Bible Gems

Sep 2, 2008 at 15:53 o\clock

Bible gem

by: soundwords

"What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?  If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, and one of you say unto them, depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit? Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.  Yea a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: show me thy faith without thy works, and I will show thee my faith by my works."  (James 2:14-18)  
 
    A rich farmer, during his prayer at family worship one day, petitioned God long and earnestly that help for their bodily needs might be sent to a poor family living nearby.  His small son was observed to be in deep thought afterwards, and at last he ran to his father with a bright face. "Daddy," said the child, "you can answer your prayer for the poor Smiths, yourself, can't you?"  That is a modern interpretation and a very pungent application of the great passage quoted above.  "My little children," says the loving-hearted John, "Let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth." (1 John 3:18).  From this we learn that emotional fervour and eloquent  expressions are of little value; but, that practical deeds are of vital importance.  (Henry Durbanville - Winsome Christianity)
 
N.J. Hiebert # 3452

Sep 2, 2008 at 00:04 o\clock

Gems for the Week

by: soundwords

August 29

 

"And the Lord called Samuel again the third time.  And he arose and went to Eli, and said, here am I; for thou didst call me.  And Eli perceived that
the Lord had called the child.  Therefore Eli said unto Samuel,
Go, lie down:  and it shall be, if He call thee, that thou shalt
say, Speak, Lord; for thy servant heareth." 
(1 Samuel 3:8,9)
 
    Sometimes a person, especially a younger person, brings a problem to someone that they can reply upon, and a true friend will be able to see their viewpoint and, without rebuking, unless it was necessary.  I believe that this is quite often the case, that one who wants to be a help, especially to younger ones, that they try to see their viewpoint, because if you are judging from your own viewpoint, you are not helping them at all.
    You may have to bring the truth before them in a way that is necessary, but its necessary that you try to see the problem that they have, and that's real true friendship.  (From a note from Clarence Lunden - October 1980)
 
N.J. Hiebert # 3446

August 30

"For thus saith the LORD God of Israel, the barrel of meal shall not waste,
neither shall the cruse of oil fail, until the day that the LORD sendeth
rain upon the earth."  (1 Kings 17:14)
 
The weather always interests us, particularly the farmer whose livelihood depends on it.  It is easy to become distressed and worry about "too little rain" or "too much rain."  The Bible tells us that "rain control" for the earth is God's jurisdiction and God doeth all things well.  The Divine Creator and Sustainer of all things is in control.  Let's be thankful for every drop that comes down from above and bless Him for the weather today.  (Sam Thorpe) 
 
This is the day the Lord hath made; He calls the hours His own;
Let heaven rejoice, let earth be glad, and praise surround the throne.
(Isaac Watts)
 
N.J. Hiebert # 3447

August 31

 

"Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God,
the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither
is weary? there is no searching of His understanding."
(Isaiah 40:28)
 
    Philosophers have descanted (to discourse at length) on the immeasurable greatness of God, and on the infinitesimal littleness of man; and have scorned the idea that friendship or fellowship can exist between the two.  But in the book of God, where alone we can learn anything about these matters, we are told that:
 
- He Who telleth the number of the stars, healeth the broken in heart (Psalm 147:3,4);
- He Who has measured the waters in the hollow of His hand and weighs the mountains in scales, feeds His flock like a shepherd and gathers the lambs in His arm (Isaiah 40:11); 
- The One Who brought the universe into being, and Who guides the planets in their lonely way, is touched with the feeling of our infirmities and comforts those that mourn (Hebrews 1:2,3; 4:15; Isaiah 61:2). 
 
    His hand is as manifest:
- In the feathers of a butterfly's wing,
- In the eye of an insect,
- In the folding and packing of a blossom,
- In curious aqueducts by which a leaf is nourished, 
    As in the creation of a world and in the laws by which the planets move.  (George Henderson - Heaven's Cure for Earth's Care)   
 
N.J. Hiebert # 3448

September 1

In My Father's House are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you.
I go to prepare a place for you.  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 14:2,3)
 
Have you ever thought of being in the
domestic atmosphere of the Father's house -
To be the companion of Jesus,
To be loved of the Father and
To have the Holy Spirit
Fill your heart
With the love of Christ?
We will live in the very home
That Jesus has lived in
For the past eternity.
. . .
 
In this world the bride discovers
The elements of the heavenly glory
In which she will soon participate.
(C.E. Lunden)
 
N.J. Hiebert # 3449

September 2

The Lord's Exchanges
 
"The Lord hath sent me . . . to give . . . beauty for ashes,
the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for
the spirit of heaviness."  (Isaiah 61:1,3) 
 
We cannot buy God's treasures
Our poverty to bless,
But Christ exchangeth with us
And giveth more for less;
The oil of joy for mourning
And praise for heaviness,
More grace for little thorn pricks,
Much fruit for purging light,
For earth's brief tribulation
Eternal glory bright.
 
So when affliction's furnace,
Is heated sevenfold,
Grieve not because its burning
Leaves ashes gray and cold;
Why shouldest thou shrink from trials
That bring such wealth untold?
When mirrored in thy spirit
His lovely face shall be,
His beauty for thine ashes
The Lord will give to thee.
(ANNIE JOHNSON FLINT)
 
N.J. Hiebert - 3450

September 3

 

"O fools and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken:
Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into
His glory? And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, He
expounded unto them in all the Scriptures the things
concerning Himself." (Luke 24:25-27)   
 
    How patient God is!  How considerate!  Do you remember what the Lord said to the two doubting disciples as they took that never-to-be-forgotten journey to Emmaus?  They were dubious of His divine mission.  They did not know of His resurrection, and their eyes were holden as He walked by their side.  He said,
"O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken."  
    It is a very big thing indeed that we are called upon to believe in the Scriptures.
- The record is inspired. 
- Jesus is the Son of God; who became Man.
- He died on the cross to be the world's Redeemer. 
- He is risen from the dead.
- He is ascended to glory.
- He is coming again to reign over the earth.
 
    I am profoundly thankful for the patience of God in teaching us these wonderful things.  For about four thousand years He was patiently preparing the minds of men to receive the revelation of Himself in Christ, and the necessity and meaning of Christ's sacrificial death on the cross of Calvary.  (A.J. Pollock - Why I Believe the Bible)  
 
N.J. Hiebert # 3451

Aug 26, 2008 at 02:06 o\clock

Gems for the Week

by: soundwords

August 26

"And He said, Abba Father, all things are possible unto Thee; take away this cup from Me: nevertheless not what I will, but what Thou wilt."  (Mark 14:36)  
"The cup which My Father hath given Me, shall I not drink it?"  (John 18:11)
You know how the four Gospels tell the story of Gethsemane.  Each is a little different, but all are true.  They fit into one another and make a picture that, if you ever have to suffer, will mean everything to you.  I will take words from only two gospels (Noted above).
    You will have no peace until you pass from those first words to the second.  But this may not come in a day.  Be patient.  He who prayed in an agony that the cup might be removed will be patient with you, for He understands just what you are feeling.  Yet He will not rest until He brings you to the place where He stood when He said, "The cup which My Father has given Me, shall I not drink it?"
    I find much comfort in Psalm 138:3, "In the day when I cried Thou answeredst me, and stengthenedst me with strength in my soul."  "In the day that I cried": that does not mean the day after, or an hour or two, or even a minute after, but that very day, that very hour, that very minute.  God hears us the moment we cry and strengthens us with the only kind of strength that is of any use at all.  (Amy Carmichael - Candles in the Dark)

N.J. Hiebert # 3443  

August 27

"Now unto Him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us."  (Ephesians 3:20)
 
I doubt whether many know the sweetness of going into the presence of God as a channel or pipe to be filled in order to bring out what is wanted for others - saying, "I have got the ear and heart of Christ."  He let the apostle Paul pour out all his thoughts and met them with His grace, far above all that He was asked.  Blessing is not measured merely by the wants of the individual, but by all that is in the heart of God towards those who are in Christ.  (Gleanings of G.V. Wigram) 
 
N.J. Hiebert # 3444

August 28

"Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself.  Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof."
(Matthew 6:34)
    I recently saw a clever acrostic for the word "FEAR": False Evidence Appearing Real.
    Are you frightening yourself based on false evidence that is appearing real?  Fear in our lives will never change if we look solely toward man-made remedies, a starting point that can never lavish serenity on our hearts.  A secular (pertaining to this world) solution alone can neither give the security that God can give, nor can it even define the evil within the human heart that only God can cure.  As we acknowledge the true evidence of evil in our hearts, let us also allow God to sanctify us from it daily through the power of the Holy Spirit. 
    If you worry constantly due to ungodly fear, take a moment to meditate on these sweet words of Christ:  (Matthew 6:25-34)  (Selected)  
N.J. Hiebert # 3445

Aug 23, 2008 at 21:57 o\clock

Gems for the Week

by: soundwords

August 24

"When I see the blood, I will pass over you."  (Exodus 12:13)
    The Israelite was saved by blood alone, and not by his thoughts about it.  His thoughts might be deep or they might be shallow; but, deep or shallow, they had nothing to do with his safety; he was not saved by his thoughts or feelings, but only by the blood.  God did not say, "When you see the blood, I will pass over you."  No; but, "When I see. . . . "  What gave an Israelite peace was the fact that Jehovah's eye rested on the blood.  God saw it, and that was quite enough.
    The application of this to the question of a sinner's peace is very plain.  Christ's blood has been shed as a perfect atonement for sin, and God's testimony assures the believer that everything is settled  on his behalf.  All the claims of justice have been fully answered, and the full tide of redeeming love rolls down from the heart of God along the channels which the sacrifice of Christ has opened for it.
    To this truth the Holy Spirit bears witness.  He ever sets forth the fact of God's estimate of the blood of Christ.  He points the sinner's eye to the accomplished work of the cross.  He declares that all is done; that sin has been put far away and righteousness brought nigh - so nigh that it is to all them that believe.  Believe what?  Believe what God says because He says it, not because they feel it.  (C.H. Mackintosh)    
N.J. Hiebert # 3441   

August 25

"Thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God."  (Acts 5:4)
    One sunny day, four high school boys couldn't resist the temptation to skip classes.  The next morning they explained to their teacher that thy had missed her class because their car had a flat tire.  To their relief, she smiled and said, "Well, you missed a quiz yesterday."  But then she added, "Take your seats and get out a pencil and paper.  The first question is: Which tire was flat?"
    No one gets away with lying.  In Acts 5, Ananias and Sapphira thought they were lying only to Peter and the other believers.  But the apostle said to them, "You have not lied to men but to God" (v.4).
    Truth is one of the attributes of God.  So when we tell a lie, we offend Him.  And sooner or later He will uncover every falsehood - if not in this life, then at the final judgment, when we each give an account of ourselves to God (Romans 14:10-12).
    We live in a highly competitive world, and sometimes we may be strongly tempted to shade the truth to get ahead.  But the short-term gains from lying are worth little compared with the long-term benefits of telling the truth.
    If you have deceived someone, confess it to that person and to the Lord.  It may be humbling, but it's the first step to restoring integrity in your life.  (Dennis De Haan)
The road that leads to misery
Is caused by a tongue that wags;
Beware of lying lips, my friend,
And a mouth that boasts and brags. 
(Shade)  
If you always tell the truth, you will never be trapped in a lie.
Our Daily Bread, RBC Ministries, Copyright (2006), Grand Rapids, Mi, Reprinted permission.
N.J. Hiebert # 3442

Aug 21, 2008 at 20:03 o\clock

Gems for the Week

by: soundwords

August 22

"Dead flies cause the ointment of the apothecary to send forth a stinking savour." 
(Ecclesiastes 10:1)
This earth could be a wonderful place for those who have plenty of money, if it were not for the flies of death in, ". . . the apothecary's ointment."  So-called "Death Valley Scotty" lived out there in comparative luxury for years, but the one thing that ruined his outlook was the fact of death at the end of the road.  His valley was well named, "Death Valley."  Another man, Mr. Randolph Hearst, built himself a palace in California.  He spent a million dollars a year in entertainment (1961), but was always embarrassed at the thought that at the end of his good time was death.  He was offended if anyone mentioned that word "death" in his hearing.  His close friends knew this and avoided the dreaded word.  It was the end of the way that troubled him.  I believe he had a fifty thousand dollar funeral (1961); but, you know, that only took him to a hole in the ground, or perhaps a crypt  in a mausoleum; money cannot carry beyond death.  (Taken from a talk by C.H. Brown - 1961)  
(Will be continued in tomorrow's "Gems From My Reading" (# 3440)
N.J. Hiebert # 3439

August 23

"And a certain ruler asked Him (Jesus), Good Master, what shall
I do to inherit eternal life?"  (Luke 18:18)
"Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money;
come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money
and without price."  (Isaiah 55:1)
    The ruler came to the right Person, but he did not couch his question intelligently. There is a measure of self-confidence in that question.  "What shall I DO?" This is innate in the human heart.  And all religions of which man boasts are built upon that concept: "What shall I DO?"  The thought that a salvation has been purchased and is offered on the terms of doing nothing, never seems to enter the heart of men.  That is the reason that the plan of salvation as we find it in Scripture did not have its origin in this earth; it came from heaven.  Man knows practically nothing of grace.  It is not of works.  It has its origin in the great heart of God, coming to man, not with a demand, but with an offer.  God comes out with both hands full.  He offers to man the best He has.  He says, "Come. . ." (Isaiah 55:1).  Yes, the wine of the joy of salvation is offered FREE.
    Come and get it from a giving God, who is anxious to bless.  How few there are who accept the offer!  It is the old story of the fisherman trying to give away herring fish on London Bridge.  "Herrings for nothing." but he could get no takers.  Everybody thought they were soiled or that something was wrong with them.  Herrings at a bargain, a dozen for a penny, that would be all right; but, herrings for nothing, no!  God has come out in grace and is offering man salvation.  (Taken from a talk by C.H. Brown)       
N.J. Hiebert # 3440

Aug 20, 2008 at 02:06 o\clock

Gems for the Week

by: soundwords

August 19

"Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall
on the ground without your Father.  But the very hairs of your head
are all numbered.  Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more
value than many sparrows." 
(Matthew 10:29-31) 
    "Two sparrows sold for a farthing."  A farthing was an infinitesimal coin; yet two sparrows, dressed and spitted, were sold in the markets for this amount.  They were used as food by the poorest of the people.  Nevertheless, God took note of every sparrow's fall.
    "The very hairs of your head are all numbered."  Nothing is too insignificant for God to note, and His care extends to the minutest detail of our lives.
    "Of more value than many sparrows."  God cares for all His creatures, but man has a special place in His heart, and is valued above all other animate beings.  (Harry A. Ironside - Notes on Matthew) 
N.J. Hiebert # 3436

August 20

"But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ." 
(2 Peter 3:18) 
    It is said that there was a little boy who was constantly falling out of bed.  No matter what the parents did, the boy could not sleep without rolling out of bed.  Finally one night an uncle came to stay in the house, and in the middle of the night there was the usual thump and cry and Johnnie was on the floor again.  In the morning the uncle teased him about it, and asked him how it happened that he was so frequently falling.  The little boy thought a moment and then replied: "I don't know, Uncle, unless it is that "I stay too close to the place where I get in."
    When you have believed in Christ, saturate yourself with this Book - the Bible.  See that your children and those committed to your teaching get thoroughly saturated with the Scriptures.  It is their armour plate for life. 
(Donald Grey Barnhouse - Happy Though Poor)
N.J. Hiebert # 3437

August 21

"Go to now, ye that say, today or tomorrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain: whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow."  (James 4:13,14) 
It ill becomes the saints of God to boast of what they will do tomorrow, next month, or next year.  We do not know what tomorrow will bring; but we know Him who knows and controls all the tomorrows, and we can without fear leave the future in His hands.  (Selected) 
N.J. Hiebert # 3438

Aug 16, 2008 at 17:05 o\clock

Gems for the Week

by: soundwords

August 17

"Because thou hast kept the word of My patience, I also will keep thee from
the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try
them that dwell upon the earth."  (Revelation 3:10) 
"God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints, and to be had in
reverence of all them that are about Him." 
(Psalm 89:7)
(IS NOT THAT A WORD TO THE HEART AND CONSCIENCE OF ALL THOSE THAT THAT LOVE THE BLESSED LORD!)
You know this is a day of lawlessness, and increasing lawlessness - a day of disregard of all authority, and all source of authority.  It is just the forerunner of what is coming, and coming in a dreadful form, when a vast part of this world will be under the dominion of a man who knows no will but his own; he will do according to his will; he will exalt himself above all that is called God - that is what is developing.  But in spite of all this sad failure of the world, God will be God; and we learn from His Word that those conditions shall not be in full until He allows them, and that lawless one is revealed.  And these conditions are developing.  In a certain place where I was recently I witnessed an incident that reminded me of the way these things will be fulfilled - the wife had prepared in a stove everything for a fire, so that when a fire was wanted she had but to put a match to it.  God is preparing the fire; but He will never put a match to it while His beloved people are here. (Christian Truth - Vol. 23 - November 1970)  
N.J. Hiebert # 3434  

August 18

"In the day of adversity, CONSIDER."  (Ecclesiastes 7:14)
 
- Instead of grumbling because you don't get what you want, be thankful you don't get what you deserve.
- When others think of you, do they think of Christ?
- To conquer your fears, surrender them to the Lord.
- It is difficult to stand on a pedestal and wash the feet of those below.
- The cross of Christ - the crossroads to heaven or hell.
- Fruitful service grows in the soil of faithful worship.
(Submitted by a reader - R.K. - Some Thoughts to Consider)
 
N.J. Hiebert # 3435

Aug 14, 2008 at 19:17 o\clock

Gems for the Week

by: soundwords

August 14

"For I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that He shall stand at the latter day
upon the earth.  And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet
in my flesh shall I see God."  (Job 19:25-26)
Job was devastated.  He had lost all his children and his earthly possessions.  His health was gone, and he sat covered in boils from head to foot.  His wife told him to "curse God and die!"  Job's salvation was to see beyond this life, to lay hold on eternity.  By faith he affirmed, "I know that my Redeemer lives.  I shall see God."  Being sure of a wonderful future kept him from sin and suicide.  Are you discouraged today?  Take Job's view.  Every believer in Christ has a similar hope.  One day you too will see Him.  (David Croudace)   
N.J. Hiebert # 3431

August 15

"Preach the Word; be instant (prepared) in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.  For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; and they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables."  (2 Timothy 4:2-4)  
Note the emphasis put upon teaching sound doctrine.  Some people say, "I am not interested in doctrine; I like practical preaching, not doctrine."  But we need to know the great truths of Scripture in order that we may learn how to behave in accordance with the revelation God has given.  Sincerity of purpose is not enough.  We are to be sanctified by the truth.  David prayed, "Order my steps in Thy Word."  (Psalm 119:133)  We must know the Word in order that our lives may be as God would have them.  The servant of Christ is therefore responsible to give out sound teaching.  (H.A. Ironside)
N.J. Hiebert # 3432

August 16

"And the Spirit and the bride say, Come.  And let him that heareth say, Come."
(Revelation 22:17)
What hinders them from thus responding to our Lord? 
- Is it from bad teaching, a lack of spiritual instruction on the subject? 
- Is it worldliness of spirit? for eating and drinking with the drunken is associated in scripture with the unholy sentiment, "My Lord delayeth His coming." 
- Is it carnal-mindedness? allowing fleshly lusts and tempers to grieve and quench the Spirit of God, and thus hinder His teaching.  It may be that malice, guile, hypocrisy, and evil speakings, are not laid aside (for they are natural to us all), and spiritual desires and growth are checked, and thus hinder the cry in the soul, of  COME, LORD JESUS! 
- Is it the habit of carelessness and insubjection to Christ, not keeping His words? for the Church is supposed in Scripture to be subject unto Christ; and those true to Him, who keep His words, sayings, and commandments, are promised the enjoyment of sweet manifestations of Christ, and abiding fellowship with the Father and the Son. 
    Whatever it be that hinders the soul from truly giving utterance to the cry of "Come, Lord Jesus," it should be detected and judged; for the inspired declaration is, "Let him that heareth say, COME."   (H.H. Snell - Notes on the Revelation)
N.J. Hiebert # 3433

Aug 1, 2008 at 20:18 o\clock

Gems for the Week

by: soundwords

Aug 11

"Yea the stork in the heaven knoweth her appointed times; and the turtle (dove) and the crane and the swallow observe the time of their coming; but My peopleknow not the judgment of the Lord.  How do ye say, we are wise, and the law of the Lord is with us? Lo, certainly in vain made He it; the pen of the scribes is in vain. The wise men are ashamed, they are dismayed and taken: lo, they have rejected the word of the Lord; and what wisdom is in them."  (Jeremiah 8:7-9)   
Would you for a moment say that the instinct of a bird is more sure than the words of the Saviour?  As this world's winter approaches, let us then dwell on the words of Jesus.  He cannot fail to fulfill His promise.  We may not know where the swallows go; but Jesus says to us, "In My Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you.  I go to prepare a place for you.  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 14:2,3)  Would you say, Yes; Jesus says so, but our educated wise teachers do not say so?  Remember the word, "They have rejected the word of the Lord; and what wisdom is in them?"  (Charles Stanley - 1800)
N.J. Hiebert # 3428

Aug 12

"For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against
powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual
wickedness in high places." (Ephesians 6:12)
    We have three great enemies ever seeking to overcome us: the world, the flesh, and the devil.  And in proportion as we give place to any of these, we depart from God.  These three we find in Peter's case in Luke 22. 
In verse 45 & 50 he is led away by the flesh:
1. In sleeping when he should have watched,
2  In striking when he should not have resisted.
In Verses 54 & 55 he is led astray by the fear of the world: 
1. In straying far from Christ's side; 
2. In fellowship with His enemies. 
And, last, in verses 57, 58, and 60, he is thrice led astray by the devil: to deny Christ, to swear, and to deny Him again.
    One might, indeed, say such a course is foreshadowed in Psalm 1:1. 
1. "The counsel of the ungodly", the dictates of fleshly reason, led to the smiting with the sword  (Luke 22:50);
2. "Standing in the way of sinners"  is illustrated by standing and warming himself; (Mark 14:67)
3. "Sitting in the seat of the scornful" is found in Luke 22: 55.  "Peter sat down among them."  (A.T. Scofield)   
N.J. Hiebert # 3429

Aug 13

"And she (Anna) coming in that instant gave thanks likewise unto the Lord and spake of Him to all them that looked for redemption."
(Luke 2:38)
"For mine (Simeon) eyes have seen Thy salvation."
(Luke 2:30)
Like Anna, let us continue to delight to speak of Christ to all those who are looking for Him to come; and like Simeon, let us be glad for Christ to come, for the joy of being with Him.  May we ponder in our hearts the things concerning Christ, and seek to carry out in our daily walk the teachings of the sacred Scriptures, which through grace we have been taught to love and revere, because they testify of Christ.  The test of our love to Him is keeping His words and obeying them. (John 14:15,23,24).  (W.E.S. - Christian Truth - Vol. 23 - October 1970)   
N.J. Hiebert # 3430

Jul 29, 2008 at 19:27 o\clock

Gems for the Week

by: soundwords

August 9

". . . receive him as myself.  If he hath wronged thee, or oweth thee ought, put that on mine account ."  (Philemon 17,18)
    It doesn't make any difference what our past has been, if the grace of God comes into our lives, all the privileges that belong to any children of God lie before us.  We can appropriate them.  Don't be discouraged by thinking how bad you have been.  Onesimus certainly had a bad name.  Probably they said some very harsh things about him where he came from, but here the Spirit of God is pleased to record, "Onesimus, a faithful and beloved brother." (Colossians 4:9)  His name means "profitable." 
    He certainly had not lived up to his name in the early part of his life.  He had been unprofitable.  He had been a liability to his master (Philemon).  Now he goes back - no longer unprofitable, but profitable.  I wonder how the Lord would write you up - as profitable, or unprofitable?  In one sense we are all unprofitable servants, but we want to distinguish between things that differ.  That doesn't mean that we are to slump down, fold our hands, and say, "I am an unprofitable servant," and stay still.  That scripture does not mean that we should not have an earnest desire that we might be enabled to do something to please the Lord, something that He can own as for Himself.  (From an address by C.H. Brown)     
N.J. Hiebert # 3426

August 10

"In the beginning God, created the heaven and the earth." 
(Genesis 1:1)
    The mind of man cannot conceive of anything in existence that has not had a maker - such a thing would be unthinkable.  There must be a cause for every effect.  I ask, Who made that table?  You reply, the carpenter.  Then I asked, who made the carpenter?   Somebody must have made him; and so you get back to the first original cause, and that is GOD.  Hence the first of Genesis opens, sublime in its grandeur and simplicity - "In the beginning God."  This commends itself to every man's reason; he knows there must be a God.  Yet no uninspired man would have written that first chapter of Genesis as it stands.
    What gropings in the dark have we in the philosophy of the ancients, and the scientific hypotheses of moderns!  What voluminous treatises on cosmogony (theory of creation)!  What changing theories as fresh light breaks in exposing the fallacy of earlier conclusions!  
    But God's Word never changes.  Though not intended as a handbook of science, it nevertheless alludes to scientific subjects, and in a miraculous manner is always right.  Take such a chapter as Genesis 1, written between three and four thousand years ago, at a time when the science of geology was unknown, treating of a vast subject, the creation, and doing so in the briefest manner possible, yet invariably correct - how could this be accounted for apart from inspiration?  (A.H. Barry)  
N.J. Hiebert # 3427

Jul 27, 2008 at 19:41 o\clock

Gems for the Week

by: soundwords

August 6

"If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above,
where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God." 
(Colossians 3:1)
We have been taken up from the depths of our ruin, and set among the princes of God's people.  Should we not, therefore, love our Master? should we not desire to see His face? should we not regulate our present conduct by constant reference to Him?  Would that we were more like Mephibosheth (2 Samuel 19:24,30).  But we are all too well disposed to minister to our odious (old)  nature - too ready to walk in the unchecked enjoyment of the things of this life - its riches, its honours, its comforts, its refinements, its elegancies, and the more so because we imagine we can do all these things without losing our enjoyment of the name and privileges of Christians.  Vain, detestable selfishness!  Selfishness, which shall be put to the blush in the day of Christ's appearing (1 Corinthians 3:13-15).  (C.H. Macintosh - The Life and Times of David - The Conspiracy)     
N.J. Hiebert # 3423

August 7
"A woman which had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bowed together,
and could in no wise lift up herself."  (Luke 13:11)
This woman's testimony would focus on three things: one, she had a definite need; two, she had had this need for a long time; and three, she wanted this need taken care of.  She was ready for the touch of the Lord!  No doubt she had lost all sorts of opportunities - marriage, employment, a social life - but she remained diligent in her search for help.  The seeking Saviour and the seeking sinner will always meet!  Friend, you have a definite need.  Perhaps you have been in your sins for a long time; and while things may seem hopeless, the Saviour is waiting to save you right now.  (Craig Funston)
N.J. Hiebert # 3424

August 8

"Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.  Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press towards the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus." 
(Philippians 3:12-14)   
    When I first went to a large boys' school, it was Easter time, and in a few weeks they held the annual school races and other athletic sports.  The various events were listed, and the boys invited to enter their names for the races on which they wished to take part.  The prizes were also put on view: they fairly took away my breath: never had I seen such a collection of beautiful silver cups and trophies.  I was only just twelve, and most of the boys were older, so I knew I had not much chance: but there was one little silver cup*** for the Hundred Yard Dash, for boys of twelve and under: and, Oh, how I longed for that cup!  I had not already obtained it, but I could train and practice for that race, and then, so run that I might obtain!  And I often went and looked at the little cup, and that stirred me to more earnest efforts.    
    I think that is something the way the dear Apostle felt, as he gazed on Christ, and all the treasures found in Him.  But then Paul was still running the race, and the prize does not come until the race is finished: so I think that is what he means when he says:  "Not that I have already obtained, or am already perfected; but I press on, or, - I am pressing on!"
"I did not win that beautiful little silver cup." ***
(G Christopher Willis)
N.J. Hiebert # 3425

Jul 23, 2008 at 19:48 o\clock

Gems for the Week

by: soundwords

August 3

"Believe ye that I am able to do this?"  (Matthew 9:28)

God deals with impossibilities.  It is never too late for Him to do so, when the impossible is brought to Him, in full faith, by the one in whose life and circumstances the impossible must be accomplished if God is to be glorified.  If in our own life there have been rebellion, unbelief, sin, and disaster, it is never too late for God to deal triumphantly with these tragic facts if brought to Him in full surrender and trust.  It has often been said, and with truth, that Christianity is the only religion that can deal with man's past.  God can "restore . . . the years that the locust hath eaten"  (Joel 2:25); and He will do this when we put the whole situation and ourselves unreservedly and believingly into His hands.  Not because of what we are but because of what He is.  God forgives and heals and restores.  He is "the God of all grace."  Let us praise Him and trust Him.  (Sunday School Times)  
N.J. Hiebert # 3420

August 4

"They profess that they know God; but in works they deny Him, being
abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate."
(Titus 1:16) 
Christianity in the practical sense works outwardly from within: unless the soul be purified in obeying the truth, as with all that believe, there is neither the Father's name hallowed, nor sin truly judged, nor unfeigned love of the brethren.  Neither can there be the worship of God in spirit and truth, any more than drawing near to the Father.  All must be superficial and of the natural man.  There can be nothing divine till one is born of the Spirit; whereas the gospel carries the soul, in the sense of God's favour in Christ, far beyond into peace, liberty, and power.  For Christ is not only life but the deliverer in the fullest sense, as He is the revealed object before the soul from first to last.  (William Kelly -  The Epistle of Paul to Titus)  
N.J. Hiebert # 3421
August 5
"In the beginning God."  (Genesis 1:1)
1. The Bible begins with God: "In the beginning God."  Indeed, these few words constitute the key, not only to the Bible, but to all created things.
2. The Bible ends with man - the last of all God's creations:  "The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all." (Revelation 22:21)
3. But the Bible is a message from God to man, and its object is to bring man to God.  Hence, although the division into verses was not of Divine origin, it is, nevertheless, interesting to note that the verse which stands exactly in the middle of our Bible - Psalm 118:8, "It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man" contains the essence of all Bible teaching, as it brings man to God, by calling him to renounce all earthly confidence and "to trust in the Lord."   
    Again, at the beginning of the Bible, we have man's first recorded words addressed to his Maker - "I was afraid . . . and I hid myself" (Genesis 3:10).  Here is man's attitude, as the result of sin.
    At the end of the Bible, we have man's last recorded words addressed to the same Lord: - "Even so, come, Lord Jesus." (Revelation 22:20)  Here is man, restored  by grace, longing for the presence of Him, from whom he once fled and hid!  (Sidney Collett - All About the Bible)
N.J. Hiebert # 3422

Jul 21, 2008 at 18:41 o\clock

Gems for the Week

by: soundwords

August 1

"God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."  (Romans 5:8) 
    A young man, the son of a wealthy Christian gentleman, had become wayward and extravagant in his habits.  Finally, after quarreling with his father because he refused him the money he demanded, he left home in anger, and gave himself to a reckless life.  For a long time he continued an abandoned wanderer, eventually finding himself in financial straits.  Being brought to the verge of desperation, he determined to break into his father's house in the absence of the family, thinking that he could find means to relieve his necessity.
    He succeeded in entering the house and breaking open the safe.  He searched among some valuable papers and found his father's will.  With curious eye he began reading it, and to his utter astonishment he found his name among the heirs, and a large bequest set against it.  At first he could hardly believe his eyes.  The father with whom he had quarreled, against whom he had cherished such bitterness and hatred, loved him still!
    "Can it be that in spite of all the dishonour I have brought upon him, he is still ready to treat me as a son?"  And such was the effect of these thoughts, that it was the means of binging him to repentance and reconciliation with his father.
    There are many whose thoughts of God have been just the same.  But oh, if only you knew that He is longing to embrace you, and to cleanse you, and to assure you of full and free forgiveness of ALL your sins and to tell you of the inheritance which is waiting for you in heaven.  (Selected)   
N.J. Hiebert # 3418

August 2

"But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ." (Philippians 3:7)
When they buried the blind preacher, George Matheson, they lined his grave with red roses in memory of his love-life of sacrifice.  And it was this man, so beautifully and significantly honoured, who wrote,
"O love that will not let me go,
I rest my weary soul in Thee,
I give Thee back the life I owe,
That in thine ocean depths its flow
May richer, fuller be."
"O Light that followest all my way,
I yield my flickering torch to Thee,
My heart restores its borrowed ray,
That in Thy sunshine's blaze its day
May brighter, fairer be."
"O joy that seekest me through pain,
I cannot close my heart to Thee,
I trace the rainbow through the rain,
And know the promise is not vain,
That morn shall tearless be."
 "O cross that liftest up my head,
I dare not ask to fly from Thee,
I lay in dust life's glory dead,
And from the ground there blossoms red,
Life that shall endless be."
N.J. Hiebert # 3419

Jul 19, 2008 at 16:13 o\clock

Gems for the Week

by: soundwords

July 29 

"Then said these men, We shall not find any occasion against this Daniel, except we find it against him concerning the law of his God." (Daniel 6:5)     

What a testimony from his bitterest enemies!  Would that it could be said of all of us!  He had never taken a bribe, he had never been connected with a "ring."  Ah, how his name shines!  He had commenced to shine in his early manhood, and he shone right along.  Now he is an old man, an old statesman, and yet this is their testimony.    Character is worth more than money.  Character is worth more than anything else in the wide world.  I would rather in my old age have such a character as that which Daniel's enemies gave him than have raised over my dead body a monument of gold reaching from earth to sky.  (Selected)    
N.J. Hiebert # 3415

July 30 
"Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught."
(Luke 5:4)
The Word had authority in the conscience.  Peter and Andrew had seen Jesus before, but had not yet stayed with Him.  There had not been sufficient power in their faith to attach them to Christ.  There are many now, as ever, who own the authority of the Word, yet are not attached by its power to His person; many absorbed by their everyday pursuits, the Word not having laid hold of their souls so as to make them walk thoroughly with Christ.  It is one thing simply to hear His word when spoken to them; quite a different thing when the Word reaches them and becomes the spring and motive of all their ways.  So here these men had spent a little time with Jesus, had heard Him speak, and owned Him as Messiah; so now also we see obedience to His word when it comes to them.  They launch out at His word, and at His word they let down their nets.  "And when they had this done, they enclosed a great multitude of fishes, and their net brake."   (J.N. Darby - The Man of Sorrows)
N.J. Hiebert # 3416

July 31
"I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation."
(Habakkuk 3:18)
God takes us through many things to purify us.  His desire is to make us both dependent and obedient upon Him, the best for us.  We must learn to lean upon Him in spite of circumstances that surround us no matter how dim or deceiving.  He is able to lift us up above our circumstances leaving us to rejoice in Him alone as our Saviour.  (B.R. - Meditations on Habakkuk) 
N.J. Hiebert # 3417

Jul 16, 2008 at 18:56 o\clock

Gems for the Week

by: soundwords

July 24

"Which is the first commandment of all?"  (Mark 12:28)
    In other words, the scribe raises the ever recurring question - the question that every devout soul puts up in a more or less articulate way, at some time or other, What does God require of me, What is the one thing I am to seek?  What is the supreme good? 
    We need to observe the way in which our Lord begins His answer.  Today, theology is at a discount.  We are told it is not a question of how we think of God or Christ, or a matter of creed or doctrine, but of life.  Theology need not concern us, say these Modernists.  Our Lord overturns at one stroke all such reasoning.  He begins by stating a theological proposition, "Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is One Lord." (Mark 12:29)
    The necessity of this is obvious.  Wrong thoughts about God will give us wrong thoughts about what He requires.  Moreover, if to love Him is the supreme thing - and this is what Christ was about to tell His inquirer - we must know the One we are to love.  Further, it is due to God that I have right thoughts about Him.  Nor is it too much to say that everything begins and ends with knowing Him.
    What a profound statement - "The Lord our God is one Lord." (Mark 12:29) "Now a mediator is not a mediator of one, but God is one."  (Galatians 3:20) For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one. " (1 John 5:7)
    God is one in His essential Being, and equally one in all His ways.  "He cannot deny Himself."  Nothing inconsistent with His character marks any of His ways.  Nor are His ways inconsistent in themselves.  (Russell Elliott - Break of Day)
N.J. Hiebert # 3411

July 25

"Because Thou hast been my help, therefore in the shadow of
Thy wings will I rejoice."  (Psalm 63:7)
    These are the wings of JOY.
    True joy is found only in Christ.  The Christian is the only one who has any right to be joyful.  But joy is normal for the Christian.  As we are under the shadow of His wings, sheltered from judgment and condemnation, we have every right to rejoice.
    I have a friend who was saved after he had reached middle age.  His life had been rather "rough and tumble," and, having little education, his speech was not exactly an example of choice diction and rhetoric.  One day, while giving his own testimony in public, he said something like this, "The Lord saved me a few years ago, and made me a new creature, and started me on the road to glory.  And, as I walk with the Lord day by day, it gets gooder and gooder."  That's the way it should be with us.  Our experience with the Lord should become "gooder and gooder."
    There is a most interesting progress of joy outlined in the New Testament.
- There is joy (Galatians 5:22).
- Great joy (Luke 2:10).
- Exceeding joy (1 Peter 4:13).
- Exceeding great joy (Matthew 2:10).
- Abundance of joy (2 Corinthians 8:2).
- Fulness of joy (John 15:11).
- Unspeakable joy (1 Peter 1:8)
(Wendell P. Loveless - Little Talks on Great Words)
N.J. Hiebert # 3412

July 26

"How precious also are Thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum
of them!  If I should count them they are more in number than the sand:
when I awake I am still with Thee."  (Psalm 139:17,18) 
    A story from a children's book tells of a railway into Edinburgh, Scotland, which goes through a long tunnel before coming into the city.  There was a certain old lady who lived in the country, who had a great dread of the long, dark tunnel.  So, although her friends laughed at her, and tried to tease her out of it, she always used to get our at Abbeyhill, before the tunnel, and go into town by taxi.
    One day when the train reached Abbeyhill, she was sleeping and her friends did not awaken her.  So she passed through the tunnel she so much feared, in her sleep and never knew it, and when she opened her eyes, she was in the city.
    Fear can hamstring the soul.  (Traveling Toward Sunrise)
N.J. Hiebert # 3413

July 27

"If ye love Me keep My commandments."  (John 14:15)
Love and obedience are cause and effect: depth of love is manifest in fulness of obedience.  Just as our Lord simplified the old Law, declaring it to be love to God, and to our neighbour (Matthew 22:35-40); so, the new commandment is summed up in the words, "that ye love one another, as I have loved you." (John 13:34)  This love is the most practical thing in the world.  The cultivation of religious emotion without the development of practical godliness, is injurious to the soul; feeling which does not end in action is wasted.  All emotional, mystical experiences must submit to the plain test: do they help to obedience?  If they do, they are valuable: if they do not, they are useless.  (Henry Durbanville)
N.J. Hiebert # 3414