I prayed to the LORD my God and made confession, saying, “O Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, we have sinned and done wrong and acted wickedly and rebelled, turning aside from your commandments and rules. (Dan 9:4-5)
Daniel learned to pray
By the River of Ulai, the prophet “looked up”
As he was seeking
And when he “lifted up his eyes,” Daniel heard
King Jesus speaking
And down the corridors of time to the beast of
This our troubled day
We see the “Little Horn” is speaking peace as he
Forces church his way.
In the “latter times” of his kingdom when
Transgressions marked are “full.”
The time “appointed for the vision” on the
Mind of each will pull
“Dark sentences” embraced the King, when
transgressors all “stood up”
For they only “stand” to destroy; to deceive
We dare not, ever, drink the cup
Daniel fainted at this little bit that he could
See while rapt in vision
Saying how “no one understood” it; as they held
Truth in derision
But the prophet understood the vision as the
Angel swiftly flew
For Daniel prayed and “made confession;” nothing
Less could ever do
In this vision of the end Gabriel spoke to Daniel
Past his praying and his tears
For Jeremiah, wrote before him of the long and
“Desolate years”
And gave Daniel understanding from “the books;” all
The “numbers of the days”
And we can have the understanding too; as we walk
These times in God’s sweet ways.
70 Weeks were “determined” for Jerusalem of old so
That everyone could see
How God will send His mighty angel when we need to
Know the prophecy
Daniel knew the secret
of the walk we all must make With Jesus in our day
He truly understood the “numbers of the years”
I have re-written this article to reflect on some recent thoughts I have had.
Little Flowers In The Rain
“…the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose…” (Isa 35:1)
my little flowers
This is a time of year when I think the most of my late wife, Donna. One of the reasons is that autumn was her favorite time of year. We both made it special, because of all the beautiful colors. And then there was always The harvest Moon. She passed away in my arms on the night of the full moon, i can almost feel her beside me when its a full moon. Her sweet laugh, her sparkling eyes, her kiss, and her arms around me. No, it’s not a sad time for me really. Its a time of reflection, gratitude. And desire to move forward with all the love that we had, all the love that remains in my heart. None of that ‘died.”
My sister from another Province texted me a message a while ago. She has lost a husband and a daughter to cancer, is remarried now. Part of the text message read as follows:
“Think of grief as a journey, highs, lows, beautiful refreshing meadows,,,cold, dark paths sometimes; but remember “through the valley..” (re Psalms 23) and “thou art with me…” and one day you will realize with strength for your future…”
I had to agree with my sister, especially the comment about
“beautiful, refreshing meadows.”
Some who know me well will recognize that I like flowers. Of course, many others have said things like “guys are not supposed to like flowers.”
Yet I have felt drawn to them since I was a little boy, picking Dandelions to make my Mom a Dandelion Necklace. I remember “the smile that melted,” [me] that my Mom would have on her face whenever I presented her with some gift that I had made for her out of flowers that I would find while playing outside. Sometimes, I think, I would just make her something out of those little flowers, just to see that smile one more time.
And then came the day when I discovered Hollyhocks. Beautiful bright colors of every kind. Mom really liked those things I made. I even made her a Tiara once. All I knew was the happy look on her face when I gave her my latest creation from all of the little flowers that came out of the rain.
Now, I am older, and I face these poignant memories of Donna’s death. Its autumn, and the colors are beautiful this year. I used to buy her flowers when she was sick all those years that I was her caregiver. They would never fail to cheer her up.
Over the months, some have commented saying things like “who did I really buy those flowers for?”
Whenever I bought some, I would spend some time photographing them. “I need the practice,” I would say with a sheepish grin. We would have these great discussions on how beautiful they looked. I noticed how those flowers would brighten the room and add some cheer to the day for us both. The autumn colors today reflect al this and much more.
That first year or two after, I am told is always “very hard.” By the sounds of it, I am supposed to go into some kind of grief and remorse, have caniption fits, and generally have a big “poor me” session for this kind of thing. I am told that I have “lost her love;” and people say
“sorry for your loss.”
Well, I may have lost the relationship that we had. But how can one “lose” love? I have never understood that. That love she left me in my heart, will always be there. Like the flowers I love, that love in my heart will continue to flourish and grow. And so I find much gratitude in my heart today.
I have used that love from my wife’s heart to mine, as a resource, almost as a mentor if you will, to continue, rather than “lose” our love. I mean, its in my heart. Does it really have anywhere else to go? Except, perhaps to someone else’s broken heart?
So for this moment of memories, I am planting flowers in my little cabin. Lots of them. I will use them to bring cheer to the people in my life, and to add a dimension of brightness and colors to my own home. When I think of these flowers and how they flourish and grow inspite of the storms of grief and loss, I look forward to seeing them all come to life over the coming winter, and adding growth, and uplifting thoughts to anyone who sees them.
Little Flowers In The rain.
These seem a fitting tribute to the love I have experienced in my life, and to whatever future love that awaits my reception.
I share all of the love that I have had, and add it to what I experience today. I have not “lost” her love. I simply continue with it. I have a photograph on my wall that I took. And the caption I put on it says:
“all of me, loves all of you.”
Its how I lived my life with Donna, and developed new growth, with the people now set in my path. I continue with all those good things from my past, into all of the love I experience now.
Yes, there are things to celebrate today!
And all because of little flowers.
I give all the credit to God. He has made me glad. By His power; I live in love with others today. And I think its certainly, in part, because of many little flowers. By the grace of God, I am living in faith and love today.
Perhaps, I will soon have the most colorful cabin in the mountains this winter? Perhaps someone will be a little happier when they see their growth and beauty? I hope and pray that someone’s day will be a little brighter, as they grow into full bloom.
Memories of our loved ones don’t have to be an “ending.” It doesn’t need to be a mountain of inconsolable grief. I don’t need to fall apart. Pictured above is Donna and I when we first met, and again, just before she died. We enjoyed all the little flowers as long as she could. And the picture of her sitting in my lap by all those beautiful flowers, was the last time she was able to go outside.
But for today, she is inside.
My heart.
Remember, amidst all the craziness today, to love those placed in your path.. Love them actively, not passively, for we do not know when that last day will come for anyone we love. Love now, not later, when its “more convenient.”
Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for he hath visited and redeemed his people, (Luke 1:68)
redeemed!
In the City of God “there shall be no night.” None will need or desire repose. There will be no weariness in doing the will of God and offering praise to His name. We shall ever feel the freshness of the morning and shall ever be far from its close. “And they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light.” Revelation 22:5. The light of the sun will be superseded by a radiance which is not painfully dazzling, yet which immeasurably surpasses the brightness of our noontide. The glory of God and the Lamb floods the Holy City with unfading light. The redeemed walk in the sunless glory of perpetual day.—GC 676.
Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, Whom He has redeemed from the hand of the adversary, (Psalms 107:2)
Don’t be like them. Your Father knows what you need before you ask him. (Mat 6:8, GW)
light in the clouds
Many have questioned the meaning of the statement your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him. “Then why should we pray?” they ask. Prayer is not man’s attempt to change the will of God. God’s method of changing our will is to bring it into conformity with His will. More than changing things, prayer changes people. Prayer is not conquering God’s reluctance to answer, but laying hold of His willingness to help! Prayer, in the life of the true believer, is an act of total confidence and assurance in the plan and purpose of God.
Christ seldom gathered His disciples alone to receive His words. Here in Mat 6, Jesus did not choose for His audience those only who knew the way of life. It was His work to reach the multitudes who were in ignorance and error. He gave His lessons of truth where they could reach the darkened understanding. He Himself was the Truth, standing with girded loins and hands ever outstretched to bless, and in words of warning, entreaty, and encouragement, seeking to uplift all who would come unto Him. {DA 298.1}
JESUS: Befriends the Sinner in Us
Now that we have been put right with God through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. He has brought us by faith into this experience of God’s grace, in which we now live. And so we boast of the hope we have of sharing God’s glory! We also boast of our troubles, because we know that trouble produces endurance, endurance brings God’s approval, and his approval creates hope. This hope does not disappoint us, for God has poured out his love into our hearts by means of the Holy Spirit, who is God’s gift to us. For when we were still helpless, Christ died for the wicked at the time that God chose. (Rom 5:1-6, GNB)
The hope that believers have of their future glory with God will not disappoint them by being unfulfilled. They will not be put to shame or humiliated because of their hope. The reason the believer can be so confident is that the love of God has been poured out.
“Them that are afar off are made near by the blood of Christ.” (Eph 2:13)
There are no exceptions. The love of God has been poured out. For the gays, for the adulterers, for the liars, for the thieves, the Catholics, the Protestants, and everyone in between, and especially for the self-righteous professors of Christendom who act as though they are better than “all those others.”
The moment a person receives Jesus, trusts in Him, that person receives the Holy Spirit (Rom 8:9), who constantly encourages them in their hope in God. (see also John 1:12)
There is no one you could name who needs to miss out on this hope.
While We Were Yet Sinners
Christ was treated as we deserve, that we might be treated as He deserves. He was condemned for our sins, in which He had no share, that we might be justified by His righteousness, in which we had no share. He suffered the death which was ours, that we might receive the life which was His. “With His stripes we are healed.” {DA 25.2}
In the year 1874, William Gladstone was competing in the election for prime minister of the United Kingdom. Well known among his contemporaries for being a highly capable man by virtue of his sharp wit, expansive knowledge, and decorated track record, Gladstone was a formidable candidate for the role. Yet it was his opponent, Benjamin Disraeli, who seemed to have the endearing edge. What made Disraeli more attractive to some was his widely known and celebrated ability to help people see their own value. While Gladstone had no problem helping people see how important important he was as an accomplished man, Disraeli helped people see how important they were.
One evening, a woman named Jennie Jerome, famously known as the mother of Sir Winston Churchill, had an opportunity to converse with each of the candidates at a dinner party. When asked by a reporter about the experience and her impression of each of the candidates, she replied, “When I left the dining room after sitting next to Gladstone, I thought he was the cleverest man in England. But when I sat next to Disraeli, I left feeling that I was the cleverest woman.” [Sauls, Scott. A Gentle Answer (pp. 3-4). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition].
In His ministry, Jesus often turned his attention to those accustomed to being ignored, mistreated, discarded, and despised by the general public.
If you were sick, poor, sexually damaged, or paralyzed by guilt and shame, for just a few examples, Jesus would move toward you and tell you what nobody else would:
YOU MATTER. YOU ARE LOVED.
One of the most remarkable things about Jesus is his affection for and gentleness toward not the righteous, but towards sinners; not the healthy, but the sick; not those who have their act together, but those who are falling apart; not those who are clean, but those who are damaged and dirty. “This man welcomes sinners,” the scribes and Pharisees charged, “and eats with them” (Luke 15:2 NIV). [Sauls, Scott. A Gentle Answer (p. 5). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition].
I Only Know I’m Loved
’When I say, “I am a Christian”
I’m not shouting, “I’ve been saved!”
I’m whispering, “I get lost sometimes
That’s why I chose this way”
When I say, “I am a Christian”
I don’t speak with human pride
I’m confessing that I stumble –
needing God to be my guide
When I say, “I am a Christian”
I’m not trying to be strong
I’m professing that I’m weak
and pray for strength to carry on
When I say, “I am a Christian”
I’m not bragging of success
I’m admitting that I’ve failed
and cannot ever pay the debt
When I say, “I am a Christian”
I don’t think I know it all
I submit to my confusion
asking humbly to be taught
When I say, “I am a Christian”
I’m not claiming to be perfect
My flaws are far too visible
but God believes I’m worth it
When I say, “I am a Christian”
I still feel the sting of pain
I have my share of heartache
which is why I seek God’s name
When I say, “I am a Christian”
I do not wish to judge
I have no authority
I only know I’m loved’
by Carol Wimmer 1988
Some Find Disappointment In Jesus
Christ disappointed the hope of worldly greatness. In the Sermon on the Mount He sought to undo the work that had been wrought by false education, and to give His hearers a right conception of His kingdom and of His own character. Yet He did not make a direct attack on the errors of the people. He saw the misery of the world on account of sin, yet He did not present before them a vivid delineation of their wretchedness. He taught them of something infinitely better than they had known. Without combating their ideas of the kingdom of God, He told them the conditions of entrance therein, leaving them to draw their own conclusions as to its nature. The truths He taught are no less important to us than to the multitude that followed Him. We no less than they need to learn the foundation principles of the kingdom of God. {DA 299.3}
Christ’s first words to the people on the mount were words of blessing. Happy are they, He said, who recognize their spiritual poverty, and feel their need of redemption. The gospel is to be preached to the poor. Not to the spiritually proud, those who claim to be rich and in need of nothing, is it revealed, but to those who are humble and contrite. One fountain only has been opened for sin, a fountain for the poor in spirit. {DA 299.4}
The proud heart strives to earn salvation; but both our title to heaven and our fitness for it are found in the righteousness of Christ. The Lord can do nothing toward the recovery of man until, convinced of his own weakness, and stripped of all self-sufficiency, he yields himself to the control of God. Then he can receive the gift that God is waiting to bestow. From the soul that feels his need, nothing is withheld. He has unrestricted access to Him in whom all fullness dwells. “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. {DA 300.1}
Then Jesus taught the followers that they should always pray and never lose hope… (Luke 18:1, ERV)
stand on promises
To persist in prayer and not give up does not mean endless repetition. Meaningless or painfully long prayer sessions. Is there a specific pathway to prayer? How does prayer work to God’s glory?
The answer is easy because the gospel is simply wonderful and wonderfully simple. The path to prayer is by the promises of God.
Constant prayer means keeping our requests continually before God by the way that we live for Jesus day by day, believing he will answer. When we live by faith, we are not to give up. Thats why Hebrews 11:1 calls faith “substance of things hoped for” “evidence of things not seen.” (Heb 11:1)
God’s promises are the only thing in Scripture that fits this definition of the substance of things hoped for. Evidence of things not seen. A promise is made for every forseeable and unforseeable circumstance we encounter in life. But as we know all too well, we often do not see how it will be done. The promise is always there for every need.
We have everything we need to live a life that pleases God. It was all given to us by God’s own power, when we learned that he had invited us to share in his wonderful goodness. God made great and marvelous promises, so that his nature would become part of us. Then we could escape our evil desires and the corrupt influences of this world. (2 Pet 1:3-4, CEV)
The power to lead a godly life comes from God. (John 1:12) Because we don’t personally have the resources to be truly godly, God allows us to “share his divine nature” in order to keep us from sin and help us live for him. When we are born again, God by his Spirit empowers us with his own goodness. The beginning point of faith is believing in God’s character: He is who He says in His Word that He is. The end point is believing in God’s promises: He will do what he says. When we believe that God will fulfill his promises even though we don’t see those promises materializing yet, we demonstrate true faith
We pray. And yes. God may delay answering. His delays always have good reasons. As we persist in prayer, we grow in character, faith, and hope. As we persist in prayer, God’s character, faith, and hope will grow in us. The power to lead a godly life comes from God. Because we don’t have the resources to be truly godly, God allows us to “share his divine nature” in order to keep us from sin and help us live for him. When we are born again, God by his Spirit empowers us with his own goodness. See John 3:6;John 14:17-23; 2 Cor 5:21; and 1 Pet 1:22-23.
No temptation in the life of intercessory prayer is more common than the failure to persevere.
We begin to pray for a certain thing; we put up our petitions for a day, a week, a month; and then, receiving as yet no definite answer, straightway we faint, and cease altogether from prayer concerning it. This is a deadly fault. Deadly to the spiritual life. It is the snare of many beginnings with no completions. It will ruin all areas of our life if we let it.
The one who forms the habit of beginning without finishing has simply formed the habit of failure. The one who begins to pray about a thing and does not pray it through to a successful issue of answer has formed the same habit in prayer. To faint is to fail; then defeat begets disheartenment, and unfaithfulness in the reality of prayer, which is fatal to all successful spiritual life.
But someone says, “How long shall we pray? Do we not come to a place where we may cease from our petitions and rest the matter in God’s hands?” There is only one answer to that. Pray until the thing you pray for has actually been granted, or until you have the assurance in your heart that it is turning out the way that God would have it.
Prayer is not only a calling upon God, but also a conflict with Satan. And inasmuch as God is using our intercession as a mighty factor of victory in that conflict, He alone, and not we, must decide when we dare cease from our petitioning. So we dare not stay our prayer until the answer itself has come, or until we receive the assurance that it is being answered in the way that Jesus feels is best. But we would be remiss to think that all prayer have to have a yes answer all the time. Often the answer is yes, bot also it can be “no” “maybe” “if” because most times God’s answers to our prayers are geared to what we need the most.
In the first case we stop praying because we see. In the others, we stop because we believe, and the faith of our heart is just as sure as the sight of our eyes; for it is faith from,yes,the faith of God, within us.
More and more, as we live the prayer life, shall we come to experience and recognize this God-given assurance, and know when to rest quietly in it, or when to continue our petitioning until we receive it.
What we need most to do is to wait in quietness and trust with each promise until Jesus meets us there. Jesus will always return to us by way of His promises:
According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: 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. (2 Pet 1:3-4,KJV)
We must NOW acquaint ourselves with God by proving His promises…” (GC 622)
We must learn of Christ. We must know what He is to those He has ransomed from the grave. (John 17:3) We must realize that through belief in Him it is our privilege to be partakers of the divine nature, at the foot of the cross; and through His promises, and so escape the corruption that is in the world through wrongful desires. Then we are cleansed from all sin, and the blood of The Lamb becomes the gospel by which we are saved.
In the past you were dead because you sinned and fought against God. You followed the ways of this world and obeyed the devil. He rules the world, and his spirit has power over everyone who doesn’t obey God. Once we were also ruled by the selfish desires of our bodies and minds. We had made God angry, and we were going to be punished like everyone else. But God was merciful! We were dead because of our sins, but God loved us so much that he made us alive with Christ, and God’s wonderful kindness is what saves you. (SEE 2:4) God raised us from death to life with Christ Jesus, and he has given us a place beside Christ in heaven. (Eph 2:1-6, CEV)
It is a knowledge of the perfection of the divine character, manifested to us in Jesus Christ, through His promises that opens up to us communion with God. It is by appropriating the great and precious promises that we are to become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through wrongful desires.
Recently a lady stood up in church and asked us to pray for her son who was struggling with addiction. I asked her after the sermon if I could come to visit her son, who is staying at her house during his recovery. They were so shocked that anyone would want to sit and visit with him. He was unable to get out of his bed during that visit, and when I took his hand and prayed with him, I felt the Moms hands on one side, and the Dad’s hands on the other side, taking my hands, and their sons, and The Holy Spirit really spoke to us during that season of prayer. I just claimed the promise of Eph 2:13 how that
“those who are far off are made near by the blood of Christ.”
There were lots of tears. Now that was actually two weeks ago, and PTL that young man was cutting grass the other day! Praise God from whom all blessings flow!
Truly, the path of prayer is by His own “precious promises.”
Who does Jesus want you to sit and pray with today? What “precious promise” will you “prove” in His service by the way you live your everyday life with all that our Lord puts in your path?
We live in a world of constant turmoil and trials. But, it has been my personal experience that God will give us the strength we need; and He will look after all those things that we are unable to do ourselves:
The Garden Alone
Based on Luke 22:39-46
“And there appeared an angel unto Him from heaven, strengthening Him.”
Jesus In The garden Alone
God was with Him in the Garden alone
And Jesus conquered by strength divine
But the separation went deeper than bone
As the battle began; God drew the line.
The Father didn’t want to remove the cup
The disciples slept from sorrow and fear
And while Gabriel came to lift Jesus up
His sweat poured out as blood and tear.
As crises supreme did heart and soul break
Jesus came alone, to fight by petition there
The angel assured Him He made no mistake
For now He might answer the sinners prayer.
We all have to go to the Garden alone
We have to bring our worry and care
And when we go, we glimpse the throne
For in the Garden; our Lord is there.
Jesus conquered by strength not his own
And we can have this encounter today
As we go by faith to our garden alone
To walk with Him the blood-stained way.
by David T Battler, all rights reserved
“Christ conquered in divine strength, and so must every tempted soul overcome. God was with Christ in the Garden of Gesthemane; and by this experience of Christ, we are to learn to trust our heavenly Father; at all times, and in all places, , we are to believe that he is tender, true, and faithful – able to keep that which is committed to His care. In the agonizing struggle of Christ, our Substitute and Surety; the Father was beside His Son, and He is beside every soul that struggles with discouragement and difficulty.”
But may I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. (Gal 6:14,, NET)
called to the cross
In today’s crazy world, there is nothing to depend upon; except for Jesus. Christ, and Him crucified. Prophets of old echoed such ideas all the time:
The LORD says, “Wise people should not boast that they are wise. Powerful people should not boast that they are powerful. Rich people should not boast that they are rich. (Jer 9:23). If people want to boast, they should boast about this: They should boast that they understand and know me. They should boast that they know and understand that I, the LORD, act out of faithfulness,fairness, and justice in the earth and that I desire people to do these things,” says the LORD. (Jer 9:24)
I read something earlier this week that seemed to have some connection to the idea that we sometimes do not recognize whats really going on in the world or in our lives. It was a story about a farmer who decided that God spoke to him about going into the ministry. He was out in one of his pastures looking up into the sky and it looked to him as though the cloud formations were forming the letters GPC in the sky. The farmer took this to be a message from God. He was thinking that it must stand for “Go Preach Christ.”
Years later, it appeared that there was just one problem after the next, and his ministry did not seem to be doing very well. And around that same time; one of his friends suggested that those letters, GPC might have meant “Go Plow Corn?”
Today, a similar thing is happening. We see what is going on in the world. Our hearts are failing us for fear. (Luke 21:26). We are not hearing the call of Christ to His cross. All we see are false flags,
impossible situations, and hopeless outlooks on the future. Some of us are even saying, in unison with some of the people in the early days of history:
“Where is the promise of His coming?” (2 Pet 3:4).
We must learn to not only hear correctly God’s call, but to also interpret what He is saying to us in that call. Hope is wherever God’s amazing grace works on us, and while embracing the cross means that we
see hope in suffering; in hopeful suffering. Jesus is very near. Is that even possible? Dare we call it “the gift of suffering?”
When we “come to the cross,” we enter the school of love. (Mat 16:24, John 15:13). This is the very heart and mission of the cross.
“Nothing can separate us from the love of God which was in Christ Jesus.” That love is our hope. That love is “Christ and Him crucified.” Consider that when Jesus was most helpless and weak; that it was right from the cross where He wrought His greatest works for us. Our salvation! The greatest grace has arisen out of the greatest trouble! (Gen 50:20, Rom 8:28). By living in hope, we are united in that “being one” (John 17:11,22) that Jesus had talked about in Scripture.
When we embrace our helplessness,accept it all as an essential part of our walking daily with our own cross, (see Luke 9:23), then our sufferings are joined with that of Christ. Christ and Him crucifed. A true Christian finds meaning in suffering, for embracing the cross is never just for ourselves. “The cross” is not just for our own good. We live in hope. If we know Jesus, (John 17:3) we are living epistles of His Hope, and we join with Him in the fellowship of His sufferings.(Phil 3:10). Christians of all stripes find meaning,unity, and hope, when they embrace “Christ and Him crucified.” We live in hope. The cross was/is our hope. The only solid hope. And hope is contagious. In the cross, Jesus does not abandon us. As one Christian remarked years ago:
“The cross is steady while the world is turning.”
And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love. (1 Cor 13:13).
We are all called to the cross:
And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all people unto me. (John 12:32)
Like the farmer that we looked at in the beginning of this article, we can mistaken this call to the cross, as something to avoid. Something to fix. Something to improve. Something “good” that we can do. The cross, is certainly not an option we usually want to present to others, when we can just present correct doctrine, because its “too negative.” If we are called “in Christ,” we will know our calling is one of Hope, because the Bible also tells us that “nothing can separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus.” (Rom 8:38-39).
We are offered the hope of Calvary when we accept that even though we were/are far away from Jesus; we are made near, only by the blood of Christ:
But now in Christ Jesus you who used to be far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ. (Eph 2:13)
The cross of Calvary should appeal to the benevolence of every follower of the Savior. The principle there illustrated is to give. “He that saith he abides in Him ought himself also so to walk,even as He walked.” (1 John 2:6). The work of redemption involves consequences of which it can be very difficult for us to have any conception of being called to the cross. To most of us it doesn’t seem like a great place to be. (Isa 53:1-3).
“Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him.” (1 Corinthians 2:9).
As the sinner, drawn by the power of Christ, approaches the uplifted cross, and kneels before it, there is a new creation. A new heart is given to the supplicant. They become a new creature in Christ Jesus. Holiness finds that it has nothing more to require. (Eph 2:13). God Himself is both Just, and “the Justifier of anyone which believeth in Jesus.” (Romans 3:26). And “whom He justified, them He also glorified.” (Romans 8:30).
Great as is the shame and degradation through sin,or on the cross, even greater will be the honor and exaltation through redeeming love. To human beings striving for conformity to the divine image there is imparted an outlay of heaven’s treasure, an excellency of power, the blood of Christ that will place them higher than even the angels who have never fallen. The soul finds rest only in cherishing meekness and lowliness of
heart.
The peace of Christ is never found where selfishness reigns. The soul cannot grow in grace when it is self-centered and proud. Jesus assumed the position that we must take in order that the peace of Christ may abide in the heart. Those who have offered themselves to Christ to become His disciples must deny self daily, must lift up the cross and follow in the footsteps of Jesus. They must go where His example leads the way.
The only-begotten Son of God took upon Him the nature of human beings, and established His cross between earth and heaven. Through the cross, people are drawn to God, and God to us. Justice moved from its high and awful position, and the heavenly hosts,the armies of holiness, drew near to the cross, bowing with reverence; for at the cross justice was satisfied. Through the cross the sinner was drawn from the stronghold of sin, from the confederacy of evil, and at every approach to the cross our heart relents and in penitence we cry, “It was my sins that crucified the Son of God.” At the cross we leave our sins, and through the grace of Christ the character is transformed. The Redeemer raises the sinner from the dust, and places them under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. As the sinner looks upon the Redeemer, they will find hope, assurance, and joy. Faith takes hold of Christ in love. Faith works by love, and purifies the soul.
The truth always involves a cross. Those who will not believe, oppose and deride those who do believe. The fact that its presentation creates a storm of opposition, is no evidence against the truth. The prophets and apostles imperiled their lives because they would conscientiously obey God. And our Savior declares that “all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.” This is one of the Christian’s legacies.
A large number of people who make a profession of religion are a class that are easily convinced; but they have only a superficial religion. As far as outward appearances are concerned, they are bright converts; but they are like the man who started to build without counting the cost of his enterprise, and they are not able to finish. They are like that farmer who incorrectly hear God’s call.
There are those who receive the precious truth with joy; they are exceedingly zealous, and express amazement that all cannot see the things that are so plain to them. They urge others to embrace the doctrine that they find so satisfying. They hastily condemn the hesitating, and those who carefully weigh the evidences of the truth, and consider it in all its bearings. They call such ones cold and unbelieving. But in the time of trial, these enthusiastic persons too often falter and fail. They did not accept the cross as a part of their religious life, and they turn from it with dampened ardor, and refuse to take it up. They do not make the Lord Jesus their strength from the beginning to the end, and do not know what it means to fall upon the Rock and be broken. (Dan 2:34, Luke 8:13,1 Peter 2:6-8 ).
If they realized their great need, the Lord could be their strength, and would put his seal upon them. But they did not “die to self” that they might be born again, and their life was not hid with Christ in God. They did not become laborers together with God, bearing the cross, lifting the burden, that they might understand how great were the blessings of the service of Christ, in contrast to the poor pleasures of the world. If they had done this, like Paul, they would have been a partaker with Christ in his sufferings, and would have been able to exclaim, “I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.” “For our light affliction, which is but for a moment works for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.
The cross of Calvary challenges, and will finally vanquish every earthly and hellish power. In the cross all influence centers, and from it all influence goes forth. It is the great center of attraction; for on it Christ gave up His life for the human race. This sacrifice was offered for the purpose of restoring people to our original perfection. It was offered to give us an entire transformation of character, making us more than a conqueror. Those who in the strength of Christ overcome the great enemy of God and man will occupy a position in the heavenly courts above angels who have never fallen. Christ declares,
“I, if I be lifted up, will draw all men unto me.”
If the cross does not find an influence in its favor, it creates an influence. Through generation succeeding generation, the truth for this time is revealed as present truth. Christ on the cross was the medium whereby mercy and truth met together, and righteousness and peace kissed each other. This is the means that is to move the world. {LHU 230.3}
Just as we are thinking to ourselves that Jesus does not notice or care about our plight, our suffering; His Word shines forth with just the assurance we need:
“I have carried you close to My Heart…” (Isa 40:11)
The Cross A Center In The World.
The cross stands alone, a great center in the world. It does not find friends, but it makes them. It creates its own agencies. Christ proposes that people shall become laborers together with God. He makes human beings His instrumentalities for drawing all people unto Himself. A divine agency is sufficient only through its operation on human hearts with its transforming power, making people colaborers with God {5BC 1138.1}.
“The cross speaks life and not death to the soul that believes in Jesus. Welcome the precious, life-giving rays that shine from the cross of Calvary. God would not deprive his people of blessings. It is Satan that interposes his shadow of darkness and creates misgiving and doubts, in order that we may not discern the bright beams of the Sun of Righteousness shining from the cross of Calvary. Reach up for the blessing, believe for the blessing. Your Savior who died upon the cross is God’s gift to a fallen world, and that gift embraces all heaven. Walk not in the shadow of the cross. Do not give expression to weeping, lamentation, and woe; but encourage your soul to hope and joy. The cross points you upward to a living Savior, who, as your advocate, is pleading in your behalf.”
So he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them. (Heb 7:25)
No matter what kind of dark cloud we are under, the promise is sure:
And I will give thee the treasures of darkness, and hidden riches of secret places, that thou mayest know that I, the LORD, which call thee by thy name, am the God of Israel. (Isa 45:3).
Jesus was born again that we might be born again! Jesus was treated as we deserve that we might be treated as he deserves!
Truly, there is Light in every cloud. There is always a little light.
Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you (1 Thes 5:16-18)
Give Thanks
The Thessalonian believers were true missionaries. Their hearts burned with zeal for their Savior, who had delivered them from fear of “the wrath to come.” (1 Thes 1:10) Through the grace of Christ a marvelous transformation had taken place in their lives, and the word of the Lord, as spoken through them, was accompanied with power. With constant thanksgiving. Hearts were won by the truths presented, and many souls were added to the number of believers.
Joy as used in Paul’s letters here reflects the mark of a true Christian. the Christian (Rom. 14:17) and a fruit of the Spirit (Gal 5:22). It is often associated with the firm hope of the Christian (Rom 5:2–5; Rom 12:12). “Pray without ceasing” suggests a mental attitude of prayerfulness, continual personal fellowship with God, and consciousness of being in his presence throughout each day. Christians are marked by thanksgiving in all types of circumstances. (Eph 5:4, Eph 5:20 Col 2:7 Col 3:15, Col 3:17 Col 4:2). These verses are all talking about 1 Thessalonians 5:16–18.
Our joy, prayers, and thankfulness should not fluctuate with our circumstances or feelings. Obeying these three commands—be joyful, never stop praying, and be thankful—often goes against our natural inclinations. When we make a conscious decision to do what God says, however, we will begin to see other people and our circumstances in a new perspective. When we do God’s will, we will find it easier to be joyful and thankful. And most of all to love one another with “unfeigned love.” No pretending to love someone for some kind of private gain to ourselves… But the kind of love where you practice what you preach about the love of Christ and people know it. (1 Pet 1:22 Acts 4:13)
“Put everything to the test. [Heb 4:12] Accept what is good” (1 Thes 5:21)
Throughout life’s toils and trials the peace of God and the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ can be our consolation and support. The apostle challenged believers of his day to not become weary in well-doing, and pointed them to his own example.
Whatever happens, always be thankful. This is how God wants you to live in Christ Jesus. (1 Thes 5:18, ERV)
God gave you a gift of 86,400 seconds today. Have you used one of them to say ‘thank you?’
“…From now on, the name of the city will be THE LORD IS THERE.” (Ezekiel 48:35, ERV)
His presence in the thick cloud
The book of Ezekiel begins by describing the holiness of God that Israel had despised and ignored. As a result, God’s presence departed from the Temple, the city, and the people. The book ends with a detailed vision of the new Temple, the new city, and the new people—all demonstrating God’s holiness. The pressures of everyday life may cause us to panic, to focus on the here and now and thus forget God. That is why prayer, study of God’s Word, and worship is so important; it takes our eyes off our current worries, gives us a glimpse of God’s holiness, and allows us to look toward his future Kingdom. God’s presence makes everything glorious, and worship brings us into his presence. God’s presence is all we really need.
In this last verse of Ezekiel, the prophet has in view an ideal city; whether in any material form it is to be realized, we must wait to see. But this will be its prominent characteristic, that God will be there. A great voice will be heard out of Heaven, saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with humanity, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be his people; and God Himself shall be with them and be their God.”
There is comfort in this for the sorrowful; because where God is, there cannot be sorrow, nor crying, nor pain. God shall wipe away all tears from off all faces. No cypress-trees line the streets of that city; no dirge intrudes upon the glad ascription of praise; no sob or groan is possible.
There is comfort for the doubting and perplexed. Truly devoted souls sometimes walk in darkness and have no light, learning to walk by faith. But there “where God is” all mysteries will be unraveled, all problems solved, every question answered; there will be no night, no need of sun or moon, for the glory of God shall lighten it, and the Lamb shall be the lamp thereof.
Here, “where God is” Ezekiel foresees the return of God in all His glory to His people!
Those who do what is right will praise your name; those who are honest will live in your presence. (Psalms 130:13, ERV)
He will protect His flock like a shepherd, He will gather the lambs in His arm, He will carry them in His bosom; He will gently and carefully lead those nursing their young. (Isa 40:11, CEV)
my burden is light
Jesus knows us individually, and is touched with the feeling of our infirmities. He knows us all by name. He knows the very house in which we live, the name of each occupant. He has at times given directions to His servants to go to a certain street in a certain city, to such a house, to find one of His sheep.{DA 479.3}
God is often pictured as a shepherd, gently caring for and guiding his flock. He is powerful (Isa 40:10), yet careful and gentle. He is called a shepherd (Psalms 23); the good shepherd (John 10:11, John 10:14); the great Shepherd (Heb 13:20); and the Great Shepherd (1 Pet 5:4). Note that the shepherd is caring for the most defenseless members of his society: children and those caring for them. This reinforces the prophetic theme that the truly powerful nation is not the one with a strong military, but rather the one that relies on God’s caring strength to look after those in want, and the many families that are suffering these days.
Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.(James 1:27, ESV)
In the first century, orphans and widows had very little means of economic support. Unless a family member was willing to care for them, they were reduced to begging, selling themselves as slaves, or starving. By caring for these people, the church put God’s Word into practice. When we give with no thought of receiving, we show what it means to truly serve others.
To keep ourselves from letting “the world” corrupt us, we need to commit ourselves to Christ’s ethical and moral system, not the world’s. We are not to adapt to the world’s value system, which is based on money, power, and pleasure. True faith means nothing if we are contaminated with such values that tear down the foundations of our “religion.”
A Christian is a Christlike man, a Christlike woman, who is active in God’s service, who is present at the social meeting, whose presence will encourage others also. Religion does not consist in works, but religion works; it is not dormant {7BC 935.13}
Many seem to feel that religion has a tendency to make its possessor narrow and cramped, but genuine religion does not have a narrowing influence; it is the lack of religion that cramps the faculties and narrows the mind. When a person is narrow, it is an evidence that they need the grace of God, the heavenly anointing; for a Christian is one whom the Lord, the God of hosts, can work through, that they may keep the ways of the Lord of the earth and make manifest His will to others.{7BC 935.14}
“Come to me all of you who are tired from the heavy [yoke] you have been forced to carry. I will give you rest. (Mat 11:28, ERV)
A yoke is a heavy wooden harness that fits over the shoulders of an ox or oxen. It is attached to a piece of equipment the oxen are to pull. A person may be carrying heavy burdens of (1) sin, (2) excessive demands of religious leaders (Mat 23:4; Act 15:10), (3) oppression and persecution, or (4) weariness in the search for God.
Jesus frees people from all these burdens. The rest that Jesus promises is love, healing, and peace with God, not the end of all labor. A relationship with God changes meaningless, wearisome toil into spiritual productivity and purpose.
The Yoke of Restraint and Obedience.
Christ says, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you”–the yoke of restraint and obedience–“and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.” We are to find rest by wearing His yoke and bearing His burdens. In being co-workers with Christ in the great work for which He gave His life, we shall find true rest. When we were sinners, He gave His life for us. He wants us to come to Him and learn of Him. Thus we are to find rest. He says He will give us rest. “Learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart.” In doing this you will find in your own experience the rest that Christ gives, the rest that comes from wearing His yoke and lifting His burdens {5BC 1090.3}
Your work is not to gather up burdens of your own. As you take the burdens that Christ would have you, then you can realize what burdens He carried. Let us study the Bible, and find out what kind of yoke He bore. He was a help to those around Him. He says: “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.”
You see there is a yoke to bear. Now this is the very faith that we want–a faith that will grasp the promises of God, one that will take the yoke of Christ and bear the burdens that He would have us. We often think we are having a hard time in bearing burdens, and it is too often the case, because God has not made any provision for us to carry these burdens; but when we bear His yoke and carry His burdens, we can testify that the yoke of Christ is easy and His burdens are light, because He has made provision for these.
But when you feel depressed and discouraged, do not give up the battle; you have a living Saviour that will help you, and you will have rest in Him. You must not put your neck under the yoke of fashion, and yokes that God has never designed that you should bear. It is not our work to study how to meet the world’s standard, but the great question with each one should be, How can I meet God’s standard? Then it is that you will find rest to the soul; for Christ has said, “My yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” {5BC 1091.2}
