He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. Revelation 21:7.
No man stumbles into heaven. No man goes there blindfold. If he will take time to consider, every man may know whether he is in the strait and narrow path, or in the broad road that leads to death and hell.
If we do not receive the religion of Christ by feeding upon the Word of God, we shall not be entitled to an entrance into the city of God. Having lived on earthly food, having educated our tastes to love worldly things, we would not be fitted for the heavenly courts; we could not appreciate the pure, heavenly current that circulates in heaven. The voices of the angels and the music of their harps would not satisfy us. The science of heaven would be as an enigma to our minds. We need to hunger and thirst for the righteousness of Christ; we need to be molded and fashioned by the transforming influence of His grace, that we may be fitted for the society of heavenly angels.
We must have a vision of the future and of the blessedness of heaven…. There the redeemed ones greet those who directed them to the uplifted Saviour…. The conflict is over. All tribulation and strife are at an end. Songs of victory fill all heaven as the redeemed stand around the throne of God.
Then the nations will own no other law than the law of heaven. All will be a happy, united family, clothed with the garments of praise and thanksgiving…. Over the scene the morning stars will sing together, and the sons of God will shout for joy, while God and Christ will unite in proclaiming, “There shall be no more sin, neither shall there be any more death.
We want to get in the habit of talking of heaven, beautiful heaven. Talk of that life which will continue as long as God shall live, and then you will forget your little trials and difficulties. Let the mind be attracted to God.
The Faith I Live By p. 365
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Prayer Requests
—-Please keep praying for Shiloh to come home safely! My daughter needs a miracle! Linda
—-Please pray for my friend Dale who has had a massive stroke. And for his family. Racquel
—-My Daughter in law was admitted to hospital and diagnosed with severe preeclampsia. She is at 32 weeks. Please pray for her blood pressure to stabilize and for a healthy baby. Pam
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Dear Friends,
One evening some years ago, as I was about to go into prayer meeting, I stopped by the restroom to comb my hair that had been blown all over by the Kansas wind. As I looked into the mirror, I was glad that I did. There, on the front of my white blouse was a line of tan just above my waist. My blouse had looked fine in the dim lights at home, but in the bright lights at church, the large, dirty smudge was easy to see.
I did the best I could to fix the situation and took a wet paper towel and tried to clean the spot. That only made matters worse. Although most of the tan was now gone, there was now a large, see-through, wet area all over the front. I tried to dry it with more paper towels but to no avail. Finally, I decided that I had one of two choices, I could hide in the bathroom until prayer meeting was over or I could put on my jacket to cover it up. I opted for the latter.
My problems were not over, however. As soon as I got inside and sat down, they asked me to play the piano for song service. Now I was in a dilemma. Should I talk off my jacket and let everyone see the wet spot and the remnants of the smudge, or should I go up in front wearing that jacket. I again opted for the latter. It was hard to play with those large floppy sleeves but I managed to make it through.
How often we look fine to ourselves in the dim light of the world’s standards until we are illumined by the brightness of God’s Ten Commadments. “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.” Ps 119:105 Paul calls the law “our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.” Gal 3:24 As we look into the mirror of God’s law, we suddenly realize that we are all stained and dirty. God’s law cannot change us, but it shows us our great need for cleansing, our great need for Christ. By meditating upon its precepts, we realize that we are “as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.” “The whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint. From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness in it; but wounds, and bruises, and putrifying sores: they have not been closed, neither bound up, neither mollified with ointment.” Isa 64:6;1:5,6
How often we make an attempt to cleanse ourselves, but all we manage to do is make the spot more noticeable. “Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? then may ye also do good, that are accustomed to do evil.” Jer 13:23 No matter how much in our own strength we try to keep God’s Holy Law, we fail miserably. “There is none righteous, no, not one. For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” Rom 3:10,23
Praise God! We have a Saviour, Who “is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9 How He longs for us to come to the perfect law of liberty that we may see our need, come to Him for the forgiveness and to allow Him to cleanse us from all iniquity. James 1:25; Titus 2:14 “Thus saith the LORD, thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel; I am the LORD thy God which teacheth thee to profit, which leadeth thee by the way that thou shouldest go. O that thou hadst hearkened to my commandments! then had thy peace been as a river, and thy righteousness as the waves of the sea.” Isa 48:17,18
Through the intercession of our Great High Priest Who is at the right hand of the Father, Zechariah’s vision can be our experience. Heb 8:1 “And he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him. And the LORD said unto Satan, The LORD rebuke thee, O Satan; even the LORD that hath chosen Jerusalem rebuke thee: is not this a brand plucked out of the fire? Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and stood before the angel. And he answered and spake unto those that stood before him, saying, Take away the filthy garments from him. And unto him he said, Behold, I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee with change of raiment.” Zech 3:1-4
Our Dear Saviour is calling, “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. Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.” Rev 3:18-21
May we hide God’s Holy Word in our heart, that we may not sin against God, but allow our Great Redeemer to sanctify us wholly, and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Ps 119:11; 1 Thes 5:23
Rose