Grace Gems

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The subtle beginnings of self-indulgence!

(J.R. Miller)

We do many things which to our own eyes appear innocent and harmless--but which have in them a hidden evil which we cannot see.

We indulge ourselves in many things which do not appear sinful to us--but which leave on our soul a touch of blight, and a soiling of purity--of which we do not dream!

We permit ourselves many little habits in which we see no danger--but which are silently entwining their invisible threads into a strong cable which may some day bind us hand and foot!

We spare ourselves self-denials and sacrifices, thinking there is no reason why we should make them, unaware that we are lowering our standard of holy living, and permitting the subtle beginnings of self-indulgence to creep into our hearts!

"Blessed is the man who does not . . .
  walk in the counsel of the wicked,
  or stand in the way of sinners,
  or sit in the seat of mockers!"
    Psalm 1:1

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The rough stalk of suffering

(J.R. Miller)

"These are those who have come out of the great tribulation!" Revelation 7:14

Much of the most beautiful Christian living in this world, comes out of sorrow. As "fair flowers bloom upon rough stalks"--so many of the fairest flowers of human life, grow upon the rough stalk of suffering.

We take our place with the beloved disciple John on the other side, and we see that those who in Heaven wear the whitest robes, and sing the loudest songs of victory--are those who have come out of "great tribulation". Heaven's highest places are filling, not from earth's homes of glad festivity and tearless joy--but from . . .
  its chambers of pain,
  its valleys of struggle where the battle is hard, and
  its scenes of sorrow, where pale cheeks are wet with tears, and where hearts are broken.

"For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all!" 2 Corinthians 4:17

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He will sustain you!

(J.R. Miller)

"Cast your burden upon the LORD--and He will sustain you." Psalm 55:22

The promise is not that the Lord will remove the load we cast upon Him, nor that He will carry it for us--but that He will sustain us so that we may carry it.
He does not free us from the duty--but He strengthens us for it.
He does not deliver us from the conflict--but He enables us to overcome.
He does not withhold or withdraw the trial from us--but He helps us in trial to be submissive and victorious, and makes it a blessing to us.
He does not mitigate the hardness or severity of our circumstances, taking away the difficult elements, removing the thorns, making life easy for us--but He puts Divine grace into our hearts, so that we can live sweetly in all the hard, adverse circumstances.

"My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness." 2 Corinthians 12:9

"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me!" Philippians 4:13

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How shall we endure the things which hurt and wound us?

(J.R. Miller)

"When they hurled their insults at Him--He did not retaliate; when He suffered--He made no threats. Instead, He entrusted Himself to Him who judges justly." 1 Peter 2:23

None of us can live long in the thick of life--and not sometimes be touched rudely, perhaps even cruelly, by others. How shall we endure the things which hurt and wound us? We know what Jesus would do, what He actually did. "When they hurled their insults at Him--He did not retaliate; when He suffered--He made no threats." They drove the nails into His gentle hands, and as the iron went crashing through His tender flesh He prayed, "Father, forgive them!" They hung Him on the cross--but in answer to that cruelty, instead of a withering curse upon the world, He wrought salvation there for men!

"Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you." Colossians 3:13

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John Newton's tombstone

In his old age, when he could no longer see to read, John Newton, the author of "Amazing Grace" heard someone recite this verse, "By the grace of God--I am what I am." 1 Corinthians 15:10. He remained silent a short time, and then said:

I am not what I ought to be. Ah! how imperfect and deficient.
I am not what I might be, considering my privileges and opportunities.
I am not what I wish to be. God, who knows my heart--knows I wish to be like Him.
I am not what I hope to be. Before long, I will drop this clay tabernacle, to be like Him and see Him as He is!
Yet, I am not what I once was--a child of sin, and slave of the devil!
Though not all these--not what I ought to be, not what I might be, not what I wish or hope to be, and not what I once was--I think I can truly say with the apostle, "By the grace of God--I am what I am!"


At the age of 82, Newton said, "My memory is nearly gone, but I remember two things: that I am a great sinner--and that Christ is a great Savior!"

John Newton's tombstone reads: "John Newton, once an infidel and libertine, a servant of slaves in Africa, was, by the rich mercy of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, preserved, restored, pardoned, and appointed to preach the faith he had long labored to destroy!"

"By the grace of God I am what I am!" 1 Corinthians 15:10

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The little book told the whole story of his life!

(J.R. Miller)

A quaint old man used to carry a little book which he took very often from his pocket, and which he called his "biography." It had only three pages, and there was not a word written on any of them; yet he said the little book told the whole story of his life!

The first page was black--that was his sin, which was his condition by nature. He would shudder whenever he looked at it.

The second page was red--that was the blood of Christ, and his face glowed when he gazed upon it.

The third page was white--that was himself washed in Christ's blood, made whiter than snow.

His book told the whole story of every redeemed life. Between the black of our sins, and the white of redemption--must always come the red of Christ's blood.

"The blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sin!" 1 John 1:7

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We could not make the angels happy

(J.R. Miller)

"My people have committed two sins: They have forsaken Me, the spring of living water--and have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water!" Jeremiah 2:13

The human soul cannot be satisfied with any of earth's good things. This is not the fault of the things of earth--they are good and beautiful, in their own way and in their own place. But the soul is spiritual and immortal. Money and fame and power--can never be food for a soul made in the Divine image; nothing less than God Himself can answer its cravings.

We could not make the angels happy by giving them gold and diamonds, and building them fine marble palaces to live in, and putting crowns and fine clothes on them. No more can we satisfy our own souls with such things. Men try to do so--but their thirst is only momentarily quenched--and soon they must drink again. Gratification only intensifies desire.

"Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again--but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life!" John 4:13-14

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Do it!

(J.R. Miller)

"Whatever He says to you--do it!" John 2:5

How can we know what Jesus says? We cannot hear His voice as the servants at the wedding heard it.

He speaks now to us in His Word, and the reverent heart may always hear what He says as the sacred pages are prayerfully pondered.

He speaks in the conscience that is kept tender by loyal obeying.

He speaks in the providence which brings the present duty to our hand.

There never is any real uncertainty as to what He says, if we are truly intent on knowing His will.

"Whatever He says to you--do it!!" It is the doing which is important. We should never ask questions nor make suggestions, when Jesus has spoken--the one thing for us is obedience. We should never ask what the consequences may be, or what it may cost us--we are simply to obey. Jesus knows why He wants us to do the thing--and that should be reason enough for us.

"If you love Me, you will keep My commandments." John 14:15

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Some day I shall be like that!

(J.R. Miller)

"For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son!" Romans 8:29

No sooner do we begin to behold the beauteous face which looks out at us from the gospel chapters, than a great hope springs up in our hearts--we can become like Jesus! Indeed, if we are God's children, we shall become like Him. We are predestined to be conformed to His image!

It matters not how faintly the Divine beauty glimmers now in our soiled and imperfect lives--some day we shall be like Him! As we struggle here with imperfections and infirmities, with scarcely a trace of Christlikeness yet apparent in our life, we still may say, when we catch glimpses of the glorious loveliness of Christ, "Some day I shall be like that!"

"We know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is!" 1 John 3:2

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Much of our best work

(J.R. Miller)

We cannot measure spiritual results, as we can those that are physical.

The artist sees the picture growing upon his canvas as he works day by day.
The builder sees the wall rising as he lays stone upon stone.

But the spiritual builder is working with invisible blocks, and rearing a fabric whose walls he cannot see.

The spiritual artist is painting away in the unseen. His eyes cannot behold the impressions, or the touches of beauty which he makes.

Sometimes the results of our work may be seen . . .
  in the conversation of the ungodly,
  in the comforting of sorrow,
  in the uplifting and ennobling of the downcast and degraded.
Yet much of our best work must be done in simple faith. And perhaps in Heaven it will be seen that the best results of our lives, have been from their unconscious influences; and our most fruitful efforts, were those which we considered done in vain.

"Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain!" 1 Corinthians 15:58

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Is Jesus like anybody I know?

(J.R. Miller)

A little child was thinking about the unseen Christ to whom she prayed, and came to her mother with the question, "Is Jesus like anybody I know?"

The question was not an unreasonable one--it was one to which the child should have received the answer of "Yes." Every true disciple of Christ ought to be an answer--in some sense, at least--to the child's inquiry. Every little one ought to see Christ's beauty mirrored in its Christian mother's face. Every Sunday-school teacher's character, should reflect some tracings of the Eternal Love on which the scholars may gaze. Whoever looks upon the life of any Christian, should see in it at once the reflection of the beauty of Christ.

"And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into His likeness with ever-increasing glory" 2 Corinthians 3:18

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All of life's aiming and striving

(J.R. Miller)

"He who says he abides in Him, ought himself also to walk just as He walked." 1 John 2:6

Character grows as the baby matures into manhood. Every day something is written on our character, some mark made.
The mother writes something;
the teacher writes something;
every day's experiences write some words;
every touch or influence of other lives, leaves some mark;
temptation and struggle, do their part in filling the page;
books, education, sorrow, joy, companions, friends--
all of life touches and paints some line of beauty--or scratches some mark of marring on our character.

Our final character, is the result of all these influences which work and co-work upon our life. In the end, we shall be altogether like Jesus; hence all of life's aiming and striving should be towards His blessed beauty.

"For those God foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of His Son!" Romans 8:29

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He always lives to make intercession for them!

(J.R. Miller)

"Therefore He is able also to save forever, those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them!" Hebrews 7:25

If we would pray acceptably, it must be in dependence on Jesus Christ, our High Priest in Heaven, who shall take the petitions from our stained and unholy lips, cleanse them of their sin and fault and defilement--and then add to them the pure incense of His own holy offering and intercession, and present them to the Father!

That is what praying in the name of Christ means. Praying thus, our prayers are sweet fragrances to God. The thoughts and words leave our hearts and lips spotted and unholy, without any beauty or sweetness--but when they come up before God with Jesus' intercession, they have become precious perfumes!

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Until His image burns itself upon the soul

(J.R. Miller)

"But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image!" 2 Corinthians 3:18

It is not merely a brief glance now and then, which is here implied; not the turning of the eye toward Him for a few hurried moments in the early morning or in the late evening--but a constant, loving, and reverent beholding of Him through days and years, until His image burns itself upon the soul.

If we thus train the eyes of our heart to look at Christ, we shall be transformed into His image. And even though but little seems to come from our yearnings and struggles after Christ-likeness, God honors the yearning and striving, and while we sit in the shadows of weariness, disheartened with our failures--He carries on the work within us, and with His own hands produces the Divine beauty in our souls!

"We know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is!" 1 John 3:2

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And why should we?

(J.R. Miller)

"As your days--so shall your strength be!" Deuteronomy 33:25

God's storehouses of grace are never opened to us--until we really need their blessing. God places them, so to speak, along our life-path--the right supply, at the right point. By the plan of God for His children . . .
  in every desert--there are oases;
  at the foot of each sharp, steep hill--there are staffs for climbing;
  in every dark gorge--there are lighted lamps;
  at every river of difficult--there is a bridge.

But we find none of these--until we come to the place where we need them. And why should we?
Will it not be soon enough to see the bridge--when we stand by the river?
Will it not be soon enough, when it grows dark--for the lamps to shine out?
Will it not be soon enough, when the cupboard is empty--for God to send bread?

"And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose." Romans 8:28