Separating the True From the Fictitious

Much is being said regarding the impartation of the Holy Spirit, and by some this is being so interpreted that it is an injury to the churches. Eternal life is the receiving of the living elements in the Scriptures and doing the will of God. This is eating the flesh and drinking the blood of the Son of God. To those who do this, life and immortality are brought to light through the gospel, for God’s Word is verity and truth, spirit and life. It is the privilege of all who believe in Jesus Christ as their personal Saviour to feed on the Word of God. The Holy Spirit’s influence renders that Word, the Bible, an immortal truth, which to the prayerful searcher gives spiritual sinew and muscle.

“Search the scriptures,” Christ declared, “for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me” (John 5:39). Those who dig beneath the surface discover the hidden gems of truth. The Holy Spirit is present with the earnest searcher. His illumination shines upon the Word, stamping the truth upon the mind with a new, fresh importance. The searcher is filled with a sense of peace and joy never before felt. The preciousness of truth is realized as never before. A new, heavenly light shines upon the Word, illuminating it as though every letter were tinged with gold. God Himself has spoken to the mind and heart, making the Word spirit and life.

Every true searcher of the Word lifts his heart to God, imploring the aid of the Spirit. And he soon discovers that which carries him above all the fictitious statements of the would-be teacher, whose weak, tottering theories are not sustained by the Word of the living God. These theories were invented by men who had not learned the first great lesson, that God’s Spirit and life are in His Word. If they had received in the heart the eternal element contained in the Word of God, they would see how tame and expressionless are all efforts to get something new to create a sensation. They need to learn the very first principles of the Word of God.—Selected Messages 2:38, 39.
Ye Shall Receive Power p. 127
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Prayer Requests
—-Please continue to pray for E and children. R
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Dear Friends,

One cold, December day when I was in second grade, I hurried to the cloakroom as soon as the school’s door was open and quickly hung up my new coat. Then I went quietly to my desk and sat down ready to learn new and interesting things.

The morning sped by quickly and soon it was time for recess. As I walked to the cloakroom, I suddenly realized that because my mind had been full of thoughts of Christmas, I had not paid attention to where I had hung my coat. It would be hard for a seven year old to find anything among the hats, coats, gloves, and boots of thirty children. I felt confused. Where was my coat?

At last I saw it, but something was different about it. There was a beautiful Christmas corsage pinned to it. As I stood there with my coat in my hand, I felt like crying for joy. Surely my mother had come there and given me a gift. She had never done anything like this before, but she must have wanted to surprise me. My heart thrilled with happiness and joy.

Suddenly I felt a sharp pain on my left arm. Startled, I looked down at a long, deep scratch on my arm and then up into Lonnie’s angry face. She was screaming something at me, but I was so shocked at her behavior that I could not tell what she was saying. I only knew that for some reason she had scratched me with her long, sharp fingernails.

Hearing Lonnie’s angry screams, the teacher came to my rescue. Soon she had sorted out the problem. Lonnie had a coat that looked almost like mine. The coat in my hand was hers. I was embarrassed and very disappointed. Tears filled my eyes. That beautiful corsage was not a present from my mother. She had not brought me a surprise at all. I turned to where my teacher was pointing and took my own coat down from the hook. Tearfully, I went outside to the playground although I didn’t do any playing. My heart was broken. For many years I had a scar on my arm to remind me of this incident.

Sometimes we get as confused as I was that day, for the evil one has a counterfeit for every good gift of God. He even pins a “beautiful corsage” on his counterfeit to make it more attractive than the real thing. How careful we must be not to make a mistake. Our future depends upon which we will choose. Peter warns, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.” 1 Peter 5:8 The evil one constantly lays snares for our feet. He tries to confuse us and allure us into his traps. We cannot fight him alone. We must resist him “steadfast in the faith.” vs 9 Paul advises, “Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” Eph 6:11,12

The wise man tells us, “There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.” Prov 14:12 The path of truth lies so close to the path of error that only by the Lamp of God’s Word our Great Teacher has given us can we discern the right. “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.” Ps 119:105 “Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” 2 Tim 2:15 What a blessing God’s Word is! Throughout it’s pages, we find “the Way, the Truth, and the Life.” John 14:6 Yet, how often we spend our time in other pursuits. How often we get caught up in the mundane or the pleasures of this world. How often we have one foot on the narrow path that leads to eternal life and one foot on the broad way that leads to destruction. (Matt 7:13,14) Jesus explains that this is impossible to do. He says, “No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.” 6:24

“Choose you this day whom ye will serve.” “I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live: That thou mayest love the LORD thy God, and that thou mayest obey his voice, and that thou mayest cleave unto him: for he is thy life, and the length of thy days.” Josh 24:15;Deut 30:19,20
May our daily prayer be “Cause me to hear thy lovingkindness in the morning; for in thee do I trust: cause me to know the way wherein I should walk; for I lift up my soul unto thee.” Ps 143:8
Rose