JULY 9

OUR PERSONAL PROMISES

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1 John 3:1

“Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him.”

1Peter 1:6-8

“In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials,  that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ,  whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory,”

1Peter 1:23-25

“having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever,  because:

All flesh is as grass,

And all the glory of man as the flower of the grass.

The grass withers,

And its flower falls away,

But the word of the Lord endures forever.”

Now this is the word which by the gospel was preached to you.”

Romans 8:1-2

“There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.  For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.”

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We are reading a book by Corrie ten Boom, with daily recordings she made to broadcast over Trans World Radio.  Her Dutch family  sheltered Jews during the Nazi invasion of Holland.  As a result, she, her sister Betsy and their father were taken to concentration camps in Germany. The Lord did many miracles to allow both Corrie and Betsy to bring the Gospel to the other women in their camp.   Their father was murdered in an extermination camp and Betsy was sick, dying just two weeks before Corrie and the rest were freed.  After her freedom, Corrie traveled the world, telling everyone even in remote areas, about salvation through Christ, besides radio and writing many books.  This one is entitled, “Not I, but Christ.”

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TAKE STOCK

During the years I had a watchmaker’s business at Haarlem , I had the habit of taking stock at the end of the year.  I liked to do this.

Now I want to try to take stock of the supplies we as God’s children have.  This really is an impossible thing and however much we work, it always encompasses only a small part of what we really have.  But it is useful.  When we are in Christ it is necessary that we learn to live as rich people, for the world is poor.

Once I heard somebody review the first four days of the new year.  There were many fearful events to report, and his last words were:  “I tremble to think of the rest of the year.”  Many people all over the world shared this feeling with him.

A Christian can and must be realistic.  In our days we see Antichrist marching on.  When we read the Bible regarding the current happenings and those we must expect before Jesus comes again, we can expect times of tension.

In Luke 21 Jesus warned us and showed us the way with respect to all the things that are happening now.  We can expect terrible things, also persecution.  But the Lord says:  “Be not terrified: for these things must first come to pass ….. there shall not a hair of your head perish ….. lift up your heads; for your redemption draws near.”( Luke 21, verses 9, 18, and 28)

At one time I was in a country where persecution broke out.  Christians were killed.  All of a sudden a deep joy welled up in me.  Never had I opened the Bible with such thankfulness.  I read Romans 8 and 1 Peter 1.  What wonderful abundance for the children of God in need!!

We are all more or less on the front line of the battle, not against flesh and blood, but against the spiritual wickedness, against principalities, against the rulers of the darkness of this world.  It is a battle that will be increasingly heavy and severe and in which we shall need the armor of God, as described in Ephesians chapter 6 very much!

I once heard that a person gave the advice that we as Christians should learn Morse code.  Then, if we were imprisoned it would be very useful.  Well, I cannot agree.  When during the war I was in prison, I knew the Morse code, but it didn’t help me very much.  What was valuable to me was every Bible text and every hymn I knew by heart.  Learning these by heart is a preparation we can all have.

You need not necessarily begin with Genesis 1 or Matthew 1, but ask the Lord to guide you by His Holy Spirit in the choice of Bible verses.

Yes, we must learn to handle the sword of God, even if we should not have the Bible anymore.  What vision Romans 8 gives us!  The suffering of this time cannot be compared with the glory that is coming.  Maybe you see threats and death around you, but a far greater reality is that Jesus lives and is with us.

Especially in days of tribulation we shall be used.  We can argue about the tribulation and the rapture of the believers, but in tribulation we can be strong, by taking the promises of the Bible seriously. 

Already in a large part of the world, God’s children are being persecuted.  In our time there is darkness all over the world, and we know about the needs of the world.  There is fear because of the uncertainty of all the visible things.  But Romans 8:22-23 says:

“For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now.  Not only that, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body.”

Romans 8:19:

“For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God.”

 So, who are these?

Romans 8:14:

“for as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.”

What does the groaning creation see when it looks at you and me?  Does it see beggars, poor and miserable beings, or does it see children of the King?  Eva von Tiele Winckler once said:  “We are the children of a King, and we have the keys to the treasure room of our father.  These treasures are available to us every moment of the day.”

I am only just at the beginning of the supplies of this treasure room.!

Lord Jesus, will You forgive us when we live like beggars, although you suffered on the cross in order to make us rich children of the King?  Holy Spirit, please open our eyes.  Give us vision that we may know how rich we are and that the groaning creation may see in us that which is so greatly desires:  victorious, relaxed, rich children of God.  Please help us to make the world jealous, in a holy way, to receive the peace that passes all understanding.  Amen

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