“Watch ye therefore, and pray always,
that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these
things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.”
(Luke 21:36)
There is a great battle going on in the invisible world. The enemy will try with all his might to alienate us from God, to destroy our faith in Jesus Christ, and to make us rebellious against God.
We can shut our eyes to the danger and not see where the course
of world history will lead us.
But Jesus says, “Watch ye therefore, and pray always . . ." Luke 21:36).
(This Day is the Lord’s - Corrie Ten Boom)
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April 22
A LOOK THAT TRANSFORMS
“Behold your God! . . . Behold the Man!
(Isaiah 40:9 John 19:5)
Look away from all “other things,” look at the Crucified One, and, as you gaze, remember that He says, “Come unto Me” (Matthew 11:28).
“Is it nothing to you, all ye that pass by? behold, and see if there be any sorrow like unto My sorrow, which is done unto Me, wherewith the Lord hath afflicted Me in the day of His fierce anger.” (Lamentations 1:12).
Is it nothing to you, all ye that pass by, that both from the depth of sorrow and from the height of glory this royal invitation comes to you? For it is the call not only of Jesus the crucified, but of Jesus reigning, and Jesus coming.
“See that ye refuse not Him that speaketh,” (Hebrews 12:25), for He is coming to judge the quick and the dead. He is reigning now, and there are no neutrals in His kingdom.
All are either willing and loyal subjects, or actual rebels—those who have obeyed the King’s call, and come, and those who have “made light of it,” and not come. Which are you?
(Frances Ridley Havergal)
April 23
"He that speaketh truth showeth forth righteousness: but a false witness, deceit. There is that speaketh like the piercings of a sword: but the tongue of the wise is health. The lip of truth shall be established forever: but a lying tongue is but for a moment."
(Proverbs 12:17-19)
These verses are all occupied with the same general theme—lips of truth contrasted with a lying tongue. The latter is an abomination to Him who is Himself the Truth. The former He delights in because in accord with His own nature.
Honest speech manifests integrity of heart: falsity declares unerringly the lack of truth in the inward parts. The one who hesitates not at deliberate lying scatters pain and sorrow on every side; his venomed words piercing like a sword the hearts of sensitive and gentle souls.
To these the tongue of the wise is health and upbuilding. But the day of reckoning is coming, when the lip of truth shall be established forever, and the lying tongue go into oblivion.
It is well to remember that it is intentional deceit that is here in question. One is often pained to hear good men recklessly charge others with lying because they have uttered an untruth in the innocency of their hearts. A statement may be false as to fact, which is true as to intent; just as a statement may be true as to fact, which was uttered with the intent to deceive.
It is the deceit in the heart that causes the lips to utter a lie. None should be so charged unless the evidence makes it clear there was intention to mislead .
(Proverbs - H. A. Ironside)
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April 24
THE CROSS AND THE GRACE OF GOD
"By grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God.”
( Ephesians 2:8)
If you want to know God, if you want to know the everlasting and eternal God, this is the way,
the only way: Look at the cross. Gaze on, meditate on, survey the wondrous cross.
And then you will see something of Christ.
The first thing you will see is the grace of God. Grace is a great word in the Bible,
the grace of God. It is most simply defined in these words—it is favour
shown to people who do not deserve any favour at all.
And the message of the Gospel is that any one of us is saved and put right for
eternity solely and entirely by the grace of God, not by ourselves.
“By grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God.”
(Ephesians 2:8)
Is it not about time we all admitted it? Do what you like, you will never save yourself.
You will never save yourself from the world, the flesh, or the devil; you will never
save yourself from your own misery.
Still less will you save yourself from the law of God and judgment and hell.
You cannot do it. Men have tried it throughout the centuries.
They have all admitted failure.
Not the labours of my hands
Can fulfill Thy law’s demands;
Could my zeal no respite know,
Could my tears forever flow,
All for sin could not atone;
Thou must save, and Thou alone.
(Augustus M. Toplady)
A Thought to Ponder
Do what you like, you will never save yourself.
(Martyn Lloyd-Jones - Walking with God - Thanks B. L.)
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April 25
“For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities,
nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor
depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from
the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
(Romans 8:38,39)
What a gospel to proclaim to poor, dying men! If there is one who reads these
words who has never trusted the Saviour, won’t you come to Him today?
Years ago there was a poor old man who lived in a miserable hovel and subsisted on what he could beg. Finally he was taken to a hospital, very ill, and when the nurse moved his clothes she found a worn paper that he had put away in an inner pocket.
When she examined it she saw that it was an order on the Treasury of the United States to give
him a pension because of his faithfulness in serving as a scout
in the army during the war between the States.
The poor old man said, “Oh, don’t take that away from me! President Lincoln
gave me that, and I value it above all else.” And yet, he had never
cashed in on it! He had never availed himself of his privileges.
Are you treating God’s salvation like that?
You have the right to come to Jesus and receive eternal life and forgiveness of sins.
“Today, if you will hear His voice, harden not your hearts.”
(Hebrews 3:15)
(H. A. Ironside)
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April 26
EQUAL WEIGHTS
“Ye shall do no unrighteousness in judgment, in measure of length, in weight,
and in measure of capacity: just balances, just weights, a just ephah, and
a just hin shall ye have: I am Jehovah your God, who
brought you out of the land of Egypt.”
(Leviticus 19:35, 36)
Dishonesty and cheating are condemned as sin in Scripture.
How serious then, for the people of God to be found walking in the ways of the world—
cheating a little here or there in order to save on taxes, or to come out ahead in a business deal.
The U.S. government has a Department of Standard Weights and Measures.
This department oversees and has final say regarding all weights, balances, and measures.
Honest individuals and companies make sure their weights and measures exactly match U. S.
Government standards. A pound of meat must weigh a true pound, a yard fabric measure a true yard.
Sadly there are those who even profess to be Christians, yet think nothing of ‘fudging’ a bit on taxes, or for a little extra profit, ‘cheating’ a small amount on the weight of the products they sell. It appears that such dishonesty is pretty rampant throughout the world.
The story is told of a man who quiet a number of years ago owned a grocery store in a small U.S. town. He prided himself on being a deacon and faithful church member as well as a successful business man.
A member of the same church had been a regular customer buying and selling at his store.
Recently she had begun working with a competitor.
After a church service they both were standing in a group of friends when the grocer pompously stated; “Mary, I don’t believe you are saved. I’m greatly burdened for you and ask that all here pray for you." Mary, shocked and in tears, asked the grocer why he would say such a thing.
He haughtily replied; ”Mary if you were saved you wouldn’t cheat me when selling your butter.
For almost two months I’ve found that every pound of butter you’ve sold
me has always been two ounces short”.
With a tearful frown Mary thought a moment. Then her face brightened; “Oh, I know why.
A few weeks back I lost my pound weight so I’ve been using those
one-pound bags of sugar that I used to buy from you!”
(T.C.S. Doug Nicolet - December 2010)
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April 27
“But now, O LORD, Thou art our **Father; we are the clay, and Thou
our potter; and we are all the work of Thy hand.”
(Isaiah 64:8)
**(Relationship through creation - Scofield)
If God is working, there is no distance between the potter and the vessel;
it is in the potter’s hand fashioning it, and His
hand is very close to the clay.
It is very blessed to be a temple of the Holy Ghost, but we must take care to
remember that it is God who is moulding us and
working in us, as He did in Paul.
(Gleanings - G. V. Wigram)
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April 28
“The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto Him,
to show unto His servants things which must shortly come to
pass; and He sent and signified it by His angel unto His servant John.”
(Revelation 1:1)
How can I learn holiness, except in the presence of God:
and how can I be there, but by grace?
Our responsibility is more prominent in Revelation 1:1, than our intimacy.
So we read, “Servants”.
There is no way to be heavenly, but by intimacy with Christ who is in Heaven.
And that you gain by the Word, and prayer.
(Hunt’s Sayings)
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April 29
“And over the camels also was Obil the Ishmaelite.”
(1 Chronicles 27:30)
Have you tried to help people who are rather like camels?
You want them to go one way, and they go another. You try persuasion and they turn sulky.
It is difficult to be patient with an animal that never looks pleased.
It is very difficult to be patient with human camels.
But God knows all about you and your difficulties, and your name is not forgotten by Him.
He thought the name of a camel driver who lived three thousand year ago worth writing in His Book.
The names of thousands of great kings are buried and forgotten,
but the name of David’s camel driver is remembered to this day: Over the camels was Obil.
Obil means “driver” or “leader.”
I expect he sometimes found leading better than driving,
and so sometimes shall we. God give His Obils patience to deal with their camels.
(Whispers of His Power - Amy Carmichael)
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April 30
The Kneeling Camel
"Take My yoke upon you, and learn of Me; For I am meek and lowly in heart:
And ye shall find rest unto your souls.For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light.”
Matthew 11:29-30
The camel, at the close of day,
Kneels down upon the sandy plain
To have its burden lifted off,
And rest to gain.
My soul, thou too shouldst bend thy knees
When daylight draweth to a close,
And let thy Master lift the load
And grant repose.
Else how couldst thou tomorrow meet,
With all tomorrow's work to do,
If thou thy burden all the night
Dost carry through?
The camel kneels at break of day
To have his guide replace his load,
Then rises up anew to take
The desert road.
So thou shouldst kneel at morning's dawn
That God may give thee daily care,
Assured that He no load too great
Will make thee bear. (Anna Temple)
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May 1
“If any man be a worshipper of God . . .
Him He heareth.”
(John 9:31)
In the testimony of the man whom Jesus gave his sight to, the importance of
worship is very significant, as a bearing on our prayer life.
Worship is the atmosphere in which prayer thrives best,
and grows most heavenly and divine.
"Prayer is the gate to heaven through the atmosphere of worship.” —Selected.
"The fragrance of prayer is made of the perfume of of worship.
Golden vials full of the odour are the prayers of worshipping saints.” (Revelation 5:8)
—Anonymous.
"The best and sweetest flowers of paradise God gives to His saints
when they are upon their knees.” — Thomas Brooks.
(Streams in the Desert)
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May 2
“For what is your life? It is even as a vapour,
that appeareth for a short time, and then vanisheth away.”
(James 4:14)
The latest research establishes that the iceberg, which was struck by the Titanic had been spotted when it was 2,000 feet away, almost a minute before the impact.
The ship had held its course for around half of that time.
Had the officer in charge reacted even 15 seconds sooner, the ship may
have missed the iceberg, and the lives of 1,476 persons might well have been saved.
We know that individuals can pass away very quickly, much less than 30 seconds.
At this moment, you have an opportunity to trust the Saviour.
Don’t wait another moment.
(Arnot P. McIntee)
Life at best is very brief, like the falling of a leaf.
Like the binding of a sheaf,
Be in time.
(Author Unknown)
N.J. Hiebert - 7440
May 3
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