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
God does not open paths for us in advance of our coming. He does not promise help before help is needed. He does not remove obstacles out of our way before we reach them. Yet when we are on the edge of our need, God's hand is stretched out.
Many people forget this, and are forever worrying about difficulties which they foresee in the future. They expect that God is going to make the way plain and open before them, miles and miles ahead; whereas He has promised to do only step by step as they may need.
You must get to the waters and into their floods before you can claim the promise. Many people dread death, and lament that they have not "dying grace." Of course, they will not have dying grace when they are in good health, in the midst of life's duties, with death far in advance. Why should they have it then? Grace for duty is what they need then, living grace; then dying grace when they come to die. -- JRM
"When thou passest through the waters" deep the waves may be and cold,
But Jehovah is our refuge, and His promise is our hold;
For the Lord Himself hath said it, He, the faithful God and true:
"When thou comest to the waters thou shall not go down, BUT THROUGH."
Seas of sorrow, seas of trial, bitterest anguish, fiercest pain,
Rolling surges of temptation sweeping over heart and brain--
They shall never overflow us for we know His word is true;
All His waves and all His billows He will lead us safely through.
Threatening breakers of destruction, doubt's insidious undertow,
Shall not sink us, shall not drag us out to ocean depths of woe;
For His promise shall sustain us, Praise the Lord, whose word is true!
We shall not go down, or under, for He saith, "Thou passest THROUGH."
Annie Johnson Flint
N.J. Hiebert - 10122
Many people forget this, and are forever worrying about difficulties which they foresee in the future. They expect that God is going to make the way plain and open before them, miles and miles ahead; whereas He has promised to do only step by step as they may need.
You must get to the waters and into their floods before you can claim the promise. Many people dread death, and lament that they have not "dying grace." Of course, they will not have dying grace when they are in good health, in the midst of life's duties, with death far in advance. Why should they have it then? Grace for duty is what they need then, living grace; then dying grace when they come to die. -- JRM
"When thou passest through the waters" deep the waves may be and cold,
But Jehovah is our refuge, and His promise is our hold;
For the Lord Himself hath said it, He, the faithful God and true:
"When thou comest to the waters thou shall not go down, BUT THROUGH."
Seas of sorrow, seas of trial, bitterest anguish, fiercest pain,
Rolling surges of temptation sweeping over heart and brain--
They shall never overflow us for we know His word is true;
All His waves and all His billows He will lead us safely through.
Threatening breakers of destruction, doubt's insidious undertow,
Shall not sink us, shall not drag us out to ocean depths of woe;
For His promise shall sustain us, Praise the Lord, whose word is true!
We shall not go down, or under, for He saith, "Thou passest THROUGH."
Annie Johnson Flint
N.J. Hiebert - 10122
November 10
And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto Myself; that where I am there ye may be also. John 14:3
The word "maranatha" is an Aramaic expression that means: "the Lord cometh". Biblical scholars tell us that it was used as a greeting in the early church. When believers gathered or parted, they didn't say "hello" or "good-bye" but rather, "Maranatha!" Think if Christians today had the same upward longing in love for our blessed Saviour's return, what a glorious difference might be seen in the testimony of Christianity displayed before this poor world! O that God's people had a deepening awareness of the imminent return of the Saviour as He has promised! "He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus" (Revelation 22:20).
The story is told that while on a South Pole expedition, British explorer Sir Earnest Shackleton left a few men on Elephant Island, promising that he would return. Later, when he tried to go back, huge icebergs blocked the way. But suddenly, as if by a miracle, an avenue opened in the ice and Shackleton was able to get through. His men, ready and waiting, quickly scrambled aboard. No sooner had the ship cleared the island than the ice crashed together behind them. Contemplating their narrow escape, the explorer said to his men."It was fortunate you were all packed and ready to go!" They replied, "we never gave up hope. Whenever the sea was clear of ice, we rolled up our sleeping bags and reminded each other, "The boss may come today."
Hymn writer Horatius Bonar exhorted believers "to be ready for the last moment by being ready at every moment...so attending to every duty that, let our Lord come when He may, He finds the house in perfect order, awaiting His return. The trump may sound anytime. How important that we who are true Christians be "packed and ready to go!" Perhaps as you leave home today, don't say "good-bye" rather, say "Maranatha!" D. Nicolet - January 2013 TCS
N.J. Hiebert - 10123
The word "maranatha" is an Aramaic expression that means: "the Lord cometh". Biblical scholars tell us that it was used as a greeting in the early church. When believers gathered or parted, they didn't say "hello" or "good-bye" but rather, "Maranatha!" Think if Christians today had the same upward longing in love for our blessed Saviour's return, what a glorious difference might be seen in the testimony of Christianity displayed before this poor world! O that God's people had a deepening awareness of the imminent return of the Saviour as He has promised! "He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus" (Revelation 22:20).
The story is told that while on a South Pole expedition, British explorer Sir Earnest Shackleton left a few men on Elephant Island, promising that he would return. Later, when he tried to go back, huge icebergs blocked the way. But suddenly, as if by a miracle, an avenue opened in the ice and Shackleton was able to get through. His men, ready and waiting, quickly scrambled aboard. No sooner had the ship cleared the island than the ice crashed together behind them. Contemplating their narrow escape, the explorer said to his men."It was fortunate you were all packed and ready to go!" They replied, "we never gave up hope. Whenever the sea was clear of ice, we rolled up our sleeping bags and reminded each other, "The boss may come today."
Hymn writer Horatius Bonar exhorted believers "to be ready for the last moment by being ready at every moment...so attending to every duty that, let our Lord come when He may, He finds the house in perfect order, awaiting His return. The trump may sound anytime. How important that we who are true Christians be "packed and ready to go!" Perhaps as you leave home today, don't say "good-bye" rather, say "Maranatha!" D. Nicolet - January 2013 TCS
N.J. Hiebert - 10123
November 11
And it was the third hour, and they crucified Him. . . . And when the sixth hour was come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour. Mark 15:25,33.
It was more than human--God caused a witness of that hour that stood out from all before and after. There was darkness; the very world felt it. So here, the insensibility of men, the revilings and scoffings from chief priests down to thieves, against the Son of God, were answered on God's part by the veiling of all nature in presence of the death of Him Who created all; there was darkness over the whole land. Above, below, what a scene!
"And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? which is being interpreted, My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?" (Mark15:34) It was no exhaustion of nature. Jesus did not die because He could not live, as all others do. He had still the full energy of life. He died not only in atonement, but to take His life again. How else could He have proved the superiority of His life to death, if He had not died? Still less could He have delivered us. "We were reconciled to God by the death of His Son." (Romans 5:10)
But more than that. His living again, His raising Himself from the grave, His taking life again, proved that He had conquered death, to which He had so entirely submitted for God's glory. He was put to death. By wicked hands He was crucified and slain; yet it was also entirely voluntary. In every other person death is involuntary. So absolutely is Jesus above mere nature whether in birth or in death, or all through. Exposition on the Gospel of Mark - William Kelly.
N.J. Hiebert - 10124
It was more than human--God caused a witness of that hour that stood out from all before and after. There was darkness; the very world felt it. So here, the insensibility of men, the revilings and scoffings from chief priests down to thieves, against the Son of God, were answered on God's part by the veiling of all nature in presence of the death of Him Who created all; there was darkness over the whole land. Above, below, what a scene!
"And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? which is being interpreted, My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?" (Mark15:34) It was no exhaustion of nature. Jesus did not die because He could not live, as all others do. He had still the full energy of life. He died not only in atonement, but to take His life again. How else could He have proved the superiority of His life to death, if He had not died? Still less could He have delivered us. "We were reconciled to God by the death of His Son." (Romans 5:10)
But more than that. His living again, His raising Himself from the grave, His taking life again, proved that He had conquered death, to which He had so entirely submitted for God's glory. He was put to death. By wicked hands He was crucified and slain; yet it was also entirely voluntary. In every other person death is involuntary. So absolutely is Jesus above mere nature whether in birth or in death, or all through. Exposition on the Gospel of Mark - William Kelly.
N.J. Hiebert - 10124
November 12
"A certain woman, which had an issue of blood twelve years, and had suffered many things of many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse, when she had heard of Jesus, came in the press behind, and touched His garment . . . and she felt in her body that she was healed . . ." Mark 5:25-29.
The condition of the woman is hopeless. Surely no physician of that day and place could save her wasting life; but she had heard of the power of Jesus, and secretly watching for an opportunity, she "came in the crowd behind, and touched His garment." Her faith is imperfect; she seems to think that the power of Jesus is magical and mechanical, and that there is no need of His knowing her or of His thinking of her, that she need make no request for help or express gratitude for relief.
Her faith is imperfect, but it is sincere; and Jesus makes an immediate response to her timid touch, "and straightway...she felt in her body that she was healed of her plague." Possibly the most reassuring feature of the story is just here. Our Lord does not wait until we have a perfect knowledge of Him or His way of working; when we feel our helplessness and come to Him for healing He never withholds His help.
Jesus, however, always desires to perfect the faith of those who trust Him. His healing results ever in a fuller knowledge and in a deepening love. Thus He shows this woman that her cure is due to no mere involuntary out-flow of divine grace, and that the full blessing of faith results only when a believer openly confesses Jesus as the Saviour. He perceives the touch of her trembling fingers; He distinguishes it from the press of the jostling crowd; He recognizes it as a mute appeal for help; He gives the relief which the suppliant craves, and then, for the sake of the woman who has already perceived His divine power, now realizes His divine knowledge, and as she comes and acknowledges her trust and her cure, she learns His divine love, for she hears Him say, "Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace, and be whole of thy plague." (Mark 5:34) She found a new assurance of His saving power and that rest of soul which issues from accepting His gracious word, "Go in Peace." Mark - C. R. Erdman
N.J. Hiebert - 10125
The condition of the woman is hopeless. Surely no physician of that day and place could save her wasting life; but she had heard of the power of Jesus, and secretly watching for an opportunity, she "came in the crowd behind, and touched His garment." Her faith is imperfect; she seems to think that the power of Jesus is magical and mechanical, and that there is no need of His knowing her or of His thinking of her, that she need make no request for help or express gratitude for relief.
Her faith is imperfect, but it is sincere; and Jesus makes an immediate response to her timid touch, "and straightway...she felt in her body that she was healed of her plague." Possibly the most reassuring feature of the story is just here. Our Lord does not wait until we have a perfect knowledge of Him or His way of working; when we feel our helplessness and come to Him for healing He never withholds His help.
Jesus, however, always desires to perfect the faith of those who trust Him. His healing results ever in a fuller knowledge and in a deepening love. Thus He shows this woman that her cure is due to no mere involuntary out-flow of divine grace, and that the full blessing of faith results only when a believer openly confesses Jesus as the Saviour. He perceives the touch of her trembling fingers; He distinguishes it from the press of the jostling crowd; He recognizes it as a mute appeal for help; He gives the relief which the suppliant craves, and then, for the sake of the woman who has already perceived His divine power, now realizes His divine knowledge, and as she comes and acknowledges her trust and her cure, she learns His divine love, for she hears Him say, "Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace, and be whole of thy plague." (Mark 5:34) She found a new assurance of His saving power and that rest of soul which issues from accepting His gracious word, "Go in Peace." Mark - C. R. Erdman
N.J. Hiebert - 10125
November 13
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