Jan 24
15
My spiritual life began in looking to Christ only. The way I persevere in the faith is by continuing to look to Christ only. My desire is that the last breath I take here on earth will be looking to Christ only. The employment of eternity, albeit without this sinful nature, will be looking to Christ only! “We shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is” (I John 3:2), and will still look to Him only. ~Todd Nibert
Unity
Let us not set ourselves up as critics and judges of the conduct and lives of other believers. Let us not spend our time finding fault with one another, picking out weaknesses and exaggerating differences of opinion and practice. Rather, let us spend our time endeavouring to help one another and to avoid doing and saying things that may cause others to stumble.
We can do this by making our fellowship to be in Christ (not in form and traditions), by loving one another in spite of differences, and by avoiding collisions on the points wherein we differ. I am not suggesting for a moment that we compromise the gospel or the fundamentals of our faith; but, as there are no two snowflakes exactly alike, there are no two people exactly alike; therefore, the foundation of our fellowship is our love for Christ and our love for one another, not perfect agreement on every point.
The fact of the matter is that I do not agree or approve of all that I do, think, and say! “Beloved, let us love one another; for love is of God; and everyone that loveth is born of God and knoweth God.” By God’s grace, I intend to love and encourage every believer in Christ, our sovereign Lord. I shall endeavour to keep the unity of the Spirit of God in the bond of peace for the glory of our Lord, the well-being of his church, and the witness of the gospel.
Henry Mahan
The Black and White Of The Gospel
There are no grey areas in the Gospel. Salvation is all of grace or all of
works. There is no in-between. Christ is either All in salvation or He is
nothing in salvation. There is no in-between. Man is either completely
sinful and unable to save himself, or he is his own saviour. There are no
grey areas. The Bible is either God’s infallible Word, or the production of
fallen man. How we thank God for this! I find the older I get, the more
grey other things become. Things I once felt strongly about, I no longer
feel so assured! I do not have enough information to make a proper judgment
and there are other points of view that have as much validity as mine! How
Paul’s words, “We see through a glass darkly” describe my sight! With so
much grey, how thankful I am for the black and white of the Gospel!
Pastor Todd Nibert
What is the Christian to do in the world?
What is his mission?
Here it is—“As Thou hath sent me into the world, even so have I sent them into the world” (John 20:21). This is the Christian ‘s mission; he is not to shut himself within the walls of a monastery or convent. Christianity does not consist of joining a brotherhood or sisterhood. What did he come to do? To glorify God. How did he live? By the Father. “As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father; so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me” (John 6:57). This makes it all so simple; Christ is the standard for everything. It is not a question of mere right or wrong according to human rules. It is simply a question, is it worthy of the Lord Jesus Christ? ~Scott Richardson (1923-2010)
Humility
The following is from Octavius Winslow’s sermon,
“Daily Cleansing, or Christ Washing His Disciples
Feet”
Humility is an essential
element of the true
Christian. As humility is one of the first
principles of our Christianity, so it is an
ever growing and deepening one.
Nothing more closely evidences an advance in
the divine life as our growth in Humility of mind.
The nearer we approach to heaven, the lower
we grow in the estimate of ourselves.
As the fruit ripens for the gathering grows more
mellow, so the soul that matures for glory
becomes more humble an Christlike, and is
willing not only to wash the saint’s feet, but
even to be trampled under foot of the saints.
We learn to take the low place as we become
more deeply sanctified, ready for any and every
work and office the Master may assign us.
It is the bough most richly laden with fruit that
bends downwards, and hangs the lowest. So
those Christians who have the richest gifts and
are favoured with the greatest usefulness think
the most lowly of themselves, and hide their
gifts and graces and usefulness deepest in
the shadow of Christ’s cross, and are the
best prepared for the lowliest service of love
to the saints.
Pride cannot live beneath the
cross!
(Charles Spurgeon)
“He humbled Himself.” Philippians 2:8
Jesus is the great teacher of lowliness of heart. We
need daily to learn of Him.
See the Master taking a basin and towel to wash His disciples
feet!
Follower of Christ, will you not humble yourself?
See Him as the Servant of servants—and surely you
cannot be proud!
Surely this sentence is the compendium of His biography:
“He humbled Himself!”
While on earth, He was always stripping off first one robe of
honor and then another—until He was fastened to the bloody tree. And there He
emptied out His inmost self, pouring out His life-blood, giving up His
all for us—until they laid Him penniless in a borrowed grave!
How low was our dear Redeemer brought! How then can we
be proud?
Stand at the foot of the cruel cross, and count the purple drops by which you have been
cleansed of your infinite sins! See the thorn-crown; mark His scourged
shoulders, still gushing with encrimsoned rills. See His hands and feet given
up to the rough iron, and His whole self to mockery and scorn. See the bitterness,
and the pangs, and the throes of inward grief, showing themselves in His
outward frame. Hear the horrid shriek: “My God, my God, why have
You forsaken Me!”
If you do not lie prostrate on the ground before that cross—you
have never seen it!
If you are not humbled in the presence of the dying Jesus—you do
not know Him.
You were so lost that nothing could save
you—but the sacrifice of God’s only begotten Son.
Think of that, and as Jesus stooped for you—bow yourself in
lowliness at His feet.
A sense of Christ’s amazing love to us—has a greater
tendency to humble us than even a consciousness of our own guilt!
May the Lord bring us in contemplation, to Calvary—and then we
will no longer think of ourselves with pompous pride. We shall then take the
humble place of one who loves much, because much has been forgiven. Pride cannot live beneath the cross! Let us
sit there and learn our lesson—and then rise and carry it into practice.
“What I do thou knowest not now; but thou shalt know
hereafter.” John 13:7
Author unknown
Peter could not apprehend the design of our Lord in washing the
disciples’ feet, and impatiently expressed his surprise, “You shall never
wash my feet!” Our gracious Savior in effect replied, “Wait a little,
Peter—and you will see the reason for My doing so. You do not realise now what
I am doing—but later you will understand.”
How often are we impatient when we cannot at once see the
design of the Lord’s dealings with us. Sometimes, when events run contrary
to our desires and expectations—we are ready, like Jacob, to say, “All
these things are against me!” While in reality, none of them are
against us—but all are, in a wonderful way, working together for our good.
Oh for more confidence in Him who, in infinite wisdom, is so
ordering the circumstances of our lives as to promote our spiritual welfare
here—and our eternal advantage in the world to come.
Even in the present life, the Lord sometimes shows us the
meaning of His past dealings with us, and convinces us that when He was leading
us in a rough path—He was leading us by the right way
towards the city of habitation.
“Blind unbelief is sure to err,
And scan His work in vain!
God is His own interpreter,
And He will make it plain!”
“For I have given you an example, that you should do as I
have done to you.” John 13:15
Author unknown
When our blessed Lord uttered these words, He had just washed
His disciples’ feet, and wiped them with the towel with which He was girded.
Our gracious Saviour, who is Lord of all, thus stooped to one of
the lowest acts of service to teach His disciples in all ages . . .
to serve one another in love,
to stoop to each other’s need, and
to regard no office of kindness beneath them which they
might have occasion to perform.
And in all spiritual matters, so far from seeking to exercise
lordship over each other—that they should each be willing to take the lowest
place, and minister to each other’s help and comfort. “Whoever will be
chief among you—let him be your servant: even as the Son of man came not to be
ministered unto, but to minister, and to give His life a ransom for many.”
O Lord, impart unto us Your grace—that we
may be Your true followers, and tread in Your steps.
In serving grace, in lowly love,
In true humility,
May Jesus my example prove,
May He my pattern be!
John MacDuff…
THE THE LOVE OF GOD – “God is love.” 1 John 4:16
“The only real mystery of the Bible,” says an old writer, “is a mystery of Love.” “God so loved the world that He gave His only- begotten Son.” What! that for a lost and ruined world, the Prince of Life should leave His Throne of glory, travel down to a valley of tears, and expire by an ignominious death on the bitter tree! Love unutterable! unspeakable! The reflection of the skeptic of a by-gone age, may have formed at times the musing of better minds, “This is far too great- it is far too good to be true.” Infinite majesty compassionating infinite weakness! The great Sun of heaven, the Fountain of uncreated light, undergoing an eclipse of darkness and blood for the sake of a candle that glimmered in nothingness in comparison with His beams.
“God so loved the world.” Man never can get farther in the solution of the wondrous problem. Eternity itself will form a ladder- the saints climbing step by step its ascending glories- but, as the prospect widens, each new altitude will elicit the same confession, “the love of Christ, which passes knowledge.”
My soul! seek to enter into the secrets of this Love of your adorable Redeemer! Before all time, that love began. We have glimpses of it bursting out from the recesses of a past eternity- “Then I was by Him, as one brought up with Him, and I was daily His delight, rejoicing always before Him!” And “when the fullness of the time had come,” though foreseen were all His untold sufferings- nothing would deter Him from pursuing His anguished path- “He set His face steadfastly to go to Jerusalem;”- no, as if longing for the hour of victory, He exclaimed. “There is a terrible baptism ahead of me, and I am under a heavy burden until it is accomplished!”
Think of that love now! The live coals in the censer of old form a feeble type of the burning ardor of affection still manifested by our Great High Priest within the veil, in behalf of His own people. There He bears the name of each indelibly engraved on His breastplate; loving them at the beginning, He will love them even unto the end. Earthly love may grow cold and changeable; earthly love may die. Not so the love of this “Friend of friends.” It is strong as death- surviving death, no, as deathless as eternity! Listen to His own exponent of its intensity- “As the Father has loved He, so have I loved you!” “You see in Him;” says an old writer, “an ocean of love without bottom, without bounds, overflowing the banks of heaven, streaming down upon this poor world to wash away the vileness of man!”
Blessed Jesus! how cold, and fitful, and transient has been my love to You in comparison of Your love to me! Bring me more under its constraining influence. May this be the superscription on all my thoughts and actions; my occupations and my time– ‘I am not my own. Lord, I am Yours! How can I love You enough, who have so loved me! My life shall henceforth be one thank-offering of praise for Your redeeming mercies.’
Standing this night on the shores of this illimitable ocean- surveying its length and breadth- every wave murmuring, “Peace on earth and good-will to men,” “I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.” Psalm 4:8