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Look to Jesus Christ

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I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst. John 6:35.

I am instructed to say that we must not look to any human being for power or experience, depending on them for strength and guidance. Christ says, “Look unto Me. I am the Light of the world. He that followeth Me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the Light of life.” I speak to those who claim to be children of God. Is it not time that we know the Source of our strength and the Source of our power? Shall we not, from this time forward, make a record more pleasing to the Lord?

Scenes are presented to me that I can find no language to describe. Trials will come that will humble all hearts that are lifted up. Let no one feel that he is safe in following his own way, or in making man his trust. The Lord calls for men of experience, men who will carry responsibilities in His name and in His strength, men who will receive His grace with a realization of their accountability to impart it to others….

The Word of the living God is to be our guide. Each one is to realize his dependence upon Him, whose he is by creation and by redemption. Read and study the statements made in the sixth chapter of John. Pray for an understanding of these truths. I am alarmed as I see the spiritual weakness of those who have had such great light. Had they walked in this light, they would have been strong in the Lord. But they have not, and those who come into the truth through their efforts look to human beings for wisdom, instead of looking to Jesus Christ, “the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world” (John 1:9). When those who claim to believe in Christ receive Him by faith, He will be to them their sanctification, their righteousness, and their exceeding great reward….

The Lord’s agencies, the men of His appointment, are individually to receive wisdom from Him. They greatly dishonor Him when they trust in human devising as assurance. They are to see Him distinctly as their sufficiency, their strength.

Are you representing Christ? Have you broken away from the spirit and influence of worldly policy plans and from human devising? Are you eating daily of the bread of Life? …

Let the prayer come from unfeigned lips, “Make me to understand the way of thy precepts: so shall I talk of thy wondrous works” (Psalm 119:27). “Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee” (verse 11).—Manuscript 78, June 16, 1902, “The Health Food Question.”
The Upward Look p. 181
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Prayer Requests
—-Please pray for me. I am going through some terrible things. Connie
—-Please keep my great-granddaughter Harmony and also my granddaughter Destiny and her family in your prayers. …Pray for strength for her and her husband. ….From Destiny: “So yesterday was a long day and night. We rushed my 2 year old to the ER for being EXTREMELY lethargic, vommiting, spacing out etc. Turns out her blood sugar was 1,300 which is extremely deadly if not treated. Especially for her size. Normal sugar is between 80-110. Basically she had diabetic ketoasidosis. It was confirmed she has type 1 diabetes. There was nothing different I could have done with her. Her pancreas just stopped producing insulin on its own. Please just pray for our family. This is a huge change in our life to get the hang of. We’re still at the children’s hospital, hoping to go home tomorrow. If we wouldn’t have brought her in last night, she would have most likely been dead by this morning.” Claire
—-Authorities say a 4-year-old Tennessee boy has died after a tornado ripped through his home on Easter.
His father is still fighting for his life, and the community is asking for your prayers.
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Dear Friends,
Our grandchildren enjoy the Amazing Adventures meeting that Amazing Facts has done. They often watch it. Pastor Doug, as part of one of his presentations, showed a doll that someone had given to his wife a few years ago. It was called the perfect man doll. Whenever its stomach was pressed, the doll would say things that a wife would want to hear such as “You shouldn’t be cleaning that, let’s hire a maid” or “I can watch football any time, let’s go shopping.” It was so funny! At first his wife laughed at it. After a few days, however, it was no longer as funny. As she would play with that doll, she knew exactly what it would say. Soon, she was playing with the doll any longer. She put it in a drawer and forgot all about it.
As I was watching the program, I realized how much like that doll we can become when we pray. We tend to pray for the same things in the same way. It’s not that what we pray for is not good or that we are not sincere, but how often by praying the same phrases in the same order, our prayer become a routine and almost unthinking as if we were that doll.
Jesus spoke of this very principle. “But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. Be not ye therefore like unto them.” Matt 6:7, 8 On the way to work every morning, I pass by a Buddhist temple. At certain times there are hundreds of prayer flags waving in the wind. Are our prayers like those heathen flags because of our repeating the same things day in and day out?
Paul bids us to “pray without ceasing.” 1 Thes 5:17 How can we pray without ceasing and not be repetitious? We must believe with all of our heart that God will answer. “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.” James 1:5-7 “Without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” Heb 11:6
We must abide in Christ. Jesus promises, “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.” John 15:7 Think of it! If we ask, we will receive. (Matt 7:7) Sometimes, we must press our heartfelt petitions many times before that Father’s throne. “Which of you shall have a friend, and shall go unto him at midnight, and say unto him, Friend, lend me three loaves; For a friend of mine in his journey is come to me, and I have nothing to set before him? And he from within shall answer and say, Trouble me not: the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give thee. I say unto you, Though he will not rise and give him, because he is his friend, yet because of his importunity he will rise and give him as many as he needeth. And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent? Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?” Luke 11:5-13
Our prayers must not be selfish, self-centered prayers. James explains, “Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.” James 4:3
Sometimes, we do not receive exactly what we ask for, yet God answers with a “no” or wait awhile” or “here is something better” because only He can see the end from the beginning.
May we keep asking, seeking, and knocking for the right things until we see and understand God’s answer to our prayers. May we believe that we receive them because He is is faithful Who has promised. May we claim His precious promises that are found in His Holy Word.
Rose

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/rosesdevotional/~3/PWutPa9bUcs/look-to-jesus-christ.html

Today

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But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. Hebrews 3:13.

Dear Sister _____: … “we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil; whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made an high priest forever after the order of Melchisedec” (Hebrews 6:19, 20).

We have every reason to trust in God, and to bring all our worries and anxieties to Jesus Christ, that we may become better acquainted with Him. It should not be a difficult thing to remember that the Lord Jesus is desirous that we should bring all our troubles and perplexities to Him. “Take it to the Lord in prayer,” and then leave your perplexities and burdens with Him. How much happier we should be would we do this. You may come to Him as a child comes to his parents, saying, “Here, Lord, I have carried my self as though I could save myself for a long time. My burdens are too heavy for me to carry longer. Thou canst bear them for me.” He says, “I will take them. With everlasting kindness will I have mercy upon thee.”

This love is [as] strong as it is tender. The love of Jesus is stronger than death, for He died to win your love, to have you lean upon Him fully and entirely, and to make you one with Him, mystically and eternally one. The love of Jesus is something expressed, more tender than even the love of a mother for her child. The most tender love we know is that of a mother for her child, but the love of Jesus exceeds this. She may change in her affection. Mothers may become unkind, but Jesus never, never will become unmindful or unkind, or cruel to His children.

Then never, never will we show distrust and want of faith. So strong is His love that it controls all the affections of His nature, and [He] employs all His vast resources to do His people good. His love is durable, without variableness or shadow of turning. Never let us dishonor God by trying so hard to keep ourselves, fixing our eyes upon ourselves, and keeping ourselves constantly in view.

Look unto Jesus who is the Author and Finisher of our faith. Let us not do as we have done, make ourselves miserable over some supposed future tomorrow’s burden. Carry your duties of today cheerfully. Today’s faith, today’s trust in Jesus, we must have. Today I may look and live. Today I will put my trust in God. Today I will rest in quietude and peace kept by the power of God. Say, “The Lord will be glorified by my being cheerful and happy in His assurance of His love—today.”

In much love, Ellen G. White.—Letter 48, June 15, 1896, to a sister in need of encouragement.
The Upward Look p. 180
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Prayer Requests
—-Please be praying. My old church is having meetings right now over Facebook preaching the truth from Daniel and Revelation.. . . We have been having technical difficulties at the beginning. It’s lots of buffering and glitches. Let us pray that these will be cleared and that more people will watch to hear the truth. Jennifer
—-I respectfully ask prayers for my best friend Lyn who is now fighting for her life because of Cerebral Hemorrhage. Sally
—-Please pray for Grayson (4) who has severe brain injury because of the Chattanooga tornado. Becky
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Dear Friends,
Sometimes things happen that leave us overwhelmed and confused. It seems like we have been forsaken. When we first moved to North Carolina in 1979, we rented a garage apartment right across the street from the church and church school. This made it so convenient for Eileen since she could just walk across the street to go to school. It had a nice playground where she and Ronnie Jay could play together. It was also convenient for us as we did not have to drive to the various church meetings. Although the apartment was small, these things made us very happy there.
After we had lived there for a few months, our landlady told us that her son was going to be staying with her for awhile. She was very excited as she had not seen him for a few years. Shortly thereafter, the son and his family arrived with all of their belongings. It looked to us as if her were planning to stay indefinitely. One day, he told us that we would have to move. He was moving to Wilmington permanently and would be living in his mother’s house. He had decided that our apartment would be a perfect place for his mother to live. It was hard to believe that anyone could do such a thing to their mother. I couldn’t help but wonder how excited she was to have her son move back to town.
There was nothing we could do but try to find another place to live as quickly as possible. We had lost everything in a house fire just before we had moved to Wilmington and were going through many other trials at the time. This was so losing that apartment made me feel as if my world was crashing in upon me. I felt forsaken and overwhelmed. Why was this happening? I became very discouraged.
After weeks of searching, I found place in another neighborhood. I was hopeful that we would be happier in this mobile home that was surrounded by trees and on about an acre of land. Behind the trailer was a warehouse where the snack food trucks stored their food supplies. It did not take my children long to discover that if they were outside when the trucks came, the drivers would give them the day-old food that they could not sell. Every day they would come back with their arms loaded with food. It was like having our own bakery outlet store! This was such a blessing to us, as we were having a very hard time financially and this helped our grocery bill tremendously. It was true that most of the food was high in sugar, but at least our children didn’t have to go hungry any more.
There was also a magnolia tree behind our trailer that Eileen loved to climb and a large wisteria vine loaded with fragrant blooms. The front yard was a lovely place with tall pines that shielded us from the street. On warm evenings, we enjoyed having worship under those pines. One evening as the children and I were sitting under those trees, we had a thrilling experience. I was playing the guitar while we were singing songs of praise to our Heavenly Father, when a little screech owl flew down and landed on a post about ten feet from us. We decided that he was enjoying the music. He watched us and we watched him. He stayed there all the time we were having worship and would have stayed longer, but Ronnie Jay, age two, was getting sleepy and wanted to go to bed. We had to walk within inches of that little owl to get inside. That was a little too close for Mr. Owl’s comfort, so he flew away. Suddenly, I realized that we were much happier there than we had ever been in the apartment. I then knew that what had seemed like a great difficulty and trial, was really a great blessing sent to us from our Great Provider. My heart filled with gratitude for His loving care.
Sometimes we cannot understand why things happen the way they do. Trials often make us feel like our world is crashing in on top of us. We feel as did Job, “When I looked for good, then evil came unto me: and when I waited for light, there came darkness.” Job 30:26 Yet, God has His hand over all of these things. He takes those very circumstances that seem so overwhelming and unfair and works them around for our good. “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” Rom 8:28
Moreover, He promises, “I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye. Ps 32:8 It may not happen as quickly as we would like, or in the way that we would like, but if we allow Him to, He will untangle all the tangled threads of our lives and make our path straight. Peter tells us, “Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.” “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. 1 Peter 4:12,13; 1:7
May we remember to turn to the One Who our comfort and strength when things go wrong and when all forsake us. May we always remember that He is our Fortress and our Mighty Deliverer! May we pray as did David, “In thee, O LORD, do I put my trust; let me never be ashamed: deliver me in thy righteousness. Bow down thine ear to me; deliver me speedily: be thou my strong rock, for an house of defense to save me. For thou art my rock and my fortress; therefore for thy name’s sake lead me, and guide me. Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the LORD. Ps 31:1-3, 24
Rose

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/rosesdevotional/~3/PYvDqYglxck/today.html

Every Man Is Given His Work

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When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him. Isaiah 59:19.

Professing Christians who live cold-hearted, selfish lives are nauseating to Christ. Let us not be lukewarm Christians, heartless in our treatment of others. Let us surround ourselves with an atmosphere of courage and hope. Let us speak pleasant, encouraging words to those around us….

Let us cherish the truth of God. Unless we are successful in obtaining eternal life, it were better for us that we had never been born. Let us not refuse to avail ourselves of the privileges that are ours through the sacrifice of Christ. Although equal with God, He came to this world to give His life for us. On the cross of Calvary, He died a death of shame, that He might make an atonement for the sins of those who receive Him as their Saviour. To those who receive Him, and believe on Him, He promises to give power to become the sons of God.

Jesus loves you. He has purchased you with His blood. Had He not loved you, He would not have died for you. His heart of love is grieved when you work contrary to Him, because you are thwarting His plan for your salvation. God cannot bless those who oppose Him, those who refuse to accept the words of comfort and peace that would bring light and love to their souls.

To every man is given his work. Those who are connected with God will reveal their connection by working with Him. They are co-partners with God and with Christ. They are joint-heirs with Christ to an immortal inheritance.

If in this world we do our best, following our divine Example, overcoming in the strength that He gives, we shall be granted an abundant entrance into the courts above. There Christ will lead us by rivers of living water and teach us the meaning of the providences that in this world we did not understand. Then we shall be able to discern the love of God in what now seem to us adversities. We shall see that trials were permitted to come to us to remove our un-Christlike traits of character, and to strengthen our weak points.

God is calling upon you to surrender to Him. Will you not come? Will you not give Him your heart’s best and holiest affections? Will you not receive from Him gold tried in the fire, that you may be rich, and white raiment that you may be clothed? Will you not allow Him to anoint your eyes with His heavenly eyesalve, that you may see clearly?—Manuscript 114, June 14, 1903, “Duties and Privileges of a Christian,” a talk given at Calistoga, California.
The Upward Look p. 179
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Prayer Requests
—-Please pray for baby Imogen who has brain cancer. BR
—-Please pray for my relatives in Tennessee. Mike
—-Please pray for my 32 year old very critical patient for healing. Emerson
—-Prayers for the B Family on their recent passing of Matriarch, Dorothy. Wanda
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Dear friends,
Nearly every week, one of the children at the church we attended in Washington state would stand beside me and measure how tall they were in comparison to me. Somehow they thought that if they could reach my height, they would be an adult. No doubt, they chose me because I was the shortest adult there. One day, Wesley discovered that he was the same height as I. After that, he would often stand beside me gloating over the fact that he had reached his goal.
Just as the children at the Cheney church had a goal, so Jesus bids us to strive for the greatest of goals—“Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.” Matt 5:48 We are to “fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life.” 1 Tim 6:12 Paul followed this principle, “Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain. And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible. I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air: But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.” 2 Cor 9:24-27
Peter gives us the steps we are to follow toward this goal. He says, “Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.” 2 Peter 1:4-8
Paul adds, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” Rom 12:1,2 As we see what we must be, we realize how far short of the goal we are. We cannot attain to the perfection that our Creator desires for us without His help. We are so weak, so sinful, so helpless. Praise God! We have a Saviour Who has promised to help us. He says, “Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else.” Isa 45:22 “I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.” Heb 13:5 “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.” Isa 41:10 Praise God! He has prepared the way to holiness. He is standing beside us ready to help us reach our goal if we will ask Him. He is “mighty to save” Isa 63:1
May we keep our eyes upon the prize before us. May we let nothing come between us and our walk with our Dear Saviour. May we so live, that others will see Jesus in us is my prayer.
Rose

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/rosesdevotional/~3/p3yT5WShAt8/every-man-is-given-his-work.html

A Home of Everlasting Sunshine

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But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city. Hebrews 11:16.

I fear that aggressive warfare against the world, the flesh, and the devil has not been maintained. If we are going to exert a Christlike example, we cannot cheer on by a half-dead Christianity the selfish, covetous spirit of the world, sharing its ungodliness and smiling upon its falsehood. Nay! By the grace of God we are to be steadfast to the principles of the truth, holding firm unto the end the beginning of our confidence. We are to be “not slothful in business, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord.” One is our Master, even Christ. To Him we must look. From Him we must receive our wisdom. By His grace we are to preserve our integrity, accepting the Word of God as our standard, and standing before the Lord in meekness and contrition.

I long so much to see the deep moving of the Spirit of God. Will it ever come into our ranks as it has come in the past? “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” (Isaiah 57:15).

The word of the Lord never represses man’s activity. It gives an increase of usefulness by guiding activity in the right direction. The Lord does not leave man without an object of pursuit. He places before him eternity, with all its solemn realities, and gives him a grasp on immortal, imperishable themes. He presents valuable, ennobling truth, that he may advance in a safe and sure path, in pursuit of an object worthy of the earnest engagement of all his capabilities.

Man will increase in power as he follows on to know the Lord. As he endeavors to reach the highest standard, the Bible is as a light to guide his footsteps heavenward. In that Word he finds that he may be a child of God, a member of the royal family, joint heir with Christ to an immortal inheritance.

The Guidebook points him to the heavenly country, and the unsearchable riches and treasures of heaven. By following on to know the Lord, he is securing eternal happiness. Day by day the peace of God is his reward, and by faith he sees a home of everlasting sunshine, free from all sorrow and disappointment. God directs his footsteps and keeps him from falling, sanctifying and elevating his energies.—Letter 45, June 13, 1901, to “Brother and Sister [J. A.] Burden.

The Upward Look p. 178
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Prayer Requests
—-Please pray for CheVon who coded and is really sick. Conny
—-Please pray for all of the people who are dying from the stress of the virus and lockdown. Antoinette
—-Just got off the phone with a friend in _____ in hospital with COVID. Prayers, please. Pastor Rich
—-Please pray for my friend Gayle who has stage 4 cancer. M
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Dear Friends,
When we lived in North Carolina, when Ronnie Jay was four and five, we lived next door to our pastor, John Earnhardt. Pastor Earnhardt was Ronnie Jay’s hero. He followed the man everywhere keeping up a steady stream of talk. If Pastor Earnhardt was mowing his large lawn, Ronnie Jay was following him. If the pastor was driving a stake into the ground, Ronnie Jay was between him and what he was doing. If the man was painting, our son was beside him asking him a million questions or just jabbering away.
A few years later, our church had a camp-out one weekend. We had a really nice time singing together and worshipping our Great Creator out in His Creation. Our pastor took all the children on a nature walk and they had a fun time seeing the animals that he caught. Perhaps this is where Ronnie Jay got his great love for all types of animals.
Ronnie Jay was about seven or eight at that time and always got up at dawn no matter how early that was. Pastor Earnhardt was also an early-riser and got up about the same time. He and Ronnie Jay talked for awhile and then he showed our son how to play baseball. Ronnie Jay was thrilled! Ronnie Jay had missed not living beside the pastor, so this time when he got to be all alone with him was very special. When we awakened, we saw the two of them playing happily together.
Through the years Ronnie Jay remembered this incident with fondness. One day he wrote that pastor and told him how much that morning together had meant to him. This pleased Pastor Earnhardt very much. He sent Ronnie Jay a nice letter, a brochure from the evangelistic meetings he was holding, and a postcard from the area he was in at the time. Ronnie Jay still has them.
In 2001, Pastor Earnhardt came to our church and did an evangelistic series. It was so good to see him again. We had some time of fellowship together with him, but I noticed that as he looked at Ronnie Jay, his eyes just sparkled. No doubt, he was remembering when we lived next door to him how our son as a little child followed him around everytime he came out of his house. Perhaps he was remembering that early morning at the church campout when he and Ronnie Jay were the only ones awake and the fun time they had. Now this child had grown into a man.
Some years later, Ronnie Jay moved back to North Carolina to marry. Pastor Earnhardt gave them marriage counseling. (He was unable to marry them as he had a previous commitment.) What a special friendship they have had over the years.
Just as our son and the pastor had many special moments together, so our Heavenly Father longs to have sweet fellowship with us. He desires above all things to have close communion with us, not just once or twice, but each moment of every day. He is not just fond of us, no, He loves us “with an everlasting love” a love far surpassing any earthly love. Jer 31:3
Throughout God’s Word is revealed His great love for us. That great chapter in Isaiah foretells Jesus’ loving sacrifice for us. “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 hd 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
Think of it! “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” John 3:16-18
God made this great sacrifice for you and me, so He could bring us into right relationship with Himself. What great love He has for us! What a great sacrifice He has made for us! It is beyond comprehension!
“God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.” I Cor 1:9 May we, each day, have an even closer fellowship with Him, than the times of fellowship that our son had with Pastor Earnhardt. May we give ourselves completely to our Great Redeemer. May we hold sweet communion as we go about our daily duties with the One Who loves us so is my prayer.
Rose

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/rosesdevotional/~3/tI89nDheIZM/a-home-of-everlasting-sunshine.html

God’s Hand Is on the Wheel

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Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Ephesians 6:10.

The future is before us, and unforeseen events will surely take place, changing the present aspect of things in the world. Lust and greed are striving for the supremacy. Oppression and hatred will be exercised to destroy. Inspired by a power from beneath, Satan’s instrumentalities will work with intensity to carry out his will. “The wicked shall do wickedly: and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand” (Daniel 12:10). Every truly converted soul will put on the whole armor of God, and will bravely face the unseen foe. God’s servants will realize the necessity of partaking of the divine nature….

Now is our time of peril. Our only safety is in walking in the footsteps of Christ, and wearing His yoke. Troublous times are before us. In many instances, friends will become alienated. Without cause, men will become our enemies. The motives of the people of God will be misinterpreted, not only by the world, but by their own brethren. The Lord’s servants will be put in hard places. A mountain will be made out of a molehill to justify men in pursuing a selfish, unrighteous course.

The work that men have done faithfully will be disparaged and underrated, because apparent prosperity did not attend their efforts. By misrepresentation, these men will be clothed in the dark vestments of dishonesty, because circumstances beyond their control made their work perplexing. They will be pointed to as men that cannot be trusted. And this will be done by the members of the church. God’s servants must arm themselves with the mind of Christ. They must not expect to escape insult and misjudgment. They will be called enthusiasts and fanatics. But let them not become discouraged. God’s hand is on the wheel of His providence, guiding His work to the glory of His name.

God calls upon His people to be bright lights in the world, shining amid the darkness of sin. Living the life of the Life-giver brings its reward. He went about doing good. This, every true follower of His will do, filled with a sacred sense of his loyalty to God and his duty to his fellow beings. Through the knowledge of the truth as it is in Jesus, Christians are to grow in grace, constantly drawing nearer perfection of character.—Manuscript 156b, 1901, “The Signing of Agreements.”
The Upward Look p. 177
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Prayer Requests
—-Please continue to pray for all those who have Covid-19, their families, and the health care workers.
—-Prayer needed for one of my Bible Study contacts. His name is Jesse. Jodie
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Dear Friends,
When we lived in North Carolina, when Ronnie Jay was four and five, we lived next door to our pastor, John Earnhardt. Pastor Earnhardt was Ronnie Jay’s hero. He followed the man everywhere keeping up a steady stream of talk. If Pastor Earnhardt was mowing his large lawn, Ronnie Jay was following him. If the pastor was driving a stake into the ground, Ronnie Jay was between him and what he was doing. If the man was painting, our son was beside him asking him a million questions or just jabbering away.
A few years later, our church had a camp-out one weekend. We had a really nice time singing together and worshiping our Great Creator out in His Creation. Our pastor took all the children on a nature walk and they had a fun time seeing the animals that he caught. Perhaps this is where Ronnie Jay got his great love for all types of animals.
Ronnie Jay was about seven or eight at that time and always got up at dawn no matter how early that was. Pastor Earnhardt was also an early-riser and got up about the same time. He and Ronnie Jay talked for awhile and then he showed our son how to play baseball. Ronnie Jay was thrilled! Ronnie Jay had missed not living beside the pastor, so this time when he got to be all alone with him was very special. When we awakened, we saw the two of them playing happily together.
Through the years Ronnie Jay remembered this incident with fondness. One day he wrote that pastor and told him how much that morning together had meant to him. This pleased Pastor Earnhardt very much. He sent Ronnie Jay a nice letter, a brochure from the evangelistic meetings he was holding, and a postcard from the area he was in at the time. Ronnie Jay still has them.
In 2001, Pastor Earnhardt came to our church and did an evangelistic series. It was so good to see him again. We had some time of fellowship together with him, but I noticed that as he looked at Ronnie Jay, his eyes just sparkled. No doubt, he was remembering when we lived next door to him how our son as a little child followed him around every time he came out of his house. Perhaps he was remembering that early morning at the church campout when he and Ronnie Jay were the only ones awake and the fun time they had. Now this child had grown into a man.
When Ronnie Jay moved to North Carolina, they were happy to see each other once again. He and his bride-to-be had marriage counseling from Pastor Earnhardt. I often thought how special that was for both of them.
Just as our son and the pastor have had many special moments together, so our Heavenly Father longs to have sweet fellowship with us. He desires above all things to have close communion with us, not just once or twice, but each moment of every day. He is not just fond of us, no, He loves us “with an everlasting love” a love far surpassing any earthly love. Jer 31:3
Throughout God’s Word is revealed His great love for us. That great chapter in Isaiah foretells Jesus’ loving sacrifice for us. “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
Think of it! “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” John 3:16-18
God made this great sacrifice for you and me, so He could bring us into right relationship with Himself. What great love He has for us! What a great sacrifice He has made for us! It is beyond comprehension!
“God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.” I Cor 1:9 May we, each day, have an even closer fellowship with Him, than the times of fellowship that our son had with Pastor Earnhardt. May we give ourselves completely to our Great Redeemer. May we hold sweet communion as we go about our daily duties with the One Who loves us so is my prayer.
Rose

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/rosesdevotional/~3/LrWAbhaVFhY/gods-hand-is-on-the-wheel.html

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