Scripture: "All things whatsoever ye pray and ask for, believe that ye have received them, and ye shall have them."—MARK xi. 24.
        To know, To feel, To will, these are the three chief activities of the soul. When a Christian realizes the fulness there is in Christ and the abundant life He gives, then these three words will show him the way to participate in this fulness.

        To know.—We must not be content with our own thoughts about growth in grace. We must see to it that we know clearly what God promises to do in us, and what He requires of us. Gods Word teaches us that if we come honestly, with all our sin and impotence, and sincerely yield to Christ our Lord, He will do in us far above what we dare think. See to it that you know clearly what God says you may ask of Him.

        To desire.—We must be careful to desire with our whole heart that for which we pray, and be willing to pay the price for it. It may be our desire is faint. God will create the desire in answer to prayer. It may cost us a struggle, and much self-sacrifice, to let go the world and self, but the Spirit will come to our aid. But without strong desire and self-sacrifice progress will not be made.

        To will.—The will is the most important point: only by firmness will faith have courage to appropriate what God bestows. Often in the midst of fear and struggle, and almost in despair, we will, to grasp what God offers. Our confidence must be in " God alone. Christ Jesus will give us the assurance that He is strengthening us to yield ourselves to the Spirits guidance. When t our desire has developed into a firm will, we shall have courage to believe all that God has promised.

        Child of God, thousands have by these means come to experience such fulness in Christ as they never thought possible. The more you cast yourself upon the Word of God, and the love and power of Christ, the sooner you will enter into the rest of faith that ceases from works and depends upon God to fulfil His purposes in you.

Scripture: "He that walketh uprightly walketh surely" (Proverbs 10:9).
        His walk may be slow, but it is sure. He that hasteth to be rich shall not be innocent nor sure; but steady perseverance in integrity, if it does not bring riches, will certainly bring peace. In doing that which is just and right, we are like one walking upon a rock, for we have confidence that every step we take is upon solid and safe ground. On the other hand, the utmost success through questionable transactions must always be hollow and treacherous, and the man who has gained it must always be afraid that a day of reckoning will come, and then his gains will condemn him.

        Let us stick to truth and righteousness. By Gods grace let us imitate our LORD and Master, in whose mouth no deceit was ever found. Let us not be afraid of being poor, nor of being treated with contempt. Never, on any account whatever, let us do that which our conscience cannot justify. If we lose inward peace, we lose more than a fortune can buy. If we keep in the LORDs own way and never sin against our conscience, our way is sure against all comers. Who is he that can harm us if we be followers of that which is good? We may be thought fools by fools if we are firm in our integrity; but in the place where judgment is infallible we shall be approved.

Scripture: “Thou hast made summer and winter.”(Psalm 74:17)
        My soul begin this wintry month with thy God. The cold snows and the piercing winds all remind thee that he keeps his covenant with day and night, and tend to assure thee that he will also keep that glorious covenant which he has made with thee in the person of Christ Jesus. He who is true to his Word in the revolutions of the seasons of this poor sin-polluted world, will not prove unfaithful in his dealings with his own well-beloved Son.

        Winter in the soul is by no means a comfortable season, and if it be upon thee just now it will be very painful to thee: but there is this comfort, namely, that the Lord makes it. He sends the sharp blasts of adversity to nip the buds of expectation: he scattereth the hoarfrost like ashes over the once verdant meadows of our joy: he casteth forth his ice like morsels freezing the streams of our delight. He does it all, he is the great Winter King, and rules in the realms of frost, and therefore thou canst not murmur. Losses, crosses, heaviness, sickness, poverty, and a thousand other ills, are of the Lords sending, and come to us with wise design. Frosts kill noxious insects, and put a bound to raging diseases; they break up the clods, and sweeten the soul. O that such good results would always follow our winters of affliction!

        How we prize the fire just now! how pleasant is its cheerful glow! Let us in the same manner prize our Lord, who is the constant source of warmth and comfort in every time of trouble. Let us draw nigh to him, and in him find joy and peace in believing. Let us wrap ourselves in the warm garments of his promises, and go forth to labours which befit the season, for it were ill to be as the sluggard who will not plough by reason of the cold; for he shall beg in summer and have nothing.

Scripture: “O that men would praise the Lord for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men.”(Psalm 107:8)
        If we complained less, and praised more, we should be happier, and God would be more glorified. Let us daily praise God for common mercies—common as we frequently call them, and yet so priceless, that when deprived of them we are ready to perish. Let us bless God for the eyes with which we behold the sun, for the health and strength to walk abroad, for the bread we eat, for the raiment we wear. Let us praise him that we are not cast out among the hopeless, or confined amongst the guilty; let us thank him for liberty, for friends, for family associations and comforts; let us praise him, in fact, for everything which we receive from his bounteous hand, for we deserve little, and yet are most plenteously endowed. But, beloved, the sweetest and the loudest note in our songs of praise should be of redeeming love. Gods redeeming acts towards his chosen are for ever the favourite themes of their praise. If we know what redemption means, let us not withhold our sonnets of thanksgiving. We have been redeemed from the power of our corruptions, uplifted from the depth of sin in which we were naturally plunged. We have been led to the cross of Christ—our shackles of guilt have been broken off; we are no longer slaves, but children of the living God, and can antedate the period when we shall be presented before the throne without spot or wrinkle or any such thing. Even now by faith we wave the palm-branch and wrap ourselves about with the fair linen which is to be our everlasting array, and shall we not unceasingly give thanks to the Lord our Redeemer? Child of God, canst thou be silent? Awake, awake, ye inheritors of glory, and lead your captivity captive, as ye cry with David, “Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name.” Let the new month begin with new songs.

Scripture: "There remaineth, therefore, a rest to the people of God" (Heb. 4:9).The rest includes victory, "And the Lord gave them rest round about; . . . the Lord delivered all their enemies into their hand" (Joshua 21:44)."He will beautify the meek with victory" (Ps. 149:4). (Rotherham, margin)
        An eminent Christian worker tells of his mother who was a very anxious and troubled Christian. He would talk with her by the hour trying to convince her of the sinfulness of fretting, but to no avail. She was like the old lady who once said she had suffered so much, especially from the troubles that never came.

        But one morning the mother came down to breakfast wreathed in smiles. He asked her what had happened, and she told him that in the night she had a dream.

        She was walking along a highway with a great crowd of people who seemed so tired and burdened. They were nearly all carrying little black bundles, and she noticed that there were numerous repulsive looking beings which she thought were demons dropping these black bundles for the people to pick up and carry.

        Like the rest, she too had her needless load, and was weighed down with the devils bundles. Looking up, after a while, she saw a Man with a bright and loving face, passing hither and thither through the crowd, and comforting the people.

        At last He came near her, and she saw that it was her Saviour. She looked up and told Him how tired she was, and He smiled sadly and said:

        "My dear child, I did not give you these loads; you have no need of them. They are the devils burdens and they are wearing out your life. Just drop them; refuse to touch them with one of your fingers and you will find the path easy and you will be as if borne on eagles wings."

        He touched her hand, and lo, peace and joy thrilled her frame and, flinging down her burden, she was about to throw herself at His feet in joyful thanksgiving, when suddenly she awoke and found that all her cares were gone. From that day to the close of her life she was the most cheerful and happy member of the household.

References: Matt 12:38-40 Isa 55:11 Ex 5:3 Matt 26:61 Mark 16:17-18,20 Further Study: Matt 12:38-42 Jonah 1:17-2:10
As they followed Jesus, the Jews continually manifested the leaven of unbelief. They were seeking a sign. They said to Him, ‘What sign will you show us?’. Jesus said the only sign He would give them was the ‘sign of Jonah’. This sign represents the three days and three nights. It is the sign of Passover, Unleavened Bread, and the sheaf of firstfruits. The sign of Jonah encapsulates the entire three day process by which Jesus joins us to Himself. In a prophetic symbol, this is the same three day journey which the Israelites were to make, to sacrifice in the wilderness. The sign of Jonah is the cross that is preached to us and brings us to the firstfruits of our sonship. We’ll recall that Jesus spoke about destroying the temple and raising it in three days. The disciples remembered this after He had risen from the dead and they believed. Accordingly, they became messengers of this very same word and signs followed them. When signs follow the word they manifest life to those who believe, obey and mix that word with faith. This kind of sign carries the substance and life of the word proclaimed. We receive and obey the word, not because of the signs following, but because the word is the bread of eternal life. When we mix the word with faith, we co-operate with that word. In so doing, it will bring forth the zoe life of God and accomplish its work. This word produces faith and continues to bring forth new life. In this way, living bread is multiplied to eternal life. This is the message preached and all signs follow this word of life.

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References Further Study Eph 3:19 Isa 9:6 Eph 1 Heb 9:14 Col 1:19 Eph 4:13 Eph 1:23 Rom 15:29
When Paul spoke of ‘all the fullness of God’, he was referring to the fellowship of Yahweh. In this fellowship of Yahweh is the fullness of all fatherhood, sonship, and sanctification. God the Father laid down the fatherhood life of Yahweh to God the Son, to be revealed as a multitude of sons through Him. This is the true meaning of fatherhood. When fatherhood life is laid down, it produces sons. The Father has not laid down His identity as the Father. He has laid down His capacity to foreknow and name many sons. Within the one life of Yahweh is the potential for a multitude of sons. The Son is the express image of this life, so that when offering is made, there is multiplication. We are sons of the Father, co-heirs of the life of new creation because He has multiplied this life to us by offering. In the council of Elohim, the fullness of the fatherhood of Yahweh is revealed in God the Father. It is sanctified to Him in the covenant so that He can be the expression all fatherhood. The fullness of the sonship of Yahweh has been revealed in God the Son. It was the Father’s good pleasure, or desire, ‘for all the fullness to dwell in Him’. And likewise, the fullness of sanctification has been revealed in the Holy Spirit. He is the Helper custodian of all sanctification. In this way, the fullness of Yahweh is brought forward and expressed in the council of Elohim. This is the meaning of offering ‘through Eternal Spirit’. Eternal Spirit is the capacity of Yahweh, by which each person of the Godhead makes offering to bring forth new creation. The Holy Spirit has taken up the capacity of Eternal Spirit as the Helper of the life and offering of each.

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References Further Study 2Co 9:10 Mat 6:19 Isa 55 Ecc 11:1, 6 Isa 55:10 Mat 6:33
The peace offering is the end of the season. And the minimum supply for the next season is your seed for sowing. Grace and the miracle of offering will not be effective if a man offers everything, so that he has no seed for sowing. Paul wrote to the Corinthians that ‘He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness’. Grace is the multiplying factor, but this grace is inactive without seed for sowing. For a person in business, this seed will be working capital. Without this working capital, they will have no provision or ability to go forward and sow into the next season. Let us be clear that maintaining sufficient working capital does not mean that we accrue riches where thieves break in and steal, and moth and rust destroy. Accruing riches is the evidence of anxiety and the need for control. Hence Jesus said, ‘Do not store up’. There is no scriptural foundation to set aside money for ‘a rainy day’. Nevertheless, anyone who has the faith and grace to generate an economy of offering will need to have sufficient working capital. Every prudent businessperson will need to sector up their business so that, at the very minimum, they have something for the next financial year, or the next season. This takes a lot of wisdom and discretion. No one can tell you how much is appropriate, and how much is just the evidence of anxiety. Every person needs to be fully accountable for their own stewardship. Every man must know his conscience before God.

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References Further Study Mat 10:40 Isa 28:11 1Co 2 1Co 1:21 2Co 10:10 1Co 2:1 Act 14:17 Amo 3:3 Rev 3:6, 13, 22 Rev 2:7, 11, 17, 29
When Jesus Christ sends men and women as messengers, they are sent in the same way, and for the same reason, that He was sent. They are sent to proclaim the Scriptures so that we will have fellowship. If we receive those whom Christ sends, we receive Him. If we receive Him, we receive the capacity to fellowship in the covenant. It is the humility of God that relies on the stammering lips of weak messengers to proclaim His word. He is well-pleased, through the foolishness of the message preached, to save those who believe. He has not chosen those with powerful ‘bodily presence’. A messenger is not coming with volumes of information, with superiority of speech and persuasive words of wisdom. He is coming in weakness, fear and trembling, to minister grace and establish fellowship. That is the evidence of a genuine messenger. How will the body of Christ come together in the end of the age? The Lord is most certainly sending messengers to proclaim the word of present truth. He never leaves Himself without witness. There is no foundation for unity while everybody believes different things. The prophet Amos posed the question, ‘Can two walk together, unless they are agreed?’ This agreement will never be found through compromise. The foundation of the word is not the lowest common denominator. The word is the revelation of the everlasting covenant. The Scriptures are the sum of all truth. The foundation upon which the church is built is the revelation of present truth. In every age and generation of the church, it is incumbent upon us to know what the Lord is saying. ‘He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’

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