Surely the righteous shall give thanks unto thy name: the upright shall dwell in thy presence. (Psalm 140:13)

Surely the righteous shall give thanks unto thy name: the upright shall dwell in thy presence. (Psalm 140:13)

Oh, that my heart may be upright, that I may always be able to bless the name of the Lord! He is so good to those that be good, that I would fain be among them and feel myself full of thankfulness every day. Perhaps, for a moment, the righteous are staggered when their integrity results in severe trial; but assuredly the day shall come when they shall bless their God that they did not yield to evil suggestions and adopt a shifty policy. In the long run true men will thank the God of the right for leading them by a right way. Oh, that I may be among them!

What a promise is implied in this second clause, "The upright shall dwell in thy presence!" They shall stand accepted where others appear only to be condemned. They shall be the courtiers of the great King, indulged with audience whensoever they desire it. They shall be favored ones upon whom Jehovah smiles and with whom He graciously communes. Lord, I covet this high honor, this precious privilege. It will be heaven on earth to me to enjoy it. Make me in all things upright, that I may today and tomorrow and every day stand in Thy heavenly presence. Then will I give thanks unto Thy name evermore. Amen.

Jesus speaks of it in Luke 21:36: "Watch therefore, and pray always, that you may be accounted worthy to stand before the Son of man."

A little thought demonstrates how reasonable is the idea of a "pre-advent judgment." Jesus says that the people who are privileged to be resurrected in glory when He returns of course will have been "accounted worthy" of that reward in a judgment beforehand (Luke 20:35). Otherwise, how could the angels know whom to call forth in the first resurrection ("blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection," Rev. 20:6), and whom to allow to sleep through until the dreadful second resurrection (vs. 5)?

Further, there will be two classes still living on earth when Jesus returns--those who are to be translated without tasting death, and those who will be unable to endure the sight of seeing Jesus come in glory. How will these two groups be distinguished unless there is a pre-advent judgment?

Jesus speaks of it in Luke 21:36: "Watch therefore, and pray always, that you may be accounted worthy     to stand before the Son of man." Those solemn words were spoken of today--this very day now dawning. The "accounting" is today's agenda.

Actually, no one can judge us against our will. This pre-advent judgment is determined by ourselves. God can never force anyone into heaven or hell against his or her own will. He gives us each a new 24-hour day that we may demonstrate to the world and to the universe exactly where we want to be. Your first conscious moments after waking indicate your free choice.

It's wisdom to remember what the Bible says--each day begins with "evening" (Gen. 1:5, 8, 13, 19, 23, 31). Spend your last hour of each day in prayer and contemplation of heavenly reality; then your waking hour will also be "blessed and holy."

If you have made a mistake, bear the loss of it; but do not act contrary to the will of the Lord.

And Amaziah said to the man of God, But what shall we do for the hundred talents which I have given to the army of Israel? And the man of God answered, The Lord is able to give thee much more than this. (2 Chronicles 25:9)

 

If you have made a mistake, bear the loss of it; but do not act contrary to the will of the Lord. The Lord can give you much more than you are likely to lose; and if He does not, will you begin bargaining and chaffering with God. The king of Judah had hired an army from idolatrous Israel, and he was commanded to send home the fighting men because the Lord was not with them. He was willing to send away the host, only he grudged paying the hundred talents for nothing. Oh, for shame! If the Lord will give the victory without the hirelings, surely it was a good bargain to pay their wages and to be rid of them.

 

Be willing to lose money for conscience' sake, for peace's sake, for Christ's sake. Rest assured that losses for the Lord are not losses. Even in this life they are more than recompensed: in some cases the Lord prevents any loss from happening. As to our immortal life, what we lose for Jesus is invested in heaven. Fret not at apparent disaster but listen to the whisper, "The Lord is able to give thee much more than this."

The new "Elijah's" message must therefore be "Christ and Him crucified" (1 Çor. 2:1, 2).

God's solemn promise to "send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord" intrigues the people of God worldwide (Mal. 4:4, 5). What will "Elijah" specialize in? Beheading "prophets of Baal"? (We have some, even many, says a widely respected author.)

Undoubtedly, yes; but Malachi says no, "Elijah" will specialize in "turning" hearts that have been alienated from one another and from God. This is clearly stated in the original Elijah's prayer before all the people gathered at Mt. Carmel: "Hear me, O LORD [Jehovah, clearly distinguished from Baal], hear me, that this people may know that Thou art the LORD God, and that Thou hast turned their heart back again" (1 Kings 18:37).

"Turning hearts" is reconciliation, and nothing but the proclamation of the love [agape] of Christ can "constrain" a modern alienated, worldly heart that is infatuated with the world's pleasures and cars and houses and dress and entertainment, yet wants to get ready for the second coming of Christ. All the dire warnings of beheadings to come cannot "turn the heart."

The new "Elijah's" message must therefore be "Christ and Him crucified" (1 Çor. 2:1, 2). Unthinkable as it may be, this will anger the new "Ahab and Jezebel." But "Elijah" will again demand that everyone come out of the closet; the good news is now that those "7000" hiding in the closet will this time have the courage to take their stand with him (on Mt. Carmel not one dared say a word of support). And all together, God's numerous "Elijahs" will proclaim a message that will "lighten the earth with glory."

A cake not turned is soon burnt on the side nearest the fire

"Ephraim is a cake not turned."-Hosea 7:8

A cake not turned is uncooked on one side; and so Ephraim was, in many respects, untouched by divine grace: though there was some partial obedience, there was very much rebellion left. My soul, I charge thee, see whether this be thy case. Art thou thorough in the things of God? Has grace gone through the very centre of thy being so as to be felt in its divine operations in all thy powers, thy actions, thy words, and thy thoughts? To be sanctified, spirit, soul, and body, should be thine aim and prayer; and although sanctification may not be perfect in thee anywhere in degree, yet it must be universal in its action; there must not be the appearance of holiness in one place and reigning sin in another, else thou, too, wilt be a cake not turned.

A cake not turned is soon burnt on the side nearest the fire, and although no man can have too much religion, there are some who seem burnt black with bigoted zeal for that part of truth which they have received, or are charred to a cinder with a vainglorious Pharisaic ostentation of those religious performances which suit their humour. The assumed appearance of superior sanctity frequently accompanies a total absence of all vital godliness. The saint in public is a devil in private. He deals in flour by day and in soot by night. The cake which is burned on one side, is dough on the other.

If it be so with me, O Lord, turn me! Turn my unsanctified nature to the fire of Thy love and let it feel the sacred glow, and let my burnt side cool a little while I learn my own weakness and want of heat when I am removed from Thy heavenly flame. Let me not be found a double-minded man, but one entirely under the powerful influence of reigning grace; for well I know if I am left like a cake unturned, and am not on both sides the subject of Thy grace, I must be consumed for ever amid everlasting burnings.

Be wise and patient; spend time on your knees alone with God so that you are ready to discern that true last-days' message of the cross.

Paul, God's faithful servant, suffered a humiliating rebuke in his evangelism crusade in the great city of Athens. He made the mistake of trying to match philosophy with philosophy, trying to meet the Athenian scholars on their own ground. The result: near failure in soul-winning, although a few did respond.

When he came to the immoral city of Corinth, he says he "determined not to know anything among [them], except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified" (1 Cor. 2:2). The book of Revelation is also a presentation of the cross of Christ. In code language, "the Lamb as though it had been slain" (5:6) is the same message as Paul's theme in Corinth. More than 25 times we find that word "Lamb" in Revelation--the book is the most cross-centered book in the Bible! It's the same as Paul's message of "Christ, and Him crucified." Without discerning this truth, the fanatics or enthusiasts find Revelation to be their playground.

As we near the end of time, their confusion will become more and more painful to endure. Each will proclaim that he knows the secret of "finishing God's work," "listen to me!" But he "multiplies words. ... The labor of fools wearies [everyone], for they do not even know how to go to the city!" (Eccl. 10:12-15). Are you bewildered by the multiplicity of voices crying "Lo here! or, lo there!" (Luke 17:21)?

Psalm 46 was written for this time of cataclysmic confusion when "the waters [are] troubled" and "mountains [are] carried into the midst of the sea." The counsel is, "Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations. I will be exalted in the earth!" The language is that of Revelation 18:1-4. Be wise and patient; spend time on your knees alone with God so that you are ready to discern that true last-days' message of the cross.

If you were God, what would you do to heal the wounds in the Israeli/Palestinian conflict?

If you were God, what would you do to heal the wounds in the Israeli/Palestinian conflict? You may say, "I'm glad it's not my responsibility!" but something Jesus said may indicate that He wants His people to share this burden with Him.

He speaks to His last-days church in Revelation 3 and says, "To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with Me in My throne, even as I also overcame ..." (vs. 21). It's easy to think of this great honor as bestowed only after "the great controversy" is finally ended. But this may be a superficial understanding.

It's before Jesus comes the second time in the clouds of heaven that "His bride hath made herself ready" for the "marriage of the Lamb." It's before He returns that they "grow up into Him," "unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ" (Eph. 4:15, 13). It's before His return that "the harvest of the earth [becomes] ripe" (Rev. 14:15). The Bible speaks of a time when "the saints shall judge the world" (1 Cor. 6:2-4), which may not be only during the millennium. Apparently, the Bible picture suggests that "the saints" are not merely passengers on the Good Ship Zion; they are the crew. The Captain invites Laodicea onto the upper deck with Himself.

Jesus has invited you to "sit with [Him] on [His] throne"; what would you do to bring genuine peace to end this terrible conflict? Celestial military hardware to drive either one or the other side into the sea wouldn't solve any problem.

Someone Special was once an inhabitant of that land; His earthly citizenship was there. At that time, He says He had "not where to lay His head" (Matt. 8:20). When He died, He was penniless. His executioners even stripped Him of His clothes. He was in fact a Citizen of heaven who had "emptied Himself" of all the prerogatives of that Citizenship. He cast in His lot with humanity--for eternity. Even today, He identifies with the poor and downtrodden of earth.

What the Bible says makes us squirm uncomfortably. Jesus CAN do something; but He needs the cooperation of His people. Yes, and their understanding, too. He longs for their close fellowship. Let us pray.

Now will I rise, saith the Lord; now will I be exalted; now will I lift up myself. (Isaiah 33:10)

Now will I rise, saith the Lord; now will I be exalted; now will I lift up myself. (Isaiah 33:10)

When the spoilers had made the land as waste as if devoured by locusts, and the warriors who had defended the country sat down and wept like women, then the Lord came to the rescue. When travelers ceased from the roads to Zion, and Bashan and Carmel were as vineyards from which the fruit has failed, then the Lord arose. God is exalted in the midst of an afflicted people, for they seek His face and trust Him. He is still more exalted when in answer to their cries He lifts up Himself to deliver them and overthrow their enemies.

Is it a day of sorrow with us? Let us expect to see the Lord glorified in our deliverance. Are we drawn out in fervent prayer? Do we cry day and night unto Him? Then the set time for His grace is near. God will lift up Himself at the right season. He will arise when it will be most for the display of His glory. We wish for His glory more than we long for our own deliverance. Let the Lord be exalted, and our chief desire is obtained.

Lord, help us in such a way that we may see that Thou Thyself art working. May we magnify Thee in our inmost souls. Make all around us to see how good and great a God Thou art.

For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance. (Matthew 13:12)

For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance. (Matthew 13:12)

 

When the Lord has given to a man much grace, He will give him more. A little faith is a nest egg; more faith will come to it. But then it must not be seeming faith, but real and true. What a necessity is laid upon us to make sure work in religion and not to profess much, and possess nothing! For one of these days the very profession will be taken from us, if that be all we have. The threatening is as true as the promise.

 

Blessed be the Lord, it is His way when He has once made a beginning to go on bestowing the graces of His Spirit, till He who had but little, and yet truly had that little, is made to have abundance. Oh, for that abundance! Abundance of grace is a thing to be coveted. It would be well to know much but better to love much. It would be delightful to have abundance of skill to serve God but better still to have abundance of faith to trust in the Lord for skill and everything.

 

Lord, since Thou hast given me a sense of sin, deepen my hatred of evil. Since Thou hast caused me to trust Jesus, raise my faith to full assurance. Since Thou hast made me to love Thee, cause me to be carried away with vehement affection for Thee!

When the Lord has given to a man much grace, He will give him more.

For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance. (Matthew 13:12)

When the Lord has given to a man much grace, He will give him more. A little faith is a nest egg; more faith will come to it. But then it must not be seeming faith, but real and true. What a necessity is laid upon us to make sure work in religion and not to profess much, and possess nothing! For one of these days the very profession will be taken from us, if that be all we have. The threatening is as true as the promise.

Blessed be the Lord, it is His way when He has once made a beginning to go on bestowing the graces of His Spirit, till He who had but little, and yet truly had that little, is made to have abundance. Oh, for that abundance! Abundance of grace is a thing to be coveted. It would be well to know much but better to love much. It would be delightful to have abundance of skill to serve God but better still to have abundance of faith to trust in the Lord for skill and everything.

Lord, since Thou hast given me a sense of sin, deepen my hatred of evil. Since Thou hast caused me to trust Jesus, raise my faith to full assurance. Since Thou hast made me to love Thee, cause me to be carried away with vehement affection for Thee!

"Whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely."-Revelation 22:17

"Whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely."-Revelation 22:17

Jesus says, "take freely." He wants no payment or preparation. He seeks no recommendation from our virtuous emotions. If you have no good feelings, if you be but willing, you are invited; therefore come! You have no belief and no repentance,-come to Him, and He will give them to you. Come just as you are, and take "Freely," without money and without price. He gives Himself to needy ones. The drinking fountains at the corners of our streets are valuable institutions; and we can hardly imagine any one so foolish as to feel for his purse, when he stands before one of them, and to cry, "I cannot drink because I have not five pounds in my pocket." However poor the man is, there is the fountain, and just as he is he may drink of it. Thirsty passengers, as they go by, whether they are dressed in fustian or in broadcloth, do not look for any warrant for drinking; its being there is their warrant for taking its water freely. The liberality of some good friends has put the refreshing crystal there and we take it, and ask no questions. Perhaps the only persons who need go thirsty through the street where there is a drinking fountain, are the fine ladies and gentlemen who are in their carriages. They are very thirsty, but cannot think of being so vulgar as to get out to drink. It would demean them, they think, to drink at a common drinking fountain: so they ride by with parched lips. Oh, how many there are who are rich in their own good works and cannot therefore come to Christ! "I will not be saved," they say, "in the same way as the harlot or the swearer." What! go to heaven in the same way as a chimney sweep. Is there no pathway to glory but the path which led the thief there? I will not be saved that way. Such proud boasters must remain without the living water; but, "WHOSOEVER WILL, LET HIM TAKE THE WATER OF LIFE FREELY."

Have you ever known someone who was faithful and obedient to the Lord, yet who was left to suffer sickness and pain for a long time

Have you ever known someone who was faithful and obedient to the Lord, yet who was left to suffer sickness and pain for a long time, unhealed? Yes, it does encourage us to hear stories of other people whose prayers were answered miraculously. But for some people, the miraculous answer doesn't come.

I knew of one case, a lady whose ministry blessed many people, whose love and unselfishness were unquestioned, whose life record was one of wonderful good works, yet her illness went on and on. Have you suffered and yet it seemed your prayers were not answered? Let me encourage you:

Elisha was undoubtedly a man of God, a true prophet, yet he became ill and he actually died of his sickness (read 2 Kings 13:14). Can you imagine Elisha praying for healing and wondering why the Lord did not heal him? If anybody had merit accumulated by a life of good works, he did. Why did God leave him to suffer until he died?

And then there is Paul, so sick that he almost died (2 Corinthians 12); well, yes, Paul must have been healed, but he tells us that when he begged the Lord three times to take away the "thorn in his flesh," the Lord said No. Why? Doesn't the Lord answer our prayers? Yes, He answered Paul's with a straight-out No. But that "No" brought immense joy and peace to Paul's heart and he was on Cloud Nine from then on because the Lord said, "My grace is sufficient for thee; for My strength is made perfect in weakness" (which means human helplessness). Then Paul said, "Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. ... For when I am weak, then am I strong" (2 Cor. 12:7-10).

The real Good News in suffering like this is that you become "a partaker with Christ in His sufferings" (1 Peter 4:13) and that is real cause for rejoicing.

The Lord hath heard my supplication; the Lord will receive my payer.(Psalm 6:9)

The Lord hath heard my supplication; the Lord will receive my payer.(Psalm 6:9)

The experience here recorded is mine. I can set to my seal that God is true. In very wonderful ways He has answered the prayers of His servant many and many a time. Yes, and He is hearing my present supplication, and He is not turning away His ear from me. Blessed be His holy name.

What then? Why, for certain the promise which lies sleeping in the psalmist's believing confidence is also mine. Let me grasp it by the hand of faith: "The Lord will receive my prayer." He will accept it, think of it, and grant it in the way and time which His loving wisdom judges to be best. I bring my poor prayer in my hand to the great King, and He gives me audience and graciously receives my petition. My enemies will not listen to me, but my Lord will. They ridicule my tearful prayers, but my Lord does not; He receives my prayer into His ear and His heart.

What a reception this is for a poor sinner! We receive Jesus, and then the Lord receives us and our prayers for His Son's sake. Blessed be that dear name which franks our prayers so that they freely pass even within the golden gates. Lord, teach me to pray, since Thou hearest my prayers.

Revelation 3:14-21 focuses attention on what Jesus Christ has to say to "the angel of the church of the Laodiceans."

Revelation 3:14-21 focuses attention on what Jesus Christ has to say to "the angel of the church of the Laodiceans." He is obviously trying His best to get that "angel's" attention. According to this message in Revelation, His problem seems the most difficult He has had in our 6000 years of human history. Unless He can find a way to solve the problem of "the angel's [being] ... lukewarm," how can He not emerge eternally embarrassed for His ultimate failure?

(1) Note that the message is not addressed to the church itself; no, the addressee is "the angel," the leadership of the church (cf. 1:20). The two are not the same.

(2) His "I will spue thee out of My mouth" means literally (in the Greek), "You make Me so sick at My stomach that I feel like throwing up." His pain of acute nausea is intense! He is loyal and He is kind, but that's how the Son of God says He feels about the leadership of His church. But who is He speaking to? Who is "the angel of the church?"

(3) "Leadership" = all levels from bishops down to local elders and kindergarten teachers. What makes Christ feel nauseous is the heart assumption of being "rich" in our "relationship" with Him, our loyalty to Him, when in fact of all these 6000 years we are the most pathetic spectacle strutting on the stage of the world and of the universe (vs. 17).

(4) In a last-ditch appeal, He begs us to sit in the kindergarten and learn what "faith" is--the "gold tried in the fire." What has blinded us is the vain assumption of an historical "enrichment" that is simply untrue (the literal Greek says, "you say ... I HAVE been enriched, when you are unconscious of your utter spiritual poverty," vs. 17).

(5) This strange Laodicean message is illuminated all through the Bible. For example, in his chapter 12:6-13:1, Zechariah saw in vision the final process of healing: "the house of David" (leadership, obviously) will lead the way to the cross where our corporate part in the crucifixion of Christ will become painfully apparent (vs. 10). Then comes hope!

(6) The result: an unprecedented heart-cleansing for both leadership and people (13:1).

Have you wondered why God apparently doesn't intervene to heal more sick people, miraculously?

Have you wondered why God apparently doesn't intervene to heal more sick people, miraculously? Medical science does heal many--but does that mean that the Great Physician has virtually abdicated His healing role to the medical profession?

Could there be a different circumstance today than there was 2000 years ago when Christ and His apostles did heal the sick, cleansed the lepers, gave sight to the blind, even raised the dead?

We know that (a) the message of the cross was more vividly proclaimed then (1 Cor. 2:1-3; Gal. 6:14, etc.), resulting in (b) deeper, more thorough conversions, (c) making it safer for the Lord to work these miracles because (d) the healed persons would "henceforth" be "constrained to live unto Him who died for them, and rose again" (2 Cor. 5:15).

We know Christ "is the same yesterday, today, and forever" (Heb. 13:8), which means He is still compassionate. He doesn't like to see people suffer, for He suffers with them (Isa. 63:9).

Therefore we can only conclude that the most important ministry of healing is proclaiming the only message that can reconcile alienated hearts to God--the genuine gospel of His grace, unmixed with any element of legalism or Babylonian confusion. A wise writer tells us that in the final work, "miracles will be wrought, the sick will be healed" (The Great Controversy, p. 612). That must mean that in that same final work, the pure true gospel will again be recovered and proclaimed. If the Lord can give us the grace to be humble in heart today, we can begin at least to recover that blessing, and that will be Good News.

The Lord God is my strength, and he will make my feet like hind's feet (Habakkuk 3:19)

The Lord God is my strength, and he will make my feet like hind's feet, and he will make me to walk upon mine high places. (Habakkuk 3:19)

This confidence of the man of God is tantamount to a promise, for that which faith is persuaded of is the purpose of God. The prophet had to traverse the deep places of poverty and famine, but he went down hill without slipping, for the Lord gave him standing. By and by he was called to the high places of the hills of conflict; and he was no more afraid to go up than to go down.

See! The Lord lent him strength. Nay, Jehovah Himself was his strength. Think of that: the almighty God Himself becomes our strength!

Note that the Lord also gave him surefootedness. The hinds leap over rock and crag, never missing their footholds. Our Lord will give us grace to follow the most difficult paths of duty without a stumble. He can fit our foot for the crags so that we shall be at home where apart from God we should perish.

One of these days we shall be called to higher places still. Up yonder we shall climb, even to the mount of God, the high places where the shining ones are gathered. Oh, what feet are the feet of faith, by which, following the hind of the morning, we shall ascend into the hill of the Lord!

"If the Son shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed."

For now will I break his yoke from off thee, and will burst thy bonds in sunder. (Nahum 1:13)

The Assyrian was allowed for a season to oppress the Lord's people, but there came a time for his power to be broken. So, many a heart is held in bondage by Satan and frets sorely under the yoke. Oh, that to such prisoners of hope the word of the Lord may come at once, according to the text, "Now will I break his yoke from off thee, and will burst thy bonds in sunder!"

See! The Lord promises a present deliverance. "Now will I break his yoke from off thee." Believe for immediate freedom, and according to thy faith so shall it be unto thee at this very hour. When God saith "now," let no man say "tomorrow."

See how complete the rescue is to be; for the yoke is not to be removed but broken; and the bonds are not to be untied but burst asunder. Here is a display of divine force which guarantees that the oppressor shall not return. His yoke is broken, we cannot again be bowed down by its weight. His bonds, are burst asunder, they can no longer hold us. Oh, to believe in Jesus for complete and everlasting emancipation! "If the Son shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed." Come, Lord, and set free Thy captives, according to Thy Word.