Bible Gems

October 20

" . . . the children of Israel went onward in all their journeys."
(Exodus 40:36)

Spend and be spent would we,
While lasts life's brief day;
No turning back in coward fear,
No lingering by the way.
Onward we press in haste,
Upward our journey still;
Ours is the path the Master trod,
Through good report and ill.
The way may rougher grow,
The weariness increase;
We gird our loins and hasten on,
The end, the end is peace.
(AUTHOR UNKNOWN)

N.J. Hiebert - 3863

October 21

"God is faithful" - 1 Corinthians 1:9

"God is faithful." - 1 Corinthians 10:13

This short, yet profound, phrase occurs twice in Paul's first letter to the Corinthians. The first time in chapter 1 reminds us that God was faithful in calling us. But, lest we get discouraged by the hardships of the Christian life, we are later encouraged by the fact that He remains faithful throughout all of life's trials. He has not abandoned us, nor will He allow any trial to become "too difficult." Let us thank Him today for His continued interest and faithfulness in each of our lives. (CHOICE GLEANINGS - C. MARK HOGAN)

Oh, you that are sad, take heart again!
You are not alone in your hour of pain;
The Father stoops from His throne above
to sooth and comfort us with His love.

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October 22

"And Jesus, which is called Justus . . . these only are my fellow-workers unto the kingdom of God, which have been a comfort unto me." (Colossians 4:11)

Jesus, or Justus. Paul gave him his full title - Justus the just one. That man's outstanding characteristic was that he was a just man. That is not to be despised. We should all seek to be just. If there is anything that should characterize a Christian, it is moral integrity.

- Downright honesty,
- By the grace of God to speak the truth and be men of our word,
- To be those that can be trusted,
- Those upon whom our neighbours can look as honest men,
- Men who pay their debts,
- Men who have no unfulfilled obligations.
(C.H. BROWN - WHEN HE WRITES UP THE PEOPLE)

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October 23

"We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves."
(Romans 15:1)

Pleasing our selves, directly condemned in Romans 15:1, is a common form of seeking our own. It is seen in great and little things - in our choice of work for the Lord, in our choice of residence, of companions, of dress, of occupation, and in many petty ways in which we daily indulge, instead of denying ourselves. Oh, how ashamed we feel when we just sit awhile and think of our dreadful self-pleasing in little things - always looking out for number one. So contrary are we in spirit to our beloved Lord. (PLAIN PAPERS FOR YOUNG BELIEVERS - A.T. SCHOFIELD)

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October 24

"Them that honour Me I will honour."
(1 Samuel 2:30)

Every breathing of our hearts by the Spirit of God is precious in His ear; every cup of cold water given in His name; every service rendered to His saints; every sigh over that which grieves Him; every thrill of joy for what brings glory to Him; every step trodden, or word spoken in furtherance of interests dear to His heart is written with an eternal pen and treasured in the archives of heaven; nor will He fail to requite even those who think upon His name (Malachi 3:16)

Children of sorrow we may indeed be, of whom the world has no record, and knows neither whence we come nor whither we are bound; but if our hearts be in the secret of the Lord, we are not only of the royal line, like Jabez, but, like Jabez, also of the line of faith; our requests are answered, our record is on high for eternity, heavenly resources are ours in their richest plentitude, and an opened heaven will soon receive us into its bosom. Then shall be fully displayed what only faith accepts now - the immutability of that word, "Them that honour Me I will honour." (W.R.)

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October 25

"And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart." (Deuteronomy 6:6)

Check Your Blind Spots

When I was in high school, I had a driving instructor who gave me some sound advice. "You think by looking in the rearview mirror you know what is on your left side, but your vision is limited," he said. "Always look over your shoulder before changing lanes. There may be another car in your blind spot." His wise instruction has kept me out of more potential wrecks than I care to think about.

Moses had some wise instruction for the people of Israel. They were to make the study and contemplation of God's commandments an integral part of life. Moses said, "And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up" (Deuteronomy 6:7). In short, God's words were to permeate every aspect of their lives.

The Bible is our instruction manual from God for navigating life's journey. But merely owning a copy is not enough. It must be studied, applied, and passed on to others.

Just as checking our blind spot should become an automatic response while we drive, applying God's Word should be our natural response as we encounter the hazards of life. It will help us avoid a spiritual crash. (DENNIS FISHER)

The bible will transform our lives
And turn us from our sin,
If we will read it and obey
God's principles within. (SPER)
__________________________________________________________________
The Bible will tell you what is wrong before you have done it! (MOODY)

Our Daily Bread, RBC Ministries, Copyright (2005), Grand Rapids, MI. Printed permission.

N.J. Hiebert - 3868

October 26

"For a good work we stone Thee not; but for blasphemy; and because that Thou, being a man, makest Thyself God."
(John 10:33)

So men thought. But actually, the reality was just the opposite. He was eternally God (John 1:1), yet became a Man (John 1:14).

- It was as a Man that He was born at Bethlehem,
- That He passed through youth and young manhood.
- It was as a Man that He was condemned to death on Calvary.
- And as a Man that He died for our sins and was acknowledged as righteous by the centurion (Luke 23:47).
- It is as a Man that He now mediates with the Father (1 Timothy 2:5) (GARRY W. SEALE)

Jesus is God! The glorious bands of golden angels sing,
Songs of adoring praise to Him, their Maker and their King.
He was true God in Bethlehem's crib, on Calvary's cross true God,
He who is heaven eternal reigned, in time on earth abode.
(F.W. FABER)

N.J. Hiebert - 3869

October 27

"Ye are the salt of the earth."
(Matthew 5:13)

"Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt."
(Colossians 4:6)

With Grace

I have just read a statement of a Christian writer to the effect that the salt of the earth needs to be applied - even if it smarts.

I have heard and read many developments of this same theme. The outline usually runs the same course: salt seasons, purifies and preserves. But somebody ought to remind us that salt also irritates. Real living Christianity rubs this world the wrong way. "The world hath hated them, because they are not of the world even as I am not of the world" (John 15:19). Godly living is in itself a rebuke to this age, and this world resents the light that exposes its corruption.

We are going to a lot of trouble these days developing a brand of Christianity that will not irritate this world. The only salt that will not irritate is "salt without savour," and our Lord said such salt, whether table salt or spiritual salt is "good for nothing but to be cast out and trodden under foot of men." (SELECTED)

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October 28

"And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."
(Philippians 4:7)

When you have a need, instead of worrying and fussing about it, you need to present your need to our Father right away. Stop what you are doing; get on your knees and pour your heart out to the Father. Our loving God and Father is waiting and wants to hear all about it. He will not always say yes, but He will always give us His peace. If we will but trust Him and put our cares before His heart, He will put His peace into ours.

"It is a wonderful thing to be so satisfied with the Lord Jesus' company, that we can be tranquil about everything. You will often find that it is the one of the most anxious temperament who finds most in Him, when such an one begins to know Him. I remember when I used to think that I should be happy beyond conception if I were able to say, 'I will fear no evil,' 'my heart is fixed, trusting in the Lord.' In order to reach this, you must find Him enough, without anything else. We all say that He is enough, but it is quite a different thing to know it practically. You can never prove the worth of anyone, until you are absolutely dependent on him." -J.B.S.

"Trust in the Lord with all thine heart, and lean not unto thine own understanding" (Proverbs 3:5).
(Submitted by a reader - S.L.)

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October 29

"What is in thine hand?"
(Exodus 4:2)

Let us examine honestly whether it is something which He can use for His glory or not.  If not, do not let us hesitate an instant about dropping it.  It may be something we do not like to part with; but "the Lord is able to give thee much more than this," and the first glimpse of the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus our Lord will enable us to count those things loss which were gain to us.

But if it is something which He can use, He will make us do ever so much more with it than before.  Moses little thought what the Lord was going to make him do with that rod in his hand!  The first thing he had to do with it was to cast it on the ground, and see it pass through a startling change.  After this he was commanded to take it up again, hard and terrifying as it was to do so.  But when it became again a rod in his hand, it was no longer what it was before, the simple rod of a wandering desert shepherd.  Henceforth it was "the rod of God in his hand" (Exodus 4:20), wherewith he should do signs, and by which God Himself would do marvelous things (Psalm 78:12). (OPENED TREASURES - FRANCES RIDLEY HAVERGAL)

N.J. Hiebert - 3872

October 8

"But without faith it is impossible to please Him: . . . He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him." (Hebrews 11:6)

If you want your faith to grow, there are four rules that you must adopt.

1. Be willing to have a great faith. When men say they cannot believe, ask, "Are you willing to believe?" because if the will is toward faith, the Holy Spirit will produce a great faith.

2. Use the faith you have; the child with its slender arm muscles, will not be able to wield the sledgehammer unless he begins step by step to use them. Do not, therefore, stand on the boat's edge and wait to be able to swim a mile, but throw yourself out from its side into the water and swim a yard or two; for it is in these smaller efforts that you are to be prepared for the greater and mightier exploits.

3. Be sure to put God between yourself and circumstances. Everything depends on where you put God.

4. Live a life of daily obedience to God's will.

Observe these rules and your faith will grow. (F.B. MEYER)

Faith cannot grow in the atmosphere of doubt.

Our unbelief ties the hands of His omnipotence.

"All the scholastic scaffolding falls, as a ruined edifice, before one single word - faith!" - Napoleon 1.

N.J. Hiebert - 3851

October 9

"Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings, and not one of them is forgotten before
God?"
(Luke 12:6)

As far as man is concerned, the sparrow is a worthless, useless bird. In New Testament times, two sold for a farthing (half a cent), and five for a cent, (one was thrown in for free). It is neither a singer nor beautiful to look at, yet God remembers the sparrow and even more than that, He cares for each one individually. Not one of them is forgotten before God. Did you ever see a thin sparrow? (LEONARD SHELDRAKE)

He chirps through his little life's daytime -
I'll praise for eternity,
And love, for His marvellous kindness
The God of the sparrow and me.
(L.S.)

N.J. Hiebert - 3852

October 10

"Peace . . . which passeth all understanding."
(Philippians 4:7)

One great evidence of my abiding in Christ is quietness. I have my portion elsewhere, and I go on. . . . No matter what it may be, we bring quietness of spirit into all circumstances while dwelling in God. The soul is not only happy in God for itself, but it will bring the tone of that place out with it.

Does all trouble find your heart so resting on God as your Father, that when it is multiplied, it leaves your spirit at rest, your sleep sweet, lying down sleeping, and rising as if all was peace around you, because you know God is, and disposes of all things? Is He thus between you and your troubles and troublers? And if He is, what can reach you?

The soul in communion with God will live in the spirit of peace. There is nothing more important, to meet the turmoil of the world, than getting into this spirit of peace.

Nothing keeps the soul in such peace as a settled confidence in God. Without this a person will be continually excited, in haste, and full of anxiety. If the peace of God keep your hearts, you will have the triumph of it; nothing can be heard that is distinctive from it and that does not perfectly harmonize with it. (PILGRIM PORTIONS FOR THE DAY OF REST - J.N.D.)

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October 11

"There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus."
(Romans 8:1)

I am not what I was, (Ephesians 2:12,13)
I am not what I shall be. (1 John 3:2)
I am not what I should be. (Ephesians 4:1)
I am not what I would be. (Philippians 2:12,13)
But by the grace of God, I am, what I am. (1 Corinthians 15:10)

When I trace the way He's led me
In the many years gone by,
Kept us thru the many trials,
Sent us succour from on high,
Kept us in the sore temptations,
When the tempter's voice was heard,
In my soul I hear Him whisper;
Child of God, Hold fast my word.

When I look into the future,
Think of what I yet may meet,
And of how the subtle tempter,
Spreads his snares to catch my feet.
Then my eyes will turn to Jesus
Seated on the Father's throne,
See Him there my intercessor
Pleading for His feeble one.
(SELECTED)

N.J. Hiebert - 3854

October 12

"He saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor: therefore His arm brought salvation unto Him."
(Isaiah 59:16)

"The Lord hath made bare His holy arm in the eyes of all the nations; and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God." (Isaiah 52:10)

Some seek to demonstrate their strength by rolling up their shirt-sleeves and arm wrestling another. Likewise, Isaiah metaphorically uses the arm eleven times to speak of God's delivering strength - Calvary being the greatest display. At Calvary, God's bare arm hung between heaven and earth, took the nails I deserved and brought deliverance to my soul. What strength! (WARREN HENDERSON - CHOICE GLEANINGS)

Jehovah lifted up His rod - O Christ, it fell on Thee!
Thou wast forsaken of Thy God; no distance now for me.

N.J. Hiebert - 3855

October 13

"Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ."
(Romans 1:7)

What a change from Judaism! - the free favour of God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ, and peace to all the beloved of God in Rome. Do our souls enter into this? Instead of law justly requiring perfect obedience from man, now we have perfect peace with God, on the principle of free, unmerited favour. Israel, if faithful, could only have known God as Jehovah; we know Him as Father. (Romans - CHARLES STANLEY -The Evangelist from Sheffield England - 1800)

N.J. Hiebert - 3856

October 14

"Remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how He said, It is more blessed to give than to receive."
(Acts 20:35)

It seems to me that some people must confuse a grave facial expression with spirituality. Most of us will never look handsome, but there's no reason we can't look happy. The Saviour who puts a new song in our mouths also puts a smile on our lips. The type of Christianity that thrives on stern looks, arched eyebrows, and disapproving glances is not likely to attract young people to Christ - and it isn't going to impress people at all who are at least temporarily happy in their sins.

Man would fain make God a receiver instead of a giver; but this cannot be, for "It is more blessed to give than to receive"; and assuredly God must have the more blessed place. (SELECTED)

N.J. Hiebert - 3857

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You can read these Bible gems without advertising at http://biblegems.blogspot.com

Don

October 3

"For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world . . ."
(2 Timothy 4:10)

The want of a distinct apprehension of the difference between the flesh and the Spirit, keeps people in a very low state.  They may be safe for eternity, and yet may grieve and quench the Spirit.  If you have got salvation but have worldly notions and a worldly walk, you will be incessantly grieving the Spirit, accrediting something in your walk which God wants to strip off.  God cannot accredit Demas's love of present things.  He cannot accredit anything of the flesh in Christians.  If the Spirit of Christ is in me, all that is of myself must be judged.

In a cup of water, how could you displace the water?   By putting something heavier into the cup.  If you have a heart full of lusts and vanities, how are you to give them all up?  By the precious gold of God poured into the vessel - all there will be displaced by it.  (GLEANINGS - G.V. WIGRAM) 

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October 4

"That it may bring forth more fruit."
(John 15:2)

Two years ago I set out a rosebush in the corner of my garden.  It was to bear yellow roses.  And it was to bear them profusely.  Yet, during these two years, it has not produced a blossom!

I asked the florist from whom I bought the bush why it was so barren of flowers.  I had cultivated it carefully; had watered it often; had made the soil around it as rich as possible.  And it had grown well.

"That's just why," said the florist.  "That kind of rose needs the poorest soil in the garden.  Sandy soil would be best, and never a bit of fertilizer.  Take away the rich soil and put gravelly earth in its place.  Cut the bush back severely.  Then it will bloom."

I did - and the bush blossomed forth in the most gorgeous yellow know to nature.  Then I moralized: that yellow rose is just like many lives.  Hardships develop beauty in the soul; they thrive on troubles; trials bring out all the best in them; ease and comfort and applause only leave them barren.

The finest of flowers bloom in the sandiest of deserts as well as in the hothouses.  God is the same Gardener.
(SPRINGS IN THE VALLEY)

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October 5

"We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us.  Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error."
(1 John 4:6)

All that I know of the world's path, spirit, affections, and conduct is, that it has crucified my Lord; not in its affections and lusts merely, but by wicked hands it has crucified my Master.  Suppose it were but yesterday that you had seen Pontius Pilate the governor, and the chief priests, and the elders, putting Christ to death, would you feel happy to-day in holding communion with them?  The stain of Christ's blood is as fresh in God's sight as if it had been done but yesterday; the time which has elapsed since them makes no difference in its moral guilt.  (J.N. DARBY)

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October 1

"The joy of the Lord is your strength."
(Nehemiah 8:10)

The story is told about a man who was invited to become a Christian by someone with a very unhappy countenance.  The man replied that he had enough worries of his own without becoming involved with the Christian's!  What message do we give to the world around us by our demeanor?  Do they see us as sour, ill- pleased, discontented, pessimistic, depressed sorts?  Or do we reflect the joy that should belong to those who know their sins forgiven, and their heaven secure?  Take a look in the mirror.  What do you see?  May the Lord enable us to show the joy of the Lord in our daily lives, and thereby attract others to Christ. 
(W.H. BURNETT)

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October 2

"But when he was a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him." 
(Luke 15:20)

Compassion is what makes a person feel pain when somebody else hurts.
___________________________________________________________

"But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed of God."
(James 1:25)

Freedom is not the right to do what we want - but the power to do what we ought.
___________________________________________________________

"Ointment and perfume rejoice the heart: so doth the sweetness of a man's
friend by hearty counsel."
(Proverbs 27:9)

Everything is nicer when shared with a friend.
___________________________________________________________

N.J. Hiebert - 3845 

September 27

September 28

September 29

September 30

September 23

"And when Moses was gone into the tabernacle of the congregation to speak with Him, then he heard the voice of One speaking unto him from off the mercy seat."
 (Numbers 7:89)

In prayer we speak to Him; by His Word He speaks to us; and both are necessary for the maintenance of heart communion with the Lord.  God fades out of the life of the man who ceases to use them.  He may retain a vocabulary; but to living experience of the power and presence of God he will be a stranger, and his heart and life will become a spiritual Sahara (desert).  On the other hand, "How much God has to speak into the stilled and waiting heart - precious secrets that will set the joy-chords vibrating throughout the entire being.  There is nothing selfish in the gladness which throbs at the heart of Jehovah - He longs to pour of its wealth into the hearts of His people; but it is only as they come into utmost union with His plan for their lives that this can be.  How wonderful are those moment of communion."   (HEAVEN'S CURE FOR EARTH'S CARE)

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September 24

"Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air; and so shall we ever be with the Lord." 
(1 Thessalonians 4:17)

As the whole mind of Christ, when down here, was set on showing His delight in the Father, so now in heaven it is the whole pleasure of God's mind to show out His delight in the Christ, seated at His own right hand, as the accepted sacrifice.  He wants our hearts to be filled with nothing else, and when occupied with that, no question can come in as to our perfect acceptance.

To meet the Lord in the air -- What a volume in those words!  Nothing can give cheerfulness in the thought of treading a path never trod before, but the Lord Himself being there --- meeting Him there.  (G.V.W. - THY PRECEPTS - V2 - P9 - As submitted by K.W. --- Tasmania)

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September 25

"Hatred stirreth up strifes: But love covereth all sins."
(Proverbs 10:12)

In 1 Peter 4:8, it is written, ". . . and above all things have fervent charity (love) among yourselves: for charity (love) shall cover the multitude of sins."  It is not, as some have foolishly supposed, that kindliness and benevolence, on the part of one otherwise guilty before God, will atone for his transgressions, thus covering them in the day of judgment.  Other's faults, not my own, I am called upon to cover.  Not by indifference to evil, but by faithfully, in love and grace, showing my brother his sin, and seeking to exercise his conscience in the presence of God, that confession may be made, and thus the sin be covered.  Where love is lacking, it is a common practice to play the part of a talebearer, which only tends to add to the evil; for the repeating of sin is defiling, and often leads to life-long unhappiness and misunderstandings.  (H.A. IRONSIDE - NOTES ON PROVERBS)

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September 26

"Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort (encouragement)." 
(2 Corinthians 1:3)

- Faith is never too bold to please Him.  In the days of His flesh He often  rebuked the reserves and suspicions of little faith, but never the strength and decision of faith that aimed as at everything and would no go without a blessing.

- Would that we knew our God as He is to be known, for His praise and our comfort!  Love delights to be used.  Love is wearied with ceremoniousness. . . .  The intimacy of faith is according to His grace, and ceremony is but a weariness to Him.

- The hand of God can do the business of God, though it have but a sling and a stone, or the jaw bone of a donkey, or lamps and pitchers; and the Spirit of God can do the business of God with souls, though He use but a word, or a look, or a groan.

-The simpler we are, the more like children, who learn their lesson rather than discuss it . . . the more surely shall we find Him, and reach Him, and know Him.

- It is hard to believe that God is doing your business in this world.  It is much easier to us to do Christ's work than to believe He has done ours.  (J.G. BELLETT)

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September 17

"Though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day." 
(2 Corinthians 4:16)

The old house is breaking down; with some of us the roof is thatched now with white hair, and we are reminded that day by day we shall soon move out unless Christ Himself returns.   But we are not disheartened, we are not discouraged, for "though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day."  My hope is brighter now than it ever was; my joy in Christ is greater than it has ever been; the world means less to me today than it has ever meant, and the applause of men means less.  But the approval of the Lord means more than it has ever meant.  (EXTRACT)

Heaven is commenced already for the heart that is in the joy of resurrection,
and in association with Christ.

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September 18

"Come up in the morning . . . and present thyself unto Me in the top of the mount."
(Exodus 34:2)

The morning is the time fixed for my meeting the Lord.  The very word morning is a cluster of rich  grapes.  Let us crush them, and drink the sacred wine.  In the morning!  Then God means me to be at my best in strength and hope.  I have not to climb in my weakness.  In the night I have buried yesterday's fatigue, and in the morning take a new lease of energy.  Blessed is the day whose morning is sanctified!  Successful is the day whose first victory was won in prayer!  Holy is the day whose dawn finds thee on the top of the mount!  (STREAMS IN THE DESERT)

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September 19

"Blessed us with all spiritual blessings . . . in Christ." 
(Ephesians 1:3)

It is easy to be earthly minded, caught up in those things that depress and distress.  Instead of thinking about the mundane, try a different view today.  Think of these spiritual blessings. 

- We have been redeemed by the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ (1 Peter 1:19);
- Regenerated by the Holy Spirit (Titus 3:5); and,
- Reconciled by the Father (2 Corinthians 5:19-21). 

We who were by nature rebels, reprobates, and condemned, are now cleansed, forgiven, and fit for heaven.  Truly we are a blessed people, with much to be thankful for.  Have you blessed Him for how He has blessed you?  (FRANK BURGESS)

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September 20

"For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures." (1 Corinthians 15:3)

- The plan of deliverance was divine,
- The provision of the sacrifice was divine,
- The shedding of the blood was divine,
- The sprinkling of the blood was divine,
- The record as to the result was divine:
- In short it was all divine.

It is not that we should undervalue realization, or, to speak more correctly, communion, through the Holy Spirit, with all the precious results of Christ's work for us.  But then, we are no more saved by realization, than the leper was cleansed by it.  The gospel, by which we are saved, is that "Christ died for our sins, according to the Scriptures; and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the scriptures." (1 Corinthians 15:3,4)  There is nothing about realization here.  No doubt, it is happy to realize.  It is a very happy thing for one, who was just on the point of being drowned, to realize himself in a life-boat; but, clearly, he is saved by the boat and not by his realization.

So it is with the sinner that believes on the Lord Jesus Christ.  He is saved by death and resurrection.  Is it because he realizes it?  No, but because God says it.  it is "according to the Scriptures."  Christ died and rose again; and, on that ground, God pronounces him clean.  (C.H. MACINTOSH)

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September 21

"He was despised and rejected of men." (Isaiah 53:3)

Jesus of Nazareth was hated by the world - the very people He came to save.  The lowly man of Sorrows was persecuted and treated as an outcast.  His disciples were martyred for His name's sake.  Christians throughout the ages have also been hated and persecuted by the world.  Because of our association with the rejected Christ, we live in a foreign environment.  As ambassadors of Christ we are here to minister the gospel.   We should have no part with the world who crucified our Lord.  When we sense the world's animosity and disdain, we will know that we are walking as He walked  (E. MAC-LELLAND)

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September 22

"And Simeon blessed them, and said unto Mary His mother, Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel." (Luke 2:34)

Do you know that the Gospel of Jesus Christ proves either a savour of life unto life, or of death unto death?  You sometimes hear people say:  "We will go and hear this man preach.  If it does us no good, it will do us no harm."  Don't you  believe it!  Every time one hears the Gospel and rejects it, the hardening process goes on.  The same sun that melts the ice hardens the clay.  The message that would have moved to action a few years ago makes no impression now.

There is not a true minister of the Gospel who will not say that the hardest people to reach are those who have been impressed, and whose impressions have worn away.  It is a good deal easier to commit a sin the second time than it was to commit it the first time, but it is a good deal harder to repent the second time than the first.  (D.L.MOODY)

N.J. Hiebert - 3835

September 12

"He was moved with compassion." 
(Matthew 9:36)

"The Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy."
(James 5:11)

Jesus . . . could say, "I have glorified Thee."  The more evil there was done here, the more the Father was glorified.  Never did irritation enter into Him; no contradiction ever prevented His having the same heart for man and for God.

When we study Christ's life down here, and what His heart and motives were, how shallow we are, . . . and how deep and far beyond our view the sufferings of His soul down here!

A broken heart is suited to a heart-healing God.
Whatever produces a care in us produces God's care for us.

There is much more reality in a living loving care of us than we are aware of.  The Lord takes pains to assure us of His love, to persuade us of His love.
 
 "Ye are of more value than many sparrows." 
(PILGRIM PORTION FOR THE DAY OF REST - J.N.D.)

N.J. Hiebert - 3825 

September 13

"This one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before. I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 3:13,14)

I shall never forget Dr. R.A. Torrey saying to me as a young preacher, "Young man, make up your mind on one thing and stick to it."  The Christian life should be like a sword with one point, not like a broom ending in many straws.  Such a single purpose forgets the past, reaches toward the future, and presses on.  There is no time or place for side issues, diversions to the right or to the left.  There is no place for hands on the plow with eyes looking back.  Paul was a one-track man, but you can go a long way on one track!  (VANCE HAVNER - ALL THE DAYS)  

N.J. Hiebert - 3826 

September 14

"Who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame."
(Hebrews 12:2)

For us the Lord "endured" the cross.  He deliberately and consciously persevered through the anguish of Golgotha.  For us he "despised" the shame.  He thought little of all the cruel beatings, and mockery and judgment that He would bear for our redemption.  What have we endured for Him?  What shame have we received for the name of Christ?  It is shameful how shameless we are.  The joy that motivated the Lord was the knowledge that one day we would be with Him, and this made the cross worth bearing.  What is it that will motivate us today?  (SAJU MATHEW)

N.J. Hiebert - 3827 

September 15

" . . . I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, . . . that I may win Christ." 
(Philippians 3:8)

When Mahoud, the conqueror of India, had taken the city of Gujarat, he proceeded, as was his custom, to destroy the idols.  There was one, fifteen feet high, which its priests and devotees begged him to spare.  He was deaf to their entreaties, and seizing a hammer he struck it one blow when, to his amazement, from the shattered image there rained down at his feet a shower of gems - pearls and diamonds - a treasure of fabulous value, which had been hidden within it! Had he spared the idol, he would have lost all this wealth.  Let us not spare our idols.  It is to our interest to demolish them.  If we shatter them, there will rain about our hearts the very treasures of heaven, the gifts and graces of the Holy Spirit; but if we spare our idols, we miss the riches unsearchable.

If you do not crown Him Lord of all, you do not crown Him Lord at all. 
(JOHN MAC NEIL)

N.J. Hiebert - 3828 

September 16

"And the angel of the Lord appeared unto him (Moses) in a flame of fire out of the midst of the bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed."  (Exodus 3:2)

What a sight as the Lord appeared to Moses in the midst of the burning bush!  When you feel the fire of trial and temptation, don't forget that God is in the midst of that fire.  In the heat of your trial, keep trusting, for you will not be overcome by it.  Remember God's faithfulness.  He said,  "I have surely seen the affliction . . . and I am come down to deliver them" (Exodus 3:7-8)  (JAMES COMTE)

Great is Thy faithfulness!  Great is Thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see;
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided -
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!

N.J. Hiebert - 3829

September 9

"Sirs, what must I do to be saved?  And they said, 'believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved'."
(Acts 16:31)

God does not call upon a sinner to believe in anything that Christ did, but to believe in Christ.  He knows what He did, and accepts the sinner who believes in Him according to His own knowledge of the value of Christ's work, and not according to the knowledge the sinner possesses of it; still it deepens and strengthens the believer in the knowledge of God and His grace, as the soul comprehends how the judgment of God for sin has been borne by the Son of God - how He ended in Himself that to which the judgment attached - and, rising out of the dead, is the One in whom every one believing in Him lives.  (F.G. PATTERSON)

N.J. Hiebert - 3822 

September 10

"A bruised reed shall He not break, and a smoking flax shall He not quench, till He send forth judgment unto victory."
(Matthew 12:20)

A bruised shall He not break: the poorest shepherd boy on our South Indian hills is careful to choose, for the making of his flute, a reed that is straight and fine and quite unbruised.  But our Heavenly Shepherd often takes the broken and the bruised, and of such He makes His flutes.  But life, like His book, is full of parables of tenderness; and one of these has often come into this room of late.  For he whose name means God's Peace has brought his autoharp to play to me, and has first tuned it while I expectantly waited for the music which I knew would follow the tuning. 

Is music to come from our harp?  music of prayer, of praise, of consolation?  The strings are relaxed, or perhaps too tensely stretched.  Illness can cause either condition.  But we have a Tuner. 

Tune Thou my harp;
There is not, Lord, could never be,
The skill in me.

Tune Thou my harp,
That it may play Thy melody,
Thy harmony.

Tune Thou my harp;
The Spirit, breathe Thy thought through me,
As pleases Thee.
(AMY CARMICHAEL - ROSE FROM BRIAR)

N.J. Hiebert - 3823 

September 11

"But thou, O man of God, flee these things and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness."
 (1 Timothy 6:11)   

On June 15, 1957, a brand-new car was buried in a concrete vault under the courthouse lawn in Tulsa.  In June 2007, the car was unearthed as the city celebrated Oklahoma's 100th year of statehood.  Writing in the Tulsa World, Randy Krehbiel said: "Now we know what 50 years in a hole does to a Plymouth Belvedere."  Water seeping into the vault had turned the once shiny car into a rusted monument to the past.  A hot-rod expert hired to start the engine pronounced it "hopeless."

Spiritual inactivity corrodes the soul like moisture acting on metal.  Paul urged Timothy, his young protege, to "follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness."  (1 Timothy 6:11)  This command had no expiration date attached to it.  The spiritual disciplines require continued attention throughout our lives.  If rest becomes our goal, then rust is right behind.

Oswald Chambers said:  "The intellect works with the greatest intensity when it works continuously; the more you do, the more you can do.  We must work hard to keep in trim for God.  Clean off the rust and keep bright by use."

Our capabilities may vary with age, but pursuing the righteous life to which God has called us should never end.  Don't rust out!  (DAVID MCCASLAND)

Spiritual inactivity corrodes the soul.

N.J. Hiebert - 3824

September 3

"In My Father's house are many mansions."
(John 14:2)

Spoken to His disciples . . . their earthly sun was sinking, but the stars were coming out in the sky to tell of a greater and a grander universe.  Somewhere in that great universe, in the infinite realms of space, God has a place which He calls His "Home"; a house of many mansions, to which, one by one, He welcomes His children; and to which, sooner or later, He shall conduct all who are His.

"My Father's House!  No strange and foreign land;
No wonderful new world, too coldly grand;
But Home - and a Father's outstretched, welcoming hand."

Those whose experiences in this world have made them conscious of homelessness and loneliness, can look forward to mansions of eternal abode, to couches of eternal rest, to the board of an eternal festival.  Meantime, they are strangers and pilgrims on the earth: strangers because they are from Home; pilgrims because they are going Home.  (HIS LAST WORDS - HENRY DURBANVILLE)

N.J. Hiebert - 3816 

September 4

"For what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? But if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God."
(1 Peter 2:20)

Anyone can endure reproof when he knows it is deserved.  It takes grace to enable one to accept undeserved blame without complaining; but to God it is acceptable, or well-pleasing, for this is to follow Christ's blessed example. "It is hard to be blamed for what you did not do!"  So said a troubled young Christian lately.  But in this portion of God's Word we are bidden to take our blessed, adorable Lord Himself as our example in this as in all else.
He was falsely accused and bitterly persecuted for wrongs He had never done.  As He left everything in the Father's hands, so should we.  Nature will rebel when we have to say, as He did, "They laid to My charge things that I knew not." (Psalm 35:11).  But grace will enable us to triumph and to rejoice when men speak evil of us and persecute us (Matthew 5:11).

If we endure patiently, as seeing Him who is invisible (Hebrews 11:27), we shall be vindicated in His own way and time, and reward will be sure at His judgment-seat (1 Corinthians 4:5).  (SELECTED)

N.J. Hiebert - 3817 

September 5

"As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after Thee, O God."  (Psalm 42:1)

The body craves for material things, so we buy food and clothes and houses and cars - things for the body.  But the body eventually dies.  The mind cries for intellectual things, so we build schools and buy books.  We read and study and cultivate friendships.  But toward the end the mind fails.  The spirit calls for spiritual things.  It needs God.  "As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after Thee, O God."  The spirit craves for something that material things can never supply.  It craves after God.  There is an emptiness in each human life that only God can fill.

"Seek ye FIRST the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you."  (Matthew 6:33) 
(SELECTED)

N.J. Hiebert - 3818 

September 6

The Best System

"A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger."
(Proverbs 15:1)

"Do you think it wrong for me to learn the art of self-defense?" asked a young man of an an older brother.

"Certainly not," he answered.  I learned it in youth myself, and I have found it of great value during my life."

"Indeed, sir!  Did you learn the old English system or Sullivan's system?"

"Neither.  I learned Solomon's system."

"Solomon's system?"

"Yes; you will find it laid down in Proverbs 15:1,  "A soft answer turneth away wrath."  It is the best system of self-defense of which I know."

(TCNL) 

N.J. Hiebert - 3819 

September 7

" . . . let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, 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 12:1,2)

"Lay aside," he says, "these useless and hurtful things; leave them behind."  It is easy, when we look unto Jesus; but impossible unless our thoughts and affections are centered in Christ - unless we behold Him as our Lord and Bridegroom, our strength and joy.  This is the only method of the new covenant.  We are not under the law, but under grace.  It is not by introspection, by self-discipline, by attempting first to lay aside our weight and our sin, that we gain the victory.  These things do not precede the look unto Jesus. 

- It is the light which dispels the darkness;
- It is the love of Jesus which separates us from the world;
- It is the grace of Christ that delivers us from all fear and doubt. 
(EPISTLE to the HEBREWS - ADOLPH SAPHIR)

N.J. Hiebert - 3820 

September 8

"And the serpent said unto the woman (Eve - in the garden of Eden), ye shall not surely die: for God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil." 
(Genesis 3:4,5)

Wretched man thought that God did not wish to give him something through jealousy of his happiness, but this was the lie of Satan.  God who seemed to refuse a fruit to man, innocent, has given His Son to man a sinner.  And the heart of man is so perverted that he has no confidence though God has given His Son. The effect of the death of Jesus is to inspire us with perfect confidence.  The death of Jesus puts us in relationship with God without fear and without difficulty, because it clothes us when we are naked and miserable.  This confidence give us peace and obedience, because nothing is more precious than the love of God; and this love makes us prefer obedience and its consequences in spit of all the difficulties.  (CHRISTIAN TRUTH - VOL. 15 - APRIL 1962)

N.J. Hiebert - 3821

August 28

"Christ is all and in all."  (Colossians 3:11)

True service is love in work clothes.

To gain self control, give Christ control!

Our love has limits but God's love is boundless.

Contentment is realizing that God has already given me all I need.

Attachment to Christ is the secret of detachment from the world.

Confession is the soil in which forgiveness flourishes.

(SOME THOUGHTS TO CONSIDER - R.K.)

N.J. Hiebert - 3810

August 29

"Boast not thyself of to morrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth."
(Proverbs 27:1)

D.L. Moody said one of the  greatest mistakes he ever made occurred October 8, 1871.  On that night he addressed the largest crowd he had ever spoken to in Chicago.  His message dealt with the trial of Jesus in Pilate's hall, and was based on the text, "What then shall I do with Jesus?"  He concluded his sermon by saying, "I wish you would take this text home with you and seriously consider it, and next Sunday we will speak on the cross, and we will decide what we should do with Jesus."  Speaking of this incident later, Moody called it a tragic error and "one of the greatest mistakes of my life; for I never saw that congregation again."  When the sermon was finished, he asked Mr. Sankey to sing, "Today the Saviour Calls."  Almost prophetically the third verse ran:

"Today the Saviour calls; for refuge fly;   
The storm of justice falls and death is nigh."

It was the last song sung in that hall, for even as Sankey sang, his voice was drowned out by the clanging of fire engine bells in the street.  It was the night of the great Chicago fire, in which Mr. Moody's hall was left in ashes and in which one thousand perished, some of them undoubtedly from that audience.  Moody said he learned the lesson, "When preaching Christ, press for an immediate and definite decision."  He explained, "I would rather lose my right hand than ever again give an audience a week or a day to decide for Christ."  (SELECTED)

Don't put off till tomorrow what you should do today.

"God has promised forgiveness to your repentance; but He has not promised tomorrow to your procrastination."
(AUGUSTINE) 

N.J. Hiebert - 3811

August 30

"Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies,
and the God of all comfort."
(2 Corinthians 1:3)

In one of his letters, Adolph Monod tells how he found in his hardest moments that it was enough to take firm hold on a single promise.  It sustained him in the sorest difficulties.  He loved the words Father of Compassions, as 2 Corinthians 1:3 has it in French.

When one is in great pain or trouble, or caught suddenly by fierce temptation, it is the word of strength or comfort that is set deep in the memory that takes life.  It speaks in a new tone, and becomes to us at that moment more than we could have ever believed it would be.  John 14:26 explains this: "But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, . . . He shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever, I have said unto you."

So let us fill the storehouse of our mind with the treasure of God's word.  Every day offers opportunities.  When we go to bed tonight, let us think, "What treasure did I put in my storehouse today?"   (AMY CARMICHAEL - WHISPERS OF HIS POWER)

N.J. Hiebert - 3812

August 31

"But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that He by the grace of God should taste death for every man."
(Hebrews 2:9)

But We See Jesus

I don't look back, God knows the fruitless efforts,
The wasted hours, the sinning, the regrets,
I leave them all with Him who blots the record,
And mercifully forgives, and then forgets.

I don't look forward, God sees all the future,
The road that, short or long, will lead me home,
And He will face with me its every trial,
And bear for me the burdens that may come.

But I look up - into the face of Jesus,
For there my heart can rest, my fears are stilled,
And there is joy, and love, and light for darkness,
And perfect peace, and every hope fulfilled.
(FLINT'S BEST-LOVED POEMS)

N.J. Hiebert # 3813

September 1

"The Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God."
(1 Corinthians 2:10)

"Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts:
and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting."
(Psalm 139:23,24)

If there is a corner of my heart that Christ has not searched down to the very bottom, I am undone.  Would I have a blind Christ, one whom I should not like to search out every part of my heart?  Ah! I would rather have Christ  pointing out everything, than friends praising.  I adore God that gave Him to me.  Who am I, that my Lord should so condescend to search me?  And where there is evil in me, that is just where God lets His streams flow into me.  He sees everything that hinders and chokes - would I stay His hand?  (GLEANINGS of G.V. WIGRAM)

N.J. Hiebert - 3814

September 2

"Spread the sail."  (Isaiah 33:23)

Picture a vessel lying becalmed on a glassy sea - not a breath of air stirs a sail.  But, presently, the little pennant far up on the masthead begins to stir and lift!  There is not a ripple on the water; not the slightest movement of the air on deck, but there is a current stirring  in the upper air!  At once the sails are spread to catch it!

"So in life," says Dr Miller, "there are higher and lower currents.  Too many of us use only the lower sails, and catch only the winds blowing along earthly levels.  It would be an unspeakable gain to us all were we to let our life fall under the influence of these upper currents."  (SPRINGS in the VALLEY)

Spread your sails to catch the upper currents!

N.J. Hiebert - 3815

August 24

"For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feelings of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.  Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need." 
(Hebrews 4:15,16)

When Christ had gone into heaven, the way of approach for us was made through the rent veil of His flesh, and He made His throne a throne of mercy.  If free to approach boldly, is it anything in self that gives you liberty?  No; it comes forth from Him, through the blood sprinkled there.  You could not have right to say, even, "God be merciful to me a sinner," unless you knew the blood to be there.  In no other way could you have got into a place where the light is never eclipsed, having always boldness there, in virtue of the rent veil.   (GLEANINGS FROM the TEACHING of G.V. WIGRAM)

N.J. Hiebert - 3806

August 25

"But they cried out, Away with Him, away with Him, crucify Him.  Pilate saith unto them, Shall I crucify your King?  The chief priests answered, we have no king but Caesar.  Then delivered he Him therefore unto them to be crucified."
(John 19:15,16)

Pilate, the people, and the Lord - these are the three parties actively or passively involved in the diabolical actions of these hours.  Pilate, the Roman governor, the Gentile, was at least partly aware of the seriousness of this moment; he would never have taken so much trouble to speak for the Lord and defend Him before the people if he had not been spell bound by this divine Person.  Still, he loved honour and human favour; so, as long as there was still time, his heart did not reach a decision.  To him particularly the words of the Lord apply:  "For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?" (Matthew 16:26).  Pilate had offered up the Lord and his own soul for the favour of Caesar, but after only a few short years, this favour too was gone.***    (FRITZ VON KIETZELL - BEHOLD the LAMB of GOD)

*** According to history, in the year 36 A.D., six years after the Lord's crucifixion, Pilate fell into disgrace with Caesar; his life ended in suicide or execution.

N.J Hiebert - 3807

August 26

"The last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried saying, if any man thirst, let him come unto Me and drink." (John 7:37)

"Severe water shortages affecting 400 million people today will affect 4 billion in 2050," warns a UN report issued in 2003.  This alarming statistic regarding the shortage of physical water is of deep concern.  How thankful we should be for Jesus' words about the "Water of Life."  There is an abundance of it available today for the spiritually thirsty who realize they can only be satisfied by the One who said, "Come unto me and drink."  Will you come  for a soul-satisfying drink of the everlasting Water of Life today?  (A.P. MCINTEE)

Is the wilderness before thee?
Desert land where drought abides?
Heavenly springs shall there restore thee,
Fresh from God's exhaustless tides.
(J.N. DARBY)

N.J. Hiebert - 3808

August 27

"And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and is set on fire of hell." 
(James 3:6)

This little member, the tongue, is likened to a fire which, though small in the beginning, proves devastatingly ruinous as its results spread far and wide.  A word has  tremendous power for good or ill.

All species and varieties of birds and beasts, even slimy serpents and creatures of the sea, have been tamed by patient handling and attention.  But no man can tame his own tongue.  It is an irrepressible rebel, an insubject and wicked malefactor, capable of stirring men to every kind of iniquity, and "full of deadly  poison."  We speak of a scandal-monger as having a serpent tongue, and the simile is in full accordance with the damage such an  evil speaker inflicts.  The amazing thing is that even after one has been brought to know the Lord, he still finds he has trouble with his tongue.  This is because of the fact that the believer has two natures: the old, corrupt nature inherited from the first Adam, the head of the old creation; and the new and holy nature received from the Last Adam, the head of the new creation.

Such is the power of the old nature that unless there is constant watchfulness and unceasing identification by faith with Christ in His death to sin, it will manifest itself through the tongue long after other evil propensities have been brought into subjection through the power of the cross as applied to the flesh. 
(H.A. IRONSIDE - NOTES ON JAMES)

N.J. Hiebert - 3809