And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us. 1 John 3:24.
The Holy Spirit is the breath of spiritual life in the soul. The impartation of the Spirit is the impartation of the life of Christ. It imbues the receiver with the attributes of Christ.
The Holy Spirit will enter the heart that can boast of nothing. The love of Jesus will fill the vacuum that is made by the emptying out of self.
Those who see Christ in His true character, and receive Him into the heart, have everlasting life. It is through the Spirit that Christ dwells in us; and the Spirit of God, received into the heart by faith, is the beginning of the life eternal.
We do not see Christ and speak to Him, but His Holy Spirit is just as near us in one place as in another. It works in and through every one who receives Christ. Those who know the indwelling of the Spirit reveal the fruits of the Spirit—love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith.
The Holy Spirit is to be continually present with the believer. We have need more carefully to consider the fact that the Comforter is to abide with us. If we individually comprehended this truth, we should never feel alone. When assailed by the enemy, when overwhelmed by temptation, we are to repose our faith in God; for we have His pledged word that we are never to be left to battle alone. Every soul, pardoned of sin, is precious in His sight—more precious than the whole world. It has been purchased at infinite cost, and Christ will never abandon the soul for whom He has died.
Christ is represented by the Holy Spirit; and when this Spirit is appreciated, when those controlled by the Spirit communicate to others the energy with which they are imbued, an invisible chord is touched which electrifies the whole. Would that we could all understand how boundless are the divine resources.
The Faith I Live By p. 57
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Prayer Requests
—–Please pray that B will have better conditions at work. Pray also that he and his wife will have wisdom regarding a place to live. L
—–URGENT: Prayers Needed Tonight
Larry and I are on a SAGE Maranatha mission trip to Costa Rica right now. Today, I was painting with ten others at a church. One of the men in our group, Dr. Ken fell from a two story ladder landing on his head and back. He has been unconscious since it happened. He was ta
ken by ambulance to a nearby clinic then transferred to the hospital in ______ which is 75 km away. His condition is very serious so he was taken to San Jose tonight since he has a brain hematoma and is on a ventilator.
Please pray for Ken and his wife Linda. He may need surgery tonight. Please ask your friends and family to pray and share with your churches. Thank you! Janine
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Dear Friends,
Before Ron and I had children, we lived in a rural area of Michigan. It was wintertime and very cold and snowy. We used to love to walk in the nearby woods or across the small lake that was covered by a thick coat of ice.
One night we got an extra amount of that heavy snow that covers everything with a thick blanket of pure white. We decided to take a walk. We dressed warmly and waded through the deep cold snow. Since I am short, it was up to my waist.
The woods were silent and all the usual ground clutter was covered was white, untouched snow. It seemed to me like we were inside a picture on a Christmas card. We walked along silently reveling in the beauty of God’s creation.
Suddenly, just a few feet ahead of us there was a burst of snow and a loud whirring noise! We were completely startled! Ron instantly knew that sound. It was a partridge. It had been under that blanket of snow and when we got too close, it flew away noisily. We burst out laughing!
Through the years, I have remembered that walk with fondness. It was a special moment of happiness during a time of difficulty. Even though it was just a simple thing, it has been one of my cherished memories.
Sometimes it is the simple pleasures of life that mean the most. God has given us the gift of His beautiful creation for our enjoyment. As we contemplate His care for works of His Hand, we have the assurance of His care for us. As we gaze upon fields and forests, mountains and valleys, white puffy clouds, or a night filled with stars our minds are drawn to the One Who upholds “all things by the word of his power.” Heb 1:3 We know we can trust Him to supply all our needs. Jesus said, “Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns, yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?…Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow, they toil not, neither do they spin: And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?…for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you. Matt 5:26-33
Long years ago as David was in the fields watching over his sheep, he often composed songs of God and His creative power. As his eyes beheld the beauty of nature, he burst into joyful praise. “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament showeth his handiwork. Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night showeth knowledge. There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard. Their line is gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them hath he set a tabernacle for the sun, Which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, and rejoiceth as a strong man to run a race. His going forth is from the end of the heaven, and his circuit unto the ends of it: and there is nothing hid from the heat thereof.” “When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained, What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him? For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour. Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands, thou hast put all things under his feet: All sheep and oxen, yea, and the beasts of the field, The fowl of the air, and the fish of the sea, and whatsoever passeth through the paths of the seas. O LORD our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth!” “Of old hast thou laid the foundation of the earth: and the heavens are the work of thy hands. They shall perish, but thou shalt endure: yea, all of them shall wax old like a garment, as a vesture shalt thou change them, and they shall be changed: But thou art the same, and thy years shall have no end.” Ps 19:1-6, 8:3-9, 102:25
May our mind and heart be drawn to our Loving Creator just as a flower turns its face to the sun. May we place all our trust and confidence in Him. May we take our little ones out into His great creation and point them to the One Who loves us so much that He died in our place is my prayer.
Rose