Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:2
THE AUTHOR OF SALVATION
The whole of His saving work is warranted in the light of His own worthiness. His holiness and honour stand highest in heaven. The salvation Christ accomplished does not depend on human behaviour but on the beloved Saviour Himself, for "He became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey Him" (Heb. 5:9). Nor does this speak of a transient deliverance from temporal troubles and trivialities, but of deliverance from the domain of the Devil and from the dominion of sin and death forever.
Therefore, we can safely say that His will determined the purpose, His wisdom planned it, His work wrought it, and His own Word declared it finished. The perfect suitability of His precious blood for propitiation supplies a permanent basis for the peace of salvation. Charles J. Rolls
Great Captain of salvation,
Now crowned with highest glory,
Joyful we raise,
Our songs of praise,
And lowly bow before Thee;
We worship and adore Thee,
Each heart and tongue confessing,
Worthy to reign,
The Lamb once slain,
Of honour, power, and blessing. J.G. Deck
N.J.Hiebert — 9463
Yet in the church I had rather speak five words with my understanding, that by my voice I might teach others also, than ten thousand words in an unknown tongue. 1 Corinthians 14:19
FIVE WORDS
How important for all speakers to remember this! We know that tongues had their value. They were for a sign to the unbelieving. The grand end of speaking in the assembly is edification, and this end can only be reached when people understand what is said. It is impossible for a man to edify me if I cannot understand what he
says. He must speak in an intelligible language and in an audible voice, else I cannot receive any edification. This surely is plain and worthy of the serious attention of all who speak in public.
Further, we would do well to bear in mind that our only warrant for standing up to speak in the assembly is that the Lord Himself has given us something to say. If it be but "five words," let us say the five and sit down. Nothing can be more unintelligent than for a man to attempt to speak ten thousand words when God has only given him five. It is regretful that something like this should so often occur! What a mercy it would be if we could only keep within our measure! That measure may be small. It matters not; let us be simple, earnest, and real. An earnest heart is better than a clever head. A fervent spirit is better than an eloquent tongue.
Where there is a genuine, hearty desire to promote the good of souls, it will prove more effective with me and more acceptable to God than the most brilliant gifts without it. We should covet earnestly the best gifts, but we should also remember the "more excellent way," even the way of love that ever hides itself and seeks only the profit of others. It is not that we value gifts less, but we value love more.
C. H. Mackintosh
May the love of Jesus fill me, as the waters fill the sea;
Him exalting, self abasing, this is victory. K. B. Wilkinson
N.J.Hiebert - 9464
Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. Philippians 1:2
Grace means “Free, undeserved favour.” And, Thanks be to God, that is just what God has shown us; and this is the message with which this lovely Epistle begins. But let us remember it is Grace, not from pity, but from Love. I write in Hong Kong, surrounded by tens of thousands of refugees in the most desperate poverty, misery, and squalor: daily I see the children in their rags and wretchedness, and my heart is moved with pity, and I seek to do what little I can to remove their misery.
In a measure I show them Grace, for they do nothing to deserve help. But it is Grace moved by pity. But there are a few whom I dearly love, what a difference that makes! A few days ago a dear child we have known and loved for several years, showed me the soles of her shoes, without saying a word: both had great holes right through to her bare feet. I got her new shoes, and at the same time a pretty new dress, for I think she had only the shabby one she had on: I paid about ninety cents for it.
When I gave them to her, she climbed on my knee, buried her head on my shoulder, her heart too full for words: and then at last she looked up with wonder, saying: “Mr. Lee, you must have paid a great deal for it!” It was grace, but grace moved by Love, and who can say whose pleasure was greater, the Child’s or mine? Let us ponder the love behind the words “GRACE TO YOU,” and let us remember always the unfathomable cost. May our hearts respond, not with any formal thanks, but like the Child, may our hearts burst forth: “THANKS BE UNTO GOD FOR HIS UNSPEAKABLE GIFT ! ! !”
Sacrifices of Joy Being Meditations of Philippians - G. Christopher Willis
N.J.Hiebert - 9465
He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still. Psalm 107:29
We are well into the season of stormy weather; storms of rain, sleet, hail, snow, wind. Other parts of the world experience hurricanes, typhoons, dust and sand storms and more. We just hunker down and wait for it to blow over. And afterwards the sun comes out.
Then there are other kinds of “storms” in our lives; such as depression, anxiety, disappointments, health issues, accidents, fires, floods and so on. Again, we live through them and pray they’ll soon be in the past.
Many will acknowledge that God is in overall control and allows these things as tests of our faith, or to bring us to the realization that some things are beyond us to manage, however smart we may be. Some ascribe such events as “everything is against me” or “its just nature taking its course” or “fate is what life throws at you”. These are an attempt to exclude God’s role in the overall destiny of the world and
mankind.
But God…
Actually, God’s holy word, the Bible, does not allow for any interpretation of personal disaster, except that it is in the will of God. In Genesis 6:5, God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, so He unleashed a great rainstorm that drowned every sinful person, BUT GOD spared faithful Noah and his family.
Genesis 7: 23 to Genesis 8:23: and Noah only remained alive, and they that were with him in the ark.
And the waters prevailed upon the earth an hundred and fifty days. Genesis 8:1: AND GOD remembered Noah. Romans 6:23: For the wages of sin is death, BUT the gift of GOD is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Believers are under God’s care but not immune from troubles. 1 Corinthians 10:13 says: There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man, BUT GOD is faithful who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able.
These verses emphasize that, while God allows the difficulties that come into the lives of believers, whether physical or spiritual, He provides what it takes to ride out the storm, as long as we simply trust in Him and rely on His Word. The Lord has sent His Comforter, the Holy Spirit to dwell in each believer and He becomes our welcome resource in time of trouble. The Lord said in John 14:16: And I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you forever.
We can pray for the storm to end, but God is always in control and has perfect timing.
Psalm 18:30: As for God, His way is perfect. And in verse 32: God....maketh my way perfect.
Lorne Perry
N.J.Hiebert - 9466
Comfort ye, comfort ye My people, saith your God. Isaiah 40:1
THE DIVINE COMFORTER
God means to comfort His people, but in doing so He has to bring before them very definitely their true condition in His sight; and then He shows His remedy. The first part of this message may not sound very comforting, and yet God must begin that way. God wounds that He may heal; He kills that He may make alive. We never know Him in the fullness of His power to sustain and comfort until we have come to the end of our own resources.
In His gracious ministry of comfort, God always begins by showing us our need and our dependence upon His omnipotent power. In Isaiah 40, He says to the prophet,
"Comfort My people,” and then proceeds to instruct the servant as to the character of the message.
The voice said, "Cry." Isaiah asked, " What shall I cry?" The answer was, “All flesh is grass, and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field:(v. 6). This is ever the divine order. It is not until we realize our own utter nothingness and helplessness that we are in a position to avail ourselves of the comfort which the Lord waits to give.
In the New Testament we see each Person of the blessed Trinity engaged in this ministry of comfort. God the Father is called “the God of all comfort" (2 Cor. 1:3).
God the Holy Spirit is spoken of four times in our Lord's last discourse to His disciples as "the Comforter" (Jn. 14:16, 26; 15:26; 16:7). One character of our Lord's
work and ministry is "to comfort all who mourn" (Isa. 61:2). He is also called our Advocate with the Father" (1John 2:1). The word for "Advocate" is exactly the same in the Greek as that for "Comforter" in John's Gospel.
How blessed to be in fellowship with the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, so that one can enter into and enjoy the comfort God delights to give! H. A. Ironside
N.J.Hiebert - 9467
And no man could bind him, no, not with chains: because that he had been often bound with fetters and the chains, had been plucked asunder by him, and the fetters broken in pieces; neither could any man tame him. And always, night and day, he was in the mountains, and in the tombs, crying, and cutting himself with stones. Mark 5:3-5
THE GADARENE
"No man was able to bind him." Measures have been taken everywhere to "bind" the worst effects of sin on man, and there are prisons in many places to keep the worst offenders away from human society. But generally speaking, it doesn't work. As soon as people get out of prison they are still lost sinners—unless they have met the
Saviour in prison.
No one was strong enough to subdue him. Man has tried to subdue or to "cultivate" sin by education, philosophy, theology, religion, and all kinds of other efforts to make human sinfulness look less ugly. Or man has tried to change his value system so that
behaviour, attitudes, and lifestyles that were considered sinful in the past are no longer considered so, but are now accepted behaviour. All this does not change man, nor does it change God's perspective. Nor does it change the effect that sin has on man: he is still in bondage.
He was crying. Very often in Scripture crying or shouting is mentioned in connection with the activities of Satan. During the Lord's trial on earth we read, "They kept on crying out, saying, “Crucify, crucify Him!'" (Lk. 23:21). Or consider Paul's case: "Some therefore cried one thing and some another: for the assembly was confused. (Acts 19:32). Satan is the originator of noise and confusion — past and present. The Lord Jesus, as the servant of God in the Book of the prophet Isaiah, acts just the opposite: "He shall not cry, nor lift up, nor cause His voice to be heard in the street. (Isaiah 42:2).What a contrast! Michael Vogelsang
N.J.Hiebert - 9468
But ye are not in the flesh but in the Spirit.
Romans 8:9
THE BELIEVER'S UNION WITH CHRIST
The believer is not in the flesh, but in the Spirit; he is in Christ; he has died out of his old Adam standing in the death of Jesus, and has been quickened, raised up, and seated in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. He has been born of the Spirit, and is indwelt by the Spirit. He has been brought out and brought in. Hence Scripture speaks of us as "accepted in the Beloved," "complete in Him," "preserved in Christ Jesus," and "sanctified in Christ Jesus."
We are a new creation in Him who is Head of all principality and power, are always before God in Christ, in all His acceptability and nearness, and loved by the Father as He loved the Son.
This is where redemption has brought us, where divine, perfect love has set us; so “that we may have boldness in the day of judgment, because as He is, so are we in this world” (1Jn. 4:17). We have died unto sin, died with Christ, and are alive unto God in Him. Having received remission of sins, we are united to Christ by the Holy Spirit, joined to the Lord—one spirit (1Cor. 6:17). This is a man in Christ.
"We were in the flesh," (Romans 7:5) but having died with Christ, and risen with Him, we have eternal life in Him, and are united to Him by the Spirit. Oh the marvellous depths and heights of divine grace! Its depths, in embracing us when in our sins and guilt, exposed to the wrath of God; and its heights, in bringing us to God in Christ for everlasting blessing.
Those who have not received this truth may be trying to work themselves into nearness to God-and be always disappointed - instead of taking, in simple faith, the nearness and acceptance in Christ which His own grace has given us. H. H. Snell
N.J.Hiebert — 9469
Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and He shall
sustain thee. . . (Psa.55:22).
Burdens
The story is told of two young Christian men who lived many, many years ago. They were walking from their small village through the countryside, heading towards another village where they planned to earn some money helping with the fall harvesting of crops. As they walked, they came to a wide river. There was no bridge in that particular location but since the river was shallow, people who needed to
cross at that place often waded through the water. The two young men decided to do the same thing.
When they came to the river they saw an elderly woman sitting at the edge of the water. She had come from the village with a bundle of food and some other supplies. She was quite downcast because since there was no bridge, with the weight of her burdens, she was now afraid to try to wade back across the river, fearing she would lose her balance.
The first young man kindly spoke to her. "We will be glad to carry you across with your bundle, if you would like us to do that."
The old lady was very grateful. "Oh, thank you so much" she said.
"I would very much appreciate your help”. The two young men joined hands together and carefully lifted the elderly woman and her bundle between them. They slowly walked through the river, carrying her to the other side. They put her down on the opposite shore and she heartily thanked them as she continued on her journey.
After the two had walked about a mile, the second young man began to complain. "Look at my shoes and pants" he said. "They are wet and stained from carrying that woman across the river. Besides, my back is very stiff and hurts from lifting her."
The first young man just smiled and nodded.
After 4 more miles the second man began to complain again. "My back is really hurting—all because we had to carry that silly old woman across the river! I can't continue" he said as he lay down moaning.
The first man looked at him and asked; "Do you wonder why I'm not complaining? Your back hurts because you're still carrying that woman. I set her down five miles ago.” Doug Nicolet, The Christian Shepherd (December 2013)
N.J Hiebert—9470
Call unto Me and I will answer Thee, and show thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not. Jeremiah 33:3
There is an eye that never sleeps beneath the wing of night;
There is an ear that never shuts when sink the beams of light.
There is an arm that never tires when human strength gives way;
There is a love that never fails when earthly loves decay.
That eye is fixed on seraph throngs; that arm upholds the sky;
That ear is filled with angel songs; that love is throned on high.
But there’s a power which man can wield when mortal aid is vain,
That eye, that arm, that love to reach, that listening ear to gain.
That power is prayer, which soars on high, through Jesus, to the throne,
And moves the hand which moves the world to bring salvation down.
James Cowden Wallace
N.J.Hiebert - 9471
THE GOOD SHEPHERD
The Lord is my Shepherd: I shall not want. Psalm 23:1
I am the good Shepherd: the good Shepherd giveth His life for the sheep. John 10:11
I know my own Good Shepherd; He knows I am His own.
He gives me His protection; I’m never left alone.
No stranger’s voice beguiling shall lure me from His care;
No promised greener pastures tempt me to follow there.
My Shepherd goes before me to lead me in the way;
Staying in His voice-range I’ll never go astray;
But should I lose my footing, fall to a ledge below,
A cry will bring Him to me to rescue me, I know.
I am of the other “sheep” who knew Him not of old;
Yet He softly called my name and brought me to His fold.
He’s gone with love so tender, a safe place to prepare;
All His sheep and “other sheep” shall soon be gathered there!
None of His shall be left out; He’ll name them, one by one;
No skulking wolf can enter, so well the work He’s done.
His Father knows and loves us, sent His Son to be the Door;
Safely we may come and go, our Shepherd guarding o’er.
No eyes ever yet beheld such pastures green and fair
As those to which He’ll lead us when He calls us to the air!
His scattered sheep, all gathered, shall wander off no more;
Slain for His sheep, our Shepherd forever we’ll adore! Elizabeth Byland
N.J.Hiebert - 9472
"Wherefore say unto the children of Israel, I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will rid you out of their bondage, and I will redeem you with a stretched-out arm, and with great judgments.
I will take you to Me for a people, and I will be to you a God; and ye shall know that I am the Lord your God, which bringeth you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians.
And I will bring you in unto the land concerning the which I did swear to give it unto Abraham to Isaac, and to Jacob; andI will give it to you for a heritage: I am the Lord." (Exodus 6:6-8.)
All this speaks the purest, freest, richest grace. Jehovah presents Himself to the hearts of His people as the One who was to act in them, for them, and with them, for the display of His own glory. Ruined and helpless as they were, He had come down to show forth His glory, to exhibit His grace, and to furnish a sample of His power, in their full deliverance.
His glory and their salvation were inseparably connected. They were afterwards re-
minded of all this, as we read in the book of Deuteronomy. “The Lord did not set His love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; for ye were the fewest of all people: but because the Lord loved you, and because He would keep the oath which He had sworn unto your fathers, hath the Lord brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you out of the house of bondmen, from the hand of Pharaoh, king of Egypt”. Deuteronomy 7:6-8 C. H. Mackintosh - Notes On Exodus
N.J.Hiebert—9473
I grew up in Southern Manitoba. The wide open plains and large fields of grain were often referred to as the "Bread Basket" of the world. Most of the grain produced was wheat, which was sent to the mills to make flour for bread.
One afternoon as we were going about our farming duties we noticed some unusually dark clouds in the sky moving in from the west. They were moving quickly and appeared like a pot of boiling water. Everything became very quiet and calm. There was no wind, the birds stopped singing, the cows were walking towards the barn for shelter and the chickens and turkeys settled restlessly on their roosts.
Suddenly, there was a roaring as a fierce wind came up followed by severe lightening, thunder and a down pouring of heavy rain. This was quickly followed by hailstones the size of golf balls. They pounded the fields, gardens, buildings, cars and animals. I recall the fear in my mother's voice as she herded the children into the root cellar, while my father attempted to close the shutters on the windows and calm our fears. There was crying and pleading in prayer to the Lord to keep us safely.
The storm subsided as quickly as it had started and we left our safe haven in the cellar to view the damage. Windows shattered, shingles demolished, garden vegetables shredded like salad, fields of grain totally destroyed, chickens and turkeys dead from fear and exposure and water everywhere. For us youngsters our fear quickly disappeared and we enjoyed wading in the water. For our parents there was the concern for the loss and damage. Our food which would ordinarily have been laid up for the winter was gone.
In the last few months we have heard much about destruction of property and loss of crops, in many parts of the world. Fear has been expressed because of lack of food supplies. Money supplies have been greatly reduced - people are afraid. The Bible tells us that these are some of the signs of the last days before Jesus will come again to take all who believe and trust in Him to heaven. (N.J.H.)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth. ("Luke 21:22)
God is speaking to all of us. He is in full control.
“God sent His Son the Lord Jesus Christ into the world…that the world through Him might be saved”. (John 3:17)
“Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation”.
(2 Corinthians 6:2)
Hark! the voice of Jesus calling—
"Come, ye laden, come to Me;
I have rest and peace to offer,
Rest, thou labouring one, for thee.
Soon that voice will cease its calling,
Now it speaks, and speaks to thee:
Sinner, heed the gracious message; To His side for refuge flee:
Take salvation—take it now and happy be.
N.J.Hiebert - 9474
According as His divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness. 2 Peter 1:3
Only worship that is in spirit and in truth is right worship, such worship must come from the overflow of grateful hearts, as we gaze upon our Lord Jesus Christ in all His loveliness and beauty, and as we ponder His love that passeth knowledge. “Looking upon Jesus as He walked” John exclaimed, “Behold the Lamb of God!” (John 1:36)That was true worship, right worship: “it is such worshippers that the Father seeks to worship Him.” (John 4:23).
It is only as our hearts are filled with Christ, by gazing upon Him, that our hearts will overflow, and give forth Right Worship to Him and to His Father.
Paul said to the Athenians “Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, Him declare I unto you” (Acts 17:23) May it be that the wondrous grace of God reckoned this ignorant worship of an unknown God, by those who were “feeling after Him” as right worship? But He is not to us an ‘Unknown God,‘ but One whom we know well: One who is our best Friend: One to whom we owe all. As we gaze upon Him, well may our hearts rise up in true worship and adoration, until they overflow! May it be so, more and more!
O fix our earnest gaze so wholly, Lord, on Thee,
That with Thy beauty occupied, we elsewhere none may see.
Hid Treasures - G. C. Willis
N.J.Hiebert - 9475
Tremble, thou earth, at the presence of the Lord at the presence of the God of Jacob; which turned the rock into a standing water, the flint into a fountain of waters. Psalms 114:7-8
Sometimes we pray, and pray, and pray about a matter. If it’s a request, the answer just never seems to come; if its a problem, it never seems to budge. If that is so, we are still praying to One who has promised, “Ask that ye may receive.” (John 16:24) If there is a delay there is a good reason and perhaps we should try to find it. It is in the hands of the One who turns the hard rock into flowing water.
Through manifold temptation,
My soul holds on its course,
Christ’s mighty intercession
Alone is my resource Choice Supplications
N.J.Hiebert —9476
