Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ. Titus 2:13.
We are Adventists. We are looking for the appearing of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, and we love to think about it. We know in whom we have believed, and are not afraid to commit the keeping of our souls unto Him against that day. We are not at all humiliated by confessing ourselves to be Adventists. . . .
We believe the Sabbath of the fourth commandment because it is written plainly and is the foundation of our religious faith. Let none of us be ashamed of this. . . . We accept not the authority of men’s councils, but we go further back, even to the councils of heaven. “For ever, O Lord, thy word is settled in heaven.” (Psalm 119:89). We take a “Thus saith the Lord.” Here we stand. A doctrine that has not a “Thus saith the Lord” may be accepted by the whole world, but that does not make it truth. . . . If we want to know the way to heaven we must study the Bible, not man-made theories or man’s suppositions. . . . We are not at all ashamed of our faith, Seventh-day Adventism, for it is the very best specification we can have. We are waiting for the second coming of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Men may scoff and ridicule our faith, but this should not provoke or surprise us. All these demonstrations do not make the truth error, neither do they make error truth. We take our stand firmly and unmovably upon the platform of the Word of God. . . .
Eternal realities must be kept before the mind’s eye, and the attractions of the world will appear as they are–altogether profitless. . . . We are pilgrims and strangers who are waiting, hoping, and praying for that blessed hope, the glorious appearing of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. If we believe this and bring it into our practical life, what vigorous action would this faith and hope inspire; what fervent love one for another; what careful holy living for the glory of God; and . . . what distinct lines of demarcation would be evidenced between us and the world!
That I May Know Him p. 357
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Prayer Requests
—–I found a small lump in my breast. Last Thursday I saw the Dr. who decided that . . . . due to family HX etc, I will be having a double mastectomy with reconstruction during the same surgery, unless God chooses to heal me before I get there. I know His ways are best and I am peaceful and in His hands…this is very small after the 7 eye surgeries I survived…and praise God I can still see. Less trouble with my eyes after an anointing in Jan….This Sabbath at the ____ Church they are having a service for healing and anointing and again I will surrender my will to His, asking for healing if He sees it best….Please pray…prayer is the greatest power in the universe. Also please remember in prayer the Lisa D.l family. My step daughter died February 8from a brain tumor of more than 2 years with several surgeries and nearly 2+ years of chemo…Someday we will know all the why’s, until then I will TRUST HIM. Carol
—–Ron is having a great deal of pain in his heel. I think it is probably a bone spur. Please pray that it will settle down soon. Rose
—– Could really use prayer RIGHT NOW and for the next several days! Nicole
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Dear Friends,
My grandfather, who was a bookbinder, often held two jobs to support his growing family. One dark night, as he was walking home from work, he passed by a thick hedge of bushes. Although he took this route every night and had passed this hedge countless numbers of times, this time he felt a tinge of fear. He began to think that the hedge would be a perfect place for a robber to hide and attack him when he reached the other end. He tried to shut those thoughts out of his mind, but they kept coming back. Suddenly, he realized that he could hear footsteps on the other side of the hedge. He stopped. The footsteps stopped. He began walking again. He could hear the footsteps again. Several more times he tried his little “experiment” with the same results. In his mind he was thinking about how he could get away from this person who he was sure was about to do him harm. There were no houses that he could run to. He felt that he was getting too old to outrun the robber anyway.
At last he was at the end of the long hedge. Bracing himself for the worse, my grandfather looked into the face of his “attacker.” There, looking at him, stood a large friendly St. Bernard dog. My grandfather’s fear melted away. The dog must have been lonely and was walking with my grandfather for companionship.
How often we, like my grandfather, become overwhelmed with problems, doubts, and fears. How many times the enemy of souls tries to confuse our thinking. He magnifies our troubles in our sight until we become discouraged and cannot see the Great Solution. He suggests possible scenarios to us that fill us with terror, but these never materialize: they only torment us and fill us with dread. Our problems seem like they will rise up and crush us. We do not understand why we have to go through the trials that we do. We think the worse, and feel that we are forsaken. The evil one whispers that God has turned against us, that there is no way of escape.
Yet there is an escape. Paul tells us, “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.” 1 Cor 10:13 God does not turn away from us. Indeed, He loves us “with an everlasting love:” His lovingkindness draws us to Himself. Heb 13:5 Think of it! Our Loving Creator is standing there with His arms outstretched bidding us come to Him for the help and strength that we need. He assures us, “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 know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.” Jer 29:11
Let us trust our Dear Saviour Who has shown such great love for us. Let us follow Him wheresoever He leads us. Let us pray that we may be filled with greater love for the One Who loves us so.
Rose