We Love God!

God: "I looked for someone to take a stand for me, and stand in the gap" (Ezekiel 22:30)

In 1956 Life magazine told of the shocking death of five missionaries in the jungles of Ecuador. For several months these men had tried to make contact with the primitive Auca Indians. On their first attempt to establish a camp, they were brutally murdered! Today these same Auca tribesmen are all Christians. They are leaders of a small congregation that worships near the spot where the missionaries died. Many educators and government leaders have expressed astonishment at the miraculous change in these Indians. How did it happen? The answer lies in the love of God expressed to these people by the sister of Nate Saint and the wife of Jim Elliot, two of the martyred missionaries. Led by God who is love and not vengeance, these women were able to break down the walls of distrust. In time they were able to share the gospel with these tribesmen and see the love of Christ transform their lives.
George Sweeting

It is God's word that does convert, quicken, comfort, and build up, or, on the other side, wound and beat down. What is the reason that there was so great an alteration made by the ministry of Christ and His disciples, by the apostles and others after them, indeed, by Luther, and other ministers of reformed churches? They did not preach traditions of elders like the scribes; nor men's inventions like the Roman Catholics do. They preached the pure word of God. The more purely God's word is preached, the more deeply it pierces and the more kindly it works.
William Gouge

    • Bible Reading: NOV09: John 16-18

    Posted on

    Chapter 16 centers around the ministry of the
    Holy Spirit. The disciples could not understand why
    Christ must leave them, so He was showing them that His
    return to the Father would make possible greater
    blessings in the coming of the Holy Spirit. The
    Christian life cannot be lived in the energy of the
    flesh. We must have the Spirit of God living in us if we
    are to grow spiritually and live the life that glorifies
    Christ. In this great chapter the Lord describes the
    work of the Holy Spirit through the believer.

    In verses 1-11 Jesus tells us that the Holy
    Spirit convicts the world of sin, of righteousness, and
    of judgment; in verses 12-15 He tells us that the Holy
    Spirit instructs the Christian; in verses 16-22 that the
    Holy Spirit encourages the Christian; and in verses 23-
    33 that the Holy Spirit helps the Christian pray.

    Chapter 17 contains Christ’s High Priestly
    Prayer, and has often been called “The Holy of Holies of
    John’s Gospel.” In it we have the privilege of hearing
    the Son of God in conversation with God the Father. In
    verses 1-8 Christ prays for Himself; in verses 9-19 He
    prays for His disciples; and in verses 20-26 He prays
    for His Church.

    In chapter 18 Jesus leaves the place of prayer
    for His meeting with His enemies. The chapter is divided
    into three parts: The arrest of Jesus is covered in
    verses 1-14; the denial of Jesus is covered in verses
    15-27; and the rejection of Jesus is covered in verses
    28-40.

    Much has been written about how unfair and
    illegal Jesus’ trial was and about Pilate’s cowardly
    indecision. Note several aspects of His trial: It was
    held at night and Jesus was assumed to be guilty; Jesus
    was mistreated while bound and false witnesses testified
    against Him; and after the secret night trial, Jesus was
    led to Pilate for the final death sentence. Note that
    the Jews would not enter the Gentile’s hall for fear
    they “should be defiled”; yet they condemned an innocent
    Jesus to death. Then, at least seven times Pilate went
    from the hall to the Jews outside, trying to work out a
    compromise with them.

    Jesus’ trial was a picture of Christless
    religion–people straining at gnats and swallowing
    camels!

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