Heaven is Waiting for You

     As my Father hath sent me, even so send I you. John 20:21.

   Of the apostles it is written, “They went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following.” Mark 16:20. As Christ sent forth His disciples, so today He sends forth the members of His church. The same power that the apostles had is for them. If they will make God their strength, He will work with them, and they shall not labor in vain. Let them realize that the work in which they are engaged is one upon which the Lord has placed His signet. God said to Jeremiah, “Say not, I am a child: for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee, and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak. Be not afraid of their faces: for I am with thee to deliver thee.” Then the Lord put forth His hand and touched His servant’s mouth, saying, “Behold, I have put my words in thy mouth.” Jeremiah 1:7-9. And He bids us go forth to speak the words He gives us, feeling His holy touch upon our lips.  

     Christ has given to the church a sacred charge. Every member should be a channel through which God can communicate to the world the treasures of His grace, the unsearchable riches of Christ. There is nothing that the Saviour desires so much as agents who will represent to the world His Spirit and His character. There is nothing that the world needs so much as the manifestation through humanity of the Saviour’s love. All heaven is waiting for men and women through whom God can reveal the power of Christianity.

     The church is God’s agency for the proclamation of truth, empowered by Him to do a special work; and if she is loyal to Him, obedient to all His commandments, there will dwell within her the excellency of divine grace. If she will be true to her allegiance, if she will honor the Lord God of Israel, there is no power that can stand against her.

     Zeal for God and His cause moved the disciples to bear witness to the gospel with mighty power. Should not a like zeal fire our hearts with a determination to tell the story of redeeming love, of Christ and Him crucified? It is the privilege of every Christian, not only to look for, but to hasten the coming of the Saviour.

Marantha p. 128

“““““““““““““““““““`

Prayer Requests

—– Please pray that the people we are visiting will be accepting of the loving Lord Jesus Christ who bled and died for their sins, and rose again to bring them to the true knowledge of God and Jesus Christ. S

—– Please pray that I will be able to sleep tonight. Been struggling with pain in L shoulder, L hip and shoulder again and not been sleeping much last few nights. I praise God for being right here with me. Karen

—– Pray for me as I preach the gospel & other important subjects to several hundred young people over the next few weeks. I believe God will change their hearts & lives during this time. Wes

““““““““““““““““““““

Dear Friends,

I was reading about meteorites the other day and remembered the times I have had the opportunity to see several “shooting stars.” Whenever I see falling stars, I think of what Jesus told His disciples so long ago, “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.” Matt 24:29,30 These great signs were also revealed to John, “And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood; And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind. And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?” Rev 6:12 -17

During the night of the 12th and early morning of November 13, 1833, the most spectacular meteoric shower ever seen, took place. It was not just a few stars like I saw while driving, but hundreds of thousands of stars, brightening the sky to the point that a person could read a newspaper by their light. In the book “A Popular History of Astronomy” by A M Clerke (1885 ed.) is written, “From the Gulf of Mexico to Halifax, until daylight with some difficulty put an end to the display, the sky was scored in every direction with shining tracks and illuminated with majestic fireballs. At Boston , the frequency of meteors was estimated to be about half that of flakes of snow in an average snowstorm.” pp.369,370  Many looked upon that great sign in the heavens as a wonderful and joyful occasion. Others looked upon it with fear and dread. Another eyewitness account sums up what was in the mind of many who watched prophecy being fulfilled. “I witnessed this gorgeous spectacle, and was awe-struck. The air seemed filled with bright descending messengers from the sky…..I was not without the suggestion at the moment that it might be the harbinger of ‘the coming of the Son of Man’ and in my then state of mind I was prepared to hail Him as my friend and deliverer. I had read that ‘the stars shall fall from heaven,’ and they were now falling.” Life and Times of Frederick Douglass (1941 ed) p 117

Think of it!  The great earthquake, the dark day, and the stars falling have all been fulfilled! We are standing in the time between the stars falling and the heavens’ departing as a scroll. Soon the troubles and trials of this sinful, old planet will be over! Soon Jesus will come to put an end to the suffering, pain, and sadness that the evil one has brought into our lives ! While the coming of Jesus is looked forward to by millions as their deliverance from all the trials and heartaches of this sinful old world, many more millions look upon it with foreboding. We must ask ourselves the question, “How do I look forward to that great event?”

Rose