Verse of the day — Mark 4:34
and He did not speak to them without a parable; but He was explaining everything privately to His own disciples.
Mark 4:34(NASB)
Open Windows by T. Austin-Sparks
It’s All About Christ
His name is the Word of God. (Revelation 19:13)
There is one all-governing fact which runs right through the ages. It is that Christ is in all the thoughts and ways of God. That is a statement that is comprehensive. Through all the ages, in all the thoughts of God, and in all the ways of God, Christ is central, Christ is supreme. Everything relates to Him, and everything connects with Him; Christ is the end, for Christ was the beginning. If we could stand by the side of God and see through God eyes, and become governed by God mentality, we should recognize that God has but one thought and that one thought is influencing Him in every one of His dealings with men, with nations, and with the world throughout all the ages. That one thought centers in His Son, Jesus Christ, and therefore the very essence of revelation, and the very heart of spiritual enlightenment is that you see Christ in all those thoughts and ways of God as they are expressed in His Word and in His activities.
If you ask: "What is revelation, what is it to have spiritual enlightenment?" The answer is this: that you are able to see in a living and ever-growing way God thoughts as centered in Christ. We could put that in another way, and say that you are growingly able to see Christ and His place and His meaning in this universe, that this universe is interpreted and explained in the light of Christ, and that everything in our own lives in God dealings with us, is connected with Christ in some way. If that is true universally, and if that is true sovereignly and providentially; if that is true not only in the whole history of things in this universe, but true in a special way in human life, it is true, perhaps, in the most essential way in the Word of God as the expression of God thought. So that revelation, spiritual illumination, is to see Christ in all the Word of God; not truths, not doctrines, but Christ.... The question then, that we ever need to ask, is: In what way does this or that lead us to Christ? In what way does this mean an increase of Christ, a knowledge of Him in a living and experimental way? We are looking for what is of Christ.
Morning Daily Light by Samuel Bagster
The days of your mourning shall be ended.
In the world you will have tribulation. § The whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now. Not only that, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body. § We who are in this tent groan, being burdened, not because we want to be unclothed, but further clothed, that mortality may be swallowed up by life.
These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore they are before the throne of God, and serve Him day and night in His temple. And He who sits on the throne will dwell among them. They shall neither hunger anymore nor thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any heat; for the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to living fountains of waters. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.
Isa. 60:20; John 16:33; Rom. 8:22,23; 2 Cor. 5:4; Rev. 7:14,15; Rev. 7:16,17
Evening Daily Light by Samuel Bagster
Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?
The Lord is good to all, and His tender mercies are over all His works. Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you. I have given you all things, even as the green herbs. § While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, winter and summer, and day and night shall not cease.
The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; and He knows those who trust in Him. § God heard the voice of the lad. Then the angel of God called to Hagar out of heaven, and said to her, “What ails you, Hagar? Fear not, for God has heard the voice of the lad where he is.” … Then God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water. And she went and filled the skin with water, and gave the lad a drink.
Do not worry, saying, “What shall we eat?” or “What shall we drink?” … For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. § Trust … in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy.
Mark 4:38; Ps. 145:9; Gen. 9:3; Gen. 8:22; Nah. 1:7; Gen. 21:17,19; Matt. 6:31,32; 1 Tim. 6:17
None but the Hungry Heart by Miles Stanford
Dual Gift
To him that worketh not, but believeth on Him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness" (Rom. 4:5).
When our testimony concerning His gift of freedom from the power of sin is as valid as our testimony to His gift of freedom from the penalty of sin, we will have matured. So long as there is only the first half, we are but babes, albeit full-grown.
"The Lord Jesus, you know, makes two offers to everyone. He offers to set us free from the penalty of our sin. And He offers to set us free from the power of our sin. Both of these offers are made on exactly the same terms: we can accept them only by letting Him do it all. Every believer has accepted the first offer. Many have not accepted the second offer. They mistakenly think that they must have some part in overcoming the power of their sin; that their efforts, their will, their determination, strengthened and helped by the Holy Spirit, is the way of victory." -C.T.
"All the powers of Deity which already wrought together in the accomplishment of the first part of the eternal purpose, the revealing of the Father's likeness in the man Christ Jesus, are equally engaged to accomplish the second part, and work that likeness in each of the Father's children." -A.M.
"Like Christ: the longer we meditate on that word, the more we realize how impossible it is without the other: In Christ. The outward likeness can only be the manifestation of a living, inward union. To do the same work as the Lord Jesus, I must have the same life. The more earnestly I take Him for my example, the more I am driven to Him as my Head, my Life. Only an inner life essentially like His, can lead us to a visible walk like His." -A.M.
"As ye have, therefore, received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in Him" (Col. 2:6).
Devotional Studies by Elizabeth Haworth
Instruments of Righteousness
So do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness.
Romans 6:13
Gifts of God’s
Our salvation comes to us as a gift of God’s grace, and it is all due to the Lord Jesus. But godly living and righteous acts are similarly gifts of God – through Christ Jesus – "for it is God Who works in us both to WILL and to DO – to His good purpose". Philippians 2:13 If we try to carry out the work that God has prepared for us to do ourselves – we fail... but if we yield to the Spirit working His work within us – we are pleasing in His sight.
Work of God
We have to rely on God to be reborn AND we have to rely on Him to grow in grace. We can contribute nothing to initial salvation, nor the work God does through us. "Now the God of peace, who brought up from the dead the great Shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the eternal covenant, even Jesus our Lord, equip you in every good thing to do His will, working in us that which is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to Whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen". Hebrews 13:21
Eternal Thanks
Is that not amazing and worthy of our eternal thanks – God working within us? God sent His only Son to die on the cross to save us from the punishment of sin. He then adopted us as His own children and gave us an eternal, heavenly inheritance. He set about a lifelong process of conforming us into the image of the Lord Jesus. He planned and arranged to do good works through us, in the power of His Spirit – and then He plans to reward us for yielding to His Spirit working through us!
Bottom Line
The bottom line is that there is nothing man can contribute to any aspect
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Knowing Jesus Devotional by Elizabeth Haworth
Christ Centered
Centrality of Christ
The colour and content of Scripture paints a portrait defining the centrality of Christ. The warp and woof of God’s Word weaves an exquisite tapestry revealing His beauty. Each word of wisdom in prophecy and prose, poem and psalm proclaims His person. The meaning behind every message in the Bible manifests His unique qualities.
Word Made Flesh
Christ is the truth – behind ever-gracious Word that proceeds from the mouth of God. Christ is the way – guiding all who believe on His name into His path of peace. Christ is the light – illuminating each man and woman that comes into the world. Christ is the life – breathed into all who trusted in His finished work at Calvary.
New Life
Perhaps the most fundamental truth of Christ Jesus is the new life that is IN Him. Perhaps the most foundational fact is that He is central and we are to remain IN Him. When we are in Him we are protected from all that assails our life that causes us harm. When we abide in Him and rest in His love we can fully access our new-life in Him.
In Christ
When we are in Christ, He is above and below – He is at our side and all around us. When we are in Him, we step into the central sphere of His great love and protection. Being in Christ is a most amazing gift from the Father – bestowed on all that are His.. for those that are IN Christ have by faith accepted God’s free gift of saving grace. They have been placed in eternal union with Christ and remain forever IN HIM.
Justified in Him
We are IN CHRIST – JUSTIFIED. In Him we are reconciled to God; have peace with God and are in His safekeeping. In Him, we’re delivered from the Law – saved from sin’s shocking death penalty. In Him we are regenerated by the Spirit of God – in harmony with our Creator. We are His purchased possession for we were bought with the blood of the
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