But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear. Isaiah 59:2.
Evil originated with Lucifer, who rebelled against the government of God. Before his fall he was a covering cherub, distinguished by his excellence. God made him good and beautiful, as near as possible like Himself.
Nothing is more plainly taught in Scripture than that God was in no wise responsible for the entrance of sin; that there was no arbitrary withdrawal of divine grace, no deficiency in the divine government, that gave occasion for the uprising of rebellion. Sin is an intruder, for whose presence no reason can be given. It is mysterious, unaccountable; to excuse it, is to defend it. Could excuse for it be found, or cause shown for its existence, it would cease to be sin.
The first sinner was one whom God had greatly exalted. He is represented under the figure of the prince of Tyrus flourishing in might and magnificence. Little by little Satan came to indulge the desire for self-exaltation…. Though all his glory was from God, this mighty angel came to regard it as pertaining to himself. Not content with his position, though honored above the heavenly host, he ventured to covet homage due alone to the Creator. Instead of seeking to make God supreme in the affections and allegiance of all created beings, it was his endeavor to secure their service and loyalty to himself….
Is he [Satan] not the first great apostate from God?
It is at Lucifer’s throne that every evil work finds its starting point, and obtains its support.
The Faith I Live By p. 66
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Prayer Requests
—–Please pray for Rosalie who has two bulging disks in her lower back. Pray that she will heal without having to have surgery. Rose
—–Please pray for Carolyn who is having heart problems as well as other health issues. Rose
—–My sister Gerry had to be taken by helicopter last night to _____ Hospital. Every week that she has been given Chemo has made her weaker and weaker. She is in a very depressed state right now and needs prayers that she will not want to give up. She has not been eating, drinking which has made her go downhill more and more. They were trying to get her a room but with all of the effects of what the flu has been doing to everyone it was a waiting process late last night to get a room for her. I hope to hear from my younger sister if she finds out anymore to let me know. I ask for prayers for all of the family that God will give my sister Gerry , husband, her daughters, grandchildren and great grandchildren, sisters and brother Gods strength and faith to get through this time of trouble. Thank you for the prayers ascending to the throne of God. JOAN
—–One of our friends from church is in the ICU at the hospital due to this flu, please pray that he pulls through. His name is Howard and his family is dear to us, thank you ! David
—–Please pray for 4 year old Jace. He has kidney cancer and needs a transplant. Please pray for his healing and that a matching donor can be found. His parents have already lost their older son to this same thing. Becky
—–Requesting prayer for my daughter at school. A serious situation is stirring. Thank you. Ann
—–please pray for a neighbor named Jack will move out without retaliation to me or his family. Thanks Ann W
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Dear Friends,
Our pastor has recently had the flu. Even though his voice had not returned to normal, he preached this past Sabbath. His wife brought him a glass of water to help his voice, but by the time she had walked from the church’s fellowship hall to the front of the church, the warm water she thought would help him had become lukewarm. After taking a gulp, he set it down and declared, “This is Laodicean water.” We all laughed. His wife whispered to Esther, “It was nice and warm when I filled the glass.”
That lukewarm water experience helps us to understand the words of the True Witness, Who says, “I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.” Rev 3:15,16 Even as the water had lost its warmth and had become lukewarm, so our Christian experience sometimes can lose its fervor. When we first except Christ Jesus as our Saviour, we are on fire for the Lord. As time passes, however, we often settle down to a routine, to a comfortable norm: we become lukewarm and distasteful Christians. We think that we are “rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing, and [know not that we are] wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked.” 3:17
Our Dear Saviour pleads, ” I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich, and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear, and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.” vs 18 Repentance—what a blessed gift it is! Our Great Redeemer supplies this great gift of repentance to us, because He “is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish.” 2 Peter 3:9 Truly, the goodness of God leads us to repentance!
How much we need that “godly sorrow [that] worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of.” 2 Cor 7:10 How much we need that repentance which brings forth fruits worthy of repentance. True repentance is heartfelt sorrow for sin. True repentance makes a change in our life. The evil which we once loved, we now hate and spiritual things which were once distasteful to us, we now love.
The Great Creator yearns for us to allow Him to recreate us into His image. He pleads, “Repent, and turn yourselves from all your transgressions, so iniquity shall not be your ruin. Cast away from you all your transgressions, whereby ye have transgressed, and make you a new heart and a new spirit.” “A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.” Eze 18:30,31;36:26,27
Let us heed the message, “Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!” Matt 4:17 Let us pray as did David, “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from thy presence, and take not thy holy spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation, and uphold me with thy free spirit.” Psa 51:10-12 Let us turn from “the sin which doth so easily beset us” and walk “in newness of life” that someday soon we may walk with our Great Redeemer in His Heavenly Home. Heb 12:1; Rom 6:4
Rose