And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was. John 17:5.
Christ was one with the Father before the foundation of the world was laid. This is the light shining in a dark place, making it resplendent with divine, original glory.
Christ is the pre-existent, self-existent Son of God…. In speaking of His pre-existence, Christ carries the mind back through dateless ages. He assures us that there never was a time when He was not in close fellowship with the eternal God….
His divine life could not be reckoned by human computation. The existence of Christ before His incarnation is not measured by figures.
Christ was God essentially, and in the highest sense. He was with God from all eternity, God over all, blessed forevermore. The Lord Jesus Christ, the divine Son of God, existed from eternity, a distinct person, yet one with the Father. He was the surpassing glory of heaven. He was the commander of the heavenly intelligences, and the adoring homage of the angels was received by Him as His right.
He was equal with God, infinite and omnipotent.
But He humbled Himself, and took mortality upon Him. As a member of the human family, He was mortal; but as a God, He was the fountain of life to the world. He could, in His divine person, ever have withstood the advances of death, and refused to come under its dominion; but He voluntarily laid down His life, that in so doing He might give life and bring immortality to light. He bore the sins of the world, and endured the penalty, which rolled like a mountain upon His divine soul. He yielded up His life a sacrifice, that man should not eternally die. He died, not through being compelled to die, but by His own free will.
And this wonderful mystery, the incarnation of Christ and the atonement that He made, must be declared to every son and daughter of Adam.
The Faith I Live By p. 46
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Prayer Requests
—–Our Pastor’s mother in law who has a brain tumor, was taken to the hospital today, she has had been struggling all year with the tumor.. but was doing fine until today . she was having problems she lives out of state. M
—–Please pray for Betty Lou. She broke her hand three months ago and it has not healed. Please pray that God will heal it so she will not have to have an operation. Rose
—–Please pray for Eileen. She is not healing as well as she should from her back surgery a year and a half ago. She has a doctor’s appointment on January 4. Pray that she does not have to have additional surgery. Rose
—–The Adversary is working extra hard trying to destroy us. Please pray. Joseph
—–My sister in-law Joy needs surgery. Her kidneys are blocked. Please join me in prayer for healing. Marilynn
—–One of my friends is having a major and risky surgery today, please pray for her to pull through and give good guidance to the doctors . She has kids that need to have their mommy. Stephanie
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Dear Friends,
Before I retired from working in the district court system, sometimes a defendant would bring their children into our office. Some of these little ones were unruly, while others would sit quietly in a chair. Sometimes there was an especially happy baby that makes me long for something better for them. One day, a defendant brought his wife and seven month old baby to court with him. That little boy was the happiest baby I had seen since my own Ronnie Jay was that age. He looked at me and smiled a big smile and tried to get out of his mother’s arms to come to me. All the while his father was filling out paperwork, that little one laughed and smiled. Toward the end, he got a little fussy, but it was only a little fussy. Soon he was back smiling again. As I looked upon that happy little boy, I prayed that the Lover of Little Children would watch over him and keep him from becoming like his father, that he would someday become a follower of the One Who said, “Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God.” Mark 10:14
How tender and loving is our Dear Saviour! Somehow, someway, He will answer that prayer. He is “The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children’s children, unto the third and to the fourth generation.” Ex 34:6,7 We can trust the One Who loves us so much “that He gave His only Begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” John 3:16
Think of it! He loves us more than a mother loves her little baby. When my children were born, I had such love for them. As I looked upon that tiny babe, there was a bond, a special love that nothing else can match. Now that they are grown, I still have that same love for them. It does not change. And now that I’m a grandmother, I have great love for my grandchildren. Yet God’s love and care for us is even deeper than the love I have for my children and grandchildren.
God’s love never changes. He assures us, “Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee. Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands, thy walls are continually before me.” “As one whom his mother comforteth, so will I comfort you.” Isa 49:15,16,66:13
A baby cries, His mother hears his cry.
He cries a tear, And she gently wipes it dry.
And ever so softly as she rocks him to sleep,
She sings,” My child you are precious to me!
You’re precious to me I’ll hold you in my arms
I’ll hold you to my heart until your fear is gone.
I’ll rock you safe and tight all the night long…..
‘Cause, My child, you are precious to me.
A sinner cries, The Father hears his cry.
He cries so many tears, and Jesus gently wipes them dry.
And ever so softly as He rocks him to sleep,
He sings,” My child, you are precious to me!”
You’re precious to me I’ll hold you in my arms
I’ll hold you to my heart until your fear is gone.
I’ll rock you safe and tight all the night long…..
‘Cause, My child, you are precious to me. *
May we trust fully in Jesus’ love and care. May we allow Him to have complete control of our life for He loves us with an everlasting love. May we, through a heart filled with love and gratitude to Him, exclaim, “Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort, Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.” 2 Cor 1:3,4
Rose
*”You Are Precious to Me” by Esther Marie