But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. Acts 1:8.
When in His expiring moments on the cross, Christ exclaimed, “It is finished,” the veil of the Temple was rent from top to bottom. The need for the Jewish system of sacrifices and offerings had ended. Type had met antitype in the death of the One to whom the sacrifices pointed. A new and living way had been opened—a way by which Jew and Gentile, free and bond, could come to God and find pardon and peace.
Christ is to be uplifted as the Redeemer of the world. He is to be proclaimed as the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. “Ye shall receive power,” the Saviour declared, “after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth” (Acts 1:8).
Christ’s last act before leaving this earth was to commission His ambassadors to go to the world with His truth. His last words were spoken to impress the disciples with the thought that they held in trust the message of Heaven for the world. In obedience to the Saviour’s command, the disciples returned to Jerusalem, and there waited for the promised outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Heavenly intelligences cooperated with them, and gave power to the message that they bore. The Holy Spirit gave efficiency to their missionary efforts, and on one occasion three thousand were converted in a day. Paul, miraculously transformed from a bitter persecutor to a zealous believer, was added to the number of the disciples. To him was entrusted in a special manner the work of giving the message to the Gentiles.
To John, banished to the Isle of Patmos for his faithfulness in witnessing to Christ, there was given special light to the church. In his exile he beheld his glorified Redeemer, and saw more distinctly than ever before what was to be at the close of this earth’s history. He saw the mercy, tenderness, and love of God blending with His holiness, justice, and power. He saw sinners finding a Father in Him of whom their sins had made them afraid. Mercy and truth met together; righteousness and peace kissed each other. In the place of fleeing from God because of our sins, we flee to His arms for protection and pardon. The throne, terrible to us in our unbelief, becomes in our repentance a place of refuge.—Manuscript 38, March 27, 1905, “Be of Good Cheer.”
The Upward Look p. 100
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Prayer Requests
—-Today is the day for Dick’s medical tests. Please pray for good results. Ron
—-Please pray for Tommie she is in icu had a heart attack after her tumor surgery near her kidney, which was successful surgery ,but now this. Becky
—-Please pray for my brother Warren Something has happened in his life and he is exhibiting very unusual mental health behaviours He has Paranoia and is delusional He is cutting family off who he is normally very close too, he has thrown his phone in the sea. I live over a 1000 klms away and now have no way of contacting or supporting him He has no prior MH history and is normally a kind loving person He has become aggressive when family turn up unannounced yet we have no way of contacting him or making sure he’s ok unless family call by He has no income and his behaviour is about to make him homeless, we are afraid he is going to self harm He isn’t a drug taker and normally leads a healthy lifestyle His conversations are strange and obsessive and he talks non stop, he’s doing strange rituals
He refuses medical help and if sectioned would react very badly and cut family ties for good. This all began when he looked into Chakra,s and magnetism and I’m unsure if it’s demonic possession. My very elderly parents are going through a terrible time with this situation and it’s affecting them so badly to see their son like this , my mother especially is becoming so distressed. Please pray this situation is understood and resolved. Jen
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Dear Friends,
Wherever we turn, we see or hear of terrible happenings in this sinful, old world. Truly we live in the land of the enemy who wants to toy with us and then destroy us. Without God’s special protection, anything can happen.
Life is uncertain at best. As Peter said, “all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away.” 1 Peter 1:24 We never know when the enemy will strike. Paul explains, “we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” Eph 6:12 In light of this fact, Peter advises, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: Whom resist stedfast in the faith.” 1 Pet 5:8,9 Because our adversary is constantly devising ways to seek our ruin, to cause us distress, to cause us to stumble and make shipwreck of our faith, we often feel overwhelmed. Trials and troubles wash over us like waves of the sea.
Yet through it all, our Great Redeemer is there to help us. He is “able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.” Eph 6:16 “God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.” 1 Cor 10:13 He will not allow anything to happen to us unless it is within His will. He knows just what experiences we need to keep us in the narrow path to Heaven. (Matt 7:14)
Think of it! Although He allows trials and troubles to come our way, He hurts right along with us. The One Who gave His life for us walks with us in the trials the enemy causes just as surely as He walked in the fiery furnace with the three Hebrews. (Dan 3) He assures us, “Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine. When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee. For I am the LORD thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour.” Isa 43:1-3
Moreover, He keeps careful record of our life. Nothing escapes His notice, for “even the very hairs of your head are all numbered.” Luke 12:17 What tender care He has for us. “I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.” Jer 29:11-13 He sees our tears, indeed, He cries with us, longing for the time when He can gather us in His great arms of love and wipe away all of our tears. (Rev 21:4)
These very trials and troubles that the evil one heaps upon us, Our Tender Father in Heaven uses to fit us to dwell with Him forevermore. Paul says, “For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.” 2 Cor 4:17-18 Jesus tells us, “In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” John 16:33 We can trust in Him! “Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people. For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted.” Heb 2:17,18
The Lord Jesus Christ has won the battle! “Ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold. . . But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you, Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God. Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently: Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.” 1 Pet 1:18-23 The Lord is faithful, Who shall keep us from evil. (2 Thes 3:3) He is able to keep us from falling! He has promised to present us faultless before the Presence of His glory with exceeding joy. He is the only wise God our Saviour. To Him belongs glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and for ever! (Jude 24,25) ”
May we, moment by moment, trust in Jesus no matter what darts the enemy hurls at us. May we declare as did Paul, “I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.” May we “put on the whole armour of God, that (we) may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.” Eph 6:11
Rose