Verse of the day — 2 Corinthians 5:10
For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.
2 Corinthians 5:10(NASB)
Open Windows by T. Austin-Sparks
Knowing God in Christ
Jesus said to them, ruly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.(John 8:58 ESV)
The Lord ability to crowd vast ranges into small phrases is amazing. He compasses the whole range of human need, and answers every heart cry in a simple sentence of two words: am./i>
I cry for resurrection, for Life, for something to happen, for a filling, a consciousness, a sensation, a movement, an energy, a omething.The Lord answer is, i>I am the resurrection and the Life at any moment, in My will, anywhere.Oh that we might live on that ny moment anywherebecause of Him! He would woo us away from subjects, experiences, and teachings to propagate. Such a course has done much harm. The people of God are divided into groups, larger or smaller, around some thing, some experience, some truth, and the all-embracing and all-uniting reality is lost. Away, then, with things, experiences, and truths, to Him. i>This is life eternal, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent."Do you not understand? Who do you say that I am?" With a touch of Divine illumination in your heart you see the thing that you have known so long. Only the Lord can do that. That is the direction of inquiry. The Lord set our hearts on that.
Morning Daily Light by Samuel Bagster
Let your speech always be with grace.
A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver. Like an earring of gold and an ornament of fine gold is a wise rebuker to an obedient ear. § Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers. § A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things. § By your words you will be justified. § The tongue of the wise promotes health.
Those who feared the Lord spoke to one another, and the Lord listened and heard them; so a book of remembrance was written before Him for those who fear the Lord and who meditate on His name.
If you take out the precious from the vile, you shall be as My mouth. § But as you abound in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in all diligence … see that you abound in this grace also.
Col. 4:6; Prov. 25:11,12; Eph. 4:29; Matt. 12:35; Matt. 12:37; Prov. 12:18; Mal. 3:16; Jer. 15:19; 2 Cor. 8:7
Evening Daily Light by Samuel Bagster
Your lovingkindness is before my eyes.
The Lord is gracious and full of compassion, slow to anger and great in mercy. § Your Father in heaven … makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.
Be imitators of God as dear children. And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma. § Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you. § Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart. § The love of Christ compels us.
Love your enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High. For He is kind to the unthankful and evil. Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful.
Ps. 26:3; Ps. 145:8; Matt. 5:45; Eph. 5:1,2; Eph. 4:32; 1 Peter 1:22; 2 Cor. 5:14; Luke 6:35,36
None but the Hungry Heart by Miles Stanford
Affliction's Effect
But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ" (Phil. 3:7).
Our Father has many reasons for administering trial - all good. Trial teaches us the futility of the old life, and the faithfulness of the Lord Jesus - our new life.
"The Christian suffers the same calamities as others, perhaps even worse; he faces difficulties and losses in the things of this life; he has to be prepared to meet death itself. In all these circumstances he is calm and trustful; he is not only sure of ultimately going to heaven, but already abides there and enjoys something of it in his own heart.
"God is real to him and ever near. He knows a peace which passes all understanding, and he experiences a joy which no man can take from him. This, surely, should be our testimony in the world, but it can only be as the Lord Jesus Himself lives out this life in us." -H.F.
"The world is divided into two things - pleasures and afflictions; I am more afraid of the pleasures than the afflictions. In afflictions you turn to the Lord. The danger is of being carried away by the very favors God has given to man."
"Those who suffer from chastening ought to be before the Father, owning His hand; and He who has wounded will heal. The Lord Jesus did not take the cup which He had to drink from us, from man, nor from Satan; but from His Father's hand."
"Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus, my Lord" (Phil. 3:8).
Devotional Studies by Elizabeth Haworth
The BREADTH of God’s Superlative Love - Character and Attributes of God (12)
STUDY - Character and Attributes of GOD
"For God SO loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life"
John 3:16
Special Verse
This is the first simple verse that many a young child learns to recite, and yet many believe God is more likely to ignore us and stay away than love us. Many are more ready to believe He’s mad with them than that He loves them dearly. How sad.
Span of Love
Yes – God’s Love spans the breadth and length and depth and height of eternity. Paul tells us: "you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have the power to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and depth and height, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge". Eph.3:17
Depth of Grace
The dimensions and depths of His grace are incalculable. The capacity and proportions of His promises are innumerable. The extent and magnitude of His wisdom is immeasurable. His yearnings and tender love towards us is unceasing. His love is without bars, barricades, or blockages, and His love is all-embracing and all-encompassing.
Universal Love
His love is without race or class or creed or national barriers, for He loved the Syrophoenician woman and the Roman centurion without prejudice. His love is without age or popularity... or financial or cultural barriers. He loves both old and young, both rich and poor, both sinner and saint.
Unprejudiced Love
His love is even without a pride barrier, for He knelt to wash the feet of His prideful disciples, and He loved the prideful, self-satisfied, rich young ruler. He loves all without discrimination or bigotry, intolerance, or favouritism. And the love of Christ continues to stretch to the breadth of understanding.
Limited Perception
Yet so many limit His goodness to their own earthly experience. They choose to view His love and grace to the limits of their understanding – to view it to the extent to which they themselves understand love. And they refuse to recognise His
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Knowing Jesus Devotional by Elizabeth Haworth
The Heart’s Expectation
"My soul, wait thou only upon God — for my hope is in Him, my expectation is in Him, my assurance is in Him. He alone is my rock and my salvation – my fortress where I will not be shaken."
Psalm 62:5
Confident Rest
Waiting and watching in quietude of spirit, is to confidently rest in Him. It is to assuredly be persuaded in His purpose, His promise, and His initiative. Not to be influenced to act by self-initiative or impacted by another person’s exploits – for such is to lose the plot and shipwreck the steady course of progress He is making.
Assured Hope
To hope in Him is to disallow any circumstance that dictates hopelessness. To hope in Him is to trust Him to finish the good work that He has begun – to expect, with full assurance, that He Who promised is faithful and true.
Right Thinking
Never allow the line of communication to the Father, to be clogged with doubt. Never permit sight to mislead your confidence in Him, or conceal His reliability. Your outward experience may be a depressing wilderness or a parched desert. Your inner intellect may misinform your thinking or sever your expectation in Him. So hold fast, "for my hope is in Him, my expectation is in Him, my assurance is in HIM". Psalm 62:5
Precious Promise
Your very spirit may feel overwhelmed, in a surging ocean of deep despair, "all thy raging waves and thy buffeting billows are gone over me". Psalm 42:7. But this is to ignore the truth of His Word. This is to focus on the falsity of the situation. He has promised, "When you pass through the waters, I will be with you, and when you ford through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, nor the flame scorch you. "Isaiah 43:2
Sacrifice of Silence
Reestablish communication on a daily, hourly, moment by moment basis, and though a dark cloud of concealment may obscure His presence
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