It is sometimes the case that men of intellectual ability, improved by education and culture, fail to comprehend certain passages of Scripture, while others who are uneducated, whose understanding seems weak and whose minds are undisciplined, will grasp the meaning, finding strength and comfort in that which the former declare to be mysterious or pass by as unimportant. Why is this? It has been explained to me that the latter class do not rely upon their own understanding. They go to the Source of light, the One who has inspired the Scriptures, and with humility of heart ask God for wisdom, and they receive it. There are mines of truth yet to be discovered by the earnest seeker.

Christ represented the truth as treasure hid in a field. It does not lie right upon the surface; we must dig for it. But our success in finding it does not depend so much on our intellectual ability as on our humility of heart and the faith which will lay hold upon divine aid.

Without the guidance of the Holy Spirit we shall be continually liable to wrest the Scriptures or to misinterpret them. There is much reading of the Bible that is without profit and in many cases is a positive injury. When the Word of God is opened without reverence and without prayer; when the thoughts and affections are not fixed upon God or in harmony with His will, the mind is clouded with doubt; and in the very study of the Bible, skepticism strengthens. The enemy takes control of the thoughts, and he suggests interpretations that are not correct.

Whenever men are not seeking, in word and deed, to be in harmony with God, then, however learned they may be, they are liable to err in their understanding of Scripture, and it is not safe to trust to their explanations. When we are truly seeking to do God’s will, the Holy Spirit takes the precepts of His Word and makes them the principles of the life, writing them on the tablets of the soul. And it is only those who are following the light already given that can hope to receive the further illumination of the Spirit.—Testimonies for the Church 5:704, 705.

Ye Shall Receive Power p. 103
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Prayer Requests
—-Please pray for Kerrien who is having surgery tomorrow. Pray also for Lorna who fell and has a concussion. Rose
—-Please continue to pray for E and family that God will miraculously guide and protect. R
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Dear Friends,

What a good invention text messaging is! A message that would have taken days to reach the addressee, takes only a matter of seconds to reach them. Often sending or receiving texts from friends and family who live far away or chatting with them over video messaging helps with the loneliness we feel because we cannot be with them.
The key to any relationship is frequent contact. Without that contact, the relationship suffers. So it is with our relationship with our Great Redeemer. If we “pray without ceasing,” our walk with Him will grow closer and richer and deeper. 1 Thes 5:17 Keeping our mind uplifted to the One Who is our Advocate, helps us to turn from sin, and do that which is lawful and right in His sight.
Yet, what little time we spend communing with the All-Powerful King of the Universe. One time I read about a survey of the amount of time spent in prayer. The average was three minutes a day! Unbelievable! How lonesome God must be to hear from His children! How His Great Heart of Love must ache with sadness to watch us go about our daily duties with scarcely even a thought of Him.
Our Blessed Saviour felt a strong need to pray. In fact, he sometimes spent all night in prayer and supplication. “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 If He, Who is one with the Father, had need of constant communion with His Heavenly Father, should we not spend more time in communion with Him? Paul says, “Continue
in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving.” “Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.” Col 4:2; Phil 4:6
Jesus reminds us, “If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?” Matt 7:11 Our Heavenly Father answers every prayer. Because of His great love for us, He does not always answer our prayers the way we expect Him to, but He answers in the way He sees is best. He does not always give us what we want, because we often ask amiss. (James 4:3)
Just as a parent is overjoyed by the sincere love of their child, so our Heavenly Father loves to have us praise Him for His Goodness and Mercy to us. Yet, how often our prayers are full of more “give me’s” than “thankyous.” Just as we want our children to confide in us, to come to us when they have a problem, to tell us all their joys, to talk to us about what is going on in their life; so God longs to have us tell Him all these things.
He is standing there waiting to guide us through our problems, waiting to help us carry our burdens. He says, “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.” Matt 7:7 Therefore, let us keep our hearts uplifted to Him in praise and petition. Let us walk in constant communion with God just as Enoch did so long ago. Let us so live that it be said of us, as it was of Abraham, that we are the friend of God.
Rose

Source: https://rosesdevotional.org/going-to-the-source-of-light.html

The experience of the Christian in his earliest love is full of simplicity and freshness; but as his opportunities multiply, his experience should enlarge, and his knowledge increase. He should become strong to bear responsibility, and his maturity should be in proportion to his privileges….

But unless there is an hourly dependence upon Christ, increasing knowledge and privileges will result in self-trust and self-righteousness. The young Christian is in danger of forgetting that it is Christ that has begun the good work in him, and that it is Christ that must finish it. The soul must renounce all merit, and trust wholly in the merit of Him who is too wise to err. Man of himself can do no good thing. Said Jesus, “Without me ye can do nothing” (John 15:5). The soul is to stay itself upon God.

In the gift of Christ all heaven was poured out, and through Christ the Holy Spirit is promised to the believer. Jesus said to His disciples, “The Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you” (John 14:26). Christ not only offers pardon to the believing, repenting soul, but He promises him the constant aid of the Holy Spirit.

In the growth of the seed in the soil, man cannot see the working of unseen agencies that develop the plant to perfection, bringing up first the blade, then the ear, then the full corn in the ear. But though young in the faith, you may know that you have passed from death unto life, if the fruits of the Spirit are made manifest in your life. If you are growing in faith and hope and love, you may know that your spiritual vision has been cleared. If you delight to dwell upon the plan of salvation, upon the glorious manifestations of the divine character, if your heart, in contemplation of the love of God, glows with thankfulness and joy, you may be sure that you have been illuminated by the beams of the Holy Spirit, and heavenly agencies are bringing your character up to maturity of Christian life.—The Signs of the Times, March 27, 1893.
Ye Shall Receive Power p.98
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Prayer Requests
—-Please pray for E and children that God will guide, provide, and protect. R
—-Please pray for Linda who has had a stroke.Rose
—-Please pray for my unbelieving brother and sister in law to accept Jesus. And that I will find a part time job I can do from home. Thank you. Rachelle
—-Prayers needed for my cousin Amy. She and hubby are calling it quits and she’s moving out. Jennifer
—-Please pray for me that I can have the strength and energy to continue working and also for overcoming all sin in my life. Ron
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Dear Friends,
My great-great-aunt, Aletha Phillips Spoor wrote many songs and poems in her lifetime. I had had the songbook that she had written for children, but it got burned up many years ago when we lost everything in a house fire. I thought I would share one of the poems from one of her poem books that I was able to find online.Be Brave

by Aletha Phillips-Spoor

Be brave, the sun will shine again

Although the rain-drops fall,

The bridge you fear before you,

You may not cross at all.

The robin sings the sweetest

And holds his head up high,

When the rain is falling fast

From out the leaden sky.

And when the darkness hovers near,

He sings a song of praise,

You’ll hear him warble sweet and clear,

His merry roundelays.

It isn’t worth your while to sigh

When storm clouds gather near,

Just count your blessings, ev’ry one

And sing a song of cheer.

The darkest clouds will vanish

The sun will soon shine through,

If, like the robin, you will sing

Then joy will come to you.

Our Mighty Helper 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 “What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee.” ”God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” ”I sought the LORD, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears. Ps 56:3; 46:1; 34:4 “The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?” “Thy mercy, O LORD, is in the heavens; and thy faithfulness reacheth unto the clouds. Thy righteousness is like the great mountains; thy judgments are a great deep: O LORD, thou preservest man and beast. How excellent is thy lovingkindness, O God! therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings. They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy house; and thou shalt make them drink of the river of thy pleasures. For with thee is the fountain of life: in thy light shall we see light. O continue thy lovingkindness unto them that know thee; and thy righteousness to the upright in heart.” “Behold, the eye of the LORD is upon them that fear him, upon them that hope in his mercy; To deliver their soul from death,” “This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles. The angel of the LORD encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them. The righteous cry, and the LORD heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles. The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.” Ps 27:1; 36:5-10; 33:18, 19; 34:6, 7, 17, 18 Psalm 107 is filled full with promises to be claimed.

Praise God! He has put in His Holy Word verses to cover all situations that perplex us or fill us with fear. May we turn to the Scriptures for the strength and help we so much need is my prayer.

Rose

Source: https://rosesdevotional.org/dependence.html

What does God require? Perfection, nothing less than perfection. But if we would be perfect, we must put no confidence in self. Daily we must know and understand that self is not to be trusted. We need to grasp God’s promises with firm faith. We need to ask for the Holy Spirit with a full realization of our own helplessness. Then when the Holy Spirit works we shall not give self the glory. The Holy Spirit will graciously take the heart into His keeping, bringing to it all the bright beams of the Sun of righteousness. We shall be kept by the power of God through faith.

When we are daily under the control of God’s Spirit, we shall be commandment-keeping people. We may show to the world that obedience to God’s commands brings its own reward, even in this life, and in the future life eternal blessedness. Notwithstanding our profession of faith, the Lord, by whom our actions are weighed, sees but an imperfect representation of Christ. He has declared that such a condition of things cannot glorify Him.

It means much to commit the keeping of the soul to God. It means that we are to live and walk by faith, not trusting in or glorifying self, but looking to Jesus our Advocate as the author and finisher of our faith. The Holy Spirit will do its work upon the heart that is contrite, but never can it work upon a self-important, self-righteous soul. In his own wisdom such a one would mend himself. He interposes between his soul and the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit will work if self will not interpose.

Where is our dependence? Where is our help? God’s Word tells us: “The Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you” (John 14:26). The Holy Spirit is ready to cooperate with all who will receive Him and be taught by Him. All who lay hold on the truth and are sanctified through the truth are so united with Christ that they can represent Him in word and action.—Manuscript Releases 12:52, 53.
Ye Shall Receive Power p. 93
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Prayer Requests
—-Prayer request for that little boy again in the morning in Seattle.in he is having another surgery he has had so many surgeries since birth. thanks. M
—-Continued prayer is needed for E’s situation. R
—-Prayers for family friend who is losing her leg and now discovering her daughter has stage 4 cancer. Mel
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Dear Friends,

One of the television programs I used to enjoy watching is on House and Garden TV. Rich people who are wanting to buy vacation homes (or a home in a new location) tour three luxurious places and then decide which one to buy. I enjoyed seeing all the beautiful places and tried to guess which one they would pick. It was fun to view, but it always amazed me how some people have so much money, that they are willing to pay a million dollars for a home they only visit a few weeks out of the year.

As I think about the program, I cannot help but think of the rich man in Jesus’ parable, “The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully: And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits? And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided? So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.” Luke 12:16-21

The rich man felt no need of God. He did not care for the needs of others. He was totally self-centered. He had more than he could ever use in a lifetime. Yet, instead of using his means to help those in need, he hoarded it. When the rich man’s time came to die, all of his riches, all of his lands, his luxurious house, all of his expensive possessions could not save him. All that he had worked for all of his life was given to others. He went down to the grave to wait for the resurrection of damnation that Jesus spoke about, “Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.” John 5:28,29

Jesus asks a question that it would do well to meditate upon, “For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?” Matt 16:26 The rich man’s riches could not save him from death. He could not give them in exchange for his soul. His only hope of salvation, our only hope of salvation is in our Dear Saviour’s sacrifice upon the cross of Calvary. Our Great Creator assures us, “Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine.” “I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy transgressions, and, as a cloud, thy sins: return unto me; for I have redeemed thee.” Isa 43:1;44:22 “I will ransom (thee) from the power of the grave; I will redeem (thee) from death: O death, I will be thy plagues; O grave, I will be thy destruction.” Hosea 13:14

Paul tells us, “For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.” Titus 2:11-14 Peter adds, “Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you, Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God. Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently: Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.” 1 Peter 1:18-23

May our focus be in Heaven and not upon the things of this sinful old planet. For the things of this world will soon pass away and only our treasure in Heaven will endure.

Rose

Source: https://rosesdevotional.org/obedience.html