Help for the Poor in Spirit

All who have a sense of their deep soul poverty, who feel that they have nothing good in themselves, may find righteousness and strength by looking unto Jesus.29Thoughts from the Mount of Blessing, 8.

“The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.” Psalm 51:17. Man must be emptied of self before he can be, in the fullest sense, a believer in Jesus. When self is renounced, then the Lord can make man a new creature.30The Desire of Ages, 280.

When man has sinned against a holy and merciful God, he can pursue no course so noble as to repent sincerely, and confess his errors in tears and bitterness of soul. This God requires of him; He accepts nothing less than a broken heart and a contrite spirit.31Prophets and Kings, 435, 436.

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.32The Desire of Ages, 300.

The only reason why we may not have remission of sins that are past is that we are not willing to humble our proud hearts and comply with the conditions.33Testimonies for the Church 5:636.

God is very pitiful, for He understands our weaknesses and our temptations; and when we come to Him with broken hearts and contrite spirits. He accepts our repentance, and promises that, as we take hold of His strength to make peace with Him, we shall make peace with Him. Oh, what gratitude, what joy, should we feel that God is merciful! 34Testimonies for the Church 3:239, 240.

The offering most sweet and acceptable in God’s sight is a heart made humble by self-denial, by lifting the cross and following Jesus.35Evangelism, 510.
The Faith I Live By p. 136
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Prayer Requests
—-Please pray for Pastor Dennis Priebe, now in his eighties and still on the road presenting seminars and revival meetings. He recently came down with a lung infection and is in the hospital in serious but stable condition.
—-Please pray for my husband as he presents the message about the heavenly sanctuary today and for those who are hearing the message. Kathy
—-Please pray for Joyce who is in a lot of pain. Also for Marvin who has cancer and is in a great deal of pain. Rose
—-Please pray for my daughter Cassie she’s in the beginning stages of a nasty divorce. Wendy
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Dear Friends,

When I was ten, my mother, her husband Eddie, and I often went for a drive in the country. Sometimes, I really enjoyed these outings, but other times he was not very pleasant and made things miserable. On one such occasion, I had become so preoccupied from the miserable time I was happening, that I was not paying much attention to what I was doing. When I got out of the car, I slammed the door in anger and frustration. Unfortunately, my right thumb was in the way. Worse yet, it was right in the latch. Oh! How that hurt! I nearly fainted.

It hurt so much that I did not even think of opening the door. Eddie saw what had happened and yanked open the door (which was stuck because of my thumb). Cars were much larger and heavier in the 1950’s, so my thumb was a real mess. He told me to go into a nearby drugstore and see if the pharmacist could care for it. In those far-off days, pharmacists not only filled prescriptions, they also administered first aid. When the man saw my poor thumb, he cleaned it, put some ointment on it, bandaged it, and sent me on my way. It took a long time for it to heal, but eventually it did. When my thumbnail finally grew back in, it had a heavy line running through it and most of the time, the part on the small side of the line splits off from the rest of the nail.

Just as I have that reminder of my anger and frustration with that alcoholic my mother had married, so every sin leaves its scar upon us. We are never quite the same again. Sin weakens us making it easier to sin the next time. Sin always has consequences. Sometimes we bear those consequences ourselves; other times those around us are affected.

Even so, we do not have to stay in that condition. We can find forgiveness in the One Who is “merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth.” Ex 34:6 “He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him. As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us. Like as a father pitieth his children, so the LORD pitieth them that fear him. For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust.” Ps 103:10-14 “If we confess our sin He is faithful and just to forgive us our sin and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9
May we daily pray as did David, “Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me. Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest. . . . Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice. Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit. Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee. Ps 51:1-13

Rose