Tag Archives: christianity

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The Measure of True Success – John MacArthur

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“Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, to the saints who are at Ephesus, and who are faithful in Christ Jesus” (Eph. 1:1).

Our society is success oriented. We love success stories. We even have television programs that exalt the lifestyles of the rich and famous. But God’s standard for success is quite different. Unimpressed by our status or wealth, He looks instead for faithfulness to His will.

Paul understood that principle and diligently pursued his calling as an apostle–one of those unique men who were foundational to the church and recipients, teachers, and writers of the New Testament.

That was a high calling, yet judging from Paul’s lifestyle most people would hardly call him successful– having suffered imprisonments, beatings, death threats, shipwrecks, robberies, hatred from his theological enemies, sleepless nights, hunger, thirst, and exposure to the elements (2 Cor. 11:23-27). But none of those things deterred him from obeying God’s will. His final testimony was, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith” (2 Tim. 4:7). That’s true success! Although we’re not apostles, we’re to follow Paul’s example of faithfulness (1 Cor. 11:1). That’s possible because, like the Ephesian believers, we are “saints [holy ones] . . . who are faithful in Christ Jesus” (Eph. 1:1). By God’s grace we’ve trusted in Christ as our Lord and Savior (Eph. 2:8-9) and received His righteousness (Phil. 3:9), Spirit (Eph. 3:16), and every spiritual resource necessary for faithful, victorious Christian living (Eph. 1:3).

What remains is to cultivate greater love for Christ and more consistent obedience to His Word. Those are the hallmarks of a true disciple and God’s measure of success. Make it your goal that your life today warrants the Lord’s commendation, “Well done, good and faithful [servant]” (Matt. 25:21).

Suggestions for Prayer:  Praise God for His wonderful grace, by which He granted you salvation and all the spiritual resources you need.

Thank Him for His Word, where you learn the principles of godly living.

Ask Him for opportunities today to encourage the faithfulness of others.

 

For Further Study:  Read Ephesians 1:3-4; 2:10; Titus 2:11-12

What is the goal of your salvation?

Are you living each day in light of that goal?

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Loving Your Child – Charles Stanley

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As parents, we want our children to love us, spend time with us, talk with us, and stay close to us for as long as we live. More importantly, we would like them to want to do those things. But if we don’t love them unconditionally now, it’s unlikely they will remain nearby in the future.

“But aren’t I responsible to help them develop to their fullest potential?” you might ask. “Are there not times when I need to push a little?”

Absolutely! In fact, motivating your children to excellence and improvement is part of expressing unconditional love and acceptance to them. To allow kids simply to get by in life is a form of covert rejection.

If you want to motivate your children without expressing an attitude of conditional acceptance, two things must be true:

First, all your prodding and exhortation must be preceded by demonstrations of unconditional love for them. There must be memorials, so to speak, to their worthiness in your eyes. By “memorials,” I mean prior events or conversations that have clearly expressed your love.

Memorials are beneficial because they give your children something to recall for reassurance when you pressure them to perform. Sometimes your expectations will be too high, and they will fail. Without reminders of your unconditional acceptance, children might fear your disappointment and rejection.

Memorials can also take the form of a gift or even the bestowal of certain privileges. In presenting the gift, stress several times that it is not connected with any particular occasion or action on their part; you are giving simply because you love them.

• Second, to properly motivate your child, you must measure him by his own ability, not somebody else’s. Comparing one child’s performance to that of another eventually destroys self-esteem, expressions of individuality, and creativity.

The real key here is to view each of your children as a unique individual. Every young person is gifted in some particular way. Your goal as a parent is to recognize that area of strength and emphasize it as your child develops, for within these strengths is his or her greatest potential for excellence. By cultivating these strengths, you will also do great things for your children’s self-esteem.

When I was growing up, I didn’t do so well in high school. Everything turned out okay, but I didn’t have a good start. As a result, I never told my kids that I expected them to make As or Bs while they were in school. I didn’t tell them they had to make the baseball team or be the most popular. Instead, my question to them was, “Did you do your best?”

One good way to find out whether or not your children feel unconditional acceptance is simply to ask them, “What do you think it would take for you to make Mom and Dad as proud of you as we could possibly be?”

Evaluate the answer carefully. Is it task-oriented? Do they feel they must do all their chores every day or be straight-A students? Do they feel obligated to make a team or squad, or perform some other task to win your approval?

Perhaps the answer is more character-related. Do your children believe that doing their best at every task they undertake is what would please you? Do they know you would be proud of them for obeying God, regardless of the cost?

Their reply will give you insight into what you’ve actually communicated, regardless of what you have said. The value system you establish will serve as a basis upon which they accept themselves and others.

Simply telling your children that you accept them unconditionally is not enough. The apostle John wrote, “My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth” (1 John 3:18 NKJV). Unconditional love and acceptance are communicated more clearly by what we do and how we do it than simply by what we say.

Our children must have a backlog of memories to sustain their belief that we truly love them, no matter what. Such love tells our sons and daughters that we accept them for who they are—despite what they do. What a sense of security and acceptance this gives them!

Do you want to encourage your kids to succeed? You don’t need to push expectations on them. If we direct their focus to the Lord, then they will want to be obedient and do their best for Him.

Never take for granted the impact that you have on their lives. Remember, the way you act toward your kids today greatly influences the way they will respond to you tomorrow.

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Charles Spurgeon’s Morning and Evening

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Morning “Hitherto hath the Lord helped us.” / 1 Samuel 7:12

The word “hitherto” seems like a hand pointing in the direction of the past.

Twenty years or seventy, and yet, “hitherto the Lord hath helped!” Through

poverty, through wealth, through sickness, through health, at home, abroad, on

the land, on the sea, in honour, in dishonour, in perplexity, in joy, in

trial, in triumph, in prayer, in temptation, “hitherto hath the Lord helped

us!” We delight to look down a long avenue of trees. It is delightful to gaze

from end to end of the long vista, a sort of verdant temple, with its

branching pillars and its arches of leaves; even so look down the long aisles

of your years, at the green boughs of mercy overhead, and the strong pillars

of lovingkindness and faithfulness which bear up your joys. Are there no birds

in yonder branches singing? Surely there must be many, and they all sing of

mercy received “hitherto.”

But the word also points forward. For when a man gets up to a certain mark and

writes “hitherto,” he is not yet at the end, there is still a distance to be

traversed. More trials, more joys; more temptations, more triumphs; more

prayers, more answers; more toils, more strength; more fights, more victories;

and then come sickness, old age, disease, death. Is it over now? No! there is

more yet-awakening in Jesus’ likeness, thrones, harps, songs, psalms, white

raiment, the face of Jesus, the society of saints, the glory of God, the

fulness of eternity, the infinity of bliss. O be of good courage, believer,

and with grateful confidence raise thy “Ebenezer,” for–

He who hath helped thee hitherto

Will help thee all thy journey through.

When read in heaven’s light how glorious and marvellous a prospect will thy

“hitherto” unfold to thy grateful eye!

 

Evening  “What think ye of Christ?” / Matthew 22:42

The great test of your soul’s health is, What think you of Christ? Is he to

you “fairer than the children of men”–“the chief among ten thousand”–the

“altogether lovely”? Wherever Christ is thus esteemed, all the faculties of

the spiritual man exercise themselves with energy. I will judge of your piety

by this barometer: does Christ stand high or low with you? If you have thought

little of Christ, if you have been content to live without his presence, if

you have cared little for his honour, if you have been neglectful of his laws,

then I know that your soul is sick–God grant that it may not be sick unto

death! But if the first thought of your spirit has been, how can I honour

Jesus? If the daily desire of your soul has been, “O that I knew where I might

find him!” I tell you that you may have a thousand infirmities, and even

scarcely know whether you are a child of God at all, and yet I am persuaded,

beyond a doubt, that you are safe, since Jesus is great in your esteem. I care

not for thy rags, what thinkest thou of his royal apparel? I care not for thy

wounds, though they bleed in torrents, what thinkest thou of his wounds? are

they like glittering rubies in thine esteem? I think none the less of thee,

though thou liest like Lazarus on the dunghill, and the dogs do lick thee–I

judge thee not by thy poverty: what thinkest thou of the King in his beauty?

Has he a glorious high throne in thy heart? Wouldest thou set him higher if

thou couldest? Wouldest thou be willing to die if thou couldest but add

another trumpet to the strain which proclaims his praise? Ah! then it is well

with thee. Whatever thou mayest think of thyself, if Christ be great to thee,

thou shalt be with him ere long.

“Though all the world my choice deride,

Yet Jesus shall my portion be;

For I am pleased with none beside,

The fairest of the fair is he”

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Memory Full! – Greg Laurie

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My computer screen flashes a little warning sign on those occasions when I try to load too much information onto my hard drive. It tells me my memory is full—it has no more room for any more information.

In a similar way, if we would fill our hearts and minds with God’s Word, then when the devil comes with his perverse thoughts and ungodly schemes, he will see a sign that notifies him that our memory is full. It is so important for us to fill our minds and hearts with the Word of God!

Certainly it is good to carry a Bible in your briefcase, pocket, or purse; but the best place to carry the Bible is in your heart. It is good to go through the Word of God, but it is better for the Word of God to go through you. It is great to mark your Bible, but it is best if your Bible marks you. It must affect the way you live.

The Bible tells us to store up its words in our hearts, teach them to our children, and write them down (Deuteronomy 11:18-20). Memorizing a verse may not feel like a supernatural experience, but it is an important discipline. That is why the Lord told Joshua to meditate on His Word “day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success” (Joshua 1:8).

When you store the Word of God in your memory, the next time you face a difficult situation, suddenly that verse will come to you with freshness from the very throne of God. It will speak to your situation and strengthen your heart.

So get God’s Word into your heart and mind! And put it into practice.

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Charles Spurgeon’s Morning and Evening

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Morning   “Can the rush grow up without mire?” / Job 8:11

The rush is spongy and hollow, and even so is a hypocrite; there is no

substance or stability in him. It is shaken to and fro in every wind just as

formalists yield to every influence; for this reason the rush is not broken by

the tempest, neither are hypocrites troubled with persecution. I would not

willingly be a deceiver or be deceived; perhaps the text for this day may help

me to try myself whether I be a hypocrite or no. The rush by nature lives in

water, and owes its very existence to the mire and moisture wherein it has

taken root; let the mire become dry, and the rush withers very quickly. Its

greenness is absolutely dependent upon circumstances, a present abundance of

water makes it flourish, and a drought destroys it at once. Is this my case?

Do I only serve God when I am in good company, or when religion is profitable

and respectable? Do I love the Lord only when temporal comforts are received

from his hands? If so I am a base hypocrite, and like the withering rush, I

shall perish when death deprives me of outward joys. But can I honestly assert

that when bodily comforts have been few, and my surroundings have been rather

adverse to grace than at all helpful to it, I have still held fast my

integrity? Then have I hope that there is genuine vital godliness in me. The

rush cannot grow without mire, but plants of the Lord’s right hand planting

can and do flourish even in the year of drought. A godly man often grows best

when his worldly circumstances decay. He who follows Christ for his bag is a

Judas; they who follow for loaves and fishes are children of the devil; but

they who attend him out of love to himself are his own beloved ones. Lord, let

me find my life in thee, and not in the mire of this world’s favour or gain.

 

Evening   “And the Lord shall guide thee continually.” / Isaiah 58:11

“The Lord shall guide thee.” Not an angel, but Jehovah shall guide thee. He

said he would not go through the wilderness before his people, an angel should

go before them to lead them in the way; but Moses said, “If thy presence go

not with me, carry us not up hence.” Christian, God has not left you in your

earthly pilgrimage to an angel’s guidance: he himself leads the van. You may

not see the cloudy, fiery pillar, but Jehovah will never forsake you. Notice

the word shall–“The Lord shall guide thee.” How certain this makes it! How

sure it is that God will not forsake us! His precious “shalls” and “wills” are

better than men’s oaths. “I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.” Then

observe the adverb continually. We are not merely to be guided sometimes, but

we are to have a perpetual monitor; not occasionally to be left to our own

understanding, and so to wander, but we are continually to hear the guiding

voice of the Great Shepherd; and if we follow close at his heels, we shall not

err, but be led by a right way to a city to dwell in. If you have to change

your position in life; if you have to emigrate to distant shores; if it should

happen that you are cast into poverty, or uplifted suddenly into a more

responsible position than the one you now occupy; if you are thrown among

strangers, or cast among foes, yet tremble not, for “the Lord shall guide thee

continually.” There are no dilemmas out of which you shall not be delivered if

you live near to God, and your heart be kept warm with holy love. He goes not

amiss who goes in the company of God. Like Enoch, walk with God, and you

cannot mistake your road. You have infallible wisdom to direct you, immutable

love to comfort you, and eternal power to defend you. “Jehovah”–mark the

word–“Jehovah shall guide thee continually.”

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Benefits of God’s Greatest Gift – Charles Stanley

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Matthew 27:51

On Christmas, we think of a newborn in a manger, perhaps with a halo surrounding his head. This sweet image is certainly meaningful to us. But it has become so commonplace in our culture that we tend to miss the enormity of Jesus’ sacrifice and the amazing implications for us.

As we saw yesterday, salvation and an eternal home are two wonderful privileges that come to us through God’s gift of His Son. Now let’s look at three more.

We have a personal relationship with the omniscient and omnipresent God. He is the Good Shepherd, who cares for us individually, unconditionally, and with great passion. He will do whatever it takes to keep us close to Him; no matter how we sin, He will never disown us. What security and value we have because of His great love!

Jesus says that He is our faithful, trustworthy friend, available at all times, whether in seasons of heartache or rejoicing. The Lord offers the type of intimate relationship that we all long to have. And only He can fill our void in a truly lasting, satisfying way.

The moment we are saved, God gives us another gift: His Holy Spirit indwells each believer, counseling, teaching, and enabling us to do His Will. He will never leave us and, in fact, will one day accompany us to heaven.

God is our Shepherd, Friend, and indwelling Teacher. His gift of redemption allows us to live abundantly now and also promises eternity in His presence. Take the time to explore some of the countless benefits of His gift so you can enjoy and be grateful for all the blessings we have in Jesus.

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Charles Spurgeon’s Morning and Evening

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Morning   “For your sakes he became poor.” / 2 Corinthians 8:9

The Lord Jesus Christ was eternally rich, glorious, and exalted; but “though

he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor.” As the rich saint cannot be

true in his communion with his poor brethren unless of his substance he

ministers to their necessities, so (the same rule holding with the head as

between the members), it is impossible that our Divine Lord could have had

fellowship with us unless he had imparted to us of his own abounding wealth,

and had become poor to make us rich. Had he remained upon his throne of glory,

and had we continued in the ruins of the fall without receiving his salvation,

communion would have been impossible on both sides. Our position by the fall,

apart from the covenant of grace, made it as impossible for fallen man to

communicate with God as it is for Belial to be in concord with Christ. In

order, therefore, that communion might be compassed, it was necessary that the

rich kinsman should bestow his estate upon his poor relatives, that the

righteous Saviour should give to his sinning brethren of his own perfection,

and that we, the poor and guilty, should receive of his fulness grace for

grace; that thus in giving and receiving, the One might descend from the

heights, and the other ascend from the depths, and so be able to embrace each

other in true and hearty fellowship. Poverty must be enriched by him in whom

are infinite treasures before it can venture to commune; and guilt must lose

itself in imputed and imparted righteousness ere the soul can walk in

fellowship with purity. Jesus must clothe his people in his own garments, or

he cannot admit them into his palace of glory; and he must wash them in his

own blood, or else they will be too defiled for the embrace of his fellowship.

O believer, herein is love! For your sake the Lord Jesus “became poor” that he

might lift you up into communion with himself.

 

Evening   “The glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it

together.” / Isaiah 40:5

We anticipate the happy day when the whole world shall be converted to Christ;

when the gods of the heathen shall be cast to the moles and the bats; when

Romanism shall be exploded, and the crescent of Mohammed shall wane, never

again to cast its baleful rays upon the nations; when kings shall bow down

before the Prince of Peace, and all nations shall call their Redeemer blessed.

Some despair of this. They look upon the world as a vessel breaking up and

going to pieces, never to float again. We know that the world and all that is

therein is one day to be burnt up, and afterwards we look for new heavens and

for a new earth; but we cannot read our Bibles without the conviction that–

“Jesus shall reign where’er the sun

Does his successive journeys run.”

 

We are not discouraged by the length of his delays; we are not disheartened by

the long period which he allots to the church in which to struggle with little

success and much defeat. We believe that God will never suffer this world,

which has once seen Christ’s blood shed upon it, to be always the devil’s

stronghold. Christ came hither to deliver this world from the detested sway of

the powers of darkness. What a shout shall that be when men and angels shall

unite to cry “Hallelujah, hallelujah, for the Lord God Omnipotent reigneth!”

What a satisfaction will it be in that day to have had a share in the fight,

to have helped to break the arrows of the bow, and to have aided in winning

the victory for our Lord! Happy are they who trust themselves with this

conquering Lord, and who fight side by side with him, doing their little in

his name and by his strength! How unhappy are those on the side of evil! It is

a losing side, and it is a matter wherein to lose is to lose and to be lost

forever. On whose side are you?

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The Revelation of Man’s Destiny – John MacArthur

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“He did not subject to angels the world to come, concerning which we are speaking. But one has testified somewhere, saying, ‘What is man, that Thou rememberest him? Or the son of man, that Thou art concerned about him? Thou hast made him for a little while lower than the angels; Thou hast crowned him with glory and honor, and hast appointed him over the works of Thy hands; Thou hast put all things in subjection under his feet.’ For in subjecting all things to him, He left nothing that is not subject to him” (Heb. 2:5- 8).

When we look at the vast, seemingly endless universe and then think about the little dot we call earth in the middle of it all, we cannot help but wonder, “What is man? What right do we have to be so much on God’s mind?”

David had an answer: “Thou hast made him for a little while lower than the angels . . . crowned him with glory and honor . . . appointed him over the works of Thy hands . . . put all things in subjection under his feet” (Heb. 2:6-8). The writer of Hebrews was quoting one of the Psalms (Ps. 8:4-6) to show that God made man to be king.

David undoubtedly penned his psalm based on what God said in the beginning: “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth” (Gen. 1:26). God’s original design for man in his innocence was to be king over an undefiled earth.

When God made Adam, who was pure and innocent, He gave Him honor and glory. God crowned man king of the earth: “Thou hast put all things in subjection under his feet” (Heb. 2:8). One day we again will be given the right to rule the earth, and all God’s creation will be put under our feet.

Suggestion for Prayer: Read Psalm 8 and offer it as your own praise to God.

For Further Study:  Read Daniel 7:18, 27 and note the extent of the saints’ ultimate rule.

The Revelation of Man’s Destiny  –  John MacArthur

“He did not subject to angels the world to come, concerning which we are speaking. But one has testified somewhere, saying, ‘What is man, that Thou rememberest him? Or the son of man, that Thou art concerned about him? Thou hast made him for a little while lower than the angels; Thou hast crowned him with glory and honor, and hast appointed him over the works of Thy hands; Thou hast put all things in subjection under his feet.’ For in subjecting all things to him, He left nothing that is not subject to him” (Heb. 2:5- 8).

When we look at the vast, seemingly endless universe and then think about the little dot we call earth in the middle of it all, we cannot help but wonder, “What is man? What right do we have to be so much on God’s mind?”

David had an answer: “Thou hast made him for a little while lower than the angels . . . crowned him with glory and honor . . . appointed him over the works of Thy hands . . . put all things in subjection under his feet” (Heb. 2:6-8). The writer of Hebrews was quoting one of the Psalms (Ps. 8:4-6) to show that God made man to be king.

David undoubtedly penned his psalm based on what God said in the beginning: “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth” (Gen. 1:26). God’s original design for man in his innocence was to be king over an undefiled earth.

When God made Adam, who was pure and innocent, He gave Him honor and glory. God crowned man king of the earth: “Thou hast put all things in subjection under his feet” (Heb. 2:8). One day we again will be given the right to rule the earth, and all God’s creation will be put under our feet.

Suggestion for Prayer: Read Psalm 8 and offer it as your own praise to God.

For Further Study:  Read Daniel 7:18, 27 and note the extent of the saints’ ultimate rule.

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The Confirmation from God – John MacArthur

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“How shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation? After it was at the first spoken through the Lord, it was confirmed to us by those who heard, God also bearing witness with them, both by signs and wonders and by various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit according to His own will” (Heb. 2:3-4).

When Jesus preached the gospel, He performed miracles that made what He said believable. He said, “Though you do not believe Me, believe the works” (John 10:38). Jesus claimed to be from God, then made it obvious He really was from God.

Nicodemus came to Jesus by night and said to Him, “No one can do these signs that You do unless God is with Him” (John 3:2). Jesus confirmed His ministry by His own miracles. Peter reiterated that fact on the day of Pentecost: “Jesus the Nazarene [was] a man attested to you by God with miracles and wonders and signs” (Acts 2:22).

God also gave these same confirming signs to His second generation of preachers–the apostles–so no one could dispute the validity of their message. What the apostles said was not their own opinion; it was divine truth substantiated by signs, wonders, and miracles.

Signs, wonders, and miracles are synonyms referring to all the supernatural things the apostles did. But the apostles also confirmed the Word with “gifts of the Holy Spirit.” That’s a reference to the temporary sign gifts described in Scripture, such as tongues and healings, not to the permanent edifying gifts given to the church for all time.

Today God attests to the gospel with the miracle of His written Word. Let it not be said that you neglected Jesus Christ. History confirms that hours of neglect cost Napoleon Waterloo. Neglecting Christ’s salvation will cost you eternal blessing and joy and bring you damnation. Don’t allow yourself to drift past God’s grace.

Suggestion for Prayer: Thank God for His Word, and that through it you have all the truth you need to communicate the gospel.

For Further Study:  Read Acts 5-19 and list all the miracles performed by the apostles to confirm the gospel.

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Charles Spurgeon’s Morning and Evening

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Morning   “The lot is cast into the lap, but the whole disposing thereof is of the

Lord.” / Proverbs 16:33

If the disposal of the lot is the Lord’s whose is the arrangement of our whole

life? If the simple casting of a lot is guided by him, how much more the

events of our entire life–especially when we are told by our blessed Saviour:

“The very hairs of your head are all numbered: not a sparrow falleth to the

ground without your Father.” It would bring a holy calm over your mind, dear

friend, if you were always to remember this. It would so relieve your mind

from anxiety, that you would be the better able to walk in patience, quiet,

and cheerfulness as a Christian should. When a man is anxious he cannot pray

with faith; when he is troubled about the world, he cannot serve his Master,

his thoughts are serving himself. If you would “seek first the kingdom of God

and his righteousness,” all things would then be added unto you. You are

meddling with Christ’s business, and neglecting your own when you fret about

your lot and circumstances. You have been trying “providing” work and

forgetting that it is yours to obey. Be wise and attend to the obeying, and

let Christ manage the providing. Come and survey your Father’s storehouse, and

ask whether he will let you starve while he has laid up so great an abundance

in his garner? Look at his heart of mercy; see if that can ever prove unkind!

Look at his inscrutable wisdom; see if that will ever be at fault. Above all,

look up to Jesus Christ your Intercessor, and ask yourself, while he pleads,

can your Father deal ungraciously with you? If he remembers even sparrows,

will he forget one of the least of his poor children? “Cast thy burden upon

the Lord, and he will sustain thee. He will never suffer the righteous to be

moved.”

My soul, rest happy in thy low estate,

Nor hope nor wish to be esteem’d or great;

To take the impress of the Will Divine,

Be that thy glory, and those riches thine.

 

Evening   “And there was no more sea.” / Revelation 21:1

Scarcely could we rejoice at the thought of losing the glorious old ocean: the

new heavens and the new earth are none the fairer to our imagination, if,

indeed, literally there is to be no great and wide sea, with its gleaming

waves and shelly shores. Is not the text to be read as a metaphor, tinged with

the prejudice with which the Oriental mind universally regarded the sea in the

olden times? A real physical world without a sea it is mournful to imagine, it

would be an iron ring without the sapphire which made it precious. There must

be a spiritual meaning here. In the new dispensation there will be no

division–the sea separates nations and sunders peoples from each other. To

John in Patmos the deep waters were like prison walls, shutting him out from

his brethren and his work: there shall be no such barriers in the world to

come. Leagues of rolling billows lie between us and many a kinsman whom

tonight we prayerfully remember, but in the bright world to which we go there

shall be unbroken fellowship for all the redeemed family. In this sense there

shall be no more sea. The sea is the emblem of change; with its ebbs and

flows, its glassy smoothness and its mountainous billows, its gentle murmurs

and its tumultuous roarings, it is never long the same. Slave of the fickle

winds and the changeful moon, its instability is proverbial. In this mortal

state we have too much of this; earth is constant only in her inconstancy, but

in the heavenly state all mournful change shall be unknown, and with it all

fear of storm to wreck our hopes and drown our joys. The sea of glass glows

with a glory unbroken by a wave. No tempest howls along the peaceful shores of

paradise. Soon shall we reach that happy land where partings, and changes, and

storms shall be ended! Jesus will waft us there. Are we in him or not? This is

the grand question.

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A Warning to the Intellectually Convinced – John MacArthur

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“How shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation? After it was at first spoken through the Lord, it was confirmed to us by those who heard” (Heb. 2:3).

I will never forget a lady who came to my office, confessing that she was a prostitute and was desperate for help. I presented the claims of Christ to her and asked if she wanted to confess Christ as Lord of her life. She said yes and prayed, seemingly inviting Christ into her life.

Then I suggested that we burn her book of contacts. She looked at me incredulously and said, “What do you mean?” “If you want to live for Jesus Christ,” I explained, “and you’ve truly accepted His forgiveness and embraced Him as Lord, then you need to prove it.” “But that book is worth a lot of money,” she said. “I don’t want to burn it.” After putting it back in her purse, she looked me right in the eye and said, “I guess I don’t really want Jesus, do I?”

When it came to counting the cost, she wasn’t ready. I don’t know whatever became of her, but my heart aches for her and others like her.

I’m sure you know people like her–they know and believe that Christ is the Savior, they know they need Him, but they are unwilling to make a commitment to Him. Perhaps they even go to church and hear the Word of God. They are like the proverbial man who says he believes a boat will keep him afloat, but never sets foot in one.

Those people are the most tragic of all. They need to be warned–to be given a powerful shove toward Christ. May the Lord use you as His instrument for that purpose in the lives of many who are on the edge of a decision for Christ.

Suggestion for Prayer:  Ask God to soften the hearts of people you know who understand the facts of the gospel, but haven’t yet made a commitment to it.

For Further Study:  Read Matthew 19:16-22. What kinds of questions should you ask of someone who appears eager to become a Christian?

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God’s Gift to Us (Part 1) – Greg Laurie

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For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.  – John 3:17

When you’re a child, Christmas is all about receiving gifts. In December, your head is swimming with nothing but images of your favorite toys.

But the true message of Christmas is not the presents we give to one another. The true meaning is the gift that God gave to us, His Son Jesus Christ.

During the next two days, I want to point out to you three things about the gift God gave to us in that tiny manger in Bethlehem.

The first thing we want to realize about God’s gift to us is that it came in simple wrapping. Some people will go to great lengths to wrap presents beautifully. But God’s gift came to us not in beautiful, ornate wrapping, but in a dirty manger found in a cold cave in a little-known town called Bethlehem.

That’s the beauty of the Christmas event. Jesus took His place in a manger so that we might have a home in heaven. The Savior was not wrapped in satin sheets, but in common rags. There in a manger rested the greatest gift in the plainest of wrapping.

The second thing I want to point out about God’s gift to us is that we don’t deserve it. Consider this: God gave us the ultimate gift of His Son Jesus Christ while we were still sinning against Him (see Romans 5:8).

We did nothing whatsoever to merit or deserve His gift. That is the amazing truth of Christmas. Despite who we are, God sent His Son so “that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).

With Christmas just days away, begin to prepare your heart for the celebration of the birth of our Savior. Meditate on the fact that Jesus was born to die so that we might live.

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Charles Spurgeon’s Morning and Evening

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Morning   “Rend your heart, and not your garments.” / Joel 2:13

Garment-rending and other outward signs of religious emotion, are easily

manifested and are frequently hypocritical; but to feel true repentance is far

more difficult, and consequently far less common. Men will attend to the most

multiplied and minute ceremonial regulations–for such things are pleasing to

the flesh–but true religion is too humbling, too heart-searching, too

thorough for the tastes of the carnal men; they prefer something more

ostentatious, flimsy, and worldly. Outward observances are temporarily

comfortable; eye and ear are pleased; self-conceit is fed, and

self-righteousness is puffed up: but they are ultimately delusive, for in the

article of death, and at the day of judgment, the soul needs something more

substantial than ceremonies and rituals to lean upon. Apart from vital

godliness all religion is utterly vain; offered without a sincere heart, every

form of worship is a solemn sham and an impudent mockery of the majesty of

heaven.

 

Heart-rending is divinely wrought and solemnly felt. It is a secret grief

which is personally experienced, not in mere form, but as a deep, soul-moving

work of the Holy Spirit upon the inmost heart of each believer. It is not a

matter to be merely talked of and believed in, but keenly and sensitively felt

in every living child of the living God. It is powerfully humiliating, and

completely sin-purging; but then it is sweetly preparative for those gracious

consolations which proud unhumbled spirits are unable to receive; and it is

distinctly discriminating, for it belongs to the elect of God, and to them

alone.

The text commands us to rend our hearts, but they are naturally hard as

marble: how, then, can this be done? We must take them to Calvary: a dying

Saviour’s voice rent the rocks once, and it is as powerful now. O blessed

Spirit, let us hear the death-cries of Jesus, and our hearts shall be rent

even as men rend their vestures in the day of lamentation.

 

Evening    “Be thou diligent to know the state of thy flocks, and look well to thy

herds.” / Proverbs 27:23

Every wise merchant will occasionally hold a stock-taking, when he will cast

up his accounts, examine what he has on hand, and ascertain decisively whether

his trade is prosperous or declining. Every man who is wise in the kingdom of

heaven, will cry, “Search me, O God, and try me”; and he will frequently set

apart special seasons for self-examination, to discover whether things are

right between God and his soul. The God whom we worship is a great

heart-searcher; and of old his servants knew him as “the Lord which searcheth

the heart and trieth the reins of the children of men.” Let me stir you up in

his name to make diligent search and solemn trial of your state, lest you come

short of the promised rest. That which every wise man does, that which God

himself does with us all, I exhort you to do with yourself this evening. Let

the oldest saint look well to the fundamentals of his piety, for grey heads

may cover black hearts: and let not the young professor despise the word of

warning, for the greenness of youth may be joined to the rottenness of

hypocrisy. Every now and then a cedar falls into our midst. The enemy still

continues to sow tares among the wheat. It is not my aim to introduce doubts

and fears into your mind; nay, verily, but I shall hope the rather that the

rough wind of self-examination may help to drive them away. It is not

security, but carnal security, which we would kill; not confidence, but

fleshly confidence, which we would overthrow; not peace, but false peace,

which we would destroy. By the precious blood of Christ, which was not shed to

make you a hypocrite, but that sincere souls might show forth his praise, I

beseech you, search and look, lest at the last it be said of you, “Mene, Mene,

Tekel: thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting.”

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Charles Spurgeon’s Morning and Evening

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Morning  “I remember thee.” / Jeremiah 2:2

Let us note that Christ delights to think upon his Church, and to look upon

her beauty. As the bird returneth often to its nest, and as the wayfarer

hastens to his home, so doth the mind continually pursue the object of its

choice. We cannot look too often upon that face which we love; we desire

always to have our precious things in our sight. It is even so with our Lord

Jesus. From all eternity “His delights were with the sons of men;” his

thoughts rolled onward to the time when his elect should be born into the

world; he viewed them in the mirror of his foreknowledge. “In thy book,” he

says, “all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when

as yet there was none of them” (Ps. 139:16). When the world was set upon its

pillars, he was there, and he set the bounds of the people according to the

number of the children of Israel. Many a time before his incarnation, he

descended to this lower earth in the similitude of a man; on the plains of

Mamre (Gen. 18), by the brook of Jabbok (Gen. 32:24-30), beneath the walls of

Jericho (Jos. 5:13), and in the fiery furnace of Babylon (Dan. 3:19, 25), the

Son of Man visited his people. Because his soul delighted in them, he could

not rest away from them, for his heart longed after them. Never were they

absent from his heart, for he had written their names upon his hands, and

graven them upon his side. As the breastplate containing the names of the

tribes of Israel was the most brilliant ornament worn by the high priest, so

the names of Christ’s elect were his most precious jewels, and glittered on

his heart. We may often forget to meditate upon the perfections of our Lord,

but he never ceases to remember us. Let us chide ourselves for past

forgetfulness, and pray for grace ever to bear him in fondest remembrance.

Lord, paint upon the eyeballs of my soul the image of thy Son.

 

Evening  “I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in

and out, and find pasture.” / John 10:9

Jesus, the great I AM, is the entrance into the true church, and the way of

access to God himself. He gives to the man who comes to God by him four choice

privileges.

1. He shall be saved. The fugitive manslayer passed the gate of the city of

refuge, and was safe. Noah entered the door of the ark, and was secure. None

can be lost who take Jesus as the door of faith to their souls. Entrance

through Jesus into peace is the guarantee of entrance by the same door into

heaven. Jesus is the only door, an open door, a wide door, a safe door; and

blessed is he who rests all his hope of admission to glory upon the crucified

Redeemer.

2. He shall go in. He shall be privileged to go in among the divine family,

sharing the children’s bread, and participating in all their honours and

enjoyments. He shall go in to the chambers of communion, to the banquets of

love, to the treasures of the covenant, to the storehouses of the promises. He

shall go in unto the King of kings in the power of the Holy Spirit, and the

secret of the Lord shall be with him.

3. He shall go out. This blessing is much forgotten. We go out into the world

to labour and suffer, but what a mercy to go in the name and power of Jesus!

We are called to bear witness to the truth, to cheer the disconsolate, to warn

the careless, to win souls, and to glorify God; and as the angel said to

Gideon, “Go in this thy might,” even thus the Lord would have us proceed as

his messengers in his name and strength.

4. He shall find pasture. He who knows Jesus shall never want. Going in and

out shall be alike helpful to him: in fellowship with God he shall grow, and

in watering others he shall be watered. Having made Jesus his all, he shall

find all in Jesus. His soul shall be as a watered garden, and as a well of

water whose waters fail not.

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Charles Spurgeon’s Morning and Evening

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Morning  “Come unto me.” / Matthew 11:28

The cry of the Christian religion is the gentle word, “Come.” The Jewish law

harshly said, “Go, take heed unto thy steps as to the path in which thou shalt

walk. Break the commandments, and thou shalt perish; keep them, and thou shalt

live.” The law was a dispensation of terror, which drove men before it as with

a scourge; the gospel draws with bands of love. Jesus is the good Shepherd

going before his sheep, bidding them follow him, and ever leading them onwards

with the sweet word, “Come.” The law repels, the gospel attracts. The law

shows the distance which there is between God and man; the gospel bridges that

awful chasm, and brings the sinner across it.

From the first moment of your spiritual life until you are ushered into glory,

the language of Christ to you will be, “Come, come unto me.” As a mother puts

out her finger to her little child and woos it to walk by saying, “Come,” even

so does Jesus. He will always be ahead of you, bidding you follow him as the

soldier follows his captain. He will always go before you to pave your way,

and clear your path, and you shall hear his animating voice calling you after

him all through life; while in the solemn hour of death, his sweet words with

which he shall usher you into the heavenly world shall be–“Come, ye blessed

of my Father.”

Nay, further, this is not only Christ’s cry to you, but, if you be a believer,

this is your cry to Christ–“Come! come!” You will be longing for his second

advent; you will be saying, “Come quickly, even so come Lord Jesus.” You will

be panting for nearer and closer communion with him. As his voice to you is

“Come,” your response to him will be, “Come, Lord, and abide with me. Come,

and occupy alone the throne of my heart; reign there without a rival, and

consecrate me entirely to thy service.”

 

Evening  “Yea, thou heardest not; yea, thou knewest not; yea, from that time that thine

ear was not opened.” / Isaiah 48:8

It is painful to remember that, in a certain degree, this accusation may be

laid at the door of believers, who too often are in a measure spiritually

insensible. We may well bewail ourselves that we do not hear the voice of God

as we ought, “Yea, thou heardest not.” There are gentle motions of the Holy

Spirit in the soul which are unheeded by us: there are whisperings of divine

command and of heavenly love which are alike unobserved by our leaden

intellects. Alas! we have been carelessly ignorant–“Yea, thou knewest not.”

There are matters within which we ought to have seen, corruptions which have

made headway unnoticed; sweet affections which are being blighted like flowers

in the frost, untended by us; glimpses of the divine face which might be

perceived if we did not wall up the windows of our soul. But we “have not

known.” As we think of it we are humbled in the deepest self-abasement. How

must we adore the grace of God as we learn from the context that all this

folly and ignorance, on our part, was foreknown by God, and, notwithstanding

that foreknowledge, he yet has been pleased to deal with us in a way of mercy!

Admire the marvellous sovereign grace which could have chosen us in the sight

of all this! Wonder at the price that was paid for us when Christ knew what we

should be! He who hung upon the cross foresaw us as unbelieving, backsliding,

cold of heart, indifferent, careless, lax in prayer, and yet he said, “I am

the Lord thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour … Since thou wast

precious in my sight, thou hast been honourable, and I have loved thee:

therefore will I give men for thee, and people for thy life!” O redemption,

how wondrously resplendent dost thou shine when we think how black we are! O

Holy Spirit, give us henceforth the hearing ear, the understanding heart!

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Christ’s Eternal Existence – John MacArthur

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“Thou, Lord, in the beginning didst lay a foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the works of Thy hands; they will perish, but Thou remainest; and they all will become old as a garment. And as a mantle Thou wilt roll them up; as a garment they will also be changed. But Thou art the same, and Thy years will not come to an end” (Heb. 1:10-12).

Jesus Christ is no creature. To be able to lay the foundation of the earth and create the heavens in the beginning implies that He must have existed before the beginning. The apostle John testified to this when he said, “In the beginning was the Word” (John 1:1). Christ is eternal.

Jesus is also immutable, which means He never changes. Hebrews 13:8 says, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today, yes and forever.” We need to hang onto this truth as we approach a day when much of what we know will change drastically.

One day what looks so permanent will fold up. Like the people Peter warned, we are tempted to think that “all continues just as it was from the beginning of creation” (2 Pet. 3:4). But Hebrews 1:11 tells us that one day Jesus will discard the heavens and the earth, just as we would a useless garment.

Even more amazing, verse 12 specifies that Christ will roll up the heavens. Revelation 6:14 says, “The sky was split apart like a scroll when it is rolled up; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places.” During the time of the tribulation, the heavens, as if stretched to all corners, will roll right up like a scroll.

But we can be confident that although creation will perish, Jesus will not, and He will create a new heaven and a new earth. Living creatures, worlds, and stars are subject to decay, but not Christ. He never changes and is never subject to change. What confidence that should give us for the daily issues of life we face each day!

Suggestion for Prayer:  Thank the Lord for His unchanging plan for your life and His ability to keep it.

For Future Study:  Read 2 Peter 3 and develop an approach to answering charges unbelievers make about biblical prophecies regarding the end times.

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The Restriction of Man’s Destiny – John MacArthur

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“Thy throne, O God, is forever and ever, and the righteous scepter is the scepter of His kingdom. Thou hast loved righteousness and hated lawlessness; therefore God, Thy God, hath anointed Thee with the oil of gladness above Thy companions” (Heb. 1:8-9).

In these days it’s difficult for us as Christians to be totally supportive of our governmental leaders when we see so much of what God calls righteous compromised or ridiculed. But the King of kings–Christ Himself–is the only leader who has a perfectly right attitude toward righteousness.

Christ rules from an eternal throne, and He rules eternity as God and King. The scepter He holds is symbolic of His rule, particularly as a rule of righteousness.

But there’s more to it than that: He just doesn’t act righteously; He loves righteousness itself. How often have we obeyed without joy, expressing an attitude of willing condescension? But Jesus gives us a different model.

James 1:17 says, “Every good thing bestowed and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation, or shifting shadow.” True righteousness never varies from what is true, just, and good. And 1 John 1:5 says, “God is light, and in Him there is no darkness at all.” God is total light and total righteousness. Everything Jesus did resulted from His love of righteousness.

Because Christ loves righteousness, He hates lawlessness. Since He loves what is right, He must hate what is wrong. The two are inseparable–one cannot exist without the other. You cannot truly love righteousness and also like sin. When there is true love for God, there will also be true love for righteousness and total hatred of sin.

The more you and I become conformed to Jesus Christ, the more we will love righteousness. Our attitudes toward righteousness and sin will ultimately reveal how closely we are conformed to Christ. Check out your attitudes and actions. How are you doing?

Suggestion for Prayer:  Like the psalmist, ask God to show you any hurtful way in you (Ps. 139:24).

For Further Study:  Read Psalm 119 and note how many times the psalmist makes reference to either his love for God’s law or righteousness.

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Christ’s SuperiorNature – John MacArthur

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“Of the angels He says, ‘Who makes His angels winds, and His ministers a flame of fire.’ But of the Son He says, ‘Thy throne, O God, is forever and ever'” (Heb. 1:7-8).

People today who claim that Jesus was just a man, an angel, a prophet, or some inferior god are in error and bring upon themselves the curse of God. The Bible, and especially the writer of Hebrews, are clear about who Christ is.

First, the writer deals with the nature of angels when he says, “Who makes His angels winds, and His ministers a flame of fire.” “Makes” simply means “to create.” The antecedent of “who” is Christ. Therefore it is obvious that Christ created the angels.

They are also His possession: “His angels.” They are His created servants, who do not operate on their own initiative, but on the direction of Christ.

But the greatest difference between the nature of angels and Christ is that He is the eternal God. The Father says to the Son, “Thy throne, O God, is forever and ever.” That is one of the most powerful, clear, emphatic, and irrefutable proofs of the deity of Christ in Scripture.

Jesus throughout His ministry claimed equality with God. He said, “I and the Father are one” (John 10:30). The apostle John closed his first epistle by saying, “We know that the Son of God has come, and has given us understanding, in order that we might know Him who is true, and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life” (1 John 5:20).

God the Son came to help us understand that God is truth and that Christ Himself is the true God. Our faith is based on the deity of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Suggestion for Prayer: Ask God to give you a greater understanding of the reality that Jesus is in fact God.

For Further Study: Read John 1:1-18 and mark the verses that define Christ’s relationship to God. If an unbeliever were to ask you what that passage means, how would you answer him or her?

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The Real Heaven – Charles Stanley

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Matthew 25:14-30

I’m not sure how this misconception about heaven got started, but I can assure you that the Bible doesn’t support the idea that we’ll be lying around on clouds, strumming harps. We have been gifted, equipped, and enabled to fulfill God’s purpose in this life. And He will still have a purpose for us in the life to come.

In today’s passage, Jesus described the kingdom of heaven in the context of a wealthy man giving his servants money to invest. The men who served their master faithfully were heartily congratulated and given greater responsibility. When we reach Christ’s judgment seat, our foremost reward will be to hear Him say, “Well done, good and faithful servant!” (Matt. 25:23 niv). I can’t imagine words that could please me more than a commendation from the Savior I love above all.

We will also receive our new assignment in God’s heavenly kingdom. This is the part of the reward that corresponds to the words, “You were faithful in a few things, I will put you in charge of many things” (v. 23). There will be no lazing about for us! We will have a renewed heaven and earth to live in and enjoy (2 Peter 3:13). In our perfected bodies with hearts and souls attuned to the Lord, we will serve Him and each other.

God has a plan for every believer to pursue, and He has gifted each of His children specifically for that purpose. There is no place for laziness now or after we reach our eternal home. This world is our training ground for the greater life to come, so let’s prepare like good and faithful servants.

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Charles Spurgeon’s Morning and Evening

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Morning  “His ways are everlasting.” / Habakkuk 3:6

What he hath done at one time, he will do yet again. Man’s ways are variable,

but God’s ways are everlasting. There are many reasons for this most

comforting truth: among them are the following–the Lord’s ways are the result

of wise deliberation; he ordereth all things according to the counsel of his

own will. Human action is frequently the hasty result of passion, or fear, and

is followed by regret and alteration; but nothing can take the Almighty by

surprise, or happen otherwise than he has foreseen. His ways are the outgrowth

of an immutable character, and in them the fixed and settled attributes of God

are clearly to be seen. Unless the Eternal One himself can undergo change, his

ways, which are himself in action, must remain forever the same. Is he

eternally just, gracious, faithful, wise, tender?–then his ways must ever be

distinguished for the same excellences. Beings act according to their nature:

when those natures change, their conduct varies also; but since God cannot

know the shadow of a turning, his ways will abide everlastingly the same.

Moreover there is no reason from without which could reverse the divine ways,

since they are the embodiment of irresistible might. The earth is said, by the

prophet, to be cleft with rivers, mountains tremble, the deep lifts up its

hands, and sun and moon stand still, when Jehovah marches forth for the

salvation of his people. Who can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest

thou? But it is not might alone which gives stability; God’s ways are the

manifestation of the eternal principles of right, and therefore can never pass

away. Wrong breeds decay and involves ruin, but the true and the good have

about them a vitality which ages cannot diminish.

This morning let us go to our heavenly Father with confidence, remembering

that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever, and in him the

Lord is ever gracious to his people.

 

Evening  “They have dealt treacherously against the Lord.” / Hosea 5:7

Believer, here is a sorrowful truth! Thou art the beloved of the Lord,

redeemed by blood, called by grace, preserved in Christ Jesus, accepted in the

Beloved, on thy way to heaven, and yet, “thou hast dealt treacherously” with

God, thy best friend; treacherously with Jesus, whose thou art; treacherously

with the Holy Spirit, by whom thou hast been quickened unto life eternal! How

treacherous you have been in the matter of vows and promises. Do you remember

the love of your espousals, that happy time–the springtime of your spiritual

life? Oh, how closely did you cling to your Master then! saying, “He shall

never charge me with indifference; my feet shall never grow slow in the way of

his service; I will not suffer my heart to wander after other loves; in him is

every store of sweetness ineffable. I give all up for my Lord Jesus’ sake.”

Has it been so? Alas! if conscience speak, it will say, “He who promised so

well has performed most ill. Prayer has oftentimes been slurred–it has been

short, but not sweet; brief, but not fervent. Communion with Christ has been

forgotten. Instead of a heavenly mind, there have been carnal cares, worldly

vanities and thoughts of evil. Instead of service, there has been

disobedience; instead of fervency, lukewarmness; instead of patience,

petulance; instead of faith, confidence in an arm of flesh; and as a soldier

of the cross there has been cowardice, disobedience, and desertion, to a very

shameful degree.” “Thou hast dealt treacherously.” Treachery to Jesus! what

words shall be used in denouncing it? Words little avail: let our penitent

thoughts execrate the sin which is so surely in us. Treacherous to thy wounds,

O Jesus! Forgive us, and let us not sin again! How shameful to be treacherous

to him who never forgets us, but who this day stands with our names engraven

on his breastplate before the eternal throne.