Bible Gems

November 23

November 19

November 20

November 21

November 22

November 18

November 14

"Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself . . ."
(Daniel 1:8)
 
"For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain."
 (Philippians 1:21)
 
How much better to have the heart full of lively affection for Christ than to have the intellect stored with the most accurate knowledge of the letter of Scripture!  What is the melancholy characteristic of the present time?  A wide diffusion of Scriptural knowledge with little love for Christ, and little devotedness to His work; abundant readiness to quote Scripture, like the scribes and chief priests, but little purpose of heart, like the wise men, to open the treasures and present to Christ the willing offerings of a heart filled by the sense of what He is.  What we want is personal devotedness, and not the mere empty display of knowledge.  (Selected)
 
N.J. Hiebert # 3523  

November 15

How Much I Owe
(Robert Murray McCheyne - May, 1837)
 
When this passing world is done,
When has sunk yon glowing sun,
When we stand with Christ in glory,
Looking o'er life's finished story,
Then, Lord, shall I fully know -
Not till then - how much I owe.
 
Even on earth, as through a glass
Darkly, let Thy glory pass,
Make forgiveness feel so sweet,
Make Thy Spirit's help so meet.
Even on earth, Lord, make me know
Something of how much I owe.
 
N.J. Hiebert # 3524

November 16

November 17

November 12

November 13

November 10

November 11

November 5

November 6

"Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven."  (Matthew 18:3)
 
    Not long ago I loafed all morning in a small town, waiting for my "ship" to come along.  On a grassy church lawn I "unlaxed" and watched the world go by.
    There came along somewhere a dainty, light-haired, blue-eyed little child just out to pass the time away.  Together we sat through the sunny morning and became good friends in that artless playfulness that our superficial modern sport tries so vainly to recover.  Finally the little fellow must go, and as far as I could watch down the street, he turned every few seconds to wave a fresh good-by.
    That left me in the grass a little lonesome and "smitten with the plague of thought."  The Lord said, "Except ye be converted and become as a little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven," and I do not wonder that He said that.  How we do strain and pose to be impressive when the truest soul is most gently simple and childlike!  When the Lord wanted a type for His disciples He set a little child in the midst of them.  Some of us need to lay aside our weighty volumes and forsake our strenuous strivings to learn a lesson from the babies.  (Vance Havner - In Tune with Heaven - May 24, 1931)
 
N.J. Hiebert # 3515 

November 7

November 8

"Cast thy bread upon the waters: for thou shalt find it after many days." (Ecclesiastes 11:1)
 
In the Battle of Tarawa, in November 1943, Harry Starner was wounded and lost a lot of blood.  As medics transfused plasma into his veins, he saw his own name on the bag.  His life was being rescued by the very blood that he had donated before leaving the U.S.!  While the chance of that occurring was one in ten million, it is a sure and certain promise of God that: "if thou draw out thy soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul; then shall thy light rise in obscurity, and thy darkness be as the noonday"  (Isaiah 58:10).  Let's spread heaven's bread today.  (D. Logan)
 
N.J. Hiebert # 3517

November 9

"And when her days to be delivered were fulfilled, behold, there were twins in her womb. . . . And the boys grew: and Esau was a cunning hunter, a man of the field; and Jacob was a plain man, dwelling in tents."  (Genesis 25:24,27)
 
We cannot find a better example of two men with equal background and opportunity than that of Jacob and Esau, for they were not merely brothers of different ages; they were twins.  And yet one of them had faith in God, and the other did not.  While Jacob valued God's promise to the land of Canaan, his brother Esau sold his birthright - the natural title to the promised land - for one very ordinary meal.  God's comment is, "Thus Esau despised his birth right." (Genesis 25:34).  Because of this, God calls him a profane man.

Thus it is today with the people of this world; they make everything as sure as they can for this life, and ignore the life which is hereafter.  They make no provision for the future; that is, beyond the grave.  In the book of Revelation there is a class frequently mentioned as "those that dwell on the earth."  This has a moral character and denotes the attitude of having their hopes and aspirations down here.  (Selected)
 
N.J. Hiebert # 3518 

November 2 

November 3

October 30

"Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." (2 Corinthians 5:17)
 
    A certain man when asked about his family tree said: "I am ashamed of my ancestors!  My mother was a thief; my father was a receiver of stolen property; and my elder brother was a murderer!"
    When told by his shocked hearers that he did not look as though he came from that type of ancestry, he said: "My mother was EVE, my father was ADAM, and my elder brother was CAIN who killed his brother, ABEL!"
    Our old standing in Adam is nothing to boast about; but if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature - or there is a new creation.  Old things are passed away, behold, all things are become new (2 Corinthians 5:17).  We lose our old standing in Adam, and gain a new standing in Christ, where we can say:
- God is my Father;
- Christ is my Lord and Saviour;
- The Holy Spirit is my Comforter, Guide and Teacher;
- The people of God are my companions!    (Selected)
 
N.J. Hiebert # 3508 

October 31

"For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh."  (Matthew 12:34)
 
- A word from your heart speaks volumes about your heart.
- To be a disciple is to be a loyal subject of the King of kings.
- God's unseen work in our hearts produces fruit in our lives.
- God's armour is tailor made for us, but we must put it on.
- Will your life be a blessing or a blot.
- The wonder of it all - just to think that God loves me.
(Some Thoughts to Consider - R.K.)
 
N.J. Hiebert # 3509 

November 1

October 27

October 28

October 29

October 24

"We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the
twinkling of an eye, at the last trump."  (1 Corinthians 15:51,52)

"The dead in Christ shall rise first."
 
    What a stupendous scene!  All that are Christ's, including, therefore, saints of the past, as well as of the present dispensation, shall rise at His coming. (1 Corinthians 15:23)  Tracing down the line of the ages from Adam till the last saint to be gathered in, all this countless multitude will, "in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye," spring up from their graves - raised incorruptible.  And not only so, but all the saints then living will be changed, so that all alike will be clothed upon with their resurrection bodies, in fashion like unto Christ's body of glory.  (Philippians 3:21)  It is, then, when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, that the saying that is written will be brought to pass, "Death is swallowed up in victory." (1 Corinthians 15:54) (see also 2 Corinthians 5:1-4)
    But no sooner has this marvelous change been wrought, than all its subjects will be caught up "in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord."  Then the Lord Himself enters for the first time, as far as His people are concerned, upon the full fruit of His redemption-work, of the travail of His soul.
    And what tongue could tell, or pen describe, His joy when He thus redeems from the grave the very bodies of His people, and when He brings by the word of His power all His chosen ones into His presence, and all conformed to His own image!  Nor is it possible to express even our own joy, the joy on which we then shall enter, when the longing desires of our hearts are all realized, and, like Him, we shall behold His face, see Him as He is, and be with Him for ever.   (Edward Dennett - The Blessed Hope)  
 
N.J. Hiebert # 3502 

October 25

"Now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation."  (2 Corinthians 6:2)
 
    "It's unsinkable!"  That was the proud boast made by the builders of the Titanic, the magnificent ocean liner that on April 14, 1912, went down during its maiden voyage.  Most of the 2,100 passengers were sent to their deaths.
    In an article for the Danish magazine Evangelisten, Ingvald Andersen told about one of the passengers, John Harper, who was a fervent witness for Christ.  According to a survivor, on the evening of the disaster John had led a young Englishman to faith in the Saviour.
    Soon afterward, John went for a walk on the deck with his daughter and a niece.  As they were admiring the spectacular sunset, Harper said, "It is going to be beautiful in the morning."
    For him and any other Christian who died that night, the next morning was beautiful.
Theirs was sunrise on their first day in heaven.  Andersen, as he related all of this, urged his readers to be certain of their own relationship to Jesus.
    No matter how safe and serene your life may be, it can end in shipwreck at any moment.  So if you have never done so, you need to do as that young Englishman did - accept Christ as your Saviour NOW.  Then regardless of when or how you die, yours will be sunrise in heaven. (VCG)
 
When life is over and daylight is past,
In heaven's harbour my anchor is cast,
When I see Jesus my Saviour at last,
Oh, that will be sunrise for me!
(Poole)
 
Salvation deferred too long
Becomes the tragedy of too late.
 
N.J. Hiebert # 3503 

October 26

"It is appointed unto men once to die, BUT after this the judgment."
(Hebrews 9:27)
 
"God is a consuming fire."
(Deuteronomy 4:24)
 
In the panicked circumstance of a raging forest fire, the safest place to be is where the fire has already burned.  The terrified sinner, facing the fiery wrath of God's judgment of sin, has but one place to be safe - where the flames have already blazed.  On the cross of Calvary, Christ bore the terrible inferno of God's righteous judgment on sin.  Accept Him as Saviour; take refuge where the fire has been.   Come today.  (D. Logan)
 
N.J. Hiebert # 3504

October 22

"Surely I come quickly, AMEN."  (Revelation 22:21)
 
    How sweetly solemn is the addition of that "AMEN."  There is no mistake about it.  The response from the heart of the Church comes at once,
 
"Even so, come, Lord Jesus."
 
    Meanwhile, be the time short or long, circumstances easy or difficult - and surely they will be difficult - "The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.  AMEN" (verse 21) is sufficient for each fainting heart.
    Surely the coming of the Lord draws very nigh.  An earnest spirit of expectation is upon the hearts of His people.
    Events in the world, happening with bewildering rapidity, proclaim the fact that the events narrated in The Revelation from chapter 4, are soon to begin.
    How happy it is that before that time arrives Christ will come for His Church.  "A little while, and He that shall come will come and will not tarry"  (Hebrews 10:37).  How sweet and happy is our prospect.  (A.J. Pollock - Things Which Must Shortly Come to Pass - 1918)
 
"EVEN SO, COME, LORD JESUS."
 
N.J. Hiebert # 3500 

October 23

"Here am I; send me.  And He said, Go, and tell this people . . ."  (Isaiah 6:8,9)
 
    Even though the Word seemed to have no other effect than to harden them in their sins and rebellion, Isaiah was to proclaim the message faithfully.
    The servant of God is responsible to the Lord Himself.  Having received his commission, he is to go forth in the name of the One who sends him, declaring the message committed to him.  The results must be left with God.  Whether men hear or whether they forbear (Ezekiel 2:3-5), he who proclaims the Word faithfully has delivered his soul.  The Apostle Paul entered into this when he spoke of being a sweet savour of Christ unto God both in them that are saved and in them that perish (2 Corinthians 2:15).  God is honoured when His truth is preached, no matter what attitude the hearers take toward it, and that Word will not return void, but will accomplish the divine purpose.  (Isaiah 55:11)  (H.A. Ironside)
 
N.J. Hiebert # 3501

October 20

"Return to thine own house, and SHOW how great things God hath done unto thee . . ."  (Luke 8:39)
"Go home to thy friends, and TELL  them how great things the Lord hath done for thee . . ." (Mark 5:19)
 
    In traveling a few years ago," says a Christian gentleman, "I stopped at a hotel where the apartments were of the finest, and where the service was the best I had ever known.  The proprietor has a chain of hotels, and is considered the most successful man in the business.  Behind the desk of each employee, but hidden from the public view, hangs a little sign with these words: "MY REPUTATION IS IN YOUR HANDS."
    For all who name the name of Christ there is a great lesson there.  We are his representatives and witnesses; and in the Gospels, there are two words which indicate how we may discharge our responsibilities as such.  These words are found in the two accounts set out in the verses above. 
- "Go home and SHOW" - that is the testimony of the life-what we are. 
- "Go home and TELL" - that is the testimony of the lip - what we say. 
(George Henderson - In Pastures Green)
 
N.J. Hiebert # 3498

October 21

"Many therefore of His disciples, when they heard this, said, this is an hard saying; who can hear it?"  (John 6:60) 
 
    In the world of men we find nothing approaching the virtues of which Jesus spoke in the opening words of the famous Sermon on the Mount. 
- Instead of poverty of spirit we find the rankest kind of pride;
- Instead of meekness, arrogance,
- Instead of mourners we find pleasure seekers;
- Instead of hunger after righteousness we hear men saying, "I am rich and increased with goods and have need of nothing";
- Instead of mercy we find cruelty;
- Instead of purity of heart, corrupt imaginings;
- Instead of peacemakers we find men quarrelsome and resentful;
- Instead of rejoicing in mistreatment we find them fighting back with every weapon at their command!
    Into a world like this the sound of Jesus' words comes wonderful and strange, a visitation from above.  It is well that He spoke, for no one else could have done it as well; and it is good that we listen, for His words are the essence of truth.
    Jesus does not offer an opinion for He never uttered opinions.  He never guessed; He knew, and He knows!  His words are not as King Solomon's were, the sum of sound wisdom or the results of keen observation.  He spoke out of the fullness of His Godhead, and His words are very Truth itself.  He is the only one who could say "blessed" with complete authority for He is the Blessed One come from heaven above to confer blessedness upon mankind!
    Best of all, His words were supported by deeds mightier than any performed on this earth by another man.
    It is wisdom for us to listen.  (A.W. Tozer - Renewed Day By Day)
 
N.J. Hiebert # 3499 

October 18

" . . . Keep thyself pure."  (1 Timothy 5:22)
 
    Sir Joshua Reynolds used to give a coat of white paint to all the canvas he used for his pictures before commencing to work.  He said it gave luminousness and brilliance to the whole picture.  That is a little parable for you.  You are just beginning to paint a life picture.  Let Jesus in to make the groundwork of your life white and pure.
    Take the flower that hangs in the morning, impearled with dew, arrayed as no queenly woman ever was arrayed in jewels.  Once shake it, so that the beads roll off, and you may sprinkle water over it as carefully as you please, yet it can never again be made what it was when the dew fell silently upon it from heaven.
    On the frosty morning you may see the panes of glass covered with landscapes - mountains, lakes, trees, blended in a beautiful, fantastic picture.  Now lay your hand upon the glass, and by the scratch of your finger, or by the warmth of your palm, all the delicate tracery will be obliterated!  So there is in Youth a beauty and purity of character which, when once touched and defiled, can never be restored; a fringe more delicate than frost-work, and which, when torn and broken, will never be re-embroidered.  (H.W. Beecher)
 
- The crimson of the sunset;
- The azure of the ocean;
- The green of the valleys;
- The scarlet of the poppies;
- The silver of the dewdrop;
- The gold of the gorse (spiney evergreen shrub):
- These are exquisitely beautiful 
- God paints in many colours,
- But He never paints so gorgeously as when He paints in white!
(From - Mountain Trailways for Youth)
 
N.J. Hiebert # 3496

October 19

"It pleased King Darius to set over the kingdom 120 princes, which should be over the whole kingdom; and over these, three presidents of whom Daniel was first; and that the princes might give accounts unto them, and the king should have no damage.  Then this Daniel was preferred above the presidents, and princes, because an excellent spirit was in him; and the king thought to set him over the whole realm. Then the presidents and princes sought to find occasion against Daniel concerning the kingdom; but they could find none occasion or fault; forasmuch as he was faithful, neither was there any error or fault found in him."  (Daniel 6:1-4) 
 
    What a testimony!  How truly refreshing to the heart!  "No error or fault!"  Even his most bitter enemies could not put their finger upon a single blemish in his character, or a flaw in his practical career.  Truly this was a rare and admirable character - a bright witness for the God of Israel, even in the dark days of the Babylonish captivity - an unanswerable proof of the fact that no matter where we are situated, or how we are circumstanced, no matter how unfavourable our position, or how dark the day in which our lot is cast, it is our happy privilege so to carry ourselves, in all the details of daily life, as to give no occasion to the enemy to speak reproachfully.
    How sad when it is otherwise!  How humiliating when those who make a high profession are found constantly breaking down in the most common place affairs of domestic and commercial life!  There are few things which more tend to discourage the heart than that.  (C.H. Macintosh)
 
N.J. Hiebert # 3497 

October 14

"Jesus answered and said unto them (Sadducees), Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God."  (Matthew 22:29)
 
    Do you know what the Scripture says about Jesus Christ, you and eternity?
    Jesus told the "religious" of His day, "Ye do err, not knowing the Scriptures." 
    Hundreds of years before Jesus was born, the Scriptures - the prophets - spoke of His coming.  The world should have known and welcomed Him, but their ignorance and blindness concerning the teaching of Scripture led them to fail to recognize who He was.  The world was and is without excuse.  Look what the Scriptures revealed about Christ long before He came:
 
- He would be of the tribe of Judah. (Genesis 49:9,10)
- He would be born in Bethlehem. (Micah 5:2)
- He would be born of a virgin. (Isaiah 7:14)
- He would be called out of Egypt. (Hosea 11:1)
- He would come as a prophet. (Deuteronomy 18:18,19)
- His own people would reject Him. (Isaiah 53:3)
- He would make a triumphal entry into Jerusalem. (Zechariah 9:9)
- He would be sold for 30 pieces of silver. (Zechariah 11:12,13)
- He would be put to death by crucifixion. (Psalm 22)
- His hands and His feet would be pierced. (Psalm 22:16)
- Soldiers would cast lots for His clothing. (Psalm 22:18)
- He would be raised from the dead. (Psalm 16:9)
- He would ascend into heaven. (Psalm 68:18)
(TCS - January 1993)
 
N.J. Hiebert # 3492 

October 15

"Then sang Moses and the children of Israel this song unto the Lord, and spake saying, I will sing unto the Lord, for He hath triumphed gloriously."  (Exodus 15:1)
 
Only the redeemed can truly sing.  It is a new song they sing, praising God for what they now possess and never of their own doing but all of His.  His provision and protection of His people follow them, surround them and goes before them as they travel.  He expects nothing form us but praise, for our strength only tends to interfere and is puny in comparison to His.  It is the one time there is unity for all have seen the accomplishments of His power and are affected by it.  (B.R. - Meditations on Exodus)
 
N.J. Hiebert # 3493 

October 16

". . . to serve the living and true God; and to wait for His Son from heaven whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus which delivered us from the wrath to come." (1 Thessalonians 1:9,10)
 
    An amazing sight to us all during the war in the Persian Gulf was the abundance of yellow ribbons on display across the United States.  They could be seen tied to trees, telephone poles, fenceposts, road signs, porch railings and hanging on doors as a sign of love, support and welcome home to those who were serving our country.
    Events around us are pointing to the near return of the Lord Jesus for His blood-bought children.  What sort of message are we conveying to Him concerning His "homecoming"?  When He looks in our hearts (as only He can), does He see "yellow ribbons" of welcome?  Have we grown cold or indifferent to the truth of His second coming?
    One ribbon manufacturer interviewed during the conflict said that in a normal year his company would make five million yards of yellow ribbon.  This year, however, they made fifty million yards to meet the demand.  Oh that the desire to see our blessed Lord would be increased tenfold!  (Moments For You - November 1994)
 
N.J. Hiebert # 3494 

October 17

"All things are lawful unto me but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any."  (1 Corinthians 6:12)
 
If all things are lawful to the Christian, certainly all do not profit.  As Christ never did what did not profit, so neither should the Christian.  He is free, but it is only according to Christ for good, and this in love, the good of others.  But there is another guard: if all things are lawful to the Christian, he refuses to be brought under the power of anything: were it not so, it would be bondage, not liberty.  Thus to have regard for others' good must be kept up, as well the liberty itself intact.  The Christian is called to serve others, never to be the slave of a habit in anything great or small.   (W. Kelly)
 
N.J. Hiebert # 3495