01/20

Oh give thanks to the LORD; for He is good; for His mercy endures forever.
Oh give thanks to the God of gods; for His mercy endures forever.
Oh give thanks to the Lord of lords; for His mercy endures forever.
To Him who alone does great wonders; for His mercy endures forever.

Psalms 136: 1-4

Thanks of Heart

Thanksgiving makes an essential element of faith. Without a heart of gratefulness no true faith can exist. Or, where there is true faith there must always be overflowing thanks. It is never a gross exaggeration to state, "Faith is a thankful heart." Be there understanding, enthusiasm, and activity; but lacking thankfulness, there cannot be a living, warm and heart-to-heart faith. Faith should not be driven by duties. It must be borne on and by the depth of gratefulness. Your faith, without striving but spontaneously, must yield the outward fruits of songs and good deeds.

01/21

I am the LORD, your Holy One, the creator of Israel, your King. Thus says the LORD, which makes a way in the sea, and a path in the mighty waters; Which brings forth the chariot and horse, the army and the power; they shall lie down together, they shall not rise; they are extinct, they are quenched as tow.

Isaiah 43:15-17

What is a Miracle

What is a miracle? A miracle is God's deed. That is, the deed done by God who created human and the universe. Human cannot perform a miracle unless specially endowed with God's gift. For, Human is not only formed by a part of the soil, but also lost one's innate power by corruption. We are initially created by the image of God, but fallen to the slave of nature. On the other hand, God is able to freely dictate the nature of His own creation. So wonder at all how God can quicken or delay the universal movement as if a watch maker sets the hands fast or slow freely.

01/22

I am found in Christ; not having my own righteousness, which is of the Law, but through the faith of Christ, the righteousness of God by faith, that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being made conformable to His death.

Philippians 3: 9-10

Know God's Will

Sickness is all right. I simply want to know Your holy will. Poverty is all right. I simply want to know Your holy will. Despising is all right. I simply want to know Your holy will. My uttermost misery will be my inability to know the Divine Will. I am not afraid of sickness, or poverty, or loneliness, but I do fear if I might be forsaken by God and be left ignorant of His Will. Oh God, grant that the spiritual commission be never ceased between You and me, under whatsoever trials that may assault me.

01/23

There are many plans in a human's heart; but the counsel of the LORD alone shall stand.

Proverbs 19:21

Way to Vocation

Many a human would know his mission, saying "If I could know my mission, everything would be sacrificed for attaining it." Oh, human, you can know your mission already, can find it easily. Concentrate all your energy on the work you are doing today. You will then be led to your mission unfailingly. Your mission does not come through heavenly voice or by your own thought. Your mission is revealed to you by the very work you are engaged in today. You are now on the way to reaching your mission. Why not go ahead with courage? Why this delay in finding your mission by delaying in vain thinking? A wise saying: "Whatsoever your hands find to do, do it with your might." No other way, than this, to find your mission. Plain and simple as it is, fulfilling today's work leads to the Nation of hope and the city of thanksgiving and joy.

01/24

I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, who may abide with you for ever; He shall be the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it sees Him not, neither knows Him; but you know Him; for He dwells with you, and shall be in you. I will not leave you comfortless; I will come to you.

John 14:16-18

Holy Spirit

We have become Christians not because we were baptized to join a church, not because we understood the Christian doctrine by our brain. We have become Christians because we received the "Holy One" as our friend. But it is not merely that we discovered an ideal man in a historical record, but that we found a living and Holy Friend who accompanies us even at this moment. We indeed have obtained a great "Paraclete," namely, "one called alongside to help." Amid of the desolate world, we no longer feel loneliness but have now a great "Comforter" as our daily friend.

01/25

You are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do humans light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it gives light to all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before humans, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

Matthew 5:14-16

Light of World

Disciples of Jesus are the light of the world. They are pioneers of civilization, developers of intelligence, suppliers of divine light. There is no doubt about this truth. So-called Christianity of the world may not be without superstition. So-called Christian churches have several times turned into the domes of stubborn ignorant. But no one, whosoever under any circumstances, can deny that, throughout the past nineteen hundred years of human history, the disciples of Jesus have acted as journeying bearers of spiritual light. Jesus said "I am the light of the world" (John 8:20). And His followers are destined to lighten the world in His stead. They cannot of course shed light, like Jesus, of their own accord, but each one individually, according to the depth of his given faith, will reflect His divine light.

01/26

But what am I?
An infant crying in the night;
An infant crying for the light,
And with no language but a cry.

Tennyson, Alfred "Stanza 5"

Eternal Soul and Other World

The poet Tennyson is said to have paid his greatest attention to the problems of the immortality of the soul and of the existence of the other world. The late Gladstone also gave his lifelong thoughts to the same subjects and at his last moments, wrote his commentary upon Butler's "Analogy of religion", and passed away, leaving the outcome of his rich observation and deep thoughts to the world. Whether a states-person, or a literary person, or a business person, or a factory worker, it is essential for him to embrace a subject above and beyond this world, so that his character may be heightened, his conscience purified and he may get rid of the worry of being stained by a vulgar atmosphere.

01/27

Faithful is He that calls you, who also will do it.

1 Thessalonians 5:24

God is Faithful

God is faithful. Oh blessed words. He changes not. Whatever He plans He accomplishes. He, not we, not our wills or resolutions or endeavors, calls us into the fellowship of His Son Jesus Christ. Therefore we are safe; our salvation is assured. "He who began a good work in you, will perfect it until the day of Jesus Christ" (Philippians 1:6). Then, neither humans nor devils, nor governments nor churches, nor kings nor bishops, nor powers celestial, nor powers terrestrial, nor the whole creation itself, "shall be able to separate us from the love of God" (Romans 8:39), and make His plan of salvation concerning us failure and abortion. Because God is faithful, is our hope of salvation sure, in spite of all our unfaithfulness, errors, imperfections, and even of occasional sins and backsliding. (1 Corinthians 1: 9).

01/28

Wisdom is the main thing; get wisdom; and with all your effort get understanding. Prize her, and she shall lift you up; she shall bring you to honor when you embrace her. She shall give to your hand an ornament of grace; she shall shield you with a crown of glory.

Proverbs 4: 7-9

Religion and Science

People claim the incompatibility between religion and science. But I cannot admit such claim. I may say that religion is the outcome of scientific research of the spiritual world, while science is the religious observation of the material world. I am not afraid of applying scientific method to the study of religion, nor am I willing to adopt a religious thought that disallow common scientific sense. At the same time, anyone who rejects religious spirit for his scientific study know neither science nor religion. Because, whether in religion or in science, the "Alpha and Omega, the first and the last" (Revelation 1:11) must be an earnest heart, a humble heart, and a heart which loves truth above all.

01/29

My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor your ways My ways, says the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.

Isaiah 55: 8-9

Christianity is Revelation

Christianity is not a religion, but the revelation of God. Religion is human's demanding to gods, but Christianity is God's demanding to humans. Religion puts emphasis on human's efforts, devices, studies, cultivations, logics, training and so forth, whereas Christianity centers the command and grace of God. Ordinary religions approach to gods through various means, whereas Christianity directly enters joy of the grace without means. Thus the difference between religion of this world and the revelation of God is fundamental. The product of this world is completely different form that of God.

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