Month: June 2023

“… be clothed with humility:… ” (1 Peter 5:5).

No garment is more becoming to the child of God than the gracious garment of humility, and none is better styled to please the lover of our sou ls.

Humility will save you from self-consciousness. It will take away from you the shadow of yourself and the constant sense of your own importance. It will save you from self-assertion and from thrusting your own personality upon the thoughts and the attention of others. It will save you from the desire of display, from being prominent, from occupying the center of the stage, from being the object of conversation and attention. It will save you from vanity about your personal appearance, your dress, your style of living, or your abilities, or your attractions.

Humility will save you from that which is deeper and more subtle- the pride which docs not care for vain display but which finds its secret satisfaction in one’s own superiority of talents, or birth, or spirituality, or wealth, or success. It will give you that modesty which ” … vaunteth not itself … ” (I Corinthians 13:4), and give you love which “Doth not behave itself unseemly … ” (I Corinthians 13:5); literally, which is not rude, which does not slight others or show its sense of irritation or superiority by rude manners.

Humility takes all that out of us, and makes us unassuming, natural, and simple. It will save you from reviewing your own work after it is done, and from feeling self-complacent because you have done it well; or what is equally vain, chagrin because you did it poorly. The very chagrin shows that you expected something from yourself and, in your vanity and pride, were disappointed. It will save you from looking for flattery and praise from others when your work is done. The humble Christian will simply do his best and leave it with the Lord, and not look for any reward in the plaudits of men; his supreme recompense, the Master praises; what are men? – A.B. Simpson

” … he went throughout every city and village, preaching and shewing the glad tidings of the kingdom of God … ” (Luke 8:1).

The Gospel is not bad news or sad news but glad news. The Gospel is good news and glad tidings. It is the joyful sound because of:

ITS PROCLAMATION

It has to be preached. Luke tells us in the book of Acts that this proclamation was first spoken by the Lord Himself. Grace is poured from the lips of our blessed Lord. It is glad tidings, for as Peter tells us, it was a message of ” … peace … “(Acts 10:36).

It is glad tidings, for its proclamation knows no limitation. The Lord Jesus proclaimed it as the text says, in ” … every city and village … “

ITS REVELATION

Christ not only preached the ” … glad tidings … “, but He shewed (revealed) them. The tidings in their shewing demonstrate their gladness. Light is always gladness, and the entrance of this word of the Gospel gives light, and in that light we see more light. This same message of ” .•. good tidings of great joy … ” (Luke 2:10) led the shepherds to Christ, the Light of the world; and they went and shewed to others what they had heard and seen (Luke 2:17).

This description ” … glad tidings … ” of the Gospel is peculiar to Luke. He could never forget the angelic revelation recorded in his Gospel alone.

ITS INAUGURATION

The Gospel is the inauguration of the kingdom of God. That is what it does in the heart of its recipients. It not only brings us near to the kingdom, but opens its door and brings the receptive hearer into the very kingdom of God itself. ” … Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3)

Are you in? If not, enter in today. As the Israelitish worshipper rejoiced to hear the joyful sound- the bells on the high priest’s robes – demonstrating that the high priest lived because his work was acceptable by God on behalf of Israel – so you can have the same assurance that your great High Priest lives to make intercession for you.

“Blessed is the people that know the joyful sound: they shall walk, O LORD, in the light of thy countenance” (Psalm 89:15).

-The Gospel Standard-

Life is a tragedy when one has plenty to live on, but nothing to live for. To dawdle through life with no great driving purpose is to miss the goal of all living.

The molding principle of life must be upward, not downward. He who lives solely to build his barns greater that they might hold his bumper crops is called a fool by Christ.

” … this one thing I do … ” is a good motto only so far as the thing proposed is good. The test of the ruling motto of a life is the person it forms. If the philosophy held does not make the person pure in heart, gracious and benevolent in manner, kind in word and deed, it should be looked upon as a curse and discarded as of satanic origin.

Paul, the apostle to the Gentiles, is the author of those words, ” … this one thing I do … ” He also said, “For to me to live is Christ … ” (Philippians 1:21). Thus, his ” … one thing .. ” was bounded by the teachings of Christ. All things contrary to the revealed will of the Son of God had no place in Paul’s high resolve.

The man Paul became great because he was controlled by a great objective. He gave himself to it. He yielded the last ounce of strength, and he gave the last drop of blood in order that the cause of Christ would prosper.

If you would be great, identify yourself with the great cause of Christ.

The Gospel Standard

“For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob:  For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins.” Romans 11:25-27

So much for “replacement theology” and God being all done with Israel. Israel’s best days are yet to come!

“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” Romans 12:1-2

A great memory passage on how this world is not our home. We should be transformed from it, not conformed to it.

“Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith;  Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching;  Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness.” Romans 12:6-8

Notice that the spiritual gifts in these verses do not include unknown tongues. Rather than being the “initial evidence of the baptism of the Holy Ghost,” tongues (unknown or not) didn’t even make the list.

^“Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.” Romans 12:21

It’s not enough that we stop doing evil things. We must replace evil with good, lest we slip back into the old ways. It’s not enough to not take vengeance on an enemy. We must find ways to show kindness to them and bless them. Matthew 5:44 says “ But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;”