To an Aged Sister

Dear Sister McDearmon…. I am getting old as well as you. Your age I do not exactly remember. I am past seventy-eight, but I am able to do a large amount of work in writing. I do long for rest, but the Lord preserves me so that I do not suffer much pain….

You and I shall not expect to live much longer, but we will hold fast the faith and the blessing of the Lord through obedience to all His commandments. I am trying to do what I can, writing the things that I must write. I greatly desire to keep in the work, and bear my testimony to the last. I shall be seventy-nine years old the twenty-sixth of next November. I can yet accomplish much work writing.

Though I am brain weary, yet I see so much to be done. Our warfare will soon be ended, but the Lord is good and merciful. When our warfare is ended, we shall rest in hope until the morning of the resurrection. Then the last trump shall sound, and we shall see the King in His beauty, and behold His matchless charms. My dear sister, we have a precious hope; let our hearts rely constantly upon God. Truth will triumph and bear away the victory….

The Lord will be with you. He is your ever-present Helper, and you may know He will never leave nor forsake you. You should have the best of care, and live your time in this world, until the quiet rest, in full hope of the overcomer’s reward. Just rest yourself in your belief of the truth. Do not worry about anything. You have kept the faith, and for you is laid up a crown of life, which Christ, the righteous Judge, shall give you at that day, and not to you only, but to all them who love His appearing (see 2 Timothy 4:8).

The Lord will keep you and bless you. All your hope, I know, is in Jesus, and you may rest in His love. The angels of God will be round about you. You may rest in our Lord in quiet faith, and ever believe He has your life “hid with Christ in God.”

May the Lord be a continual blessing unto you, my beloved, aged sister. I am relying wholly upon the Lord Jesus. We will hope and pray and believe, and we will trust in His living Word. Our beloved Sister [Mary] Kelsey is through with earth’s troubles. She was faithful and true. We will meet in the city of our God. In much love, Ellen G. White.—Letter 168, May 30, 1906, to Sister Melinda McDearmon, the mother of Edson White’s wife, Emma.
The Upward Look p. 164
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Prayer Requests
—-Please pray for Brian and his family as his mother passed away this morning. Rose
—-Please pray for Buddy he is in the emergency room with the flu.they don’t
know what kind as yet. he is a good worker for the Lord he witnesses every where he goes.
he carries books lets with him every where he is a good missionary who loves the Lord
and has a beautiful relationship with Him.. M.
—-Please pray for my dad as he got a call from his kidney doctor today. They want him to come right in. Mike
—-Please pray for the happenings because of the corona virus that the virus will die and the restrictions will be lifted. B
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Dear Friends,
We have so many rocks around this house. On the many hikes we have taken when we lived out west, Ronnie Jay and I have would stuff our pockets full of rocks that looked pretty to us. Most of them were worthless, but we liked them just the same. One day, Ronnie Jay found a rock that he thought was a fossil of a fern. When he brought it home, I thought so too. It looked just like a frilly, black fern was on one side of the mica schist rock. When I showed my friend Darlene, she explained that it was not a fern. It was the mineral manganese that is fern-like in its growth. It was very pretty, was it was not what it appeared to be.
So it is in the Christian life. How many look like Christians, act like Christians, and talk like Christians, but their heart is far from our Wonderful Saviour. Jesus, with sadness in His voice, says of them; “This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.” Matt 15:8 How could this happen? “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 The enemy of souls infiltrates God’s true people in order to confuse and destroy.
Many of these tares are in high places within the church: many more are amongst the congregation. Jesus warns, “And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.” Matt 24:11 Paul agrees, “For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them. Therefore watch.” Acts 20:29-31 John advises, “Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.” 1 John 4:1 How may we know the true from the false? “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 Only by a study of the Holy Scriptures can we discern truth from error. “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. But shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness.” 2 Tim 2:15-17
Jesus bids us to be fruit inspectors as well, “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
Another test in order to discern truth from error is found in Deuteronomy 18:21, 22: “And if thou say in thine heart, How shall we know the word which the LORD hath not spoken? When a prophet speaketh in the name of the LORD, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which the LORD hath not spoken, but the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously: thou shalt not be afraid of him.” Moses also warns that sometimes what someone predicts comes to pass, yet there is error in their teachings, “If there arise among you a prophet, or a dreamer of dreams, and giveth thee a sign or a wonder, And the sign or the wonder come to pass, whereof he spake unto thee, saying, Let us go after other gods, which thou hast not known, and let us serve them; Thou shalt not hearken unto the words of that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams” Deut 13:1-3
May we “judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment” through Bible study and prayer is my prayer.
Rose