Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward. For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise. . . . We are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul. Hebrews 10:35-39.
I saw that we are now in the shaking time. Satan is working with all his power to wrest souls from the hand of Christ and cause them to trample underfoot the Son of God. . . .
Character is being developed. Angels of God are weighing moral worth. God is testing and proving His people. These words were presented to me by the angel: “Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God. But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end.”
God is displeased that any of His people who have known the power of His grace should talk their doubts, and by thus doing make themselves a channel for Satan to transmit his suggestions to other minds. A seed of unbelief and evil sown is not readily rooted up. Satan nourishes it every hour, and it flourishes and becomes strong. A good seed sown needs to be nourished, watered, and tenderly cared for; because every poisonous influence is thrown about it to hinder its growth and cause it to die. Satan’s efforts are more powerful now than ever before, for he knows that his time to deceive is short. . . .
God’s people will be sifted, even as corn is sifted in a sieve, until all the chaff is separated from the pure kernels of grain. We are to look to Christ for an example and imitate the humble pattern. . . .
I was shown the saints’ reward, the immortal inheritance. Then I was shown how much God’s people had endured for the truth’s sake, and that they would count heaven cheap enough. They reckoned that the sufferings of this present time were not worthy to be compared with the glory which should be revealed in them. The people of God in these last days will be tried. But soon their last trial will come, and then they will receive the gift of eternal life.
Maranatha p. 52
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Prayer Requests
—–Please pray for the following meetings. Diane Liberal, KS (Jul 1 – 19) Los Angles, CA (Jul 5 – 26) Hamilton, MT (Jul 7 – 11) Adventures with Paul VBS Geneva, Switzerland (Jul 9) presentation at the General Conference Global Health Conference. Bangkok, Thailand (Jul 15 & 16) Pastoral Convention to Clergy Spouses, Southern Asia Pacific Division.
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Dear Friends,
A few years ago, Ron, Ronnie Jay, and I were at the store. They were at customer service returning something defective. I was getting a few items that we needed. While standing in line, Ron started a conversation with a lady who had a beautiful little girl in the shopping cart. As they talked, this lady explained that she was babysitting the child. Her parents had died in a motorcycle accident and the grandmother was raising the child.
At this point, I came over to where Ron and Ronnie Jay were. Ron told me about the tragedy. I expressed my sympathy to the lady. She then began saying to the child “Mom and Tim are angels, aren’t they and we pray to them don’t we?” I was shocked, but instead of asking the lady if she’d like to get together some time and study what the Bible says about praying and about the state of man in death, I kept quiet. On the way home from the store, I realized that I had missed an opportunity to share the truths in God’s Word. By my silence, I had denied the truth. I had denied the Only One Who can hear and answer our prayers. How sorry I felt.
How often we do the same thing by our words or actions or silence. How many times we hesitate to speak a word for the One Who speaks for us. (1 John 2:1, 2) Do we share Him with others, or do we pretend that we don’t even know Him? Do we try to rationalize away our denial? Jesus said “Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.” Matt 10:32,33 Paul warns, “if we deny him, he also will deny us.” 2 Tim 2:12 Those are solemn words. Words that have eternal consequences.
Often we do not know ourselves and think that we would never deny our Lord. That was Peter’s experience. When Jesus told His disciples that they would deny Him, Peter stood up and proclaimed that although everyone else would deny Him, he never would. “But Peter said unto him, Although all shall be offended, yet will not I. And Jesus saith unto him, Verily I say unto thee, That this day, even in this night, before the cock crow twice, thou shalt deny me thrice. But he spake the more vehemently, If I should die with thee, I will not deny thee in any wise. Likewise also said they all.” Mark 14:29-31 Peter could not believe it, but when he was “backed into a corner,” he denied his Master. He denied the One Who was giving His life for him.
When Peter denied Jesus, the Bible says, “Peter remembered the word of Jesus, which said unto him Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. And he went out, and wept bitterly.” Matt 26:75 That was the start of a new life for Peter. From that moment he stood firm for his Saviour no matter what the consequences might be.
May we never deny our Dear Saviour in any way. May we pray that we will recognize opportunites for sharing the good news with others and have the courage to do so no matter where we may be. May we “let [our] light so shine before men, that they may see [our] good works, and glorify [our] Father which is in heaven” is my prayer. Matt 5:16.
Rose