Gems from July 1- 10, 2020

June 30

"Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost?" 
(1 Corinthians 6:19)

Slavery to habits that destroy body and mind has been the Waterloo of many a promising athlete.  What a pathetic sight is that of a young person, capable of doing really big things, but handicapped by intemperate living, and lacking in self control!  It is only a question of time until he becomes a castaway upon the scrap heap of human wreckage.  No fight is so severe as the fight with self.  No victory is so great as the conquering of self .

To be able to say "yes" or "no" at the right time is an indication of a God-controlled life.  Such a life is obtainable through the Lord Jesus Christ. "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me"  (Philippians 4:13).

There is a deep experience for every soul, where sin is seen in all its horrid ugliness, where the Blood of Calvary's Lamb is appropriated with all its cleansing and transforming power, and where the living Christ is allowed to take full charge, where the "old man" with all his evil propensities is relegated to the place where he belongs - the cross of crucifixion - and "a new creation" in which all the old things are passed away and all things become new is manifested.  Make it yours today!  Mountain Trailways for Youth 

Soldier, soldier, fighting in the world's great strife, On thyself relying, battling for thy life;
Trust thyself no longer, Trust to Christ - He's stronger;
I can all things, all things do Through Christ, which strengtheneth me.

In your daily duty, standing up for right, Are you sometimes weary - heart not always light?  Doubt your Saviour never, This your motto ever:
I can all things, all things do Through Christ, which strengtheneth me. 
R. Hudson Pope

N.J. Hiebert - 8163 

July 1

For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.  Romans 8:18

If God should never again send any trials intended to point us and others to Him, would all our sufferings cease?  No.  Left to ourselves, with our sinful natures unchecked, greater harm would result.

But as it is, He gives us only that which works for good and which will bring us closer to Him.  And there is something else: if we know Him as our Lord and Saviour, we will, at His time, go to heaven, where we will never suffer again.
Corrie Ten Boom - This Day is the Lord's

Whatever foes or fears betide,
In Thy blest presence let us hide;
And while we rest our souls on Thee,
Thou shalt our sanctuary be.

Through time, with all its changing scenes,
And all the grief that intervenes,
Let this support each fainting heart,
That Thou our sanctuary art.
C. Medley

N.J. Hiebert - 8164

July 2

All have sinned and come short of the glory of God.  Romans 3:23

Adam sinned and left God, because he thought more of what Satan offered him; he thought the devil a better friend to him than God: but he has since found out to his cost that the devil was a liar; that he never had the power of giving him what he promised and that by catching at the devil's bait; he has received his hook, and that "the wages of sin is death."  Romans 6:23.

On the cross hung the One spotless, blessed Man, yet forsaken of God.  What a fact before the world!  No wonder the sun was darkened - the central and splendid witness to God's glory in nature, when the Faithful and True Witness cried to His God and was not heard.

Forsaken of God!  What does this mean?  What part have I in the cross?  One single part - my sins.  It baffles thought, that most solemn lonely hour which stands aloof from all before or after.

Christ died rather than allow sin to subsist before God.

Directly grace acts in the heart, it gives the consciousness of sin; but, at the same time, the love of Christ reaches the conscience, deepening the consciousness of sin; but if this is deep, it is because the consciousness of the love of Christ is also deep.

Father! Thy sovereign love has sought
Captives to sin, gone far from Thee:
The work that Thine Own Son hath wrought,
Has brought us back - in peace and free!
Pilgrim Portions for the Day of Rest - JND

N.J. Hiebert - 8165 

July 3

The lips of the wise disperse knowledge: but the heart of the foolish doeth not so.  Proverbs 15:7

Do let us look the matter straight in the face. Either we have committed our lips to the Lord, or we have not.  This question must be settled first.  If not, oh, do not let another hour pass!  Take them to Jesus, and ask Him to take them.

But when you have committed them to Him, it comes to this - is He able or is He not able to keep that which you have committed to Him?  If He is not able, of course you may as  well give up at once, for your own experience has abundantly proved that you are not able, so there is no help for you. But if He is able - nay, thank God there is no "if" on this side! - say, rather, as He is able, where was this inevitable necessity of perpetual failure?

You have been fancying yourself virtually doomed and fated to it, and therefore you have gone on in it, while all the time His arm was not shortened that it could not save, but you had been limiting the Holy One of Israel.

Honestly, now, have you trusted Him to keep your lips this day?  Trust necessarily implies expectation that what we have entrusted will be kept.  If you have not expected Him to keep you, you have not trusted.  You may have tried and tried very hard, but you have not trusted, and therefore you have not been kept, and your lips have been the snare of your soul.

Keep my lips, that they may be
Filled with messages from Thee.
Frances Ridley Havergal

N.J. Hiebert - 8166  

July 4

And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by Him.  Colossians 3:17

"And everything, whatever ye may do in word or in deed" - ever strike you?  We do not usually consider words as works.  But God's Word sometimes does.

How much we can do with words! We can do evil or good.  To learn to do good we have to be in much close fellowship with the Lord Jesus.

"The Lord God hath given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary: He waketh morning by morning, He wakeneth mine ear to hear as the learned."  Isaiah 50:4

I am afraid that many of us wish for the tongue of the instructed so that we can show forth how much we know and how intelligent we are.  But the Lord Jesus did not have the tongue of the instructed for this reason.
H. L. Heijkoop

Tell the sweet story of Christ and His love,
Tell of His power to forgive;
Others will trust Him if only you prove
True, every moment you live.

Make me a blessing, out of my life may Jesus shine;
Make me a blessing, O Saviour, I pray,
Make me a blessing to someone today.
Ira B. Wilson

N.J. Hiebert - 8167 

July 5

And a certain ruler asked Him, saying, Good  Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life.  Luke 18:18

How easily Jesus might have declared to the rich young ruler, who came running to Him, asking, "Good Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?" that, there was nothing to do, "only believe and live."  Had he done so, it would have been actually true.

But Jesus did not say that.  Instead He undertook to probe the conscience of the young man by using the stern precepts of the Law, and He put a test upon him that only real faith would have led him to meet.  "Yet lackest  thou one thing."   (Luke 18:22).  What was that?  The young man had never realized his need of a Saviour.  Self-satisfied and self-contained, he honestly prided himself on his goodness.

The test, "sell that thou hast, and give to the poor"  Matthew 19:21, was not putting salvation on the ground of human merit; it was intended to reveal to the young man the hidden evil of his heart and to show him his need of mercy.
(H. A. Ironside - Unless your Repent

Working will not save me; purest deeds that I can do,
Holiest thoughts and feelings too, cannot form my soul anew;
Working will not save me.

Faith in Christ will save me; trust in Him, the risen One,
Trust the work that He has done; to His arms I now may run;
Faith in Christ will save me.

Refrain: 
Jesus bled and died for me;  Jesus suffered on the tree:
Jesus waits to make me free;  He alone can save me! (Robert Lowry)    

N.J. Hiebert - 8168

July 6

"Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself." Daniel 1:8  Then said the presidents and princes . . . We shall not find any occasion against this Daniel, except we find it against him concerning the law of his God. Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed . . .  he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime. (6:4,5,10) 

WH0 AM I?
I am your constant companion.
I am your greatest helper or heaviest burden.
I will push you onward or drag you down to failure.
I am completely at your command.
Half the things you do you might just as well turn over to me, and I will be able to do them quickly, correctly.
I am easily managed - you must merely be firm with me.  Show me exactly how you want something done, and after a few lessons I will do it automatically.
I am the servant of all great people; and alas, of all failures as well.  Those who are failures, I have made failures.
I am not a machine, though I work with all the precision of a machine plus the intelligence of a human being.
You may run me for a prophet or turn me for ruin - it makes no difference to me.
Take me, train me, be firm with me, and I will place the world at your feet.
Be easy with me and I will destroy you.
Who am I?

I AM A HABIT
Advice from a grandfather to his grandson.

Standing by a purpose true, heeding God's command.
Dare to be a Daniel, Dare to stand alone,
Dare to have a purpose firm!  Dare to make it known.   (P. P. Bliss - 1873)

N.J. Hiebert - 8169 

July 7

Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.  
Psalm 1:1 

Psalm one portrays two men - the righteous and the ungodly.
Two ways - the narrow that leads to life and the broad to death.
Two destinies - heaven and hell.

As we look for ways to make a practical application of this verse we see examples given in Scripture.

Enoch walked with God,
Elijah stood before the Lord,
David sat before the Lord.

"Choose you this day whom ye will serve."  Joshua 24:15!  E. MacLelland 

Who is on the Lord's side?  Who will serve the King?
Who will be His helpers,  Other lives to bring?
Who will leave the world's side?  Who will face the foe?
Who is on the Lord's side?  Who for Him will go.

Jesus, Thou hast bought us, not with gold or gem,
But with Thine own life blood, for Thy diadem;
With Thy blessing filling all who come to Thee,
Thou hast made us willing, Thou hast made us free.

CHORUS
By thy grand redemption,  by Thy grace Divine,
We are on the Lord's side; Saviour, we are Thine! 
Frances Ridley Havergal

N.J. Hiebert  8170

July 8

The Mirror

For the invisible things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse.  Romans 1:20

The Sunbeam shimmering o'er the sea,
The Lily blooming on the lea,
Tell of His light and purity.

The Lamb, the Lion and the Roe,
The Stream, the Cloud, the shining Bow,
His manifold perfections show.

The soaring Eagle's sweep above,
The gentle cooing of the Dove,
Proclaim His might and croon His love.

The bruised Grape, the Corn of Wheat,
The mystic parable repeat
His blood and flesh my drink and meat.

The Lightning's blaze, out-flashing far,
The beam serene of Morning Star,
The prophets of His advent are.

Look where thou wilt, thine eye may trace
In lovely tint and form of grace,
Some mirrored feature of His face.
James M. S. Tait

N.J. Hiebert - 8171

July 9

TRUST AND OBEY

And Samuel said, Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord?  Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice and to hearken than the fat of rams.  1 Samuel 15:22

Life can often be a restless, disrupted existence until we give ourselves whole heartedly to something beyond ourselves and follow and obey it supremely.  Such implicit trust in God's great love and wisdom with a sincere desire to follow His leading should be every Christian's goal.  Our willingness to trust and obey is always the first step towards God's blessing in our lives.

Salvation is God's responsibility.  Our responsibility is to trust in that salvation and then to obey its truths. "Trust and obey" presents a balanced view of a believer's trust in Christ's redemptive work, and it speaks of the resulting desire to obey Him and do His will in our daily lives.  Then, and only then, do we experience real peace and joy.  Kenneth Osbeck

When we walk with the Lord in the light of HIs Word,
What a glory He sheds on our way!
While we do His sweet will, How our hearts He can fill
With His love as we trust and obey.

Not a shadow can rise, not a cloud in the skies,
But His smile quickly drives it a way;
Not a doubt nor a fear, not a sigh nor a tear,
Can abide while we trust and obey.  

But we never can prove the delights of His love,
When in paths of self-pleasing we stray;
For the favour He shows, and the joy He bestows,
Are for those who will trust and obey  (John  H. Samis)

N.J. Hiebert - 8172

July 10

Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to Thy Word.   Psalm 119:9

How can youth keep its way shining through a dark world?
How can you reach the goal - Christ?

During the migration season on cloudy nights, many birds strike William Penn's statue in Philadelphia and fall dead on the ground.  The keeper declares it is usually the young birds that fly too low that perish.  Parents, pastors, teachers, teach your young to fly high!  By example and by precept teach them to scale the heights, to breathe the rarified air of God's atmosphere, for their soul's well-being.

How can youth keep its way shinning through a dark world?  How can you reach the goal - Christ?

By taking heed thereto, by stepping carefully and guiding your life by what your soul is learning of God in the text of Holy Scripture, and by keeping company with Christ as your best Friend - never ceasing until you are on such terms with Him that you talk to Him more intimately than to wife or child, lover or friend, and He talks with you.

That does not only mean you have a Bible in your pocket - thank God if you have - but it means that you have Christ in your heart.
Harold St. John - Portrait by His Daughter

N.J. Hiebert - 8173 

July 11

His praise shall continually be in my mouth.   Psalm 34:1

"I heard a joyous strain -
A lark on a leafless bough
Sat singing in the rain."

I heard him singing early in the morning.  It was hardly light!  I could not understand that song; it was fairly a lilt of joy.  It had been a portentous night for me, full of dreams that did disturb me .  Old things that I had hoped to forget, and new things that I had prayed could never come, trooped through my dreams like grinning little bare-faced imps.

Certainly I was in no humour to sing.  What could possess that fellow out yonder to be telling the whole township how joyous he was?  He was perched on the rail fence by the spring run.  He was drenched.  It had rained in the night and evidently he had been poorly housed.  I pitied him.

What comfort could he have had through the night bathed in the storm?  He never thought of comfort.  His song was not bought by any such duplicity.  It was in his heart.  Then I shook myself: The shame that a lark has finer poise than a man!  G. A. Leichliter

"Nothing can break you as long as you sing." 

There is music in my soul today, a carol to my King;
And Jesus, listening, can hear the songs I cannot sing.

REFRAIN:
Oh, there's sunshine, blessed sunshine, when the peaceful, happy moments roll:
When Jesus shows His smiling face, there is sunshine in my soul.
E. E. Hewitt

N.J. Hiebert - 8174

July 12

Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward.   Genesis 15:1

CAN YOU COUNT THE STARS?

God brought Abram out  and said to him.  "Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and He said unto him, So shall thy seed be."  Abram believed God; he did not ask: "How can it be? I am 85 years old and my wife is 75.  How can we have a son?"  Abram just simply believed God, so God counted it to him for righteousness.

How plain it is!  How easy it is!  Abram was not a righteous man himself.  Abram was a sinner like you and me.  But just because he believed God's word, God counted him righteous.  As if God said, "Abram, you are a sinner, but because you believe Me, I count you a righteous man."

God had not told him to act as a righteous man, nor to do something, or keep the commandments and the law, or to be a good man.  He just simply and plainly said that Abraham BELIEVED GOD, AND GOD COUNTED IT TO HIM FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS. (Romans 4:3).  God counts sinners righteous when they believe God's word, not because of works they may do.

"But to him that worketh not, but believeth on Him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness." (Romans 4:5)

Do you want God to justify you or not?  Do believe God.  The Lord Jesus died for our sins and was raised again to justify us.  Only believe, accept this work for yourself, and you will be justified by God.

"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."   (Romans 10:9)    Genesis  - G. C. Willis

N.J. Hiebert - 8175

July 13