The Great Business of Christians: by TA Sparks

Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. Matthew 11:29

The great business of Christians is to learn Christ. This is not just a subject to study. I want to ask you: What is the greatest desire in your life? I wonder if it is the same as mine! The greatest desire in my heart – and the longer I live the stronger it grows – is to understand the Lord Jesus. There is so much that I do not understand about Him. I am always coming up against problems about Him, and they are not intellectual problems at all, but spiritual ones: problems of the heart. Why did the Lord Jesus say and do certain things? Why is He dealing with me as He is? He is always too deep for me, and I want to understand Him. It is the most important thing in life to understand the Lord Jesus. Well, we are here that He may bring us to some better understanding of Himself. The material of the Word will not be new – it will be old and well-known Scripture. Perhaps we think that we know the Gospel by John very well. Well, you may, but I do not. I am discovering that this Gospel contains deeper truth and value than I know anything about....

The one business of disciples is to know Him, and to do what He called His disciples to do: "Take My yoke upon you, and learn of Me" (Matthew 11:29). Jesus came to bring heavenly knowledge in His own person, and in His person we come into heavenly knowledge. It is not just what He says: it is what He says He is. Every true teacher is not one who says a lot of things, but one who, when he says things, gives something of himself.

Rivers of Living Water: by Andrew Murray

“Anyone who believes in me may come and drink! For the Scriptures declare, ‘rivers of living water will flow from his heart.” John 7:38

Jesus, in His conversation with the Samaritan woman, said: “Those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life” (John 4:14). In John 7:38, the promise is even greater: rivers of living waters flowing from Him, bringing life and blessing to others. John says that this refers to the Holy Spirit who would come when Christ had been glorified.

What do we need in order to experience the rivers of living water? Just one thing: the inner connection to Christ—the unreserved surrender to fellowship with Him. We have the firm assurance that His Spirit will work in us what we cannot do. We need a faith that rejoices in the divine power and love. We need a faith that depends on Him day by day to grant us grace that living water may flow out from us. If the water from a reservoir is to flow into a house all day, one thing is necessary: The connection must be perfect. Then the water passes through the pipe of its own accord. So the connection between us and Christ must be uninterrupted. Our faith must accept Christ and depend on Him to sustain the new life.

Rest is a Gift: by Charles Spurgeon

"Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." Matt. 11:28

We who are saved find rest in Jesus. Those who are not saved will receive rest if they come to Him, for here He promises to "give" it. Nothing can be freer than a gift; let us gladly accept what He gladly gives. You are not to buy it, nor to borrow it; but to receive it as a gift. You labor under the lash of ambition, covetousness, lust, or anxiety: He will set you free from this iron bondage, and give you rest. You are "laden" -- yes, "heavy laden" with sin, fear, care, remorse, fear of death; but if you come to Him, He will unload you. He carried the crushing mass of our sin, that we might no longer carry it. He made Himself the great Burden-bearer, that every heavy laden one might cease from bowing down under the enormous pressure.

Jesus gives rest. It is so. Will you believe it? Will you put it to the test? Will you do so at once? Come to Jesus, by quitting every other hope, by thinking of Him, believing God's testimony about Him, and trusting everything with Him. If you thus come to Him, the rest which He will give you will be deep, safe, holy, and everlasting. He gives a rest which develops into heaven, and He gives it this day to all who come to Him.

TODAY'S Opportunity: by Sarah Young

The Lord keeps watch over you as you come and go, both now and forever. — Psalm 121:8

When Jesus spoke again to the people, He said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows Me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” — John 8:12

There is Peace and fullness of Joy in My loving Presence.

Look for Me as you go through this day — I am eager to be found by you. I never lose sight of you; I watch over you continually. However, there are many ways you can lose sight of Me. Most of these are just temporary distractions, which abound in the world. The remedy is simple: Remind yourself that I am with you.

A much more serious problem is forsaking your First Love. If you realize this has happened, repent and run back to Me. Confess the idols that have drawn you away from Me. Take time to receive My forgiveness with thanksgiving. Collaborate with Me in rearranging your priorities — making Me first in your life. As you spend time in My Presence, think about who I Am: King of the universe, Light of the world. Bask in this Light of Life so that you can reflect Me to others. While you are delighting in Me, I fill you up with Love, Joy, and Peace.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. — Galatians 5:22–23

“Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love.” — Revelation 2:4

Making Necessary Adjustments: by Henry Blackaby

Oh, that my head were waters, And my eyes a fountain of tears, That I might weep day and night For the slain of the daughter of my people!   Jeremiah 9:1

Jeremiah was invited by God to be a weeping prophet. His call came during turbulent, agonizing times as his society suffered from pervasive moral and spiritual decay. The nation of Judah had turned so far from God that it was soon to face His fierce judgment. This was not a time for merrymaking but for weeping. God looked for someone He could mold into the kind of prophet needed for such a bleak time. He found Jeremiah. The cost to Jeremiah was intense; he sacrificed much of the freedom of his youth in order to be God’s messenger. He forfeited family and reputation. He endured misunderstanding, ridicule, and persecution. He was imprisoned and mocked by those to whom he had come to warn of God’s impending judgment.

Satan will try to convince you that obedience carries much too high a price, but he will never tell you the cost of not obeying God. If you are to be used in God’s service you must expect to make adjustments in your life. Can you measure the distance between the throne room of heaven and a cattle shed in Bethlehem? How far is it from the Lordship of the universe to the cross? Don’t be deceived into thinking there is no cost involved in obedience.

What adjustments is God asking you to make? Will you face the hardships and opposition that will come when you align your life with God’s will? Jeremiah had the deep satisfaction of knowing he was a faithful and beloved servant of God. Your reward will be the same when you choose to fully obey Christ, regardless of the cost.

Live Not by Lies: by Watchman Nee (written in the 60's)

“And for this cause God sends them a working of error, that they should believe a lie.” 2 Thessalonians 2:11

This world is unreal. Rejection of the truth has produced a state of affairs in which men are so deceived that they are confident that they are right. The deliberate liar cannot bear to be questioned, but the blinded do not mind because their deception has become the truth to them.

It is terrible to believe a lie. To believe the lies of others is bad enough, but it is much worse to believe one’s own lies. Thank God for His illumination which can quickly dispel all such darkness. We need never fear deception if we maintain “the love of the truth” (verse 10) by which men are saved. The one great mistake is to avoid God’s light, so closing our minds to Him who is the Truth.

How Do We Listen? by A.W. Tozer

Psalm 85:8

I will listen to what God the LORD says; he promises peace to his people, his faithful servants— but let them not turn to folly.      

The living God has spoken to lost mankind in a variety of ways. The general response among us has been, "We did not hear His voice. We did not hear anything." John recorded in his gospel the reactions of an audience of people who heard God speak audibly. When Jesus talked of His coming death, asking God to glorify His name through it, "a voice came from heaven, 'I have glorified it, and will glorify it again':" (John 12:28). And what were the reactions of the bystanders? "The crowd that was there heard it and said it had thundered; others said an angel had spoken to him" (John 12:29). People prefer their own logic, their own powers of reason. even when God speaks, they refuse to recognize His voice. They will not confess that God has spoken through Jesus Christ, the eternal Son. When He confronts them with their sin, they consult a psychiatrist and hope they can get their personalities "properly adjusted." But in a coming day every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord of all!

Look to the Lamb, not to Yourself: by TA Sparks

Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! John 1:29

What is the sin of the world? It is pride. You may not think so; you may not see it: but I would ask you to consider again and see if all that is called sin cannot be traced to this, if it is not this in some form of expression. For what is the root of pride? What is pride? It is selfhood come to life, risen up, active – that is the root of pride; and the branches and the fruit – how many they are! – jealousy, covetousness, wrath, and all the rest. How is wrath pride? Well, wrath, if it is not holy, purified, blood-purged wrath like the wrath of the Lamb, if it is wrath which is actuated by ourselves and our interests, is the wrath of selfhood. So often our anger is our self-preservation, our reaction to some threat to our interests or our likes. Rebellion, stubbornness, prejudice, and much of our fear, are all traceable to pride. What are we afraid of? What are we fearing? If we examined our fears, why are we afraid? If we were utterly severed from the personal interest – that is, if we could hand entirely over to the Lord and get out of the picture ourselves – would not a lot of our fear go? And so we might go on: but we do not want to indulge in a wholesale analysis of human nature or of pride. We have mentioned enough to show that pride is the root and that there are countless fruits traceable to that root....

So may this be a word of interpretation as to why the Lord is dealing with us as He has and does – on the one hand, overcoming this evil thing, breaking, emptying, grinding to powder, until there is nothing of us left in the matter of self-sufficiency; on the other hand, giving Himself, increasing Himself. Now this is not a word, perhaps, of great inspiration, but I feel it to be a word of very great importance. This must be true of us individually. There must also be a corporate humility. This is the way along which the Lord will commit Himself. He will never give us anything to feed our flesh, to enlarge and strengthen our natural life. He will hold us to the way that keeps us safe where that is concerned. How wonderfully the Bible becomes alive when you look at it in this way!

Fear Only God: by Charles Spurgeon

"So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me" Heb. 13:6

Because God will never leave nor forsake us, we may well be content with such things as we have. Since the Lord is ours, we cannot be left without a friend, a treasure, and a dwelling-place. This assurance may make us feel quite independent of men. Under such high patronage we do not feel tempted to cringe before our fellowmen, and ask of them permission to call our lives our own; but what we say we boldly say, and defy contradiction.

He who fears God has nothing else to fear. We should stand in such awe of the living Lord that all the threats that can be used by the proudest persecutor should have no more effect upon us than the whistling of the wind. Man in these days cannot do so much against us as he could when the apostle wrote the verse at the head of this page. Racks and stakes are out of fashion. Giant Pope cannot burn the pilgrims now. If the followers of false teachers try cruel mockery and scorn, we do not wonder at it, for the men of this world cannot love the heavenly seed. What then? We must bear the world's scorn. It breaks no bones. God helping us, let us be bold, and when the world rages let it rage, but let us not fear it.

Faithful Wounds: by Henry Blackaby

Faithful are the wounds of a friend, But the kisses of an enemy are deceitful. Proverbs 27:6

Jesus never gave relief to people who were under conviction. When Zaccheus, in remorse for his sin, shared his generous plans for restitution, Jesus did not say, “Now Zaccheus, the important thing is that you feel sorry for what you did.” Jesus brought no comfort to him as he dealt with his sin (Luke 19:1-10). Neither did Jesus excuse disbelief. We never find Jesus saying, “Well, that’s all right. I know I’m asking you to believe a lot, and that’s not easy.” On the contrary, Jesus was quick to chastise His disciples when they failed to believe Him. Jesus loved His friends too much to condone or comfort them in their sin.

It is possible to be too gentle with your friends. When a friend is under deep conviction by the Holy Spirit, do you try to give comfort? Don’t ever try to ease the discomfort of someone whom the Holy Spirit is making uncomfortable! Be careful not to communicate to your friends that you find their lack of faith acceptable. You are not acting in true friendship if you condone disobedience or even if you look the other way. Kisses are far more pleasant than wounds, yet they can be even more devastating if they lull your friend into being comfortable with sin.

In our attempt to appease our friends and our reluctance to share a word from God, we can actually cause great harm. If we see our friends in danger and do not warn them, God will hold us accountable for our silence (Ezek. 33:6). Are you a friend of such integrity that you would risk wounding your friends in order to deter them from their sin?

The Fruit of the Spirit: by Andrew Murray

But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace…. Galatians 5:22

The first two lessons on prayer are: We must ask the Father to give us the Spirit anew every morning, and then ask the Spirit to teach us and help us.

Here is a third lesson—commit to memory today’s text.

Christians often think that they only need to ask God to teach them to pray and that He will do it at once. This is not always the case. What the Spirit does is strengthen our spiritual lives so we are able to pray better. When we ask Him to teach us, it is important that we first of all surrender ourselves to the working of the Spirit. This surrender consists in naming before Him the fruit of the Spirit, with the earnest prayer to be filled with this fruit. Think of the first three—love, joy, peace—the three chief characteristics of a strong faith life. Love: to God, to believers, and to all men. Joy: the proof of the provision for every need of courage and faith for all the work we have to do. Peace: the blessed state of undisturbed rest and security in which God can keep our hearts and minds.

In His last talk with the disciples, Christ used these words: “remain in his love…so that you will be filled with my joy” (John 15:10–11). “I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart” (John 14:27).

Take the Initiative: by Oswald Chambers

Add to your faith goodness. 2 Peter 1:5

“Add” indicates something we have to do. We are in danger of forgetting that we cannot do what God does, and that God won’t do what we can. We cannot save or sanctify ourselves; God will not give us good habits or character. We have to develop habits and character on our own, working out the salvation God has worked in.

“Add” suggests we have to get into a habit. Habits are difficult to establish. To take the initiative is to make a beginning, to instruct yourself in the way you have to go. Beware of asking for directions when you know the way perfectly well. Take the initiative; stop hesitating; be decisive. Whenever God speaks, act in faith immediately on what he says, and never go back on your decisions. If you hesitate when God tells you to do something, you endanger your position in grace. Will yourself to take the first step—I will write that letter; I will pay that debt—then burn your bridges behind you. Make it impossible to go back.

We can only take initiative where we are, not where we aren’t. We have to get into the habit of seeking the mind of God about anything and everything. If when a crisis comes, we instinctively turn to him, we will know the habit has been formed.

The Authority of Darkness: by TA Sparks

I am the Lord, I do not change. Malachi 3:6

The authority of darkness is a very real thing to us. We have experiences, and if we were to capitulate to them, that would be the end of us. He tries to bring upon us that impingement of the authority of darkness, and if we surrender to it, capitulate to it, accept it, we are beaten. If we are the Lord's, Christ is within, and Christ is supreme and we must go on even if we have no feeling, or if we have a very bad feeling; when it seems to be the last thing we ought to be saying, we say it because it is God's fact, and when we begin to affirm God's fact we win through.

Believers know what it is for the enemy to try to make them accept the authority of darkness. Stand upon the truth of God. God does not change with our feelings. God does not alter with our consciousness. This whole life of ours is subject to variation more swift than the variation of weather, but He rules, unalterable, unchangeable. He is "the same yesterday, and today, and for ever." And if He is there within, He has come to stay, and victory is in faith; believing that, standing on that, holding to that; and we must carry that through to its final and full issue, that He is Lord of all, "Head of all principality and power." Satan will sometimes try to make us believe that he is in the place of ascendancy, the place of supremacy, but since Calvary he is not, we stand there.

I AM: by Henry Blackaby

And God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” And He said, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’  Exodus 3:14

When Moses encountered God in the burning bush, he still had much to learn about his Lord. Moses was impressed with the miracle before him (Exod. 3:3). However, it would take much more than a burning bush to lead Israel out of captivity from the most powerful nation of Moses’ day. Would the same God who could cause a bush to burn without being consumed also be able to do what was necessary to deliver a multitude?

God’s answer was, “I AM!” That is, “Moses, I’ll be whatever you need Me to be as you carry out my assignment. If you need miraculous signs in order to convince Pharaoh, then that is how I will express Myself. If you need Me to interrupt nature and part the waters of the Red Sea, then I will demonstrate Myself in that way. If you require food and water, then I will be your provider. If you are afraid, I’ll be your strength.”

At the beginning of Moses’ walk with the Lord, Moses had no idea all that he would need God to do for him. Yet each time Moses faced a need, He learned something new about God. Moses came to realize that there was much more to God than a burning bush. What if Moses was so enamored with his experience at the bush that he built a tabernacle on the spot and established “The Church of the Burning Bush”? He would have missed out on so much more that God wanted to reveal to him! Think back to your understanding of God when you first began walking with Him. How have your experiences expanded your knowledge of Him?

Conquest to Victory: by Charles Spurgeon

"And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly." Rom. 16:20

This promise follows well upon that of yesterday. We are evidently to be conformed to our covenant Head, not only in His being bruised in His heel, but in His conquest of the evil one. Even under our feet is the old dragon to be bruised. The Roman believers were grieved with strife in the church; but their God was "the God of peace," and gave them rest of soul. The arch-enemy tripped up the feet of the unwary, and deceived the hearts of the simple; but he was to get the worst of it, and to be trodden down by those whom he had troubled. This victory would not come to the people of God through their own skill or power; but God Himself would bruise Satan. Though it would be under their feet, yet the bruising would be of the Lord alone.

Let us bravely tread upon the tempter! Not only inferior spirits, but the Prince of darkness himself must go down before us. In unquestioning confidence in God, let us look for speedy victory. "SHORTLY." Happy word! Shortly we shall set our foot on the old serpent! What a joy to crush evil! What dishonor to Satan to have his head bruised by human feet! Let us by faith in Jesus tread the tempter down.

The Word of God: by Andrew Murray

For the word of God is alive and powerful. Hebrews 4:12

I find it a great help to use God’s Word in my prayers. If the Holy Spirit impresses a certain text upon my mind, I plead the promise. This habit increases our faith, reminds us of God’s promises, and brings us into harmony with God’s will. We learn to pray according to God’s will and understand that we can only expect an answer when our prayers are in accordance with that will (1 John 5:14).

Prayer is like fire. Fire can only burn brightly if it is supplied with good fuel. That fuel is God’s Word, which must be studied carefully and prayerfully. His Word must be taken into the heart and lived out in the life. We are all familiar with the characteristics of a seed—a small grain in which the life power of a whole tree slumbers. If it is placed in the soil, it will grow and increase and become a large tree.

Each word or promise of God is a seed containing a divine life in it. If I carry it in my heart by faith, love it, and meditate on it, it will slowly, surely spring up and bring forth the fruit of righteousness. The Holy Spirit uses both the Word and prayer. Prayer is the expression of our human need and desire. The Holy Spirit teaches us to use the Word as a guide to what God will do for us.

Living Water: by Henry Blackaby

For My people have committed two evils: They have forsaken Me, the fountain of living waters, And hewn themselves cisterns–broken cisterns that can hold no water.      Jeremiah 2:13

There should never be “dry spells” in the Christian life. God said that He would be like an artesian well in the life of a believer. Artesian wells bubbled forth with a cold, fresh, never-ending supply of water from the depths of the earth, quenching any thirst and always satisfying. This is the picture of the spiritual refreshment that belongs to the person in whom the Holy Spirit resides.

Have you ever heard people say they are experiencing a dry spell in their Christian life? What are they saying? Are they saying that the Lord ran out of water? It should never cross your mind that the fountain of living waters residing within you should ever be reduced to a trickle. You don’t need to run all over the country trying to find sources of spiritual refreshment. Conferences, retreats, and books can all bring encouragement, but if you are a Christian, the source of living water already resides within you.

Have you exchanged the living fountain for man-made cisterns that cannot hold water? Why would you exchange an artesian well for a broken water tank? Artesian wells do not dry up. Broken cisterns do. If you are experiencing spiritual dryness right now, is it because you have been attempting to find your source of spiritual refreshment from man-made sources, which will fail you every time? Jesus extended an invitation to you when He said:

“If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink” John 7:37.

Have you been refreshed by the living water only Jesus can provide?