Verse of the day — Mark 10:45

For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life-a ransom for many."

Mark 10:45(HCSB)
None but the Hungry Heart by Miles Stanford

Spiritual Balance

 Not I, but Christ" (Gal. 2:20).

Any abiding spiritual progress must be based upon our taking sides with God against the old life. Why? "Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be" (Rom. 8:7). "Enmity" knows no reconciliation; crucifixion is the only alternative! "The life of Christ is the holiness of Christ. The reason we so often fail in the pursuit of holiness is that the old life, the flesh, in its own strength seeks for holiness as a beautiful garment to wear and enter heaven with. It is the daily death to self out of which the life of Christ rises up." -A.W.T.

"In receiving Christ we receive the divine-human life, a life that is death to the life of fallen nature, which finds its fruit in sin and self. The tragic mistake of thousands of believers is in trying to live in two worlds at the same time - in nature and in God, in self and in Christ, in the flesh and in the Spirit, by faith and in independence, by abiding and by effort. To have life is not enough: the life of the Lord Jesus demands the death of the flesh, if that life is to be fully developed and become fruitful in us. Here is the crux of the whole matter."

"That I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His suffering, being made conformable unto His death" (Phil. 3:10).

Open Windows by T. Austin-Sparks

The High Calling

Looking to Jesus.... (Hebrews 12:2 ESV)

There is a real touch of Paul in this Letter to the Hebrews "Looking off unto Jesus." Whoever actually wrote this Letter, the shadow of Paul is over it. His influence is everywhere. And certainly he was called upon to look off unto Jesus. Now that is a very vital lesson for us to learn. We have to do that again and again in our Christian life. If we get our eyes upon anything but the Lord Jesus we just go to pieces. Have all respect for God's saints. I am not saying that you have to eye every servant of God with suspicion and be saying all the time: "Well, of course, he is not perfect, you know." Give honor to whom honor is due, but never build your faith upon any man, however good he may be.

And as for ourselves well, I think perhaps we are more tempted to look at ourselves than anything else! This is one of our real Christian exercises. We have continually to remove our eyes from ourselves and everything to do with ourselves. There is nothing more discouraging than this self of ours, and nothing more misleading. Our own judgments are all wrong, and so are our thoughts and ideas. They are not God's thoughts. We must take our eyes off ourselves, but not look out into space and be vacant. "Look off unto Jesus," and you know how that sentence is finished "Jesus,the author and finisher of our faith." Did you start this thing? Are you a Christian because you decided to be a Christian? Well, the Lord help you if that is so! No, He started this thing. Are you not glad that you can say: "It was the Lord who found me. It was the Lord who put His hand on me." What He said is very true: "Ye did not choose Me, but I chose you" (John 15:16). He was the author of our faith, and it says that He is the finisher He will finish it.

Bible verses: Hebrews 12:2John 15:16
Topics: Calling
Morning Daily Light by Samuel Bagster

Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith.

If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. § Whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple. § Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness.

Everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown. Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air. But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified. § Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. § Let us know, let us pursue the knowledge of the Lord.

Heb. 12:1,2;  Luke 9:23; Luke 14:33;  Rom. 13:12;  1 Cor. 9:25;  1 Cor. 9:26;   1 Cor. 9:27;  Phil. 3:13,14;  Hos. 6:3
Bible verses: Hebrews 12:1
Topics: FaithJesus
Evening Daily Light by Samuel Bagster

It is good for a man to bear the yoke in his youth.

Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.

We have had human fathers who corrected us, and we paid them respect. Shall we not much more readily be in subjection to the Father of spirits and live? For they indeed for a few days chastened us as seemed best to them, but He for our profit, that we may be partakers of His holiness.

Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I keep Your word … It is good for me that I have been afflicted, that I may learn Your statutes.

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. § Humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time.

Lam. 3:27;  Prov. 22:6;  Heb. 12:9,10;  Ps. 119:67,    Ps. 119:71;  Jer. 29:11;  1 Peter 5:6
Bible verses: Lamentations 3:27
Topics: ManGoodness
Devotional Studies by Elizabeth Haworth

Job’s Comforter (JOB-study 9)

A Full Study Of JOB

Trust In God

From our introduction to Job, we see him as a man of faith – a man of prayer. From the beginning, Job is identified as a bond-servant of the Lord. We read that: Job was one who feared God and turned away from evil. Job 1:1.  From the start, we see that Job, like Noah, found grace in the eyes of the Lord. From the beginning we see him likened to Daniel. Job was beloved of the Lord.

Spirit of Comfort

From our introduction to this man of faith, he is saved – one whose sin is covered, and his triumphant call is … For I know that my Redeemer liveth… Job.19:25. Like Noah and Daniel, Job was trusted in a spiritual battle, betwixt God and Satan.. but unlike his three saved, carnal-minded comforters – Job spoke what was right. And unlike his three religious friends, Job found his comfort in the only Comforter. This same Spirit of Comfort, warns and beseeches us today to take notice of Job. This same Holy Spirit – warns and beseeches us, through the pen of the apostle Paul. Do not receive the grace of God to no purpose.  2Corinthians 6:1

God’s Plan and Purpose

The Spirit of God warns that it is possible to receive God’s saving grace, and eternal life.. and yet, like Job’s friends, still not fulfil His plans and His purpose in our lives. The Spirit of Comfort admonishes us and He beseeches us to be like Job. The Spirit of God urges us, and warns us, not to be like Job’s ‘comforters’.. to be like Job – and to “give no cause no offence in anything. 2Corinthians6:3

Ministering Service

He exhorts us to put no obstruction; no occasion for stumbling, in anyone’s way - to eschew the actions of Job’s friends, who all were a grave cause for stumbling. Why? Why does the Spirit of Comfort admonish us and warn us to be like Job..?  Why does He counsel us to put no spiritual stumbling block in our friend’s way?

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Knowing Jesus Devotional by Elizabeth Haworth

Travelling Home

Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.
Colossians 3:2

The hope which is laid up for you in heaven.
Colossians 1:5

For our citizenship is in heaven
Philippians 3:20

  This World

Are you tempted to settle down in this world? To look to the beauty and comfort of this world to satisfy? Do you yearn for the greater fulfilment here? To do the things you missed out on – things the world has to offer? Do you regret that there are places you never visited – things you never did? This temptation has fallen on every generation. Oh! for one last and final fling at being other-worldly!

Heavenly Hope

Remember.. the hope which is laid up for you in heaven. But the Word of God is a book about another world.. and we should be living an 'other-worldly life. We are to live the heavenly life here on earth, for our citizenship is in heaven. We are in Christ and thus seated in Him.. seated in heavenly places. For He hath raised us up together,  and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.

Heavenly Home

And yet our feet are dusty – polluted with the sin and filth of this world, for we are ever yet journeying towards our heavenly home. The Father is there and seated on His throne of grace. At His right hand is seated the Son of His love – the Man; the perfect Man; the Man Christ Jesus - seated on the throne with the Father. The family, redeemed out of every nation and clime, are gathering, as angels gaze on in wonder – as grace upon grace is realised.

Heavenly Rest

To be with Christ is far better, Paul tells us. No more tears; no more sorrows; no more pain; no more loss; no more sin; no more death. There will be no wicked ones to trouble or disturb us there, for we shall be at rest in the Lord. Don’t resist the mercies and gifts of God with your human projection. Don’t limit your perception

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