And it came to pass in those days, that he went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God. Luke 6:12.
In Luke we read of Christ, “It came to pass in those days, that he went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God” (chap. 6:12). Men of the world often spend whole nights planning, in order to secure success; and Jesus spent many nights in prayer. He was alone with His Father, earnestly seeking the Lord with strong crying and tears. He seemed to be in an agony of distress. Why was this? He had come to His vineyard to claim His own, but He was rejected, abused. They [His enemies] were then laying plans to crucify Him. He was more and more … beset by satanic agencies. The resistance shown by the priests and rulers to His work corresponded to the convincing evidences of His divinity. They were jealous of Him because He possessed a power that drew the people to Him. His tongue was like the pen of a ready writer. He was the very treasure house of knowledge, and His parables and illustrations made the truth plain to the unlearned. Under His teaching those who could not learn the truth from books could learn it from nature.
But those who had been entrusted with the oracles of God, that they might be faithful expositors of the Scriptures, rejected and denied the Teacher sent from heaven. Christ saw that their spirit and principles were entirely contrary to the Scriptures. He saw that the Word of God was misinterpreted and misapplied. He saw how difficult it would be to instruct the people to read the Scriptures correctly, when their teachers read them in the light of their perverted judgment. What could He do to soften and subdue their hearts? This was the burden of His prayer.
The Jewish people might have repented, if they would, but they were clothed with the garments of their own self-righteousness. They claimed to be the descendants of Abraham, and looked upon every promise made to Israel as theirs. But the Israel of God are those who are converted, not those who are the lineal descendants of Abraham. “What advantage then hath the Jew? or what profit is there of circumcision? Much every way: chiefly, because that unto them were committed the oracles of God” (Romans 3:1, 2). “For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: but he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God” (chap. 2:28, 29).—Manuscript 31a, March 7, 1898, “His Own Received Him Not.”
The Upward Look p. 80
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Prayer Requests
—-Please pray for Kim and family. Her father has just been put on hospice. Rose
—-My sister has her first board exam in biomedicine this afternoon. Please pray that she will pass. Maria
—-Please pray for Al who had two small heart attacks.
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Dear Friends,
When I was three or four, my mother, who didn’t understand the dangers of Halloween, decided that I was old enough to enjoy trick-or-treating. She walked to Van Avery’s Drug Store and rummaged through the masks. Then she saw it—a very unflattering caricature of an American Indian. It was made of rubber and would fit the entire head. She bought it and took it home.
Being an artist, she made me an “authentic” costume complete with beadwork, fringe, and moccasins. It truly was a work of art when she was finished. I liked the clothes, but I wasn’t too sure about that mask. I was scared when my mother showed me my reflection. Finally, she convinced me that I should leave it on. As we went trick-or-treating house to house, people would comment about that mask. Oh, how that hurt my feelings. Pulling that ugly thing up, I would exclaim, “I’ve got another face under here, see?”
How often we live behind a “mask” of our own making. How many times we present to the world a “false face” that is the opposite of that Halloween mask. We want everyone to see us as we would like to be rather than our true selves with all of our faults and failings. We are as was Sardis of whom Jesus declared, ” I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead.” Rev 3:1
How often we are like the Pharisees of old, whom our Dear Saviour rebuked saying, “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.” Matt 23:25-27 Paul tells us, “unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled. They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate.” Titus 1:15,16
How much we need our Great Redeemer’s cleansing power! How much we need that new heart that only Christ can give! He has promised, ” I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them.” “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.” Heb 10:16; Eze 36:26,27 Paul urges, “Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.” 2 Tim 2:19
May we allow the Holy Spirit to keep us from sin, to cleanse us completely both inside and out. May we pray as did David, “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 51:10-13 May we refrain from presenting to others a false face, but, instead, be so filled with the Spirit; that it can be said of us as it was said of Daniel, “he was faithful, neither was there any error or fault found in him.” Dan 6:4
Rose

The works which the Father hath given me to finish, the same works that I do, bear witness of me, that the Father hath sent me. John 5:36.
The signs of the times fulfilling all around us show us that the end of all things is at hand. Intense earnestness should take possession of us. Our slumbering energies should be aroused by persevering effort.
Consecrated workers should go forth into the field, and move understandingly forward, clearing the King’s highway, obtaining victories in new places. Let the Lord’s workers labor in faith and trust. Some for whom they work will listen to the message and accept the truth. Let them do what God has commanded them to do. Proportionate to their faith will be their success. The Scriptures declare: “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord” (James 1:5-7).
How strange it is that those who have had the light of truth for so many years have not carried the torch of truth into the dark places of the earth. The whole world is astir. The Lord calls upon His people to awake out of sleep. My brethren and sisters, stop criticizing others, but criticize severely your own words and motives. We have no time to spend in using the enemy’s methods…. Envy, malice, hatred, unbelief, which have been growing into sturdy plants in the garden of the soul, are to be uprooted and cast out, and their place supplied by love, patience, forbearance, kindness, benevolence, tenderheartedness, meekness….
While the men of the world are idolizing money, and making it their trust, the Lord in His providence has brought forth from His treasure house a precious treasure, and has placed it within the reach of all. He has given His people an opportunity to take to their friends and neighbors and to strangers a book [Christ’s Object Lessons] containing the precious lessons of Christ….
Christ has placed upon His church a sacred charge, the fulfilling of which calls for self-denial at every step. When those who believe in Him are seen lifting the cross and bearing it after Him in the path of self-denial, willingly doing all in their power to bring blessing to those for whom Christ died, witness will be borne to the power of Christianity, and in the hearts of many now unbelievers will spring up faith in Him who gave His life to save a guilty world from eternal ruin.—Letter 43, March 6, 1903, to Lucinda Hall, one of Ellen White’s closest friends.
The Upward Look p. 79
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Prayer Requests
—-Pray for reconciliation between my husband and I. Angela
—-Pray for my new grand baby I would appreciate it her name is Willow, also pray for the parents. BP
—-Please pray for my friend Pam. She has advanced stages of Parkinson’s disease. John
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Dear Friends,
Although not an Israelite, Balaam was a worshipper of the true God. Even more than this, he was a prophet. All was going pretty well for him. He was recognized for his prophetic abilities and many people came to him for counsel.
One day princes of Balak, king of Moab, arrived at his door. They brought gifts that Balaam desired. He treated them with hospitality and told them “Lodge here this night, and I will bring you word again, as the LORD shall speak unto me: and the princes of Moab abode with Balaam.” Num 22:8
That night, God told Balaam, “Thou shalt not go with them; thou shalt not curse the people: for they are blessed.”
Balaam thought of all of those riches he could have had and he was not happy to send the princes back to Balak, but he did it. In the morning he told them that the Lord refused to let him go with them. He did not explain that Israel had been especially favored and blessed by God. He was chafing under the prohibition.
Because he did not explain everything, the princes got the wrong signal. They told their king, “Balaam refuseth to come with us.” vs 14 Balak decided that he just had not honored the prophet enough and sent higher ranking officials with greater gifts.
When Balaam saw that Balak again sent more honorable princes and greater gifts, he coveted the gifts and the high honors he would receive if he cursed Israel. He pictured himself as a great man in their kingdom. He saw himself as sitting beside the king receiving kingly honors.
He should have told the men, “I’m sorry, but as I told you before, the Great God of the Universe, the only True God, Maker of Heaven and Earth has blessed these people. I cannot come with you to curse those whom the Lord has blessed.” This would have brought honor to God and Balak would have been afraid to proceed with his plans. Even more, Balaam had the opportunity to teach the king and his princes about the One Who had given them life, but instead he helped them in their rebellion.
Instead of shutting his mind to the temptation, Balaam toyed with sin. The more he toyed with it, the more he desired it. The more he desired it, the stronger became the temptation. He again went to God and begged to let him go to Balak. Finally God gave him a sign that if the princes called him in the morning, he could go Instead of waiting for that to happen, “Balaam rose up in the morning, and saddled his ass, and went with the princes of Moab.” vs. 21.
Sometimes if we persist in wanting our own way, God gives it to us, but there are grave consequences. We all know what happened next. As Peter said, “Balaam the son of Bosor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness; But was rebuked for his iniquity: the dumb ass speaking with man’s voice forbad the madness of the prophet.” 2 Peter 2:15,16 God taught Balaam a lesson that he should have been thankful for, but instead it brought forth a spring of rebellion.
Balak was happy to see the prophet and took him with great ceremony to the top of a hill where he could see Israel. Balaam explained that he could only say the words God gave him and blessed Israel three times. Moreover he prophesied Israel’s future victories.
The king chased Balaam from his sight. Balaam went back home, but that spring of rebellion that had taken root grew and grew. He murmured in his heart. Finally those honors and gifts meant more to Balaam than did his service to the only True God. He saddled his donkey and made the journey back to Moab. There he counselled Balak to send women into the camp of Israel and lure the men into sin. (Num 31:16)
This worked well. Because there was sin in the camp, God could not bless His people. Finally the sinners were purged from the camp and God directed Moses to fight against their enemies. Balaam never got to enjoy all of the riches and honors that he coveted. He was slain in the battle. As he was perishing, he must have wished that he had not toyed with sin. He must have wished that he had shut out the first temptation that had come into his mind.
Paul tells us, “Now all these things happened unto them for examples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.” 1 Cor 10:11
Let us be careful not to toy with sin. Let us shut out the first whispered temptations of the evil one. Let us keep our eyes upon our Dear Saviour, Who loves us so.
Rose

Be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: that I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death. Philippians 3:9, 10.
The twenty-first chapter of Matthew, telling of the journey of Christ to Jerusalem at the time of His triumphal entry, is a powerful chapter, and one that we need to study and understand. We need to take warning from the lesson of the pretentious fig tree that bore no fruit. It represents those who profess to serve God, whose names are on the church books, but who bear no fruit in their lives to the glory of God. My heart is longing to see the Man, who was despised and rejected, crowned and seated upon His throne….
Through the agency of the Holy Spirit, God works a moral change in the lives of His people, changing them into the likeness of Christ. Then, when the last trumpet call shall reach the ears of the dead who sleep in Christ, they will come forth to a new life, clothed with the garments of salvation. They enter in through the gates into the City of God, welcomed to the happiness and joy of their Lord. Would that we all could understand and ever keep in mind the joys that await those who keep their eyes on the pattern Christ Jesus, and in this life seek to form a character like His.
The Word of God contains our life insurance policy. To eat the flesh and drink the blood of the Son of God means to study the Word and to carry that Word into the life in obedience to all its precepts. Those who thus partake of the Son of God become partakers of the divine nature, one with Christ. They breathe a holy atmosphere, in which only the soul can truly live. They carry in their lives an assurance of the holy principles received from the Word—their lives are worked by the power of the Holy Spirit, and they have an earnest of the immortality that will be theirs through the death and resurrection of Christ. Should the earthly body decay, the principles of their faith sustain them, for they are partakers of the divine nature. Because Christ was raised from the dead, they grasp the pledge of their resurrection, and eternal life is their reward.
This truth is an eternal truth, because Christ Himself taught it. He has engaged to raise the righteous dead, for He gave His life for the life of the world. “As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me” (John 6:57). “I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger” (verse 35).—Letter 82, March 5, 1907, to O. A. Olsen, president, Australasian Union Conference.
The Upward Look p. 78
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Prayer Requests
—-Please pray for Suzanne and her family as her grandfather died yesterday. Also pray for Elizabeth whose boyfriend shot her in the face four times. Pray for her family as well. Rose
—-Please pray for my friend William whose father passed away tonight! Tony
—-Prayer appreciated for our granddaughter, and for her mother’s aching heart. Difficult days since her disappearance. Helene
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Dear Friends,
This weekend we heard that a young lady we knew when her was a teen had been shot in the face with terrible results. Our hearts went out to her and to her family. Truly there is no safety in the sinful, old world. As we think of this and all of the other crimes and evil happenings, we can know of a certainty that we live in the days Jesus spoke about when He warned that there would be “upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth.” Luke 21:25,26 Yet, even amidst the storm we can have the assurance that we have a Refuge, Sure and Steadfast. We can “abide under the shadow of the Almighty. Our Great Protector 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 “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea.” Ps 46:1-3
Praise God! Our Great Redeemer has promised to deliver us “from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence.” We do not have to “be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day; Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday.” We have the assurance that if we have “made the LORD, . . even the most High, (our) habitation,” “a thousand shall fall at (our) side, and ten thousand at (our) right hand; but it shall not come nigh (us)….There shall no evil befall (us), neither shall any plague come nigh (our) dwelling.”
We have the promise that if we have set our love upon our Dear Saviour, He will deliver us. He promises, “he shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him. With long life will I satisfy him, and shew him my salvation.” Ps 91 Blessed assurance! Precious promises!
May we daily anchor our soul in Jesus, the Solid Rock. May we continually pray for God’s protecting care. May the “the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” is my prayer. Phil 4:7
Rose

Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn. Matthew 13:30.
God’s Word teaches that those who will follow the footsteps of the Man of Calvary in these last days will have to press forward under the greatest difficulties, for Satan has come down with great power, knowing that he has but a short time to work….
Enmity between truth and falsehood had existed ever since the fall of Satan. The being who now works so constantly to sow the seeds of error once occupied one of the most exalted positions in the heavenly courts. But he was not satisfied with his position. He determined to be more highly exalted, and he worked to further his ambitious projects until there was war in heaven.
Satan, and those whom he had deceived, and who fought with him, were cast out of heaven, but the warfare has been continued on the earth. In every age Satan has worked through men who have departed from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and teaching deceptive doctrines and principles of satanic origin. Christ taught His disciples how to meet the deceptive work of Satan and his followers. Under a variety of symbols the Saviour presented the work of extending His kingdom of truth and righteousness throughout the world. It is by teaching the truth that we are to defeat the purposes of Satan. Christ illustrated this work in the parable of the sower….
The teaching of this parable is illustrated in God’s own dealing with men and angels. Satan is a deceiver. When he sinned in heaven, even the loyal angels did not fully discern his character. This was why God did not at once destroy him. Had He done so, the holy angels would not have perceived the justice and love of God. A doubt of God’s goodness would have been as evil seed that would yield the bitter fruit of sin and woe. Therefore the author of evil was spared, fully to develop his character.
Through long ages God has borne the anguish of beholding the work of evil. He has given the infinite Gift of Calvary, rather than let any be deceived by the misrepresentations of the wicked one, for the tares could not be plucked up without danger of uprooting the precious grain. And shall we not be as forbearing toward our fellow men as the Lord of heaven is toward Satan?
Not condemnation and judgment of others, but humility and distrust of self, is the teaching of Christ’s parable.—Letter 86, March 4, 1907, “To Our Churches in the Large Cities.”
The Upward Look p. 77
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Prayer Requests
—-Please pray for Cameron who had an aneurysm and stroke while at school. Sally
—-Please pray for Kathy who lost the love of her life. E
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Dear Friends,
When Eileen was three, we lived in a small community in Pennsylvania. It couldn’t be called a town as it consisted of a tiny gas station that had a few grocery items to sell, a bar, and about fifteen houses. We lived at the top of the hill a mile or two away. Occasionally we would walk down to the store to buy a needed item. I didn’t like to go down there without Ron as there was a stray dog that always terrorized anyone who walked along the road. He never bit anyone as far as I knew, but he looked and sounded very scary.
One day, we needed more items than usual at the store, so he took his backpack to carry things in. Eileen asked to go too. She has always been “Daddy’s girl.” Eileen loved to stand in that backpack and ride high on her daddy’s shoulders, so Ron let her take a ride in the empty pack. She looked so cute with her head peaking over Ron’s head and her arms outstretched sideways for balance.
About half an hour later, Ron came back laughing. When thy had gotten down to the bottom of that long hill and were passing the town’s bar, that stray dog came out from behind that dilapidated, wooden structure. He was growling and showing his teeth and acting as if he were going to attack. Suddenly, he stopped, looked surprised, turned around quickly, and went yelping in fright back behind the building. Ron was puzzled. Why the sudden change? Then he thought of how they would look from a dog’s point of view. That animal must have seen them as a whole—a man with two heads and four arms!
Sometimes we can feel as frightened and confused as that big mongrel dog had been. Often the voices vying for our attention are beyond our comprehension to discern. Jesus warns, “if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not. For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. Behold, I have told you before. Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not. For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.” Matt 24:23-27
False Christs are easier to discern than false prophets, although the current one in Florida has quite a few followers. Yet, most people can tell by his look and teachings that he is on the devil’s side. False prophets, however, are not so easy. Who are these false prophets? They are anyone who teaches truth with a little error mixed in can be very dangerous. “Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.” Matt 7:15
How much we need the discernment that comes only from Above. How much we need God’s guiding hand. Without His guidance we will surely fail for the subtle teachers who twist the Scriptures. Without relying upon the One Who knows the end from the beginning, we will make wrong decisions and follow the “wolf in sheep’s clothing.” The Faithful and True Witness offers us the eyesalve of spiritual discernment that we may truly see and understand. (Rev 3:15-18) This gift is free for the asking. “Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.” Isa 55:1
More than all of this, He has promised, “I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye.” Ps 32:8 How does He guide us? Through a careful study of His Holy Word. “And when they shall say unto you, Seek unto them that have familiar spirits, and unto wizards that peep, and that mutter: should not a people seek unto their God? To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.” Isa 8:19, 20 It’s only through the light of God’s Holy Word can we know the truth. David says, “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.” Ps 119:105
May we “study to shew [ourselves] approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” 2 Tim 2:15 May we allow the Holy Spirit to change us into His image through beholding Jesus through His Word as Paul advises, “we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.” 2 Cor 3:18 May we follow the True Light all the way to His Heavenly Kingdom is my prayer.
Rose

Verily my sabbaths ye shall keep: for it is a sign between me and you throughout your generations; that ye may know that I am the Lord that doth sanctify you. Exodus 31:13.
The Lord speaks to those who turn away their feet from [trampling on] the Sabbath. This is the Sabbath spoken of in the thirty-first chapter of Exodus, which God declares is a sign between Him and His people. By keeping this day holy, we show to the world that we recognize God as the One who created the world in six days, and rested on the seventh. Earnestly and untiringly we are to bear the message given us, lest time shall pass and people be left unwarned.
My heart aches almost to breaking as I see so much left undone that ought to be done. God’s ambassadors are to maintain a living connection with Him. They are to enlarge their borders and extend their labors. Their lives are to be made pure, holy, ready for the great day soon to come upon the world. When they are imbued with the Spirit of the Master, they will see all around them souls … perishing in sin, and they will make every effort to save those nigh—even in their own households—and those afar off. Earnest, consecrated effort for those who are out of the fold leaves no time for criticism or questioning.
There must be no compromise with selfishness, for selfishness leads to idolatry. Minds that are in the darkness of ignorance in regard to the truth of the Word of God must be enlightened. A breach has been made in the law of God by the transgression of the fourth commandment. The Sabbath command is to be given its rightful position in the law of God, and by those who see and realize its importance, it is to be presented to the world. Those who work unitedly, who act faithfully their part in raising the foundation of many generations with patient, persevering effort, will be called, Repairers of the breach, Restorers of paths to dwell in.
There is no excuse for those who have the light of present truth, and yet fail to impart this light to others. God calls for workers. We have a great work to do in cooperating with Him as His helping hand and helping voice. Satan is casting his hellish shadow across the pathway of every soul, seeking to eclipse the testing truth for these last days. We are to sound the message of warning to a guilty race. We are to present to men the binding claims of God’s law, so that when Christ comes they will not be found in disloyalty, on the side of the Apostate. We must now prepare the way of the Lord. We must make plain in the desert a highway for our God.—Manuscript 22, March 3, 1901, “Diary.”
The Upward Look p. 76
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Prayer Requests
—-I need prayer for my son. Josephine
—-My 15 year old son has runaway. Thank you for your prayers. Shelley
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Dear Friends,
A week or two ago, Eileen found a huge, black and yellow caterpillar in her garden. She didn’t know what it was so we looked online until we saw one that looked like it. It reminded me of the time when I was seven, my mother found a huge, green worm crawling on a plant in the garden. She brought it inside and showed me. She told me to let it crawl on my hands while she got a glass jar, poked holes in the top, and put a few leaves inside. She chose leaves from the plant on which it had been crawling, so it would have the right food to eat. Then we placed the caterpillar inside the jar.
We gave it fresh leaves every day and within a week or two, that big, green creature had made a cocoon. Every day I would watch to see if it was coming out of its self-made prison. One day, just as I was coming home from school, that cocoon began to move. By the time I had gotten home, it was beginning to split. I was so excited!
For the next hour or so, I watched the wonderful event that was taking place. No longer was the creature before me a huge green worm. When it first wriggled out of its cramped quarters, its wings were crinkled up and useless, but as it stood there, a change began to take place. It moved its wings back and forth pumping fluid into them. Before long, those crinkled up wings were about 5 inches across, fuzzy brown, and had beautiful big blue eye spots. My mother, who had collected butterflies and moths for a science project in school explained that it was a polyphemus moth. She did not add it to her collection but let it go for my sake.
Just as the fat, green worm was changed into a beautiful moth, so can we. If we allow Him to, the Holy Spirit changes us from an ugly “worm” to a beautiful new creature. The Apostle Paul was a good example of how we can be changed. Paul was very zealous in his relentless persecution of Christ’s followers. He was filled with a great hatred for those who worshipped Jesus. He was sincere in his hatred thinking to do God honor, but he was sincerely wrong.
Still, our Loving Saviour did not give up on Paul. He used the memory of Stephen’s sermon and death (Acts 6:8-8:4) to reach this man who working so hard to destroy Christians. He was fighting against that memory by being even more vigilant in his seeking out those whose beliefs differed from his. But in His mercy, our Great Redeemer stepped in to put a stop to it. On the Damascus road, our Dear Saviour met that persecutor face to face. He said to this shocked and dazed man, “Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.” 9:4,5
How surprised Paul was to see the Living Christ! As he listened to Jesus give him his commission, he must have thought of all of the needless deaths he had caused. Then the vision ended and Paul found that he was without sight. He must have wondered how he could ever proclaim the Good News while unable to see. For three days, Paul fasted and prayed. He went over and over in his mind the Scriptures relating to the Messiah. The Holy Spirit brought to his mind the passages that were needed and enlightened his understanding.
Then, he was ready to receive his sight again. God did this in a special way to get him in contact with fellow believers. “And there was a certain disciple at Damascus, named Ananias; and to him said the Lord in a vision, Ananias. And he said, Behold, I am here, Lord. And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the street which is called Straight, and inquire in the house of Judas for one called Saul, of Tarsus: for, behold, he prayeth, And hath seen in a vision a man named Ananias coming in, and putting his hand on him, that he might receive his sight. Then Ananias answered, Lord, I have heard by many of this man, how much evil he hath done to thy saints at Jerusalem: And here he hath authority from the chief priests to bind all that call on thy name. But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel: For I will show him how great things he must suffer for my name’s sake.” vs 10-16
So it was. Paul spent the rest of his life proclaiming the very message that he had tried to silence. Paul had become a changed man. He tells us, “this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” Phil 3:13,14
May we also put our former life behind us and follow Him with our whole heart. May we receive the new heart that our Great Creator promises us. “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.” Eze 36:26 May we allow the Holy Spirit to change us into a new creature as “we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.” “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” 2 Cor 3:18; 5:17
Rose