Month: July 2012

DAILY?READINGS: 1 Samuel 3; Isaiah 46; 2 Corinthians 6:11 to 7:16

 

 

And their eyes were opened, and they knew Him; and He vanished out of their sight. Luke 24:31

 

Luke’s Gospel commences with two people (Joseph and Mary) travelling from Jerusalem thinking that the Lord was with them, and He was not. The Gospel concludes with two people travelling from Jerusalem, not knowing that the Lord was with them, and He was! It is easy to lose the joy of His presence when we are complacent about our faith. Conversely in times of sorrow we can think He is far from us. The answer to both situations is to spend time with our Bible and thus we can fellowship with our Lord and have Him reveal more of Himself to us. —Robert E. Surgenor

More about Jesus would I know, more of His grace to others show;
More of His saving fulness see, more of His love who died for me.—Eliza E. Hewitt

 

DAILY?READINGS: 1 Samuel 2; Isaiah 44:24 to 45:25; 2 Cor. 5:11 to 6:10

 

 

And he cast down the pieces of silver… and went and hanged himself. Matthew 27:5

And they bought with them the potter’s field. Matthew 27:7

 

What a tragic ending Judas had. For three years the Lord had sought to mould his life, like a potter moulds clay. Finally the clay was too hard and had to be rejected. Judas committed suicide and was buried in the place set aside for strangers. Will you respond to the claims of Christ upon your life before your heart becomes hardened by sin? If you continue to reject the Saviour you will end up on the “rubbish heap of eternity.” Friend, don’t become another wasted life—a stranger to God. —David Croudace

 

I’ve wasted many precious years, now I’m coming home;
I now repent with bitter tears, Lord I’m coming home. —W. J. Kirkpatrick

 

 

 

DAILY?READINGS: 1 Samuel 1; Isaiah 44:6-23; 2 Corinthians 4:7 to 5:10

 

 

Is it nothing to you, all ye that pass by? behold, and see if there be any sorrow like unto my sorrow, which is done unto me, wherewith the LORD hath afflicted me in the day of his fierce anger. Lamentations 1:12

 

This verse draws our thoughts to the sorrow of our blessed Lord on the cross. What anguish was His there in the darkness! Will we ever comprehend it—God turning His face away from Him? Why? “For He hath made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Cor 5:21). —Sid Halsband

Jesus, my Saviour, died, nailed to the tree,
Cruelly crucified, stricken for me!
Darkness there shut Him in! God judged Him for my sin!
Jesus my soul to win, died there for me! —F. Allaben

 

DAILY?READINGS: Ruth 3-4; Isaiah 43 to 44:5; 2 Corinthians 3 to 4:6

 

 

We know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him… And every man that hath this hope in him, purifieth himself. 1 John. 3:2, 3a

 

Christ’s return is certain. It is a reality in which we can have complete confidence. That confidence is two-fold. He shall appear and we shall be like him. Since Our Lord is holy, when He comes, we will be made as pure as He is. Being confident this will happen should move us to action. John reminds us that those who long for His return will purify themselves in preparation for the event. Will we demonstrate our belief in His return by purifying ourselves? —Ken Gross

And is it so, I shall be like Thy Son?
Is this the grace which He for me has won?
Father of glory—thought beyond all thought!
In glory to His own blessed likeness brought! —J. N. Darby

 

DAILY?READINGS: Ruth 2; Isaiah 42; 2 Corinthians 2

 

 

This one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:13b-14

 

Some years ago in a seaside town, in the north of New Zealand, a man untied his dinghy and set out to row home. Unbeknown to him, someone had tied another rope from the dinghy to the wharf. In his inebriated state he kept rowing, unaware that he was going nowhere. Maybe as a Christian you are still “tied to the wharf.” Start reading God’s Word, praying, and meeting with God’s people. Show forgiveness for past grievances and untie from the wharf. —J. Fleming

Go forward, Christian soldier, beneath His banner true:
The Lord Himself, thy Leader, shall all thy foes subdue. —L. Tuttiet

 

DAILY?READINGS: Ruth 1; Isaiah 41; 2 Corinthians 1

 

That Mary which anointed the Lord with ointment, and wiped His feet with her hair. John 11:2

 

Both Matthew and Mark tell the story of Mary’s devotion but do not mention her name. Some fifty years later John reveals the identity of the woman and her appreciation of the Saviour. What stories of similar devotion and service will remain hidden until the judgment seat of Christ, and then every saint shall have due praise of God (1 Cor 4:5). —Jim Flanigan

Take my love; my Lord, I pour,
At Thy feet its treasure store.
Take myself and I will be,
Ever, only, all for Thee. —Frances R. Havergal

 

DAILY?READINGS: Judges 21; Isaiah 40; 1 Corinthians 16

 

 

God… hath begotten us again unto a living hope. I Peter 1:3

To an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled… unfading… reserved in heaven… for you. I Peter 1:4

Who are kept by the power of God. I Peter 1:5

 

God eternal who brought us back from the spiritual dead to eternal life reserves for us in heaven an inheritance of eternal bliss, the glories of which we cannot even imagine. But right now, He applies the full measure of His power to keep us in the assurance of that life, and that blessing. What a Saviour we have found. —Doug Kazen

Kept by His power,
The strength of God’s almighty arm,
Doth shield my soul from every harm,
Kept by His power. —Wm. Blane

 

DAILY?READINGS: Judges 20; Isaiah 38-39; 1 Corinthians 15:35-58

 

 

My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed: I will sing and give praise. Psalm 57:7

 

David’s heart was fixed (steadfast) to praise the Lord. It reminds me of the radios we took to Zaire, Africa. They were short-wave receivers that were pre-set and unchangeably tuned in to FEBA Christian radio. We gave them to some of the believers to use in their villages for all the people to listen. Wouldn’t it be great to have a heart like that, pre-set and unchanging to sing and give praise to Him? —Rex Trogdon

 

I have a song that Jesus gave me, it was sent from heav’n above;
There never was a sweeter melody, ‘tis a melody of love.
In my heart there rings a melody,
There rings a melody, with heaven’s harmony.
In my heart there rings a melody, there rings a melody of love. —E. Roth

 

 

 

DAILY?READINGS: Judges 19; Isaiah 37:8-38; 1 Corinthians 15:1-34

 

Ever learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. 2 Timothy 3:7

 

Why is it that so many people in the world today are “ever learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth?” Among the reasons are: they will not endure sound doctrine (2 Tim. 4:3-4); they have rejected Christ, who is the truth (John 14:6); they have been blinded by human pride and the vain reasonings and speculations of human philosophy (Col. 2:8); they love their sin (John 3:19-20). What about you? Have you come to a knowledge of the truth by faith in Him who personifies all truth—the Lord Jesus Christ? —W. Ross Rainey

More about Jesus let me learn, more of His holy will discern;
Spirit of God, my teacher be, showing the things of Christ to me.—Eliza E. Hewitt

 

DAILY?READINGS: Judges 17-18; Isaiah 36 to 37:7; 1 Corinthians 14

 

 

He saved others; Himself He cannot save. Mark 15:31

 

How thankful we ought to be for these words! If the Lord Jesus had refused the cross, or if in the end He had come down from the cross, we would still be in our sins. It would have meant that there was a limit to God’s love. It would have suggested that God had a line drawn beyond which He would not go. He would have not been willing to allow His Son to suffer for lost sinners. But thank God He went all the way. Thank God He suffered as no other, proving that “God so loved the world” (John 3:16). There is no limit to His infinite love! As we remember the cross, may we focus on the tremendous cost of our salvation. —Jim Comte

 

O love of God, how rich and pure! How measureless and strong!
It shall forevermore endure—the saints’ and angels’ song! —F. Lehman