Verse of the day — 1 Thessalonians 5:23
Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
1 Thessalonians 5:23(NASB)
Open Windows by T. Austin-Sparks
The Foundation of Truth
Whoever speaks on their own does so to gain personal glory, but he who seeks the glory of the One who sent him is a man of truth; there is nothing false about him. (John 7:18 NIV)
You and I are going to face God sometime. We are going to come face to face with God literally in eternity and then the question is going to arise, has God at any point failed us? Shall we be able, on any detail, to say, "Lord, You failed me, You were not true to Your word"? Such a position is unthinkable, that ever any being should be able to lay a charge like that at God's door, to have any question as to God's truth, reality, and faithfulness. The Holy Spirit has been sent as the Spirit of truth to guide us into all the truth, so that there shall be no shadow whatever between God and ourselves as to His absolute faithfulness, His truth to Himself, and to all His word. The Holy Spirit has come for that. If that is true, then the Holy Spirit will deal with all disciples in the School of Christ to undercut everything that is not true, that is not genuine, to make every such disciple to stand upon a foundation which can abide before God in the day of His absolute and utter vindication. But in order that this may be so, you and I, under the Holy Spirit's teaching, have to be dealt with very faithfully, and have to come to the place where we are perfectly adjustable before God, where there is all responsiveness to the Holy Spirit, and nothing in us that resists or refuses the Holy Spirit, but where we are perfectly open and ready for the biggest consequence of the Holy Spirit putting His finger upon anything in our lives needing to be dealt with and adjusted. He is here for that.
The alternative to such a work of the Holy Spirit being allowed to be done in us is that we shall find ourselves in a false position, and it is far, far too costly to find ourselves in a false position, even though it only be on certain points. This is a false world we are living in, a world that is carried on upon lies. The whole constitution of this world is a lie, and it is in the very nature of man, though multitudes do not know it, but think they are true. They are trying to build the world on a false foundation. The Kingdom of God is altogether other. It is built upon Jesus Christ, the Truth.
Morning Daily Light by Samuel Bagster
The Lord delights in you.
Thus says the Lord, who created you … “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; you are Mine.” § Can a woman forget her nursing child, and not have compassion on the son of her womb? Surely they may forget, yet I will not forget you. See, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands; your walls are continually before Me.
The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, and He delights in his way. § My delight was with the sons of men. § The Lord takes pleasure in those who fear Him, in those who hope in His mercy. § “They shall be Mine,” says the Lord of hosts, “on the day that I make them My jewels. And I will spare them as a man spares his own son who serves him.”
You, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight.
Isa. 62:4; Isa. 43:1; Isa. 49:15,16; Ps. 37:23; Prov. 8:31; Ps. 147:11; Mal. 3:17; Col. 1:21,22
Evening Daily Light by Samuel Bagster
The sorrow of the world produces death.
When Ahithophel saw that his advice was not followed, he saddled a donkey, and arose and went home to his house, to his city. Then he put his household in order, and hanged himself, and died. § Who can bear a broken spirit?
Is there no balm in Gilead, is there no physician there? Why then is there no recovery for the health of the daughter of my people? § The Lord has anointed Me to preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, … to comfort all who mourn, to console those who mourn in Zion, to give them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness. § Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.
Philip … preached Jesus to him. § He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.
2 Cor. 7:10; 2 Sam. 17:23; Prov. 18:14; Jer. 8:22; Isa. 61:1; Isa. 61:2 Isa. 61:3; Matt. 11:28; Matt. 11:29; Matt. 11:30; Acts 8:35; Ps. 147:3
None but the Hungry Heart by Miles Stanford
No Recycling!
If any man be in Christ, he is a new creation; old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new" (2 Cor. 5:17).
The old life is neither to be recycled nor reformed. We are all-new creations in the all-new Man, Christ Jesus.
"The illustration of a man drafted for the army, and finding a substitute to stand in his stead is not the Gospel. The Gospel is that you were under the judgment of death, and that the Lord Jesus has borne that judgment. It is not that you should keep the man who was under judgment, but that you should be completely severed from him in your death on the Cross." -J.B.S.
"We could not be saved by Him, and keep the life on account of which He died. Here there is great confusion among believers. If there were true apprehension of the work of the Lord Jesus on the Cross - that He so bore the judgment on man that all the man who had offended against God has been judicially removed to His infinite satisfaction, and that He who saved us from death is now our Life - there would be a wonderful testimony to the grace of God."
"The Reformers failed because they did not see that as faith alone could save, and place man outside himself in the Lord Jesus, he must not return to that which through grace has been crucified. In not seeing this, the Reformers left the door open for the system and ritualism which have grown up since in the church; and hence the simple and only effectual way of dealing with either is, at the start, to refuse any place to the old man except crucifixion." -J.B.S.
"The Lord Jesus is the answer, but the Cross is needed to clear the way for Him."
"For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death" (Rom. 8:2).
Devotional Studies by Elizabeth Haworth
Hidden Treasures
In Christ are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
Colossians 2:3
Christ Jesus
The man or woman that has been placed in Christ is indeed blessed beyond compare.. for hidden within Christ is a great treasure trove of all-wisdom and all-knowledge. Christ – the third person of the trinity was made man and became God incarnate. Christ was Son of Man Who was born – yet He was the Son of God Who was given. The fullness of deity dwells in Christ – and in Him is all wisdom and knowledge. Colossians 2:9 All that God is and all that God knows is present in the person of Christ Jesus.
Essence of God
The essence of all that is God is discovered in the fullness of the Lord Jesus. The essential attributes that are unique to the Father are exclusive to the Son. With our finite minds, we are incapable of understanding the essence of the infinite God – nevertheless, all the wisdom and knowledge of God is hidden in Christ in its entirety. Man, a fallen creature was incapable of meeting and communing with a holy God, but God in His mercy and love revealed Himself, in Christ Jesus – in His fullness.
Veiled in Flesh
The eternal self-existent, holy God clothed Himself in flesh to reveal Himself to man. The sovereign Creator chose to unveil Himself to you and me in time-space history. The absolute Lord of the universe came to dwell with us in the form of mortal flesh – and all the essential and unique characteristics of God are contained in Christ.
Person of Christ
The self-existent Christ is absolute and complete in all aspects of His causeless being. The immutable Christ is absolute truth, entirely dependable, totally faithful, and true. The infinite Christ has limitless knowledge, immeasurable power, perpetual presence – and in Christ are hidden all the treasures of God’s eternal wisdom and knowledge.
Incarnate God
His love is measureless and scoops into its skirts boundless mercy and eternal grace. His immeasurable holiness acts in absolute righteousness and unquestionable justice. The fullness
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Knowing Jesus Devotional by Elizabeth Haworth
A Rightly Divided Creation
Unique Creation
Man was a unique creation – created in the image and likeness of God. Man was created to rule and reign. He was made to have dominion. Man was created in the image and likeness of eternal God – but then man fell.. and so humanity now takes the image and likeness of fallen Adam – so what of us? What of those that are a new creation in Christ – where do you and I fit in?
Distinct Creations
Well, God had a plan to divide mankind into three distinct “creations”: Gentile, Jew, and the Church, and for 2000 years, from Adam to Israel, there was but one creation, the old creation in Adam – the Gentiles. Then God did a new thing. For the next 2000 years, there were to be two distinct creations - Gentile and Jew. The old creation in Adam is joined by the old creation in Jacob. Israel was created as a firstborn son of God from the loins of Jacob see Exodus 4:22. Israel was also an adoptive son of God see Isaiah 42:1
New Creation
Then God did a new thing.. and for 2000 years there have been three district creations - Gentile, Jew, and the Church. The old creations in Adam and Jacob are joined by a new creation in Christ. For 2000 years the Gentiles alone were the creation through whom God worked. Adam chose to become sin for his bride, but God already had a plan. Adam passed on to his progeny the old sin nature that rages in every man, and Adam learned that blood must be spilled for redemption to be achieved, and God had a plan.
Two Choices
Abel and Cain exemplified two choices that man would be required to make - men that would trust and obey OR men of unbelief and disobedience. And examples of godliness and illustrations of rebellion are given for our learning. And through the seed of trusting Seth was passed the Seed of the woman. And then God did a new thin - for God had a plan.
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