Enoch was a man of strong and highly cultivated mind, and extensive knowledge; he was honored with special revelations from God; yet being in constant communion with heaven, with a sense of the divine greatness and perfection ever before him, he was one of the humblest of men. The closer the connection with God, the deeper was the sense of his own weakness and imperfection.

Distressed by the increasing wickedness of the ungodly, and fearing that their infidelity might lessen his reverence for God, Enoch avoided constant association with them, and spent much time in solitude, giving himself to meditation and prayer. Thus he waited before the Lord, seeking a clearer knowledge of His will, that he might perform it. To him prayer was as the breath of the soul; he lived in the very atmosphere of heaven.—Patriarchs and Prophets, 85.

Communing thus with God, Enoch came more and more to reflect the divine image. His face was radiant with a holy light, even the light that shineth from the face of Jesus. As he came forth from these divine communings, even the ungodly beheld with awe the impress of heaven upon his countenance.—Patriarchs and Prophets, 87.

Whoever under the reproof of God will humble the soul with confession and repentance, as did David, may be sure that there is hope for him. Whoever will in faith accept God’s promises, will find pardon. The Lord will never cast away one truly repentant soul. He has given this promise: “Let him take hold of my strength, … and he shall make peace with me.”—Patriarchs and Prophets. 726.
With God at Dawn p. 185
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Prayer Requests
—-Praise—My work let me have Sabbath off. Thankyou for your prayers. Ronnie Jay
—-Please pray for my niece she has been really sick it is not COVID she has a flu virus. Carolyn
—-Please pray for David’s family this weekend. Buck
—-Please pray for my family. That they will make time for worship, everyone is too busy. We need to put God first. Rosemary
—-Please pray for Chris whose wife died of covid recently and he is having back surgery on the 14th.
—-We have lost a library book. Please pray that we find it. Rose
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Dear Friends,

Two-thousand-five was a busy time for us. Both of our daughters got married in the same year—Esther Marie in March and Eileen in July. So, this morning, I began thinking about what we were doing that July. Brian and Esther’s wedding was over. I was glad of that as I had had all the stress of preparations for it. So much to buy and do—such as items that could be used for both weddings, helping pick out a dress for Esther, picking out a dress for me that I could use for both weddings. At first I bought a very fancy, light blue sparkly dress, but after I got it home and took a picture of me in it, I could tell that it would never do. I looked like a big, blue blob. I took it back to the store. A short time before the wedding, Esther helped me pick one out that was more suited to my figure and one that after the weddings were over I could continue to wear to church.

Since I was so far away from Michigan, Mike’s mom took over the plans for it. Wisely, they had a wedding coordinator whose whole focus was getting everything ready for the wedding. Plans went much smoother for their wedding. Many church members at Mike’s church became involved in the preparations and countless hours went in to making the wedding just right. It turned out beautifully.

We, too, are to prepare for the most important wedding in all the Universe. The preparation we make for that wedding is far more important than any earthly wedding. Our future, indeed, the whole focus of our life must be in getting ready for the marriage supper of the Lamb. Revelation 19:5-10, gives us a glimpse of the glory that will take place during that time. “And a voice came out of the throne, saying, Praise our God, all ye his servants, and ye that fear him, both small and great. And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth. Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints. And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb.”

In the parable of the king’s wedding feast, we read, “And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment: And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless. Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” Matt 22:11-13 So it is in reality. Without the guidance of the Holy Spirit, we will not be prepared. Without our Dear Saviour’s removing the filthy rags of our righteousness from us and providing the wedding garment, the spotless robe of His Righteousness, that we may be fit to enter into His marriage supper, we will never partake of that great feast. He does not force that garment upon us, but it is necessary that we have it. Praise God! This wedding garment is a free gift purchased for us by the Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ! It is ours for the asking! Indeed, He is standing there waiting for us to claim it as our own!

May we, today, ask for that glorious wedding garment, even the spotless robe of Christ’s righteousness, while there is yet time to receive it. May we all be part of that grand and glorious wedding that is soon to take place is my prayer.

Rose

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/rosesdevotional/~3/APGacRb9Vnk/take-hold-of-gods-strength.html

No matter how high his profession, he whose heart is not imbued with love for God and for his fellow-men, is not a disciple of Christ. Though he should possess great faith, and even have power to work miracles, yet without love his faith would be worthless. He might display great liberality, but should he from some other motive than genuine love, bestow all his goods to feed the poor, the act would not commend him to the favor of God. In his zeal he might even meet a martyr’s death, yet if destitute of the gold of love he would be regarded by God as a deluded enthusiast or an ambitious hypocrite.—Testimonies for the Church 5:168,

There is an eloquence far more powerful than the eloquence of words in the quiet, consistent life of a pure, true Christian. What a man is has more influence than what he says…. It is our own character and experience that determine our influence upon others. In order to convince others of the power of Christ’s grace, we must know its power in our own hearts and lives. The gospel we present for the saving of souls must be the gospel by which our own souls are saved. Only through a living faith in Christ as a personal Saviour is it possible to make our influence felt in a skeptical world. If we would draw sinners out of the swift-running current, our own feet must be firmly set upon the Rock, Christ Jesus. The badge of Christianity is not an outward sign, not the wearing of a cross or a crown, but it is that which reveals the union of man with God.—The Ministry of Healing, 469, 470.
With God at Dawn p. 183
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Prayer Requests
—-Please continue to pray for Annie. Pray also for Ronnie Jay as they are wanting him to work on Sabbath this week. Please pray that they will allow him to have God’s holy day off. Rose
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Dear Friends,
Today, I thought I’d share with you one of my favorite passages of Scripture.
“Behold, my servant shall deal prudently, he shall be exalted and extolled, and be very high. As many were astonied at thee; his visage was so marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men: So shall he sprinkle many nations; the kings shall shut their mouths at him: for that which had not been told them shall they see; and that which they had not heard shall they consider. Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the LORD revealed? For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him. He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth. He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken. And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth. Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand. He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities. Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.” Isa 52:13-53:12
Yes, in times of great trial and adversity, we can find comfort in our Dear Saviour’s Sacrifice for us. He, Whom all Heaven adores, left the glories of that perfect land, left the worship of all the unfallen beings in His great universe, left the close fellowship of His Father’s side, and came to this dark and sin-laden planet to live a perfect life in the midst of all of the hatred and trials that the evil one through wicked men could heap upon Him. And if that were not enough, Jesus gave Himself as our Sacrifice for sin by dying the cruelest of deaths, even death upon the cross. In anguish He cried, “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” Matt 27:46
Through times when we feel forsaken by God, He is very near. He promises, “As one whom his mother comforteth, so will I comfort you.” “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 66:13; 43:1-3 Indeed, He is “the God of all comfort; Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God. For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ.” 2 Cor 1:3-5
May we, when the evil one attacks us beyond our strength, cling to the One Who loves us with an everlasting love and find our strenth in Him. (Jer 31:3) May we feel His Loving Arms around us bringing us comfort and peace. May we look forward to the time when “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.” Rev 21:4
Rose

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/rosesdevotional/~3/6mWMY8tLue4/by-their-fruits-ye-shall-know-them.html

The plant does not germinate, grow, or bring forth fruit for itself, but to “give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater.” So no man is to live unto himself. The Christian is in the world as a representative of Christ, for the salvation of other souls.

There can be no growth or fruitfulness in the life that is centered in self. If you have accepted Christ as a personal Saviour, you are to forget yourself, and try to help others. Talk of the love of Christ, tell of His goodness. Do every duty that presents itself. Carry the burden of souls upon your heart, and by every means in your power seek to save the lost. As you receive the Spirit of Christ,—the spirit of unselfish love and labor for others,—you will grow and bring forth fruit. The graces of the Spirit will ripen in your character. Your faith will increase, your convictions deepen, your love be made perfect. More and more you will reflect the likeness of Christ in all that is pure, noble, and lovely.—Christ’s Object Lessons, 67.

It is His plan, by conforming His servants day by day to the image of Christ, by making them partakers of the divine nature, to cause them to bear fruit abundantly.

He desires His people, through actual experience in the truth of the gospel, to become true, solid, trustworthy, experimental missionaries. He would have them show results far higher, holier, and more definite than in our day have yet been revealed.—Testimonies for the Church 8:186
With God at Dawn p. 181
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Prayer Requests
—-Please pray that God will give the doctor wisdom in Annie’s case as she has an appointment with him tomorrow. Also pray for our pastor who has covid. Rose
—-Please pray for Jake. He is 40 years old, in ICU recovering from a heart event followed by organ failure. It was not a heart attack. He is considered a miracle by the doctors because with all that is going on they thought he would not live. He is improving on a daily basis, but prayer is the power connection that will assist him to recover. He is in good health. unknown reason for these problems. He and the family will appreciate prayer. Joyce
—-David and his family need your prayers. Pray that he will be willing to take medication for his mental condition. Buck
—-Please remember me in your daily prayers. I have inflammation from covid. I’ve had it 2 confirmed possibly 3 times. . . . I cannot breathe well and have struggled all day. Please pray Gods heals any damage. I need to work and take care of my grand baby. Lola
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Dear Friends,
Some years ago after we had come home from church, Ronnie Jay, a friend of his, Eileen, and I decided to go walking in a nearby park. I thought we were going to the area of the park that has nice cement walkways, so I wore my church clothes. As we were driving to the park, Eileen asked if we could go to the wilder side. Now that area has tiny dirt trails. I said, “Well, I’m not dressed for it, but I like that area better too, so let’s go there.”
After we had started down the trail, I realized that few people had been there since a flood in that area almost a year before. There were places where the path had been washed away and other areas where it was barely visible because grass and thistles had grown over it. To add to my troubles, it had rained the night before, so most of the way was muddy. Church shoes, nylons, a good drees, and mud just do not go well together! I slipped and slid along the trail and almost fell a few times.
Still, the walk was enjoyable. We saw many kinds of birds, a couple of deer, and the ever-present insects. As we neared the end of the walk, the trail was no longer visible. It was completely covered with grass. That does not sound like a problem, but here in Kansas the wild grass is over six feet tall! That’s about a foot taller than Eileen and I. We felt like we were in a jungle. If the trail had not been going fairly close to the tree line, we would have become completely disoriented. That stand of trees was our guide. (Ronnie Jay and his friend were far ahead of us. They had no trouble since the friend was tall.) Finally the trail was visible again and soon we were back to the car.
As I was sliding along, I began thinking how much like life our little walk was. We each have to choose one of two paths. One path is broad and smooth: the other is narrow and has many difficulties along the way. Jesus says, “Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.” Matt 7:13,14
Which path are we traveling? The easy path seems like the best choice, but if we choose that one, we will perish. The difficult trail will take us through sorrows and heartaches and many trials, but these are the very things that help to shape our character. Praise God! We do not have to walk that trail alone! We have a Guide Who has promised, “I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.” “I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye.” Heb 13:5; Ps 32:8 Moreover, He gives us His Word to guide us just as the tree line guided Eileen and me. David declared, “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.” “The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple. The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes. The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring for ever: the judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. Moreover by them is thy servant warned: and in keeping of them there is great reward.” Ps 119:105; 19:7-11
May we choose the steep and rocky path to the Heavenly Kingdom even though it is difficult at times. May we ever look to our loving Savior for the help and guidance that we so much need every step of the way. May we listen to His gentle voice through His Holy Word as He bids us, “This is the way, walk ye in it” when we are in danger of straying off from the path. Isa 30:21
Rose

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/rosesdevotional/~3/0oGBHODMsFY/the-transformed-life-bears-fruit.html