Gems from January 11-15, 2005
January 11
"Be ye also enlarged." (2 Corinthians 6:13)
Oh to have Christ so before the eye as to be able to judge everything in His light! Do not think it is great learning; no, there may be the lust of the mind as well as the lust of the flesh; but if in communion with God, it discerns all things. (J.N. Darby)
N.J. Hiebert # 2126
January 12
"And the disciples were called Christians." (Acts 11:26)
What is a Christian? The disciples were divinely called Christians - those who received the Word of God in their hearts; they received the gospel and therefore were born again through the power of the risen Christ in heaven. They were Christians because they belonged to Christ.
A Christian is Christ's representative here in this world. Many years ago, when studying Cantonese, one of the branches of the Chinese language, I found the word used for a Christian was "Yasu-yan." Yasu was their word for Jesus - and yan was man; and whenever my teacher would introduce me, he would say I was a "Jesus man." That is what a Christian really is.
It is his high privilege to represent Christ in this world. He belongs to Christ, is united to Christ, and now should seek to live out the life of Christ before men. That is what Paul meant when he said, "I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me." (Galatians 2:20) God give us to be consistent Christians! There is no greater testimony to the power of the gospel than that. (H.A. Ironside)
N.J. Hiebert # 2127
January 13
"The mighty God, even the Lord, hath spoken, and called the earth from the rising of the sun unto the going down thereof." (Psalm 50:1)
One morning as the sun cast its first shadows over a bed of flowers in our yard I noticed one perennial called a "Star Gazer" particularly attracted to the warm rays. Beautiful, yellow daisy-like petals on long stems angled their faces as if reaching up towards the sun. What really caught my attention was later that evening as the sun was setting, these flowers were still facing towards the sun! They had fixed their gaze upon the sun and kept it there. I felt God was telling me that we too need to fix out gaze upon His Son and to follow Him from the rising of the sun till the setting of the same. (Jerry Proctor)
Turn your eyes upon Jesus;
Look full in His wonderful face
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,
In the light of His glory and grace.
N.J. Hiebert # 2128
January 14
"Take heed that ye do not your alms (righteousness) before men, to be seen of them... When thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth; that thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret Himself shall reward thee openly." (Matthew 6:1,3,4)
The first principle of all godliness comes out in its sweetest shape, namely, the having to do with our Father in secret; who understands us, sees all that is passing within and around us, hears and counsels us, as, indeed, He takes the deepest interest in us. It is the inner, divine relationship of the saint - our spiritual bonds with God our Father, and the conduct that ought to flow from them. (William Kelly)
N.J. Hiebert # 2129
January 15
"This Man receiveth sinners, and eateth with them." (Luke 15:2)
"He saved others; Himself He cannot save." (Mark 15:31)
Two of the most precious statements ever made about our Lord were said in contempt. Yet how blessedly true they are. We who know Him rejoice because He did receive us even though we were ungodly sinners, and He is pleased to dwell with us. And how precious that, though He saved others in all kinds of need, He would not free Himself because His death was necessary to redeem us. Love, not nails, held Him there. (Selected)
N.J. Hiebert # 2130
