DEVOTIONAL COLUMN.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 21 February 1931, Page 6

DEVOTIONAL COLUMN.

PRAYER. O Saviour Christ, if to any degree I have retrograded from Thee, and lost my first passion of love, and ceased my temple-building, I pray Thee to restore in me the old fervour and passion, the consciousness of Thy presence, and the impulse of Thy constraining loveYIELDED TO CHRIST. At the very time Avhen the apostle says, “All things are yours,” he adds immediately, “and Ye are Christ’s.” There is no separating these tivo things. If you are not Christ’s —if you do not belong to Him—if you are not His servant —nothing belongs to you. If you do belong to Him all things are yours. “Ah,” says someone, “this is Consecration!” Very likely it is. Consecration just means your putting your name and seal to the fact that you are not your own —as you did to the fact that Christ died for you, a sinner. If you did that in earnest, and your faith is a true faith, you also set your seal to this. —Rev. Theodore Monod. ' THE GOD-MAN. Who knew our Lord best when He was on earth? Who Avas His most beloved friend, His most favoured disciple, the nearest and dearest to His heart? The Apostle John. Is it not a significant fact that the man Avho Avas most intimately acquainted Avith Christ’s humanity gives the clearest and most emphatic testimony concerning His Divinity—that John Avho leaned on His bosom, Avho had the deepest insight into His life, thoughts, and feelings, Avho enjoyed the largest share of the confidence and affection of the Man Christ Jesus, never loses sight for a moment in all his Avritings of the Godhead of the Saviour. The more Ave examine His history, the more Ave are convinced that He has the Avords of eternal life, that He is the Annointed One, the Son of the Living God. PASS IT ON! Have you had a kindness slioavh? Pass it on! ’Tavus not meant for you alone; Pass it on! Let it travel doAvn the year, Let it dry another’s tears, Till in heaven the deed appears — Pass it on! Did you hear the loving Avord? Pass it on! Like the singing of a bird? Pass it on! Let its music live and groAV, Let it cheer another’s avoc; You have reaped Avhat others soaa’ — Pass it on! llaA r e you found the heavenly light? Pass it on! Souls are groping for the light, Daylight gone! Hold your lighted lamp on high. Be a star in someone’s sky; He may live avlio else Avould die — Pass it on! Love demandss the loving deed, Pass it on! Look upon your brother’s need— Pass it on! Live for self, you live in vain; Live for Christ, you live again; Live for Him, Avith Him you reign— Pass it on! HOW TO RECEIVE. The turning point of many a life is learning th e lesson of receiving. Hoav to receive is the secret of everything. Not merely to seek but to receive. There is a clear distinction and yet a close connection in the'NcAV Testament betAveen the faith that asks and the faith that takes. “Ask and ye Avill take: for everyone that asketh taketlx.” The Avord can be rendered “take,” just as avcll as “receive.” We have also doubtless noticed how often prayer and thanksgiving arc associated in the New Testament. Prayer asks, thanksgiving takes. Many people ask and go on asking. They should cease asking and commence taking. It is the lack of this that leads to the lack of poAver and blessing. Let us suppose a man starts out to-morroAV morning for his daily Avork. He puts himself into God’s hands and says, “I ask Thee to fill me with the Holy Spirit for this day.” Then he gets up and goes about his work. But another Avaits a moment longer and says, “I believe that Thou art giving me Thy Spirit noAV. I take the Spirit for Avhom I have asked.” This is the difference between merely asking and taking as Avell as asking. “Our Lord Jesus Christ, the same night that He Avas betrayed, took bread, and broke it, and said, Take.” And they took it. Our Lord Jesus Christ, the same night that He rose from the dead, said to those disciples, “Take ye the Holy Ghost” —the same Avord exactly, letter by letter —“Take ye the Holy Ghost.” Faith is receiving, accepting, appropriating, applying, appreciating, and then going forth to respond to Christ;, to glorify Him day by day. CONFESSING CHRIST. Some of us have been ashamed to mention the name or to confess the poAver of Jesus. He has answered our prayer, and Ave have taken the blessing, and He has not had the credit. That is not witnessing unto ansAvered prayer in the power of the living, loving Lord. The woman of Samaria no sooner realised that her sins were forgiven that she called her neighbours, and said: “Come, see a Man that told me all things that ever I did! Is not this the Christ!” Andrew returned quickly for his brother, and said: “Simon, wo have found the Messiah, He of whom the prophet spake; and he brought him to Jesus.”