Verse of the day — John 15:2
"Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit.
John 15:2(NASB)
Open Windows by T. Austin-Sparks
Opened Heavens
ook, I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing in the place of honor at God right hand!Then they put their hands over their ears and began shouting. They rushed at him and dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. (Acts 7:56-58 NLT)
You and I, on the broadest basis of the Christian life, are here... to represent a check; and because we are here for that, we shall be called "trouble makers." In a very real sense we shall be trouble makers. The trouble will focus itself upon us, and we shall have to suffer for it. The very fact that you are jealous for the Lord will bring you into conflict with that trend that there is in this world, in man.... When there is the purest testimony, the fullest expression of what is of God, the heavenly over against the earthly, the spiritual over against the carnal or the natural, the enemy gives a turn to things, a twist to things, and lays the responsibility at the door of a spiritual and a heavenly ministry. He says: "You are the cause of all the trouble you are the troubler!" But no. The trouble lies deeper than that, and in another realm. The truth is, there is something here that, in its very nature, must create trouble, must be a source of trouble, so long as God's known will, His revealed mind, is being violated; while the full expression of God's purpose is being withstood. To bring in something that stands for that, there is going to be trouble. It is a costly thing to have seen God's full purpose and thought concerning His people. It is always a costly thing. The Lord Jesus set a very vivid example and object lesson of this truth right in the foreground, in the incident of the man born blind (John 9). There is no doubt that the Lord intended that man to represent Israel and Israel's condition at the time. He gave that man sight and what happened to the man? "They cast him out," that is all; they cast him out, they excommunicated him (v. 34). That is an object lesson, an instance of this very thing.
If eyes have been opened; if, in any sense not officially you have become a 'seer' one who sees: it is going to cost you a lot, it will involve you in a lot of trouble. This matter of 'seeing' does that. It was Elijah the Seer, over against the blindness of Israel. It is a costly thing to be a spiritual man or a spiritual woman in this universe. It is a costly thing, yes, very costly, to hold to a heavenly and spiritual position. It is a costly thing to hold for Christ's full place; it involves you in trouble. It is a costly thing to have light if it is true light, God-given light. It is a costly thing to have Life. But remember, it is here, in this, that the power is resident.
Morning Daily Light by Samuel Bagster
As the body is one and has many members . . . so also is Christ.
He is the head of the body, the church. § Head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all. § We are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones.
A body You have prepared for Me. § Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written, the days fashioned for me, when as yet there were none of them.
They were Yours, You gave them to Me. § He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world. § Whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son.
Grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ—from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies … causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.
1 Cor. 12:12; Col. 1:18; Eph. 1:22,23; Eph. 5:30; Heb. 10:5; Ps. 139:16; John 17:6; Eph. 1:4; Rom. 8:29; Eph. 4:15,16
Evening Daily Light by Samuel Bagster
The fountain of living waters.
How precious is Your lovingkindness, O God! Therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of Your wings. They are abundantly satisfied with the fullness of Your house, and You give them drink from the river of Your pleasures. For with You is the fountain of life.
Thus says the Lord God: “Behold, My servants shall eat, but you shall be hungry; behold, My servants shall drink, but you shall be thirsty.” § Whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.” § This He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive.
Ho! Everyone who thirsts, come to the waters. § The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let him who hears say, “Come!” And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely.
Jer. 2:13; Ps. 36:7; Ps. 36:8 Ps. 36:9; Isa. 65:13; John 4:14; John 7:39; Isa. 55:1; Rev. 22:17
None but the Hungry Heart by Miles Stanford
Christ Our Position "
In [this] freedom Christ has made us free - completely liberated us; stand fast then" (Gal. 5:1, Amp.).
We are never going to be able to stand before our Father in prayer and fellowship because we are fit in ourselves. We finally come to see that we are in His presence because of our position in His Son.
"The ground upon which our Father deals with us is grace. Every blessing we receive of Him as His children is undeserved. In all of our spiritual existence we are debtors to the rich, free, sovereign grace of our Father. And what is it we are privileged to enjoy on that ground, when we enter into this grace wherein we stand'? We then have a new position, and that position is the glorified Lord Jesus Christ.
"We are not only pardoned, but justified - made righteous; and this is not merely by that which He has done, or by what He has procured or bestows - but in what He is. As He is, so are we in this world' (1 John 4:17). The believer must never lose sight of this fundamental truth: that the basis of his fellowship with the Father is not his own personal holiness, or what the Lord Jesus is in him, but his judicial position before the Father, or what the Lord Jesus is for him. He, the Lord our righteousness,' is the foundation and source of everything - of walk as well as of position." -E.H.
"Most look to get victory in order to get peace, but it is peace already made by the Lord Jesus' work and risen life that is ours. Conflict we shall find, but we know that the Father is for us, and that makes all the difference." -J.N.D.
"Of Him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us. . . righteousness" (1 Cor. 1:30).
Devotional Studies by Elizabeth Haworth
Christ, Our Redeemer - Perfect MAN Eternal SON (19)
For the One who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one Father. That is why Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers,
Hebrews 2:11
Eternal Redeemer
What grace that God should send His only begotten Son to become our Redeemer. What grace that the eternal Son of God should set aside His deity to be born as man and clothe Himself in human flesh.. without which redemption would be impossible. Unless the Creator of the Universe had deigned to make Himself as nothing, by taking on Himself the form of a servant and being born in the likeness of men – we’d remain dead in our sins.
Humanity of Christ
It was only the humanity of Christ that qualified Him to be the redeemer of mankind. The angels could not redeem man for angels are a different species – a different kind. God could not die for humanities sin for God is immortal and eternal – He cannot die.
Kinsman Redeemer
The qualification to become a Redeemer was recorded for us in the book of Leviticus. Only a relative was permitted to redeem a brother, when he fell into financial hardship. Only a family member could become, “a daysman” – “a goel” – “a kinsman-redeemer”. A beautiful example of such a “kinsman redeemer” is discovered in the book of Ruth.. and Boaz the close relative of Naomi and Ruth became their “kinsman redeemer.” And Boaz prefigured the Lord Jesus Himself, Who became our “kinsman redeemer”
Wages of Sin
Only a perfect member of the human race was equipped to become man’s Redeemer. The requirement for humanities “kinsman redeemer” was a perfect Man : a sinless life. Adam was made in the image and likeness of God – the created son of the Father, but Adam sinned and lost his inheritance – He forfeited his ruler-ship of the earth. The wages of Adam’s sin were death – death for humanity and separation from God, so death passed to all men, for that all have sinned – and all mankind was condemned.
God Incarnate
Only a perfect Man, ‘a
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Knowing Jesus Devotional by Elizabeth Haworth
The Price of Sin
You were bought at a price, therefore glorify God in your body
1 Corinthians 6:19-20
Eternal Separation
We all are born dead in our sins.. estranged from God – a hopeless case, but God set out to recover us; redeem us; restore us – to reunite us to Himself. The cost of redemption was high, for the soul of man was submerged in sin. The high cost of redemption was commensurate to the costly payment required – for the price for sin was death; eternal death – everlasting separation from God.
Price for Sin
Eye has not seen, nor could man imagine the shocking reality of such a sentence. The penalty of the law-of-sin is devastating, because the wages of sin is death. No action or attitude; work or words; pleading, penance or prayer is sufficient. The wealth of the world or a lifetime of goodly works could not pay the price for sin.
Horrors of Death
God is love but He is also just and righteous and He can never wink at sin. The cost of sin is very high and the only acceptable payment is the blood of Christ. Only the blood of Jesus can atone for sin while maintaining God’s truth and honour. For justice to embrace pardon.. Jesus, must drink a very bitter cup of pain. For righteousness to kiss peace.. the Lord must embrace the horrors of death.
Cost of Redemption
No other remedy could be applied. No other price would satisfy a holy God, and so we were bought at a price – the precious blood of our Lord and Saviour, – but the free gift of salvation to all who believe, cost God the life of His beloved Son. When man sinned he became a slave of sin, and servant of Satan, with no escape. Had we not been purchased by Christ, servitude to sin would be established forever: but we are bought with a price, ransomed; redeemed; recovered; restored; reunited.
Ransom Price
The ransom price was to satisfy the justice of God – Who loves us in Christ. The redemption price was
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