If thou prepare thine heart, and stretch out thine hands toward him; if iniquity be in thine hand, put it far away, and let not wickedness dwell in thy tabernacles. Job 11:13, 14.
But let none deceive themselves with the thought that God, in His great love and mercy, will yet save even the rejecters of His grace. The exceeding sinfulness of sin can be estimated only in the light of the cross. When men urge that God is too good to cast off the sinner, let them look to Calvary. It was because there was no other way in which man could be saved, because without this sacrifice it was impossible for the human race to escape from the defiling power of sin, and be restored to communion with holy beings,—impossible for them again to become partakers of spiritual life,—it was because of this that Christ took upon Himself the guilt of the disobedient and suffered in the sinner’s stead. The love and suffering and death of the Son of God all testify to the terrible enormity of sin, and declare that there is no escape from its power, no hope of the higher life, but through the submission of the soul to Christ.
The impenitent sometimes excuse themselves by saying of professed Christians, “I am as good as they are. They are no more self-denying, sober, or circumspect in their conduct than I am. They love pleasure and self-indulgence as well as I do.” Thus they make the faults of others an excuse for their own neglect of duty. But the sins and defects of others do not excuse any one; for the Lord has not given us an erring, human pattern…. Beware procrastination. Do not put off the work of forsaking your sins, and seeking purity of heart through Jesus. Here is where thousands upon thousands have erred, to their eternal loss.—Steps to Christ, 31, 32.
With God at Dawn p. 132
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Prayer Requests
—-Please pray for Larry, who is having difficulty walking and is not listening to reason. He is angry and is lashing out at everyone. He is refusing to get the medical help he needs even though when the hospital was called they suggested that Mike call the ambulance and bring him in because he may have had a small stroke. Rose
—-I lost a brother in January this year and today I have another one very sick blood count very low and getting lower fluid in stomach cancer and God alone knows what else. He needs your prayers. Therese
—-My daughter is in need of your prayers, she has breast cancer, now upcoming surgery and reconstruction please pray for her. Sandi
—-Prayers please for my grandmother who has been hospitalized. She is having heart failure. Nathan
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Dear Friends,
When I worked in the court system, we would often enjoy looking at the mug shots of the defendants who come into our office. Many of them cleaned up and dressed in their best clothes to come to court. Sometimes they would wear a cross necklace or a religious tee-shirt in order to seem like a good person, but how different they looked on the day they were arrested. How severe were their crimes. Changing outwardly did little good when standing before the judge, for they still ended up being found guilty.
We, too, will stand before the Judge of all the earth Who knows us so well, that He even knows the number of hairs on our head. (Rom 14:10; Luke 12:7) We can at times, through sheer determination, appear to change outwardly, but that will do no good in front of the One Who can read the heart. Only He can truly rid us of those sins that so easily beset us. Praise God! He will change our vile heart and make us pure and clean within if we will allow Him too. “As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die?” “A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.” Eze 18:33; 36:26,27 “Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.” Isa 1:18 “Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else.” Isa 45:22 “And I will cleanse [you] from all [your] iniquity, whereby [you] have sinned against me; and I will pardon all [your] iniquities, whereby [you] have sinned, and whereby [you] have transgressed against me.” Jer 33:8
May we come to Him now that we may receive the pardon and cleansing we need so much. May we pray as did David, “Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me. Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight. . . .Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. . . . Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit. Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee.” Ps 51:1-4, 7, 9-13 May we daily walk with Him in newness of life, turning from the sin that so easily besets us, and grasping firmly His Guiding Hand, that we may stand before Him covered with the righteous robe of Jesus is my prayer.
Rose
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/rosesdevotional/~3/3HcTdFXC5jg/put-iniquity-far-away.html
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