Category: Uncategorised

DAILY?READINGS: Exodus 39; Psalms 92-93; Acts 23:12-35

 

And the LORD said unto Satan, The LORD rebuke thee, O Satan; Even the LORD that hath chosen Jerusalem rebuke thee: Is not this a brand plucked out of the fire?    Zechariah 3:2

 

Satan is known by many names: the father of lies (John 8:44), the devil (Matt. 4:1 – “Traducer”), the tempter (Matt. 4:3), Satan (Job 1:6 – “adversary”). Revelation 12:10 calls him “the accuser of our brethren,” and in this he still excels. In Zechariah’s day he stood to accuse the sinful high priest. Nevertheless, his accusations were silenced by divine rebuke. The Lord countered that the accused was “a brand plucked out of the fire”—like a stick that was snatched from the flames. Likewise, we are rescued solely by God’s grace.    —Keith Keyser

 

When I beheld my every sin, nailed to the cruel tree,
I felt a flood go through my soul, of grace, enough for me. —E. O Excell

DAILY?READINGS: Exodus 38; Psalms 90-91; Acts 22:22 to 23:11

 

Wherefore, we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved (shaken).    Hebrews 12:28
For here have we no continuing city, but we seek one to come.    Hebrews 13:14

 

Beloved are all your earthly ties, on which you have depended for many years, starting to unravel? This is to be expected for down here we have no permanent dwelling place—it will all pass away one day. But whatever happens, remember Christ bought by His precious blood, a kingdom which can never be shaken. Let us set our hearts and affections upon Him and live in expectation of His soon return.        —David Croudace

 

Rejoice in glorious hope; Jesus the Lord shall come,
And take His servants up, to their eternal home. —Charles Wesley

DAILY?READINGS: Exodus 37; Psalm 89:19-52; Acts 22:1-21

 

Cast the net on the right side of the ship, and ye shall find. As soon then as they were come to land, they saw a fire … and fish laid thereon … Jesus saith unto them, Bring of the fish which ye have now caught.    John 21:6, 9-10

 

As Jesus and His disciples fellowshipped around the fire, sharing the meal of fish and bread, it was evident that Jesus did not need the disciples to bring anything. But because of His love for them and their new relationship as brethren, He asked them to bring of the fish which they had caught. What a privilege to be considered workers together with God.    —D. Pickup

 

In the service of the King, every talent I will bring.
I have peace and joy and blessing, in the service of the King.
—A. A. Ackley

DAILY?READINGS: Exodus 36; Psalm 89:1-18; Acts 21:17-40

 

With good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men.
Ephesians 6:7

 

On March 19, 1813, David Livingstone—missionary, explorer and anti-slavery crusader was born. When he died his body was interred in Westminster Abbey, but his heart was buried under a tree in Zambia, a fit resting place for one who served God so faithfully in Africa. One entry in his journal says, “I place no value on anything I have or may possess, except in relation to the Kingdom of Christ. If anything will advance the interests of the Kingdom, it shall be given away or kept, only as by giving or keeping it shall promote the glory of Him to whom I owe my hopes in time and eternity.”    —Brian Powlesland

No service in itself is small and none great though earth it fill,
But that is small that seeks its own, and great that seeks God’s will.
—Author Unknown

DAILY?READINGS: Exodus 35; Psalms 87-88; Acts 21:1-16

 

Why dost thou shew me iniquity, and cause me to behold grievance?    Habakkuk 1:3

 

Habakkuk was faced with the sins of his people Judah. They burdened him greatly and drove him to wrestle with God in order to understand what He was doing. Perhaps there is something grievous, something unjust, some wrong flourishing in your world that the Lord has brought inescapably before you. Could it be that the Lord wants you to be an intercessor—to identify and agonize over it on your knees? Habakkuk’s answer was not an explanation from God of His methods or reasons, but a revelation of God’s character.    —M. MacMullen

 

All the way my Saviour leads me—what have I to ask beside?
Can I doubt His tender mercy how through life has been my Guide?
—Fanny J. Crosby

DAILY?READINGS: Exodus 34:4-35; Psalms 85-86; Acts 20:17-38

 

Also they saw God, and did eat and drink.    Exodus 24:11b

 

When we come to the Lord’s Supper our desire should be to see Him. Sadly we can come for other reasons. Some see it as a religion. They eat and drink at the Lord’s table (1 Cor. 10:16) and then at the table of demons after that (10:21)! For others it is just a ritual. They do not look for the Lord when they eat and drink at His Supper. It is just routine. The truly spiritually minded come in humility. It is their passion to see and remember their Saviour when they eat and drink (1 Cor. 11:26). Which group do you fit in?    —K. C. Ung

 

And as now I eat and drink,
Let me truly, sweetly think,
Thou didst hang upon the tree,
Broken, bleeding, there—for me. —W. Maxwell

DAILY?READINGS: Exodus 33 to 34:3; Psalms 83-84; Acts 20:1-16

 

Jesus said, I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life.    John 14:6

 

Three essential realities are here brought together in one person—God the Son. He is the right way to go; He is the truth that points the way; and He is the life that is the way. What honest person would not want to know absolute truth, especially in this world of deception? The true way is surely the right way; for truth is the roadmap for life. And the person who does not have divinely given life is headed for disaster. No one can find God the Father, except through this One who is truth, that points the way, to life.    —Doug Kazen

 

Blessed and holy three, glorious Trinity.
Wisdom, love, and might, boundless as oceans tide
Rolling in fullest pride, through the world, far and wide,
Let there be light. —J. Marriott

DAILY?READINGS: Exodus 32; Psalms 81-82; Acts 19:21-41

 

And he went on his journeys from the South even to Bethel, unto the place where his tent had been at the beginning … and there Abram called on the name of the Lord.    Genesis 13:3-4

 

God gave Abram wonderful promises, but when famine came he went down to Egypt (Gen. 12:10). Any road that leads “down” usually spells disaster. In Egypt there was no altar, no worship or fellowship with God. God rescued Abram, but he had to go back to the beginning—to the place of fellowship at Bethel. If we’re not moving forward, we need to stop, take stock and return to where we know we should be. When Abram sought the Lord, God got him moving forward again. He’ll do the same for us if we call out to Him.    —Deborah Manera

 

O God of Bethel, by whose hand Thy people still are fed,
Who through this weary pilgrimage, hast all our fathers led. —P. Doddridge

DAILY?READINGS: Exodus 31; Psalms 79-80; Acts 18:24 to 19:20

 

Watch, therefore; for ye know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of man cometh.    Matthew 25:13

 

A young man was staying in his friends’ house. He wasn’t expecting them to return and decided to leave the work that wasn’t urgent until another day. They came that evening. Another friend of mine does gardening for people who live overseas. He always tries to have their gardens immaculate just in case they come today. Jesus is coming—it could be today. Am I expecting Him? Am I ready to meet Him?
—J. Fleming

 

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! —D. W. Whittle

DAILY?READINGS: Exodus 30:11-38; Psalm 78:32-72; Acts 18:1-23

 

Both I and my father’s house have sinned.    Nehemiah 1:6

 

Have you ever been blamed for something you didn’t do? Probably. Did you like it? Probably not. Nehemiah takes this a step further and willingly assumes the responsibility for something he didn’t do. He shouldered the blame, for the sinful state of the Jewish remnant. There was no “second person – you” or “third person – they” blame here. He rose to the occasion of Israel’s sin and confessed his nation’s error. One of the demands of leadership at any level is to take responsibility for the spiritual state of those you lead. Whether you are a Job (Job 1) or a Joshua (Josh. 7), a mature response to error is to take a “first-person” attitude.    —Norman Craig Funston

 

See if there be some wicked way in me;
Cleanse me from every sin and set me free. —J. E. Orr