Bible Gems

April 30

"Ye are not under law, but under grace."  (Romans 6:14)

When Moses was in Egypt, to punish Pharaoh God turned the waters into blood.  When Christ was on earth He turned the water into wine.  That is the difference between law and grace.  The law says, "Kill him"; grace says, "Forgive him."  Law says, "Condemn him"; grace says, "Love him."  When the law came out of Horeb three thousand men were destroyed (Exodus 32:28).  At Pentecost, under grace, three thousand men found life (Acts 2:41).  What a difference!  When Moses came to the burning bush, he was commanded to take the shoes from off his feet.  When the prodigal came home after sinning he was given a pair of shoes to put on his feet.  How thankful to be under grace rather than under the law.   (D.L. Moody)

N.J. Hiebert # 3690

May 1

"Be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility; for God resisteth
the proud, and giveth grace to the humble." 
(1 Peter 5:5)

Two ladies who lived in Shanghai were talking one day about the famous missionary Hudson Taylor.  They wondered if he was ever tempted to be proud because of his many achievements.  Finally they put the question to Mrs. Taylor.

Not knowing the answer, she went to her husband and asked him.  Surprised, he inquired , "Proud about what?"
His wife replied, "Why, about all the things you've done."

Taylor gave this startling answer:  "I never knew I had done anything!"  He was not expressing a false humility, but merely recognizing that everything he had was a gift from God, and that whatever he had accomplished could be credited to Christ who worked in him and through him.

Let's allow the Holy Spirit to examine our hearts and motives so that we will not think too highly of our selves.  Pride accomplishes nothing of lasting value.  (Extract)

N.J. Hiebert # 3691

May 2

"But as one was felling a beam, the axe-head fell into the water; and he cried, and said, Alas, master! for it was borrowed. And the man of God said, Where fell it?  And he showed him the place.  And he cut down a stick, and cast it in thither; and the iron did swim.  Therefore said he, take it up to thee.  And he put out his hand, and took it."  (2 Kings 6:5-7)

When Elisha restored the lost axe to his disciple, he entirely discarded the old handle, which had become loosened from the iron, and cast into the water another stick which he had cut down, and to which the iron rose.  There is a lesson here for us.

The work had been suddenly brought to a stand-still and the cry of distress, "Alas, master!" brought Elisha to the spot.  It may be good for us to be halted at times so that we may receive back from the Master the old axe-head with a new handle, and learn to use it aright.  It will still be the old axe, and the old truth, but we have been handling it wrongly and so ultimately have lost it.

Our aimless; preaching and our drowsy discussion of worn-out controversies may be the wrong handle and be unsuited to the old axe in these days when our earnest work demands suitable instruments.  People will not listen to us simply because we are respected preachers!  However, we should not be afraid to have our faith tested as to its vitality and suitability to the needs of men - do we not believe in its divine origin and have we not experienced its power?  The cause of Christ will ultimately prosper only if hollow, unthinking assent be replaced by a genuine, earnest inquiry into its truth and then by conviction.  (A. Edersheim)

N.J. Hiebert # 3692

May 3

"It is written."  (Matthew 4:4)

The Bible is a God-given oracle, carrying His authority, perfectly adapted to every need, every circumstance, and every period of the Church's history.  "Do ye not therefore err?"  He says to the unbelieving Sadducees.  And why did they err?  because they knew "not the Scriptures, neither the power of God."  Herein was the fault - they knew not the Scriptures.  Man, when left to the petty reasonings of his own mind, gets into all kinds of folly; he falls into superstition on the one hand, or infidelity on the other. 

But both these extremes agree in shutting out God's Word.  It has been Satan's object in all ages to cut out the Word of God; or, if he cannot do so, to render it null and void.  Sometimes he accomplishes this by insinuating doubts, raising the question, "Is it even so that God has said?"  - in our own day this takes the form of "modernism."  Sometimes he displaces the Scripture by tradition and the teachings and doctrines of men.

Our Lord Himself answered all such suggestions.  He met Satan in person by the all-sufficiency word, "It is written."  He met the Sadducees, whom we may call the "modernists" of that day, as He also met the Pharisees and scribes - those tradition mongers of old - by the simple word, "God said,"  "Did ye never read in the Scriptures?"  "What is this then that is written?"  He used the written Word to silence every objection and to refute every form of error; and surely if He thus accredited the Scripture, this is enough for all who have reverence for Him.  (F.G.B.)

N.J. Hiebert # 3693