Prayer
Today’s Hymn
Words: Hal H. Hopson, 1972.
THOUGH I MAY SPEAK WITH BRAVEST FIRE
Click here for tune.
Though I may speak with bravest fire,
And have the gift to all inspire,
And have not love, my words are vain,
As sounding brass, and hopeless gain.
Though I may give all I possess,
And striving so my love profess,
But not be given by love within,
The profit soon turns strangely thin.
Come, Spirit, come, our hearts control,
Our spirits long to be made whole.
Let inward love guide every deed;
By this we worship, and are freed.
Thought Provoker
As a family we spent 6 years as missionaries in Africa, but we can honestly say, we suffered less ‘culture shock’ than we did when, before that, we left the UK to spend a year in California! For a couple of days after arriving in the USA, we seemed to be walking around in a daze, amazed at the vastness and the ‘fastness’ of it all. Once we were settled, one of the things that made an impression upon us was how well things were done. It was particularly true in the church we attended: the building, the organization, the singing – everything was done impeccably well. However, some days, something was missing – actually, someone – the Holy Spirit.
Dad’s Study
How important it is that God’s work is done in His way, and in His time! Our dependence on the Lord to bless does not excuse sloppiness, or laziness, or not giving of our very best. As we come to the end of Exodus, the tabernacle is nearing completion. 15 times God said to Moses: Thou shalt, and Thus did Moses: according to all that the LORD commanded him, so did he (v.16). – (But check out for yourself all the verses in which this phrase is repeated). He did the work God’s way. Everything was anointed and cleansed, symbolizing that the work was being consecrated to God. It was all set-apart for God & dedicated to Him. Everything was just how God wanted. But still Moses waited to erect the tabernacle just when God wanted. The great day came, a year since they left Egypt. (v.17 cf. 12:2). The Tent of Meeting was finally set up. (v.33). So Moses finished the work.
However, it would all have been in vain, and 40 chapters of Exodus would be meaningless without verses 34-38. God Himself drew near. God’s presence filled the tabernacle. Even Moses couldn’t enter because of the holy presence of God. God alone must have the honour and glory for all that was accomplished in bringing them out of slavery in Egypt. In fact the reason he brought them out was so that they could be brought nearer to God.
Click here for Matthew Henry’s Commentary.
Truth in Practice
Yes, we need to do our best in our service for the Lord; yes, we must dedicate all we do to God; but then we must pray that God would come down and visit us with His glorious presence. God graced our world when ‘the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father)’. So we cannot rest content with outward forms of Christianity. We must pray that God would send the Holy Spirit of Christ into our lives, and upon our churches. When was the last time, if ever, an unbeliever came into our meetings, and ‘fell down on his face, and worshipped God, and reported that God was in you of a truth’? (1 Cor. 14:25). Should this modify the way you pray about the coming Sunday, and your Pastor?
The Israelites would not set out until the cloud moved (v.37). Ask each member of the family to think about the different things (tasks and trials) that lie before them today. Encourage them to take note that the Shekinah cloud of God’s glorious presence went with God’s Old Testament people, day and night, guiding them every step of the way; and that the Lord Jesus Christ, said: Lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.
May the following perceptive statement be true of everything we do today: ‘As the light of the moon is swallowed up by the brightness of the sun, so the shining achievements of men and women are swallowed up by the glory of God’ (Janice Wise).
Steven Green, Hitchin, England
Catechism
Question 75
Q. What is Baptism?
A. Baptism is an ordinance of the New Testament, instituted by Jesus Christ (Mt. 28:19) to be to the person baptised a sign of his fellowship with him, in his death, and burial, and resurrection (Ro. 6:3 Col. 2:12), of his being ingrafted into him (Ga. 3:27), of remission of sins (Mr 1:4 ; Ac. 22:16), and of his giving up himself to God through Jesus Christ, to live and walk in newness of life (Ro.6:4,5).
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Words: Margaret Clarkson, 1980. These lyrics won a hymn writing contest in Christianity Today. 