A Saviour From Eternity

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: according as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love. Ephesians 1:3, 4.
Since the Fall the Lord has wrought out His will in the plan of redemption, a plan by which He is seeking to restore man to his original perfection. Christ’s death on the cross has made it possible for God to receive and pardon every repentant soul.
As the divine Sufferer hung upon the cross, angels gathered about Him, and as they looked upon Him, and heard His cry, they asked, with intense emotion, “Will not the Lord Jehovah save Him?” … Then were the words spoken: “The Lord hath sworn, and He will not repent. Father and Son are pledged to fulfill the terms of the everlasting covenant. God so loved the world, that He gave His only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” Christ was not alone in making His great sacrifice. It was the fulfillment of the covenant made between Him and His Father before the foundation of the world was laid. With clasped hands they had entered into the solemn pledge that Christ would become the surety for the human race if they were overcome by Satan’s sophistry.
The salvation of the human race has ever been the object of the councils of heaven. The covenant of mercy was made before the foundation of the world. It has existed from all eternity, and is called the everlasting covenant. So surely as there never was a time when God was not, so surely there never was a moment when it was not the delight of the eternal mind to manifest His grace to humanity.
The more we consider this subject, the greater depths we find, and yet there are depths that we do not reach as we study the Redeemer’s glory. It is the glory of the Prince of life, and the mightiest powers of man cannot reach it. The angels themselves desire to look into this mysterious and wonderful theme, the redemption of the human race.
The Faith I Live By p. 76
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Prayer Requests
—–Please pray for my children’s needs. H
—–I need prayer for a new job and for Safety of me and my cats. I have crazy neighbor ‘s who want to harm me. Please pray God intervention and this stops. Thanks Ann
—–My second son is very sick again with the same abscess deep in his sinuses. He just had his birthday yesterday but if he doesn’t get medical help soon I know he probably won’t have another one. I’m sure it is full of STAPH and it is draining into his body. Connie
—–My mother-in-law and my daughter have been missing since yesterday. Please pray that they will be found soon. Mo
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 Dear Friends, 
Rodney (14) and Dave (16) were friends.  They were an unlikely pair.  Rodney came from a nice home where he was given whatever he needed.  Dave was from a poor family and had to work for anything that he got.  My friend Marlene, who was sixteen, and Dave liked each other.  Rodney and I began to be friends.  The four of us had a lot of fun together.  It seemed to be ideal—friends dating friends. 
I was so happy to have a boyfriend.  I really liked Rodney a lot.  One day, however, Dave told me that the only reason Rodney was dating me was to be able to be close to Marlene. He was distressed as he had thought that they were friends.  Dave was hurt because he felt that he had been fooled by Rodney.  My feelings were very hurt to find out that Rodney was only using me and that he didn’t like me at all.  I had really believed that he liked me. Our friendship cooled quite a bit after that although we occasionally did things together.  It was never the same.  I knew that he had ulterior motives.  I no longer trusted him.  When Marlene moved away, we never saw each other again. 
How many times we have ulterior motives in our service to God.  How often we serve Him for His blessings or to be well thought of.  How that must hurt His Great Heart of Love, so much more than the hurt I felt when I found out Rodney’s true feelings.   With tears in His voice, our Dear Saviour laments, “This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.”  Matt 15:8 
As the people saw the miracles which Jesus did, great multitudes followed Him, but they followed Him for selfish reasons.  Even so, our Loving Redeemer did not turn them away.  He continued to teach and to heal them.  “And Jesus went forth, and saw a great multitude, and was moved with compassion toward them, and he healed their sick. And when it was evening, his disciples came to him, saying, This is a desert place, and the time is now past; send the multitude away, that they may go into the villages, and buy themselves victuals. But Jesus said unto them, They need not depart; give ye them to eat. And they say unto him, We have here but five loaves, and two fishes. He said, Bring them hither to me. And he commanded the multitude to sit down on the grass, and took the five loaves, and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, he blessed, and brake, and gave the loaves to his disciples, and the disciples to the multitude. And they did all eat, and were filled: and they took up of the fragments that remained twelve baskets full. And they that had eaten were about five thousand men, beside women and children.”  Matt 14:14-21 
Suddenly, the people began to realize what a great king Jesus would make.  They began talking amongst themselves and laying plans.  Why if Jesus were their leader, they would never have to eke out an existence again.  Jesus could supply all of their meals.  They could go into battle knowing that if they were wounded He could heal them.  If they were killed, He could resurrect them.  John, speaking of this time, says, “when they had seen the miracle that Jesus did, said, This is of a truth that prophet that should come into the world. When Jesus therefore perceived that they would come and take him by force, to make him a king, he departed again into a mountain himself alone.”  John 6:14,15  Still, the people desired their plan to be fulfilled.  After our Dear Saviour returned from praying upon the mountain, He crossed over to the other side of the lake.  The multitude followed Him.  “And when they had found him on the other side of the sea, they said unto him, Rabbi, when camest thou hither?  Jesus answered them and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled.”  vs. 25, 26
May we serve our Great Redeemer because we love Him, not for ulterior motives.  May we focus on Him and not upon the blessings that He daily showers upon us.  May we “love the Lord [our] God with all [our] heart, and with all [our] soul, and with all ]our[ strength, and with all ]our[ mind” is my prayer.  Luke 10:27  
Rose