FOOD FOR THOUGHT FOR SATURDAY, 25 JULY 2026

 DAILY READINGS IN LIFE OF CHRIST - J.R. Miller (1890)

July 25. A Welcome for All

"All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.!" John 6:37

We need not worry ourselves trying to harmonize the two parts of this verse; we can believe them both, and find great comfort and joy in them. Together they bring to every Christian a glorious and double confidence. Surely it is a blessed thing, to know that God has planned for our salvation — and then has given us to Christ to be His.

If this is true — then it is easy to understand the other part of this verse. Of course, Christ will never cast out any whom His Father gives to Him! They are His own; He knows them by name, and He loves them — for He died for them. Surely He will not pass by one of His own people — when He finds him lying by the wayside or among the thorns, wounded, bleeding, dying — but will take him up and bear him home in safety.

We need not give ourselves any anxiety about the former part of this verse; the latter part is all that really concerns us. If we truly come to Christ, we are here assured that He will never cast us out; but we must come. Then we shall find room enough, and a most loving welcome.

SANCTIFICATION VERSUS SANCTIMONIOUSNESS 

John 18:28. “Then led they Jesus from Caiaphas unto the hall of judgment; and it was early ; and they themselves went not into the judgment hall, lest they should be defiled; but that they might eat the passover.”

 

Went Not . . . Lest They Should be Defiled. — " Bullinger calls attention here to the wide difference between inward sanctification of the heart and outward sanctimoniousness about forms, ordinances and ceremonies. Calvin remarks that it is one mark of hypocrisy, 'that while it is careful in performing ceremonies, it makes no scruple of neglecting matters of the highest importance.

They were like the soldiers who, finding a beautiful bag of jewels, threw away the jewels but kept the bag.

— Bishop J. C. Ryle, former Bishop Of Liverpool

 TWO DIVERGING PATHS

 QUOTE OF GENERAL ROBERT E. LEE

"I cannot consent to place in the control of others one who cannot control himself."

 A Warriors’ Ideas of War

"For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape." 1 Thessalonians 5:3

Napoleon said at St. Helena, “The more I study the world, the more I

am convinced of the inability of brute force to create anything durable.”

(What a pity he could not have seen this before Austerlitz and Jena and

Moscow!) The Duke of Wellington wrote to Lord Shaftesbury, “War is a most detestable thing. If you had seen but one day of war, you would

pray God that you might never see another.” George Washington said,

“My first wish is to see this plague to mankind banished from the earth.”

"Only the dead have seen the end of war." Plato

THE FAMILY ALTAR

July 24.

"Go ye, and tell that fox, Behold, I cast out devils, and I do cures to day and to morrow, and the third day I shall be perfected." Luke 12:32.

"I love Thy Zion, Lord, The house of Thine abode, The

Church our blest Eedeemer saved With His own precious blood."

And who would not love the Lord's Zion, His holy Church, with

its blessed Gospel of free and saving grace which is our only hope

in life and death ? But have we not cause to fear that the Lord's

Zion, God's holy temple in which every believer is a living stone,

is facing destruction at the hands of its open and secret enemies

in these dangerous and evil days? It is true, God's believing

children in this wicked world resemble a little, helpless flock of

sheep surrounded by snarling, ravenous wolves. But they have

no reason to fear. Their fate lies not in their hands, but in the

hands of their reconciled and omnipotent Father in heaven.

Nothing can pluck them out of those loving hands. No power

on earth or in hell can thwart His holy purpose to give them

His kingdom of grace here and His kingdom of glory hereafter

in heaven. Their salvation is assured for time and eternity. Let

us but see to it that we are members of Christ's true, believing

little flock, then we shall have no cause to fear for our persons

or for the Church we love so much. Like soldiers sure of their

final victory in the battle, we will wage our Savior's battles with

unflinching courage and carry on His saving Gospel-work with

renewed zeal and energy in spite of all opposition. With God,

the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, on our side, we are in over-

whelming majority as compared with our numerous foes. "The

kingdom ours remaineth!"

Fear not, 0 little flock, the foe

Who madly seeks your overthrow;

Dread not his rage and power:

What though your courage sometimes faints,

His seeming triumph o'er God's saints

Lasts but a little hour.

Be of good cheer; your cause belongs

To him who can avenge your wrongs;

Leave it to Him, our Lord.

Though hidden yet from mortal eyes,

His Gideon shall for you arise.

Uphold you and His Word.