Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled. Matthew 5:6.
Let those men and women who are satisfied with their dwarfed, crippled condition in divine things be suddenly transported to heaven and for an instant witness the high, the holy state of perfection that ever abides there–every soul filled with love; every countenance beaming with joy; . . . could such persons, I ask, mingle with the heavenly throng, participate in their songs, and endure the pure, exalted, transporting glory that emanates from God and the Lamb? Oh, no! . . .
Those who have trained the mind to delight in spiritual exercises are the ones who can be translated and not be overwhelmed with the purity and transcendent glory of heaven. You may have a good knowledge of the arts, you may have an acquaintance with the sciences, you may excel in music and in penmanship, your manners may please your associates, but what have these things to do with a preparation for heaven? What have they to do to prepare you to stand before the tribunal of God?
Be not deceived. God is not mocked. Nothing but holiness will prepare you for heaven. It is sincere, experimental piety alone that can give you a pure, elevated character and enable you to enter into the presence of God, who dwelleth in light unapproachable. The heavenly character must be acquired on earth, or it can never be acquired at all.
Desires for goodness and true holiness are right so far as they go; but if you stop here, they will avail nothing. Good purposes are right, but will prove of no avail unless resolutely carried out. Many will be lost while hoping and desiring to be Christians; but they made no earnest effort, therefore they will be weighed in the balances and found wanting. The will must be exercised in the right direction. I will be a wholehearted Christian. I will know the length and breadth, the height and depth, of perfect love.
Listen to the words of Jesus: “Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.” Ample provisions are made by Christ to satisfy the soul that hungers and thirsts for righteousness.
Maranatha p. 46
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Prayer Requests
—– Please add my to this list. God knows my urgent need and will answer according to His will. Thank you! Kim
—–Please pray for my sister Jessica. Amanda
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Dear Friends,
One special occasion, I decided to make a peach pie for dessert. I had bought a can of peach pie filling the last time I was at the store for this occasion. I knew that I had a couple of graham cracker crusts in the pantry, so I didn’t get any crusts. Big mistake!
A few minutes before we were ready to eat, I walked into the pantry to get the items for the pie. To my horror, there were no pie crusts on the shelf. Then I remembered. I had used them the week before when we were having company. It was too late to make a regular pie shell as the rest of the dinner was almost ready. Spying a box of Ritz crackers, I remembered how my grandmother used to make a Ritz cracker crust when she baked apple pies. Relieved that my problem was solved, I grabbed a glass pie pan and crumbled up a tube of Ritz crackers. When I had the proper igredients mixed together and pressed in the pan, I poured the peach filling on top.
I thought it smelled a little strange while baking, however. To my distress, I discovered the reason. Looking a little more carefully at the package of crackers, I found that I had used roasted vegetable crackers. So I had made a peach pie whose crust was flavored with a vegetable blend of carrots, onions, cabbage, tomato, parsley, and red and green bell peppers. —-not exactly tasty.
Those crackers had looked just like the regular ones but how different the result. Jesus told a parable about Christians who look like good ones but are as unfit for Heaven as those crackers were for my pie. “The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field: But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way. But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also. So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares? He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up? But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn. Matt 13:24-30
How many times there are contentions within the church because of these look-alike Christians. Indeed, many of these do not even know that they are false followers. Jesus warns, “Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them. Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.” Matt 7:15-23
How often false doctrines creep in because of these tares which the enemy has sewed. “Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.” Col 2:8 How can we discern truth from falsehood? “To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.” Isa 8:20 ” If any man will do His will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God. . . . He that speaketh of himself seeketh his own glory: but he that seeketh his glory that sent him, the same is true, and no unrighteousness is in him.” John 7:17, 18 Only by a study of God’s Holy Word can we discern truth from error, false teachers from those who speak the truth.
May we “study to show ourselves approved unto God, a workman who maketh not ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of Truth.” 2 Tim 2:15 May we never try to root up the tares that the enemy has sown amongst the wheat but leave that to the Master Who judges with true judgment. May we make sure that we, ourselves, are wheat and not tares is my prayer.
Rose