns taught to new converts in other lands.

Miss Warner wrote this text in collaboration with her sister Susan. It was part of their book Say and Seal, one of the best selling books of that day. Today few individuals would know or remember the plot of that story, which once stirred the hearts of many readers. But the simple poem spoken by one of the characters, Mr. Linden, as he comforts Johnny Fax, a dying child, still remains the favorite hymn of countless children around the world.

Jesus loves me! this I know, for the Bible tells me so;
Little ones to Him belong, they are weak but He is strong.

Jesus loves me! loves me still, though I'm very weak and ill;
From His shining throne on high, comes to watch me where I lie.

Jesus loves me! He who died heaven's gate to open wide;
He will wash away my sin, let His little child come in.

Jesus loves me! He will stay close beside me all the way;
Thou hast bled and died for me, I will henceforth live for Thee.

Chorus: Yes, Jesus love me! Yes, Jesus loves me!
Yes. Jesus loves me! The Bible tells me so.
(Amazing Grace - Kenneth W. Osbeck)

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August 12

"Vanity of vanities, saith the preacher; all is vanity."
(Ecclesiastes 12:8)

The worship of pleasure is slavery. (King Solomon tried pleasure, and found bitter disappointment, and down the ages has come the bitter cry, "All is vanity.")

There is no rest in sin. The wicked know nothing about rest. The Scriptures tell us the wicked "are like the troubled sea that cannot rest." Man, like the sea, has no rest. He has had no rest since Adam fell, and there is none for him until he returns to God again, and the light of Christ shines into his heart.

Rest cannot be found in the world, but thank God, the world cannot take it from the believing heart! Sin is the cause of all this unrest. It brought toil and labour and misery into the world. (D.L. Moody)

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August 13

"Go your way, tell His disciples and Peter that He goeth before you into Galilee: there shall ye see Him, as He said unto you."
(Mark 16:7)

"Take Mark, and bring him with thee: for he is profitable to me for the ministry."
(2 Timothy 4:11)

"Tell . . . Peter" - the man who with oaths and curses had denied all knowledge of the Lord.
"Take Mark, and bring him" - the man who had dropped out of serving the Lord, and had gone home.
The specific naming of these two highlights the Lord's graciousness towards those who have been sidetracked.
He longs to restore such to Himself, and to give them a new sphere of usefulness.
He knows all that has happened, yet He does not cast us off. (G. Hall)

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August 14

"Love covereth." (Proverb 10:12)

Rehearse your troubles to God only. Not long ago I read in a paper a bit of personal experience from a precious child of God, and it made such an impression upon me that I record it here.

She wrote:
"I found myself one midnight wholly sleepless as the surges of a cruel injustice swept over me, and the love which covers seemed to have crept out of my heart.
Then I cried to God in an agony for the power to obey His injunction, 'Love covereth.' "

- Immediately the Spirit began to work in me the power that brought about forgetfulness.
- Mentally I dug a grave.
- Deliberately I threw up the earth until the excavation was deep.
- Sorrowfully I lowered into it the thing which wounded me.
- Quickly I shoveled in the clods.
- Over the mound I carefully laid the green sods.
- Then I covered it with white roses and forget-me-nots, and quickly walked away.
- Sweet sleep came.
- The wound which had been so nearly deadly was healed without a scar.
- I know not today what caused my grief."
(Steams in the Desert)

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August 15

". . . in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength."
(Isaiah 30:15)

Do you know what Luther said?
"Suffer and be still and tell no man thy sorrow; trust in God - His help will not fail thee."
This is what Scripture calls keeping silent before God.
Talk much of one's sorrow makes one weak, but to tell one's sorrows to Him Who heareth in secret, makes one strong and calm.
(Tholuck)

The little sharp vexations and the briars that catch and fret,
Why not take all to the Helper who has never failed us yet?
Tell Him about the heartache, and tell Him the longings, too;
Tell Him the baffled purpose when we scarce know what to do.
Then, leaving all our weakness with the One divinely strong,
Forget that we bore the burden, and carry away the song.
(Margaret Sangster)

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August 16

"He restoreth my soul" (Psalm 23:3).

What should I do if I had to carry the burden of last week's failure!
What, if only looking at yesterday's failure!
It would be like phosphorous eating into the tenderest part of one's body;
but I have got One who is able to restore my soul.
One who does continually and entirely.
You are finding how different you are from Christ,
but He is the propitiation all the way until you see Him and are like Him.
Love in you is very different from love in God,
acting in His own eternity,
showing love by giving His Son to give you life, and power, and love.
Love in God comes out with this thought of separating us from all that we are, into His own blessedness.
(G.V. Wigram)

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August 17

"ALL scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works."
(2 Timothy 3:16-17)

We greatly admire the answer of a pious, but, no doubt, very ignorant woman to some very learned man who was endeavouring to show her that the inspired writer had made a mistake in asserting that Jonah was in the whale's belly. He assured her that such a thing could not possibly be, inasmuch that the natural history of the whale proved that it could not swallow anything so large. "Well," said the poor woman, "I do not know much about natural history; but this I know, that if the Bible were to tell me that Jonah swallowed the whale I would believe it."

Now, it is quite possible that many would pronounce this poor woman to have been under the influence of ignorance and blind credulity; but, for our part, we should rather be the ignorant woman, confiding in God's Word, than the learned Rationalist trying to pick holes in it. We have no doubt as to who was in the safer position. (The All Sufficiency of Christ - C. H. Mackintosh)

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August 18

"For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death."
(2 Corinthians 7:10)

"Godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of" - as was the case with Peter; "but the sorrow of the world worketh death" - as was the case with Judas. The devil tripped the backslider, and temporarily interrupted his usefulness and his joy; but he trapped the apostate, and led him to eternal doom.

Build on Christ and not upon regret
The structure of thy future. Do not grope
Among the shadow of old sins, but let
Thine own soul's light shine on the path of hope
And dissipate the darkness. Waste no tears
Upon the blotted record of past years,
But turn the leaf and smile, oh smile, to see
The fair white pages that remain for thee.
(Heaven's Cure for Earth's Care)

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August 19

"Help, Lord; for the godly man ceaseth; for the faithful fail from among the children of men."
(Psalm 12:1)

There are some who want to get away from all there past; who, if they could, would fain begin all over again. . . .
But you must learn, you must let God teach you, that the only way to get rid of your past is to get a future out of it.
God will waste nothing.
(Phillips Brooks)

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August 20

"Lord, what what wilt Thou have me to do?"
(Acts 9:6)

In order to do God's work rightly, it is necessary that he who does it should not only be diligent, but that he should know what the work is which God requires to be done. This wisdom comes from God only. Our natural reason will not help us in the matter. That which we think the right thing may be just the wrong thing.

Moses might, for example, have reasoned thus, when in Egypt: "I am here among heathen people, having a knowledge of God which they have not. I am in a position of great influence. What can I do better than devote myself to the great work of making God known among the idolaters of Egypt?" How many of God's people might have been fully convinced that no greater and better work could be done than this. But God had another work for Moses, which was, in the eyes of man, perfectly useless and foolish.

It was a blessed thing for Moses that he understood this. Let us who believe in God look to Him for direction. Let us say, "Lord, what wilt Thou have me to do?" And till we have the Lord's direction as to our work, let us wait upon Him, rather than bestir ourselves in that which we call service, but which may really be for our own satisfaction, and to the dissatisfaction of God. Moses waited forty years in the land of Midian before God put the work into his hands; and when the right time came, God called him forth.

"My time is not yet come, but your time is alway ready" (John 7:6) were the words of reproof the Lord Jesus spoke to His unbelieving brethren. When God gives work, He gives the right work, and at the right time. (The Life of William Farel - Francis Bevan)

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William Farel (1489-1565)

August 21

"Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ."
(Philippians 3:8)

The moment I get Christ as my object everything else will be as dross and dung, and there will be no want of lowliness, because the nearer we get to Christ the less we think of ourselves. I want to know Him, and the Spirit of God is not grieved. The path of the just grows brighter and brighter until the perfect day. His heart is more capable of knowing Christ, and he knows Him better - he is not thinking of self. It is a privilege held out to us that we shall be so perfect that we shall only think of the Lord, and in any measure as we are near Him now, we think of Him and not of ourselves. The Christian looks at himself not only as forgiven, as justified, but as perfect, and going to be like Christ and with Christ. He has a new place; he is in Christ; he has it by the Spirit in faith now, and he wants actually to possess it. (John N. Darby)

“More about Jesus would I know,
More of His grace to others show;
More of His saving fullness see,
More of His love who died for me.”
(Eliza Edmonds Hewitt)
(Submitted by S.L.)

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August 22

"Prayer shall be made for Him continually; and daily shall He be praised."
(Psalm 72:15)

"Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and He shall hear my voice." (Psalm 55:17)

"He (Jesus) went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God."
(Luke 6:12)

- Sometimes we think we are too busy to pray. That is a mistake, for praying is a saving of time.
- Time spent in prayer is never wasted.
- When you pray, rather let your heart be without words than your words without heart.
- And help us, this and every day, to live more nearly as we pray.
- The best prayers have often more groans than words.
- We cannot all argue, but we can all pray;
- We cannot all be leaders, but we can all be pleaders;
- We cannot all be mighty in rhetoric, but we can all be prevalent in prayer.
- The whole meaning of prayer is that we may know God.
- Do not work so hard for Christ that you have no strength to pray,
for prayer requires strength.
(A Collection of Wise Sayings - R.K.)

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August 23

"Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in Me."
(John 14:1)

Disclosure of unsuspected evil in the circle of the Twelve disciples, the shadow of the great loss they were about to experience, the premonition of the coming denial, cast their gloom over the little company. One of the number - about to betray the Lord - has gone into the night; the Lord is going whither they cannot follow; Peter is going to deny his Master. Sorrow, if not confusion of soul, presses upon their troubled hearts as the dark shadow of coming events creeps over the disciples.

Peter, previously, so forward, is silent. Throughout these last discourses we shall hear his voice no more. For the moment all are hushed in the presence of the disclosure of the coming departure of the Lord, the coming betrayal of Judas, and the imminent denial of Peter. Then it is that we hear the voice of the Lord as He breaks the silence with these touching words, "Let not your heart be troubled." These words of infinite comfort and consolation must have come like balm to the hearts of this sorrow-stricken company.

Yet though the Lord speaks to the Eleven, let us remember, as has been said, "The audience is larger than appears. In the foreground are the Eleven, behind them the universal Church . . . The hearers are men like ourselves, but they are representative men: dear to their Lord in their own persons, as His tender language shows: precious also in His sight as representing all 'who shall believe on Him through their word.' " (The Last Words - Hamilton Smith)

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August 24

"He hath made Him to be sin for us, Who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him."
(2 Corinthians 5:21)

"And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more."
(Hebrews 10:17)

"Who His own self bare our sins in His own body on the tree, that we being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by Whose stripes ye were healed."
(1 Peter 2:24)

The maitre d' at a classy restaurant refused to seat a couple because the man was casually dressed. However, in kindness, the host left and returned with a loaned jacket. God, too, has a standard of correct attire for us before entering heaven. We need a robe of righteousness. Martin Luther put it this way: "This is the mystery of the riches of divine grace for sinners; for by a wonderful exchange our sins are not ours but born by Christ, and Christ's righteousness is now ours." And unlike the jacket which was loaned for an evening, it is ours for eternity. What a Saviour! (E. Dyck)

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August 25

"And be ye kind one to another, TENDERHEARTED, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you."
(Ephesians 4:32)

Tenderness of spirit cannot be borrowed or put on for special occasions; it is emphatically supernatural, and must flow out incessantly from the inner foundations of the life.

Deep tenderness of spirit is the very soul and marrow of the Christ-life.
- What specific gravity is to the planet.
- What beauty is to the rainbow.
- What perfume is to the rose.
- What marrow is to the bone.
- What rhythm is to poetry.
- What the pulse is to the heart.
- What harmony is to music.
- What heat is to the human body.
- All this and more, is tenderness of spirit to religion.

It is possible to be very religious, and staunch and persevering in all Christian duties; possible, even, to be sanctified, to be a brave defender and preacher of holiness, to be mathematically orthodox and blameless in outward life, and very zealous in good works, and yet to be greatly lacking in tenderness of spirit - that all-subduing, all melting love, which is the very cream and quintessence of Heaven, and which incessantly streamed out from the voice and eyes of the blessed Jesus. (Springs in the Valley)

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August 26

"Giving thanks always for all things unto God" (Eph. 5:20).

We Need Minor Keys Too

No matter what the source of the evil, if you are in God and surrounded by Him as by an atmosphere, all evil has to pass through Him before it comes to you. Therefore you can thank God for everything that comes, not for the sin of it, but for what God will bring out of it and through it. May God make our lives thanksgiving and perpetual praise, then He will make everything a blessing.

We once saw a man draw some black dots. We looked and could make nothing of them but an irregular assemblage of black dots. Then he drew a few lines, put in a few rests, then a clef at the beginning, and we saw these black dots were musical notes. On sounding them we were singing,

"Praise God from whom all blessings flow,
Praise Him all creatures here below."

There are many black dots and black spots in our lives, and we cannot understand why they are there or why God permitted them to come. But if we let God come into our lives, and adjust the dots in the proper way, and draw the lines He wants, and separate this from that, and put in the rests at the proper places; out of the black dots and spots in our lives He will make a glorious harmony. Let us not hinder Him in this glorious work! (C. H. P. - Shared by R. L.)

"Would we know that the major chords were sweet, If there were no minor key?
Would the painter's work be fair to our eyes, Without shade on land or sea?

"Would we know the meaning of happiness.
Would we feel that the day was bright,
If we'd never known what it was to grieve,
Nor gazed on the dark of night?"

Many men owe the grandeur of their lives to their tremendous difficulties.
(C. H. Spurgeon)

When the musician presses the black keys on the great organ,
the music is as sweet as when he touches the white ones,
but to get the capacity of the instrument he must touch them all.
(Selected)

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August 27

Three-Way Christians

"And believers were the more added to the Lord" (Acts 5:14).
"If ye continue in My word, then are ye My disciples indeed" (John 8:31).
"Ye shall be witnesses unto Me" (Acts 1:8).

What is a New Testament Christian? He is a heart-believer in a crucified and risen Saviour and Lord. But churches are filled with believers who do not continue in His Word and so are poor disciples. Salvation is free - not cheap - and we have only to trust Christ to be believers. But discipleship calls for all we are and have.

We have unwittingly created an artificial distinction between trusting Christ as Saviour and obeying Him as Lord. The New Testament recognizes no such false compartments of experience. "Believe on the LORD Jesus Christ," said Paul to the jailer. No man can be a Christian by knowingly and willfully taking Christ on the installment plan, as Saviour now, as Lord later.

And we are all witnesses, witnesses unto Him (Acts 1:8) and witnesses to the truth about Him (Luke 24:48). We are witnesses of His death and resurrection in our own experience and witnesses to Him in testimony. By life and lip we declare Him; we know Him and make Him known. (Day by Day - Vance Havner)

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August 28

"Tell us, we pray thee, for whose cause this evil is upon us; What is thine occupation? and whence comest thou? what is thy country? and of what people art thou."
(Jonah 1:8)

The presence of a Christian, a saint of God (for every true Christian is truly a saint) - the presence of such a one should be a blessing to any company of people. He should be like a light shining in a dark place, a little candle to give light to those about him; but Jonah was very different. Rather than being a blessing to the company of men on that ship, he brought a curse with him. It was he who brought that storm, or at least God sent it for his sake. How very solemn a thing it is if God in dealing with us for our unfaithfulness and sin must bring trouble and distress to those about us!

The Bible says truly, "None of us lives to himself" (Romans 14:7). "This is my own business and and makes no difference to anyone else." Jonah's disobedience made a great difference to those mariners. They got into a terrible storm, they lost their cargo by throwing it overboard in order to save the ship, and all because of the sin of a saint of God.

It is a very searching question to ask ourselves, "Am I a blessing or a curse in the circle where I move?" For certain it is, you have an influence one way or another. True it is that God brought blessing out of all this sin and trouble, and those sailors learned to know the true God through the disobedient prophet. That does not at all excuse him, however, and the sad, sad answer to the mariners' questions was just this, if Jonah spoke the truth: "It is entirely for my cause. It is my fault and only my fault that you have had all this danger and loss." May God deliver us from ever putting our friends and companions to sorrow and loss through our sin and unfaithfulness!
(G.C. Willis)

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August 29

"It is of the LORD'S mercies that we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is Thy faithfulness."
(Lamentations 3:22-23)

Morning by morning new mercies I see;
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided,
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me.
(Thomas O. Chisholm)

A jeweler displays a diamond only after he has made careful preparation. First the lighting is set for proper viewing. Next a black, velvet mat is placed on the counter. Only then, does he present the diamond. Against the darkness and gloom of Lamentations, God displays the diamond of His care. Notice the brilliance of His new mercies, unfailing compassions, and great faithfulness. Just look at His promises shining in this dark world!
(Rex Trogdon)

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August 30

"The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament showeth His handiwork."
(Psalm 19:1)

In this new age of video technology, it might be hard to believe that some teachers still feel the best way to depict Bible stories is the low-tech flannelgraph board. I recall that my childhood Sunday School teachers used those flat boards covered with flannel, which enabled them to display cutouts of David, Daniel, Jonah, and all the other characters. The flannelgraphs helped my teachers capture the essence of the Bible story in an artistic way.

Those old-school flannelgraphs aren't the oldest graphic teaching devices, however. God has long had a kind of "flannelgraph" of His own, and and it is called creation. God uses the marvel of creation to instruct us and to display His power.

In Psalm 19:1, David wrote, "The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament showeth His handiwork." In creation, God has revealed Himself so clearly that Paul declared, "For the invisible things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen." Those who have the witness of creation are "without excuse" (Romans 1:20). Why? On the flannelgraph of God's creation, we see God's order and design. We see His power and glory. This should lead us to worship. "O Lord, our Lord, how excellent is Thy name in all the earth!" (Psalm 8:1). (Selected)

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August 31

"Then took he (Simeon) Him (Jesus) up in his arms and blessed God." (Luke 2:28)

"And Simeon blessed them."
(Luke 2:34)

When you bless God you will be able to bless other people, for all service must be carried on in the spirit of worship.
No service is effective that is not the overflowing of the heart.
(Edward Dennett)

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Gems from July 2011

2011-07-01T05:53:00.030-04:00

July 1

". . . thou shalt know that I am the Lord: for they shall not be ashamed that wait for Me."
(Isaiah 49:23)

I believe in the sun when it does not shine.
I believe in God when He is silent.
I know the sun is up there even on the darkest day.
And when darkness veils Jesus' lovely face,
I rest on His unchanging grace.

"Teach me the patience of unanswered prayer."

There are mountain top experiences in our journey through this world, those rare and lucid moments when God is consciously near and speaks to us as a man speaks to a friend. There are those ordinary days when we may not be thrillingly aware of His presence but neither do we doubt it. But there are also those strange times when things do not add up or make sense, when we seem to be forgotten, when the heavens are brass, when instead of happy answers to our petitions, an ironic spirit laughs at us and makes mockery of our feeble faith. We sit with Job and wait for an answer that seems never to come.

We had better learn the faith that believes anyway when God is silent. Our Lord drank the bitter dregs of despair when He cried, "My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?" (Mark 15:34). But He was forsaken only for a moment and then came Resurrection day. Our highest faith is when we leave it to God to keep to Himself why these utterly unexplainable things happen to us never to be understood this side of heaven. "Farther along we'll know all about it" and "we'll understand it better by and by" may seem scant solace now, but it is the best we can do until we get home.

. . . God mays seem slow but is never late. Sometimes He says yes. Sometimes He says no. Sometimes he just does not say and we can only wait. I believe in the sun when it doesn't shine for I know that shine it will, eventually. I believe in God when He does not speak. . . . The sun has outlasted all the clouds of all the centuries. God is not forever silent. When the answer comes, here or hereafter, it will repay all the torment of unanswered prayer. The wait will not be as long as it seems. "The strife will soon be o'er" says the old hymn, and in the joy of His answer we shall forget the agony of the delay. (Though I Walk Through the Valley - Vance Havner)

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July 2

"That He might present it to Himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing: but that it should be holy and without blemish."
(Ephesians 5:27)

God did not stop when He had taken the bone our of Adam, but "made" a woman; and so He not only calls and washes poor prodigals, but builds out of poor prodigals a bride for His Son: making them the members, the flesh and bones, of His Son. It will be a part of His glory to have a bride formed out of poor prodigals.

The bride may have all sorts of precious things - but she herself is for the Lord. (G.V. Wigram)

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July 3

"This God is our God."
(Psalm 48:14)

"God is great in great things, but very great in little things."

A party stood on the Matterhorn admiring the sublimity of the scene, when a gentleman produced a pocket microscope, and having caught a fly placed it under the glass. He reminded us that the legs of the household fly in England are naked, then called attention to the legs of this little fly which were thickly covered with hair; thus showing that the same God who made the lofty Swiss mountain attended to the comfort of His tiniest creatures, even providing socks and mittens for the little fly whose home these mountains were.

This God is OUR God!

A doubting soul beheld a robin's nest in a gigantic elm and heard a still small voice saying, "If God spent a hundred years in creating a tree like that for a bird, He will surely take care of you." God is so interested, that He takes us one by one and arranges for every detail of our life.

To Him, there are no little things.

"The God of the infinite is the God of the infinitesimal."
(Springs in the Valley)

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July 4

"They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them."
(Luke 16:29)

"And beginning at Moses and all the prophets He expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning Himself."
(Luke 24:27)

A child can understand the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make us wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. There is not one beneath the canopy of God's Heaven, who possesses a copy of the Holy Scriptures, who is not solemnly responsible before God for the use he makes of them.

If professing Christians were split up into ten thousand times as many sects as they are; if they were ten thousand times as inconsistent as they are; if schools and doctors of divinity were ten thousand times more conflicting than they are - still the word to each possessor of the Bible is, "You have Moses and the prophets, and the New Testament; hear them."

Oh! that we could persuade the unconverted, the unawakened, the unbelieving to think of these things, to think of them now, to ponder them in the very hidden depths of his moral being, to give them his heart's undivided attention, ere it be too late. We contemplate, with ever-deepening horror, the condition of a lost soul in hell - of one opening his eyes, in that place of endless torment, to the tremendous fact that God is against him and against him for ever; that all hope is gone; that nothing can ever bridge the chasm that separates the region of the lost from the Heaven of the redeemed; that "there is a great gulf fixed." (C.H. Mackintosh - The All Sufficiency of Christ)

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July 5

"Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest ant any time we should let them slip." (lest we drift away from them).
(Hebrews 2:1)

Which will it be - earnest heed, or letting slip? The Spirit through the Word teaches us divine and changeless truth. We need to earnestly pay attention to it; to guard it, keep it, obey it. For it is all too easy to let it slip. We see many such today; seemingly bored with truth, indifferent about holding onto it, failing to value it. Truth does not drift away from them; they are drifters away from truth. Give earnest heed to do that which is right, or drifting will be your experience. (Doug Kazen)

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July 6

“The LORD…saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with loving kindness have I drawn thee” (Jeremiah 31:3).

"The hand of God never deals but in concert with His heart of infinite love towards us." –John Darby

"… to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fullness of God" Ephesians 3:19
(Submitted by a reader - S.L.)

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July 7

"Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in Me . . . And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto Myself."
(John 14:1-3)

The hearts of the disciples were troubled. How often we experience events in our lives that upset us? The Saviour offered to His disciples and to us the divine antidote for troubled hearts. "Believe also in Me." In the troubles and upsets of life, He longs for us to trust Him. He has promised us a glorious future, "I will come again, and receive you unto Myself." Very soon the shout will come and the troubles of this weary life will all be over. Trust in Him. He will carry through. (James Comte)

"Midst the darkness, storm and sorrow, one bright gleam I see;
Well I know the blessed morrow Christ will come for me."

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July 8

"A man's heart deviseth his way: but the Lord directeth his steps."
(Proverbs 16:9)

"In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths."
(Proverbs 3:6)

"All things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose."
(Romans 8:28)

Providence is often alleged as a reason for not walking by faith. Never was there a more remarkable Providence than that which placed Moses in the court of Pharaoh, and it gained its object. It would not have done so if Moses had not later abandoned the position into which that Providence had brought him. But it was faith and not Providence as a rule and motive, which produced the effect for which Providence had preserved and prepared him. Providence (Thanks be to God!) governs circumstances; faith governs the heart and the conduct. (Christian Truth - Volume 21 - November 1968)

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July 9

"If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."
(1 John 1:9)

He came to my desk with quivering lip;
The lesson was done.
"Have you a new leaf for me, dear teacher?
I have spoiled this one!"
I took his leaf, all soiled and blotted,
And gave him a new one, all unspotted,
Then into his tired heart I smiled:
"Do better now, my child."

I went to the throne with trembling heart;
The year was done.
"Have you a new year for me, dear Master?"
I have spoiled this one!"
He took my year, all soiled and blotted,
And gave me a new one, all unspotted,
Then into my tired heart He smiled:
"Do better now, My child!"
(Unknown)

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July 10

"Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need."
(Hebrews 4:16)

We need the help and sympathy of our great High Priest, firstly because of our infirmities, and secondly because of temptations we have to meet. Infirmities are the weaknesses that belong to us as being in the body. Infirmity is not sin, though it may lead to sin. The believer has to meet (1) trials without and the (2) temptations from sin within.

It is this first form of trial that comes before us in the passage in Hebrews - the temptation to turn - from the path of obedience to the Word of God - the path that leads to the rest of God. Further, the devil would seek to use the infirmities of the body to turn us aside by his temptations, even as he sought to use hunger to tempt the Lord from the path of obedience to God. In this form of temptation we have the Lord's sympathy, as He Himself has been "in all points tempted like as we are." Of the second form of temptation He knew nothing, for, while it is said that He was "in all points tempted like as we," it is added, "sin apart."

In the presence of these infirmities and temptations we have a resource. There is grace available to enable us to meet the trial. The throne of grace is open to us. We are exhorted therefore to draw near to the throne of grace. We can do so boldly because the High Priest represents us at the the throne of grace. Drawing near we obtain mercy in order that in the trial we may not fail. Here the time of need is not the time of failure, but the time when we are faced with trials and temptations which may lead to failure. (Hamilton Smith)

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July 11

"Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved saith unto Peter, It is the Lord."
(John 21:7)

The disciples assumed it was the Lord when He performed the miracle of showing them where they could net a multitude of fishes. Later when He took bread and gave it to them (12,13), they knew it was the Lord. Before His death the Lord instituted the Lord's supper by breaking bread and giving it to His disciples. He then said, "This is My body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of Me" (Luke 22:19). On this Lord's Day, as we take the bread and drink of the cup, let us know that it is the Lord seated amidst us. (K.C. Ung)

'Tis the Lord! O wondrous story!
'Tis the Lord, the King of Glory!
At His feet we humbly fall.
Crown Him! Crown Him, Lord of all!
(B. Handby)

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July 12

"Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven."
(Matthew 18:4)

Cherish in your thoughts and incarnate in your life this wonderful admonition of Hudson Taylor:

"Be God's man;
In God's place;
Doing God's work;
In God's way."

In Caius College, Cambridge, there are three gateways in succession:

The first is called Humilitatis;
The second is Virtutis;
The third (which opens toward the Senate House), Honoris.

Not in vain did our forefathers make these emblems of an undergraduate's progress;
And happy would it be if every Christian youth entered by the gate of humility,
To pass through the gate of Christian Virtue,
That he might come forth in the highest sense to that of Honour.
(R.F. Walker - Mountain Trailways for Youth)

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July 13

"And Benaiah . . . went down also and slew a lion in the midst of a pit in time of snow."
(2 Samuel 23:20)

A lion fell into a pit. A man plunged in after him and slew him. And it was in time of snow. I have always felt sorry for that lion. Lions detest snow, and that lion did not have a sporting chance. But his troubles are over now, and the man has something to teach us.

Benaiah must have been one who had trained himself by many small and private disciplines to be ready for anything, even a lion in a pit in time of snow. The snow, of course, made it harder for him too, but he did not hesitate. He went down and slew the lion.

Quite suddenly in the midst of our ordinary occupations any of us may be face to face with a lion in a pit. It may be in time of snow - in circumstances which make it harder than usual to withstand. But we can. The moment we are conscious of the lion (Peter speaks of the the devil as a roaring lion in 1 Peter 5:8), the Spirit of God will put a sword into our hands. Some strong word of Scripture will be flashed across our minds. If we grasp that word, and thrust with all our might, there can only be one end to the fight. More that conquerors through Him that loved us will tell the end of that lion fight - even in time of snow. (Whispers of His Power - Amy Carmichael)

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July 14

"Thou hast delivered my soul from death: wilt not Thou deliver my feet from falling, that I may walk before God in the light of the living."
(Psalm 56:13)

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. Bellett)

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July 15

"I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung,
that I may win Christ."
(Philippians 3:8)

Shining is always costly. Light comes only at the cost of that which produces it. An unlit candle does no shining. Burning must come before shining. We cannot be of great use to others without cost to ourselves. Burning suggests suffering. We shrink from pain.

We are apt to feel that we are doing the greatest good in the world when we are strong, and able for active duty, and when the heart and hands are full of kindly service.

When we are called aside and can only suffer; when we are sick; when we are consumed with pain; when all our activities have been dropped, we feel that we are no longer of use, that we are not doing anything.

But, if we are patient and submissive, it is almost certain that we are a greater blessing to the world in our time of suffering and pain than we were in the days when we thought we were doing the most of our work. We are burning now, and shining because we are burning. (Evening Thoughts)

"The glory of tomorrow is rooted in the drudgery of today."

Many want the glory without the cross,
the shining without the burning,
but crucifixion comes before coronation.
(Streams in the Desert)

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July 16

"Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God."
(Ephesians 5:21)

There is nothing so contrary and utterly repugnant to man's sinful nature as obedience. Love is not by far so adverse to his nature, i.e., natural love, because God implanted natural affections in his heart. But obedience, even in a human way, i.e., submission to his fellow-men, is a principle against which man's natural heart rebels more than against anything else. This, I think, is the reason, why the spirit of God heads the following exhortations with these words: "Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of (Christ)." (Light in our Dwellings - J.A. von Poseck)

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July 17

"These things have I spoken unto you, that My joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full."
(John 15:11)

If I allow my work to get between my heart and the Master, it will be little worth.
We can only effectually serve Christ as we are enjoying Him, nor is there any one who can minister Christ with unction, freshness, and power to others, if he be not feeding upon Christ in the secret of his own soul.
(Food for the Desert)

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July 18

“The battle is not yours, but God’s.”
(2 Chronicles 20:15)

“The Lord shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace.”
(Exodus 14:14)

What this means is that we don’t have to defend ourselves or fight back. The Lord will vindicate us at the proper time.“…when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously” (1 Peter 2:23) The battle is the Lord’s. He will fight for us. We should hold our peace.

What a relief to know that when the world turns against us, which is always the case, we need not nor should we attempt to retaliate. It is the Lord’s battle, and He is more than capable to take the battle upon His shoulders. We need only to Stand Firm.

The attempts upon Christians have intensified many times over in recent years and I see no sign that they will lighten up. We need to adopt an attitude that I have recently come to be my so-called battle cry each and every time I leave my home and that is, “For I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth . . .” (Romans 1:16). (With thanks, From a reader of the "Gems" - R.L)

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July 19

"Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's."
(Psalm 103:5)

The poets have attributed to the eagle, miraculous powers of becoming young again; but the reference in Psalm, 103 is in all probability to the molting time which characterizes all birds. During that time the king of the air basks quietly in the sun; his plumage slowly returns; and thus renewed he rises once again to the place where he is most at home. It is a parable of those renewings of the Holy Spirit (Titus 3:5) which, from time to time, come to us all.

Redemption, equipment, power, renewal: with these spiritual resources at our disposal let us take fresh heart as we face the days that lie ahead for us all. Slowly, alas, do we learn these great lessons; but the God who has taken such pains with us will not rest until He perfects that which concerneth us. "He which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ" (Philippians 1:6). (In Pastures Green)

Though thy way be long and dreary,
Eagle strength He'll still renew,
Garments fresh and foot unweary,
Tell how God hath brought thee through.

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July 20

"Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth forever."
(1 Peter 1:23)

God does not cause to germinate some little seed already folded up in man, but he implants an altogether new principle of life. God cannot see in man what we can see in examining a seed through the microscope - the exact form of the future plant all folded up, which when the seed is put into the ground begins to spread forth.

When God's eye examines a sinner, what does He see? What did He see in such an one as Saul, the persecutor? Did He see the divine life, afterwards manifested in him, all nicely folded and shut up within his soul? No; but the enmity which made Saul persecute to the death the followers of Jesus. He saw moral death, but no life in him. And how was all this changed? By the communication of a new life, an incorruptible seed. (G.V. Wigram)

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July 21

"As for God, His way is perfect . . ."
(2 Samuel 22:31)

I find waiting one of the hardest things to do. What does it mean to “wait on the Lord?”

Waiting on the Lord is an activity resulting from a command! In other words when we are commanded to wait we are taking action to submit and obey a directive from the Captain of our souls.

Waiting on the Lord in Scripture does not mean idly standing by twiddling ones thumbs. It is not a matter of resignation, but of consciously waiting with expectation, because you know, that you know, that God will act and or direct you so that in due time you can move forward in accordance with His will.

“When led of the Spirit, the child of God must be as ready to wait as to go, as prepared to be silent as to speak.” - Lewis Sperry Chafer

“Waiting for God is not laziness. Waiting for God is not going to sleep. Waiting for God is not the abandonment of effort. Waiting for God means, first, activity under command; second, readiness for any new command that may come; third, the ability to do nothing until the command is given.” - G. Campbell Morgan

The person who truly waits on the Lord does so with a restful, happy confidence.

“Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself . . .” Psalm 37:7

“Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.” Psalm 27:14
(S.L. 15-Jul-11)

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July 22

"When His disciples heard it, they were exceedingly amazed, saying, Who then can be saved?"
(Matthew 19:25)

"God hath called you to Christ's side," wrote saintly Rutherford, "and the wind is now in Christ's face in this land; and seeing ye are with Him, ye cannot expect the lea-side or the sunny side of the brae (hillside)."

Nowhere in the teachings of Christ do we find anything visionary or overoptimistic. He told His hearers the whole truth and let them make up their minds. He might grieve over the retreating form of an inquirer who could not face up to the truth, but He never ran after him to try to win him with rosy promises.

All this is but to say that Christ is honest. We can trust Him. He knows that He will never be popular among the sons of Adam and He knows that His followers need not expect to be. The wind that blows in His face will be felt by all who travel with Him, and we are not intellectually honest when we try to hide that fact from them.

By offering our hearers a sweetness-and-light-gospel and promising every taker a place on the sunny side of the brae, we not only cruelly deceive them, we guarantee also a high casualty rate among the converts on such terms.

We tell them that if they will accept Christ he will give them peace of mind, solve their problems, protect their families and keep them happy all day long. They believe us and come, and the first cold wind sends them shivering to some counselor to find out what has gone wrong; and that is the last we hear of many of them! (Renewed Day by Day - A.W. Tozer)

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July 23

"Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world."
(1 John 1:29)

Oh, who is this Jesus who doth so much,
Who healeth the blight of the world with a touch?
He taketh; men's efforts have all been in vain,
To hide or to cover or wash out the stain;
They strive to ignore it, they boldly deny
Their needs of the cross, or a Saviour to die.
But sin is still with them and evils remain,
Till He came to our succor, the Lamb who was slain -
Who taketh away the sin of the world.
(Annie Johnson Flint)

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July 24

"And not only so . . ." (Romans 5:11)
"Much more then . . ." (Romans 5:9)
"Moreover. . . " (Romans 5:20)

In this exposition on justification, Paul elucidates the many blessings we enjoy because God has justified us. As he relates them to us, Paul's enthusiasm bubbles over onto the page. He is like a young child opening a new gift. "We have a peace with God! We have access by faith into this grace! And not only so! There is much more!" And on he goes. Are we as thrilled with our blessings? Let us take a lesson from the apostle and joyfully praise our Father, ". . . who has blessed us with all spiritual blessings . . ." (Ephesians 1:3). (J. Jacob)

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July 25

"Then Jesus said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken: Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into His glory?"
(Luke 24:25,26)

At Emmaus desire had been again quickened, but under different conditions. It was not the desire of a freshly-drawn soul (as in the case of the conversion of Zaccheus), but of restored saints. These two disciples had been unbelieving. They were returning home under a sorrow that Jesus had disappointed them. The Lord rebukes them shortly after he joined them on the road, but so orders His words as to kindle their hearts. When their walk together ends at the gate of their dwelling, the Lord makes as though He would go further. He would not invite Himself as He had done at Jericho. They were not in the moral state which suggested this, as Zaccheus had been; but, when invited, He goes in - goes in just to kindle further the desire which had here invited Him - to gratify it to the full. And so He does; and they are constrained by their joy to return to the city that night, late as it was, to communicate it to their fellows. (J.G. Bellett)

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July 26

Anathema or Maranatha?

"If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be Anathema Maranatha."
(1 Corinthians 16:22)

The great apostle in a day when unbelieving Jews were calling Jesus accursed throws back that anathema with power. Then he takes an Aramaic term, which the scholars have argued over as to whether it means the Lord has come or "May he come!"

These two words, spelled with almost the same letters, set forth two viewpoints poles apart. There are millions today whose mark might well be anathema. They blaspheme the Lord and they are accursed. False preachers of "another gospel" are anathema. The bitter hostility of long ago boiled over in that word.

Over against that is the love that said instead, "Jesus is Lord," and looking for His return, cried, "Maranatha." Looking for the Lord was a distinguishing mark of first century Christianity. Strange and sad it is that so many who claim to love Him today do not thrill to "The Lord cometh."

Are you Anathema or Maranatha? Which is the cry of your soul? (Day By Day with Vance Havner)

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July 27

"Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path."
(Psalm 119:105)

I've always thought that I could get through just about anything if the Lord would tell me what the outcome would be. I believe that ". . . all things work together for good . . ." (Romans 8:28), but I'd do a lot better in dark times if I knew exactly what the "good" would look like.

But God usually doesn't show us where He is taking us. He just asks us to trust Him. It's like driving a car at night. Our headlights never shine all the way to our destination; they illuminate only about 160 feet ahead. Bu that doesn't deter us from moving forward. We trust our headlights. All we need is enough light to keep moving forward.

God's Word is like headlights in dark times. It is full of promises we need to keep us from driving our lives into the ditch of bitterness and despair. His Word promises that He will never leave us not forsake us (Hebrews 13:5). His Word assures us that He knows the plans He has for us, plans for wholeness and not for evil, to give us a future and a hope (Jeremiah 29:11). And He tells us that our trials are there to make us better, not bitter (James 1:2-4).

So the next time you feel as if you're driving in the dark, remember to trust your headlights - God's Word will light your way. (Joe Stowell)

The Word of God provides the light
We need to see the way;
It shows us what we need to know
So we won't go astray.

You won't stumble in the dark if you walk in the light of God's Word.
_________________________________________________________________________

Our Daily Bread, RBC Ministries. Copyright 2010, Grand Rapids, Michigan. Reprinted permission.

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July 28

"All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness."
(2 Timothy 3:16)

Careful examination reveals that there is nothing in inspiration that conflicts with the unfettered play of the individuality of the writers of the Book of God. When God made a prophet, He did not unmake the man. The personality, mental traits, and even the forms of literary expression of the divine penmen, were left perfectly free.

- The burning sarcasm of Isaiah.
- The tender, melancholy pathos of Jeremiah.
- The homeliness of the herdsman's son and the gatherer of figs.
- The deep philosophy of John.
- The clear and sharp logic of Paul.

All these were truly and really their own. As every pipe of the organ is so fashioned that it might give one note and not another - and yet all are filled by the same breath - so , these souls, fashioned by the conditions of humanity and the circumstances of their lives, were made each to give out his own note, yet all were filled by the breath of the Divine Spirit, that has made these human and yet divine utterances ring with a melody unquenched and unquenchable. (The Wonderful Word - George Henderson)

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July 29

"Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world . . ."
(1 John 2:15)

This universe is but the expression of the Father's wisdom and goodness.

Heaven above is softer blue,
Earth beneath is sweeter green!
Something lives in ev'ry hue
Christless eyes have never seen:
Birds with gladder songs o'erflow,
Flow'rs with deeper beauties shine,
Since I know, as now I know,
I am His, and He is mine!"

The Lord loved the lilies of the field. He drew attention to the beauties of nature, they stirred His own soul, and He would have His people see in them the evidences of the wisdom and goodness of the Father. But what, then, is the world? It is that system that man has built up in this scene, in which he is trying to make himself happy without God. You get it away back in Genesis, where Cain went out from the presence of the Lord and built a city, and there what we call the world really began. It was a wonderful world; they were exercised in all kinds of arts, sciences, business, and pleasure, anything and everything to make them happy without God; but it ended in corruption and violence, and God had to sweep the whole thing away with a flood.

The principles of the world that caused the corruption and violence before the flood were carried into the ark in the hearts of some of Noah's children. They brought the world into the ark, and when the new world was started after the judgment of the flood, they brought the world out of the ark with them, and again set it up. (H.A. Ironside)

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July 30

"Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved. . . ."
(Acts 16:31)

The famous French tightrope walker Charles Blondin's greatest fame came in June of 1859 when he attempted to become the first person to cross a tightrope stretched over a quarter of a mile across the mighty Niagara Falls.

It was a sunny day. Large crowds had gathered on both sides of the great Niagra Falls. The mighty waters crashed on the rocks below. Above the Falls, a long tightrope stretched from one bank to the other. In a few minutes the world's greatest tightrope walker would cross it.

Carefully he balanced his long pole and stepped onto the rope. The crowd watched silently. He started across. One dangerous step, and then another, and then... Finally, he stepped upon the bank on the other side. The crowd cheered.

He followed that by standing on a chair precariously balanced over the most turbulent part of the falls. Next he pushed a wheelbarrow full of sandbags across – acting the whole time as if he was in the middle of a wide country road.

Finally, he turned to the crowd and asked, “Do you believe that I can push this wheelbarrow across the rope with a man in it and arrive safely on the other side?” The crowd roared, “Yes, we believe!” “Okay,” Bondin replied, “then who will be the volunteer?” The roar of the crowd turned to utter silence.

"What about you?" Blondin asked a man standing nearby. "Will you trust me?" "No way, not me." The man answered! Not one person volunteered. (During a repeat performance in August 1859, his manager, Harry Colcord, did ride on Blondin's back across the Falls.)

Believing about someone - and trusting in someone, are two different things. It’s the difference between heaven and hell!

“…Christ. In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,” Ephesians 1:12-13

If you have never trusted in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior then trust in Him now!

“…if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation… For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” Romans 10:9,10,13

(From the writings of S.L.)

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July 31

"Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ."
(Philippians 1:2)

The Epistle to Philippians begins with , "Grace to you," and ends with, "The Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ (be) with your spirit." And in verse 7, Chapter 1, Paul writes that they were all his "Joint-partners" in this grace. In this grace we all have a share. Well may every one of us sing:

GRACE IS THE SWEETEST SOUND
That ever reached our ears,
When conscience charged, and justice frowned,
'Twas Grace removed our fears.

As we grow older, and learn to know ourselves more and more, perhaps we learn to value more highly that Grace that picked us up, gave us the privilege of hearing the Gospel, and believing it; and, perhaps most wonderful of all, to know the Grace that has borne with us all along the way, through all these years, and has never cast us off, or given us up, but will perform that work, that "good work," begun in us; right on to the Day of Jesus Christ. (Verse 6). It has all been Grace; All must be Grace; right from start to finish. Grace means "Free, undeserved favour." (G. Christopher Wills - Sacrifices of Joy - Being Meditations on Philippians)

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Gems from June 2011

2011-06-01T00:27:00.031-04:00

"Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy profiting may appear to all."
(1 Timothy 4:15)

The material for meditation is the Word of God; for that is the only book that is distinctly and exclusively authoritative. It has been said, "people prefer to drink at any other source than the original." There - is a lesson for us! Devotional and expository volumes are of great value - of very great value; but while they are admirable helps, they are miserable substitutes for the Bible itself. The Bible is the one Book wherein, for thousands of years, the spirit of man has found light and nourishment, and a response to whatever was deepest in his heart.

Meditation is the digestive faculty of the soul, which converts the Word into real and proper nourishment, and produces the most happy results. "Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and Thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart" (Jeremiah 15:16). Note the process and results: "finding", which corresponds to the New Testament word "search"; "eating", or "appropriating", which answers to "meditation"; "rejoicing", the inevitable consequence of searching, and reflecting on what is found. (In Pastures Green)

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May 30

"And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to Himself by Jesus Christ. . . ."
(2 Corinthians 5:18)

Paul encouraged the Athenians by reminding them that God was not far from any one of them, that it was He in whom they lived and moved and had their being. Yet men think of Him as farther away than the farthest star. The truth is that He is nearer to us than we are to ourselves!

But how can the conscious sinner bridge the mighty gulf that separates him from God in living experience? The answer is that he cannot, but the glory of the Christian message is that Christ did! Through the blood of His cross He made peace that he might reconcile all things unto Himself: "And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath He reconciled in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in His sight" (Colossians 1:21,22).

The new birth makes us partakers of the divine nature. There the work of undoing the dissimilarity between us and God begins. From there it progresses by the sanctifying operation of the Holy Spirit till God is satisfied.

That is the theology of it, but even the regenerated soul may sometimes suffer from the feeling that God is far from him. Put away the evil from you, believe, and the sense of nearness will be restored. God was never away in the first place! (A.W. Tozer)

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May 31

"And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:7).

When you have a need, instead of worrying and fussing about it, present your need to our Father right away. Stop what you are doing; get on your knees and pour your heart out to the Father. Our loving God and Father is waiting and wants to hear all about it. He will not always say yes, but He will always give us His peace. If we will but trust Him and put our cares before His heart, He will put His peace into ours. (Submitted by a reader- S.L.)

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June 1

"Bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ."
(2 Corinthians 10:5)

Set thou a guard before the gate,
Keep thou a warder on the wall,
Yet if there be a foe within
The citadel will fall.

Set thou a seal upon thy lips,
Keep thou a watch upon thy tongue,
Yet there remains the lurking thoughts,
The heart whence they have sprung.

Try us, O God! and know our thoughts,
Cleanse Thou our hearts from secret sin;
So shall our lives be pure without,
Our souls be pure within.
(Annie Johnson Flint)

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June 2

"Casting all your care upon Him; for He careth for you."
(1 Peter 5:7)

"Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompense of reward."
(Hebrews 10:35)

Alas, we reverse the process: we cast away our confidence and carry all our care! It is His desire that we roll all our burden on Him and be careful (anxious) for nothing. But we are so cumbered with ourselves that our minds are never free to be occupied with Him. If we can let Him take care of our problems while we attend to His work, we shall find our hearts free from that friction that cuts down our service to such a bare minimum. We get so little done for Him, our production is so pitiful, because everything goes into "over-head" and oiling the machinery. Most of our time and energy go into carrying what God asked us to cast on Him. And our confidence, the one thing He said to keep, we cast away.

You keep your confidence: He'll keep your cares!
(Vance Havner - Day by Day)

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June 3

"Then . . . came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them (disciples), Peace be unto you. And when He had so said, He showed unto them His hands and his side. Then were the disciples glad, when they saw the Lord."
(John 20:19-20)

In earlier days the Lord said to them, "Because I live, ye shall live also;" and now in risen days, in the days of the risen Man, in possession of victorious life, He imparts that life to them in the most full and perfect measure of it, breathing on them, and saying, "Receive ye the Holy Ghost."

The world was not to see Him again, as He had also said to them; but they (disciples) were to see Him. And so it comes to pass. He was seen of them for forty days, and He spake to them of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God. But this was all in secret: the world has not seen Him since the hour of Calvary, nor will they till they see Him in judgment. (J.G. Bellett)

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June 4

". . . Thou God seest me" (Genesis 16:13).

The biography of Mr. Watts relates that when this man of God was still a child he was one day in the house of a very old woman who asked him to read a motto she had upon the wall. It contained the words of Hagar: "Thou God seest me." The old woman said, "When you are older, my boy, people will tell you that God is always watching to see when you do wrong, in order to punish you. I do not want you to think of it in that way, but I want you to take the text home, and to remember all your life that God loves you so much that He cannot take His eyes off of you!" These words became for Watts the basis of a living creed, an incentive to a useful and beautiful life.

The knowledge that God is watching us should also preserve us from unhallowed thoughts, selfish motives, and insincerity in word and action. Despondency and loneliness fade into oblivion in the light of this truth.

Richard Klick tells the following incident from his own childhood: "As a little tyke I had been invited to a very auspicious birthday party of a school chum. But the heavy blizzard had made our little village streets impassable; therefore, I had been forbidden to leave the house. 'Other parents love their children enough to allow them to go!' I shouted angrily. Father was manifestly stung by my bitter words. Presently, he turned to me, replying softly, 'you may go.' Nonplused but overjoyed, I donned my hardiest wardrobe and plunged into the raging storm. The snow made vision impossible. The drifts almost covered me. The howling winds tossed me down repeatedly. Only by a sheer miracle did I arrive at the birthday house a few blocks away all of half an hour later. As I rang the bell, I turned to look out into the storm. Just then I caught the shadow of a retreating figure. It was my father! He had been following my every step in the storm. How tremendously he really loved me!" God's precious watch-care is the same. He is always sympathetically concerned, yes, even when we press impatiently along our self-willed ways, for "He abideth faithful." (H.G.B.)

We cannot see before us, but our all-seeing Friend
Is always watching o'er us, and loves us to the end.
(F.R. Havergal)

"Never be afraid to entrust an unknown future to a known God!"
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Our Daily Bread, RBC Ministries, Copyright (1962), Grand Rapids MI. Reprinted permission)

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June 5

"But my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus."
(Philippians 4:19)

Depend on it! God's work done in God's way will never lack God's supply."
(J. Hudson Taylor)

There is a living God: He has spoken in the Bible;
He means what He says and will do all He has promised."
(J. Hudson Taylor)
(Submitted by a reader - S.L.)

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June 6

"He hath chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love"
(Ephesians 1:4)

Christians take a certain comfort in knowing that God has chosen them. We are not chosen because we are the most intelligent, but because God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise. We are not heirs because we are people of inherent honor, but because God extends to us His glory. We are not His children because we are strong, but because we are weak. Not only do these things prevent us from boasting in anything but Christ, they also offer us a confidence in living out our lives.

The consequences are many. No longer do we need to be achievement-driven; we were not chosen because of some special ability or gifting. No longer do we need to please people for a sense of acceptance; we are the apple of God's eye. No longer do we need to fear the future, for we are held in the arms of One who holds everything in His hands. Despair and defeat need not rule our lives—not because we are go-getters and succeed at all costs—but because we are confident that God is using all that happens in our lives to weave a beautiful tapestry: "And we know that in all things work together for good to them that love God to them who are the called according to His purpose" (Romans 8:28).

For the Christian, to live as Christ's own is to live with the assurance that nothing can separate us from the love of God. And we also live with the reminder that nothing is ever really ordinary. As we go about the seemingly mundane and sometimes frustrating scenes in the drama of life, we are invited to see something greater in every scene. There is the hope of God's grace in all that confronts us. There is the comfort of God's omnipresence throughout the stories of our lives. Even in our shortfalls and bad choices God is still near, going about the gift of redemption, urging us onward toward the prize. And the God who begins a good work will be certain to bring it to completion. (Adapted)

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June 7

"There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus."
(Romans 8:1)

This speaks of our salvation.

"We know that all things work together for good to them that love God."
(Romans 8:28)

This speaks of our preservation.

"Whom He justified, them He also glorified."
(Romans 8:30)

This speaks of our coronation.
(Heaven's Cure for Earth's Care)

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June 8

"In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths."
(Proverbs 3:6)

What a wonderful promise, yet how often we neglect to take advantage of it. Note that the verse refers to "all" our ways, not just some of them. We often think that the only things we need to take before the Lord are the big issues in life, and that we should manage the rest ourselves. No. There is no matter that is too small, or too big that we cannot bring to Him. The wonderful guarantee is that "He shall direct your paths". Make it a habit, when faced with any decision, to take the matter to the Lord in prayer before making any moves. You are promised His direction. (W.H. Burnett)

Our times are in Thy hand, Father we wish them there,
Our life, our souls, our all we leave, entirely to Thy care.
(W.F. Lloyd)

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June 9

"The prayer of the upright is His delight."
(Proverbs 15:8)

- The value of consistent prayer is not that He will hear us, but that we will hear Him.

- Dealing in generalities is the death of prayer.

- Don't try to reach God with your understanding; that is impossible. Reach Him in love; that is possible.

- He prays best who does not know he is praying.

- Prayer should be the key of the day and the lock of the night.

- Constant prayer quickly straightens out our thoughts.

- When the knees are not often bent, the feet soon slide.

- Those who always pray are necessary to those who never pray.
(A Collection of Wise sayings - R.K.)

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June 10

"A sower went out to sow his seed: and as he sowed, some . . . fell on good ground . . . that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience."
(Luke 8:5,8,15)

There may seem to the world to be fruits bright and blessed, but if people have not got Christ they tire. There will be no enduring unless Christ has possession of the soul; but if He has, there will be an abiding motive, and people will go on, and "bring forth fruit with patience." They that hear and keep go steadily on, having their motive for action in the Lord. Trouble may come into the Church; disappointment may arise, even from brethren; but they go on just the same, because they have got Christ before them. For the Word they have heard and keep connects them with Christ, and He is more than anything else. (J.N. Darby)

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June 11

"We remember the fish, which we did eat in Egypt freely; the cucumbers, and the melons, and the leeks and the onions, and the garlic: But now our soul is dried away: there is nothing at all, beside this manna, before our eyes."
(Numbers 11:5-6)

Satisfied with Thee, Lord Jesus, I am blest;
Peace which passeth understanding, on Thy breast.
(C.A. Wellesley)

These people were having a problem with God's daily menu. The mixed multitude despised the manna, God's gracious provision. Their minds reflected back to the "good old days" of Egypt when they had fish, melons and other foods to eat. But they had forgotten about the harsh slavery, cruel taskmasters and painful bondage. Sometimes, we too forget where we once were, and get our eyes off Christ. May God deliver us from selective memories. (Jim Comte)

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June 12

"Howbeit we must be cast upon a certain island."
(Acts 27:26)

The Lord graciously begins, we might say, a work of restoration with the centurion and those on board his ship. But things were going to be very different from the manner of life and habits that had previously characterized this vessel. They were going to live - Paul's word assured them of that, and he spoke the truth, for he spoke from God. But in order that his message might bring peace and joy, it would have to be received by faith.

God's message to you - if you are going to reap the benefits of joy and peace - must be believed by faith. If your life has met with disasters and storms because of self-will, and you have been brought in God's goodness to repentance - then you may be assured that happy times are ahead. ". . . the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance" (Romans 2:4).

But it will require real faith in the God who loves you and wants to bring you back to Himself where you may afresh enjoy His love. Perhaps in your restoration you too will be cast upon an island. That is, you will find in the path of restoration, that things for you too are going to be different, and you will be placed in circumstances where you have God alone as you resource. With true restoration, things will be different! "He restoreth my soul . . . Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life" (Psalm 23:6). (The Journey of Life - D.N.)

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June 13

"As thy days, so shall thy strength be."
(Deuteronomy 33:25)

A doctor was once asked by a patient who had met with a serious accident, "Doctor, how long shall I have to lie here?" The answer, "Only a day at a time," taught the patient a precious lesson.

The same lesson God taught His people, and the people of all ages since, through the method of His provision for Israel during their wilderness journey. "The day's portion in its day" (Exodus 16:4), (margin). Day by day the manna fell, enough for each day, and no more and no less.

So God promises us, not "As thy weeks," or "As thy months," but "As the DAYS, so shall thy strength be." And that means Monday's grace for Monday, and Tuesday's grace for Tuesday, and so on. Why, then, borrow trouble for the future? We are especially told by the Lord to "take no thought for tomorrow." The true rule is to live by the day, to live a life of trust.

The law of Divine grace is, "Sufficient unto the day." The law of divine deliverance is, "Step by Step." (Comforted of God - A.J. Pollock)

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June 14

"Casting all your care upon Him; for He careth for you."
(1 Peter 5:7)

There are two or three preliminaries before this committal of care is possible. We must have cast our sins before we can cast our cares; in other words, we must be children in the Father's home. Then also we must be living in God's plan, sure that we are where He would He would have us be, camped under His brooding pillar-cloud. And, in addition, we must have yielded up our lives to Him, for for Him to have His way in them. Nor must we neglect to feed our faith with promise. Without her natural food she pines. But when these conditions are fulfilled, it is not difficult to

"Kneel, and cast our load,
E'en while we pray, upon our God.
Then rise with lightened cheer."

The cup may still have to be drunk,
The discipline borne, The work done; but the weary ache of care will have
Yielded to the anodyne of a child's trust in One who cannot fail.
(F.B. Meyer)

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June 15

"Whosoever shall give you a cup of water to drink in My name, because ye belong to Christ, verily I say unto you, he shall not lose his reward."
(Mark 9:41)

Frances Ridley Havergal, whose songs have been a benediction
to mankind wrote of the power of little things.

For the memory of a kindly word
For long gone by,
The fragrance of a fading flower
Sent lovingly.

The warm pressure of the hand,
The tone of cheer,
The note that only bears a verse
From God's own Word.
Such tiny things we hardly count
As ministry.
But when the heart is over-wrought
Oh, who can tell
The power of such tiny things
To make it well.

There is nothing small that ministers
to the happiness of a single soul.
(Traveling Toward Sunrise)

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June 16

"If any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous."
(1 John 2:1)

Weariness and weakness of body may hinder us from being a witness for Christ here; then the priestly grace of Christ is active to support us in our infirmities. Alas! we may break down and sin, and no longer be fit to witness for Christ; then the Advocate restores the soul. If however the affections have been chilled, though there may be nothing to disturb the conscience, there will be a grave hindrance to communion with Christ, and then the service of feet-washing comes in to remove the hindrance. There is, moreover, the further difference between advocacy and feet-washing, that, whereas advocacy restores our souls in the place where we are, feet-washing restores our spirits to communion with Christ in the place where He is. (The Last Words - Hamilton Smith)

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June 17

“Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.”
(1 Corinthians 15:58)

When the house lights dimmed and the concert was about to begin a mother returned to her seat and discovered that her child was missing. Suddenly, the curtains parted and spotlights focused on the impressive Steinway on stage. To her horror, the mother saw her little boy sitting at the keyboard, innocently picking out “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star.”

At that moment, the great piano master made his entrance, quickly moved to the piano, and whispered in the boy's ear, “Don't quit . . .Keep playing.” Then, leaning over, Paderewski reached down with his left hand and began filling in a bass part. Soon his right arm reached around to the other side of the child, and he added a running obligato. Together, the old master and the young novice transformed what could have been a frightening situation into a wonderfully creative experience. The audience was so mesmerized that they couldn't recall what else the great master played. Only the classic, “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star.”

This is very much the way it is with our loving Saviour. What we can accomplish on our own is hardly noteworthy. However, with the hand of the Master, our life's work can truly be beautiful and filled with grace.

“But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.”
(1 Corinthians 15:10)

… I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.”
(Galatians 2:20)

The next time you set out to do something for the Lord, listen carefully and you just may hear the voice of the Master, whispering in your ear,
“Don't quit… keep playing.”

Remember, God doesn’t often call the equipped, rather, He equips the “called.”
(Submitted by a reader - S.L.)

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June 18

"How long wilt Thou forget me, O Lord? For ever? How long wilt Thou hide Thy face from me?"
(Psalm 13:1)

Perplexed by the continuing pressures of life, four times David cried, "How long?" The absence of an immediate answer from heaven added to the weight of his dilemmas. Undefeated, he counted his blessings and renewed his trust in the Lord. As a result he unconsciously broke into rejoicing and singing. He ends the psalm with this conclusion: "the Lord hath dealt bountifully with me." Are you asking "how long" today? Count your blessings, have faith in Him, and you too will find a song in your heart by day's end. (E. Fesche)

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June 19

"And the apostles gathered themselves together unto Jesus, and told Him all things, both what they had done, and what they had taught."
(Mark 6:30)

Surely we could not do better than follow the example of the apostles in this respect. How much we should learn if we did so, and how gently He would remind us of many a failure to present the truth, or if we presented it correctly, how much we have failed to preach it in the power of the Spirit. But we have to do with One who loves us, and this gives us confidence in telling Him everything. It is even so in human relationships, for when we are assured of one another's love we do not hesitate to tell everything. Much more should it be so when we speak to the Lord. (Edward Dennett)

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June 20

"The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him; neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned."
(1 Corinthians 2:14)

The natural life owes all to environment; so must the spiritual. Now, the environment of the spiritual life is God. As nature, therefore, forms the complement of the natural life, God is the complement of the spiritual. (A Thought for Every Day - Henry Drummond)

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June 21

"But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself. . . ." (Daniel 1:8)

Doubt sees the obstacles - faith sees the way.
Doubt sees the darkest night - Faith sees the day.
Doubt dreads to take a step - Faith soars on high.
Doubt questions, "Who believes?" - Faith answers, "I."
(Unknown)

The book of Daniel is really a textbook of instruction and an example of how God's people can live in difficult conditions and come through victoriously. Even as the Jewish people were living in Babylonian captivity, so Christians today are pilgrims and sojourners in a foreign culture. We, like Daniel and his friends, must exercise our implicit faith in God's purposes and leading for our lives. We too must resolve in advance that we will not be defiled by the world. And whether our God delivers us or not from the fiery furnace, we will remain faithful to Him (Daniel 3:17-18).

Daniel and his friends also personify for us Christian courage at its best - not merely a desperate type of courage for some emergency situation, but a quiet steadfast courage that enables us to live in a Christlike manner each day. It takes courage to be an unpopular minority when truth and right are involved. It takes courage to defend God's name when everyone else is using it in blasphemy. It takes courage to be another Daniel in a godless society. (Amazing Grace - Kenneth W. Osbeck)

Standing by a purpose true, heading God's command,
honour them, the faithful few!
All hail to Daniel's band!

Many mighty men are lost, daring not to stand,
who for God had been a host
by joining Daniel's band!

Many giants, great and tall, stalking thru the land,
headlong to the earth would fall
if met by Daniel's band!

Hold the gospel banner high! On to vict'ry grand!
Satan and his host defy,
and shout for Daniel's band!

Chorus: Dare to be a Daniel, dare to stand alone!
Dare to have a purpose firm!
Dare to make it known!
(Philip P. Bliss)

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June 22

"Blessed are ye, when men . . . persecute you."
(Matthew 5:11)

Listen to Paul in the jail at Philippi, "If God wants me to go to Heaven by way of this prion," he says, "it is all the same to me; rejoice and be exceeding glad, Silas. I thank God that I am accounted worthy to suffer for Jesus' sake." And as they sang their praises to God, the other prisoners heard them; but, what was far more important, the Lord heard them, and the old prison shook. Talk about Alexander the Great making the world tremble with his armies! Here is a little tentmaker who makes the world tremble without any army! (D.L. Moody)

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June 23

"I called upon Him, but He gave me no answer."
(Song of Solomon 5:6)

The Lord, when He has given great faith, has been know to try it by long delays. He has suffered His servants' voices to echo in their ears as from a brazen sky. They have knocked at the golden gate, but it has remained unmovable, as though it were rusted upon its hinges. Like Jeremiah, they have cried, "Thou hast covered Thyself with a cloud, that our prayer should not pass through." Thus have true saints continued long in patient waiting without reply, not because their prayers were not vehement, nor because they were unaccepted, but because it so pleased Him who is a Sovereign, and who gives according to His own pleasure. If it pleases Him to bid our patience exercise itself, shall He not do as He will with His own!

No prayer is lost. Praying breath was never spent in vain. There is no such thing as prayer unanswered or unnoticed by God, and some things that we count refusals or denials are simply delays. (H. Bonar)

Christ sometimes delays His help that He may try our faith and quicken our prayers. The boat may be covered with the waves, and He sleeps on; but He will wake up before it sinks. He sleeps, but He never oversleeps; and there are no "too lates" with Him. (Alexander Maclaren)

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June 24

"Unto Him that loved us . . . be glory and dominion for ever and ever."
(Revelation 1:5-6)

There is no other subject of praise for heaven than for earth; the blood of Christ has the same efficacy on earth as in heaven: that for which they praise God there is equally true for us. Their harps are better tuned than ours, but their song is the same.

Let us be persuaded to praise the Lord alone. He only is worthy of being praised, revered and adored. The song of the blessed (Revelation 5) praises none but Him who redeemed them with His blood. It contains not one word of praise for any of their own number. . . . Let us strive to bring our hearts into unison with that song. . . . This will be our happiness even here below, and contribute to God's glory, which is wronged by the praise that Christians too often bestow on each other. (J.N. Darby)

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June 25

"Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and preached Christ unto them."
(Acts 8:5)

Philip, one of the seven deacons had been appointed to help in distributing bread among the Christian converts. We are told that "they that have used the office of a deacon well purchase to themselves a good degree, and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus" (1 Timothy 3:13). Here was a man who used the office of a deacon well! He was set apart to minister in the temporal affairs of the Church but he had been so faithful, true and conscientious in carrying out his responsibilities that the Spirit of God committed to him a greater ministry.

He sent him forth to preach Christ unto the people of Samaria. He did not go to them with what some people call the "Social Gospel"; he did not go to talk to them on political subjects, but he went down to preach Christ.

The message of God's servants today should be the same as his, for "the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God" (1 Corinthians 1:18). (H.A. Ironside)

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June 26

"And Ruth said, Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God: Where thou diest, will I die."
(Ruth 1:16-17)

Commitment! That is what following Christ involves. Not a Sunday morning religion but a wholehearted commitment of my life, my ambitions, my job, my hobbies, my time, my possessions, my home - in fact, all that I have and am - to the Lord Jesus Christ. Commitment to Him may mean that I will need to make changes in many of these areas. Such a commitment is not optional. It is a must, if I am to truly follow Him. (David Croudace)

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June 27

"It is good for me that I have been afflicted."
(Psalm 119:71)

God, pity those who cannot say;
"Not mine, but Thine"; who can pray
"Let this cup pass," and cannot see
The purpose in Gethsemane.
(Unknown)

God seems to ask greater depths of experience of us as we go along the heavenly pathway. First the water of trial is ankle deep, then knee deep, and later loin deep with waters to swim in. Swimming on top of trouble would never be possible in ankle deep waters. How good that the Lord graduates our trials, which though severe all issue well." (W.M. Wadsworth)

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June 28

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by Him; and without Him was not anything made that was made."
(John 1:1-3)

Philosophy and science have not always been friendly toward the idea of God, the reason being that they are dedicated to the task of accounting for things and are impatient with anything that refuses to give an account of itself. The philosopher and the scientist will admit that there is much that they do not know; but that is quite another thing from admitting that there is something which they can never know, which indeed they have no technique for discovering.

To admit that there is One who lies beyond us, who exists outside of all our categories, who will not be dismissed with a name, who will not appear before the bar of our reason, nor submit to our curious inquiries: this requires a great deal of humility, more than most of us possess, so we save face by thinking God down to our level, or at least down to where we can manage Him. Yet how He eludes us! For He is everywhere while He is nowhere, for "where" has to do with matter and space, and God is independent of both. He is unaffected by time or motion, is wholly self-dependent and owes nothing to the worlds His hands have made. (A.W. Tozer - The Knowledge of the Holy)

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June 29

"Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another."
(1 John 4:11)

What does He mean when He puts in this little word SO loved us? It carries our minds back to the tenth verse, "Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us, and sent His Son to be the propitiation for out sins." That is the way God SO loved us. He did not wait for us to love Him before loving us; He did not wait for us to behave ourselves so well that He could look upon us with complacency, but "God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8).

God loved us when there was nothing lovable about us, God loved us when we were in enmity against Him and "alienated by wicked works," God loved us when our desires were contrary to His desires, when we were trampling His Word beneath our feet, spurning His grace, breaking His commandments; and now we read, "Beloved, if (since) God so loved us, we ought also to love one another." (Selected)

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June 30

"Now when the sun was setting, all they that had any sick with divers diseases brought them unto Him; and He laid His hands on every one of them, and healed them."
(Luke 4:40)

I recently read and read Luke 4:40. It was as if I had never seen it before. Those crowds - hot, sticky, clamorous, tiresome probably; but he did not see them as crowds. He laid His hands on every one of them - every one of them. It's the individual touch that tells. He doesn't love in the mass, but in ones. "Not a sparrow . . ." (Matthew 10:29). (Candles in the Dark - Amy Carmichael)

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Gems from May 2011

2011-05-01T21:40:00.035-04:00

"Now unto Him that is able to keep you from falling . . ."
(Jude 24)

God is able to keep us from falling. To doubt this would not only be to disbelieve His own word, but also to forget that He is God.

The Holy Spirit is our only power for a holy walk. Of ourselves we cannot take a single step in this path.

The utmost human efforts, the most resolute determination, are of no avail either to keep ourselves from evil or to follow after Christ.

If you leave out the truth of the coming of the Lord Jesus you miss a power for holiness that God has given to us. (Edward Dennett)

"And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as He is pure" (1 John 3:3).

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"By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter; choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season."
(Hebrews 11:24,25)

Nature would say of Moses, Why not stay in Pharaoh's court, that the people may be converted, instead of leaving it?
Flesh cannot understand what faith leads to. (J.N. Darby)

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May 1

"I will trust, and not be afraid." (Isaiah 12:2)

You must not attach too much importance to your joy . . . nor to your distress. . . . You can add nothing by joy or sorrow to the perfect work of Christ. . . . If someone has paid my debts, my sorrow at the folly that contracted them or my joy at their being discharged adds nothing whatever to the payment of the debt, though both be natural and just.

Abraham found in the mountain a place where he could intercede with God, while Lot was saying, "I cannot escape to the mountain, lest some evil take me and I die." Unbelief always looks at the place of faith as the most awful thing possible - all darkness. (Pilgrim Portions for the Day of Rest)

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May 2

"It is written." (Matthew 4:4,7,10)

Christ overcame Satan by the Word. He simply said: "It is written;" and a second time, and a third time, "It is written;" and that was the arrow that shot right into him and drove him away. The devil does not care a bit about our feelings. He can make our feelings good or bad; he can take us up on the mountain, or down into the valley, and we can only vanquish him by the Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word. (D.L. Moody)

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May 3

"Thou preparest a table before me in the preparest a table before me in the presence of my enemies."
(Psalm 23:5)

A Table in the Presence of Mine Enemies

When we come to the Lord's Table to partake of the bread and drink the cup in remembrance of Him, it is a blessed picture: "Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies." ("For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup ye do show the Lord's death till He come" 1 Corinthians 11:26).

What did He have to go through to prepare this remembrance for us? Nothing short of His infinite condescending love made possible this solemn communion in which we remember His redeeming sacrifice on Calvary. Can any words express more fully than John 3:16 the love of God and the sacrifice of His Son on Calvary? "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him shall not perish, but have everlasting life."

When we confess our sin and receive Christ as our Savior, He gives us a place at the His table. What had to take place for us to have this divine privilege? Paul says, "For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him" (2 Corinthians 5:21). Such fathomless love, which was subjected to the maximum of man's scorn, rejection, bitterness, hate, blasphemy, and finally the infamy of Calvary, He manifested for sinful mankind. We cannot conceive of such great love; it is beyond our understanding. He went through all of this, "preparing a table in the presence of mine enemies." And then He cried out with a loud voice, "It is finished." What is finished? Our salvation was made complete by the price He paid in full for our redemption with His body and blood on Calvary. Our "table" has been fully prepared and is set before us, filled with the bounties of His mercy and grace! We take our place in humble contrition. (Adapted)

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May 4

"Fight the good fight of faith . . ." (1 Timothy 6:12)
"This is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith." (1 John 5:4)

Napoleon quickly observed where the strategic position for a battlefield lay. He would then thrust all his forces and resources into conquering and keeping that position, no matter what the sacrifice to his troops.

To claim spiritual conquests, soldiers in the army of God must be prepared and alert to do the same. Gordon B. Watt once said: "The point of obstructions must be found out, and prayer focused upon it. The mind must be convicted. The will must be stirred into right action. On the obstruction, whatever it may be, as it is revealed through waiting upon God, prayer must be concentrated."

Oh, the wonders of prayer!
- Abraham's servant prays . . . Rebekah appears.
- Jacob wrestles and prays and prevails with Christ . . .
- Esau's mind is wonderfully turned from the revengeful purpose he has harboured for twenty years.
- Moses cries to God . . . the sea divides.
- Moses prays . . . Amalek is discomfited.
- Joshua prays . . . Achan is discovered.
- Hannah prays . . . Samuel is born.
- David prays . . . Ahithophel hangs himself.
- Asa prays . . . a victory is gained.
- Jehoshophat cries to God . . . God turns away his foes .
- Isaiah prays . . . the dream is revealed.
- Daniel prays . . . the lions are muzzled.
- Daniel prays . . . the seventy weeks are revealed.
- Ezra prays at Ahava . . . God answers.
- Nehemiah starts a prayer . . . the King's heart is softened in a minute.
- Elijah prays . . . a drought of three years succeeds.
- Elijah prays . . . rain descends apace.
- Elijah prays . . . Jordan is divided.
- The church prays ardently . . . Peter is delivered by an angel.

The weapon of prayer against the forces of evil prevails.
- It brings power.
- It brings fire.
- It brings rain.
- It brings life.
- It bring God!

There is no power like that of prevailing prayer. Dare to be definite with God; dare to lay hold of the promises and to wait in faith until the answer comes. Victory is through Calvary! (Author Unknown)

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May 5

"Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord. Jesus Christ."
(Acts 20:21)

Repentance involves the moral judgment of ourselves under the action of the Word of God by the power of the Holy Spirit. It is the discovery of our utter sinfulness, guilt, and ruin, our hopeless bankruptcy, our undone condition. It expresses itself in these glowing words of Isaiah, "Woe is me! for I am undone"; and in that touching utterance of Peter, "Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord" (Luke 5:8). Repentance is an abiding necessity for the sinner, and the deeper it is the better. It is the plowshare entering the soul and turning up the fallow ground. The plowshare is not the seed, but the deeper the furrow the stronger the root.

We delight in a deep work of repentance in the soul. We fear there is far too little of it in what is called revival work. Men are so anxious to simplify the gospel, and make salvation easy, that they fail to press upon the sinner's conscience the claims of truth and righteousness. No doubt, salvation is as free as the grace of God can make it. Moreover it is all of God from first to last. God is its source, Christ its channel, the Holy Spirit its power of application and enjoyment. All this is blessedly true; but we must never forget that man is a responsible being - a guilty sinner - imperatively called upon to repent and turn to God. (C.H. Mackintosh)

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May 6

"My brethren, have not faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons."
(James 2:1)

A system of literature has grown up around the notion that Christianity may be proven by the fact that "great men" believe in Christ!

A magazine article carries the caption that "Senator So-and-So Believes in Christ." The implication is that if the senator believes in Christ, then Christ must be all right.

When did Jesus Christ have to ride in on the coattail of a senator, or a governor, or some other well known man?

No, no! Jesus Christ stands alone, unique and supreme, self-validating, and the Holy Spirit declares Him to be God's eternal Son. ["That at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow... and that every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."] Let us pray that all presidents and all the kings and queens, the senators, and the lords and ladies of the world, along with the great athletes and great actors - will kneel at His feet and cry, "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty!"

Only the Holy Spirit can do this. For that reason, I don't bow down to great men. I bow down to the Great Man, and if you have learned to worship the Son of Man, you will not worship other men.

The Holy Spirit is God's imperative of life. If Christ is to be the Christ of God rather than the Christ of intellect, then we must enter in beyond the veil, until the illumination of the Holy Spirit fills our hearts and we are learning at the feet of Jesus - not at the feet of men! (A.W. Tozer - Renewed Day By Day)

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May 7

"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God."
(Ephesians 2:8)

Those words declare plainly that the very faith by which we are saved is the gift of God. But some will say that if the gift is not given by God then they cannot believe, and so they should not be held responsible for the loss of their soul. That interpretation is very unsound. The Word says, "So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God" (Romans 10:17). Faith is founded upon hearing, and if men give attention and hear the voice of God and desire to be delivered from their sins, then faith springs up in their souls, and they are enabled to lay hold of Christ and be saved. But where men deliberately spurn the Word of God and persist in their sinfulness, they are numbered among those of whom the apostle writes: "All men have not faith" (2 Thessalonians 3:2). They have not faith because they will not give heed to the message. (H.A. Ironside - Address on Thessalonians)

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May 8

"Without Me ye can do nothing."
(John 15:5)

I may see what appears very attractive down here; but, looking up there, I see Christ, and I feel that till He comes down, earth cannot be blessed. This world to me without Him is only a wilderness; there is no rest here. All blessing - even for the earth - is shut up in Christ; all happiness, all true joy, hid in the person of the Lord. You cannot get anything like real happiness without Him. Oh, how much happier a way of learning that out rest is not here, is that thought that nothing can make us happy till He comes, than to be vainly seeking rest while He is absent, filling our mouths with sand and gravel! (Gleanings From the Teaching of G.V. Wigram)

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May 9

"Tell me, O Thou whom my soul loveth, where Thou makest Thy flock to rest at noon?"
(Song of Solomon 1:7)

We have lost the art of "resting at noon." Many are slowly succumbing to the strain of life because they have forgotten how to rest. The steady stream, the continuous uniformity of life, is what kills.

Rest is not a sedative for the sick, but a tonic for the strong. It spells emancipation, illumination, transformation. It saves us from becoming slaves even of good works.

One of our Cambridge naturalists told me once of an experiment he had made with a pigeon. The bird had been born in a cage and had never been free; one day his owner took the bird out on the porch of the house and flung it into the air. To the naturalist's surprise the bird's capacity for flight was perfect. Round and round it flew as if born in the air; but soon its flight grew excited, panting, and the circles grew smaller, until at last the bird dashed full against its master's breast and fell to the ground. What did it mean? It meant that, though the bird had inherited the instinct of flight it had not inherited the capacity to stop, and if it had not risked the shock of a sudden halt the little life would have been panted out in the air.

Isn't that a parable of many a modern life: completely endowed with the instinct of action, but without the capacity to stop? Round and round life goes in its weary circle until it is almost dying at full speed. Any shock, even some severe experience, is a mercy if it checks the whirl. Sometimes God stops such a a soul abruptly by some sharp blow of trouble, and the soul falls in despair at His feet, and then He bends over it and says: "Be still, my child; be still and know that I am God!" until by degrees the despair of trouble is changed into submission and obedience, and the poor, weary, fluttering life is made strong to fly again. (Springs in the Valley)

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May 10

"But God raised Him from the dead."
(Acts 13:30)

By an act of God, our Saviour arose from the dead, and lives eternally. He is the only spiritual leader in human history who was once dead and now lives. Many bore witness of His resurrection. He will never die. Every human being - past, present, future - has an inescapable appointment with the living Christ. For many, that appointment is a happy prospect. For all others, it bodes an awful doom. Prepare now to meet the risen Saviour. (Doug Kazen)

He lives; He lives: Christ Jesus lives today.
He walks with me; He talks with me, along life's narrow way.
He lives; He lives; salvation to impart.
You ask me how I know He lives; He lives within my heart
(A. Ackley)

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May 11

“If any man hear My voice”
(Revelation 3:20)

On September 11, 2001 after a hijacked plane slammed into the Pentagon, a cloud of thick black smoke trapped many people inside the building. Police officer Isaac Hoopi ran into the building and into the dark cloud, looking for survivors. As he made his way through the darkness he heard people calling for help. He began shouting back, over and over, “Head toward my voice! Head toward my voice!”

A group of six people, who had lost all sense of direction in a smoke-filled hallway, heard the officer’s shouts and began to move toward his voice. Hoopi’s voice led them out of the building to safety.

Jesus gave a very similar invitation.

"Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28

“Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear My voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with Me.” Revelation 3:20
(Selected - submitted by S.L.)

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May 12

"Behold how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!"
(Psalm 133:1)

- God blesses you to bless others.

- A believer at war with another Christian cannot be at peace with the Father.

- Guard your thoughts as you would your wallet.

- Submission to good means taking our hands off what belongs to Him.

- God's purpose for today's events may not be seen till tomorrow.

- A warning heeded is a disaster avoided.

- Love was displayed when God became a man.

- If you always tell the truth you will never be trapped in a lie.
(Some Thoughts to Consider - R.K.)

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May 13

". . . When thou shalt make His soul an offering for sin, . . . He shall see of the travail of His soul, and shall be satisfied: . . ."
(Isaiah 53:10,11)

JESUS CHRIST, PERFECT GOD AND PERFECT MAN

- It is true that He emptied Himself.
- He laid aside the outward appearance of Deity.
- His Godhead was veiled. But it was there!
- Again and again His Godhead showed itself.
- As man, he slept in the boat.
- As God, He calmed the waves.
- As man, He wept.
- As God, He cried, "Lazarus, come forth!"
- As man, He was laid in the tomb
- As God, He arose!
(A.E. Hughes)

Oh, the love that drew salvation's plan,
Oh, the grace that brought it down to man,
Oh, the mighty gulf that God did span - AT CALVARY!
Mercy there was great, and grace was free,
Pardon there was multiplied to me,
There my burdened soul found liberty - AT CALVARY!
"Calvary stills all questions."

The Cross spells two stories: one in black - ugly black - the story of sin. Sin carpentered the Cross, and and wove the thorns, and drove the nails - our sin! And a story too, in red - bright - flowing red - the story of LOVE, HIS LOVE that yielded to the Cross and nails and shame for us! And only the passion of His love burning within will make us hate sin, as only HIS BLOOD can wash it out.
The hill of the Cross is the highest hill on earth in its significance. There hate's worst and love's best met.
AND LOVE WON
(S.D. Gordon)

N.J. Hiebert - 4432

May 14

"And Samuel said, hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold to obey is better than sacrifice and to hearken than the fat of rams."
(1 Samuel 15:22)

Saul's word was "Sacrifice." Samuel's word was "obedience." No doubt the bleating of the sheep and the lowing of the oxen were most exciting. They would be looked upon as substantial proofs that something was being done; while on the other hand, the path of obedience seemed narrow, silent, lonely and fruitless. But oh! those pungent words of Samuel! "To obey is better than sacrifice." What a triumphant answer to the most eloquent advocates of expediency! They are most conclusive - most commanding words. They teach us that it is better, if it must be so, to stand, like a marble statue, on the pathway of obedience, than to reach the most desirable ends by transgressing a plain precept of the Word of God. (C.H. Mackintosh)

N.J. Hiebert - 4433

May 15

"Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path." (Psalm 119:105)

God's Word is represented as a lamp for the feet.

It is a "lamp"--not a blazing sun, nor even a lighthouse--but a plain, common lamp or lantern which one can carry about in the hand.

It is a lamp "for the feet," not throwing its beams afar, not illumining a hemisphere--but shining only on the one little bit of road on which the pilgrim's feet are walking.

The law of divine guidance is, "Step by step". One who carries a lantern on a country-road at night, sees only one step before him. If he takes that step, he carries his lantern forward, and thus makes another step plain. At length he reaches his destination in safety, without once stepping into darkness. The whole way has been made light for him, though only a single step of it at a time. This illustrates the usual method of God's guidance.

If this is the way God guides, it ought never to be hard for us to find our duty. It never lies far away, inaccessible to us--but is always near. It never lies out of our sight, in the darkness, for God never puts our duty where we cannot see it. The thing that we think may be our duty--but which is still lying in obscurity and uncertainty, is not our duty yet, whatever it may be a little farther on. The duty for the very moment is always clear--and that is as far as we need concern ourselves; for when we do the little that is clear, we will carry the light on, and it will shine on the next moment's step.

Jesus said, "He that followeth Me shall not walk in darkness" (John 8:12). Prompt, unquestioning, undoubting following of Christ--takes all the perplexity out of Christian life and gives unbroken peace. There never is a moment without its duty; and if we are living near to Christ and following Him closely, we shall never be left in ignorance of what He wants us to do. (Selected - B.L.)

"Order my steps in Thy Word: and let not any iniquity have dominion over me" (Psalm 119:133).

N.J. Hiebert - 4434

May 16

"But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession, and kept back part of the price, his wife also being privy to it, and brought a certain part, and laid it at the Apostles' feet. But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Spirit, and to keep back part of the price of the land? While it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God."
(Acts 5:1-4)

- What drove Adam our of Eden? Eating a little fruit.
- What degraded the head of the restored earth? Drinking too much wine.
- What stripped Aaron of his garments of glory and beauty? Strange fire.

Thus, in every instance, it is not a question as to the magnitude of the thing done, but as to the gravity of the principle involved.

It is of the very deepest moment to see this, in all cases. What appears on the surface may, in our poor shallow judgment, seem very trivial: but the underlying principles may involve the very gravest consequences.
(Letters to a Friend by C.H. Mackintosh - 1874 & 1875)

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May 17

"And looking upon Jesus as He walked, He saith , Behold the Lamb of God! And the two disciples heard Him speak, and they followed Jesus." (John 1:36,37)

Seeing

An earnest young Christian who had a deep longing to follow and grow in Christ went to visit an elderly Christian known by all in the community for his godly life and fervent lifelong love for his Saviour. The elderly saint was sitting with his dog on his porch enjoying a beautiful sunset. After greeting him, the young man asked his question, "Why is it that so many Christians are so zealous for the Lord right after they are saved but eventually seem to give up and slip back into living like the world - acting just like they did before they were saved? You have been a Christian for many years and you always seem so happy in the Lord. What makes you different?"

There was silence as the old saint thought. Then smiling, he spoke. "Young man, let me tell you a story. One day I was sitting here with my dog when a large rabbit ran across the yard right in front of us. My dog jumped up and took off after that rabbit, excitedly chasing after him all over those hills. His barking caused several other neighbourhood dogs to join him in the chase. It wasn't long, however, before those dogs seemed to lose interest in the chase. One by one they all left and before long only my dog was still eagerly chasing the rabbit.

"That story is the answer to your question."

The young Christian sat silent, confused. Then bursting out, he said, "I don't understand. How does dogs chasing a rabbit answer my question about faithfully following Christ?" In a gentle voice the old saint replied, "Perhaps you have trouble understanding what I meant because you didn't ask the right question." "Well, what is the right question?", he frowned. Smiling, the old man continued, "You should have asked, why didn't the other dogs continue chasing after the rabbit."

The young man silently considered the question. Unable to think of an answer he looked questioningly into the old brother's face.

"They never saw the rabbit", was the gentle answer. (The Christian Shepherd - November 2007)

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May 18

"My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me."
(John 10:27)

The quietness of communion is but little known, not to say enjoyed, in this busy active day. How truly the moment speaks loudly of unrest and unreality; and how little is known even among the saints of that deep, personal, unexpressed joy in Christ.

The satisfaction of the heart in the personal nearness of the Lord, the being in His company for the simple joy of it, is true communion; thus it is we have common mind with Him, which is the meaning of communion. When this is the case, we know the mind of our Lord and Master, and this it is which qualifies us for every service as Christ's confidential servants, rather than the amount of our service or the laboriousness of our work. (W.T.T. - Christian Truth - Vol. - 20 -- March 1967)

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May 19

"He was despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief . . . He was despised, and we esteemed Him not."
(Isaiah 53:3)

A life of praise is not something that can be worked up. Rather, it is a remembrance and a response to Christ's sacrificial death on our behalf. As we reflect on who Christ is and what He has accomplished for us, what He provides in our daily lives as an advocate before God, and what He has promised for out future, our hearts are melted before Him. We bow at His feet in humble adoration and proclaim with all sincerity, "Hallelujah, what a Saviour!"

It is said that the word Hallelujah is basically the same in all languages. It seems as though God has given this word as a preparation for the great celebration of heaven, when His children from every tribe, language, people, and nation shall have been gathered home to sing their eternal "Hallelujah to the Lamb!"

Philip P. Bliss, along with Ira Sankey, was one of the truly important leaders and publishers of early gospel music. Before his tragic train accident death at the age of 38, he wrote hundreds of of gospel songs, many of which are still widely sung today. "Hallelujah, What a Saviour!" is one of the best and most enduring of the songs produced by Bliss. The first four stanzas present Christ's atoning work simply and clearly. The last stanza, "When He comes, our glorious King," is in an entirely different mood, joyful and triumphant in its anticipation of the praise that will continue throughout eternity - "Hallelujah, what a Saviour!"

"Man of sorrows!" what a name for the Son of God, who came ruined sinners to reclaim!
Hallelujah, what a Saviour!

Bearing shame and scoffing rude, in my place condemned He stood - sealed my pardon with His blood:
Hallelujah, what a Saviour!

Guilty, vile and helpless we, spotless Lamb of God was He; full atonement! can it be?
Hallelujah, what a Saviour!

Lifted up was He to die, "It is finished," was His cry; now in heav'n exalted high:
"Hallelujah, what a Saviour!

When He comes, our glorious King, all His ransomed home to bring; then anew this song we'll sing:
Hallelujah, what a Saviour!
(Amazing Grace - Kenneth W.Osbeck)

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May 20

"He that spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things!"
(Romans 8:32)

When Christ hung on the Cross He not only made provision for the removal of the weight of our sin, but also for the indwelling presence of the Spirit in the heart; for joy unspeakable and full of glory; for peace that passeth all understanding; for strength to make us more than conquerors through Him that loved us; in short - He blessed us with all spiritual blessings in the Heavenly places in Himself. If you do not have these joys you are not getting out of Christianity that which God desired you to have. (Happy Though Poor - Donald Grey Barnhouse)

N.J. Hiebert - 4439

May 21

"I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord."
(Ephesians 4:1)

The great Apostle called himself "The prisoner of the Lord;"
He was not held by Roman chains nor kept in Caesar's ward;
Constrained by love alone, by cords of kindness bound,
The bond-slave of the living Christ, true liberty he found.

Oh happy those who see in poverty and pain,
In weakness and in toil, their Father's golden chain;
Who feel no prison walls though shut in narrow ways,
And though in darkness fettered fast can still rejoice and praise;
From sin's dread bondage bought, they own their Master's ward,
They bear the brand of Christ, blest prisoners of the Lord!
(Annie Johnson Flint)

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May 22

"Our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory."
(2 Corinthians 4:17)

God chooses my circumstances, my sicknesses, my sorrows, in view of what He is accomplishing. "We do know that all things work together for good to those who love God. . . . Because whom He has foreknown, He has also predestinated to be conformed to the image of His Son." (Romans 8:28,29). He thus chooses the the circumstances for us that will best accomplish His purpose of conforming us to the image of His Son. The consequence is that, if in the line of His purpose, I will never seek to change my circumstances. In fellowship with the heart of God I will gratefully leave that to Him.

How merciful it is in the ways of God that it is only gradually we approach our sorrows, and that we find when they come upon us that they are "lustred with His love"!

He alone who has made the blank in your life can fill it, and He will. When all the blanks of earth are filled with His presence we gain infinitely more than we have lost. (Edward Dennett)

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May 23

"O Lord our Lord, how excellent is Thy name in all the earth!"
(Psalm 8:1)

What a pleasure to enjoy the names of our Lord!

- He is the Almighty God. Consider His creatorial power expressed in so many ways.
- He is Wisdom personified. See His beauty and design in nature, with all its variations of colour and usefulness.
- He is Love, as revealed in Christ Jesus the Lord, who pleased not Himself, but offered Himself as a sacrifice for us sinners.
- He is the God of righteousness and judgment as seen in His perfect Word.
- He is the Blessed God whose joy is reflected in His own who rejoice in Him, who give thanks and praise to His name. (Ben Tuininga)

O Lord, how wondrous and great is Thine exalted name!
The glories of Thy heavenly state, let men and babes proclaim.

N.J. Hiebert - 4442

May 24

"And when forty years were expired, there appeared to him in the wilderness . . . an angel of the Lord . . . saying, . . . now come, I will send thee into Egypt."
(Acts 7:30-34)

Often the Lord calls us aside from our work for a season, and bids us be still and learn ere we go forth again to minister. There is no time lost in such waiting hours.

Fleeing from his enemies, the ancient knight found that his horse needed to be re-shod. Prudence seemed to urge him on without delay, but higher wisdom taught him to halt a few minutes at the blacksmith's forge by the way, to have the shoe replaced; and although he heard the feet of his pursuers galloping hard behind, yet he waited those minutes until his charger was refitted for his flight. And then, leaping into his saddle just as they appeared a hundred yards away, he dashed away from them with the fleetness of the wind, and knew that his halting had hastened his escape.

So often God bids us tarry ere we go, and fully recover ourselves for the next stage of the journey and work. (Days of Heaven Upon Earth)

N.J. Hiebert - 4443

May 25

"Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven."
(Matthew 5:16)

How is it that our domestic life often falls so sadly short of being the expression and reflector of our heavenly relationship? Is it not because we have so little entered, in the power of an ungrieved Spirit, into a fuller and deeper realization of our heavenly relationships, either from want of sound and solid instruction in the truth, or from our own culpable (guilty) neglect of prayerful meditation upon that word which is truth?

Let me take a household article for an illustration.

The pendulum of a clock rests upon a pivot above, else it would not move below. Now the pivot, on which it is suspended, is within the clock, invisible; but there above is the starting-point for the visible movement of the pendulum below. If anything is wrong up there (from want of oil, or through rust, etc.) the pendulum stops, or moves irregularly, and with a moaning noise, below.

. . . the Holy Spirit takes pains first of all, to set before the soul the full truth of a settled relationship, resting upon our Blessed Saviour and His work, and as unchangeable and unmovable, as are Christ and His work. Then, as flowing from it, and in the closest connection with it, comes the responsibility (as to practicable walk), becoming such a relationship, and its natural result - if realized by the power of the Spirit. (J.A. von Poseck)

N.J. Hiebert - 4444

May 26

"Though the Lord be high, yet hath He respect unto the lowly: but the proud He knoweth afar off."
(Psalm 138:6)

As with repentant hearts we bow in submission to the will of God we obtain the grace needed to triumph over every foe. We need not even fear the great arch-enemy of God and men, the devil. We need not run in terror from his assaults or faint in fear when he seeks to overcome us. All we need to do is to stand firmly on the ground of redemption, resisting Satan in the power of faith. Notice how both James and Peter agree in this as they write under the guidance of the overruling Holy Spirit. Here James says, "Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." Peter declares:

"Your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: whom resist steadfast in the faith."
(1 Peter 5:8,9).

By the use of the Word and in dependence on God in prayer we become impregnable against the assaults of the evil one. The old saying is true,

"Satan trembles when he sees,
The weakest saint upon his knees."
(Selected)

N.J. Hiebert - 4445

May 27

"I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me."
(Galatians 2:20)

Faith knows nothing sure but God and His Word.

Faith takes God's Word and locks it up in the very innermost chamber of the heart, and there it remains as hid treasure. The happy possessor of this treasure is rendered thoroughly independent of the world.

Faith knows nothing positive, nothing real, but the Word of the living God.
(Food for the Desert)

N.J. Hiebert - 4446

May 28

"He is before all things, and by Him all things consist."
(Colossians 1:17)

"For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow His steps."
(1 Peter 2:21)

If you and I have taken the place of owning Christ as Lord, we shall be sure to have a little bit of suffering.
If He is Lord over me, I must do everything to please Him, and, I shall be sure to displease friends.
I must give up this thing and not do the other, cost what it may, if He is Master.
(Gleanings of G.V. Wigram)

N.J. Hiebert - 4447

May 29

"Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy profiting may appear to all."
(1 Timothy 4:15)

The material for meditation is the Word of God; for that is the only book that is distinctly and exclusively authoritative. It has been said, "people prefer to drink at any other source than the original." There - is a lesson for us! Devotional and expository volumes are of great value - of very great value; but while they are admirable helps, they are miserable substitutes for the Bible itself. The Bible is the one Book wherein, for thousands of years, the spirit of man has found light and nourishment, and a response to whatever was deepest in his heart.

Meditation is the digestive faculty of the soul, which converts the Word into real and proper nourishment, and produces the most happy results. "Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and Thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart" (Jeremiah 15:16). Note the process and results: "finding", which corresponds to the New Testament word "search"; "eating", or "appropriating", which answers to "meditation"; "rejoicing", the inevitable consequence of searching, and reflecting on what is found. (In Pastures Green)

N.J. Hiebert - 4448

May 30

"And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to Himself by Jesus Christ. . . ."
(2 Corinthians 5:18)

Paul encouraged the Athenians by reminding them that God was not far from any one of them, that it was He in whom they lived and moved and had their being. Yet men think of Him as farther away than the farthest star. The truth is that He is nearer to us than we are to ourselves!

But how can the conscious sinner bridge the mighty gulf that separates him from God in living experience? The answer is that he cannot, but the glory of the Christian message is that Christ did! Through the blood of His cross He made peace that he might reconcile all things unto Himself: "And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath He reconciled in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in His sight" (Colossians 1:21,22).

The new birth makes us partakers of the divine nature. There the work of undoing the dissimilarity between us and God begins. From there it progresses by the sanctifying operation of the Holy Spirit till God is satisfied.

That is the theology of it, but even the regenerated soul may sometimes suffer from the feeling that God is far from him. Put away the evil from you, believe, and the sense of nearness will be restored. God was never away in the first place! (A.W. Tozer)

N.J. Hiebert - 4449

May 31

"And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:7).

When you have a need, instead of worrying and fussing about it, present your need to our Father right away. Stop what you are doing; get on your knees and pour your heart out to the Father. Our loving God and Father is waiting and wants to hear all about it. He will not always say yes, but He will always give us His peace. If we will but trust Him and put our cares before His heart, He will put His peace into ours. (Submitted by a reader- S.L.)

N.J. Hiebert - 4450

Gems from April 2011

2011-04-01T02:28:00.030-04:00

"Christ is all and in all." (Colossians 3:11)

- We can get life and happiness only in Christ.

Apart from Him, all is death and misery.

- There is nothing real, nothing solid, nothing satisfying , but in Christ

- Either Christ's atoning sacrifice is sufficient, or it is not; if it is sufficient, why those doubts and fears?
(Food for the Desert)

N.J. Hiebert - 4387

March 30

"The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want."
(Psalm 23:1)

- The greatness of the Shepherd - "the Lord";
- The certainty of His shepherdhood - "is";
- The personal nature of the shepherdhood - "My shepherd;"
- What shepherhood includes - food, protection, etc.
- He who calls the muster roll of the stars, and reigns over a million worlds,
Cares for me, and,
- Never once is oblivious of me, so small, so feeble, so unwise.
- His shepherd-care extends over all time
- Embraces every dispensation
- Supplies every want
- Anticipates every emergency
- Comprehends every believer from the beginning to the end of the world -
- And shall everlastingly secure the safety and the happiness of every member of the flock.
- In strength He is almighty;
- In wisdom omniscient;
- In love unequalled; and
- In resources unbounded.
(In Pastures Green - George Henderson)

N.J. Hiebert - 4388

March 31

"Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need."
(Hebrews 4:16)

Mr. Darby translates it: "Let us approach therefore with boldness to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace for seasonable help." What is the difference between the two translations? This: if you lift a man out of a deep hole into which he may have accidentally fallen, you would be giving him help in time of need; if you guard him from falling into the hole, you would be rendering him seasonable help.

A fence at the top of a precipice is better than a hospital at the bottom.

He ever lives to intercede and hence the grace of God is not only equal:

- for a second but for 60 seconds,
- not only for a minute but for 60 minutes,
- not only for an hour but for 24 hours,
- not only for a day but for 365 days,
- not only for a year but for a lifetime and eternity.

He is able to save to the uttermost (Hebrews 7:25), to keep us from falling (Jude 24), to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think (Ephesians 3:20).

Finally, the verse speaks of the end and purpose of it all. We have illimitable resources, always available - (Heavens Cure for Earth's Care)

N.J. Hiebert - 4389

April 1

When We See Him Face to Face

"For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worth to be compared with the glory that shall be revealed to us." (Romans 8:18)

A remarkable incident occurred recently at a wedding in England. A young man of large wealth and high social position, who had been blinded by an accident when he was ten years old, and who won University honors in spite of his blindness, had won a beautiful bride, though he had never looked upon her face. A little while before his marriage, he submitted to a course of treatment by experts, and the climax came on the day of his wedding.

The day came, and the presents, and guests. There were present cabinet ministers and generals arid bishops and learned men and women. The bridegroom, dressed for the wedding, his eyes still shrouded in linen, drove to the church with his father, and the famous oculist met them in the vestry.

The bride, entered the church on the arm of her white-haired father. So moved was she that she could hardly speak. Was her lover at last to see her face that others admired, but which he knew only through his delicate finger tips?

As she neared the altar, while the soft strains of the wedding march floated through the church, her eyes fell on a strange group.

The father stood there with his son. Before the latter was the great oculist in the act of cutting away the last bandage. The bridegroom took a step forward, with the spasmodic uncertainty of one who cannot believe that he is awake. A beam of rose-colored light from a pane in the chancel window fell across his face, but he did not seem to see it.

Did he see anything? Yes! Recovering in an instant his steadiness of mien, and with a dignity and joy never before seen in his face, he went forward to meet his bride. They looked into each other's eyes, and one would have thought that his eyes would never wander from her face.

"At last!" she said. "At last!" he echoed solemnly, bowing his head. That was a scene of great dramatic power, and no doubt of great joy, and is but a mere suggestion of what will actually take place in Heaven when the Christian who has been walking through this world of trial and sorrow, shall see Him face to face. (Selected)

N.J. Hiebert - 4390

April 2

"Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord."
(1 Corinthians 15:58)

Not in vain! Toiling for God can involve such a wide spectrum - some abundantly obvious, others more obscure, but no less valuable. There are the labours of the missionary overseas. But there is also the toil for God which occurs in the apparently unstimulating daily routine. Maintaining a quiet testimony for God in seeming obscurity will not go unrewarded. Staying faithful to the Lord is not in vain. The world is driven by vanity. "Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing?" (Psalm 2:1). But seeking to serve the Lord humbly and faithfully has joys the world cannot give. (Mark Fenn)

N.J. Hiebert - 4391

April 3

"I have manifested Thy name unto the men which Thou gavest Me out of the world: Thine they were, and Thou gavest them me; and they have kept Thy word."
(John 17:6)

What a blessed thought put forth by the Lord, that they should be made so one with Himself, that the glory given to Him could be give to them; That they should be manifested as the people of His love, in whom His glory will be displayed. The moment He lets them hear of the glory given to Him, they hear also that He proposes to act in all the largeness of His love, and share it all with them. (G.V. Wigram)

N.J. Hiebert - 4392

April 4

"Behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world."
(John 1:29)

The cross of Christ is owned and believed in by every Christian, but peace and practice depend on the extent of the soul's apprehension of it. It is such an all important doctrine, that there can be no profession of Christianity without the acknowledgment of it in some form, and possibly there is no truth which has been so continually and so strangely perverted, or one of which only a very partial insufficient measure has been accepted. (Thoughts For This Day)

N.J. Hiebert - 4393

April 5

"Today if ye will hear His voice, harden not our heart."
(Hebrews 3:7)

- The right word may be effective, but no word was ever as effective as a rightly timed pause.

- Procrastination is the art of keeping up with yesterday.

- Confidence comes not from always being right but from not fearing to be wrong.

- Trust one who has gone through it.

- Love truth, and pardon error.
(A Collection of Wise Sayings - R.K.)

N.J. Hiebert - 4394

April 6

"All who will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution." (2 Timothy 3:12)

We are called to "live." We do not need a "form" (2 Timothy 3:5).
We have "life" (2 Timothy 1:1).
We are called simply to "be" – to be who and what we are "IN CHRIST."
We are called just to "live…in Christ Jesus" (2 Timothy 2:12)!
We are called to live in our COMPLETENESS in Him ("…complete in Him…" Colossians 2:10).
We are called to enjoy HIM as our LIFE! ("…Christ, Who is our life…" Colossians 3:4).
(Selected)

N.J. Hiebert - 4395

April 7

The Riches of His Grace

"The exceeding riches of HIs grace."
(Ephesians 2:7)

Oh, like the air about us that we breathe,
As limitless and all-encompassing;
And like the earth beneath us that we tread
As strong, as solid, and unvarying;
And like the sky above, where sun and stars
In old, unalterable orbits swing;

So is Thy grace to us, O God of grace!
Pledge of Thy mercy, promise of Thy might
Changeless through all the sorrows of the day,
Changeless through all the terrors of the night,
A present peace, a certain comforting,
Sustaining joy and everlasting light.
(Annie Johnson Flint)

N.J. Hiebert - 4396

April 8

"The Word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the Word which by the gospel is preached unto you."
(1 Peter 1:25)

"Heaven and earth shall pass away, but My Words shall not pass away." (Matthew 24:35)

How the Book of Books (the Bible) is hated! Who has ever heard anybody hating the Quarn, or the Rig-Veda, or the scores of other religious writings of non-Christian nations? Have there ever been attempts made to destroy the sacred writings of ancient peoples? How is it then that the Bible has been hated by a host of enemies under the instigation of an unseen power, aiming at its destruction? It would take a volume to record all the attempts which have been made from the very beginning to get rid of this remarkable, supernatural book.

It has outlived all attacks, and has risen triumphantly victorious over all its enemies. It has been the despised book, but many more honour, love and cherish it.

One of the popular phrases used by the enemies of the Bible is, "the Bible is out of date"; it is the very opposite. Because it is God's Word and God's revelation, it is always up to date and has a fresh, vivifying message for every generation.
(Listen God Speaks - Arno Clemens Gaebelein - 1861-1945)

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April 9

"But after a long abstinence Paul stood forth in the midst of them, and said, Sirs, ye should have hearkened unto me, and not have loosed from Crete, and to have gained this harm and loss."
(Acts 27:21)

Paul had been quiet all those days after the centurion refused his remonstrances at Fair Haven. Now Julius as well as almost everyone else on board ship, realized how foolish and wrong they had been to refuse to listen to Paul. Are you still refusing to listen to God's loving and gentle warnings about the course of life you are following?

The Apostle didn't need to say much. They all knew how wrong they had been. Does it see like the apostle Paul is "rubbing in" the hard lesson they were learning? He wasn't. But God requireth that which is past. In love and faithfulness, He will remind each reptant child, just exactly what caused the sorrow they are experiencing. If this is what you are feeling, don't despair. You are on the only road that will lead you back to joy, peace and satisfaction. Listen to God's loving and tender rebuke, accept it, bow to it, and judge as sin what took you on that path. (The Journey of life - D.N.)

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April 10

"That we should be to the praise of His glory, who first trusted in Christ." (Ephesians 1:12)

Out of one of the darkest hours of her life - the tragic drowning of her husband - a young mother proclaimed through her tears, "'Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus . . . and I know that Thou art with me, wilt be with me to the end." As Louisa M. R. Stead, her husband, and their little daughter were enjoying an ocean side picnic one day, a drowning boy cried for help. Mr. Stead rushed to save him but was pulled under by the terrified boy. Both were drowned as Louisa and her daughter watched helplessly. During the sorrowful days that followed, the words of this hymn came from the grief-stricken wife's heart.

Soon after this Mrs. Stead and her daughter left for missionary work in South Africa. After more than 25 years of fruitful service, Louisa was forced to retire because of ill health. She died a few years later in Southern Rhodesia. Her fellow missionaries had always loved " 'Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus" and wrote this tribute after her death:

We miss her very much, but her influence goes on as our 5000 native Christians continually sing this hymn in their native language.

Out of a deep human tragedy early in her life, Louisa Stead learned simply to trust in her Lord. She was used to "the praise of His glory" for the remainder of her life.
Still today, her ministry continues each time we sing and apply the truth of these words.

*****

'Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus, just to take Him at His word, just to rest upon His promise, just to know, "Thus saith the Lord."

O how sweet to trust in Jesus, just to trust His cleansing blood, just in simple faith to plunge me 'neath the healing, cleansing flood!

Yes, 'tis sweet to trust in Jesus, just from sin and self to cease, just from Jesus simply taking life and rest and joy and peace.

I'm so glad I learned to trust Thee, precious Jesus, Saviour, Friend; and I know that Thou art with me, wilt be with me to the end.

Chorus: Jesus, Jesus, how I trust Him! How I've proved Him o'er and o'er! Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus! O for grace to trust Him more!
(Louisa M.R. Stead)

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April 11

"I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ." (Philippians 3:8)

Paul had this admirable ambition - he would not let anything hamper his acquirement of the knowledge of Christ. Even things of seeming benefit were counted less than nothing if they hindered his appreciation of His Saviour. In the same manner, let us bring forth our spikenard of worship and let its fragrance fill the house (John 12:3) this day as we remember Him. (K.C. Ung)

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April 12

"Take heed therefore how ye hear."
(Luke 8:18)

Christ is looking for the results of His sowing. There must be not only the hearing but the possessing, and in this rests the responsibility, for if you keep the Word which you have heard, more shall be given you. If on hearing I possess that which I hear, not merely have joy in receiving it, but possess it as my own, then it becomes a part of the substance of my soul, and I shall get more, for when the truth has become a substance in my soul there is a capacity for receiving more. (The Man of Sorrows - JND)

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April 13

He Restores My Soul

"He restores my soul."
(Psalm 23:3)

Surely, anyone in the care of the Good Shepherd has experienced the need for restoration. To think differently is to deny the reality of life with its many devastating circumstances. God did not promise we would not have difficulties, but He did promise He would be our sufficiency in them. David knew what it was to be "cast down," to be in constant danger and fear, without resources and strength. (Selected)

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April 14

Lords & Lepers

"A lord . . . said, Behold, if the Lord would make windows in heaven, might this thing be? . . . And there were four leprous men . . . and they said one to another, Why sit we here until we die?" (2 Kings 7:2,3)

The "lord" ridiculed the idea that the siege of Samaria could be lifted and its famine relieved, but The Lord used lepers, of all people, to make the venture of desperation that brought deliverance. Truly, God keeps His secrets from the wise and prudent and reveals them unto babes. While King Jehoram and his experts and generals were at wit's end, God used the means least expected to turn the tide. It was not the wise, mighty, and noble who relieved Samaria but the base and despised. And while lords laughed, lepers demonstrated the power of God.

How often has the Almighty by-passed the high and mighty and confounded the experts, while some lowly soul on the verge of despair has put us all to shame by marching straight ahead in holy desperation to discover what the rest of us only debate! God proves Himself by raising up some nonentity who is willing to risk everything on a venture to show what God can do. While lords make light of it, lepers make history.

"Behold, if the Lord would make windows in heaven, might this thing be?" "Prove me now herewith, saith The Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven." Which will you believe, "a lord" or The Lord? (Day By Day - Vance Havner)

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April 15

"As thy days, so shall thy strength be."
(Deuteronomy 33:25)

Sometimes we witness severe trials that our friends are enduring, and we think, how could I ever withstand such an experience? Remember that God does not give grace for hypothetical situations. We need to rejoice in the grace and mercy we are receiving today. Tomorrow will bring its own trials but along with it will come grace that is perfectly sufficient. God wishes to keep His people humble by having them look daily at Christ's strength and not at their own weakness. Paul took pleasure in infirmity, for Christ's sake, and could say, "When I am weak then am I strong." The Lord says, "My grace is sufficient for thee" (2 Corinthians 12:9-10). (Milton Haack)

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April 16

Settled Peace

"For He is our peace."
(Ephesians 2:14)

The moment we begin to rest our peace on anything in ourselves, we lose it, and this is why so many saints have not settled peace.

Nothing can be lasting that is not built on God alone.

How can you have settled peace? Only by having it in God's own way, by not resting on anything . . . but on what Christ has done entirely without you. Then you will know peace, conscious unworthiness, but yet peace. In Christ alone, God finds that in which He can rest; and so it is with His saints. The more you see of the extent and nature of the evil that is within as well as that without and around, the more you will find that what Jesus is and did is the only ground at all on which you can rest.

What GOD is
Determines what GOD does;
What God does
Proves what God is - LOVE.
(Comforted of God - A.J. Pollock)

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April 17

In The World - Not Of It

". . . seek those things which are above . . . Set your affection on things above . . . Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth." (Colossians 3:1,2,5)

A small girl was watching her mother working among the flowers. "Mother," she said, "I know why flowers grow; they want to get out of the dirt!" We Christians are in the world but not of it (John 17). With our feet on the ground, we are admonished to set our affection, "on things above, not on things on the earth"; we are risen with Christ and are to "seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God" (Colossians 3:1-3).

What is the mysterious force which causes a sprouting seed to grow up instead of down? I plant a bulb upside down in the ground, but it always comes out "right side up." It is the sunlight above which attracts the plant to itself. Plants always seek the sunlight. Notice how your house plants turn and bend way over to reach the light from the window. Why is a sunflower called a sunflower? Because it turns with the sun in the morning to the east and follows it to the west. Why does a dandelion open only on sunny days but remain closed on dark days? It is the power of the sun. Obstruct the sunlight and life fades out. I threw an old rug to dry on the lawn and forgot to remove it, and all the grass turned a sickly yellow, from which it did not recover for weeks. As a plant seeks the sun above, so we are to "seek those things which are above."

The clouds of earth often obscure the sun, but by the wings of faith we can rise above the clouds and dwell in the eternal sunlight. The ladder of faith, made of two uprights, the Word of God, and prayer, supporting the nine rungs of Galatians 5:22,23, is long enough to reach beyond the clouds of doubt, fear, and defeat. Walk in the light of His Word and rise above the things of earth. (Selected)

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April 18

"But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory."
(1 Corinthians 2:7)

This mystery is not a problem that requires a solution, but a plan that awaits revelation. It has been premeditated by God, in His wisdom, and the remarkable thing is that we are the beneficiaries. Believing Gentiles and Jews, alike, will be participants of the outcome of this wisdom. United together in His glorious body, we shall be like Him for we shall see Him as He is. (Drew Craig)

When by His grace,
I shall look on His face,
That will be glory,
Be glory for me.
(Charles H. Gabriel)

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April 19

"But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into Him in all things, which is the head, even Christ."
(Ephesians 4:15)

To pretend to great zeal for the truth of the one Body, while failing to manifest the love of the Spirit, is to put the emphasis in the wrong place. Doctrinal correctness will never atone for lack of brotherly love. It is far more to God who is Himself love, in his very nature, that His people walk in love one toward another, than that they contend valiantly for set forms of truth, however scriptural. "Truthing in love" (which would correctly convey the thought of Ephesians 4:15) is more than contending for formulas. It is the manifestation of the truth in a life of love to God and to those who are His, as well as for poor lost sinners for whom Christ died. (Lectures on Colossians - H.A. Ironside)

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April 20

“…whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister; and whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant.”
(Matt. 20:26, 27)

What is true greatness?

In the kingdom of this world, the great man is the one who has risen to a place of wealth and power. He has a retinue of aides and assistants, conditioned to follow his orders. He is accorded V.I.P. treatment and receives special favors wherever he goes. People regard him with respect and awe because of his rank. He never has to stoop to anything menial; there are always others to do that for him.

But in the Kingdom of our Lord, things are quite different. Here greatness is measured by the extent to which we serve rather than the extent to which we are served. The great man is the one who stoops to become a slave for others. No service is too menial. He does not expect any special treatment or thanks. When one of George Washington’s men saw him performing a menial service, he objected, saying, “General, you are too big a man to be doing that.” Washington replied, “Oh, no, I’m just the right size.” (Adapted)

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April 21

"Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud; and He shall hear my voice." (Psalm 55:17)

Often but none too often. Seasons of great need call for frequent seasons of devotion. The three periods chosen are most fitting; to begin, continue, and end the day with God is supreme wisdom. Where time has naturally set up a boundary, there let us set up an altar-stone. The psalmist means that he will always pray; he will run a line of prayer right along the day, and track the sun with His petitions. Day and night he saw his enemies busy and therefore he would meet their activity by continuous prayer.

He is confident that he will prevail, he speaks as if he were already answered.
(C.H. Spurgeon)

There is no moment of our life when we do not need the help, guidance, protection which God alone can give. When our needs increase our prayers should multiply.

I need Thee every hour,
Stay Thou near by;
Temptations lose their power
When Thou art nigh.

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April 22

"He leadeth me in paths of righteousness for His name's sake."
(Psalm 23:3)

What are these "paths of righteousness"? Notice that they are "paths," not just a path. If we would think through the many encounters in our life where He has led us, we will find that many paths have been involved as He has led us. We cannot look at a current situation and say, "Well, the Lord led me in this way before, and He will do the same this time." Not necessarily. He chooses the path most suitable for our good, and for His glory. Could we ask for any better path to be led in or a better Shepherd to lead us?

Phillip Keller describes sheep. "Sheep, like us, are notorious creatures of habit. They follow the same trails until they become ruts, graze in the same fields until they are barren, and pollute the same ground until it is corrupt. They are dumb, stubborn, prefer to do what they have always done, and go their own way, regardless of what the consequences may incur. That's why it is so important for the shepherd to lead them in the right paths, to the right pastures, to the quiet pastures, beside the still waters. Their welfare is his priority and his utmost concern. The sheep reflect the integrity, leadership, and care of the shepherd."

We, too, are stubborn, self-willed, proud, self-sufficient, and determined that we know best. Therefore, we go our own way. Isaiah said, "All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned everyone to his own way" (Isaiah 53:6). Solomon said, "There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death" (Proverbs 14:12). And Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life" (John 14:6). This is our pivotal point. We either follow the Shepherd in a path that is right, or we continue along our ill-trodden way of fruitlessness, despair, frustration, and failure. HOW BLESSED IT IS TO FOLLOW THE GOOD SHEPHERD, FOR HIS NAME'S SAKE! (Adapted)

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April 23

"Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful to me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints."
(Jude 1:3)

To contend or not to contend, that is the question?
"It is better to be divided by truth than to be united in error. It is better to speak the truth that hurts and then heals, than falsehood that comforts and then kills. It is better to be hated for telling the truth than to be loved for telling a lie.” (Adrian Rogers)
"Faith is good only when it engages truth; when it is made to rest upon falsehood it can and often does lead to tragedy." (A. W. Tozer)
"There must come with the decision for truth a corresponding protest against error." (Charles Haddon Spurgeon)

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April 24

"The Lord hath given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary: He wakeneth morning by morning, He wakeneth mine ear to hear as the learned."
(Isaiah 50:4)

Is there ever any ground to be cast down? There are two reasons, but only two - if we are as yet unconverted, we have ground to be cast down; or if we are converted and live in sin, then we are rightly cast down. But except for these two things, there is no ground to be cast down, for all else may be brought before God in prayer with supplication and thanksgiving and regarding all our difficulties, all our trials, we may exercise faith in the power of God, in the love of God, and in His own time help will come.

There is never a time when we may not hope in God. Whatever our necessities, however great our difficulties, and though to all appearances, help is impossible, yet, our business is to hope in God. God is not confined to this thing or that thing, or to twenty things; in ten thousand different ways, and at ten thousand different times, God may help us.

Our business is to spread our case before the Lord, in childlike simplicity to pour out all our heart before God. When we are weary and tired, either through difficulty, sore temptation, losses, crosses, or greatly reduced through sickness, under such circumstances we may turn to the Lord Jesus and remind Him of His precious promises. (George Mueller)

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April 25

"But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world."
(Galatians 6:14)

Why was this converted Pharisee and one-time hater of Jesus the Nazarene now so passionate about the cross on which He was crucified? And why was the preaching of that cross so vital to him? Paul gives the answer to us in an amazing statement, "It pleased God . . . to reveal His Son in me" (Galatians 1:15,16). He was from that point integrated into the very heart of the One he calls, Lord! That ixperience was much more than a revelation to him. For him to live, the totality of all that he was, was Christ. May it be so with us too. (Drew Craig)

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April 26

"Whoso trusteth in the Lord, happy is he."
(Proverbs 16:20)

- There is no mystery about happiness whatever.
- Put in the right ingredients and it must come out.
- He that abideth in Him will bring forth much fruit;
- Bringing forth much fruit is happiness.
(A Thought for Every Day)

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April 27

"Rejoice alway: and again I say, REJOICE."
(Philippians 4:4)

Oh what a happy soul I am, although I cannot see
I am resolved that in this world, contented I shall be
How many blessings I enjoy, that other people don't
To weep and sigh because I'm blind, I cannot and I WON'T

(Fanny Crosby - age 9)
(Submitted by a reader, J.S.)

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April 28

"A new commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another."
(John 13:34)

His hour has come; at last the Father's home,
Beyond dark death, as sunlight on the hill,
Shines o'er the valley of the Father's will.
The day has dawned, when He must leave His own
To tread a path that He must take alone;
And drawing nearer to that day of days,
Upon His soul a load of sorrow weights:
Upon His heart of love divine, well known,
One rests his wearied head, with great delight;
One takes the sop, and passes into night:
And thus set free, the master's voice is heard -
"If all men are to learn that ye are Mine,
Then take to heart My last - My parting word -
And let your love to one another shine."
(The Last Words - Hamilton Smith)

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April 29

"Now unto Him that is able to keep you from falling . . ."
(Jude 24)

God is able to keep us from falling. To doubt this would not only be to disbelieve His own word, but also to forget that He is God.

The Holy Spirit is our only power for a holy walk. Of ourselves we cannot take a single step in this path.

The utmost human efforts, the most resolute determination, are of no avail either to keep ourselves from evil or to follow after Christ.

If you leave out the truth of the coming of the Lord Jesus you miss a power for holiness that God has given to us. (Edward Dennett)

"And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as He is pure" (1 John 3:3).

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April 30

"By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter; choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season."
(Hebrews 11:24,25)

Nature would say of Moses, Why not stay in Pharaoh's court, that the people may be converted, instead of leaving it?

Flesh cannot understand what faith leads to. (J.N. Darby)

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