Who Are My Friends?

Be not deceived:

evil communications

corrupt

good manners.

1 Corinthians 15:33

Immanuel {Miller}

“He that hath seen me hath seen the Father.”

John 14:9

That was surely a very strange thing for a man to say. Can we imagine John, the beloved disciple, saying of himself that those who had seen him had seen the Father? The fact that Christ said it shows that He was conscious of divinity, that He really claimed to be the Son of God. So it is in all Christ’s words: He speaks always as God. Wherever we turn in the Gospel we find the outflashings of Christ’s divinity; it were easier to pluck the stars from the sky than to tear the truth of Christ’s deity from the pages of inspiration. Everywhere it shines — its light the brightest beam in all the radiant splendour that blazes there.

What did Jesus mean when He said this? Evidently that although He was a man, He was also the incarnation of God; that He was living out in a human life, which men could see, the invisible life of His Father. Men on earth could never see God. Then God sent His Son that He might veil His Divine splendour in flesh, and show people how the unseen God feels and acts.

Thus, when we see Him taking little children in His arms, laying His hand on their heads and blessing them, we see how God feels toward children. When we see the compassion of Jesus stirred by human suffering, we learn how our heavenly Father is touched by the sight of earthly woe. When we see Jesus receiving sinners and eating with them, speaking forgiveness to penitents who crept to His feet, and making soiled, stained lives white and clean, we learn the mercy of God. When we follow Christ to His cross and see Him giving His life a willing sacrifice to make redemption for lost men, we see how God loves. So the meekness and patience and gentleness of Christ were mirroring of the same traits in His Father. If we would see the likeness of God, we have but to turn to the story of the Gospel. To know Christ is to know the Father.

An Abiding Conviction {Brainerd}

I bless God,

He has for some years

given me an abiding conviction

that it is impossible for any rational creature

to enjoy true happiness,

without being entirely devoted

to Him.

Accepted in the Beloved {Author Unknown}

‘Tis not for works which I have wrought,
‘Tis not for gifts that I have brought,
Nor yet for blessings I have sought,
That I have been “Accepted.”

‘Tis not for tears that I have shed,
‘Tis not for prayers that I have said,
Nor yet for slavish fears I dread,
That I have been “Accepted.”

‘Tis not for these, however right,
That God has found intense delight,
Nor is it these that have made white
The robes of those “Accepted.”

From these I turn my eyes to Him,
Who bore the judgment due to sin,
And by Christ’s blood I enter in,
And stand in His “Acceptance.”

His precious blood was shed for me,
And in that precious blood I see
The righteous ground, the perfect plea,
For my complete “Acceptance.”

And as I gaze my joys abound,
For now on resurrection ground
I see the Lamb with glory crowned,
Who died for my “Acceptance.”

And when within that circle sweet,
Where God’s eternal smile I meet,
I’ll praise Him for the work complete,
Through which I am “Accepted.”

The True Vine {Miller}

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman”

John 15:1

This is a wonderful Vine. It grew up at first like “a root out of a dry ground, with no form nor comeliness.” the soil in which it was planted seemed to poor to produce anything good. But its origin was heavenly, and it grew into luxuriant beauty. By-and-by it seemed that men in their rage had altogether destroyed this Vine, which had in it so much blessing for the earth; however, it was not destroyed, but was only lifted away from earth and transplanted to heaven. There in the garden of God its roots were fixed, and the Vine itself dropped down to earth again, and began to send out branches in all directions. Every poor little human life which attaches itself to this Vine is grafted on it and becomes a branch in it, drawing life from the Vine’s fullness, and sharing its fruitfulness.

These branches are not left to grow wild and untended, but have wise and skilful care. It ought to be a great comfort to us to know that as branches we are under the culture of a husbandman who is none other than our heavenly Father: “Your Father is the husbandman.” We are very sure that His care will be both wise and tender. If an ignorant, inexperienced, unskillful man were to enter a beautiful vineyard and begin cutting away at the vines, he would soon destroy them. He does not know what he ought to prune off, or what he ought to leave on the vine.

But if the man who comes to tend the vineyard understands vines, and has had long experience and is skilful, there is no danger that he will do harm in his pruning. Sometimes, indeed, He may seem to be cutting the vine to death; but we know that He understands what He is doing, and that all His prunings are for the good of the branches. By-and-by we shall see increased fruitfulness as the result of His unsparing work.

To Live is Christ {Ironside}

“For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” Philippians 1:21

These words express, as none others could, the secret of Paul’s wonderful missionary activity and his deep devotion to the will of the Lord. From the moment when divine grace arrested him on the Damascus road to his last hour on earth, he had yielded his heart wholly to the blessed One who had saved him. Life meant only one thing for him: the opportunity to become better acquainted with the Lord Jesus Christ and to serve Him wholeheartedly. Nothing else seemed worthwhile. All that earth could offer was but as rubbish compared to this (Philippians 3:7-9). He had learned to look at everything below the skies in the light of the cross of Christ (Galatians 6:14)). Now he looked forward eagerly to the end of the way, when he should be with Christ and receive at His hand the recognition of His approval of his service.

 

Though absent, I have known His love,
And by His mercies daily prove
The wonders of His grace,
He, whom not having seen, I love,
Will call, and in His home above
I’ll see Him face to face.

With patience, in His love I’ll rest,
And whisper that He knoweth best,
And I am satisfied.
Then, clinging to that guiding hand,
A weakling, in His strength I’ll stand
Though I be sorely tried.

Though burdened with a load of care,
He’s promised me the strength to bear
The trials that appall;
So, hiding pain away from sight,
I’ll let my life be fair and bright,
While waiting for His call.

—Robert R. Pentecost

LEST WE FORGET! In Flanders Fields {McCrae}

Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae, MD (1872-1918)

Canadian Army

In Flanders Fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

“Thank you for giving your lives

for the freedoms we enjoy today!”