Scripture: "The fruit of the Spirit is love."—GAL. v. 22. "God hath given us the spirit of love."—2 TIM. i. 7.
        Our love, which is the fruit of the Spirit, does not consist merely in the knowledge of, and faith in, Gods love as revealed in our redemption. No, the matter goes far deeper. Our love has its origin in the fact that the love of God has been shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit, not only as an experience or feeling, but the spirit of love takes possession of us, and directs and controls and inspires. This love becomes a heavenly life-power, a disposition of the soul, whereby man tastes and knows that God is good. The Spirit gives to love such a form that it contains the commands of the divine love within itself, and thus can keep the commandments without difficulty. "This is the love of God, that we keep His commandments, and His commandments are not grievous" (1 John v. 3). When God, according to promise, writes His law in our hearts, the summing up of that law is love. It governs the life of the man wholly devoted to God, and controls his thoughts and actions. This divine love in the heart of man is a a little sanctuary, whence the child of God receives power, in obedience to the inner law of love, to live always in the love of God. This holy love includes Fellowship with God, Union with Christ, and Love to the brethren.

        How can we attain to this experience? Through faith alone. The chief sign of faith in the blind and the lepers who came to Christ to be, healed, was the knowledge of their own impotence and inability to help themselves. When our eyes have been opened, and we realize that the love of God has already been shed abroad in our hearts by His Spirit, enabling us to keep His commandments and to love the brethren—then let us bow in stillness of soul before God, and adore the love which has taken possession of our hearts, until our faith can firmly say: God has indeed given the spirit of love in my heart. In the power of the Spirit I can and will love God and my fellow-men.

Scripture: "Thy people shall be willing in the day of Thy power"(Psalm 110:3).
        Blessed be the God of grace that it is so! He has a people whom He has chosen from of old to be His peculiar portion. These by nature have wills as stubborn as the rest of the froward sons of Adam; but when the day of His power comes and grace displays its omnipotence, they become willing to repent and to believe in Jesus. None are saved unwillingly, but the will is made sweetly to yield itself. What a wondrous power is this, which never violates the will and yet rules it! God does not break the lock, but He opens it by a master key which He alone can handle.

        Now are we willing to be, to do, or to suffer as the LORD wills. If at any time we grow rebellious, He has but to come to us with power, and straightway we run in the way of His commands with all our hearts. May this be a day of power with me as to some noble effort for the glory of God and the good of my fellowmen! LORD, I am willing; may I not hope that this is a day of Thy power? I am wholly at Thy disposal; willing, yea, eager, to be used of Thee for Thy holy purposes. O LORD, let me not have to cry, "To will is present with me, but how to perform that which I would, I find not"; but give me power as Thou givest me will.

Scripture: “The sword of the Lord, and of Gideon.”(Judges 7:20)
        Gideon ordered his men to do two things: covering up a torch in an earthen pitcher, he bade them, at an appointed signal, break the pitcher and let the light shine, and then sound with the trumpet, crying, “The sword of the Lord, and of Gideon! the sword of the Lord, and of Gideon!” This is precisely what all Christians must do. First, you must shine; break the pitcher which conceals your light; throw aside the bushel which has been hiding your candle, and shine. Let your light shine before men; let your good works be such, that when men look upon you, they shall know that you have been with Jesus. Then there must be the sound, the blowing of the trumpet. There must be active exertions for the ingathering of sinners by proclaiming Christ crucified. Take the gospel to them; carry it to their door; put it in their way; do not suffer them to escape it; blow the trumpet right against their ears. Remember that the true war-cry of the Church is Gideons watchword, “The sword of the Lord, and of Gideon!” God must do it, it is his own work. But we are not to be idle; instrumentality is to be used—“The sword of the Lord, and of Gideon!” If we only cry, “The sword of the Lord!” we shall be guilty of an idle presumption; and if we shout, “The sword of Gideon!” alone, we shall manifest idolatrous reliance on an arm of flesh: we must blend the two in practical harmony, “The sword of the Lord, and of Gideon!” We can do nothing of ourselves, but we can do everything by the help of our God; let us, therefore, in his name determine to go out personally and serve with our flaming torch of holy example, and with our trumpet tones of earnest declaration and testimony, and God shall be with us, and Midian shall be put to confusion, and the Lord of hosts shall reign for ever and ever.

Scripture: “In the evening withhold not thy hand.”(Ecclesiastes 11:6)
        In the evening of the day opportunities are plentiful: men return from their labour, and the zealous soul-winner finds time to tell abroad the love of Jesus. Have I no evening work for Jesus? If I have not, let me no longer withhold my hand from a service which requires abundant labour. Sinners are perishing for lack of knowledge; he who loiters may find his skirts crimson with the blood of souls. Jesus gave both his hands to the nails, how can I keep back one of mine from his blessed work? Night and day he toiled and prayed for me, how can I give a single hour to the pampering of my flesh with luxurious ease? Up, idle heart; stretch out thy hand to work, or uplift it to pray; heaven and hell are in earnest, let me be so, and this evening sow good seed for the Lord my God.
        The evening of life has also its calls. Life is so short that a morning of manhoods vigour, and an evening of decay, make the whole of it. To some it seems long, but a four-pence is a great sum of money to a poor man. Life is so brief that no man can afford to lose a day. It has been well said that if a great king should bring us a great heap of gold, and bid us take as much as we could count in a day, we should make a long day of it; we should begin early in the morning, and in the evening we should not withhold our hand; but to win souls is far nobler work, how is it that we so soon withdraw from it? Some are spared to a long evening of green old age; if such be my case, let me use such talents as I still retain, and to the last hour serve my blessed and faithful Lord. By his grace I will die in harness, and lay down my charge only when I lay down my body. Age may instruct the young, cheer the faint, and encourage the desponding; if eventide has less of vigorous heat, it should have more of calm wisdom, therefore in the evening I will not withhold my hand.

Scripture: "Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God?"
        Mary and Martha could not understand what their Lord was doing. Both of them said to Him, "Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died." Back of it all, we seem to read their thought: "Lord, we do not understand why you have stayed away so long. We do not understand how you could let death come to the man whom you loved. We do not understand how you could let sorrow and suffering ravage our lives when your presence might have stayed it all. Why did you not come? It is too late now, for already he has been dead four days!"

        And to it all Jesus had but one great truth: "You may not understand; but I tell you if you believe, you will see."

        Abraham could not understand why God should ask the sacrifice of the boy; but he trusted. And he saw the glory of God in his restoration to his love. Moses could not understand why God should keep him forty years in the wilderness, but he trusted; and he saw when God called him to lead forth Israel from bondage.

        Joseph could not understand the cruelty of his brethren, the false witness of a perfidious woman, and the long years of an unjust imprisonment; but he trusted, and he saw at last the glory of God in it all.

        Jacob could not understand the strange providence which permitted the same Joseph to be torn from his fathers love, but he saw the glory of God when he looked into the face of that same Joseph as the viceroy of a great king, and the preserver of his own life and the lives of a great nation.

        And so, perhaps in your life. You say, "I do not understand why God let my dear one be taken. I do not understand why affliction has been permitted to smite me. I do not understand the devious paths by which the Lord is leading me. I do not understand why plans and purposes that seemed good to my eyes should be baffled. I do not understand why blessings I so much need are so long delayed.

        Friend, you do not have to understand all Gods ways with you. God does not expect you to understand them. You do not expect your child to understand, only believe. Some day you will see the glory of God in the things which you do not understand.--J. H. McC

References: Further Study: Acts 1:14 1 Tim 2:1 Acts 10:4 Eph 6:18 Heb 5:7 Heb 5
If we desire to become ‘sweet incense’ to the Lord, we need to give ourselves to prayer. This may involve moving into a new phase of life. Remember, if we don’t love the Master, it doesn’t matter what we achieve in life. We must be given to anointing the Lord, loving Him and yearning for Him. Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of Jesus, John, and all of those who loved Him, walked through life in this way. They ‘so loved’ the Lord, they were continually and ‘wholly devoted’ to Him. We read in Luke’s account that ‘these all with one mind were continually devoting themselves to prayer’. Waiting through the night watch, and rising early to pray, they yearned to anoint Him. We need to have a heart for anointing oil and the spices of prayer. From the grinding and pounding of those spices, sweet incense is produced. If we’re going to become as sweet incense to Him; if our prayer is going to ascend as incense, then there will be some grinding. We’re going to be like those spices, sweet as they are, ground down, blended together, and then added to fire. Then our prayers will ascend as a memorial before the Lord. We could think of those four spices as being our petition, our supplication, our intercession, and our thanksgiving. The apostle Paul refers to supplication as ‘all prayer’. We need to come before the Lord with ‘all prayer’, petitioning Him. What faith is needed to petition Him! The summary of all our petition, supplication, intercession, and thanksgiving is worship. This is the ascending cloud of incense, a pleasing and fragrant aroma before the Lord.

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References Further Study Rev 3:2-3 Acts 20:32 Rev 3 1 Pet 5:10 James 5:8 2 Thess 3:3 2 Thess 2:17 Eph 6:10 1 Pet 4:11 Heb 12:5-6, 26-28
The Lord is certainly shaking us at this time. We should be encouraged that He is at work among us. It is important to understand which things should be removed and which things should remain. We must not refuse Him who is speaking. And at the same time, we must not faint when we are reproved by Him, for those whom the Lord loves He chastens. This is the sign that He is receiving us as sons. And accordingly, we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be removed. Only the things which cannot be shaken will remain. Writing to the church in Sardis, Jesus said, ‘Remember then how you have received and heard, and hold fast, and repent’. Grace comes to us in a word proclaimed. Paul called this the ‘word of His grace’. We must be watchful and strengthen the things which remain. Don’t lose heart when everything that you have trusted in is shaking. The Lord is removing the things which should be removed. We must give full and thorough attention to strengthening the things which remain. After you have suffered a while, the God of all grace who called you to His eternal glory in Christ will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. James told us to be patient and strengthen our hearts. Remember that the Lord is faithful and He will strengthen and protect you from all evil. He Himself will comfort and strengthen our hearts in every good work and word. We are to be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. With this all in view, Peter has encouraged us in our deaconing and service. Anyone who serves, is to do so as one who deacons by the strength which God supplies.

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References Further Study Joh 13:14-17, 34 1Jn 2:8 Rev 21 Rev 3:12 Rev 14:3 Rev 21:2 2Pe 3:13
In many ways, this is the highpoint. ‘A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you.’ In John’s way of laying out the details of Jesus’ ministry, the whole matter comes down to whether we will do for one another what He has done for us. Can we, and will we, love one another as He has loved us? If we say we love God, do we love one another? In the way that He has offered Himself, served us and washed our feet, will we offer ourselves and wash one another’s feet? Jesus said, ‘If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you. Most assuredly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master; nor is he who is sent greater than he who sent him. If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.’ Here stated is the crisis of living as the new creation. As He is, so are we to be, in this world. John didn’t use the term ‘new creation’ or ‘new man’ or ‘New Covenant’, as did Paul. In fact, across his epistles and Gospel, John only used the term, ‘new commandment’. We cannot forget, of course, that John was the one given to see and hear of ‘the new name’, ‘the new song’, ‘the New Jerusalem’, and ‘the new heaven and new earth’. So, although John used only the term, ‘new commandment’, everything that he said related to the new creation. At the same time, it is important to know why he used the term, ‘new commandment’.

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References Further Study Col 2:14-15 Eph 4:18 Col 2 Eph 2:15-16 Mar 4:19 Gal 6:14-16
The third provision of the word of the cross is that He has nailed the certificate of debt which was against us to His cross. And as a consequence, He has disarmed rulers and authorities, principalities and powers. Likewise, as a consequence of taking captivity captive, He has appointed the five-fold ministry. In this way, He established an administration that supplies grace to each one according to the measure of His gift. The fourth provision of the word of the cross is that He has abolished the enmity and hostility that is against us by the laws and commandments which have rendered us powerless. In so doing, He has established one new man. This is an essential part of our proclamation. We must preach peace to those who are far away and to those who are near. This is the meaning of reconciliation. And this is an essential part of our effective priesthood. We have become the beneficiaries of the word of the cross. However, as He establishes our priesthood, we must become messengers of the cross. The fifth provision of the word of the cross is that He has crucified the world to us and us to the world. This is the evidence that we are a new creation. And this is the rule by which we walk. The outcome is peace and mercy upon the Israel of God. We know that the word of the kingdom has drawn our attention to this in the beginning. The thorny ground is the love of the world, and this is referred to as the deceitfulness of riches, the cares of this world, and the desire for other things. The apostles, likewise, spoke of the love of money and reputation. He has chosen us out of the world and, consequently, crucified us to the world.

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