Ye Are Complete In Him  [Contd.] “The religion of Christ will take away all the ruggedness of the character, and will melt and subdue the soul. It is the Spirit of God that we need. Let the work begin by turning to the Lord with full purpose of heart, that the heart may be softened, and that Christ may mould and fashion you after his own divine image. But many feel that they cannot go to Jesus in confidence. They say, “It does not seem as though God heard my prayers. I have tried and tried to rid my soul of sin, but I cannot do it.” Then say, “Lord, I am powerless to cleanse and save myself, and I cast my helpless soul on thee.” That is what Jacob did. All night long he had been wrestling with One whom he supposed was his enemy; but it was the great I AM, the mighty God, the Prince of peace; and just as long as he continued his wrestling, he found no comfort, no hope. It was a life-and-death question with him, and his strength was almost exhausted. Then the Angel touched his thigh, and he knew that he wrestled with no common adversary. Wounded and helpless, Jacob fell upon his bosom, just as you and I must do, just as any soul does when he falls upon the Rock and is broken. “Let me go for the day breaketh,” pleaded the angel; but Jacob ceased not his intercession, and Christ had to make terms with this helpless, broken, penitent soul, in accordance with his own character: “And let him take hold of my strength, and make peace with me; and he shall make peace with me.” Our precious Saviour cannot tear himself away from a soul wounded and helpless, and crying unto him for aid. Jacob pleaded with determined spirit, “I will not let thee go except thou bless me.” Who was it that inspired this spirit of persistence?—It was He who wrestled with the patriarch: it was He who gave him the victory, who changed his name from Jacob to Israel, and said, “As a prince hast thou power with God, and with men, and hast prevailed.” But many of you say, “The nearer I seek to come to Christ, the worse I feel. “Did not Jacob have this very experience? As you see the wounds and bruises that sin has made in you, look upon the bruised body of your divine Redeemer, wounded in your behalf, that the marks which sin has made may be healed. Have you not again and again felt distressed and agonized in looking to yourself for merit? I have. And now...

Not Philosophy but Christ: Colossians 2:1-10 When Moses prayed, “Lord, show me thy glory,” the Lord took this atom of humanity, who was yet a mighty man of faith, and placed him in the cleft of the rock, and covered him with his hand, and the Lord passed by before him, and proclaimed, The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty.” The glory of the Lord is his goodness and love. Then do not teach your children that God frowns upon them, but that when they sin they grieve the Spirit of God, who always loves them. Draw your children to Jesus. But if you would draw your children to Jesus, you must not enter your home with cross words, with a frown upon your brow. If you come from your business weary and worn, just plead with God for his grace, for his restful spirit, that your heart may be melted into tenderness, and that your lips may be filled with words of kindness and comfort. Bind your children to your heart. Recommend your religion to them by its pleasantness. Your children are a part of you, and can you bear to have them separated from you in the day of Christ’s coming? Give them a representation of the character of Christ, by your own Christlike character, and let your home be as a heaven upon earth.”  Excerpt from ”Bible Echo and Signs of the Times by Ellen G. White Prayer. Dear Father I need Your  presence today, Lord. Help me to honor You with my thoughts and my words under the guidance of Your Holy Spirit and help me to be a blessing to those around me and those I come in contact with today....

“O Lord , thou art my God; I will exalt thee, I will praise thy name; for thou hast done wonderful things; thy counsels of old are faithfulness and truth.” Isaiah 25:1 KJV]

[ John 10:10. NKJV]  “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.”  entire...

 The Upward Look, p 65 by E G White   “For He doth not afflict willingly nor grieve the children of men.”Lamentations 3:33. Our heavenly Father does not willingly afflict or grieve the children of men. He has His purpose in the whirlwind and the storm, in the fire and in the flood. The Lord permits calamities to come to His people to save them from greater dangers. He desires everyone to examine his own heart closely and carefully, and then draw near to God, that God may draw near to him. Our life is in the hands of God. He sees dangers threatening us that we cannot see. He is the Giver of all our blessings; the Provider of all our mercies; the Orderer of all our experiences. He sees the perils that we cannot see. He may permit to come upon His people that which fills their hearts with sadness, because He sees that they need to make straight paths for their feet, lest the lame be turned out of the way. He knows our frame, and remembers that we are dust. Even the very hairs of our head are numbered. He works through natural causes to lead His people to remember that He has not forgotten them, but that He desires them to forsake the way which, if they were permitted to follow unchecked and unreproved, would lead them into great peril. Trials come to us all to lead us to investigate our hearts, to see if they are purified from all that defiles. Constantly the Lord is working for our present and eternal good. Things occur which seem inexplainable, but if we trust in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him, humbling our hearts before Him, He will not permit the enemy to triumph. The Lord will save His people in His own way, by such means and instrumentalities that the glory will be returned to Him. To Him alone belongs the praise…. Every soul that is saved must be a partaker with Christ of His sufferings, that he may be a partaker with Him of His glory. How few understand why God subjects them to trial. It is by the trial of our faith that we gain spiritual strength. The Lord seeks to educate His people to lean wholly upon Him. He desires them, through the lessons that He teaches them, to become more and more spiritualized. If His Word is not followed in all humility and meekness, He brings to them experiences which, if rightly received, will help to prepare them for the work to be done in His name. God desires to reveal His power in a marked manner through the lives of His...

“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God.” [Ephesians 2:8]  “We who have fallen through the transgression of the law of God have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. The way is open for everyone to prepare himself for the second appearing of Jesus Christ, that at His appearing we may be vindicated, having put away all evil, and having overcome through the cleansing blood of Christ. Through the intercession of Christ, the image of God is renewed in mind, and heart, and character. Through the blood of the only-begotten Son of God, we obtain redemption…. We are in this world to honor God, and from every devising that would in any way tempt us to dishonor our Redeemer, we must turn away. In Christ we have before us the Pattern of all righteousness. He has pledged Himself to be our Guide, our Preserver, our Governor…. We are transgressors of God’s law. Our only hope for salvation was in Christ taking upon Himself the guilt of our sins, bearing the penalty of transgression in His own body on the tree. He made a full oblation of sacrifice, and by that one oblation of Himself made it possible for us to live in obedience to God’s commands…. We are to become His loyal subjects, having pure and undefiled religion, and depending upon the one grand principle, “By grace are ye saved through faith.” … I beseech everyone to walk and work in the fear of God. Satan is always seeking to bring poor souls who have lost their bearings to the settled determination that they will act as they please. We must stand where we reflect light…. God’s grace is great, and those who will press closer and closer to the side of Christ will not be overcome. We shall gain everything by drawing near to God and humbling ourselves before Him. As we do this, let us remember that we are heirs of God and joint heirs of Christ; that we are to be partakers of the divine nature. I say to all, Let not one unholy thought or feeling be cherished. The power of the grace of Christ is wonderful. When the enemy comes in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord lifts up for the trusting believer a standard against the enemy. Pray, brethren and sisters, pray for your individual selves. The love and grace of Christ far surpass our finite conceptions. Plead as for your lives to be cleansed from everything that defileth. Put on Christ in deportment, and show an unselfish interest and kindness for the souls of all. We...

Psalm 139:23-24 King James Version (KJV)  23 Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: 24 And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.  Prayer/Song Search Me, O God Search me, O God, And know my heart today; Try me, O Savior, Know my thoughts, I pray. See if there be Some wicked way in me; Cleanse me from every sin And set me free. I praise Thee, Lord, For cleansing me from sin; Fulfill Thy Word, And make me pure within. Fill me with fire Where once I burned with shame; Grant my desire To magnify Thy Name. Lord, take my life, And make it wholly Thine; Fill my poor heart With Thy great love divine. Take all my will, My passion, self, and pride; I now surrender, Lord, In me abide. O Holy Ghost, Revival comes from Thee; Send a revival, Start the work in me. Thy Word declares Thou wilt supply our need; For blessings now, O Lord, I humbly plead. “Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” (Psalm 139:23-24) Composer James Edwin Orr Writes Search Me O God, also Known as Cleanse Me  (1912-1987) was a well-known Baptist minister, historian, lecturer, author and revivalist. He wrote numerous books and composed a number of...