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Daily Bible reading with
comments:
Saturday,
Samedi, Samstag, Sabato, 30th, January, 2004.
"Behold, you are
made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing
comes to you." (John 5:14).
"Sanctify them through thy truth"
(17:17), so Christ prayed. Error never
sanctifies. The Hoy Spirit is the great
sanctifying power. Truth is the medium
of sanctification. By reading and
feasting upon the Word of God, by practicing
the truth at all times, we receive power to
glorify God. But the ministry of the
Word is of no value to the receiver unless he
has that faith which works by love and
purifies the soul.
The Word of God is our council and to be
consulted with prayer.
Friday, 29th,
January, 2004
And he said, let me
go, for the day is breaking. And he
said, I will not let you go, until you bless
me." (Gen.32:26).
O what an amazing love and
condescension! The Lord Jesus encourages
His believing ones to ask for the Holy
Spirit. By presenting the parental
tenderness of God, He seeks to encourage faith
in the reception of the gift. The
heavenly Parent is more willing to give the
Holy Spirit to them that ask Him than earthly
parents are to give good gifts to their
children.
God has promised. If we would reach up
higher and expect more, our petitions would
reveal the quickening influence that comes to
every soul wh ask with the full expectation of
being heard and answered.
The Lord is not glorified by the tame
supplication which show that nothing is
expected. He desires every one who
believes, to approach the throne of grace with
earnestness and assurance. Do we realize
the magnitude of the work in which we are
engaged? If we did, there would be more
fervency in our prayers. Our entreaties
would rise before God with convincing
earnestness. We would plead for power as
a hungry child pleads for bread.
Thursday,
28th, January,
2004
"This one thing
I do, forgetting those things which are
behind, and reaching forth unto those things
which are before, I press towards the mark for
the prize of the high calling of God in Christ
Jesus." (Phil.3:13,14).
A new year is before us and an old one left
behind us. How can you look back on
it? Have you made advancement in the
divine life? Have you increased in
spirituality? Have you crucified self,
with the affections and lusts? Have you
an increased interest in the study of God's
Word? Have you gained decided victories over
your own feelings and waywardness? Oh,
what has been the record of your life for the
year which now has passed into eternity, never
to be recalled?
As you enter a new year, let it be with an
earnest resolve to have your course onward and
upward. Let your life be more elevated
and exalted than it has been so far.
Make it your aim not to seek your own interest
and pleasure, but to advance the cause of your
Redeemer. Remain not in a position where
you ever need help yourself, and where others
have to guard you to keep you in the narrow
way
You may be strong to exert a sanctifying
influence upon others. You may be where
your soul's interest will be awakened to do
good to others, to comfort the sorrowful,
strengthen the weak, and to bear your
testimony for Christ whenever opportunity
offers. Aim to honor God in everything,
always and everywhere. Carry your
religion into everything.
Prepare for eternity with such an zeal as you
have not yet manifested. Educate your
mind to love the Bible, to love the prayer
meeting, to love the hour of meditation, and,
above all, the hour when the soul communes
with God. Become heavenly-minded if you
would unite with the heavenly choir in the
mansions above.
A new page is turned in the book of the
recording angel. Let a record be stamped
there which you will not be ashamed to have
revealed to the gaze of men and angels.
Wednesday,28th
January,2004
"Seek good, and
not evil, that ye may live: and so the Lord,
the God of hosts, shall be with you."
(Amos 5:14)
Satan is using every means to make crime and
debasing vice popular. We cannot walk the
streets of our cities without encountering
flaring notices of crime presented in some
novel or to be acted at some theater. The mind
is educated to familiarity with sin. The
course pursued by the base and vile is kept
before the people in the periodicals of the
day, and everything that can excite passion is
brought before them in exciting stories. They
hear and read so much of debasing crime that
the once tender conscience, which would have
recoiled with horror from such scenes, becomes
hardened, and they dwell upon these things
with greedy interest.
Many of the amusements popular in the world
today, even with those who claim to be
Christians, tend to the same end as did those
of the heathen. There are indeed few among
them that Satan does not turn to account in
destroying souls. Through the drama he has
worked for ages to excite passion and glorify
vice. The opera, with its fascinating display
and bewildering music, the masquerade, the
dance, the card table, Satan employs to break
down the barriers of principle and open the
door to sensual indulgence. In every gathering
for pleasure where pride is fostered or
appetite indulged, where one is led to forget
God and lose sight of eternal interests, there
Satan is binding his chains about the soul.
Our only safety is to be shielded by the grace
of God every moment, and not put out our own
spiritual eyesight so that we will call evil,
good, and good, evil. Without hesitation or
argument, we must close and guard the avenues
of the soul against evil.
Tuesday, 27th
January, 2004
"And he had
power to give life unto the image of the
Beast, that the image of the Beast should both
speak, and cause that as many as would not
worship the image of the Beast should be
killed." (Rev.13:15).
Here we have an unwonted power foretold of
false worship being enforced. The last of all
prophecies Christians are expecting very
very soon to come. Most of us believe
that it is the New World Order (NWO) who will
implement the worldwide economic boycott here
foretold (verse 17).
By uniting church and state, Rome became the
persecuting mandevouring Beast for 1260 years.
Protestant America wrote into the constitution
a church separate from the state and without a
Pope.
But since Protestantism has now fully accepted
the "Counter-Reformation" teachings
of the church of Rome, they are eager to unite
and use the opportunity to enforce false
dogmas held in common.
Papal Rome removed the second of the Ten
Commandments in order to bring in Idolatry and
images and the Roman day of the sun from
sun-worship. Rome claims that the change of
the day of worship and the mode of worshipping
God is her "MARK" of authority in
Ecclesiastical matters. The Vatican is
not just a church, but a political state as
well.
God strictly forbids the unity of church and
the state and calls it enmity against Him and
spiritual adultery. (James 4:4; Revel.17).
While the boycott will only be the start of
force, when this is not succeeding against the
faithful true worshippers of God, the death
penalty will follow.
The false fire coming down from heaven (verse
13,14) is no doubt Spiritualism that is
uniting Protestants and Catholics who claim to
have the cloven tongues of fire that came down
from heaven on the day of Pentecost.
Monday, 26th
January, 2004 (Australia day)
"So
Jesus came again into Cana of Galilee, where
He made the water wine. And there was a
certain nobleman, whose son was sick at
Capernaum.
When he heard that Jesus was come out of Judea
into Galilee, he went unto Him, and besought
Him that He would come down, and heal his son:
for he was at point of death. The
nobleman said unto Him, Sir, come down ere my
child die.
Jesus said unto him, Go your way; your son
will live. And the man believed the word
that Jesus had spoken unto him, and he went
his way. (John 4:46-53).
With heartbroken entreaty the father cries,
"Sir, come down ere my child die.
" He fears that each passing moment
will place his son beyond the power of the
Healer. But his faith is yet
imperfect. Desiring to lead him to
perfect faith, the Savior replies, "Go
your way; your son lives."
"And the man believed the word that Jesus
had spoken unto him, and he went his
way." Assured that the death he had
dreaded will not come to his son, the nobleman
does not ask any questions, nor seek any
explanation. He believes. Over and
over again he repeats the words, "Your
son lives".
And the power of the words of the Redeemer
flashes like lightening from Cana to
Capernaum, and the child is healed. The
nobleman shows his faith by not insisting on
the presence of Jesus, and immediately the
power of Satan is rebuked. The dying boy
feels the joy of restoration.
The watchers by the bedside mark with bated
breath the conflict between life and
death. And when in an instant the
burning fever disappears, they are filled with
amazement. Knowing the anxiety of the
father, they go to greet him with joyful
tidings. He has only one question to
ask, When did the child begin to mend?
They tell him and he was satisfied. he
believed when he turned his face homeward; now
his faith is crowned with assurance. A
holy atmosphere surrounds him, and as he
looked upon his son, healed of all disease,
spiritual life sanctifies his soul. He
is converted. With the simple faith of a
little child he receives the great gift of the
kingdom of heaven.
What a witness Christ has in this
nobleman! He had asked for the life of
his son, not expecting to receive anything
himself. But he realized that a great
power had taken possession of his soul.
He recognized Christ as the physician of the
soul as well as the body. Overjoyed,
filled with peace and gladness, he exclaimed,
To-day is salvation come to this house.
Spiritual life, with all its transforming
power, was breathed into his soul, and he
proclaimed in Capernaum the wonderful power of
the Savior.
Sunday, 25th
January, 2004
"For
as the Father raises up the dead, and quickens
them, even so the Son quickens whom He
will. For the Father judges no man, but
has committed all judgment unto the Son; that
all men should honor the Son, even as they
honor the Father." (John 5:21-23).
To Jesus
Christ is committed the highest prerogative,
that of judging. He must receive from us
the same honor that is due to God, because He
is God.
"In the
beginning was the Word, and the Word was with
God, and the Word was God" (John 1:1).
That this divine Word is none other than Jesus
Christ is shown in verse 14: "And the
Word was made flesh, and dwelled among
us." The mind of man cannot grasp
the ages that are spanned in that phrase:
"the Word was in the beginning".
Just before the crucifixion He prayed,
"And now, O Father, glorify Thou Me with
Thine own self with the glory which I had with
Thee before the world was." (John 17:5).
Adam was given
God's Sabbath (Gen.2) as the head of humanity
and all nations. But where Adam failed,
Christ succeeded and took over as Victor and
Lord of the Seventh-Day Sabbath (Mark 2:28)
and head of all humanity and nations.
Friday, 23rd
January, 2004
"Wherefore,
holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly
calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest
of our profession, Christ Jesus." (Hebrews
3:1).
Did you know
that as a Christian, you are a
'professional'? This scripture contains
all the injunctions given to the Christian.
Christ lowered
Himself as God to become man, so that we be
lifted up and be called His brothers and
sisters in the faith. As Jesus is the great
High Priest above, so are we called His
Priests to dispense salvation.
(1.Pet.2:9). We as born again Christians
are to leave the milk of the word of God (the
Bible) and start digesting heavy meat (Hebrews
5:12-6:5). And so with to study to show
ourselves approved unto God and become a
worker not need to be ashamed. (2.Tim.2:15).
To do this as
the Bible enjoins, to consider Christ
continually and intelligently, just as He is,
will transform one into a perfect Christian,
for "by beholding we become
changed".
Thursday, 22nd
January, 2004
"So
the Heavens and the earth were finished, and
all the host of them.
And on the seventh day God ended His work
which He had made; and He rested on the
seventh day from all His work He had made.
And God blessed the seventh day, and
sanctified it: because that in it He had
rested from all His work which God created and
made." (Genesis
2:1-3).
Now God does
not tire and need physical rest, but here gave
us the example which He incorporated into the
Ten Commandments (Ex.20:8). And of
course it was Jesus who created and rested
(John 1:1-3,14; Hebrews 1:2,10; Col.1:9;
Eph.3:9) and therefore declared Himself Lord
of the Seventh-Day Sabbath in the New
Testament (Mark 2:28) and the God of the Old
Testament (John 8:58; 5:18 cf. Exodus 3:14;
Isa.43)
Unfortunately the bulk of Christianity follows
Rome into disobedience of the first day of the
week rather than the seventh.
The Sabbath
was given to Adam, who was the representative
head of the whole human race, the father of
all men and nations. Acts 17:26.
Sunday, 11th
January, 2004
"You
Lord, give perfect peace to those who keep
their purpose firm"
Isaiah 26:3 TEV
Everybody is
driven by something. What drives
you? (1) Guilt? Guilt ridden
people are manipulated by their
memories. They allow their past to
control their future. They unconsciously
sabotage their own success by thinking.
"I don't deserve these
blessing." We are all products of
our past, but we do not have to be prisoners
of it. God says: "Do not dwell on
the past" Isa.43:18
(2) Anger and resentment?
Instead of releasing the pain through
forgiveness, do you constantly rehearse it in
your mind? Those who hurt you can only
keep hurting you if you hold onto the pain
through resentment. For your own sake,
learn from it and move on.
(3) Fear?
Many of our fears are the result of traumatic
experience, unrealistic expectations, growing
up in a high-control home or genetic
predisposition. Regardless of cause, fear is a
self-imposed prison that will keep you from
becoming what God intends you to be.
Rise up and move on against the weapons of
faith and love, for "Well-formed love
banishes fear" (1.John4:18 TM).
Thursday, 8th
January, 2004
"You also
must be ready, because the Son of Man will
come at an hour when you do no expect
Him." (Luke 12:40 NIV)
Chuck Swindoll
writes, I once worked in a machine shop along
side a fellow named George. His job was to
sweep out the shavings underneath the huge
lathes we were running. George loved the
subject of Bible Prophecy. I remember him
singing hymns as he worked, 'In the Sweet By
and By' and 'When the Roll is Called up
Yonder, I'll Be There'.
Late one
Friday afternoon, about 10 minutes before
quitting time, I looked at George and said,
'George, are you ready?' He said, 'Uh-huh.'
But he was all dirty. He obviously wasn't
ready. In fact, he looked like he was ready to
keep on working. 'Aren't you ready to go
home?' I asked. 'Yeah,' he said, 'I'm ready.'
I said, 'Look at you! Man, you're not ready,
you've gotta go clean up.' 'No,' he said, 'let
me show you something.' Quickly he unzipped
his overalls and underneath was the neatest,
cleanest clothes you can imaging. All he did
when the whistle blew was just unzip, step out
of his overalls, walk up, punch the clock and
he was gone. 'You see,' he said, 'I stay
ready, to keep from getting ready - just like
I'm ready for Jesus!'
Without
exception, when the Second Coming of Christ is
mentioned in the Bible, it's followed by a
call to godly living. We've missed the whole
idea, if it doesn't create in us a desire to
maximize each moment and live it in the light
of His coming soon.
Wednesday, 7th
January, 2004
"All things
were made by Him; and without Him was not
anything made that was made.
In Him was life; and the life was the light of
men.
And the light shines in darkness; and the
darkness comprehends it not. There
was a man sent from God, whose name was
John."(John 1:3-5 NKJV).
This world has
been visited by the Majesty of heaven, the Son
of God. "God so loved the world,
that He gave His only-begotten Son that
whosoever believes in Him should not perish,
but have everlasting life."
Christ came to this world as the expression of
the very heart and mind and nature and
character of God.
We believe Christ was begotten, not
created. He always was yet He
became. When He made all things (verse
3), he declared: "let there be
light" (Gen1:1-3) has Himself become the
true light, destroying the darkness of sin,
making way for the Light of salvation, so that
all who believe and accept the Light may
receive "power to become the sons of God,
even to them that believe on His name".
(John 1:12).
The word 'became' in verse 14 is the same as
the one translated 'made' in verse 3.
When the Word 'became' flesh, it was an act of
creation from being with God to being
"with us"
"Anyone who has seen Me, has seen
the Father". (John 14:9).
And as Thomas said: "Oh my Lord and
my God" when he met the
resurrected Jesus.
Tuesday, the 6th
January, 2004
"Let
Love guide your life, for then the whole
church will stay together in perfect harmony
(Col.3:14 LB)
Once you
discover what God intents real fellowship to
be, it's easy to become discouraged by the gap
between the ideal and the real in your church.
Yet you must passionately love the church in
spite of its imperfection. Looking for
the ideal while criticizing the real is
immaturity. Settling for the real
without striving for the ideal is
complacency. Maturity is living with the
tension.
People will
disappoint you, but that's no excuse to stop
loving and fellowshipping with them.
They are still your family even when they
don't act like it, so you can't just walk out
on them!
People go sour
on the church for many reasons :hypocrisy,
boring services, money, neglect, pettiness,
legalism and the biggie: who's in
control? Because we are human, we will
inevitably hurt each other. But instead
of leaving, we need to stay and work it
out. Reconciliation, not running away,
is the road to stronger character and deeper
fellowship. Anyway, there's no perfect
church to escape to. The sooner you give
up the idea that a church must be perfect in
order to love it, the sooner you'll quit
pretending and start admitting that we're all
seriously in need of grace. Every church
should hang out a sign that reads: No perfect
people need apply: This church is only for
those who admit they are sinners, need grace
and want to grow.
The truth is,
if God joins you to a church, only God should
'un-join' you from it.
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