THE HOPE OF GLORY

Christ in you, the hope of glory. - Colossians 1:27 EVERY true child of God must have a definite individual Christian character which is not dependent for its existence upon the spiritual life of any other Christian. He must from the Word of Truth, proclaimed and exemplified by other Christians, draw those principles of life, etc., which give him an established character, a spiritual individuality of his own. So positive and definite should be the spiritual individuality of every one, that, should even the beloved brother or sister whose spiritual life first nourished ours and brought us forward to completeness of character fall away (which the apostle shows is not impossible--Hebrews 6:4-6; Galatians 1:8), we would still live, being able to appropriate for ourselves the Spirit of Truth.

THE DIVINE PARTS

Little children, keep yourselves from idols. - 1 John 5:21 EVIL is insidious, and every parting of the ways, every leaving of the divine path, signifies a separation from righteousness to a degree we are unable to estimate at the beginning. Let us learn that the only safe course to pursue is to trust in the Lord and to be glad to have whatever his providences may mark out for us, and to refuse to have anything contrary to his will, however desirable it might be, however gratifying to human ambition. Let us learn the lesson that ambition is a dangerous thing--especially in our present imperfect condition, where our judgments are more or less warped from the fall, where our knowledge is imperfect, and where Satan is sure to put light for darkness and darkness for light. Our ambitions must be curbed, yea, every thought must be brought into subjection to the will of God in Christ, if we would be on safe ground as new creatures in Christ Jesus. `

CONSECRATION OF THE HEART

Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord? or who shall stand in his holy place? He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully. - Psalm 24:3,4 THOSE who have made a full consecration of heart to the Lord constitute the pure in heart under the law of love. But notwithstanding the purity of their hearts, their intentions, their wills, to fulfil the royal law of love, these have a battle to wage. The law of their members, depraved through inherited sin, is the strong law of selfishness, in opposition to the new law to which they have pledged themselves--the law of love. Yet their inability to live up to the requirements of that new law must be through no lack of will, no lack of intention of the pure, loyal heart. Whatever failure they make, however short they may come at times of obtaining the victory, it must be solely because of weakness of the flesh and the besetments of the Adversary, which their pure hearts failed to resist. Here the Lord's promises are helpful, assuring them that he knows their weaknesses and frailties, as well as the wiles of the devil and the influence of the spirit of the world, which are contrary to the spirit of love. He tells them that they may go freely to the throne of heavenly grace, there to obtain mercy in respect to their failures to live up to the high standard which their hearts acknowledge and to which they strive to conform. He also assures them that they may find grace to help in every time of need. `

FAITH & DESIRES

At evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you. - John 20:19 MANY are so situated that they are unable to gratify the desires of their hearts in respect to assembling frequently with others of like precious faith, to talk over the good things of the Lord's Word of promise; but the isolated should not feel disappointed that the Lord's Word says that he will meet with the twos and threes, and does not promise the same to the solitary. They should rather look about them to see what provision the Lord has made whereby at least two can meet and discuss his Word together....We may be well assured that those who have opportunities for meeting together, and speaking together, and who fail to use the opportunities, are manifesting a lack of interest in our great salvation, and that such are very likely to lose the remainder of their interest, and failing of the Lord's instructions given to such, may fail also to be among the “jewels” whom he will gather. If on the contrary one feels little interest in the heavenly things, little disposed to discuss the features of the divine plan and its promises, and happy only when conversing on worldly matters, business, etc., it is an unfavorable sign. The Lord is not likely to approach such and open their understanding respecting the Scriptures, as he surely is pleased to do to those who are hungering and thirsting after truth.

SOLDIERS OF THE CROSS

Brethren, pray for us. - 1 Thessalonians 5:25 IT is not for us to exert force in opposition, not to shout loudly about our rights. We are to remember that in becoming soldiers of the cross we voluntarily gave up all earthly rights in order that we might be participators with the Captain of our Salvation, who permitted all of his rights to be taken from him, even unto death. As the followers of Jesus are made a spectacle to the world and to angels, they are also permitted to strengthen and build up one another in the most holy faith by their love and zeal for the Lord and his message. We may well remember our privilege of praying one for another under such circumstances. We may not pray for the Lord to hinder others or ourselves from having trials or tests along these lines, for it is for the divine wisdom to determine what these shall be, but it is our privilege to pray for one another and for ourselves--to pray for that grace to help in every time of need which the Lord has promised he will grant. `

SANCTIONS OF SPIRIT

For the Bread of God is He which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world. - John 6:33 THE more people are satisfied with earthly things the less inclination they will have for the heavenly things, and the more we are satisfied with the heavenly things the less of appetite will we have for the earthly things. The new nature flourishes at the expense of the old nature, and the new ambitions, hopes, and desires at the expense of the old. Likewise when the old nature flourishes it is at the expense of the new in all of life's affairs. Let us, then, realizing the difference between the food that perisheth and the food that brings divine blessings--eternal life--let us choose the latter, let us feed more and more upon the Lord and upon his Word, and thus grow strong in the Lord and in the power of his might, and be more and more weaned from the world, its spirit, its hopes, its ambitions. We seek a heavenly country, a heavenly kingdom, a heavenly nature, and heavenly qualities, fitted and prepared for that heavenly nature. We have found the great Life-giver, the One who can and does supply this Bread from heaven. It is our great privilege to be the dispensers of this Bread. “Give ye them to eat.” “He that hath an ear let him hear.”

PUTTING THE WHOLE ARMOUR OF GOD

Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. - Ephesians 6:11 THE Lord's children are to see to it that they are not deluded into sin and into the service of sin; to that extent they would be deserting their colors and taking their stand as opponents of the Lord. When Christians take a decided stand against Satan and his wiles they are relieved from his attacks--not that he flees from them in the sense that he is fearful of harm to himself, but that he will leave them. He will retreat just as a general of an army would retreat from a city after having found that its gates were strongly protected and that attack was useless. If the Adversary finds one well protected and resisting him with a firm will, he will at once retreat. But if there be any parley with sin, any tendency to consider a matter when it is seen to be sin, an entrance is at once made for the Adversary; and he will renew the attack and press the matter, placing it in the most alluring light, in order that he may take control, that he may enter the heart where he has found the weakness. Hence it is of the utmost importance that the child of God should make a positive and prompt decision when he realizes that he is being enticed to evil. A moment's hesitation is very dangerous. Those who take their stand for the Lord, who give themselves fully and unreservedly to him, he has agreed to protect. He may permit them to be assailed for a time, but he will deliver them so long as they remain loyal and true; and they will be made stronger as the result of the temptations. `

THE EVER PRESENCE OF GOD

My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest. - Exodus 33:14 THE Lord is ever present with His people. He is always thinking of us, looking out for our interests, guarding us in danger, providing for us in temporal and spiritual things, reading our hearts, marking every impulse of loving devotion to Him, shaping the influences around us for our discipline and refining, and hearkening to our faintest call for aid or sympathy or fellowship with Him. He is never for a moment off guard, whether we call Him in the busy noon hours or in the silent watches of the night. How blessed the realization of such abiding faithfulness! And no real child of God is devoid of this evidence of his adoption.

PROGRESS OF OUR SPIRITUAL LIFE

Sanctify them through Thy Truth: Thy Word is Truth. - John 17:17 OUR Lord always links the progress and development of our spiritual life with our receiving and obeying the Truth, and every child of God should beware of that teaching which claims to be in advance of the Word, and that Christ or the Holy Spirit speaks to such advanced Christians independently of the Word. It cultivates spiritual pride and boastfulness, and renders powerless the warnings and expostulations of the sacred Scriptures because the deluded ones think they have a higher teacher dwelling in them. And Satan, taking advantage of the delusion, leads them captive at his will.

THE CONTRITE HEART

Thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place,...to revive the spirit of the humble, and the heart of the contrite ones. - Isaiah 57:15 LET us ever keep in memory that a broken and contrite heart the Lord never despises, will never spurn. Therefore, into whatever difficulty any of the Lord's people of the New Creation may stumble, if they find themselves hungering for the Lord's fellowship and forgiveness, if they find their hearts contrite and broken, let them not despair, but remember that God has made a provision through the merit of Christ which enables Him to accept and justify freely from all sin all that come unto Him through Jesus-- through faith in His blood....Those who have broken and contrite hearts on account of their sins may know that they have not committed "the sin unto death," for their condition of heart proves this, as the apostle declares: "It is impossible to renew again unto repentance" any who have committed the sin unto death.

ASSURED SECURITY

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil. - Psalm 23:4 THE sheep of the little flock fear no evil because of the Lord's favor, because He is with them, on their side, and has shown His favor in the redemption price already paid. He is with them, too, in His word of promise--His assurance that death shall not mean extinction of life, but merely until the resurrection, an undisturbed sleep in Jesus. What wonder that these can walk through the valley of the shadow of death singing and making melody in their hearts to the Lord, calling upon their souls with all that is within them to praise and laud and magnify His great and holy name, who loved us and bought us with His precious blood, and has called us to joint-heirship with our dear Redeemer.

20 Great Quotes on Prayer

●" The greatest thing anyone can do for God or man is pray." -  *S. D. Gordon '*

● "Prayer is where the action is." - *John Wesley*

● "Satan does not care how many people read about prayer if only he can keep them from praying."
- *Paul E.Billheimer.* : .

● "Don't pray when you feel like it. Have an appointment with the Lord and keep it. A man is powerful on his knees."
- *Corrie Ten Boom*

● "Satan trembles when he sees the weakest Christian on his knees."
- *William Cowper*

● "I would rather teach one man to pray than ten men to preach." 
- *Charles Spurgeon*

● "The man who mobilizes the Christian church to pray will make the greatest contribution to world evangelization in history." 
- *Andrew Murray*

● "We have to pray with our eyes on God, not on the difficulties." 
- *Oswald Chambers*

● "There is no other activity in life so important as that of prayer. Every other activity depends upon prayer for its best efficiency." 
- *M.E. Andross*

● "He who runs from God in the morning will scarcely find Him the rest of the day."  - *John Bunyan*

● "I have seen many men work without praying, though I have never seen any good come out of it; but I have never seen a man pray without working."
- *James Hudson Taylor*

● "Prayer is not learned in a classroom but in the closet." - *E. M. Bounds*

● "We must begin to believe that God, in the mystery of prayer, has entrusted us with a force that can move the Heavenly world, and can bring it's power down to earth."
- *Andrew Murray*

● "Prayer is not asking. Prayer is putting oneself in the hands of God, at His disposition, and listening to His' voice in the depth of our hearts." 
- *Mother Teresa*

● "Relying on God has to begin all over again every day as if nothing had yet been done."
- *C.S. Lewis*

● "The more you pray, the less you'll panic. The more you worship, the less you worry. You'll feel more patient and less pressured."
- *Rick Warren*

● "I have so much to do that I shall spend the first three hours in prayer."
- *Martin Luther*

● "Prayer does not fit us for the greater work; prayer is the greater work." 
- *Oswald Chambers*

● "He who kneels the most, stands the best." 
- *D.L. Moody*

OVERCOMING TRAILS DAILY

The Lord will give strength unto His people; the Lord will bless His people with peace. - Psalm 29:11 IF you have trials and temptations which you are able to overcome, and which are working out in your character patience, experience, brotherly-kindness, sympathy and love, rejoice and offer the prayer of thanksgiving and acknowledgment of divine mercy and help. If your trials seem heavier than you can bear, and likely to crush you, take the matter to the great Burden-bearer, and ask His help in bearing whatever would do you good, and release from all that would do you no good, but which would injure you.

LIFE OF SEPARATION

Come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you. - 2 Corinthians 6:17 THOSE who conscientiously live separate from the world in spiritual matters, and recognize as brethren only those who confess to circumcision of the heart and adoption into God's family, will find themselves opposed by moralists, liberalists and higher critics, as well as by the masses, who hate the light, because it condemns their darkness--doctrinal and otherwise. Nevertheless, this is the only good and safe course to pursue. Better far is it that only true Israelites should be recognized as brethren, and thus the true wheat be separated from the tares.

GOOD COMMUNICATIONS

Having your conversation honest among the Gentiles: that, whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation. For this is thankworthy, if a man for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully. - 1 Peter 2:12, 19 WE may be evil reported of and slandered, but all who know us, who have dealings with us, should find from experience our loyalty to principle, our endeavor that the words of our mouths as well as the meditations of our hearts and the conduct of life should be pleasing to the Lord and an honor to His name and cause, that God may be glorified through Christ, to whom belongs the glory and the Kingdom forever.

EVIL IS INSIDIOUS

Little children, keep yourselves from idols. - 1 John 5:21 EVIL is insidious, and every parting of the ways, every leaving of the divine path, signifies a separation from righteousness to a degree we are unable to estimate at the beginning. Let us learn that the only safe course to pursue is to trust in the Lord and to be glad to have whatever his providences may mark out for us, and to refuse to have anything contrary to his will, however desirable it might be, however gratifying to human ambition. Let us learn the lesson that ambition is a dangerous thing--especially in our present imperfect condition, where our judgments are more or less warped from the fall, where our knowledge is imperfect, and where Satan is sure to put light for darkness and darkness for light. Our ambitions must be curbed, yea, every thought must be brought into subjection to the will of God in Christ, if we would be on safe ground as new creatures in Christ Jesus. `

EYES OF UNDERSTANDING

The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of His calling, and what the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints. - Ephesians 1:18 IT requires time for heart and head so to expand as to take in a glimpse of such a wonderful blessing as this which God has provided for the elect. But whoever gets even a faint glimpse of the greatness of God's favor toward the church will not be surprised that in the divine plan so liberal an allowance as nearly nineteen centuries was made for the calling and chastisement and perfecting of the saints for the great and glorious work to which they, as joint-heirs with Messiah, are called. Neither will they think strange the fiery trials which try all of these whom the Lord our God calls, and accepts as probationary members of the elect kingdom class. They will perceive, readily enough, that if it was expedient, yea, necessary, that our Lord Jesus, with all of his experience in the heavenly courts, must “learn obedience by the things which he suffered,” and prove his loyalty to the Father by faithfulness even unto death, much more must his followers--whose previous history was that of sinners--be tried and thoroughly tested in respect to their loyalty to the Lord.

SPIRITUAL ISRAEL

With us is the Lord our God to help us, and to fight our battles. - 2 Chronicles 32:8 WHAT a lesson is here for all of the Lord's people of spiritual Israel today! When our proudest, strongest foes seem triumphing over us the most, when they are loudest in their denunciations of the Lord and his promises, is the very time when we should lay hold on the Lord's promises with the greatest confidence. Indeed, we give it as our experience that those who are most thoroughly rooted and grounded, whose hopes are most surely anchored within the veil, are those who have been attested very trying experiences, and have had occasion to call mightily upon the Lord for help, when there was no earthly arm to lean upon. How many have found that the breaking of earthly ties has meant the strengthening of the heavenly ones, that the opposition of the world and the Adversary has meant increase of spiritual favor, because “greater is he that is for us than all they that be against us.” `

LOVE HOPE IN ALL THINGS

[Love] hopeth all things. - 1 Corinthians 13:7 THIS hopeful element of love is one of the striking features in the perseverance of the saints, enabling them to endure hardness as good soldiers. Its hopeful quality hinders it from being easily offended, or easily stopped in the work of the Lord. Where others would be discouraged or put to flight, the spirit of love gives endurance, that we may war a good warfare, and please the Captain of our Salvation. Love's hopefulness knows no despair, for its anchorage enters into that which is beyond the veil, and is firmly fastened to the Rock of Ages.

THE ABOUNDING SPIRIT OF GOD

If these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. - 2 Peter 1:8, 11 ALL of God's people, all begotten of the Holy Spirit, are inspired by the spirit of the Father, the spirit of love, the spirit of justice and loyalty. But how about the degree, the abounding, the having of this love permeate all of life's affairs? If this spirit of the Lord abounds in us it will influence our business, our pleasure, our homes, our workshops, our kitchens, our dining rooms, our bed chambers, our very thoughts. It is the abounding love, the all-pervading influence of our Lord in the lives and in all life's affairs of those who would have the abundant entrance into the kingdom of Messiah as members of the bride class, that is required.

BENEFIT OF PATIENCE

In your patience possess ye your souls. - Luke 21:19 "LET patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing," the apostle explains. Very evidently patience, therefore, includes other graces of character--implies their possession to a certain extent. Amongst the Lord's people patience surely must be preceded by faith, and the degree of patience very generally measures the amount of faith. The Christian who finds himself impatient and restless evidently is lacking in faith toward the Lord; for otherwise he would be able to rest in the Lord's gracious promises, and wait for their fulfilment. After using reasonable diligence and energy he should be content to leave the results and times and seasons with the Lord.

WHEN WE ARE UNITED...

Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity. - Psalm 133:1 LIKE our Lord, let us seek to be peacemakers, and to dwell together with all the brethren in the unity of the Spirit, in the bonds of peace. Let our activities, our combativeness, etc., be engaged against the great enemy and all the works of sin,--including those in our members, our own fallen flesh. We, and all the brethren, will thus find sufficient engagement for every combative element of our nature, in ways well pleasing to the Lord, and employment for every lovable and helpful quality we possess, in building one another up, and doing good unto all men as we have opportunity, especially to the household of faith.

LOVE BELIEVE ALL THINGS

[Love] believeth all things. - 1 Corinthians 13:7 HAVE I the love that “believeth all things”; that is unwilling to impute evil to another unless forced so to do by indisputable evidences; that would rather believe good than evil about everybody; that would take no pleasure in hearing evil, but would be disposed to resent it? Perfect love is not suspicious, but is, on the contrary, disposed to be trustful. It acts on the principle that it is better, if necessary, to be deceived a hundred times than to go through life soured by a suspicious mind--far better than to accuse or suspect even one person unjustly. This is the merciful disposition, as applied to thoughts, and of it the Master said, “Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.” `

INDIVIDUALS CROSS

Whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after Me, cannot be My disciple. - Luke 14:27 THE Lord's cross-bearing consisted in the doing of the Father's will under unfavorable conditions. This course brought upon Him the envy, hatred, malice, strife, persecution, etc., of those who thought themselves to be God's people, but whom our Lord, who read their hearts, declared to be of their father, the devil....Since we are walking in the same "narrow way" that our Master walked, we may reasonably expect that our crosses will be of similar kind to His--oppositions to our doing the will of our Father in heaven--oppositions to our serving His cause and letting the light shine out as our Master and Leader directed.

LOVE IS NOT EASILY PROVOKED

[Love] is not easily provoked. - 1 Corinthians 13:5 HAVE I the love which is good tempered, “not easily provoked” to anger--love that enables me to see both sides of a question, that gives me the spirit of a sound mind, which enables me to perceive that exasperation and violent anger are not only unbecoming but worse than that, injurious to those toward whom they may be directed, and also injurious in their effect upon my own heart and body? `

LOVE THINKS NO EVIL

[Love] thinketh no evil. - 1 Corinthians 13:5 HAVE I the spirit of love which “thinketh no evil,” which is guileless, not suspicious of evil or looking for faults in others, not attributing to them evil motives? Have I the love which seeks always to interpret the conduct of others charitably, to make all possible allowance for errors in judgment rather than to impugn the motives of the heart? Perfect love is good intentioned itself; it prefers and, so far as possible, endeavors to view the words and conduct of others from the same standpoint. It does not treasure up animosities and suspicions, nor manufacture a chain of circumstantial proofs of evil intentions out of trivial affairs. “Faults are thick where love is thin,” is a very wise proverb. `

LOVE REJOICE NOT IN INIQUITY

[Love] rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth. - 1 Corinthians 13:6 HOWEVER profitable error might be, love could take no part in it, and could not desire the reward of evil. But it does take pleasure in the truth--truth upon every subject, and especially in the truth of divine revelation, however unpopular the truth may be; however much persecution its advocacy may involve; however much it may cost the loss of the friendship of this world and of those who are blinded by the god of this world. The spirit of love has such an affinity for the truth that it rejoices to share loss, persecution, distress, or whatever may come against the truth or its servants. In the Lord's estimate it is all the same whether we are ashamed of him or ashamed of his Word; and of all such he declares that he will be ashamed when he comes to be glorified in his saints. `

LOVE BEARE ALL THINGS

[Love] beareth all things. - 1 Corinthians 13:7 HAVE I the love that “beareth all things”; that is impregnable against the assaults of evil; that resists evil, impurity, sin, and everything that is contrary to love; that is both able and willing to endure for the cause of God, reproaches, reproofs, insults, losses, misrepresentations, and even death? “This is the victory that overcometh the world, even your faith”--the very life and center of which faith is the Holy Spirit of love for the Lord and for those that are his, and sympathetically, for the world. Perfect love can bear up under all circumstances and by God's grace, bring us off conquerors and “more than conquerors through him that loved us.” `

LETTING YOUR LIGHT SHINE

That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world; holding forth the word of life. - Philippians 2:15, 16 IT is the duty of every child of God to be very active in the dissemination of the Truth--in letting his light shine, and in keeping it trimmed and burning. "Trimmed and burning!" what does it mean? It means that we must give very close attention to the words of life that we may come to an exact knowledge of the Truth, and that we must carefully and faithfully trim away every vestige of error as fast as it becomes apparent to us--whether it be an error in doctrine or in our daily walk and conversation--so that the pure light of divine truth may shine out with as little obstruction as possible through the medium of a clear and transparent character.

CORRUPT COMMUNICATIONS

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. - Ephesians 4:29 THE depraved taste hedges itself behind conscience, and declares that it is always right to speak the truth, and hence God cannot have meant that speaking the truth would be slander; but that in condemning evil speaking and slander, as works of the flesh and the devil, He must have meant the speaking of that which is false, untrue. This is a great mistake: a slander is equally a slander, whether it be true or whether it be false, and is so regarded, not only in the law of God, but also in the laws of civilized men. A slander is anything which is uttered with the intention of injury to another, whether true or false, and the laws of men agree with the law of God, that such injury to another is wrong.

BAD FRIENDSHIP

Know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God. - James 4:4 GOD has purposely placed the matter in such a position that His people must take their choice, and lose either the divine friendship and fellowship, or the worldly friendship and fellowship; because those things which the Lord loves are distasteful to the worldly, and those things which the worldly love, evil deeds and evil thoughts, evil-speaking, are an abomination in the sight of the Lord, and those who love and practice such things lose His fellowship-- they are not of His Spirit. "If any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His."

BAD FRIENDSHIP

Know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God. - James 4:4 GOD has purposely placed the matter in such a position that His people must take their choice, and lose either the divine friendship and fellowship, or the worldly friendship and fellowship; because those things which the Lord loves are distasteful to the worldly, and those things which the worldly love, evil deeds and evil thoughts, evil-speaking, are an abomination in the sight of the Lord, and those who love and practice such things lose His fellowship-- they are not of His Spirit. "If any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His."

KNEW CREATION REALITY

If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. - 2 Corinthians 5:17 THESE New Creatures in Christ Jesus know each other not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. In each other's spirits or new minds there are the noblest sentiments, the highest aspirations, that which is good, true, noble, pure--whatever may be their weaknesses according to the flesh. They love each other from the new standpoint of intention, will, harmony with God, and their friendship for one another grows increasingly as they perceive each other's energy in fighting the good fight of faith against the evil influences of the world, the flesh and the adversary. Nor tongue nor pen can properly express the love, the friendship, which subsists between these New Creatures in Christ Jesus, to whom old things have passed away, and all things have become new.

KNEW CREATION REALITY

If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. - 2 Corinthians 5:17 THESE New Creatures in Christ Jesus know each other not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. In each other's spirits or new minds there are the noblest sentiments, the highest aspirations, that which is good, true, noble, pure--whatever may be their weaknesses according to the flesh. They love each other from the new standpoint of intention, will, harmony with God, and their friendship for one another grows increasingly as they perceive each other's energy in fighting the good fight of faith against the evil influences of the world, the flesh and the adversary. Nor tongue nor pen can properly express the love, the friendship, which subsists between these New Creatures in Christ Jesus, to whom old things have passed away, and all things have become new.

UNSELFISH LOVE

[Love] seeketh not her own. - 1 Corinthians 13:5 HAVE I the love which is unselfish, which “seeketh not her own” interests exclusively, which might even be willing to let some of her own rights be sacrificed in the interests of others? Or have I, on the contrary, the selfishness which not only demands my own rights on every occasion, but which demands those rights regardless of the conveniences, comforts, and rights of others? To have love in this particular means that we will be on guard against taking any unjust advantage of others, and will prefer rather to suffer a wrong than to do a wrong; to suffer an injustice than to do an injustice. `

LIVING ABOVE EVIL

There shall no evil befall thee. - Psalm 91:10 NOTHING shall by any means hurt us. Things may interfere with our fleshly interests or comfort or course of affairs; but when we remember that we are not in the flesh but in the spirit, that it is as New Creatures that the Lord has promised us the Kingdom in His due time, we can realize that no outside influence can interfere with our real interests, our spiritual interests, nor hinder our attaining to the glories of the Kingdom which the Lord has promised to His faithful ones. Only our loss of confidence in the Lord and our unfaithfulness to Him could separate us from His love and His promises.

LOVE IS NOT COVETOUS

[Love] doth not behave itself unseemly. - 1 Corinthians 13:5 HAVE I the love which is courteous, “doth not behave itself unseemly?” Pride is the root out of which grows much of the unseemly conduct, impoliteness, so common to those who think themselves somebody, either intellectually or financially. Politeness has been defined as love in trifles; courtesy as love in little things. The secret of politeness is either surface polishing or love in the heart. As Christians we are to have the heart love which will prompt us to acts of kindness and courtesy, not only in the household of faith, but in our homes and in our dealings with the world. `

DANGER OF JEALOUSY

Jealousy is cruel as the grave: the coals thereof are coals of fire, which hath a most vehement flame. - Canticles 8:6 JEALOUSY is one of the great foes that confronts every Christian. It should be slain on sight as an enemy of God and man and of every good principle; and to the extent that its presence has defiled the heart even for a moment, a cleansing of the spirit of holiness and love should be invoked. Jealousy is not only a cruel monster of itself, but its poisonous fangs are almost certain to inflict pain and trouble upon others, as well as to bring general woe and, ultimately, destruction upon those who harbor it. Jealousy is sin in thought, wickedness in thought, and is very apt to lead speedily to sin and wickedness in action. The mind, if once poisoned with jealousy, can with great difficulty ever be cleansed from it entirely, so rapidly does it bring everything within its environment to its own color and character.

LOVE BOAST NOT

[Love] vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up. - 1 Corinthians 13:4 HAVE I the love that is humble, that “vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up”? the love that tends to modesty, that is not boastful, not lifted up? Have I the love that would prompt to good deeds, not to be seen of men, but that would do the same if no one saw or knew but God only; that boasts neither of its knowledge nor of its graces, but in humility acknowledges that every good and perfect gift comes from the Father? And do I make return to him in love and service for every mercy?

EVEN WHEN YOU CANNOT TRACE GOD

There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear, because fear hath torment. - 1 John 4:18 MIGHTY, imposing and terrifying indeed is the influence of fear, except upon those who have learned to know the Lord through previous experiences, and to trust Him even where they cannot trace Him. The giant of fear and despair must be met with the pebble from the brook, "It is written." The sling of faith must propel the word of promise with such force as to slay the adversary and to deliver us from his domination....Thus armed only with the Word of God, and trusting in His rod and staff, we may well be courageous and answer imposing sectarianism as David answered the Philistine, "Thou comest to me with a sword and a spear and a javelin: but I come to thee in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of...Israel, which thou hast defiled."

LOVE ENVIED NOT

Love envieth not. - 1 Corinthians 13:4 HAVE I the love that “envieth not,” the love that is generous, so that I can see others prosper and rejoice in their prosperity, even if, for a time, my own affairs be not so prosperous? This is true generosity, the very reverse of jealousy and envy, which spring from a perverted nature. The root of envy is selfishness; envy will not grow upon the root of love. Love rejoices with them that rejoice, in prosperity of every good word and work, and in the advancement in Christian grace and in the divine service of all who are actuated by the divine Spirit. `

...TO OBEY IS BETTER THAN SACRIFICE

I desired mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings. - Hosea 6:6 HE who gives his will, his heart, to the Lord, gives all; he who gives not his will, who comes not in obedience of heart unto the Lord, can offer no sacrifice to the Lord that could be acceptable. "Behold to obey is better than sacrifice," is a lesson which should be deeply engraved upon the hearts of all the sanctified in Christ Jesus. To have the spirit of obedience is necessary too, and whoever has the spirit of obedience will not only obey the divine will, but will seek to know the divine will more and more that he may obey it. It is of this class that the Scriptures declare, "His word was found and I did eat it;" and again, in the words of our Lord, "I delight to do Thy will, O My God: Thy law is written in My heart."

THE RESULT OF LOVE

Now abideth faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love. - 1 Corinthians 13:13 IT seems impossible to describe love, this wonderful quality without which nothing is acceptable in the sight of God! The apostle does not attempt to define love, but contents himself with giving us some of its manifestations. Those who possess a love with such characteristics are able to appreciate it, but not able otherwise to explain it. The fact is that love, like life and light, is difficult to define; and our best endeavors to comprehend it are along the lines of its effects. It is of God; it is godlikeness in the heart, in the tongue, in the hands, in the thoughts--supervising all the human attributes and seeking to control them. Where love is lacking, the results are more or less evil; where love is present, the results differ according to the degree of love, and are proportionately good. `

...POWER OF KNOWLEDGE

Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the Truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently. - 1 Peter 1:22 KNOWLEDGE is to be highly esteemed in the church, and to be regarded as an evidence of progress, of growth; for none can grow strong in the Lord and in the power of His might--in grace--unless he grows also in knowledge. We properly esteem most highly those whose love for the Lord and for His Truth are evidenced by zeal in the study of His Word, and whose favor with God is evidenced by their being guided more and more into the deep things of God. Nevertheless, as in the earthly family we love and care for the babes and immature, so also in the household of faith the little ones and the dwarfs are to be cared for and loved and helped that they may grow strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.