DISCIPLE

  by Stephen Hulshizer (1941-2019)     In my travel among the assemblies it is evident that the general spiritual condition of many of them is poor. Attendance is often a small portion of those who would claim to be in fellowship. Worldliness has made inroads and it is manifested in a lack of commitment to the local assembly and by a strong commitment to careers, hobbies, sports, and recreation.     Another very evident need is for godly oversight, men who are committed to caring for the Lord’s people even though it means great personal sacrifice. In many assemblies there is no identifiable leadership and the Lord’s people go from week to week like sheep without a shepherd. In other gatherings there are those who have been identified as elders, but who do little or none of the work involved in shepherding the Lord’s people. Thankfully, there are those assemblies with identifiable and godly overseers who with personal sacrifice care for the sai...

Beloved friends, it becomes to the believer the prevailing character of his life to please God. That is a beautiful testimony that is borne concerning Enoch: "Before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God" (Heb. 11:5). Many have not yet even thought of doing such a thing as this, and there are some who may have thought of it who perhaps have not yet attained to it. But what a blessed thing it is for a man to be brought so to trust in the Lord Jesus, so to seek the glory of the Savior, so to yield his will to God's will, and so to feel that God is his all and in all, that he comes to please God! You know what it is to be pleased with your child and pleased with what he has done. it is not perfect. From your standpoint you can see many imperfections, but still it is most acceptable as coming from your child. He has done it with all his heart, and you are well pleased with him. Well now, that should be the prevailing character, and it is the prevail...

by H. A. Ironside      As teachers and preachers are presented to audiences, it is considered the right thing, the proper thing to laud them to the skies, to expatiate on their brilliancy and learning and wonderful personality, until I myself have often felt grieved and shocked and thoroughly ashamed as I listened to such laudations.       One cannot imagine the apostle Peter so introducing his beloved brother, Paul, nor can we think of Paul presenting his fellow-laborers, Epaphroditus, Titus or Timothy in such a manner to those to whom they were to preach. He does indeed say the kindest things of them all, for he loved them truly and was grateful to God for all the good things seen in them; but as he speaks of them, he does not dwell upon their ability or personality or charms or wonderful gifts, but rather on their devotedness to Christ in suffering for His name's sake.       Surely there is a lesson in ...