From: [email protected] daily devotional
Evening...
Song of Solomon 1:4 We will be glad and rejoice in Thee.
We will be glad and rejoice in Thee. We will not open the gates of the year
to the dolorous notes of the sackbut, but to the sweet strains of the harp of
joy, and the high sounding cymbals of gladness. "O come, let us sing unto the
Lord: let us make a joyful noise unto the rock of our salvation." We, the
called and faithful and chosen, we will drive away our griefs, and set up our
banners of confidence in the name of God. Let others lament over their
troubles, we who have the sweetening tree to cast into Marah's bitter pool,
with joy will magnify the Lord. Eternal Spirit, our effectual Comforter, we who
are the temples in which Thou dwellest, will never cease from adoring and
blessing the name of Jesus. We WILL, we are resolved about it, Jesus must have
the crown of our heart's delight; we will not dishonour our Bridegroom by
mourning in His presence. We are ordained to be the minstrels of the skies, let
us rehearse our everlasting anthem before we sing it in the halls of the New
Jerusalem. We will BE GLAD AND REJOICE: two words with one sense, double joy,
blessedness upon blessedness. Need there be any limit to our rejoicing in the
Lord even now? Do not men of grace find their Lord to be camphire and
spikenard, calamus and cinnamon even now, and what better fragrance have they
in heaven itself? We will be glad and rejoice IN THEE. That last word is the
meat in the dish, the kernel of the nut, the soul of the text. What heavens are
laid up in Jesus! What rivers of infinite bliss have their source, ay, and
every drop of their fulness in Him! Since, O sweet Lord Jesus, Thou art the
present portion of Thy people, favour us this year with such a sense of Thy
preciousness, that from its first to its last day we may be glad and rejoice in
Thee. Let January open with joy in the Lord, and December close with gladness
in Jesus.
Morning...
Colossians 4:2 Continue in prayer.
It is interesting to remark how large a portion of Sacred Writ is occupied
with the subject of prayer, either in furnishing examples, enforcing precepts,
or pronouncing promises. We scarcely open the Bible before we read, "Then began
men to call upon the name of the Lord;" and just as we are about to close the
volume, the "Amen" of an earnest supplication meets our ear. Instances are
plentiful. Here we find a wrestling Jacob-there a Daniel who prayed three times
a day-and a David who with all his heart called upon his God. On the mountain
we see Elias; in the dungeon Paul and Silas. We have multitudes of commands,
and myriads of promises. What does this teach us, but the sacred importance and
necessity of prayer? We may be certain that whatever God has made prominent in
His Word, He intended to be conspicuous in our lives. If He has said much about
prayer, it is because He knows we have much need of it. So deep are our
necessities, that until we are in heaven we must not cease to pray. Dost thou
want nothing?Then, I fear thou dost not know thy poverty. Hast thou no mercy to
ask of God? Then, may the Lord's mercy show thee thy misery! A prayerless soul
is a Christless soul. Prayer is the lisping of the believing infant, the shout
of the fighting believer, the requiem of the dying saint falling asleep in
Jesus. It is the breath, the watchword, the comfort, the strength, the honour
of a Christian. If thou be a child of God, thou wilt seek thy Father's face,
and live in thy Father's love. Pray that this year thou mayst be holy, humble,
zealous, and patient; have closer communion with Christ, and enter oftener into
the banqueting-house of His love. Pray that thou mayst be an example and a
blessing unto others, and that thou mayst live more to the glory of thy Master.
The motto for this year must be, "Continue in prayer."
1 John 2:27
(27) But the anointing which you have received from Him abides in
you, and you do not need that anyone teach you; but as the same anointing
teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is not a lie, and just as
it has taught you, you will abide in Him.
Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.
Clearly, he is not saying that these people had no need for someone
to teach them the difference between truth and error. They did need it! That is
why John wrote his epistle! What they did not need was for anyone to teach them
the church's basic doctrines, nor did they need human logic or philosophy to
help them understand God's nature.
John had known, seen, heard, and touched Jesus Christ personally.
Christ had taught him intensively for three-and-a-half years, and in turn, the
aged apostle had taught them the same truth throughout his own ministry. The
members of God's church had no need for any heretic to teach them.
As true sons of God, they had received His Holy Spirit, which had
opened their minds and led them into the truth (John 16:13). They had been
thoroughly grounded in the truth regarding the nature of Christ and God and the
very purpose of life itself. God's truth had not changed, so what need did they
have to relearn it?
In the rest of I John 2:27, John encourages them to allow the Holy
Spirit to lead them and keep them faithful to what they had been taught from
the beginning. Their original knowledge was true and no lie: "But as the same
anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is not a lie, and
just as it has taught you, you will abide in Him."
Do we need teachers? Of course! John's epistle is an excellent
example of why teachers are needed in the church. When false doctrine
threatened members of the true body of believers, John found it necessary to
spell out to them the dangers in it, even though the brethren had been
thoroughly grounded in the truth. To reassure them that their foundational
beliefs were true, he felt he needed to explain the truth to them again. He
also saw that they could use some encouragement to trust the Holy Spirit to
lead them into the truth.
This is exactly what a true minister of God is to do! The author of
Hebrews instructs us to respect the ministry because they are given to us to
protect us. "Obey those who rule over you, and be submissive, for they watch
out for your souls, as those who must give account" (Hebrews 13:17).
Many New Testament examples show us our need for teachers. Philip's
experience with the Ethiopian eunuch clearly illustrates how we need
experienced and educated teachers to explain and expound the Word of God (Acts
8:26-38). As Philip approaches him, the eunuch is reading an Old Testament
prophecy that foretold Christ's sufferings. When asked if he understands the
passage, the eunuch has the humility to admit he needs help. He replies, "How
can I, unless someone guides me?" (verse 31). Philip then explains to him how
this prophecy was fulfilled in the suffering and death of Jesus of Nazareth.
This results in the eunuch's baptism (verse 38).
In dealing with the many problems in the Corinthian church, Paul
had to send Timothy to refresh them in the truth that Paul had preached.
Therefore I urge you, imitate me. For this reason I have sent
Timothy to you, who is my beloved and faithful son in the Lord, who will remind
you of my ways in Christ, as I teach everywhere in every church. (I Corinthians
4:16-17)
In his letters to Timothy, Paul instructs the young evangelist
about various principles that he should teach the people. "These things command
and teach.... Teach and exhort these things" (I Timothy 4:11; 6:2).
In addition, the apostle tells him to train others to be teachers.
"And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these
to faithful men who will be able to teach others also" (II Timothy 2:2).
Besides this, an elder must be "able to teach" (I Timothy 3:2). The very
purpose of the ministry is to help in perfecting the saints (Ephesians 4:11-12,
KJV).
Throughout the New Testament, God continually emphasizes the need
to provide spiritual food to the church. Jesus says that His servants will be
providing "food in due season" to His people (Matthew 24:45). "Feed My sheep"
is one of the last things Jesus tells Peter (John 21:17). Paul writes to
Timothy, "Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince,
rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching" (II Timothy 4:2).
Earl L. Henn (1934-1997)
From For the Perfecting of the Saints
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daily devotional
Evening...
2 Samuel 2:26 Knowest thou not that it will be bitterness in the latter end?
If, O my reader! thou art merely a professor, and not a possessor of the
faith that is in Christ Jesus, the following lines are a true ketch of thine
end. You are a respectable attendant at a place of worship; you go because
others go, not because your heart is right with God. This is your beginning. I
will suppose that for the next twenty or thirty years you will be spared to go
on as you do now, professing religion by an outward attendance upon the means
of grace, but having no heart in the matter. Tread softly, for I must show you
the deathbed of such a one as yourself. Let us gaze upon him gently. A clammy
sweat is on his brow, and he wakes up crying, "O God, it is hard to die. Did
you send for my minister?" "Yes, he is coming." The minister comes. "Sir, I
fear that I am dying!" "Have you any hope?" "I cannot say that I have. I fear
to stand before my God; oh! pray for me." The prayer is offered for him with
sincere earnestness, and the way of salvation is for the ten-thousandth time
put before him, but before he has grasped the rope, I see him sink. I may put
my finger upon those cold eyelids, for they will never see anything here again.
But where is the man, and where are the man's true eyes? It is written, "In
hell he lifted up his eyes, being in torment." Ah! why did he not lift up his
eyes before? Because he was so accustomed to hear the gospel that his soul
slept under it. Alas! if you should lift up your eyes there, how bitter will be
your wailings. Let the Saviour's own words reveal the woe: "Father Abraham,
send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my
tongue, for I am tormented in this flame." There is a frightful meaning in
those words. May you never have to spell it out by the red light of Jehovah's
wrath!
Morning & Evening...
John 7:37 In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried,
saying, if any man thirst, let him come unto Me and drink.
Patience had her perfect work in the Lord Jesus, and until the last day of
the feast He pleaded with the Jews, even as on this last day of the year He
pleads with us, and waits to be gracious to us. Admirable indeed is the
longsuffering of the Saviour in bearing with some of us year after year,
notwithstanding our provocations, rebellions, and resistance of His Holy
Spirit. Wonder of wonders that we are still in the land of mercy! Pity
expressed herself most plainly, for Jesus cried, which implies not only the
loudness of His voice, but the tenderness of His tones. He entreats us to be
reconciled. "We pray you," says the Apostle, "as though God did beseech you by
us." What earnest, pathetic terms are these! How deep must be the love which
makes the Lord weep over sinners, and like a mother woo His children to His
bosom! Surely at the call of such a cry our willing hearts will come. Provision
is made most plenteously; all is provided that man can need to quench his
soul's thirst. To his conscience the atonement brings peace; to his
understanding the gospel brings the richest instruction; to his heart the
person of Jesus is the noblest object of affection; to the whole man the truth
as it is in Jesus supplies the purest nutriment. Thirst is terrible, but Jesus
can remove it. Though the soul were utterly famished, Jesus could restore it.
Proclamation is made most freely, that every thirsty one is welcome. No other
distinction is made but that of thirst. Whether it be the thirst of avarice,
ambition, pleasure, knowledge, or rest, he who suffers from it is invited. The
thirst may be bad in itself, and be no sign of grace, but rather a mark of
inordinate sin longing to be gratified with deeper draughts of lust; but it is
not goodness in the creature which brings him the invitation, the Lord Jesus
sends it freely, and without respect of persons. Personality is declared most
fully. The sinner must come to Jesus, not to works, ordinances, or doctrines,
but to a personal Redeemer, who His own self bare our sins in His own body on
the tree. The bleeding, dying, rising Saviour, is the only star of hope to a
sinner. Oh for grace to come now and drink, ere the sun sets upon the year's
last day! No waiting or preparation is so much as hinted at. Drinking
represents a reception for which no fitness is required. A fool, a thief, a
harlot can drink; and so sinfulness of character is no bar to the invitation to
believe in Jesus. We want no golden cup, no bejewelled chalice, in which to
convey the water to the thirsty; the mouth of poverty is welcome to stoop down
and quaff the flowing flood. Blistered, leprous, filthy lips may touch the
stream of divine love; they cannot pollute it, but shall themselves be
purified. Jesus is the fount of hope. Dear reader, hear the dear Redeemer's
loving voice as He cries to each of us, "If any man thirst, let him come unto
Me and drink."
Zechariah 4:6
(6) So he answered and said to me:
" This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel:
' Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,'
Says the LORD of hosts.
Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.
This verse is often quoted when speaking of doing the work of God,
and doing so follows a correct spiritual principle. When God does something, it
is not done through physical strength. It is interesting that might literally
means "arms," and power refers to physical activity. The work of God is not
going to be done through feats of arms, military victories, or anything that
requires physical fighting or contention. Nor can it be accomplished by any
amount of physical activity.
As much work and effort as men put into it, they are not what will
get God's work done properly. They will be helpful, certainly, because God
works though men, and men must exert themselves in order to do God's will.
Nevertheless, He says clearly here that all the credit goes to His Spirit. God
Himself is at work! Our job is to submit, to do the things that must be done.
We must do what the Spirit directs us to do, but God will receive the credit,
not us. We could do none of these works by our own means.
God gives the ability. He gives the inspiration, the strength, and
the endurance. He opens the doors. He supplies the manpower, the money, and the
other resources to go through those doors. He supplies favor so that the doors
can be opened. We merely walk through them.
We could say that God's work is an act of grace. It is a kind of
oxymoron to say that work is done by grace, since we think of work and grace as
two extremes, but they are not! What comes first? The grace comes first: God
grants favor and gives gifts, then the work is done. So where is the glory? It
appears in the grace. The effort comes afterward and accomplishes God's will.
Richard T. Ritenbaugh
From The Two Witnesses (Part 4)
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