From: Suzianty Herawati "The wrath to come." --Matthew 3:7
It is pleasant to pass over a country after a storm has spent itself; to smell the freshness of the herbs after the rain has passed away, and to note the drops while they glisten like purest diamonds in the sunlight. That is the position of a Christian. He is going through a land where the storm has spent itself upon His Saviour's head, and if there be a few drops of sorrow falling, they distil from clouds of mercy, and Jesus cheers him by the assurance that they are not for his destruction. But how terrible is it to witness the approach of a tempest: to note the forewarnings of the storm; to mark the birds of heaven as they droop their wings; to see the cattle as they lay their heads low in terror; to discern the face of the sky as it groweth black, and look to the sun which shineth not, and the heavens which are angry and frowning! How terrible to await the dread advance of a hurricane--such as occurs, sometimes, in the tropics--to wait in terrible apprehension till the wind shall rush forth in fury, tearing up trees from their roots, forcing rocks from their pedestals, and hurling down all the dwelling-places of man! And yet, sinner, this is your present position. No hot drops have as yet fallen, but a shower of fire is coming. No terrible winds howl around you, but God's tempest is gathering its dread artillery. As yet the water-floods are dammed up by mercy, but the flood-gates shall soon be opened: the thunderbolts of God are yet in His storehouse, but lo! the tempest hastens, and how awful shall that moment be when God, robed in vengeance, shall march forth in fury! Where, where, where, O sinner, wilt thou hide thy head, or whither wilt thou flee? O that the hand of mercy may now lead you to Christ! He is freely set before you in the gospel: His riven side is the rock of shelter. Thou knowest thy need of Him; believe in Him, cast thyself upon Him, and then the fury shall be overpast for ever. CH Spurgeon ====================================================== From: Suzianty Herawati "Thy good Spirit." --Nehemiah 9:20 Common, too common is the sin of forgetting the Holy Spirit. This is folly and ingratitude. He deserves well at our hands, for He is good, supremely good. As God, He is good essentially. He shares in the threefold ascription of Holy, holy, holy, which ascends to the Triune Jehovah. Unmixed purity and truth, and grace is He. He is good benevolently, tenderly bearing with our waywardness, striving with our rebellious wills; quickening us from our death in sin, and then training us for the skies as a loving nurse fosters her child. How generous, forgiving, and tender is this patient Spirit of God. He is good operatively. All His works are good in the most eminent degree: He suggests good thoughts, prompts good actions, reveals good truths, applies good promises, assists in good attainments, and leads to good results. There is no spiritual good in all the world of which He is not the author and sustainer, and heaven itself will owe the perfect character of its redeemed inhabitants to His work. He is good officially; whether as Comforter, Instructor, Guide, Sanctifier, Quickener, or Intercessor, He fulfils His office well, and each work is fraught with the highest good to the church of God. They who yield to His influences become good, they who obey His impulses do good, they who live under His power receive good. Let us then act towards so good a person according to the dictates of gratitude. Let us revere His person, and adore Him as God over all, blessed for ever; let us own His power, and our need of Him by waiting upon Him in all our holy enterprises; let us hourly seek His aid, and never grieve Him; and let us speak to His praise whenever occasion occurs. The church will never prosper until more reverently it believes in the Holy Ghost. He is so good and kind, that it is sad indeed that He should be grieved by slights and negligences. CH Spurgeon ======================================================== From: Bayo Afolaranmi Dearly Beloved, TAKE HIS YOKE! "Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light" (Matthew 11:29-30, NIV). A Bible commentator defined a yoke as "a bar or frame of wood by which two draft animals, especially oxen, are joined at the necks or heads for working together, for drawing a load or pulling a plow." It is a primitive tool used mostly by farmers. It takes two animals for a yoke to be effective. No animal can work effectively without a yoke. A yoke has been used figuratively to mean many other things. Mostly, people have been using it to mean suffering or affliction. Therefore, to hear anything like taking or having a yoke connotes a bad feeling. In fact, a yoke speaks some hardship. However, Jesus Christ enjoins us to take His yoke! (Matthew 11:29-30). What is His yoke? What does it mean to take it? To take the yoke of Jesus Christ upon us means to put ourselves into the relation of servants and subjects to Him. It means to conduct ourselves accordingly, in a careful obedience to all His commands, and a cheerful submission to all His disposals. It is to yield ourselves totally to Him. He has appointed this yoke. He has Himself drawn in it before us, for He learned obedience. He wants anyone that will take His yoke to also learn some characters from Him. These characters include humility, gentility, diligence, submission, patience and other Christ-like attributes. In spite of its seeming hardship, the yoke of Jesus Christ is easier and lighter than any other yoke. No wonder, anyone who takes it finds rest in Him. People are taking many yokes today. No one is exempted. What kind of or whose yoke are you taking? Are you yoked with people, belief, value, or situation that are heavier than you? Yield to the advice of Jesus Christ. Take His yoke. Commit yourself to Him. His yoke is easy and light. Learn from Him and find rest for your soul. In His service, Bayo Afolaranmi (Pastor).
