Sitting With Jesus

There they made Him a supper; and Martha served, but Lazarus was one of those who sat at the table with Him. (John 12:2)

Lazarus is to be envied.

It was well to be Martha and serve, but better to be Lazarus and commune.

To sit with Jesus, to hear His words, to mark His acts, and to receive His smiles was a great favor to Lazarus. It made him very happy.

Lazarus is to be imitated.

It would have been a strange thing if Lazarus had not been at the table where Jesus was, for he had been dead, and Jesus had raised him.

For the risen one to be absent when the Lord who gave him life was at his house, would have been ungrateful indeed.

We too were once dead. Jesus raised us, and by His life we live. Can we be content to live at a distance from him?

Let us draw near to Him. Let us have close fellowship with Him. Jesus has loved us with an everlasting love. Let us sit at the table with Him and commune with Him.

Avoid Foolish Disputes

But avoid foolish disputes, genealogies, contentions, and strivings about the law; for they are unprofitable and useless. (Titus 3:9)

Our days are few. It is far better to spend in doing good, than in disputing over matters of minor importance.

Questions upon points wherein Scripture is silent; upon mysteries which belong to God alone; upon prophecies of doubtful interpretation; and upon modes of observing human ceremonials, are all foolish. It is wise to avoid them. We are not to ask or answer such foolish questions. We are to avoid them altogether.

There are, however, some questions we must not avoid, such as:

Do I believe in the Lord Jesus Christ?

Am I renewed in the spirit of my mind?

Am I walking after the Spirit?

Am I growing in grace?

Does my conversation adorn the doctrine of God my Savior?

Am I looking for the coming of the Lord?

What more can I do for Jesus?

Such enquiries demand our attention.

Let us be peace-makers.

Let us endeavor to lead others by our precept and example.

Let us avoid foolish disputes.

The Lord Is My Portion

“The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “Therefore I hope in Him!” 

- Lamentation 3: 24 -

The Lord is my portion.

The Lord Himself makes up the sum total of my soul's inheritance. Within the circumference of that circle lies all that we possess or desire.

The Lord Himself has chosen us for His portion, and we have chosen Him for ours.

The Lord is our all-sufficient portion.

God is all-sufficient in Himself.

He must be all-sufficient for us.

All that we can wish for is to be found in our divine portion.

Let us rejoice in the Lord always.

Let us show to the world that we are a happy and blessed people.

In Christ Only

"I will stretch out My hand against Judah, And against all the inhabitants of Jerusalem. I will cut off every trace of Baal from this place, The names of the idolatrous priests with the pagan priests-- Those who worship the host of heaven on the housetops; Those who worship and swear oaths by the LORD, But who also swear by Milcom; (Zephaniah 1:4-5)

There are believers who think they are safe because they are with both parties: they are followers of Christ, and bow at the same time to other gods.

But duplicity is abominable with God, and God hates hypocrisy.

The penalty pronounced here is terrible, but it is well deserved.

How can divine justice spare the sinner, who knows the right, approves it, and professes to follow it, and all the while loves the evil, and gives it dominion in his heart?

Let us search ourselves today, and see whether we are guilty of double-dealing.

Do we truly love Jesus? Is our heart right with God? 

Christ will be all or nothing.

God fills the whole universe.

There is no room for another god.

There is no space for another reigning power.

Let us rest alone on Jesus crucified, and live alone for Him.