Christ’s Work and Our Work

It may be surprising to some that Christ’s work was not extended to the heathen nations, that it was confined in so small a circumference. But the heathen nations were not prepared for His work. And had He devoted His time to the conversion of the Gentile world, He would have closed the door whereby He could bear His message to the Jewish nation….

Frequently the people of other nations came to Christ to be healed, or to make some request for their relatives or friends. These people represented the great human family, who knew not God or the truth, but who felt a soul-longing for something they had not. All who came to Christ listened to His instruction, and as they heard the word of truth, they were deeply impressed. In speaking words of hope to those weary, unsatisfied souls, in healing the infirmities of those who came to Him, Christ was setting an example to be practiced from one end of the world to another. He was speaking and acting for humanity at large…. Although generation after generation would pass away, His lessons of practical service would be given by His witnesses. He was to ascend to heaven, but His work was to be carried forward with greater power than before, because He and His Father would cooperate in doing greater things for His people than they had seen while He was among them.

We are to work while it is day, for the night cometh, in which no man can work. Our life is represented as a day, and when our work is ended, when the worker ceases his busy activity, the work does not cease. Others take it up. Though the human agents pass away, the work of Christ does not cease, but goes on, each worker doing God service by working as Christ worked.

We often feel that in the work of God there are great interests to be handled that we are unable to touch. We seem bound about. Let us remember that Christ’s work while on earth was confined to a narrow compass. Yet multitudes from all parts of the world heard His lessons. He was giving His message to those who would afterwards become His disciples.

Christ worked out before His disciples and the world a perfect example of true religion. And when men realize the importance of showing patience, sympathy, and regard for the souls of men, nigh and afar off, Christ will be revealed in His followers.—Manuscript 50, May 31, 1897. “The Work of Christ.”
The Upward Look p. 165
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Prayer Requests
—-Please continue to pray for Brian and his family as they grieve the loss of their mother. Also, please pray for N that he will stay away from bad influences and give his heart to Jesus. Rose
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Dear Friends,
Yesterday, we were talking about the effect that being raised by my grandparents, Edwin and Ida Harmon until I was ten had upon my views. My grandfather was really the only one who took any time for me, so I naturally learned more from him than from my grandmother or my mother. Most of the things that I learned from him were good, but there were some things that he had laying around that he did not realize that I was looking at. He had his own special room where he could relax and keep his stuff. He had a big overstuffed chair that was very comfortable and in the evening he would relax in that chair and read his magazines, when I was outside playing, that is. If I was inside, he would tell me stories of the old days.
Those magazines that he had were not “children rated.” But while he was at work, I would look at grandpa’s magazines. Many of them were about hunting and fishing, but some were adventure magazines with pictures of headhunting and cartoons that I still remember today. He also had books about World War II. How cruel is the heart of mankind without the Spirit of God dwelling there. They had very graphic pictures from the war. They frightened me and fascinated me at the same time. I spent time looking carefully at each picture. Just the thought of some of them makes me shudder. Those war books I could look at while he was around and he would talk about what I saw in them, but he had no idea that I was looking at those adventure magazines.
It was never our Great Creator’s intention for such things to exist. When He created this planet, He spent evenings instructing Adam and Eve and warning them about Satan and advising them to stay together and stay away from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Yet they disobeyed God by eating the very fruit He warned them against. Even before, Eve had wandered from Adams side. How little they realized the results of their disobedience. It seemed like such a little test. It was such a small act of disobedience, but it was a pivotal moment in their experience. From that small act, came a great change.
Praise God! He does not leave us in such a pitiful state. He has provided a Way. Jesus is the “way, the truth, and the life.” John 14:6 He left the glories of Heaven, the adoration of all the beings in the Universe, and came to this earth to suffer all the abuse that wicked men could heap upon Him, and finally sacrificing His own life, so that we may have a restored relationship with our Creator. Wonderful Saviour! May we always serve Him from a heart filled with gratitude and love for His great sacrifice is my prayer.
Rose