08/10
Therefore be patient, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. Behold, the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth and has long patience for it, until he receives the early and the latter rain. You also be patient, establish your hearts, for the coming of your Lord draws near. James 5: 7-8
Waiting
It is good to wait. All good comes by waiting. Spring comes by waiting. Liberty comes by waiting. Peace comes by waiting. The Heavenly Nation, too, comes by waiting. When the time comes, all evil shall go and all good, instead, shall come. For doing good, therefore, you need not exert yourself to perform good, but will attain good by waiting quietly. Yet, waiting should not mean suspension but, as Milton said, anyone "who waits also serves."
08/11
No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master does. But I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you. John 15:15
Jesus, My Friend
Nothing, indeed, can be more precious in a human's life than to know and befriend Jesus. Though apparently hard to do, this in reality is an easy thing. To believe in Christianity and to join a Christian church may sound something difficult; but nothing is difficult for anyone to own Jesus as a friend. The stronger the friendship with Him, the deeper will be the understanding about Him, and the clearer the conception about life's mysteries, even without the aid of specific study of religion or theology. As Jesus told Nathanael, "Hereafter you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man" (John 1:51), so shall we see frequent spiritual intercourse between Jesus and His Father, which brings about the union of heaven and earth, incarnation of God among human beings, and spanning of an immortal bridge between this and the world to come, whereby human can reach thither freely and safely.
08/12
We are fools for Christ's sake, but you are wise in Christ. We are weak, but you are strong. You are honorable, but we are despised. Even until this present hour we both hunger and thirst and are naked and are buffeted and have no certain dwelling place. And we labor, working with our own hands. Being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we suffer it; being defamed, we entreat. We are made as the filth of the world, the offscouring of all things until now. 1 Corinthians 4:10-13
Religion Changes World
Religion is neither a night-dream nor a day-dream. It is not vain meditation upon the infinite. Nor does it mean getting into an ecstatic state of mind for seeing god and conversing with the spirit. Religion is neither a magic wand nor a witchcraft. It is not healing of sickness by spiritual powers. Religion is not even what is called a miracle. On the contrary, religion is a fact that any individual can understand with common sense and can realize and practice. True religion makes great individuals. The greatest philosopher, the greatest poet, the greatest statesman, the greatest businessman, all were devout followers of a religion. . . Religion, however, is not a matter of this world even if, at the same time, is concerned with the transformation of this world. Religion transforms the world deeply and fundamentally. There is, indeed, nothing so decisive as religion.
08/13
You, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth and length and depth and height, and to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge, that you might be filled with all the fullness of God. Ephesians 3:17-19
Imperfect of World
People say this world is imperfect from top to bottom. Yea, imperfect indeed for gratifying one's lusts of the flesh. But for knowing God and for acting love, I cannot conceive of a better world than this. For practicing our patience, for enlarging our generosity, and for experiencing love at its ultimate, there cannot be a more perfect world than this. I do not view this world as a play ground, but as a drilling gymnasium. I am not therefore puzzled at its imperfections but wish to take its advantage for perfection of my spiritual life.
08/14
You have heard that it was said, "You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy." But I say to you, Love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who despitefully use you and persecute you, so that you may become sons of your Father in Heaven. Matthew 5:43-44
Love Enemy
Enemies are plenty against us. But we do not hate them because they are enemies, as Christ commanded and showed the example. Friends, on the other hand, sometimes are the object of our angry. We get angry at a friend's act. We do not hesitate in blaming our friends. We get hot in arguing with friends against their repulse. But, for enemies, we take a contrary attitude. Never do we get angry at harms inflicted on us by enemies. We merely express thanks for their mockery. We try to keep silence, following our Lord, Jesus Christ, when confronted by enemy assaults. When beaten by enemies, we pray for God's blessing upon the hand that is raised to strike us. We cherish forbearance, patience and magnanimity for our enemies. Friends, may we hate; but never enemies, whom love alone merits.
08/15
The Lord shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people; and they shall beat their swords into plow-shares, and their spears into pruning-hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more. Isaiah 2: 4
Renunciation of War
The gospel of Jesus Christ alone can cease wars. Praise the name Jehovah. Establish the height of His House firmly on all hill-tops. Give glory and supreme authority to God of Love, Father of Jesus Christ. Outside of this, we have absolutely no means of true cessation of wars. The gospel of the Cross of Jesus Christ, the gospel of the Love of God, offered for reconciliation with the betraying humanity of His own creation. Though a foolishness to the Greeks, though a stumbling-block to the Jews, though a derision to the philosopher, though a doubt to the clergy, this simple gospel alone can fulfill the only power under which all nations renounce armaments while "many people beat their swords into plow-shares and their spears into pruning-hooks, neither shall they learn war any more."
08/16
Christ who did no sin, nor was guile found in His mouth, who when He was reviled did not revile in return. When He suffered, He did not threaten, but gave Himself up to Him who judges righteously. He Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that dying to sins, we might live to righteousness; by whose stripes you were healed. 2 Peter 2:22-24
Death of Jesus
It is natural and reasonable that a person born of sin has to die, since the wages of sin is death. On the Contrary, it is unnatural and unreasonable that the one like Jesus who knew no sin, should have died and vanished. The death of a human does not question us, because we know he or she was born of sin. However we are dismayed if a perfect person like Jesus, who could never commit a sin and, should have died and decayed eternally. Only once, never twice, could such a person appear in human history throughout the creation. And now it becomes us to say that such a perfect person resurrected from death and ascended to heaven.
08/17
Truly, truly I say to you, When you were young, you girded yourself, and walked wherever you want; but when you shall be old, you shall stretch forth your hands, and another shall gird you, and carry you where you do not want. John 21:18
Successful Life
I do not do things; I let things be done. I am not a mover of myself; I am one who is moved by Other. I am moved, however, not by outer circumstances, but by inner commanding voice of the Spirit, which by itself carries the power to accomplish the command. I am just an instrument without particular will of my own; I let Other take hold of me, and carry me where I would not. And it is no shame to be thus controlled by the power of Other than my own; on the contrary, it is the greatest of all glories for the creature to be controlled by the Creator. I know the success of my life depends upon how little I rely upon myself, and how much upon my rightful Owner.
08/18
Whosoever does not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loves not his brother. 1 John 3:10
Love and Righteousness
Love is more than mercy; it has righteousness in it. Indeed, love is more like righteousness than anything else. We may be mistaken if we say love is righteousness; but it is nearer the truth to say so than to say that love is mercy. . . . Love with righteousness is like a house with its foundation. As there is no house without foundation, so there is no true love without deep and strong foundation of righteousness. God is love because He is righteous; were He love apart from righteousness, He would be no god at all. Such a god cannot love, and His love is all false and unreliable.
08/19
Elijah said, I have been very zealous for Jehovah, God of Hosts, because the sons of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, have thrown down Your altars, and have slain Your prophets with the sword. And I alone, am left. And they seek to take my life away. And the LORD said to him, Go, return on your way to the wilderness of Damascus.... I have left seven thousand in Israel, all the knees which have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth which has not kissed him. 1 Kings 19:14, 15, 18
I am Not Alone
Upon the earth I am not alone to love God. I love God along with multitudes of holy people all over the world. Why should I be grieved to find no sympathizers around? I have sympathizers scattered plenteously all over the world. All the true Christians make one body in the Lord. Prayers for me are rising to the Heavenly Throne from all four corners of the world. We are worker, doing the task under the Lord's guidance. Under whatever circumstances, therefore, we will never fall into a sentiment of loneliness or gloominess.
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