Inexhaustible Themes

Of which salvation the prophets have enquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you: searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow…. Which things the angels desire to look into. 1 Peter 1:10-12.
In this life we can only begin to understand the wonderful theme of redemption. With our finite comprehension we may consider most earnestly the shame and the glory, the life and the death, the justice and the mercy, that meet in the cross; yet with the utmost stretch of our mental powers we fail to grasp its full significance. The length and the breadth, the depth and the height, of redeeming love are but dimly comprehended. The plan of redemption will not be fully understood, even when the ransomed see as they are seen and know as they are known; but through the eternal ages new truth will continually unfold to the wondering and delighted mind. Though the griefs and pains and temptations of earth are ended and the cause removed, the people of God will ever have a distinct, intelligent knowledge of what their salvation has cost….
The mystery of the cross explains all other mysteries. In the light that streams from Calvary the attributes of God which had filled us with fear and awe appear beautiful and attractive. Mercy, tenderness, and parental love are seen to blend with holiness, justice, and power. While we behold the majesty of His throne, high and lifted up, we see His character in its gracious manifestations, and comprehend, as never before, the significance of that endearing title, “Our Father.”
It will be seen that He who is infinite in wisdom could devise no plan for our salvation except the sacrifice of His son. The compensation for this sacrifice is the joy of peopling the earth with ransomed beings, holy, happy, and immortal. The result of the Saviour’s conflict with the powers of darkness is joy to the redeemed, redounding to the glory of God throughout eternity. And such is the value of the soul that the Father is satisfied with the price paid; and Christ Himself, beholding the fruits of His great sacrifice, is satisfied.
Through all eternity the ransomed host will be His chief glory.
Maranatha p. 366
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Prayer Requests
—– Please pray for Martha and her family — her grandfather’s kidneys are failing and he has signed a DNR. He may be moved to Hospice soon due to his condition and pain levels. Also, please pray for one of our deacons, Jeremy — he was working on the school flagpole and it came down on him. He suffered skull fractures at least and they are putting him into a drug-induced coma for a couple of days to monitor for any more serious damage. Right now he is stable, but certainly not out of danger yet. Please pray for his family as well, especially his wife and two little girls. Wanangwa
—–Please pray for Ken whose liver is failing. The doctors cannot find a cause for this. He will be going to a university hospital in January. Please pray that they will find the cause and know what to do. Also my cousin Larry is having a lot of trouble with his spine and cannot work. Please keep him in prayers. Rose
—–Please pray that my sons will find good jobs. L
—– Please pray for me, my kidney numbers are falling… john
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Dear Friends,
My grandfather was very restless after he retired. He had worked hard for over fifty years, so not having anything to do weighed heavily upon him. They lived in Florida for only a little over a year, before he decided that he liked Michigan better. Again they moved all of their stuff, including all of those unopened barrels of worthless items. [see yesterday’s “Dear Friends”] Their savings were being used up in moving expenses, but he didn’t care. He missed the state he had lived in for so long.
After only a couple of winters, Florida began to look good to my grandfather again. My grandmother’s arthritis had been better in the warmer climate, so they decided to try a bigger city in that southern state. Again all of their furniture including all of those still-unopened barrels of worthless string, aluminum foil, buttons, etc., were loaded onto a professional moving van and taken to Orlando, Florida. Again they took the long, tiring train ride. Storing their stuff until they could find an affordable place to live was an additional expense. Their savings were nearly gone. They barely had enough to eat and both of them lost a lot of weight. Of course, they told no one about this. My grandmother’s letters were chatty—full of the weather, about not minding having a lizard living with them to catch the many bugs that were everywhere, shining a flashlight in the grass and seeing millions of eyes staring back at her from the all bugs that made their lawn their home, and so forth.
When my grandmother died in 1962, my it was obvious that my grandfather wanted to come back to Michigan. My mother made the long train trip to get him as he was very old and frail and unable to stay by himself. She had only a few days to decide what to do with all of their belongings. She had no money to move them back up to Michigan and no time to sell all of my grandparents’ antique furniture, so she had to give it all away. All of those still-unopened barrels of worthless stuff that my grandmother had insisted on keeping were thrown away.
How often we are like my grandmother, holding on to favorite sins and pleasures that will only cause us trouble in the end. We feel like we cannot let go of them and hold on tightly to them. The Holy Spirit impresses us that we should give up our “darling sins,” but we say, “Not yet. Wait awhile and I will do it.” Years go by and we find ourselves still holding onto those same sins, those forbidden pleasures that troubled us from our youth. We find that those old habits hold us so tightly that we cannot get free even if we wanted to. Solomon tells us, “For the ways of man are before the eyes of the LORD, and he pondereth all his goings. His own iniquities shall take the wicked himself, and he shall be holden with the cords of his sins.” Prov 5:21-23
With tears in His voice, our Great Redeemer pleads, “I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways, for why will ye die?” Eze 33:11 “Return unto me, and I will return unto you, saith the LORD of hosts.” Mal 3:7″I gave My life for you. My precious blood I shed, that I might ransom you from those sins that you have been holding onto for years.” “Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.” Jer 31:3″Call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me.” Ps 50:15
John assures us, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9 Our Dear Saviour assures us, “I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy transgressions, and, as a cloud, thy sins: return unto me, for I have redeemed thee.” Isa 44:22 Precious Saviour! He will rid us of all of our “excess baggage” of sin we have been holding onto for so long. We can give it all to Him! We can be free from the cords of sin that bind us!
Let us come to Him now laying all of our sins at the foot of His cross. Let us there find the freedom from the weight of guilt that we have been carrying for so long. Let us in faith receive freely of the grace that our Loving Saviour longs to give us is my prayer.
Rose