Daily Bible Notes: July, 17th
The following daily bible notes for every day of the year, are taken from six public domain sources:
- "Morning and Evening" by Charles H.Spurgeon
- "My Daily Meditation for the Circling Year" by John H.Jowett
- "Yet Another Day - A Prayer for Every Day of the Year" by John H.Jowett
- "The Cheque Book of the Bank of Faith" by Charles H.Spurgeon
- "The Morning Message" by G.Campbell Morgan
- An Evening Meditation from "Searchlights from the Word" by G. Campbell Morgan
1. "Morning and Evening" by C.H.Spurgeon
Morning
Knowing, brethren beloved, your election of God.
1 Thessalonians 1:4
Many persons want to know their election before they look to Christ, but they cannot learn it thus, it is only to be discovered by "looking unto Jesus." If you desire to ascertain your own election; - after the following manner, shall you assure your heart before God. Do you feel yourself to be a lost, guilty sinner? go straightway to the cross of Christ, and tell Jesus so, and tell Him that you have read in the Bible, "Him that cometh unto me, I will in no wise cast out." Tell Him that He has said, "This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners." Look to Jesus and believe on Him, and you shall make proof of your election directly, for so surely as thou believest, thou art elect. If you will give yourself wholly up to Christ and trust Him, then you are one of God’s chosen ones; but if you stop and say, "I want to know first whether I am elect," you ask you know not what. Go to Jesus, be you never so guilty, just as you are. Leave all curious inquiry about election alone. Go straight to Christ and hide in His wounds, and you shall know your election. The assurance of the Holy Spirit shall be given to you, so that you shall be able to say, "I know whom I have believed, and I am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed to Him." Christ was at the everlasting council: He can tell you whether you were chosen or not; but you cannot find it out in any other way. Go and put your trust in Him, and His answer will be - "I have loved thee with an everlasting love, therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee." There will be no doubt about His having chosen you , when you have chosen Him . "Sons we are through God’s election, Who in Jesus Christ believe."
Evening
Let not one of them escape.
1 Kings 18:40
When the prophet Elijah had received the answer to his prayer, and the fire from heaven had consumed the sacrifice in the presence of all the people, he called upon the assembled Israelites to take the priests of Baal, and sternly cried, "Let not one of them escape." He took them all down to the brook Kishon, and slew them there. So must it be with our sins - they are all doomed, not one must be preserved. Our darling sin must die. Spare it not for its much crying. Strike, though it be as dear as an Isaac. Strike, for God struck at sin when it was laid upon His own Son. With stern unflinching purpose must you condemn to death that sin which was once the idol of your heart. Do you ask how you are to accomplish this? Jesus will be your power. You have grace to overcome sin given you in the covenant of grace; you have strength to win the victory in the crusade against inward lusts, because Christ Jesus has promised to be with you even unto the end. If you would triumph over darkness, set yourself in the presence of the Sun of Righteousness. There is no place so well adapted for the discovery of sin, and recovery from its power and guilt, as the immediate presence of God. Job never knew how to get rid of sin half so well as he did when his eye of faith rested upon God, and then he abhorred himself, and repented in dust and ashes. The fine gold of the Christian is oft becoming dim. We need the sacred fire to consume the dross. Let us fly to our God, He is a consuming fire; He will not consume our spirit, but our sins. Let the goodness of God excite us to a sacred jealousy, and to a holy revenge against those iniquities which are hateful in His sight. Go forth to battle with Amalek in His strength, and utterly destroy the accursed crew: let not one of them escape.
2. "My Daily Meditation for the Circling Year" by J.H.Jowett
John 12:12-36
12 On the next day a great multitude had come to the feast. When they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem,
13 they took the branches of the palm trees and went out to meet him, and cried out, "Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, the King of Israel!"
14 Jesus, having found a young donkey, sat on it. As it is written,
15 "Don't be afraid, daughter of Zion. Behold, your King comes, sitting on a donkey's colt."
16 His disciples didn't understand these things at first, but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things were written about him, and that they had done these things to him.
17 The multitude therefore that was with him when he called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead was testifying about it.
18 For this cause also the multitude went and met him, because they heard that he had done this sign.
19 The Pharisees therefore said amongst themselves, "See how you accomplish nothing. Behold, the world has gone after him."
20 Now there were certain Greeks amongst those that went up to worship at the feast.
21 These, therefore, came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida of Galilee, and asked him, saying, "Sir, we want to see Jesus."
22 Philip came and told Andrew, and in turn, Andrew came with Philip, and they told Jesus.
23 Jesus answered them, "The time has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.
24 Most certainly I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains by itself alone. But if it dies, it bears much fruit.
25 He who loves his life will lose it. He who hates his life in this world will keep it to eternal life.
26 If anyone serves me, let him follow me. Where I am, there my servant will also be. If anyone serves me, the Father will honour him.
27 "Now my soul is troubled. What shall I say? 'Father, save me from this time?' But I came to this time for this cause.
28 Father, glorify your name!" Then a voice came out of the sky, saying, "I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again."
29 Therefore the multitude who stood by and heard it said that it had thundered. Others said, "An angel has spoken to him."
30 Jesus answered, "This voice hasn't come for my sake, but for your sakes.
31 Now is the judgement of this world. Now the prince of this world will be cast out.
32 And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself."
33 But he said this, signifying by what kind of death he should die.
34 The multitude answered him, "We have heard out of the law that the Christ remains forever. How do you say, 'The Son of Man must be lifted up?' Who is this Son of Man?"
35 Jesus therefore said to them, "Yet a little while the light is with you. Walk while you have the light, that darkness doesn't overtake you. He who walks in the darkness doesn't know where he is going.
36 While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become children of light." Jesus said these things, and he departed and hid himself from them.
THE DYING OF SELF
"Except a corn of wheat ... die!" Yes, it is through death we pass to life. Discipleship in which there is no death can never be truly alive. The nipping winter is essential to the green and flowery spring. No tomb, no resurrection glory! In every life there must be a grave, and self must be buried within it.
We must die to self in our prayers. In many prayers self is obtrusive and aggressive from end to end. It is self, self, self! That self must be crucified. We must make more room for others in our supplications. On our knees the egotist must die, and the altruist be born. And "if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit"! There are multitudes of professing Christians who would experience a wonderful resurrection if they were more "given to hospitality" in their communion with the Lord.
And if self die in our prayers, nowhere else will it be seen. That which is truly slain when we are upon our knees will not reassert itself when we return to common ways of work and service. And, therefore, let the corn of wheat fall into the ground and die!
3. "Yet Another Day - A Prayer for Every Day of the Year" by John H.Jowett
July 17th.
My Lord, wilt Thou elevate and refine my speech? I want my lips to be Thy witnesses. I want my conversation to be
sanctified. I pray that my social intercourse may be pervaded by the spirit of grace. Keep Thou my lips.
4. "The Cheque Book of the Bank of Faith" by C.H.Spurgeon.
The pcopls that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits.
Daniel 11:32
"The Lord is a man of war, Jehovah is his name." Those who enlist under his banner shall have a commander who will train them for the conflict, and give them both vigour and valour. The times of which Daniel wrote were of the very worst kind, and then it was promised that the people of God would come out in their best colours: they would be strong and stout to confront the powerful adversary.
Oh, that we may know our God; his power, his faithfulness, his immutable love, and so may be ready to risk everything in his behalf. He is one whose character excites our enthusiasm, and makes us willing to live and to die for him. Oh, that we may know our God by familiar fellowship with him; for then we shall become like him, and shall be prepared to stand up for truth and righteousness. He who comes forth fresh from beholding the face of God will never fear the face of man. If we dwell with him, we shall catch the heroic spirit, and to us a world of enemies will be but as the drop of a bucket. A countless array of men, or even of devils, will seem as little to us as the nations are to God, and he counts them only as grasshoppers. Oh, to be valiant for truth in this day of falsehood.
5. "The Morning Message" by G.Campbell Morgan.
The true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.
John 1:9
He was the essential Light of men, the Light of the world, and all the men who have flung light across the pathway of human life, from that moment until now, have not been the Light, but light-bearers, and they have lit their torches from the Light, the Son of God.
6. "An Evening Meditation" taken from "Searchlights from the Word" by G.Campbell Morgan.
Upon the first day of the week let each one of you lay by him in store, as he may prosper.
1 Corinthians 16:2
That is the true system of Church finance. Whether the money be needed for the succour of the saints who are in need, for the maintenance of the work of God in a given centre, or for the carrying of the Gospel to the uttermost parts of the earth, if this rule were followed by all the members of the Church, there would be no lack, and no languishing exchequers. To read these words carefully, simply, thoughtfully, is to realize how final they are. First, it is an activity for an appointed day, the first day of the week. That is the day of resurrection, the day in which in assembling with the saints, we worship, and prepare for all the coming days. Secondly, it is an individual responsibility. In the transaction no third person can take part. It is something between the soul and the Lord. That will deliver us on the one hand from meanness, and on the other from the dishonesty of giving what we cannot afford, in order to keep up appearances. Thirdly, the giving is to be the laying by in store. That is, the gift is to be separated from all other possessions, devoted to special use, put aside in order that, as occasion demands, it may be available. This is not raising money to pay debts. It is providing so that no debt be incurred. Finally, the measure of giving is, as we prosper. That means continual readjustment. What we put away last week is never to be the measure of what we give this week. Each week the income of the previous week must be considered.
Note: To the best of our knowledge we are of the understanding that the above material, all published before 1926 and freely available elsewhere on the internet in various formats, is in the public domain.