Author: Gospel Folio Press

DAILY?READINGS: 1 Chronicles 8-9; Ezekiel 11; John 3:22-36

Love…thinks no evil. 1 Corinthians 13:4-5

Another translation of this verse expresses the sentiment “Love… keeps no record of wrongs” (NIV). When hurt unjustly, we naturally suffer and keep a mental record of the person or persons who have hurt us. Maybe the hurt can never be forgotten but in praying for the offender the Lord will give you a concern for them, rather than hate. Bitterness and revenge should not be in the believer’s vocabulary. —Brian Russell

Forgive them O My Father,
They know not what they do.
The Saviour spoke in anguish,
As sharp iron nails went through.
—C. C. Alexander

DAILY?READINGS: 1 Chronicles 7; Ezekiel 10; John 2:23 to 3:21

And the glory of the Lord abode upon mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it six days: and the seventh day he called unto Moses out of the midst of the cloud. Exodus 24:16

We have a “Hurry up and don’t make me wait” culture. Everything is getting faster and people are increasingly impatient. This is not God’s way. Believers should tarry before God and expectantly wait for Him to speak. Moses waited seven days before the Lord called to him. “Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord” (Ps. 27:14). There is no shortcut to a fruitful relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. —A. Baal

Death and hell cannot appal me; safe in Christ whate’er befall me;
Calmly wait till He shall call me: peace, peace is mine!
—J. Denham Smith

DAILY?READINGS: 1 Chronicles 6; Ezekiel 8-9; John 2:1-22

Thou wilt perform the truth to Jacob, and the mercy to Abraham, which thou hast sworn unto our fathers from the days of old.
Micah 7:20

Early in life Jacob tried to obtain right things by wrong means. He was a deceiver and was systematically disciplined by God. Abraham was an oft-assailed pilgrim who believed the Almighty and awaited the fulfillment of His covenant (Heb. 11:8-10). Centuries later through Micah, the Lord assures Jacob’s descendants that He will not deceive them, but will act in truth towards them. Furthermore, He reaffirms His covenantal mercy to Abraham’s descendants. He who is faithful to Israel will also keep His word to the church! —K. R. Keyser

The Lord is truth unchanging, through the storms of life,
The Almighty shows mercy to His saints amidst their strife. —K. R. K.

DAILY?READINGS: 1 Chronicles 4:24 to 5:26; Ezekiel 7; John 1:19-51

I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish… John 10:11, 28

The Lord Jesus is both the “Good Shepherd”, and the “Giving Shepherd”. In His goodness and His giving, He surpasses all others. Two aspects of His giving stir our hearts. First, He gave His life for us. We think of Calvary and its sin-atoning sacrifice. Secondly, He imparts to each repenting, trusting soul the gift of “eternal life” (see Rom. 6:23). Accept it today, and be assured that you shall “never perish”. —George Hall

The King of love my Shepherd is, whose goodness faileth never;
I nothing lack if I am His, and He is mine for ever.
—Henry W. Baker

DAILY?READINGS: 1 Chronicles 3 to 4:23; Ezekiel 5-6; John 1:1-18

…Lazarus sleeps… John 11:11 (NKJV)

When Christ told His disciples “Lazarus sleeps”, He was saying that Lazarus’ body had died. In the New Testament, only believers are referred to with the metaphor of sleep, in relation to physical death. The figure has many comforting thoughts: Sleep is harmless (Ps. 23:4). Sleep is a merciful provision, affording relief from the day’s toil and sorrow. Sleep is a time of rest (Rev. 14:13). Sleep does not terminate life; a sleeping person is a living person (2 Cor. 5:8). Sleep is but for a little while; a sleeping person will soon rise again. —W. Ross Rainey

No longer must the mourners weep, Nor call departed Christians dead;
For death is hallowed into sleep, And every grave becomes a bed.
—John Mason Neale

DAILY?READINGS: 1 Chronicles 2; Ezekiel 3:16 to 4:17; 2 Timothy 4

Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. Philippians 4:11
But godliness with contentment is great gain. 1 Timothy 6:6

Contentment is elusive in this materialistic age. Gratitude is infrequent, even among believers. Paul tells us that he had learned contentment in all circumstances of life. It didn’t come naturally, but in life’s journey with its many trials, he had learned contentment. Elizabeth Elliot wrote, “Thankfulness springs from accepting the gifts and conditions and circumstances God gives us.” The circumstances of our lives are often not what we wanted, but can we, like Paul, learn to rejoice no matter what our situation (Phil. 2:17-18)? —Jim Comte

How many blessings I enjoy that other people don’t,
To weep and sigh because I’m blind, I cannot and I won’t! —Fanny Crosby

DAILY?READINGS: 1 Chronicles 1; Ezekiel 2 to 3:15; 2 Timothy 3

Again the next day after John stood…and looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God! John 1:35-36
And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne…stood a Lamb as it had been slain… Revelation 5:6

John announced Jesus as the Lamb of God. It is interesting that John “stood”. The primary purpose of his ministry was done. Now he looks on Jesus as he “walked”. He had further, much further, to go! The following years would see the fulfilment of John’s words as He hung on the cross, the Lamb of Calvary! In Revelation the language changes, “…in the midst of the throne…stood a Lamb as it had been slain…“. The victory was won. He had no further to go! —Drew Craig

Dwelling in eternal sunshine, of the countenance of God,
Jesus fills all heav’n with incense, of His reconciling blood. —R. Chapman

DAILY?READINGS: 2 Kings 25; Ezekiel 1; 2 Timothy 2

But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8

Mary Ann Bird was born with a cleft palate and hare lip and received much abuse at school. Her teacher, Mrs. Leonard gave her class a yearly hearing test. The pupils would stand at a distance and the teacher would whisper sentences like, “The sky is blue. Do you have new shoes?” When Mary Ann took the test, her teacher whispered, “I wish you were my little girl.” All of us were born with sinful hearts, but there is One who whispers in our ears, “I want you in my family. Look at Calvary and you will be convinced.” —Milton Haack

When every ray of light had fled, O glorious day!
Raising my soul from out the dead, love found a way.
—A. Christiansen

DAILY?READINGS: 2 Kings 24; Lamentations 4-5; 2 Timothy 1

…stand fast in the Lord, my dearly beloved. Philippians 4:1

The Lord met Paul on the Damascus road and told him, “rise and stand on your feet” (Acts 26:16, NKJV). From then on Paul stood before rulers, stood up to his own nation and at the end of his life he was still standing. He wrote, “…no man stood with me…Notwithstanding the Lord stood with me” (2 Tim. 4:16-17). Confident of the Lord’s power to make him stand (Rom. 14:4) he writes to the Philippian believers and to us, “…stand fast in the Lord, my dearly beloved” (Phil. 4:1). —Rex Trogdon

Stand up, stand up, for Jesus, ye soldiers of the cross;
Lift high His royal banner; it must not suffer loss.
From vict’ry unto vict’ry, His army shall He lead,
Till ev’ry foe is vanquished, and Christ is Lord indeed.
—George Duffield

DAILY?READINGS: 2 Kings 23; Lamentations 3; 1 Timothy 6

…When ye say, Every one that doeth evil is good… Malachi 2:17

Western society is seeing Christianity decline, unlike the rest of the world where there is significant and sustained growth. Not only is there numerical decline but there is serious decline in biblical understanding and moral life is at a low level. Laws are introduced that negate Scriptural truth and endorse evil and corrupt practices. It is a time when evil is described as good and good spoken of as evil. We must remember that God’s standards for moral behaviour never change. He will right all wrongs in a coming day when the only place of safety will be the person of Jesus Christ. —Paul Young

Justice and truth from His sceptre shall spring,
Wrong shall be ended when Jesus is King.
—C. Silvester Horne