Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, … who made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. Philippians 2:5-7.
The Son of God … left His riches and honor and glory, and clothed His divinity with humanity, that humanity might take hold of divinity and become a partaker of the divine nature. He came not to live in the palaces of kings, to live without care and labor and be supplied with all the conveniences which human nature naturally craves. The world never saw its Lord wealthy. In the council of heaven He had chosen to stand in the ranks of the poor and the oppressed, … to learn the trade of His earthly parent. He came to the world to be a reconstructor of character, and He brought into all His work the perfection which He desired to bring into the character He was transforming by His divine power.
Nor did He shun the social life of His countrymen. That all might become acquainted with God manifest in the flesh, He mingled with every class of society, and was called the friend of sinners. In Himself Christ possessed an absolute right to all things, but He gave Himself to a life of poverty that we might be rich in heavenly treasure. Commander in the heavenly courts, He took the lowest place on earth. Rich, yet for our sake He became poor….
For a little time the Lord allows His people to be His stewards, that He may test their character. In that time they decide their eternal destiny. If they work in opposition to the will of God, they cannot belong to the royal family….
Evidence of the work of grace in the heart is given when we do good to everyone as we have opportunity. The proof of our love is given in a Christlike spirit, a willingness to impart the good things God has given us, a readiness to practice self-denial and self-sacrifice in order to help advance the cause of God and suffering humanity. Never should we pass by the object that calls for our liberality….
The Lord will use all who will give themselves to be used. But He requires heart service…. When the heart is given to God, our talents, our energy, our possessions, all we have and are, will be devoted to His service.—The Review and Herald, May 15, 1900.
From the Heart p. 86
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Prayer Requests
—-Please pray for my good friend Vicki. She is back in the hospital getting her lungs drained again. She has been suffering from throat cancer for a very long time. M
—-My cousin Norm has pancreatic cancer. Please pray for him. Mike
—-Ron’s blood pressure is better but still quite high. Please pray that it will get back to normal soon. Rose
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Dear Friends,
Many years ago, I worked in the physical therapy department in an army hospital. It was very easy and interesting work. Often the soldiers would come in for treatment when they just wanted a day off. They would complain of a stiff neck or a sore back, but when giving them the treatments, it seemed that they were perfectly fine. The captain that was the head of the department didn’t care whether the soldiers had a legitimate complaint or not, he was more interested in having a good time. He made working there a lot of fun. –
After I had worked there about a year, Captain Meyer was transferred to another base and we got a major in there as head of the department. He was much different. He was tall, very quiet, stern, and quite unapproachable. The fun stopped. He had the opinion that all of the people who came through that office were there because they just didn’t want to work that day. He gave them painful examinations and hard exercises.
One day a young soldier walked into our department. He had some rather unusual complaints about pain and weakness. The major felt that he was only there to get out of work and treated him very harshly. The young man took it all in a gentle and smiling way. I felt sorry for him because I knew that even if he were exaggerating his condition, the major’s treatment was painful.
Several times a week the young man came back. Each time he told of more symptoms. Each time he seemed to get worse. Finally, the young man was transferred to a different hospital by his doctor.
A few weeks later, Major W. came into the department with a more solemn look on his face than usual. He asked me if I remembered that young man. I said that I did. He told me that he had been talking with the young man’s doctor and that the other hospital had tested him and they had found a tumor on that soldier’s upper spine. Major Wheeler had been giving him exercises and treatment the were contrary to what that young man needed. He was now very sorry that he had done so, but it was too late.
How easy it is to misjudge another. How easy to be sure that we know someone’s motives and yet be so wrong. Jesus says, “Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye.” Matt 7:1-5 “Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment.” John 7:24
How can we judge righteously? He gives the answer, “Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.” Matt 7:20 We cannot judge another person’s motives, but we can know them by their fruits. Does the fruit of the Spirit (love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance Gal 5:22) show forth in the life? Yet even then, we must be very careful. We must remember that “we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.” Rom 14:10
Let us hide God’s word in our hearts that we may be able to have that discernment we must have in these last days that we will not be deceived. Let us pray for, rather than gossip about, those we feel have wrong motives. Let us determine to be so close to our Loving Saviour that we keep our eyes only on Him.
Rose