Gems from March 1- 10, 2017

“Unite my heart to fear Thy name, I will praise Thee,

O Lord my God, with all my heart.” 

(Psalm 86:11-12)

It is not to the one who works most, nor to the one who reads most,

that the Lord confides His mind, but to the one who loves 

Him most (as Mary Magdalene).

It is only near Himself that the human mind is so in abeyance

that His mind is in the ascendant.

(Footprints for Pilgrims)

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“One thing have I desired . . . to behold the beauty of the Lord,

and to enquire in His temple.”

(Psalm 27:4)

- We are not to rejoice so much in the deliverances when they come as in the One who delivers us.

- The deeper the sense of the state from which we have been delivered the more absorbingly intense our affection for the Deliverer.

- Intellectual conviction is always powerless, it occupies itself with the truth, and never leads to Christ Himself.

- A heart possessed of Christ is fortified against the most seductive allurements of the world.

- The state of our souls may be discerned by the effect produced upon us by the name of Jesus.

- Christ Himself is to be our great example of faith, of a life of dependence upon God. 

If the holiest man that ever lived were to fill our vision it would only hinder and not help us.

(Edward Dennett  1831-1914)

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March 1

“Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, 

that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the 

world knoweth us not, because it knew Him not.”

(1 John 3:1)  

Shall we, can we, reserve any corner of our hearts from Him?

His love for thee: not a passive, possible love but outflowing, yes 

outpouring of the real, glowing, personal love of His mighty and tender heart.

Love, not as an attribute, a quality, a latent force but an acting, moving, reaching, touching, and grasping power. Love, not a cold, beautiful, far-off star but a sunshine that comes and enfolds us, making us warm and glad and strong and bright and fruitful.

His love!  What manner of love is it?  What should be quoted to prove or describe it?

First the whole Bible with its mysteries and marvels of redemption, then  

the whole book of Providence and the whole volume of creation.

Then add to these the unknown records of eternity past and the unknown glories of eternity to come, and then let the immeasurable quotation be sung by angels and archangel, and all the company of heaven, with all the harps of God, and still that love will be untold, still it will be 

“the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge.”

(Ephesians 3:19)

(Francis Ridley Havergal)

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March 2

“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.”

(James 1:17) 

“And I saw a new heaven and a new earth . . .”

(Revelation 21:1)

And the 'new heaven’ and the ‘new earth’ will but take up the 

same tale of various but exhaustless goodness.

We need only the happy faith which realizes it all to the soul.

“Our Father’s house! no more our souls

At fearful distance bow;

We enter in by Jesu’s blood,

With happy boldness now.

“Our Father! thought had never dreamed

That love like Thine could be—

Mysterious love which brings us thus

So very near to Thee.”

(The Son of God - J.G. Bellett)

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March 3

"Having loved His own which were in the world, He loved them unto the end!"
John 13:1 

Christian, God's love to you is always the same. 

He cannot love you more—and He will not love you less! 

Never, when afflictions multiply, when terrors frighten you or when your distresses 

abound—does God's love falter or flag. 

Let the rod fall ever so heavily upon you--the hand that moves, like the heart that prompts the stroke, 

is full of love! Judge not the Lord by feeble sense--but trust Him for His grace.

Whether He brings you down into the depths of misery, or lifts you up into the seventh 

Heaven of delight—His faithful love never varies or 

fluctuates—it is everlasting in its continuity!

“For His faithful mercy endureth forever!" Psalm 136:1 

"I have loved thee, with an everlasting love:" Jeremiah 31:3 

“It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, 

because His compassions fail not. " Lamentations 3:22 

(Charles Spurgeon)

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March 4

“They heard the voice of the LORD God . . . Adam and his wife hid themselves 

from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden. 

And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, 

Where art thou? And he said, I heard Thy voice  

in the garden, and I was afraid . . . “

(Genesis 3:8-10) 

Conscience drove Adam behind the trees of the garden;

revelation brought him forth into 

the presence of God.

The consciousness of what he was, terrified him;

the revelation of what God 

was tranquilized him.

This is truly conciliatory for a poor sin-burdened heart.

The reality of what I am is met by the reality of

what God is; and this is salvation.

There is a point where God and man must meet, whether in grace or judgment,

and that point is where both are revealed as they are.

Happy are they who reach that point in grace!

Woe be to them who will have to reach it in judgment!

(H.A. Ironside)

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March 5

Rising Early

“And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, He went out, 
and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed.”

(Mark 1:35)   

In Genesis 19.28 Abraham looked toward Sodom and Gomorrah which were very sinful cities. He had prepared himself for the day by going “early in the morning to the place where he had stood before the Lord” (Genesis19:27). Every day we are bombarded by sinful things.  

What can we do to protect ourselves?

What about following Abraham’s example? 

He spent time “before the Lord”. The benefits of spending time with the Lord, in reading the Bible and in praying, are immense. The Christian life is a battle. As soldiers we need to be protected. Dare we go into a day without any protection from the Devil, who wants to make us fail and sin?

Paul advises us to “Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against 

the wiles of the devil” (Ephesians 6.11). I shouldn’t think we can withstand 

the Devil alone.  There would only be one winner.

So, tomorrow morning when the alarm clock rings, will we hit the snooze button, or will we be like Abraham and get up early and get before the Lord! Draw near to Him, seek His face, enjoy His presence and you will be strengthened to face the day.

[Christian Living Today]

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March 6

“And Pharaoh hardened his heart at this time also, 

neither would he let the people go.”

(Exodus 8:32)

You may have heard the Gospel many times but keep hardening your heart

and still refuse to turn to Christ for salvation.

Beware my friend.

You never know when God will accept your decision 

as final and you will have had your last opportunity to be saved!

Did He not say in Noah’s day, 

“My Spirit will not always strive with man?”

(Genesis 6:3)

Come today.

Today is the day of salvation.

(2 Corinthians 6:2)

(David Croudace)

"While God’s Spirit bids you come, sinner do not longer roam,

Lest you seal your hopeless doom, Be in Time."

(Charles Harrison Mason 1866-1961)

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March 7

“. . . cease to do evil; learn to do well . . .”

(Isaiah 1:16-17)

So long as we continue in a low position, we are robbing ourselves of blessing,

and failing totally in our testimony and service.

Nor should we, when in a wrong position, stop to inquire, as we so often do,

Where can I find anything better?   

God’s order is, “Cease to do evil;” and when we have acted upon that holy precept,

we are furnished with another, namely, “Learn to do well.”

If we expect to “learn” how “to do well” before we "cease to do evil,”

we are entirely mistaken.

“Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from among the dead . . .” and what then?

“Christ shall give thee light” (Ephesians 5:14). 

If you are doing what you know to be wrong, or if you are identified in any way with 

what you know to be contrary to scripture, hearken to the word of the Lord, 

“Cease to do evil;” and, be assured, when you have yielded obedience 

to this word, you will not long be left in ignorance as to your path.

It is sheer unbelief that leads us to say, I cannot cease to doe evil, 

until I find something better. 

(Adapted)  

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March 8

“In whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, 

according to the riches of His grace; wherein He hath abounded 

toward us in all wisdom and prudence; having made known 

unto us the mystery of His will, according to His good 

pleasure which He hath purposed in Himself.”

(Ephesians 1:7-10)

Not only has God purposed us for blessing into which we shall be brought hereafter.

Not only do we really possess the redemption of our souls and the forgiveness of sins

according to the riches of His grace, but this same grace has abounded toward us in

order that we may have at the present time the knowledge of His purpose.

God has made known to us the mystery of His will so that we may know

the good pleasure that He has purposed in Himself.

(Hamilton Smith)

"That in the dispensation of the fulness of times He might gather in one all things in Christ, 

both which are in heaven and which are on earth; even in Him.” (1:10)

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March 9

“The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.”

(1 John 1:7)

It was 1946 and Hank, recently back form the war, had just hitchhiked home, eagerly looking forward to a family reunion.  But the joy of that happy time was soon overshadowed by his mom’s serious illness and hospitalization.  Two days later her kidneys began to fail.  Desperately ill, the doctor said she could’t live out the night without a blood transfusion.  But her blood type was very rare and hard to find—AB Negative. 

There were no family members whose blood properly matched, and there were no blood bank supplies available.  Living in a rather small, isolated community, there was no hope of obtaining the correct blood type in time to save their dear mother.

The grieving family began to gather around their dying loved one to say final good-byes.  Leaving the hospital, Hank went home to pick up a younger brother and bring him to the hospital.  He passed a young soldier walking along the roadside, still in uniform, who evidently was also hitchhiking home.

Lost in his private world of grief, Hank felt no inclination to stop and give the soldier a ride as he normally would have done.

But at that very moment he was struck with a strong, distinct feeling that he should pull over and offer the soldier a ride.  The feeling was so strong, that though Hank was was too overcome with tears of grief to say anything but “hello”, he stopped.

With a grateful “thanks”, the young man hopped in.  He immediately noticed Hank’s tears and asked what was wrong. Hank explained his mom’s serious condition, her rare blood type, and the hopelessness of getting the blood she needed in time to help her.

For a moment it was very quiet in the car.  Then the soldier suddenly exclaimed, “Get me to that hospital, quick!”

Hank looked at him questioningly.  Without speaking, the soldier simply held up his dog tags where Hank could clearly read his blood type information…AB Negative!       

Hank’s mother received the necessary transfusion, was restored to health, and lived almost 50 more years.  The young blood donor disappeared from the hospital.  Excited by their Mother’s already improving condition that night, no one in Hank’s family noticed that he was gone.  And to this day, Hank, nor anyone else in his family are able to remember that soldier’s name.  (The Christian Shepherd - Doug Nicolet - February 2016 )

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March 10

“That I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection,

and the fellowship of His sufferings, being

 made conformable unto His death.”

(Philippians 3:10)

No one could excel Saul of Tarsus.

He was a Jew, of pure pedigree, in orderly fellowship, 

of blameless walk, of fervid zeal and unflinching devotedness.

He was, on principle, a persecutor of the Church.

As a Jew, he could not but see that the very foundations of 

Judaism were assailed by the new economy of the Church of God.

It was utterly impossible that Judaism and Christianity 

could subsist on the same platform, or hold sway over the same mind.

One special feature of the former system was the strict separation of Jew and Gentile;

a special feature of the latter was the intimate union of of both in one body.

Judaism erected and maintained the middle wall of partition;

Christianity abolished that wall altogether.

Hence Saul, as an earnest Jew, could not but be a zealous persecutor of the Church 

of God.  It was part of his religion—of that in which "he excelled many of his 

equals in his own nation"—of that in which he was “exceedingly zealous.”

“But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ.”

(Philippians 3:7)

(C.H. Macintosh)

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March 11