Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. James 4:7.
It seemed to Eve a small matter to pluck of the forbidden tree; the fruit was pleasant to the eye and to the taste and seemed desirable to make one wise. But what terrible results! It was not a small matter to thus forfeit her allegiance to God. It opened the floodgates of woe to our world. Oh, the amount of evil which will come from one false step! Not to the earth must our eyes be fixed, but upward to Heaven. We must pass through dangers and difficulties, making advance at every step, gaining victories in every conflict, still rising higher and higher; the air becomes purer as the soul is brought nearer to Heaven. The earth holds no attractions now. The heavenly landscape opens with clearness and beauty. The Christian sees the crown, the white robe, the harp, the palm branch of victory; immortality is within his reach. Now the earth sinks out of sight….
If we lose everything else, we should keep conscience pure and sensitive. When asked to go where there is the least danger of offending God, doing that which you cannot do with a pure conscience, do not fear or hesitate. Look the tempter firmly in the face and say, “No; I will not imperil my soul for any worldly attraction. I love and fear God. I will not venture to dishonor or disobey Him for the riches of the world or the love and favor of a host of worldly relatives. I love Jesus who died for me. He has bought me. I am the purchase of His blood. I will be true to His claims, and my example shall never be an excuse for any to turn from the straight path of duty. I will not be the servant of Satan and of sin. My life shall be such as to leave a bright track heavenward.”
A single word for God, a firm, silent resistance even, would save not only your own souls, but hundreds of others….
The time has come when every soul must stand or fall according to his own merits. A few righteous acts, a few good impulses, may be presented to the mind as evidences of righteousness, but God requires the whole heart. He will accept no divided affections. The whole being must be given to Him or He will not receive the offering.
We must now be learning the lessons of faith if we would stand in that time of trouble which is coming upon all the world to try them who dwell upon the face of the earth. We must have the courage of heroes and the faith of martyrs.—Letter 14, January 18, 1884, to “Brother and Sister Newton,” a lay family.
The Upward Look p. 32
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Prayer Requests
—-I have a prayer request for my dear sister. She had to go to the ER last night. They told her she Copd, pneumonia and spots on her lungs. We are all very scared . She has three grown kids and a 4 yr old grandson. Please pray for her that God will heal her. Heather
—-Prayers needed for a family. They live in northern ____. . . . One of the 4 children have passed. The mom might also. Life can change within seconds. Jerrod
—-Please pray for my niece Star to receive mercy! And that she gets on a better path. Janee
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Dear Friends,
One summer we camped at a private campground for the entire summer until we could find a place to rent. Ronnie Jay, who was three at the time began to run a high fever. If we would have been home, we would have put him in a bathtub of tepid water to bring the fever down but there were no bathtubs there. We were especially worried about our little boy because just a year before a high fever had given him convulsions. That had been so frightening.
We were trying to decide what to do when, suddenly, Ron swooped up Ronnie Jay in his arms and headed for the swimming pool. Puzzled, I followed. When he got to the pool’s edge, he handed me our son and jumped in. Then Ron reached up and took our sick little boy in his arms and submerged him about chest deep in the cool water.
Poor Ronnie Jay! He could not understand why his father was being so mean to him. He cried. He screamed. He tried to get away from his father who was holding him securely. His pleading eyes looked up at me for help. I felt so sorry for him, yet I knew that this was what he needed. As expected, after 15 or 20 minutes of this “torture,” the fever broke and Ronnie Jay began to feel better.
How often our Heavenly Father must plunge us into the “pool” of troubles and trials in order to break sin’s hold upon us. How many times we, like Ronnie Jay, are perplexed, confused, and frightened as we struggle to get back to normal. We wonder why our Heavenly Father has forsaken us, not realizing that He is giving us exactly what we need. We cry. We scream. We try to get away just as Ronnie Jay did, yet our Loving Father is holding us in His great arms of love whispering in our ear, “Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.” “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 41:10;43:1-3
Paul explains the reason for the trials we must endure, “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. Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees; And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed. Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord: Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled.” Heb 12:5-15
James adds, “Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain. Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh. Grudge not one against another, brethren, lest ye be condemned: behold, the judge standeth before the door. Take, my brethren, the prophets, who have spoken in the name of the Lord, for an example of suffering affliction, and of patience. Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy.” “Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.” James 5:7-15;1:12
May we, when troubles and trials surround us, declare as did Job, “Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him.” “when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold.” Job 13:15; 23:10 May we cast all of our cares upon Jesus for He cares for us. (1 Peter 5:7) May we look unto Jesus Who assures us, “he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.” Matt 24:13
Rose
Resist the Devil