He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him. Psalm 91:15.
The people of God will not be free from suffering; but while persecuted and distressed, while they endure privation and suffer for want of food they will not be left to perish. . . .
Yet to human sight it will appear that the people of God must soon seal their testimony with their blood as did the martyrs before them. They themselves begin to fear that the Lord has left them to fall by the hand of their enemies. It is a time of fearful agony. Day and night they cry unto God for deliverance. . . .
The eye of God, looking down the ages, was fixed upon the crisis which His people are to meet, when earthly powers shall be arrayed against them. Like the captive exile, they will be in fear of death by starvation or by violence. But the Holy One who divided the Red Sea before Israel, will manifest His mighty power and turn their captivity. “They shall be mine, saith the Lord of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him.” Malachi 3:17. If the blood of Christ’s faithful witnesses were shed at this time, it would not, like the blood of the martyrs, be as seed sown to yield a harvest for God. Their fidelity would not be a testimony to convince others of the truth; for the obdurate heart has beaten back the waves of mercy until they return no more. If the righteous were now left to fall a prey to their enemies, it would be a triumph for the prince of darkness. Says the psalmist: “In the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion: in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me.” Psalm 27:5. Christ has spoken: “Come, my people, enter thou into thy chambers, and shut thy doors about thee: hide thyself as it were for a little moment, until the indignation be overpast. For, behold, the Lord cometh out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity.” Isaiah 26:20, 21. Glorious will be the deliverance of those who have patiently waited for His coming and whose names are written in the book of life.
Maranatha p. 277
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Prayer Requests
—– Please pray for my nephew Avontay. Last evening he was on his way home from a friend’s on his bike. His chain fell off his bike and he face planted his left eye on the handlebars before hitting the pavement pretty hard on the right side of his head. Julie
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Dear Friends,
When Ron and I were first married, we lived in a little cottage on Lake Huron just south of Alpena, Michigan. It was a cozy little place surrounded by majestic pines. The best part was being able to see the lake right outside our glassed-in porch. We practically lived on that porch. Ron loved to curl up on the sofa and read while I watched the waves in their ceaseless ebb and flow.
Like all new brides, I wanted to show my husband how well I could cook. Unfortunately, my culinary skills left something to be desired. One day, while Ron was at work, I decided to make choplets (gluten steaks) even though I had only a vague idea how it was done. At best that was no small task! Trouble was, this was not “at best!” Making these vegetarian steaklets takes skill—something I did not even begin to possess.
First I made a ball of flour and water and kneaded it until it was smooth. In order to get the gluten separated from the flour, I knew I must wash the starch out of the flour ball many times, so I took my softball-sized mass to the sink, put it in a large bowl, and began to wash. (My first mistake was not letting that flour ball sit in cold water in the refridgerator overnight.) As the water would become white with not only the flour’s starch, I would pour it down the sink. I didn’t notice, however, that not only the starch was being poured out but much of the gluten as well. The more I washed, the more that flour ball fell apart. It was a terrible mess and I was becoming more and more frustrated! Even though I ended up with a very small amount of gluten, I was quite proud of my accomplishment.
The next day, I was not so proud. My sink was completely plugged up. I tried everything I knew to unstop the sink, but try as I might, water just would not go down the drain. Overnight, that starchy mess had hardened in the drainpipes. Finally, in desparation, I went next door and knocked on the landlord’s door and asked if he could help me. As he was working on those clogged up pipes, he asked, “What did you do, pour cement down the drain?” All my pride fell to the floor. I was too embarrassed to tell him what I had done, so I just stood there. It took him hours to get everything unclogged. After that, I thought he eyed me suspiciously.
How often we are like those drainpipes all clogged with sin. We desire the water of life to fill us, to flow through us, but it can’t get through because of the hardened mess that our sin has caused. How much we need Someone to rid us of that hardened mess of sin. Our Heavenly Father bids us, “Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil; Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow. Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.” Isa 1:16-18 He pleads, “As I live, saith the Lord GOD, 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
Praise God! We have a Loving Saviour Who “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.” Isa 53:4-6 His Great Heart of Love yearns over us. He longs to set us free from the sins that have bound us for so long. “But now thus saith the LORD that created thee… and he that formed thee…Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine.When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee. For I am the LORD thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour.” Isa 43:1-3 “I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.” Jer 31:34 John, the loving apostle, has written, “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
As David prayed, so should we. ” Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me….Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me.Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit. ” “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.” Ps 51:1-3, 10-12; 139:23
May we come to Him just as we are all clogged with sin. May we receive the pardon and cleansing He so freely offers. May we allow Him to have complete control of our lives that His love may flow out to those around us is my prayer.
Rose

Martyrs in the Last Days