The ascension of our Lord Jesus was a climax to His life here on Earth. He entered into heaven in His own right, in the merit of His own perfection. He bore the marks of sin and suffering, for He who ascended into the hill of the Lord to stand in His holy place had clean hands and a pure heart; but they were wounded hands and it was a broken heart. The only way to the Throne was by the Cross, but the only outcome of the Cross was the crowning of Jesus as Lord.
“And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace.”—Ephesians 6:15
This chapter of Scripture tells us that we wrestle against principalities and powers, and whenever the Gospel is preached there are onslaughts from the devil. If I were to talk tonight about gasoline engines, men’s interest would be aroused, there would be no darkness in their minds at all, and they would be quick to comprehend my meaning. If I were giving a travel lecture on Alaska, describing it as the pictures were thrown upon the screen, there would be no veil over men’s minds. Now comes …
Incredibly, on the human level, the salvation of the human race was dependent on a young, single mother. Yes, God entrusted the birth of His Son to a young woman who would then raise Him, doing her best to teach and prepare Him to accept the responsibility of suffering in order to redeem the world. After Joseph married his pregnant bride, he would adopt her child as his own son, and eventually Mary would have other children. But Mary experienced her first pregnancy as an unwed mother.
No wonder we honor Mary. She didn’t sign up for this responsibility. God …
“And I will give thee the treasures of darkness, and hidden riches of secret places, that thou mayest know that I, the LORD, which call thee by thy name, am the God of Israel.”—Isaiah 45:3
In order that we might receive all that God has for us in this verse in its spiritual application to our own lives, we will spend a moment considering its literal meaning and its historical application. These are words that were actually spoken by Jehovah the living God to a heathen king, Cyrus, king of Persia. This is the only place in Scripture where a …
“But the children of Israel committed a trespass in the accursed thing: for Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took of the accursed thing: and the anger of the Lord was kindled against the children of Israel. And Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is beside Beth-aven, on the east side of Beth-el, and spake unto them, saying, Go up and view the country. And the men went up and viewed Ai. And they returned to Joshua, and said unto him, Let not all the people …
Notes of an address given by Pastor Alan Redpath at the Church House, Westminster, during the World Evangelical Alliance Week of Prayer, 1950.
I am sure that there is an increasing recognition on the part of the church as a whole that evangelism must take a predominant part in her life. There are widely different meanings, of course, which are given to that word evangelism, but, nevertheless, I see signs everywhere that the church is rising to the recognition of the fact that she must witness to Christ. And, furthermore, she is rising increasingly to a recognition of the fact …
“But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in that law doth he meditate day and night.”—Psalm 1:2
“Follow your enthusiasms,” was the advice an old artist gave to a young one. The young artist loved to paint his dreams and the old man knew it. The old man knew that “the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.” He liked painting with warm red blood pumping in it. So many are learning rules these days, but good as rules are, there comes a time in life’s productions when rules are buried in a sweep of fire …
“And it came to pass, when all the people were clean passed over Jordan, that the Lord spake unto Joshua, saying, Take you twelve men out of the people, out of every tribe a man, And command ye them, saying, Take you hence out of the midst of Jordan, out of the place where the priests’ feet stood firm, twelve stones, and ye shall carry them over with you, and leave them in the lodging place, where ye shall lodge this night. Then Joshua called the twelve men, whom he had prepared of the children of Israel, out of every …
“I know thy words. Behold I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it; for thou hast a little strength, and has kept my word, and hast not denied my name.”—Revelation 3:8
There is still an open door in this church age in which we are living. We thank God for this and take courage, and with strong desire we want to enter it. It will not be open long. The time when the Laodicean period of the church age will cause our Lord to spew the professing church out of His mouth is very …
“Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings, as newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby: if so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious. To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious, ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. Wherefore also it is contained in the Scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief …
