Monday, August 31, 2020

WHO KNOWS . . .?

This morning I'm thinking of a beautiful maiden who lived long ago, but I wonder if God might be speaking today to some lovely young ladies that He wants to use in His kingdom?  Let's listen to these very challenging verses in the 4th chapter of the book of Esther!                                                                          "Then Mordecai commanded to answer Esther, Think not with thy-self that thou shalt escape in the king's house, more than all the Jews.  For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, then shall there enlargement and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place; but thou and thy father's house shall be destroyed: and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?  Then Esther bade them return Mordecai this answer, Go, gather together all the Jews that are present in Shushan, and fast ye for me, and neither eat nor drink three days, night or day: I also and my maidens will fast likewise; and so will I go in unto the king, which is not according to the law: and if I perish, I perish."  

In our terms today, we might be thinking, WOW!!  What a great challenge to the young and beautiful queen --- asking her to be willing to risk her own life to save the lives of her people! It is thrilling to read of how the Lord answered prayer and used Esther to bring deliverance to her people.  But it is wonderful that deliverance did not end with Esther, for God has used many other men and women for His glory and the upbuilding of His kingdom!            

We think of the Apostle Paul who said -- "What things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ."  As we think of our nation today, our role in history may not be as strategic and far-reaching as that of Queen Esther or the Apostle Paul, but I believe God does have a ministry of some sort for everyone!  Sadly, probably too many "hold their peace" if it comes to taking a vital and dangerous stand for God and His truth, so "enlargement and deliverance" have to come "from another place."

As we begin a new week in these uncertain times, may we have the courage of Queen Esther to be willing to lay down our life; and when we stand before God, may we also be able to say with the Apostle Paul in II Timothy 4:7 -- "I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith."                                                                                                             

Thursday, August 27, 2020

Wonderful Grace of Jesus

 Many wonderful songs have been written about God's grace, but this marvelous song by Haldor Lillenas is one of my favorites!  The Lillenas Publishing Company was started by the author of this hymn.  "He was born in Norway in 1885, and immigrated to the United States as a child.  From his youth, he had a musical bent.  He took musical studies by correspondence, and soon began writing gospel songs.  In 1919, he published his first book, and three years later he organized his own publishing house in Indianapolis, Indiana.  For the next decade, he preached, traveled, wrote hymns, and published songbooks!

In 1930, the Nazarene Publishing House in Kansas City, Missouri, became interested in expanding its fledgling efforts in the field of music.  They agreed to purchase Lillenas Publishing Company provided that Bro. Lillenas himself would move to Kansas City and manage it.  He remained in that role until he retired in 1950, then served in an advisory capacity until his death in Aspen, Colorado in 1959.  Today, Lillenas Publishing Company is one of the largest church music publishers owning more than 20,000 song copyrights.  "Wonderful Grace of Jesus" is the best known of the 4,000 hymns Bro. Lillenas, himself, wrote.  He later gave this account of how it came to be composed --

    "In 1917, Mrs. Lillenas and I built our first little home in the town of Olivet, Illinois.  Upon its completion, we had scarcely any money left to furnish the little home.  Having no piano at the time, and needing an instrument of some kind, I managed to find at one of the neighbor's home, a little wheezy organ which I purchased for $5.00.  With the aid of this instrument, a number of my songs were written, which are now popular, including "Wonderful Grace of Jesus."  It was sung by the great chorus, in 1918, at the Northfield, Massachusetts Bible Conference, being introduced for the first time.  Not yet having started his own publishing house, he sold his soon-to-be-famous hymn for $5.00 -- just enough to pay for the organ on which it was composed!"

     "Wonderful grace of Jesus, greater than all my sin!                                                               How shall my tongue describe it?  Where shall its praise begin?                                                     Taking away my burden, setting my spirit free;                                                                    For the wonderful grace of Jesus reaches me.

      Wonderful grace of Jesus, reaching to all the lost!                                                               By it I have been pardoned, saved to the uttermost.                                                                         Chains have been torn asunder, giving me liberty;                                                               For the wonderful grace of Jesus reaches me.

      Wonderful grace of Jesus, reaching the most defiled,                                                           By its transforming power making him God's dear child,                                                                Purchasing peace and heaven, for all eternity;                                                                     And the wonderful grace of Jesus reaches me.

      Wonderful the matchless grace of Jesus,                                                                               Deeper than the mighty, rolling sea!                                                                                                 Higher than the mountain, sparkling like a fountain,                                                            All sufficient grace for even me!

      Broader than the scope of my transgressions,                                                                      Greater far than all my sin and shame!                                                                                             Oh, magnify the precious name of Jesus!  Praise His name!"                                          

                                

Tuesday, August 25, 2020

KEEP FAR - - -

 In Exodus 23:7, we read this interesting command -- "Keep thee far from a false matter; and the innocent and righteous slay thou not---"  There are many, many interesting and enlightening verses tucked away in the Word of God, and this is one of them!  Here in Exodus, the Lord is giving some judgments to the children of Israel, and in this 7th verse He admonishes them to keep far from a false matter -- to accuse no man falsely, and to beware of receiving a false report about our fellow man.  

These are difficult and trying times in our nation, and I think sometimes we are often quick to believe an accusing report against our brother.  This verse in Exodus goes on and seems to indicate that if we do not keep far from a false matter, we will slay the innocent and righteous!  Wow!  We think that sounds pretty rough, but it is easy for us to forget that words can slay, and once they are spoken Ecclesiastes tells us in the 10th chapter and 20th verse -- ". . .a bird of the air shall carry the voice, and that which hath wings shall tell the matter."                                                                                                                                          In the 18th chapter of Proverbs, we read -- "A fool's mouth is his destruction, and his lips are the snare of his soul.  The words of a talebearer are as wounds. . ."                                                                                     But I like the beautiful contrast in Proverbs 17:28 -- " . . .he that shutteth his lips is esteemed a man of understanding."                                                                                                                                          

So let us be careful to keep far from a false matter and slay not with our words.  Let us remember the admonition of the Psalmist in Psalm 34:13 --"Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile."  We know that the tongue is capable of much harm, so let us ask the Lord to help us guard our speech, and may this beautiful verse in Ephesians 4:29 come often to our mind as we endeavor to please Him who loved us and gave Himself for us -- "Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers." 

And when the devil comes knocking with a false matter, let's just let Jesus answer the door  and keep singing -- "I must tell Jesus!  I must tell Jesus!  Jesus can help me, Jesus alone."                                                                                                                                     

Monday, August 24, 2020

Adding or Subtracting?

 In the first chapter of II Peter, the Apostle gives us a little instruction which might be good for us to think on as we begin a new week of living for Jesus --- ". . . giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; and to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; and to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity."

Oswald Chambers has said --- "We cannot save nor sanctify ourselves -- God does that.  But God will not give us good habits or character, and He will not force us to walk correctly before Him.  We have to do all that ourselves.  To take the initiative is to make a beginning -- to instruct yourself in the way you must go."  Certainly, in these troubled times, we have the opportunity---the privilege---the duty to shine for Jesus---to be bright lights in the dark world around us!  Remember --- every trial -- every obstacle -- every difficulty --every heartache will someday seem very small if we will finish the race strong and win the crown of victory and everlasting life!  Praise the Lord!

     "Just one glimpse of His dear face -- all sorrow will erase!                                                                                      So bravely run the race -- 'Til we see Christ!"                                                                       

Friday, August 21, 2020

PSALM 23

 This morning, as we begin a new day, I am so very thankful that the Lord is my Shepherd!  This sweet and blessed Psalm floods my soul with peace as I meditate on the beautiful picture of Christ as my Shepherd.  Let us take a little time to read this marvelous Psalm this morning, and be blessed and encouraged as we think of God's goodness and loving-kindness, and anticipate the blessed joy that awaits us of dwelling with the family of God through the never-ending ages of eternity!

     "The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.  He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: He leadeth me beside the still waters.  He restoreth my soul: He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake.  Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for Thou art with me; Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort me.                                                                                              Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: Thou anointest my head with oil: my cup runneth over.  Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever."  Amen!

Wednesday, August 19, 2020

What If . . .?

 As you rush about your duties, sometimes feeling almost overwhelmed with the cares and burdens of life, maybe it would be good for you to take a "coffee break" and ponder a little while on these sobering questions ---

     "What if God couldn't take time to bless us today because we couldn't take time to thank Him yesterday"?

     "What if God decided to stop leading us tomorrow because we did not follow Him today"?

     "What if we never saw another flower bloom because we grumbled when God sent the rain"?

     "What if God didn't walk with us today because we failed to recognize it as His day"?

     "What if God took away the Bible tomorrow because we would not read it today"?

     "What if God took away His message because we failed to listen to His messenger"?

Let us remember the admonition of this lovely song by William Longstaff --

     "Take time to be holy; be calm in thy soul -- each thought and each motive beneath His control."   And let us also remember the admonition given in this little quote -- "If your day is hemmed with prayer, it is less likely to unravel."            

     

Monday, August 17, 2020

Be Strong!

In I Corinthians 16:13, we find this challenging, little verse -- "Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong."  I am also challenged by this quote from Phillips Brooks --

    "Do not pray for easy lives!  Pray to be stronger men.  Do not pray for tasks equal to your powers.  Pray for powers equal to your tasks.  Then the doing of your work shall be no miracle, but YOU shall be a miracle."  What a great challenge for us on this Monday as we begin a new week of laboring for the Master "from the dawn till setting sun".  

So, as we labor this week, let us remember to ---                                                                                                  "Be strong!  We are not here to play, to dream, to drift;                                                                                We have hard work to do, and loads to lift.                                                                                                          Shun not the struggle; face it.  Tis God's gift.

Be strong!                                                                                                                                                             It matters not how deep entrenched the wrong,                                                                                             How hard the battle goes, the day how long,                                                                                                         Faint not, fight on!  Tomorrow comes the song!"                                                                                             

Friday, August 14, 2020

MY FRIEND!

     On the wall in my bedroom -- in large black lettering -- is a blessed and challenging quote to greet me when I awaken of a morning -- "Pray about everything - worry about nothing!"  If we allow it, there are plenty of things we could worry about today, but we have a wonderful friend in Jesus who wants us to take everything to Him in prayer!

     "Joseph Scriven watched in shock as the body of his fiancee' was pulled from the lake.  Their wedding had been planned for the next day.  Reeling from the tragedy, he made up his mind to immigrate to America.  Packing up his belongings in Dublin, Ireland, he sailed for Canada, leaving his mother behind.  He was about 25 years old.  Ten years later, in 1855, he received word that his mother was facing a crisis.  Joseph wrote this poem and sent it to her.  She evidently gave a copy to a friend who had it published anonymously.  It quickly became a popular hymn, though no one knew who had written it.

     Meanwhile, Joseph fell in love again.  But tragedy struck a second time when his bride to be contracted tuberculosis in 1860 and died before their wedding could take place.  Ira Sankey later wrote -- 'Until a short time before his death it was not known that he had a poetic gift.  A neighbor, sitting up with him in his illness, happened upon a manuscript copy of "What A Friend We Have in Jesus".  Questioning Bro. Scriven about it, he said that he had written it for his mother, not intending that anyone else should see it.  Some time later, when another neighbor asked him if it was true he composed the hymn, his reply was --     "The Lord and I did it between us."  

    "What a Friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear!                                                                 What a privilege to carry, everything to God in prayer!                                                                                         Oh, what peace we often forfeit, oh, what needless pain we bear.                                                              All because we do not carry everything to God in prayer.

      Have we trials and temptations?  Is there trouble anywhere?                                                                       We should never be discouraged; take it to the Lord in prayer.                                                                           Can we find a friend so faithful, who will all our sorrows share?                                                                 Jesus knows our every weakness; take it to the Lord in prayer.

      Are we weak and heavy laden, cumbered with a load of care?                                                                     Precious Saviour, still our refuge!  Take it to the Lord in prayer.                                                                         Do thy friends despise, forsake thee?  Take it to the Lord in prayer.                                                           In His arms He'll take and shield thee; thou wilt find a solace there."

On this Friday, as we look to the coming Lord's Day, let us remember to "Pray about everything--worry about nothing!"                                                                                                     

Monday, August 3, 2020

"Higher Ground"!  This wonderful hymn by Johnson Oatman, Jr. challenges me!  I don't want to be satisfied or content to stay where I am today in my spiritual journey.  I want to always be digging deeper and climbing higher in the things of God.

     "I'm pressing on the upward way, new heights I'm gaining every day;
Still praying as I'm onward bound, 'Lord, plant my feet on higher ground.'
      My heart has no desire to stay where doubts arise and fears dismay;
Though some may dwell where these abound, my prayer, my aim is higher ground.

      I want to live above the world, though Satan's darts at me are hurled;
For faith has caught the joyful sound, the song of saints on higher ground.
      I want to scale the utmost height and catch a gleam of glory bright;
But still I'll pray 'til heaven I've found, 'Lord, lead me on to higher ground.'

      Lord, lift me up and let me stand by faith on heaven's table land,
A higher plain than I have found: Lord, plant my feet on higher ground."

May God bless you this week as you head out for Higher Ground!