Jesus heard that they cast him out; and when he had found him, he said unto him, Dost thou believe on the Son of God?…Lord, I believe. John 9:35, 38
Jesus had healed the blind man. That his sight was restored was utterly evident. Yet the religious leaders rejected this man and his account of what had happened to him. But Jesus in His love and compassion found him. And, in response to the Saviour’s invitation, he trusted in the Lord. Do you feel rejected, alone, forsaken? Jesus offers Himself to you as Saviour and Lord. Will you believe in Him today? —Bob Cretney
Troubled soul, the Saviour can see, every heartache and tear; Burdens are lifted at Calvary, Jesus is very near. —John M. Moore
DAILY?READINGS: Nehemiah 3; Daniel 12; Revelation 8
What man is like Job, who drinketh up scorning like water? Which goeth in company with the workers of iniquity, and walketh with wicked men. Job 34:7-8
These are the words of Elihu who assumed that Job’s suffering was the result of his wickedness. We know that Job eschewed evil. Never assume that sad circumstances befalling God’s people are due to God’s deliberate intervening action. The enemy is often allowed to inflict his wounds so that godly saints can shine even more brightly in the crucible. —Brian Russell
My song shall be of Jesus; Whatever ill betide, I’ll sing the grace that saves me, And keeps me at His side.
—Mrs. Van Alstyne
DAILY?READINGS: Nehemiah 1-2; Daniel 11:21-45; Revelation 7
…O ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky; but can ye not discern the signs of the times? Matthew 16:3
The Pharisees and Sadducees were better at homespun meteorology than interpreting Christ’s signs. Though He gave ample evidence to back up His claims, they clung to their erroneous and preconceived notions of Him. Academic intellect, scientific understanding, business acumen, and other forms of human wisdom are not adequate means of evaluating the Lord. Only divine revelation from His Word provides a sure guide for learning the truth. —K. R. Keyser
While created things are wasting, still our God abides the same; All His words are everlasting, all His works His love proclaim. —G. W. Frazer
DAILY?READINGS: Ezra 10; Daniel 11:1-20; Revelation 6
What man is he that liveth, and shall not see death? shall he deliver his soul from the hand of the grave? Psalm 89:48
Within a little graveyard adjoining a chapel in a small village is a grave marked with this touching epitaph, “She has done what she could.” Long after her death the townsfolk still spoke of this woman’s devotion; she spent herself freely and untiringly in service to them. If the Lord be not come, each of us will take up a temporary residence in a cemetery. We cannot escape death, but we can, by the grace of God, live a full life in Christ. How will your friends and neighbours remember you after your sojourn on the earth has passed? —W. A. H.
I’ll bless the hand that guided, I’ll bless the heart that planned, When throned where glory dwelleth, in Immanuel’s land. —Anne R. Cousin
Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son… 1 John 4:10
The manifestation of God’s love is that Christ Jesus died for my sins. He now lives, interceding for me. Soon He shall come Himself and take me to be with Him for evermore. —E. MacLelland
Could we with ink the ocean fill, And were the skies of parchment made, Were ev’ry stalk on earth a quill, And ev’ry man a scribe by trade; To write the love of God above would drain the ocean dry; Nor could the scroll contain the whole, Tho stretched from sky to sky.
—Meir Ben Isaac Nehoral
…To him that overcometh… Revelation 2:7 …Be of good cheer; I have overcome the world. John 16:33 Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God? 1 John 5:5
In John’s letters to the seven churches in Revelation one recurring statement is set forth as a challenge, “To him that overcometh”. When overcoming seems overwhelming, remember that our Lord has overcome the world (John 16:33). How do we overcome? By trusting in Him (1 John 5:5). We are more than conquerors through Him who loved us (Rom. 8:37). Today, may we live out His victory as overcomers. —Rex Trogdon
Faith is the victory! Faith is the victory! Oh, glorious victory, that overcomes the world.
—John H. Yates
The purpose of this letter was to correct some false teaching that was infiltrating the church. There was a strain of Jewish legalism with an emphasis on certain foods and the keeping of Jewish holidays. There was also certain Gnostic ideas which would become fully developed in the next century. Some of these teachings claimed to give one a deeper insight into truth, “philosophy.” Matter was inherently evil and God was not the direct Creator. There were intermediate agencies.
Paul urges them to get back to the reality of the greatness of the Person of Christ, His incarnation, and the adequacy of the gospel. Salvation was the work of Christ, not the result of human effort or superior knowledge.
Use this commentary to work your way through the book of Colossians for an edifying study.
DAILY?READINGS: Ezra 7; Daniel 8; Revelation 3:7-22
…I wholly followed the Lord my God. Joshua 14:8
This was Caleb’s testimony when he was forty years old. And it was his testimony when he was eighty-five. Praise God! He was marked by a life of faith and obedience. Even to old age his faith did not waver. He was an inspiration to Israel then and he still is to Christians today. It is possible to live a consistent, godly life, even to old age. The choice is ours. Caleb’s God is the same today, ready to strengthen faith and to enable us to persevere. And surely we need men and women today like Caleb to inspire the younger generation to live for God. Be a Caleb in this age. —Donald L. Norbie
How can you go on when things are not getting better?
In this book, you will meet real people living with: the tendency to abuse alcohol, the memory of aborting a child, the death of immediate family members, the frustration of deteriorating health, the pain of unexpected divorce, the challenges of raising a child with special needs, the conflicting emotions arising from a mismatched marriage, and more.
Ron Hughes presents 10 accounts of the presence of God sustaining those who are living at the end of the rope. His work in media since the mid-70s and vocation in ministry since 1983 have provided him with hundreds of opportunities to interact with people in all kinds of circumstances. His subjects in these chapters made themselves vulnerable in unexpected ways which allow readers to identify strongly with the thoughts and emotions common to all of us who struggle.
Here, you will find no tales of instant deliverance, miraculous cures, or dramatic victories. Instead, these pages contain the stories of ordinary people walking day-by-day through the end-of-the-rope experiences which build faith and bring hope to life.
How can you go on when things are not getting better?
In this book, you will meet real people living with: the tendency to abuse alcohol, the memory of aborting a child, the death of immediate family members, the frustration of deteriorating health, the pain of unexpected divorce, the challenges of raising a child with special needs, the conflicting emotions arising from a mismatched marriage, and more.
Ron Hughes presents 10 accounts of the presence of God sustaining those who are living at the end of the rope. His work in media since the mid-70s and vocation in ministry since 1983 have provided him with hundreds of opportunities to interact with people in all kinds of circumstances. His subjects in these chapters made themselves vulnerable in unexpected ways which allow readers to identify strongly with the thoughts and emotions common to all of us who struggle.
Here, you will find no tales of instant deliverance, miraculous cures, or dramatic victories. Instead, these pages contain the stories of ordinary people walking day-by-day through the end-of-the-rope experiences which build faith and bring hope to life.
How can you go on when things are not getting better?
In this book, you will meet real people living with: the tendency to abuse alcohol, the memory of aborting a child, the death of immediate family members, the frustration of deteriorating health, the pain of unexpected divorce, the challenges of raising a child with special needs, the conflicting emotions arising from a mismatched marriage, and more.
Here, you will find no tales of instant deliverance, miraculous cures, or dramatic victories. Instead, these pages contain the stories of ordinary people walking day-by-day through the end-of-the-rope experiences which build faith and bring hope to life.
The purpose of this letter was to correct some false teaching that was infiltrating the church. There was a strain of Jewish legalism with an emphasis on certain foods and the keeping of Jewish holidays. There was also certain Gnostic ideas which would become fully developed in the next century. Some of these teachings claimed to give one a deeper insight into truth, “philosophy.” Matter was inherently evil and God was not the direct Creator. There were intermediate agencies.
Paul urges them to get back to the reality of the greatness of the Person of Christ, His incarnation, and the adequacy of the gospel. Salvation was the work of Christ, not the result of human effort or superior knowledge.
