Day: February 4, 2014

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Your Day Is Coming no one will take your crown

Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown. REVELATION 3:11 NIV

Some of you have never won a prize in your life. Oh, maybe you were quartermaster in your Boy Scout troop or in charge of sodas at the homeroom Christmas party, but that’s about it. You’ve never won much. You’ve watched the Mark McGwires of this world carry home the trophies and walk away with the ribbons. All you have are “almosts” and “what ifs.”

If that hits home, then you’ll cherish this promise: “And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away” (1 Pet. 5:4 NIV).

Your day is coming. What the world has overlooked, your Father has remembered, and sooner than you can imagine, you will be blessed by him.

When Christ Comes

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Divine Guidance

John 14:26

God knew that we could never grasp the whole of His greatness with our finite human minds. It is for this reason that He provided us with a divine Teacher—the Holy Spirit.

The purpose of Bible study is not mere information, but transformation. If what we read doesn’t change our lives, then we are not experiencing the full power of the gospel. Therefore, the Holy Spirit has an important goal in teaching us the Word of God: to transform us into the likeness of Jesus Christ (Rom. 8:29). He does this in three areas:

1. Evangelism. Before we came to faith in Jesus Christ, it was the Spirit of God who worked to make us aware of our need for a Savior. This was the first step of our move toward Christlikeness, or conformity to the image of God’s Son.

2. Discipleship. Once we have placed faith in Christ, the Holy Spirit begins the process of discipleship, which refers to steady spiritual growth and increasing knowledge of Scripture.

3. Missions. God wants His followers to go forth into the world and spread the good news of Jesus Christ. Believers have the privilege of representing His grace to all people.

Transformation is a key to our becoming like the Lord Jesus Christ. Though we will never attain perfection in this life, the journey towards Christlikeness is important—it’s the way we develop into mature, active believers in Him.

The Holy Spirit is our guide. Thank God today for His goodness in providing a perfect Teacher to lead you on this exciting journey of faith.

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A Certain Young Man

“And they all forsook him, and fled. And there followed him a certain young man, having a linen cloth cast about his naked body; and the young men laid hold on him: And he left the linen cloth, and fled from them naked.” (Mark 14:50-52)

This “certain young man” is mentioned only in Mark’s gospel and was almost certainly John Mark himself. A rather obscure character in the New Testament, yet the Lord chose him to write what is probably the earliest of the gospel records of the life of Christ. If so, his account of the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ is the first record we have of the most important events in all history.

Mark’s family (Acts 12:12) apparently was prosperous enough to own a home in Jerusalem with a large upper room where the disciples (even 120 of them, Acts 1:14-15) could meet for prayer after the resurrection. This was possibly the same “large upper room furnished and prepared” (Mark 14:15) where the Lord’s last supper took place. Note that Mark’s account says: “And in the evening he cometh [not ‘goeth’] with the twelve” (v. 17). Thus Mark—probably as a teenager—was very likely an intensely interested observer of all the moving events that took place in the upper room, both before and after the crucifixion and resurrection.

He may well have overheard the conversation with and about Judas, and then watched as the disciples went out to Gethsemane. Perhaps Judas returned with the soldiers, and Mark, already in bed, grabbed a “linen cloth” and rushed out to warn Jesus. The soldiers found Jesus first, however, and Mark had to watch the disciples flee, and then finally had to flee himself.

In any case, this close proximity to these great events made such a profound impression on him that he was later led to write about them, very probably working closely with Peter (1 Peter 5:13), and Mark’s gospel was the result. HMM

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I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee. Be strong, and of a good courage

I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee. Be strong, and of a good courage.— Joshua 1:5, 6.

And all the people answered with one voice, and said, all the words, which the Lord hath said will we do.—Exodus 24:3.

OUR Lord teaches us not to shrink from the consequences, which we may see to be involved in any course of duty, which we have undertaken. He leads us to accept the results of any high choice as they open to our mind,—to regard trustfully, in every act of self-dedication, in every resolve we are led to make, whatever possibilities there may be of coming trial, foreseen or unforeseen,—to realize in calmness the future, whatever that future may be.

If the calling of God is clear, if the sense of duty become the pillar of cloud by clay and the pillar of fire by night, ever leading onward, the vision of the cross ought not to hinder our going forward. For one who has put his hand to the plough to look back is to become unfit for the Kingdom of Heaven. And equally so it must be to disobey (Joel, if distrust of His upholding us in the course along which He would guide our steps, whatever trial may meet us in the path, becomes a stumbling-block or hindrance to our faith.
T. T. CARTER.

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The darkness hideth not from thee

The darkness hideth not from thee. Psalm 139:12

His eyes are upon the ways of man, and he seeth all his goings. There is no darkness, nor shadow of death, where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves. — Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him? … Do not I fill heaven and earth? saith the LORD.

Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; … nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness …Because thou hast made the LORD, which is my refuge, even the Most High, thy habitation; there shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling. — He that keepeth thee will not slumber. The LORD is thy keeper: the Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand. The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night. The LORD shall preserve thee from all evil.

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for thou art with me.

Job 34:21,2. Jeremiah 23:24. Psalm 91:5,6,9,10. Psalm 121:3,5-7. Psalm 23:4.

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Be strong, and work; for I am with you, saith the Lord of hosts

Be strong, and work; for I am with you, saith the Lord of hosts. Haggai 2:4

I am the vine, ye are the branches: he that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. — I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. – Strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. — The joy of the Lord is your strength.

Thus said the LORD of hosts; Let your hands be strong, ye that hear in these days these words by the mouth of the prophets. — Strengthen ye the weak hands, and confirm the feeble knees. Say to them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not. — The LORD looked upon him, and said, Go in this thy might.

If God be for us, who can be against us? — Therefore seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we faint not.

Let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. — Thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

John 15:5. Philippians 4:13. Ephesians 6:10. Nehemiah 8:10. Zechariah 8:9. Isaiah 35:3,4. Judges 6:14. Romans 8:31. 2 Corinthians 4:1. Galatians 6:9. 1 Corinthians 15:5-7.