My joy . . . your joy That My joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full. John 15:11 What was the joy that Jesus had? It is an insult to use the word happiness in connection with Jesus Christ. The joy of Jesus was the absolute self-surrender and self-sacrifice of [...]

Am I convinced by Christ? Notwithstanding in this rejoice not . . ., but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven. – Luke 10:19 Jesus Christ says, in effect, Don’t rejoice in successful service, but rejoice because you are rightly related to Me. The snare in Christian work is to rejoice in successful [...]

Sublime intimacy Said I not unto thee, that if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God? – John 11:40 Every time you venture out in the life of faith, you will find something in your commonsense circumstances that flatly contradicts your faith. Common sense is not faith, and faith is not common [...]

What’s the Good of Prayer? Lord, teach us to pray. – Luke 11:1 It is not part of the life of a natural man to pray. We hear it said that a man will suffer in his life if he does not pray; I question it. What will suffer is the life of the Son [...]

Theology alive Walk while ye have the light, lest darkness come upon you. – John 12:35 Beware of not acting upon what you see in your moments on the mount with God. If you do not obey the light, it will turn into darkness. “If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how [...]

Are You Ever Disturbed? “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give unto you.” – John 14:27 There are times when our peace is based upon ignorance, but when we awaken to the facts of life, inner peace is impossible unless it is received from Jesus. When Our Lord speaks peace, He makes peace, [...]

The fruitfulness of friendship I have called you friends. – John – 15:15 We never know the joy of self-sacrifice until we abandon in every particular. Self-surrender is the most difficult thing-’I will if. . .!’ ‘Oh well, I suppose I must devote my life to God.’ There is none of the joy of self-sacrifice [...]

The spiritual index Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? – Matthew 7:9 The illustration of prayer that Our Lord uses here is that of a good child asking for a good thing. We talk about prayer as if God heard us irrespective [...]

Prayer choice and prayer conflict When thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and pray to thy Father which is in secret. Matthew 6:6 Jesus did not say-‘Dream about thy Father in secret,’ but ‘pray to thy Father in secret.’ Prayer is an effort of will. After we have entered our secret place and have shut [...]

“I Indeed… But He” “I indeed baptize you with water . . but He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and fire.” – Matthew 3:11 Have I ever come to a place in my experience where I can say – “I indeed – but He”? Until that moment does come, I will never know [...]