Wednesday, December 30, 2015
1 Peter 5:8
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
Thursday, December 24, 2015
1 Peter 2: 17 - 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
17. Honour all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honour the king.
18. Servants, e suject to your masters with all fear; not only to the good and gentle, but also to the harsh.
19. For this is thankworthy, if a man for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully.
20. For what glory is it, if, when ye be beaten for your faults, you shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God.
21. For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:
22. WHO DID NO SIN, NEITHER WAS GUILE FOUND IN HIS MOUTH:
23. Who, when he was reviled, reviled not in return; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously:
24. 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.
25. For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.
17. Honour all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honour the king.
18. Servants, e suject to your masters with all fear; not only to the good and gentle, but also to the harsh.
19. For this is thankworthy, if a man for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully.
20. For what glory is it, if, when ye be beaten for your faults, you shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God.
21. For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:
22. WHO DID NO SIN, NEITHER WAS GUILE FOUND IN HIS MOUTH:
23. Who, when he was reviled, reviled not in return; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously:
24. 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.
25. For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.
Wednesday, December 23, 2015
James 3
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. My brethren, be not many masters (let not many of you be), knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation.
2. For in many things we stumble. If any many stumbles not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body.
3. Behold, we put bits in the horses' mouths, that they may obey us; and we turn about their whole body.
4. Behold also the ships, which though they be so great, and are driven of fierce winds, yet are they turned about with a very small rudder, whithersoever the pilot wants.
5. Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter (forest) a little fire kindleth!
6. And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell.
7. For every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of mankind:
8. But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.
9. Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God.
10. Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be.
11. Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter?
12. Can the fig tree, my brethren, bear olive berries? either a vine figs? so can no fountain both yield salt water and fresh.
13. Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him shew out of a good conduct his works with meekness of wisdom.
14. But if ye have bitter envying and self-seeking in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth.
15. This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish.
16. For where envying and self-seeking is, there is confusion and every evil work.
17. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure then peaceable, gentle, and willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.
18. And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.
1. My brethren, be not many masters (let not many of you be), knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation.
2. For in many things we stumble. If any many stumbles not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body.
3. Behold, we put bits in the horses' mouths, that they may obey us; and we turn about their whole body.
4. Behold also the ships, which though they be so great, and are driven of fierce winds, yet are they turned about with a very small rudder, whithersoever the pilot wants.
5. Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter (forest) a little fire kindleth!
6. And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell.
7. For every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of mankind:
8. But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.
9. Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God.
10. Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be.
11. Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter?
12. Can the fig tree, my brethren, bear olive berries? either a vine figs? so can no fountain both yield salt water and fresh.
13. Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him shew out of a good conduct his works with meekness of wisdom.
14. But if ye have bitter envying and self-seeking in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth.
15. This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish.
16. For where envying and self-seeking is, there is confusion and every evil work.
17. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure then peaceable, gentle, and willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.
18. And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.
Tuesday, December 22, 2015
Hebrews 13:1
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. Let brotherly love continue. Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.
1. Let brotherly love continue. Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.
Saturday, December 19, 2015
The Issues Of Life
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
"Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life." Proverbs 4:23
A man passing by a small lake heard some frantic calls for help. Diving into the water fully clothes, he saved a youngster from drowning. The boy was grateful, and tried to stammer out his thanks. The rescuer patted him on the head and said, "That's all right, young fellow; just make sure that you're worth it!" In later years the boy often pondered those well-chosen words. He came to understand that life is much more than mere existence. To be worthwhile it must be filled with service, purpose, and praise to God! This can issue only from a heart touched by grace!
Someone has said, "Take a piece of wax, a piece of meat, some sand, some clay, and some shavings, and put them on the fire. Each is being acted upon by the same agent, yet the wax melts, the meat fries, the sand dries up, the clay hardens, and the shavings blaze. Just so, under the influence of identical circumstances and environment, one man becomes stronger while another, without Christ, becomes weaker and withers.
"One Ship goes East, another West,
By the selfsame winds and blow;
'Tis the set of the sail and not the gale,
That determines the way they go.
Like the winds of the sea are the ways of time,
As we voyage along through life;
'Tis the set of the soul that that determines the goal,
And not the calm or the strife."
Has the course of your soul been set at Calvary so that Christ is now the Pilot at the helm of your heart? Is the "wind" of the Holy Spirit blowing your bark ever closer to the Celestial City? Then your life is meaningful and worth while!
"Bread For Each Day"
"Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life." Proverbs 4:23
A man passing by a small lake heard some frantic calls for help. Diving into the water fully clothes, he saved a youngster from drowning. The boy was grateful, and tried to stammer out his thanks. The rescuer patted him on the head and said, "That's all right, young fellow; just make sure that you're worth it!" In later years the boy often pondered those well-chosen words. He came to understand that life is much more than mere existence. To be worthwhile it must be filled with service, purpose, and praise to God! This can issue only from a heart touched by grace!
Someone has said, "Take a piece of wax, a piece of meat, some sand, some clay, and some shavings, and put them on the fire. Each is being acted upon by the same agent, yet the wax melts, the meat fries, the sand dries up, the clay hardens, and the shavings blaze. Just so, under the influence of identical circumstances and environment, one man becomes stronger while another, without Christ, becomes weaker and withers.
"One Ship goes East, another West,
By the selfsame winds and blow;
'Tis the set of the sail and not the gale,
That determines the way they go.
Like the winds of the sea are the ways of time,
As we voyage along through life;
'Tis the set of the soul that that determines the goal,
And not the calm or the strife."
Has the course of your soul been set at Calvary so that Christ is now the Pilot at the helm of your heart? Is the "wind" of the Holy Spirit blowing your bark ever closer to the Celestial City? Then your life is meaningful and worth while!
"Bread For Each Day"
Disabled Hunters
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
" . . . the lame take the prey." Isaiah 33:23
HUNTER BAGS DEER WHILE SITTING IN A WHEELCHAIR. Thus ran the heading in the newspaper. A man very fond of hunting, broke his leg just before the season opened. Knowing how badly he felt about missing the hunt, his friends arranged to take him along in a wheelchair, so he could at least enjoy the camp life. While the men left to take their stations he sat disconsolately in his chair before the window, when lo and behold! a big buck stepped into the clearing! He opened the window, wheeled to the corner for a rifle and shot the buck through the open window, while sitting in a wheelchair. His companions came home, tired, ragged and disappointed - empty handed.
As I read the article the above text immediately came to mind, " . . . the lame take the prey." What seemed like a misfortune had its compensation. How often we must get in a wheelchair to get the "buck." What seems like calamity and misfortune often carries the greatest blessing.
Are you laid aside? Have your dreams been shattered? Have you met with disappointment, sickness, reverses, even bereavement? It is not without a purpose (Romans 8:28), and you will have its compensation. If you are a child of God, you may be sure that for every hard experience God has a reason and a compensation. Good sailors are made in storms. Heroes become such only by meeting crises. There is no fruit without clouds!
"Bread For Each Day"
" . . . the lame take the prey." Isaiah 33:23
HUNTER BAGS DEER WHILE SITTING IN A WHEELCHAIR. Thus ran the heading in the newspaper. A man very fond of hunting, broke his leg just before the season opened. Knowing how badly he felt about missing the hunt, his friends arranged to take him along in a wheelchair, so he could at least enjoy the camp life. While the men left to take their stations he sat disconsolately in his chair before the window, when lo and behold! a big buck stepped into the clearing! He opened the window, wheeled to the corner for a rifle and shot the buck through the open window, while sitting in a wheelchair. His companions came home, tired, ragged and disappointed - empty handed.
As I read the article the above text immediately came to mind, " . . . the lame take the prey." What seemed like a misfortune had its compensation. How often we must get in a wheelchair to get the "buck." What seems like calamity and misfortune often carries the greatest blessing.
Are you laid aside? Have your dreams been shattered? Have you met with disappointment, sickness, reverses, even bereavement? It is not without a purpose (Romans 8:28), and you will have its compensation. If you are a child of God, you may be sure that for every hard experience God has a reason and a compensation. Good sailors are made in storms. Heroes become such only by meeting crises. There is no fruit without clouds!
"Bread For Each Day"
"Fear Not" - God Will Supply!
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
"Fear not, little flock . . . " Luke 12:32
But my God shall supply all your need . . . " Philippians 4:19
Christians in Scripture are referred to as "sheep." This underscores their inherent weakness, for sheep are feeble compared to lions, horses, and oxen. Since sheep are without much natural equipment for fighting off their adversaries, they are quite helpless when attacked. They just huddle together and bleat piteously when an enemy assaults them. Their only hope for survival is to be found in the protection afforded by a faithful shepherd who will often guard and defend them at the risk of his own life. Fear, therefore, is characteristic of sheep.
Our Good Shepherd, the Lord Jesus Christ, knows the inherent weakness of His own against their arch adversary - the devil. He knows the fears that naturally arise in our hearts, and yet He admonishes us to take courage, to put aside our nameless dread. He invites us to find comfort in His sure protection and kindly leading. The fact that He will guide and encamp round about us provides sweet comfort and assurance. He will not only protect us and supply our every need, but will do so with an overflowing abundance that will make our cup of blessing "run over." His assuring words are, "Fear not, little flock"!
A Johns Hopkins doctor says that people who worry die much sooner than non-worriers! To live by worry means ultimate destruction of the body and results as well in a sad withering of the soul. God wants us to have faith and not fear!
One of Spurgeon's quaint saying was: "If there was an ant at the door of your granary begging for help, it would not ruin you to give him a grain of your wheat." Then he would say, "Remember, you are but a tiny insect at the door of God's all-sufficiency - do not doubt His sure supply!"
"Bread For Each Day"
"Fear not, little flock . . . " Luke 12:32
But my God shall supply all your need . . . " Philippians 4:19
Christians in Scripture are referred to as "sheep." This underscores their inherent weakness, for sheep are feeble compared to lions, horses, and oxen. Since sheep are without much natural equipment for fighting off their adversaries, they are quite helpless when attacked. They just huddle together and bleat piteously when an enemy assaults them. Their only hope for survival is to be found in the protection afforded by a faithful shepherd who will often guard and defend them at the risk of his own life. Fear, therefore, is characteristic of sheep.
Our Good Shepherd, the Lord Jesus Christ, knows the inherent weakness of His own against their arch adversary - the devil. He knows the fears that naturally arise in our hearts, and yet He admonishes us to take courage, to put aside our nameless dread. He invites us to find comfort in His sure protection and kindly leading. The fact that He will guide and encamp round about us provides sweet comfort and assurance. He will not only protect us and supply our every need, but will do so with an overflowing abundance that will make our cup of blessing "run over." His assuring words are, "Fear not, little flock"!
A Johns Hopkins doctor says that people who worry die much sooner than non-worriers! To live by worry means ultimate destruction of the body and results as well in a sad withering of the soul. God wants us to have faith and not fear!
One of Spurgeon's quaint saying was: "If there was an ant at the door of your granary begging for help, it would not ruin you to give him a grain of your wheat." Then he would say, "Remember, you are but a tiny insect at the door of God's all-sufficiency - do not doubt His sure supply!"
"Bread For Each Day"
Segregation And Integration
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 he was a Samaritan." Luke 17:16
Ten lepers stood afar off as Jesus passed by and cried to Him for mercy. Jesus healed them, but only one returned to give thanks, " . . . and he was a Samaritan." The other nine were evidently Jews, for this one man is called a stranger or alien (Luke 17:18). In this incident we have a picture of segregation and integration. Leprosy had segregated these men from the assembly of the people of God. They were thrust outside the camp as unclean. They were carefully segregated. But while they were segregated from some, they were also definitely integrated with others. A Jew despised a Samaritan, and would have nothing to do with him. In John 4:9 we read, " . . . for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans." But here are nine Jews with one Samaritan. They were integrated by the common curse of leprosy. These lepers were segregated from the healthy ones by the disease of leprosy, but they were integrated with all others who had the same disease.
Leprosy is a picture of sin. Sin has integrated all of Adam's race, and they were all alike in their common fate - under sentence of death, "for there is no difference, for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:22, 23). There is no difference. But this same sin has segregated us from God. "Your iniquities have separated between you and your God" (Isaiah 59:2). But the Lord cures the leprosy of sin by the blood of the Lamb when we have the faith, and the whole thing is turned completely around, and now we are separated from the world and integrated into the Body of Christ. Yes, we believe in spiritual segregation (from sin and condemnation), and also in spiritual integration (with all other believers).
"Bread For Each Day"
" . . . and he was a Samaritan." Luke 17:16
Ten lepers stood afar off as Jesus passed by and cried to Him for mercy. Jesus healed them, but only one returned to give thanks, " . . . and he was a Samaritan." The other nine were evidently Jews, for this one man is called a stranger or alien (Luke 17:18). In this incident we have a picture of segregation and integration. Leprosy had segregated these men from the assembly of the people of God. They were thrust outside the camp as unclean. They were carefully segregated. But while they were segregated from some, they were also definitely integrated with others. A Jew despised a Samaritan, and would have nothing to do with him. In John 4:9 we read, " . . . for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans." But here are nine Jews with one Samaritan. They were integrated by the common curse of leprosy. These lepers were segregated from the healthy ones by the disease of leprosy, but they were integrated with all others who had the same disease.
Leprosy is a picture of sin. Sin has integrated all of Adam's race, and they were all alike in their common fate - under sentence of death, "for there is no difference, for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:22, 23). There is no difference. But this same sin has segregated us from God. "Your iniquities have separated between you and your God" (Isaiah 59:2). But the Lord cures the leprosy of sin by the blood of the Lamb when we have the faith, and the whole thing is turned completely around, and now we are separated from the world and integrated into the Body of Christ. Yes, we believe in spiritual segregation (from sin and condemnation), and also in spiritual integration (with all other believers).
"Bread For Each Day"
Christian Sympathy
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
" . . . weep with them that weep." Romans 12:15
Christ was at the wedding in Cana and added to the joy of the occasion; but He also went to be with the sisters of Lazarus and wept at the grave of His friend. Jesus did this because He was full of compassion. As His followers, we too should lovingly participate in both the joy and the distress of others. If we truly love the Lord we cannot help but sympathize with those who are in the agonies of sorrow. It is a consolation to those who weep to see the sympathetic tear in the eye of a friend and to feel his warm handclasp. Love does not need many words to express its feelings. When one member of the Body of Christ suffers, even as Paul wrote to the Corinthians, so all the members should "suffer with it."
D. L. Moody tells how he became accustomed to attending the funerals of a great many children because of his large Bible class. "I became hardened to it like a doctor," he said, "and could go to them without sympathy. One day one of my little Sunday school scholars was drowned, and the word was sent by the mother that she wanted to see me. I went. The father was a drunkard, and was then under the influence of liquor. I had my little girl with me. She was about four years old. When we got outside she asked, 'Suppose we were poor, Papa, and I had to go down to the river for sticks, but should fall in and get drowned, and you had no money to bury me, would you be sorry, Papa?' And then she looked up into my eyes with an expression that I had never before seen, and asked, 'Did you feel bad for that mother?' I clasped her to my heart," said Moody, "and kissed her; my true sympathy was aroused."
Do you in Christ-like kindness and affection sympathize with those who are passing through the "valley of weeping"? If in the desert of sorrow you can produce an oasis of heavenly comfort and consolidation by your spiritual admonitions, the benediction of Psalm 84 will rest upon you: "Blessed is that man . . . Who passing through the valley of Baca (maketh) it a well"!
"Bread For Each Day"
" . . . weep with them that weep." Romans 12:15
Christ was at the wedding in Cana and added to the joy of the occasion; but He also went to be with the sisters of Lazarus and wept at the grave of His friend. Jesus did this because He was full of compassion. As His followers, we too should lovingly participate in both the joy and the distress of others. If we truly love the Lord we cannot help but sympathize with those who are in the agonies of sorrow. It is a consolation to those who weep to see the sympathetic tear in the eye of a friend and to feel his warm handclasp. Love does not need many words to express its feelings. When one member of the Body of Christ suffers, even as Paul wrote to the Corinthians, so all the members should "suffer with it."
D. L. Moody tells how he became accustomed to attending the funerals of a great many children because of his large Bible class. "I became hardened to it like a doctor," he said, "and could go to them without sympathy. One day one of my little Sunday school scholars was drowned, and the word was sent by the mother that she wanted to see me. I went. The father was a drunkard, and was then under the influence of liquor. I had my little girl with me. She was about four years old. When we got outside she asked, 'Suppose we were poor, Papa, and I had to go down to the river for sticks, but should fall in and get drowned, and you had no money to bury me, would you be sorry, Papa?' And then she looked up into my eyes with an expression that I had never before seen, and asked, 'Did you feel bad for that mother?' I clasped her to my heart," said Moody, "and kissed her; my true sympathy was aroused."
Do you in Christ-like kindness and affection sympathize with those who are passing through the "valley of weeping"? If in the desert of sorrow you can produce an oasis of heavenly comfort and consolidation by your spiritual admonitions, the benediction of Psalm 84 will rest upon you: "Blessed is that man . . . Who passing through the valley of Baca (maketh) it a well"!
"Bread For Each Day"
That Blessed Hope
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
" . . . Thy brother shall rise again." John 11:23
This was the blessed comfort which Jesus gave to Martha in answer to her cry of sorrow, "Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died." There was in her plaint, a hint of blaming the Lord for the delay in His coming when He first heard the news of Lazarus' illness (John 11:6). But Jesus ignores the suggestion and answers, "Thy brother shall live again." Look ahead, Martha, not to the past. Look ahead, for the past is gone and holds only memories. Surely there are precious memories, but they are made real in the hope of meeting again. Memory does have comfort for those whose loved ones have passed on. Yet memory is not an unmixed comfort. There are thorns among its flowers: "For sorrow's crown of sorrow is remembering happier things."
True joy and settled peace cannot exist on memories alone; for that we look to the future. Hope of the future relieves the pang of the past. It tells of the reunion, the partingless meeting. It leaps over the years of waiting, the valleys of loneliness, and drives the shadows of today away by the light of the promise of hope. Have you recently lost loved ones? Is your heart sad? Are you prone to be morbid and confused as you engage only in memories? Then listen! Don't seek the living among the dead. Remember Jesus' words. He shall live again.
Don't be like the wife who spent hours each day in a seat by the grave of her husband weeping and sobbing over memories. It is well to show our affection and love, but to that wife we would say, "Why seek ye the living among the dead?" Rather, be like the dear old widowed lady who looked up from her Bible and smiling brightly said, "I was just reading and rejoicing in His promise, that those who sleep in Jesus will God bring with him; for my John will be there. Oh happy day!"
"Bread For Each Day"
" . . . Thy brother shall rise again." John 11:23
This was the blessed comfort which Jesus gave to Martha in answer to her cry of sorrow, "Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died." There was in her plaint, a hint of blaming the Lord for the delay in His coming when He first heard the news of Lazarus' illness (John 11:6). But Jesus ignores the suggestion and answers, "Thy brother shall live again." Look ahead, Martha, not to the past. Look ahead, for the past is gone and holds only memories. Surely there are precious memories, but they are made real in the hope of meeting again. Memory does have comfort for those whose loved ones have passed on. Yet memory is not an unmixed comfort. There are thorns among its flowers: "For sorrow's crown of sorrow is remembering happier things."
True joy and settled peace cannot exist on memories alone; for that we look to the future. Hope of the future relieves the pang of the past. It tells of the reunion, the partingless meeting. It leaps over the years of waiting, the valleys of loneliness, and drives the shadows of today away by the light of the promise of hope. Have you recently lost loved ones? Is your heart sad? Are you prone to be morbid and confused as you engage only in memories? Then listen! Don't seek the living among the dead. Remember Jesus' words. He shall live again.
Don't be like the wife who spent hours each day in a seat by the grave of her husband weeping and sobbing over memories. It is well to show our affection and love, but to that wife we would say, "Why seek ye the living among the dead?" Rather, be like the dear old widowed lady who looked up from her Bible and smiling brightly said, "I was just reading and rejoicing in His promise, that those who sleep in Jesus will God bring with him; for my John will be there. Oh happy day!"
"Bread For Each Day"
Friday, December 18, 2015
As To The Lord
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
"With good will doing service as to the Lord, and not to men." Ephesians 6:7
When we think of the most noble professions, we nearly always think of those that offer a service, such as doctors, lawyers, or teachers. Perhaps at the pinnacle of the service professions are those who are involved in full-time ministry - the helping of others in their spiritual lives in the name of the Lord. We tend to revere most highly those who make a commitment to serving God and others: pastors, priests, monks, missionaries, evangelists, and Bible teachers.
Ministry, however, is not limited to those who earn their living by it. Ministry is the call and challenge of God to all Christians. Ministry is giving to others and living our lives as unto the Lord.
Ministry happens in the home, in the school, on the street, at the grocery store, in the boardroom, at the committee meeting, and in the gym. It happens wherever and whenever a person, motivated by the love of Jesus Christ, performs an act of loving service for another person.
Gandhi once wrote:
"If when we plunge our hand into a bowl of water,
Or stir up the fire with the bellows
Or tabulate interminable columns of figures on our bookkeeping table,
Or, burnt by the sun, we are plunged in the mud of the rice field,
Or standing by the smelter's furnace
We do not fulfill the same religious life as if in prayer in a monastery,
the world will never be saved."
There is no ignoble work except that which is void of ministry! There is no lack of meaning in any job performed with God's love and "as unto the Lord."
Whatever the tasks you face today, perform them as if you were performing them for Jesus Himself, because ultimately you are!
"Quite Moments With God"
"With good will doing service as to the Lord, and not to men." Ephesians 6:7
When we think of the most noble professions, we nearly always think of those that offer a service, such as doctors, lawyers, or teachers. Perhaps at the pinnacle of the service professions are those who are involved in full-time ministry - the helping of others in their spiritual lives in the name of the Lord. We tend to revere most highly those who make a commitment to serving God and others: pastors, priests, monks, missionaries, evangelists, and Bible teachers.
Ministry, however, is not limited to those who earn their living by it. Ministry is the call and challenge of God to all Christians. Ministry is giving to others and living our lives as unto the Lord.
Ministry happens in the home, in the school, on the street, at the grocery store, in the boardroom, at the committee meeting, and in the gym. It happens wherever and whenever a person, motivated by the love of Jesus Christ, performs an act of loving service for another person.
Gandhi once wrote:
"If when we plunge our hand into a bowl of water,
Or stir up the fire with the bellows
Or tabulate interminable columns of figures on our bookkeeping table,
Or, burnt by the sun, we are plunged in the mud of the rice field,
Or standing by the smelter's furnace
We do not fulfill the same religious life as if in prayer in a monastery,
the world will never be saved."
There is no ignoble work except that which is void of ministry! There is no lack of meaning in any job performed with God's love and "as unto the Lord."
Whatever the tasks you face today, perform them as if you were performing them for Jesus Himself, because ultimately you are!
"Quite Moments With God"
Wednesday, December 16, 2015
Beware Of The Dog!
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
"He that passeth by, and meddleth with strife belonging not to him, is like one that taketh a dog by the ears." Proverbs 26:17
Never catch a dog by the ears, for it is the most sensitive part of his body. Pull his tail if you must - but not his ears - never, unless you want to be bitten. Solomon compares this foolish, dangerous act with persons who meddle in other people's affairs. But sometimes you can't avoid it and you are unwillingly involved.
Pity the poor preacher who is expected to patch up a quarrel between husband and wife. He has "two strikes on him" before he begins. If he takes the side of the wife - the husband is mad. If he sides with the husband - the wife is angry, and if he refuses to take sides at all - both of them are ready to snap at him - for trying to take a dog by the ears. If the couple are unsaved, then we can often help them a great deal, probably show them that their troubles would be solved if they would only accept the Lord. But when Christians who know the Lord and His Word cannot patch up their squabbles, what chance has an outsider who comes in to tackle the longeared dog?
Some time ago a lady called begging me to come over right away because her husband threatened to leave her. "Please come over, please, and straighten this out!" They had been feuding for days. I asked her if she was a Christian and she said "Yes." "Is your husband a Christian?" The reply was "Yes, and he's listening on the extension phone." "Well," I said, "if you are both Christians, you can settle your trouble immediately. I am not coming over until after you have read together Ephesians 4:32. 'And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you. That is God's solution - try it first, and if that doesn't work, call me and I'll come over. But you must believe Ephesians 4:32 and do it. If it fails, call me." I am still waiting for the call. Don't bother others with your problems when you have the answer right before you in the Bible.
"Bread For Each Day"
"He that passeth by, and meddleth with strife belonging not to him, is like one that taketh a dog by the ears." Proverbs 26:17
Never catch a dog by the ears, for it is the most sensitive part of his body. Pull his tail if you must - but not his ears - never, unless you want to be bitten. Solomon compares this foolish, dangerous act with persons who meddle in other people's affairs. But sometimes you can't avoid it and you are unwillingly involved.
Pity the poor preacher who is expected to patch up a quarrel between husband and wife. He has "two strikes on him" before he begins. If he takes the side of the wife - the husband is mad. If he sides with the husband - the wife is angry, and if he refuses to take sides at all - both of them are ready to snap at him - for trying to take a dog by the ears. If the couple are unsaved, then we can often help them a great deal, probably show them that their troubles would be solved if they would only accept the Lord. But when Christians who know the Lord and His Word cannot patch up their squabbles, what chance has an outsider who comes in to tackle the longeared dog?
Some time ago a lady called begging me to come over right away because her husband threatened to leave her. "Please come over, please, and straighten this out!" They had been feuding for days. I asked her if she was a Christian and she said "Yes." "Is your husband a Christian?" The reply was "Yes, and he's listening on the extension phone." "Well," I said, "if you are both Christians, you can settle your trouble immediately. I am not coming over until after you have read together Ephesians 4:32. 'And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you. That is God's solution - try it first, and if that doesn't work, call me and I'll come over. But you must believe Ephesians 4:32 and do it. If it fails, call me." I am still waiting for the call. Don't bother others with your problems when you have the answer right before you in the Bible.
"Bread For Each Day"
Tuesday, December 15, 2015
The Last Enemy
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
"The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death." 1 Corinthians 15:26
Death is the last enemy that will be vanquished. Potentially, redemption in all its fullness already belongs to the Christian; but actually, experientially, it is not yet completely extended to his body. When faith is weak, therefore, even saints become disturbed when they think of the pain and distress associated with dying. They do not dread what lies beyond, but they do fear the grim visage of death itself.
To Christians who are troubled about death, I would give a word of comfort. Remember first, that God does not usually give dying grace until the very moment when it is needed. Secondly, you may be among those who will be instantly glorified at the Saviour's coming - therefore God may not now be giving you grace for that which you will never experience! Be sure of this, however, if you are trusting the Saviour and the mystic hour comes, you will most certainly know His comfort, for yielded souls find Home-going a time of triumph and calm blessedness!
I remember one young man who, although a fine Christian, greatly feared "dying." However, when he did leave this earthly scene it was in his sleep, and then so peacefully that those about him did not even realize that he had passed away. The terrible death struggle he had anticipated never came. His sister remarked very aptly, "I believe that the Saviour, knowing how much George feared physical death, took him quietly in his sleep. No doubt while he was lying there so restfully, he suddenly heard the Lord say to him, 'Come on Home, George, there is nothing to fear, death is only a shadow - I will go with you through the valley.' And so, I believe he walked calmly, hand-in-hand with Jesus, until he came to the Father's many mansions!"
How comforting and true the words of the old hymn which exults, "Best of all, best of all, He'll go with me when I'm dying; that to me is best of all!"
"Bread For Each Day"
"The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death." 1 Corinthians 15:26
Death is the last enemy that will be vanquished. Potentially, redemption in all its fullness already belongs to the Christian; but actually, experientially, it is not yet completely extended to his body. When faith is weak, therefore, even saints become disturbed when they think of the pain and distress associated with dying. They do not dread what lies beyond, but they do fear the grim visage of death itself.
To Christians who are troubled about death, I would give a word of comfort. Remember first, that God does not usually give dying grace until the very moment when it is needed. Secondly, you may be among those who will be instantly glorified at the Saviour's coming - therefore God may not now be giving you grace for that which you will never experience! Be sure of this, however, if you are trusting the Saviour and the mystic hour comes, you will most certainly know His comfort, for yielded souls find Home-going a time of triumph and calm blessedness!
I remember one young man who, although a fine Christian, greatly feared "dying." However, when he did leave this earthly scene it was in his sleep, and then so peacefully that those about him did not even realize that he had passed away. The terrible death struggle he had anticipated never came. His sister remarked very aptly, "I believe that the Saviour, knowing how much George feared physical death, took him quietly in his sleep. No doubt while he was lying there so restfully, he suddenly heard the Lord say to him, 'Come on Home, George, there is nothing to fear, death is only a shadow - I will go with you through the valley.' And so, I believe he walked calmly, hand-in-hand with Jesus, until he came to the Father's many mansions!"
How comforting and true the words of the old hymn which exults, "Best of all, best of all, He'll go with me when I'm dying; that to me is best of all!"
"Bread For Each Day"
Friday, December 11, 2015
What Of The Harvest?
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
" . . . for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap." Galatians 6:7
Lifetime is sowing time! Each of us by thought, word, and deed is constantly planting for future reaping! Some of the basic rules of sowing and reaping are: (1) Though the seed may be sown in secret, the harvest cannot be concealed but will be open for all to see. Sometimes the fruitage may not be completely viewed in this world, but a time is coming when every hidden and secret thing shall be revealed in the judgment (Romans 2:16; and Luke 8:17). (2) There is always a time of waiting between the sowing and the reaping, but the harvest never fails! (3) The time of fruition will reveal the nature of the seed sown, for it will be of the same kind! (4) Finally, bear in mind that the harvest will always be greater than that which is sown!
Many years ago a wealthy man deeded all his property to an only son, and went to live with him and his wife. After a few years the daughter-in-law got tired of having the elderly gentleman around and told her husband he would have to leave. Not willing or able to give the money back, the son broke the news to his father, now enfeebled by old age. A few days later the son walked with the old man down the road, over the hill, toward the poorhouse. Tired, the father asked to sit down, and finally began to weep. The son, pricked in his conscience, tried to make excuses. Finally, the elderly one controlled himself enough to say, "Son, I am not crying so much because I am going to this lonely home for unfortunates; but I am crying because of my own sins. Forty years ago I walked down this same road with my father and led him to this same poorhouse. I am reaping what I sowed!"
The Scripture clearly sets forth the truth that the unsaved can only "sow to the flesh." One must be "born of the Spirit (Galatians 6:8). In your life - what shall the harvest be?
"Bread For Each Day"
" . . . for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap." Galatians 6:7
Lifetime is sowing time! Each of us by thought, word, and deed is constantly planting for future reaping! Some of the basic rules of sowing and reaping are: (1) Though the seed may be sown in secret, the harvest cannot be concealed but will be open for all to see. Sometimes the fruitage may not be completely viewed in this world, but a time is coming when every hidden and secret thing shall be revealed in the judgment (Romans 2:16; and Luke 8:17). (2) There is always a time of waiting between the sowing and the reaping, but the harvest never fails! (3) The time of fruition will reveal the nature of the seed sown, for it will be of the same kind! (4) Finally, bear in mind that the harvest will always be greater than that which is sown!
Many years ago a wealthy man deeded all his property to an only son, and went to live with him and his wife. After a few years the daughter-in-law got tired of having the elderly gentleman around and told her husband he would have to leave. Not willing or able to give the money back, the son broke the news to his father, now enfeebled by old age. A few days later the son walked with the old man down the road, over the hill, toward the poorhouse. Tired, the father asked to sit down, and finally began to weep. The son, pricked in his conscience, tried to make excuses. Finally, the elderly one controlled himself enough to say, "Son, I am not crying so much because I am going to this lonely home for unfortunates; but I am crying because of my own sins. Forty years ago I walked down this same road with my father and led him to this same poorhouse. I am reaping what I sowed!"
The Scripture clearly sets forth the truth that the unsaved can only "sow to the flesh." One must be "born of the Spirit (Galatians 6:8). In your life - what shall the harvest be?
"Bread For Each Day"
Wednesday, December 9, 2015
Ephesians 6:10 - 17
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
10. Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might.
11. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles (schemes) of the devil.
12. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
13. 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.
14. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness.
15. And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
16. Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
17. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
10. Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might.
11. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles (schemes) of the devil.
12. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
13. 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.
14. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness.
15. And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
16. Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
17. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
Ephesians 5:14, 22-33
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
22. Wives submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.
23. For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body.
24. Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing.
25. Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;
26. That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,
27. 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.
28. So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself.
29. For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church:
30. For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.
31. FOR THIS CAUSE SHALL A MAN LEAVE HIS FATHER AND MOTHER, AND SHALL BE JOINED UNTO HIS WIFE, AND THEY TWO SHALL BE ONE FLESH.
32. This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.
33. Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence (respects) her husband.
22. Wives submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.
23. For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body.
24. Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing.
25. Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;
26. That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,
27. 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.
28. So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself.
29. For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church:
30. For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.
31. FOR THIS CAUSE SHALL A MAN LEAVE HIS FATHER AND MOTHER, AND SHALL BE JOINED UNTO HIS WIFE, AND THEY TWO SHALL BE ONE FLESH.
32. This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.
33. Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence (respects) her husband.
Tuesday, December 8, 2015
Jesus And Heaven
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
" . . . but we know that . . . we shall see him . . . " 1 John 3:2
Death ushers the believer instantly into the visible presence of the Saviour, for to be absent from the body is to be at Home with the Lord. Yet many dread that momentous step from earth to heaven because so little of what will exactly transpire is related to us. God cannot express in human language the preciousness of our passing from earth to Heaven. We do believe that Jesus indicates in the true story in Luke 15 that the angels will guide us safely to our destination (see verse 22), and that He Himself, will walk with us through the "Valley of the Shadow" (Psalm 23;4); but beyond that, little more has been revealed.
A Christian who was very ill once said to his physician, "Doctor, I am afraid to die. What happens to a Christian in that mystic hour of death?" Very quietly the doctor said, "I do not believe anyone really knows exactly!" As he walked across the sickroom to the door, he wished desperately that he could say something more comforting. Suddenly, as he stood holding the doorknob, there came the sound of scratching and whining from the other side. As the doctor opened the door, his faithful dog sprang into the room and leaped on him with an eager show of gladness. Turning to the patient the physician said, "Did you notice that dog of mine? He had never been in this room before. He did not know what was inside. He knew nothing except that his master was here, and when the door was opened he sprang in without fear. As Christians we know little of what is on the other side of death except that it will be glory and blessing, but we do know one thing - that our Master and Saviour is there and that is enough! When the door opens I shall pass through with no fear but with gladness, for I know I shall 'see His face.'" Yes, to be with Christ is "far better" - it can be nothing but glory!
"Bread For Each Day"
" . . . but we know that . . . we shall see him . . . " 1 John 3:2
Death ushers the believer instantly into the visible presence of the Saviour, for to be absent from the body is to be at Home with the Lord. Yet many dread that momentous step from earth to heaven because so little of what will exactly transpire is related to us. God cannot express in human language the preciousness of our passing from earth to Heaven. We do believe that Jesus indicates in the true story in Luke 15 that the angels will guide us safely to our destination (see verse 22), and that He Himself, will walk with us through the "Valley of the Shadow" (Psalm 23;4); but beyond that, little more has been revealed.
A Christian who was very ill once said to his physician, "Doctor, I am afraid to die. What happens to a Christian in that mystic hour of death?" Very quietly the doctor said, "I do not believe anyone really knows exactly!" As he walked across the sickroom to the door, he wished desperately that he could say something more comforting. Suddenly, as he stood holding the doorknob, there came the sound of scratching and whining from the other side. As the doctor opened the door, his faithful dog sprang into the room and leaped on him with an eager show of gladness. Turning to the patient the physician said, "Did you notice that dog of mine? He had never been in this room before. He did not know what was inside. He knew nothing except that his master was here, and when the door was opened he sprang in without fear. As Christians we know little of what is on the other side of death except that it will be glory and blessing, but we do know one thing - that our Master and Saviour is there and that is enough! When the door opens I shall pass through with no fear but with gladness, for I know I shall 'see His face.'" Yes, to be with Christ is "far better" - it can be nothing but glory!
"Bread For Each Day"
Do It Today!
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
"Boast not thyself of tomorrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth." Proverbs 27:1
All we can be sure of is now. Today's opportunities will be gone tomorrow. The soul you should contact today may be gone in another day. Some years ago on our afternoon broadcast, James Draper, our music director, gave a hymn story which illustrates the urgency of now.
D.L. Moody said one of the greatest mistakes he ever made occurred October 8, 1871. On that night he addressed the largest crowd he had ever spoken to in Chicago. His message dealt with the trial of Jesus in Pilate's hall, and was based on the text, "What then shall I do with Jesus?" He concluded his sermon by saying, "I wish you would take this text home with you and seriously consider it, and next Sunday we will speak on the cross and we will decided what we should do with Jesus." Speaking of this incident later, Moody called it a tragic error and "one of the greatest mistakes of my life; for I never saw that congregation again." When the sermon was finished, he asked Mr. Sankey to sing, "Today the Saviour Calls." Almost prophetically the third verse ran:
"Today the Saviour calls; for refuge fly;
The storm of justice falls and death is nigh."
It was the last song sung in that hall, for even as Sankey sang, his voice was drowned out by the clanging of fire engine bells in the street. It was the night of the great Chicago fire, in which Mr. Moody's hall was left in ashes and in which one thousand perished, some of them undoubtedly from that audience. Moody said he learned the lesson, "When preaching Christ, press for an immediate and definite decision." He explained, "I would rather lose my right hand than ever again give an audience a week or a day to decide for Christ."
Don't put off till tomorrow what you should do today."
"Bread For Each Day"
"Boast not thyself of tomorrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth." Proverbs 27:1
All we can be sure of is now. Today's opportunities will be gone tomorrow. The soul you should contact today may be gone in another day. Some years ago on our afternoon broadcast, James Draper, our music director, gave a hymn story which illustrates the urgency of now.
D.L. Moody said one of the greatest mistakes he ever made occurred October 8, 1871. On that night he addressed the largest crowd he had ever spoken to in Chicago. His message dealt with the trial of Jesus in Pilate's hall, and was based on the text, "What then shall I do with Jesus?" He concluded his sermon by saying, "I wish you would take this text home with you and seriously consider it, and next Sunday we will speak on the cross and we will decided what we should do with Jesus." Speaking of this incident later, Moody called it a tragic error and "one of the greatest mistakes of my life; for I never saw that congregation again." When the sermon was finished, he asked Mr. Sankey to sing, "Today the Saviour Calls." Almost prophetically the third verse ran:
"Today the Saviour calls; for refuge fly;
The storm of justice falls and death is nigh."
It was the last song sung in that hall, for even as Sankey sang, his voice was drowned out by the clanging of fire engine bells in the street. It was the night of the great Chicago fire, in which Mr. Moody's hall was left in ashes and in which one thousand perished, some of them undoubtedly from that audience. Moody said he learned the lesson, "When preaching Christ, press for an immediate and definite decision." He explained, "I would rather lose my right hand than ever again give an audience a week or a day to decide for Christ."
Don't put off till tomorrow what you should do today."
"Bread For Each Day"
Sunday, December 6, 2015
"Thou Remainest"
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
". . . thou reaminest . . . " Hebrews 1:11
The faithfulness of God is constantly highlighted in the Bible. Men falter and prove untrue, but God remains constant. What a comfort this is to His weak and doubting children! It is not always easy to see this divine control in our lives. It looks sometimes as if things have gotten out of hand, but this can never be for "God abideth faithful."
In the spring of the year a preaching missionary band in China asked a poor Christian farmer to join them in carrying on their work. "But I haven't planted my wheat yet," he protested. Even as he made the excuse, however, a voice within his heart said, "Your wheat? Nay it is your Heavenly Father's wheat." He recognized that this was true and decided to go. His heathen neighbors scoffed at him and said he was very foolish not to stay and first plant his crop. However, he filled his days with scattering the incorruptible seed of the Word upon the good soil of needy souls, and was very happy. After some weeks it was possible for him to return home. His heart sank when he saw his neighbor's fields already lovely and green with the sprouting grain. He hasn't even planted his yet; how would he ever overcome their lead? His crop would come in last and he would receive little for it. Then he thought of the comforting words, "Your Heavenly Father knoweth what things ye have need of," and his peace returned. He planted his wheat but for some time there was no rain. The ground was so dry and the seed refused to sprout. The green fields of his neighbors turned yellow and died. Then came refreshing rains and his wheat took root and sprang up. When the harvest season arrived he had a most beautiful field of waving grain, while his neighbors complained bitterly of their poor yield. Thus God honored His faithful servant.
Though all may seem to slip from your grasp, do not despair. With trusting heart look up to your faithful God and quietly say, "I thank Thee, Lord, that 'Thou remainest'!"
"Bread For Each Day"
". . . thou reaminest . . . " Hebrews 1:11
The faithfulness of God is constantly highlighted in the Bible. Men falter and prove untrue, but God remains constant. What a comfort this is to His weak and doubting children! It is not always easy to see this divine control in our lives. It looks sometimes as if things have gotten out of hand, but this can never be for "God abideth faithful."
In the spring of the year a preaching missionary band in China asked a poor Christian farmer to join them in carrying on their work. "But I haven't planted my wheat yet," he protested. Even as he made the excuse, however, a voice within his heart said, "Your wheat? Nay it is your Heavenly Father's wheat." He recognized that this was true and decided to go. His heathen neighbors scoffed at him and said he was very foolish not to stay and first plant his crop. However, he filled his days with scattering the incorruptible seed of the Word upon the good soil of needy souls, and was very happy. After some weeks it was possible for him to return home. His heart sank when he saw his neighbor's fields already lovely and green with the sprouting grain. He hasn't even planted his yet; how would he ever overcome their lead? His crop would come in last and he would receive little for it. Then he thought of the comforting words, "Your Heavenly Father knoweth what things ye have need of," and his peace returned. He planted his wheat but for some time there was no rain. The ground was so dry and the seed refused to sprout. The green fields of his neighbors turned yellow and died. Then came refreshing rains and his wheat took root and sprang up. When the harvest season arrived he had a most beautiful field of waving grain, while his neighbors complained bitterly of their poor yield. Thus God honored His faithful servant.
Though all may seem to slip from your grasp, do not despair. With trusting heart look up to your faithful God and quietly say, "I thank Thee, Lord, that 'Thou remainest'!"
"Bread For Each Day"
In The World - Not Of 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
" . . . 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.
"Bread For Each Day"
" . . . 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.
"Bread For Each Day"
Wednesday, December 2, 2015
2 Corinthians 4:6-10
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
6. For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
7. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God and not of us.
8. We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed: we are perplexed, but not in despair;
9. Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed;
10. Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus might be made manifest on our body.
6. For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
7. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God and not of us.
8. We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed: we are perplexed, but not in despair;
9. Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed;
10. Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus might be made manifest on our body.
Tuesday, November 24, 2015
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.
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.
Saturday, November 21, 2015
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"
" . . . 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.
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
Friday, November 20, 2015
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
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.
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.
Thursday, November 19, 2015
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"
" . . . 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"
" . . . 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"
Sunday, November 8, 2015
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"
" . . . 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"
"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"
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