The Cooling Stream

When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Call the workers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last ones hired and going on to the first.’
- Matthew 20:8 -

God is a good paymaster. He pays His servants while at work as well as when they have done it.

There is great comfort in doing something for Jesus.

There is great reward in watching the buddings of conviction in a soul! Oh, the joy of hope! The joy of unspeakable success! The overwhelming joy! It is a hungry thing. We pine for it more and more.

To be a soul winner is the happiest thing in the world. With every soul we bring to Christ, we get a new heaven upon earth.

But who can conceive the bliss which awaits us above, when we shall enter into the joy of the Lord!

When the heavens ring with "Well done, well done," we shall partake in the reward!

We have toiled with Him. We have suffered with Him. We shall now reign with Him.

We have sown with Him. We shall reap with Him.

Oh! The joy of the Lord!

I will make your pinnacles of rubies,
Your gates of crystal,
And all your walls of precious stones.
- Isaiah 54:12 -

The church is symbolized by a building erected by heavenly power, and designed by divine skill.

All the walls are of precious stones.

The church of God and of Heaven is to be held in the highest esteem.

Faith is one of these precious stone walls.

Experience is another of these precious stone walls.

Sanctification, that conforms us to our Lord, is another precious stone walls.

Only when we become heavenly can we comprehend heavenly things.

The pure in heart shall see a pure God.

Only those who are like Jesus shall see Him as He is.

The walls are of precious stones because we are precious to Him.

We are His precious stones.

Let us thank God for what we have, and let us long for more.

Precious are the saints in God's sight.

"knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ."
- Colossians 3:24 -

The apostle Paul was speaking to Christian believers.

He was speaking to the servants and slaves of Christ.

He reminded them, "And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ."

This saying makes Christian works and services worth doing.

This teaching makes Christian living worth having.

As Christians, we are doing a royal service for the Lord Jesus Christ.

We are to do it heartily.

We are to do it all to the glory of God.

We will receive our reward from the Lord.

But our divine services must not be only for a few hours or for a few places only.

All of our time and all that we have are for the glory of God.

You have a few names even in Sardis who have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with Me in white, for they are worthy.
- Revelation 3:4 -

"They shall walk with Me in white."

(1) They shall walk with Christ in white.
 

They shall be reminded that they are justified by grace through faith in Christ.
 

They shall know that it is the righteousness of Christ that is imputed to them. 

 

They shall understand that they have been washed clean in the blood of Christ.
 

(2) They shall walk with Christ with joy and gladness.
 

Their faces shall always be bright. 

 

They shall do all things with a merry heart.
 

They know that God has accepted their works.
 

They shall walk in sweet communion with the Lord Jesus Christ.
 

(3) They shall walk with Christ in white before the throne of God.
 

They shall sing perpetual hallelujahs to the Most High.
 

They shall possess joys inconceivable.
 

They know that the Lord Jesus Christ has made them worthy. 

 

In His sweet company, they shall drink of the living fountains of waters.

 

Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. (Matthew 7:7)

Jesus Christ so love sinners that He abundantly provides for them.

When they are hungry, He supplies their wants.

When they are filthy, He washes away their stains.

He even clothes them from head to foot.

And He gives them spiritual armor.

Nothing good will He denies them.

He provides all their needs and wants.

And He will give them an eternal heritage of glorious treasure when they enters into His rest.

All that is required of them is to knock at the mercy's door.

Let us knock hard and ask large things from our generous Lord.

Let us leave not the throne of grace till all our wants have been spread before the Lord.

Let us pray until by faith we have a comfortable prospect that they shall be all supplied.

Let us daily worship our gracious, merciful, and generous God.

Let us serve Him only.

 

You have set all the borders of the earth; You have made summer and winter. (Psalm 74:17)

The cold snows and the piercing winds remind us that God keeps His covenant with day and night.

It assures us that God will keep His covenant He made with us in Christ Jesus.

God is true to His Word.

He is faithful to His beloved Son.

Winter may not be a comfortable season for some of us.

But the Lord makes it.

Let us not murmur.

Let us remain faithful.

Losses, heaviness, sickness, poverty, and many other things may come to us at a bad time.

But the Lord allows them.

They come to us for some good purposes.

Let us hope that some good results may follow our winter of affliction.

Let us continue to draw near to God.

He is the constant source of warmth and comfort in times of trouble.

Let us find in Him the joy and peace in believing.

For I rejoiced greatly when brethren came and testified of the truth that is in you, just as you walk in the truth. (3 John 3)

The truth was in Gaius. Gaius walked in the truth.

The first must come first, before the second can take place.

Truth must first enter the soul, before it is of any value.

In every Christian believer, truth must be a living force, an active energy, and an indwelling reality of their being.

The inward will affect the outward.

Therefore, when the truth is kindled from within, its brightness will soon beams forth in the outward life and conversation.

To walk in the truth is to live a life of integrity, holiness, faithfulness, and simplicity, in accordance to the principles of the gospel and the teaching of the Holy Spirit.

Let us desire to live by the truth.

 

Let us walk in the truth, so that nothing false or sinful may reign in our hearts, and influence our daily walk with God.