“He was made sin for us, who knew no sin ….” And He did it in order that He might save you, my friend. He did it because He loves you! He did it, my friend, in order that He might judge your sin and mine on the cross. And God made His soul an offering for sin. And God “spared not His own Son.” And my friend, if God didn’t spare His Son, what do you expect at the hand of God when you stand before Him someday? Do you think that you can escape? Do you know how? There is no way. Because He was taking the only route and paying the tremendous price that you and I might be saved.
May 10, 2024
“Rejoice in the Lord; and again, I say, rejoice.” My, that’s a commandment. You have no right, my friend, as a child of God to go around as a sour puss. You’ve got no right to go around as a cantankerous individual. You are to “rejoice evermore” as a child of God. And how wonderful it is to be able to rejoice. And by the way, it is a fruit of the Holy Spirit: love, joy, peace—and if you can’t rejoice right now, then begin reading the Word of God and calling on God to put joy in your heart. He’ll do it. Rejoice. Always.
May 9, 2024
Up to the time you’re saved, God has you shut up to a cross. God has the world shut up to the cross, and He’s not asking anything of the world. Except this. Here’s His question: What will you do with My Son who died for you? Now, after you’ve answered that question, and if you answered it in the affirmative and accepted Him as your Savior, now He’s going to talk to you about your life. He’s going to develop you, and you should grow in grace and the knowledge of Him. And we ought to be a better Christian this year than we were last year. Well, we’re going to look at those commandments next time. So until then, may God richly bless you, my beloved.
May 8, 2024
“We are thine: thou never barest rule over them; they were not called by thy name. They now surrender completely to God.” And I think this should be the attitude of the Christian today. What a picture this should be for us—complete yielding to God. Friends, most of us are afraid to do it. We’re afraid He’ll be hard on us. But He wants to be gentle with us and will be if we give Him a chance—but remember, He is the God of judgment. He is the One that’s coming, treading the winepress of the fierceness of His wrath on this earth someday. I’m not trying to frighten you. God’s not trying to frighten you. He’s just telling you the truth, that’s all.
May 7, 2024
“For he that is entered into his rest [that is, the Sabbath] he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his.” Now have you and I entered into His Sabbath? That is, the rest of redemption today? Have you come to the place where you can completely, fully trust Christ? That He’s done everything for you and you’re resting in Him and you’re not having to jump up every two minutes and run and do something, thinking that if you don’t do that, you’ll lose your salvation? Can you fully trust Christ today? He wants us to enter into that. Now, if we’ll enter into that, there’s great blessing for us.
May 6, 2024
Now we today, we say, “Well, our prayers are not being answered.” Why? Is it because God does not want to answer them? No, our hearts are not open. Our hearts are not open to receive the blessing that God really wants to give to us. Why He says, “The minute you cry to Me,” God says, “I’m going to say, ‘Here I am.’ I’m right here.” What a comfort it is to know that when we come to God in prayer, He’s there and He says, “Here I am. It’s up to you from now on. If you come in the name of My Son today and make a request, it’s in my will, your heart is right, why, I’m going to move right along with you.”
May 3, 2024
In the 58th chapter of Isaiah, you see the exposure of the wicked ways of Israel. They were turning their backs on the poor and needy. They even refused to show kindness and love to their own flesh and blood. Their religion was as cold as the north side of a tombstone in January. I tell you, they didn’t have a heart for God. And when you’ve got a heart for God, you’ll have a heart for other folk. You’ll want to be helpful to them and a blessing to them, friends. And you can’t be hateful and be fundamental at the same time. All of this criticism today, all of the unloveliness today, it hurts the cause of Christ.
May 2, 2024
1 Thessalonians 4:11, “And that ye study to be quiet ….” Now, my friend, that’s an interesting one. That’s a commandment for Christians. Study to be quiet. “And to do your own business,” that’s a good one. And actually, it means tend to your own business—“tend to your own knitting” is the way I used to hear it as a boy. Keep your nose out of other people’s affairs. “And to work with your hands, as we commanded you.” And I believe that every Christian ought to have some type of activity whereby he’s doing something that’s tangible for God today. That’s a very wonderful thing, by the way.
May 1, 2024
When you’ve got a heart for God, you’ll have a heart for other folk. You’ll want to be helpful to them and a blessing to them, friends. And you can’t be hateful and be fundamental at the same time. All of this criticism today, all of the unloveliness today, it hurts the cause of Christ. God told His people in their day, “Away with it. I don’t want it. It’s no good.” You’re just going through a form. You’re playing church. And you may be having a little fun at it, although I don’t think you’re having fun. I think it’s become a burden to you, but you go through with it. Because you’re trying to keep up a front before the world. God says, “Let’s come clean. Let’s demonstrate in our lives that we’ve got reality.” This is tremendous.
April 30, 2024
When you wake up during the night seasons, what do you think about, friends? Do you begin to worry about the next day? Oh, I do a lot of that. But it’s wonderful, sometimes, to just turn Him on at night when you are thinking about these things because that’s exactly what Paul was talking about over in the fourth chapter of Philippians when he says, “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true (that’s Christ), whatsoever things are honest (that’s Christ), whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are good, of good report or of excellence; if there be any virtue, if there be any praise, think on these things.” Meditate upon the Lord Jesus Christ.
April 29, 2024