Author: Gospel Folio Press

DAILY?READINGS: Gen. 7:11 to 8:19; Job 9-10; Matt. 5:21-48

Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance, and begin not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham as our father: for I say unto you, That God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham. Luke 3:8

When John the Baptist prepared the way for the ministry of the Lord, he rebuked the multitudes. As Jews, they invoked the name of their illustrious ancestor Abraham and thought they were protected by God. But they needed another name to rely on, as do we all. “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). That name? The Lord Jesus! (Rom. 10:9-13). —A. Baal

Jesus, blessèd Lord and Saviour, bowed in death on Calv’ry’s tree,
Darkest hour of bitter judgment, born to set Thy people free. —De Mattos

DAILY?READINGS: Gen. 6 to 7:10; Job 8; Matt. 5:1-20

And God spake unto Noah, saying, Go forth of the ark, thou, and thy wife, and thy sons, and thy sons’ wives with thee. Genesis 8:15-16

Noah and his family had spent about one year in the ark. After removing the cover of the ark, Noah saw dry land. While undoubtedly, he was anxious to leave his “enclosed home”, yet he waited until the Lord told him to do so. There is always a temptation to go ahead of the Lord’s leading when faced with decisions—both the monumental and the mundane. But God would have us to wait on Him and let Him “direct our paths”. —Bob Cretney

Where He leads me I will follow,
I’ll go with Him, all the way. —E. W. Blandy

DAILY?READINGS: Gen. 4-5; Job 6-7; Matt. 4

As sojourners and pilgrims. 1 Peter 2:11 (NKJV)

Most of us today are aware of the phrase “temporary foreign workers”. That term could well describe God’s people. We are God’s temporary foreign workers. We are just passing through here. We are foreign to this earthly land as we journey on to our heavenly home. But in the meantime, we are His labourers, doing what we can where we can. In terms of testimony, we should boldly represent our heavenly Father in a foreign society, a different culture. As God’s temporary foreign workers, how are we doing? —N. C. Funston

O Jesus I have promised,
To serve Thee to the end;
Be Thou forever near me,
My Master and my Friend. —John Ernest Bode

DAILY?READINGS: Gen. 3; Job 4-5; Matt. 3

Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. John 21:17

“Daddy,” asked an inquisitive little girl, of her Bible reading father, “What is the difference between a Cherubim and a Seraphim?” In language she would understand he replied, “Cherubim are angels with great knowledge, while Seraphim are those who have great love for God.” Following a moment of thought she said, “I’d like to be a Seraphim. I’d rather love God than know everything.” Let us choose with the little girl to love the One who loved us. —Arnot P. McIntee

I love Thee because Thou hast first loved me,
And purchased my pardon on Calvary’s tree;
I love Thee for wearing the thorns on Thy brow;
‘Tis Thou who art worthy, Lord Jesus, ‘tis Thou. —W. R. Featherstone

DAILY?READINGS: Gen. 2:4-25; Job 2:11 to 3:26; Matt. 2

Jacob…said unto them, Me have ye bereaved of my children: Joseph is not, and Simeon is not, and ye will take Benjamin away: all these things are against me. Genesis 42:36

Poor Jacob! Little did he know that God was at work preparing to bring about a great plan for him and his family. If he only knew that shortly he would be reunited with his beloved son Joseph, living in Egypt’s best farming area, protected from a worldwide famine. But he didn’t and because his faith was small, all he could think of was me, me, me!
We too can think everything is against us! Lord help us to rise above what may appear against us and remember that You are in control. —Sid Halsband

Take my will, and make it Thine, it shall be no longer mine;
Take my heart—it is Thine own, it shall be Thy royal throne.—F. Havergal

DAILY?READINGS: Gen. 1:1 to 2:3; Job 1:1 to 2:10; Matt. 1 

And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. John 14:3

This present dispensation of grace still runs its course. And by the grace of God another year is commencing. Will this be the year the Lord returns? Will this be the year when He comes and takes us home? What a prospect and hope is ours.

Dear reader as you read this calendar for the first time today, are you ready for His return? —John M. Clegg

Jesus is coming! The promise is true,
Who are the chosen, the faithful, the few,
Waiting and watching, prepared for review?
Jesus is coming again! —Daniel W. Whittle

DAILY?READINGS: Esther 9-10; Malachi 3:7 to 4:6; Rev. 22:6-21

And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes… Rev. 21:4

Someday, on the edge of eternal glory, one last tear will roll down your cheek. You will not forget the moment, for you will never shed another. Forever. On that narrow border between all you have left behind and all that is ahead, that final tear will be a last summation of all your earthly journey’s sorrows, failures and loss. Gazing at the glorious future just ahead you might hasten and quickly wipe it away. But hold. This is a powerful and symbolic moment. And God Himself is drawing near. With tenderest touch, your last tear, He will wipe away. “Enter thou into the joy of thy Lord” (Matt. 25:23). —S. McEachern

At the name of Jesus bowing, Falling prostrate at His feet,
King of kings in heaven we’ll crown Him, When our journey is complete.
—Lydia O. Baxter

DAILY?READINGS: Esther 7-8; Malachi 2:10 to 3:6; Rev. 21:9 to 22:5

…I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day. 2 Timothy 1:12 (NKJV)

It seems we live in a world of deception, whether it’s buying a car or real estate. One needs to observe the caveat “Buyer beware!” When one turns to the Scripture, his feet are on firm ground. The God who cannot lie has promised him eternal life, the hope of heaven. One can face the problems of life with all its uncertainty and know that he is secure. —Donald L. Norbie

I know not why God’s wondrous grace, to me He hath made known,
Nor why, unworthy, Christ in love redeemed me for His own.
But “I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that He is able,
To keep that which I’ve committed unto Him against that day”. —Whittle

DAILY?READINGS: Esther 5-6; Malachi 1 to 2:9; Rev. 20:7 to 21:8

Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away? John 6:67

The Lord Jesus prophesied that in the last days spiritual ardour would cool (Matt. 24:12). Elsewhere He taught that the church would become spiritually lukewarm with a self-satisfied attitude that excludes its head (Rev. 3:16). Since many of His followers in the past deserted Him over the gospel’s flesh-denying demands (John 6:60-66), it is not surprising that many abandon Christ in this apathetic day. Yet no one else can save us like the Lord. Only He can satisfy; all other so-called “gods” are powerless idols that cannot deliver us. Enjoy the Lord today by prayerfully meditating on His Word; He satisfies the thirsty (John 4:14). —K. R. Keyser

Why should my feet grow weary of this my pilgrim way?
Rough though the path and dreary, it ends in perfect day! —S. C. Kuster

DAILY?READINGS: Esther 3-4; Zech. 13:7 to 14:21; Rev. 19:11 to 20:6

And I gave my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all things that are done under heaven: this sore travail hath God given to the sons of men to be exercised therewith. Ecclesiastes 1:13

The resources that have gone into pointless scientific exploration are mind boggling. We’ve walked on the moon and brought back rocks. We’ve sent unmanned spacecraft throughout our solar system to take pictures. We’re even planning a one-way trip to Mars! Having left God out of the search, man continues to ask questions, yet receives the blackness of space and the darkness of his heart for answers. Willing ignorance carries its own sentence of despair. —Rick Morse

Throughout the universe of bliss, the centre Thou, and Sun;
Th’ eternal theme of praise is this, to heaven’s beloved One.
—Josiah Conder