AUGUST 1

" I am the true Vine. " John 15:1.

This implies that people were going to sources other than Him for life, growth and fruit. Many were going to the Law for life, but the Law is a guide on how to live life not the giver of life. Indeed, the law condemns the sinner to death, eternally. Some go to the traditions of the past for life, trying to imitate others or do something to earn it. In opposition to all others Christ declares that He is the only genuine source for life. sinners must be attached to Him spiritually by faith to have it. They thus become branches in the Vine. The holy fruit of the Spirit are found in believers ( Galat.5:22) ; not as much as they would like, but they persevere in the Christian life (style). They are not cut off once joined. But those who are just ' hangers-on ' ( like empty branches ) shall be visibly separated ( forever) either before they die or at death. This is similar to the parable of the Sower where three groups of the four have only a visible unity with the Speaker, not an internal Spiritual one. The genuine proof of this unity with Christ is fruit, not only the desire but the daily practice ; with the daily repentance for coming short in glorifying God as required and desired. " Hold out faith and patience." (John Bunyan )

AUGUST 2

" Every branch that bears fruit He purges [ cuts down lower ]." John 15 :2.

This latter verb includes all the means that are necessary. " I owe much to my Lord's hammer and chisel," says Rutherford. If a plant is going to grow well, it needs to be cut down right to the ground. It does not look pretty, ( and not a pleasant experience ), but it is effective. More fruit and fruit of a higher quality will be produced. The Lord thus says that we must not despise chastening, Divine child-training ( Heb.12:6). It is good for us to ' decrease ', as John the Baptist said. " He that is down cannot fall," sang Bunyan's wise shepherd. To be pruned is not to be cut off completely, it shows that it is a branch being developed, not ignored as useless. If we are seeking more fruit from the Spirit's work within us, this is the means He uses, with the Father and Son at work in us also. What is in us will come out of us to be seen, as fruit always is ; the fruit proves the root. If we are in harmony with the Planter, the Grower, we will bow to the means He uses, and not judge by our own wisdom or even the church's wisdom. To disagree with God and His ways is not wisdom. Have we experienced ' pruning ', are we being shaped for eternity ?

AUGUST 3

" Abide in Me, and I in you." John 15:4.

This command is given to those who are already in Him. It is a command to follow Christ in the Spirit, in the path of the Word He gives. It implies that we have knowledge of Him and faith in Him ; and that this trusting love is retained throughout our lives. Our thoughts abide upon Him, He continually is the focus of our interest and spiritual desires. Our prayers surround Him, our union to Him enlivens us. We abide in Him as the branch in the tree ; the tree supports the branch and the Root pumps life through it. It is because Christ abides in us that we shall abide in Him ; but we must use the means He gives to maintain beneficial contact with Him. We are not simply to be branches which are ' hangers-on ' but committed to that union, prayerfully deriving all we need from Him. We have a purpose - to ' glorify Him and enjoy Him ', and this cannot be done thoughtlessly or carelessly. He does not leave us to ourselves ; we are not a people who go on without directions given. He directs our course by His word, otherwise we shall never arrive at the Haven we desire ( Ps.107:30). There is a need to check our course daily from His Word, to be sure that we do abide in Him. There is a danger in drifting ( Heb.2:1) if we decide to go our own way and not His. It also means resisting the love of this world. The vine must bring forth fruit ' with endurance." Abide in Me is the message to the church. ( J.Benson )

AUGUST 4

" Without Me you can do nothing. " John 15:5.

Without this union to Christ, proved by abiding in Him and fruit bearing, will bring fearful consequences. A vine branch by itself can produce nothing good ; all men are by nature unholy and unprofitable. There is no way in which they can be made fruitful except by being cut off from the original stock of the first Adam and being grafted into Him who is the true Vine. When men are awakened to the sense of the dangers of being in a state of spiritual barrenness they often attempt to become ' fruitful from themselves '. They go about trying to make themselves holy by the works of the law, but this is impossible. There is no good fruit except by Divine influence in the soul, and this influence only comes by the mediation of Christ. He does not say,' Without Me you can do little, ' but " Without Me you can do nothing." There is no stream without a fountain. The effect of this Divine influence within will be prayer to God and the glorification of Christ. This will clearly prove to ourselves and others that we really are the disciples of Christ.

( John Brown )

AUGUST 5

" If you keep My commandments you shall abide in My love." John 15:10.

The Lord frequently asserts that true love to Him shows itself by keeping His commandments ; in this same manner He Himself showed to the world His love for His Father. He ' did always the things that please Him.' If we desire to abide in this love for Christ we must imitate Him and make an earnest use of the means of grace. There are those who reject these and thus plainly do not keep God's commandments. There are others who do not quite neglect them but do not use them as Christ requires and therefore do not benefit from them ; we must be like Him in Spirit. Many are so engrossed in their business that they find no time for mental, moral and spiritual cultivation. They are not thoughtful about Christ's claims upon them, and do not realize how much of Christ's work is inward. This spirituality must be put into effect in the common duties of daily life, as Christ also did. We know the character of a man not by what he does on special occasions in public life but in his daily ordinary life. ( R.Flint ) Too many want something more than faith and obedience in the Christian life ; but if both are lacking, what kind of life is that ?

AUGUST 6

" These things have I spoken to you, that My joy might remain in you." John 15:11.

Christ has an inner joy ; consciousness of His Father's abiding presence, His harmony with Him, His human nature being filled with the Spirit. This abiding joy encouraged Him at all times in His work of redemption ; " He shall not fail nor be discouraged, He shall see of the travail of His soul." We also need this root of joy for our perseverance through this world ( Gal.5:22). Acts 20:24). His joy is in contrast with the world's, which cannot last, and ends at death. It is a joy rooted in spiritual life, centred on Christ and perfected in our experience when we reach heaven ( Ps.16:11). It is in Christ and He shares some degree of that joy with believers ; He does not have the Spirit by measure as we do. This joy gives strength when all else fails ( Nehemiah 8:10. Habakkuk 3:17-19 ). Christ communicates this joy and it abides, because the Spirit abides forever. However, we must remember that we do live on joys ( as the ' stony ground ' hearers do ) but on Christ. Those who follow Christ for joy ( or applause) shall stop following Him when the joy stops, as they have no root in them for eternal joy. There is joy in serving the Lord when other joy fails, because this is our chief end and we are glad we have found it ( Ps.43:4).

AUGUST 7

" Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends."  John 15:13.

This is love's crowning deed. There is a climax to everything, and the climax of love is to die for the beloved one. Death exceeds all other deeds, and Christ's death was sincere and effective ; none can perish for whom He died. After He has died for another, there can be no question regarding His love. " In due time Christ died for the ungodly " - we ourselves had been the cause of the difficulty which required a death. Christ in death saw His Father looking down upon Him and the glory awaiting Him ; and so in a similar way does the Christian die. Christ proved His love by His death. The thought of this ennobles self denial and prompts us to heroism. " Look unto Me and be saved," is the gospel from the cross. When the consequence of this is realized, the response is " Lord, what wilt Thou have me to do ? ( Spurgeon ) At the foot of a gravestone in this country are the words, " He died for me." Now there is a testimony left behind for others !

AUGUST 8

" Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." John 15:13.

The strength of Christ's own love reinforces His command to us to love His disciples. It points to the strength of the obligation entailed, the height of the demand which gratitude urged.He teaches us, as our Master, our love to the brethren ; to copy the love which he bears to us. as His was a self-sacrificial love,ours must be also ( 1 John 3:16. Ephes.5:1,2). In ' laying down His life ', the Saviour alludes to Isaiah 53:10, where the ' sheep ' correspond to the ' friends ' of this passage. It was a sacrificial death ; a death of mere devotion or mere example is quite unsuitable here. Greater love is said in reference to the disciples' love for one another which they had already ; now He shows the extent of it required. Luther comments," As He leaves them, He impresses upon them that they should consider and think how He loved them, and what He had done for them." His friends will seek to obey Him out of love ( vs.14 ), a love which reflects His love. ( E.W.Hengstenberg )

AUGUST 9

" You are My friends if you do whatsoever I command you." John 15:14.

We see here the wonderful condescension of heaven. We are rebels against God by nature, nay may become friends through Christ's grace. They that are Christ's are the most happy of people. Jesus Christ is the best and most generous of Masters ; He makes all His servants His friends. Friendless persons, who have none to care for them, may apply to Him and they will find Him and they will get a better Friend than all the world combined. You that profess to be Christ's friends, walk according to your privilege. Christ's friends are doers of His commands. This is their distinguishing character, and this is how they are tried in this world. ( T.Boston) The two leading terms in this verse point to two prevailing errors in religious people. Some want to serve Christ without love, as if Christ were only an austere military commander. Others have a religion which is full of a baseless confidence of Christ ; they have denied the evidence He gives of friendship. ( W.B.Pope )

AUGUST 10

" You have not chosen Me, but I have chosen you." John 15:16.

There is an eternal election to salvation, mentioned throughout Scripture. The Son of God no more chose us because we first chose Him than He loved us because we first loved Him, because we did not ! The Divine choice is the origin of our discipleship. Judas was chosen to office, but not to salvation ; he was never a true disciple. The result of discipleship is to " bring forth fruit," - Judas had none spiritually ( Gal.5;22ff.) Prayer keeps alive our sense of the Divine choice and our condition as chosen ones. The fruit in our lives ' makes our calling and election sure ' to ourselves. Without this sanctification there can be no assurance, only delusion. We pray because He said, " Without Me ye can do nothing," but we ' can do all things if Christ strengthens us.' ( Philipp. 4:13).  ( J.W.Burn )The tree upon which the Christian has been grafted is the Tree of Life, and so the fruit which he brings forth is ' fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.' ( H. Macmillan)

AUGUST 11

" And that your fruit should remain." John 15:16.

The continuation of something shows the reality of it. Likewise, the continuation of the results of a past profession of faith in Christ shows that ' the root of the matter ' ( Job 19) was there at the beginning. Many things are forgotten as we grow older ; this can happen to thoughts of Christ also. Some give Him only passing thoughts during a day. But without the thoughts of faith there can be no fruit of faith ; emotion is not the root of faith. The Holy Spirit will maintain devotion to Christ in the soul where He abides. The text hints to us that it is an uncommon thing to keep up a consistent Christian profession, year after year, through temptations and troubles. ' Fruit which remains ' is the test, for ourselves and in the eyes of the world also ; they will soon see our credibility. No one but God can tell how much harm has been done by inconsistent Christians, whose zeal has passed like the morning cloud. But the same power which implanted the spiritual life within, will keep it alive day by day. Let us watch against the first symptoms of declension. ( A.K.H.Boyd )

" We believe in the perseverance of the saints, if they are saints." ( Spurgeon )

AUGUST 12 

" If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you." John 15:18.

From the beginning of this world, the great majority have opposed the rule of God ; they became His enemies ( Rom.5:10). The children of this world are distinguished from the ( reconciled ) children of God. The rebellious are called ' the world ' ; this description indicates their number, their attitude and association ( Ps.2). They are governed by their senses, live for the present, and are ruled by the customs and opinions of men. ( W. van Doren ) The ' civilized ' world is governed just as much by atheism as the ancient pagan worlds ; it is more refined but just as ruthless in its opposition to Christ. Despite education, it was a short step from burning Bibles to burning people ! The dominion of sin makes this opposition inevitable. Beauty, goodness and wisdom came into this world in the Person of Christ, and they crucified Him - because He would not agree with them ! " This opposition can be masked " ( A. Maclaren ) with splashes of morality and social assistance, by mixing a small portion of Christianity with worldliness. Hostility to those who seek to conform to Christ and not to the world ( Rom.12:1,2) is inevitable and a proof of genuine Christianity at work. But if the world speaks well of you, it is time to examine yourself ! We dare not compromise with Christ's truth in order to make friends with the world. Christianity is what Christ says it is. ( A.W.Tozer )

AUGUST 13

" They hated Me without a cause. " John 15: 25. ( Psalm 35:19. 69:4)

The sin contemplated was nothing less than Deicide ; it was foretold, including in the parable of the King's Son ( Mark 12:7). The aim was to get rid of God, from His own world ! Because the Saviour had no inconsistencies or flaws, they were stripped of all excuses for hating Him. They wanted nothing to do with Him, He disturbed them in the life they had chosen for themselves. I must suppose you are hostile to Him if you do not love Him, for I know there are only two opinions of Him. You must either hate Him or love Him. Indifference with regard to Christ is a clear impossibility. A man might as well say,' I am indifferent regarding honesty ! ' Christian, you have great reason to love Christ now ( Psalm 103. Ps.116 ). Remember, if your Master was hated without a cause, do you expect to get through this world easily ? Take care, that if the world hates you, it hates you without a cause ( Matt.5:11). 

( C.H.Spurgeon )

AUGUST 14

" The Spirit of truth...He shall testify of Me, and you also shall bear witness." John 15:26,27.

The Christian has an ally against a hostile world. He is the Comforter, literally ' One who can be called to your side to help you.' He is the strong Spirit who is our Ally against the hatred of the world. The truth is His weapon, and His strength is greater than ours. He will strengthen our hands to use it,' the sword of the Spirit." ( Ephes.6). He is sent to us by the Son and the Father for this purpose. We cannot get through this world on our own, and He knew this. Therefore we are not on our own, and He reminds us of this throughout the Scriptures. He shall continue to testify to Christ. This shall continue until the end of the world, even if it is only among a small number of disciples. Christ's life was a life full of truth ( John 1:16,17 ) and the Spirit will deepen our understanding of this as we go on in life's journey. This way of truth is the ' road not taken ' by many ( Matt.7:14). We do not need to argue with the world, we must simply ' bear witness ' to the truth as proclaimed by Christ. Without the Spirit this truth cannot be grasped, but shall only be resisted. However, the Spirit can open locked hearts and change closed minds. This is the only hope for the world !

AUGUST 15

" When the Comforter is come, whom I shall send to you from the Father." John 15:26.

Those who most enjoyed the power of the Spirit of God have, as far as I can see, the least to say about Him by way of attempted definition. The Bible saints who walked in the spirit never tried to explain Him. They lived from within with simplicity. To them the spirit was One to be loved, to be in communion with, just as with Father and Son. They were not able to discuss Him metaphysically, but did know Him in His power and fruit ; in holy living and faithful service. Personal experience must always be first in real life ; this is always better than knowledge by description only. The Holy Spirit is God among us. He is not God's messenger only, He is God. He is God in contact with His creatures, doing in them a saving and renewing work. ( A.W.Tozer ).

AUGUST 16

" These things I have spoken to you, that you should not be offended." John 16:1.

' Forewarned is forearmed.' The Lord warns His disciples not to be shocked or shaken by their future sufferings for following Him ; they are inevitable. Peter ( 1 Peter 4:12. 2 Tim. 3;12)) and other Apostles repeat this ; it was their experience and it will be ours. Many go away when the joy goes away, but those who follow the Lord must follow Him through a hostile world. In this world it will always be easy to compromise rather than to suffer. This example of the Lord's omniscience strengthens our faith ; what happens may surprise us but not Him. Christ will provide the strength that enables us to get through the trials of life ; and every life is tried as to its genuineness. The antagonism against the teaching of Christ was about to reach its climax at the cross, but it would continue after His resurrection also. He did not give the world what it wanted, He did not say the things that people wanted to hear. " How easy it is to keep our eyes on our present calamity, failing to see the glory that is yet to come ( 2 Corinth.4:17,18), but the Lord will not forsake His own. " ( J.A.Blair )

AUGUST 17

" It is expedient for you that I go away." John 16:7.

The Man Jesus would go to heaven soon, but the Son of God still has universal presence. He would not forget them, and the Comforter whom He and the father would send to them, the Holy spirit, would not let them forget Him either. He would daily bring Christ to remembrance. Each believer can say, " When I awake I am still with Thee." ( Ps.139:18). The church did not lose anything by Christ's ascension into glory. It is better for us to walk by faith than to walk by sight. After the ascension of Christ the entire New Testament Scriptures were given, and also the Holy Spirit in more abundance to the people of the earth. Now He would work more among the Gentiles, the Apostles would go out into the world with the completed Bible. Having the Word, the Spirit and the accompanying presence of Christ, they had all they needed for themselves and others to get to heaven and be with Christ face to Face. The attachment of believers to Christ took on a more spiritual dimension now that He could not be seen physically. " The just shall live by faith " was the message. To live by what appears to our eyes will bring loss, not gain. The High Priest did his greatest work within the veil ; there he presented the blood and made intercession.

AUGUST 18

" And when He is come, He will reprove ( convince ) the world of sin, of righteousness and of judgement..."  John 16:8 -11.

The Holy Spirit comes into the world with this aim in the souls of sinners ; to convince them of their need of Christ and then to bring them to Christ. The greatest sin is the failure to believe on Christ, for whatever reason. By sin the world lost the true knowledge of God ; this is the ' killing sin.' The Holy Spirit came to give a saving knowledge of Christ and thus eternal life. We need righteousness if we are to arrive in heaven. Our own will not do 

( Isaiah 64:6), we have failed to keep God's law ;we need the righteousness of Christ. The Holy Spirit convicts us of our guilt and points to Christ in the Word for the only way of pardon from,and acceptance by, God. He also assures us that the devil has received his condemnation, we face a defeated ( but still dangerous ) foe. Christ bound the ' strong man armed ' at the cross, and takes away his captives from him in every generation ( Ps.68:18 ), giving them the gift of the Holy Spirit. " These are the three great facts which the Holy Spirit is making known to sinners throughout the ages of the world." ( J.A.Blair) A faithful church will emphasize these truths.

AUGUST 19

" He will guide you into all truth." John 16:13.

The Holy Spirit came to give knowledge, to replace the knowledge we grow in the world with ; this is the key of life. This fact the Scribes and Pharisees hid from others. They knew the Words of God but did not agree to be guided by them. They preferred the sanhedrin of the ' visible church ' and their traditions. They had many unwritten laws to adhere to, while the Word of God was neglected for doctrine, worship and practice. The Holy Spirit will be our Guide, not only to show us the road but to strengthen us to travel upon it - this is the evidence that we have Him ( Ps.48:14 ). We are strangers in a strange country, just passing through. Many who started out well have adopted the social, political and religious customs of this land ; they are not distinct as travellers, but have settled down here. The Spirit influences the mental movement of the weakest saint ; they have each the ' unction of the Holy One ' ( 1 John 2:20 ). Protestants assert the infallibility of Scripture in response to the alleged infallibility of the Pope. Moreover, the best Interpreter of Scripture is the Author. Let us pray for His guidance, and for our obedience to His Word.  ( J.C.Jones )

AUGUST 20

" He shall not speak of Himself, he shall glorify Me"  John 16:13,14.

The Holy Spirit wanted to conferences about Himself, He puts the spotlight on Christ. " A Spirit-filled life will always be a Christ-centred life. It seems to be the special ministry of the Holy Spirit to show Christ to believers more and more wonderful to our apprehension. It is also God's eternal purpose to make believers ' grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.' ( 2 Peter 3:18.) This means that we are to become more like Christ, in mind and behaviour. " ( J.A.Blair ) The Lord is referring to the spiritual illumination of men in order that they might know Him, so that whereas He had been ignored by them before, they now are led to recognise and honour Him. Their new faith, hope and love is directed to Him alone. They acknowledge His supremacy over all people and all things. This life He gives them, and they live to Him, the author of that life. This pattern is seen in Paul ( Galat. 2:20), and in every other true Christian. ( J.Morgan )

AUGUST 21

" A little while and you shall not see Me...and you shall see Me. " John 16:16-22.

His going away would actually be the pledge of their seeing Him again. The Jews who worked to crucify Him rejoiced, as they did not ' want Him to reign over them ' ( Luke 19:14)while the disciples grieved, but this was soon reversed for both. This was Christ's promise to them during His bodily absence. Like them, we must look forward in order to to be encouraged. We will find trials and difficulties while we wait to see Him face to Face, as they did. His promise was to prepare them. We live upon His promises, this is the realm where faith operates. They found Christ's words difficult to grasp but He does not rebuke their lack of understanding, He emphasizes the fact promised. Christ has patience with His slow learners ! He knew that they, like us, had lots of questions (19). He said that the joy He would give them would endure. If man gives joy man can take it away, but not the joy He gives. He encourages us to continue praying in His Name (22,23). Sadness can hinder prayer, joy looks up and looks forward, and stretches out the arms

( Philipp.3:13,14). This is how we go on.

AUGUST 22

" And in that day you shall ask Me nothing." John 16:23.

Soon there would be a complete revelation, a completed Bible, which would answer our questions about the things which God deems important for us to know. This complete' Inscripturated Revelation ' ( J.Murray) will be sufficient for us, and will be used by the Holy Spirit to teach us. It will be the means of contact between Christ and us, His Word and our prayer, empowered by the Spirit to maintain our communion with the Godhead, through the mediation of Christ Jesus. The Spirit's indwelling shall enable us to see Christ in the Word, turning our ears into eyes, and the eyes looking forward to seeing Him in the flesh at His Coming again. It would be wrong to ask from God any further revelation than what He has given, just as it would be wrong and indeed dangerous( Rev. 22:18 ) to add to what He has said. The Bible is complete, the Canon is closed. We do continue to pray for understanding of what He has said, for we shall not understand it all in this world. But God has given us sufficient to believe and to endure.

AUGUST 23

" Whatsoever you shall ask the Father in My Name, He will give it to you." John 16:23.

We must always pray in the name of Christ. This does not simply mean using His Name in the prayer ; the virtue is not in the words but in the faith with which they are used. This Name denotes majesty and mercy and comes to us with command to pray, and to pray in this Name. This is our encouragement to pray ( Heb.4:14-16). We are surrounded by needs and this praying denotes a high esteem of Christ. This praying is beyond any natural power in us, but there is a strength of grace in Christ to help us in this duty ( 2 Corinth.3:5. 12:9. Coloss.1:19) ; we act in His strength, as we must in all other duties. We have need of Him as Mediator to make all our prayers acceptable. ( Thomas Boston )We pray according to His revealed Will, His purpose and promises. He is our best example for prayer, in posture, language and perseverance therein.

AUGUST 24

" The Father Himself loves you because you have loved Me. " John 16:27.

How shall we know if the Father loves us ? - do we love the Son ? " None of us deserves answers to prayer. Like our salvation prayer, and its answers, is the result of God's unchangeable love.Those who would reach into heaven to enjoy the blessings of prayer must love Christ. This love means obedience and a constant willingness to submit to His control. Those who pray thus will find the windows of heaven open. " ( J.A. Blair )This love is eternal,unchanging, saving, adopting, protecting and refining. His aim is to develop His adopted children's character, until finally ' conformed' to that of Christ His Son.God says to His children, ' Give me thy heart.' His love lays claims upon ours. He must have the supreme love ; the order is to love God first and our neighbour second. He must be loved above any creature. This love we have for Him must also be practical and not just sentiment ( John 14:21. 1 John 3:18). To serve Him is faith in action, ' faith that lobours by love.' This love is prior to, and causes, ours ( Galat.5:22), and results in adoration and gratitude. We go to the Father with this love. ( M.Villiers)

AUGUST 25

" I came forth from the Father...I leave the world and go to the Father." John 16:28.

This is a fact in history, He was seen here and then left visibly. This implies He existed before He came into this world, and continues to do so now that He has left bodily. He stood upon the earth in these last days ( Job 19:25. Heb.1:2). Nothing has so blessed the world. It was the appearance of the ' Sun of righteousness ' in a dark, dying world. The Earth is not insignificant, it was made for Christ's glorious entrance, a platform for the display of His glory. Sadly, the world is too blinded by sin to see it. He has come here and gone by His own choice. Others were sent, Christ came. He was the last Messenger of the Father to a sinful world, He came to do a work and finish it. He spoke and left His words behind to remind us, to remind us of our condition and of the sole Remedy for it, Himself. He shall come again, and His people must leave the world to be with Him in heaven. This world is only temporary, in every respect. " With what holy gratitude should we remember His coming into the world to save sinners. Alas,how many come into this world to depart, not to the Father but to the devil and his angels ! " ( D.Thomas)

AUGUST 26

" Jesus answered them, do you now believe ? " John 16:31.

This He said to His disciples. Soon they revealed the weakness of the flesh and shallowness of their belief. At the hour of Christ's need, they forsook Him and fled (vs.32).How important it is that the great Searcher of hearts examine us ( Ps.139:23,24) to reveal our inconsistencies to us, so that we may say with sincerity of heart,' Lord, I believe, help Thou my unbelief !' Christ reminded them of their lack of trust and confidence in Him, as well as the danger of profession without practice.  " ( J.A.Blair )Faith must lay hold of Christ's promises and resist the unbelief that arises from fear. It shows we need to examine ourselves whether we actually do believe, or are we ' fair weather Christians ', the deserters who arise from the ' seed cast into stony ground '. What is the ground of our confidence - appearances, numbers, circumstances or Christ ? The ' hour is coming ' when all faith shall be tried. The Apostle reminds us, " Let him that thinks he stands take heed lest he fall " - there is a great difference between thinking and standing. Only He can make us 'stand in the evil day' ( Ephes.6 ) How we need to pray ! We do not read that the disciples did when Christ said these words. They were not thinking rightly.

AUGUST 27

" You shall leave Me alone, and yet I am not alone, because the Father is with Me."John 16:32.

He was visibly alone, but Spiritually was never so ; He always had His Father's supporting presence even when His comforting presence was withheld,as on the cross. He could not depend on the constancy of the disciples, but could always rely on the Father. we shall find this so also. " While He was suffering He was yet ' in the bosom of the Father '. Moreover, The Divine nature did not desert the human nature but supported it and put an invincible comfort and inestimable value into His sufferings. The Father had engaged to be with Him in His whole undertaking ( Ps.89:21) and to preserve Him ( is.49:8). This emboldened Him. This assists our faith in the acceptableness of Christ's satisfaction [ of the offended Divine justice ]. No doubt, the Father was well pleased in Him, for He went along with Him in His undertaking, from first to last." ( M.Henry )

AUGUST 28

" In the world you shall have tribulation." John 16:33.

" No one goes to heaven in their slippers," said an old preacher. We wear the soldier's boots because life here is a warfare if we follow Christ as our Commander. The Lord has predicted tribulation for His people, because they are in this world and it is inevitable. There is also ' our adversary the devil ' who prowls the world to attack those who show by their lives that they are passing through this world as ' pilgrims ', using it but not overusing it. There are temptations and persecutions in this world. Peace with God brings the enmity of the world, because that peace is in Christ - the very Person the world does not want to hear about, not from the Biblical description, that is. This King gives peace to those who submit to Him. To trust Him , to rely upon His promises, gives peace to the soul. And we will need that peace from Him when the world withdraws its favour. It is thus we endure, peace with God and war with the world. We can have no fellowship with darkness, with idolatry, with carnal minds. The world, including the religious part of it, resents our lack of conformity to it and shall do all it can to mould our minds in conformity to it. By our resistance to this we incur its enmity. Our motivation is from the exhortation of Romans 12:1,2.

AUGUST 29

" These things have I spoken to you that in Me you might have peace."John 16:33.

There is no peace outside of Christ, neither with God nor one's conscience. You must be united to Him by the Spirit ,and by this union you will have peace ( Galat.5:22). The disciples were given reasons for gladness after sadness. Beside the peace of forgiveness and righteousness, there is the peace of Christ's triumph and the expectation of reunion after His visible absence. It is the peace of justification that leads to the pursuit of sanctification ; it is the root of holiness. Our peace will be disturbed if we ' grieve the Holy Spirit ' whose purpose is our holiness, perfected at death. The world will also attempt to disturb our sense of peace, but we must return to the Throne of grace in prayer when it does, and regrasp reality. There will be no rest in this world ; a soldier going to war cannot expect it. To know that Christ has overcome the world is indeed the only message to encourage us.

AUGUST 30

" I have overcome the world. " John 16:33.

When He said this, Jesus was speaking of the great victory to be achieved in a matter of hours when the " prince of this world would be cast out." ( John 12:31) Satan was to become a defeated foe so that victory would be given to all those who had faith in Christ, those who believed in Him in the Old Testament and in the New. Although surrounded by tribulation, one may possess peace within, because of his relationship to the Son of God.

( J.A.Blair)No mere man could utter these words. The world is organised against the rule of God, all of it ' lies in the wicked one.' ( 1 John ) The devil is the god of this world. Christ's ' kingdom is not of this world ' and we are not to be ' conformed to this world.' Christ overcame this world by always remaining faithful to His testimony, He never ' modified ' it. His speech was confident, He knew that the Truth would triumph in the long run. The world frowned, but He was calm. He overcame the world at its worst, and nobody else could have overcome it. we also shall overcome ' through Him that loved us ', our Head and King. ( C.H.Spurgeon)

AUGUST 31

" In the world you shall have tribulation, but be of good cheer, I have overcome theworld."  John 16:33.

The Lord and His people have a common foe, the world.The world is the very atmosphere of our lives, a world in which the Beatitudes and Ten Commandments are reversed. The world demands conformity and has ways of punishing non-conformists. They don't mind a little religion, but not too much, as long as it does not interfere with their way of thinking. But real Christianity is a threat, it is a counter-culture, a threat to world peace of mind. John Bunyan draws the world's description in Madame Bubble ( Pilgrim's Progress )." Oh," said Mr. Standfast, " what a mercy it is that I did resist her ! " Christ and the world are in conflict, in ways of thought and in practices. The world's religion is not based on the Bible. Christ and His church have a common victory, His becomes ours, by faith and not works ( 1 John 5:4). In the midst of the battle we look to Him who wears the crown. He conquered for Himself and for His people. We must remember that ' His ways are not our ways '. And so we patiently wait in trust for what is promised to those who follow Him through this world and its tribulation. The world has no glory, but the Victor has.