Year: 2017

“I will meditate in thy precepts.” Psalm 119:15

by

There are times when solitude is better than society, and silence is wiser than speech. We should be better Christians if we were more alone, waiting upon God, and gathering through meditation on his Word spiritual strength for labour in his service. We ought to muse upon the things of God, because we thus get the real nutriment out of them. Truth is something like the cluster of the vine: if we would have wine from it, we must bruise it; we must press and squeeze it many times. The bruiser’s feet must come down joyfully upon the bunches, or …

Read more

The Message of the Cross

by

John 19:1-27 19 Then Pilate therefore took Jesus, and scourged him. 2 And the soldiers platted a crown of thorns, and put it on his head, and they put on him a purple robe, 3 And said, Hail, King of the Jews! and they smote him with their hands. 4 Pilate therefore went forth again, and saith unto them, Behold, I bring him forth to you, that ye may know that I find no fault in him. 5 Then came Jesus forth, wearing the crown of thorns, and the purple robe. And Pilate saith unto them, Behold the man! 6 …

Read more

Needed Grace

by

  Job 15 Eliphaz’s Second Response to Job 15 Then Eliphaz the Temanite replied: 2 “A wise man wouldn’t answer with such empty talk! You are nothing but a windbag. 3 The wise don’t engage in empty chatter. What good are such words? 4 Have you no fear of God, no reverence for him? 5 Your sins are telling your mouth what to say. Your words are based on clever deception. 6 Your own mouth condemns you, not I. Your own lips testify against you. 7 “Were you the first person ever born? Were you born before the hills were …

Read more

The Source of Our Self Esteem

by

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. (James 1:17) All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath. But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions — it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with …

Read more

“Let us lift up our heart with our hands unto God in the heavens.” Lamentations 3:41

by

The act of prayer teaches us our unworthiness, which is a very salutary lesson for such proud beings as we are. If God gave us favours without constraining us to pray for them we should never know how poor we are, but a true prayer is an inventory of wants, a catalogue of necessities, a revelation of hidden poverty. While it is an application to divine wealth, it is a confession of human emptiness. The most healthy state of a Christian is to be always empty in self and constantly depending upon the Lord for supplies; to be always poor …

Read more

The Meaning of the Cross

by

Matthew 27:11-26 Jesus before Pilate 11 Now Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor questioned Him, saying, “Are You the King of the Jews?” And Jesus said to him, “It is as you say.” 12 And while He was being accused by the chief priests and elders, He did not answer. 13 Then Pilate *said to Him, “Do You not hear how many things they testify against You?” 14 And He did not answer him with regard to even a single charge, so the governor was quite amazed. 15 Now at the feast the governor was accustomed to release …

Read more

A Disappointing Discovery

by

by Charles R. Swindoll Scriptures: Job 14:1–22 14 “How frail is humanity! How short is life, how full of trouble! 2 We blossom like a flower and then wither. Like a passing shadow, we quickly disappear. 3 Must you keep an eye on such a frail creature and demand an accounting from me? 4 Who can bring purity out of an impure person? No one! 5 You have decided the length of our lives. You know how many months we will live, and we are not given a minute longer. 6 So leave us alone and let us rest! We …

Read more

Letting Go to God

by

Jacob was left alone; and a man wrestled with him until the breaking of the day. And when he saw that he prevailed not against him, he touched the hollow of his thigh; and the hollow of Jacob’s thigh was out of joint, as he wrestled with him. (Gen. 32:24-25) Jacob would not let go – he would not abandon himself, or lose himself to God by faith. He relied on his natural strength. So God broke his natural strength. For us, this means that God will NEVER allow our natural man to succeed in wrestling from out of Him …

Read more

Christ In Me

by

John 14:20 “In that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you. John 17:23 I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me, and loved them, even as You have loved Me. Romans 8:10 If Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is alive because of righteousness. Galatians 2:20 “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; …

Read more

“And I will deliver thee out of the hand of the wicked, and I will redeem thee out of the hand of the terrible.”—Jeremiah 15:21.

by

NOTE the glorious personality of the promise. I will, I will. The Lord Jehovah Himself interposes to deliver and redeem His people. He pledges Himself personally to rescue them. His own arm shall do it, that He may have the glory. Here is not a word said of any effort of our own which may be needed to assist the Lord. Neither our strength nor our weakness is taken into the account, but the lone I, like the sun in the heavens, shines out resplendent in all-sufficience. Why then do we calculate our forces, and consult with flesh and blood …

Read more

God Is in Control

by

God Is in Control by Charles R. Swindoll Scriptures: Job 12:1–25 12 And Job answered and said, 2 No doubt but ye are the people, and wisdom shall die with you. 3 But I have understanding as well as you; I am not inferior to you: yea, who knoweth not such things as these? 4 I am as one mocked of his neighbour, who calleth upon God, and he answereth him: the just upright man is laughed to scorn. 5 He that is ready to slip with his feet is as a lamp despised in the thought of him that …

Read more