Encouragement

If we would only do as the Lord desires us to, our hearts would become as sacred harps, every chord of which would sound forth praise and gratitude to the Redeemer sent by God to take away the sin of the world. With joy we would be able to say, "Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ; by whom also we have access by faith into the grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also; knowing that tribulation worketh patience; and patience, experience; and experience, hope; and hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit which is given unto us." {RH, October 1, 1908 par. 4}
When temptations assail you, as they surely will, when care and perplexity surround you, when, distressed and discouraged, you are almost ready to yield to despair, look, O look, to where with the eye of faith you last saw the light; and the darkness that encompasseth you will be dispelled by the bright shining of his glory. When sin struggles for the mastery in your soul, and burdens the conscience, when unbelief clouds the mind, go to the Saviour. His grace is sufficient to subdue sin. He will pardon us, making us joyful in God. {RH, October 1, 1908 par. 5}
Looking at self, we see only weakness, and we forget God's purpose for us. We forget that he placed on us so high a value that he gave Christ to die for us. O, after all that has been done for us, how can we disappoint Christ by failing to live the life that he has made it possible for us to live? Let us no longer talk of our inefficiency and lack of power. Forgetting the things that are behind, let us press forward in the heavenward way. Let us neglect no opportunity that, if improved, will make us more useful in God's service. Then like threads of gold, holiness will run through our lives, and the angels, beholding our consecration, will repeat the promise, "I will make a man more precious than fine gold; even a man than the golden wedge of Ophir." All heaven rejoices when weak, faulty human beings give themselves to Jesus, to live his life.

We may claim sanctification...

The Scriptures teach us to seek for the sanctification to God of body, soul, and spirit. In this work we are to be laborers together with God. Much may be done to restore the moral image of God in man, to improve the physical, mental, and moral capabilities. Great changes can be made in the physical system by obeying the laws of God and bringing into the body nothing that defiles. And while we cannot claim perfection of the flesh, we may have Christian perfection of the soul. Through the sacrifice made in our behalf, sins may be perfectly forgiven. Our dependence is not in what man can do; it is in what God can do for man through Christ. When we surrender ourselves wholly to God, and fully believe, the blood of Christ cleanses from all sin. The conscience can be freed from condemnation. Through faith in His blood, all may be made perfect in Christ Jesus. Thank God that we are not dealing with impossibilities.

We may claim sanctification! We may enjoy the favor of God!

We are not to be anxious about what Christ and God think of us, but about what God thinks of Christ, our Substitute. Ye are accepted in the Beloved. The Lord shows, to the repenting, believing one, that Christ accepts the surrender of the soul, to be molded and fashioned after His own likeness.

2SM 32.3 (emphasis added)

don't forget

hey guys, i hope you are all doing well. listen, it's been almost a year since we started ARISE, and i don't want you to forget the experience we had. about a month ago, i was in troy shopping at the mall with my family, and after we finished i visited the Somerset Apartments neighborhood and the Troy church. even though there was nobody there, i thought of all the memories of morning chapels, falling asleep in class (haha) and returning from outreach to share testimonies of how the Lord had tried our patience and taught us to let Him lead. there were times on outreach that irrefutably could only have been orchestrated by the Divine hand. each one of us had many of those experiences.

the reason i am writing this is because many of us will be starting school soon, or working, or doing some kind of full time ministry, and i don't want a single person to forget that God was definitely leading us. as a matter of fact, He'd still like to, but are you giving Him the time to tell you how to live? perhaps you're too busy, maybe even too busy doing ministry that you don't have enough time for your personal time with Christ in the morning, and you're getting worn out. so please, take a step back and review your life with God, and ask Him to FULLY come into your life without you getting in the way. fully SURRENDER, and be vulnerable to the Spirit of God so HE can show you the way you ought to live, and what you should do. "The safest place in the world is in the center of God's will." remember, "We have nothing to fear for the future, except as we shall forget the way the Lord has led us, and His teaching in our past history."

Revelation 2:10- "Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer. Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life."

Revelation 22:12- “And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work."

P.S. By the way, I saw Kayleen Burt and Josh Maloon a few days ago while I was visiting some friends in Berrien Springs. Kayleen's baby is doing well, and Josh is going to Palawan, Philippines as a missionary with AFM for at least a year. keep them in your prayers.

Kyrgyz Republic

A very good friend of mine is going to Kyrgyzstan soon and I was wondering if any of my fellow ARISE-ers know any body near there that my friend could meet with. I would love an email or a call if you know someone. Thanks.

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Escaping Death...

This was just passing through my mind, and I wanted to offer it as encouragement to all who will read it:

2 Peter 1:2-4
Grace and peace be multiplied to you through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, according as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who has called us to glory and virtue, through which He has given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, so that by these you might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

Here's my paltry attempt at even beginning to understand what that really means:

1. We receive grace and peace on the principle of multiplication through a growing knowledge of God and Jesus.

2. This is the result of His power gives us everything that has anything to do with life and godliness (once again through our knowledge of Him--which give me the idea we really need to get to know Him better).

3. He has set us apart to exemplify glory and virtue.

4. Through Him, who set us apart, we receive EXCEEDING (I love that word) great and precious promises.

5. By these promises, we may receive the Divine nature (HAVE MERCY!).

6. By these promises, we may escape from this world, its corruption (which is ever-increasing through unsanctified desires), and the end result of it (death).

Praise God for the promises of The One who loved us to death, that we may escape death and receive again the sinless nature we lost in Eden!

What God Prizes

Sometimes it feels like the work we're trying to do for God is hardly making a drop in the vast ocean of need...I felt this way this week...and then a friend sent me a reminder that I thought I'd pass on.

"It is not the great results we attain, but the motives from which we act, that weigh with God. He prizes goodness and faithfulness more than the greatness of the work accomplished." 2T 510-511

"And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart." Gal 6:9

"Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord." 1 Cor 15:58