Verse of the day — Isaiah 43:2
"When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they will not overflow you When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched, Nor will the flame burn you.
Isaiah 43:2(NASB)
Open Windows by T. Austin-Sparks
Christ’s Sinless Perfection
They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb. (Revelation 12:11)
There are so many of the Lord's people today over whom Satan is lording it; lording it along the line of accusation, bringing them under a sense of condemnation and judgment, robbing them of their peace, of their assurance, rest, hope; and you will find these people are everlastingly talking about their own short-comings, their sinfulness; they are forever circling round themselves, all that they are that they would not be, all that they are not that they would be. Their deliverance from Satan is that they should have a fresh apprehension of the absolute satisfaction of the Father in His Son on their behalf, and that they find their standing before the Father in acceptance. That is the way of deliverance, the way of the Adversary's casting out. This is the way of overcoming him as the Accuser. Yes, the ground of the Blood is sufficient for this full-orbed, many-sided, all-round victory. "They overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb," and the first and supreme factor in the virtue of that Blood in all these directions, is its untainted sinlessness, the nature of the Lord Jesus. There has never been another who was such.
Oh, I am so glad that it was God that came in Christ, GOD that came in Christ. Can you charge God with sin? Can you lay sin to God's charge, to God's account? It was God in Christ, the absolutely and altogether holy One in whom there was no sin, who came in incarnation; and in virtue of that Divine nature in its perfection Satan in his authority is defeated - on that ground. Blessed be God! We receive by faith the virtue of that precious Blood; that is, the perfection of the Lord Jesus can be put to our account. That is grace - the wonder of the Gospel. If we were to begin to analyze ourselves and take stock of ourselves, that would be a terrible business, a wretched business, and it would be endless - think of it, beloved, with all that we know of ourselves, all that God knows about us - "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? I the Lord search the heart. I try the reins...." Though all that be a fact, you and I can stand now in the presence of God as sinlessly perfect, not in ourselves, but in Christ, as having absolute sinless perfection put to our account by God.
Morning Daily Light by Samuel Bagster
The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; and He knows those who trust in Him.
Praise the Lord of hosts, for the Lord is good, for His mercy endures forever. § God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. § I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress; my God, in Him I will trust.” § Who is like you, a people saved by the Lord, the shield of your help and the sword of your majesty! § As for God, His way is perfect; the word of the Lord is proven; He is a shield to all who trust in Him. For who is God, except the Lord? And who is a rock, except our God?
If anyone loves God, this one is known by Him. § The solid foundation of God stands, having this seal: “The Lord knows those who are His,” and, “Let everyone who names the name of Christ depart from iniquity.” § The Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the ungodly shall perish. § You have found grace in My sight, and I know you by name.
Nah. 1:7; Jer. 33:11; Ps. 46:1; Ps. 91:2; Deut. 33:29; 2 Sam. 22:31,32; 1 Cor. 8:3; 2 Tim. 2:19; Ps. 1:6; Ex. 33:17
Evening Daily Light by Samuel Bagster
I want you to be without care.
He cares for you. § The eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him.
Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who trusts in Him! § The young lions lack and suffer hunger; but those who seek the Lord shall not lack any good thing. § Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? § Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
1 Cor. 7:32; 1 Peter 5:7; 2 Chron. 16:9; Ps. 34:8; Ps. 34:10; Matt. 6:25,26; Phil. 4:6,7
None but the Hungry Heart by Miles Stanford
Slow But Sure
Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him; fret not thyself" (Ps. 37:7).
Our Father moves on the basis of His finished work, therefore hurry is not a factor with Him nor should it be with us. We are to walk in the Spirit,' and the blessed Holy Spirit will see to it that we obtain all that our Father has for us, step by step. "The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, and he delighteth in His way" (Ps. 37:23). Don't be discouraged - Enoch walked with God for three hundred years before he was translated!
"We cannot become spiritual all at once; we must be content to begin as babes. Spiritual maturity and strength do not come by effort but by growth; and growth is the result of being nourished by proper food. But if we do not grow by effort it is important to remember that we do not grow without exercise.
"God begins by giving our hearts a sense of the blessedness of the grace in which He has called us, that we may be awakened and enhungered to pursue the knowledge of all this with purpose of heart and prayerful study." -C.A.C.
"Whatever we do accurately must take time and collectedness of mind, and there is no accuracy in all the world like keeping company with God, and yet nothing so free from bondage or tediousness. By going slow with the Lord we accomplish more than by going with a rush, because what we do is done so much better and does not have to be undone. It is done in a better spirit, with deeper motives, and bears fruit far out in the future, when all mushroom performances have been dissipated forever." -G.B.W.
"Delight thyself also in the Lord, and He shall give thee the desires of thine heart" (Ps. 37:4).
Devotional Studies by Elizabeth Haworth
Spiritual Introspection - Man’s Nature and Destiny (19)
A Study:- Man’s Nature and Destiny
But he who is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is rightly judged by no one. For who has known the mind of the LORD that he may instruct Him? But we have the mind of Christ.
1 Corinthians 2:15-16Let this mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus.
Philippians.2:5
What is Spiritual
Is there any more important lesson for the Christian to learn than to be spiritual? Oh I don’t mean being a ‘goody goodly’ who think himself righteous and pure. Nor do I mean her who thinks herself so godly that they’re off the “angelicometer”. I mean one that has gone through the mill-of-life, for a purpose. One who’s identified his fleshly propensity, fleshly failures, and fleshly weaknesses. I mean one that has recognised their carnal walk and made inner adjustments.. one that has set their face like a flint to God and cries: search me, O God. Search me O God, identify and root out all my sin of self-pride. Show me all self-independence and carnality.
What is Carnal
For the carnal Christian says: my will be done. Spiritual believers say: Thy will be done not mine.. whatever the cost. But how does one start this journey of a lifetime? How does one recognise their inner prideful carnal self? Well Scripture tells us: but he who is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is rightly judged by no one. Does this mean that man goes around being critical of others – never! Does this mean he goes accusing God for all the negative things – never, but neither does it mean that they spend their time criticising themselves.
Right Perspective
Many believers don’t understand and spend their life accusing and berating others. Many believers misunderstand and spend their life lashing out at themselves: God cant love me ‘cuz of my misspent youth. He could never love me, they bewail. Some even start to lash out at God, when things do not make sense. Many lash themselves for past sins
read more
Devotional Studies by Elizabeth Haworth
The Spiritual Man - Man’s Nature and Destiny (21)
A Study:- Man’s Nature and Destiny
But he who is spiritual judges all things.
1Cor.2:15
Sift, Search, Study
Note in the Greek this word is the same as that in Act chapter 17 means to sift / to search/ to study the Word of God: But he who is spiritual sifts, searches out and studies all things – all things pertaining to God for the things of this world are foolishness. But he who is spiritual sifts, and searches out and studies all things of God, yet he himself is rightly searched out by no one – for, who has known the mind of the LORD that he may instruct Him? but we have the mind of Christ. 1Cor.2:15-16, so: let this mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus. Phil.2:5
Spiritual Man
The spiritual man is identified as one that has the mind of Christ Paul exhorted us: let this mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus, and by implication this is not a past state but one to which we should strive. My daily prayer for years has been: align my mind to the mind of Christ, because I know that in my own mind there dwells no good thing. This is not a striving to do things for God – in order to please an angry God. This is a striving to be like Christ, because He is the One Who pleases God – until.. until it is His Life being lived through me with my self-life nailed to the cross.
Human Development
A lifetime of trying to achieve this in one's own strength will result in failure, and we have an example written in the life of every baby that’s born. That newborn babe has the mind of a man – not an animal or angel or fish or tree. That human child has a human mind, but he lacks human development. Only years of schooling and decades of training will endow him with maturity. Were that child not endowed with a mind.. that child could not develop..