All things are delivered to me of my Father: and no man knoweth who the Son is, but the Father; and who the Father is, but the Son, and he to whom the Son will reveal him. Luke 10:22.
No man can explain the mysteries of God. His glory is hidden from the world. Of what value are the surmisings and speculations of men concerning His personality…. Christ is the representative of the Father, “the express image of his person.”
Creation speaks to us of the skill and power of God. In His goodness God has placed on the earth beautiful flowers and trees, wonderfully adapted to the countries and the climate in which they grow. And, though sin has marred the form and beauty of the things of nature, though on them there may be seen traces of the work of the prince of the power of the air, yet they still speak of God, and still reveal some of the beauty of Eden.
In the heavens above, in the earth, in the broad waters of the ocean, we see the handiwork of God. All creation testifies of His power, His wisdom, His love. Yet not from the stars, or the ocean, or the cataract can we learn of the personality of God. This Christ came to reveal….
Christ came to reveal to a fallen race the love of God. He, the Light of the world, veiled the dazzling splendor of the brightness of His divinity, and came to live on this earth as a man among men, that they might, without being consumed, become acquainted with their Creator. No man has seen God at any time, except as He is revealed through Christ.
Because of frequent triumphs, Satan is becoming more bold and defiant in his rebellion against God. The rapid development of evil, the confusion among the laboring classes, reveal that men are rapidly taking sides. They are being bound up in bundles to be burned. The labor unions are quickly stirred to violence if their demands are not complied with. Plainer and plainer is it becoming that the inhabitants of the world are not in harmony with God.
No scientific theory can explain the steady march of evil workers under the generalship of Satan. In every mob wicked angels are at work, rousing men to commit deeds of violence…. The perversity and cruelty of men will reach such a height that God will reveal Himself in His majesty. Very soon the wickedness of the world will have reached its limit, and as in the days of Noah, God will pour out His judgments.
But even when wickedness is at its height, we may know that our Helper is close by our side.—Letter 250, November 16, 1903, to J. E. White, her son, who was working among the blacks of the Southern States.
The Upward Look p. 334
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Prayer Requests
—-Please pray for Gracie, she fell and broke her femur today, she is 92 years old. She will probably have surgery on it tonight. thank you all in advance for your prayers, Debra
—-Our next door Neighbor’s house burned down . Please pray for the family. Tammy
—-David needs prayer. Buck
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Dear Friends,
We are going to have company today. A friend of Esther’s is coming with her two-year-old son. Before she gets here, I need to make sure that our place is baby-proof. Just thinking of the task before me is overwhelming. So much clutter! I should have done more yesterday, but I failed to do so. No doubt, I will discover a few things I have been looking for but had misplaced. For a while things will look really messy and I will be a nervous wreck, but it has to be done. Eventually, everything will be clean and orderly and ready for a toddler’s arrival.
Just so, it is good for us to do a little spiritual rearranging inside us as we prepare for our Soon-coming Saviour. It might shake us up and make us a “nervous wreck,” but just as we must have all things in readiness for our guests, so more importantly, we must be ready to meet Jesus. In that process, we must pray as did David, “Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” “Order my steps in thy word: and let not any iniquity have dominion over me.” Ps 139:23, 24; 119:133 Paul urged us to do some spiritual housecleaning when he said, “Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.” Phil 2:12, 13 He goes on to speak of a type of rearranging that our Heavenly Father does to get us ready to meet Him, “My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him: For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons. Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live? For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness. Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.” Heb 12:5-11
Jesus is coming soon and now is the time to prepare. Now is the time to “work out [our] own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God which worketh in [us] both to will and to do of his good pleasure.” Phil 2:12, 13 Peter advises us, “Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall: For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.” 2 Peter 1:10,11
Rose