And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb’s book of life. Revelation 21:27.
This morning my hope is in Christ my Saviour. I pray that He will impart His Holy Spirit to me every day, that with heart and mind and strength I may glorify Him in this life. We are to do God’s work, not according to our own plans, but in accordance with the example that the Lord Jesus has given us. He came to our world to do the work appointed Him by His Father, that we might receive an education in the high science of performing genuine service for the Master.
If we practice the teachings He has given in His Word, these principles become a part of the life. This is what is meant by eating Christ’s flesh and drinking His blood. In this world we are daily to prepare for the higher life; and when we unite with the family above, we shall not be given new lessons, but a continuation of the lessons that Christ gave His disciples when He was here….
Never are we to forget that we are a spectacle to the world, to angels, and to men. We are to labor with a constant sense of our obligation to Him who gave His life for us…. Thus we shall glorify our heavenly Father; and when the time comes for us to lay off our armor, we shall with sincerity be able to say that we have finished the work given us to do….
Every capability and power that we possess is to be regarded as a sacred trust, to be used in revealing the power of saving grace. Let there be day by day a well-doing for God. Thus we shall prepare for a place in the mansions that Christ has gone to prepare for those who love Him…. These mansions He is preparing for those who accept the invitation “Come unto me … and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). This is the highest science that we can possibly obtain, but those who refuse Christ will never understand it. The Word of God, studied and obeyed, fits men and women for entrance into the higher courts. Those who are striving to be true Christians have the constant guardianship of heavenly angels, for they are laborers together with God….
Every day we are to become more like Jesus, learning the meekness and lowliness of Him who, though the only begotten Son of God, came to this world as our Redeemer, giving His life to pay the penalty of sin. Though hiding His divinity under the guise of humanity, He was the Mighty Counselor, the Prince of Peace. His life was filled with sympathy and love, goodness, kindness, and benevolence. He revealed the science of everlasting life—the science that we are to carry into all our efforts.—Manuscript 83, August 20, 1904, “Revealing Christ to the World.”
The Upward Look p. 246
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Prayer Requests
—-Please pray for Sandra, a coworker, who is having thyroid problems. Ronnie Jay
—-Prayers for Thomas. He had a motorcycle accident and now is paralyzed from the chest down. This is a young man and needs encouragement and prayers. Linda
—-Well last week my brother was in hospital due to overdose and trying to take his life.. The doctor’s released him without getting medical attention sending him to the emergency room then to rehab then back to the emergency room due to a covid test that came out negative ..He was denied mental help.. Just got a phone call a hour ago he tried to take his life again my older brother found him under his bed. With a huge bottle next to him she is not coherent and his pulse completely dropped their working on him in the hospital right now and I don’t know what the circumstances at the moment please pray. Mary
—-Please continue praying for David and family. Buck
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Dear Friends,
When we lived in Washington State, I had the opportunity to spend the weekend at Camp Mivoden for a Vacation Bible School workshop. A friend had been asked to teach the music to the delegates who had come from the various churches to learn how to better conduct Vacation Bible Schools. She asked me to play the piano for her. I was thrilled at the prospect of spending the weekend at such a beautiful place.
Finally, the looked-forward-to day was here. Ron and the children drove me to Idaho , where Camp Mivoden is located. After we arrived, we spent some time walking around the grounds and enjoying the beauty of the place. When it was time for them to leave me there, Esther Marie, who was about seven at the time, clung to me, sobbing. She had known that she would have to leave me there for the weekend, but when the moment came, she could not bear it. I felt so sorry for her as I felt her little arms and legs wrapped tightly around my body.
We tried to console her by telling her that I would be back on Sunday night, but still the tears flowed freely. Suddenly, I wished that I had not told my friend that I would help her, but there was nothing I could do about it then. I was committed to fulfill my obligation. Finally, we were able to pry Esther off from me, and Ron carried the crying child to the car. The last thing I saw as they were driving away was her outstretched arms and tearful face.
Just as Esther was grieved because we would be separated for a weekend, so our Loving Father in Heaven grieves when we separate ourselves from Him. How He longs to hold us back with His Nail-scarred Hands from the fleeting pleasures of this world. With tears, He cries, “How can I give you up?” (Hosea 11:8) How often His Great Heart of Love yearns over us, longing for us to come back to His Welcoming Arms. As He said to Israel of old, so He says to us today, “For thus saith the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel; In returning and rest shall ye be saved; in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength: and ye would not.” Isa 30:15 “And ye would not:” what sorrowful words. How lonely our Great Creator is for our companionship and love. He pleads with us, “As I live, saith the Lord, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die?” Eze 33:11 “Return unto me, and I will return unto you, saith the LORD of hosts.” Mal 3:7 “I will heal [your] backsliding, I will love [you] freely.” Hosea 14:4 “And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the cankerworm, and the caterpillar, and the palmerworm, my great army which I sent among you. And ye shall eat in plenty, and be satisfied, and praise the name of the LORD your God, that hath dealt wondrously with you: and my people shall never be ashamed.” Joel 2:25,26
Think of it! Our Great Creator longs to have closer fellowship with us than a loving mother has with her well-beloved child. He assures us, “Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee. Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me.” Isa 49:15,16 Our Dear Saviour pleads, “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.” Rev 3:20 “For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.” Isa 57:15-17 What a wonderful God!
May we daily open our heart’s door and invite the Dear Saviour in, that He may take complete control of our life. May we cling to our Loving Saviour just as tightly as Esther clung to me, when we were going to be separated for a few days. May we, throughout our life, walk in the assurance of His matchless love and grace.
Rose

He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. Revelation 21:7.
If we will put self out of sight and come into right relation to God, we will manifest a forbearance and kindness that will make us a blessing to all with whom we associate. We need to come into right relation to God, for we are not safe unless we place ourselves under the broad shield of Omnipotence. Only there can God work through us to will and to do of His good pleasure, as we work out our salvation with fear and trembling….
Many of us need a clearer understanding of what it means to be an overcomer by the blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony. We need to learn, as we follow on to know the Lord, that His going forth is prepared as the morning. You have watched the rising sun and the gradual breaking of day over the earth. Little by little the light increases till the sun appears. Then, growing constantly stronger, the light increases until we have the full glory of the day. This preparation of the morning is a beautiful illustration of what God desires to do for us in the perfecting of our Christian experience. We cannot afford to do a haphazard work in this world. We are seeking for a life that measures with the life of God….
We need to keep ever before us the course that Christ followed. It was an overcoming course. When the devil came to Him in the wilderness of temptation, bidding Him command that the stones be made bread, that He might satisfy His hunger, the Saviour, though faint from want of food, refused to follow his suggestion…. It was in the order of God that He should have this experience that He might be touched with the feelings of the hungry, and know how to sympathize with those who were suffering and in want….
As the enemy worked to overcome the Saviour, so he will work with the human family today. But in every time of trial and difficulty, remember that Christ has passed through similar experiences, and He came out from every trial without a stain of sin upon His character. He came to show what every member of the human family may become through His grace. He understands every difficulty that we must meet, and He stands ready to strengthen those who struggle with Him against the powers of evil. He waits to hear and answer their prayers.
When heaven is won, and we pass through the gates of the City of God to hear the words “Well done, good and faithful servant;—enter thou into the joy of thy Lord,” how small will seem the trials and difficulties that have beset our pathway here.—Manuscript 17, August 19, 1911, sermon preached at Long Beach, California.
The Upward Look p. 245
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Prayer Requests
—-I have a job opportunity and need prayer that the Lord will lead whether it is the right job for me. JT
—-I feel the pain in my chest i dont know what is it. I need prayer. Pray also for my kids. Jose
—-Please pray for Mary Lou. Just admitted to hospital having a heart attack. Edmond
—-Please pray for one of our grandsons. He struggles with depression and anxiety. He needs God’s deliverance. Kathy
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I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified. 1 Corinthians 2:2.
Do not criticize others. The spirit of criticism is eating away the very vitals of the people of God. We cannot afford to pile up rubbish. Heaven sees the work that is going on of piling up the rubbish of words. Suppose we decided not to add anything to this pile of heedless, vain, and foolish words? We have a most sacred, solemn work to do….
The piles of rubbish that have been accumulating need to be removed. How? Let us “cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God” (2 Corinthians 7:1). Cultivate personal piety. God would have us inquire, “Who hath known the mind of the Lord?” that He may instruct us, and that we may be able to say, “We have the mind of Christ.” Then all the rubbish of evil words will be removed. May the Lord imbue us with His Spirit, and touch our lips with a burning coal from the altar. Earnestly, vigilantly watching and waiting and working, we are to be “not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord” (Romans 12:11).
The church is the one object of Christ’s intense interest in this world, and for which He has unceasing care. This church is engaged in securing the knowledge of God and Jesus Christ, which is eternal life to all who receive it. In every soul God looks for stable principles revealed in word and action. Then they will bring from the treasure house words weighted with the principles of eternal truth.
We have no time to praise the devil, no time nor voice to criticize. We are to show that the grace of Christ is abiding in our hearts. Its influence will be revealed, whatever company we are in, by words of deepest importance, involving consequences as enduring as eternity.
At this period of the earth’s history we cannot afford to weaken one another’s influence. The Christian warfare is close and severe. We have to meet and battle with unseen foes, and we must be in harmony with the heavenly agencies, who are seeking to cleanse us from the inclination to criticize our brethren, to pass judgment on them. The Lord desires us to stand under the yoke of Christ….
We are to believe and love the truth for Christ’s sake. We must rise higher and higher in purity [and] knowledge. We are Christ’s witnesses. Then let us not talk of difficulties or ponder over our trials, but come close to the Lord Jesus Christ, who is the Author and Finisher of our faith. By beholding Him, studying and talking of Him, we become transformed into His image.—Letter 119, August 13, 1899, to a husband-and-wife team working in the Southern States.
The Upward Look p. 239
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Prayer Requests
—-Please send up prayers for Kashene who’s in labour at this time, we need prayer. Arlene
—-Please pray for my son. He lost his job and has depression really bad. Pray for God to lead him to where he wants him, and he will follow. Debbie
—-David needs earnest prayers today. Buck
—-Please pray for Violet. She was in a lifeflight to ______ after an accident and lost all feeling. Please pray for the medical providers. Dan
—-My nurse who worked here @ the nursing home for 3 yrs… Her 2 yr old daughter passed away this morning after a drowning accident last night. We were jus tlkn about her yesterday & how excited she was about going swimming. I can’t even imagine! Please pray 4 this devastated mommy. Her name is Lindsey. Cara
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Dear Friends,
There are times when all seems lost, when the trials and troubles, the heartaches and heartbreaks overwhelm us to the very depths of our being. We feel as if our whole world is crashing in upon us. We feel overwhelmed and feel forsaken by God and man. The evil one whispers in our ear words of doubt and despair.
Aunt Allie wrote a poem regarding our attitude during the troubles that all endure.

And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power. Colossians 2:10.
We are to live in the warm, genial rays of the Sun of Righteousness. Nothing but His loving compassion, His divine grace, His almighty power, can enable us to baffle the relentless foe and subdue the opposition of the human heart. What is our strength? The joy of the Lord. Let the melting love of Christ fill the heart, and we are softened and subdued, prepared to receive the power that He has for us.
Let us thank God every day for the blessings that are ours. If the human agent will humble himself before God, realizing how inappropriate it is for him to cherish a feeling of self-sufficiency; realizing his utter inability to do the work that needs to be done in order for his soul to be purified, casting away, making of no account, his own righteousness, Christ will engrave His own image upon his soul….
Christ will never neglect the work that has been placed in His hands. He will inspire the resolute disciple with a sense of the perversity, the sin-stained condition, the depravity, of the heart upon which He is working. The true penitent has learned the uselessness of self-importance. Looking to Jesus, comparing his own defective character with the Saviour’s perfect character, he can say, In my hand no price I bring;
Simply to Thy cross I cling.
With Isaiah he declares, “Lord, thou wilt ordain peace for us: for thou also hast wrought all our works in us. O Lord our God, other lords beside thee have had dominion over us: but by thee only will we make mention of thy name” (Isaiah 26:12, 13).
Beholding Christ for the purpose of becoming like Him, the seeker after truth sees the perfection of the principles of God’s law, and he becomes dissatisfied with everything but perfection. Hiding his life in the life of Christ, he sees that the holiness of the divine law is revealed in the character of Christ, and more and more earnestly he strives to be like Him. A warfare may be expected at any time, for the tempter sees that he is losing one of his subjects. A battle must be fought with the attributes which Satan has been strengthening for his own use.
The human agent sees what he has to contend with—a strange power opposed to the idea of attaining the perfection that Christ holds out. But with Christ there is saving power that will gain for him victory in the conflict. The Saviour will strengthen and help him as he comes pleading for grace and efficiency.—Manuscript 89, August 12, 1903, “First Be Reconciled to Thy Brother.”
The Upward Look p. 238
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Prayer Requests
—-Special Prayer for an entire household of 5 where at least 2 have tested positive for covid. Monica
—-Please pray for Haleigh who has a very severe infection. Chris
—-Please pray for my co-worker Dave, he’s in ICU infected with Covid. Emerson
—-I’ll be going to my doctor today and will undergo some tests. Please pray for my health. Sally
—-Please pray for my family I lost my 35 year old daughter unexpectedly today. Janice
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Dear Friends,
One evening, when Ronnie Jay had just had his third birthday, and I was busy attending to some needs my newborn, Esther Marie, had at the moment, I began hearing him running up and down the hallway trying to sound like he was blowing a trumpet—“toot-tootle-loot-too-too”. Since I was very busy with Esther, I decided to wait and attend to Ronnie Jay’s disobedience when I was finished. He was supposed to be in bed instead of pretending he was one of Gideon’s men trumpeting and running to battle.
Before I had the chance to stop him and send him back to bed, however, he fell. Now that would not have been such a problem if he had not been using my broom for a trumpet. Eileen heard him fall and rushed out of her room. She knew he had the broom and had told him to stop, but he would not obey her. I put Esther down, and before I had a chance to get to him, Eileen came into the room carrying him. He was bleeding from his mouth and nose. I was horrified!
Immediately I called our doctor, but he had left word with his answering service not to disturb him. He played the musical saw, and was recording a record. I kept calling and calling every few minutes until the lady at the answering service finally admitted to me what he was doing. I was really frightened because I could see that the broom had made a hole in the back of Ronnie Jay’s throat. That is a dangerous place to get injured. Finally she called the recording studio and interrupted him. The doctor was not at all happy about being disturbed. He called me and rather gruffly told me to meet him at the hospital. Since Ron had the car and was at work, I called a church member, and she took us at the hospital.
By this time Ronnie Jay was no longer bleeding, and the doctor took a look at him and said he would be alright. Then he chided me for disturbing his recording session for such a “little thing” and for allowing Ronnie Jay to be up so late. I looked at my watch. To my amazement it was 10:00 PM—almost two hours after it had happened. I explained that I had been trying to get in touch with him for all of that time and that if he had come when I first called, he would have seen my son bleeding profusely from his nose and mouth. The doctor was ashamed and did not charge me for his services. He also told the hospital that there was to be no charge.
From that time on, Ronnie Jay got sick easily. For years he went from one sickness to another. He also had allergies from that time. It seemed that some germs from that broom entered into him and did their work. His hearing was affected because of all of the ear infections he got from those germs. That hole in the back of his throat in addition to his hearing problems made talking plainly difficult and it took years of speech therapy to correct that problem.
Just like holding the broom out in front of his mouth had caused Ronnie Jay to fall, so holding on to sin causes us to become spiritually off balance and we will fall even harder than did he. Sin has lasting effects upon us even though we may ask forgiveness. Once the germ of sin enters in, we are never the same. Sin changes us. It weakens us. We become hopelessly trapped by it. Yet, how often we hold on to some cherished idol even when we know better. How many times we continue to disobey our Heavenly Father even though through His Holy Word He has given us warnings of sin’s consequences.
How much we need a Savior! Thank God, there is One who is mighty to save! (Isa 63:1) He is even now waiting with longing desire for us to ask for His help. Praise God! He will answer when we call. He never makes us feel like we have inconvenienced Him. Indeed, He “is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentence.” 2 Peter 3:9 “I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die?” Eze 33:11 “Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.” Isa 1:18
Let us come to Him just as we are; weak, sinful, poor, and helpless that He may heal us from all of our infirmities. He is willing to save us. He is ready to forgive us. He longs to cleanse us from all unrighteousness, to remove our filthy garments from us, and clothe us with the spotless robe of His righteousness, to anoint our spiritually blind eyes with Heavenly Eye Salve, to help us develop the faith which works by love which is the gold that is tried in the fire. (1 John 1:9; Zech 3:1-7; Rev 3:18)
Rose

Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. Ephesians 4:29.
Consecration is a very simple thing. When brought daily into our individual life in practice, we shall know far more by consecration than by trusting to an experience. Each day, each hour, let the heart go out after God: “Here, Lord, am I, Thy property; take me, use me today. I lay all my plans at Thy feet; I will have no way of my own in the matter. My time is Thine; my whole life is Thine.” Let the heart be constantly going forth to God for strength, for grace every moment.
Let not one evil word escape our lips, because our lips, our voice, belong to the Lord, and must be consecrated to the Lord and to His service. These lips must not dishonor Jesus, for they belong to Him. He has bought them and I must speak nothing that will offend Jesus. My ears must be closed to evil. Thus day by day we can consecrate ourselves to God. The ears must not be defiled by listening to any gossip that faultfinding ones would have us hear, for I not only cause them to sin in allowing them to talk of others’ faults, but I sin myself in listening to them. I can prevent much evil speaking in thus having ears consecrated to God. I can say before the evil is done, “Let us pray,” then ask God to enlighten both our minds to understand our true relation to one another and our true relation to God.
Let us open our hearts to Jesus with all the simplicity that a child would tell his earthly parents his perplexities and the things that trouble him. Thus we can restrain evil not only in ourselves but in others. Practice consecration to God daily; then there will be no danger in the life of service to God. We want gratitude brought into our life, words, and works.
Every word, every thought of complaining indulged in, is a reflection upon God, a dishonor to His name. We want our hearts attuned to His praise, full of thankfulness, talking of His love, our hearts softened and subdued by the grace of Christ, full of sweetness and peace and fragrance. We shall be patient, kind, tenderhearted, pitiful, courteous, even when dealing with those who are disagreeable. Oh, how many precious blessings we lose because we esteem self altogether too highly and have so little esteem for others….
We must not demerit ourselves and lightly esteem the ability given us of God, neither should we overestimate our own importance and trust to our human ability.—Letter 7a, August 11, 1886, to a husband and wife working in England.
The Upward Look p. 237
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Prayer Requests
—-I have a prayer request for Jim, an elderly friend, hospitalized with Covid! Wayne
—-Please pray for all those in Iowa who are without power after the storms that rolled through late yesterday morning. Last I heard is that about 450k are without power. Power lines are down all over, damage is severe in some areas. Keep the emergency and power workers in prayer for safety. Amanda
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Dear Friends,
One day when Esther was in her mid-teens, she decided to make something for her lunch. Since she was the only one home, she looked for something small to cook in. I had recently been given some glass pans that were specially made for stovetop use, but she couldn’t find one of those. She did find a flat, glass top to my slow cooker that looked just like those pans. Unfortunately, it was not made for stovetop use. She didn’t realize that.
Esther put some food into it, put it on the burner, turned on the stove, and then, without knowing why, left the room. When she came to her senses, she was looking out of the little window in the back door. She said to herself, “What am I doing here?” As she was turning around to go back into the kitchen, she heard an explosion. Rushing back to the kitchen, she saw countless pieces of glass everywhere—sharp jagged pieces.
While she was cleaning up the mess, Esther suddenly realized that if she had not gone into the laundry room and looked out of the door, she would have been badly hurt. As she picked up a large dagger-like piece, she thanked God for His protecting care!
How important it is to daily pray for protection from the evil one. In this dangerous, old world praying for our safety and the safety of our friends and family is vital. We never know when something we do will place us in harm’s way, just as surely as Esther was in danger so many years ago.
Even though our Loving Saviour is “upholding all things by the word of his power,” He is never too busy for us. He cares for even the smallest details of our life. He assures us, “I am with thee to save thee and to deliver thee” Jer 15:20 “Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness. Behold, all they that were incensed against thee shall be ashamed and confounded: they shall be as nothing; and they that strive with thee shall perish. Thou shalt seek them, and shalt not find them, even them that contended with thee: they that war against thee shall be as nothing, and as a thing of naught. For I the LORD thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee.” Isa 41: 10-13
Praise God! We can say with confidence as did David, “In God have I put my trust: I will not be afraid what man can do unto me.” “Thou hast holden me by my right hand. Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel, and afterward receive me to glory. Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee. My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever.” Ps 56:11; 73:23-26
How great and good God is! He is so close to us! He watches over us with such tender care! Only when we are in Heaven, will we realize how many times He has delivered us out of the hand of the enemy of souls. May we “praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!” Ps 107:8 May we trust Him fully with every aspect of our life. May we love Him with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength is my prayer.