Month: November 2018

DAILY READINGS: 1 Chronicles 28:1-21; Ezekiel 24:1-25:17; John 9:1-17

And ye shall know that I am the Lord, when I shall bring you into the land of Israel, into the country for the which I lifted up mine hand to give it to your fathers. Ezekiel 20:42

The Lord proves His faithfulness by fulfilling His promises to Israel. In Ezekiel’s time, they were at a spiritual low point. The northern tribes had been scattered by the Assyrians earlier and now Judah was facing the Babylonian captivity. Instead of repenting and trusting God, the people turned to powerless idols; yet the Almighty reaffirms His commitment to His covenants. In like manner, He will also fulfill His promises towards the church (Rom. 9-11). —K. R. Keyser

Breathe o’er this valley of the dead, send forth Thy quickening might abroad,
Till, rising from their tombs, they spread, in full array,—the host of God! —Horatius Bonar

DAILY READINGS: 1 Chronicles 26:1-27:34; Ezekiel 23:1-49; John 8:31-59

And I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him. Malachi 3:17

In a future day, God will spare a remnant from His rebellious people Israel, as a loving father spares his son, when they repent and return to Him. They will be restored because God remembers the covenant He
made with Abraham (Mal. 3:16-17). Likewise God can spare us from judgment today because He spared not his own Son, but delivered Him up for us all (Rom. 8:32). He can now freely give us eternal life when we
believe in Him. Have you believed? —K. C. Ung

And when I think that God, His Son not sparing,
Sent Him to die, I scarce can take it in,
That on the cross, my burden gladly bearing,
He bled and died to take away my sin. —S. K. Hine

DAILY READINGS: 1 Chronicles 24:1-25:31; Ezekiel 22:1-31; John 8:12-30

My son, keep thy father’s commandment, and forsake not the law of thy mother. Proverbs 6:20

When the father of the house is away at work for much of the day, how important the role of the mother. It is good to hear one’s children praising their mother for teaching them bible verses and principles in their early years. What a wonderful support this is for the father whose responsibility it is to bring up the family in the fear of the Lord. —Brian Russell

Count your blessings name them one by one,
And it will surprise you what the Lord has done. —Johnson Oatman

DAILY READINGS: 1 Chron. 22:1-23:32; Ezekiel 20:45-21:32; John 7:31-8:11

They came…that they might see Lazarus also, whom He had raised from the dead…By reason of him many of the Jews went away and believed on Jesus. John 12:9, 11
He that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live. John 11:25

What more could He do to make you believe? What more would make you want to trust Jesus than to know He could give life to a dead man? Do you want to live after you die? He’s the one to believe in. He takes spiritually dead people like you and me and gives us an eternal life guarantee. —Ken Gross

My sheep hear My voice, and I know them and they follow Me:
And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish,
Neither shall any man pluck them out of My hand. —Alfred Gibbs

DAILY READINGS: 1 Chronicles 21:1-30; Ezekiel 20:1-44; John 7:12-30

Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones. Matthew 18:10

I went shopping for toys and other items to fill Christmas shoeboxes for needy children overseas. I enjoyed the shopping and got enthused about getting things to brighten a child’s life, someone who may never
have received a gift. When the cashier totaled the amount I was a little shocked and wondered if I had spent too much. Returning home I sorted the items for this or that box. A quote I’d heard somewhere in the past came to mind saying, “The only thing we really keep is what we give away.” Suddenly the amount didn’t matter. We should bless the children like Jesus did. —E. Dyck

Jesus loves me! He who died, heaven’s gate to open wide,
He will wash away my sin, let His little child come in. —Anna B. Warner

DAILY READINGS: 1 Chronicles 19:1-20:8; Ezekiel 18:1-19:14; John 6:41-7:11

Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many. Matthew 20:28

On April 30, 2016, Canada’s National Post carried a headline reading, “Should a Government Pay Ransoms?” It was relative to a young lady who had been a captive for 460 days. Upon her release she said,
“Paying ransom for Canadians would endanger the lives of many Canadians living abroad.” The Lord Jesus left glory, not to endanger lives by being a ransom for sin, but to redeem all who would accept His ransom for them. The apostle Paul stated it clearly in 1 Timothy 2:5-6, “the man Christ Jesus; Who gave himself a ransom for all.” You and I are included. —Arnot P. McIntee

On Calvary see Him, who died in our stead,
Exhausting God’s judgment, when for us He bled. —L. H. Ferrell

DAILY READINGS: 1 Chronicles 17:1-18:17; Ezekiel 17:1-24; John 6:22-40

But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ… Galatians 6:14

John Street is the name of a row of terraced houses in our town and was named after Sir John Bowring (1792-1872). He served the British Government in many countries, including becoming the fourth governor of Hong Kong. One day while sailing along the South China coast he saw the burnt out remains of a church in Macao. The scene was sad but above the ruins was a cross and it reminded him very vividly of the eternal significance of the cross of Christ. He wrote a hymn about the core truth of the Christian faith; that Christ died for our sins. —Paul Young

In the cross of Christ I glory, towering o’er the wrecks of time.
All the light of sacred story, gathers round its head sublime. —J. Bowring

DAILY READINGS: 1 Chronicles 16:1-43; Ezekiel 16:35-63; John 6:1-21

He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. Psalm 91:1
For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. Colossians 3:3

The word “secret” signifies a “hiding place” (Ps. 32:7). Like a bird covers her young with her wings, we can trust in the shelter of God’s wings (Ps. 61:4). As we trust Him He assures us with “songs of deliverance” (Ps. 32:7). A shadow speaks of someone’s presence. God doesn’t just hide us and then leave us. He permanently hides us in His presence by placing us in the secret place of His Son. Christ will never leave us nor forsake us. What security! —George Ferrier

The Lord’s our Rock, in Him we hide, a shelter in the time of storm;
Secure whatever ill betide, a shelter in the time of storm.—V. Charlesworth

DAILY READINGS: 1 Chronicles 15:1-29; Ezekiel 16:1-34; John 5:24-47

For the creation was subjected to futility (frustration), not willingly…creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption. Romans 8:20-21, NKJV

Creation has and is suffering because of the Fall. Volcanic eruptions, tornadoes, earthquakes, hurricanes, floods, all suggest that planet earth is protesting in frustration. But the creation will be delivered. There is a day of deliverance ahead. In the coming reign of the Lord Jesus Christ, all will be changed. One day the whole earth will be filled with His glory (Ps. 72). —Drew Craig

Jesus shall reign, where ere the sun,
Doth its successive journeys run,
His kingdom stretch from shore to shore,
Till moon shall wax and wane no more. —Isaac Watts

DAILY READINGS: 1 Chronicles 13:1-14:17; Ezekiel 14:1-15:8; John 5:1-23

Ye shall know them by their fruits. Matthew 7:16
And the keeper of the prison…took them (Paul and Silas)…and washed their stripes; and was baptized…he had brought them into his house, he set meat before them, and rejoiced, believing in God with all his house. Acts 16:27, 33-34

The jailor believed on the Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 16:31). He gave clear evidence that the Lord had changed his life. He was joyful. He had a desire to see others believe in God. He was baptized. He cared for the needs of the missionaries. The Lord Jesus said there would be fruit in a person’s life who believed in Him. Is there evidence in your life and mine? —Bob Cretney

What a wonderful change in my life has been wrought,
Since Jesus came into my heart. —C. H. Gabriel