Month: February 2017

DAILY?READINGS: Exodus 11 to 12:20; Psalm 44; Acts 5:12-42

Now when the centurion saw what was done, he glorified God, saying, Certainly this was a righteous man. Luke 23:47

Let the redeemed of the Lord say so. Psalm 107:2 Have you ever wondered how to glorify God? One of the ways we can glorify God is by following the example of the centurion. He glorified God by “saying”. That is, he opened his mouth and extolled the virtues of God’s Son. It was unpopular and he found no encouragement from the world, but God delights to hear from His people. Every day but especially each Lord’s day we have the privilege to meet together as a local assembly and glorify God. As we open our mouths in worship and appreciation we glorify Him. —Sid Halsband

O for a thousand tongues to sing, my great Redeemer’s praise,
The glories of my God and King, the triumphs of His grace!
                                                                                                       —C. Wesley

DAILY?READINGS: Exodus 10; Psalms 42-43; Acts 4:32 to 5:11

Glory ye in his holy name: let the heart of them rejoice that seek the Lord. Psalm 105:3

People boast of many things: their intelligence, physical attractiveness, or their possessions. They praise athletes, actors, entrepreneurs, and scientists. Sadly, God’s name is seldom glorified by the masses. Yet a day is coming when every person will be forced to confess the supremacy and deity of Christ, acclaiming Him Lord (ever so grudgingly!). Believers have the privilege of worshiping the Almighty who bears so many varied and beautiful names, including: Lord of hosts, God most high, Saviour, the good Shepherd, the God of all comfort. Choose a name to consider today; then praise Him for it. —Keith Keyser

O my Saviour, Shield, and Sun, Shepherd, Brother, Husband, Friend,
Every precious name in one; I will love Thee without end.
                                                                                                                     —J. Newton

DAILY?READINGS: Exodus 9; Psalm 40-41; Acts 4:1-31

Elisha prayed…Lord, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. 2 Kings 6:17

We have eyes but we may not always see what the Lord wants us to see. Eve saw the forbidden fruit and desired it (Gen. 3:6). Aachan saw the accursed Babylonian garment, the gold and silver, and he coveted them (Josh. 7:21). Both sinned against God. Death was the consequence—for the former it was spiritual death (Gen. 2:17), for the latter, physical death (Josh. 7:25). For humanity’s disobedience, Jesus became man and was obedient unto death even to that of the cross, so that we might be saved. Do you see that? —K. C. Ung

Open mine eyes, dear Saviour, now, open mine eyes to see,
The well of Thy full salvation that sparkles and flows for me.
                                                                                       —Fanny J. Crosby

DAILY?READINGS: Exodus 8; Psalms 38-39; Acts 3

And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. Mark 16:15

We construct beautiful buildings for worship, then struggle to get people in. We have eloquent preachers but often no unsaved are there to hear them! We seem to have things back to front. The Lord’s final message before He ascended was “Go ye”. Use your feet to go into all the world to preach the gospel. He is saying to the church today, “Go ye into the high street and market; go to the homes and playgrounds; go to your friends and neighbors. Whatever else you do please go. I am waiting to make you a blessing if only you will go.” A conference held some years ago was entitled, “Go Out or Die Out.” How true. Is yours a dying assembly? —David Croudace

Go then and tell them of Jesus, it was for them He was slain Give them,
O give them the Gospel, let not their cry be in vain!
                                                                                                                            —O. Smith

DAILY?READINGS: Exodus 6:14 to 7:25; Psalm 37; Acts 2:22-47

And they (Zacharias & Elisabeth, parents of John the Baptist) were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. Luke 1:6

What an exemplary couple! Their united lives were outstanding in that they consistently demonstrated the qualities of which the Lord God spoke, on the day when He presented Adam with the lovely bride He had prepared for him. “No more twain, but one flesh” (see Mark 10:8) expressed the Divine standard, with reference to marriage. Today’s rejection of biblical teaching is a clarion call to all Christian couples to adhere to the godly example of Zacharias and Elisabeth. —George Hall

Let us, then, be true and faithful, trusting, serving every day;
Just one glimpse of Him in glory will the toils of life repay.
                                                                                               —Eliza Hewitt

DAILY?READINGS: Exodus 5 to 6:13; Psalms 35-36; Acts 2:1-21

Behold, I am vile; what shall I answer thee? I will lay mine hand upon my mouth. Job 40:4

God had rebuked Job. “Shall he that contendeth with the Almighty instruct him?” (40:2). Job had said that God contended with him (10:1- 2) and was unwise (23:3-7). Now a more contrite Job replied, “Behold, I am vile; what shall I answer thee?” He would stop challenging and be silent. But silence is not the same as repentance, so God continued to work in his heart. Finally Job said, “Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes” (42:6). Because the Lord desired to bless Job, He was not satisfied with anything less than genuine repentance. God is working for the same goal in us. —W. A. H.

Come to the Saviour now, He gently calls thee;
In true repentance bow, before Him bend the knee.
                                                                            —John Wigner

DAILY?READINGS: Exodus 4; Psalm 34; Acts 1

Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us. 1 John 3:16

The custom of sending love sentiments on Valentine’s Day originated when a young pagan priest tried helping cruelly persecuted Christians. He was caught and imprisoned. In that Roman prison he converted to Christianity thus sealing his doom. On February 14, 269 A.D. he was executed. It is said that he picked heart-shaped violet leaves through prison bars, pierced love messages on them and sent them out. In our technical age the Gospel message can be spread in various ways; not just once a year but daily. The One who loved us infinitely constrains us to send His love around the world. —E. Dyck

Wherever we follow Thee, Lord, admiring, adoring, we see,
The love that is stronger than death, flowing without limit and free.
                                                                                                                  —T. Howels

DAILY?READINGS: Ex. 2:23 to 3:22; Psalms 32-33; Matt. 28

The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. Psalm 14:1

Some years ago there was an upsurge of suicides in our area, especially among young people. Meetings were held to try and discern underlying causes such as: lack of family life, drug or drink misuse, criminality, broken relationships, unemployment, occult involvement. Yet if the prevailing atheistic philosophy is true, then life has no meaning or purpose. If we are simply the result of the chance encounters of impersonal atoms, then we came from nothing and go to nothing. It all appears so hopeless that suicide almost seems logical. What makes all the difference is the reality of God who created us and to whom we are ultimately answerable.—Paul Young

God is here, God is present, God is moving by His Spirit;
Can you hear what He is saying, are you willing to respond?
                                                                                                  —Ian Smale

DAILY?READINGS: Ex. 1 to 2:22; Psalm 31; Matt. 27:45-66

I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple. Isaiah 6:1

And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up. John 3:14

From His position in glory with the Father, high and lifted up on His throne, He humbled Himself and stooped ever so low. Down He came, to the virgin’s womb, to Bethelehem’s manger. Down—as a servant. Down—in the likeness of men, lower than the angels. Finally, down to the cross, cruelly lifted up in mockery, hatred and shame. The God of heaven, a public spectacle, slain by wicked men. But today He is exalted at the Father’s right hand. We worship! —Carl Knott

Blessèd Lord, our hallelujahs, now to Thee we raise;
Never could we fully utter, all Thy worth and praise!
                                                                    —H. D. Champney