Then we entered a field full of all kinds of beasts—the lion, the lamb, the leopard, and the wolf, all together in perfect union. We passed through the midst of them, and they followed on peaceably after. Then we entered a wood, not like the dark woods we have here; no, no; but light, and all over glorious; the branches of the trees waved to and fro, and we all cried out, “We will dwell safely in the wilderness, and sleep in the woods.” We passed through the woods, for we were on our way to Mount Zion. As we were traveling along, we met a company who also were gazing at the glories of the place. I noticed red as a border on their garments; their crowns were brilliant; their robes were pure white. As we greeted them, I asked Jesus who they were. He said they were martyrs that had been slain for Him. With them was an innumerable company of little ones; they also had a hem of red on their garments. Mount Zion was just before us, and on the mount was a glorious temple, and about it were seven other mountains, on which grew roses and lilies. And I saw the little ones climb, or, if they chose, use their little wings and fly to the top of the mountains, and pluck the never-fading flowers. There were all kinds of trees around the temple to beautify the place; the box, the pine, the fir, the oil, the myrtle, the pomegranate, and the fig-tree bowed down with the weight of its timely figs—these made the place all over glorious…. And I saw a table of pure silver; it was many miles in length, yet our eyes could extend over it.—Early Writings, 18, 19.
With God at Dawn p. 365
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Prayer Requests
—-My nephew is on his way to the hospital with blood clots around his heart. Please pray for his healing. Marlene
—-prayer request for dear friends of mine they left this morning from here to get to ______ his mom was taken to the hospital last night with heart failure. their name is J & J. hope he makes it in time she is my friend. And my friend in ____ passed away in October and a very dear friend passed away on the 9th of December. the Lord is laying those who will not be able to go through what is coming. keep looking up we are almost home. M.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Dear Friends,

When Esther Marie was four or five, she saw a commercial on TV for “No Tears Baby Shampoo.” In her childish mind, she thought this would be the perfect solution for the usual problem of the uncomfortable stinging that she usually felt from our normal shampoo. The next time we went to the store, she asked for that brand, so I got it for her.

When we got home, she wanted to take a bath right away. Soon I heard strong crying coming from the direction of the tub. There was little Esther sobbing away. Mounds of suds were sliding down her face. As I rinsed away the shampoo, she began to tell me how she had kept her eyes open while she was washing her hair like the child in the commercial. She could not understand why the soap stung her eyes when the child in the advertisement was all smiles while getting her hair washed. As I comforted my little girl, she began to explain that she was crying in disappointment. She was not crying because of her stinging eyes.

How often, we too, are hurt and disillusioned by the promises of this world. How many times we find that it has betrayed us. Praise God! This sinful, old planet is only temporary. It and all of its false guarantees will soon pass away. Peter assures us, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ: Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory. Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls. 1 Peter 1:3-9

Because of Jesus’ great sacrifice, we have a Heavenly home awaiting us! He is faithful Who has promised, “Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.” John 14:1-3 Think of it! Our Dear Saviour is working even now on our dwelling place in that Fair Land. He is making it just the way we would like it to be. How much fun it is to imagine what our Heavenly home will be like. As we do this, the false promises of this world, no longer allure us. Read Revelation chapters 21 and 22 for a glimpse of that bright and glorious land that will soon be our home. Nothing false will be there. No disillusionment will cause us pain. Indeed, “God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.” Rev 21:4

May “our conversation be in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself. Therefore, my brethren dearly beloved and longed for, my joy and crown, so stand fast in the Lord.” Phil 3:20-4:1

Rose

Source: https://rosesdevotional.org/wild-beasts-will-not-destroy.html

Source: https://rosesdevotional.org/there-shall-be-no-more-curse.html

After the judgment of the wicked dead had been finished, at the end of the one thousand years, Jesus left the city, and the saints and a train of the angelic host followed Him. Jesus descended upon a great mountain, which as soon as His feet touched it, parted asunder, and became a mighty plain.

Then we looked up and saw the great and beautiful city, with twelve foundations, and twelve gates, three on each side, and an angel at each gate. We cried out, “The city! the great city! it is coming down from God out of heaven!” And it came down in all its splendor and dazzling glory, and settled in the mighty plain which Jesus had prepared for it.—Early Writings, 291.

As the prophet beholds the redeemed dwelling in the city of God, free from sin and from all marks of the curse, in rapture he exclaims: “Rejoice ye with Jerusalem, and be glad with her, all ye that love her: rejoice for joy with her.”

“Violence shall no more be heard in thy land,
Wasting nor destruction within thy borders;
But thou shalt call thy walls Salvation,
And thy gates Praise….”

The prophet caught the sound of music there, and song, such music and song as, save in the visions of God, no mortal ear has heard or mind conceived…. “They shall lift up their voice, they shall sing for the majesty of the Lord.”—Prophets and Kings, 729, 730.
With God at Dawn p. 356
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Prayer Requests
—-Please pray for my co-worker’s niece who has covid. Wanangwa
—-Please continue to pray that God will take complete control of E’s and children’s situation for their good and for their future. R
—- I’m in the hospital with the father of my children who is having some complications after his surgery of three days ago. Please pray. Haydee
—-Update: Maya’s friend Keegan had been extubated and is on BIPAP. He was going septic, so thankfully he got to the hospital in time. The plan was to emergency airlift him, but their area was dealing with fog and bad weather, so he had to be transported by ambulance, which took longer. They have switched him to CPAP, which is great improvement. But they don’t knwo if he will make it home for Christmas. But any improvement is always a good sign Jenny and Keegan’s mom Maran both thank everyone for your continued prayers. Jennifer
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
ear Friends,

After my mother, Geneva Harmon, was laid off from work in the late 1970’s, her friend Mary Esther invited her to move down to Florida. There was a small house for rent next door to her that would be just right for my mother. Soon my she sold everything that she could not pack into the car and headed the long 1200-mile trip. When she got there, my mother was delighted. Not only was the house ideal, so was the yard. Several orange trees, a palm, and many flowers and plants were arranged attractively around the fenced yard. She was so happy.

When we went down to visit her sometime later, she happily served us fruit from her own orange trees. We were so surprised at the taste of that tree-ripened fruit. It was not a bit of acidic that is the characteristic of what you can get in the store. Only the most delightful sweetness was in this fruit. While we were there, Mary Esther also shared some grapefruit from her trees. Again, the taste was much sweeter and better overall than what we were used to.

So it is in the Christian’s life. The longer we are connected to the Vine, the sweeter should our “fruit” be. Our Dear Saviour tells us, “I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples. As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love. If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love. These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.” John 15:1-11

Often, during this abiding with the Vine, we must pass through painful processes to sweeten our fruit. Christ’s parable of the fig tree becomes our experience. “A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came and sought fruit thereon, and found none. Then said he unto the dresser of his vineyard, Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none: cut it down; why cumbereth it the ground? And he answering said unto him, Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it: And if it bear fruit, well: and if not, then after that thou shalt cut it down.” Luke 13:6-9 So the trials and troubles of our life are part of His plan to make us a sweet and beautiful part of His vineyard.

Paul encourages us, “My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him: For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons. Furthermore, we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live? For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness. Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby. Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees; And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed. Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord.” Heb 12:5-14

May we allow the Master Gardener to do His work in us. May we yield ourselves fully and completely to His leading. May the sweet fruit of the Spirit—love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance—be found in our life each day.

Rose

Source: https://rosesdevotional.org/he-hath-prepared-for-them-a-city.html