Tuesday, April 23, 2024

"The Work of Christian Charity"

 1. The Character of Christian Charity.

Christian charity is, as the name indicates, a specifically Christian virtue, the fruit of saving grace. It is Christian love extended to those that are in misery, a love that reveals itself in a voluntary and unselfish devotion to those that are subject to the ills of life, particularly, when they are in straitened circumstances.

The Christian, in his work of charity, seeks those that are in misery, of whatever rank they may be, and aims at promoting the glory of God.

Christian charity differs even from the charity that was exercised by Israel under the Old Testament. This was limited almost exclusively to the poor of their own nation. Moreover, it was carefully regulated by an external law. Christian charity, on the other hand, is inspired and regulated by an internal principle and is universal.

2. The Motives for Christian Charity.

The primary motive is found in the fact that the Word of God calls upon us to show forth the image of God also in this respect. "Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful" (Luke 6:36). This is a very high ideal.

In the second place the Christian love that fills our hearts prompts us to exercise charity. This charity will reveal itself in all its tenderness and compassion where misery is greatest, as, for instance, during a pestilence, or a famine, or on the battlefield.

Moreover, it is necessary for our own spiritual development that we exercise charity. This is not selfishness, but merely a part of the law of our spiritual existence.

3. Opportunities for Exercising Christian Charity.

There is always abundant opportunity for exercising this virtue. We can do it wherever we come in contact with misery.


[Louis Berkhof]


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Monday, April 22, 2024

Your Future is Bright!!

Your past may be in the mouth of others but,
Your future is in the hands of God!



Jeremiah 29:11 ...  For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. 

Sunday, April 21, 2024

An Ocean of Consolation!

There is great consolation in Christ's unvarying love. The love of Jesus is always the same. It never ebbs but flows on in one continuous stream. His love is as ancient as eternity, as strong as omnipotence, and as unchangeable as His nature. Creature love may fail; and creatures who love us today, may hate us tomorrow but as Jesus ever lives, so Jesus ever loves.  In His covenant engagements, perfect sin-atoning work, tender sympathy, constant care, prevalent intercession, precious Word, and unvarying love there is an ocean of consolation! 

Jesus is our Substitute, restoring that which sin took away; our Surety, paying all the debts we would contract; our Shepherd, taking charge of our persons to nourish them, to preserve them, and to set them before His Father's face forever! His obedience is our righteousness. His blood is our ransom price.  His death is our life. There is consolation in Christ's tender and constant care, which extends to all our circumstances, to all that concerns us, even to the very hairs of our heads! 

He cares for our needs, to supply them; our holy desires, to grant them; our eternal salvation, to secure it. There is always consolation in Christ. Whatever may be our outward circumstances, and they may be very trying in poverty and pain, under losses and crosses, however tempted or tried there is still consolation in Christ! 

Creatures may prove crosses, ordinances may be like wells without water, providence may frown, the meal barrel may be empty, and the brook may dry up but there is still consolation in Christ. Though harassed with doubts, tormented with fears, tortured with temptations, shrouded in darkness, and drinking the wine of astonishment there is still consolation in Christ.

All within may be discouraging, disheartening, and depressing: our evidence may be lost, our fears may be great, our convictions may be painful, and our terrors may be dreadful but there is still consolation in Christ. Our immediate prospects may be dark all going out, and nothing coming in; all losses, and no gains; disease may be working in our body; old age may be creeping upon us; our business may be failing; claims upon us may be increasing; our families may be increasingly trying but there is still consolation in Christ! 

Yes, though the crops fail, though provisions give out, though resources are cut off, and poverty stares us in the face, let things be as bad as they may, and threaten to be ever so much worse there is still consolation in Christ! Yes, when all without us is dark, and all within us dreary; when friends are removed, and enemies increase; when with Jacob we are ready to look around and before us, and say, "All these things are against me!" There is still consolation in Christ! 

As there is always consolation in Christ, we should learn to know and love Christ, to know and love Him well, to know and love Him experimentally, to know and love Him in His person, offices, and work, to know and love Him in His relations, characters, and love, to know and love Him as our unchanging source of supply, comfort, and peace! We should trust Christ at all times and in all circumstances. However, our experiences may vary He is ever the same! 

His Word is like the great mountains! His heart is an ocean of love! His faithfulness reaches to the very Heavens! He is our strength, and we must look to Him to strengthen us. He is our wisdom, and we must look to Him to counsel us. He is our righteousness, and we must look to Him to justify us. He is all in all to us, and therefore we must look to Him for all, go to Him with all, and expect Him to bring us through all.

[James Smith]

2 Corinthians 1:5 ...  For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ.

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Saturday, April 20, 2024

"Acsah"

That word of Acsah ( ×¢ַ×›ְסָ×”), "also" is the commonest of words in the hungering and thirsting heart, and on the praying lips of the Christian. God has done much for me. He has given me a south land, where the sun shines, where the fields are broad and rich, where grape-vines and olive trees and fig trees may flourish and yield their harvests. But I am not yet at the end of my needs or of His resources. He must give me springs of water also to quicken and revive everything. I have not attained. I am not fully satisfied. As liberal as He has been, He is not wearied in bestowing, nor is His treasury depleted! 

I shall come to Him over and over with new entreaties and new desires. He will return to me over and over with new endowments and new love. Suppose that I am forgiven I would have Him also add to His forgiveness, the peace and assurance which it should beget. Suppose that I am justified in His sight by the infinite meritoriousness of my Lord Jesus Christ I would also know now what it is to be sanctified and made holy by the transforming power of the Holy Spirit. Suppose that I am His redeemed and adopted child, dwelling in the atmosphere of His favor I would also be His consecrated servant and commissioned ambassador, employed to advance His Kingdom. Suppose that He has given me the south land of His mercifulness and grace He must also give me the springs of water, that through the whole of the encircling year I may bear much fruit to His glory. 

Lord, give me springs of water also! 

[Alexander Smellie]


Judges 1:15 ... And she said unto him, Give me a blessing: for thou hast given me a south land; give me also springs of water. And Caleb gave her the upper springs and the nether springs. 

Friday, April 19, 2024

Thank God for Hiding the Future!

There is no more gracious provision for our happiness, than what is contained in that brief saying of Scripture, "You do not know what will happen tomorrow!" James 4:14 

If we knew in full, in this grief-stricken world, all that would befall us in the future  how sad would existence be! It would leave even prosperity without a note of gladness; for the certainty of losing our blessings, would rob us of all their enjoyment while we retained them. And thus moments of unbounded pleasure, would be clouded with the dark characters of anticipated sorrow. How would the mother's joy be marred, as the object of her tender solicitude and affection was sporting by her side, or as she hung over the infant cradle if she could pry with certainty into the future, and read the mournful sequel of that little history the lingering sickness, the early grave, the blighted hopes, the desolated household, the broken heart. 

To know the future, would convert the few brief years of possession of her blessing, into consecutive hours of agony the consciousness and foreknowledge that every moment was drawing nearer the fatal one sitting by Time's sand-glass and marking grain by grain, as they dropped and fell, until the last grain of the diminishing heap announced, "The long-dreaded hour has arrived!" But, thank God that the future is veiled! The storm and coming wreck are concealed, in order that the calm of the present waveless sea may be enjoyed. Yes, we again say, thank God for hiding the future, and allowing us only to be conversant with the joys and sorrows of today. 

[John MacDuff] 

James 4:14 ... Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.

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Thursday, April 18, 2024

A Minister's Confession

 O God,

I know that I often do Your work without
Your power, and sin by my dead, heartless, blind service,
my lack of inward light, love, delight,
my mind, heart, tongue moving without Your help.

I see my sinful heart in seeking the praise of others.
This is my vileness to seek my own glory. It is my
deceit to preach and pray in order to generate
admiration; whereas I should consider myself
more vile than any man in my own eyes.

Help me to rejoice in my infirmities and to
acknowledge my deficiencies before others.

Keep me from high thoughts of myself or my work,
for I am nothing but sin and weakness. In me no
good dwells, and my best works are tainted with
sin. Humble me to the dust before You. Root and
tear out the poisonous weed of pride, and show
me my utter nothingness. Keep me sensible of
my sinnership. Sink me deeper into penitence
and self-abhorrence.

Break the 'Dagon' of pride in pieces before
the ark of Your presence!

Demolish the 'Babel' of self-importance
and scatter it to the wind!

Level to the ground my 'Jericho walls'
of a haughty, rebel heart!

Then grace, free grace, will be my experience and
message. This is my ministry, my life, my prayer,
my end. Grant me grace that I shall not fail.

[A Puritan Prayer]

Wednesday, April 17, 2024

Our Only Hope!!

No matter who becomes the president in America, Jesus is King.




Revelation 19:16 ... And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, King Of Kings, And Lord Of Lords. 

Tuesday, April 16, 2024

Long to Soar!!

Do not I love You, Oh my Lord? 
Behold my heart and see, 
And turn each cursed idol out, 
That dares to rival Thee! 

 You know I love You, dearest Lord, 
But oh, I long to soar, 
Far from the sphere of mortal joys,
 And learn to love You more! 

 [Philip Doddridge]

Psalm 55:6 ... And I said, Oh that I had wings like a dove! for then would I fly away, and be at rest. 

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Monday, April 15, 2024

What is Christianity?

Christianity centers in the glorious Person of Christ! The aim and purpose of every Scripture truth is to fix the eye on Christ Himself! 

He is the Alpha and Omega of Christianity. From Him proceeds every ray of spiritual light. To Him all believing hearts are drawn. The Christian finds consolation and strength only in Him. Every motive for Christian living is from Him. The glorious privileges which Christians possess, can only be enjoyed from union and communion with Him. Their highest standard of duty is to follow His footsteps, and to walk even as He walked. 

Christianity, in fact, is Christ! It is Christ in the Scriptures, Christ in the Manger, Christ on the Cross, Christ, the Risen One, Christ, the Ascended One, Christ, the Prophet, the Priest, the King, Christ in His Glorious appearing, to be revealed from Heaven with His mighty angels! All our trust, all our love, all our obedience, is due to Him! The more the eye and the heart is turned fully towards Him the more true and genuine is our Christianity. 

[George Everard] 

Colossians 3:11 .. Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all. 

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Sunday, April 14, 2024

He Ran!!

This is what the lost lamb saw. The loving Shepherd running towards him, rescuing him, and bringing him back to the pasture. There is no doubt in my mind that He ran, He called out, He searched, and He pursued the lost sheep. Such a beautiful picture of what He does for us as well.


Luke 15:4-5 ... What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it?  And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing.

Saturday, April 13, 2024

Happy Sickness!

Affliction comes upon all! 

None are exempt from the suffering's incident to our fallen nature. The young, the old, the rich and the poor alike feel the withering touch of affliction and of sorrow. Disease invades the strongest constitution, and affliction prostrates the mightiest energy. Often those in the prime and vigor of life are laid down on the bed of sickness and made to feel that they are dying creatures. How true it is, that "How frail is humanity! How short is life, and how full of trouble!" (Job 14:1)  

The children of God are not exempted from the afflictions of this life, but it is their blessed consolation to know that in all their sorrows and sufferings, they have a caring and divine Friend to sympathize with them! Oh! How often does the blessed Jesus wonderfully manifest His love to His afflicted ones! How often does He whisper words of peace and love and consolation in their ears! How often, in the manifestation of His love, do their souls overflow with joy, even when their bodies are racked with severe pain! 

All the afflictions of the children of God are designed for their good. They come from a kind and wise heavenly Father from a God of love; and one of their designs is their purification and sanctification. Afflictions make us fit for glory. They enable us to obtain a correct view of the emptiness of all worldly vanities. They tend, through grace, to fix our souls on Jesus, in whom alone we can find true happiness and immortal joys. 

Happy sickness, that leads the soul to Jesus the only source of blessedness! Afflictions, then, promote our spiritual welfare, and are ordered for our good. 

[David Harsha] 

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Psalm 119:71 ... It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn thy statutes.

Psalm 119:75 ... I know, O Lord, that thy judgments are right, and that thou in faithfulness hast afflicted me.

John 16:33 ... These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.