As by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous. Romans 5:19.
The life of Christ is to be carefully meditated upon, and to be constantly studied with a desire to understand the reason He had to come at all. We can form our conclusions only by searching the Scriptures as Christ has enjoined upon us to do, for He says, “They … testify of me.” We may find by searching the Word the virtues of obedience in contrast with the sinfulness of disobedience. “As by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.”
The Garden of Eden, with its foul blot of disobedience, is to be carefully studied and compared with the Garden of Gethsemane, where the world’s Redeemer suffered superhuman agony when the sins of the whole world were rolled upon Him. Listen to the prayer of the only begotten Son of God, “O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.” And the second time He prayed saying, “O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done.”
And the third time He prayed saying the same words. It was here the mysterious cup trembled in the hands of the Son of God. Shall He wipe the bloody sweat from His agonized countenance and let the human race go? The wail, wretchedness, and ruin of a lost world rolls up its horrible picture before Him.
“And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground.”“And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him.” The conflict is ended; Jesus consents to honor His Father by doing His will and bearing His curse, the consequence of humanity’s transgression. He was obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Here was what was involved in Adam’s disobedience and what the obedience of the Son of God means to us….
The happiness of human beings is in their obedience to the laws of God. In their obedience to God’s law they are surrounded as with a hedge and kept from the evil. No one can be happy and depart from God’s specified requirements, and set up a standard of their own, which they decide they can safely follow.—Manuscript 1, 1892 (Manuscript Releases 6:336-338).
Christ Triumphant p. 24
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Prayer Requests
—-Please pray for my coworker Cindy’s mom who is in the hospital. Wanangwa
—-My husband Blaine has stage 4 cancer. We just found this out. Asking for prayers. Marilynn
—-Please pray for Dorothy who recently lost her husband and now her brother-in-law died Monday. She is having problems with legal issues regarding probate. Please pray for all of the family in these two losses. Rose
—- Today, Jan. 18th, my husband Dan is having surgery for bladder cancer. We won’t know the extent until after the surgery and the pathology report! Any prayers will be most appreciated! Franci
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Dear Friends,
In Colonial America, doors were locked on the inside by a wooden bar that dropped into a metal or wooden slot on the door jamb. A piece of string was attached to one end of the bar and threaded through a small hole to the outside. A dangling string meant that visitors were welcome, since pulling on it raised the bolt so the door could be opened. The people in those olden times had an expression of hospitality, “the latch string is always out” meaning that the person was always welcome in their home. Thinking of this old custom, my great-great aunt, Aletha Phillips-Spoor, wrote the poem “Where the Latchstring’s Always Out.” I thought I would share it with you today.
The sun is sinking low in the west,
‘Tis the hour of meditation and rest,
Now is the time at the close of day
To return in thought from far away’
And to know that our folks, though far we may roam,
Are thinking of us in the dear old home,
Where the latchstring’s always out.
We may think some other place the best
Away out there in the golden west,
Or far away in a southern clime
Where for months we’ve had a wonderful time;
But after all we’re glad to give
A thought to the folks where we used to live,
Where the latchstring’s always out.
There’s where we’re free from every care,
There’s where we feel that we have a share
Of the blessings that only a home can bring,
There where the walls of laughter ring;
And we do again as we used to do
Back in the home where hearts are true,
Where the latchstring’s always out.
We, too, have a home where the latchstring’s always out. We, too, have a place where we are always welcome to come. Indeed, our Heavenly Father is yearning for a visit from us. How He longs to hear our prayers. He pleads, “Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.” Jer 33:3 How He desires our sweetest thoughts to be of Him and of our Heavenly home. Jesus speaks of this home He wants to share with us. “Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.” John 14:1-3
Yet how seldom we think of that good land where “eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.” 1 Cor 2:9 How few prayers ascend to our Father in Heaven Who loves us so much “that He gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” John 3:16
How it must break His Great Heart of Love.
May we, like David, declare, “Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and he shall hear my voice.” Ps 55:17 May we meditate upon all His marvelous works and talk of all His doings. 77:12 May we train our minds to focus on that Good Land our Saviour is preparing for us that someday we will visit with our Great Creator face to face.
Rose