WHO'S THE MOST IMPORTANT PERSON IN YOUR LIFE?
You will hear different answers to this question, depending upon who you are talking to. I have in mind primarily Christians. Who is the most important person in YOUR life?
Maybe a loved-one holds this distinct position in our affections, a husband or wife, a child or parent. But as worthy as they are, absolutely no one must take the place of the One far more worthy than all of earth combined.
For the Christian, there can only be one answer. The most important person in my life is Jesus Christ the Lord! Paul expressed it thus: "For to me to live is Christ" (Philippians 1:21).
After all Christ has done for us, how can it be otherwise? He left heavenly glory shared with the Father and came to earth to share our woe. He came to seek and to save the lost. He humbled Himself further by submitting to death on the cross. His blood cleanses us from all sin.
He arose from the grave, Victor over sin, Satan, death, and hell, guaranteeing all believers a like resurrection unto eternal life. He ascended to the Father's throne to make intercession for His own who have not yet followed Him into glory.
Should He not be most important to us who believe? Who else can do what He has done? Our loved-ones all have their place in our heart, and we are not to love them any less, but HE is to have FIRST place. Our wonderful Lord and Saviour alone must occupy the place of most importance.
When He does, our life will bear abundant testimony to the fact. If Christ is most important to us, it follows that His Word will also be important. His will and work will be important. His honor and glory will be important. His Church and His people will be important to us. Following Him will be important, witnessing unto Him will be important, praying to Him and praising Him will also be important.
Are these things true of you? They indicate how important Christ is to you. And how important Christ is to you indicates where you stand with God. If He is of little importance in your life, it is time for some serious introspection. If you find that you have never really known Christ, then receive Him now as your Lord and Saviour, who in turn will give you power to become a child of God. If your first love for Him has cooled over the years, then repent and return unto Him who stands ready and willing to forgive you and to restore the joy of your salvation.
Jesus Christ is the most important Person in Heaven, and in all of God's universe. He is the most important Person in His Church and to His people. May He be so to YOU!!! That is my prayer for you. That is my purpose in sending you this paper.
-- Editor
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"He that heareth my word, and believeth him that sent me,
hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation;
but is passed from death unto life."
-- Jesus
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IN WHAT DO YOU TRUST
We live in the greatest nation on the face of the earth. What other nation has the military power we possess? No air force, army, or navy anywhere can boast of more mobility, firepower, reserve, and respect. From the most conventional to the most ultra-modern and destructive weapons, we have them all. We are loved and hated, criticized and defended, scorned and wooed, trusted and feared, by a multitude around the world.
We are strong. And we know it. We fully know our position in the world of war and politics. We bargain from strength. We intend to keep it that way. But let me ask you, Uncle Sam, "In what do you trust?" Let me ask you who read this, "In what do YOU trust?"
"Some trust in chariots, and some in horses," said King David nearly three millenniums ago. Chariots and horses were the strength of the military in that day. The nation with the most of these, bargained from strength. King David as Commander in Chief of the forces of Israel had occasion to thus bargain. However, David knew his strength was not in material and physical weaponry, but in his God.
He said, "Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the LORD our God" (Psalm 20:7). A good thing for the citizenry of our great land to do; for you and me to do. Pause with me, then, to remember His name.
What is His name? It is as here recorded, "the LORD our God." "God" is the English translation of the Hebrew "Elohim" which has the dual meaning of strength and faithfulness. "LORD" is the translation of "Jehovah" which refers to the self-existent and self-revealing One. It is also the redemptive name of Deity.
The revelation of God to man in His redemptive role was the revelation of God in Christ Jesus. The Father sent His only begotten Son, not to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. He came in the likeness of men, lived a sinless life, died on the cross as our Substitute and Sacrifice for our sins, rose bodily from the grave, and lives today glorified at the right hand of the Majesty on high. All this the Son of God did to accomplish fallen man's redemption. We seal the transaction in our own heart by believing on Him, receiving Him as our Saviour.
This is our God. This is His name. He is the strong and faithful One, who came to seek and to save. He saves all who put their trust in HIM, rather than in the strength of their own arm -- or "arms." Natural and physical and material power shall fast fall into dissolution, leaving us with nothing in which to trust. Not so our God. He is eternally self-existent and trustworthy.
"Some trust in chariots, and some in horses, and some in planes, ships, and tanks; missiles and anti-missiles, bombs, guns, and manpower: but we . . . (-let's make this our spiritual 'Memorial Day'-) . . . but we will remember the name of the LORD our God, and in his name will we trust, even in our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ."
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WHEN SKIES ARE BRASS
When skies are brass and, though we pray,
No answer comes; and when our day
Is filled with pain and grief and care,
Sometimes we wonder, "Is God there?
And does He hear us -- does He know
The pangs we suffer? And if so --
Because He is omnipotent,
And we so weak, our small strength spent --
Why not reach down His mighty hand
To help?" Could we but understand
His ways with us -- could we but know
What God is doing for us now!
What is God doing for us now?
O child of His, why should we know?
He is the Potter, we the dust,
Shaped by His hand. Can we not trust?
Enough that He, the Perfect One,
Will finish what He has begun.
The master Artist's own design,
Worked out in lives like yours and mine.
The Shepherd knoweth what is best
For that small lamb upon His breast;
And tenderly the Father feeds
And nourishes the child He leads.
O suffering ones, whose skies are brass,
Know that all grief and pain will pass,
All tears be dried. We may be sure
This life is but the overture.
Some day our voices we shall raise
In swelling symphonies of praise . . . .
We could not bear it yet to know
What God is doing for us now!
-- Martha Snell Nicholson
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THE DEITY OF JESUS CHRIST
(ATTRIBUTES OF DEITY)
Who is Jesus Christ? Jesus Christ is God!
Attributes are predicated of Christ that could belong only to one who is God. These attributes, in their highest sense, could never be applied to a human being.
Two of these divine attributes are 1) Greatness, and 2) Goodness. The question is: Is Jesus Christ great, as God is great, and is He good, as God is good?
Christ's GREATNESS may be seen, first, in the fact that He has self-existent life.
John 1:4 tells us -- "In him was life." Jesus says of Himself -- "I am . . . the life" (John 14:6). And to Martha, at the graveside of her brother Lazarus, Jesus said -- "I am the resurrection, and the life" (John 11:25).
All of God's creatures know only dependent life, life wholly dependent upon their Creator. For instance should God for a moment withdraw the oxygen from the air we breathe we would immediately lose the life we have. But it is declared of Christ in the Sacred Record that He has life in Himself. His life depends on no one else. Only of God can this be said.
Secondly, Christ's greatness may be seen in the fact that He is eternal.
Isaiah calls the coming Messiah -- "Everlasting Father" (Isaiah 9:6). Micah prophesies of Him -- "Whose goings forth are from of old, from everlasting" (Micah 5:2). After He came John says of Him -- "And the life was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare unto you the life." What kind of life? "The eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifest unto us" (I John 1:2).
Every creature of God had a beginning somewhere in history. God alone is eternal. Jesus Christ is eternal. Jesus Christ is God.
Christ has other divine attributes of greatness which we shall only mention. Study the references at your convenience.
Jesus Christ is unchangeable (Hebrews 1:10-12; 13:8); omnipresent -- everywhere present at the same time (Matthew 18:20; 28:20; Colossians 3:11); omniscient -- all knowing (Colossians 2:3; John 2:24-25 with Jeremiah 17:9-10); omnipotent -- all powerful (Philippians 3:20-21; Revelation 1:8 with 22:12-13 for identification); perfect -- complete, nothing lacking (Colossians 2:9-10; 1:19 ASV); incomprehensible -- cannot be fully known (Matthew 11:27 Gk.).
Christ's GOODNESS may be seen, first, in the fact that He is holy.
He is absolutely separate from all that is earthly or created, and from all that is unclean. The angel Gabriel told Mary -- "The Holy Spirit shall come upon thee, and the power of the Most High shall overshadow thee: wherefore also the holy thing which is begotten shall be called the Son of God" (Luke 1:35). Peter's words to dissenters -- "Ye denied the Holy and Righteous One" (Acts 3:14).
Again, Christ's goodness may be seen in the fact that He is love.
The whole realm of love has opened up to us because of Christ. Before He came it was impossible to understand it in its highest sense. "Hereby know we love," declares the Apostle John, "because he laid down his life for us" (I John 3:16). When our hearts respond to His love, it begets the same in us toward Him and our fellows. Then we can confidently affirm with Paul -- "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? . . . (Nothing) shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 8:35-39).
Christ is righteous. "My little children, these things write I unto you that ye may not sin. And if any man sin, we have an Advocate with the Father." Who is this Advocate? "Jesus Christ the righteous." (I John 2:1).
Christ is faithful. His name is "Amen," which means "faithful." (See Revelation 3:14 and 19:11). As the faithful God, Christ will make good all His promises and warnings. One such promise and warning is -- "He that believeth on the Son hath eternal life; but he that obeyeth (believeth) not the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him" (John 3:36).
Finally, Christ is merciful. "The Lord is full of pity, and merciful" (James 5:11). We may be glad He is. If He were not, we would all perish. Since He is, we have a way of escape. Jesus said, "I am the way." What a mercy that He came, gave His life, arose, intercedes, that we might be spared the just reward for our sins.
Do you want to know what God is like? Take a look at Jesus Christ. "For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily." Christ is great; and He is good; and He is God. He is worthy of our trust and our worship.
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A NEW HOME
By M. R. DeHaan
"Here we have no continuing city, but we seek one to come."
Hebrews 13:14
Moving day is coming. Just when the moving van will stop at our home we do not know -- but for all it is SURE, and for those along in years it is SOON. And as the day approaches we realize the necessity of moving out of our present house and occupying the new house "not made with hands, eternal in the heavens." Death for the believer is a Home-going and not a departing.
The owner of the "house" I have occupied here on earth has served notice that I must soon move out. He will not make many more repairs -- since I am going to vacate it anyway. The foundation is crumbling, the roof leaks, the heating system is failing and the windows are getting dim. The steps are getting shaky and the hinges are getting rusty and squeaky.
There was a time when I dreaded the thought of MOVING. I have enjoyed this house and in many ways it was pleasant, and were it not for the many evidences of decay I would consider this old house good enough (with a few repairs) to last for some time. But I will have to move, and so I have been consulting the plans and blueprints of my future residence, and I have been overwhelmed by the innumerable advantages of that new Home over this old one; so much so that now instead of dreading it, I am beginning to get anxious to move. If it were not for a few things I still have to do, I would want to move pronto.
I just read a letter from One who came from that New Country and has gone back to "prepare a place" for me. He described the special apartment reserved for me in that "House of many mansions." I like the location of my new home (Revelation 21); I like the arrangements of its rooms (I Corinthians 15); I like my neighbors there (I Thessalonians 4:17); and I like the Builder (Revelation 21:3). Somehow this old crumbling house is losing its appeal.
(In OUR DAILY BREAD, copyright 1965, Radio Bible Class, Grand Rapids, MI)
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FROM DARKNESS TO DAWN
" . . . seven of them were to be shot at dawn . . . "
" . . . this man, Koskinen, had not raved and cursed. Quietly he sat on his bench a picture of utter despair . . . "
The following is a true story of how seven Reds went to heaven during the Finnish-Russian War. It shows how God can work in grace amidst the cruelest scenes of man's hatred. It is written by Nordenberg, an eminent engineer in Finland.
I offered my services to the government, and was appointed an officer in General Mannerheim's Army. It was a terrible time; we besieged the town which had been taken by the Red Army, and retook it. A number of Red prisoners were under my guard and seven of them were to be shot at dawn on Monday. I will never forget the preceding Sunday. The seven men were kept in the basement of the Town Hall, and in the passage my men stood at attention with their rifles. The atmosphere was filled with hatred; my soldiers were drunk with success and taunted their prisoners, who swore and beat on the walls with their bleeding fists. Others called for their wives and children who were far away. At dawn they were all to die.
We had the victory, that was true enough, but the value of this seemed to diminish as the night advanced. Then something happened. One of the men doomed to death began to sing. "He is mad," was everybody's first thought; but I had noticed that this man, Koskinen, had not raved and cursed. Quietly he sat on his bench, a picture of utter despair. Nobody said anything to him; each was carrying his burden in his own way. Koskinen sang, rather waveringly at first, then his voice grew stronger and became natural and free. All the prisoners turned and looked at him as he sang . . .
"Save in the arms of Jesus, safe on His gentle breast,
There by His love o'er shaded, sweetly my soul shall rest,
Hark 'tis the voice of angels, borne in a song to me.
Over the fields of jasper, over the crystal sea."
Over and over again he sang that verse, and when he finished everyone was quiet for a few minutes, until a wild looking man broke out with, "Where did you get that, you fool? Are you trying to make us religious?"
Koskinen looked at his comrades, with tear-filled eyes as he quietly said, "Comrades, will you listen to me for a minute? You asked me where I got this song: it was from the Salvation Army. I heard it three weeks ago; my mother sang about Jesus and prayed to Him." He stopped a little while as if to gather strength. Then he rose to his feet, being the soldier that he was, looked straight in front of him, and continued. "It is cowardly to hide your beliefs: the God my mother believed in is now my God. I cannot tell how it happened. I lay awake last night, and suddenly saw mother's face before me, and it reminded me of the song that I had heard. I felt I had to find the Saviour and hide in Him. Then I prayed, like the thief on the cross, that Christ would forgive me and cleanse my sinful soul and make me ready to stand before Him whom I should meet so soon. It was a strange night, there were times when everything seemed to shine around me. Verses from the Bible and the Song Book came to my mind. They brought messages of the crucified Saviour and the Blood that cleanses from sin, and the Home He has prepared for us. I thanked Him, accepted Him, and since then this verse has been sounding inside me. It was God's answer to my prayer. I could no longer keep it to myself; within a few hours I shall be with the Lord, saved by grace."
Koskinen's face shone as if by an inward light. His comrades sat there quietly. He himself stood there transfixed. My soldiers were listening to what this Red Revolutionary had to say. "You are right Koskinen," said one of his comrades at last, "if only I knew there was mercy for me too, but these hands of mine have shed blood, and I have reviled God and trampled on all that is holy. Now I realize that there is a hell, and that it is the proper place for me." He sank to the ground with despair on his face. "Pray for me, Koskinen," he groaned, "tomorrow I shall die, and my soul will be in the hands of the Devil" . . . and these two Red soldiers went down on their knees and prayed for each other. It was no long prayer but it reached heaven; and we who listened to it forgot our hatred; it melted in the light of heaven; for here were two men who were soon to die . . . seeking reconciliation with their God. A door leading into the invisible stood ajar, and we were entranced by the sight. Let me tell you shortly that by the time it was four o'clock, all Koskinen's comrades had followed his example and began to pray, the change in the atmosphere was indescribable. Some of them sat on the floor, some on the benches, some wept quietly, others talked of spiritual things. None of had a Bible but the Spirit of God spoke to us all. Then someone remembered those at home, and there followed an hour of intense letter writing. Confessions and tears were in those letters.
The night had almost gone and day was dawning. No one had had a moment of sleep. "Sing the song once more for us Koskinen," said one of them, and you should have heard them sing, not only that song, but verses and choruses long forgotten. The soldiers on guard united with them. The power of God had touched all. Everything had changed, and the venerable Town Hall's basement resounded in that early morning hour with the songs of the Blood of the Lamb.
The clock struck six. How I wished I could beg grace for these men, but I knew that it was impossible. Between two rows of soldiers they marched out to the place of execution. One of them asked to be allowed to sing Koskinen's song once again, and permission was granted. Then they asked to be allowed to die with uncovered faces, and with hands to heaven, they sang with might and main, "Safe in the arms of Jesus." When the last line had died out, the lieutenant gave the word, "Fire!" and the seven Red soldiers fought their last fight. We inclined our heads in silent prayer.
What happened in the hearts of others I do not know, but as far as I was concerned, I was a new man from that hour. I had met Christ in one of His lowliest and youngest disciples, and I had seen enough to realize that I too could be His.
(In THINGS CONCERNING HIMSELF.)
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