성령 안에 있는 의와 평강과 희락(롬14:17)

COULD THIS BE TRUE OF ME? “But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself.” Acts 20:24 It is easier to serve God without a vision, easier to work for God without a call, because then you are not bothered by what God requires; common sense is your guide, veneered over with Christian sentiment. You will be more prosperous and successful, more leisure-hearted, if yo..

THE UNRELIEVED QUEST “Feed My sheep.” John 21:17 This is love in the making. The love of God is un-made, it is God’s nature. When we receive the Holy Spirit He unites us with God so that His love is manifested in us. When the soul is united to God by the indwelling Holy Spirit, that is not the end; the end is that we may be one with the Father as Jesus was. What kind of oneness had Jesus ..

HAVE YOU FELT THE HURT OF THE LORD? “Jesus said unto him the third time, Lovest thou Me?” John 21:17 Have you felt the hurt of the Lord to the uncovered quick, the place where the real sensitiveness of your life is lodged? The devil never hurts there, neither sin nor human affection hurts there, nothing goes through to that place but the word of God. “Peter was grieved, because Jesus said..

THE UNDEVIATING QUESTION “Lovest thou Me?” John 21:17 Peter declares nothing now (cf. Matthew 26:33-35). Natural individuality professes and declares; the love of the personality is only discovered by the hurt of the question of Jesus Christ. Peter loved Jesus in the way in which any natural man loves a good man. That is temperamental love; it may go deep into the individuality, but it does..

DO YE NOW BELIEVE? “By this we believe . . . Jesus answered, Do ye now believe?” John 16:30-31 Now we believe. Jesus says-Do you? The time is coming when you will leave Me alone. Many a Christian worker has left Jesus Christ alone and gone into work from a sense of duty, or from a sense of need arising out of his own particular discernment. The reason for this is the absence of the resurrect..

THE IMPOVERISHED MINISTRY OF JESUS “From whence then hast Thou that living water?” John 4:11 “The well is deep”—and a great deal deeper than the Samaritan woman knew! Think of the depths of human nature, of human life, think of the depths of the “wells” in you. Have you been impoverishing the ministry of Jesus so that He cannot do anything? Suppose there is a well of fathomless tr..

INFERIOR MISGIVINGS ABOUT JESUS “Sir, Thou hast nothing to draw with.” John 4:11 “I am impressed with the wonder of what God says, but He cannot expect me really to live it out in the details of my life!” When it comes to facing Jesus Christ on His own merits, our attitude is one of pious superiority-Your ideals are high and they impress us, but in touch with actual things, it cannot be..

THE DESTITUTION OF SERVICE “Though the more abundantly I love you, the less I be loved.” 2 Corinthians 12:15 Natural love expects some return, but Paul says—‘I do not care whether you love me or not, I am willing to destitute myself completely, not merely for your sakes, but that I may get you to God.’ “For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though He was rich, yet fo..

THE DELIGHT OF SACRIFICE “I will very gladly spend and be spent for you.” 2 Corinthians. 12:15 When the Spirit of God has shed abroad the love of God in our hearts, we begin deliberately to identify ourselves with Jesus Christ’s interests in other people, and Jesus Christ is interested in every kind of man there is. We have no right in Christian work to be guided by our affinities; this i..

THE DETERMINATION TO SERVE “The son of Man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister.” Matthew 20:28 Paul’s idea of service is the same as our Lord’s: “I am among you as He that serveth”; “ourselves your servants for Jesus’ sake.” We have the idea that a man called to the Ministry is called to be a different kind of being from other men. According to Jesus Christ, he is ..