Bible Gems

October 30

"How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard? When wilt thou arise out of sleep? Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep: so shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth and thy want as an armed man."
(Proverbs 6:9-11)

You've got to get up every morning with determination if you're going to go to bed with satisfaction.
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"Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ."
(Galatians 6:2)

Test your strength by lifting a burden from another's shoulder.
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"We spend our days as a tale that is told---for it is soon cut off, and we fly away."
(Psalm 90:9,10)

A minute is a little thing, but minutes make a day. So crowd in some kind deeds before it slips away.
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"The liberal soul shall be made fat: and he that watereth shall be watered also himself."
(Proverbs 11:25)

No man can be good to others without being good to himself.
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(SELECTED)

N.J. Hiebert - 3873

October 31

"For I am in a strait between two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better . . ." (Philippians 1:23)

The last for which the first was made - that was Paul's highest aspiration, to be with Christ. But do not forget that Christ is with us now. We are hampered by our limitations and not as aware of Him as we should be. There, no longer blinded by our eyes, we shall know as we are known and we shall be like Him for we shall see Him as He is. But He is with us all the days when we see through a glass as in a riddle and to know Hm better now is our chief business. Tomorrow can wait and we have only today. (ALL THE DAYS - VANCE HAVNER)

N.J. Hiebert - 3874

November 1

“What shall the end be of them
that obey not the gospel of God? “
(1 Peter 4:17)

You can choose eternal anguish,
Live the life that suits you best;
Turn your back on heavenly treasures;
Vainly seek for peace and rest;
God will never make you serve Him.
Never force you to be saved;
You can go to judgment Christ-less,
And the price forever pay!

“Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
(Matthew 22:13)

"Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved."
(Acts 16:31)

(SUBMITTED BY A READER OF THE "GEMS" - T.R.)

N.J. Hiebert - 3875

November 2

"Who is this that cometh up from the wilderness, leaning upon her beloved?"
(Song of Solomon 8:5)

Ah me, I'm never well
But when I on my Best Beloved lean,
And then I'm never ill:
Crosses and trials all are right
And pain is sweet and trouble light,
When Christ my heart doth fill.
(ANON)

God sends rain and fruitful seasons, but though they come, they never come in the same way in any one year, and I find that, as a rule, when I need anything, that it come from a quarter that I never expected, and that from the quarter where it had come before it does not now. Thus God keeps the eye on Himself and not on the donor.  The tendency is to lose dependence when we are enjoying the results of dependence. (FOOTPRINTS FOR PILGRIMS)

N.J. Hiebert - 3876

November 3

"The Lord is good unto them that wait for Him, to the soul that seeketh Him." (Lamentations 3:25)

The fact that God and His claims must be supreme - is beautifully illustrated in an incident of which I recently (1958) read. A man, addressing some children, said: "You all know the verb 'I am, thou art, he is' ; and you know that verbs in English, French, German, Italian and Latin run in this way: 'I love, thou lovest, he loves' ; or, 'I walk, thou walkest, he walks'. But how many of you know that the old Hebrew people arrange their verbs the other way round: 'He is, thou art, I am'?"

Then he said to them: "That is the way to look at life. Say to yourself, looking up to God: 'He is' ; then look at your neighbour, and say: 'You are' ; last of all, think of yourself, and say: 'I am'. First God, then your neighbour, then yourself. That is the best way to think and live." (HEAVEN'S CURE FOR EARTH'S CARE)

N.J. Hiebert - 3877

November 4

"With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace."
(Ephesians 4:2,3)

Not My Yardstick

It is a fatal mistake to suppose that the unity of the Spirit cam be kept in a legal way. It must be grace. It must be the fruit of communion with Christ, and living of His life. I cannot take my own yardstick and measure everybody else by that. I cannot lay down my interpretations of Scripture and say every man must walk by this rule. That is to make law of Scripture and put everybody on legal ground. This is the worst kind of legalism.

If our minds are formed by the Word and Spirit of God, others will feel the power . . . and they will be edified. If I am handling the Word of God in a legal way, I will only provoke the flesh, and no good will result. I cannot teach you the Word of God with a sledge hammer. The teaching must be through the operation of the Spirit. And grace characterizes this operation. So I must be gracious, patient, and loving.

Let brotherly love abound, and bitterness be put away -- edifying one another in love. (A.H. RULE AS SUBMITTED BY M.S.)

N.J. Hiebert - 3878

November 5

"If riches increase, set not your heart upon them."
(Psalm 62:10)

Once in Malaysia an aged Indian friend came to me with a smile on his face and a gift in his hand - a million ringgit note! But it was worthless, being old Japanese currency introduced during World War II and of no value when the war ended. Soon all earth's currencies will count for nothing; soon all material things will fade away. "We brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out" (1 Timothy 6:7). Where is your treasure? (W.P.W McVEY)

Out of this world I shall never take
Things of gold and silver I make;
All that I cherish and hoard away,
After I leave, on the earth must stay.

N.J. Hiebert - 3879

November 6

"Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be like-minded one toward another according to Christ Jesus."
(Romans 15:5)

He presents God in the very character in which we need Him. Our small stock of patience would soon be exhausted in seeking to meet the varied characters which cross our path, even in relationship with our brethren. There are constant claims upon our patience and forbearance; and most surely others have need of patience and forbearance with us. Where are we all to get the means of meeting all these claims? At the exhaustless treasury of "the God of patience and consolation." Our tiny springs would soon dry up if not kept in unbroken connection with that ever-flowing Fountain. The weight of a feather would be an overmatch for our patience; how much more the ten thousand things that come before us even in the Church of God! (C.H. MACINTOSH)

N.J. Hiebert - 3880

November 7

"But to do good and to communicate forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased."
(Hebrews 13:16)

A little girl was playing with some alphabet blocks, arranging them to make various words. Suddenly she exclaimed, "O mother, look! I can get two words out of this one. See, if I take GOOD, I can make it say GO and DO." The mother smiled her approval. She thought to herself, my child unknowingly has just preached a powerful sermon: A believer must translate faith into daily practice. I must go and do if I am to be a good ambassador for Jesus Christ.

We've all heard the old saying, "Talk is cheap." It reminds us as Christians that appropriate action must always accompany our words, lest they be nothing more than pious platitudes and we lose our testimony before the world. The genuineness of our salvation is seen when we live a Christ-centered, sacrificial life that reaches out in love to others. The author of Hebrews therefore strongly cautions against a mental assent to Divine truth that does not result in warmhearted giving. He wrote, ". . . to do good and to communicate forget not; for with such sacrifices God is well pleased."

Even the weakest, humblest believer can radiate a wondrous light of blessing in his daily round of activity. He does this not only by his kind words, but also by giving sympathetic attention to those who cross his pathway. He must clearly mirror to everyone the attitudes and actions of the Saviour, who "went about doing good."

Yes, to be a good Christian means we will be constantly looking for opportunities to go and do the things that please the Lord and bring joy to others. (H.G.B.)

Your theology is what you are when the talking stops and the action starts.

N.J. Hiebert - 3881

November 8

"And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose."
(Romans 8:28)

The secret of a disciple's quietness under trial, is the knowing that things do not happen by chance. If we see them in the light of God, we have rest immediately; not only rest in the future, but rest for to-day. Seeing things in the light, and under the power of the hand of God, makes all the difference as things roll in upon you. My walk may be inconsistent and unsteady, I may need deep humiliation, and have loss and very dearly bought experience, in order to be able to say that I see the Father's hand present in everything. (GLEANINGS OF G.V.WIGRAM)

N.J. Hiebert - 3882

November 9

"All things were made by Him; and without Him was not anything made that was made."
(John 1:3)

How awesome to gaze up into the night sky and view the vast universe above us. Our galaxy, the Milky Way, has an estimated 200 billion stars, and a diameter of 100 light years, meaning that if we were able to travel at 386,000 miles per second, it would take 100 years to cross our galaxy alone! We are looking at a universe with the imprint of the infinite, eternal God upon it. Yet wonder of wonders, the Creator came among us in lowly guise. He visited this insignificant planet and gave His life to save those who had dared to rebel against the God of the universe. What mercy! What grace! (W.H. BURNETT)

Thou Lord of all transcendent, Thou life creating sun
To worlds on Thee dependent, yet bruised and spit upon.
(GERHARDT)

N.J. Hiebert - 3883

November 10

"That ye may walk honestly toward them that are without, and that ye may have lack of nothing."
(1 Thessalonians 4:12)

The tone and spirit of our walk is an important point. Confidence in God, and gentleness of spirit, is that which becomes the saint. For this, we must be at home with God. The effect of thus walking in Christ, setting the Lord ever before us, is always to make us walk with reverence, lowliness, adoration, quietness, ease, and happiness. Because of the heart's joy in God, anxieties disappear, and it will move through the ten thousand things that would trouble and prove anxieties to another, without being troubled. No matter what it may be, we bring quietness of spirit into all circumstances while abiding in God. (CHRISTIAN TRUTH - VOL. 14 - FEBRUARY 1961)

N.J. Hiebert - 3884

November 11

"He that is slow to wrath is of great UNDERSTANDING."
(Proverbs 14:29)

"A man of UNDERSTANDING holdeth his peace."
(Proverbs 11:12)

"He that hath knowledge spareth his words: and a man
of UNDERSTANDING is of an excelled spirit."
(Proverbs 17:27)

"Wisdom resteth in the heart of him that hath UNDERSTANDING."
(Proverbs 14:33)

"My mouth shall speak of wisdom;
And the meditation of my heart
Shall be of understanding."
(Psalm 49:3)

N.J. Hiebert - 3885

November 12

"I can do all things through Christ Who strengtheneth me."
(Philippians 4:13)

It seems like distrust of oneself, and deep lowliness of spirit, to shrink from heavy responsibility, but all we need to inquire is, Has God imposed that responsibility? If so, He will be assuredly with me in sustaining it; and having Him with me, I can sustain anything. With Him, the weight of a mountain is nothing; without Him the weight of a feather is overwhelming. (FOOD FOR THE DESERT)

N.J. Hiebert - 3886

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.

N.J. Hiebert - 3864

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)

N.J. Hiebert - 3865

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)

N.J. Hiebert - 3866

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.)

N.J. Hiebert - 3867

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)
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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)

N.J. Hiebert - 3870

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.)

N.J. Hiebert - 3871

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.)

N.J. Hiebert - 3853

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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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) 

N.J. Hiebert - 3846

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.
___________________________________________________________

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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)

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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.)

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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)  

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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)

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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)

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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!

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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)

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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)

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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.

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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)

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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)

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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)

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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) 

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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)

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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)

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