Blog Archives - WELCOME TO THE JOY OF TROY

April 30, 2019

4/30/2019

In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also (John 14:2, 3).

    God fits heaven for the redeemed, and the redeemed for heaven. This is really a promise, a prepared place for us if we are prepared. He is preparing for us. Are we preparing for Him? And, after all, our great reward is not so much the place as the Savior Himself. We are to be with Him.

    A traveler who had just returned from a trip to Jerusalem was visiting with Humboldt, the great naturalist and statesman, and discovered that he was as thoroughly acquainted with the streets and buildings of Jerusalem as was he himself. So he asked the aged statesman how long it had been since he visited Jerusalem. He replied, "I have never been there, but I intended to visit the Holy City 60 years ago, so I prepared myself."

    If we are to be at home in the heavenly land, we must begin to prepare ourselves for it now. We must study the city. We must have contact with the King of the land.

    The King is coming to receive His own. There is no doubt about it. His word has never been broken (John 10:35). "I am preparing; I will come again," He says. "I will receive you unto myself." And we can only answer, "Even so, come Lord Jesus" (Rev. 22:20).

                                Could we but climb where Moses stood,
                                        And view the landscape o'er
                                Not all this world's pretended good
                                        Could ever charm us more.
                                                                        __Isaac Watts

MEDITATION PRAYER: "Lord, thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations. Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God" (Ps. 90:1, 2).

April 29, 2019

4/29/2019

  For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord (Rom. 8:38, 39).

    The apostle knew it. The love of God is greater than the measure of a human being's mind. It is higher, deeper, broader, than all things and all thinking; and nothing can separate us from it, ever.

    A starry-eyed young woman, having written a number of poems, went to an editor and told him she wished to have her poems published in his magazine. "What are they about?" asked the editor. "All about love" was the prompt reply. "Well, what is love?" questioned the editor. "Love," said the young woman, "is gazing upon a lily pond at night, with the shimmering moonbeams, when the lilies are in full bloom, and--" "Stop, stop!" cried the editor, sternly. "You are all wrong. I'll tell you what love is. It's getting up cheerfully at 2:00 in the morning to fill the hot-water bottle for a sick child. That's real love. I'm sorry, but I don't think I can use your poems." The editor was right. Real love is doing something for somebody who needs our help no matter how hard it is for us to give it. And "God so loved."

    Nothing that happens in life, not even death itself, can separate us from the love of God revealed in Christ Jesus. The inspired apostle John beheld the height, the depth, the breadth, of the Father's love toward us. Failing to find suitable language to express it, he called upon the world to behold it. "Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God" (1 John 3:1).

    "God is love" is written on every bud, on every blushing flower, on all the beauties of nature. It is written in the heart of a mother; but clearest of all, upon the cross.

MEDITATION PRAYER:  "Let thy lovingkindness and thy truth continually preserve me" (Ps. 40:11).

April 28, 2019

4/29/2019

  He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? (Rom. 8:32).

    If not a promise in form, this is certainly a promise in fact. It is a mighty sea of promises.

    William Spurgeon of Wales was lecturing in Scotland, and after the lecture an old man approached him and said, "Dr. Spurgeon, I'm glad to meet you. I'm the father of Henry Drummond."

    "Oh, then," said Spurgeon, "I already know you, for I know your son so well."

    If you wish to know what God is like, look at Jesus, for "God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself" (2 Cor. 5:19). Our unsparing God "spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all." All things belong to Him, and when God gave Jesus to us, with this gift He gave us all things.

    One who has ever heard J. Wilbur Chapman preach will never forget. In his service one night a man rose and gave this remarkable testimony" "I got off the train at the Pennsylvania Station as a tramp, and for a year I begged in the streets for a living. One night I touched a man on the shoulder and said, 'Please, mister, give me a dime." As soon as I saw his face I recognized my own father. 'Father, don't you know me?' I asked. Throwing his arms around me, he cried: 'I have found you! I have found you! All I have is yours.' Just think of it--I, a tramp, stood begging my father for 10 cents, when for 18 years he had been looking for me to give me all he possessed."

    We do not have to beg God or urge Him frantically to give us what we need. In Christ He has given us not only salvation but "all thing to enjoy" (1 Tim. 6:17), and had given them freely. Our text today is really a checkbook of faith.

MEDITATION PRAYER:  "Many, O Lord my God, are the wonderful works which thou hast done, and thy thoughts which are to usward:...they are more than can be numbered" (Ps. 40:5).

April 27, 2019

4/27/2019

APRIL 27

        Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you (John 16:13, 14).

    An American, with an Englishman, was viewing Niagara Falls. Taking his friend to the foot of the gigantic cataract, he exclaimed, "There is the greatest unused power in the world!"

    "Ah, no, my brother; you are mistaken" was the quick reply. "The greatest unused power in the world is the Holy Spirit of the living God." Is the Holy Spirit using us, guiding us? The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of truth, and He will guide us into all truth.

    We were visiting the great Carlsbad Caverns in New Mexico. How beautiful and wonderful they were--one marvel after another as we threaded our way through twisting and turning passageways, galleries, rooms, grottoes, on past the Rock of Ages to the great Throne Room itself. However, we could never have found our way through the labyrinthine ways without our guide, who led us step by step to reveal the marvels and glories to us.

    The truth is like that--like a vast cavern. But we must have a guide or we shall lose our way. The Spirit of truth leads us step by step, room by room, passageway by passageway; and He always takes us by the Rock of Ages, the Lord Jesus, into the great Throne Room of the final revelation of God. The Holy Spirit inspired the Holy Scriptures, for "holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost" (2 Peter 1:21). Therefore all that He speaks directly to the heart is in harmony with what is written in the Holy Book. He guides us into "all truth," so that we shall not be one-sided and out of balance. The Holy Spirit glorifies Jesus. How? By receiving the things of Christ and showing them to us. The Holy Spirit is the one who makes real in me what Jesus did for me.

MEDITATION PRAYER:  "Shew me thy ways, O Lord; teach me thy paths" (Ps. 25:4).

April 26, 2019

4/27/2019

APRIL 26

        Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost (Acts 2:38).

    True repentance means sorrow for sin and the forsaking of it. Samuel Johnson's father, who was a book merchant, had a stall in various towns on market days. Being ill one day, he asked young Samuel to take his place in the market at Uttoxeter. The lad was proud and clever and refused to go. The poor old man, ill as he was, had to go himself. When the father returned that night very tired and worn, he said not a word to his son; but the boy's heart smote him.

    Fifty years later after Samuel Johnson had become famous throughout England, he went to Uttoxeter on market day and stood bareheaded for hours close to the spot where his father's bookstall had been. People stared at the burly man standing there in the wind and rain without a hat on his head. But the brave man, remembering his old unkindness to his father, was showing his repentance.

    In his great Pentecostal sermon Peter mentions baptism as a step to be taken by those who have believed and repented of their sins. Baptism is an act of faith. It is a reenaction of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ (Rom. 6:1-6). It shows the believer's death to sin the burial of the old self, and the resurrection to walk "in newness of life." It is an act of obedience, and Jesus is the "author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him" (Heb. 5:9).

    The disciples at Pentecost and afterwards were endued with the ordinary and extraordinary gifts of the Spirit. They were filled with wisdom, faith, and power (Acts 6:3, 8). D. L. Moody said, "The Holy Spirit is God at work."

    Have you repented? Have you been baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins? Have you received the gift of the Holy Ghost? Let us walk in the path of obedience.

MEDITATION PRAYER:  "Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me" (Ps. 51:11).

April 25, 2019

4/27/2019

APRIL 25

        For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved (Rom. 10:13).

    The wind was high, the sea boisterous. In fact, it was a real storm on Galilee. The disciples saw what they thought was a phantom walking on the water, but their fears were calmed by the familiar voice of Jesus. "It is I; be not afraid." Then Peter said, "Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water." Jesus said, "Come." Peter began to walk toward Him on the water; but when he saw the raging billows, fear entered his heart and he began to sink. Then he prayed the shortest prayer on record, "Lord, save me." Jesus reached forth His hand and took him. (Matt. 14:26-31). This is an illustration of calling on the Lord, crying out to Him as a child might cry to its mother or father in time of danger or fear.

    Jesus came to seek and to save the lost. He was born of the blessed virgin that He might "save his people from their sins" (Matt. 1:21). That's why His name is Jesus, the Savior. But only those who call upon the name of Lord, only those who cry out for help, find His salvation and are helped. True enough, we are saved by grace through faith, and not of ourselves, "It is the gift of God" (Eph. 2:8). But in another sense we are saved by prayer. "Whosoever shall call...shall be saved." This is one prayer that will always be answered in the affirmative. The sincere cry to God for salvation will be heard. The promise distinctly says "Whosoever." But no one will call upon God for salvation until they realize that they are lost. Friend, if you need help, pray, and pray now.

                                Prayer changes things for you and me.
                                        Whatever be the care,
                                Just bring it to the throne of grace
                                        And wait for answered prayer.

MEDITATION PRAYER:  "For this shall every one that is godly pray unto thee in a time when thou mayest be found: surely in the floods of great waters they shall not come nigh unto him" (Ps. 32:6).

April 24, 2019

4/27/2019

Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world (Matt. 28:19, 20).

    Someone asked the duke of Wellington if he thought Christians ought to attempt to go into all the world with the gospel. His answer was "What are your marching orders?" In our text today we find the Christian's marching order. But may this not be difficult, even dangerous? Yes, but we are to go, nevertheless.

    We think of the story of Captain Pat Etheridge of the Cape Hatteras station of the United States Coast Guard. One night in a howling hurricane he saw the distress signal of a ship that had gone aground in the dangerous Diamond Shoal about 10 miles at sea. The rescue ships could be launched, but getting them back again was the problem. Captain Etheridge ordered the boats rolled out. One of the lifeguards protested, "Captain Pat, we can get out there, but we can never get back." "Boys," came the reply, "we don't have to come back!"

    Our Captain has not promised that we will come back safely to our homeland when we go out in His service, but He has commanded us to go. But notice the wonderful promise that goes with His command: "Lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world."

    His promised presence, unfailing in all emergencies of life, underlies the faithfulness of His service, even unto death. The presence of Jesus was very real to Stephen as the cruel stones rained down upon him. It was real to John Bunyan as he dreamed his immortal dream in Bedford jail and to uncounted multitudes of men and woman who have obeyed the command of Jesus, "Go ye." His promised presence was not merely a theory, a fancy, but a wonderful fact.

MEDITATION PRAYER:  "I will praise thee, O Lord, among the people: I will sing unto thee among the nations" (Ps. 57:9).

April 23, 2019

4/23/2019

Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved (Acts 4:12).

    A visitor to the Copenhagen Cathedral saw Thorvaldsen's Kristus. The story of the famous statue is this: When the sculptor had finished molding the soft clay of the model, he left it to dry and went home. A dense fog rolled in, and when Thorvaldsen returned the next morning he thought his masterpiece was ruined. The hands that had been uplifted to bless were now stretched out invitingly, and the regal head was bowed low. But as he gazed he saw a new Christ, different from his previous conception. This was a Christ to worship.

    There is none other to save. Let us bow before Hm. His name was angel announced: "Thou shalt call his name Jesus: for he shall save his people from their sins" (Matt. 1:21). His name means "Savior." There may be truth and beauty in art and philosophy and many other things, but in Jesus Christ there is salvation.

    In Calcutta a young Brahman came to the home of a Christian teacher for an interview. He said, "Many things that Christianity contains, I find in Hinduism; but Christianity has one thing that Hinduism has not."

    "What is that?" the teacher asked.

    The reply was striking: "A Savior."

    In this, Jesus is the Great Unique. "For there is one God, and one mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus; who gave himself a ransom for all" (1 Tim. 2:5, 6). Being both Son of God and Son of man, He came "to seek and to save that which was lost" (Luke 19:10). "To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins" (Acts 10:43). We need to be saved, and He is the Savior; so why do we wait? Let us come to Him.

MEDITATION PRAYER:  "Say unto my soul, I am thy salvation" (Ps. 35:3).

April 22, 2019

4/22/2019

And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house (Acts 16:31).

    This gospel for a man with a sword at his throat ought to be good enough for us. It is simple enough for one to understand without taking a course in systematic theology. We are to look away from self and sin and all personal merit, and trust the Lord Jesus as our Savior. We are to believe in Him, rest in Him, and accept Him as our all in all.

    A high school boy drove a much dilapidated old automobile to school. Seeing it one day, a teacher asked, "What kind of car do you have here?"

    "RFD" was the answer.

    "RFD? I have never heard of that make of car."

    "Yes," said the boy. "Rescued From Dump!'

    We Christians are RFD people. We have been rescued from the dump of life through the blood of Christ. To believe on the Lord Jesus Christ means to trust Him, to accept all He says, to obey all His commandments; to believe, repent, confess, and walk in all the light He brings to us, for He is "the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world" (John 1:9).

    Let us not forget the last words of this promise, for they apply to our house also. Let us in our prayers every day mention the names of our brothers and sisters, parents, children, friends, relatives, those who work with us and for us, and give the Lord no rest until His promise, "and thy house," is fulfilled.

                                'Tis simply to receive Him,
                                        The holy One and just,
                                'Tis only to believe Him,
                                        It is not Try, but trust.
                                                                    __E. G. Taylor

MEDITATION PRAYER:  "They cried unto thee, and were delivered: they trusted in thee, and were not confounded" (Ps. 22:5).

April 21, 2019

4/22/2019

  Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out. And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me. This he said, signifying what death he should die (John 12:31-33).

    Dominating the city of Rio de Janeiro and atop Mount Corcovado, rising nearly 2,500 feet above the sea, stands the enormous statue of Christ the Redeemer. Its outstretched arms, 92 feet from fingertip to fingertip, form a cross. Because of its great size and its location, it can be seen for many miles by land, sea, and air. Seeing this colossal figure against the sky, one is led to think of the words of Scripture: "And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me."

    Jesus spoke these words in view of the cross. He was looking forward to His death, and His sacrifice on Calvary was indeed the "judgment," or crisis, of this world. At last the whole universe saw the true character of the devil--that "he was a murderer from the beginning" (John 8:44). From that moment to this, the magnetism of the cross has been drawing the hearts of people everywhere. His cross is the center of everything.

    The apostle says that "as in Adan all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive" (1 Cor. 15:22).

    If we are drawn to religion by anything except Christ and Him crucified, we shall soon be drawn away from it. Music will not draw people to Jesus, eloquence will not draw them, logic will not draw them, ceremony will not draw them, noise will not draw them. Jesus Himself must draw them to Himself. This is the secret of real gospel work. Try preaching the crucified, risen, ascended, and soon-coming Savior. This is the greatest drawing power ever known on earth.

MEDITATION PRAYER:  "Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens: let thy glory be above all the earth" (Ps. 57:11).