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For Those Seeking The Truth
& Dynamic Living Christ is Victor |
November/December 2005
Volume 18, Number 6
“A Greeting Full of Love and
Goodwill”
“And Mary arose in those
days, and went into the hill country with haste, into a city of
Immediately
after the angel Gabriel told Mary of the wonderful thing which was going to
happen to her, Mary arose and went into the hill country of
From country to country salutations differ. There is a variety of salutations and greetings in different nations. Politicians are given a tumultuous welcome. Unlike the formal and insincere greetings, which are exchanged, the greetings in the Bible are so meaningful and inspiring.
Many greet one another at Christmas time. But Mary’s salutation was completely different because as soon as this salutation fell on the ears of Elisabeth, an extraordinary thing happened. The Bible says, she was filled with the Holy Ghost, as soon as she heard the greeting of Mary.
A greeting full of love and goodwill is sure to produce very profound results. Most people greet one another, in a casual and formal manner.
These two cousins were brought close together by the divine revelations, which were given to them. A miracle had taken place in Elisabeth’s life, Mary did not know this. No newspaper, no telephone and no other means of communication had published the event. If there had been a journalist around, Zacharias’ encounter with an angel would have hit the headlines.
Mary was completely unaware of all these happenings. But the angel told her, “And, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren. For with God nothing shall be impossible.” When Mary heard this, it certainly would have thrilled her to the depths of her soul. But a greater thrill was that she was going to be the mother of the Saviour of the world. She was going to be the human receptacle, to receive the Divine Son of God. But what a great responsibility!
Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost and the babe in her womb also shared this blessing. Every expectant mother must know that she imparts her inmost emotions to the babe in her womb.
How many people we greet during this Christmas season! When we get a new heart, even our greeting is quite different. When we see Mary’s spiritual level, we cannot help but feel that we are spiritual dwarfs. Has anyone been blessed by our greetings?
Some cousins never live in love. But as soon as Mary went there and greeted Elisabeth, the latter greeted her in prophetic words: “Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb.” Elisabeth was much older than Mary. “And it came to pass, that, when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost.” (Luke 1:41)
For nine months a babe is carried in the womb of a mother. A Spirit-filled woman, what wonderful emotions she imparts to her child! I know every mother is anxious till the child is born.
Here Mary said, “I must go up the hills and see my cousin. How wonderful that she is expecting a baby in her old age, I must share my secret with her.” Such was the resolve of Mary. It was no superficial fellowship, which existed between them.
Any Fellowship or Church will be only an empty eggshell if there is no love, no reality, no prophecy and no works of the Holy Spirit. Elisabeth had no difficulty at all to believe that Mary was going to bring forth the Messiah and thus fulfill the prophecy of Isaiah, who had foretold the virgin birth of Jesus nearly seven hundred years earlier.
In the story of Christmas, God lifts ordinary people - Joseph, Mary, Elisabeth, Zacharias – to the level of revelation and prophecy, to share the heart of God.
-Joshua Daniel
“The Christmas Gift”
When Christmas morning came, the long-expected morning, the prayers seemed long, and the breakfast was hardly touched when the servant came to announce that all was ready, And father and mother let us helter-skelter in. I can see the table now covered with presents, and the tree in the middle.
There was a great heap, and I did not need to ask anybody for them, I just took them. Off the wrapping paper went and onto the floor – one walked knee deep in waste paper. And when the paper was gone, the presents were appropriated: this was mine, and that.
Can you not imagine God lifting the cloth off a great table full of gifts? All is ready. Child, you have been waiting years for it, and the day has come, and there is your gift, and yours, and yours.
What do you want? You have been praying for forgiveness. There it is! Now come up and take it. You have been asking for the assurance of sonship. It is there! Take it. What do you want? Power over passionate thoughts and deliverance from an unholy appetite? Well, the purity of Christ will answer all that.
What do you want? “I have a terrible temper, sir. I try to be pleasant at home, but, when I am most determined, I get easily put out and I am ready to kill myself with remorse. If I could only keep my tongue still!”
Well, here it is, the patience of Christ. What do you want? It is all ready, it has been here a long time but you have never come for it. Here it is. What is it you want? Well, here it is – all the old, glad strength of earlier days, when you used to leap as the hart. It is here in Jesus Christ.
On Christmas Day, realize that the once-infant Jesus is in heaven and has set the table. He is the table, He is the gift. His human nature, set free in death, is now glorified on His Father’s throne. Is not that enough for you? The Lord Jesus is the complement of your need.
-F.B.Meyer
“Ye must be Born
Again”
A few years ago my wife and I and our children were on our way West. My eldest son, just a little boy at the time, was fond of going through the train pretending that he was the news agent. He said, “Father, have you any tracts I could give out?” I had some and so handed them to him. He handed everybody one of these gospel tracts, and soon most of the people were reading them. A little later I was passing through the car, and a lady occupying one of the sections stopped me and said, “I beg your pardon, sir, but I think it was your child who gave me this tract, was it not?”
“Yes, it was,” I said,
“Won’t you sit down a moment?” she asked.
So I introduced my wife, and we sat down.
“You cannot imagine,” she said, “how pleased I am to know that there are other religious people on this train.”
“You are interested in these things?” I inquired.
“Yes, indeed,” she said. “I have been religious all my life.”
“When were you born again?” I asked.
“Oh,” she replied, “my father was a class leader, and an uncle and two brothers of mine are all clergymen.”
“That is very interesting,” I said. “And may I ask again, have you been converted yourself?”
“Why, you don’t seem to understand; my father was a class leader, and my uncle and two brothers are earnest clergymen.”
“But you don’t expect to go to heaven hanging on their coattails, even if they are born again, do you? Have you been truly converted to God yourself?” I asked.
“Not at all,” she replied, “but I thought if I put it that way, you would understand that religion runs in our family.”
“Religion may run in your family, but religion and Christianity are two very different things,” I said. “There are a great many people who are intensely religious, but they are not saved. Our blessed Lord was speaking to a very religious man when He said, ‘Ye must be born again.’”
I had great difficulty getting that lady to see that salvation is not of blood. She could scarcely understand how a family such as hers needed regeneration. Perhaps you nave rather prided yourself in the fact that you too came from a line of Christian progenitors and have taken it for granted that because your parents were Christians, you are. Let’s remember, “which were born, not of blood.”
-Henry A. Ironside
“Reality Check”
“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.” -Isaiah 9:6
“Journey to
“And in the sixth month the
angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of
All religions have their own festivals. In these festivals, unrighteousness often has full play. Christians have only a few festivals. The most important of them is the birth of Christ and the death of Christ and the Day of Resurrection. It is right that people rejoice on the day of Christ’s birth. Angels sang their songs on that day. Shepherds had set out to see Him and they saw Him and rejoiced. Wise men started out from distant lands to seek Him. They saw the babe and worshipped Him, offering their gifts.
Let us also do the same. Let us make a journey to see Jesus. Let us turn our minds from our earthly possessions to the King of Heaven. Some of us with our worldly wisdom and education have gone far away from Him. Our gold, our frankincense and myrrh we have locked up for ourselves. Let us set out on our spiritual quest, seeking Him to offer these unto Him. Let us seek Him who is born as King of the Jews and Lord of Heaven and Earth. Those who are highly educated have to humble themselves and make a long journey to find Him. The angels spoke to simple shepherds. Wise men saw the sign of a star and journeyed a great distance. The prophecies of the seers will speak to men.
Those that sought Jesus found Him in a manger. He was lying on a bed of straw. The God of Heaven came as a little babe and lay in the arms of a pure and simple virgin, Mary. Kings and rich men did not have the privilege of carrying the holy babe. A holy young woman, whom angels could visit, bore this baby and nursed Him. He who filled the Heaven of Heavens, came in the form of a tiny babe. To be able to limit like this is the true sign of greatness. He who can humble himself is the one who can be raised up to a place of great power. The humble and broken in the spirit are those whom the Lord loves. Those who can humble themselves and those who can forsake all are His children. These qualities belong to the royal priesthood. The proud cannot approach Him. They cannot worship Him.
Athaliah, the daughter of Jezebel, once reigned over
Satan usurped the rulership of this world. But the true King had agreed before the world began to come and overthrow the usurper. Accordingly, He came born of a virgin to die on the cross and to rise again the third day to take over the government into His hands. How many can perceive a king in the little babe in the manger! “Kiss the son lest he be angry and ye perish in the way” (Ps. 2:12).
He
was the One who drew Enoch into fellowship with Himself. Enoch was a man with a
family. With the responsibilities of a family on him, he walked with God and
Jesus took Him to Himself. Even at that early time, Jesus demonstrated the
power of Ascension. It was He who made Noah preach
salvation for 120 years. It was He who made Noah build the
He
is the One who called Abraham and touched him and his wife in their old age and
gave them a son. He is the One who demonstrated that He is the author of life
and that nothing is impossible with Him. He is the One who led Moses. He is the
One with His mighty power overthrew Pharaoh’s army. He is mighty in
battle. He wields the sword of righteousness. He is the One who divided the
He
is the One who raised up the prophet Elijah to judge
the house of Ahab, which led
Many
kingdoms arose and fell. Many kingdoms have disappeared. In
The laws of an everlasting kingdom come from His lips. He is the Word that was in the beginning and the Word that was with God. The Word was made flesh and come into our midst, and spoke in human language and with a human tongue.
The Word, which came in human form, stretched forth His hand to heal the lepers and to raise the dead. God’s mighty power dwelt in Him that was born of a woman. In Him, the divine nature was perfectly reflected. He is the Eternal God who can change us into His likeness. Does He appear to be only a man? No! He is God. Let your knees bend before Him. Worship Him!
-N. Daniel
“An
Unforgettable Christmas Eve!”
Curtis Bradford, a pastor, said that when he was seven years old he crawled into bed on Christmas Eve so excited he couldn’t sleep. Pretending to be asleep, he lay there until he was sure his parents were snoring. Then, about 2 A.M., he crept downstairs.
There under the Christmas trees were his presents. A drum set beckoned him to play it then and there, but he didn’t dare. But he found other gifts he could play with. A cowboy outfit, a set of six-shooters, a puppet. Filled with excitement, he emptied his stocking, began eating the candy, the apple, the orange… But suddenly, hearing a noise, he turned and saw his dad looking sternly down at him.
For a fleeting moment, Curtis was afraid, but his dad broke into a smile, settled himself in the recliner, and listened while Curtis showed him everything, explaining how the six-shooters worked and how the puppet moved its mouth.
Sleep soon came over him, and his dad picked him up, carried him upstairs, and tenderly tucked him into bed. The next morning they had a wonderful Christmas, but, Curtis said, “I will never forget that Christmas Eve.”
The years flew by, and on another memorable Christmas Curtis found himself again at his father’s side. This time the older man lay paralyzed from an automobile accident and weak from cancer. Treatments, therapy, and experimental drugs had left him weighing less than one hundred pounds and in great pain. But despite his pain, he asked if Curtis would dress him so he could watch the family open presents. He wanted a cleanly shaven face. So Curtis lathered then shaving mug and brush and got out the razor to shave his dad. The old man told him how his beard grew this way and that, and how he needed to turn the razor up at one point and down at another.
After the shave, Curtis dressed him and carried him to the den where the family waited. He was able to sit there for almost fifteen minutes before the joy turned to almost unbearable pain. Then his eyes filled with tears, and he asked Curtis to carry him back to bed. Gently, the strong adult son gathered the frail man into his arms. Curtis later said, “As I made my way to his bedroom, I recalled the night many years before when he had carried me to my bedroom after our private Christmas showing. Now it was my turn to carry him.”
Tears ran down Curtis’ face as he nestled his dad into bed, and seeing the tears, the old man pointed to a tape recorder beside the bed. Curtis turned it on, and together they listened to the Bible being read. It was John 14: “In my father’s house there are many mansions…” Silently Curtis thanked God for saving him, for saving his father, for giving them those moments together, and for those times when the Lord had carried them both.
Two days later, Curtis’ dad passed away. But the memories are precious rather than painful, says Curtis. “Because of Jesus, whose birth we celebrate on Christmas and who died to save those who believe in Him, I know I will see my father again. And what a family reunion that will be!”
-Selected
“Good Night or Good-Bye?”
There was a devoted Christian who was struck by an automobile and hurried to a hospital. He was informed he had only about two hours to live. He called his family to him and thus addressed them:
“GOOD NIGHT, DEAR WIFE. Through sunshine and shadow we have walked together. You have been my inspiration in everything I have undertaken. Many times I have seen the Spirit of God shining in your face. I love you far more than the day you became my bride. Good night, dear, I’ll see you in the morning; good night.”
“GOOD NIGHT, MARY. You are our first-born. What a joy you have been to your father! What a Christian you are, Mary! You will never forget how your father loved you; Good night, Mary, Good night.”
“GOOD NIGHT, WILL. (He turned to his eldest son.) Will, your coming into our home has been an unmixed blessing. You love the God of your father. You will continue to grow in every Christian grace and virtue. You have your father’s love and blessing. Good night, Will, good night.”
Charlie was the next. Charlie had fallen under evil influences and grievously disappointed his father and mother. The dying man skipped him and spoke to the youngest child, a beautiful young girl.
‘GOOD NIGHT, GRACIE. Gracie, you have long been a song of gladness, and ray of light. When not long ago you surrendered your life to Christ your father’s cup of happiness was full to overflowing. Good night, little girl, good night.”
“GOOD-BYE, CHARLIE” He then called Charlie to his side. “Charlie, what a fine, promising boy you were! Your father and mother believed you would develop into a noble man. We gave you all the opportunities we gave to the other children. If there has been any difference you yourself must admit that the difference was all in your favour. You have disappointed us. You have followed the broad and downward road. You have not heeded the warnings of God’s holy word. You have not hearkened to the call of the Saviour. But I have always loved you and love you still, Charlie. God only knows how much I love you. GOOD BYE, CHARLIE, GOOD-BYE!”
Charlie seized his father’s hand and between sobs he cried out, “Father, why have you said ‘Good Night’ to the others and ‘Good-Bye’ to me?”
“For the simple reason that I shall meet the other members of the family ‘in the morning’, but by all the promises that assure us of a reunion, by those same statements of God’s word I can have no hope of seeing you ‘over there.’ Good-bye, Charlie, good-bye.”
Charlie fell on his knees by his dying father’s bed and cried out in agony of his soul, praying God to forgive his sins.
“Do you mean it, Charlie; are you in earnest?’
“God knows I am,” said the heartbroken young man.
“Then God will hear you and save you, Charlie, and it is good night and not good-bye. Good night, Charlie, good night, my boy.” And he was gone.
Later on Charlie became a preacher of the Gospel.
- Selected
This
newsletter is produced six times per year by the Laymen’s Evangelical Fellowship
International. It is printed and distributed in the
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