Friday, April 29, 2016
Wednesday, April 27, 2016
Morning, Apr 27
God, even our own God.
— Psalm 67:6
It is strange how little use we make of the spiritual blessings which God gives us, but it is stranger still how little use we make of God himself. Though he is “our own God,” we apply ourselves but little to him, and ask but little of him. How seldom do we ask counsel at the hands of the Lord! How often do we go about our business, without seeking his guidance! In our troubles how constantly do we strive to bear our burdens ourselves, instead of casting them upon the Lord, that he may sustain us! This is not because we may not, for the Lord seems to say, “I am thine, soul, come and make use of me as thou wilt; thou mayst freely come to my store, and the oftener the more welcome.” It is our own fault if we make not free with the riches of our God. Then, since thou hast such a friend, and he invites thee, draw from him daily. Never want whilst thou hast a God to go to; never fear or faint whilst thou hast God to help thee; go to thy treasure and take whatever thou needest—there is all that thou canst want. Learn the divine skill of making God all things to thee. He can supply thee with all, or, better still, he can be to thee instead of all. Let me urge thee, then, to make use of thy God. Make use of him in prayer. Go to him often, because he is thy God. O, wilt thou fail to use so great a privilege? Fly to him, tell him all thy wants. Use him constantly by faith at all times. If some dark providence has beclouded thee, use thy God as a “sun;” if some strong enemy has beset thee, find in Jehovah a “shield,” for he is a sun and shield to his people. If thou hast lost thy way in the mazes of life, use him as a “guide,” for he will direct thee. Whatever thou art, and wherever thou art, remember God is just what thou wantest, and just where thou wantest, and that he can do all thou wantest.
Sent from Morning & Evening app for Android:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=yuku.morneve.app&referrer=utm_source%3Dself-share%26utm_medium%3Dyuku.morneve.app-market
Some of you were once like that. But you were cleansed; you were made holy; you were made right with God by calling on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. (NLT) -1 Corinthians 6:11
Do you think God is proud, uplifted, and pleased with you or do you think He's ashamed, disappointed, and disheartened by you? The beauty of this verse is that He's taken away all of the negatives and can see you for who you are at your best. Since this is true, are you living in that freedom? Take some time and truly answer this question: what does God think about when He thinks about you?
Download this app to get your daily devotions: http://bit.ly/16uZrQ5
Monday, April 25, 2016
Morning, Apr 25
Rise up my love, my fair one, and come away.
— Song of Solomon 2:10
Lo, I hear the voice of my Beloved! He speaks to me! Fair weather is smiling upon the face of the earth, and he would not have me spiritually asleep while nature is all around me awaking from her winter’s rest. He bids me “Rise up,” and well he may; for I have long enough been lying among the pots of worldliness. He is risen, I am risen in him, why then should I cleave unto the dust? From lower loves, desires, pursuits, and aspirations, I would rise towards him. He calls me by the sweet title of “My love,” and counts me fair; this is a good argument for my rising. If he has thus exalted me, and thinks me thus comely, how can I linger in the tents of Kedar and find congenial associates among the sons of men? He bids me “Come away.” Further and further from everything selfish, grovelling, worldly, sinful, he calls me; yea, from the outwardly religious world which knows him not, and has no sympathy with the mystery of the higher life, he calls me. “Come away” has no harsh sound in it to my ear, for what is there to hold me in this wilderness of vanity and sin? O my Lord, would that I could come away, but I am taken among the thorns, and cannot escape from them as I would. I would, if it were possible, have neither eyes, nor ears, nor heart for sin. Thou callest me to thyself by saying “Come away,” and this is a melodious call indeed. To come to thee is to come home from exile, to come to land out of the raging storm, to come to rest after long labour, to come to the goal of my desires and the summit of my wishes. But Lord, how can a stone rise, how can a lump of clay come away from the horrible pit? O raise me, draw me. Thy grace can do it. Send forth thy Holy Spirit to kindle sacred flames of love in my heart, and I will continue to rise until I leave life and time behind me, and indeed come away.
Sent from Morning & Evening app for Android:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=yuku.morneve.app&referrer=utm_source%3Dself-share%26utm_medium%3Dyuku.morneve.app-market
So I concluded there is nothing better than to be happy and enjoy ourselves as long as we can. (NLT) -Ecclesiastes 3:12
Do you acknowledge your happiness? Often times, we don't recognize our happiness in the moment but instead look back years later saying it was the happiest time of our lives. Take joy in your current happiness, even if it is circumstantial. Let's do a better job of realizing our happiness and not be a person who walks around happy and not even knowing it. What makes you happy today?
Download this app to get your daily devotions: http://bit.ly/16uZrQ5
Isaiah 12:1 - 2
1 In that day you will say: "I will praise you, Lord. Although you were angry with me, your anger has turned away and you have comforted me.
2 Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The Lord, the Lord himself, is my strength and my defense ; he has become my salvation."
http://www.yourdailybible.com/verse/2016/04/25
Verse of the Day
To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory: Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus:
Colossians 1:27-28 KJV
Saturday, April 23, 2016
Evening, Apr 23
Lo, in the midst of the throne ... stood a Lamb as it had been slain.
— Revelation 5:6
Why should our exalted Lord appear in his wounds in glory? The wounds of Jesus are his glories, his jewels, his sacred ornaments. To the eye of the believer, Jesus is passing fair because he is “white and ruddy:” white with innocence, and ruddy with his own blood. We see him as the lily of matchless purity, and as the rose crimsoned with his own gore. Christ is lovely upon Olivet and Tabor, and by the sea, but oh! there never was such a matchless Christ as he that did hang upon the cross. There we beheld all his beauties in perfection, all his attributes developed, all his love drawn out, all his character expressed. Beloved, the wounds of Jesus are far more fair in our eyes than all the splendour and pomp of kings. The thorny crown is more than an imperial diadem. It is true that he bears not now the sceptre of reed, but there was a glory in it that never flashed from sceptre of gold. Jesus wears the appearance of a slain Lamb as his court dress in which he wooed our souls, and redeemed them by his complete atonement. Nor are these only the ornaments of Christ: they are the trophies of his love and of his victory. He has divided the spoil with the strong. He has redeemed for himself a great multitude whom no man can number, and these scars are the memorials of the fight. Ah! if Christ thus loves to retain the thought of his sufferings for his people, how precious should his wounds be to us!
“Behold how every wound of his
A precious balm distils,
Which heals the scars that sin had made,
And cures all mortal ills.
“Those wounds are mouths that preach his grace;
The ensigns of his love;
The seals of our expected bliss
In paradise above.”
Sent from Morning & Evening app for Android:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=yuku.morneve.app&referrer=utm_source%3Dself-share%26utm_medium%3Dyuku.morneve.app-market
We always pray for you, and we give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. (NLT) -Colossians 1:3
You are being prayed over as a reader of this devotion. Sometimes it's a prayer for your spiritual growth and other times it's for protection. This is done not for personal gain, but as a child of God you are cared for and loved. Enjoy your blessings today because you yourself are considered a blessing.
Download this app to get your daily devotions: http://bit.ly/16uZrQ5
Morning, Apr 23
Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
— Romans 8:37
We go to Christ for forgiveness, and then too often look to the law for power to fight our sins. Paul thus rebukes us, “O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth? This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?” Take your sins to Christ’s cross, for the old man can only be crucified there: we are crucified with him. The only weapon to fight sin with is the spear which pierced the side of Jesus. To give an illustration—you want to overcome an angry temper; how do you go to work? It is very possible you have never tried the right way of going to Jesus with it. How did I get salvation? I came to Jesus just as I was, and I trusted him to save me. I must kill my angry temper in the same way. It is the only way in which I can ever kill it. I must go to the cross with it, and say to Jesus, “Lord, I trust thee to deliver me from it.” This is the only way to give it a death-blow. Are you covetous? Do you feel the world entangle you? You may struggle against this evil so long as you please, but if it be your besetting sin, you will never be delivered from it in any way but by the blood of Jesus. Take it to Christ. Tell him, “Lord, I have trusted thee, and thy name is Jesus, for thou dost save thy people from their sins: Lord, this is one of my sins; save me from it!” Ordinances are nothing without Christ as a means of mortification. Your prayers, and your repentances, and your tears—the whole of them put together—are worth nothing apart from him. “None but Jesus can do helpless sinners good;” or helpless saints either. You must be conquerors through him who hath loved you, if conquerors at all. Our laurels must grow among his olives in Gethsemane.
Sent from Morning & Evening app for Android:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=yuku.morneve.app&referrer=utm_source%3Dself-share%26utm_medium%3Dyuku.morneve.app-market
You also must be ready all the time, for the Son of Man will come when least expected. (NLT) -Matthew 24:44
Ever had a pop quiz where a teacher surprisingly hands out a quiz without any notice? If you have been studying and following along then you find yourself prepared for the unexpected. The same is true for Christ's return in that we have no way of knowing when it will happen. Are you making choices and living in a manner that means you are prepared for the unexpected return of Christ?
Download this app to get your daily devotions: http://bit.ly/16uZrQ5
Thursday, April 21, 2016
Morning, Apr 21
I know that my Redeemer liveth.
— Job 19:25
The marrow of Job’s comfort lies in that little word “My”—“My Redeemer,” and in the fact that the Redeemer lives. Oh! to get hold of a living Christ. We must get a property in him before we can enjoy him. What is gold in the mine to me? Men are beggars in Peru, and beg their bread in California. It is gold in my purse which will satisfy my necessities, by purchasing the bread I need. So a Redeemer who does not redeem me, an avenger who will never stand up for my blood, of what avail were such? Rest not content until by faith you can say “Yes, I cast myself upon my living Lord; and he is mine.” It may be you hold him with a feeble hand; you half think it presumption to say, “He lives as my Redeemer;” yet, remember if you have but faith as a grain of mustard seed, that little faith entitles you to say it. But there is also another word here, expressive of Job’s strong confidence, “I know.” To say, “I hope so, I trust so” is comfortable; and there are thousands in the fold of Jesus who hardly ever get much further. But to reach the essence of consolation you must say, “I know.” Ifs, buts, and perhapses, are sure murderers of peace and comfort. Doubts are dreary things in times of sorrow. Like wasps they sting the soul! If I have any suspicion that Christ is not mine, then there is vinegar mingled with the gall of death; but if I know that Jesus lives for me, then darkness is not dark: even the night is light about me. Surely if Job, in those ages before the coming and advent of Christ, could say, “I know,” we should not speak less positively. God forbid that our positiveness should be presumption. Let us see that our evidences are right, lest we build upon an ungrounded hope; and then let us not be satisfied with the mere foundation, for it is from the upper rooms that we get the widest prospect. A living Redeemer, truly mine, is joy unspeakable.
Sent from Morning & Evening app for Android:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=yuku.morneve.app&referrer=utm_source%3Dself-share%26utm_medium%3Dyuku.morneve.app-market
The seeds of good deeds become a tree of life; a wise person wins friends. (NLT) -Proverbs 11:30
Has someone done something thoughtful for you lately? Have they gone out of their way for you? It's easy to keep moving on or get busy and forget about recognizing them. However, it's important to express to them your grateful heart. Put a little thought into how you want to express your gratitude through friendship.
Download this app to get your daily devotions: http://bit.ly/16uZrQ5
Wednesday, April 20, 2016
Morning, Apr 20
That through death he might destroy him that had the power of death.
— Hebrews 2:14
O child of God, death hath lost its sting, because the devil’s power over it is destroyed. Then cease to fear dying. Ask grace from God the Holy Ghost, that by an intimate knowledge and a firm belief of thy Redeemer’s death, thou mayst be strengthened for that dread hour. Living near the cross of Calvary thou mayst think of death with pleasure, and welcome it when it comes with intense delight. It is sweet to die in the Lord: it is a covenant-blessing to sleep in Jesus. Death is no longer banishment, it is a return from exile, a going home to the many mansions where the loved ones already dwell. The distance between glorified spirits in heaven and militant saints on earth seems great; but it is not so. We are not far from home—a moment will bring us there. The sail is spread; the soul is launched upon the deep. How long will be its voyage? How many wearying winds must beat upon the sail ere it shall be reefed in the port of peace? How long shall that soul be tossed upon the waves before it comes to that sea which knows no storm? Listen to the answer, “Absent from the body, present with the Lord.” Yon ship has just departed, but it is already at its haven. It did but spread its sail and it was there. Like that ship of old, upon the Lake of Galilee, a storm had tossed it, but Jesus said, “Peace, be still,” and immediately it came to land. Think not that a long period intervenes between the instant of death and the eternity of glory. When the eyes close on earth they open in heaven. The horses of fire are not an instant on the road. Then, O child of God, what is there for thee to fear in death, seeing that through the death of thy Lord its curse and sting are destroyed? and now it is but a Jacob’s ladder whose foot is in the dark grave, but its top reaches to glory everlasting.
Sent from Morning & Evening app for Android:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=yuku.morneve.app&referrer=utm_source%3Dself-share%26utm_medium%3Dyuku.morneve.app-market
But the angel said, "Don't be alarmed. You are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He isn't here! He is risen from the dead! Look, this is where they laid his body." (NLT) -Mark 16:6
Jesus was nailed to a cross because He said He was the Son of God. He died on that cross. After three days His body rose from the dead and was seen walking and talking with others. Today is the day we celebrate His resurrection. Because of His death, He paid the price for our sins and by believing in Him we can have eternal life. How has Christ's resurrection impacted your life?
Download this app to get your daily devotions: http://bit.ly/16uZrQ5
Monday, April 18, 2016
Morning, Apr 18
She bound the scarlet line in the window.
— Joshua 2:21
Rahab depended for her preservation upon the promise of the spies, whom she looked upon as the representatives of the God of Israel. Her faith was simple and firm, but it was very obedient. To tie the scarlet line in the window was a very trivial act in itself, but she dared not run the risk of omitting it. Come, my soul, is there not here a lesson for thee? Hast thou been attentive to all thy Lord’s will, even though some of his commands should seem non-essential? Hast thou observed in his own way the two ordinances of believers’ baptism and the Lord’s Supper? These neglected, argue much unloving disobedience in thy heart. Be henceforth in all things blameless, even to the tying of a thread, if that be matter of command.
This act of Rahab sets forth a yet more solemn lesson. Have I implicitly trusted in the precious blood of Jesus? Have I tied the scarlet cord, as with a Gordian knot in my window, so that my trust can never be removed? Or can I look out towards the Dead Sea of my sins, or the Jerusalem of my hopes, without seeing the blood, and seeing all things in connection with its blessed power? The passer-by can see a cord of so conspicuous a colour, if it hangs from the window: it will be well for me if my life makes the efficacy of the atonement conspicuous to all onlookers. What is there to be ashamed of? Let men or devils gaze if they will, the blood is my boast and my song. My soul, there is One who will see that scarlet line, even when from weakness of faith thou canst not see it thyself; Jehovah, the Avenger, will see it and pass over thee. Jericho’s walls fell flat: Rahab’s house was on the wall, and yet it stood unmoved; my nature is built into the wall of humanity, and yet when destruction smites the race, I shall be secure. My soul, tie the scarlet thread in the window afresh, and rest in peace.
Sent from Morning & Evening app for Android:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=yuku.morneve.app&referrer=utm_source%3Dself-share%26utm_medium%3Dyuku.morneve.app-market
Most importantly, I want to remind you that in the last days scoffers will come, mocking the truth and following their own desires. (NLT) -2 Peter 3:3
Days will come when we hear, read, or see scoffers who mock our beliefs. Hold firmly to your faith. Everyone will meet the Lord and account for their actions. You can stand firm in knowing your faith is stronger than the words of a cynic. Have you strengthened and grown your faith to withstand the pressures from nonbelievers?
Download this app to get your daily devotions: http://bit.ly/16uZrQ5
Isaiah 2:4
4 He will judge between the nations and will settle disputes for many peoples. They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore.
http://www.yourdailybible.com/verse/2016/04/18
Acts 4:10-12 ()
let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead--by him this man is standing before you well.
This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone.
And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved."
ESV
#Bible http://www.mydailybible.org/dv/esv/2016-04-18.htm
Sunday, April 17, 2016
Morning, Apr 17
Ye are come to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel.
— Hebrews 12:24
Reader, have you come to the blood of sprinkling? The question is not whether you have come to a knowledge of doctrine, or an observance of ceremonies, or to a certain form of experience, but have you come to the blood of Jesus? The blood of Jesus is the life of all vital godliness. If you have truly come to Jesus, we know how you came—the Holy Spirit sweetly brought you there. You came to the blood of sprinkling with no merits of your own. Guilty, lost, and helpless, you came to take that blood, and that blood alone, as your everlasting hope. You came to the cross of Christ, with a trembling and an aching heart; and oh! what a precious sound it was to you to hear the voice of the blood of Jesus! The dropping of his blood is as the music of heaven to the penitent sons of earth. We are full of sin, but the Saviour bids us lift our eyes to him, and as we gaze upon his streaming wounds, each drop of blood, as it falls, cries, “It is finished; I have made an end of sin; I have brought in everlasting righteousness.” Oh! sweet language of the precious blood of Jesus! If you have come to that blood once, you will come to it constantly. Your life will be “Looking unto Jesus.” Your whole conduct will be epitomized in this—“To whom coming.” Not to whom I have come, but to whom I am always coming. If thou hast ever come to the blood of sprinkling, thou wilt feel thy need of coming to it every day. He who does not desire to wash in it every day, has never washed in it at all. The believer ever feels it to be his joy and privilege that there is still a fountain opened. Past experiences are doubtful food for Christians; a present coming to Christ alone can give us joy and comfort. This morning let us sprinkle our door-post fresh with blood, and then feast upon the Lamb, assured that the destroying angel must pass us by.
Sent from Morning & Evening app for Android:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=yuku.morneve.app&referrer=utm_source%3Dself-share%26utm_medium%3Dyuku.morneve.app-market
And the crowd began pleading with Jesus to go away and leave them alone. (NLT) -Mark 5:17
As a result of Jesus healing a man, some livestock was lost. The nearby town refused entry to Jesus, fearful they would lose more income and security. Are you unconcerned with helping others because of what it might cost you? As the day goes by, we should be on the lookout for how we can positively affect others. Wouldn't it be tragic to be a resident in the town that has too much to lose, refuses to help you, and turns Jesus away?
Download this app to get your daily devotions: http://bit.ly/16uZrQ5
Saturday, April 16, 2016
Evening, Apr 16
And his hands were steady until the going down of the sun.
— Exodus 17:12
So mighty was the prayer of Moses, that all depended upon it. The petitions of Moses discomfited the enemy more than the fighting of Joshua. Yet both were needed. So, in the soul’s conflict, force and fervour, decision and devotion, valour and vehemence, must join their forces, and all will be well. You must wrestle with your sin, but the major part of the wrestling must be done alone in private with God. Prayer, like Moses’, holds up the token of the covenant before the Lord. The rod was the emblem of God’s working with Moses, the symbol of God’s government in Israel. Learn, O pleading saint, to hold up the promise and the oath of God before him. The Lord cannot deny his own declarations. Hold up the rod of promise, and have what you will.
Moses grew weary, and then his friends assisted him. When at any time your prayer flags, let faith support one hand, and let holy hope uplift the other, and prayer seating itself upon the stone of Israel, the rock of our salvation, will persevere and prevail. Beware of faintness in devotion; if Moses felt it, who can escape? It is far easier to fight with sin in public, than to pray against it in private. It is remarked that Joshua never grew weary in the fighting, but Moses did grow weary in the praying; the more spiritual an exercise, the more difficult it is for flesh and blood to maintain it. Let us cry, then, for special strength, and may the Spirit of God, who helpeth our infirmities, as he allowed help to Moses, enable us like him to continue with our hands steady “until the going down of the sun;” till the evening of life is over; till we shall come to the rising of a better sun in the land where prayer is swallowed up in praise.
Sent from Morning & Evening app for Android:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=yuku.morneve.app&referrer=utm_source%3Dself-share%26utm_medium%3Dyuku.morneve.app-market
The Lord told Gideon, "With these 300 men I will rescue you and give you victory over the Midianites. Send all the others home." (NLT) -Judges 7:7
Why would God lead Gideon into battle with an army of only 300 men against an army of 135,000 Midianites? Gideon placed his trust in the Lord even against overwhelming odds. When you feel that the odds are against your favor and the Lord is leading you into battle, remember Gideon. He went on to victory because he dutifully followed the Lord. When you feel the odds are stacked against you, could God be using you to demonstrate His strength?
Download this app to get your daily devotions: http://bit.ly/16uZrQ5
Morning, Apr 16
The precious blood of Christ.
— 1 Peter 1:19
Standing at the foot of the cross, we see hands, and feet, and side, all distilling crimson streams of precious blood. It is “precious” because of its redeeming and atoning efficacy. By it the sins of Christ’s people are atoned for; they are redeemed from under the law; they are reconciled to God, made one with him. Christ’s blood is also “precious” in its cleansing power; it “cleanseth from all sin.” “Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow.” Through Jesus’ blood there is not a spot left upon any believer, no wrinkle nor any such thing remains. O precious blood, which makes us clean, removing the stains of abundant iniquity, and permitting us to stand accepted in the Beloved, notwithstanding the many ways in which we have rebelled against our God. The blood of Christ is likewise “precious” in its preserving power. We are safe from the destroying angel under the sprinkled blood. Remember it is God’s seeing the blood which is the true reason for our being spared. Here is comfort for us when the eye of faith is dim, for God’s eye is still the same. The blood of Christ is “precious” also in its sanctifying influence. The same blood which justifies by taking away sin, does in its after-action, quicken the new nature and lead it onward to subdue sin and to follow out the commands of God. There is no motive for holiness so great as that which streams from the veins of Jesus. And “precious,” unspeakably precious, is this blood, because it has an overcoming power. It is written, “They overcame through the blood of the Lamb.” How could they do otherwise? He who fights with the precious blood of Jesus, fights with a weapon which cannot know defeat. The blood of Jesus! sin dies at its presence, death ceases to be death: heaven’s gates are opened. The blood of Jesus! we shall march on, conquering and to conquer, so long as we can trust its power!
Sent from Morning & Evening app for Android:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=yuku.morneve.app&referrer=utm_source%3Dself-share%26utm_medium%3Dyuku.morneve.app-market
Some of you will rebuild the deserted ruins of your cities. Then you will be known as a rebuilder of walls and a restorer of homes. (NLT) -Isaiah 58:12
Living in a broken world means bad things happen to us. We have the choice of allowing those bad things to take shape in our heart and become deserted ruins. Or we can choose to pick up the pieces, confront, forgive, extend grace, and heal. Through a relationship with Christ, you have the power to rebuild families, overcome hurts, and restore relationships. Will you choose to be a rebuilder or be owned by bitterness?
Download this app to get your daily devotions: http://bit.ly/16uZrQ5
Romans 8:35-39 ()
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?
As it is written, "For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered."
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.
For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers,
nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
ESV
#Bible http://www.mydailybible.org/dv/esv/2016-04-16.htm
Friday, April 15, 2016
Evening, Apr 15
Lift them up forever.
— Psalm 28:9
God’s people need lifting up. They are very heavy by nature. They have no wings, or, if they have, they are like the dove of old which lay among the pots; and they need divine grace to make them mount on wings covered with silver, and with feathers of yellow gold. By nature sparks fly upward, but the sinful souls of men fall downward. O Lord, “lift them up forever!” David himself said, “Unto thee, O God, do I lift up my soul,” and he here feels the necessity that other men’s souls should be lifted up as well as his own. When you ask this blessing for yourself, forget not to seek it for others also. There are three ways in which God’s people require to be lifted up. They require to be elevated in character. Lift them up, O Lord; do not suffer thy people to be like the world’s people! The world lieth in the wicked one; lift them out of it! The world’s people are looking after silver and gold, seeking their own pleasures, and the gratification of their lusts; but, Lord, lift thy people up above all this; keep them from being “muck-rakers,” as John Bunyan calls the man who was always scraping after gold! Set thou their hearts upon their risen Lord and the heavenly heritage! Moreover, believers need to be prospered in conflict. In the battle, if they seem to fall, O Lord, be pleased to give them the victory. If the foot of the foe be upon their necks for a moment, help them to grasp the sword of the Spirit, and eventually to win the battle. Lord, lift up thy children’s spirits in the day of conflict; let them not sit in the dust, mourning forever. Suffer not the adversary to vex them sore, and make them fret; but if they have been, like Hannah, persecuted, let them sing of the mercy of a delivering God.
We may also ask our Lord to lift them up at the last! Lift them up by taking them home, lift their bodies from the tomb, and raise their souls to thine eternal kingdom in glory.
Sent from Morning & Evening app for Android:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=yuku.morneve.app&referrer=utm_source%3Dself-share%26utm_medium%3Dyuku.morneve.app-market
Let me hear of your unfailing love each morning, for I am trusting you. Show me where to walk, for I give myself to you. (NLT) -Psalm 143:8
Sometimes circumstances happen in life that are outside of our control. We can't always be in control of test results, promotions, or computer crashes. It is in these times that we should lean on God to show us the way. This is the time to earnestly seek His will and being open to fulfilling it. Trust in Him.
Download this app to get your daily devotions: http://bit.ly/16uZrQ5
Morning, Apr 15
My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?
— Psalm 22:1
We here behold the Saviour in the depth of his sorrows. No other place so well shows the griefs of Christ as Calvary, and no other moment at Calvary is so full of agony as that in which his cry rends the air—“My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” At this moment physical weakness was united with acute mental torture from the shame and ignominy through which he had to pass; and to make his grief culminate with emphasis, he suffered spiritual agony surpassing all expression, resulting from the departure of his Father’s presence. This was the black midnight of his horror; then it was that he descended the abyss of suffering. No man can enter into the full meaning of these words. Some of us think at times that we could cry, “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” There are seasons when the brightness of our Father’s smile is eclipsed by clouds and darkness; but let us remember that God never does really forsake us. It is only a seeming forsaking with us, but in Christ’s case it was a real forsaking. We grieve at a little withdrawal of our Father’s love; but the real turning away of God’s face from his Son, who shall calculate how deep the agony which it caused him?
In our case, our cry is often dictated by unbelief: in his case, it was the utterance of a dreadful fact, for God had really turned away from him for a season. O thou poor, distressed soul, who once lived in the sunshine of God’s face, but art now in darkness, remember that he has not really forsaken thee. God in the clouds is as much our God as when he shines forth in all the lustre of his grace; but since even the thought that he has forsaken us gives us agony, what must the woe of the Saviour have been when he exclaimed, “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?”
Sent from Morning & Evening app for Android:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=yuku.morneve.app&referrer=utm_source%3Dself-share%26utm_medium%3Dyuku.morneve.app-market
So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor. (NLT) -1 Peter 5:6
Pride is a difficult, thorny root that slowly takes hold in your heart. It's deceptive and is difficult to perceive let alone conceive its presence in our lives. Do you trust that the Lord will honor you at the right time? Failure to trust that God will honor you will lead you to boast to yourself and others about your greatness. As you walk through your day, keep an eye out for any roots that may trip you up.
Download this app to get your daily devotions: http://bit.ly/16uZrQ5
Thursday, April 14, 2016
Morning, Apr 14
All they that see me laugh me to scorn: they shoot out the lip, they shake the head.
— Psalm 22:7
Mockery was a great ingredient in our Lord’s woe. Judas mocked him in the garden; the chief priests and scribes laughed him to scorn; Herod set him at nought; the servants and the soldiers jeered at him, and brutally insulted him; Pilate and his guards ridiculed his royalty; and on the tree all sorts of horrid jests and hideous taunts were hurled at him. Ridicule is always hard to bear, but when we are in intense pain it is so heartless, so cruel, that it cuts us to the quick. Imagine the Saviour crucified, racked with anguish far beyond all mortal guess, and then picture that motley multitude, all wagging their heads or thrusting out the lip in bitterest contempt of one poor suffering victim! Surely there must have been something more in the crucified One than they could see, or else such a great and mingled crowd would not unanimously have honoured him with such contempt. Was it not evil confessing, in the very moment of its greatest apparent triumph, that after all it could do no more than mock at that victorious goodness which was then reigning on the cross? O Jesus, “despised and rejected of men,” how couldst thou die for men who treated thee so ill? Herein is love amazing, love divine, yea, love beyond degree. We, too, have despised thee in the days of our unregeneracy, and even since our new birth we have set the world on high in our hearts, and yet thou bleedest to heal our wounds, and diest to give us life. O that we could set thee on a glorious high throne in all men’s hearts! We would ring out thy praises over land and sea till men should as universally adore as once they did unanimously reject.
“Thy creatures wrong thee, O thou sovereign Good!
Thou art not loved, because not understood:
This grieves me most, that vain pursuits beguile
Ungrateful men, regardless of thy smile.”
Sent from Morning & Evening app for Android:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=yuku.morneve.app&referrer=utm_source%3Dself-share%26utm_medium%3Dyuku.morneve.app-market
The Lord God placed the man in the Garden of Eden to tend and watch over it. (NLT) -Genesis 2:15
Do you dread Monday mornings? Work was God's first task to humans in the Garden of Eden. God didn't give us work to make us trudge along in our days. He did it so we could receive joy from our accomplishments, seek Him, and bring glory to His name. If you don't find what you are doing to be a labor of love, try changing your attitude. Or try changing your circumstances.
Download this app to get your daily devotions: http://bit.ly/16uZrQ5
Philippians 3:13-14 ()
Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead,
I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
ESV
#Bible http://www.mydailybible.org/dv/esv/2016-04-14.htm
Verse of the Day
Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:
1 Corinthians 15:1, 3-4 KJV
Wednesday, April 13, 2016
Morning, Apr 13
A bundle of myrrh is my well-beloved unto me.
— Song of Solomon 1:13
Myrrh may well be chosen as the type of Jesus on account of its preciousness, its perfume, its pleasantness, its healing, preserving, disinfecting qualities, and its connection with sacrifice. But why is he compared to “a bundle of myrrh”? First, for plenty. He is not a drop of it, he is a casket full. He is not a sprig or flower of it, but a whole bundle. There is enough in Christ for all my necessities; let me not be slow to avail myself of him. Our well-beloved is compared to a “bundle” again, for variety: for there is in Christ not only the one thing needful, but in “him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily;” everything needful is in him. Take Jesus in his different characters, and you will see a marvellous variety—Prophet, Priest, King, Husband, Friend, Shepherd. Consider him in his life, death, resurrection, ascension, second advent; view him in his virtue, gentleness, courage, self-denial, love, faithfulness, truth, righteousness—everywhere he is a bundle of preciousness. He is a “bundle of myrrh” for preservation—not loose myrrh to be dropped on the floor or trodden on, but myrrh tied up, myrrh to be stored in a casket. We must value him as our best treasure; we must prize his words and his ordinances; and we must keep our thoughts of him and knowledge of him as under lock and key, lest the devil should steal anything from us. Moreover, Jesus is a “bundle of myrrh” for speciality; the emblem suggests the idea of distinguishing, discriminating grace. From before the foundation of the world, he was set apart for his people; and he gives forth his perfume only to those who understand how to enter into communion with him, to have close dealings with him. Oh! blessed people whom the Lord hath admitted into his secrets, and for whom he sets himself apart. Oh! choice and happy who are thus made to say, “A bundle of myrrh is my well-beloved unto me.”
Sent from Morning & Evening app for Android:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=yuku.morneve.app&referrer=utm_source%3Dself-share%26utm_medium%3Dyuku.morneve.app-market
"I tell you the truth, anyone who believes has eternal life. Yes, I am the bread of Life!" (NLT) -John 6:47-48
We all want to go to heaven and experience eternal life. Jesus teaches us that our belief in Him, as the Son of God, leads to heaven. If you have doubts about this truth, you're not alone. Christians continue to have this struggle but ultimately believe. On the days you have this struggle, just remember that you are not perfect. That's what faith is…not knowing for certain, but trusting.
Download this app to get your daily devotions: http://bit.ly/16uZrQ5
Hebrews 13:5-6 ()
Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you."
So we can confidently say, "The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?"
ESV
#Bible http://www.mydailybible.org/dv/esv/2016-04-13.htm
Tuesday, April 12, 2016
Morning, Apr 12
My heart is like wax; it is melted in the midst of my bowels.
— Psalm 22:14
Our blessed Lord experienced a terrible sinking and melting of soul. “The spirit of a man will sustain his infirmity, but a wounded spirit who can bear?” Deep depression of spirit is the most grievous of all trials; all besides is as nothing. Well might the suffering Saviour cry to his God, “Be not far from me,” for above all other seasons a man needs his God when his heart is melted within him because of heaviness. Believer, come near the cross this morning, and humbly adore the King of glory as having once been brought far lower, in mental distress and inward anguish, than any one among us; and mark his fitness to become a faithful High Priest, who can be touched with a feeling of our infirmities. Especially let those of us whose sadness springs directly from the withdrawal of a present sense of our Father’s love, enter into near and intimate communion with Jesus. Let us not give way to despair, since through this dark room the Master has passed before us. Our souls may sometimes long and faint, and thirst even to anguish, to behold the light of the Lord’s countenance: at such times let us stay ourselves with the sweet fact of the sympathy of our great High Priest. Our drops of sorrow may well be forgotten in the ocean of his griefs; but how high ought our love to rise! Come in, O strong and deep love of Jesus, like the sea at the flood in spring tides, cover all my powers, drown all my sins, wash out all my cares, lift up my earth-bound soul, and float it right up to my Lord’s feet, and there let me lie, a poor broken shell, washed up by his love, having no virtue or value; and only venturing to whisper to him that if he will put his ear to me, he will hear within my heart faint echoes of the vast waves of his own love which have brought me where it is my delight to lie, even at his feet forever.
Sent from Morning & Evening app for Android:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=yuku.morneve.app&referrer=utm_source%3Dself-share%26utm_medium%3Dyuku.morneve.app-market
Turn to me and have mercy, for I am alone and in deep distress. My problems go from bad to worse. Oh, save me from them all! (NLT) -Psalm 25:16-17
Nothing is more disturbing than being in distress and all alone. Isn't this why people who don't believe in God turn to Him when there is no where else to turn? We don't have to walk alone though. God is literally dying for you to turn to Him for help with your problems. It doesn't take much. Just pray for God to guide and lead you in the right direction.
Download this app to get your daily devotions: http://bit.ly/16uZrQ5
Monday, April 11, 2016
Morning, Apr 11
I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint.
— Psalm 22:14
Did earth or heaven ever behold a sadder spectacle of woe! In soul and body, our Lord felt himself to be weak as water poured upon the ground. The placing of the cross in its socket had shaken him with great violence, had strained all the ligaments, pained every nerve, and more or less dislocated all his bones. Burdened with his own weight, the august sufferer felt the strain increasing every moment of those six long hours. His sense of faintness and general weakness were overpowering; while to his own consciousness he became nothing but a mass of misery and swooning sickness. When Daniel saw the great vision, he thus describes his sensations, “There remained no strength in me, for my vigour was turned into corruption, and I retained no strength:” how much more faint must have been our greater Prophet when he saw the dread vision of the wrath of God, and felt it in his own soul! To us, sensations such as our Lord endured would have been insupportable, and kind unconsciousness would have come to our rescue; but in his case, he was wounded, and felt the sword; he drained the cup and tasted every drop.
“O King of Grief! (a title strange, yet true
To thee of all kings only due)
O King of Wounds! how shall I grieve for thee,
Who in all grief preventest me!”
As we kneel before our now ascended Saviour’s throne, let us remember well the way by which he prepared it as a throne of grace for us; let us in spirit drink of his cup, that we may be strengthened for our hour of heaviness whenever it may come. In his natural body every member suffered, and so must it be in the spiritual; but as out of all his griefs and woes his body came forth uninjured to glory and power, even so shall his mystical body come through the furnace with not so much as the smell of fire upon it.
Sent from Morning & Evening app for Android:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=yuku.morneve.app&referrer=utm_source%3Dself-share%26utm_medium%3Dyuku.morneve.app-market
Therefore, whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone - especially to those in the family of faith. (NLT) -Galatians 6:10
Who wants to be taken advantage of? No one. However, we are called to do good to everyone and not be selective in who we serve. Do you let fear of exploitation of your generosity keep you from sharing with others? It's a good thing Jesus didn't have this fear when He chose to die on the cross for sins He knew we would commit again and again.
Download this app to get your daily devotions: http://bit.ly/16uZrQ5
Matthew 28:5-7 ()
But the angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified.
He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay.
Then go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and behold, he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him. See, I have told you."
ESV
#Bible http://www.mydailybible.org/dv/esv/2016-04-11.htm
Friday, April 08, 2016
Morning, Apr 8
If they do these things in a green tree, what shall be done in the dry?
— Luke 23:31
Among other interpretations of this suggestive question, the following is full of teaching: “If the innocent substitute for sinners, suffer thus, what will be done when the sinner himself—the dry tree—shall fall into the hands of an angry God?” When God saw Jesus in the sinner’s place, he did not spare him; and when he finds the unregenerate without Christ, he will not spare them. O sinner, Jesus was led away by his enemies: so shall you be dragged away by fiends to the place appointed for you. Jesus was deserted of God; and if he, who was only imputedly a sinner, was deserted, how much more shall you be? “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?” what an awful shriek! But what shall be your cry when you shall say, “O God! O God! why hast thou forsaken me?” and the answer shall come back, “Because ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof: I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh.” If God spared not his own Son, how much less will he spare you! What whips of burning wire will be yours when conscience shall smite you with all its terrors. Ye richest, ye merriest, ye most self-righteous sinners—who would stand in your place when God shall say, “Awake, O sword, against the man that rejected me; smite him, and let him feel the smart forever”? Jesus was spit upon: sinner, what shame will be yours! We cannot sum up in one word all the mass of sorrows which met upon the head of Jesus who died for us; therefore it is impossible for us to tell you what streams, what oceans of grief must roll over your spirit if you die as you now are. You may die so, you may die now. By the agonies of Christ, by his wounds and by his blood, do not bring upon yourselves the wrath to come! Trust in the Son of God, and you shall never die.
Sent from Morning & Evening app for Android:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=yuku.morneve.app&referrer=utm_source%3Dself-share%26utm_medium%3Dyuku.morneve.app-market
Cheerfully share your home with those who need a meal or a place to stay. (NLT) -1 Peter 4:9
What a blessing it is to stay in a home with others who are generous. The gift of hospitality is so powerful. People can come together and offer up their homemade food, precious laughter, and generously share their possessions. This sort of giving is rare to come by, but leaves a lasting memory. Do you do the same for your guests when they come to stay with you?
Download this app to get your daily devotions: http://bit.ly/16uZrQ5
Exodus 33:12 - 13
12 Moses said to the Lord, "You have been telling me, ‘Lead these people,' but you have not let me know whom you will send with me. You have said, ‘I know you by name and you have found favor with me.'
13 If you are pleased with me, teach me your ways so I may know you and continue to find favor with you. Remember that this nation is your people."
http://www.yourdailybible.com/verse/2016/04/08
Wednesday, April 06, 2016
Matthew 7:24-27 ()
"Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock.
And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock.
And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand.
And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it."
ESV
#Bible http://www.mydailybible.org/dv/esv/2016-04-06.htm
Tuesday, April 05, 2016
Are any of you suffering hardships? You should pray. Are any of you happy? You should sing praises. (NLT) -James 5:13
Prayer is a silent, powerful tool, often overlooked. We should pray through the good times and the bad and everything in between. Take just one minute, think of a friend, and take slow deep breaths as you pray for that person. Be comforted in knowing that God heard you.
Download this app to get your daily devotions: http://bit.ly/16uZrQ5
Evening, Apr 5
Before honour is humility.
— Proverbs 15:33
Humiliation of soul always brings a positive blessing with it. If we empty our hearts of self, God will fill them with his love. He who desires close communion with Christ should remember the word of the Lord, “To this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word.” Stoop if you would climb to heaven. Do we not say of Jesus, “He descended that he might ascend?” So must you. You must grow downwards, that you may grow upwards; for the sweetest fellowship with heaven is to be had by humble souls, and by them alone. God will deny no blessing to a thoroughly humbled spirit. “Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven,” with all its riches and treasures. The whole exchequer of God shall be made over by deed of gift to the soul which is humble enough to be able to receive it without growing proud because of it. God blesses us all up to the full measure and extremity of what it is safe for him to do. If you do not get a blessing, it is because it is not safe for you to have one. If our heavenly Father were to let your unhumbled spirit win a victory in his holy war, you would pilfer the crown for yourself, and meeting with a fresh enemy you would fall a victim; so that you are kept low for your own safety. When a man is sincerely humble, and never ventures to touch so much as a grain of the praise, there is scarcely any limit to what God will do for him. Humility makes us ready to be blessed by the God of all grace, and fits us to deal efficiently with our fellow men. True humility is a flower which will adorn any garden. This is a sauce with which you may season every dish of life, and you will find an improvement in every case. Whether it be prayer or praise, whether it be work or suffering, the genuine salt of humility cannot be used in excess.
Sent from Morning & Evening app for Android:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=yuku.morneve.app&referrer=utm_source%3Dself-share%26utm_medium%3Dyuku.morneve.app-market
Morning, Apr 5
On him they laid the cross, that he might bear it after Jesus.
— Luke 23:26
We see in Simon’s carrying the cross a picture of the work of the Church throughout all generations; she is the cross-bearer after Jesus. Mark then, Christian, Jesus does not suffer so as to exclude your suffering. He bears a cross, not that you may escape it, but that you may endure it. Christ exempts you from sin, but not from sorrow. Remember that, and expect to suffer.
But let us comfort ourselves with this thought, that in our case, as in Simon's, it is not our cross, but Christ’s cross which we carry. When you are molested for your piety; when your religion brings the trial of cruel mockings upon you, then remember it is not your cross, it is Christ's cross; and how delightful is it to carry the cross of our Lord Jesus!
You carry the cross after him. You have blessed company; your path is marked with the footprints of your Lord. The mark of his blood-red shoulder is upon that heavy burden. 'Tis his cross, and he goes before you as a shepherd goes before his sheep. Take up your cross daily, and follow him.
Do not forget, also, that you bear this cross in partnership. It is the opinion of some that Simon only carried one end of the cross, and not the whole of it. That is very possible; Christ may have carried the heavier part, against the transverse beam, and Simon may have borne the lighter end. Certainly it is so with you; you do but carry the light end of the cross, Christ bore the heavier end.
And remember, though Simon had to bear the cross for a very little while, it gave him lasting honour. Even so the cross we carry is only for a little while at most, and then we shall receive the crown, the glory. Surely we should love the cross, and, instead of shrinking from it, count it very dear, when it works out for us “a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.”
Sent from Morning & Evening app for Android:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=yuku.morneve.app&referrer=utm_source%3Dself-share%26utm_medium%3Dyuku.morneve.app-market
In my mind I really want to obey God's law, but because of my sinful nature I am a slave to sin. (NLT) -Romans 7:25
Everyone has their own personal struggles with sin. One person may handle a slice of cake and be satisfied while another is consumed with eating the entire cake. For some its managing alcohol consumption, for others it's gambling. While each of these activities in themselves are not a sin, they can easily lead to sin if you turn away from God. What is your personal struggle with sin?
Download this app to get your daily devotions: http://bit.ly/16uZrQ5
Monday, April 04, 2016
Morning, Apr 4
For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.
— 2 Corinthians 5:21
Mourning Christian! why weepest thou? Art thou mourning over thine own corruptions? Look to thy perfect Lord, and remember, thou art complete in him; thou art in God’s sight as perfect as if thou hadst never sinned; nay, more than that, the Lord our Righteousness hath put a divine garment upon thee, so that thou hast more than the righteousness of man—thou hast the righteousness of God. O thou who art mourning by reason of inbred sin and depravity, remember, none of thy sins can condemn thee. Thou hast learned to hate sin; but thou hast learned also to know that sin is not thine—it was laid upon Christ’s head. Thy standing is not in thyself—it is in Christ; thine acceptance is not in thyself, but in thy Lord; thou art as much accepted of God today, with all thy sinfulness, as thou wilt be when thou standest before his throne, free from all corruption. O, I beseech thee, lay hold on this precious thought, perfection in Christ! For thou art “complete in him.” With thy Saviour’s garment on, thou art holy as the Holy one. “Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.” Christian, let thy heart rejoice, for thou art “accepted in the beloved”—what hast thou to fear? Let thy face ever wear a smile; live near thy Master; live in the suburbs of the Celestial City; for soon, when thy time has come, thou shalt rise up where thy Jesus sits, and reign at his right hand; and all this because the divine Lord “was made to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.”
Sent from Morning & Evening app for Android:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=yuku.morneve.app&referrer=utm_source%3Dself-share%26utm_medium%3Dyuku.morneve.app-market
But joyful are those who have the God of Israel as their helper, whose hope is in the Lord their God. (NLT) -Psalm 146:5
Where do you turn when your life turns into a mess? How do you pick up the pieces? A mess is always easier to clean when you have someone helping you. God is just waiting for you to invite Him into your mess.
Download this app to get your daily devotions: http://bit.ly/16uZrQ5
Sunday, April 03, 2016
Morning, Apr 3
They took Jesus, and led him away.
— John 19:16
He had been all night in agony, he had spent the early morning at the hall of Caiaphas, he had been hurried from Caiaphas to Pilate, from Pilate to Herod, and from Herod back again to Pilate; he had, therefore, but little strength left, and yet neither refreshment nor rest were permitted him. They were eager for his blood, and therefore led him out to die, loaded with the cross. O dolorous procession! Well may Salem’s daughters weep. My soul, do thou weep also.
What learn we here as we see our blessed Lord led forth? Do we not perceive that truth which was set forth in shadow by the scapegoat? Did not the high-priest bring the scapegoat, and put both his hands upon its head, confessing the sins of the people, that thus those sins might be laid upon the goat, and cease from the people? Then the goat was led away by a fit man into the wilderness, and it carried away the sins of the people, so that if they were sought for they could not be found. Now we see Jesus brought before the priests and rulers, who pronounce him guilty; God himself imputes our sins to him, “the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all;” “He was made sin for us;” and, as the substitute for our guilt, bearing our sin upon his shoulders, represented by the cross; we see the great Scapegoat led away by the appointed officers of justice. Beloved, can you feel assured that he carried your sin? As you look at the cross upon his shoulders, does it represent your sin? There is one way by which you can tell whether he carried your sin or not. Have you laid your hand upon his head, confessed your sin, and trusted in him? Then your sin lies not on you; it has all been transferred by blessed imputation to Christ, and he bears it on his shoulder as a load heavier than the cross.
Let not the picture vanish till you have rejoiced in your own deliverance, and adored the loving Redeemer upon whom your iniquities were laid.
Sent from Morning & Evening app for Android:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=yuku.morneve.app&referrer=utm_source%3Dself-share%26utm_medium%3Dyuku.morneve.app-market
Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my family, that you have brought me this far? (NLT) -1 Chronicles 17:16
Have you looked back on your life to see how far God has brought you? Have you seen the protection of your family? The Lord has been good to you. Even though you have come through some tough times, the Lord has brought you very far. Go on, take a look back. Humble yourself before the Lord.
Download this app to get your daily devotions: http://bit.ly/16uZrQ5
Malachi 3:10 ()
Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the LORD of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need.
ESV
#Bible http://www.mydailybible.org/dv/esv/2016-04-03.htm
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)