Month: June 2011

In a world that is hopeless we have this purifying hope. It is to be with Him forever. It is called a blessed and living hope. This I can grasp quite well. But there is more in these verses, “ We shall be like Him.” We who are so carnal and selfish; we that sin in thought, word and deed, are going to be like Him? Only God and the power of the Gospel of His grace could ever accomplish this. All praise to Him!—Harold G. Smith

What an awesome scene. A mighty angel stands on land and sea and lifts his voice. With his declaration, time ends and then eternity! This day is coming and it may be quite near. How terrible shall be the end of those who do not accept the invitation of the Lord Jesus while there is yet time. Come to the Saviour today. "Behold, now is the accepted time; behold now is the day of Salvation," (2 Cor. 6:2). —E. MacLelland

Every instance of witnessing has its own issues. With those sent by the Pharisees, it was pride and trust in man-made tradition; with the woman it was a religious facade disguising her shameful sin; with the Athenians, it was meaningless, pretentious debate. Christ and His Gospel is the answer to all of these issues. We need to declare Him fully and faithfully. —Mark Kolchin

It was an awkward situation for the Jewish leaders; they didn’t believe in Jesus Christ, yet the centurion who had been kind to them requested them to ask Jesus to heal his ill servant. The centurion’s humility was evident; he did not ask Christ to come to his gentile home. His knowledge of authority and responsibility was also commendable. What is the lesson for us? We too must be under God ordained authority to honour God and serve others in His name. The only other system of authority is satanic and the believer cannot honour God while under Satan’s rule. —Warren Henderson

Our Lord's rightful home is in the sanctuary, in the true sanctuary, heaven itself. But He willingly came to this little world stained by sin, and battered by storms. One day, to His disciples’ astonishment, He came to them walking on the stormy waves of Galilee. But with greater astonishment still they saw Him sink beneath the waters at Golgotha where He could say, “All Thy waves and Thy billows are gone over Me,” (Ps. 42:7). How grateful we should be today that “Many waters cannot quench love,” (Song of Sol. 8:7). His way in that sea has brought us into His sanctuary. —S. M.

There are three important things in this text. First there is an important possession—God’s Word. Then there is an important place where we are to hide the Word—our heart. Finally there is an important purpose to this activity—to keep from sinning. Someone has anonymously and correctly stated, “The best book in the world is the Bible. The best place to put it is in the heart. The best reason for putting it there is that it saves us from sinning against God.” By way of further emphasis D. L. Moody said: “Sin will keep you from the Book, but the Book will keep you from sin.” —W. Ross Rainey

Why read the Old Testament? The New Testament gives two reasons. First, to give us hope and secondly, that by heeding the examples in it, we might be holy. In a hopeless and unholy world, we need to read the Word—all of it! —Rex Trogdon

Men place great importance on earthly intelligence, but this question causes us to think about the “mind” of the Lord. His vast intellect has complete knowledge of every aspect of the universe from the microscope to the telescope. In addition to the material universe, He knows, in absolute detail, the lives, motives and thoughts of every person that has ever or will ever live. No wonder the inspired writer says, “Who has been His counsellor?” —S. D. B.

Routed by their enemies, Israel discerned that their defeat was ordained by the Lord. Instead of examining themselves to see where they had sinned, they tried to manipulate God into helping them by bringing the Ark to the army. Although it was the Almighty’s symbolic throne in that day, this box could never save them. Neither will man’s programs or methods deliver the Church from its problems. We must repent and trust in the Lord alone. The answer lies in a personal God, never in an “it”. —K. R. Keyser

Christian partnership is a divinely provided fellowship which needs careful and prayerful nurturing. The Church works together with different backgrounds; ethnic, social, male and female. We have different spiritual gifts and natural talents; some public, some private, but all needed and important. We have different duties; communicating truth, encouraging and comforting one another but all praying for each other. Our goals are simple; to glorify God in our hearts and lives; minister to the needs of the family of Christ and serve a loving Master. —Milton Haack