Blog Archives - WELCOME TO THE JOY OF TROY

June 18, 2019

6/18/2019

All the ends of the world shall remember and turn unto the Lord: and all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before thee (Ps. 22:27).

    It may not look like it now, but Christians belong to a winning cause. Someday their Lord will reign "from sea even to sea, and from the river even to the ends of the earth" (Zech. 9:10). "This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations" (Matt. 24:14) when the angel of the judgment hour cries "to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him" (Rev. 14:6, 7).

    There is a definite prophecy that "it shall come to pass, that from one new moon to another, and from one sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me, saith the Lord" (Isa. 66:23). And in Psalm 72:11 we read: "All kings shall fall down before him: all nations shall serve him." When the King was born in Bethlehem of Judea, the angel said: "Thou...shalt call his name Jesus....And the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: and he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end" (Luke 1:31-33).

    In this "house of Jacob" the overcomers will be gathered from all kindreds, all nations, all peoples, all tongues, over all the earth. He who was and is "the desire of all nations" (Haggai 2:7) has promised that the gospel of His worldwide kingdom shall be preached to all nations (Mark 13:10), and that those who believe shall be baptized and become one people through the "obedience to the faith among all nations" (Rom. 1:5). In Him all nations are to be blessed (Gal. 3:8). And to His city, the New Jerusalem, "the nations of them which are saved" shall enter in (Rev. 21:24).

MEDITATION PRAYER:  "All nations whom thou hast made shall come and worship before thee, O Lord; and shall glorify thy name" (Ps. 86:9).

June 17, 2019

6/17/2019

After these things the word of the Lord came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward (Gen. 15:1).

    God's friend had just been delivered in a great battle against four kings, but he was to face other dangers just ahead. He needed a shield, and he had the very best, for God said to him, "I am thy shield."

    In our travels among the Arabs we discovered that they do not call their ancestor Abram or Abraham, but "The Friend." Why was he called the friend of God? For our answer we read James 2:23: "Abraham believed God...: and he was called the Friend of God."

    God becomes "a shield unto them that put their trust in him" (Prov. 30:5). In ancient times the man without a shield was soon done to death in battle by the weapons of his enemy. In those days there was the small shield and the great shield. God is the great shield to all who put their trust in Him, as did Abraham. There are many missiles of the enemy of souls that cannot be dodged, so our only protection is a shield; and God is that shield. His protecting providences are our shield here and our reward here and hereafter.

    When Felix of Nola was hotly pursued by desperate murderers, he took refuge in a cave, and almost instantly spiders wove their webs over its entrance. Seeing this, the murderers who came along a few minutes later passed by. Afterwards this man of God said, "Where God is not, a wall is but a spider's web. Where God is, a spider's web is a wall."

    It was true in Abraham's day, and it is true now, that God "is a shield unto them that put their trust in him."

MEDITATION PRAYER: "The Lord is my rock,...in him will I trust: he is my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower, and my refuge, my savior; thou savest me from violence" (2 Sam. 22:2, 3).

June 16, 2019

6/16/2019

Thou shalt be hid from the scourge of the tongue: neither shalt thou be afraid of destruction when it cometh (Job 5:21).

    Although "the tongue of the wise is health" (Prov. 12:18) and "a wholesome tongue is a tree of life" (Prov. 15:4), it is certainly true that a slanderous tongue is sharpened like that of a serpent (Ps 140:3). It is spoken of in Psalm 57:4 as a sharp sword. There are many people who hide wickedness under their tongues (Job 20:12).

    It is true that the day will come when "every tongue shall confess to God" (Rom. 14:11). But there are those who do not now bridle their tongues (James 1:26), and in such cases "the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity" (James 3:6). It separates chief friends (Prov. 16:28), breaks up churches, destroys peace of mind. It is a direct cause of tears, heartbreak, ill health, and death. But in spite of all this, and with all our philosophy, it is humanly impossible to tame the tongue (James 3:8).

    A mother once told her children to divide all people into two classes, friends and strangers. "Friends we love too much to gossip about; strangers we know too little," she said. George Meredith said that a gossip is a beast of prey who does not even wait for the death of the victim he devours. Almost everyone at some time suffers "the scourge of the tongue." But God promises that His children will be hid from it, protected from it. The tongue can be a scourge by flattery as well as by slander. William Cowper quoted Proverbs 29:5, "A man that flattereth his neighbor spreadeth a net for his feet," and then added: "He that slanders me paints me blacker than I am, and he that flatters me, whiter. They both daub me, and when I look into the glass of conscience I see myself disguised by both." God is our protection from both. Let us flee to Him. And remember: "A lying tongue is but for a moment" (Prov. 12:10).

MEDITATION PRAYER:  "Thou shalt hide them in the secret of thy presence...: thou shalt keep them secretly...from the strife of tongues" (Ps. 31:20).

June 15, 2019

6/15/2019

The Lord hath heard my supplication; the Lord will receive my prayer (Ps. 6:9).

    Others may not hear me, but the Lord will. Abraham Lincoln said, "I have been driven many times to my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had nowhere else to go." This promise, which lies sleeping in the psalmist's believing, may be ours by faith. One of the attributes of the true and living God is that He hears prayer. "O thou that hearest prayer, unto thee shall all flesh come" (Ps. 65:2).

    Billy Sunday once told of a little girl who was obliged to have an operation. Just before receiving the anesthetic, she asked the doctor, "What are you going to do to me?"

    "My dear, we are going to operate, and then you will be well again."

    "But," she persisted, "what is going to happen now?"

    "Why, we are going to put you to sleep so you will not feel any pain."

    Then the child said, "But before going to sleep I always say my prayers." And there in the presence of the interns, physicians, and nurses, the little girl climbed down, got on her knees, and said aloud:

                                Now I lay me down to sleep,
                                I pray the Lord my soul to keep;
                                If I should die before I wake,
                                I pray the Lord my soul to take.

    That little girl prayed with the simple faith of a child. In the simplicity of prayer, may we all be as little children. Let us do as did David, who said, "What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee" (Ps. 56:3), and then we shall be afraid no more.

    Let us pray in simple faith, for "the Lord will receive my prayer."

MEDITATION PRAYER:  "Thou answeredst them, O Lord our God: thou wast a God that forgavest them" (Ps. 99:8).

June 14, 2019

6/14/2019

For the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish (Ps. 1:6).

    The way of the righteous may at times seem to be a long hard way, but God knows it, and He is watching over His children. Just as certainly, "the way of the ungodly shall perish." It may seem like a very wonderful, interesting, and successful way, but in the end that way of life will perish. This promise of judgment for the wicked is just as certain as God's promise of reward for His people.

    When David looked at the prosperity of the wicked, he said, "My steps had well nigh slipped" (Ps. 73:2). He almost lost his faith when he saw evil in prosperity, and good often suffering the world's frown and even persecution. But then he added, "Until I went into the sanctuary of God; then understood I their end" (verse 17). In the light of God's sanctuary we see the justice, truth, and eternal righteousness of Heaven, and everything looks different. We may not see it now, but someday we shall see it as God sees it.

    It is as sure as God's Word is sure that "the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord" (Rom. 6:23). Unless we are on the heavenly way, we are on the way that shall perish. In entire agreement with this are the words of John 3:16. Those who believe will have everlasting life; others will perish. It is not the will of God "that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance" (2 Peter 3:9).

    Remember this: The ungodly are those without God. They may not oppose Him, fight Him, blaspheme Him, argue against Hs existence. They may not even be among the atheists or infidels. They are simply ungodly and live as though there were no God. They neglect Him, and their end is destruction. God knows this, and He wants us to know it. Let us not walk in the way that shall perish, but with Him who is "the way, the truth, and the life" (John 14:6).

MEDITATION PRAYER:  "Teach me thy way, O Lord; I will walk in thy truth: unite my heart to fear thy name" (Ps. 86:11).

June 13, 2019

6/13/2019

  Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him (Rev. 1:7).

    Jesus is coming, and "every eye shall see him." Once He came in weakness as the Babe of Bethlehem; now He comes in glory in the clouds of heaven (Acts 1:9-11). His coming is visible. He comes with the splendor of the lightening (Matt. 24:27). He comes with the "sound of a trumpet," "and the dead in Christ shall rise first" (Matt. 24:31); 1 Thess. 4:16). He comes to the wicked as a thief, unexpectedly (Luke 12:39, 40).

    Our Savior declared that those who condemned Him and took part in the tragedy of His death would see Him "sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven" (Mark 14:62). "They also which pierced him" in addition to "every eye," will see Him come. How can they? Only by a resurrection. This seems to be clearly indicated in Daniel 12:1, 2: "Many...[not all] that sleep...shall awake," some of the righteous, not all of them, will rise to everlasting life, and "some [not all of the wicked] to shame and everlasting contempt." The coming of our Lord will be a scene of terror to the wicked, because they are unprepared for it, but to God's people it will bring joy and triumph. "When the world's distress comes, then the saints' rest comes."

    Someone has imagined the convalescent traveler sitting in the doorway of the inn to which the good Samaritan had taken him, looking up to road waiting for the return of his deliverer. He might say, "He promised to come back, and I know he will keep his word; but I want to be waiting and watching for him." And so it should be with Christians who await the return of their Lord from heaven.

    Let us live in expectation of our Lord's return. The last prayer in the Bible is "Even so, come, Lord Jesus" (Rev. 22:20.

MEDITATION PRAYER:  "Thou art the God of my salvation; on thee do I wait all the day" (Ps. 25:5).

June 12, 2019

6/12/2019

Say to them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not: behold, your God will come with vengeance, even God with a recompence; he will come and save you (Isa. 35:4).

    This is a promise for us when we are troubled, afraid, or worried. Notice this command of God: "Be strong, fear not." God would not command this if it were not possible. Our deliverance from fear and worry is based on faith. And the promise is: "Your God will come with vengeance, even God with a recompence; he will come and save you."

    We need to study the whole plan of God and to see the end from the beginning. Full rewards are not given in this life, but there is a judgment day coming. In Hebrews 2:2 we read that every transgression will receive "a just recompence of reward." And God's people may know that their confidence has "great recompence of reward" (Heb. 10:35). But the greatest reason we should never worry or be troubled is that the Lord Himself promises to come and save us. He will come to us in Christ at His second coming, but He comes to us now by His Spirit. In fact, He is never far from any one of us, as the great apostle Paul tells us in Acts 17:27.

    Years ago I heard Bishop William Alfred Quayle preach, and I shall never forget the words of that great Cornishman. He told about sitting alone in his study at night worrying about some torturing anxiety. About midnight it seemed that God came to him and said, "Quayle, you go to bed. I'll sit up the rest of the night." The Lord had not forsaken him. He was there and knew what to do. He will come and save us, too, if we will let Him. If we believe, we shall cease our worrying and begin to trust. Let us "rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him" (Ps. 37:7).

MEDITATION PRAYER:  "O keep my soul, and deliver me:...for I put my trust in thee" (Ps. 25:20).

June 11. 2019

6/11/2019

Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day; nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday. A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come night thee (Ps. 91:5-7).

    In the early days of the reign of Alexander I, Bible reading and devotion were held in contempt among the upper classes in Russia. Prince Galitzin was appointed one of the official rulers of the church, and he purchased a Bible secretly in order to acquaint himself with the first principles of Christianity. It changed his whole life. Then Napoleon Bonaparte invaded Russia, and all St. Petersburg prepared either to fight or to flee. Galitzin alone remained unmoved and continued work on his palace as though his country were in the midst of profound peace. In astonishment the czar asked, "How is it that you go on building when everyone else prepares to flee?"

    "The Lord is my defense, sire," replied Galitzin. "I'm safe here as anywhere." Then he showed him his Bible, the first Bible Alexander had ever seen. The prince opened it to the ninety-first psalm: "He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty." The czar was profoundly impressed and went to the cathedral for worship before leaving for his campaign. The pastor began to read this same psalm. "Did Galitzin tell you to select that psalm?" asked the czar after the service. "No, I prayed the Lord to be guided in my choice."

    The czar went a day's march with his army. In the evening, feeling anxious, he ordered his chaplain to read to him, and he began, "He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High--"

    "Stop," cried the czar, "Did Galitzin tell you to read that to me?"

    "Certainly not," said the chaplain. "I asked God to direct me."

    From that time on, Alexander read the Bible secretly every day.

MEDITATION PRAYER:  "What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee" (Ps. 56:3).

June 10, 2019

6/10/2019

Remembering the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure (Isa. 46:9, 10).

    This is God's challenge to unbelief. In ancient days God challenged false religious systems, saying, "Declare us things for to come. Shew the things that are to come hereafter, that we may know that ye are gods" (Isa. 41:22, 23). The idols of the nations were silent, for they were no gods. Only the living God can foresee and foretell the future, and in this way He has borne witness to Himself through the ages. "I have spoken it," He declares, "I will also bring it to pass; I have purposed it, I will also do it" (Isa. 46:11). The fulfillment of prophecy in history is a fascinating story. Sometimes it is fulfilled after long waiting, but it never fails. History proved that God spoke the truth. Let us study the prophecies of Daniel and the Revelation, the prophecies of the apostle Paul, and above all, the prophecies of Jesus.

    Dr. Edward Young, author of Night Thoughts, was visited by a friend a few days before his death. Their conversation concerned the prophecies. Dr. Young closed the conversation with these words: "My friend, there are three considerations upon which my faith in Christ is built as upon a rock: the fall of man, the redemption of man, and the resurrection of man. These three cardinal articles of our religion are such as human ingenuity could never have invented. Therefore, they must be divine. The other argument is this: If the prophecies have been fulfilled, of which there is abundant demonstration, the Scripture must be the Word of God. And if the Scripture is the Word of God, Christianity must be true."

    The apostle Peter exhorts us to study the prophecies.

MEDITATION PRAYER:  "For ever, O Lord, thy word is settled in heaven" (Ps. 119:89).

June 9, 2019

6/9/2019

  Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it (Mal. 3:10).

    Including the tithe, or tenth, the ancient Israelites gave offerings amounting, some say, to at least one fourth of their income. Can the Christian believer in this age of grace do less? Centuries before the Jewish economy, Abraham paid tithes to the priest of the Most High God, and Jacob said to God on the night of his dream, "I will surely give the tenth unto thee" (Gen. 28:22). Our Lord said to some of the religious leaders of His day who were careful in tithing but careless in other things, "These ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone" (Matt. 23:23).

    Seriously, friends, we cannot expect heaven to be opened in blessing unless we pay our dues unto God and His cause.

    A widow taught her boys to lay aside for the Lord's work 10 cents of each dollar they earned. Charley became restless and went to the Far West of those days and fell into sin. Still the habit of tithing was so strong that he continued to return unto God His own. One day as he held a shining 10-cent piece before him, he exclaimed: "this is all foolishness. I'll go and buy a drink with this dime and end this nonsense forever." He rushed to the bar, threw the coin on the counter, and ordered a drink. But before it reached him, his silver seemed to turn into an accusing spirit that cried, "You are using God's money to buy a curse." He picked up the dime, rushed out the door and far into the country, threw himself upon the ground, and pleaded for mercy. After hours of conflict he arose a child of the King. The tithe had led him to his Redeemer.

MEDITATION PRAYER:  "The heavens are thine, the earth also is thine: as for the world and the fulness thereof, thou hast founded them" (Ps. 89:11).