That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man. Ephesians 3:16.
We are still in probationary time. He that earnestly desires eternal life will strive for it. He will get it by desire and effort. Gold is hid in the earth. Desire and effort combined alone will secure the treasure. If we have aroused an interest in souls that are ready to die, we have aroused our own souls.
What a comfort it is to know that the Lord wants us in His family above. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). We need to cherish and exercise faith. Our faith must work. We must have that faith that works by love and purifies the soul. The leaven has a vital energy, penetrating and absorbing all the elements into which it is introduced. So likewise, the law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul. The Word of the Lord is quick and powerful, sharper than any two-edged sword. The Word is a power as we practice it. The great change that the truth makes is inward. It begins in the heart, and works outwardly. With the heart, man believeth unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. “Burnt offerings and sacrifices thou wouldest not.” The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit. God is not pleased with pharisaical pretense.
We will hide in Jesus Christ. We will trust in His love. We will believe day by day that He loves us with a love that is infinite. Let nothing, nothing discourage you, and make you sad. Think of the goodness of God. Recount His favors and blessings.
I am laboring constantly in writing and speaking. The Lord has been my very best Friend, and you both can testify the same. Let the praise of the Lord be ever in our hearts and in our minds and upon our lips. In this way we can magnify the truth. The Holy Spirit will witness with our spirit that we are indeed children of the heavenly King. Be of good courage; Jesus is our personal Friend and Saviour. He loves us, and if He notices the little brown sparrow, how much more will He love and care for us. The memory grows weak when it is not exercised. So will our faith and hope and courage become feeble unless we look unto Jesus with all the confidence that a little child looks to its mother. By beholding Him, we become changed into His righteousness. Let not one thought of unbelief be woven into our religious experience. The Lord will be our efficiency and exceeding great reward.—Letter 20, January 16, 1898, to “Sister Kelsey.”
The Upward Look p. 30
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Prayer Requests
—-Please pray for Ronnie Jay. His dog died this morning. Rose
—-Please pray for a lady who is in her 70’s. She fell flat on her face an broke her neck plus some bones in her back. Pray also for a lady at church who had a heart attack. and in the hospital. she is in her 80’s M
—-I have my dear mother with me now and my daughter in law started helping me again a few hours after I asked for prayer for help with my mother. Now I need prayer that I can get my dear helpless 89 year old uncle out of there ASAP with no problems and get him to my oldest sons house who is a LVN and his wife is a CNA/HHA. Please pray that God will work this out perfectly ASAP. Thank you so much for your continued prayers. Connie
—-Please keep Arthuro, my son’s uncle in your prayers they have already cut off his leg and part of his hand. now his finger is bad also. Becky
—-Please pray for Shaneen who is in ICU with dengue fever. Sally
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Dear Friends,
Some years ago before I retired, Bev (my co-worker and friend) had a little tin of various flavors of hard candy on her desk. I don’t think that I ever saw her open that tin and eat a piece of the candy herself, but she had it there just in case she got an urge for something sweet.
One day, some children visited our office. Bev noticed Rachel, who was about seven at the time, eyeing that candy tin. She opened it and allowed each child to choose a piece. Delighted, Rachel noticed her favorite flavor near the top, chose it, unwrapped it quickly, and popped it into her mouth. A minute or two later, Bev overheard the other little girl ask Rachel what flavor she had chosen. Rachel replied, “It used to be butterscotch, but I don’t think it is any more.”
Just as that candy had been in that tin for so long that it had gotten old and flavorless, so we can lose our “flavor” as Christians. If we go through life in a do-nothing state, we will become as Jesus described, ” I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.” Rev 3:15-19
We must never allow ourselves to do nothing for Jesus until we are as flavorless as was Bev’s candy. How vital to our present and future happiness that we have more than just a profession of faith. We must have Christ dwelling within, working in us and through us. Our Dear Saviour tells us, “Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.” “Have salt in yourselves, and have peace one with another.” Matt 5:13; Mark 9:50 In His message to the seven churches, our Great Redeemer warns, “I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead.” Rev 3:1 With tears in His voice, He proclaims, “This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.” Matt 15:8
How easy it is to be like the Pharisees, who professed to be godly men, but were not right in their heart. “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess. Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men’s bones, and of all uncleanness. Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.” Matt 23:25-28
Paul tells us about flavorless Christians, “They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate.” Titus 1:16 James also speaks of those who say that they have faith, but do not act upon their faith. “What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him? If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit? Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: show me thy faith without thy works, and I will show thee my faith by my works. Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect? And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God. Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only. Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way? For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.” James 2:14-26
“Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;) And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.” Heb 10:22-25
Rose