Month: April 2012

DAILY?READINGS: Numbers 10:11 to 11:3; Proverbs 8; Jude

 

And the Lord said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth… But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD. Genesis 6:7-8

And Noah did according unto all that the LORD commanded him.  Genesis 7:5

 

We first read that God purposed to destroy all mankind. But Noah became the exception, because he was the object of God’s grace. God offers that grace to all who will believe and trust Him. “For by grace are ye saved through faith” (Eph. 2:8). Are you saved? —Ken Gross

O, the love that drew salvation’s plan,
O, the grace that brought it down to man,
O the mighty gulf that God did span;
At Calvary! —William R. Newell

 

DAILY?READINGS: Numbers 9 to 10:10; Proverbs 6:20 to 7:27; Mark 16

 

Now is the judgement of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out. John 12:31

 

Christ was going to the cross, where many would suppose that He was defeated by His enemies. But it was actually His triumph over sin. He endured the punishment to remove it from God’s sight. He vanquished death by rising from the grave and ascending to glory. Finally He toppled Satan, using his own infernal weapons against him (Heb. 2:14). Sin, death, and the devil appear active, but the Lord’s return will show that these foes are broken and judged. —Keith Keyser

On our way rejoicing, gladly let us go;
Jesus is our Leader, conquered is our foe.
Christ without, our safety; Christ within, our joy;
Who, if we but trust Him, can our hope destroy? —J. S. B Monsell

 

DAILY?READINGS: Numbers 8; Proverbs 5 to 6:19; Mark 15:24-47

 

I said, a little while, and ye shall not see Me: And again, a little while and ye shall see Me. John 16:19

 

The Lord plainly said that for a little while He would be with the Father, and not physically evident on earth. But after the “little while,” He’ll return, and His saints shall see Him face to face and as He is. Now it seems that the “little while” until His return is almost ended. Conditions of the church, society, and the political world all point to end time conditions. Look up Christians! Ere long you shall see Him.—Doug Kazen

Face to face with Christ my Saviour,
Face to face what will it be?
When with rapture I behold Him,
Jesus Christ who died for me. —C. E. Breck

 

DAILY?READINGS: Numbers 7; Proverbs 4; Mark 15:1-23

 

Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith. Hebrews 12:2

 

It was a striking picture—a field full of sunflowers with their golden faces turned toward the sun. Sunflowers are sunstalkers, facing toward its light as it moves from horizon to horizon. We too, need to follow the sun—the Son of righteousness. We need the warmth of His love, truth and holiness. In the maturing process we learn to apply scriptural knowledge and manifest the virtues of our blessed Lord. May it be true of us that we follow Him, faithfully growing in Christ, and attracting others to the Source of light and life. —E. M. Dyck

 

Fill all my vision, let naught of sin, shadow the brightness shining within,
Let me see only Thy blessed face, feasting my soul on Thine infinite grace.—Avis Christiansen

 

 

DAILY?READINGS: Numbers 6; Proverbs 3; Mark 14:53-72

 

Put on the whole armour of God. Ephesians 6:11

 

Some feel when they accept Christ as Lord and Saviour that the battle is over. They are forgiven, on their way to heaven and Satan is a defeated foe. The truth is that Satan is alive and well, more determined than ever to attack you. The battle will rage on until the Christian leaves this life. Hence the exhortation—put on your armour daily and be prepared to fight. Be strong; be vigilant; be confident in the Lord’s strength. Live a life of faith and victory today. —Donald L. Norbie

And though this world with devils filled,
Should threaten to undo us;
We will not fear for God hath willed,
His truth to triumph through us. —Martin Luther

 

DAILY?READINGS: Numbers 5; Proverbs 2; Mark 14:27-52

 

I will praise Thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Psalm 139:14a

 

We are indeed fearfully and wonderfully made—with billions of cells, and life sustaining organs cooperating together to sustain life. At the centre of it all is the organ called the heart. Perfectly placed in the midst of the human body, approximately the size of your fist, the heart weighs about a pound, beats about 70 times per minute (100,000 times per day), and pumps 2,000 gallons of blood throughout the body every 24 hours. In 70 years the heart beats 2,555,000,000 times, pumping up to 51,100,000 gallons of blood. Nothing ever developed by man can compare with the human heart. How great is our God! —Rex Trogdon

Then sings my soul, my Saviour God to Thee;
How great Thou art, How great Thou art! —Carl Boberg

 

DAILY?READINGS: Numbers 4; Proverbs 1; Mark 14:1-26

 

Ye have not passed this way heretofore. Joshua 3:4

 

After forty years of wilderness experience the time had come for the Israelites to move on and to move in. This would be a new experience; they had not done this before. The people were perhaps filled with anxiety and fear; what would it be like? Would it work out? They were given precise instructions regarding their personal sanctification and readiness to go forward, and concerning how in safety they should follow the ark of the covenant. Today or tomorrow may be a new experience for you, so it is important to know that as you go forward you do so in absolute safety; so long as you follow His steps. —Roy Hill

 

Tis so safe to walk with Jesus, leaning hard upon His arm,
Following closely where He leads us, none can hurt and naught can harm.—A. B. Simpson

 

 

DAILY?READINGS: Numbers 3; Psalms 148-150; Mark 13

 

When He had thus spoken, He spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle. John 9:6

 

It was a common experience for the poor, blind beggar to be covered with the spittle of men, as in those days illness and suffering were regarded as self inflicted. This time the spittle did not descend in the usually derisory way, but was used by the Saviour to bring life and light. When others wrongfully criticise and condemn, the Saviour understands, and can reverse your pain, and bring relief and joy.—Brian Russell

O it was kind of Him, blest be His name,
Unto death binding Him, love-drawn He came.—Author Unknown

 

 

DAILY?READINGS: Numbers 2; Psalms 146-147; Mark 12:18-44

He took a child, and set him in the midst. Mark 9:36

He… took a towel, and girded Himself. John 13:4

He took bread, and… break it. Luke 22:19

 

Humility marked our Lord Jesus. He took a child to illustrate the humble attitude necessary to be His disciple. He took a towel and washed His disciples’ feet, to teach them humility in service. He took bread and broke it to symbolize His humility in salvation. He humbled Himself when He condescended from heaven’s glories to a manger in Bethlehem. But His ultimate humility, was in dying on a cross at Calvary for His enemies. —Milton Haack

He made nothing of himself, took on a servant’s form;
Found in likeness as a man, on the cross He died forlorn.—S. Peterson

DAILY?READINGS: Numbers 1; Psalms 144-145; Mark 11:27 to 12:17

 

And these words… shall be in thine heart… thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest… when thou walkest… when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. Deuteronomy 6:6-7

 

The Word of God was not only to be taught to their children, but the Israelites were to give it the most prominent place in every aspect of family life. The reason is given in vs. 12, “that they might not forget the Lord” when they faced so many new and even “good” things in the Promised Land. Are we preparing our children to face the “things” of this world by making God’s Word prominent in their lives?—David Croudace

O give us homes where Christ is Lord and Master,
Where prayer comes first, in peace or in disaster. —Barbara B. Hart