Bear Vent

What a moment that was when the Lord, looking up to heaven, stood before Lazarus' open tomb! All was quiet inside the cave, for death was there; and all must have been quiet outside, while the Son of God prayed to His Father in heaven. The first sentence shows His faith. “Father, I thank You that You have heard Me.” ( John 11:41 ) The next showed His confidence in His Father's love — “I know that You always hear Me.” (v. 42 ) The last displayed His own love to sinful people — “Because of the crowd standing here I said this, so they may believe You sent Me.” He knew their unbelief, and He wanted to convince them that He and the Father were One. Who can conceive the breathless expectation that filled every heart when He uttered the words, “Lazarus, come out?” (v. 43 ) If that voice had not been obeyed, it would have been little wonder that the sisters had never again seen their brother; the hopes of all the dead, the hopes of all the living, the hopes of future generations, were ...

He who is generous to the poor lends to the LORD; He will repay him in full measure. ( Proverbs 19:17 ) ——————— It is not wrong to invite our friends and relatives to a banquet. In many parts of Scripture the celebrations of brothers and neighbors are spoken of without being condemned as wrong. But no banquets are as pleasant as those given to the poor. Rich guests often come unwillingly, and go away without giving thanks. But the poor gather with delight around the wellspread table, and depart thanking the generous hand that prepared it. They enjoy just few pleasures, and they encounter only little kindness. The rich have the means to illuminate their dark path, and to make them forget their sorrows even just for a short while. To invite the poor pleases the Lord. Among those gathered from streets and hedges, there may be a Lazarus whom we shall meet again at the heavenly feast; it will be pleasant then to feel that we ministered to him here as one of God's saints. Yes, there are ...

In John 7:14-24 , Jesus was teaching publicly in the temple. His enemies were so offended with His words, that they sent temple guards to arrest Him. It was then that the Savior gave them this dreadful warning: “I am only with you for a short time. ... You will look for Me, but you will not find Me; and where I am, you cannot come.” (vv. 33-34 ) This did happen to them when Jerusalem was taken, and they vainly sought for the promised Messiah to deliver them, but never did find Him. The impenitent unbeliever shall also experience this. Dying unrepentant, he will seek Christ but not find Him, and vainly desire to be where He is. Such did happen to the rich man, when he looked up, in torment, and saw Lazarus a long way off, and was told that there was a great chasm fixed between them, which none could pass. ( Luke 16:19-31 ) How dreadful it will be for one to see Christ from a far distance, and to find the merciful Savior deaf to his beggings! “When they cry for help, I will not answer. T...