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February 11 |
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Morning Reading |
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Evening
Reading |
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"And they took knowledge of them, that they
had been with Jesus." |
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Acts 4:13 |
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A Christian should be a striking likeness of
Jesus Christ. You have read lives of Christ, beautifully and eloquently
written, but the best life of Christ is his living biography, written out in
the words and actions of his people. If we were what we profess to be, and
what we should be, we should be pictures of Christ; yea, such striking
likenesses of him, that the world would not have to hold us up by the hour
together, and say, "Well, it seems somewhat of a likeness;" but they would,
when they once beheld us, exclaim, "He has been with Jesus; he has been
taught of him; he is like him; he has caught the very idea of the holy Man
of Nazareth, and he works it out in his life and every-day actions." A
Christian should be like Christ in his
boldness. Never blush to own your religion; your profession will
never disgrace you: take care you never disgrace that. Be like Jesus,
very valiant for your God. Imitate him in your loving spirit; think
kindly, speak kindly, and do kindly, that men may say of you, "He has been
with Jesus." Imitate Jesus in his holiness. Was he zealous for his
Master? So be you; ever go about doing good. Let not time be wasted: it is
too precious. Was he self-denying, never looking to his own interest? Be the
same. Was he devout? Be you fervent in your prayers. Had he deference to his
Father's will? So submit yourselves to him. Was he patient? So learn to
endure. And best of all, as the highest portraiture of Jesus, try to forgive
your enemies, as he did; and let those sublime words of your Master,
"Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do," always ring in your
ears. Forgive, as you hope to be forgiven. Heap coals of fire on the head of
your foe by your kindness to him. Good for evil, recollect, is godlike. Be
godlike, then; and in all ways and by all means, so live that all may say of
you, "He has been with Jesus." |
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Evening Reading |
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"Thou hast left thy first love." |
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Revelation 2:4 |
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Ever to be remembered is that best and
brightest of hours, when first we saw the Lord, lost our burden, received
the roll of promise, rejoiced in full salvation, and went on our way in
peace. It was spring time in the soul; the winter was past; the mutterings
of Sinai's thunders were hushed; the flashings of its lightnings were no
more perceived; God was beheld as reconciled; the law threatened no
vengeance, justice demanded no punishment. Then the flowers appeared in our
heart; hope, love, peace, and patience sprung from the sod; the hyacinth of
repentance, the snowdrop of pure holiness, the crocus of golden faith, the
daffodil of early love, all decked the garden of the soul. The time of the
singing of birds was come, and we rejoiced with thanksgiving; we magnified
the holy name of our forgiving God, and our resolve was, "Lord, I am thine,
wholly thine; all I am, and all I have, I would devote to thee. Thou hast
bought me with thy blood — let me spend myself and be spent in thy service.
In life and in death let me be consecrated to thee." How have
we kept this resolve? Our espousal love burned with a holy flame of
devoutedness to Jesus — is it the same now? Might not Jesus well say
to us,
"I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left
thy first love"? Alas! it is but little we have done for our Master's glory. Our
winter has lasted all too long. We are as cold as ice when we should feel a
summer's glow and bloom with sacred flowers. We give to God pence when he deserveth pounds, nay, deserveth our heart's blood to be coined in the
service of his church and of his truth. But shall we continue thus? O Lord,
after thou hast so richly blessed us, shall we be ungrateful and become
indifferent to thy good cause and work? O quicken us that we may return to
our first love, and do our first works! Send us a genial spring, O Sun of
Righteousness. |
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