https://www.facebook.com/1502863906707074/

Challenging Your Faith, 624 Main Street, Varnville, SC (2026)

01/05/2023

Mornings With God

January 5

I the Lord thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee. - Isa 41:13

As a father holds the hand of his little child when it walks, so God holds the hand of His children while they walk in the world’s ways. God is ever walking alongside of us. We cannot fail if God is holding our hand. William Canton writes:

Hold Thou my hands!
In grief and joy, in hope and fear,
Lord, let me feel that Thou art near:
Hold Thou my hands!

If e’er by doubts
Of Thy good Fatherhood depressed,
I cannot find in Thee my rest,
Hold Thou my hands!

Hold Thou my hands –
These passionate hands, too quick to smite,
These hands so eager for delight, –
Hold Thou my hands!

And when at length,
With darkened eyes and fingers cold,
I seek some last loved hand to hold,
Hold Thou my hands!

As a father holds the hand of his little child when it walks, so God holds the hand of His children while they walk in the world’s ways. God is ever walking ...

12/25/2022

Mornings With God

December 24

They were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord. - Luke 1:6

It is a beautiful thing that we read of this good, old couple, Zacharias and Elisabeth, that they were righteous before God. Some people appear to men to be righteous, who before God have no such record. Real character is what our hearts are, our hearts make us. We ought not to be satisfied with doing well the things which men can see; we ought to work and live ever for God’s eye. Sometimes we say it is no matter how we do certain things, because nobody will see them. But we should remember that God will see them, and surely we should never do careless, faulty work for His eye.

The word “commandments” suggests that the holiness of these people was of a very practical kind. Some people’s religion is chiefly emotional. They talk about loving God, but they pay little heed to the commandments. God is pleased with ardent devotions, but He wants us to prove our religion by obedience, by doing the things He gives us to do.

It is a beautiful thing that we read of this good, old couple, Zacharias and Elisabeth, that they were righteous before God. Some people appear to men to be ...

12/18/2022

Mornings With God

December 18

Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought. - Matt 6:25

One does not meet many whose faces shine always with the light of a perfect peace. Is worrying a sin, or is it only an infirmity? There certainly are many warnings in the Bible against it. Isaiah gives the secret of an unanxious life: “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on Thee.” Paul exhorts against worrying, and tells us how to keep it out of our life: “In nothing be anxious.” But how can we obey this council? The answer is: “In everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.” Instead of worrying about matters, we are to put them out of our hands into God’s by prayer. Then “the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall guard your hearts and your thoughts in Christ Jesus.” Peter puts the lesson in this way: “Casting all your anxiety upon Him, because He careth for you.” This is a lesson which we are to learn, and which we are to strive to live out in our common days.

One does not meet many whose faces shine always with the light of a perfect peace. Is worrying a sin, or is it only an infirmity? There certainly are many ...

12/16/2022

Mornings With God

December 16

And Jesus... saw two brethren... casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers. - Matt 4:18

It is interesting to notice the kinds of persons Christ sought for disciples. He wanted men who could be influenced by Him for good, whom He could train in the ways of His kingdom. It may be noticed, too, that He did not take those who were unemployed: He went among those who were busy in their common work.

Jesus is always looking for men to enter with Him into the work of His kingdom. He does not choose those who are wise in this world’s wisdom, for they might not readily accept the wisdom which He teaches. He goes among those who are simple–hearted, warm–hearted, and who are busy at their duty of the day. God found a king for Israel in a boy keeping sheep. He found a prophet to succeed Elijah in a young man ploughing in the field.

If we would be chosen to take part in Christ’s work, we must seek to be ready for it, with warm heart, mind open to receive truth, and ready for any service to which God may call us.

It is interesting to notice the kinds of persons Christ sought for disciples. He wanted men who could be influenced by Him for good, whom He could train in ...

12/14/2022

Mornings With God

December 14

He was afterward an hungred. ...The tempter came. - Matt 4:2-3

The devil watches for seasonable times. He knows when to bring his temptation to bear upon a man. Everyone has his weak hours, and Satan lies in wait for these hours. He does not tempt us with something we do not want, but with something that will appeal to a craving of our nature. Satan watches, and when he finds us weak and weary, he takes advantage of our condition. Thus he came to Elijah after the strain of Carmel and caused him to flee. He comes to the lonesome and homesick boy, tempting him to seek company that will ruin him.

He adapts his temptations to our special experiences. Jesus was hungry, after His long fasting, and Satan tempted Him to use His divine power to turn stones into bread. Many temptations come to people who are hungry. They are tempted to steal, to be dishonest, or in some way to sell themselves to get bread. We need always learn to trust the keeping of our souls to Him who has overcome the tempter.

The devil watches for seasonable times. He knows when to bring his temptation to bear upon a man. Everyone has his weak hours, and Satan lies in wait for these ...

12/08/2022

Mornings With God

December 8

Watch, therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come. - Matt 24:42

The command to watch rings out continually in the Bible. We are bidden to watch against temptation, for sin’s approaches are insidious. Here, however, the watching is to be in readiness for a stupendous event – the coming of Christ. His coming will be unannounced. The only way, therefore, to be ready when the event occurs, is to be always ready. If there is an hour when we relax our diligence and cease to watch, that may be the hour when He will come.

There is a legend of a man who waited a thousand years before the gates of Paradise, watching for them to open. At last he slept for but one hour. Yet during that hour the gates opened and were closed again, and thus he missed his one opportunity of entering.

The second coming of Christ will be so sudden that no preparation can be made for it after He appears. We must live so that there will not be a moment when we would be ashamed to have Christ come into our place of business and find us as we are.

The command to watch rings out continually in the Bible. We are bidden to watch against temptation, for sin’s approaches are insidious. Here, however, the ...

11/27/2022

Mornings With God

November 27

The Lord hath need of him. - Luke 19:31

It would be well for us if we would learn to hold everything we have at Christ’s disposal. When the owner of the c**t asked the disciples, “Why loose ye the c**t?” they said, “The Lord hath need of him.” Then the owner let the beast go.

This is the way we ought to hold all we have. Whenever the Lord needs anything we own, we are to let Him have it. Sometimes He asks for things that are very dear to us, things that it almost breaks our hearts to part with. But we are instantly to let Him take what He will.

When a young Christian girl was about to start for a foreign field as a missionary, a neighbor said to her mother, “I should think it would almost kill you to give up your daughter to go to China.” The mother replied quietly: “I gave my daughter to Christ when she was born. I did not know until lately what Christ wanted to do with her. But now that I have learned, I must let Him have His way.”

It would be well for us if we would learn to hold everything we have at Christ’s disposal. When the owner of the c**t asked the disciples, “Why loose ye the ...

11/11/2022

Mornings With God

November 11

The Lord appointed other seventy also, and sent them two and two. - Luke 10:1

Christ has a great business in hand. He wants the gospel carried to every home in the world. He needs human messengers for this work. No doubt angels would be glad to go on such errands, but angles would not do. Only those who have been saved by Christ can tell others of Christ. He would send us out, and we should be ready to respond, “Here am I,” when we hear His call.

To go in Christ’s name is to represent Him. We need to have that love in our hearts that Jesus had when He went among the people. Then when Christ sends us, He will care for us and help us in giving our message. If we do not go where Christ wants us to go, people will miss the blessing. Some one said to a boy, “If God really loves you, why does He not tell somebody to give you a pair of shoes, or coal to keep you warm this cold weather?” The boy said, “I guess He does tell somebody, but somebody forgets.” We need to be ever quick to go on our Master’s errands, “Lest we forget!”

Christ has a great business in hand. He wants the gospel carried to every home in the world. He needs human messengers for this work. No doubt angels would ...

11/07/2022

Mornings With God

November 7

Be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. - 2 Tim 2:1

One of the secrets of a true life is readiness to endure. Anybody can begin well – it is he who continues to the end who wins success. We are to be soldiers of Christ; soldiers must know how to endure. Softness and luxury belong not to a true life. Some mothers would keep their boys out of all hardness, away from all struggle, but that is not to make men of them. Imagine a soldier in training, who is kept out of battles, lest he might get hurt! Paul spoke of himself as one who contended in the games. He wished to reach heaven, but he knew that heaven had to be won on the battle–field of life. “If we endure, we shall also reign with Him.”

In the letters to the seven churches, in Revelation, all the blessings offered to the faithful lie beyond lines of battle, and the only way to reach them is by entering the struggle and enduring till we receive the crown. Nothing worthy can be reached by him who has not learned to endure.

One of the secrets of a true life is readiness to endure. Anybody can begin well – it is he who continues to the end who wins success. We are to be soldiers ...

11/04/2022

Mornings With God

November 4

Rebuke not an elder, but intreat him as a father. - 1 Tim 5:1

It takes a great deal of tact to tell others of their faults so that good will come from the telling. Not many people accept reproof or criticism kindly. Many resent any and every suggestion of fault or blame. One would think that children would be glad to have their parents tell them of their mistakes, but even children are too often vexed by words of reproof, however gently given.

If only we could see how we might be benefited by learning of our faults, we should rejoice when anyone points out something in us that is unbeautiful. But most of us are proud, and it hurts us for any person to tell of anything in us that is a blemish. So it requires all the wisdom and delicacy of touch we can command to administer reproof. Some people just blurt it out, without any attempt to do it gently. If we have to give reproof, we would better do it in as kindly a way as possible. Paul suggested that an elder should not be rebuked but exhorted, and that gently.

It takes a great deal of tact to tell others of their faults so that good will come from the telling. Not many people accept reproof or criticism kindly. Many ...

11/02/2022

Mornings With God

November 1

The grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant. - 1 Tim 1:14

Some one has said that to him the greatest wonder in the story of divine grace was that he himself had been saved. Paul seems to have felt the same wonder regarding himself. He had been a blasphemer, a persecutor; yet Christ had chosen him for His service. In this the grace of Christ abounded exceedingly.

Note also that the apostle says as to the reason why he had been thus saved: “Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me as chief – chief of sinners – might Jesus Christ shew forth all His longsuffering, for an ensample of them that should thereafter believe on Him.” That is, the reason Paul was forgiven and made a preacher was that no other sinner need ever despair. If he could be forgiven, after all he had done against Christ, anybody could be forgiven. Christ saved the chief sinner that lesser sinners ever after might have confidence as they sought mercy. But every one of us may also wonder why we are saved, for not one of us is worthy.

Some one has said that to him the greatest wonder in the story of divine grace was that he himself had been saved. Paul seems to have felt the same wonder ...

10/30/2022

Mornings With God

October 30

Speak thou the things which become sound doctrine. - Titus 2:1

The gospel of Christ has its special word for each person. It does not have the same message for every one. There is something here for old men. They have passed through many experiences, and they ought to have learned wisdom; they should be temperate, grave, sober–minded, with chastened spirit, good judgement, and be patient with all. There is a word here for old women – they should be reverent, charitable, careful in speech, helpful to neighbors and friends. There is a duty for younger women, too – they should be good wives, good mothers, good home–makers, living so worthily that they will be an honor to Christ. Christian young men, also, have a place all their own to fill. They should discard the follies of the world and be thoughtful, sober–minded, full of good works, like their master. There is a Christian duty also for servants and employees, who are to be faithful, even if their masters are not kind, in all things adorning the manner of Christ.

The gospel of Christ has its special word for each person. It does not have the same message for every one. There is something here for old men. They have ...

Challenging Your Faith

01/05/2023

12/25/2022

12/18/2022

12/16/2022

12/14/2022

12/08/2022

11/27/2022

11/11/2022

11/07/2022

11/04/2022

11/02/2022

10/30/2022

Address

Telephone

Website

Alerts

Contact The Place Of Worship

Shortcuts

Share