Impressions, Feelings, and Drugs

There are many restless spirits who will not submit to discipline, system, and order. They think that their liberties would be abridged were they to lay aside their own judgment and submit to the judgment of those of experience. The work of God will not progress unless there is a disposition to submit to order and expel the reckless, disorderly spirit of fanaticism from their meetings.
Impressions and feelings are no sure evidence that a person is led by the Lord. Satan will, if he is unsuspected, give feelings and impressions. These are not safe guides. All should thoroughly acquaint themselves with the evidences of our faith, and the great study should be how they can adorn their profession and bear fruit to the glory of God. . . .
For some time he [a patient at the Battle Creek Sanitarium] had thought he was obtaining new light. He was very ill, and must soon die. . . . Those to whom he presented his views listened to him eagerly, and some thought him inspired. . . . To many his reasoning seemed to be without a flaw. They told of his powerful exhortations in his sickroom. Most wonderful views passed before him. But what was the source of his inspiration? It was the morphine given him to relieve his pain.
The poisons contained in many so-called remedies create habits and appetites that mean ruin to both soul and body. Many of the popular nostrums called patent medicines, and even some of the drugs dispensed by physicians, act a part in laying the foundation of the liquor habit, the opium habit, the morphine habit, that are so terrible a curse to society.
If the blessing that those who claim to be sanctified have received, leads them to rely upon some particular emotion, and they declare there is no need of searching the Scriptures that they may know God’s revealed will, then the supposed blessing is a counterfeit, for it leads its possessors to place value on their own unsanctified emotions and fancies, and to close their ears to the voice of God in His word.
Maranatha p. 233
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Prayer Requests
—–My sweet cousin, Marie left this earth on 4/29/15. It was God’s will for her to go home with Him. Please pray for her family. Fran
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Dear Friends,

Often, when we go to the zoo, we marvel at all of all the varieties of animals that God has created. Originally they were perfectly tame and had no desire to hurt or destroy. Because of sin, they have changed. Now there must be signs along the way, warning us to stay back behind the barriers that separate us from the animals.

Occasionally people have not heeded those signs. They thought that since the animals look so harmless, they were harmless, but such was not the case. When they went into the area that they had been warned against, they have lost their lives. In their final moments, they must have been very sorry that they had not heeded the warnings.

Just so, God’s Holy Word has given us warnings to protect us from the dangers of sin. Sin seems so harmless. It becomes so familiar as we are exposed to it day by day. Soon, we begin to think that we can play with it just a little and then walk away without suffering any harm. Too late, we find that is not possible. As we toy with it, sin gets a hold on us. Before long, we find we cannot get free. We attempt to pull away, but it has us in its iron-clad grip. We are trapped. We are being destroyed, but no matter how hard we struggle we cannot get free and save ourselves.

Praise God we have a Saviour Who came “to seek and to save that which was lost.” Luke 19:10 “For God so loved the world 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! The Great Creator of the universe, He Whom all Heaven adores was willing to come down to this dark, sinful, old world and suffer all the difficulties the devil could heap upon him in order to redeem us from the enemy’s hand. “He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.” Isa 53:3-7 Oh what love! What wonderful love!

Let us serve the Lord with gratitude and gladness! Let us give Him our whole heart without any reservation. Let us daily walk with Him, trusting Him to guide us is my prayer.

Rose