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

May 4. Heaven Brought to Us

"Thy kingdom come." Matthew 6:10

This is a very comprehensive prayer. It pleads for . . .
the extension of God's spiritual realm in this world,
His power over men's hearts and lives, 
the subjugation of earth's kingdoms to His sway. 

It is a prayer that men may put away their sins and amend their lives; that they may take Christ as their king, and yield every thought and desire to Him. It is not a longing to be lifted away to heaven — but a craving that Heaven may be brought to us, into our hearts and lives.

We are in danger of thinking too much of other people and the coming of God's kingdom into other hearts and lives as we offer his prayer. The little piece of world for which we are first responsible — is that which lies within our own hearts and lives. While then we pray "May Your kingdom come," we should look within ourselves to see if we have submitted to the reign of Christ.

 ARTICLE XX of the Thirty-Nine Articles of Religion of the Reformation Church of England (the Doctrinal Formulary for the anglican Orthodox communion)

Click:  https://youtu.be/xcwTvDoovaM

Abe Lincoln Quip -

 

DAILY BREAD

Testimonies for the Truth of the Gospel.

"If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater; for this is the witness of God which He hath testified of His Son. He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself."

1 John 5:9-10.

Every Christian has experienced in his own heart the wonder­ ful power of the Gospel. Every Christian has this testimony for the divine truth o f the Gospel which the H oly Ghost makes effective in his heart. Such testimony assures a Christian that the Gospel of Christ is not a delusion, but divine truth. The Gospel will fill his heart with the peace of God and with the firm conviction that all his sins are forgiven. If you have this testi­ mony in your heart, you can say: “I know whom I have believed, and I am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I have committed unto Him against that Day.”

Another testimony for the truth of the Gospel are the prophecies in the Old Testament and their exact fulfilment in the Hew. One should scarcely think that a person having such evidence before him could entertain the least shadow of a doubt as to the divine truth of the Gospel. Can any one deny that the description of Christ which we have in the New Testament cor­ responds exactly with the description of the Messiah which we have in the Old Testament? Have not all the prophecies been literally fulfilled in the Lord Jesus Christ? Search the Scrip­ tures if any doubts arise in your minds as to the truth of the Gospel. The testimony of the Scripture is able to dispel all your doubts and to confirm you in the faith that the Gospel is divine truth.

Still another testimony for the truth of the Gospel are the many eye-witnesses who saw Christ after His resurrection. They conversed with the risen Lord. They ate and drank with Him. With their own eyes they saw Him ascend to heaven. And these eye-witnesses were intelligent men, honorable, trustworthy per­ sons, whose characters were beyond reproach. Let us glory in our faith, which overcometh the world, and thank our God for such overwhelming evidence of the truth.

Prayer.

O Lord God, Thou hast given us many and overwhelming testimonies for the truth of Thy divine Gospel, for which we heartily thank Thee. And we pray Thee, let these testimonies dispel all our doubts and silence all objections. O let us appre­ ciate more and more the truth of the Gospel which Thou hast granted unto us so abundantly! Grant us Thy Holy Spirit. Come with comfort to the weak, teach the wretched Thy way, help the fallen, guide the erring, and hold them with Thy right hand. Be Thou our light in darkness, our salvation in life, our comfort in death. Amen.

O Holy Ghost, Thou precious Gift, Thou Comforter unfailing,
O’er Satan’s snares our souls uplift, And let Thy power availing

Avert our woes and calm our dread; For us the Savior’s blood was shed, We trust in Thee to save us.

 QUOTE FROM PRESIDENT ZACKORY TAYLOR (1849)

“The Bible is the best of books, and I wish it were in the hands of every one. It is indispensable to the safety and permanence of our institutions. A free government can not exist without religion and morals, and there cannot be morals without religion. Especially should the Bible be placed in the hands of the young. It is the best school book in the world. I would that all our people were brought up under the influence of that holy book.”

 THE FAMILY ALTAR

May 3.

"I am the Good Shepherd". John 10, 11.

"I will feed My flock, and I will cause them to lie down,

saith the Lord God. I will seek that which was lost, and bring

again that which was driven away, and will bind up that which

was broken, and will strengthen that which was sick. And I will

set up one Shepherd over them, and He shall feed them, even My

servant David; He shall feed them, and He shall be their Shep-

herd." (Ezek. 34, 15. 16. 23.) This glorious promise of the Old

Testament was fulfilled in David's Son and David's Lord, our

dear Savior Jesus Christ, who says of Himself: "I am the Good

Shepherd." King David was a good shepherd when in his youth

he tended the flocks of his father on the hills of Bethlehem and

a lion and a bear fell on the sheep and seized one of the helpless

little lambs. At the risk of his life, David set after the wild

beasts, and slew them, and rescued the lamb out of their deadly

jaws. (1 Sam. 17, 34. 35.) But our Savior has done more, in-

finitely more for us. He laid down His divine life for us, His

wayward and sinful sheep, and at the price of His own precious

blood has rescued our immortal souls from the power of everlasting

death. Verily, He is the Good Shepherd of our souls, and there

is none beside Him. And He is a faithful Shepherd, tenderly

watching over His blood-bought sheep, providing for their daily

wants, healing their wounded souls, defending them by night and

day against all prowling foes, keeping them safe and unharmed

in the fold, His holy Christian Church. Let others refuse to own

Him as the Shepherd and Bishop of their souls, we will own

Him, and follow Him, and gratefully sing His sweet praises here

on earth until He leads us into the fold of His singing saints above.