In Prison for Christ’s Sake

John the Baptist had been first in heralding Christ’s kingdom, and he was also first in suffering…. He was now shut in by the walls of a dungeon cell…. As week after week passed, bringing no change, despondency and doubt crept over him. His disciples did not forsake him…. But they questioned why, if this new teacher was the Messiah, He did nothing to effect John’s release….

Like the Saviour’s disciples, John the Baptist did not understand the nature of Christ’s kingdom. He expected Jesus to take the throne of David; and as time passed, and the Saviour made no claim to kingly authority, John became perplexed and troubled…. There were hours when the whisperings of demons tortured his spirit, and the shadow of a terrible fear crept over him. Could it be that the long-hoped-for Deliverer had not yet appeared? …

But the Baptist did not surrender his faith in Christ…. He determined to send a message of inquiry to Jesus. This he entrusted to two of his disciples…. The disciples came to Jesus with their message, “Art thou he that should come, or do we look for another?” … The Saviour did not at once answer the disciples’ question. As they stood wondering at His silence, the sick and afflicted were coming to Him to be healed…. While He healed their diseases, He taught the people….

Thus the day wore away, the disciples of John seeing and hearing all. At last Jesus called them to Him, and bade them go and tell John what they had witnessed…. The evidence of His divinity was seen in its adaptation to the needs of suffering humanity….

The disciples bore the message, and it was enough…. The works of Christ not only declared Him to be the Messiah, but showed in what manner His kingdom was to be established…. Understanding more clearly now the nature of Christ’s mission, he [John] yielded himself to God for life or for death, as should best serve the interests of the cause he loved.45The Desire of Ages, 214-218.
Conflict and Courage p. 277
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Prayer Requests
—-Please pray for Ronnie Jay and all of the people affected by the hurricane. Rose
—-My oldest brother (he’s 77) is in the hospital with Pneumonia.
Please pray for his health and for his salvation. He’s not a Christian. Mary
—-Could I ask for prayers on the 30 Sept Monday Australian time my brother is going in for a triple bypass heart surgery his name is Roland. Linda
—-My first cousin Sarah was having her baby and started to hemorrhage. Was in surgery 15 hours yesterday and in surgery again today trying to stop the bleeding. Won’t let anyone see her. The baby is ok. Serious situation. Ashley
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Dear Friends,

When I was in my late teens, my mother became friends with a lady from Germany. One Thanksgiving she invited my mother and me to her house to celebrate the holiday. When we arrived, she and her husband gave us a tour of their house. It was on a large, wooded lot several miles out of town. I really don’t know how much of the surrounding land was theirs, but they did not have any close neighbors. As we toured the house they explained its history. The first story of the house was made of cement block and housed a kitchen which was used in the summer. There was also plenty of space for storage. The husband explained to us that when they had come to this country, they lived very simply. Out of every paycheck they would save as much as they could.

Finally, when they had enough money saved, they paid cash for the land. Then they were ready for the next step—-building materials. Each payday, they bought whatever they could afford and stored it on their property under large tarps. As soon as they had enough cement blocks, the two of them built that first story. They covered it with a flat roof that could be used for the foundation of the second story of the house once they had enough materials bought for one. Then they moved in. They lived in this basement-like structure for a year or two. It lacked a lot of the comforts they wanted, but it was sufficient.

They continued to buy building materials for the second story that would eventually be their living area. Week by week the stack of building materials grew. Finally, they had enough to put up the outside walls and the roof. After building the second story, they found that they had enough materials left over to build a garage with a deck on top where they could relax on summer evenings. By saving and building in this manner, they soon had a lovely home that was completely paid for.

Just as my mother’s friends gathered together building materials a little at a time, so we should memorize Scripture the same way. As we think of all of the texts that we should know, we could easily become overwhelmed, but if we spend a certain amount of time each day committing a verse or two to memory, by the end of the year, we will have a treasure of Scriptures from which to draw. It seems like that is an insignificant amount, but as we work at it week by week, we find a growing number of texts in our memory. These texts the Holy Spirit will bring to our mind just when we need them. “Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts. For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little.” Isa 28:9,10

As we study God’s Holy Word, we will find many familiar passages, but as the Holy Spirit guides us in our study, aspects we have not thought of before will open to our mind. Jesus said, “Therefore every scribe which is instructed unto the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which bringeth forth out of his treasure things new and old.” How do we get that treasure? By not only reading the Word of God, not only studying what it says upon any given subject, but by meditating upon it and memorizing its great truths can it be obtained.

May we meditate upon God’s Holy Word until it becomes a part of our very being is my prayer.

Rose