We wait for light, but behold obscurity; for brightness, but we walk in darkness. Isaiah 59:9.
There are many who are reading the Scriptures who cannot understand their true import. All over the world men and women are looking wistfully to heaven. Prayers and tears and inquiries go up from souls longing for light, for grace, for the Holy Spirit. Many are on the verge of the kingdom, waiting only to be gathered in.
Everywhere there are hearts crying out for something which they have not. They long for a power that will give them mastery over sin, a power that will deliver them from the bondage of evil, a power that will give health and life and peace. Many who once knew the power of God’s word have dwelt where there is no recognition of God, and they long for the divine presence.
The world needs today what it needed nineteen hundred years ago–a revelation of Christ. A great work of reform is demanded, and it is only through the grace of Christ that the work of restoration, physical, mental, and spiritual, can be accomplished.
Christ’s method alone will give true success in reaching the people. The Saviour mingled with men as one who desired their good. He showed His sympathy for them, ministered to their needs, and won their confidence. Then He bade them, “Follow me.”
There is need of coming close to the people by personal effort. . . . We are to weep with those that weep, and rejoice with those that rejoice. Accompanied by the power of persuasion, the power of prayer, the power of the love of God, this work will not, cannot, be without fruit.
Heavenly intelligences are waiting to cooperate with human instrumentalities, that they may reveal to the world what human beings may become, and what, through union with the Divine, may be accomplished for the saving of souls that are ready to perish. There is no limit to the usefulness of one who, putting self aside, makes room for the working of the Holy Spirit upon his heart and lives a life wholly consecrated to God.
Maranatha p. 103
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Prayer Requests
—–Louise is in intensive care with a heart attack. Please pray. Mary
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Dear Friends,
When Esther Marie lived in South Dakota almost fifteen years ago, she drove down to our house so we could all go to a family reunion together. Eileen and I decided to meet her in McCook, Nebraska which was about half way. A 750 mile trip can be tiring when one is driving alone and Esther was young.
Once we met at McCook, I took over driving Esther’s car to give her a rest and soon we were busily catching up on all the “details” since we had seen each other last. Eileen drove our van. Suddenly we saw her signal that she wanted us to pull over to the side of the road. She had been listening to the radio and it was giving the area that was experiencing severe thunderstorms with large hail and damaging winds. There were even reports of a tornado that was on the ground. We looked ahead of us and saw what we should have been able to see all along but were too busy talking. Ahead of us and to the east of us the sky was dark and foreboding. Eileen told us that the little town we were soon to be in was experiencing large hail at that very moment. We had to turn to the southeast and drive many miles around the storm. How thankful we were, however, for the warning that kept us out of the bad weather.
The Bible warns us of a “storm” that is soon to break upon the world as an overwhelming surprise. Jesus has given us ample signs of the approaching storm, so we do not have to be surprised. We may have to change some of our plans, just as we had to change our route that day, but that is a small price to pay for our future with Him. Just as He warned His disciples of His approaching death, so He says to us, “And now I have told you before it come to pass, that, when it is come to pass, ye might believe.” John 14:29 Then He gave a brief outline of the future to his disciples. Most of those things have been fulfilled. “And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world? And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. All these are the beginning of sorrows. Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake. And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come. When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:) Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains: Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house: Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes. And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days! But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day: For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened. Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not. For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. . . . Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not. For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. . . . Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. . . .But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. . . .Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come. Matt 24
From cover to cover the Bible is full of all the instruction we need to be ready for that Great Day. Let us search the Scriptures daily that we may be prepared for the coming “storm.” Let us “lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Heb 12:1,2 Let us heed the great warnings found in God’s Word that we may be able to stand in that fearful and glorious day is my prayer.
Rose