FOREVER MERCY

READ: Psalm 136:1-9

Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever. – Psalm 136:1

THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Jeremiah 47-49

You don’t have to live very long in this world before it becomes painfully clear that nothing lasts forever. The car you were so proud of when you bought it is spending too much time in the shop getting fixed. Those clothes you picked up on sale are now in the hand-me-down box. At home, the roof eventually leaks, the appliances break down; the carpet needs to be replaced. And relationships we think will endure often fall apart.

Nothing lasts forever – nothing but God’s mercy, that is. Twenty-six times we are reminded of this inspiring truth in Psalm 136. Twenty-six times the writer gives us something for which to praise the Lord, and then he reminds us, “His mercy endures forever.”

Think of what this means. When we sin and need forgiveness, His mercy endures forever. When our lives seem a jumbled mess that we can’t control, His mercy endures forever. When we can’t find anyone to turn to for help, God’s mercy endures forever. When each day is a struggle because of illness, despair, or conflict, His mercy endures forever. Whenever life seems overwhelming, we can still praise the Lord, as the psalmist did – for God’s mercy is always new and fresh.

No problem can outlast God’s forever mercy! – Dave Branon

He giveth more grace when the burdens grow greater,

He sendeth more strength when the labours increase;

To added affliction He addeth His mercy,

To multiplied trials, His multiplied peace. – Flint

God’s heart is always overflowing with mercy.

September 2012

TITLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

SIMPLY TRUSTING

READ: Romans 3:19-24; 4:1-8

A man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law. – Romans 3:28

THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Jeremiah 43-46

Simply trust. This is one of the most difficult concepts to communicate to non-Christians. They have a hard time understanding that they can’t do anything to earn God’s favour. Jesus paid the penalty for all their sins when He died on the cross. To receive God’s forgiveness and eternal life, and to have a right relationship with Him, all we need to do is cast ourselves on His mercy and trust Him to save us. The apostle Paul put it this way: “To him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness” (Rom. 4:5).

A person who understood this truth wrote, “For 30 years I had assumed that to swim I must constantly struggle to keep from sinking. One day an expert swimmer watched me for a few minutes and then shouted, ‘Stop fighting the water and trust it to hold you up!’ Under his direction, I lay flat in the water without moving. To my delight, it held me up. Why didn’t someone tell me that year ago?”

The writer then concluded, “So many people constantly struggle to become Christians. If they would only trust Christ, they would realize that He does the saving.”

Have you been attempting to save yourself? If so, then stop trying and start trusting! – Richard De Haan

We cannot earn our way to heaven

By word or work or worth;

But if we trust in Christ to save us,

We will receive new birth. – Branon

Salvation is a gift, not a paycheck.

WONDERFUL MYSTERY

WHOM DO WE SOUND LIKE?

READ: 1 Corinthians 2

We have the mind of Christ. – 1 Corinthians 2:16

THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Jeremiah 40-42

French scientists have succeeded in causing chickens to sound like quail. Researchers took tissue from the part of the Japanese quail brain thought to control the bird’s call, and they implanted it in the brains of five chicken embryos. The experiment worked. Researchers say the hatched chicks sounded like quail.

Here’s a far greater miracle: God has “implanted” the mind of Christ in those who have accepted His Son as their Saviour. First Corinthians 2:12 tells us that the Spirit of God has taken up residence in us. In some mysterious way we now have a capacity for divine wisdom that no scholarly degree or natural experience could ever provide. Having the mind of Christ enables us to see life increasingly from God’s perspective.

This doesn’t mean that we can think on God’s level and instruct Him (v. 16). But it does mean that we have a new capacity to think and talk and act more and more like Christ Himself.

O Lord, forgive us for not using the good mind You have given us. Please help us to spend more time in Your Word absorbing Your thoughts so that we can think, talk, and live more and more like You. – Mart De Haan

May the mind of Christ my Saviour

Live in me from day to day;

By His love and power controlling

All I do and say. – Wilkinson

To think and talk like Christ, you must walk with Christ.

CHANGE OF ADDRESS

ONE TOUGH JOB

READ: Proverbs 2:1-12

The LORD gives wisdom. – Proverbs 2:6

THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Jeremiah 37-39

The comment from Joe, my son’s tennis coach, surprised me. We had just talked about which group of tennis players Steve should practice with, and Joe must have sensed my concern for doing the right thing for my son. Realizing that this was just one small decision I had to make as I tried to guide him, Joe said, “Being a parent must be really hard work.”

Indeed it can be. Dedicated parents spend much of their time supporting, encouraging, instructing, protecting, and challenging their children. And sometimes all that steering and urging seems futile when the child starts to veer off course. That’s when being a parent is “really hard work.” If you find yourself there, perhaps some biblical parent-child principles can help.

One portion of Scripture that provides great instruction is Proverbs 2. Although addressing the son, this passage can also serve as a guide to what parents should teach their children. According to this passage, children must be taught to treasure God’s commands (v. 1), to call out for understanding (v. 3), to grasp what it means to fear the Lord (v. 5), and to practice God’s wisdom in their lives (v. 6).

When these things become part of a child’s life, the parents’ job will get a little easier. – Dave Branon

Your privilege is beyond all price –

Worth more than silver, gold, or fame –

To guide with love and sacrifice

And write on children’s hearts God’s name. – Anon.

A godly parent is a child’s best guide to God.

DON'T RUST OUT

COMFORT FOOD

ARE YOU USING YOUR POWER?

READ: 2 Corinthians 3:5-18

Whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son. – Romans 8:29

THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Jeremiah 30-32

What is God’s goal for your life? Author Max Lucado summarizes it this way: “God loves you just the way you are, but He refuses to leave you that way. He wants you to be just like Jesus.” This involves change, but we often believe it’s not possible. We say, “I’ve always worried,” or “I’ve always felt angry – I’m just that way.” Yet Paul said in Romans 8:29 that God’s purpose is to make us like Jesus. So what hinders this process?

In his book Just Like Jesus, Lucado tells about a wealthy woman who lived 100 years ago. She was extremely tight with her money, so neighbours were surprised when she had her home wired for electricity. Weeks later, a meter reader noted very little usage, so he asked, “Are you using your power?” “Certainly,” she replied. “Each evening I turn on my lights long enough to light my candles; then I turn them off.”

If we have put our faith in Christ, we too are connected to a power source – the Holy Spirit, who works in us to make us more like Jesus (2 Cor. 3:18). So let’s not settle for “spiritual candlelight” by being comfortable with our old ways. We need to allow the Holy Spirit to transform our lives and make us like Jesus.

Are you using your power? – Joanie Yoder

Father, thank You for Your Spirit,

Fill us with His love and power;

Change us into Christ’s own image

Day by day and hour by hour. – Anon.

Only God’s power can transform your life.

AN AUDIENCE OF ONE

WE’LL SING AND SHOUT!

READ: Revelation 21:1-5

The lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear. – Matthew 11:5

THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Jeremiah 27-29

I was enjoying a concert by a singing group when I noticed what was happening in the front rows of the auditorium. A sign-language interpreter was gracefully communicating the words of each song to about 25 people who were deaf.

When the vocalists sang “Victory in Jesus,” the man who was both the pianist and emcee asked the translator if her group would “sing” the chorus. She agreed, and he began to play. No voices were heard, but we sat in awe as her group joyfully expressed the words with their hands. Their faces beamed, reflecting the meaning of each phrase.

I glanced at the five vocalists on the stage. Their faces were fixed intently on that group of 25 as they “sang” “O victory in Jesus, my Saviour forever!” It was a thrilling experience.

I couldn’t help but think of what it will be like in heaven. The hearing impaired will be able to hear and sing. They will be part of the vast chorus of the redeemed as they join the angels in proclaiming the praises of the Most High God and of the Lamb.

A day of rejoicing awaits every believer in Jesus. We’ll all be transformed, glorified, made whole. When we all get to heaven, we’ll “sing and shout the victory.” – Dave Egner

What a glorious day we can look forward to

When we gather ‘round the throne and sing!

People now disabled will rejoice anew,

Making all the halls of heaven ring. – Hess

In heaven, sorrow will give way to singing.

THE KING'S COLORS

CANDLES OR STARS?

READ: Daniel 12

Whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this? – John 11:26

THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Jeremiah 24-26

Some say that life is like the flickering flame of a candle. When the flame is snuffed out, the light is gone forever. They believe that when we breathe our last breath, we are totally extinguished – as if we had never been!

British writer Arthur Porritt gives this sad description of how atheist Charles Bradlaugh was buried: “No prayer was said at the grave. Indeed, not a single word was uttered. The remains, placed in a light coffin, were lowered into the earth in a quite unceremonious fashion as if carrion were being hustled out of sight.” Porritt said that he came away “heart-frozen,” realizing how the “loss of faith in the continuity of human personality after death gives death an appalling victory.”

Life is not a brief candle-flame that death will forever extinguish. Christians in particular can rejoice that Christ “abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel” (2 Tim. 1:10), that He is “the resurrection and the life,” and that all who believe in Him “shall never die” (John 11:25-26).

Because of God’s power and grace exhibited at Calvary, we will receive bodies like Jesus’ resurrection body, and we “shall shine … like the stars forever” (Dan. 12:3). Praise God! We’re not flickering candles, but shining stars! – Vernon Grounds

In bodies that will ne’er grow old,

We’ll reign with Him, through years untold;

O precious thought, we all shall be

With Christ through all eternity. - Watson

Because Jesus lives, we too will live.

FOUNDATION OF THE HEART

CONTACT WITH THE ALMIGHTY

READ: John 1:1-14

The Word became flesh and dwelt among us. – John 1:14

THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Jeremiah 21-23

After spending millions of dollars in a 40-year project, scientists have still made no contact with extra-terrestrial beings. But their search continues. Robert Jastrow, director of the Mount Wilson Institute, says that he expects to find “beings superior to us …, not only technically, but perhaps spiritually and morally.”

Jastrow and his fellow scientists hope that an alien civilization billions of years old will be able to tell us why we are here and how to overcome our destructive tendencies, which make advances in weapons technology so terrifying. This fear that humanity might destroy itself, as well as the innate desire for meaning in life, may account for the many popular books and movies about extra-terrestrial beings.

In his book Show Me God, Fred Heeren says of this interest in alien beings: “People want a higher companion, but not too high…. People are looking for an intermediate,… but someone who can still identify with us as a fellow creature.”

How sad that they search in the wrong places for what God has already provided in Christ! The Bible says there is “one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself a ransom for all” (1 Tim. 2:5-6). Jesus has revealed God to us and opened the door to life eternal. – Herb Vander Lugt

God incarnate, Jesus came,

Sinful mankind to reclaim;

Born to save us from our sin,

Born to give us life within. – Sweeting

To get a clear view of God, focus on Jesus Christ.

GOD'S RESTRAINT

MORE THAN ENOUGH

READ: 2 Kings 4:38-44

[God] is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think. – Ephesians 3:20

THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Jeremiah 17-20

It was an unexpected provision in a time of need. The prophet Elisha, like others in Israel, was hard-pressed by the famine. But the prophet determined that he must share with other needy Israelites the 20 loaves of barley bread he had just received (2 Kings 4:42-44). Elisha’s servant questioned the wisdom of setting the food before 100 hungry men, for there was not enough to go around.

Nevertheless, Elisha issued a command to feed his fellow prophets, adding a promise that this scanty provision would be enough: “Thus says the LORD: ‘They shall eat and have some left over’” (v. 43).

True to God’s word, when Elisha’s servant set the loaves before the people, “they ate and had some left over” (v. 44). There was enough – and more than enough. A similar thing happened when Jesus fed 5,000 with 5 barley loaves and 2 small fish (John 6:1-14). These examples suggest the principle: When God gives; He is able to give more than enough.

When we sense that God is asking us to serve Him in a new or unfamiliar way, we should never say no simply because we feel inadequate. “We have only a few loaves,” we may say. But the Lord replies, “Trust Me. They are more than enough.” – David Roper

What matter though our loaves are few?

Alike the little and the much

When He shall add to what we have

His multiplying touch. – Flint

We always have enough when God is our supply.

PASCAL'S PRAYER

THE SMALLEST PLACE

READ: Ephesians 6:5-9

Whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men. – Colossians 3:23

THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Jeremiah 13-16

One of England’s most admired heroes, General Charles Gordon (1833-1885), was a devout Christian. Unconcerned about status and wealth, he was passionately ambitious to do God’s will. Gordon desired to serve the Lord faithfully, whether it was a big responsibility or a small, unnoticed task.

In a letter to a friend, he said that “governing huge countries, or … occupying the smallest place are the same in reality, for Christ rules events as much with respect to … government as He does in … little affairs.”

Do we believe, as Gordon did, that Jesus is the omnipotent ruler of everything? Do we remember that He is Lord over our own “little affairs,” as well as over the governments of “huge countries”? Do we recognize that everything, big or small, is to be done “as to the Lord and not to men”? (Col. 3:23).

If we recognize these truths, we will not grumble because God assigns us the “smallest place” rather than a position of prominence and great responsibility. Even if our situation in life is considered lowly by some, we can do all things as to the Lord and for His glory (1 Cor. 10:31).

Father, by Your Spirit, enables me to serve and glorify You, no matter where You’ve placed me. – Vernon Grounds

Does the place you’re called to labour

Seem so small and little known?

It is great if God is in it,

And He’ll not forget His own. – Suffield

Little is much when God is in it.

THE FOOT-WASHING GOD

Mark of the beast Verichip, Rapture, The Great Tribulation, Heaven Hell ...

Mark of the beast Verichip, Rapture, The Great Tribulation, Heaven Hell ...

ATTICS ARE FOR MICE

READ: Psalm 145:1-10

My mouth shall speak the praise of the LORD. – Psalm 145:21

THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Jeremiah 9-12

I read about a young man who flunked out of the University of Michigan. In shame, he decided to disappear. For the next 4 years he hid in the unused attic of a nearby church. Taking great pains to conceal himself, he quietly prowled around only at night, living off food and water from the kitchen. He never left the building or spoke to a soul. No one ever suspected he was there. One day, a slight mistake gave him away. The young recluse accidentally made some noise and the police were called. He was finally discovered.

That shamed student reminds me of many believers in Christ who are overwhelmed by a sense of failure or embarrassment. They hesitate to take a stand for the Lord and may even try to conceal the fact that they are Christians. How unlike the psalmist, who publicly praised God for His greatness and goodness (Ps. 145:21). His relationship to the Lord was so wonderful that he couldn’t keep it hidden.

Do you withdraw into an “attic of silence” rather than let it be known that you are a follower of Christ? If so, confess your fearfulness to God and ask Him for the courage to tell others about the wonderful salvation He has provided.

Remember, attics are for mice, not for men! – Mart De Haan

Lord, help us never be ashamed

To take a stand for what is true,

And give us courage to be named

As faithful followers of You. – Sper

A faith worth having is a faith worth sharing.

PHENOMENAL!

HELP!

READ: Psalm 46

O God,… give us help from trouble, for the help of man is useless. – Psalm 108:11-12

THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Jeremiah 6-8

This is the age of “how to” books. You can find nearly every kind imaginable. In fact, a quick search of one online bookstore revealed 32,000 different “how to” titles!

But what happens when you can’t find the “How To” you need most? What do you do when you want to know How To Get Your Children To Live Right, or How To Make Your Spouse Cherish You, or How To Survive The Death Of A Loved One, but you simply cannot find an answer?

When the “How To” books of life don’t bring you what you are so desperately seeking, here’s how to make it when “How To’s” don’t work.

· If you are a believer in Christ, remember His promise never to leave you (Heb. 13:5).

· Realize the remarkable truth that the Holy Spirit is praying for you. Romans 8:26 says that the Spirit understands your difficulties when you cannot even express them, and He prays to the Father for you.

· Turn to the Lord in the midst of your difficulty, for He is your refuge and strength. When trouble hits, He’s there with you to calm your fears (Ps. 46:1-2).

With help from God, you can get through even your toughest challenges. – Dave Branon

Got any rivers you think are uncrossable?

Got any mountains you can’t tunnel through?

God specializes in things thought impossible –

He does the things others cannot do. – Eliason

Our troubles seem smaller when we ponder the greatness of God.

WHOSE SIDE IS GOD ON?

LOOKING FOR PROOF

READ: Hebrews 11:1-6

He who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarded of those who diligently seek Him. – Hebrews 11:6

THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Jeremiah 3-5

A friend and I were talking about God and life after death. “There is one thing I wish,” he said. “I wish I had proof that there is a God.”

In Hebrews 11:6 we read, “He who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarded of those who diligently seek Him.” The Bible makes no attempt to prove God’s existence. It assumes it.

Yet three paths are open to the earnest seeker who wants to know if there is a God. The first is nature. Paul wrote, “His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead” (Rom. 1:20). The second path is conscience, a God-given inner compass that points us to God’s standards of right and wrong (2:14-15).

The most convincing path is that of putting truth to the test. Those who desire to please God and are willing to obey Him will find that their faith is based in reality, for God rewards “those who diligently seek Him” (Heb. 11:6). Assurance always follows faith.

God is too big to be proven. It has been said that a god who could be proven would not be worth proving. But when we trust Jesus as our Saviour, His Spirit gives us the assurance that our faith is well-founded. – Dennis De Haan

Look not to reason’s arguments

If God you seek to find;

Look only to His holy Word,

For sin has made us blind. – D. De Haan

The infinite God cannot be measured by finite man.

ONE SMALL CHOICE

THIRST-QUENCHER

READ: Jeremiah 2:1-13

My people … have forsaken Me, the fountain of living waters. – Jeremiah 2:13

THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Jeremiah 1-2

Many people throughout the world are turning to Jesus Christ for salvation. Others, though, are rejecting Him and looking elsewhere for spiritual peace and fulfilment.

While doing some research, I read an issue of the New Age Journal. I noticed that the writers endorse a variety of pantheistic religions. They state their belief in reincarnation, encourage mystical psychic activities, and even strongly recommend the worship of pagan goddesses. Some articles mention the Bible and Jesus, but not one writer views the Scriptures as God’s Word or Jesus as the only Saviour.

Many Israelites of Jeremiah’s day had turned away from the only living and true God to religious beliefs similar to those being advocated by New Age writers today. Jeremiah likened them to people who turned from a fresh-flowing spring to broken cisterns that could hold no water (2:13).

The gods of New Age theology are worthless. They can’t satisfy the thirst of our souls to know the one true God. They can’t forgive our sins or assure us of heaven. Only Jesus can do that.

So drink of the Living Water, and lead others to Him. Jesus is the only one who can quench your thirst. – Herb Vander Lugt

If we turn from God who made us,

He who loves us as His own,

We will go on longing, thirsting –

We were made for Him alone. – D. De Haan

Only Jesus, the Living Water, can satisfy our thirst for God.

ANOTHER CHANCE

COURAGE TO STAND ALONE

READ: Daniel 5:17-31

There is a man in your kingdom in who is the Spirit of the Holy God. – Daniel 5:11

THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Isaiah 64-66

It was a morally dark night in Babylon – darker than your workplace, school, or community. King Belshazzar had wilfully blasphemed God by desecrating the sacred goblets looted from the temple in Jerusalem. Now Babylon and Belshazzar were about to face God’s judgment.

Yet in the midst of this gross darkness shone the light of a single witness – the prophet Daniel. Because of his reputation as a man with “the Spirit of the Holy God” (Dan. 5:11), he was summoned to interpret the mystifying message on the wall.

Daniel could have softened God’s warning to give it a meaning the king and his court would rather hear. He could have omitted the part about judgment and death. But instead of muddling the message to please the king, Daniel remained true to God. Standing alone before Belshazzar and his drunken court, he boldly spoke the whole truth.

It took enormous courage for Daniel to do that, but the threat from an earthly king was nothing compared to his allegiance to the King of heaven. Daniel feared Belshazzar so little because he feared God so much.

When we share Daniel’s heavenly perspective, we too will find God gives us the courage to stand alone. – Haddon Robinson

In need of strength, we melt into the crowd

And find that strength grows more elusive still;

Our courage gone, we call upon the Lord

And find our strength renewed to do His will. – Gustafson

When we know God stands with us, it doesn’t matter who stands against us.

IN GOD'S HOUSE

WISDOM FOR WITNESSING

READ: John 4:5-26

The woman of Samaria said to Him, “How is it that You, being a Jew, ask a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?” – John 4:9

THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Isaiah 61-63

We can learn a lot about effective witnessing by examining our Lord’s encounter with the woman at the well (John 4:5-26). He broke all social protocol by talking to this Samaritan woman. And asking her for a drink of water was a compliment of sorts. Later, He had a perfect opportunity to condemn her sinful lifestyle, but He didn’t.

Author Paul Little points out that unlike Jesus we are quick to condemn. He writes, “Often we have the mistaken idea that if we don’t condemn a certain attitude or dead, we will be condoning it.” He adds, “Not only must we avoid condemning people, we need to learn the art of legitimate compliment.”

He then related an encounter that writer Charles Trumbull once had on a train. A profanity-spewing, drunken man boarded and lurched into the seat next to him. When the man offered him a drink from his flask, Trumbull didn’t condemn his condition. Instead he replied, “No thank you, but I can see you are a very generous man.” The man’s eyes lit up. As they talked, he heard about the One who offers the satisfying water of life. Later, he gave his life to Christ.

When you share your faith, remember the effectiveness of giving a compliment and avoiding condemnation. – Joanie Yoder

Lord, help us show compassion

To a world that’s lost in sin,

So when we share the gospel,

Hungry souls for Christ we’ll win. – Sper

Loving the lost is the first step in leading them to Christ.

CHIP OFF THE OL' BLOCK

HERE I COME

READ: Psalm 23

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil. – Psalm 23:4

THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Isaiah 58-60

When I was about 10 years old, I climbed a big pine tree in our yard. Grabbing the topmost branch, I pulled myself up to gain the highest vantage point possible. Suddenly the tip of the old pine snapped and I came plummeting down, landing flat on my back. The impact knocked the wind out of me. As I lay gasping for breath, I thought I was dying – but I wasn’t alarmed. In fact, I can recall thinking, I’m going to heaven. Just before lapsing into unconsciousness, I said, “Father, here I come.”

My dad was reading under a tree nearby and heard me crash down. Rushing over, he picked me up and carried me into the house. How surprised I was to open my eyes and find myself on the couch instead of in heaven!

That experience taught me at a young age that the Christian can have peace even in the valley of the shadow of death. For believers, “to be absent from the body” is “to be present with the Lord” (2 Cor. 5:8). As children of God, we can live each day with the assurance that come what may, whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s.

If you know Christ as your Saviour, you too can experience a wonderful peace – even when you are called to walk through the “valley of the shadow” (Ps. 23:4). – Richard De Haan

God holds our future in His hands

And gives us every breath;

Just knowing that He’s by our side

Allays our fear of death. – Sper

If you live for eternity, you can die with serenity.

GATHERING STICKS

NOT IN VAIN

READ: 1 Cor. 15:51-58

Be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labour is not in vain in the Lord. – 1 Corinthians 15:58

THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Isaiah 55-57

In September of 2000, I attended the 100^th-anniversary celebration of a small Bible college in Ohio. When the school began in 1900 with a handful of students and very little money, few observers thought it would last. A year after the doors opened, the founder died during a typhoid epidemic, and the school’s prospects appeared dim.

A century later, some people wondered if the founder would have been surprised to find the school thriving. Whether or not he thought the institution would last for 100 years, everyone attending the celebration agreed that he expected the results to last forever. He knew that his work for God was of eternal value.

That’s an assurance you and I can share as we live for the Lord. At the conclusion of a stirring passage on immortality and our victory in Christ over death, Paul concluded by saying, “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labour is not in vain in the Lord” (1 Cor. 15:58).

Because our labour for Christ is never futile, we can find encouragement to keep honouring and serving Him in all that we do. J. B. Phillips summed it up well when he said, “Nothing you do for Him is ever lost or ever wasted.” – David McCasland

Service done in Jesus’ name

Lasts for all eternity,

For God’s Spirit does the work,

Using folks like you and me. – D. De Haan

Work done for God endures long after the worker dies.

FEED MY SHEEP

TIME FOR FRIENDSHIP

READ: John 15:12-17

A friend loves at all times. – Proverbs 17:17

THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Isaiah 52-54

We really can’t make more time. There are only 24 hours in a day, and no matter how frantically we try it’s impossible to stretch those 24 into 25. So our problem isn’t how to increase time but how wisely to use our daily allotment of those 1,440 minutes as they steadily tick away.

Stop, then, and think about this vital issue. Apart from eating, sleeping, doing necessary tasks, and working at income-earning jobs, how are we spending that precious commodity we call time? Whatever else we’re doing, are we giving time to relationships?

Well-known another Les Parrott III points out that few things are more conducive to our well-being than investing time in friendships. Research shows, he reports, that “ignoring friendship not only diminishes your quality of life but could also be a health hazard.” Parrott says that close friendships can reduce the risk of illness.

If investing time in strengthening our friendships is so essential to our well-being, what about our relationship with Jesus? He said to His disciples, “No longer do I call you servants… but I have called you friends” (John 15:15). If you have trusted Him as Saviour, are you devoting time to deepen your relationship with the best of all friends? – Vernon Grounds

Our life can be so very busy

That we have no time for friends;

But we must spend more time with Jesus,

For His friendship never ends. – Fitzhugh

Time is a friend when you use it to strengthen your friendship with Jesus!

THE SAME HAND

NOT EVEN CLOSE!

READ: Hebrews 5:1-11

Having been perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him. – Hebrews 5:9

THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Isaiah 49-51

A 33-year-old Frenchman was nailed to a cross in the patio of a plush hotel in the Dominican Republic as his “contribution to salvation and peace among mankind.” He wanted to hang there for 3 days, but within 24 hours he was so weak that he was forced to give up his plan. Even before that, the cross had to be laid horizontally on the ground to alleviate his suffering. It was obvious to all that he couldn’t continue to endure the terrible ordeal he had imposed on himself.

The failure of this man’s “sacrifice” stands in striking contrast to the unique atoning work of the Lord Jesus, who truly became “the author of eternal salvation” (Heb. 5:9). The writer of Hebrews explained that Christ is our High Priest forever, interceding continually before God’s throne on our behalf (7:25). As God in the flesh, He alone could become our substitute and offer Himself as a sacrifice for sins “once for all” (10:10). No other human being is able to take “this honour to himself” (5:4).

Throughout history, many have claimed to be the Messiah. But Jesus Christ is in a class by Himself – and He died on Calvary’s cross for you. Have you trusted in the crucified and risen Saviour? If not, do so today! – Mart De Haan

Won’t you accept this dear Saviour?

For time is swift passing away;

There’s no one to save you but Jesus,

There’s no other way but His way. – Hunter

Only God’s gift can erase man’s guilt.