February 1
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by Him; and without Him was not anything made that was made. In Him was life and the life was the light of men. John 1:1-4
Why is the Lord designated as the Word? Just as the spoken word reveals a man's mind and personality, so God has revealed Himself in and by a Person, who came near to man, living a perfect life before them, and above all dying a sacrificial death upon the cross in order that this revelation of God might be one of infinite grace and eternal blessing.
In these verses we read that Jesus from all eternity was God, that He was a distinct Person in the Godhead, the eternal Word; that as distinct in the Godhead, He was eternally so; that He was the Creator of all things; that in Him was life inherently, that is to say not conferred, but that He was the eternal Source. This life was the light of men.
Then comes the stupendous statement that "The Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father), full of grace and truth" (John 1:14).
There came a moment when the Son of God became flesh in Bethlehem, born of a virgin in a stable, and cradled in a manger. He was the eternal Son of God, who became Man, who died on the cross to satisfy the claims of Divine righteousness and enable God in all His holiness justly to save guilty sinners, as we are. Why I Believe the Bible - A, J Pollock
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February 2
They which have believed in God . . . be careful to maintain good works. Titus 3:8 When thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth that thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret Himself shall reward thee openly." Matthew 6:3,4
Put a seal upon your lips and forget what you have done. After you have been kind, after love has stolen forth into the world and done its beautiful work, go back into the shade, and say nothing about it. Love hides even from itself.
Oberlin was travelling on one occasion from Strasbourg. It was in winter. The ground was deeply covered with snow and the roads were almost impassable. He had reached the middle of his journey, and was so exhausted that he could stand up no longer. He commended himself to God, and yielded to what he felt to be the sleep of death.
He knew not how long he slept, but suddenly became conscious of someone rousing him up. Before him stood a wagon driver, the wagon not far away. He gave him a little wine and food, and the spirit of life returned. He then helped him on to the wagon, and brought him to the next village. The rescued man was profuse in his thanks, and offered money, which his benefactor refused. "It is only a duty to help one another," said the wagoner, and it is next thing to an insult to offer a reward for such a service".
"Then," replied Oberlin, "at least tell me your name, that I may have you in thankful remembrance before God". "I see," said the wagoner, "that you are a minister of the Gospel; please tell me the name of the good Samaritan". "That," said Oberlin, "l cannot do, for it was not put on record". "Then" replied the wagoner, "until you can tell me his name, permit me to withhold mine". Service thus rendered will bring glory to God. "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify"--not you (no true Christian should desire that)-but "your Father which is in heaven" (Matthew 5:16)
Winsome Christianity
N.J. Hiebert - 8380
February 3
Now thanks be unto God which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of His knowledge by us in every place. 2 Corinthians 2:14
The supreme witness for God in this world is the one whose life is Christlike in spirit and conduct. Just as glass may be considered as brilliantly beautiful until we see the fascinating radiance of a diamond, so, when we behold our all-glorious Lord, we cry out with one of old: "He is altogether lovely".
The Lord Jesus ordained twelve, that they should be with Him, and that He might send them forth to preach. "The officers took knowledge of Peter and John that they had been with Jesus," because these two men of God carried with them the fragrance of the One in Whose presence they had been dwelling.
For us today who have not access to His physical presence, the whole secret is enshrined in 2 Corinthians 3:18 "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."
Long ago the first protestant missionary to Japan was once brought into touch with members of the royal house of that country. During his furlough in England, he was visited in his room one day by some members of the Emperor's family who were touring Europe. They chatted for an hour and then left. Later in the day another group of Japanese officials called in. "Oh!" one of them exclaimed, "You have have been entertaining royalty here today!" "What makes you think so?" the missionary asked. "Why, there is perfume manufactured in our country for the exclusive use of royalty. No one else is allowed to use it, and its fragrant odour is in evidence in this apartment, so that we know you have had royal visitors today!"
Our Lord has promised not only to visit us, but also to abide with us . Is the fragrance of His presence diffused from us day by day? Henry Durbanville
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February 4
And the superscription of His accusation was written over, THE KING OF THE JEWS. Mark 15:26 For even the Son of Man came . . .and to give His life a ransom for many. (Mark 10:45)
Pilate puts upon the cross, above the head of Jesus, a title: "The King of the Jews"; but Mark has given us a superscription to place over the whole tragic scene of the crucifixion: "to give His life a ransom for many." The former is related to the mocking inflicted upon Jesus; the later solves, at least in part, the mystery of His death.
The heartless derision is begun by the soldiers to whom Pilate has given the shameful task of executing the sentence of death. They know that Jesus has been condemned for claiming to be a king, therefore in mock homage they clothe Him with purple, crown Him with a wreath of thorns, and salute Him as "King of the Jews". Then they smite Him and spit upon Him and worship Him. It is not merely the brutality of coarse natures which they reveal; it is also the bitter scorn of the Roman for the Jew, and for the Jewish hopes of a Messiah and king.
Then, as they lead Him forth to die, they add a further insult by crucifying Him between two robbers, identifying Him with criminals and malefactors. Then as He hangs in nameless agony, the crowds that are passing by rail on Him and bid Him to save Himself and to come down from the cross; and the chief priests and scribes "mocking Him" say, "He saved others; Himself He cannot save". What vast reaches of unconscious truth these taunts contained! He must die that others might live.
This, then, is the meaning of His death. The sinless One was bearing the sins of many. This is the death of no human prophet or martyr. The darkened skies, the trembling earth, the shout of triumph, the lordly dismissal of His spirit, all speak of a voluntary death, all conspire to make thoughtful witnesses unite in the exclamation: "Truly this Man was the Son of God!" Charles Erdman'
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February 5
Trust in the Lord, and do good; Fret not thyself in any wise to do evil; for evil-doers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the Lord, they shall inherit the earth. He shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday. Psalm 37:1-9
In Eden, when addressing the serpent, God said: "I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed" (Genesis 3:15). That is one of the profoundest sayings in the Bible. It is a key to scripture. All that comes after proves the virulence and the universality of the conflict between God and Satan. This was the secret of the conflict that raged around Joseph.
Do you know by sad experience what Joseph felt: "The archers have sorely grieved him, and shot at him, and hated him" (Genesis 49:23). Do the archers shoot at you? Are you lonesome and depressed, and ready to give up? Take heart! Christ your Lord suffered much worse treatment.
Go on doing right, in nothing terrified by your adversaries. Be pitiful and gentle, forgiving and forbearing. Be specially careful not to take your case into your own hands. Avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath. Our Saviour, "left an example that ye should follow Him. "Who, when He was reviled, reviled not again; when He suffered, He threatened not; but committed Himself to Him that judgeth righteously." (1 Peter 2:21-23).
And what was the result? Joseph was carried through the hatred and opposition of his foes; and his dreams were literally fulfilled in the golden days of prosperity which came at length.
"And Pharaoh said unto Joseph . . . there is none so wise as thou art . . . I have set thee over all the land of Egypt . . . and he made him to ride in the second chariot . . . and they cried before him, bow the knee: and he made him ruler over all the land of Egypt." (Genesis 41:39-44). F. B. Meyer
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February 6
The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree. . . . Those that be planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God. They shall still bring forth fruit in old age. Psalm 92:12-14
How meaningless this statement is by the Psalmist, (flourish like the palm tree) unless you are acquainted with palm trees. People who live in tropical areas are so familiar with their graceful towering beauty, they are a very common tree to them. But few realize what meanings the characteristics of this stately tree have. The first simile is life. The life of the tree comes through its centre or heart.
Just as all other trees, it draws its moisture up through its roots from the earth. But instead of the sap going up on the outside between the bark and the wood of the tree, and so on up into the branches and twigs, as in most other trees, in the palm tree the sap goes up the very heart of the tree. Most trees can be killed by simply severing the bark completely around the tree. The life of the palm however, does not lie so close under the surface, and is not affected by surface injury. It must be completely cut off to be killed.
The same applies to "Palm-tree Christians." The Word of God states this so aptly in Romans 10:9-10, "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness." A "Palm-tree Christian's" everlasting life is not affected by outward environment, but draws his life and strength through the heart. The palm tree is perennially green. Life flows within its being continually. Anon
"I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me." Galatians 2:20
N.J. Hiebert - 8384
February 7
The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the son of Abraham. Matthew 1:1
Christ = Messiah = Anointed
"Christ" is one of the many names and titles of the Lord Jesus. This is the Greek form, while the Hebrew version is Messiah. In either case the significance is "the anointed one". Anointing means identification beforehand for a specific role or office. In the case of the Lord, He was anointed, or singled out, by God in a past eternity, to be the Saviour offered to this world, as well as to be King of Israel.
We who are saved know Him now as Saviour and recognize Him as our Lord, the One who now rules in our lives. But we are still waiting for the day when He will return to earth to take up His Kingdom in Israel, and ultimately embracing the entire world under His rule.
He has waited a long time between anointing and crowning; according to the Bible time-reckoning, some 8,000 plus years. By contrast, David, mentioned in the same verse at the beginning of Matthew, waited, only 30 years after Samuel anointed him, until he was actually crowned king.
Prince Charles, as the eldest offspring of Queen Elizabeth was destined from a young age to be king, but so far, has waited more than 65 years.
Time and Eternity
In the case of the Lord Jesus, time is not the issue. "And hath raised us up together and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus." Ephesians 2:6. From God's perspective, He already sees us believers as in heaven with Christ. That thought pays no attention to time, a concept God invented for this world; separate from eternity where there are no clocks.
In the meantime, we live here as citizens of heaven, keeping track of the days, waiting for the Lord's call to join Him there in the Father's home. As we measure time, believers have been waiting many years, but that amazing event has always been a bright, shining star; and so it needs to be for us. "Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ". Titus 2:13. The promise WILL be fulfilled. Lorne Perry
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February 8
Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort me. Psalm 23:4.
Guidance-- "Thy crook (Thy rod)". Dr. Duff tells how that once, while travelling in the Himalayas, he saw a native shepherd, followed by his flock. The man frequently looked back, and, if he noticed a sheep going too near the edge of the precipice, he would gently draw it towards the rest by applying his crook to its hind leg. And so "He will keep the feet of His saints" (1 Samuel 2:9) "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 up-holdeth him with His hand" (Psalm 37:23,24).
Defence-- "Thy staff" (John 10:11-14). Divine Companionship; Heavenly guidance; Omnipotent Defense! We walk not in the valley, but through it; for there is a vast distinction between the two propositions. A person might wander for a very long time in a street; but it does not take him long, however, to walk through it. Is it not even so with the trials incidental to Christian life and warfare?
As we pass through the trial, the Word is-- 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 (Isaiah 43:2). Should the trial continue, this is the Word: "Who is among you that feareth the Lord, that obeyeth the voice of His servant, that walketh in darkness and hath no light? Let him trust in the name of the Lord and stay upon his God" Isaiah 50:10).
And, finally, we should remember that the reason why we are allowed to pass through such an experience at all is that we might be led to the rich fields of light and plenty which lie beyond it. "We went through fire and through water; but Thou broughtest us out into a wealthy place" (Psalm 66:12)
George Henderson - The Pearl of Psalms
N.J. Hiebert - 8386
February 9
For we walk by faith, not by sight. 2 Corinthians 5:7
Faith is taking God at His word. Faith is not belief without evidence. It is belief on the very best of evidence-- the Word of Him "that cannot lie." (Titus 1:2). Faith is so rational that it asks no other evidence than this all--sufficient evidence. To ask other than the Word of Him Who cannot lie is not rationalism, but consummate irrationalism. R. A. Torrey.
When we can see, it is not faith but reasoning. Look at the faith of the master mariner! He looses his cable, he steams away from the land. For days, weeks, or even months, he sees neither sail nor shore; yet on he goes day and night without fear, till one morning he finds himself exactly opposite the desired haven toward which he had been steering.
How has he found his way over the trackless deep? He has trusted in his compass, his nautical almanac, his glass, and the heavenly bodies; and obeying their guidance without sighting land, he has steered so accurately that he has not changed a point to enter port.
It is a wonderful thing--that sailing or steaming without sight. Spiritually it is a blessed thing to leave altogether the shores of sight and feeling; to say "Good-bye " to inward feelings, cheering providences, signs, tokens, and so forth. It is glorious to be far out on the ocean of Divine love, believing in God, and steering for heaven straight away, by the direction of the Word of God. Charles Spurgeon
Faith is a very simple thing, tho' little understood;
It frees the soul from death's dread sting, by resting on the blood,
It looks not on the things around, nor on the things within,
It takes its flight to scenes above, beyond the sphere of sin.
It sees upon throne of God a victim that was slain;
It rests its all on His shed blood, and says, "I'm born again."
Faith is not we feel or see, it is a simple trust
In what the God of love has said of Jesus, as "the Just." John C. Ryle
N.J. Hiebert - 8387
February 10
Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees; And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed. Follow peace with all men, and holiness . . . Hebrews 12:12-14
Some years ago, at a Special Olympics event, eight young contestants who were either physically or mentally challenged, lined up on the track to compete in the 100 yard dash. At the sound of the starter's pistol, they began an excited, exuberant dash.
One of the participants, a little boy, stumbled and tripped as he ran. He fell, tumbling and rolling to a stop in crumpled heap. He began to cry. The rest of the runners, not far away, heard him. Each slowed, looked back at the crying boy, and also stopped. Without hesitation everyone of the other runners turned around and went back to where their fellow competitor lay crying. One of the children, afflicted with Down Syndrome, kneeled down beside him, and, giving him a kiss, said in her sweet, gentle voice, "That will make it better." At that, the little boy was helped to his feet and all eight runners with arms locked together walked to the finish line crossing it as one triumphant group.
How often, and in how many different ways, do we find illustrated in God's precious Word the principles of love, oneness, and comfort. And never was there a day when it has been more important for the people of God to walk together in love "endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the (uniting) bond of peace" Ephesians 4:3. These last moments before the Lord's return are times when all the people of God, wherever they may be found, are experiencing violent, unprecedented Satanic attacks.
Comfort, consolation and fellowship in the Spirit are directly linked to believers having the "the mind of Christ". Philippians 2:5--that divine mind which willingly took the lowest place in perfect humility that there might be eternal blessing for a vast, innumerable company. To have and display the mind of Christ is to show humility, love and care for one another.
"Two are better than one. . . For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up" (Ecclesiastes 4:9,10) The Christian Shepherd - Doug Nicolet 2005
N.J. Hiebert - 8388
February 11
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