John 10:1-19

For the Christian cross carrying and chastisement are alike but not identical. They differ in a number of important ways. The two ideas are usually considered to be the same and the words embodying the ideas are used interchangeably. There is, however, a sharp distinction between them. When we confuse them we are not thinking accurately; and when we do not think accurately about truth we lose some benefit that we might otherwise enjoy. The cross and the rod occur close together in the Holy...

For Reading and Meditation:     Luke 9:18-27

Suppose a tiny seed had a will of its own and decided to save itself by refusing to be buried. It would abide alone. It would save itself but would not save others. When it decided to be buried and die, then the result would be a golden harvest. Take a mother: she goes down into the valley of the shadow of death to bring...

For Reading and Meditation:     John 10:1-18

I said yesterday that I subscribe to the supervisal inspiration of the Bible. I believe God led the minds and hearts of the writers of Scripture to go to the right sources for information, to come up with the required data, and in the process protected them from exposure to error, deceit, or imposture. He supervised...

For Reading and Meditation:     John 5:31-47

Jesus claimed to be greater than the Scriptures. Everyone else has to put themselves under the authority of the Scriptures. In one sense, of course, Christ subjected Himself to the Scriptures, but in another sense He was superior to them. He did not emerge from the Bible; the Bible emerged from Him. The Amplified Bible...

JESUS has a flock peculiarly His own; His Father chose them and gave them to Him; He received them and became their Shepherd; they wandered and were doomed to die, but He interfered and died for them. Oh, what an infinite love was the love of Jesus! He left His Father's bosom, left the songs of angels, left the throne of glory, and became a man, that He might become a Substitute. He offered Himself for them. His blood for theirs, His life for theirs. The offer was accepted, and He redeemed...

Beloved, are you in the fold of Jesus? Are you numbered with His sheep? Are you feeding and resting among them? Jesus presents Himself to us this morning, in a very lovely character; He says, "I AM THE GOOD SHEPHERD."

There is no other shepherd so good or so great as He. He has the tenderest affection for His flock. He affords them His powerful protection. He finds them plenty and suitable provision. He gave His life to redeem them. He sends his spirit to sanctify them. He is preparing...

No purpose of God can be thwarted. Man may have his wickedness, but God has His way. Man may have a lot to say, but God will have the last word. Solomon reminds us that "there is no wisdom or counsel against the Lord" (Proverbs 21:30). And Jeremiah adds his testimony that "every purpose of the Lord shall be performed" (Jeremiah 51:29).

Joseph's brothers decided to get rid of him by selling him...

The Bible is fairly full of tokens of God's marvelous care for His people. During Israel's forty-year trek through the wilderness, they ate food from heaven (Exodus 16:4), had an unfailing supply of water (1 Corinthians 10:4), and were equipped with shoes that never wore out (Deuteronomy 29:5).

It is the same in our wilderness journey. To prove this,...

It is important to know the devices of our enemy, the Devil. Otherwise he is likely to take advantage of us.

We should know that he is a liar, and has been from the beginning. In fact, he is the father of lies (John 8:44). He lied to Eve by misrepresenting God, and he has been doing it ever since.

He is a deceiver (Revelation 20:10). He mixes a little truth with error. He imitates or...

Thou art indeed the good shepherd; but we must acknowledge that there often appears in us something that looks very much like a denial of this truth. Believing thee to be the good shepherd, why are we sometimes so slow to follow thee? Why do we ever doubt that thy commandments are better than our own conceits? Why murmur at the ruggedness of thy path? Why look with wistful eyes at the pastures which thou forbiddest? We name thee the good shepherd; but is there not some hypocrisy in the joy...