Romans 12

Come, sit, and enjoy a cup of tea or coffee in the comfort of the Lord:  "Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice."  Ephesians  4:31

1. I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
2. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
3. For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.
4. For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office (function):
5. So we , being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members (individually) one of another.
6. Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith:
7. Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching:
8. Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity (liberally): he that ruleth, with diligence: he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness.
9. Let love be without dissimulation (hypocrisy). Abhor that which is evil; cleave (cling) to that which is good.
10. Be kindly affectioned (affectionate) one to another with brotherly love; in honor preferring (giving preference to) one another;
11. Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord.
12. Rejoicing in hope, patient (persevering)in tribulation; continuing instant (steadfastly) in prayer:
13. Distributing to the necessity (needs) of saints; given to hospitality. 
14. Bless them which persecute you: bless, and curse not.
15. Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep.
16. Be of the same mind one toward another. Mind (do not set your mind on) not high things, but condescend (associate with the humble) with men of low estate.  Be not wise in your conceits (estimations).
17. Recompense (Repay) to no man evil for evil.  Provide (have regard for good things) things honest in the sight of all men.
18. If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.
19. Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, VENGEANCE IS MINE; I WILL REPAY, saith the Lord.
20. Therefore IF THINE ENEMY HUNGER, FEED HIM; IF HE THIRST, GIVE HIM DRINK; FOR IN SO DOING THOU SHALT HEAP COALS OF FIRE ON HIS HEAD.
21. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.

Sometime We'll Understand

Come, sit, and enjoy a cup of tea or coffee in the comfort of the Lord:  "Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice."  Ephesians  4:31

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

     With their limited spiritual horizons the disciples did not always understand what Jesus said and did.  Like the blind man of Bethsaida, their prophetic insight was as distorted as one who sees, "men as trees walking."  Later, at Pentecost, they were to receive a second touch of blessing which would illumine their minds to the meaning of many things.  Therefore in John 13:7 Jesus tells them not to become confused or bewildered by the perplexing events that were to transpire.  They were to proceed by faith, resting on the precious promise that "hereafter" they would comprehend His wise purposes.  So, today, Christ's acts of love to us are often misunderstood.  Yet His apparent "dark dealings" with us will certainly be explained in Heaven, for God knows what He is about.

     The late Dr. H. A. Ironside often told the story of a noted painter who had been commissioned to prepare a great, artistic mural.  The artist erected a scaffold and proceeded to put the background of the picture on the wall.  A friend, coming to the studio, stood quietly at the rear of the room, for he saw the artist was preoccupied in slapping on the dark gray and the deep blue tones.  Wishing to view his background preparation from a better perspective, the artist descended the ladder and moved toward the door with his eye still on the mural.  He was so intent that he backed right into his friend without even seeing him. Enthusiastically he exclaimed,  "This is going to be the masterpiece of my life!  What do you think of it?  Isn't it grand?"  His friend replied,  "All that I see is a great, dull daub of paint."  Then said the artist,  "Oh, I forgot.  When you look at the mural you see only what is there; but when I look at it, I see what is going to be there - and that makes a lot of difference!"

     How wise the Christian who can smile through his tears - confident that he will joyously view the perfect design of his trials in God's tomorrow!

"Bread For Each Day"

Romans 8:38-39

Come, sit, and enjoy a cup of tea or coffee in the comfort of the Lord:  "Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice."  Ephesians  4:31

Romans 8:36

Come, sit, and enjoy a cup of tea or coffee in the comfort of the Lord:  "Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice."  Ephesians  4:31

 36.  As it is written,  FOR THY SAKE, WE ARE KILLED ALL THE DAY LONG; WE ARE ACCOUNTED AS SHEEP FOR THE SLAUGHTER.

Romans 8:13

Come, sit, and enjoy a cup of tea or coffee in the comfort of the Lord:  "Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice."  Ephesians 4:31

This Body Of Death

Come, sit, and enjoy a cup of tea or coffee in the comfort of the Lord:  Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice."  Ephesians 4:31

     Paul wrote of being afflicted, crushed, perplexed, struck down, and "always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies"  (2 Corinthians 4:10).

     I am carrying around death these days.  I carried it to work today.  I carried it into the shower and off into bed.  I want, with Paul, the moment-by-moment death working in me that allows Jesus' moment-by-moment life to shine.

     Death comes in two varieties; take your pick.  I'm familiar with the dull, half-conscious subsiding into a miserable fog.  Better is the embracing of fresh death served up every moment.  Or rather, fresh slaying - because this kind doesn't happen to one but is chosen.

     It refuses all self-made refuges and self-anesthetizing (think of giving birth and passing up the epidural) because it desires death's lucidity.  It asks, What would happen if this time I didn't weave a cocoon of numbness around myself?  Will I die?  (An interesting inquiry.)  Jesus would have to do something , wouldn't He?  This is virgin terrain for me.

     What are "the sufferings of Christ"  (2 Corinthians 1:5)?  I submit, they are any sufferings of any kind that are suffered in Christ and not AWOL from Christ - whether their origin be persecution or personal folly.

     Paul Simon sings of "50 ways to leave your lover."  Let's posit ways to render a broken heart unprofitable:

     Tactic No. 1 is sour grapes; tell yourself you haven't lost much.  Diminish the other in spurned petulance.  The gain is temporary relief from the unbearable; the casualty is truth.  I'm resisting this, since it is not Christ's "carrying around death."

     Tactic No. 2 is nursing hope when it is wiser to abandon hope.  I choose to carry around death rather than artificial life.

     Tactic No. 3 is the bitter satisfaction of getting in the last word.  I'm biting my tongue and carrying around death.

     Tactic No. 4 is drugs, alcohol, and sleep.  Not options for me.

     Tactic No. 5 is fantasizing.  There is always something they prefer to . . . "reality" (C. S. Lewis, The Great Divorce).  I say no to fantasy (20 times a day) and prefer to carry around death.

     Tactic No. 6 is stoicism.  Not allowed (Ephesians 4:32) since we are to make the head hard and the heart soft - rather than the other way around.  The hard says:  "I have set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be put to shame"  (Isaiah 50:7).  The soft heart refuses to build bulwarks against future relationships.

     I'm watching my emotions carefully:  Sad is okay; tearfully sentimental is not.  By His grace we stay the course and "do not swerve to the right or to the left"  (Proverbs  4:27).  Constant communion with God avoids all 50 ways of flinching from sanctifying pain.

     Carrying around death includes resisting the urge to talk too much.  Beware of trying to get from people what you can only get from God.  Your momentary indulgence will leave you feeling sullied with your pain unabated.  Keep grief clean.  Remember too, EVEN THE FRIENDS WHO LIKE YOU BEST SPEND NO MORE THAN FIVE MINUTES A DAY THINKING OF YOU.  God thinks of you all the time; talk to Him.

     Walking around with a hole in your heart is not something to be alarmed at, or dispatched at all costs.  It feels similar to dieting pangs, and both are workable.  But suffering is a waste of pituitary secretions unless you suffer with Christ.  "We felt that we had received the sentence of death.  But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead"  (2 Corinthians  1:9).

     I used to be a mystic in hermeneutics.  I thought "always carrying in the body of death of Jesus" in 2 Corinthians 4 referred to my static positional status in Christ.  I wasn't practicing daily dying but avoiding it like haggis.  Now I'll own death, since Christ owned death for me, and we'll just see.

     Today I read how Peter's mother-in-law had a high fever and Jesus took her hand and helped her up and she began to wait on Him (Mark 1:31).  Jesus, please take me by the hand and heal me too, so that I can get up and serve You again.

Andree Seu

Romans 7:14-25

Come, sit, and enjoy a cup of tea or coffee in the comfort of the Lord:  "Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice."  Ephesians  4:31

14. For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin.
15. For that which I do I allow (understand) not: for what I would (want to do), that do I not; but what I hate, that do I.
16. If then I do that which I would not, I consent (agree with) unto the law that it is good.
17. Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.
18. For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.
19. For the good that I would (want to do) I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.
20. Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.
21. I find then a law, that, when I would (want to) do good, evil is present with me.
22. For I delight in the law of God after the inward man.
23. But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.
24. O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?
25. I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.

Waiting On God

Come, sit, and enjoy a cup of tea or coffee in the comfort of the Lord:  "Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice."  Ephesians  4:31

                                      " . . .  Their strength is to sit still."  Isaiah  30:7

     Waiting on God is not stagnation, but the wisest and most productive of all occupations; for it is then that God charges our souls with a super-abundance of His grace to prepare us for greater service!  God never places us in any position where we cannot grow in some way.  When we are not sending branches upward, we may be sending roots downward.  When everything seems to us to be characterized by the word  "failure,"  we may be making the best and the most spiritual kind of progress!  While we sit still and patiently wait on God, our souls are imbued with His strength and prepared for greater tasks ahead.

     When the pursuing Egyptians trapped the helpless Israelites at the Red Sea, Moses said,  "Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord"  (Exodus 14:13).  When the hosts of the Moabites and Ammonites closed in on Judah, King Jehoshaphat said to the people,  Stand ye still, and see the salvation of the Lord"  (2 Chronicles 20:17).  Yes, there are times when waiting is more essential than working, and when trying must give place to trusting!  If God has set you aside through sickness or trial, do not be rebellious; it is His way of imparting to you His strength for greater victories ahead.

     Luther Burbank often startled the world by the apparent wonders he performed in the realm of fruits  and vegetables.  What people did not know was that it sometimes took twenty-five years of selection and cross-breeding to make a "spineless cactus" or a "seedless orange."  In the light of this should we be surprised or impatient when God takes a little time to work on our immortal soul so that He may perform His wonders? Trustingly resign yourself to His will and "let patience has her perfect work"  (James  1:4).

"Bread For Each Day"

What Time Did You Get Up?

Come, sit, and enjoy a cup of tea or coffee in the comfort of the Lord:  "Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice."  Ephesians  4:31

            " . . . in the morning, then ye shall see the glory of the Lord."  Exodus  16:7

     Will you please tell me what time it is?  My, oh my, is it that late already and you are just eating your breakfast?  What time did you get up this morning?  Yes, yes, I know you are late but why are you so late? You have missed the very best part of the day - the morning, when all is still and fresh and sweet, when the dew bejewels the grass and the birds sing their sweetest.  I know you were sleepy, and it was hard to get up early, but why didn't you go to bed earlier last night?  You sat up to watch a television show and this morning you missed the greatest show of all - the sunrise.  You sat up to listen to the "can-can" and the "boop da doop" of modern music (??), and you missed the greatest orchestra in nature - the birds singing their chorus at dawn.

     Really it doesn't make sense to stay awake so late by artificial light, that you have to spend three hours of glorious sunshine and daylight lying in bed in the morning.  The morning is the best time of the day, when nature awakens refreshed, when your faculties are at their peak.  It is the best time for meditation, for prayer, for communion with God.  If you begin the day late, all the rest of the day you be will late.

     Remember, the manna fell upon the dew in the morning.  After the sun grew hot it melted.  Morning is the time to sing (Psalm  59:16).  Morning is the time to praise (Psalm  92:2).  Morning is the time to pray  (Mark  1:35).  Morning is the time of resurrection and life (Mark  16:2).

     What a mixed up world!  We have become a flock of bats and owls, instead of larks and canaries.  Tomorrow morning, try it - splash cold water in your face, take a deep breath of morning air, behold the majesty of the sunrise and then read a chapter of the Bible, lift your heart in praise and prayer.  You'll feel better all day.  ". . . in the morning . . . see the glory"  (Exodus 16:7).  In the morning take time for mediation.

"Bread For Each Day"

Mahanaim - The Angel Bands!

Come, sit, and enjoy a cup of tea or coffee in the comfort of the Lord:  "Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice."  Ephesians  4:31

" . . . and the angels of God met him.  And when Jacob saw them, he said, This is God's host:  and he called the name of that place Mahanaim (or "Bands").  Genesis  32:1,2

     Jacob, after many trials and a long absence, was finally homeward bound to Canaan.  Twenty years before, as he had passed that same way going in the opposite direction, he had seen a wondrous vision of angels ascending and descending upon a heavenly ladder, and had been given some exceedingly great and precious promises.  Now as he journeys he receives a new pledge of God's protecting presence and blessing as the angels again meet him and gather in a guardian band around him.  He realizes that they have been especially sent to aid and defend him in his hour of coming crisis.  What a thrill it must have been to his heart to know that God was still leading and encamping round about him with His protecting angelic hosts.

     Alexander McLaren makes a practical application concerning this beautiful event in the life of Jacob as follows:  "It is in the path where God has bade us walk that we shall find the angels round us.  We may meet them, indeed, on paths of our own choosing, but it will then be the sort of angel that Balaam met, with a sword in his hand, mighty and beautiful, but wrathful too; and we had better not oppose him!  But, the friendly helpers, the emissaries of God's love, the apostles of His grace, do not haunt the roads that we make for ourselves."  In God's way, however, we can expect angelic protection.

     Not only do the angels do service for us in this life, as they did for Jacob (Hebrews  1:14), but they also bear our souls to Glory when our earthly sojourn here comes to an end (Luke  16:22).  Christians, therefore, may well call the time of their death,  "Mahanaim" - for it is then in a special way that the angels of God meet them!

"Bread For Each Day"

Soap And Salvation

Come, sit, and enjoy a cup of coffee or tea in the comfort of the Lord:  "Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice."  Ephesians  4:31

         "And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?"  Luke  6:46

     A strange paradox is evident in our country today; for while statistics show a marked increase in church membership and there is unquestionably a religious awakening in the land, statistics show an even greater increase in crime and wickedness.  If the Gospel is the power of God unto salvation, this religious resurgence should evidence itself in its impact upon people's lives.  A great increase of interest in religion, without a corresponding decrease in sin and wickedness just doesn't add up.  Can it be that this religious fervor is only a pretext, caused by fear in this age?  A man sneeringly said,  "The Gospel has lost its power, for while thousands profess Christ, nothing much is happening as a result."  But it is not the fault of the Gospel.  It is because people make a profession but have no possession.  Coming forward, signing a card, joining a church - this is not salvation, but mere religious gesture.  It is not enough to say,  "Lord, Lord"; the Gospel must be practically applied, and not merely mentally endorsed.  We fear that too many who say  "Lord, Lord," have never had His blood applied.  It is not the fault of the Gospel.

     A preacher and an unconverted manufacturer of soaps met on the street.  Sneeringly the soapmaker said,  "The Gospel you preach can't be very good for there are still a lot of wicked people."  The preacher was silent until they passed a child making mud pies.  The tot was smeared with dirt all over.  Pointing to the little tot, the preacher said to his friend,  "Soapy, your soap can't be very good, for there is still a lot of dirt in the world."  "Oh well,"  said Soapy,  "it cleanses only when actually applied."  "Exactly!"  said the preacher.  The man was caught in his own trap.
   
     What is your faith doing in you and to you?

"Bread For Each Day"

Work And The Christian

Come, sit, and enjoy a cup of coffee or tea in the comfort of the Lord:  "Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice."  Ephesians  4:31

" Not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart."      Ephesians  6:6

     Man was created by God to be a worker.  Already in Paradise Adam was charged with the care of the Garden.  God has given us minds and bodies which can only be healthy and happy if they are occupied with fruitful labor!  It is true that toil has become more difficult due to sin, yet it is noble, and if performed as unto the Lord, brings a rich legacy of joy and satisfaction.  Even the lowest type of service can be done with the highest possible motive; namely, that of glorifying God from the heart.  Work done in this fashion transforms even the meanest drudgery into a glorious opportunity.

     Christians are always to do their duty fully and carefully.  They are not to be industrious only when the boss or overseer is looking, but must be faithful at all times, realizing that they operate under the very eye of the Lord Himself.  Our labor is not to be done for the applause of men or merely for the joy of accomplishment, but must be carried on for the glory of God and for the blessing of mankind.

     Before the days of Christ a sculptor was employed to erect a statue in one of the Grecian temples.  He spent much time and labor in making it beautiful and ornate, even the part which was to be against the wall.  On being asked why he carved the back part with the same pains as he did the front, he replied, "That is the way I always labor.  Though men may not see it, I believe the gods do!"  Although he was a pagan, he had caught something of the spirit of true, conscientious service.

     Let us meditate on Paul's admonition to perform our daily tasks faithfully - "not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but in singleness of heart, fearing God"  (Colossians  3:22).

"Bread For Each Day"

Body And Soul

Come, sit, and enjoy a cup of tea or coffee in the comfort of the Lord.  "Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice."  Ephesians  4:31

                                     " . . . I keep under my body."  1 Corinthians  9:27

     The body of a man without life differs in no wise from the earth from which he is taken.  In Genesis we are told that God formed man "of the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life and man became a living soul."  Before God breathed into Adam, he was merely a lump of clay.  It may have been fashioned in the shape of a man and all the organs may have been in place, but it was only clay.

     Someone has broken down the chemical composition of the body of a 150 pound man, which among other elements contains about enough sulphur to rid a small dog of fleas, enough phosphorous for one match, enough calcium to whitewash a doghouse, fat enough for six bars of soap, enough sugar to sweeten 5 cups of coffee, iron enough for a ten-penny nail, nitrogen enough to blow up a house, and sufficient hydrogen to fill a ten-gallon pail of water.  Total value of all the elements (before inflation):  98 cents.

     But what a valuable structure the body becomes when life is imparted to it.  It becomes the most versatile machine in the world.  It can walk, talk, laugh, cry, sing, see, hear, think, and invent.  It repairs itself without stopping, the air conditioning plant breathes 30 times a minute, the heating system keeps beating at 70-80 beats a minute for 60-70-80 years.

     But still more astoundingly wonderful is the body when the Spirit of God comes to dwell in that person. Our bodies then become "temples of the Holy Spirit"  (1 Corinthians 6:19).  When we are His, our bodies become the members of Christ  (1 Corinthians 6:15).  How careful we should be to keep those temples clean.  Our bodies belong to Him - take care of your body - for it is God's house.

"Bread For Each Day"

Cornered

Come, sit, and enjoy a cup of tea or coffee in the comfort of the Lord:  "Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice."  Ephesians  4:31

" . . . in a strait bewtixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better.  Nevertheless to aide . . . is more needful."   Philippians  1:23, 24

     The Apostle Paul had once enjoyed a unique experience.  Being caught up into the third heaven, he had tasted the indescribable bliss of Paradise and knew that it was gain and far better.  He longed to return to those "many mansions," yet the urgent need of his converts here below tempered his yearning to "depart and to be with Christ."  The expression Paul uses is picturesque.  Literally he says,  "I am pressed in a corner between two strong desires."  It is not difficult to understand his problem, for in this life he had a thorn in the flesh, was languishing in a prison, and had the tremendous burden of all the new missionary churches resting upon his shoulders.  Bearing in his earthly tabernacle the "marks of the Lord Jesus," he knew he would find blessed relief in the sinless bowers of Paradise.  Yet Paul recognized that he must not selfishly seek to desert the duties which God had given him.

     We often hear of those who because of illness or discouragement earnestly wish to "depart, and to be with Christ."  However, the Lord has work for them to do - even though it may be only a silent witness from a white cot of pain - therefore, He leaves them here.  If you are among those who are pressed into such a corner, remember the Apostle Paul, who was willing to remain here if it was for God's glory and the benefit of others.

     On the other hand, there may be some who are clinging to life though they know death is near.  To you Paul says in effect,  "There is something far better beyond the horizon of time.  You may soon be granted the joy of eternal gain - the glory of Christ's presence.  Do not fear, for when you leave your cramped corner of pain, you will suddenly find yourself in the broad palaces of His eternal pleasures!"

     Whatever your lot, keep trusting, knowing that to those who leave the choice with Him, God ever sends the best.

"Bread For Each Day"

Come And Get It!

Come, sit, and enjoy a cup of tea or coffee in the comfort of the Lord:  "Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice."  Ephesians  4:31

READ PSALM  119:  33 - 40

    " . . . I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food."  Job  23:12

     Hold everything!  Wait a minute!  Not so fast, brother, or you'll burn out a bearing before the say is over.  Have you read the Scripture for today?  Only eight short verses.  It will take you only forty-five seconds!  If you read it in less than that, go back and read it again, for you read it too fast the first time.  No, No! don't lay this book down and mumble to me,  "I'm in a hurry and you're delaying me."  It is not my fault you overslept.  I didn't keep you up late last night.  Slow down, brother, slow down!  I see you're eating breakfast this morning even though you are late.  You take time to feed your body, but you were going to starve your soul.  Take 45 seconds and read Psalm 119:  33-40.  Don't bother to read the rest of this devotional, but instead read the Bible.   These articles are not designed to substitute for the Bible, but are meant to stimulate your desire to read more of the Bible.  If these devotionals have made you neglect the Word, so you read them instead of some verses of Scripture, then please, please throw these devotionals away!

     Still eating breakfast are you?  Listen!  you might better skip breakfast than skip reading the Word.  Job says,  "I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food."  Man shall not live by bread alone.  Yes, I know you had a rough day yesterday and everything went wrong and you're way behind.  But why be surprised that  yesterday was such a bad day, when you started the day without the Word?  Remember, don't make the same mistake today.  Look at Psalm  119:33 - 40 and make it your prayer today as follows:  Verse 33 - Teach me; verse 34 - Give me; verse 35 - Make me; verse 36 - Incline me; verse 37 - Turn me; Verse 38 - Stablish me; verse 39 - Spare me; and verse 40 - Quicken me.

"Bread For Each Day"

When The Bread Comes Back

Come, sit, and enjoy a cup of tea or coffee in the comfort of the Lord:  "Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice."  Ephesians  4:31

    "Cast thy bread upon the waters: for thou shalt find it after many days."  Ecclesiastes  11:1

     It is said that Ecclesiastes 11:1 may well be translated,  "Cast your seed upon the waters."  The thought is of a farmer in the land of Egypt who sowed his crop in the rich valleys of the Nile river.  In the spring of the year the land was always flooded by the overflowing stream.  When he scattered his seed upon these waters they were carried out over the field.  When the liquid tide finally returned to the confines of the river, the seed settled down in the black loam that was left behind.  Many days later a bountiful crop was reaped.

     We too are sowers, and the Word of God is the precious Seed which we should be scattering  (1 Peter  1:23).

     It is said that Captain Fuchida, who led the attack on Pearl Harbor, was once full of personal hatred for all Americans.  He has now, however, been led to a saving knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ.  What made him change from a destroyer of life to a Christian minister seeking now to rescue other lost souls?  The story goes that a Japanese friend of his, who had been imprisoned in America, had been attended by a Christian nurse.  When he found that her missionary parents had been beheaded by his people, he realized for the first time that the grace of Christ was something very real to make this young girl truly "love her enemies."  By her earnest witness and the truths of the Gospel which she presneted to him, he was gloriously saved.  Later this Japanese was to a great extent instrumental in helping to lead Captain Fuchida to Christ; yet it was the Christian nurse who made the fruitful harvest possible by slowing the original "good seed."  She shall receive part of the rewards when the sheaves are counted.

     What kind of seed are you sowing?  "As you sow, so shall ye reap!"

"Bread For Each Day"

A Sweet Reward

Come, sit, and enjoy a cup of tea or coffee in the comfort of the Lord:  "Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice."  Ephesians  4:31

"Be ye strong therefore, and let not your hands be weak; for your work shall be rewarded."  
                                                                                                                     2 Chronicles  15:7

     The story is told of a woman who had a rare rosebush.  She worked over it for weeks, but saw little or no results for her labor.  One day she observed a crack in the wall and upon investigation found a small shoot of the rosebush running through the crevice.  When she went to the other side of the wall she found roses blooming in splendid beauty and her labor rewarded.  Some of us too work year after year seeing little if any result, but we are not to be discouraged, for our work is truly blooming.  However, it may be we shall only see its luxuriant growth when we get on the other side of the wall!

     Gipsy Smith at one time was conducting meetings in Aberdeen.  At the close of the service he was working his way through the great crowd when he felt a tug at his coat.  For a few seconds he did not pay much attention, thinking it was merely someone trying to get ahead of him down the aisle, but the tug became more insistent.  Finally he stopped.  Looking down, he saw a little Scotch lassie.  Although she was dressed in rags, her face and eyes were shining.  Gipsy Smith said,  "In her uplifted hand was something wrapped in tissue paper.  It was moist and grimy for she had been clutching it for some time.  'What is it, my dear?'  I asked.  And she replied,  'I want you to have my candy."  'Why?"  I asked.  'Oh, sir,'  she exclaimed happily,  'we've got a new daddy.  He's never been sober until Saturday.  We've never known him to be anything but drunk.  He was in your meeting on Saturday, and it's ll so wonderful now.'  And didn't I take her candy?"  said Gipsy Smith.  "I should say I did - it was worth living a lifetime for that minute."

     Yes, there are rewards for the righteous at the Judgment Seat, but there are also many sweet compensations even in this life when one is engaged in the service of Christ!

"Bread For Each Day"

Road Signs

Come, sit, and enjoy a cup of tea or coffee in the comfort of the Lord:  "Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice."  Ephesians  4:31

  " . . . therefore hear the word at my mouth, and give them WARNING from me."  Ezekiel 3:17

     Wherever and whenever the word "warning" appears, it is a signal to take notice and take care.  You are notified of a danger, and if you ignore the warning and evil befalls you, no one else but you is to blame. Warning - air brakes is written on the rear of heavy trucks.  Stay far enough behind!  Warning - high tension wires appears on the electric poles.  Keep away!  Warning - this bridge not safe!  Warning - this water unsafe for drinking!  And then there are the various road signs warning us of dangers which lie ahead. In many areas, before a driver's license is issued the applicant must be able to identify these various signs by their shape.  We have all the various shapes and designs which warn us:  SLOW, STEEP HILL AHEAD, SHARP CURVE, SPEED 25 MILES, DO NOT PASS, YIELD RIGHT OF WAY, and STOP.  These signs are for our safety, and to ignore them is to invite disaster.  Many cities issue a booklet on traffic laws and require drivers to become thoroughly familiar with its various provisions.  All signs should be heeded even if some are less important than others.  Some are so obviously TRUE that we smile.  Touring along, we saw a sign - SLOW MEN WORKING.  We saw the men and murmured - How true!  We saw another - equally prophetic - SLOW REPAIRS AHEAD.

     We are all travelers to eternity on the road of life.  The Lord has given us in the Bible the road signs to warn us of dangers and show us the right way.  One signs says - TO HEAVEN this way, another says - TO HELL this way.  You are being fairly warned.  Once having started on the way to Heaven by taking Jesus as Lord and Saviour, He will guide by His Word and counsel.  Pay close attention to the signs in the Book and you will not only arrive safely but have a most enjoyable trip.  Read the warnings in the Bible!

"Bread For Each Day"