Gems for March - wk 4
March 23
"For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance; as ye know what manner of men
we were among you for your sake." (1 Thessalonians 1:5)
When the Word is preached in simplicity and in the energy of the Holy Spirit, those who believe it receive the full assurance of faith. "Ye know what manner of men we were among you for your sake." They were careful to walk before God in holiness of life and in righteousness toward their fellow-men. A holy minister is a tremendous weapon in the hands of God for the pulling down of strongholds of sin. Emerson said of another, "What you are speaks so loudly that I cannot hear what you say." What a pitiable thing if this should ever be true, as, alas, it has often been true of ministers of Christ. Integrity of life, devotedness of heart, holiness of spirit should characterize the proclaimers of the gospel of grace. (H.A. Ironside)
N.J.H. # 3286
March 24
"I said, days should speak, and multitude of years should teach wisdom. But there is a spirit in man: and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding. Great men are not always wise:
neither do the aged understand judgment."
(Job 32:7-9)
Let us judge our own hearts in their deeper workings. Let us review our ways in the light of the divine presence. Let us bring all our work and service and have it weighed in the holy balances of the sanctuary of God. Then shall we discover how much of hateful self is insinuated, like a dark and defiling tissue, into the whole web of our Christian life and service. How, for example, comes it to pass that we are so ready to mount the high horse when self is touched, even in the most remote degree? Why are we so impatient of reproof, be it clothed in language ever so refined and gentle? Why so ready to take offense at the slightest disparagement of self? And, further, why is it that we find our sympathies and our regards and our predilections (preferences) going out, with special energy, after those who think well of us, - who value our ministry, agree with our opinions, and adopt our cue?
We can form a very poor conception indeed of the tiny ray of light by which men had to walk in the days of Job. But to us pertain the high privilege and holy responsibility of walking in the very meridian light of a full-orbed Christianity. Christ has come. He has lived, died, risen, and gone back to heaven. He has sent down the Holy Spirit to dwell in our hearts, as the witness of His glory, the seal of accomplished redemption, and the earnest of the inheritance, until the redemption of the purchased possession.
The canon of Scripture is closed. The circle of revelation is complete. (C.H. Mackintosh - Job and His Friends)
N.J.H. # 3287
March 25
"Making mention of you in my prayers." (Ephesians 1:16)
"We know not what to pray for as we ought." We often do know who to pray for, but through lack of information or detail we cannot formulate specific requests. However, to simply mention the name in prayer is to bring that person, or situation, directly to God's attention and is to activate the divine power. Let us therefore mention one another in prayer and rejoice for the Christian fellowship it manifests. (Roy Hill)
There is a spot where souls unite,
And saint meets saint in heavenly light;
Though sundered far, by faith they meet
Before the common mercy-seat.
(H. Stowell)
N.J.H. # 3288
March 26
"As thy days, so shall thy strength be." (Deuteronomy 33:25)
Give me Thy strength for my day, Lord,
That wheresoe'er I go,
There shall no danger daunt me
And I shall fear no foe;
So shall no task o'ercome me,
So shall not trial fret,
So shall I walk unwearied
The path where my feet are set;
So shall I find no burden
Greater than I can bear,
So shall I have a courage
Equal to all my care;
So shall no grief o'erwhelm me,
So shall no wave o'erflow;
Give me Thy strength for my day, Lord,
Cover my weakness so.
(Annie Johnson FLINT'S Best-Loved Poems)
N.J.H. # 3289
March 27
"Thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea." (Micah 7:19)
An Irish factory girl, Sheila O'Gahagan, became very ill and was advised by her doctor to take a holiday by the sea. Though physically ill, she suffered a deeper sickness in her heart - her sins were not forgiven. One day as she sat reading a Bible and watching the waves break over Giant's Causeway, she read these words in Micah. Later she died, but this poem was found in her desk:
I will cast in the depths of the fathomless sea
All thy sins and transgressions, whatever they be;
Though they mount up to heaven, though they sink down to hell,
They shall sink in the depth, and above them shall swell
All the waves of My mercy, so mighty and free;
I will cast all thy sins in the depths of the sea.
(Adam Ferguson)
N.J.H. # 3290
March 28
"And it came to pass, when the vessels were full, that she said unto her son, Bring me yet a vessel. And he said unto her, There is not a vessel more. And the oil stayed." (2 Kings 4:6)
Happy the person who has an empty vessel and God ever ready to fill. Unhappy they who have no empty vessel. The oil flowed still, when the woman lacked vessels. The Lord sees plenty of empty channels to be filled, and oh, it is a blessed thing to take up all our needs to God, and go before Him as those who know His character as a giver. (Gleanings of G.V. Wigram)
N.J.H. # 3291
March 29
"Slothfulness (laziness) casteth into a deep sleep; and an idle
soul shall suffer hunger." (Proverbs 19:15)
Even before Adam sinned, he had responsibility. He was called to till and keep the garden (Eden), planted exceptionally by Jehovah Elohim with every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. When fallen, as the ground was cursed on his account, he had to eat of it all the days of his life with toil. Thorns and thistles it yielded unbidden, so that man had to eat bread in the sweat of his face all his diminishing life. Slothfulness therefore ill became his position, and all the more when he faced adversity through his own fault. The sun arises, and the wild beasts get away to their dens, but man goeth forth to his work till the evening; and, as he is, it is well ordered for him. But slothfulness traverses all, and casts into a deep sleep while it is day, and pays the penalty. If any will not work, neither let him eat. The idle soul shall suffer hunger. (William Kelly - The Proverbs)
N.J.H. # 3292
March 30
"I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ." (2 Corinthians 11:2)
Paul points to the nuptial day, when the espoused one will be presented as a chaste virgin to Christ. What does he mean by a chaste virgin? It is one who is true, about whom a breath of reproach could not have been; so he warns them: "I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ." (2 Corinthians 11:3)We need more of the simplicity, the simplicity that is in Christ. Let our souls awake! Let us say before Him, He is everything to me, and I am everything to Him. (W.T.P. Wolston)
N.J.H. # 3293
Paul points to the nuptial day, when the espoused one will be presented as a chaste virgin to Christ. What does he mean by a chaste virgin? It is one who is true, about whom a breath of reproach could not have been; so he warns them: "I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ." (2 Corinthians 11:3)We need more of the simplicity, the simplicity that is in Christ. Let our souls awake! Let us say before Him, He is everything to me, and I am everything to Him. (W.T.P. Wolston)
N.J.H. # 3293
March 31
"Behold and see if there be any sorrow like unto my sorrow."
(Lamentation 1:12)
As Jesus looked ahead to the cross, He saw the terrible suffering He would endure in dying for our sin. It was more intense than anything known to man. We should never think about Gethsemane and Golgotha without contemplating the infinite cost of our redemption.
G. Campbell Morgan told of a miner who came to him at the close of one of his services and said, "I'd give anything to believe that God would forgive my sins. But I just can't accept the idea that all I have to do is trust Him. It's too cheap." Morgan looked at him, "My dear friend, have you been working today?" "Yes, I was down in the pit." "Did you pay to get back out?" "Of course not!" the miner replied. "It didn't cost me anything. I just got in the cage and was pulled to the top." "But weren't you afraid to trust yourself to that cage? Wasn't it too cheap?" "Oh, no," he said. "The ride was free, but the company paid a lot of money to sink the shaft and make it safe." Suddenly the truth broke in upon the miner's soul. He saw that salvation was free. But he also realized that it had cost God a tremendous price to come down from Heaven and rescue fallen man.
In Luke 22 we are allowed a faint glimpse of the agony of soul that must have swept over our blessed Lord as we see Him praying in Gethsemane. The songwriter described it in this manner: "Whatever curse was mine He bore,/ The wormwood and the gall;/ There in that lone, mysterious hour,/ My cup - He drained it all!" Today, pause to remember that your salvation so freely offered by God was purchased at infinite cost. (P.R.V. - April 1979)
Nor silver nor gold hath obtained my redemption,
The holy commandment forbade me draw near;
The blood of the cross is my only foundation,
The death of my Saviour removeth my fear.
(James M. Gray)
Salvation is free - because God paid an enormous price for it.
N.J.H. # 3294
As Jesus looked ahead to the cross, He saw the terrible suffering He would endure in dying for our sin. It was more intense than anything known to man. We should never think about Gethsemane and Golgotha without contemplating the infinite cost of our redemption.
G. Campbell Morgan told of a miner who came to him at the close of one of his services and said, "I'd give anything to believe that God would forgive my sins. But I just can't accept the idea that all I have to do is trust Him. It's too cheap." Morgan looked at him, "My dear friend, have you been working today?" "Yes, I was down in the pit." "Did you pay to get back out?" "Of course not!" the miner replied. "It didn't cost me anything. I just got in the cage and was pulled to the top." "But weren't you afraid to trust yourself to that cage? Wasn't it too cheap?" "Oh, no," he said. "The ride was free, but the company paid a lot of money to sink the shaft and make it safe." Suddenly the truth broke in upon the miner's soul. He saw that salvation was free. But he also realized that it had cost God a tremendous price to come down from Heaven and rescue fallen man.
In Luke 22 we are allowed a faint glimpse of the agony of soul that must have swept over our blessed Lord as we see Him praying in Gethsemane. The songwriter described it in this manner: "Whatever curse was mine He bore,/ The wormwood and the gall;/ There in that lone, mysterious hour,/ My cup - He drained it all!" Today, pause to remember that your salvation so freely offered by God was purchased at infinite cost. (P.R.V. - April 1979)
Nor silver nor gold hath obtained my redemption,
The holy commandment forbade me draw near;
The blood of the cross is my only foundation,
The death of my Saviour removeth my fear.
(James M. Gray)
Salvation is free - because God paid an enormous price for it.
N.J.H. # 3294
