In the day when everyone shall be rewarded according as his work has been, how will transgressors appear in their own sight as for a few moments they are permitted to see the record of their life as they have chosen to make it, regardless of the law which through the eternal ages will govern the universe? They will then see what God desired them to do. They will realize that they should have used their blood-bought privileges in behalf of truth and righteousness. They will see that instead of placing their talents and influence on the side of rebellion, thus strengthening the forces of the enemy, they should have devoted their powers to being and doing good….

In the day of judgment men will see what they might have become through the power of Christ. They will see the robbery that they have practiced toward God. They will realize that they have apostatized from their Creator. They will see the good they might have done but did not do. They utterly refused to be made better. The efforts put forth in their behalf were in vain. They knew the claims of God, but they refused to comply with the conditions laid down in His Word. By their own choice they were united with demons. The power given them to use in God’s service they used in the service of self. They made self their god, refusing to submit to any other control. They deceived themselves, and made themselves contemptible in the sight of God….

In the day of judgment all this opens up before the impenitent. Scene after scene passes before them. As plainly as in the light of the noonday sun, they all see what they might have been had they cooperated with God instead of opposing Him. The picture cannot be changed. Their cases are forever decided. They must perish with the one whose ways and works they followed.

A flash of light will come to all lost souls. They will see clearly the mystery of godliness, which during their lifetime they despised and hated. And the fallen angels, endowed with higher intelligence than man, will realize what they have done in using their powers to lead human beings to choose deception and falsehood. All who have united with the deceiver, all who have learned his ways and practiced his deceptions, must perish with him…. The Lord Jesus looks pityingly upon them and says, “Depart.” At that time Zechariah, chapters 3 and 4, will be understood.—Manuscript 37, July 8, 1900, “The Revelations of the Judgment.”
The Upward Look p. 203
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Prayer Requests
—-Pray for my ankle surgery coming up. Please pray it is scheduled promptly and that Jesus would guide the hands of the surgeon. Victoria
—-Please pray for an unspoken request. Please pray for Wisdom from the Lord and that He will show us what to do. J and R
—-Please pray for my sister Sherlette who has been admitted to the hospital.She received a stroke. Arlene
—-Please pray for my family. Shephanie
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Dear Friends,
Bread is a staple of life. Everyone, no matter what country they live in or what form it is in, likes bread—everyone, that is, except Eileen. She is the only person I have ever met that does not like bread. When she was a little girl, I was greatly concerned about this as we were poor and did not always have money to buy the food needed to get the proper nutrition. Bread is nutritious so she needed to eat bread. One day when she was about seven, I was attempting to get her to eat all of her slice of bread. That particular day, Eileen had managed to choke down everything except the crusts. She absolutely refused to eat them. I explained to her that the crust was the most nutritious part of the bread and that was why she needed to eat it.
Ron interrupted, “Don’t lie to that child!” I was shocked. I had not lied to her. I really believed what I was telling her. Ron asked how could the crust have more nutrition than the rest of the bread since it was just the oven-browned part of the loaf. I thought for a minute and realized that he was right. Then I explained to him that my grandmother had always told me that when I was a child, and I had believed her, without thinking it through.
How many times, we do the same in our spiritual life. How often we believe what our parents or grandparents have taught us, instead of searching the Scriptures for ourselves to see what is written therein. How easy it is to believe what our pastor preaches without comparing it with a “Thus saith the Lord.” John advises, “Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.” 1 John 4:1
Paul spoke of the importance of comparing all things by the One Great Standard, “though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.” Gal 1:8 Think of it! Paul is telling us that even if an angel were to come to us and give us a message, we are still to compare it with the truths of God’s Word. In the book of Acts, the Bereans were commended for doing just that. When Paul preached the gospel message to them, they listened carefully and compared what they heard with the Scriptures. These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.” Acts 17:11 So should we.
Peter illustrates it thus, “we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty. For he received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. And this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with him in the holy mount. We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts: Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.” 2 Peter 1:16-21 Think of it! Peter is speaking here of the experience that he, along with James and John had on the Mount of Transfiguration. (Matt 17:1-5) After reminding his readers of this experience, Peter tells them that the Scriptures are even more sure than what we see, even more reliable than what we hear, even more trustworthy than what we experience. God’s Word does not change. It stands fast forever. It is the sure foundation and we must build our life on it. We can safely trust His Word. We can rely on the truths of God’s Word no matter what is happening around us.
David says, “For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven. Thy word is true from the beginning: and every one of thy righteous judgments endureth for ever. Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. All his commandments are sure. They stand fast for ever and ever.” Ps 119:89,160,105; 111:7,8
May we “study to show [ourselves] approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” 2 Tim 2:15 May we compare all things by the Scriptures, keeping those things we are told or read that are true and rejecting what is false. May we hide God’s Holy Word deep within our heart, meditating upon His Holy Word, that we will not sin against the One Who loves us so. (Ps 119:9-11)
Rose

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/rosesdevotional/~3/x-S6-9r2knQ/revelations-of-the-judgment.html

Conformity to the world is causing many of our people to lose their bearings. I feel deeply over this matter, because it is continually kept before me by the Lord….

If ever there was a time when those who have a knowledge of present truth should find their bearings, it is the present time. Although no one is to move independently of his brethren, yet each one must gain a knowledge of his own condition, his exact bearings. The question that each one should ask himself is, “What is my relation to God?”

It is conformity to the world that is causing our people to lose their bearings. The perversion of right principles has not been brought about suddenly. The angel of the Lord presented this matter to me in symbols. It seemed as if a thief were stealthily moving closer and still closer, and gradually but surely stealing away the identity of God’s work by leading our brethren to conform to worldly policies….

The Lord expects us to make most diligent efforts to free ourselves of the worldly spirit that has come in among us…. The Lord calls for a reformation. In every place where believers have adopted worldly principles, He desires a voice of warning to be raised. “Cry aloud,” He says, “spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and shew my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins” (Isaiah 58:1)….

From many minds a realization of the times in which we are living is as far away as is heaven from the earth. It seems that their duty to prepare to meet a soon-coming Saviour is entirely forgotten. God wants us to come to our senses. He wants us to act like rational beings, who are living on the borders of the eternal world.

Remember that in preparing yourselves for the heavenly kingdom, you are preparing others. The Scriptures say, “Make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way.” …

So long as we work in Christ’s lines, laying hold of the arm of the Mighty One, we are safe; but just as soon as we loosen our grasp of His arm, and begin to depend upon human beings, we are in great danger.

This very day the Lord desires us to reach a higher standard than we have ever reached in the past. Day by day we are to advance upward, ever upward, until it can be said of us as a people, “Ye are complete in him.”—Manuscript 96, July 7, 1902, an early morning talk before the Pacific Union Medical Missionary Council at St. Helena,
The Upward Look p. 202
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Prayer Requests
—-Prayer requests from last night’s prayer meeting: Sherlyn’s shoulder that she will not need surgery—Ann’s dental work today—Joyce’s back pain—Ron’s need of a job—Barb as she goes back to work—Pastor the new church school teacher and Bible study contacts—Brian that he will be able to video chat with his dad and that BG will make good decisions regarding work—Veronica in the loss of her aunt.
—-ome friends of mine his daughter in Washington who has MS. was taken to the ER today they think she had a stroke.. she is 52. also my girlfriend Gayle who has stage 4 cancer is in bad shape in iCU. when the nurse went to move her from one b1ed to another they broke her fema. they did surgery this morning .she came through it but her B/P bottomed out plus the oncologist had to open her up and put some jell in her so she wouldn’t bleed to death during surgery. M
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Dear Friends,

When I was a little girl, my mother used to take me to the carnival. The fair grounds were at that time only about a mile from my grandparents’ house, so it was not far to walk. The carnival was a place of wonderment for me. Rides that I would never think of going on loomed overhead. Little kiddie rides that I enjoyed, “fishing” for a prize, watching my mother shoot a rife and getting to choose the prize, rough looking men hawking their wares, watching a man swallow a sword, and other wonders captivated my attention.
As we were walking along, my mother saw the House of Mirrors. Curious, she paid the entrance fee. When we got inside, there were mirrors of all types. When we stood in front of one, we looked very tall and skinny. Another one made us look very short and fat. Still another, made us look misshapen. I laughed and laughed. We entered a corridor of mirrors and soon we were lost in a maze. It was impossible to find our way out by sight. The mirrors were set up in such a way that we could see many reflections of ourselves, but not the way out. I felt panic-stricken! After a time of attempting to find the exit, my mother began to panic too. That scared me even more. Finally, she got the idea of feeling her way along the maze. That worked! Once on the outside, we determined never to enter a maze of mirrors again.
How often life is like that maze of mirrors. Without the our Great Redeemer’s guidance, we become lost in the tangle of trials and troubles of our own making. Without His special leading, we can get ourselves into circumstances where there seems to be no way out. The more we try to extricate ourselves from the situation, getting deeper we get in the trap.
There is only one way of escape. If we ask Him, Jesus will help us disentangle ourselves from the mess we have gotten ourselves into. All we need to do is ask. Our Dear Saviour promises, “I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye.” Psa 32:8 He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life! (John 14:6) No matter what our circumstance, no matter how deeply we are ensnared in our own “house of mirrors, “if we cry unto the Lord in our trouble, He will save us out of all of our distresses, deliver us from self- destruction, teach us His way, and make a plain path for our feet. ( Psa 107:19,20; 27:11)
May we, this very day, while the door of mercy is still open, ask our Loving Saviour to take complete control of our life. May we declare as did David, “Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel, and afterward receive me to glory.” Psa 73:24 May we ever “follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth” is my prayer. Rev 14:4
Rose

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/rosesdevotional/~3/RPThbEGb_5c/have-you-found-your-bearings.html

Christ taught His disciples that the measure of divine attention bestowed on any of God’s work is proportionate to the rank which that object occupies in the scale of creation. The little brown sparrow, apparently the most inferior of birds, is watched over by Providence. Not one falls to the ground without the notice of our heavenly Father. The flowers of the field, the grass which clothes the earth with verdure—all share the notice and care of our heavenly Father.

“Behold the fowls of the air,” Christ said: “for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: and yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these” (Matthew 6:26-29). If the lilies of the field are objects upon which the great Master Artist has bestowed care, making them so beautiful that they out-rival the glory of Solomon, the greatest king that ever wielded a scepter; if the grass of the field is made into a beautiful carpet for the earth, can we form any idea of the regard which God bestows upon man, who was formed in His image?

God has given man intellect in order that he may comprehend greater things than these beautiful objects in nature. He carries the human agent into a higher department of truth, leading the mind higher and still higher, and opening to him the divine mind. And in the book of God’s providence, the volume of life, each one is given a page. That page contains every particular of his history. Even the hairs of his head are numbered. God’s children are never absent from His mind.

And though sin existed for ages, seeking to counteract the merciful tide of love flowing from God to the human race, yet the love and care that God bestows upon the beings He has created in His own image has not ceased to increase in richness and abundance. “God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” He crowned His benevolence by the inestimable gift of Jesus. By this sacrifice, a healing flood of life and heavenly grace was poured upon our world. This was God’s gift to man—a gift that defies all computation.—Letter 4, July 1, 1896, “To the Men Who Occupy Responsible Positions in the Work.”
The Upward Look p. 201
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Prayer Requests
—-Please pray for Mark who is in the hospital with a heart attack. Ilene
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Dear Friends,
Graduation is a bitter-sweet time in a student’s life. This year it is more bitter than sweet as the graduating class cannot have the normal celebrations. Graduation marks the end of many years of studying new concepts until late in the night, difficult exams, fun with friends, new relationships, etc. It also marks the beginning of life finding a job,
finding the right college, moving to a new place, finding a new apartment, starting the life one has dreamed about since childhood. How important we remember to make God our Leader for only He can direct our steps aright. Life takes many twists and turns, but through all we have a Captain Who longs to guide and protect us if we will only let Him.
No matter what our circumstances,whether just graduating or having graduated many years ago, as we meditate upon our Dear Saviour’s love and care for us, our heart is filled with love for Him. With that love, comes peace and joy even when forsaken by those nearest and dearest to us. The Captain of the Lord’s Host speaks to our heart words of admonition and encouragement just as He did to Joshua when he was on the brink of the promised land. “This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success. Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.” Josh 1:8,9
It is a fact of life that “out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.” Matt 12:34 As we study God’s Holy Word, as we make Him the focus of our life, we will “be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.” Psa 1:3 The fruit of the Spirit will radiate from us. “Love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance” will become part of our very life. Gal 5:23 Those around us will notice and glorify the One Who can change us so completely.
As we think of the wondrous love of our Great Creator, Who sent His Only Begotten Son to rescue us from the power of the enemy; we cannot help but speak of that love to others. David declared, “I will praise thee, O LORD, among the people: and I will sing praises unto thee among the nations. For thy mercy is great above the heavens: and thy truth reacheth unto the clouds. Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens: and thy glory above all the earth.” Ps 108:3-5 The closer we become to our Dear Saviour, the more we thirst for a closer walk with Him, just as the parched ground thirsts for drops of refreshing rain. Jesus promises, “Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.” Matt 5:6 As we are filled, our heart longs to share the joy that we have found with those we love. Our Great Light declares, “Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” Mat 5:14-16
May we pray as did David, “Teach me thy way, O LORD; I will walk in thy truth: unite my heart to fear thy name. I will praise thee, O Lord my God, with all my heart: and I will glorify thy name for evermore.” Psa 86:11,12 May we be filled with the joy and peace that passes all understanding. May we by precept and example point others to their Only Saviour is my prayer.
Rose

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/rosesdevotional/~3/8ztfQ7Fr_Ag/the-measure-of-divine-attention.html