For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. 1 Corinthians 1:21.
The existence of a personal God, the unity of Christ with His Father, lies at the foundation of all true science. From nature we can gain only an imperfect idea of the greatness and majesty of God. We see the working of His power and His wisdom, but He Himself is beyond our comprehension. The ocean, the cataract, the lofty, rugged mountains reveal but imperfectly His handiwork. Satan has introduced confusion and deformity into the creation of God. Something more than nature is needed to reveal the character of the Father.
Christ came to this earth to reveal what finite minds can comprehend of the glory of God. He came to unite divinity and humanity, that through Him, with character made perfect, human beings might at last behold God in the fullness of His glory. Through the merits of the sacrifice He has made, we may become “partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust” (2 Peter 1:4). The bright beams of divinity pass through Christ to His followers. “As many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name” (John 1:12)….
In these days, many deceptions are being taught as truth. Some of our brethren have taught views which we cannot endorse. Fanciful ideas, strained and peculiar interpretations of the Scripture, are coming in. Some of these teachings may seem to be but jots and tittles now, but they will grow and become snares to the inexperienced….
We need to search the Scriptures daily, that we may know the way of the Lord, and that we be not deceived by religious fallacies. The world is full of false theories and seductive spiritualistic ideas, which tend to destroy clear spiritual perception, and to lead away from truth and holiness. Especially at this time do we need to heed the warning, “Let no man deceive you with vain words.”
We must be careful lest we misinterpret the Scriptures. The plain teachings of the Word of God are not to be so spiritualized that the reality is lost sight of. Do not overstrain the meaning of sentences in the Bible in an effort to bring forth something odd in order to please the fancy. Take the Scriptures as they read. Avoid idle speculation.—Manuscript 30, October 29, 1904, “Redeem the Time.”
The Upward Look p. 316
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Prayer Requests
—-Prayer request for some very dear friends of mine she just called they had a water leak behind the fridge the refrigerator fell through the floor then their water pump went out so they have no water. please pray for them. they don’t have the money to take care of the things that need to be taken care of. they both have heart problems his is worse. he can go anytime. please pray that the Lord will hear and answer their prayers I told her God’s bank is never broke. thank you .M.
—-My father in-law is. Dying please pray strength comfort courage for the family his wife also is in hospital sick and also my husband and nephew pray for healing and the sister who is caring for them need strength please pray. Therese
—- Please pray for my friend Jean she has Covid! Debbie
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Dear Friends,
Two days ago, we had freezing rain that coated everything with a thin coating of ice. Yesterday, it rained all day and today it is sunny. Every trace of the ice is gone.
Such was not the case some years ago when we had an ice storm that coated everything with an extra-thick coating of ice. Tree branches snapped and fell from the weight. This caused power outages that lasted from a few hours to many days. After the storm was over, these trees were ugly and grotesque.
How often we are covered with a “ice-coat” of sin. How many times we feel like we are about to snap under sin’s great weight. Like those trees, our character is flawed, ugly, and grotesque. How much we need the renewing that only our Great Redeemer can give. Although, like those trees, the scars of sin remain, yet Christ’s Righteousness can make us beautiful, pure, clean once more.
Zechariah was given a vision of Joshua, the high priest, that illustrates this very point. “And he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him. And the LORD said unto Satan, The LORD rebuke thee, O Satan; even the LORD that hath chosen Jerusalem rebuke thee: is not this a brand plucked out of the fire? Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and stood before the angel. And he answered and spake unto those that stood before him, saying, Take away the filthy garments from him. And unto him he said, Behold, I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee with change of raiment. And I said, Let them set a fair mitre upon his head. So they set a fair mitre upon his head, and clothed him with garments. And the angel of the LORD stood by. And the angel of the LORD protested unto Joshua, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; If thou wilt walk in my ways, and if thou wilt keep my charge, then thou shalt also judge my house, and shalt also keep my courts, and I will give thee places to walk among these that stand by.” Zech 3:1-7
Just as Joshua was standing before God in his filthy garments, so we stand before Him in the filthiness of our sins, our “branches” broken and torn. We cannot take away those sins ourselves. We need to be cleansed by Jesus’ blood. Praise God! Our Loving Saviour has taken our place. He has provided His own spotless robe of His righteousness. He does not put that robe on top of our filthiness, but He takes away our filthy garments of our own unrighteousness and then clothes us.
When we have been cleansed, however, we are not free to cover ourselves with another ice-coat of sin. We need Him to fill us through and through. Jesus explained, “No man putteth a piece of a new garment upon an old; if otherwise, then both the new maketh a rent, and the piece that was taken out of the new agreeth not with the old. And no man putteth new wine into old bottles; else the new wine will burst the bottles, and be spilled, and the bottles shall perish. But new wine must be put into new bottles; and both are preserved. Luke 5:36-38 “When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest, and findeth none. Then he saith, I will return into my house from whence I came out; and when he is come, he findeth it empty, swept, and garnished. Then goeth he, and taketh with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first.” Matt 12:43-45
James admonishes us, “But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.” James 1:22-25
May we come to Jesus that we may be forgiven, cleansed of our sin, and covered with His spotless robe of righteousness. May we daily invite our Dear Saviour to dwell within our heart that we may walk in His path. May we obey our Dear Redeemer, not to earn salvation, but because our hearts are filled with love and gratitude for His great Gift of Salvation and Grace.
Rose

Nature Imperfectly Reveals God