From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Daily devotions for 05-19-2005:
Devotion: Morning and Evening
Morning Title: All His is Ours
Evening Title: Waiting for the Future
Do you enjoy this devotional? Send it on to a friend!
____________________________________________________________
Morning: All His is Ours
"In Him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. And ye are complete in
Him."
--Colossians 2:9,10
All the attributes of Christ, as God and man, are at our disposal. All the
fulness of the Godhead, whatever that marvellous term may comprehend, is ours
to make us complete. He cannot endow us with the attributes of Deity; but He
has done all that can be done, for He has made even His divine power and
Godhead subservient to our salvation. His omnipotence, omniscience,
omnipresence, immutability and infallibility, are all combined for our defence.
Arise, believer, and behold the Lord Jesus yoking the whole of His divine
Godhead to the chariot of salvation! How vast His grace, how firm His
faithfulness, how unswerving His immutability, how infinite His power, how
limitless His knowledge! All these are by the
Lord Jesus made the pillars of the temple of salvation; and all, without
diminution of their
infinity, are covenanted to us as our perpetual inheritance. The fathomless
love of the Saviour's
heart is every drop of it ours; every sinew in the arm of might, every jewel in
the crown of
majesty, the immensity of divine knowledge, and the sternness of divine
justice, all are ours,
and shall be employed for us.
The whole of Christ, in His adorable character as the Son of God, is by Himself
made over to us most richly to enjoy. His wisdom is our direction, His
knowledge our instruction, His
power our protection, His justice our surety, His love our comfort, His mercy
our solace, and His immutability our trust. He makes no reserve, but opens the
recesses of the Mount of God and bids us dig in its mines for the hidden
treasures.
"All, all, all are yours," saith He, "be ye satisfied with favour and full of
the goodness of
the Lord."
Oh! how sweet thus to behold Jesus, and to call upon Him with the certain
confidence that in
seeking the interposition of His love or power, we are but asking for that
which He has already
faithfully promised.
Evening: Waiting for the Future
"Afterward." --Hebrews 12:11
How happy are tried Christians, afterwards. No calm more deep than that which
succeeds a storm. Who has not rejoiced in clear shinings after rain? Victorious
banquets are for well-exercised soldiers. After killing the lion we eat the
honey; after climbing the Hill Difficulty, we sit down in the arbour to rest;
after traversing the Valley of Humiliation, after fighting with
Apollyon, the shining one appears, with the healing branch from the tree of
life. Our sorrows, like the passing keels of the vessels upon the sea, leave a
silver line of holy light
behind them "afterwards." It is peace, sweet, deep peace, which follows the
horrible turmoil
which once reigned in our tormented, guilty souls. See, then, the happy estate
of a
Christian! He has his best things last, and he therefore in this world receives
his worst things
first. But even his worst things are "afterward" good things, harsh ploughings
yielding joyful
harvests. Even now he grows rich by his losses, he rises by his falls, he lives
by dying, and
becomes full by being emptied; if, then, his grievous afflictions yield him so
much peaceable
fruit in this life, what shall be the full vintage of joy "afterwards" in
heaven? If his dark nights are as bright as the world's days, what shall his
days be? If even his starlight is more splendid than the sun, what must his
sunlight be?
If he can sing in a dungeon, how sweetly will he sing in heaven! If he can
praise the Lord in the
fires, how will he extol Him before the eternal throne! If evil be good to him
now, what will the
overflowing goodness of God be to him then? Oh, blessed "afterward!" Who would
not be a
Christian? Who would not bear the present cross for the crown which cometh
afterwards? But herein is work for patience, for the rest is not for to-day,
nor the triumph for the present, but
"afterward." Wait, O soul, and let patience have her perfect work.
================================================
Daily devotions for 05-18-2005:
Devotion: Morning and Evening
Morning Title: Why Imitate?
Evening Title: His Chosen Servants
Do you enjoy this devotional? Send it on to a friend!
____________________________________________________________
Morning: Why Imitate?
"So to walk even as He walked." --1 John 2:6
Why should Christians imitate Christ? They should do it for their own sakes. If
they desire to be in a healthy state of soul--if they would escape the sickness
of sin, and enjoy the vigour of
growing grace, let Jesus be their model. For their own happiness' sake, if they
would drink
wine on the lees, well refined; if they would enjoy holy and happy communion
with Jesus; if
they would be lifted up above the cares and troubles of this world, let them
walk even as He
walked. There is nothing which can so assist you to walk towards heaven with
good speed, as wearing the image of Jesus on your heart to rule all its
motions. It is when, by the power of the Holy Spirit, you are enabled to walk
with Jesus in His very footsteps, that you are most happy, and most known to be
the sons of God. Peter afar off is both unsafe and uneasy. Next, for religion's
sake, strive to be like Jesus. Ah! poor religion, thou hast been sorely shot at
by cruel foes, but thou hast not been wounded one-half so dangerously by thy
foes as by thy
friends. Who made those wounds in the fair hand of Godliness? The professor who
used the dagger of hypocrisy.
The man who with pretences, enters the fold, being nought but a wolf in sheep's
clothing,
worries the flock more than the lion outside.
There is no weapon half so deadly as a Judas-kiss. Inconsistent professors
injure the
gospel more than the sneering critic or the infidel. But, especially for
Christ's own sake,
imitate His example. Christian, lovest thou thy Saviour? Is His name precious
to thee? Is His
cause dear to thee? Wouldst thou see the kingdoms of the world become His? Is
it thy desire that He should be glorified? Art thou longing that souls should
be won to Him? If so, imitate Jesus; be an "epistle of Christ, known and read
of all men."
Evening: His Chosen Servants
"Thou art My servant; I have chosen thee.", --Isaiah 41:9
If we have received the grace of God in our hearts, its practical effect has
been to make us
God's servants. We may be unfaithful servants, we certainly are unprofitable
ones, but yet, blessed be His name, we are His servants, wearing His livery,
feeding at His table, and obeying His commands. We were once the servants of
sin, but He who made us free has now taken us into His family and taught us
obedience to His will. We do not serve our Master perfectly, but we would if we
could. As we hear God's voice saying unto us, "Thou art My servant," we can
answer with David, "I am thy servant; Thou hast loosed my bonds."
But the Lord calls us not only His servants, but His chosen ones--"I have
chosen thee." We have not chosen Him first, but He hath chosen us. If we be
God's servants, we were not always so; to sovereign grace the change must be
ascribed. The eye of sovereignty singled us out, and the voice of unchanging
grace declared, "I have loved thee with an everlasting love." Long ere time
began or space was created God had written upon His heart the names of His
elect people, had predestinated them to be conformed unto the image of His Son,
and ordained them heirs of all the fulness of His love, His grace, and His
glory.
What comfort is here! Has the Lord loved us so long, and will He yet cast us
away? He knew how stiffnecked we should be, He understood that our hearts were
evil, and yet He made the choice. Ah! our Saviour is no fickle lover. He doth
not feel enchanted for awhile with some gleams of beauty from His church's eye,
and then afterwards cast her off because of her unfaithfulness. Nay, He married
her in old eternity; and it is written of Jehovah, "He hateth putting away."
The eternal choice is a bond upon our gratitude and upon His faithfulness which
neither can disown.
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Mailing List Jesus-Net Ministry Indonesia - JNM -
Daftar : [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Keluar : [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Posting: [email protected]
Bantuan Moderator : [EMAIL PROTECTED]
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Yahoo! Groups Links
<*> To visit your group on the web, go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/jesus-net/
<*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
<*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to:
http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
