The Blessed Hope

Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ. Titus 2:13
Jesus said He would go away and prepare mansions for us, that where He is there we may be also. We shall ever dwell with and enjoy the light of His precious countenance. My heart leaps with joy at the cheering prospect. We are almost home. Heaven, sweet heaven! It is our eternal home. I am glad every moment that Jesus lives, and because He lives we shall live also. My soul says, Praise the Lord. There is a fullness in Jesus, a supply for each, for all, and why should we die for bread or starve in foreign lands?
I hunger, I thirst for salvation, for entire conformity to the will of God. We have a good hope through Jesus. It is sure and steadfast and entereth into that within the veil. It yields us consolation in affliction, it gives us joy amid anguish, disperses the gloom around us, and causes us to look through it all to immortality and eternal life. . . . Earthly treasures are no inducement to us, for while we have this hope it reaches clear above the treasures of earth that are passing away and takes hold of the immortal inheritance, the treasures that are durable, incorruptible, undefiled, and that fade not away. . . .
Our mortal bodies may die and be laid away in the grave. Yet the blessed hope lives on until the resurrection, when the voice of Jesus calls forth the sleeping dust. We shall then enjoy the fullness of the blessed, glorious hope. We know in whom we have believed. We have not run in vain, neither labored in vain. A rich, a glorious reward is before us; it is the prize for which we run, and if we persevere with courage we shall surely obtain it. . . .
There is salvation for us, and why do we stay away from the fountain? Why not come and drink that our souls may be refreshed, invigorated, and may flourish in God? Why do we cling so closely to earth? There is something better than earth for us to talk about and think of. We can be in a heavenly frame of mind. Oh, let us dwell upon Jesus’ lovely, spotless character, and by beholding we shall become changed to the same image. Be of good courage. Have faith in God.
Maranatha p. 304
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Prayer Requests
—–Please pray for Jan and husband because Jan has been in the hospital since the weekend. Pray that the Lord will be with this situation. E
—–Our son Peter called tonight from the home of his birth mom sounding very distressed. He wondered if we would pray for her as he’d had to call an ambulance because she was unresponsive. He’s been staying with his birth mom, wanting to connect and have a relationship before her life is over. She has cancer and doesn’t sound like she’s doing well at all. I told him we would and am asking if you would also. Her name is Pearly. Debbie
——Please continue to pray for Brian as he continues his studies at AFCOE. Rose
——Our family is deeply saddened by the sudden loss of Marcin (Martin), at the young age of 34. He is a much loved member of our family, and the father to a beautiful little girl. . . . Please keep his daughter and our family in your prayers. Jonathan
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Dear Friends
A few months after Ron and I were married, he got a draft notice from the army. The Vietnam War was raging, so we were not at all happy at the thought of his having to serve in the military. Ron had to travel to his home town for the physical and other exams that he was given. He decided to stay for a few days to visit his large family there, so I went along. We stayed at his grandparents’ house.
The thought of Ron having to go to Vietnam filled me with horror and dread. I felt I could not bear to have him over there being shot at. I decided that I would fast and pray while he was getting the last exam that would determine if he were military material or not. The entire day was spent pleading with God to make the examiner decide that Ron was of no use to the military.
Unfortunately, I didn’t tell Ron’s family what I was doing. All they knew was I shut myself all day in the tiny bedroom where the grandchildren always slept when they came to visit. When they told me that it was time to eat, instead of telling them that I was fasting, I just said that I didn’t want to eat. They could not understand why I was being so unfriendly and decided that I did not like them or want to be around them. Looking back upon this incident, I would have come to the conclusion that they did if I were in their place.
How important good communication skills are. They solve a lot of problems before they even start. Had I explained that I was spending the day fasting and praying, my relationship with Ron’s family would have started off much better. It was my fault that they did not understand my actions and I often wished that I had explained. I firmly believed that if I told them what I was doing, I would not be heeding Jesus’ words, “when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.” Matt 6:3
How often we do not use good sense, yet Solomon tells us “a wise man’s heart discerneth both time and judgment.” Ecc 8:5 Without this discernment, how easy it is to misapply what is written for our admonition and learning. Without taking passages of Scripture in context, we can draw wrong conclusions. Isaiah advises, “For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little.” Isa 28:10 Only by comparing all of the texts on any given subject can we truly understand. How vital it is that we have the spiritual discernment that comes from the same Holy Spirit Who inspired men to write the Scriptures in the first place. (2 Peter 1:21) James tells us, ” If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.” James 1:5
May we ask for the eyesalve that the True Witness so freely offers. (Rev 3:18) May we ask for wisdom in our dealings with those around us. May we live so close to our Dear Saviour that others will see Him shining through us is my prayer.
Rose