Verse of the day — John 10:18
"No one has taken it away from Me, but I lay it down on My own initiative I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again This commandment I received from My Father."
John 10:18(NASB)
Open Windows by T. Austin-Sparks
Christian Enlargement
My God will supply every need of yours according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:19 ESV)
God has assumed the responsibility of a Father, and has taken up those responsibilities to meet them in and through His Son. The enlargement of that in Christian utterance is found in Philippians 4:19. This means Christ recognized, Christ known, God in Christ, and that on the ground of our utter separation unto Him. But note: it is God gift. He says that it was not Moses that gave the manna in the wilderness, but His Father. Then it is not the result of man labors, it is the issue of God grace. Are you laboring for spiritual growth? How we have striven and strained to increase our spiritual measure and our spiritual stature. What a burden we have taken upon us in relation to the maintenance of our own spiritual life! We have almost assumed the whole responsibility for our spiritual life, and made it as though it depended upon our labors in prayer, our labors in the Word of God, our labors in the Lord service, our effort, our stress.
No one will think that we have made little of prayer or the Word. No one will think that we have said you must have no care whatever for your spiritual life, but there is such a difference between assuming responsibility for ourselves and recognizing that God has assumed that responsibility. And because God has assumed the responsibility we should cooperate with God. There is all the difference between trying to work for our justification, and working because we are justified; between trying to work for our perfection, and working because our perfection is secured in Christ. The difference is not merely technical, it is practical, and of immense value. Sometimes it is necessary for the Lord to say to us: "Look here, you are making far too much of your own praying, far too much of your own business in the Scriptures, you are unconsciously coming to think that everything depends upon how much and how fervently you pray." And then you go out and talk to other people about your prayer life as a kind of setting up against their own. You do not mean it, but the implication is that this is what accounts for your growth, and it is going to count for other people growth. That must not be a cause but a result. 'The cause, the secret, the spring of everything is Myself, and sometimes you will just have to cease straining, and rest back in Me, in loving trust. Learn to do that a little more, and then you will pray better, and I shall be able to do something more!'
Morning Daily Light by Samuel Bagster
My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness, and my mouth shall praise You with joyful lips. When I remember You on my bed, I meditate on You in the night watches.
How precious… are Your thoughts to me, O God! How great is the sum of them! If I should count them, they would be more in number than the sand; when I awake, I am still with You. § How sweet are Your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth! § Your love is better than wine.
Whom have I in heaven but You? And there is none upon earth that I desire besides You. § You are fairer than the sons of men.
Like an apple tree among the trees of the woods, so is my beloved among the sons. I sat down in his shade with great delight, and his fruit was sweet to my taste. He brought me to the banqueting house, and his banner over me was love. § His countenance is like Lebanon, excellent as the cedars. His mouth is most sweet, yes, he is altogether lovely. This my beloved, and this is my friend.
Ps. 63:5,6; Ps.139:17,18; Ps 119:103; Song 1:2; Ps. 73:25; Ps. 45:2; Song 2:3,4; Song 5:15,16
Evening Daily Light by Samuel Bagster
Restore to me the joy of Your salvation.
I have seen his ways, and will heal him; I will also lead him, and restore comforts to him and to his mourners.
“Come now, and let us reason together,” says the Lord, “though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool.” § “Return, you backsliding children, and I will heal your backslidings.” “Indeed we do come to You, for You are the Lord our God.” § I will hear what God the Lord will speak, for He will speak peace to His people and to His saints; but let them not turn back to folly.
Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits: who forgives all your iniquities, who heals all your diseases. § He restores my soul. § O Lord, I will praise You; though You were angry with me, Your anger is turned away, and You comfort me.
Hold me up, and I shall be safe.
I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake; and I will not remember your sins.
Ps. 51:12; Isa. 57:18; Isa. 1:18; Jer. 3:22; Ps. 85:8; Ps.103:2,3; Ps.23:3; Isa. 12:1; Ps. 119:117; Isa. 43:25
None but the Hungry Heart by Miles Stanford
Appreciation, Not Depreciation
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly" (Col. 3:16).
As believers we rejoice in the fact that the Lord Jesus died for us, but few are affected by the fact that He arose for us. Fewer still realize that we died and arose with Him. Learn the facts! There will be continual struggle and failure until we gain adequate understanding of the liberating truth.
"The Lord Jesus on the Cross removed the barriers which separated me from God - my guilt, my sin, the law; and He dealt with my enemies - the world, the flesh, the devil. These six things were dealt with, so that we need no longer be in bondage through fear and that we may come boldly to the throne of grace. - "Have we given a hearty assent to these things which the Lord Jesus did for us? Or have we, as we read the Word, drifted by them, taking it all for granted? Let us lay hold of that for which God has laid hold of us. Let us gird up the loins of our mind and consent to that which He did for us. Let us enter into all that which being united to Christ as our Life means. Let us rejoice in all that was accomplished for us on Calvary." -L.L.L.
"It is necessary that the truth conferred by grace should be known as a possession and the virtue of it apprehended, before there can be any walk in keeping with it. For if there be ignorance or misapprehension, the truer the conscience, the more defective is the practice." -J.B.S.
"Set your affection on things above" (Col. 3:2)
Knowing Jesus Devotional by Elizabeth Haworth
Song of the Christian
Unique Name
There is no other name that rejoices the heart of the believer than the wonderful name of Jesus. This name has gladded the hearts of men and women down through the centuries and instilled hope and peace into a world that is dead in trespasses and sins.. a world where man is at war with man. His name stands uniquely in the pages of Scripture as the singular name by which salvation is given, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved. There is no other name but the name of Jesus that lifts the weary soul to the heights of heaven, and calms the troubled breast.
Sweetest Name
Many beautiful hymns of prayer and songs of praise have been penned that lift up the sweet name of Jesus, for His name alone soothes the ache of the sorrowing heart. His name alone can calm the clamour of the troubled breast. He alone engenders heavenly hope in a believer’s life and pours in the oil of His perfect peace into the struggling soul. How sweet the Name of Jesus sounds, in a believer’s ear! It soothes his sorrow, heals his wounds, and drives away his fear.
Sustaining Name
Jesus not only sustains and holds the universe together by the might of His powerful arm, but He holds each one of us in the palm of His hands and protects and provides all we need, for life and holiness. Jesus is manna for all that are hungry.. pressed down and running over. He is the overflowing fountain of refreshment that floods into the soul of each weary wanderer. He is that spring of water that wells up within, unto eternal life. He alone provides sustenance to those who have discovered Him to be their Bread of Life and Living Fountain. Jesus makes the wounded spirit whole, and calms the troubled breast. He’s manna to the hungry soul and to the weary rest.
Saving Name
But Jesus is the Horn of our Salvation; the Rock on Whom we stand. He is
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Devotional Studies by Elizabeth Haworth
The Baby Metaphor Growing In Grace (6)
(study – 6)
But grow in the grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, Amen.
2 Peter 2:18
Pattern for Growth
All believers are born to fellowship with God, and have a responsibility to grow.. a responsibility that is given as a command to all God’s children. All believers are to become like Jesus. We are to grow in grace, which means being transformed into His likeness, by means of the Spirit. We are to put off all sin, which hinders maturity, and we are to confess our sin to maintain fellowship God. We are to long for the milk and meat of the Word of God, by which we will grow.
Command to Grow
We are commanded to grow in Scripture.. to grow in grace. But growth only takes place as we submit to the indwelling Spirit and He appeals to our God-given volition, to grow in grace and in a knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Peter 3:18. We can willingly can obey God’s command, or we can ignore it.
Spiritual Health
Normal physical growth implies normal physical health, and normal spiritual growth implies normal spiritual health. The apostle John informs us in that fellowship with God is the healthy Christian life, while Peter reminds us that God’s Word is the food we need for healthy spiritual growth – and God desires that we mature in the faith.
Under Grace
Paul reminds us that in this church dispensation: you are not under the law, but under grace, Romans 6:14 and warns us:- do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God.. Romans 6:13. In very simple language we are, to lay aside all sin.. to put all sin away, which is achieved by living, walking and growing in grace – by becoming more like Jesus.
Grace Alone
We are saved by God’s grace alone and not by human effort. His grace is diametrically opposite to much man-made religious teaching. And once saved by grace through faith, we are to live by
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