Luke 22:35-53

For an act to be sinful the quality of voluntariness must also be present. Sin is the voluntary commission of an act known to be contrary to the will of God. Where there is no moral knowledge or where there is no voluntary choice, the act is not sinful; it cannot be, for sin is the transgression of the law and transgression must be voluntary. Lucifer became Satan when he made his fateful choice: "I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High" (

For Reading and Meditation:     Philippians 2:5-11

We continue meditating on the importance of learning to think spiritually. It is sometimes interesting to listen to Christians discussing together both earthly and heavenly issues. Take politics, for example. When involved in a discussion on this subject, many Christians seem to put their Christianity on one side...

The Lord will always provide for His own people, who keep His company, do His will, and aim at His glory. If He sends us, though He chooses to carry the purse, our bread shall be given, and our water shall be sure.

The disciples went out unfurnished, but then Jesus commanded them; they return, and confessed that they lacked nothing, the God of providence supplied them. If we are in the Lord's way, we may rest assured that we shall meet the Lord's messengers bringing our supply. They...

BELOVED, let us visit Gethsemane this morning, and see this strange sight. Here is our SURETY, the only-begotten Son of God; the brightness of Jehovah's glory, and the express image of His person; groaning on the cold ground, and baptized in blood. He is sore amazed. His heart is filled with horror, and His mind with dread. His soul is troubled, tossed with tempests and not comforted. He is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death. The sorrows of death encompass Him, and the pains of hell have...

TEMPTATIONS are trials; but by temptations very generally we understand solicitations to evil. Satan is the arch-tempter; he uses every possible variety of instruments, to draw us into sin and folly; consequently we are always in danger from him. But we are liable to be led astray by his temptations often, because they are sudden, powerful, importunate, deceptive, so timed as to fall in with our peculiar circumstances. Also because our hearts are weak, changeable, prone, to evil, open to...

When is the Christian most liable to sleep? Is it not when his temporal circumstances are prosperous? Have you not found it so? When you had daily troubles to take to the throne of grace, were you not more wakeful than you are now? Easy roads make sleepy travellers. Another dangerous time is when all goes pleasantly in spiritual matters. Christian went not to sleep when lions were in the way, or when he was wading through the river, or when fighting with Apollyon, but when he had climbed...

"The kisses of an enemy are deceitful." Let me be on my guard when the world puts on a loving face, for it will, if possible, betray me as it did my Master, with a kiss. Whenever a man is about to stab religion, he usually professes very great reverence for it. Let me beware of the sleek-faced hypocrisy which is armour-bearer to heresy and infidelity. Knowing the deceivableness of unrighteousness, let me be wise as a serpent to detect and avoid the designs of the enemy. The young man, void...

The mental pressure arising from our Lord's struggle with temptation, so forced his frame to an unnatural excitement, that his pores sent forth great drops of blood which fell down to the ground. This proves how tremendous must have been the weight of sin when it was able to crush the Saviour so that he distilled great drops of blood! This demonstrates the mighty power of his love. It is a very pretty observation of old Isaac Ambrose that the gum which exudes from the tree without cutting...

Matthew 26:36-56

There was something strangely significant even in the name of the place where Jesus endured His midnight agony. Gethsemane means oil press. It was the place where oil was crushed out of the olives. Olive oil was very valuable. It was used chiefly for food and for lighting. The sufferings of Christ have yielded the highest blessings to the world - food for men's...

Why do you sleep? Rise and pray, lest you enter into temptation. § The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.Two things I request of You (deprive me not before I die): remove falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches– feed me with the food allotted to me; lest I be full and deny You, and say, “Who is the Lord?” Or lest I be poor and steal, and profane the name of my God.The Lord shall preserve you from all evil; He shall preserve your soul....