Verse of the day — 1 Corinthians 15:56
The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.
1 Corinthians 15:56(KJV)
Open Windows by T. Austin-Sparks
The Church According to Christ (part 2)
The Most High does not live in houses made by men. (Acts 7:48 NIV)
Christianity has become a tremendous buildup of things which were not at the beginning. The Christianity which we know today is a very complicated thing. The hands of men have come upon the things of God, and men have tried to build this great thing according to their own judgment. And so we have all the confusion, all the divisions, and all the complications. It is really hard going in Christianity. Christianity has become its own great hindrance.... You will go about this country, you will go about this city, and you will see these great religious buildings with a cross at the top. And when people enter those buildings, they bow themselves; they look very reverent. And they think that this is a sacred building. If you interfere with anything there, it is called sacrilege. To God that is all nonsense. It does not mean anything at all. The only thing that matters to God is not the wonderful building and all the wonderful things inside the building, and not even the cross on the top. The one thing that matters to God is whether He is there. Is God Himself present in this place?
But what about ourselves, we hear Christians who come into a meeting like this speaking about coming into the house of God. Perhaps they say when they are going to this meeting place, "I am going to the house of God." And when they pray, they say, "We are very glad to be in the house of God this morning; it is a good thing to be in the Lord's house." What makes any place the house of God? What makes this place sacred? If it is sacred at all, what makes it sacred? It is not the building, this is not a sacred building. It is not a congregation gathered here. The only thing that makes it sacred is that the Lord is present. The Lord is not interested in our places or in our congregations; He is only concerned that He may find a place for Himself where He may be present in pleasure. I wonder where the tabernacle in the wilderness is now? I expect it is buried somewhere deep under the earth. I wonder where the great temple of Solomon is now?! I think you would be wasting your time to try and find it. You see, God had buried those things.... Everything that is not of Christ is going to be dissolved. Make no mistake. This whole structure of Christianity is going to be tested according to Christ. Christianity is just going to be tested as to how far it was the work of the Holy Spirit of God according to Christ.
Morning Daily Light by Samuel Bagster
We know that we have passed from death to life.
He who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life. § He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.
He who establishes us with you in Christ and has anointed us is God, who also has sealed us and given us the Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee. § By this we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before Him … Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence toward God. § We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one.
You He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins. [He] made us alive together with Christ. § He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love.
1 John 3:14; John 5:24; 1 John 5:12; 2 Cor. 1:21,22; 1 John 3:19,21; 1 John 5:19; Eph. 2:1; Eph. 2:5; Col. 1:13
Evening Daily Light by Samuel Bagster
You will show me the path of life.
Thus says the Lord: “Behold, I set before you the way of life and the way of death.” § I will teach you the good and the right way. § I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. § Follow Me.
There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death. § Wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.
A highway shall be there, and a road, and it shall be called the Highway of Holiness. The unclean shall not pass over it, but it shall be for others. Whoever walks the road, although a fool, shall not go astray. § Let us know, let us pursue the knowledge of the Lord.
In my Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
Ps. 16:11; Jer. 21:8; 1 Sam. 12:23; John 14:6; Matt. 4:19; Prov. 14:12; Matt. 7:13,14; Isa. 35:8; Hos. 6:3; John 14:2
None but the Hungry Heart by Miles Stanford
Love’s Eternality
The Lord direct your hearts into the love of God" (2 Thess. 3:5).
Between the activity of the old man and the accusations of Satan, we often find it very difficult to believe and understand that God is lovingly and legally on our side, both now and forever.
"One of the great secrets of growth is the looking upon the Lord Jesus as gracious. How strengthening it is, to know that He is at this moment feeling and exercising the same love and grace towards me as when He died upon the Cross for me." -J.N.D.
"I have got away from grace if I have the slightest doubt about God's love for me. I shall then be saying, I am not happy, because I am not what I should like to be. But, dear friend, this is not the question: the real question is, whether God is what we shall like Him to be, whether the Lord Jesus is all we could wish.
"If the consciousness of what we are in ourselves, has any other effect than, while it humbles us, to increase our adoration of what our Father is, we are off the ground of pure grace. The immediate effect of such consciousness should be to make our hearts reach out to God and to His grace as abounding over all."
"May our hearts get such a lesson in the love of the Father, that, instead of being depressed by trying circumstances, or elated by what are called providential interpositions, we may know that we are the objects of this wonderful love, and are being educated into it by the only One who knew it in all its power as He walked here below through this wilderness world." -J.B.S.
"To know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge" (Eph. 3:19).
Devotional Studies by Elizabeth Haworth
The Unveiling of God - Character and Attributes of God (31)
STUDY - Character and Attributes of GOD
Word of Men
“I Promise …” “Trust me… ” “Take my Word …” “I wont let you down ….” How quick we are to believe the friend, the boss, the parent who makes a commitment.
Broken Words
“I promise I’ll take you to the park tomorrow,” and then tomorrow comes and goes. “I’ll always be there for you, no matter,” then circumstances, feelings or life changes. How quick we are to believe that promise. How easy it is to break our word. How desperately hurt we feel.
Perception of God
How quick we are to translate painful happenings as a trait of God. How foolish we are to transfer human failings onto a perfect God. How obtuse to build perceptions of God, based the pain of life’s experiences, and yet we link the Word of God to the experiences of ‘words’ that let us down. God (the powerful EL) is not a man, that He should lie; neither the son of man, that he should change His mind Num.23:19a. And the actions of God, (the strong powerful Elohim) always reflect His nature.
God’s nature
If we have an understanding of God’s nature we will trust His word. Without an understanding of God’s nature we will oscillate with instability.. often based on the broken promises and shattered lies made by imperfect man: but hath He said, and shall He not do it, or hath He spoken, and shall He not make it good? Num.23:19b
Growing Understanding
God is ‘Incomprehensible,’ yet God is also wonderfully ‘Knowable.’ God is ‘Unfathomable,’ yet God chose to ‘reveal’ Himself to man – to unveil His character, little by little.. so our knowledge of Him might expand. First through El, as Elohim – the Strong, All-Powerful, Almighty God. And then he gently pushed the boundaries of their understanding (and ours). El Shaddai (God Almighty). El-elohe-Israel (The Mighty God of Israel). El Elyon (God Most High – Possessor of Heaven and Earth)
Abraham’s Understanding
To Abraham and his seed forever He was El Shaddai (God Almighty). And when Abram was ninety-nine
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Knowing Jesus Devotional by Elizabeth Haworth
Dead to Self
Self Life
Paul tells us we are the die to self.. to die to the self-life. We are told die to the fleshly, carnal life of nature.. the life of the first Adam. For we are dead in trespasses and sins. There is nothing good in anyone of us. We are all thoroughly corrupt before God and there is no good thing in us in the sight of God, for there is none good.. no not one! Romans 3:10
Christ Life
To die to self (to die to the self-life) we must discover it is not I.. but Christ. We must grow into a consistent, increasing personal knowledge of the Lord. But to know the Lord, we must first come to know the self-life. We must first recognise the self-life – to understand what it truly is.
Introspection
Introspection is not the answer. Introspection is about me, it is about myself. Introspection is self-analysis and self examination. Introspection is about what is wrong with me, and how I can I change.
Self-Analysis
Self-analysis is looking at me but it cannot address changing me. Self-examination tries to work out ways to improve self.. ways to deal with self, but we have to understand that it is not I (that can do it) but Him – until it is not I that live but Christ that lives in me.
Not I But Christ
I must not change. I cannot change. I can only die. Introspection is not the answer, though it exposes the problem. The answer comes through the Holy Spirit’s experiential revelation: except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and, die it abides alone, but if it die, it brings forth much fruit – and therein is the Father glorified. John 12:28. First.. death to all that is self : always delivered unto death. 2Cor.4:11. Then, Christ’s life.. that the life of Christ might be manifested in me.” Col.3:4
New Life
Resurrection arises from death.. His risen life, His new life – not my amended old life. It is not a resurrection
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