Now is the Time to Shine

Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen
upon thee. Isa. 60:1.

We need now to arise and shine, for our light has come, and the glory
of the Lord has risen upon us. We have no time to talk of self, no time to
become like the sensitive plant, that cannot be touched without shrinking.
In Jesus Christ is our sufficiency. Will we talk faith? Will we talk of the
glorious hope, of the full and abundant righteousness of Jesus Christ,
provided for every soul? . . .

The whole heavenly universe is interested, and the love of God is
exercised in behalf of His faithful, commandment-keeping people. It is God
in whom we must trust. . . . God has the world in His hand. We have God on
our side. All heaven is waiting and longing for our cooperation. The Lord is
supreme. Why then should we fear? The Lord is almighty; why should we
tremble? In the past God has delivered His people, and He will be our helper
if we will arise in His strength and go forward.

The Bible and the Bible only is to be our refuge. God is in His Word.
"He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied." That is
enough for us. "By his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many;
for he shall bear their iniquities" (Isa. 53:11). If the great and loving
heart of God is satisfied with the result of His mission in the souls saved,
let us rejoice. Let us work as we have never done before. Let us put self
aside and lay hold of Jesus Christ by faith. Let us reveal Him to the world
as the One altogether lovely and the chiefest among ten thousand.

"After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could
number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before
the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in
their hands; and cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which
sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb" (Rev. 7:9, 10).

>From That I May Know Him - Page 342

Sweet Music in Heaven

Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the
least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. Matt. 25:40.

Christ says to His redeemed people, "Come, ye blessed of my Father,
inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: for I
was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I
was a stranger, and ye took me in: naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and
ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me" (Matt. 25:34-36). . . .


Prayers, exhortation, and talk are cheap fruits, which are frequently
tied on, but fruits that are manifested in good works, in caring for the
needy, the fatherless, and widows, are genuine fruits, and grow naturally
upon a good tree. . . . When hearts sympathize with hearts burdened with
discouragement and grief, when the hand dispenses to the needy, when the
naked are clothed, the stranger made welcome to a seat at your fireside and
to a place in your heart, angels are coming very near, and an answering
strain is responded to in heaven. Every act, every deed of justice and mercy
and benevolence, makes sweet music ring in heaven. The Father from His
throne beholds and numbers them with His most precious treasures. "And they
shall be mine, saith the Lord of hosts, when I make up my jewels." ...

Our heavenly Father lays blessings disguised in our pathway, which some
will not touch for fear they will detract from their enjoyment. Angels are
waiting to see if we embrace opportunities within our reach of doing
good--waiting to see if we will bless others, that they in turn may bless
us. The Lord Himself has made us to differ--some poor, some rich, some
afflicted--that all may have an opportunity to develop a character. The poor
are purposely permitted of God to be thus, that we might be tested and
proved, and develop what is in our hearts.

Every merciful act done to the needy, the suffering, is counted as
though it were done to Jesus Himself. When you succor the poor, sympathize
with the afflicted and oppressed, and befriend the orphan, you bring
yourselves into a closer relationship to Jesus.

>From That I May Know Him - Page 335

Christ is Our Message!

For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ,
and him crucified. 1 Cor. 2:2.

The burden of our message should be the mission and life of Jesus
Christ. Let there be a dwelling upon the humiliation, self-denial, meekness,
and lowliness of Christ, that proud and selfish hearts may see the
difference between themselves and the Pattern, and may be humbled. . . .

Describe, if human language can, the humiliation of the Son of God, and
think not that you have reached the climax when you see Him exchanging the
throne of light and glory which He had with the Father for humanity. He came
forth from heaven to earth, and while on earth, He bore the curse of God as
surety for the fallen race. He was not obliged to do this. He chose to bear
the wrath of God, which man had incurred.... He chose to endure the cruel
mockings, the deridings, the scourging, and the crucifixion. . . . "He . . .
became obedient unto death," but the manner of His death was an astonishment
to the universe, for it was even the death of the cross.

Christ was not insensible to ignominy and disgrace. He felt it all most
bitterly. He felt it as much more deeply and acutely than we can feel
suffering, as His nature was more exalted and pure and holy than that of the
sinful race for whom He suffered. He was the Majesty of heaven, He was equal
with the Father, He was the Commander of the hosts of angels, yet He died
for man the death that was, above all others, clothed with ignominy and
reproach. O that the haughty hearts of men might realize this! O that they
might enter into the meaning of redemption and seek to learn the meekness
and lowliness of Jesus! ...

The gifts of Him who has all power in heaven and in earth are in store
for the children of God. Gifts so precious that they come to us through the
costly sacrifice of the Redeemer's blood, gifts that will satisfy the
deepest craving of the heart, gifts lasting as eternity, will be received
and enjoyed by all who will come to God as little children.

>From That I May Know Him - Page 339

Trading on God's Gifts

And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one;
to every man according to his several ability; and straightway took his
journey. Matt. 25:15.

The parable of the talents ... has a personal and individual
application to every man, woman, and child possessed of the powers of
reason. Your obligation and responsibility are in proportion to the talents
God has bestowed upon you. . . .

When the master of the house called his servants, he gave to every man
his work. The whole family of God are included in the responsibility of
using their Lord's goods. Every individual, from the lowliest and most
obscure to the greatest and most exalted, is a moral agent endowed with
abilities for which he is accountable to God. . . . The spiritual, mental,
and physical ability, the influence, station, possessions, affections,
sympathies, all are precious talents to be used in the cause of the
Master....

Let the businessman do his business in a way that will glorify his
Master because of his fidelity. Let him carry his religion into everything
that is done, and reveal to men the Spirit of Christ. Let the mechanic be a
diligent and faithful representative of Him who toiled in the lowly walks of
life in the cities of Judea. Let every one who names the name of Christ so
work, that man by seeing his good works may be led to glorify his Creator
and Redeemer. . . .

Those who have been blessed with superior talents should not depreciate
the value of the services of those who are less gifted than themselves. The
smallest trust is a trust from God. The one talent, through diligent use
with the blessing of God, will be doubled, and the two used in the service
of Christ will be increased to four; and thus the humblest instrument may
grow in power and usefulness. The earnest purpose, the self-denying efforts,
are all seen, appreciated, and accepted by the God of heaven.... God alone
can estimate the worth of their service and see the far-reaching influence
of him who works for the glory of his Maker.

>From That I May Know Him - Page 324

When our prayers seem not to be answered, we are to cling to the promise; for the time of answering will come, and we shall receive the blessing we need most.
SC 96

Treat our Bibles like our Cell Phones

*I wonder what would happened if we treated our Bibles like we treat our cell phones*

-What if we carried it around in our purses or our pockets? -What if we flipped through it several times a day? -What if we turned back to go get it if we forgot it? -What if we used it to receive messages from the text? -What if we treated it like we could not live without it? -What if we give it to our kids as gifts? -What if we used it in case of emergency? -What if we felt we could'nt drive, work, vacation; or simply put, travel anywhere without it?

Hmmm, something to think about; by the way, where is your bible? Oh, and one more thing; unlike your cell phone, you don't have to worry about your Bible ever being dissconnected, and you'll never have a dropped call.Why, you ask? It's simply, Christ has paid the bill in full!

I Will be a Christian at Home

{Love} doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil. 1 Cor. 13:5



Much may be gained by self discipline in the home. . . . Let each make life as pleasant as possible for the other. Cultivate respect in the speech. Preserve unity and love. Satan will have no power over those who fully control themselves in the home. {ML 84.2}
We must have the Spirit of God, or we can never have harmony in the home. . . . We cannot cherish home affection with too much care; for the home, if the Spirit of the Lord dwells there, is a type of heaven. . . . Everything that would tend to mar the peace and unity of the family circle must be repressed. Kindness and love, the spirit of tenderness and forbearance, will be cherished. If one errs, the other will exercise Christlike forbearance. {ML 84.3}
He who manifests the spirit of tenderness, forbearance, and love will find that the same spirit will be reflected upon him. . . . If Christ indeed is formed within, the hope of glory, there will be union and love in the home. Christ abiding in the heart of the wife will be at agreement with Christ abiding in the heart of the husband. They will be striving together for the mansions Christ has gone to prepare for those who love Him. . . . Tender affection should ever be cherished between husband and wife, parents and children, brothers and sisters. . . . It is the duty of everyone in the family to be pleasant, to speak kindly. {ML 84.4}
A house with love in it, where love is expressed in words and looks and deeds, is a place where angels love to manifest their presence and hallow the scene by rays of light from glory. . . . Love should be seen in the looks and manners and heard in the tones of the voice.

* * * * *
Self-control on the part of all the members of the family will make home almost a paradise.

{My Life Today 84.6}