He called men, not to authority, but to service, the strong to bear the infirmities of the weak. Power, position, talent, education, placed their possessor under the greater obligation to serve his fellows. To even the lowliest of Christ’s disciples it is said, “All things are for your sakes.” … Among His disciples Christ was in every sense a caretaker, a burden-bearer. He shared their poverty, He practised self-denial on their account, He went before them to smooth the more difficult places, and soon He would consummate His work on earth by laying down His life. The principle on which Christ acted is to actuate the members of the church which is His body. The plan and ground of salvation is love. In the kingdom of Christ those are greatest who follow the example He has given, and act as shepherds of His flock.—The Desire of Ages, 550.

But Christ reaches us where we are. He took our nature and overcame, that we through taking His nature might overcome…. Jesus had shown in what righteousness consists, and had pointed to God as its source. Now He turned to practical duties. In alms giving, in prayer, in fasting, He said, let nothing be done to attract attention or win praise to self. Give in sincerity, for the benefit of the suffering poor. In prayer, let the soul commune with God. In fasting, go not with the head bowed down, and heart filled with thoughts of self…. It is he who yields himself most unreservedly to God that will render Him the most acceptable service. For through fellowship with God men become workers together with Him in presenting His character in humanity.—The Desire of Ages, 312.
With God at Dawn p. 291
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Prayer Requests
—-Please continue to pray for Larry. He is getting worse instead of better. The doctor is saying that he had a mild stroke and should not be having these problems. He thinks it is an allergic reaction to the antibiotic he is on. Pray that that antibiotic gets out of his system soon. Rose
—-I have a family member in the hospital(not covid) and we need prayers. Please pray for her, for the best case scenario. Jana
—-I’m about to lose my job because of the mandates. Please pray something can be worked out. D
—-Very good friends asked for prayers for their precious grand-daughter who is having heart surgery tomorrow at 1:00 pm central time. Her name is Indy. Lorraine
—-Please every one pray for my daughter Anne Louise she is sick. Louisette
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Dear Friends,

About twenty years ago, an incident happened that reminded me to be careful not to judge by appearances. As we were coming home from church, we saw a lady standing beside her car with its emergency flashers on. It was pulled alongside of the highway right by our exit. Seeing that there were children in the car, Ron figured that it was not a trap and stopped about half-way down the exit ramp. Ron instructed me to drive our car back onto the highway and pull in behind her.

During the time that I was driving the mile to the next exit and doubling back, another man also had stopped. When I saw this man, I immediately wondered if he was stopping to help or if he had other ideas, as he looked like many of the defendants that came to the office in the courthouse where I worked at the time—bandana tied around his head, tattoos covering his bulging muscles, dirty clothes and very tough looking. A tinge of worry crept, uninvited, up my spine. As I sat there watching them, I was glad that I had a cell phone just in case his intentions were less than honorable. Soon, it became apparent that he had only stopped to help. The contrast between the two “good Samaritans” was rather amusing—Ron in white shirt and tie—the other man in “grubbies.”

So often we categorize someone by the way they are dressed, the color of their skin, their customs, where they live, the roughness of their speech, etc., without getting to know that person’s heart. Praise God! Our Great Redeemer is not prejudiced! He looks at us differently than we look at one another. He takes into account all of the opportunities that we have had or have not had, the trials we have experienced, the environment in which we have been raised, all of the aspects of our life. Truly “the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart.” 1 Sam 16:7

Our Dear Saviour shows His love to all of His creatures. “He maketh His sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.” Matt 5:45 It took the disciples a long time to exemplify this same love. They had been raised with many prejudices and wrong ideas. They had been taught from infancy that the Gentiles, the poor, the sick, the injured were under the curse of God. Jesus often went out of His way to correct these views.

One time, Jesus and the disciples walked across a part of Samaria on their way to Jerusalem. The disciples felt repulsed and uncomfortable that Jesus was even in a heathen area, yet they followed Him. It was permissible under their law to go and buy food from them and Jesus bade them do so. When they returned they found that He was conversing with one of “them” and a woman at that! When the “woman saith unto him, I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things. Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am he. . . .The woman then left her waterpot, and went her way into the city, and saith to the men, Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ? Then they went out of the city, and came unto him. . . .Jesus saith unto them, . . . Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest. . . .And many of the Samaritans of that city believed on him for the saying of the woman, which testified, He told me all that ever I did. So when the Samaritans were come unto him, they besought him that he would tarry with them: and he abode there two days. And many more believed because of his own word. And said unto the woman, Now we believe, not because of thy saying: for we have heard him ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world.” John 4:25-42

Another time, He took His disciples into the borders of Tyre and Sidon. As the disciples followed Him to this foreign land, they looked upon the inhabitants with disdain. They were about to learn a valuable lesson. “A certain woman, whose young daughter had an unclean spirit, heard of him, and came and fell at his feet: The woman was a Greek, a Syrophenician by nation; and she besought him that he would cast forth the devil out of her daughter. But Jesus said unto her, Let the children first be filled: for it is not meet to take the children’s bread, and to cast it unto the dogs. And she answered and said unto him, Yes, Lord: yet the dogs under the table eat of the children’s crumbs. And he said unto her, For this saying go thy way; the devil is gone out of thy daughter. And when she was come to her house, she found the devil gone out, and her daughter laid upon the bed. And again, departing from the coasts of Tyre and Sidon, he came unto the sea of Galilee, through the midst of the coasts of Decapolis.” Mark 7:25-31

And we must not forget that when a Roman centurion came to Jesus because his servant was sick, he had more faith than the chosen people of God. Jesus declared of him, “Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel. And I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven. But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” Matt 8:10-12

How careful we must be in our dealings with others, that we not judge them by the way that they look or act or talk. How kind and tenderhearted we should be to all we meet for we never know whether God has put them in our path that we may share the gospel with them. How our Loving Redeemer yearns for us to be a channel through which His love can flow. Yet how often we wrap our “righteous robes” about us as did the disciples and look upon them with the same disdain that they showed.

May we lay all of our preconceived ideas and prejudices. May we be diligent to point those about us to their Only Helper. May we let our “light so shine before men, that they may see [our] good works, and glorify [our] Father which is in heaven.” Matt 5:16

Rose

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/rosesdevotional/~3/XY_TYziNcQU/the-son-of-man-came-to-minister.html

God cannot use men who, in time of peril, when the strength, courage, and influence of all are needed, are afraid to take a firm stand for the right. He calls for men who will do faithful battle against wrong, warring against principalities and powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. It is to such as these that He will speak the words: “Well done, good and faithful servant; … enter thou into the joy of thy Lord.”—Prophets and Kings, 142.

Hope and courage are essential to perfect service for God. These are the fruit of faith. Despondency is sinful and unreasonable. God is able and willing “more abundantly” to bestow upon His servants the strength they need for test and trial. The plans of the enemies of His work may seem to be well laid and firmly established; but God can overthrow the strongest of these. And this He does in His own time and way, when He sees that the faith of His servants has been sufficiently tested.—Prophets and Kings, 164.

Through the fidelity to the principles of temperance shown by the Hebrew youth, God is speaking to the youth of today. There is need of men who, like Daniel, will do and dare for the cause of right. Pure hearts, strong hands, fearless courage, are needed; for the warfare between vice and virtue calls for ceaseless vigilance. To every soul Satan comes with temptation in many alluring forms on the point of indulgence of appetite…. Intellectual power, physical stamina, and the length of life depend upon immutable laws. Through obedience to these laws, man may stand conqueror of himself.—Prophets and Kings, 488.

With God at Dawn p. 288
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Prayer Requests
—-Please pray for guidance for a decision that my son must make. B
—-I have two prayer requests: please join our church in lifting up the McNally Family during this difficult time: Levi took his life Saturday. Please keep Levi’s mother Sydnee, her husband, Brandon, the rest of the family, and Levi’s friends in prayer during this difficult time.
Maryanne – Prayer request. from Ginny Norris. Pray for her son in law he has lung cancer //Also pray for his salvation. She is hoping he will reaching out to Jesus.
—-Please continue to pray for Larry who had a stroke. Rose
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Dear Friends,

When Eileen was two years old, we lived in Pennsylvania. Ron had a job selling books door to door. We were having a very difficult time financially. Every day he would go out and work from morning till late at night. Every day he did not make enough money for our needs.

But God did not forsake us. During this difficult time He put it in the hearts of two church members to help us. One of these men was a goat farmer. He supplied us daily with goat’s milk. I did not like the taste, but I drank it anyway. It was very good for Eileen, who needed good nutrition. This man also sold Mason shoes and gave Ron a pair of expensive shoes. Ron was very thankful for them. They were very comfortable and he wore them for years.

The other member brought us coal for heat. (Before that I had been going daily out into the woods to gather firewood for heating and cooking. It did not keep the house warm and Eileen and I would have to get very close to the heating stove to get a little heat and often I would burn my clothes on it.) The coal burned much hotter and longer and kept the house comfortable. I was very thankful for his kindness.

Everyone has difficulties in this life. It is how we react to those difficulties that is important. Do we fight against the trial and blame our troubles on the only One Who can help us? Do we trust our Loving Heavenly Father through both the hard times and the good? Our very future depends on how we react to the trial we are going through. Paul explains the reason why trials must come. “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.” Heb 12:5-11

There is a Bible story found in Genesis chapters 37, 39-50 that illustrates how God uses trials to get us where we can be the most effective in our witness for Him. When Joseph was sold by his own brothers, he had not only the fear of the future to deal with, but he also had the heartbreak of knowing that he was in this situation because those he loved hated him. What a difficult trial that knowledge was. Yet, through it all, he determined to be true to God. “God was with him, and delivered him out of all his afflictions, and gave him favour and wisdom in the sight of Pharaoh king of Egypt; and he made him governor over Egypt and all his house. Now there came a dearth over all the land of Egypt and Chanaan, and great affliction: and our fathers found no sustenance. But when Jacob heard that there was corn in Egypt, he sent out our fathers first. And at the second time Joseph was made known to his brethren; and Joseph’s kindred was made known unto Pharaoh. Then sent Joseph, and called his father Jacob to him, and all his kindred, threescore and fifteen souls.” Acts 7:9-17

God lead even in who bought Joseph. If it had not been Potiphar, he might have been sold as a common laborer and perished quickly. But God did not allow that to happen. Joseph was His follower, His “man for the hour.” The rule of Joseph’s life was brought out in the words he spoke when urged to do evil, “How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?” Gen 39:9 Although he suffered for his steadfastness, God did not allow the suffering to last. He lead in other lives to bring about his purpose for His faithful servant.

Even though he was thrown into the dungeon for three long years, God did not forske him but gave him favor with the keeper of the prison. Joseph got an even greater reward for his faithfulness. He became second in command in the kingdom of Egypt. Even beyond this blessing, even dearer to him than being ruler, was the eventual reunion with his family, for even though those he loved had hated him, he had love and forgiveness toward them. What an example he is to us.

May we determine, as did Joseph, to love God and keep His commandments no matter what trials we are going through. May we put away our feelings of bitterness toward those who do us harm. May we allow our Loving Shepherd to lead us all the way to His Heavenly Kingdom is my prayer.

Rose

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/rosesdevotional/~3/lnzHHQkiEOY/courage.html

God’s servants are to put on every piece of the Christian armor. We are not wrestling simply with human foes. God calls upon every Christian to enter the warfare, and fight under His leadership, depending for success on the grace and help of Heaven. We are to go forward in the strength of the Mighty One. Never are we to yield to Satan’s attacks. Why should not we, as Christian warriors, stand against principalities and powers, and against the rulers of the darkness of this world? God calls upon us to press forward, using the gifts entrusted to us. Satan will place temptation before us. He will try to overcome us by stratagem. But in the strength of God we are to stand firm as a rock to principle.

In this warfare there is no release. Satan’s agents never pause in their work of destruction. Those who are in Christ’s service must watch every outpost. Our object is to save perishing souls from ruin. This is a work of infinite greatness, and man can not hope to obtain success in it, unless he unites with the divine Worker.

From eternity Christ has been man’s Redeemer. Ever since the fall there has come to those uniting with Him in His great work, the word, “Be not weary in well-doing.” …

The Christian is encouraged to show patient perseverance in carrying forward the work of the gospel ministry, in connection with the medical missionary work. As he gains an experience in genuine religion, he obtains a spiritual knowledge that makes character.

The life of a true Christian is one continuous round of service.—Testimonies for the Church 9:219, 220.
With God at Dawn p. 286
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Prayer Reequests
—-Please pray for Larry who has just had a stroke. Pray for Mike and Eileen as well. Rose
—-Please be in prayer for my friend Jenny. Her parent’s are both down with the virus and are suffering some heart complications. Her dad was able to come home from hospital but must be on a heart monitor. Her mom is still in the hospital due to heart monitors and diabetes complications. They are giving her a timeframe to get better, otherwise she will be put on the ventilator. This is hard becasue Jenny can’t even help with her dad because her daughter Maya is so medically fragile and can’t risk any exposure. Jennifer
—-Please pray for David that he will be healed mental and spiritually. Buck
—-Update: BJ is doing better, and trying to build back his strength. Keep him in your prayers, because now he has to get his business back on track, while still gaining strength. Jana
—-Please pray for my sister, Karen. She was taken to the hospital with chest pain. She is having a stress test today to see if they can determine the cause. Kay
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Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/rosesdevotional/~3/mMrcZJ3QETw/constancy-in-service.html