Verse of the day — John 8:24
"Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for unless you believe that I am He, you will die in your sins."
John 8:24(NASB)
Open Windows by T. Austin-Sparks
Battleground of the Soul
You are an offense to Me, because you are not thinking God's thoughts but human thoughts! (Matthew 16:23 ISV)
I think that does say to us that a position has to be taken inclusively and over many things where the will of God is concerned. We have to come very definitely and positively to such a position, and then realize that from time to time there will be, by one means or another, an effort of the enemy to change our minds, to weaken us in that course, to make other suggestions, to get us to reconsider it in the light of various issues and interests. We shall meet this offending, this stumbling, this hindering thing and have to be very ruthless with it. The way the Lord dealt with Peter was, in a sense, ruthless. Really there was no weakness in His attitude over that. Discerning its true nature, He saw clearly that, if He yielded to this suggestion, then He would go neither to Jerusalem nor to the Cross. It is a question of whether we have settled that such and such is the way of the will of God, and then, will this or that arising mean in the long run that we never get there, never do that will? If so, it has to be handled very ruthlessly and put out of the way and put behind us. The Cross comes to us in many connections and different terms.
Then, if we are really going to come through to the place of spiritual power as did Peter, that ground of the enemy must continually be forsaken and refused. The enemy has to be robbed of that which will destroy us and give him power to destroy us, and we have to be very ruthless with anything that arises to give him that position and defeat God's intention where we are concerned. This battle of heaven and hell, God and Satan, goes on in our souls, but there is for us this consolation, that we have a High Priest ever living to make intercession. We have a great asset in the continual intercession of the Lord Jesus for us.
Morning Daily Light by Samuel Bagster
Take heed to yourself.
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. § Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.
Those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. § For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. § Meditate on these things; give yourself entirely to them, that your progress may be evident to all.
1 Tim. 4:16; 1 Cor. 9:25; 1 Cor. 9:26; 1 Cor. 9:27; Eph. 6:11,12; Gal. 5:24,25; Rom. 8:14; 1 Tim. 4:15
Evening Daily Light by Samuel Bagster
Jesus said to her, “Mary!”
Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; you are Mine. § The sheep hear his voice; and he calls his own sheep by name. . . . The sheep follow him, for they know his voice.
See, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands; Your walls are continually before Me.
The solid foundation of God stands, having this seal: “The Lord knows those who are His.” § We have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God.
Then you shall take two onyx stones and engrave on them the names of the sons of Israel… So Aaron shall bear their names before the Lord on his two shoulders as a memorial… You shall make the breastplate of judgment… You shall put settings of stones in it, four rows of stones… And the stones shall have the names of the sons of Israel… And they shall be over Aaron’s heart when he goes in before the Lord.
John 20:16; Isa. 43:1; John 10:3,4; Isa. 49:16; 2 Tim. 2:19; Heb. 4:14; Ex. 28:9; Ex. 28:12; Ex. 28:15; Ex. 28:17; Ex. 28:21; Ex. 28:30
None but the Hungry Heart by Miles Stanford
Spirit-motivated Surrender
Keep on seeking the things above where Christ is seated at the right hand of God (Col. 3:7, Wms.).
When the Spirit of Christ has the hungry heart prepared, there will be surrender. No struggle; no questions. "We reason when we ought to repose; we doubt when we ought to depend. Confidence in our Father's love is the true corrective in all things." "For I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I have committed unto Him" (2 Tim. 1:12).
"If a believer surrenders or lays aside anything without an adequate divine motive, he will either secretly hanker after it, and probably long to return to it, or he will take credit to himself for having given it up, and will thus reveal self-righteousness and spiritual pride.
"A certain school of religious teachers make much of surrender' as the way to attain blessing, but it ends in self-sufficiency, because the only motive that is presented for it is the acquisition of a better spiritual state, or power for service, or something of that kind. A divine motive and attraction is needed if souls are to be drawn into the race and prepared to surrender in a truly spiritual way, and this divine motive and attraction is our risen Lord in Glory." -C.A.C.
"Communion with the Lord Jesus requires our coming to Him in the Word. Meditating upon His person and His work requires the prayerful study of His Word. Many fail to abide in Him because they habitually fast instead of feast." -J.H.T.
"Lord, Thou wilt ordain peace for us; for Thou also hast wrought all our works in us. O Lord our God, other lords beside Thee have had dominion over us; but by Thee only will we make mention of Thy name" (Isa. 26:12, 13).
Devotional Studies by Elizabeth Haworth
Heaven’s March - Man’s Nature and Destiny (12)
A Study:- Man’s Nature and Destiny
For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ, Who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself.
Philippians 3:21
Heavenly Places
We come to Jesus as saviour. We live in Christ for sanctification. We work for the Lord in service, and one day we will be with Him in person – in heavenly places. And that day we will be like Him in character – forever.. an example of His grace towards us, to the principalities and power that be. John tells us that: now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed, what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. 1 John 3:2.
Future Inheritance
Job in the dire consequences of his situation was taken to the extreme of endurance, until Job received a revelation of God, which surpassed all earthly understanding – and Job was at last able to cry: I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees You Job 42:5. This Psalmist rejoiced at this similar hope for the future. He writes: as for me, I will see Your face in righteousness; I shall be satisfied when I awake in Your likeness. Psalm 17:15. And what more glorious reminder of our future inheritance than the words of Paul, who writes: for our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ. Philippians 3:20,
Different Bodies
He came to earth to be born into a body of flesh, just like yours and mine, but through His perfection, He broke the sting of death and took on His glorified body – so that we also could escape this restrictive body of sin – to be just like Him. Today we
read more
Knowing Jesus Devotional by Elizabeth Haworth
Pressed Pain
Pressed out of measure and pressed to all length,
Pressed so intensely it seems beyond strength,
Pressed in the body and pressed in the soul,
Pressed in the mind ‘til the dark surges roll.Pressure by foes and pressure by friends,
Pressure on pressure ’til life nearly ends.
Burden of Pain
We live in a world of pressure, unimaginable pain, and deep, deep hurts. We are part of fallen humanity where not one soul is untouched or uncontaminated. Men, women, children – each have their own burden of pain and weight of stress. Some very silent, some very vocal – but all harnessed to the deepest of deep agonies. Some ingrained wounds sink down into the hidden inner recesses of our being. Some jarring pains tear at our very soul and we lock ourselves away in a hidden cocoon.
Distortions of Pain
All such hurt distorts and destroys, causing fears and deep agonies. No one knows nor can understand the trauma such pain inflicts on your broken heart, or mind. Some wounds are inflicted by the cruelty of other people.. themselves deeply wounded. Some pain is intensified as we build up false imaginings, and flawed understanding. Much of our hurt is self-inflicted as we assimilate false evidence of both God and man. We self-erected false imaginings, flawed understandings, and fabricated evidence, which we foolishly believe to be the truth, and pain is further intensified.
Cause of Pain
All pain, all hurt and all wounds result from sin, and Satan’s great ploy is to build on every hurt and magnify it out of all proportion – to keep us outside the sphere of God’s love and peace, until spent nerves jangle ceaselessly. Not one of us was promised a life free from trial or traumas and deep, deep pain – and many consider their own brand of pain, pressure, and hurt outstrips that of all others, but there is no temptation, or trial, that you have experienced, that is not common to man.
Answer to Pain
God has promised to enable you to bear your pain and go through your traumas.
read more