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Welcome
to Rose's Devotional
 Date Feb 3, 2012 Previous We Are the Light of the World
Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid. Matt 5:14.
Our duty will only be discerned and appreciated when viewed in the light which shines from the life of Christ. As the sun rises in the east and passes toward the west, filling the world with light, so the true follower of Christ will be a light unto the world. He will go forth into the world as a bright and shining light, that those who are in darkness may be lightened and warmed by the rays shining forth from him. Christ says of His followers, "Ye are the light of the world."
Those who do not work in hopefulness, keep themselves under a cloud of doubt. The enemy is not dead yet, and the nearer we come to the close of this earth's history, the more vigilant will be the efforts of satanic agencies to keep souls under a cloud of doubt, so that the light of heaven shall not be expressed in words and acts, to bring hope and cheer and courage to others. . . .
The world is full of hurry and disappointment. The words are addressed to you, "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven." The words in favor of truth, spoken with the assurance that comes from the possession of a right purpose, and in cheerful hope, from a pure heart, will make the angels rejoice. The Lord would have us spiritually minded, that we may be able to see the working out of His plans in our lives. We are to be laborers together with God in accomplishing the work that He would have done. Wherever we are, we are to reflect light.
When the grace of Christ is expressed in the words and works of the believers, light will shine forth to those who are in darkness; for while the lips are speaking to the praise of God, the hand will be stretched out in beneficence for the help of the perishing.
Sons and Daughters of God p. 276 ```````````````````````````````````````````````
Prayer requests:
-----Appointment for pathology report is next Thursday Please pray that it is clear other than the precancerous cells already found in biopsy!! Diane
-----Rich’s co-workers went to see him and was happy that he is improving. He knew who they were, and responded to them by smiling and nodding and whispering to them. Please continue to pray for his recovery.
-----Please pray that God will stop the heart attack for Jane and prevent any further damage to her heart. If it's God’s will for her, please pray He heals her heart completely. Fran
-----Please pray for Ronnie Jay. He has an ear infection. Rose
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Dear Friends
We once heard a sermon where the pastor was relating what had happened to him as a teen. It was his first experience living in a dorm. As he heard the students trying to outdo each other telling scary stories, he felt fingers of fear running up and down his spine.
One night, he came back to the dorm shortly after "lights out." The stories he had heard came to his mind. The deserted hallway added to his mood. Quietly, he tiptoed to his room. He opened the door as noiselessly as possible. The sound of his roommates' heavy breathing was all that he could hear. Not wanting to disturb them, he climbed into bed clothes and all and laid on top of the sheets.
He had not been in bed long, when he began to hear a strange noise coming from his closet. It sounded like fingernails scratching up and down on the inside of the door. Every nerve in his body was on edge. The hair on his head stood up from his fear. His breath was labored from fright.
Suddenly, there was a BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! coming from inside his closet. That was enough for him. Up he jumped and ran down the hall like a frightened deer. His yelling awakened the dean, who wanted to know what was going on. The man attempted to calm the terrified boy enough, so he would be able to explain the reason for this disturbance. He had his ideas as to the source of this noise.
The two of them trudged back to the young man's room. The dean turned on the light. The roommates looked surprised to find this "visitor" in their room. The man walked over to the closet and opened the door. The frightened boy closed his eyes not wanting to see what might be inside that closet. Nothing unusual was in there, however, just clothes hung on the rod and the usual jumble of clothes, shoes, and stuff on the floor.
Walking to the room next door, the dean knocked quietly. No answer. He knocked a little louder. A sleepy voice answered, "Just a minute." Moments later he was ushered inside. Three sleepy boys declared that they had heard nothing that sounded like scratching or any loud, booming knocks on the door.
The dean opened their closet door. He knew that the two closets joined back to back with only thin wallboard between them. Strangely, the boys' clothes were shoved to one side and the other. Looking carefully, the dean discovered a small hole in the wallboard---a hole just big enough for a broom handle to be poked through and scraped up and down on the next room's closet door or shoved in sharply to make a booming knock.
Even though this was only a trick by his roommates and the boys in the next room, not all unusual happenings are trickery. We have a very real enemy who will use any means he can to get us into his power. How careful we must be to shut every avenue that he can use to destroy us and our children. How vital to our future it is that we avoid movies, television, books, and stories that deal with the occult. This is not always easy for even the most harmless-appearing program often has references to mystics, wizards, ghosts, or horoscopes. Our language is so full of phrases that deal with such things that we hardly notice. Yet, all these tend to allow an opening for the evil one to enter in. Solomon advises, "Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life." Prov 4:23
Our Great Creator declares to us as He did too Israel of old, "Regard not them that have familiar spirits, neither seek after wizards, to be defiled by them: I am the LORD your God." "The soul that turneth after such as have familiar spirits, and after wizards, to go a whoring after them, I will even set my face against that soul, and will cut him off from among his people." Lev 19:31; 20:6 "There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch, Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer. For all that do these things are an abomination unto the LORD." Deut 18:10-12
Indeed, it was their delving into the idolatry and spiritualistic practices of the heathen that caused Israel to go into captivity throughout their generations. Shortly after the death of Joshua and that generation, "they forsook the LORD God of their fathers, which brought them out of the land of Egypt, and followed other gods, of the gods of the people that were round about them, and bowed themselves unto them, and provoked the LORD to anger. And they forsook the LORD, and served Baal and Ashtaroth. (1 Cor 10:20) And the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel, and he delivered them into the hands of spoilers that spoiled them, and he sold them into the hands of their enemies round about, so that they could not any longer stand before their enemies. Whithersoever they went out, the hand of the LORD was against them for evil, as the LORD had said, and as the LORD had sworn unto them: and they were greatly distressed. Nevertheless the LORD raised up judges, which delivered them out of the hand of those that spoiled them. And yet they would not hearken unto their judges, but they went a whoring after other gods, and bowed themselves unto them: they turned quickly out of the way which their fathers walked in, obeying the commandments of the LORD; but they did not so. And when the LORD raised them up judges, then the LORD was with the judge, and delivered them out of the hand of their enemies all the days of the judge: for it repented the LORD because of their groanings by reason of them that oppressed them and vexed them. And it came to pass, when the judge was dead, that they returned, and corrupted themselves more than their fathers, in following other gods to serve them, and to bow down unto them; they ceased not from their own doings, nor from their stubborn way." Judges 2:12-19
Throughout the times of the kings, they did the same. When they had a good king, the people tended to be good (at least outwardly). When the king worshipped idols and practiced divination, so did the nation. Finally, Israel was taken captive by Assyria and Judah by Babylon. The reason is recorded. "For so it was, that the children of Israel had sinned against the LORD their God, which had brought them up out of the land of Egypt, from under the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and had feared other gods, And walked in the statutes of the heathen, whom the LORD cast out from before the children of Israel, and of the kings of Israel, which they had made. And the children of Israel did secretly those things that were not right against the LORD their God, and they built them high places in all their cities, from the tower of the watchmen to the fenced city. And they set them up images and groves in every high hill, and under every green tree: And there they burnt incense in all the high places, as did the heathen whom the LORD carried away before them; and wrought wicked things to provoke the LORD to anger: For they served idols, whereof the LORD had said unto them, Ye shall not do this thing. Yet the LORD testified against Israel, and against Judah, by all the prophets, and by all the seers, saying, Turn ye from your evil ways, and keep my commandments and my statutes, according to all the law which I commanded your fathers, and which I sent to you by my servants the prophets. Notwithstanding they would not hear, but hardened their necks, like to the neck of their fathers, that did not believe in the LORD their God. And they rejected his statutes, and his covenant that he made with their fathers, and his testimonies which he testified against them; and they followed vanity, and became vain, and went after the heathen that were round about them, concerning whom the LORD had charged them, that they should not do like them. And they left all the commandments of the LORD their God, and made them molten images, even two calves, and made a grove, and worshipped all the host of heaven, and served Baal. And they caused their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire, and used divination and enchantments, and sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to anger. Therefore the LORD was very angry with Israel, and removed them out of his sight: there was none left but the tribe of Judah only. Also Judah kept not the commandments of the LORD their God, but walked in the statutes of Israel which they made. And the LORD rejected all the seed of Israel, and afflicted them, and delivered them into the hand of spoilers, until he had cast them out of his sight." 2 Kings 17:7-20
Let us remember what God said to those who dealt in the occult, "Let now the astrologers, the stargazers, the monthly prognosticators, stand up, and save thee from these things that shall come upon thee. Behold, they shall be as stubble; the fire shall burn them; they shall not deliver themselves from the power of the flame: there shall not be a coal to warm at, nor fire to sit before it." Isa 47:13, 14 Let us shut our eyes and ears to the occultish practices so prevalent around us. "Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things." Phil 4:8
Rose |
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