With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love. Ephesians 4:12.
God is love. The love of the Father and the Son is an attribute of every believer. The Word of God is the channel through which divine love is communicated to man. God’s truth is the medium by which the intellect is reached. The Holy Spirit is given to the human agent who works in cooperation with divine agencies. It transforms mind and character, enabling man to endure as seeing Him who is invisible. Perfect love can be enjoyed only through the belief of the truth and the reception of the Holy Spirit….
Christ prayed that His disciples might realize the importance of the love that He expressed by giving His life for the world. He desired them to understand something in regard to His infinite sacrifice. If they had more fully understood His self-sacrificing love, they would never have engaged in alienation and strife.
I urge all who claim to believe present truth to practice that truth. If they do this, they will have a stronger and more powerful influence for good. The world will see that the love expressed by believers is the central and controlling principle of Christ’s followers. Christlike love blends heart with heart. The truth draws men together. It brings into harmony and unity all who have an earnest, living faith in the Saviour. Christ designs those who believe in Him to develop and become strong by association with one another. All who work unselfishly in the Master’s service bear credentials to the world that God has sent His Son to this earth.
Although a company of Christians united in church capacity have not all the same talents, yet it is the duty of everyone to work. Talents differ, but to every man is given his work. All are dependent upon Christ in God. He is the glorious Head of all grades and classes of people associated through faith in the Word of God. Bound together by a common belief in heavenly principles, they are all dependent on Him who is the Author and Finisher of their faith. He has created the principles that produce universal oneness, universal love. His followers should meditate upon His love. They should not stop short of reaching the standard set before them. If the principles of Christianity are lived, they will produce universal harmony and perfect peace. When the heart is imbued with the Spirit of Christ, there is no quarreling, no seeking for the supremacy, no striving to be reigning lords.—Manuscript 46, March 31, 1902, “Unity a Sign of Discipleship.”
The Upward Look p. 104
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Prayer Requests
—-One for my neighbors who was notified about something with his Driver License that took place in the 90’s he cannot go to work until he gets it resolved . his name ie Jess. .he is a good Christian guy . M
—-My dog has been acting strange all day. stays out in the rain. and won’t come in. that is not like her. Normally she goes.. out and runs back in. and lays near the fire.I started to take her to her vet 20 miles away. but it was too foggy and it would of been dark by the time I got out and drive 20 miles back home I have cataracts that will be taken out next month. thanks.M.
—-Please pray for Tom who is in his 60’s and is in kidney failure and possible heart failure. thanks. c.
—-Please pray for Rita, whose son’s funeral is tomorrow. Rose
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Dear Friends,
When my children were little, we lived in Wilmington, North Carolina. One spring day we noticed that some birds were building a nest in the decorative trim on the front of the mobile home we were renting. It was an ideal place for a nest. It would have been almost impossible for the babies to fall out of the nest. We welcomed them as a learning experience for the children as the nest was low enough that we could lift them up and they could look at the eggs.
Soon the babies hatched, and from inside the trailer we could hear them begging every time the parent bird came with a bug or a worm for them to eat. As they grew larger, the cheeps became louder, but it did not bother us. It was so exciting to be able to sneak outside when both parents were gone hunting for food and look at the baby birds.
One day, however, as I sat down on the sofa to rest, I noticed some tiny insects swarming on the back of the sofa. It was against the wall that was directly behind the bird’s nest. To my horror, I realized that these were bird mites! I checked the wall and it also was swarming with mites. Suddenly the thought of having those birds so close was not at all pleasant. I wanted those mites out of my house.
Immediately, I went to the store and bought some spray that could be used to rid pet birds of mites. I sprayed the sofa, the wall, and the baby birds. That helped for a time, but since I could not spray the parent birds, the problem soon returned. Finally, the only thing that could be done was to get rid of the nest. Thankfully, by this time, the babies were nearly ready to leave the nest anyway and stayed in the bushes nearby where their parents continued raising them. Once those birds were gone, we were able to get rid of the swarms of mites.
How often we become infested with the “mites” of this world. Sometimes we enjoy listening to music that leads us away from Christ. Sometimes we watch TV programs or read books that fill our minds with wrong thoughts. Soon we become like what we have allowed into our minds. We become alarmed and try to change, but we cannot. The allurement of the music or of the story pulls us in once again.
How much we need the help of the One Who “was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin” to get rid of the mite-ridden nest of sinfulness that we have allowed to stay within us. Heb 4:15 How much we need His cleansing power to “kill” every wrong thought and action! Our prayer must be, “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. . . . Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom. 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 51:1-13
Praise God, He answers our prayer for help! “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.” “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.” Isa 1:18; Exe 36:26,27
May we each day allow our loving Saviour to cleanse us from all sin and put within us that new heart He longs for us to have. May we heed the admonition of Paul, ” Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.” Phil 4:8 May we continually “press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus” is my prayer. 3:14
Rose