Gems from February 10-20, 2016

February 10

“Now unto Him that is able to keep you from falling [stumbling], and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, to the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever.  Amen.” 

(Jude verses 24,25)

Let the difficulties of the path be what they may—however thickly strewn with gins (nets)

and snares of Satanic devise—God is able to keep the trusting soul without stumbling.

David knew this when he sang, “Yea, though I walk thought the valley of the shadow 

of death, I will fear no evil: for Thou art with me.”

  

This is enough for faith in the darkest and most trying hour.

I may not see a step before me, but He who is able sees 

the end from the beginning, and bids me confide in 

His love and wisdom, and thus implicitly trust 

myself to His guidance.

(H.A. Ironside)

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February 11

“See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise,

redeeming the time, because the days are evil.”

(Ephesians 5:15-16) 

Recently I heard someone say “I’ve only ten more years to retirement.”

They clearly hoped that the years would quickly pass.

Assessing too highly an unknown future, can make 

us fail to cherish the moments we have.

Time is a valuable gift from God and it is so brief.

We’ll never know the status of our account until all our minutes are gone.

Beloved, seize the opportunity today to buy back time from your normal activities 

and use it to share the Gospel, pursue good works, 

and encourage the saints.

It will pay dividends now and for all eternity.

(George Ferrier)

"Only this hour is mine, Lord.  May it be used for Thee;

May every passing moment count for eternity."

(Avis B. Christiansen) 

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February 12

“If any man thirst, let him come unto Me, and drink.” 

(John 7:37)

SOME STOP TOO SOON in their quest for a satisfying experience of the Lord.

They get this blessing or that and settle down there and make their blessing 

an end in itself and a yardstick by which they measure everybody else.

The part becomes greater than the whole.

They major on the gift instead of on the Giver.

Others experience no “blessing” at all, give up and resign themselves to a dry faith,

and plod along through dull and mediocre years.

Others go too far.

They run past the Lord into delusions and excesses and fall into snares of demonism.

Pitiful cases they are, starting out honestly and earnestly, 

but not guided by the Word.

Jesus simply invites us to Himself, whether for rest (Matthew 11:28) or for the Spirit’s fulness, 

and guarantees that if we come He will not cast us out (John 6:37).

It is not difficult to get to Jesus if we really want to come.

And anyone who gets through to Him will be all right. 

"All the fitness He requires is to feel your need of Him."

(Day by Day - Vance Havner)

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February 13

“But without faith it is impossible to please Him: . . . He is a

rewarder of them that diligently seek Him.”

(Hebrews 11:6)  

BY FAITH

Ye children of promise, who are awaiting your call to glory,

take possession of the inheritance that now is yours.

By faith take the promises.

Live upon them, not upon emotions.

Remember feeling is not faith.

Faith grasps and clings to the promises.

Faith says, “I am certain, 

not because feeling testifies to it, but because God says it.”

"Our unbelief ties the hands of His omnipotence.”

All the scholastic scaffolding falls,

as a ruined edifice, before one single word—FAITH!

(Napoleon 1.)   

Standing on the promises of Christ my King, 
through eternal ages let His praises ring,

Glory in the highest, I will shout and sing, 
standing on the promises of God.

Standing on the promises that cannot fail, 
when the howling storms of doubt and fear assail,

By the living Word of God I shall prevail, 
standing on the promise of God.

Standing on the promises I now can see perfect, 
present cleansing in the blood for me;

Standing in the liberty where Christ makes free, 
standing on the promises of God. 

Standing on the promises of Christ the Lord, 
bound to Him eternally by love’s strong cord,

Overcoming daily with the Spirit’s sword, 
standing on the promises of God.

Standing on the promises I cannot fall, 
list’ning  every moment to the Spirit’s call,
Resting in my Saviour as my all in all,
standing on the promises of God.

(Russell K. Carter -1886)

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February 14

“But we see Jesus . . .”  (Hebrews 2:9)

“Looking unto Jesus . . .” (Hebrews12:2)

- Wondrous and glorious things are before us; and this Name (“Jesus”) is our passport to them.

- How important it is for us in this day to cleave to every word and letter, as it is in the Word.

We have not to think, we have to receive the thoughts of God.

- In reading the Scriptures, look for Christ and not for yourself; and when you find Him,

you will find you are in Him there too.

(Hunt’s Sayings)

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February 15

Blessed Is the Man God Chooses

"Blessed is the man whom Thou choosest, and causeth to approach unto Thee.” 

(Psalm 65:4)

To most Christians their relationship to Christ means deliverance "from" difficulties. 

For those who seek to abide in Christ, it means triumph "in" our difficulties. 

What a world of difference! 

It is to our benefit to go "through" our trials with Christ,
rather than be delivered from our trials by Christ. 

Such an experience causes us to mature in our spiritual journey.

Seeing the Lord work in wondrous ways in our trial deepens our faith. 

We learn how to lean upon Him, trust Him, and commit our needs to Him. 

This process causes us to grow in grace and trust Him for even greater needs.

Our difficult encounters bring to reality whether we truly believe God and take Him at His Word, 

or whether our faith is but a shallow pretense of our profession. 

We do not receive an overcoming life, but life as we overcome in His strength. 

God does not give us strength for tomorrow, or the next hour,
but only and always, strength for the moment. 

It is "in" the trials that our spiritual character is strengthened. 

The trials are occasions for God, when we can experience His sufficiency in all things.

God seeks for us to come before Him in praise, worship, and thanksgiving, 

but also with the spirit of utter dependence on Him. 

(Daily Devotions - R.L. adapted)

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February 16

The Morning Cometh

“His going forth is prepared [certain] as the morning [dawn].” 

(Hosea 6:3)

A shout!

A trumpet note!

A Glorious Presence in the azure sky!

A gasp,

A thrill of joy,

And we are with Him in the twinkling of an eye!

A glance,

An upward look,

Caught up to be with Christ forevermore!

The dead alive!

The living glorified!

Fulfilled are all His promises that came before!

His face!

His joy supreme

Our souls find rapture only at His feet!

Blameless!

Without a spot!

We enter into heaven’s joy complete!

Strike harps,

Oh, sound His praise . . .

We know Him as we never knew before!

God’s love!

God’s matchless grace!

’Twill take eternity to tell while we adore!

(Anne Catharine White)

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February 17

“But he, willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus,

And who is my neighbour?”

(Luke 10:29)

Although asked for the wrong reason, this was a good question.

What is the answer?

Anyone in need, who by the providence of God, 

crosses your path and you are in a position to help.

The need may be spiritual, physical or material.

Distance is not a factor and the person may be a stranger or an enemy.

Show him compassion because he is your neigbour.

Perhaps through it you will gain a brother or turn a sinner

from darkness to the light.

(Milton Haack)

They will not heed; they need to be sought,

They will not come; they need to be brought,

They will not know; they need to be taught.

(Unknown)

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February 18

"A man that hath friends must show himself friendly: and there is 

a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.”

(Proverbs 18:24)

“Friends,” is a lovely term that is quickly losing its true meaning.

What is true friendship and even further, how can we be friends with God?

The apostle James wrote;

“Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness:

and he was called the friend of God” (James 2:23).

Jesus said: 

“Ye are my friends if ye do whatsoever I command you” (John 15:14).

Faith and obedience are the keys to a relationship with

God and a good basis for earthly friendships too.

(Jerry Proctor)

"What a friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear!

What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer!"

(J. Scriven)

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February 19

“God shall hear.”  

(Psalm 55:19)

I was standing at a bank counter in Liverpool waiting for a clerk to come.  I picked up a pen and began to print on a blotter in large letters two words which had gripped me like a vice: “PRAY THROUGH.”

I kept talking to a friend and printing until I had the desk blotter filled from top to bottom with a column.  I transacted my business and went away.  The next day my friend came to see me, and said he had a striking story to tell.

A business man came into the bank soon after we had gone.  He had grown discouraged with business troubles.  He started to transact some business with the same clerk over that blotter, when his eye caught the long column of “PRAY THROUGH.”

He asked who wrote those words and when he was told exclaimed, “That is the very message I needed.  I will pray through.  I have tried in my own strength to worry through, and have merely mentioned my troubles to God; now I am going to pray the situation through until I get light."

(A personal testimony of Charles M. Alexander.  1867 - 1920)

All I have seen teaches me to trust the Creator for what I have not seen!

Don’t stop praying, but have more trust;

Don’t stop praying! for pray we must;

Faith will banish a mount of care;

Don’t stop praying! God answers prayer.

(C.M. Alexander)

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February 20

"Pilate answered, Am I a Jew?  Thine own nation and the chief priests 

have delivered Thee unto me: what has Thou done?"

(John 18:35)

“And he went again into the judgment hall, and saith unto Jesus,

Whence art Thou?  But Jesus gave him no answer."

(John 19:9)

During the trial of Jesus, Pilate asked these two questions:

“What have you done?” 

and

“Where are you from?”

John’s Gospel gives the answers.

He came from eternity with God (John 1:1). 

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” 

While here He turned water to wine, fed a multitude from very little,

gave sight to a blind man, raised a man from the dead, 

pointed people to living water and challenged them to be born again.

The Man from above has done all things well.

(Jack Innes) 

"All worlds His glorious power confess, His wisdom all His works express;

But oh! His love what tongue can tell?  

My Jesus has done all things well."

(Anon)

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February 21