TFTD - June 2015

[Resource Manager]

01 June 2015

 

"PRINCIPLES are like stars, constant and comprehensive, but not local or particular. The pilot with only local knowledge may guide the ship through the well-known channel and into the old port, but a knowledge of the stars is necessary when sailing in unknown seas. If a pilot should mistake a foreign port for the one he knows and attempt to guide the vessel according to the old rules he will bring it to disaster. Ships of various kinds have been wrecked through such mistaken confidence. Oftentimes men have ignored principles and have applied the lessons learned in former years to circumstances that are totally different. They have even quoted the words of former leaders in a manner that would horrify such leaders could they rise from their graves and witness the application."

 

- Islip Collyer

Principles and Proverbs

 

[Resource Manager]

02 June 2015

 

"God is love, and springing from His love for His creatures God has made known His will and the way whereby the sundered friendship with man can be restored. God so loved the world that He gave His Son. But the word that is used particularly in connection with justification, is grace. “The grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world; looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works” (Titus 2:11-14)."

 

- John Carter

Bible Doctrine of Justification (1959)

[Resource Manager]

03 June 2015 

 

"... Finally Jesus put their Messianic expectation in its true perspective. They had been right to expect a King who would come in majesty and power to exalt the nation and establish a world-wide kingdom of righteousness and peace. But this cross which had so horrified Peter must come before the crown. Then, in the fulness of time, "the Son of Man shall come in the glory of his Father, with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works". (Matthew 16:27)"

 

- Melva Purkis

A Life of Jesus

[Resource Manager]

04 June 2015

 

"The flowers and trees of the countryside are used extensively in Scripture to teach us powerful lessons. Jesus says:

 

"Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: and yet I say unto you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these" (Matthew 6:28-29).

 

Here is a powerful lesson, not only to humility but an exhortation for us to make sure we are not deceived by the pomp and display of man’s pride and forget the miracles of creation with which we are surrounded."

 

- Howard Walker

The Vine (1975)

[Resource Manager]

05 June 2015

 

"We listen to Christ teaching his disciples to pray. “Our Father which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as in heaven.” Or we turn again to Gethsemane: “Father if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine be done.” This was the dominant thought with Jesus. So when we pray in the name of the Lord, we are asking for God’s will to be done in our lives, and when we really mean it, we have caught the inner meaning of prayer and have risen to great heights. But that is not a prayer to be offered lightly. It took Jesus through Gethsemane to the Cross."

 

- W.H. Simkins

Men Ought Always to Pray (1978)

[Resource Manager]

06 June 2015

 

"Out of the heart are the issues of life ... There is a gladsome message for us all about the secret room of our hearts. It can be swept clean of the things that bring sadness and division. What is in will out; "but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day." (2 Corinthians 4:16). What is in us can be changed so long as the will is there.

 

Let us look within, with the light of Christ to help us, and get rid of the debris ... "Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. " (Psalm 139:23-24)"

 

- Claud Lamb

Look Within (1979)

[Resource Manager]

07 June 2015

 

"Before there was ever a sun there was God. God measures not time by the sun: the sun is measured by Him. He is the centre of all creation, outside all created time and timepieces. And that is beyond our understanding. It is significant to notice, however, that the city of God that shall be has no need of the light of the sun or the light of the moon. This has primarily a spiritual meaning, of course. It has also a literal meaning, perhaps. Those who are counted worthy to attain unto that world and the life to come, will have no need of solar or of lunar years, for, having stood in their lot at the end of the days, they will be made like unto the Son of God after the power of an endless life."

 

- Harry Tennant

Sunday Morning (1960)

[Resource Manager]

08 June 2015      

 

"Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name; bring an offering and come into his courts" (Psalm 96:8)      

 

"To divest ourselves of all pride of achievement and to humble ourselves before the Father is a prerequisite to worshipping Him for this ought to be our first reason for praying to Him: “Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name: bring an offering and come before him: worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.” 

 

The scientists who unravel some of the secrets of the molecule and the genes; the astronomer who peers out into frighteningly vast space; and the astronauts who photograph the beauties of nature's colours on earth, all proclaim the wondrous and mighty works of God. They unfold for us a multitude of reasons for our humble worship of the Father and the Psalms must often put into words for us what we feel about His Majesty."

 

- John Marshall

The New Life

[Resource Manager]

09 June 2015

 

"The Lord said that love would be the distinguishing mark of his disciples; and Paul said it was the greatest thing in the world, greater even than faith and hope (1 Corinthians 13), because, in a sense, Christian love embraces them both, and is the mainspring of all other virtues. God’s own love is shown to men by His forebearance and forgiveness. This is one of the most fundamental doctrines of the Christian religion "That repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations" (Luke 24:47). All through the New Testament this great teaching is proclaimed, that God forgives sins for Jesus’ sake. It is the great act of love on His part."

 

- Len Richardson

Love Story (1978)

[Resource Manager]

10 June 2015

 

"We are human, and like all the saints, we shall have our failures: but a saint has been described as "a sinner who goes on trying". If our hearts are right, his strength will be made perfect in spite of our weakness, and in the midst of worldly rejection we shall know a peace which none but Jesus can give or take away; we shall know a joy which unites us in fellowship with disciples of every age and race. And, at last, beyond the suffering and privations, the joys and satisfactions of mortal discipleship, will be the eternal fruits of the victory of him who said, "Be of good cheer, I have overcome the world."

 

- Melva Purkis

The Challenge of the Sermon on the Mount (1987) 

[Resource Manager]

11 June 2015

 

"The good shepherd laid down his life for the sheep." The tragedy of the cross was necessary to meet the tragedy of sin. But look closer yet: “Father if it be possible, let this cup pass.” But the cup did not pass, it remained; and God watched, as the Son was led to the slaughter, as the Son was nailed to the cross, as His only begotten Son cried, “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” Still no hand was stretched out to save. The Father would not save the Son until the Son had saved us. This however was not callous indifference; this was being endured by the Father; He was Himself involved. This was the love of Father and Son together—“the remedy for the defilement of my sin.”

 

Any therefore who would make light of sin, let him remember, the love of the Father, the love of the Son, the Cross."

 

- Bert Allsopp

He is the Propitiation for Our Sins (1975)

[Resource Manager]

12 June 2015

 

"The offer of reward from God to His sons is the final proof of His true personality. To an abstract Supreme Being it would be impossible; to a Father it is not only possible but natural; and to those who are truly His sons the reward is the occasion of responsive delight in that personality. When we are pleased with a gift the choice of which conveys the very personality of a beloved friend, we say, “It is just like him (or her) to send me that.” And it is just like the Heavenly Father to give His children the Kingdom: the gift is as it were a part of Himself; He has planned it throughout the ages: He has “prepared” it with loving care. And for His children the gift is the bond of love."

 

- L.G. Sargent

The Teaching of the Master 

[Resource Manager]

13 June 2015 

 

"Think of the glory ahead for us if only we do our part faithfully. Our manifestation of the Divine moral glory will be followed by the gift of the physical glory of God. It was so with Jesus and will be so with us. John saw in vision the new Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God, having the glory of God. This city therefore had no need of sun or moon to shine in it. Here is the Father’s house in which He will dwell on the earth. Each stone of that building is a believer who has in his or her life reflected something of the moral glory of God into the darkness. These stones now fully reflect the light. The Divine glory, physical and moral, shines from them in all its beauty. The days of weakness and imperfection are gone and God is seen dwelling on earth in a company of men and women each bearing His glory. Then indeed will the darkness have gone for ever and the earth be filled with the Divine light."

 

- W.L. Bedwell

Light in Darkness (1979)

[Resource Manager]

14 June 2015

 

"There are some men and women who, with childlike humility, try to piece the lines and precepts and little bits together. They benefit by the exercise; they get instruction from the pictures that come into view and sometimes they are privileged to see a glimpse of the complete picture which, once seen, can never be forgotten ... May the glory of God ... be revealed most in the labours of those who live in obscurity and are little in their own eyes but who know they have a message of vital importance for their fellow men."

 

- Islip Collyer

Content to Fill a Little Space 

[Resource Manager]

15 June 2015

 

"To hold forth the Word of Life is not the voluntary pastime of a few of us: in some form it is the responsibility of us all"

 

- A.D. Norris

Preaching the Word

[Resource Manager]

16 June 2015

 

"The miracle of God’s glory is seen in its revelation in the person of Jesus Christ, the perfect blend of “grace and truth”. It is no purposeless compassion on the one hand or unbending application of punishment on the other; it is a remedial blend of “grace and truth”. So with limitless mercy, God strives with men to affect their salvation, but in such a way that His truth is also vindicated..."

 

- C. Tennant

David and Bath-Sheba (1972) 

[Resource Manager]

17 June 2015

 

"Think of our Lord’s gracious words: "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do!" remembering also that he was the Lamb of God’s providing which bears away the sins of the world. At all times, let us have in our minds the overwhelming love of God for us sinners and let each one of us be more prepared to show that quality of self sacrificing love towards others:

 

"For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:7-8)"

 

- Trevor A. Pritchard

The Quality of Forgiveness (1998)

[Resource Manager]

18 June 2015

 

"We are each components of God’s House: none of us can neglect his own spiritual well-being without in the same measure impairing that of the Household of Faith as a whole; nor, conversely, can he dissociate himself from its corporate life and worship without involving himself in loss and danger. Our spiritual life is a fragile growth: it needs most careful fostering—by the closest fellowship with God in Christ, and by the closest fellowship with one another as fellow pilgrims Zionwards."

 

- W.F. Barling 

The Epistle to the Hebrews (1954)

[Resource Manager]

19 June 2015     

 

“I AM the first.” Consider this aspect of the greatness of our God. Before all creeping things or fish or fowl; before every kind of beast and the first man; before mountains and seas and the earth itself; before the reeling stars and silent planets; before light itself: God was. The first, the cause, the origin of all things and source of the energy of universe and the fountain of life. “To whom, then, will ye liken God?”

 

- Harry Tennant

First and Last (1963)

[Resource Manager]

20 June 2015 

 

"If we apprehend the tremendous fact that the Lord Jesus came to save a perishing world and that through him we may attain to the divine nature; if with all our hearts we believe the full truth revealed concerning him, our faith becomes a vital, driving force, leading us to all that is required of us ... "Blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed." ... A contemplation of divine grace will not move us to ask what minimum of good work will be accepted by so merciful a God, but what is the maximum we can give in response to the offer of eternal life."

 

- Islip Collyer

Called to Be Saints (1949)

[Resource Manager]

21 June 2015 

 

"To encourage is not to break; not to extinguish; to keep on encouraging and not give up. Failure is not accepted. There is understanding when others would stand aside or pass by. Understanding encourages—it stands under to provide strength and support. This is the spirit of the Son in whom the Father delighted. "But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness" (Hebrews 3:13)."

 

- Philip Vyse

Encouragement (1991)

[Resource Manager]

22 June 2015

 

God is perfect in all His ways, and without fault or blemish. Jesus does not expect us to achieve that. What he does expect of us is that we shall realise a perfection related to our capacity. God has made us with a potential, has given us the ability to appreciate spiritual values, the capacity to develop a likeness to His Son and He expects us to make progress. This is what the apostle means when he writes: "Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of the Lord" (2 Corinthians 7:1). The pattern is given to us in Christ, as Paul says elsewhere, "Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ" (Ephesians 4:13) 

 

- Philip Hinde 

Holiness (1985)

[Resource Manager]

23 June 2015 

 

"God, by means of the Word of His grace, is preparing men and women for a high exaltation. The word is "able to build us up, and give us an inheritance among them that are sanctified." But it cannot build us up, neither give us an inheritance, unless we allow our minds to be exercised by the reading of the Word of God; unless we allow its thoughts to become part of our thoughts, in order that the mind being formed by it may direct our ways in those paths which are well-pleasing to God."

 

- John Carter

Established With Grace (1943) 

[Resource Manager]

24 June 2015

 

"The standards set by Jesus and his apostles have not varied. Separateness is required as much as ever it was, and it is also as true as ever it was that unless we are prepared to give it we forfeit our share in the glory which will be revealed when the Lord comes. “We speak as unto wise men.” Let us then act in conformity with the wisdom thus credited to us, so that, when the Lord comes he will see in us those who have tried to do his will, and who are confident the Lord will be very merciful when he comes."

 

- James Carter

A Separate People (1979)

[Resource Manager]

25 June 2015

 

"Like Israel we have oft times failed to fulfil the will of our God, but He has never failed us. Looking back on our lives we feel that we have been saved from the consequences of our own follies and we have been made to realize, sometimes by hard circumstances, that "all things work together for good to those that love God" ...

 

"The kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man seeking goodly pearls, who when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it." (Matthew 13:45-46)

 

- F.E. Mitchell

Things (1961)