Gems for the Week
December 19 - 25
"Tell us, we pray . . . And of what people art thou?" (Jonah 1:8)
May God help us never to be ashamed to say, "I am of the people of God. By God's grace, I am a follower of the despised and rejected One, whom this world cast out and crucified." It is an old saying, "A man is known by the company he deeps." Let it be so in our case, may our friends, our associates and our companions ever be God's people. True, there are times when we are compelled to mingle with the people of the world, but when this is so, may we be like those saints of old, of whom it is recorded, "Being let go, they went to their own company." (Acts 4:23)
If a saint of God is walking in obedience, walking with his Lord, it should not be needful to ask such questions as these - they should be apparent to all men. May the breathing of our hearts be:
"Oh, that it might be said of me,
Surely thy speech betrayeth thee,
As a friend of Christ of Galilee."
N.J. Hiebert # 2466
"And His name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace." (Isaiah 9:6)
Many modern translations omit the first comma in this sentence, relegating the word "Wonderful" to the position of a mere adjective. What a beautiful truth is lost! Truly, His Name is Wonderful, but not just a wonderful Counsellor, but a title, used elsewhere in Scripture to mean "inscrutable", "beyond understanding". Let us remember to keep this as one of His names, denoting another aspect of His character, His intrinsic Being. Truly He is Wonderful. (A. Fiebig)
Wonderful Name He bears, wonderful crown He wears,
Wonderful love of my wonderful Lord.
N.J. Hiebert # 2467
"Ye do show the Lord's death till He come." (1 Corinthians 11:26)
Of the four accounts of the Lord's Supper, only Paul mentions the showing of the Lord's death. Only on this side of the cross, do the emblems take on this full meaning. But what is so precious about remembering someone's death? It must be that I know that it should have been me on that cross, not Him. It must be that it was my sins that deserved such a penalty. It must be that He delivered me from wrath and banishment by being forsaken Himself. If I cannot remember these things, if I cannot weep tears of gratitude about them, if I cannot show them forth . . . woe is me. (Rick Morse)
N.J. Hiebert # 2468
"That on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience." (Luke 8:15)
There may seem to the world to be fruits bright and blessed; but if people do not have Christ, they tire. There will be no enduring unless Christ has possession of the soul; but if He has, there will be abiding motive, and people will go on and "bring forth fruit with patience."
They that hear, keep going steadily on, having their motive for action in the Lord. Trouble may come into the Church, disappointment may arise, but they go on just the same, because they have Christ before them. For the Word they have heard and keep, connects them with Christ; and He is more than anything else. (Christian Truth - Vol. 19, January 1966)
N.J. Hiebert # 2469
"Casting all your care upon Him; for He careth for you." (1 Peter 5:7)
WITH GOD
To talk with God no breath is lost; - Talk on!
To walk with God no strength is lost; - Walk on!
To toil with God no time is lost; - Toil on!
Little is much, if God is in it;
Man's busiest day not worth God's minute.
Much is little every where,
If God the business doth not share.
So, work with God, - then nothing's lost;
Who works with Him does well and most.
(OLD ENGLISH VERSE - SENT BY RICHARD GORGAS - NOVEMBER 16, 2004)
N.J. Hiebert # 2470
"Golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints."
(Revelation 5:8)
The Lord values our prayers more than we ourselves do! Many consider prayer to be a boring duty, difficult to carry on and of dubious value. Personal prayer life is neglected. Assembly prayer meetings are neglected or even done away with. Many will go to a concert or picnic but not to a night of prayer. They will spend two or three hours watching a movie or a sports event, but have never prayed that long. In heaven there are no movies, concerts or sports events. They aren't even mentioned! But our prayers are. God places them in golden bowls. The humble prayers of His saints are His special treasures. Are we doing all we can to help fill up those bowls? (Carl Knott)
N.J. Hiebert # 2471
"Now unto Him that is able to keep you from falling, and present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy." (Jude 24)
The Church will have her joy in Christ, but Christ will have His greater joy in the Church. The strongest pulse of gladness that is to beat for eternity will be in the bosom of the Lord over His ransomed bride. In all things He is to have the pre-eminence; and, as in all things, so in this, His joy in her will be greater than hers in Him. (J.G. Bellett)
N.J. Hiebert # 2472
