MORNING APRIL 1
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The fruit of the Spirit is joy.
Joy in the Holy Ghost. — Unspeakable and full of glory.
Sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; ... exceeding joyful in all our tribulation. — We glory in tribulations.
Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; ... for the joy that was set before him, endured the cross, despising the shame. — These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be fuIl. — As the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ.
Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice. — The joy of the Lord is your strength.
In thy presence is fulness of joy: at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore. — For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.
GAL. 5:22. Rom. 14:17. -I Pet. 1:8. II Cor. 6:10;7,4. -Rom. 5:3. Heb. 12.2. -John 15:11. -II Cor. 1:5. Php. 4:4. -Neh. 8:10. Psa. 16:11. -Rev. 7:17.
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EVENING APRIL 1
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Jehovah-shalom: (The Lord send peace.)
Behold, a son shall be born to thee, who shall be a man of rest, and I will give him rest from all his enemies round about: for his name shall be Solomon, and I will give peace and quietness unto Israel in his days.
Behold, a greater than Solomon is here. — Unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, the mighty God, the everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace. — My people shall dwell in a peaceable habitation, and in sure dwellings, and in quiet resting places; when it shall hail, coming down on the forest ; and the city shall be low in a low place.
He is our peace. — This man shall be the peace when the Assyrian shall come into our land.
These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings.
Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you.
JUDG. 6:24. 1 Chr 22:9. Matt. 12:42. -Isa. 9:6. -Isa. 32:18,19. Eph. 2:14. -Mic. 5:5. Rev. 17:14. John 14:27.
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MORNING APRIL 2
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If ye do return unto the Lord with all your hearts, then put away the strange gods and Ashtaroth from among you, and prepare your hearts unto the Lord, and serve him only.
Little children, keep yourselves from idols. — Come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, and will be a Father you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty. — Ye cannot serve God and Mammon.
Thou shalt worship no other god: for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God. — Serve him with a perfect heart with a willing mind: for the Lord searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts.
Behold, thou desireth truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom. — Man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart. — Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God.
I SAM. 7:3. I John 5:21. -II Cor. 6:17,18. -Matt. 6:24. Exo. 34:14. -1 Chr 28:9. Psa. 51:6. -I Sam. 16:7. -I John 3:21.
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EVENING APRIL 2
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When the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?
He came unto his own, and his own received him not. — The Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith.
Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; and they shall turn away their ears from the truth and shall be turned unto fables.
Of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father. Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is. — Blessed are those servants, whom the lord when he cometh shall find watching. — Looking for that blessed hope, ... the glorious appearing of the great God, and our Saviour Jesus Christ.
LUKE 18:8. John 1:11. -I Tim. 4:1. II Tim. 4:2-4. Mark 13:32,33. -Luke 12:37. -Tit. 2:13.
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MORNING APRIL 3
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Beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness.
My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, ... so shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.
God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all. O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!
II PET. 3:8,9. Isa. 55:8-11. Rom. 11:32,33.
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EVENING APRIL 3
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Ye were as a firebrand plucked out of the burning.
The sinners in Zion are afraid; fearfulness hath surprised the hypocrites. Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire? who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings? — We had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead: who delivered us from so great a death, and doth deliver: in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us. — The wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. — Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men.
Be instant in season, out of season. — Others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire.
Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, saith the Lord of hosts. — Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.
AMOS 4:11. Isa 33:14. -II Cor. 1:9,10. -Rom. 6:23. Heb. 10:31. -II Cor. 5:11. II Tim. 4:2. -Jude 23. Zech. 4:6. -I Tim. 2:4.
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MORNING APRIL 4
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Fear not; I am the first and the last.
Ye are not come unto the mount that might be touched, and that burned with fire, nor unto blackness, and darkness, and tempest, but ye are come unto mount Sion, ... to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, and to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant. — Jesus the author and finisher of our faith. — We have not a high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
Thus saith the Lord the King of Israel, aud his redeemer the Lord of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God. — The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
Art thou not from everlasting, O Lord my God, mine Holy One? — Who is God, save the Lord? and who is a rock, save our God?
REV. 1:17. Heb. 12:18,22-24. -Heb. 12:2. -Heb. 4:15,16. Isa. 44:6. -Isa. 9:6. Hab. 1:12. -II Sam. 22:32.
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EVENING APRIL 4
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Lead me to the rock that is higher than I.
Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
When my spirit was overwhelmed within me, then thou knewest my path. — He knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold. — Lord, thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations. — Thou hast been a strength to the poor, a strength to the needy in his distress, a refuge from the storm, a shadow from the heaven.
Who is a rock save our God? — They shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. — Uphold me according unto thy word, that I may live: and let me not be ashamed of my hope. — Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil.
PSA. 61:2. Php. 4:6,7. Psa. 142:3. -Job 23:10. -Psa. 90:1. -Isa. 25:4. Psa.18:31. -John 10:28. -Psa. 119:116. -Heb. 6:19.
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MORNING APRIL 5
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I will not let thee go, except thou bless me.
Let him take hold of my strength, that he may make peace with me; and he shall make peace with me.
O woman, great is thy faith; be it unto thee even as thou wilt. — According to your faith be it unto you. — Let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.
They drew nigh unto the village, whither they went: and [Jesus] made as though he would have gone further. But they constrained him, saying, Abide with us: ... he vanished out of their sight. And they said one to another, Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures? — I pray thee, if I have found grace in thy sight, shew me now thy way, that I may know thee, that I may find grace in thy sight. — My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest.
GEN. 32:26. Isa. 27:5. Matt. 15:28. -Matt. 9:29. -Jas. 1:6,7. Luke 24:28,29,31,32. -Exo. 33:13. -Exo. 33:14.
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EVENING APRIL 5
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Jesus the author and finisher of our faith.
I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty. — Who hath wrought and done it, calling the generations from the beginning? I the Lord, the first, and with the last: I am he.
Sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ. — The very God of peace sanctify you wholly: and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it. — He which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ. — Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh? — The Lord will perfect that which concerneth me.
It is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.
HEB. 12:2. Rev. 1:8. -Isa. 41:4. Jude 1:1. -I Thes. 5:23,24. -Php. 1:6. -Gal. 3:3. -Psa. 138:8. Php. 2:13.
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MORNING APRIL 6
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He ever liveth to make intercession.
Who is he that condemneth? it is Christ that died ... who also maketh intercession for us. — Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us.
If any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. — There is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.
Seeing ... that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. — Through him we ... have access by one Spirit unto the Father.
HEB. 7:25. Rom. 8:34. -Heb. 9:24. I John 2:1. -I Tim. 2:5. Heb. 4:14-16. -Eph. 2:18.
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EVENING APRIL 6
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They that know thy name will put their trust in thee.
This is his name whereby he shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS. — I will go in the strength of the Lord God: I will make mention of thy righteousness, even of thine only.
His name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor. — O Lord, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps.
The mighty God, The everlasting Father. — I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.
The Prince of Peace. — He is our peace. — Being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
The name of the Lord is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe. — Woe to them that go down to Egypt for help. — As birds flying, so will the Lord of hosts defend Jerusalem; defending also he will deliver it; and passing over he will preserve it.
PSA. 9:10. Jer. 23:6. -Psa 71:16. Isa. 9:6. -Jer. 10:23. Isa. 9:6. -II Tim. 1:12. Isa. 9:6. -Eph. 2:14. -Rom. 5:1. Prov. 18:10. -Isa. 31:1. -Isa. 31:5.
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MORNING APRIL 7
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As sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things.
We ... rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also. — I am filled with comfort, I am exceeding joyful in all our tribulation. — Believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory.
In a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded unto the riches of their liberality. — Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ; and to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ.
Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him? — God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work.
II COR. 6:10. Rom. 5:2,3. -II Cor. 7:4. -I Pet. 1:8. II Cor. 8:2. -Eph. 3:8,9. Jas 2:5. -II Cor. 9:8.
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EVENING APRIL 7
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The Lord strengthen him upon the bed of languishing: thou wilt make all his bed in his sickness.
In all their affliction he was afflicted, and the angel of his presence saved them: in his love and in his pity he redeemed them; and he bare them, and carried them. — He whom thou lovest is sick. — My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.
Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. — I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.
We faint not; ... though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.
In him we live, and move, and have our being. — He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: but they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength. — The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms.
PSA. 41:3. Isa. 63:9. -John 11:3. -II Cor. 12:9. -Php. 4:13. II Cor. 4:16. Acts 17:28. -Isa. 40:29-31. -Deut. 33:27.
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MORNING APRIL 8
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In everything ye are enriched by him.
When we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. — He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall be not with him also freely give us all things?
In him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power.
Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine ye are the branches: he that abideth in me and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. — To will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. — Unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.
If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. — Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom.
I COR. 1:5. Rom. 5:6. -Rom. 8:32. Col. 2:9,10. John 15:4,5. -Rom. 7:18. -Eph. 4:7. John 15:7. -Co1. 3:16.
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EVENING APRIL 8
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They shall see his face.
I beseech thee shew me thy glory. And he said, Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live. — No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.
Every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. — I shall see him, but not now: I shall behold him, but not nigh.
I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: and though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God. — I will behold thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness. — We shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. — The Lord himself shall descend from heaven ... the dead in Christ shall rise first: then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
REV. 22:4. Exo. 33:18,20. -John 1:18. Rev 1:7. -Num. 24:17. Job 19:25,26. -Psa. 17:15. -I John 3:2. -I Thes. 4:16,17.
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MORNING APRIL 9
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Fear not; for I have redeemed thee.
Fear not; for thou shalt not be ashamed: neither be thou confounded; for thou shalt not be put to shame: for thou shalt forget the shame of thy youth, and shalt not remember the reproach of thy widowhood any more. — For thy Maker is thine husband; the Lord of hosts is his name; and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel. — I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy transgressions, and, as a cloud, thy sins: return unto me; for I have redeemed thee. — With the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.
Their Redeemer is strong; the Lord of hosts is his name: he shall throughly plead their cause. — My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand.
Grace be to you and peace from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father: to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
ISA. 43:1 Isa. 54:4,5 -Isa. 44:22. -I Pet. 1:19. Jer. 50:34. -John 10:29. Gal. 1:3-5.
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EVENING APRIL 9
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I will mention the lovingkindnesses of the Lord, and the praises of the Lord, according to all that the Lord hath bestowed on us.
He brought me up ... out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings. — The Son of God ... loved me, and gave himself for me. — He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? — God commendeth love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died us.
Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts. — Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.
God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) and hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.
ISA. 43:7. Psa. 40:2. -Gal. 2:20. -Rom. 8:32. -Rom. 5:8. II Cor. 1:22. -Eph. 1:14. Eph. 2:4-6.
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MORNING APRIL 10
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I am black, but comely.
Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me. — Thy renown went forth among the heathen for thy beauty: for it was perfect through my comeliness, which I had put upon thee, saith the Lord God.
I am a sinful man, O Lord. — Behold, thou art fair, my love; behold, thou art fair.
I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes. — Thou art all fair, my love; there is no spot in thee.
When I would do good, evil is present with me. — Be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee.
I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) dwelleth no good thing — Ye are complete in him. — Perfect in Christ Jesus.
Ye are washed, ... ye are sanctified, ... ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God. — That ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light.
Song 1:5. Psa. 51:5. -Ezek. 16:14. Luke 5:8. -Song 4:1. Job 42:6. -Song 4:7. Rom. 7:21. -Matt. 9:2. Rom. 7:18. -Col. 2:10. -Col. 1:28. I Cor. 6:11. -I Pet. 2:9.
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EVENING APRIL 10
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All that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.
I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother and the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. And a man's foes shall be they of his own household. — Whosoever ... will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God. — Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. The servant is not greater than his lord. — I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
II TIM. 3:12. Matt. 10:35,36. -Jas. 4:4. -I John 2:15,16. John 15:18-20. -John 17:14.
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MORNING APRIL 11
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In the multitude of words there wanteth not sin: but he that refraineth his lips is wise.
My beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath. — He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty: and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city. — If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able to bridle the whole body. — By thy words thou shalt be justified and by thy words thou shalt be condemned. — Set a watch, Lord, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips.
Christ ... suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: who when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously. — Consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.
In their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before the throne of God.
PROV. 10:19. Jas. 1:19. -Prov. 16:32. -Jas. 3:2. -Matt. 12:37. -Psa. 141:3. I Pet. 2:21-23. -Heb. 12:3. Rev. 14:5.
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EVENING APRIL 11
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Teach me thy way, O Lord.
I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye. — Good and upright is the Lord: therefore will he teach sinners in the way. The meek will he guide in judgment: and the meek will he teach his way.
I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.
Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. — Having ... boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; and having an high priest over the house of God; let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith.
Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the Lord. — All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth unto such as keep his covenant and his testimonies.
PSA. 27:11. Psa. 32:8. -Psa. 25:8,9. John 10:9. John 14:6. -Heb. 10:19-22. Hos. 6:3. -Psa. 25:10.
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MORNING APRIL 12
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What the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh.
The law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect. For then would they not have ceased to be offered? — By him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses.
Forasmuch ... as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is the devil; and deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. For verily he took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham. Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren.
ROM. 8:3. Heb. 10:1,2. -Acts 13:39. Heb. 2:14-17.
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EVENING APRIL 12
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All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.
There is none righteous, no, not one: there is none that doeth good, no, not one. — There is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not. — How can he be clean that is born of a woman?
Let us therefore fear, lest a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it.
I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me. Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.
The Lord ... hath put away thy sin; thou shalt not die. — Whom he justified, them he also glorified. — We all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord. — If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel.
Walk worthy of God, who hath called you unto his kingdom and glory.
ROM. 3:23. Rom. 3:10,12. -Eccl. 7:20. -Job 25:4. Heb. 4:1. Psa. 51:3,5. II Sam. 12:13. -Rom. 8:30. -II Cor. 3:18. -Col. 1:23. I Thes. 2:12.
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MORNING APRIL 13
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Honour the Lord with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase.
He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully. — Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him.
God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints and do minister.
I beseech you ... brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. — The love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead: and that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves. but unto him which died for them, and rose again. — Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.
PROV. 3:9. II Cor. 9:6. -I Cor. 16:2. Heb. 6:10. Rom. 12:l. -II Cor. 5:14,15. -I Cor. 10:31.
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EVENING APRIL 13
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There shall be no night there.
The Lord shall be unto thee an everlasting light, and thy God thy glory.
The city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof. — They need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light.
Ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light. — Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son. — Ye were sometime darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light.
We are not of the night, nor of darkness.
The path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.
REV. 21:25. Isa. 60:19. Rev. 21:24. -Rev. 22:5. I Pet. 2:9. -Col. 1:12,13. -Eph. 5:8. I Thes. 5:5. Prov. 4:18.
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MORNING APRIL 14
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My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness; and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips: when I remember thee upon my bed, and meditate on thee in the night watches.
How precious ... are thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them! If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand: when I awake, I am still with thee. — How sweet are thy words unto my taste! yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth! — Thy love is better than wine.
Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee. — Thou art fairer than the children of men.
As the apple tree among the trees of the wood, so is my beloved among the sons. I sat down under his shadow with great delight, and his fruit was sweet to my taste. He brought me to the banqueting house, and his banner over me was love. — His countenance is as Lebanon, excellent as the cedars. His mouth is most sweet: yea, he is altogether lovely. This is my beloved, and this is my friend.
PSA. 63:5,6. Psa. 139:17,18. -Psa. 119:103. -Song 1:2. Psa. 73:25. -Psa. 45:2. Song 2:3,4. -Song 5:15,16.
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EVENING APRIL 14
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Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation.
I have seen his ways, and will heal him: I will lead him also, and restore comforts unto him and to his mourners.
Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. — Return, ye backsliding children, and I will heal your backslidings. Behold, we come unto thee; for thou art the Lord our God. — I will hear what God the Lord will speak: for he will speak peace unto his people, and to his saints: but let them not turn again to folly.
Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases. — He restoreth my soul. — O Lord, I will praise thee: though thou wast angry with me, thine anger is turned away, and thou comfortedst me.
Hold thou me up, and I shall be safe.
I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins.
PSA. 51:12. Isa. 57:18. Isa. 1:18. -Jer. 3:22. -Psa. 85:8. Psa. 103:2,3. -Psa. 23:3. -Isa. 12:1. Psa. 119:117. Isa. 43:25.
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MORNING APRIL 15
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Their Redeemer is strong.
I know your manifold transgressions and your mighty sins. — I have laid help upon one that is mighty. — The Lord ... thy Saviour and thy Redeemer, the mighty one of Jacob. — Mighty to save. — Able to keep you from falling. — Where sin abounded, grace did much more abound.
He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. — He is able ... to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him.
Is my hand shortened at all, that it cannot redeem?
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? ... I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
JER. 50:34. Amos 5:12. -Psa. 89:19. -Isa. 49:26. -Isa. 63:1. -Jude 24. -Rom. 5:20. John 3:18. -Heb. 7:25. Isa. 50:2. Rom. 8:35,38,39.
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EVENING APRIL 15
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Seekest thou great things for thyself? seek them not.
Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. — Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus; who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: but made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
He that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me. — Christ ... suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps.
Godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and raiment let us be therewith content.
I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.
JER. 45:5. Matt. 11:29. -Php. 2:5-8. Matt. 10:38. -I Pet. 2:21. I Tim. 6:6-8. Php. 4:11.
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MORNING APRIL 16
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I said in my haste, I am cut off from before thine eyes: nevertheless thou heardest the voice of my supplications when I cried unto thee.
I sink in deep mire, where there is no standing: I am come into deep waters, where the floods overflow me. — Waters flowed over mine head; then I said, I am cut off. I called upon thy name, O Lord, out of the low dungeon. Thou hast heard my voice: hide not thine ear at my breathing, at my cry. Thou drewest near in the day that I called upon thee: thou saidst, Fear not.
Will the Lord cast off for ever? and will he be favourable no more? Is his mercy clean gone for ever? doth his promise fail for evermore? Hath God forgotten to be gracious? hath he in anger shut up his tender mercies? And I said, This is my infirmity: but I will remember the years of the right hand of the most High. I will remember the works of the Lord: surely I will remember thy wonders of old. — I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.
PSA. 31:22. Psa. 69:2. -Lam. 3:54-57. Psa. 77:7-11. -Psa. 27:13.
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EVENING APRIL 16
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He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him.
And Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, Oh that thou wouldest bless me indeed, and enlarge my coast, and that thine hand might be with me, and that thou wouldest keep me from evil, that it may not grieve me! And God granted him that which he requested. — Ask what I shall give thee. And Solomon said unto God, ... Give me now wisdom and knowledge, that I may go out and come in before this people. — And God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding exceeding much, and largeness of heart, even as the sand that is on the sea shore.
Asa cried unto the Lord his God, and said, Lord, it is nothing with thee to help, whether with many, or with them that have no power ... O Lord, thou art our God; let not man prevail against thee. So the Lord smote the Ethiopians before Asa.
O thou that hearest prayer, unto thee shall all flesh come.
PSA. 91:15. 1 Chr 4:10. -2 Chr 1:7,8,10. -I Kgs. 4:29. 2 Chr 14:11,12. Psa. 65:2.
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MORNING APRIL 17
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Whoso offereth praise glorifieth me.
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him. — Glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.
Ye are a royal priesthood ... that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. — Ye ... as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. — By him ... let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to his name.
My soul shall make her boast in the Lord: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad. O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together.
PSA. 50:23. Col. 3:16,17. -I Cor. 6:20. I Pet. 2:9. -I Pet. 2:5. -Heb. 13:15. Psa. 34:2,3.
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EVENING APRIL 17
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Draw me, we will run after thee.
I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee. — I drew them with cords of a man, with bands of love. — I, if I be lifted up from the eaith, will draw all men unto me. — Behold the Lamb of God. — As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.
Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee. — We love him, because he first loved us.
My beloved spake, and said unto me, Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away. For, lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone; the flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of birds is come, and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land; the fig tree putteth forth her green figs, and the vines with the tender grape give a good smell. Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away.
SONG 1:4. Jer. 31:3. -Hos. 11:4. -John 12:32. ---John 1:36. - John 3:14,15. Psa. 73:25. -I John 4:19. Song 2:10-13.
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MORNING APRIL 18
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I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee.
[Moses] stood between the Lord and you at that time, to shew you the word of the Lord: for ye were afraid. — There is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.
Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth. — Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. — Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: but made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men.
Moses verily was faithful in all his house, as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken after; but Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end.
DEUT. 18:18. Deut. 5:5. -I Tim. 2:5. Num. 12:3. -Matt. 11:29. -Php. 2:57. Heb. 3:5,6.
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EVENING APRIL 18
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Everlasting consolation.
I will remember my covenant with thee in the days of thy youth, and I will establish unto thee an everlasting covenant.
By one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified. — He is able to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them. — I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.
The gifts and calling of God are without repentance. — Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? — The Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes. — So shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore cormfort one another with these words.
This is not your rest. — Here have we no continuing city, but we seek one to come.
II THES. 2:16. Ezek. 16:60. Heb. 10:14. -Heb. 7:25. -II Tim. 1:12. Rom. 11:29. -Rom. 8:35. -Rev. 7:17. -I Thes. 4:17,18. Mic. 2:10. -Heb. 13:14.
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MORNING APRIL 19
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Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep.
The veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom. — Christ ... hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God. — The way into the holiest of all was not yet made manifest, while as the first tabernacle was yet standing.
I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.
No man cometh unto the Father, but by me. — Through him we ... have access by one Spirit unto the Father. Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God. — Having ... boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh. — We have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: by whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
JOHN 10:7. Matt. 27:51. -I Pet. 3:18. -Heb. 9:8. John 10:9. John 14:6. -Eph. 2:15,19. -Heb. 10:19,20. -Rom. 5:1,2.
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EVENING APRIL 19
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His word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing, and I could not stay.
Necessity is laid upon me; yea woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel! What is my reward then? Verily that, when I preach the gospel, I may make the gospel of Christ without charge, that I abuse not my power in the gospel. — They called them, and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John answered and said unto them, ... We cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard. — The love of Christ constraineth us.
I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth ... Thou wicked and slothful servant, ... thou oughtest ... to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury.
Go ... to thy friends, and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee.
JER. 20:9. I Cor. 9:16,18. -Acts 4:18-20. -II Cor. 5:14. Matt. 25:25-27. Mark 5:19.
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MORNING APRIL 20
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There shall cleave nought of the cursed thing to thine hand.
Come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing. — Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul. — Hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.
Beloved, now are we the sons of God ... And it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him: for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure. — The grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ: who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.
DEUT. 13:17. II Cor. 6:17. -I Pet. 2:11. -Jude 23. I John 3:2,3. -Tit. 2:11-14.
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EVENING APRIL 20
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Who art thou Lord? I am Jesus.
It is I; be not afraid. — When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee: and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee. For I am the Lord thy God, ... thy Saviour.
Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. — Emmanuel, God with us.
Thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins. — If any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. — Who is he that condemneth? it is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
ACTS 26:15. Matt. 14:27. -Isa. 43:2,3. Psa. 23:4. -Matt. 1:23. Matt. 1:21. -I John 2:1. -Rom. 8:34,35.
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MORNING APRIL 21
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Stand fast in the Lord.
My foot hath held his steps, his way have I kept, and not declined.
The Lord loveth judgment, and forsaketh not his saints; they are preserved for ever. — The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul.
The just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him. But we are not of them who draw back into perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul. — If they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us.
If ye continue in my word then are ye my disciples indeed. — He that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. — Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong. — Hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown. — He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life.
Php. 4:1. Job 23:11. Psa. 37:28. -Psa. 121:7. Heb. 10:38. -John 2:19. John 8:31. -Matt. 24:13. -I Cor. 16:13. -Rev. 3:11. -Rev. 3:5.
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EVENING APRIL 21
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Enoch walked with God.
Can two walk together, except they be agreed?
Having made peace through the blood of his cross ...You, that were sometimes alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled in the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight. — In Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.
If, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen.
GEN. 5:22. Amos 3:3. Col. 1:20-22. -Eph. 2:13. Rom. 5:10,11. I John 1:3. II Cor. 13:14.
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MORNING APRIL 22
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If his offering be a burnt sacrifice of the herd, let him offer a male without blemish: he shall offer it of his own voluntary will. And he shall put his hand upon the head of the burnt offering; and it shall be accepted for him to make atonement for him.
God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering. — Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. — We are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. — A ransom for many.
No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. — I will love them freely. — The Son of God ... loved me and gave himself for me.
He hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. — He hath made us accepted in the beloved.
LEV. 1:3,4. Gen. 22:8. -John 1:29. -Heb. 10:10. -Matt. 20:28. John 10:18. -Hos. 14:4. -Gal. 2:20. II Cor. 5:21. -Eph. 1:6.
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EVENING APRIL 22
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Great is thy mercy toward me: and thou hast delivered my soul from the lowest hell.
Fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.
Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine. I, even I, am the Lord; and beside me there is no saviour. I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins, — They that trust in their wealth, and boast themselves in the multitude of their riches; none of them can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him: for the redemption of their soul is precious. — I have found a ransom. — God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ.
Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.
PSA. 86:13. Matt. 10:28. Isa. 43:1,11,25. -Psa. 49:6-8. -Job 33:24. -Eph. 2:4,5. Acts 4:12.
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MORNING APRIL 23
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The Lord was my stay.
Truly in vain is salvation hoped for from the hills, and from the multitude of mountains: truly in the Lord our God is the salvation of Israel. — The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower. — Cry out and shout, thou inhabitant of Zion; for great is the Holy One of Israel in the midst of thee.
The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them. The righteous cry, and the Lord heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles. — The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms. — So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me. — For who is God save the Lord? or who is a rock save our God? It is God that girdeth me with strength, and maketh my way perfect.
By the grace of God I am what I am.
PSA. 18:8. Jer. 3:23. -Psa. 18:2. -Isa. 12:6. Psa. 34:7,17. -Deut. 33:27. -Heb. 13:6. -Psa. 18:31,32. I Cor. 15:10.
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EVENING APRIL 23
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All we like sheep have gone astray.
If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. — There is none righteous, no, not one: there is none that understandeth. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable.
Ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls. — I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek thy servant; for I do not forget thy commandments.
He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteous for his name's sake.
My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: and I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, either shall any man pluck them out of my hand.
What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it?
ISA. 53:6. I John 1:8. -Rom. 3:10-12. I Pet. 2:25. -Psa. 119:176. Psa. 23:3. John 10:27,28. Luke 15:4.
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MORNING APRIL 24
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The Lord visited Sarah as he had said, and the Lord did unto Sarah as he had spoken.
Trust in him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us. — David encouraged himself in the Lord his God. — God will surely visit you, and bring you out of this land unto the land which he sware to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob. — I have seen, I have seen the affliction of my people which is in Egypt. and I have heard their groaning, and am come down to deliver them. He brought them out, after that he had shewed wonders and signs in the land of Egypt, and in the Red sea, and in the wilderness forty years. — There failed not ought of any good thing which the Lord had spoken unto the house of Israel: all came to pass.
He is faithful that promised. — Hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good? — Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away — The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever.
GEN. 21:1. Psa. 62:8. -I Sam. 30: 6. -Gen. 50:24. -Acts. 7:34,36. -Josh. 21:45. Heb. 10:23. -Num. 23:19. -Matt. 24:35. -Isa. 40:8.
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EVENING APRIL 24
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The eyes of all wait upon thee.
He giveth to all life, and breath, and all things. — The Lord is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works. — Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them.
The same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him.
I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. — Behold, as the eyes of servants look unto the hand of their masters, and as the eyes of a maiden unto the hand of her mistress; so our eyes wait upon the Lord our God.
The Lord is a God of judgment: blessed are all they that wait for him. — And it shall be said in that day, Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, and he will save us: this is the Lord; we have waited for him, we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation. — If we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.
PSA. 145:15. Acts 17:25. -Psa. 145:9. -Matt. 6:26. Rom. 10:12. Psa. 121:1. -Psa. 123:2. Isa. 30:18. -Isa. 25:9. -Rom. 8:25.
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MORNING APRIL 25
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Thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins
Ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins. — That we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness. — He is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him.
He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. The Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. — Thus it behoved Christ to suffer, ... that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations. — He appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.
Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, ... to give repentance. — Through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins: and by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses. — Your sins are forgiven you for his name's sake.
MATT. 1:21. John 3:5. -I Pet. 2:24. -Heb. 7:25. Isa. 53:5,6. -Luke 24:46,47. -Heb. 9:26. Acts 5:31. -Acts 13:38,39. -I John 2:12.
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EVENING APRIL 25
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Our Lord Jesus Christ, ... though he was rich, yet for your sakes ... became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich.
It pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell. — The brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high; being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they. — Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: but made himself of no reputation.
The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.
All things are yours; whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours; and ye are Christ's; and Christ is God's.
II COR. 8:9. Col. 1:19. -Heb. 1:3,4. -Php. 2:6,7. Matt. 8:20. I Cor. 3:21-23.
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MORNING APRIL 26
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His left hand is under my head, and his right hand doth embrace me.
Underneath are the everlasting arms. — When [Peter] saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me. And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt? — The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord: and he delighteth in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the Lord upholdeth him with his hand.
The beloved of the Lord shall dwell in safety by him; and the Lord shall cover him all the day long, and he shall dwell between his shoulders. — Casting all your care upon Him, for he careth tor you. — He that toucheth you, toucheth the apple of his eye.
They shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all.
SONG 2:6. Deut. 33:27. -Matt. 14:30,31. -Psa. 37:23,24. Deut. 33:12. -I Pet. 5:7. -Zech. 2:8. John 10:28,29.
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EVENING APRIL 26
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Who is she that looketh forth as the morning, fair as the moon, clear as the sun, and terrible as an army with banners?
The church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.
Christ loved the church, and gave himself for it; that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, 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.
There appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun. — The marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints. — The righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe.
The glory which thou gavest me I have given them.
SONG 6:10. Acts 20:28. Eph. 5:25-27. Rev. 12:1. -Rev. 19:7,8. -Rom. 3:22. John 17:22.
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MORNING APRIL 27
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Brethren, the time is short.
Man that is born of a woman is of few days, and full of trouble. He cometh forth like a flower, and is cut down: he fleeth also as a shadow, and continueth not. — The world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever. — As in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. Death is swallowed up in victory. — Whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord's. — To live is Christ, and to die is gain.
Cast not away ... your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward. For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise. For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry. — The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light. — The end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer.
I COR. 7:29. Job. 14:1,2. -I John 2:17. -I Cor. 15:22,54. -Rom. 14:8. -Php. 1:21. Heb. 10:35-37. -Rom. 13:12. -I Pet. 4:7.
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EVENING APRIL 27
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A new name.
The disciples were called Christians first in Antioch. — Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity. — They that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. — Ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.
God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature.
Be ye ... followers of God, as dear children; and walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour. But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints. Now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light.
REV. 2:17. Acts 11:26. -II Tim. 2:19. -Gal. 5:24. -I Cor. 6:20. Gal. 6:14,15. Eph. 5:1-3,8.
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MORNING APRIL 28
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Behold the Lamb of God.
It is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins. Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me: in burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure. Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me) to do thy will, O God. — He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.
Ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, ... but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: ... manifest in these last times for you who by him do believe in God ... that your faith and hope might be in God.
Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing.
JOHN 1:29. Heb. 10:4-7. -Isa. 53:7. I Pet. 1:18-21. Rev. 5:12.
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EVENING APRIL 28
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I will hope continually, and will yet praise thee more and more.
Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect. — Leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God. — The path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.
I love the Lord, because he hath heard my voice and my supplications. Because he hath inclined his ear unto me, therefore will I call upon him as long as I live. — I will bless the Lord all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth.
Praise waiteth for thee, O God, in Sion. — They rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty. — Whoso offereth praise glorifieth me. — Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. — Rejoice in the Lord, always; and again I say, Rejoice.
PSA. 71:14. Php. 3:12. -Heb. 6:1. -Prov. 4:18. Psa. 116:1,2. -Psa. 34:1. Psa. 65:1. -Rev. 4:8. -Psa. 50:23. -I Thes. 5:16-18. -Php. 4:4.
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MORNING APRIL 29
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Consider how great things He hath done for you.
Thou shalt remember all the way which the Lord thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, and to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments, or no. Thou shalt also consider in thine heart, that, as a man chasteneth his son, so the Lord thy God chasteneth thee.
I know, O Lord, that thy judgments are right, and that thou in faithfulness hast afflicted me. It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn thy statutes. Before I was afflicted I went astray: but now have I kept thy word. — The Lord hath chastened me sore: but he hath not given me over unto death. — He hath not dealt with us after our sins, nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him. He knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust.
I SAM. 12:24. Deut. 8:2,5. Psa. 119:75,71,67. -Psa. 118:18. -Psa. 103:10,11,14.
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EVENING APRIL 29
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That blessed hope, ... the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ.
Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil: whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus. — Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things. — When he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe.
The whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. And not only they, but ourselves also, ... groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body. — Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. — When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.
Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.
TIT. 2:13. Heb. 6:19,20. -Acts 3:21. -II Thes. 1:10. Rom. 8:22,23. -I John 3:2. -Col. 3:4. Rev. 22:20.
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MORNING APRIL 30
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Whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected.
The God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is well pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
Hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. — If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. — Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him. Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous. — Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.
I JOHN 2:5. Heb. 13:20,21. I John 2:3. -John 14:23. -I John 3:6,7. -I John 4:17.
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EVENING APRIL 30
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He that is slow to wrath is of great understanding.
The Lord passed by before him, and proclaimed, The Lord, The Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering. — The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
Be ye ... followers of God, as dear children; and walk in love. — The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. — This is thankworthy, if a man for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully. If, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God. Christ ... suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously.
Be ye angry, and sin not.
PROV. 14:29. Exo. 34:6. -II Pet. 3:9. Eph. 5:1. -Gal. 5:22,23. -I Pet. 2:19-21,23. Eph. 4:26.
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Comment on Morning April 01
Can you imagine a heaven where there is no joy and where everyone there is miserable? If there is such a heaven, I'm sure you do not want to go there. Our impression of Heaven from the revelation of God Himself who lives there, is that one cannot have more of God there. He dominates everything just like our sun do our physical world during the day time. There are now people on earth who actually think that such a place where God is everything would be a miserable place. A bit of God is good enough - just enough to get us to a place of eternal happiness. Too much of God means problems, so they think. Such people have wrong ideas of either God or joy or even of both.
"The fruit of the Spirit is joy." (Gal. 5:22) The Spirit is the Third Person of the Godhead and to be full of Him is to be filled with joy - "Joy in the Holy Ghost. — Unspeakable and full of glory." (Rom. 14:17; 1Pe. 1:8) Such joy is so wonderful that being "Sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; ... exceeding joyful in all our tribulation. — We glory in tribulations." (2Co. 6:10, 7, 4; Rom. 5:3) Such is the joy of heaven, of all those who live and suffered for Christ and His kingdom.
Jesus Himself showed us that as "a man of sorrow and acquainted with grieves", He also has such joy. "Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; ... for the joy that was set before him, endured the cross, despising the shame." (Heb. 12:2) All His works and words to save us is also to give us this joy. "These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be fuIl." (Joh. 15:11) "As the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ." (2Co. 1:5)
As Christians we must not be ashamed when we look for joy in our Christian life. But here we must be careful because the worldlings also look for joy - their own corrupt ideas of what joy is, even a joy without or no God at all. Never look for such joy. Rather, "Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice. — The joy of the Lord is your strength." (Phi. 4:4; Neh. 8:10)
If we know what it means to be saved, we will know that "In thy presence is fulness of joy: at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore. — For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes." (Psa. 16:11; Rev. 7:17)
Are you a joyful Christian? Wherein lies your joy?
Comment on Evening April 01
Consider the immediate effects of wars and one wonders how to justify their declaration in the first place. In the history of mankind there were many wars fought in all the different cultures, and none of them did not cause great, immediate, physical miseries upon the peoples involved. Yet, these intelligent creatures continue to fight and destroy each other to these modern days. Listening to their justification for wars, we learn that they were for their imagined, greater peace for all. For people who do not know what is true peace, such axiom can only lead to endless wars and miseries without any peace in sight.
Only God Almighty Who created and govern the Heavens and the Earth know what is true peace. And He said, there shall be no peace to the wicked. He is the only One Who is qualified to declare war and none else. And He did just that in Gen. 3:15. This warfare is to bring about His Own peace first to the hearts of men and then, in ever larger concentric circles to the societies of men. It is not a warfare with flesh and blood, but against the power of darkness, Satan and his cohorts.
As Christians, we are for war, for this kind of war which brings the true peace. "Jehovah-shalom" (The Lord send peace - Jdg. 6:24) Where this kind of wars are properful fought and won, we can expect Jehovah-shalom.
So, when David fought many of such wars, he brough such peace to Jerusalem in the reign of his son, Solomon. "Behold, a son shall be born to thee, who shall be a man of rest, and I will give him rest from all his enemies round about: for his name shall be Solomon, and I will give peace and quietness unto Israel in his days." (1Ch. 22:9) When our Lord Jesus Christ, the Antitype of Solomon, fought His, such eternal peace was won. "Behold, a greater than Solomon is here. — Unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, the mighty God, the everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace. — My people shall dwell in a peaceable habitation, and in sure dwellings, and in quiet resting places; when it shall hail, coming down on the forest ; and the city shall be low in a low place." (Mat. 12:42; Isa. 9:6; 32:18, 19)
The peace of the Lord, which deals with the hearts and consciences of men, is not much appreciated in this guilty world. It calls for their acknowledgment of guilty and repentance towards God and faith towards Christ. Such is too humiliating for proud men, and so, "These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings." (Rev. 17:14) In that way, He gathers His people out of every nation, tongue and tribe, and brings His peace to them. "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you." (Joh. 14:27)
Are you a peace loving person, who talk so much about the spiritual warfare?
Comment on Morning April 02
God's Name is Jealous (Exo. 34:14) and we can understand why that must be the case. There is no being who knows better that there is none else more worthy of total and absolute devotion and consecration by all, than God Himself, than God Himself. Therefore God must be jealous when any being worship any being other than God Himself. In fact, one of the sure test of true repentance is the worship and service of the true and living God alone and none else. "If ye do return unto the Lord with all your hearts, then put away the strange gods and Ashtaroth from among you, and prepare your hearts unto the Lord, and serve him only." (1Sa. 7:3)
Idols are not always those who oppose God. Some of them are the true servants of the Lord. Through no fault of their own, they can be made idols by those who admire them. They should vehemently oppose such sentiments, even running into their midst like the Apostles did in Acts 14:14. As we are by nature so adulterous, we should certainly on guard against such inclination towards those whom we admire. Ever remember that God is a jealous God.
"Little children, keep yourselves from idols. — Come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, and will be a Father you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty. — Ye cannot serve God and Mammon." (1Jo. 5:21; 2Co. 6:1l7, 18; Mat. 6:24)
We are to worship and serve the Lord in true love and with our whole being. This obviously includes with our willing mind and perfect heart. "Serve him with a perfect heart with a willing mind: for the Lord searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts." (1Ch. 28:9) God never wants His people to put aside their mind when worshipping Him. We must consider and think God's thoughts after Him even as we worship and serve Him.
We must worship God in truth, and God's Word is truth. God seeks such truthful people to worship Him. "Behold, thou desireth truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom. — Man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart. — Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God. (Psa. 51:6; 1Sa. 16:7; 1Jo. 3:21)
Can we turn to any power or authority independent of God's? Wherein lies our power and authority over others? What is our calling when people turn to us for help? Is it right to help any fellow creature without God? What would God say to His helpless creatures who seek help from Him?
Comment on Evening April 02
How is the Second Coming of Christ related to our faith?
Our Lord hinted to us that, at that time of His Second Coming, true faith will be a rarity. "When the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?" (Luk. 18:8) The answer to that rhetorical question is "yes", only because faith is the gift of God. At any one time in the history of mankind, there are always, by faith, the "elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them." (Luk. 18:7) God's grace never fail to grant faith to His people.
The spirit of antichrist shall dominate the end time, just before Jesus' return. Such a spirit is not a spirit that denies the use of the terms, such as "Christ" or "Christianity" or any such like good terms. Rather, it is a spirit that insists on its wrong definition of those terms, resulting in a corruption of the formal expression of the faith. So, in the end times, there will be many who think they are doing God's service, representing His cause, when in actual fact, they have departed from the faith. "The Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith." (1Ti. 4:1) We must be ready to meet such challenges, and to prepare our children for them.
How? "Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; and they shall turn away their ears from the truth and shall be turned unto fables." (2Ti. 4:2-4)
On this matter there are many sleeping Christians not well prepared for the Lord's return. It will do us well to take heed to the following words: "Of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father. Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is. — Blessed are those servants, whom the lord when he cometh shall find watching. — Looking for that blessed hope, ... the glorious appearing of the great God, and our Saviour Jesus Christ." (Mar. 13:32-33; Luk. 12:37; Tit. 2:13)
Specifically, what are you and am I doing by way of preparing for His Second Coming?
Comment on Morning April 03
How long is one second? To say that it is one-sixtieth of a minute is certainly right, but it does not help much, unless one is able to relate the duration of one minute and the size of the number '60' to concrete life experiences. Because little children have so little of life experiences, they have difficulty grasping the concept of time, especially of its duration. One second is longer and more significant to one who is strong and can do things faster. But to a person who is weak and needs much time to get a simple thing done, one second is too little, too fast and insignificant. These are realities which bring miseries to those who cannot accept them and be considerate when they deal with each other.
Our Lord Jesus promised to come again and receive us to Himself. (Joh. 14:1-3) Now, about 2,000 years later, we are still waiting for His coming. Some "wise guys" suggest that Jesus was not making a promise to us living to-day, but to His immediate disciples. His promise was certainly fulfilled in those days, in ways which we may not understand to-day. But the 'wise guys" are wrong. Christ made promise to His people and not just to some individuals personally. We are the true people of God and the promise still stands good to-day, even though those who first received it are not with us in person to-day. We are the people for whom Christ died and is coming again. After 2,000 years, some may begin to doubt that Christ will still keep His promise. But to believers, Christ is not "slack concerning his promise." "Beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness." (2Pe. 3:8, 9) Our God has all the details planned out before the Second Coming of Christ, and everything is happening as planned, nothing is yet missing yet. So, everything is on track and happening as planned, nothing delaying, everything as quickly as it ought to be. The problem is not with God nor with the events of history, but with us who are ignorant and unbelieving.
"My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, ... so shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it." (Isa. 55:8-11) God's Word is always faithful and true. It will come to pass no matter what. It will accomplish Its purpose to the glory of God. We must always acknowledge that our thoughts are inferior to His as revealed in His Word. Whenever there is conflict, His must always be right and ours wrong. In that way we are well prepared for greater understanding of His will.
Those who doubt His Second Coming and are not preparing, do so in unbelief. Those who believe and are prepared for it, are those who have received the mercy of God. "God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all. O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!" (Rom. 11:32, 33) God's mercy is sovereign and He will have mercy upon whom He will have mercy. He will harden whom He wills as well. May God have mercy upon us.
Does your faith in God involve the future?
Comment on Evening April 03
Followers of our Lord Jesus Christ are not those who had once upon a time, in the past, rose up to follow Him, irregardless of their present status with Him. They are people who still continue with Him now and forever. "Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; .." (Joh. 8:31 ) To be "disciples indeed" is to be true disciples of Christ.
Faith and hope in Christ is an ongoing thing in our Christian experience. "The sinners in Zion are afraid; fearfulness hath surprised the hypocrites. Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire? who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings? — We had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead: who delivered us from so great a death, and doth deliver: in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us. — The wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." (Isa. 33:14; 2Co. 1:9, 10; Rom. 6:23) Those who think that God only help them with initial grace, and that through the acts of their free-, submissive, renewed will they have now improved enough to be saved upon their own merits, are still lost in their sins. "All our righteousnesses are as fithy rags". (Isa. 64:6) Salvation is indeed of the Lord and none of ourselves.
God is so holy and perfect , that it "is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. — Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men." (Heb. 10:31; 2Co. 5:11) We persuade men not to trust in themselves, but to trust in the Lord with all their hearts. "Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, saith the Lord of hosts. — Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth." (Zec. 4:6; 1Ti. 2:4)
Can there be salvation without the knowledge of the truth?
Comment on Morning April 04
We fear because we do not know how it all got started and also because we do not know how it will all end up. So, after a major disaster or accident, like a plane crash, to calm public fear of air travel, a thorough investigation is normally called for. In the final report, such questions as how it all started and what the industry is going to do about what they now know (the outcome of the accident) is very important. Any failure to address these two points properly would not help to remove the fear of air-travel.
We have our physical life here. We observe it in many others around us. Many things can happen to a person, pleasant or unpleasant, good or bad. And one thing seems to happen to them all - they all die when the time comes. Death is such a blow to them and to those around them. What lies ahead of the dead? What about those who depend on the one who dies - what about their future? What are happening to others would very likely happen to us as well. Is it not natural to fear with this careful observation? "Fear not; I am the first and the last." (Rev. 1:17) Christ Jesus, our Lord and Saviour, is the first and last of all things created. "For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: And he is before all things, and by him all things consist." (Col. 1:16, 17) We may not know the future and many other things, but we do believe and know who has absolute control over them all. He is our Saviour. All is well. We need not fear.
As Christians, ".. ye are not come unto the mount that might be touched, and that burned with fire, nor unto blackness, and darkness, and tempest, but ye are come unto mount Sion, ... to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, and to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant. (Heb. 12:18, 22-24)
In Jesus Christ, "We have not a high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need." (Heb. 4:15, 16) He understands all our trials and difficulties and is most sympathetic towards us. His desire is always that we overcome our sins and miseries with His strength and grace. Let us go to Him more often.
"Thus saith the Lord the King of Israel, aud his redeemer the Lord of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God. — The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace." (Isa. 44:6; 9:6) Is He not also our Lord and King?
"Art thou not from everlasting, O Lord my God, mine Holy One? — Who is God, save the Lord? and who is a rock, save our God?" (2Sa. 22:32)
Who can dispel your fear if this our God cannot? Get to know Him better.
Comment on Evening April 04
We who walk "in the way everlasting" (Psa. 139:24), can rest assured that difficulties along the way do have their own peculiar ways of escape. When we find ourselves too low and not solid enough, we can pray, "Lead me to the rock that is higher than I." (Psa. 61:2)
Therefore we should not worry as we walk with the Lord on this highway to Heaven, but be prayerful. "Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." (Phi. 4:6, 7)
Difficulties along the way are put there by our God to purify our faith. We are to walk by faith, nothing doubting. True faith is always based upon God's Word and promises and not our vain imaginations. We we live and act in true faith, we use the Word of God as a lamp to our feet and a light to our path, and prayerfully consider the providence of God around us. They are all given to us for the exercise of our faith. As I walk thus and "my spirit was overwhelmed within me, then thou knewest my path." (Psa. 142:3) "He knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold." (Job. 23:10)
The conclusion of all who are tried of God and come forth as gold is that Jehovah God is their help. "Lord, thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations. — Thou hast been a strength to the poor, a strength to the needy in his distress, a refuge from the storm, a shadow from the heaven." (Psa. 90:1; Isa. 25:4)
As Christians we have no other hope besides this Triune God as revealed in Holy Scriptures. We perish if He fails us. He is the Almighty and He can never fail. "Who is a rock save our God? — They shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. — Uphold me according unto thy word, that I may live: and let me not be ashamed of my hope. — Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil." (Psa. 18:31; Joh. 10:28; Psa. 119:116; Heb. 6:19)
In this whole wide world, is there a greater Salvation and a greater Saviour than ours in Jesus Christ?
Comment on Morning April 05
I have not come across a Christian who denies the reality of "ups and downs" in the Christian experience. It is God's revealed Word that there was the despondent experience of Elijah when he asked to die, and also his previous great victory at Mount Carmel. Then there was the transfiguration experience of the Apostle Peter and his miserable denial of the Lord. Indeed, all these do demonstrate our vulnerability and unreliability in matter of our salvation. If not for God's promise of His everlasting arm underneath us, we can never have any assurance of eternal life.
It is in times of our "mountain top" experience that we must learn to pray, "I will not let thee go, except thou bless me." (Gen. 32:26) How much do we look for the blessing of the Lord? No, I'm not thinking of what we consider as "blessing" (often we are mistaken here), but of what is truly blessing in His sight. When we are in need we cry to Him with all kinds of suggestions as to what is blessings that should come from Him. That is quite natural. But when He does indeed answer our prayers, do we regard those answers as blessings from Him? If His thoughts towards us is one of good, what else can we expect but His blessings? What is needful is not God changing His answers to our prayers to suit our tastes, but we changing to accepting His good gifts (whatever that may be) with much thankfulness and live within the plan and will of God.
His dealings with us are the demonstrations of His strength. He said, "Let him take hold of my strength, that he may make peace with me; and he shall make peace with me." (Isa. 27:5) Blessed indeed are those who are at peace with God and not at war with Him.
When our Lord told a Gentile woman, who came for help, that it was not right to give the children's bread to dogs (implying that she was a "dog"), she did not go into war with Christ, but replied, "Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters' table." (Mat. 15:27) The Lord thus showed that she was no "Gentile" in her heart, and said, "O woman, great is thy faith; be it unto thee even as thou wilt." Things happen to us believers according to our faith. "According to your faith be it unto you." (Mat. 9:29) "Let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord." (Jam. 1:6, 7)
The Lord is always with us as He has promised. Often we are too busy with what we ourselves want to do, like Martha, and fail to seize the golden opportunity to sit at His feet and listen to Him, like Mary. We must cultivate the sense of His presence with us, if we are to pray more often in delight. "I pray thee, if I have found grace in thy sight, shew me now thy way, that I may know thee, that I may find grace in thy sight." (Exo. 33:13)
Is He around, now, to hear and bless us?
Comment on Evening April 05
Heaven is a perfect place for perfect people. By nature we are not fit to inherit such a wonderful place. We are fallen in Adam when he rebelled against God in the garden of Eden, corrupting the very human nature, plunging the whole human race into the guilt of sin. If ever there is any hope for a human being to get to heaven, God, with whom nothing is impossible, must act on our behalf, and we live by faith in Him.
"Jesus the author and finisher of our faith." (Heb. 12:2) We need to live by faith, and our faith is designed and completed by Jesus Christ. Jesus is the Second Person of the Godhead came in human flesh. He came in the Name of the Triune God to represent the poeple whom God would save. He came to be their Christ, their Prophet, Priest and King. Those who believe and follow Christ are those who have the faith of Christ.
We believers are the blessed ones because our Lord and Saviour, "which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty", says "I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending." (Rev. 1:8) He is the One Who called "the generations from the geninning". (Isa. 41:4) He is God and our hope is in Him.
Through God's cleansing and sanctification, there is hope of possessing Heaven one day. "Sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ. — The very God of peace sanctify you wholly: and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it. — He which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ." (Jude 1:1; 1Th. 5:23, 24; Phi. 1:6)
Before we arrive at perfection, we do foolishly imagine, at times, that we are good enough to go the rest of the way on our own, by our own steam. "Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?" (Gal. 3:3) It is virtuous to try and be independent as soon as possible, so that we need not trouble other people. But in the matter of our Salvation, from beginning tot he end, we are totally dependent upon the Lord. There is no other way. Without Him we can do nothing. This is humbling and God gives grace to the humble, but resists the proud. "The Lord will perfect that which concerneth me." (Psa. 138:8) All from Him or none at all.
"It is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure." (Phi. 2:13)
Is your salvation a matter of God's good pleasure or of your own free-will?
Comment on Morning April 06
On the third day after He died, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ rose again from the dead, never more to die again. He had conquered death by going through it and returning to life with a glorified body! This shows not only His power, but also that the human body was designed in such a way that it can be transformed by God's power to become a glorified body with all the phenomena we witness of it in our Lord Jesus' appearances during the 40 days after His resurrection. Now, He ever lives - whatever for?
"He ever liveth to make intercession." (Heb. 7:25) After 40 days of spending time with His disciples, He finally bade them farewell at the Mount of Olives in His Great Ascension into Heaven, with that glorious body, leaving behind His promise to come again "in like manner" as we saw Him went, but that time with the difference, that He will take us to Himself (so that we may see Him as He is and be like Him), nevermore to be parted from Him forever. But for now, we are here while He is in Heaven, there to make intercession for us.
We do need Someone like our Lord in Heaven to represent us before our Heavenly Father, before all of us are gathered into God's Kingdom. Even till this very day, there are still the elect of God to be gathered out of every nation, tongue and tribe. This is to be done by Christ through His mystical Body, the Church, which is still imperfect and stand in need of her Lord's intercession in Heaven. This gives her strength from Heaven to continue her work till the Return of Christ. "Who is he that condemneth? it is Christ that died ... who also maketh intercession for us. — Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us." (Rom. 8:34; Heb. 9:24)
Even as an individual Christian bearing witness for our Lord, we need that intercession of our Lord Jesus Christ. "If any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. — There is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus." (1Jo. 2:1; 1Ti. 2:5) We must all appreciate our Lord's glorious ascension into God's presence.
"Seeing ... that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. — Through him we ... have access by one Spirit unto the Father." (Heb. 4:14-16; Eph. 2:18)
Where should you look whenever you feel the need strength and encouragement in the service of the Lord?
Comment on Evening April 06
To be saved is to come to the knowledge of the truth. God will have all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. Jesus is the way, the truth and the life; no man come unto the Fathe but by Him, Who is the truth. "They that know thy name will put their trust in thee." (Psa. 9:10) The name of God speaks of His revelation of Himself, and that is the only truth in this universe.
"This is his name whereby he shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS. — I will go in the strength of the Lord God: I will make mention of thy righteousness, even of thine only." (Jer. 23:6; Psa. 721:16) God reveals Himself as the God of our Salvation. He saves us by becoming ur righteousness. Anyone who mentions any other righteousness for salvation is deceiving others and deceiving himself. Blessed are all those who mention only of Jehovah our righteousness.
"His name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor. — O Lord, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps." (Isa. 9:6; Jer. 10:23) Man may boast that it is his own will that has made the difference, but God's Word insisted that "it is not in man that willeth to direct his steps." Who is right? "A man's heart deviseth his way: but the LORD directeth his steps." (Pro. 16:9) The LORD is always right. He is our righteousness, even in the most fundamental issue of our Salvation. "So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy." (Rom. 9:16)
We trust in Him when we know Him. He is "The mighty God, The everlasting Father. — I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day." (Isa. 9:6; 1Ti. 1:12) He is the "Prince of Peace. — He is our peace. — Being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." (Isa. 9:6; Eph. 2:14; Rom. 5:1)
"The name of the Lord is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe. — Woe to them that go down to Egypt for help. — As birds flying, so will the Lord of hosts defend Jerusalem; defending also he will deliver it; and passing over he will preserve it." (Pro. 18:10; Isa. 31:1; Isa. 31:5) We Christians are the true Jerusalem, the true people of God, whom He loves and will preserve without fail. We can trust in Him.
There is so much to know. Where should you start and where do you think you will end up?
Comment on Morning April 07
When a man gives a million dollars to charity, we immediately think that he is more generous than another who gives only a hundred dollars. A hundred dollars cannot do very much as compared with what a million dollars can do. So, we think that because a gift can do so much more, therefore that man much be so much more a generous man. Would you still think the same, if the reality is that the former man, after giving his million, still continues his life like before, while the latter, after giving his hundred, has to go hungry for a few days? The wonder of God's grace is that He makes us like the latter man - people who are willing to give even of our life for the benefit of others, and not merely out of convenience.
Scriptures describes believers thus: "As sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things." (2Co. 6:10) In ourselves, our outward man may perish and cause much sorrows, but our inward man renewed day by day and we are rejoicing always. In relation to others, we may be poor, yet we make many people rich - rich not necessarily in material things. In relation to things around us, all things belong to our Heavenly Father and therefore to us - they shall all serve us for our good. We may have nothing, but we possess all things. In fact, God controls in such a way that He ensure that people manage our wealth for us, even without their realizing it.
Glory and tribulation are not things which can prevent our lives of joy. "We ... rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also." (Rom. 5:2, 3) "I am filled with comfort, I am exceeding joyful in all our tribulation. — Believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory." (2Co. 7:4; 1Pe. 1:8) "For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith." (1Jo. 5:4)
The "churches of Macedonia" (2Co. 8) were examples of believers whose "deep poverty" did not stop their having "the abundance of ... joy", and with both were very liberal in giving to others in need. (2Co. 8:1-5) Even the poor can give more than the rich, in the sight of God. (Mar. 12:43)
"Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him? — God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work." (Jam. 2:5; 2Co. 9:8)
Are you too poor to give? How can you ever be rich in that mentality?
Comment on Evening April 07
Power is dangerous without control. So it is important to know the nature of the power we are dealing with in order to control it. But having the know how to control does not mean that one has the power. There are many who have a car driving license but never own a car to drive one regularly. Often things are not done because there is no power or strength available to get things done. As God's people we need strength from above to do the will of God.
We must asked again and again to be strengthened that we might do the will o God. "The Lord strengthen him upon the bed of languishing: thou wilt make all his bed in his sickness." (Psa. 41:3) To be in bed is to rest from one's physical labour. Physical things are not moved without physical work done. Nothing significant happens to this physical world, if all human beings are merely sleeping in bed. We do go to bed, but we want to arise so as to get work done. But when one is sick and without strength, he is forced to be in bed all the time. He is quite helpless and useless. Sickness comes from the Lord to teach His children how to pray and to draw strength from Him.
The power with which we deal is no ordinary power. It is that power by which the whole universe was created and Christ was raised from the dead. It is no mere brute force or energy, but the power of a Personal Being. That power has love and pity, grace and mercy. "In all their affliction he was afflicted, and the angel of his presence saved them: in his love and in his pity he redeemed them; and he bare them, and carried them. — He whom thou lovest is sick. — My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness." (Isa. 63:9; Joh. 11:3; 2Co. 12:9a)
The Apostle Paul was most glad that his life can be used of God to show forth such great and unique power. "Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. — I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." (2Co. 12:9b; Phi. 4:13)
With such strength in us, we "faint not; ... though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day." (2Co. 4:16) Here we must learn to wait upon the Lord. He will not fail us but accomplish His own purpose concerning us. And that purpose is always good for us. "He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: but they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength. — The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms." (Isa. 40:29-31; Deu. 33:27)
In your Christian race, are you selected to compete in a 50 meter or a marathon event? (Heb. 12:1-3)
Comment on Morning April 08
Our Lord Jesus Christ is that Word Which become flesh and dwell among us, according to the Apostle John in Joh. 1:14. This was the same Word Which was from the beginning, and by Which also all things were created. Therefore all things are united in Him, in this Word of God.
For us who are in Christ, in "everything ye are enriched by him." (1Co. 1:5) How else can it be, if He is that very Word by Whom all things are united? When there is no peace in us, it is because we have not known the Word as we should. We do not have to know as much as He knows in order to have peace. We just have to know, believe and trust in Him Who loves us and gave Himself for us on the Cross of Calvary, to have that peace that passes all understanding.
Do we need to have some strength or ability before Jesus is interested in us? No, for "When we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly." (Rom. 5:6) If He really demand something of us, who would be able to give Him? We are altogether unworthy. The sooner we realize this the better. Unworthy as we are, "He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall be not with him also freely give us all things?" (Rom. 8:32) This is indeed a great wonder of grace! Now, all things serve us for Christ's sake.
In Jesus Christ, we have God for us. "In him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power." (Col. 2:9, 10) He is Immanuel, "God with us."
Do you want to live a fruitful life? Jesus, the Word, said, "Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine ye are the branches: he that abideth in me and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing." (Joh. 15:4, 5) If we forsake Christ or He us, then we can do nothing, but perish like the withered branches. This is a crucial truth which must be maintained in the midst of God's people, if they are to be lively and fruitful.
"If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. — Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom." (Joh. 15:7; Col. 3:16)
Where do you abide?
Comment on Evening April 08
As human beings we were created after the likeness and image of God. But God, being a spirit, does not posses a physical body. So in trying to reflect the glory of God, we must not pay too much attention to our physical body. Those who does so, know only too well what losing battles they are fighting in trying to attain eternal youth. The likeness and image of God relate to knowledge, holiness and righteousness (Col. 3:10; Eph. 4:24), to which the human nature is also related.
To prepare the next generation of human beings to take over the present one, education of the total men is very important. Just look at the schools and one can observe the training of the physical body, of the mind, the emotions and the will. Every human being born into this world starts to form a mental image of himself according to his own unique disposition and fashioned according to his unique circumstances. He then continuously look at that ever developing image to ensure, as much as possible, the conformity of his current reality to it.
Christians believe that the likeness and image of God is restored in Jesus Christ. So, in Christ we find that fundamental image to which every human being ought to conform himself. So, they would see His face often, so as to conform to His image. "They shall see his face." (Rev. 22:4) They cannot see God's glory directly and live (Exo. 33:18, 20), and so, through the human nature of Christ, we can see God's image reflected to us. "No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him." (Joh. 1:18)
One day all men shall face God in judgment. God has committed all judgment to His Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. (Joh. 5:22) "Every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. — I shall see him, but not now: I shall behold him, but not nigh." (Rev. 1:7; Num. 24:17)
Job, in his deep sufferings, was given a glimpse of the end time when Chrits shall appear in judgment. He said, "I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: and though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God." (Job. 19:25, 26)
At this present time, there is only one human being Who stands complete and safe - perfect nevermore to die, what we would be like throughout eternity. He is none other than our Lord Jesus Christ. "I will behold thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness. — We shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. — The Lord himself shall descend from heaven ... the dead in Christ shall rise first: then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord." (Psa. 17:15; 1Jo. 3:2; 1Th. 4:16, 17)
What do you see in the mirror - "through a glass, darkly"? (1Co. 13:12) What sight would fully satisfy you?
Comment on Morning April 09
If you are in the captivity of the all-powerful kidnappers, then your only hope of freedom is the payment of the ransom demanded by them. Otherwise, you can only fear in their captivity.
"Fear not; for I have redeemed thee." (Isa. 43:1) If we are wrongfully held in captivity, we still have Someone greater than the wicked, "all-mighty kidnappers", to appeal to for help. These are only pretending to be "all-mighty" for there is justice in this moral world, as God the Governor of the Universe has ensured that for a meaningful existence of all things. And He is truly the Almighty! But, if you are in captivity under His hand, there is none else to save you except the payment of the demanded ransom. "It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God." (Heb. 10:31)
The ransom demanded is so great (as our sins are so deep and God's righteousness so high and pure) that only God the Almighty Himself can redeem us. He became man in Jesus Christ to redeem us. We need not be ashamed of such a glorious Gospel.
"Fear not; for thou shalt not be ashamed: neither be thou confounded; for thou shalt not be put to shame: for thou shalt forget the shame of thy youth, and shalt not remember the reproach of thy widowhood any more. — For thy Maker is thine husband; the Lord of hosts is his name; and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel. — I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy transgressions, and, as a cloud, thy sins: return unto me; for I have redeemed thee. — With the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot." (Isa. 54:4, 5; 44:22; 1Pe. 1:19) Our calling is ever to repent of our sins and to return to Him Who has become our unfailing Husband.
People around us recognize our blessedness - as married to such a Husband. "Their Redeemer is strong; the Lord of hosts is his name: he shall throughly plead their cause. — My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand." (Jer. 50:34; Joh. 10:29) We must never bear false witness against this Good God by our words or behaviour. Such false witnessing must never be declared as a non-sin or else we become salt that have lost its savour. (Mat. 5:13)
The ransom paid by our Lord Jesus Christ can never fail to redeem us thoroughly and completely. What else can give any Minister of the Gospel the courage and right to pronounce this benediction upon God's people: "Grace be to you and peace from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father: to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen."?
Are you unwittingly trampling His blood under your feet? (Heb. 10:29)
Comment on Evening April 09
It is irritating (is it not?) to always hear someone talking about almost the same thing over and over again? Either he is crazy like a scratched record jumping tracks all the time, sending the needle back to the beginning of the scratched point again and again, or such a person must have something very significant for him and others to take note. If the latter is the case, the older such a person gets the more he felt the urgency to get the important message out before he is gone and be no more here.
"I will mention the lovingkindnesses of the Lord, and the praises of the Lord, according to all that the Lord hath bestowed on us." (Isa. 43:7) The whole Bible, the Holy Scriptures, is full of stories of this lovingkindness of the Lord. They are not fictions, like the stories of Batman and Superman and Star War, invented by some wise guys for whatever good intention, etc. These were real experiences of a people down through many centuries, faithfully spoke and accurately recorded from generation to generation under the inspirng Holy Spirit of God.
"He brought me up ... out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings." (Psa. 40:2) It is a story about how one still has to get up and get going again after a horrible experience of being buried alive! Someone helped him again and again and cause him to prosper in the inner man more and more, from glory to glory. Such experiences are too wonderful to be ignored, and it is sinful for those experiencing them to take them for granted.
Such stories involved the "Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me." It is not in any Tom, Dick and Harry that one can talk about the Love of God for wretched, unworthy sinners. Every time one is reminded of his sinful, unworthy condition, the unique love of God becomes ever more precious to him. "He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? — God commendeth love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died us." (Rom. 8:32; 5:8) That this great and mighty God should take an interest in any puny man like us, is indeed a great wonder beyond words. How can words ever stop flowing to praise Him? Eternity in the perfect Heaven would never be able to stop praising Him, how much less here, in time, while we are still currently experiencing such love in the midst of sin? Those who praise and those who know only right well. Those who are silent should well consider the reality of what they claim.
These stories of redemption also involved the Third Peson of the Godhead, the blessed Holy Spirit of God. "Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts. — Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory." (Eph. 1:14) While the children of perdition are sealed with the number of the beast (Rev. 13:17, 18), the children of God are sealed with the Holy Spirit. The power of God in the heart of His children cannot be mistaken. The same One Who inspired that Word is also the One Who fills us and witness to us that we are the children of God. (Rom. 8:16)
The commitment of God to make our lives the hymns of His praise, cannot fail to achieve its goal. To those who can see, praise already started in this life and shall grow in greater perfection to eternity. "God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) and hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus."
Are you being prepared for the praising Heaven?
Comment on Morning April 10
It is obviously wrong to say that black means dirty, although it is true that many dirty things do turn darker in colour. Many black things are really clean and delightful. Such is the case with believers in our Lord Jesus Christ.
In Adam and in our own actual sins, we are become very filthy and dirty to the core. So, by nature there is nothing great in us that God should pay any attention to us, but to cast us off forever in hell. Yet, by His grace we are cleansed and made delightful in His sight. This is the wonder of greace indeed. "I am black, but comely" was the Song's description of the Bride of Christ.
Below are Scriptures texts which gives the believers view of themselves by grace and their Beloved's assuring words of grace and love. Oh, how beautiful to know that by the Blood of Christ, sins can no more separate us from God.
"Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me. — Thy renown went forth among the heathen for thy beauty: for it was perfect through my comeliness, which I had put upon thee, saith the Lord God.
I am a sinful man, O Lord. — Behold, thou art fair, my love; behold, thou art fair.
I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes. — Thou art all fair, my love; there is no spot in thee.
When I would do good, evil is present with me. — Be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee.
I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) dwelleth no good thing — Ye are complete in him. — Perfect in Christ Jesus." (Psa. 51:5; Eze. 16:14; Luk. 5:8. -Song 4:1. Job. 42:6. -Song 4:7. Rom. 7:21. -Mat. 9:2. Rom. 7:18. -Col. 2:10. -Col. 1:28)
The purpose of such gracious words and works of God is clearly spelled out for us in Scriptures. "Ye are washed, ... ye are sanctified, ... ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God. — That ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light." (1Co. 6:11; 1Pe. 2:9)
We are bad witnesses in this world when we cannot tell all our weaknesses and sins to the Lord in secret for whatever reason. Are you afraid that the Lord may despise you and forsake you for someone else if He really come to know you from your own mouth? Think again. How much do you truly know of the Lord?
Comment on Evening April 10
Where evil is present, there is always the abuse of the right and proper. This abuse will intensify when the right and proper tries hard to maintain itself. Such abuse will only stop when the evil is confined finally.
Christians are those who are restored in Jesus Christ from the Fall of Adam. They would maintain the right and proper things in God's wonderful Creation. Chief things among these right and proper things are repentance towards God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ. To live godly in Christ Jesus is to do the right and proper things in life. "All that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution." (2Ti. 3:12) The Apostle wrote to Pastor Timothy to prepare godly Christians for difficult times lest they become discourage at such an hour of suffering. He was sure of such persecution because before the Great and Glorious Day of the Lord's Return, this world is still filled with evil who would abuse all that is good and proper.
Without grace, all men (including all our loved ones) are by nature evil, in alliance with the devil to go against God. There is none that understand and none that does good. So, when the Lord came to save some (not all), the inevitable happened. "I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother and the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. And a man's foes shall be they of his own household. — Whosoever ... will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God." (Mat. 10:35,36; Jam. 4:4) It is sad that some of our loved ones should remain friends of the world and the enemy of God. No wonder we find ourselves at variance against them.
For us Christians, God insists, "Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world." (IJo. 2:15,16) Our desire not to be at variance with our loved ones in this world should lead us to active evangelism among them. Such action can either bring us closer or cause us to be parted even further. We are not sufficient of these things. Our calling is to be obedient.
We can handle a crisis better when we are better prepared for it. Our Lord Jesus went ahead of us to prepare the way and destination for us. If we follow Him conscientiously, we will be able to bear all the hatred we experience in life. "If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. The servant is not greater than his lord." (Joh. 15:18-20)
All our sufferings are for the Word's sake. "I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world." (Joh. 17:14)
Comment on Morning April 11
The more we speak our own words the more we sin. This is not to suggest that without speaking a man does not sin. Certainly speaking is a common and typical way of communicating. For moral, ethical being to communicate with each other, there is the possibility of inner intention to influence each other for bad or for good. That intention comes from the heart, out of which are the issues of life. Moral judgment is about determining the intention of a person when he communicates with others. And communicate in more ways than through speaking. Thus a dumb man can sin as much as one who can speak, since he can communicate through other means, like, for example, the sign language.
But speaking is so convenient in communication. People are all ready to say and listen to something new and immediately through speaking. If your only means of information is through the printed page, how slow and inconvenient it would be meaningful fellowship. And coming with such convenience is also the danger of sinning against God in a big way. "In the multitude of words there wanteth not sin: but he that refraineth his lips is wise." (Pro. 10:19) To refrain does not mean to stop completely, but to be slow and careful in speaking. We should think more carefully first before speaking, lest we sin against God and man.
"My beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath." (Jam. 1:19) "Swift to hear" does not mean hearing carelessly what one wants to hear and not what is really spoken. It is true that a bias mind often has its own expectation and it is so dangerous when such expectation prevent the careful hearing of what is really spoken. Another reason why we should not hear carelessly is the fact that words may be used with slightly different meaning from person to person. It is what a person is really trying to say that matter and not what a person seem to be saying at first hearing. We can know exactly what a person is trying to say by gently asking more questions for clarification. We must be swift to hear in the proper way, before responding with our own words, after careful consideration. For important matters we should ask for more time for such consideration before responding. Anyone would appreciate that. But, of course, not all communications are on important and crucial matters.
An angry and wrathful respond is a judgment passed by the hearer. Not all speakings are asking for judgment responds. Very often in fellowship we share freely and do not take each other seriously. Such a moment when we can talk and laugh at each other without offending each other. But there are ocassions when love call for assessment, warning and encouragement. Then for those in authority, duty calls for judgment and legal sentence. In any case "He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty: and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city." (Pro. 16:32) Whereever truth and justice are maintained there is peace and orderliness which is best for meaningful growth and development. True growth is when one is more and more able to be in control on the right course. "If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able to bridle the whole body." (Jam. 3:2) Therefore by "thy words thou shalt be justified and by thy words thou shalt be condemned. — Set a watch, Lord, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips." (Mat. 12:37; Psa. 141:3)
If nothing else can convince us as to how we should handle our tongue, let Christ be our model. "Christ ... suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: who when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously. — Consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds." (1Pe. 2:21-23; Heb. 12:3)
Are we like those who follow closest to the Lamb of God? (Rev. 14:5)
Comment on Evening April 11
If there is such a place called Heaven where sinful men (properly dealt with) can go finally, then there must be a way in which they must travel to get there.
The Psalmist sing of such a way when he wrote: "Teach me thy way, O Lord." (Psa. 27:11) It is not a way naturally known by the Psalmist himself. He needed to be taught that way. It is the way which only the Lord our God knows and can teach. All who would walk in that way, must humble himself and pray to be taught by God Almighty.
God is so good and would never say 'no' to anyone who comes humbly to Him. "I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye." (Psa. 32:8) The way that Christians must take to go to Heaven is not one which is optional. It is the way he must go. He has no choice. He shall walk in that way because God would bring him there, guide him through it and ensure that he arrive there safely at the end of it. "Good and upright is the Lord: therefore will he teach sinners in the way. The meek will he guide in judgment: and the meek will he teach his way." (Psa. 25:8,9) If we sincerely asked to be taught that way, He is more than delighted to teach and instruct us therein. This is the way of the Lord, meek and lowly in heart. It is the way where the meek and lowly find sweet rest and quiet confidence.
We enter that school of instruction through our Lord Jesus Christ when we trust Him as our Lord and Saviour. He said: "I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture." (Joh. 10:9)
The way of the Lord is the way of truth and life. It is the way which leads to "the holiest of all". (Heb. 9:3, 8; 10:19) "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. — Having ... boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; and having an high priest over the house of God; let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith." (Joh. 14:6; Heb. 10:19-22)
Our knowledge of anything is not complete without the knowledge of the Lord. This is because by Him were all things created. "Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the Lord." (Hos. 6:3) In certain serious matters, actions taken based upon incomplete knowledge can be very dangerous. Behold our sins will find us one day.
One of the chief characteristic of the way of the Lord is that all "the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth unto such as keep his covenant and his testimonies." (Psa. 25:10)
Where are we leading those under our charge and care?
Comment on Morning April 12
Who can doubt that the law of God is good and holy? After all, It is designed and decided by God Himself for those who are created after His image and likeness. After creating all things, He took a look at them and say that they were very good. Yet we read in Rom. 8:3 thus: "What the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh."
The good law of God could not do certain thing. It could not deliver from the power of sin. In fact, the Apostle Paul in 1Co. 15:56 wrote that "the strength of sin is the law." Sin not only cannot be condemned by the law, but it is strengthened instead. We can fully understand this when we turn to the Fall of our first parents, Adam and Eve. There in the Garden of Eden they were enjoy sweet communion with God in their perfect human nature (though not confirmed). The presence of God's Law there was evident by the so called "probationary command". Our first parents were tempted by the devil and fell into rebellion against God. Our perfect human nature failed to be confirmed and became corrupt. Henceforth, any attempt to be justified by the law, only bring one to shame and guilt. Paul wrote: ".. by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified" (Gal. 2:16)
The law of Moses includes all the ceremonial laws as well. All these are not ends in themselves, but serve to point to Christ and His works. It is in the works of Christ that one is justified and saved. "The law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect. For then would they not have ceased to be offered? — By him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses." (Heb. 10:1,2; Acts 13:39)
What our Lord Jesus did to "condemn sin in the flesh" is to take our human nature, bear our sins and be condemned on our behalf by the God of Justice. "Forasmuch ... as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is the devil; .." (Heb. 2:14) Do we not rejoice to see our archenemy destroyed by our Lord Jesus Christ on the Cross? This should give us much incentive to rejoice always and to fight the good fight of faith to the very end.
We who are chosen of God to be represented by Christ, ought to know that God has delivered us from the bondage of sin and should, henceforth not serve sin anymore, but yield our lives to serve God in His Kingdom. The works of Christ "... deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. For verily he took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham. Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren." (Heb. 2:15-17)
Where is the source of our spiritual strength?
Comment on Evening April 12
Can you imagine an emergency situation in which your only hope of survival is to trust and obey completely all the instructions of your rescuers, otherwise death is the only outcome? We can imagine such a scenario although it is very rare in the every day life. The salvation of God from sin and its destruction involved such a rescue operation. The victims must see their own total helplessness and learn to trust in their Rescuer more than themselves.
The calling of God to all sinners is that they must acknowledge that all "have sinned, and come short of the glory of God." (Rom. 3:23) Man was created glorious after the image and likeness of God, but the Fall of man in Eden has brought about that corruption in which he is no more able to please God so as to gain His favour. "There is none righteous, no, not one: there is none that doeth good, no, not one. — There is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not. — How can he be clean that is born of a woman?" (Rom. 3:10,12; Eccl. 7:20; Job 25:4) "I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me. Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me." (Psa. 51:3,5) Such acknowledgment is not simply and intellectual assent to certain proposition. It is a cry of one's own wretched condition as he turns to God for help. Psa. 51 was David's confession of his horrible sins of adultery and murder before his God after his conviction by Nathan the prophet of God.
God has promised to save the human race from their sins and destruction, and we should trust in Him and listen and obey carefully to His instructions in His Word. "Let us therefore fear, lest a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it." (Heb. 4:1)
"The Lord ... hath put away thy sin; thou shalt not die." (2Sa. 12:13) Is it not through the atoning death of Christ on the Cross that all our sins are put away? As those who are cleansed, we are also declared by God to be the righteous ones. And whom "he justified, them he also glorified." (Rom. 8:30) God's rescue operation is meant to be thorough and complete, involving both our souls and bodies. To be glorified speaks of the Second Coming of Christ to give believers their glorified bodies wherein they shall never die for ever more.
With such precious promises, we by faith can see the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. "We all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord. — If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel." (2Co. 3:18; Col. 1:23) Our eternal glory is not something which we cannot have a foretaste of. Though we are not fully satisfied until that day when we shall awake to see the glory that abides, yet we can and do know that we are in the right direction and by His grace shall soon arrive in Christ's likeness.
Therefore let us "Walk worthy of God, who hath called you unto his kingdom and glory." (1Th. 2:12)
What do you think constitute unworthy Christian behaviour on this side of the grave?
Comment on Morning April 13
Every human being who is born in this world has a substance given him. After that, God may according to His own good pleasure give more to or take away from that substance given to us. With whatever substance we possess at any one time, we are called to be fruitful to increase, giving honour to the Lord. "Honour the Lord with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase." (Pro. 3:9)
Whatever we still possess, every breath we take is a spending of it. Not all forms of spending are wasteful. When a farmer spend his seeds by sowing them, he is not being wasteful. He may possess more later. "He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully." (2Co. 9:6) At the beginning of every week, God would want us to take stock of how He has prospered us in order that we may know how to lay for ourselves treasures in Heaven. "Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him." (1Co. 16:2) Jesus said that when we take care of His people we are actually serving Him and shall in no way lose their reward. "God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints and do minister." (Heb. 6:10)
It does not matter what is our present substance nor the opportunities we have to be fruitful, we must, at all times, by God's mercies, yield ourselves to His control to fulfill His purpose for us. "I beseech you ... brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. — The love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead: and that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves. but unto him which died for them, and rose again. — Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God." (Rom. 12:l; 2Cor. 5:14,15; 1Cor. 10:31)
Given the reality that all things serve the purpose of God, what do you think constitute true fruitfulness in our lives?
Comment on Evening April 13
Physical light in this present world is that which enable us to see as God has wonderfully created our eyes capable of receiving light within certain wave lengths into our brains to create specific visual impressions storable in our memories. This does not mean that without light we can "see" nothing. Dreaming in the night, where it is totally dark, is a phenomenon where we actually "see" even in colours, even though we often forget when we awake. This means that even in the dark night we can actually see light in our brain.
"There shall be no night there." (Rev. 21:25) This how the Apostle John describe for us the New Heaven and the New Earth. He earlier wrote: "The city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof." (Rev. 21:24) All these means that the new world is a place fully transparent and revealed. There will be nothing hidden, but all things clear as crystal and the inhabitants there have nothing to hide in the completed judgment of God. The truth is perfectly known and all are very happy to be their true self in Jesus Christ. No more to put on a false front before other for whatever reasons. We love each other perfectly with the perfect, true knowledge of each other.
There the "Lord shall be unto thee an everlasting light, and thy God thy glory." (Isa. 60:19) We see God in each other and in all things. We see His glory and are delighted infinitely. "They need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light." (Rev. 22:5)
As Christians we "are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light." (1Pet. 2:9) This means that we are the children of light by the grace of God. "Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son. — Ye were sometime darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light." (Col. 1:12,13; Eph. 5:8) "We are not of the night, nor of darkness." (1Thes. 5:5)
Such a perfect light, here right now we do have it started shining already. "The path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day." (Pro. 4:18)
Are you justified? Are you being sanctified? Will you be glorified? Are you seeing the divine light growing brighter?
Comment on Morning April 14
The five physical senses of our human body are fearfully and wonderfully made for us to be able to perceive this physical world in all its wonders and beauty. Those who now cannot see, may recollect those wonderful times when sight was immediately available whenever they open their eyes. What the colours in different hues the objects around us display themselves. What beauty when these colours blend into each other harmoniously in the unadulterated scenery of nature! Then how sight co-ordinated with the other senses to give all kinds of delightful conveniences and experiences in life, which are indescribable. God certainly created them for us to use and to enjoy, and to praise Him for them. We need not be ashamed when we are enjoying them properly as they were meant to be. "My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness; and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips: when I remember thee upon my bed, and meditate on thee in the night watches." (Psa. 63:5, 6) It is a shameful thing when we forget the Giver because of the gifts He gives us, for this was never His intention in the first place when He chooses to give us anything.
When we can perceive God's thoughts in all that He had brought to existence, whether in the creatures themselves or in their movements, we would cry out with the with the Psalmist: "How precious ... are thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them! If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand: when I awake, I am still with thee. — How sweet are thy words unto my taste! yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth! — Thy love is better than wine." (Psa. 139:17,18. -Psa. 119:103. -Song 1:2) For us the obects of His love, all things serve our good and demonstrate His love for us, if we only have eyes to see and faith to believe.
To love a dog is one thing. To love a fellow human being is another. How can we compare the former with the latter - a fellow human being is certainly far more wonderful than a dog. To love an ordinary human being is one thing, to love the Incarnate Son of God, Who gave Himself for us is another. There is not another human being like our Lord Jesus Christ our Saviour and Lord. "Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee. — Thou art fairer than the children of men." (Psa. 73:25. -Psa. 45:2)
In the Song of Solomon, the Beloved Jesus was described by His Bride thus: "As the apple tree among the trees of the wood, so is my beloved among the sons. I sat down under his shadow with great delight, and his fruit was sweet to my taste. He brought me to the banqueting house, and his banner over me was love. — His countenance is as Lebanon, excellent as the cedars. His mouth is most sweet: yea, he is altogether lovely. This is my beloved, and this is my friend." (Song 2:3,4. -Song 5:15,16)
Do you agree with the above description of your Saviour and Lord?
Comment on Evening April 14
As Christians was there not a time when we were truly joyful because we sensed then that all our sins were forgiven only for the sake of Jesus Christ our Lord? We looked at the Cross of Calvary and saw the penalty of our sins been dealt with in the death sentence of our Lord Jesus Christ at God's temporal court. We became ashamed of our sins and seek God's forgiveness. We trusted in the work of Christ dying for us to save us. We were eternally thankful. We had the joy of salvation filling our hearts.
In our struggles against sin and the devil, we do often fall into temptation and sin against the Lord. We backslide and for a while even may even be used by the devil for his evil purposes in this world. We become useless in Christ's Kingdom and lose the joy of our salvation, like the prodigal son in the parable of Luke 15.
To repent is to turn back from one's backsliding. Jesus said, "... joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance." (Luk.15:7) If you have backslidden, wouldn't you pray, "Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation." (Psa. 51:12) The joy of salvation is the joy of heaven where Its courts are filled with the praise of the God of Grace.
If we and those with us mourn for our sins, will He not forgive us? "I have seen his ways, and will heal him: I will lead him also, and restore comforts unto him and to his mourners." (Isa. 57:18) "Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool." (Isa. 1:18) He has promised and what must we do?
"Return, ye backsliding children, and I will heal your backslidings. Behold, we come unto thee; for thou art the Lord our God. — I will hear what God the Lord will speak: for he will speak peace unto his people, and to his saints: but let them not turn again to folly." (Jer. 3:22. -Psa. 85:8) What did the father say to his prodigal son who returned home in the parable? (Luk. 15:22-24)
You who have experience for grace of God, would you not sing with the Psalmist and Prophet: "Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases. — He restoreth my soul. — O Lord, I will praise thee: though thou wast angry with me, thine anger is turned away, and thou comfortedst me." (Psa. 103:2,3. -Psa. 23:3. -Isa. 12:1)
To avoid backsliding we must constantly pray humbly, "Hold thou me up, and I shall be safe." (Psa. 119:117) If we trust in the arm of flesh, it shall fail us again and again. If we trust in Him fully, we do find Him fully true.
The joy of our salvation is restored when we know and believe what our God is like. He said of Himself: "I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins." (Isa. 43:25)
What kind of a person is He Who saves and forgives you? Can He be relied upon eternally?
Comment on Morning April 15
When the non-believers look at us believing Christians, do they all say, "Their Redeemer is strong." (Jer. 50:34)? Or, do they see so many variations that they are not sure what to say about us? We must admit that all that go by the name of Christianity are not necessarily Christian at all. So, it is always true that there would be those who are confused and do not know what to think of us Christians. But among the many different groups that call themselves Christian, are there any where all its members are consistent with their beliefs so that there may be conform at least a groups of human beings who testify the same thing? Is the local Church you go to such a group. Or, even within this small local group there is no consistency in faith? Obviously, this consistent faith must be that which is expressed by the group in their preaching, teaching and confession.
Do we have a consistent preaching, teaching and confessing of our Common Redeemer? What does it mean that He is our Redeemer? By that term we confess that we are all dead in trespasses and sins and in need of Someone, outside of ourselves, to set us free from the bondage of sins. Jesus Christ is that Redeemer came from Heaven to do just that. He did that by becoming our substitute, bearing our sins upon His own body to take the penalty of our sins. In that way we are bought from the bondage of sin to the liberty of the children of God. This Redeemer we are not ashamed to acknowledge as our Strong One, who is our Christ, our Prophet, Priest and King. And others notice us and agree that our Redeemer is strong.
He is strong because the One Who sent Him knew what He was doing. He said: "I know your manifold transgressions and your mighty sins. — I have laid help upon one that is mighty. — The Lord ... thy Saviour and thy Redeemer, the mighty one of Jacob. — Mighty to save. — Able to keep you from falling. — Where sin abounded, grace did much more abound." (Amos 5:12. -Psa. 89:19. -Isa. 49:26. -Isa. 63:1. -Jude 24. -Rom. 5:20)
How important is it to believe that our Redeemer is might? "He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. — He is able ... to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him." (John 3:18. -Heb. 7:25) It is a denial of His strength when any man advocate the idea that the work of Christ, itself, is insufficient to save. There is still a very little bit which men must perform in order to be saved. They deny that the work of salvation is essentially finished on the Cross of Calvary.
"Is my hand shortened at all, that it cannot redeem?" (Isa. 50:2) We answer, "No!" and believe that all that is neccesary for salvation is done for us by Christ on the Cross. At the appointed time such benefits shall be administered to us by the Holy Spirit. Even our faith is a fruit of that work of Christ.
Because He is so mighty, we know that nothing can ".. separate us from the love of Christ[?] ... I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Rom. 8:35,38,39)
Are we united in our confession of a Mighty Redeemer? Are we ashamed of such confession? Why are we not zealous in the proclamation of such a wonderful Saviour?
Comment on Evening April 15
To be a Chrisian is not something which the people of the world naturally aspire after. Therefore, it is not something popular and regarded as a great thing in this world. But, to us who believe it is the greatest thing that has ever happen to us in the whole of our lives. It happens to us not because we seek it naturally, but because of the Spirit of God regenerates us and gives us the thirst and hunger for it.
So, in this world, God's Word constantly reminds us: "Seekest thou great things for thyself? seek them not." (Jer. 45:5) All such seeking are seeking of vain glory. This, of course, does not mean that we should never do our best in whatever our hands find to do, nor to reject all proper recognition of our labour and achievement. Our Lord Jesus is the greatest of all human beings, and yet He was a humble and lowly person. Be humble and lowly like our Lord Jesus Christ, if we are truly His followers.
He said: "Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls." (Matt. 11:29) The Apostle Paul reminded us the same: "Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus; who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: but made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross." (Php. 2:5-8)
Are you and am I a worthy follower of Christ? Our Leader Himself said, "He that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me." (Mat. 10:38) Taking one's cross and follow the steps of our Lord Jesus is a very humbling experience in His school of obedience. "Christ ... suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps." (1Pe. 2:21)
We are most strong and useful when we are contented with the ways of God for us. "Godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and raiment let us be therewith content." (1Ti. 6:6-8)
Do you know why the Apostle is so great like our Lord Jesus Christ? Did they seek after greatness? (Php. 4:11)
Comment on Morning April 16
Is there a time in your Christian life when the Lord seems so far away from you, and that you feel that He has totally forsaken you? If so, you may take comfort that there are other saints who felt the same way in the past. Listen to what the Psalmist in Psa. 31:22 wrote: "I said in my haste, I am cut off from before thine eyes: ..." Notice the words, "in my haste". The writer did not want the readers to think for a moment that God would indeed do such a thing as to forsake those whom He had chosen to love and save. It was only in one's haste, when one fail to consider carefully, that such evil thought against God arise.
And upon careful examination, the Psalmist added: "... nevertheless thou heardest the voice of my supplications when I cried unto thee." A saint in such miseries should also "supplicate". We should never give up, but be "thick-skinned" enough to go to God again and again like the widow did to the unjust judge in the parable until she was heard. We should plea for mercy and grace from the Lord until he hears us.
How badly can a saint of God sinks into despair? Listen to other divine writers: "I sink in deep mire, where there is no standing: I am come into deep waters, where the floods overflow me. — Waters flowed over mine head; then I said, I am cut off." (Psa. 69:2. -Lam. 3:54) Most of you, if not none, had experienced being caught in a quicksand pit, but we must have heard of the ordeal of such an experience. Without rescue from outside, one just simply sink in deeper and deeper until one is totally buried alive! What can such a man do, but pray?
"I called upon thy name, O Lord, out of the low dungeon. Thou hast heard my voice: hide not thine ear at my breathing, at my cry. Thou drewest near in the day that I called upon thee: thou saidst, Fear not." (Lam. 3:55-57)
What is your conclusion from divine records of the sacred history of His people? "Will the Lord cast off for ever? and will he be favourable no more? Is his mercy clean gone for ever? doth his promise fail for evermore? Hath God forgotten to be gracious? hath he in anger shut up his tender mercies? And I said, This is my infirmity: but I will remember the years of the right hand of the most High. I will remember the works of the Lord: surely I will remember thy wonders of old. — I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living." (Psa. 77:7-11. -Psa. 27:13)
What can you do when you are sinking deep in sin?
Comment on Evening April 16
To be allowed an audience with the Lord of Heaven and Earth is, in itself, a great privilege and honour and blessing. This is escpecially so when we consider that we are, but sinful, unworthy creatures in fallen Adam. Now, let none of us begin to think vainly that we have gotten this opportunity all by ourselves. No, it is in Jesus Christ, our Lord, according to God's own eternal counsel, that such a thing is possible. It takes the wonder of the Incarnation, Atonement, Resurrection and Ascension of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring this about.
When such an one come to the Great One with his petition, what can he expect? "He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him." (Psa. 91:15) He promises not only to hear, but to answer. So we must always pray with the expectation of divine answers sooner or later. Blessed are all those who are on a look out for the answers because they are so instructive and blessed in the sweet communion with the Lord.
He also promise His very own presence with us! Many great people send their deputies or other subordinates to represent them because they have no time for lesser people and matters. That God Almighty should promise His presence with us who are less than dust (comparing with the whole universe), is indeed a great wonder! To be with people during good times is easy. But to be with people "in trouble" is often very difficult. Are you in trouble? Do you find it hard to get help? Be of good courage, there is One, Great and Mighty, Who promises to be there in your trouble.
Now, He is there not just to be around, but to deliver. Just what a person in trouble needs most. He is our Deliverer indeed. We who pray do often have our own idea of what constitute deliverance. But He always grant us His deliverance which is always the true and appropriate one, best for us in our peculiar trouble. We can count on Him and learn to be still because our God reigns supreme. Amen.
When in trouble we must ask to be delivered. But when everything is peaceful, we must learn to ask for preservation in purity and enhancement for greater usefulness. That was what Jabez and Solomon did. "And Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, Oh that thou wouldest bless me indeed, and enlarge my coast, and that thine hand might be with me, and that thou wouldest keep me from evil, that it may not grieve me! And God granted him that which he requested. — Ask what I shall give thee. And Solomon said unto God, ... Give me now wisdom and knowledge, that I may go out and come in before this people. — And God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding exceeding much, and largeness of heart, even as the sand that is on the sea shore." (1Ch. 4:10; 2Chr. 1:7,8,10; 1Ki. 4:29)
Are we not asking because we doubt His power to help us? Asa knew his God and lived according to his faith. "Asa cried unto the Lord his God, and said, Lord, it is nothing with thee to help, whether with many, or with them that have no power ... O Lord, thou art our God; let not man prevail against thee. So the Lord smote the Ethiopians before Asa." (2Ch. 14:11,12)
How will "all flesh" ever come to God according to Psa. 65:2?
Comment on Morning April 17
There is a Chinese proverb which says literally, "Eat till old age, learn till old age; eat till death, learn till death." What it is trying to say is that there is no end to learning. How humbling to those who know. The more we know the more we realize there is so much more yet to know. How humbling. To the Chinese proverb we may add: "Eat through eternity, learn through eternity."
We learn, imitate and remember what we admire and glorify. What we consider as worthless we stop pursuing and soon discard them. Throughout eternity there is only One Being most glorious and admirable for us to learn from. We must praise Him to learn of Him.
"Whoso offereth praise glorifieth me." (Psa. 50:23) To praise is to express admiration and adoration, not only emotionally, but also intellectually and all otherwise consistent with out whole human nature. The problem why some are not growing in godliness is because of the lack of proper praises to the God of their salvation. When we make and praise an idol, we also become more like it. God Almighty speaks exactly because He does not want us to invent our own ideas of Him and to teach others our idols, and make His Word of none effect to His children.
"Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him. — Glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's." (Col. 3:16,17; 1Co. 6:20) The Church is most glorious when she declares with her whole being the praises of the God of her salvation.
"Ye are a royal priesthood ... that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. — Ye ... as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. — By him ... let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to his name." (1Pe. 2:9; 1Pe. 2:5; Heb. 13:15) We may be different from one another in many ways, but we are built into one "spiritual house, .. holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifice of praise." We do not differ in this matter of praising our God properly with our whole being.
We praise as He wants us to in the same manner and with the same content, so that His humble people might be gathered to join us in exalting Him even higher and greater. "My soul shall make her boast in the Lord: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad. O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together." (Psa. 34:2,3)
Why do you think we should be a praising people already in this life?
Comment on Evening April 17
If you are going to draw anything to yourself, you can only be successful when you know what is attractive to the thing you want to draw. If you use the thing they hate by nature, you are only going to drive them away instead of drawing them.
By nature sinful men are attracted to the pleasure of sins. To draw us sinners, the devil finds it easy in that he just invent many forms of sinning against God, and sinners are just attracted with their accompanying pleasure. In the matter of our salvation, God also draw us to Himself! (Joh. 6:44)
"Draw me, we will run after thee." (Song 1:4) Will God use the pleasure of sins, like the devil did, to draw us to Himself? To do so is to deny Himself as the Holy God Who does not tempt us to sin. So, what does it mean that He draw us in His work of saving us? Before the drawing process, it is absolutely necessary that God cause us to be born from above by the Holy Spirit - the spiritual resurrection from the dead. Only in that way can there be a new nature in us capable of being drawn by the Holy Acts of God.
"I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee. — I drew them with cords of a man, with bands of love. — I, if I be lifted up from the eaith, will draw all men unto me. — Behold the Lamb of God. — As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life." (Jer. 31:3. -Hos. 11:4. -John 12:32. ---John 1:36. - John 3:14,15) That love of God gives life and also draws it forth into living activities.
"Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee. — We love him, because he first loved us." (Psa. 73:25. -I John 4:19) The Christian life is the life of love that comes from the very heart of God. Born of love we must love Him, and in loving Him we properly love ourselves and others around us who were created after the image of God.
"My beloved spake, and said unto me, Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away. For, lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone; the flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of birds is come, and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land; the fig tree putteth forth her green figs, and the vines with the tender grape give a good smell. Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away." (Song 2:10-13) The night comes when no man can work, but when the dawn is come, our Beloved does want to draw us out of our slumber into the exciting work of His Kingdom.
Are you still sleeping?
Comment on Morning April 18
Talk about Moses and many in this modern world would associate him with the Ten Commandments. This is because there was a famous film show by that same name, "The Ten Commandments". It is better to read God's own revelation of the life of Moses then to watch or read many of the books or watch the films about the life of this man. This is because God's Word is infallible and inerrant, while the latter are full of the fallible and erronous ideas of men to make popular their products.
What many do not realize is that Moses was not an end in himself, but serve a higher end according to God's plan for the existence and history of this man. So, failing to see God's purpose for Moses is to miss the point and go astray in the eternal counsel of God. God Himself reveals to Moses and us thus: "I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee." (Deu. 18:18) So Moses, like all other servants of God, must not draw all men to himself, but to that Prophet raised by God from among His people. Who could that be? Like Philip of old, we to day must find our friends and tell them: "We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph." (Joh. 1:45)
To day there are people who think that God was not referring to Jesus, but someone else, when He told Moses of that coming Prophet. Moses spoke of himself as a mediator between God and His people - a true type of Christ. He said to them: "I stood between the Lord and you at that time, to shew you the word of the Lord: for ye were afraid." (Deut. 5:5) The Bible in 1Ti. 2:5 records: "There is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus." (1Tim. 2:5) Christ is "the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." (Joh. 14:6)
Another characteristic of Moses which marks him out as the true type of Christ was his meekness. "Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth. — Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. — Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: but made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men. (Num. 12:3. -Matt. 11:29. -Php. 2:57) Those who claim to be the Antitype of Moses had better not fail in this test of meekness.
Finally the type (Moses) failed to represent the Antitype (Christ) in that Moses was only a faithful servant in God's House, while Christ, the natural Son of God there. "Moses verily was faithful in all his house, as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken after; but Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end." (Heb. 3:5,6) Those who claim to be the Antitype of Moses had better not be mere prophets like Moses, but be of the nature of God, for the true, actual Mediator must be in one person both God and Man, in order to reconcile us back to God.
Are you getting ready to identify the Antichrist even as we see the Day of the Lord approaching?
Comment on Evening April 18
Are you enjoying this life? If so, you must be reminded that "This is not your rest. — Here have we no continuing city, but we seek one to come." (Mic. 2:10. -Heb. 13:14) It is certainly something from the Lord, when we do have our moment of comfort and rest, like the Lord did by Jacob's well, near Sychar. But God's good gift to us here is not meant to deceive us into thinking that we've arrived at our final resting place, but merely to point us to It.
Our final resting place is the "Everlasting consolation." (2Th. 2:16) This speaks of the consummation of the everlasting covenant which the Lord, our God, made with His people. He is ever mindful of His covenant even though we are often forgetful. "I will remember my covenant with thee in the days of thy youth, and I will establish unto thee an everlasting covenant." (Ezek. 16:60)
None of our present rest is worthy of comparison with that eternal rest which Christ purchased for us on the Cross. "By one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified. — He is able to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them. — I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day." (Heb. 10:14. -Heb. 7:25. -II Tim. 1:12) Never live on this side of our graves, as if we do not have a better place to look forward to.
"The gifts and calling of God are without repentance. — Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? — The Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes. — So shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore cormfort one another with these words." (Rom. 11:29. -Rom. 8:35. -Rev. 7:17. -I Thes. 4:17,18)
How often do you comfort a fellow saints with "these words"? Why?
Comment on Morning April 19
Before I look at this morning's Daily Light Devotional Guide, I reminded of a documentary I watch over TV on an advanture to find the Ark of the Covenant. To cut things short, the explorer ended up in a very small church guarded by some Ethiopians, in a village where everyone believe such an Ark was kept within the Church and that the village calling was to protect it, refusing anyone to enter the church to look nor to touch it.
In the Tabernacle revealed to Moses from Heave, the Ark of the Covenant was that only furniture, representing the presence of God, placed in the Holiest Place, the innermost part of the Tabernacle, separated by a veil from the Holy Place where the priests performed their daily duties of cleansing and interceeding. Into God's presence, only the High Priest was allowed to enter once a year at the feast of the Day of the Atonement. All these were the Old Testament's declaration of the Gospel of Christ, our Only High Priest through whom we enter into God's Holy Presence.
Jesus said, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep." (Joh. 10:7) Jesus was represented by that veil in the Tabernacle. When He died on the Cross, the "veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom. — Christ ... hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God. — The way into the holiest of all was not yet made manifest, while as the first tabernacle was yet standing." (Matt. 27:51. -I Pet. 3:18. -Heb. 9:8) The way of Salvation was fully revealed on the Cross.
"I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture." (John 10:9)
"No man cometh unto the Father, but by me. — Through him we ... have access by one Spirit unto the Father. Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God. — Having ... boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh. — We have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: by whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God." (John 14:6. -Eph. 2:15,19. -Heb. 10:19,20. -Rom. 5:1,2)
The Ark of the Covenant is not an end it itself, but serve the end God has ordained for it, which is Christ. The Reality has come, and the Ark is fulfilled. Any going back is a neglect of the Reality.
What is the Ark of the Covenant doing in Ethiopia, if true at all?
Comment on Evening April 19
The Holy Word of the Gospel, as revealed in the Bible, is the most appropriate Word for the fallen, lost mankind. There are indeed much interesting knowledge in God's Creation to engage all men in endless research. Without the knowledge of the Gospel, men do not know that things present will end up in the destruction of this present evil world and the coming of the New Heavens and the New Earth. Without the Gospel, men are lost in their pursuit of knowledge. The Gospel is not for men to discover by themselves, but for God to reveal It with Its authoritative declaration. Certain men are called of God to declare that Word.
For these men, "His word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing, and I could not stay." (Jer. 20:9) The Apostle Paul was one of such men, and he wrote: "Necessity is laid upon me; yea woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel! What is my reward then? Verily that, when I preach the gospel, I may make the gospel of Christ without charge, that I abuse not my power in the gospel." (1Cor. 9:16,18)
These men cannot be stopped even by persecution. "They called them, and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John answered and said unto them, ... We cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard. — The love of Christ constraineth us." (Acts 4:18-20. -II Cor. 5:14) Their love are pure and conscience clear, despite the many false accusation against them to make them ashamed of their mission.
They are men without any excuse for not preaching the Gospel. There are those unworthy servants who says, "I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth." But to these faithful men, they fear Christ's Word: " ... Thou wicked and slothful servant, ... thou oughtest ... to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury." (Matt. 25:25-27)
Those who know and are blessed by the Gospel are also told: "Go ... to thy friends, and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee." (Mark 5:19)
How many of them have you and I told already?
Comment on Morning April 20
How should we who are destined for eternal glory live in this life? "There shall cleave nought of the cursed thing to thine hand." (Deu. 13:17) Our hands are the most common organ of the body for getting physical things moved from one place to another. They change the very physical arrangement of the surrounding. That they do not handle anything of "the cursed thing" means that certain objects are not to be touched by them. These were objects consecrated by the enemies of Jehovah in the worship of idols and are therefore not to be taken by God's people without the permission of Jehovah God, especially after a conquest and where booties were rampant. This Old Testament passage is to teach the spiritual principle of witness bearing through association, which are often neglected these days.
Objects around us do convey messages to people around us in a manner as they perceive them to be. While it is impossible to know how everyone perceive everything around them so as to know exactly how we are witnessing to them, it is certainly our calling to know as much as possible in order to the effective witnesses in this world. It is the truth that we covey to people that really matters and not the means used to do so. We do have the calling to use the effective means to convey the truth. Sometimes we may have to deny our rights in order to do that.
"Come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing. — Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul. — Hating even the garment spotted by the flesh." (2Cor. 6:17. - 1Pet. 2:11. -Jude 23) Dissociation from all appearances of evil is necessary for effective witnessing. This is part of the antithetical living of God's people in this world. This is also good for our own vibrant spiritual life.
Although our perfection as children of God is yet to come at the Second Coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, we are already called to purify ourselves every now and then as we see that glorious day approaching. "Beloved, now are we the sons of God ... And it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him: for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure. — The grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ: who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works." (1John 3:2,3. -Tit. 2:11-14) To purify oneself means to get rid of any impurities as we come across them in our lives. We must never become weary of such things, so long as we are waiting for Christ's return, just like most of us are not weary of eating rice.
What's so unique about the people of God in this world?
Comment on Evening April 20
When God comes us, sinners, to rescue from the horror of darkness and sin, you can rest assure that the Saviour is none other than Jesus Christ, the Righteous. Be like the Apostle Paul and ask: "Who art thou Lord?" You will get the same reply: "I am Jesus." (Act. 26:15) Paul might have asked in fear at the power of Jesus, and we in gratiftude of His grace, but the answer is always the same.
"It is I; be not afraid. — When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee: and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee. For I am the Lord thy God, ... thy Saviour." (Matt. 14:27. -Isa. 43:2,3) Think of the children of Israel passing through the water of the Red sea to escape the land of bondage, of the crossing of river Jordan in the conquest o Canaan and of Daniel's three friends through the fiery furnace. What can be your present trials be like? Who is with you?
"Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. — Emmanuel, God with us." (Psa. 23:4; Matt. 1:23)
Our greatest and most difficult problem in life is the problem of sin against God Almighty. How shall we face Him in judgment and not be condemned? Who is He Who can help us here? "Thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins. — If any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. — Who is he that condemneth? it is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?" (Matt. 1:21. -I John 2:1. -Rom. 8:34,35)
What or who do you wish to have by your side in time of trouble?
Comment on Morning April 21
Christians believe in the perseverance of the saints. This is because saints are people saved by the Triune God and not by their own weak self. God can never fail in what He wants to do, namely to save us, His elect people in Christ.
It is revealed in Holy Scriptures that those whom God saves would persevere in their faith, even through the ups and down of their Christian experiences. Therefore, they are always called to "Stand fast in the Lord." (Phi. 4:1)
Few are tried like Job of old was, yet, he said, "My foot hath held his steps, his way have I kept, and not declined." (Job. 23:11) He might have complaint every now and then, but he dared not curse God and die as suggested by his ungodly, foolish wife. He persevered in the faith.
In our many weaknesses, we may stumble here and there in our pilgrimage, but we, as His saints, do persevere in His judgments (in His Word). And, "The Lord loveth judgment, and forsaketh not his saints; they are preserved for ever. — The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul." (Psa. 37:28; 121:7)
The Lord reveals to us His way with us: "The just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him. But we are not of them who draw back into perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul. — If they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us." (Heb. 10:38; Joh. 2:19) The knowledge of God's Word and upholding It is not an option for us, it is essential to our faith.
"If ye continue in my word then are ye my disciples indeed. — He that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. — Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong. — Hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown. — He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life." (John 8:31. -Matt. 24:13. -I Cor. 16:13. -Rev. 3:11. -Rev. 3:5)
How does an overcomer treat the Word of God?
Comment on Evening April 21
Christians are people who walk with God like Enoch. (Gen. 5:22) This means that they do agree with God. For how can "two walk together, except they be agreed?" (Amos 3:3) All these imply that walking together involves sharing with each other intimately for union and communion. Walking with God therefore calls for being familiar with, and taking seriously, God's Word and praying sincerely and regularly.
Such a fellowship with God is not possible without the peace purchase by the atonement of our Lord Jesus Christ. "Having made peace through the blood of his cross ...You, that were sometimes alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled in the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight. — In Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ." (Col. 1:20-22;Eph. 2:13)
Walking with God is a joyful experience, not to be taken for granted, but treasured beyond all that the world can offer us. "If, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ." (Rom. 5:10,11) Beloved, it is unbecoming of us to enjoy the things of this world more than our salvation experiences in the advancement of His Kingdom.
All that can be experience in the whole universe is the result of the creative acts of the Triune God. And to walk with God is to have "fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ." (1Joh. 1:3) Such is our Christian experience - the experience of all experiences!
We need God's constant grace to walk aright with Him as the evil one is all out against us. "The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen." 2Co. 13:14)
There is only one truth in the midst of so many lies. Are we speaking and living that one truth of God?
Comment on Morning April 22
The Gospel speaks of "the righteousness of God". Therefore, all who are saved by the Gospel are the many demonstrations of God's righteousness. These include people of the Old Testament as well as the New. All men are saved by that one Way of Christ. We are familiar with the New Testament way of indicating salvation, namely, repentance towards God and faith towards our Lord Jesus Christ. All these involved acknowledging our sins in the light of God's Law, and an acceptance of Jesus as the Prophet, Priest and King of one's life and the life of the Church.
The Old Testament saints are saved in the Way of Christ, except that their faith were expressed more pictorially in the Temple worship. An example of how they expressed their faith is recorded in Lev. 1:3, 4, where we read: "If his offering be a burnt sacrifice of the herd, let him offer a male without blemish: he shall offer it of his own voluntary will. And he shall put his hand upon the head of the burnt offering; and it shall be accepted for him to make atonement for him."
Jesus is that Lamb of God sent to make atonement for us. "God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering. — Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. — We are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. — A ransom for many." (Gen. 22:8. -John 1:29. -Heb. 10:10. -Matt. 20:28) There is no other human sacrifice in the whole history of mankind, like that of the Cross of Calvary. That unique sacrifice saved the human race.
Lest we forget, Jesus needed not die if He did not want to. He had all the power to avoid the crucifixion or any other death. Thus He said: "No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again." (Joh. 10:18) It was divine, sovereign love that send our Lord Jesus to the Cross. "I will love them freely. — The Son of God ... loved me and gave himself for me." (Hos. 14:4; Gal. 2:20) We may regret in many of our actions, because our imperfection. But for the Lord, there can be no regret nor any repentance. His goal in saving us shall be accomplished - that we may be for the praise of His glorious grace.
"He hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. — He hath made us accepted in the beloved." (2Co. 5:21. -Eph. 1:6)
Is God ashamed of displaying His righteousness in this world? If not, what can we expect of our own lives of salvation?
Comment on Evening April 22
It is God the Almighty Maker of Heaven and Earth who saves. It is I, Lau Chin Kwee, of Rivervale Drive, Singapore, 2008, for whom He died on the Cross of Calvary to save from sins and Hell. "Great is thy mercy toward me: and thou hast delivered my soul from the lowest hell." (Psa. 86:13)
So, I fear "him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell." (Mat. 10:28)
And I take heed to His Word: "Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine. I, even I, am the Lord; and beside me there is no saviour. I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins." (Isa. 43:1, 1, 25) "They that trust in their wealth, and boast themselves in the multitude of their riches; none of them can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him: for the redemption of their soul is precious. — I have found a ransom. — God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ." (Psa. 49:6-8; Job 33:24; Eph. 2:4, 5)
"Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved." (Acts 4:12)
Do we have the same faith? If so, you are my brothers and sisters in Christ, of the same household of faith, of the Family of God. It is my joy to minister to your the Word of God. Amen.
Comment on Morning April 23
Imagine yourselves living in the days of Noah, and your refuge was not in the his unique ark. When the deluge came, you sought for higher ground. You kept looking for and changing to higher ground whenever your refuge became overflowed by the water. Finally, there was no more higher ground for you and you drown like all others who were not in Noah's ark! Noah's ark was the Lord's refuge and stay in those hours of divine judgment.
"The Lord was my stay." (Psa. 18:8) "Truly in vain is salvation hoped for from the hills, and from the multitude of mountains: truly in the Lord our God is the salvation of Israel. — The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower. — Cry out and shout, thou inhabitant of Zion; for great is the Holy One of Israel in the midst of thee." (Jer. 3:23. -Psa. 18:2. -Isa. 12:6) It is not in a place, but in a person that we find our refuge. This calls for the active, exciting engagement of our whole being with the Lord, in the process of our being delivered.
"The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them. The righteous cry, and the Lord heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles. — The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms. — So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me. — For who is God save the Lord? or who is a rock save our God? It is God that girdeth me with strength, and maketh my way perfect." (Psa. 34:7,17. -Deut. 33:27. -Heb. 13:6. -Psa. 18:31,32)
Each station on our way to Heaven is ordained by the God of our Salvation, and we should never despise His infinite wisdom, but learn to trust and obey Him all the way. "By the grace of God I am what I am." (1Co. 15:10)
Are you still looking for higher ground?
Comment on Evening April 23
We begin our Christian walk with a wrong step if we think we've not nor will we ever commit any sins in life that call for repentance towards God. In fact, such a person may not be called a Christian at all, in the first place. Isaiah, the prophet, spoke of God's people thus: "All we like sheep have gone astray." (Isa. 53:6)
The Apostle John wrote that such people are self-deceiving people. "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us." (1Jo. 1:8) The Apostle Paul wrote: "There is none righteous, no, not one: there is none that understandeth. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable." (Rom. 3:10-12) Those who think that Christianity is all about encouraging the righteous people in this world to be steadfast in the midst opposition are still lost in their sins. Christianity is about confessing by word and life, that God is saving for Himself a people out of the fallen, sinful, dead human race, to inhabit the New Heaven and the New Earth wherein dwells righteousness.
Christians "were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls. — I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek thy servant; for I do not forget thy commandments." (1Pet. 2:25. -Psa. 119:176) Christianity is all about Him and His wondrous work of salvation. "He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteous for his name's sake." (Psa. 23:3)
In Christianity there is communion between Christ and His sheep. In Christianity, His sheep follow Him and, in that way, receive eternal life. "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: and I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, either shall any man pluck them out of my hand." (Psa. 23:2; Joh. 10:27, 28)
Christianity is about the restless concern of a good shepherd for his lost sheep. "What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it?" (Luk. 15:4)
Who got lost? Who looks for whom? What fear, what joy, what gladness between them?
Comment on Morning April 24
One year before the birth of Isaac, Jehovah promised their son to Abraham and Sarah. And when the time came, the "Lord visited Sarah as he had said, and the Lord did unto Sarah as he had spoken." (Gen. 21:1)
God's Word to His people is that special revelation of the Holy Scriptures, what we now call "The Holy Bible". And It is also includes that Word, the so called natural laws, which under-gird all created things. The Word of God is one and consistent with no contradiction within Itself.
God would have His Word authoritatively declared to us through proper means which He has provided. There is no authority except that which be given of God. (Rom. 13) While some authorities fail to do their work properly, thus leading to confusion and problems in society, Christians are generally called to trust them in their declarations, unless clear contradictions are found when examined in the light of the well-established truth of God's Word.
As nothing happened by chance and also, He is the One Who works in us both to will and to do of His good pleasure, we should prayerfully consider what is His Word to us personally and obey Him, trusting "in him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us." (Psa. 62:8) If God has spoken to us, we can be like David, encouraging ourselves "in the Lord" our God. (2Sa. 30:6) "God will surely visit you, and bring you out of this land unto the land which he sware to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob. — I have seen, I have seen the affliction of my people which is in Egypt. and I have heard their groaning, and am come down to deliver them. He brought them out, after that he had shewed wonders and signs in the land of Egypt, and in the Red sea, and in the wilderness forty years. — There failed not ought of any good thing which the Lord had spoken unto the house of Israel: all came to pass." (Gen. 50:24. -Acts. 7:34,36. -Josh. 21:45)
"He is faithful that promised. — Hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good? — Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away — The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever. (Heb. 10:23. -Num. 23:19. -Matt. 24:35. -Isa. 40:8)
Is God's Word personal to you? If not, how else can you hear the Shepherd's voice so as to follow Him?
Comment on Evening April 24
When we function according to all the laws of nature, are we not dependent upon His Word Which set all things in their proper orders and faithfully maintain them? Thus the "eyes of all wait upon thee." (Psa. 145:15)
"He giveth to all life, and breath, and all things. — The Lord is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works. — Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them." (Acts 17:25. -Psa. 145:9. -Matt. 6:26) When we throw everything into confusion by our sinful lusts, we can only but fulill all His eternal counsel and good pleasure. We do no less when we enjoying doing His pleasure.
"The same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him." (Rom. 10:12) The more we call upon Him, the more we live as we should and enjoy Him Who is the fountain of life to us.
"I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. — Behold, as the eyes of servants look unto the hand of their masters, and as the eyes of a maiden unto the hand of her mistress; so our eyes wait upon the Lord our God." (Psa. 121:1. -Psa. 123:2) To ancient people, hills are natural symbols of the source of life, the fountain of life. For our spiritual life, Jehovah God is "the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth." (Psa. 121:2)
We live in the midst of judgments. People around us judge us all the times. Sometimes they tell us what they think of us, sometimes they don't. But they judge us all the same and do as they please with us according to their assessment of us. We judge ourselves regularly to see if we are improving or getting worse. Sometimes we ger confused in the midst of so many opinions and judgments. Blessed are those who trust in the God of the Bible. "The Lord is a God of judgment: blessed are all they that wait for him. — And it shall be said in that day, Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, and he will save us: this is the Lord; we have waited for him, we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation. — If we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it." (Isa. 30:18. -Isa. 25:9. -Rom. 8:25) His Word is His judgment, and that abides forever even though the heavens and earth may pass away. (Mat. 24:35)
Do you know where to go whenever you are confused and troubled?
Comment on Morning April 25
We live in the day and age in which men generally do not consider sin and death as the greatest evil confronting men. All the mass media and entertainment industries emphasize the enjoyment of this present life as much as one can before it is over. It is the philosophy of "let us eat and drink for tomorrow we die." (1Co. 15:32) The Apostle Paul was right when he argued that if there is no such thing as the resurrection from the dead, then the only other logical conclusion is the said philosophy.
So, whatever one does, he must try his best to avoid death so that he can live as long as possible. To accomplish that he would have to cooperate with others of the same mind (the gang mentality). Then for the full length of his life he should try to enjoy himself as much as he can, and also respect others of the same intention. So, they cooperate with each other to do the same. Anything contrary to this philosophy are to be regarded as evil to be avoid and dealt with finally.
Jesus came not to accomplish the above goal of sinful men. God revealed to Joseph concerning the Holy Child: "Thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins." (Mat. 1:21) What is sin? Sin is the want of conformity to and the transgression of the Law of God. Sin has to do with God and His law. Any definition of sin and evil without the reference to God is fundamentally flawed and lead to many other evils. God is also not our creation, but the Almighty Creator Who has revealed Himself to us in His Word, the Holy Bible. Against this God and His Law we sinned in Adam and continue to do so in our actual life from day to day, even while we are enjoying this world which He has given to us. Any enjoyment without God is a false enjoyment.
"Ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins. — That we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness. — He is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him." (John 3:5. -I Pet. 2:24. -Heb. 7:25) When we are right with God through His Son, Jesus Christ, we can truly enjoy this world because we enjoy fellowship with Him Who is its Creator. Whether one likes it or not, in this world, he lives in the midst of sin and death. He may turn a blind eyes to this fact and continue in his self-deception in enjoying as much as he can, but he would soon wake up to face the reality of life - "it is appointed unto man once to die and after this the judgment".
While we are hopelessly condemned in our sin and death, God carried out His plan to save for Himself a people out of the fallen race of Adam. He sent His Son, about 2000 years ago, to save. "He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. The Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. — Thus it behoved Christ to suffer, ... that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations. — He appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself." (Isa. 53:5,6. -Luke 24:46,47. -Heb. 9:26)
There is no other Saviour for us, when we deal with the real issue in life, namely the forgiveness of our sins and the hope of eternal life. "Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, ... to give repentance. — Through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins: and by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses. — Your sins are forgiven you for his name's sake." (Acts 5:31. -Acts 13:38,39. -I John 2:12)
Where did yo come from? Why are you here? and Where are you going?
Comment on Evening April 25
"Our Lord Jesus Christ, ... though he was rich, yet for your sakes ... became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich." (1Co. 8:9)
How rich was our Lord Jesus before His incarnation? How much did He become poor? And how rich do you become as the result of His grace shown towards you?
Man was created after the image of God and he is indeed full when he is filled with God and God alone. In fact, He is very God Himself in human flesh. He canot get richer than that. "It pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell. — The brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high; being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they. — Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: but made himself of no reputation." (Col. 1:19. -Heb. 1:3,4. -Php. 2:6,7)
"The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head." (Matt. 8:20) God created the animals so that they each, by instinct, makes and maintains its home, a place where it can rest peacefully without being threatened. The whole universe belongs to our Saviour as He had made them all. But when He came unto His own, His own knew Him not, and showed no welcome to Him. They preferred an evil man (Barabbas), and for Him that He be crucified. He was chased out of His own house. He descended into hell - that was how poor He became for our sake - from the highest heaven to the lowest hell.
What wealth did the Lord bring you? "All things are yours; whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours; and ye are Christ's; and Christ is God's." (1Cor. 3:21-23) All things are subservient to our salvation!
Do you know how much you owe Him, we who complain ever so often?
Comment on Morning April 26
When we are afraid (and who does not, at times?), we will trust in Him. We are afraid when things seem to be out of control, and uncertainty sets in. We turn to Him because we believe He is always in control, even when things seem to be totally out of control. So, we naturally trust in Him, especially when He promised good to us.
When we are afraid, not only do we trust in Him, but we also are on the lookout for assuring indications of His love and care. "His left hand is under my head, and his right hand doth embrace me." (Songs 2:6) His hands speak of His control over all things, and they are there for our comfort and rest!
"Underneath are the everlasting arms. — When [Peter] saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me. And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?" (Deu. 33:27; Mat. 14:30, 31) We may not be always conscious of His loving, caring presence (thus our troubles at times), but whenever we need Him and call upon Him, like Peter did, we will always find Him there with His arm outstretched to save.
Are you a good man by the grace of God? If so, note that the "steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord: and he delighteth in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the Lord upholdeth him with his hand." (Psa. 37:23,24)
We are safe only because we are in Him, just like Noah and all with him were only in the Ark. "The beloved of the Lord shall dwell in safety by him; and the Lord shall cover him all the day long, and he shall dwell between his shoulders. — Casting all your care upon Him, for he careth tor you. — He that toucheth you, toucheth the apple of his eye." (Deu. 33:12; 1Pe. 5:7; Zec. 2:8) The Lord Almighty instinctively protect us just like a man does his eye when its apple is being attacked. He takes a personal interest in us.
"They shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all." (John 10:28,29)
What comfort is there if the One we flee to for comfort in not any greater than us? Know Him as He has revealed Himself to us, and you can always count on Him to help you.
Comment on Evening April 26
The Song of Solomon contains descriptions of both Christ and His Bride as seen and adored by each other. In 6:10, she is described as "she that looketh forth as the morning, fair as the moon, clear as the sun, and terrible as an army with banners." She is always full of hope. She is fair to be around with. She is clear in her beliefs. And she is powerful so that the gates of hell cannot prevail against her.
She is the "church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood." (Act. 20:28) She is God's treasure as He has paid such a high price for her, even His own blood.
She is clean and pure because she is cleansed by God Himself. "Christ loved the church, and gave himself for it; that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, 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." (Eph. 5:25-27)
She "was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints. — The righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe." (Rev. 19:7, 8; Rom. 3:22) As believers we must constantly testify of the righteousness of God with which we are clothed. That is the Gospel which we must bear to the end of the world for the gathering of His people and the Coming of Christ.
We, the Church, are glorious with the glory of Christ, given by God to Him and in Him to us. "The glory which thou gavest me I have given them." (John 17:22)
Wherein lies the glory of the Church and in which we must unashamedly shine in this world?
Comment on Morning April 27
There is "a time for every purpose under the heaen" so say the Preacher in Ecc. 3:1. Then he continues in verse 2, "a time to be born, and a time to die." So, sooner or later we come to that time when we must die. How long yet do you have before that time come upon you, my brethren? Many may think that Master Russel Koh (8) of the recent, fatal accident, may still have a lot of time ahead of him in this life. But the time was so short for him, and beyond the expectation of his loved ones. What pain when he finally left them.
"Brethren, the time is short." (1Co. 7:29) Blessed are those who realize this and learn how to treat each other as they should before it is all over.
"Man that is born of a woman is of few days, and full of trouble. He cometh forth like a flower, and is cut down: he fleeth also as a shadow, and continueth not." (Job. 14:1, 2) We give troubles to each other like as if we do not have enough already in this life. If we do well and flourish like a flower, we discover that it will soon fade away and just cannot last. And soon like the uncertain shadow we are taken away, leaving fading marks behind, soon to be forgotten.
"The world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever." (1John 2:17) While we are here and as rational being, we want to live purposefully. We therefore will to do this and that according to our desire and liking and pleasure. God also has His own detail plan for everything. His is comprehensive and fit together perfectly as one whole. His good pleasure abides forever to the praise of His own glrious grace. So, "he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever." (1John 2:17)
For us who are destined to abide forever: "As in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. Death is swallowed up in victory. — Whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord's. — To live is Christ, and to die is gain." (1Cor. 15:22,54. -Rom. 14:8. -Php. 1:21) This is our blessed confidence.
"Cast not away ... your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward. For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise. For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry. — The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light. — The end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer." (Heb. 10:35-37. -Rom. 13:12. -I Pet. 4:7) As we pray more in that readiness for the Lord, we shall know more and more how we should live in this life. May God help us so to do. Amen.
Are you ready?
Comment on Evening April 27
A person's name is that by which one is identified and called. Soon that name conveyed some ideas of a person to the one who hears it. Sometimes a person's name, which may have some meaning all by itself, fit the person very well and so it is easy to remember such person and his name. When God gives us a new name, that name accurately describes us and we should pay attention to the meaning of such a name and understand what He would have us grow into.
Everyone born again is given a "new name." (Rev. 2:17)
"The disciples were called Christians first in Antioch. — Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity. — They that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. — Ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's." (Acts 11:26. -II Tim. 2:19. -Gal. 5:24. -I Cor. 6:20) The Name "Christ" means "the Anointed One". "Christians" are disciples of Christ. They are partakers of His anointing. Jesus is the Christ of the Old Testament, because He was anointed by God to be the Prophet, Priest and King of God's people. His followers are people in Christ as "little" prophets, priests and kings to each other. This speaks of the office of all believers. Christians are not just people called to to Heaven, they are also called to serve God already in this life and forever in Heaven.
"God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature." (Gal. 6:14,15) The cross of our Lord Jesus Christ speaks of the mission He came to perform on our behalf. It was the will of God for Him. Every child of God has his own cross to bear as well. To be a Christian is not just to bear a nice name, it is to be a different person than what one was previously. It it to be a new creature, living a new life, with a new goal.
"Be ye ... followers of God, as dear children; and walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour. But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints. Now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light." (Eph. 5:1-3,8) To walk is to move from place to place. Are we doing that as children of light? Where do we get that light from?
Each of us is precious and unique in His Hand. He wants us to shine uniquely for Him, eac in our own corners an to those whom He would have us shine the light of life. Are we soshining uniquely, bearing witness for Him, fishing for Him?
Comment on Morning April 28
Our Saviour is "the Lamb of God." (Joh. 1:29) Different animals like bulls and goats and lambs were used in the Old Testament time as temple sacrifices when God's people came to worship God. The sacrifices were necessary to bridge that gap between God and His people because of their sins which separate them from God in the first place. But these animals were only symbols of the reality that was yet to come - the Lamb of God.
"It is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins. Wherefore when he (Jesus Christ, lck) cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me: in burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure. Then said I (Jesus Christ, lck), Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me) to do thy will, O God. — He (Jesus Christ, lck) was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth." (Heb. 10:4-7. -Isa. 53:7) What a wonderful Saviour we have in Jesus Christ. He endured all the punishment of our sins without a word of complaint against God. He bore completely all the penalty of our sins in His own body on the Cross that day!
"Ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, ... but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: ... manifest in these last times for you who by him do believe in God ... that your faith and hope might be in God." (1Pe. 1:18-21) If our faith and hope is not in God, we have no hope. Only God can bear away the infinite punishment of our sins. We are idolatrous, if we can find another saviour.
"Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing." (Rev. 5:12)
Do we really know how evil are our sins against God that they cost God the blood of His Lamb to redeem us?
Comment on Evening April 28
Come what may, "I will hope continually, and will yet praise thee more and more." (Psa. 71:14) There is no God like to our God, the God of our Salvation, when we consider what He had promised us and are fulfilling those promises. We may not know what will come upon us, but let anything come upon us and we who believe are sure that they do together for our good and salvation. As such we can always "hope continualy" that He will not fail us, but that indeed all things will serve us. We are, therefore, confident that we "will yet praise thee more and more." Heaven where we will finally end up is a place of eternal praise. If our faith does not point us to that eternal joy of praise, it cannot be the true faith.
We do not state the above as if we have arrived at perfection and that there is nothing more to learn. "Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect. — Leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God. — The path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day." (Php. 3:12. -Heb. 6:1. -Prov. 4:18) If we have to learn everything and have perfect knowledge of them before we can start praising Him, or before we can know that our eternal joy is the eternal praise of Him, then it is not possible to "rejoice evermore" in this present life. Yet, the Apostle Paul told us to do that in 1Th. 5:16) With eternal joy, let us move on in the "path of the just .. as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day." Let the light shine brighter, brethren.
We love the Lord because He first loves us. We also love Him because He hears our prayers. "I love the Lord, because he hath heard my voice and my supplications. Because he hath inclined his ear unto me, therefore will I call upon him as long as I live. — I will bless the Lord all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth." (Psa. 116:1,2. -Psa. 34:1)
We who desire to glorify God in all that we do, whether we eat or drink, do we know that praise glorifies Him? "Praise waiteth for thee, O God, in Sion. — They rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty. — Whoso offereth praise glorifieth me." (Psa. 65:1. -Rev. 4:8. -Psa. 50:23) The more we pray the more we rejoice in Him. "Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing." (1Thes. 5:16-18) Scriptures are clear what the Lord's will for us believers is. "In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. — Rejoice in the Lord, always; and again I say, Rejoice." (Php. 4:4)
Is Heaven now in our heart?
Comment on Morning April 29
In our Heidelberg Catechism Q & A 114 we read of how "even the holiest men, while in this life, have only a small beginning of this obedience .." The Apostle Paul, whom we all do have very high regard, called himself the "chief of all sinners". Those who truly know God and themselves cannot disagree with the Catechism. Those who doubt should "Consider how great things He hath done for you." (1Sa. 12:24)
"Thou shalt remember all the way which the Lord thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, and to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments, or no. Thou shalt also consider in thine heart, that, as a man chasteneth his son, so the Lord thy God chasteneth thee." (Deu. 8: 2, 5) The crossing of the river Jordan was not from Egypt to the Promise Land (that was the Red Sea), but from the wilderness journey of 40 years, those years of chastisement. Our disappointment was God's appointment. We do need the wilderness journey before we are well prepared for heaven, a place of praise of His Glorious Grace. As we do suffering in the wilderness, let us remember that He loves us with an everlasting love, and wants the best for us.
"I know, O Lord, that thy judgments are right, and that thou in faithfulness hast afflicted me. It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn thy statutes. Before I was afflicted I went astray: but now have I kept thy word. — The Lord hath chastened me sore: but he hath not given me over unto death. — He hath not dealt with us after our sins, nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him. He knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust." (Psa. 119:75,71,67. -Psa. 118:18. -Psa. 103:10,11,14)
How to change "dust" into "precious stones"? (1Pe. 1:7)
Comment on Evening April 29
A complete and true human being is not without a human body. God first created man out of the dust of the ground. This means that the body of the human nature was formed first. Then, He breathed into that body the breath of life, making him into a living soul with a body to interact with the physical things of God's wonderful creation. A man is only completely happy when his soul can enjoy the physical things of God's creation through his unique body.
The Fall of man caused death - the separation of man from God and his soul from his body in the physical death. God's salvation involves the reunion of fellowship between God and man and finally of his soul to his body in perfect union, nevermore to part again forever.
Naturally, the signs of good union between one's soul and body is a delight for men to behold - thus the coming Olympics in a limited way! But when the body is going out of control, deteriorating and going to leave the soul completely, man fears naturally, and would pay anything to keep them together. The hope of all men is that their complete human nature be kept intact through time. Moreover, it is also in that perfect union that we can be truly a delight to the Lord God, our Creator, for He made man that way in the first place, though not with immutability. We, Christian believers, have such a blessed hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.
"That blessed hope, ... the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ." (Tit. 2:13) When He comes again for us, He shall give us that glorious bodies, like to His own, to be united perfectly with our souls forever. Then shall we ever be with the Lord, a delight to Him and He to us.
"Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil: whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus. — Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things. — When he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe." (Heb. 6:19,20; Acts 3:21; 2Thes. 1:10) The consummation of such a blessed hope is like the long awaited birth of a baby, when it finally comes. But it comes with the travail of its mother!
"The whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. And not only they, but ourselves also, ... groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body. — Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. — When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory." (Rom. 8:22,23. -I John 3:2. -Col. 3:4) The next time we suffer in this body, we should be thinking of the Coming of the New Age of the New Heavens and New Earth.
"Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus." (Rev. 22:20)
Are we ready for His Return, or do we secretly wish that He may delay a little longer for whatever reason?
Comment on Morning April 30
The human life is meant to be a life of love. God is love and created a creature to love Him and all His, namely, man. Today men do not know what is true love. They imagine their various forms of lusts as love. Lusts are strong desires for that which is not God and challenge to displace and replace Him. True love has to do with the Loving God.
Because God had spoken and His Word is with us in this world, it is possible to know if one has the true love of God in his heart - the true human life. "Whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected." (1Jo. 2:5) People who treat light the Word of God cannot be growing in true love as all human beings ought so to do. Today, as we look around us , we do not see men loving God naturally. There is none that seeks after God. They are all gone astray. (Rom. 3:10-12)
Like a good shepherd, the Word of God (the Incarnate Jesus Christ), came to look for the lost sheep. The life of good works in Christ is the life of true love. "The God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is well pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen." (Heb. 13:20, 21) How else can you know that you are living a proper human life of love?
"Hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. — If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. — Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him. Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous. — Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world." (1Jo. 2:3; Joh. 14:23; 1Jo. 3:6,7; 1Jo. 4:17)
Can there be "boldness in the day of judgment" outside of Jesus Christ? Should we be ashamed of that which makes men bold "in the day of judgment"?
Comment on Evening April 30
Can a Christian, who is called to love, be angry at times? Are these two dispositions compatible with each other? Or, are they mutually exclusive so that when one has anger he does not have love, and vice versa?
Who can doubt that Jesus is full of love? Yet this Lamb of God, so meek and lowly, is said in Scripture to have "wrath" at times in Rev. 6:16 and 14:10. There were two occasions in His sojourn here, when He, in anger, cleansed the temple of God in Jerusalem. All these do not mean that Jesus was impatient and jump into anger ever so quickly.
"He that is slow to wrath is of great understanding." (Pro. 14:29) Our Lord is full of understanding and so at the appointed time, He does become wrathful. That will be when the Lamb of God sit is the Judgment that was committed to Him by His Father. (Joh. 5:22) Meanwhile, before that glorious day of judgment, He reveals Himself as full of mercy and compassion, longsufering and love, in His juctice.
"The Lord passed by before him, and proclaimed, The Lord, The Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering. — The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance." (Exo. 34:6; 2Pet. 3:9) In dealing with ourselves and our fellow-human beings, we are to be like our Lord Jesus, without compromising our belief in the "wrath of the Lamb" at the appointed time.
"Be ye ... followers of God, as dear children; and walk in love. — The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. — This is thankworthy, if a man for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully. If, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God. Christ ... suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously." (Eph. 5:1. -Gal. 5:22,23. -I Pet. 2:19-21,23)
Can we, and ought, we be angry at times? (Eph. 4:26)
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