My dear readers,

(Extracts from RPG, Jan – Mar 1998, Edited by Dr SH Tow)

1. GOD SHALL AVENGE HIS OWN
Luke 18:1-8
Psalm 94:1-10

To the believers on earth our Lord has said, "In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world" (John 16:33). In times of suffering and persecution let us not be discouraged, remembering also His promise, "Lo, I am with you alway even unto the end of the world" (Matt 28:20).

For suffering saints, in the midst of grievous oppression, there is an ever ready way of escape open to us at God's throne of grace. May the hymn by Hugh Stockwell uplift some flagging spirit today:

From every stormy wind that blows,
From every swelling tide of woes,
There is a calm, a sure retreat
"Tis found beneath the mercy seat.

In Christ we have a blessed hope. One day our Lord shall return in power and great glory "with his mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of Jesus Christ: who shall be punished with everlasting destruction ..." (2 Thess 1:7-9). Until then let us persevere and press on without wavering or turning back.

Remember always our Lord's words: "Men ought always to pray and not to faint." Our Father in heaven is the righteous Judge whose aid is ever near and never in doubt. He is not like the unjust judge who reluctantly did justice to the poor widow, only because of her persistent pestering. He will hear us with delight – if only we would pray and not faint. Things may be bad but we must never grow weary in prayer. The importunate widow had the true spirit of prayer. The judge avenged her. If we have the same spirit of prayer, our God will surely avenge us. But we ought always to pray and not to faint.

QUESTION: How is your secret prayer life?
PRAYER: Lord, teach me to pray without ceasing.

2. INVITATION FOR SUPPER
Luke 14:15-24, Isaiah 45:20-24

The Kingdom of God is likened to a great banquet. The Gospel is extended to certain invited guests. At supper time, God's Servant is sent to call those invited, "Come; the great supper is ready." But they would not come, and "all with one consent began to make excuses."

God has a sure remedy for the salvation of men. The Gospel invitation is God's perfect provision for a hungry starving world. Men and women are perishing without the life-giving Gospel. To them our Lord sends out the gracious invitation, "I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst ... for my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed" (John 6:35,55).

We marvel at God's great compassionate and loving heart. In His Gospel invitation He makes a rich and incomparable offer. "Whosoever will may come ... him that cometh to me I shall in no wise cast out." A man goes to hell simply because he spurns God's offer. The Father is ready to receive all who come to him by Jesus Christ. The Son is ready to cleanse all who come to Him by faith. The Spirit is ready to quicken all who come through the Son. God's love is unsearchable, His willingness infinite – but man must respond, and COME!

The invited guests refused to come. But the Master does not give up easily. He earnestly desires the salvation of souls. Whosoever will may come! Bring in the poor, the maimed, the halt, the blind – social outcasts and dropouts. Even the drifters and hangers-on in the highways and hedges are to be brought into the supper, "that my house may also be filled."

If God is thus in earnest, how must we also be earnest? Are we with Him in this great soul-saving business? What are you doing about it?

PRAYER: Lord, send me out into the highways with Thy glorious invitation.

3. THE LIVING BREAD
Luke 9:10-22, Exodus 16:32-35

The feeding of the 5,000 is the most famous of our Lord's many miracles. Five thousand hungry men in a desert place posed an impossible catering problem for the twelve disciples whose entire provisions amounted to "five loaves and two fishes". But He who sustained Israel in the wilderness 40 years with manna from heaven, could He not feed 5,000 for one meal? With Christ nothing is impossible. He "calleth those things which be not as though they were" (Rom 4:17). For He spake, and it was done ..." (Ps 33:9). Is anything too hard for the Lord?

In this miracle we see a picture of the spiritual condition of mankind, a hungry world in sore danger of perishing from spiritual famine. Our gracious Lord who fed the starving multitude in the wilderness, looks on the nations of the world with compassion. He sends us His disciples forth with the command, "Give ye them to eat, for why should they die?"

The greatest need of men today is not for physical bread, but for "the bread of God which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world" (John 6:33). No amount of bread and fish can ever satisfy men's needs: there is a limit to its sustaining power. Sooner or later death nullifies the power of food. Therefore our Lord says, "Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you ..." (John 6:27).

To every faithful servant of God is entrusted the living bread of the Gospel, more than sufficient to give new life to 5,000, indeed to the 5 billion people of the world! We who have the bread of life, let us go into the wilderness of the world and give it to the starving multitudes that they perish not.

QUESTION: For why will ye die?
PRAYER: Lord, send us forth today into a hungry dying world.

God bless all readers.

Yours faithfully in the Saviour’s Service,
Dr SH Tow, Sr Pastor