Blog Archives - WELCOME TO THE JOY OF TROY

December 21, 2019

12/21/2019

And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light and they shall reign for ever and ever (Rev. 22:5).

    In the city of God 'there shall be no night.' None will need or desire repose. There will be no weariness in doing the will of God and offering praise to His name. We shall ever feel the freshness of the morning and shall ever be far from its close....The glory of God and the Lamb floods the Holy City with unfading light. The redeemed walk in the sunless glory of perpetual day" (The Great Controversy, p. 676).

    The light of that city is divine, "for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof. And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it" (Rev. 21:23, 24). If we follow Him who is in the light of life here, we shall walk with Him in eternal light there.

    Those who come out of the darkness of sin into the light of the gospel will reign here in the light the Lord God shall give.

    John Newton, who came out of the depths of sin and degradation to be a noble minister of God, said there will be three wonders he will see in the light of heaven. The first wonder will be to see so many people there whom he did not expect to see. The second wonder will be to miss many people whom he did expect to see. The third and greatest wonder of all will be to find himself there. God grant that we may all share that wonder too in the city of light eternal.

                                So at last we see in heaven's bright morning
                                        The face of Him who brought our soul from night;
                                And in the pure glory of that fair dawning,
                                        All shadows end in His eternal light.

MEDITATION PRAYER: "Every day will I bless thee; and I will praise thy name for ever and ever" (Ps. 145:2).

December 20, 2019

12/20/2019

But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin (1 John 1:7).

    What a promise this is! If we walk in the light as it is revealed in Christ, we have Christian fellowship and cleansing from all sin through His blood.

    Hemeralopia is a peculiar disease of the eye, causing a defect of vision so that objects can be seen only at night. Are not some Christians afflicted with a sort of spiritual hemeralopia? They desire just a little light. The bright sunshine of a holy, consecrated life pains their weak eyes. They walk in some light, but not in the light as Christ is in the light.

    "What is the blood of Christ?" asked Livingstone in that last solitary month of his African wanderings. "It is Himself. It is the inherent and everlasting mercy of God, made apparent to human eyes and ears. The everlasting love, disclosed by our Lord's life and death. It shows that God forgives because He loves to forgive."

    As we pray, we look up into the face of forgiveness, a face marked with lines of suffering endured for our sakes. "Ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as sliver and gold,...but with the precious blood of Christ" (1 Peter 1:18, 19).

                                Thy love, O Christ, arisen,
                                Yearns to reach all souls in prison:
                                Now beneath the shame and loss
                                Sinks the plummet of Thy cross.
                                Never yet abyss was found
                                Deeper than Thy grace can sound.

MEDITATION PRAYER: "Make thy face to shine upon thy servant: save me for thy mercies' sake" (Ps. 31:16).

December 19, 2019

12/19/2019

And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him (Rev. 22:3).

    In the very beginning of this world, sin brought a curse upon the earth (Gen. 3:17). "The wages of sin is death" (Rom. 6:23). The curse that followed sin has affected the entire human race. In the verse preceding our promise text, we are told that the tree of life will bear a different fruit every month there by the river of life. Had the first Adam been permitted to eat of this tree after he sinned, he would have lived forever in his fallen state, and that would have been the greatest curse of all.

    We are told that God will dwell here in this earth made new, for "the throne of God and the Lamb shall be in it." He can dwell only where there is no curse or sin, which is the cause of the curse. It is the Lamb, and He alone, who "hath redeemed us from the curse..., being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree" (Gal. 3:13).

    The curse of sin and death comes upon all those who disobey God's law of righteousness. And all have sinned; therefore, all have been under the curse. Jesus, who knew no sin, was made sin for us "that we might be made the righteousness of God in him" (2 Cor. 5:21). In that curseless land of blessing, God's servants will truly serve Him. Here we serve God by helping others, but there we shall serve Him directly.

    Kepler, the astronomer, looking up from his mathematical computations, once said, "I think Thy thoughts after Thee, O God." May this be our service here and before the throne.

MEDITATION PRAYER: "O Lord, how great are thy works! and thy thoughts are very deep" (Ps. 92:5).

December 18, 2019

12/18/2019

And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus (Phil. 4:7).

    Philippi was a military colony, an outpost of the Roman Empire. In his Epistle to the Philippians the apostle uses several military terms. One such is found in our promise verse for today.

    In the phrase "shall keep your hearts," Paul uses a Greek word meaning "guard," or "garrison," as a well-protected stronghold. In Isaiah 26:1-3 it is written: "We have a strong city; salvation will God appoint for walls and bulwarks. Open ye the gates, that the righteous nation which keepeth the truth may enter in. Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee."

    God's truth, God's salvation, God's peace, are the gates, walls, and bulwarks protecting His people. Yes, what a mighty fortress is the peace of God! It passes all understanding. We cannot analyze it. The greatest student of mind therapy cannot lay it out on the table for mental dissection. It is not arrived by mental gymnastics. It is not a result of psychiatric therapies or yoga philosophies. It is the peace of God. It is the peace that Jesus knew and offered to His followers. "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubles, neither let it be afraid" (John 14:27). Our emotions as well as our intellect will be garrisoned by this peace "through Christ Jesus."

                                Peace, peace, sweet peace,
                                        Wonderful gift from above;
                                Oh, wonderful, wonderful peace,
                                        Sweet peace, the gift of God's love.
                                                                __P. P. Bilhorn

MEDITATION PRAYER: "The Lord lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace" (Num. 6:26).

December 17, 2019

12/17/2019

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9).

    This is one of the great promises and one needed by everybody, for "all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God" (Rom. 3:32), and "the wages of sin is death" (Rom. 6:23). This is one of the absolutely necessary steps toward heaven--confession of sin. Read the connection here. It is the Lord who forgives our sins, the Lord who cleanses us from all unrighteousness. And He is faithful. He will not forget one sin; He will not overlook one. Every sin will be cleansed, every one will be forgiven. His death was an atoning sacrifice "for the sins of the whole world" (1 John 2:2).

    Not only is He faithful, but He is just. If we confess our sins and accept Christ as our Redeemer, it would be unjust on God's part not to forgive us, since Jesus has died for our sins--every one of them. The debt has been canceled on the cross. It cannot be collected now.

    Political offenders are sometimes given what is called an amnesty. That means, literally, a "not remembering." This is exactly what the Lord grants to everyone who comes to Him through His Son Jesus Christ. No matter what the offense or offenses may be, God, who is ready to pardon, says, "Their sins and iniquities will I remember no more" (Heb. 10:17).

    Not only does our God forgive, but He cleanses from all unrighteousness. The life of the Christian is to be like His every day. Deliverance from the condemnation of sin is justification, and deliverance from the power of sin is sanctification. Someday He will deliver from the presence of sin, , and that will be glorification. Until that day let us lean upon this wonderful promise.

MEDITATION PRAYER: "Iniquities prevail against me: as for our transgressions, thou shalt purge them away" (Ps. 65:3).

December 16, 2019

12/16/2019

But the salvation of the righteous is of the Lord: he is their strength in the time of trouble. And the Lord shall help them, and deliver them: he shall deliver them from the wicked, and save them, because they trust in him (Ps. 37:39, 40).

    The Old Testament and the New Testament are in perfect harmony on this subject. Our salvation does not come from humans, but from the Lord, and it is by faith that we will be saved, because we trust in Him. We read in Ephesians 2:8: "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and not of yourselves: it is the gift of God." From the beginning of the world until today it has always been true that it is not by any works of righteousness we have done but through His mercy that He saves us (Titus 3:5).

    A man who seemed to be going blind and had only $100 to his name went to a great eye specialist. "I am not sure whether you can pay my fee," said the doctor. "I never perform an operation for less that $500."

    "Then I must go blind and remain so," said the poor man.

    "You cannot come up to my terms, and I cannot go down to yours. But there is another way," suggested the specialist. "I can perform the operation free."

    And so it is that we come to the Great Physician and say:

                                Nothing in my hand I bring,
                                Simply to Thy cross I cling.
                                                            __Augustus M. Toplady

    Notice what the Lord will do for His people. He will be their strength in time of trouble; He will help them, deliver them, and save them. What wonderful words of encouragement! He who has brought us salvation will be our guide through life. No real harm can come to us while we abide in Him and He abides with us.

MEDITATION PRAYER: "But I am poor and needy: make haste unto me, O God: thou art my help and my deliverer; O Lord, make no tarrying" (Ps. 70:5).

December 15, 2019

12/15/2019

For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad (2 Cor. 5:10).

    All human beings must appear in judgment. But to the Christian what a glorious consideration--our Redeemer is to be our judge! "The Father...hath committed all judgment unto the Son" (John 5:22). He who died for us passes final sentence as to the reward for our works.

    When Dr. Channing was 10 years old, he heard Dr. Hopkins preach a mighty sermon on the subject of the judgment. He was deeply impressed and expected his father to speak to him about his soul's salvation. But not a word was said. On reaching home, the father sat down to read. Dr. Channing says: "I made up my mind that my father did not believe one word of what he had heard. He was not alarmed, so why should I be? I dismissed the whole subject from my thoughts." Could it be that the father's thoughtlessness drove his son into the ranks of unbelief regarding evangelical Bible doctrines? In view of the solemn and certain fact that everyone must stand before the judgment seat of Christ, shall we not speak of it to our children and friends?

    All our works must be wrought in Christ. He is the sure and only foundation. "Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire" (1 Cor. 3:12-15). Are we preparing here for our appearance there?

MEDITATION PRAYER: "Thou didst cause judgment to be heard from heaven; the earth feared, and was still" (Ps. 76:8).

December 14, 2019

12/14/2019

For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able to subdue all things unto himself (Phil. 3:20, 21).

    Sickness, physical disabilities, the burdens of age come upon us, and then we know that this body is indeed "the body of our humiliation," as one translation puts it. In the body, temptations of the flesh afflict us, and we know that the word "vile" in not too strong. Our bodies humble us; they link us even with the dust. But our Savior has promised to change it all.

    The apostle Paul says that our conversation, our citizenship, is in heaven, from whence we look for our Savior to appear. A day of change is coming--no more aching brows, swollen limbs, failing hearts. It is coming--the day of immortal youth, when even these bodies of ours shall suddenly be changed, "like unto his glorious body." What a promise! What a hope!

    An old English soldier was relating how one of his companions had lost both legs in the Crimean War. The day came when the soldiers were to appear before the queen for their medals. "Someone pinned one on me," said the soldier, "but when the queen saw the legless man being carried on a stretcher, she took his medal in her own hands and pinned it on him, exclaiming, 'My brave soldier! My brave soldier!' As she bent over him, her tears fell upon his face. My friend never mentioned the medal afterward, but he would always say, 'Boys, I looked into the face of the queen, and that was reward enough for me.' " And so it will be with God's children when they look into the face of their Savior. Then "we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is" (1 John 3:2).

MEDITATION PRAYER: "All thy works shall praise thee, O Lord; and thy saints shall bless thee" (Ps. 145:10).

December 13, 2019

12/13/2019

I the Lord have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles (Isa. 42:6).

    This passage is like a High Sierra range with four glorious snow-clad peaks of promise that reflect God's promise in four words--call, hold, keep, give. God calls His children, He holds them, He keeps them, and He gives them.

    When Staupitz commanded Martin Luther to ascend the pulpit and preach, the modest professor put up 15 arguments, or pretexts, with which to excuse himself. Staupitz persisted.

    "Ah, worthy doctor," said Martin, "it would be the death of me."

    "What then?" was the response. "Be it so in God's name."

    Luther then ascended the pulpit in the old wooden chapel, which was propped up on all sides to keep it from falling, and there commenced the Reformation by preaching. The mighty results that followed proved the call to have been from God.

    God calls all believers to His service. They are all to be workers for Him. "Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel" (Mark 16:15) was said to all Christ's disciples. He holds the hands of those He calls and leads them through every dark place and into the right fields of labor. He keeps them as "a wall...on their right hand, and on their left" (Ex. 14:22) when they cannot keep themselves. Then, to bless others, He gives them His covenant, His promise, as a light to the nations.

                                Are you Christ's light bearer? of His joy a sharer?
                                        Is this dark world fairer for your cheering ray?
                                Is your beacon lighted, guiding souls benighted
                                        To the land of perfect day?
                                                                                __Priscilla J. Owens

MEDITATION PRAYER: "Therefore will I give thanks unto thee, O Lord, among the heathen, and sing praises unto thy name" (Ps. 18:49).

December 12, 2019

12/12/2019

Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years (Rev. 20:6).

    All those who have died since the beginning of time will rise at last. "For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming" (1 Cor. 15:22, 23). "This is the first resurrection" (Rev. 20:5), the resurrection of the "blessed and holy." A thousand years later the rest of the dead rise to judgment and the second death. Between these two resurrections is the millennium, the thousand years of prophecy during which the blessed and holy are priests of God and of Christ, and reign with Him. Where will we be during the millennium--with Christ, in the heavenly place; or upon this earth, which will be waste and void?

    In the beginning, before the face of nature was marred by sin, God said of this world that it was very good. If that was true of this earth, what will heaven be like? A small girl looked up wondering into the star-studded sky and exclaimed, "If the wrong side of heaven looks like that, what must the right side be like?" And so say we.

    As travelers often study the language of countries to which they expect to go, let us study the language of heaven, the language of faith, the language of love.

                                Let us learn the language of that home
                                        Whilst here on earth we be,
                                Lest our poor hearts for want of words,
                                        Be dumb in that high company.

MEDITATION PRAYER: "They shall abundantly utter the memory of thy great goodness, and shall sing of thy righteousness" (Ps. 145:7).