Daily Devotional

[EastCoastRemnant]

A Table Set Before Me​

Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him
up at the last day. For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. John 6:54,
55.​

Eternal life is the receiving of the living elements in the Scriptures, the doing of the will of
God. This is what is meant by eating the flesh and drinking the blood of the Son of God. It is the
privilege of all to partake of the bread of heaven by studying the Word, and thus gain spiritual
sinew and muscle.

Each one must appropriate the blessing to his own soul, or he will not be fed.... You know
you would not be nourished by seeing a well-spread table, and by others eating. We would starve
if we did not partake of physical nourishment, and we shall lose our spiritual strength and vitality
if we do not feed on spiritual bread....

The table has been spread, and Christ invites you to the feast. Shall we stand back, refusing
bounties, and declaring, “He does not mean this for me?” We used to sing a hymn that described
a feast where a happy household gathered to partake of the bounties of the board at a kind father’s
invitation. While the happy children gathered at the table, there stood a hungry beggar child at
the threshold. She was invited to come in; but sadly she turned away, exclaiming, “I have no
father there.” Will you take this position as Jesus invites you in? Oh! if you have a Father in
the courts above, I entreat you to reveal the fact. He wants to make you a partaker of His rich
bounties and blessings. All who come with the confiding love of a little child will find a Father
there.

Come to the water of life, and drink. Do not stay away and complain of thirst. The water of
life is free to all.

Those who eat and digest thisWord, making it a part of every action and of every attribute of
character, grow strong in the strength of God. It gives immortal vigor to the soul,
perfecting the experience, and bringing joys that will abide​

forever.

 

[EastCoastRemnant]

Preparing For The Holy Day​

Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Exodus 20:8.​

At the very beginning of the fourth commandment the Lord said, “Remember.” He knew
that amid the multitude of cares and perplexities man would be tempted to excuse himself from
meeting the full requirement of the law, or would forget its sacred importance. Therefore He
said: “Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.”

All through the week we are to have the Sabbath in mind and be making preparation to keep
it according to the commandment....

When the Sabbath is thus remembered, the temporal will not be allowed to encroach upon
the spiritual. No duty pertaining to the six working days will be left for the Sabbath. During
the week our energies will not be so exhausted in temporal labor that on the day when the Lord
rested and was refreshed we shall be too weary to engage in His service....

On Friday let the preparation for the Sabbath be completed. See that all the clothing is in
readiness and that all the cooking is done.... The Sabbath is not to be given to the repairing
of garments, to the cooking of food, to pleasure seeking, or to any other worldly employment.

Before the setting of the sun let all secular work be laid aside and all secular papers be put out
of sight. Parents, explain your work and its purpose to your children, and let them share in your
preparation to keep the Sabbath according to the commandment.

There is another work that should receive attention on the preparation day. On this day all
differences between brethren, whether in the family or in the church, should be put away. Let
all bitterness and wrath and malice be expelled from the soul.

In a humble spirit, “confess your
faults one to another, and pray one for another.”
Before the setting of the sun let the members of the family assemble to read God’s Word, to
sing and pray.

We should jealously guard the edges of the Sabbath. Remember that every moment is​

consecrated, holy time.

 

[EastCoastRemnant]

God’s Gift To The Human Race​

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth
in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. John 3:16.​

The heart of God yearns over His earthly children with a love stronger than death. In giving
up His Son, He has poured out to us all heaven in one gift.

Through that gift there comes to us day by day the unfailing flow of Jehovah’s goodness.
Every flower, with its delicate tints and sweet fragrance, is given for our enjoyment through that
one Gift. The sun and moon were made by Him; there is not a star that beautifies the heavens
which He did not make. There is not an article of food upon our tables that He has not provided
for our sustenance. The superscription of Christ is upon it all. Everything is supplied to man
through the one unspeakable Gift, the only-begotten Son of God. He was nailed to the cross that
all these bounties might flow to God’s workmanship.

In taking our nature, the Saviour has bound Himself to humanity by a tie that is never to be
broken. Through the eternal ages He is linked with us. “God so loved the world, that he gave
his only begotten Son.” He gave Him not only to bear our sins, and to die as our sacrifice; He
gave Him to the fallen race. To assure us of His immutable counsel of peace, God gave His
only-begotten Son to become one of the human family, forever to retain His human nature. This
is the pledge that God will fulfill His word. “Unto​

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us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and
the government shall be upon his shoulder.” Isaiah 9:6. God has adopted human nature in the
person of His Son, and has carried the same into the highest heaven.... Heaven is enshrined in
humanity, and humanity is enfolded in the bosom of Infinite Love.

Christ bowed down in unparalleled humility, that in His exaltation to the throne of God, He​

might also exalt those who believe in Him, to a seat with Him upon His throne.

 

[EastCoastRemnant]

The Creator Incarnate​

And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.

1 Timothy 3:16.​

The incarnation of Christ is the mystery of all mysteries.​

Christ was one with the Father, yet ... He was willing to step down from the exaltation of one who was equal with God.​

That He might accomplish His purpose of love for the fallen race, He became bone of our bone and flesh of our flesh.​

How wide is the contrast between the divinity of Christ and the helpless infant in Bethlehem’s manger! How can we span the distance between the mighty God and a helpless child? And yet

the Creator of worlds, He in whom was the fullness of the Godhead bodily, was manifest in the

helpless babe in the manger. Far higher than any of the angels, equal with the Father in dignity
and glory, and yet wearing the garb of humanity! Divinity and humanity were mysteriously
combined, and man and God became one.​

It would have been an almost infinite humiliation for the Son of God to take man’s nature,​

even when Adam stood in his innocence in Eden. But Jesus accepted humanity when the race

had been weakened by four thousand years of sin. Like every child of Adam He accepted the

results of the working of the great law of heredity. What these results were is shown in the history
of His earthly ancestors. He came with such a heredity to share our sorrows and temptations, and
to give us the example of a sinless life.​

Those who claim that it was not possible for Christ to sin, cannot believe that He really​

took upon Himself human nature. But was not Christ actually tempted, not only by Satan in the

wilderness, but all through His life, from childhood to manhood?​

Our Saviour took humanity, with all its liabilities. He took the nature of man, with the​

possibility of yielding to temptation. We have nothing to bear which He has not endured.​

 

[EastCoastRemnant]

The Saving Providences Of God​

And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who
are the called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28.​

The fact that we are called upon to endure trial shows that the Lord Jesus sees in us something
precious which He desires to develop. If He saw in us nothing whereby He might glorify His
name, He would not spend time in refining us. He does not cast worthless stones into
His furnace. It is valuable ore that He refines.

God never leads His children otherwise than they would choose to be led, if they could see
the end from the beginning and discern the glory of the purpose which they are fulfilling as
co-workers with Him.

All that has perplexed us in the providences of God will in the world to come be made plain.
The things hard to be understood will then find explanation. The mysteries of grace will unfold
before us. Where our finite minds discovered only confusion and broken promises, we shall see
the most perfect and beautiful harmony. We shall know that infinite love ordered the experiences
that seemed most trying.

He who is imbued with the Spirit of Christ abides in Christ. The blow that is aimed at him
falls upon the Saviour, who surrounds him with His presence. Whatever comes to him comes
from Christ. He has no need to resist evil, for Christ is his defense. Nothing can touch him except
by our Lord’s permission, and “all things” that are permitted “work together for good to them
that love God.”

Our heavenly Father has a thousand ways to provide for us of which we know nothing. Those
who accept the one principle of making the service of God supreme, will find perplexities vanish
and a plain path before their feet.

As a little child, trust to the guidance of Him who will “keep the feet of his saints.” 1 Samuel
2:9.​

As we commit our ways to Him, He will direct our steps.

 

[EastCoastRemnant]

Peace Through The Cross​

There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk
not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. Romans 8:1.​

If sinners can be led to give one earnest look at the cross, if they can obtain a full view of the
crucified Saviour, they will realize the depth of God’s compassion and the sinfulness of sin.

As your conscience has been quickened by the Holy Spirit, you have seen something of the
evil of sin, of its power, its guilt, its woe; and you look upon it with abhorrence.... You long to
be forgiven, to be cleansed, to be set free. Harmony with God, likeness to Him—what can you
do to obtain it?

It is peace that you need—Heaven’s forgiveness and peace and love in the soul. Money
cannot buy it, intellect cannot procure it, wisdom cannot attain to it; you can never hope, by your
own efforts, to secure it. But God offers it to you as a gift, “without money and without price.”
Isaiah 55:1....

Go to Him, and ask that He will wash away your sins, and give you a new heart. Then believe
that He does this​

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because He has promised .... It is our privilege to go to Jesus and be cleansed,
and to stand before the law without shame or remorse.

When at the foot of the cross the sinner looks up to the One who died to save him, he may
rejoice with fullness of joy; for his sins are pardoned. Kneeling in faith at the cross, he has
reached the highest place to which man can attain.

Thank God for the gift of His dear Son, and pray that He may not have died for you in
vain. The spirit invites you today. Come with your whole heart to Jesus, and you may claim His
blessing.

As you read the promises, remember they are the expression of unutterable love and pity....
Yes, only believe that God is your helper. He wants to restore His moral image in man. As you
draw near to Him with confession and repentance, He will draw near to you with mercy and​

forgiveness.

 

[EastCoastRemnant]

FilledWith His Righteousness​

Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.
Matthew 5:6.​

Righteousness is holiness, likeness to God, and “God is love.” 1 John 4:16. It is conformity
to the law of God, for “all thy commandments are righteousness” (Psalm 119:172), and “love is
the fulfilling of the law” (Romans 13:10). Righteousness is love, and love is the light and the life
of God. The righteousness of God is embodied in Christ. We receive righteousness by receiving
Him.

Not by painful struggles or wearisome toil, not by gift or sacrifice, is righteousness obtained;
but it is freely given to every soul who hungers and thirsts to receive it. “Ho, every one that
thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat;... without
money and without price.” Isaiah 55:1. “Their righteousness is of me, saith the Lord,” and, “This
is his name whereby he shall be called, The Lord our righteousness.” Isaiah 54:17; Jeremiah
23:6.

No human agent can supply that which will satisfy the hunger and thirst of the soul. But
Jesus says, . . “I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that
believeth on me shall never thirst.” John 6:35....

The more we know of God, the higher will be our ideal of character and the more earnest
our longing to reflect His likeness. A divine element combines with the human when the soul
reaches out after God and the longing heart can say, “My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my
expectation is from him.” Psalm 62:5....

The continual cry of the heart is, “More of Thee,” and ever the Spirit’s answer is, “Much
more.” Romans 5:9, 10.... It was the good pleasure of the Father that in Christ should “all the
fulness dwell,” and “in him ye are made full.” Colossians 1:19, R.V.; 2:10, R.V.

Christ is the great depository of justifying righteousness and sanctifying grace.​

All may come to Him, and receive of His fullness.

 

[EastCoastRemnant]

The Just Shall Live By Faith​

As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him. Colossians 2:6.​

Our growth in grace, our joy, our usefulness—all depend upon our union with Christ. It is by
communion with Him, daily, hourly—by abiding in Him—that we are to grow in grace. He is
not only the author, but the finisher of our faith. It is Christ first and last and always. He is to be
with us, not only at the beginning and the end of our course, but at every step of the way....

Do you ask, “How am I to abide in Christ?” In the same way as you received Him at first.
“As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him.” Colossians 2:6. “The
just shall live by faith.” Hebrews 10:38. You gave yourself to God, to be His wholly, to serve and
obey Him, and you took Christ as your Saviour. You could not yourself atone for your sins or
change your heart; but having given yourself to God, you believe that He for Christ’s sake did all
this for you. By​

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faith you became Christ’s, and by faith you are to grow up in Him—by giving
and taking. You are to give all—your heart, your will, your service—give yourself to Him to
obey all His requirements; and you must take all—Christ, the fullness of all blessing, to abide in
your heart, to be your strength, your righteousness, your everlasting helper—to give you power
to obey.

Consecrate yourself to God in the morning; make this your very first work. Let your prayer
be, “Take me, O Lord, as wholly Thine. I lay all my plans at Thy feet. Use me today in Thy
service. Abide with me, and let all my work be wrought in Thee.” This is a daily matter. Each
morning consecrate yourself to God for that day. Surrender all your plans to Him, to be carried
out or given up as His providence shall indicate. Thus day by day you may be giving your life​

into the hands of God, and thus your life will be molded more and more after the life of Christ.

 

[EastCoastRemnant]

Sincere Confession Essential​

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us
from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9.​

The apostle says, “Confess your faults one to another, and pray onefor another, that ye may be healed.” James 5:16. Confess your sins to God, who only can forgive
them, and your faults to one another. If you have given offense to your friend or neighbor, you
are to acknowledge your wrong, and it is his duty freely to forgive you. Then you are to seek the
forgiveness of God, because the brother you have wounded is the property of God, and in injuring
him you have sinned against his Creator.... True confession is always of a specific character, and
acknowledges particular sins. They may be of such a nature as to be brought before God only;
they may be wrongs that should be confessed to individuals who have suffered injury through
them; or they may be of a public character, and should then be as publicly confessed. But all
confession should be definite and to the point, acknowledging the very sins of which you are
guilty.

Many, many confessions should never be spoken in the hearing of mortals; for the result is
that which the limited judgment of finite beings does not anticipate.... God will be better glorified
if we confess the secret, inbred corruption of the heart to Jesus alone than if we open its recesses
to finite, erring man, who cannot judge righteously unless his heart is constantly imbued with the
Spirit of God.... Do not pour into human ears the story which God alone should hear.

The confession that is the outpouring of the inmost soul finds its way to the God of infinite
pity.

Your sins may be as mountains before you; but if you humble your heart, and confess your
sins, trusting in the merits of a crucified and risen Saviour, He will forgive, and will cleanse you
from all unrighteousness.... Desire the fullness of the grace of Christ. Let your heart be filled​

with an intense longing for His righteousness.

 

[EastCoastRemnant]

A Change Of Heart Needed​

Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born
again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. John 3:3.​

Nicodemus held a high position of trust in the Jewish nation.... With others, he had been
stirred by the teaching of Jesus....The lessons that had fallen from the Saviour’s lips had greatly
impressed him, and he desired to learn more of these wonderful truths...

Nicodemus had come to the Lord thinking to enter into a discussion with Him, but Jesus laid
bare the foundation principles of truth. He said to Nicodemus, It is not theoretical knowledge
you need so much as spiritual regeneration. You need not to have your curiosity satisfied,
but to have a new heart. You must receive a new life from above before you can appreciate
heavenly things.

The change of heart represented by the new birth can be brought about only by the effectual
working of the Holy Spirit.... Pride and self-love resist the Spirit of God; every natural inclination
of the soul opposes the change from self-importance and pride to the meekness and lowliness of
Christ. But if we would travel in the pathway to eternal life, we must not listen to the whispering
of self. In humility and contrition we must beseech our heavenly Father, “Create in me a clean
heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.” Psalm 51:10. As we receive divine light, and
cooperate with the heavenly intelligences, we are “born again,” freed from the defilement of sin
by the power of Christ.

The mighty power of the Holy Spirit works an entire transformation in the character of the
human agent, making him a new creature in Christ Jesus.... The words and actions express the
love of the Saviour. There is no striving for the highest place. Self is renounced. The name of
Jesus is written on all that is said and done.

Is not this, the renewal of man, the greatest miracle that can be performed? What cannot the​

human agent do who by faith takes hold of the divine power?

 

[EastCoastRemnant]

Holiness Of Life​

Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord.
Hebrews 12:14.​

No one who claims holiness is really holy. Those who are registered as holy in the books of
heaven are not aware of the fact, and are the last ones to boast of their own goodness.

It is not a conclusive evidence that a man is a Christian because he manifests spiritual ecstasy
under extraordinary circumstances. Holiness is not rapture: it is an entire surrender of the will
to God; it is living by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God; it is doing the will of
our heavenly Father; it is trusting God in trial, in darkness as well as in the light; it is walking
by faith and not by sight; it is relying on God with unquestioning confidence, and resting in His
love.

No one can be omnipotent, but all can cleanse themselves from filthiness of the flesh and
spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of the Lord. God requires every soul to be pure and holy.
We have hereditary tendencies to wrong. This is a part of self that no one need carry about. It is
a weakness of humanity to pet selfishness, because it is a natural trait of
character. But unless all selfishness is put away, unless self is crucified, we can never be holy
as God is holy. There is in humanity a tendency to suspicious imagining, which circumstances
quicken into lively growth. If this trait is indulged, it spoils the character and ruins the soul.

God requires moral perfection in all. Those who have been given light and opportunities
should, as God’s stewards, aim for perfection, and never, never lower the standard of
righteousness to accommodate inherited and cultivated tendencies to wrong. Christ took upon
Him our human nature, and lived our life, to show us that we may be like Him.... We ought to be
holy even as God is holy; and when we comprehend the full significance of this statement, and
set our heart to do the work of God, to be holy as He is holy, we shall approach the standard set​

for each individual in Christ Jesus.

 

[EastCoastRemnant]

The Arrow Of Death​

O that they were wise, that they understood this, that they would consider their latter
end! Deuteronomy 32:29.​

The Lord “doth not afflict willingly nor grieve the children of men.” Lamentations 3:33.
“Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him. For he knoweth our
frame; he remembereth that we are dust.” Psalm 103:13, 14. He knows our heart, for He reads
every secret of the soul.... He knows the end from the beginning. Many will be laid away to sleep
before the fiery ordeal of the time of trouble shall come upon our world....

If Jesus, the world’s Redeemer, prayed, “O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass
from me,” and added, “nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt” (Matthew 26:39), how very
appropriate it is for finite mortals to make the same surrender to the wisdom and will of God.

We have but a brief lifetime here, and we know not how soon the arrow of death may strike
our hearts. We know not how soon we may be called to give up the world and all its interests.
Eternity stretches before us. The curtain is about to be lifted. But a few short years, and for
everyone now numbered with the living the mandate will go forth: “He that is unjust, let him be
unjust still: ... and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be
holy still.” Revelation 22:11.

Are we prepared? Have we become acquainted with God, the Governor of heaven, the
Lawgiver, and with Jesus Christ whom He sent into the world as His representative? When
our lifework is ended, shall we be able to say, as did Christ our example:
“I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou
gavest me to do.... I have manifested thy name”? John 17:4-6.

The angels of God are seeking to attract us from ourselves and from earthly things. Let them​

not labor in vain.

 

[EastCoastRemnant]

Sorrow With Hope​

But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep,
that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. 1 Thessalonians 4:13.​

To the afflicted ones I would say, be of good comfort in the hope of the resurrection morning.
The waters of which you have been drinking are as bitter to your taste as were the waters of
Marah to the children of Israel in the wilderness, but Jesus can make them so sweet with His
love....

God has provided a balm for every wound. There is a balm in Gilead, there is a Physician
there. Will you not now as never before study the Scriptures? Seek the Lord for wisdom in
every emergency. In every trial plead with Jesus to show you a way out of your troubles, then
your eyes will be opened to behold the remedy and to apply to your case the healing promises
that have been recorded in His Word. In this way the enemy will find no place to lead you into
mourning and unbelief, but instead you will have faith and hope and courage in the Lord. The
Holy Spirit will give you clear discernment that you may see and appropriate every blessing that
will act as an antidote to grief, as a branch of healing to every draught of bitterness that is placed
to your lips. Every draught of bitterness will be mingled with the love of Jesus, and in place
of complaining of the bitterness, you will realize that Jesus’ love and grace are so mingled with
sorrow that it has been turned into subdued, holy, sanctified joy.

When Henry White, our eldest son, lay dying, he said, “A bed of pain is a precious place when
we have the presence of Jesus.” When we are obliged to drink of the bitter waters, turn away
from the bitter to the precious and the bright. In trial grace can give the human soul assurance,
and when we stand at the deathbed and see how the Christian can bear suffering and go through
the valley of death, we gather strength ... and we fail not, neither are we discouraged in leading​

souls to Jesus.

 

[EastCoastRemnant]

Uttermost Salvation For God’s Children​

But this man, because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood. Wherefore
he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever
liveth to make intercession for them. Hebrews 7:24, 25.​

Every provision has been made for our infirmities, every encouragement offered us to come
to Christ.

Christ offered up His broken body to purchase back God’s heritage, to give man another
trial.... By His spotless life, His obedience, His death on the cross of Calvary, Christ interceded
for the lost race. And now, not as a mere petitioner does the Captain of our salvation intercede
for us, but as a Conqueror claiming His victory. His offering is complete, and as our Intercessor
He executes His self-appointed work, holding before God the censer containing His own spotless
merits and the prayers, confessions, and thanksgiving of His people. Perfumed with the fragrance
of His righteousness, these ascend to God as a sweet savor. The offering is wholly acceptable,
and pardon covers all transgression.

Christ has pledged Himself to be our substitute and surety, and He neglects no one. He who
could not see human beings exposed to eternal ruin without pouring out His soul unto death in
their behalf, will look with pity and compassion upon every soul who realizes that he cannot save
himself.

He will look upon no trembling suppliant without raising him up. He who through His own
atonement provided for man an infinite fund of moral power, will not fail to employ this power
in our behalf. We may take our sins and sorrows to His feet; for He loves us. His every look and
word invites our confidence. He will shape and mold our characters according to His own will.

In the whole satanic force there is not power to overcome one soul who in simple trust casts
himself on Christ. “He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth​

strength.” Isaiah 40:29.

 

[EastCoastRemnant]

The Blotting Out Of Sins​

He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out
his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels. ​

Revelation 3:5.

As the books of record are opened in the judgment, the lives of all who have believed on

Jesus come in review before God. Beginning with those who first lived upon the earth, our

Advocate presents the cases of each successive generation, and closes with the living. Every
name is mentioned, every case closely investigated. Names are accepted, names rejected. When
any have sins remaining upon the books of record, unrepented of and unforgiven, their names
will be blotted out of the book of life, and the record of their good deeds will be erased from the
book of God’s remembrance....​

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All who have truly repented of sin, and by faith claimed the blood of Christ as their atoning

sacrifice, have had pardon entered against their names in the books of heaven; as they have

become partakers of the righteousness of Christ, and their characters are found to be in harmony
with the law of God, their sins will be blotted out, and they themselves will be accounted worthy
of eternal life....​

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The divine Intercessor presents the plea that all who have overcome through faith in His

blood be forgiven their transgressions, that they be restored to their Eden home, and crowned as

joint heirs with Himself to the “first dominion.” ...​

While Jesus is pleading for the subjects of His grace, Satan accuses them before God as

transgressors....​

Jesus does not excuse their sins, but shows their penitence and faith, and, claiming for them

forgiveness, He lifts His wounded hands before the Father and the holy angels, saying, “I know

them by name.” ... Their names stand enrolled in the book of life, and concerning them it is
written, “They shall walk with me in white: for they are worthy.” Revelation 3:4.​

Christians may daily cultivate faith by contemplating the One who has undertaken their cause,​

their “merciful and faithful high priest.”​

 

[EastCoastRemnant]

Schemes Of Satan​

Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about,
seeking whom he may devour. 1 Peter 5:8.​

It is unsafe to trust to feelings or impressions; these are unreliable guides. God’s law is the
only correct standard of holiness. It is by this law that character is to be judged. If an inquirer
after salvation were to ask, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” the modern teachers of
sanctification would answer, “Only believe that Jesus saves you.” But when Christ was asked
this question He said, “What is written in the law? how readest thou?” And when the questioner
replied, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, ... and thy neighbour as thyself,”
Jesus said, “Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live.” Luke 10:26-28.​

No value is attached to a mere profession of faith in Christ; only the love which is shown by
works is counted genuine. Yet it is love alone which in the sight of Heaven makes any act of
value....​

The hidden selfishness of men stands revealed in the books of heaven.... Sad is the record
which angels bear to heaven. Intelligent beings, professed followers of Christ, are absorbed in
the acquirement of worldly possessions or the enjoyment of earthly pleasures. Money, time,
and strength are sacrificed for display and self-indulgence; but few are the moments devoted to
prayer, to the searching of the Scriptures, to humiliation of soul and confession of sin.​

Satan invents unnumbered schemes to occupy our minds, that they may not dwell upon the
very work with which we ought to be best acquainted. The archdeceiver hates the great truths
that bring to view an atoning sacrifice and an all-powerful Mediator. He knows that with him
everything depends on his diverting minds from Jesus and His truth.​

Those who would share the benefits of the Saviour’s mediation should permit nothing to​

interfere with their duty to perfect holiness in the fear of God.

 

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Deposits In The Bank Of Heaven​

Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and
widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world. James 1:27.​

The tender sympathies of our Saviour were aroused for fallen and suffering humanity. If you
would be His followers, you must cultivate compassion and sympathy.... The widow, the orphan,
the sick, and the dying will always need help. Here is an opportunity to proclaim the gospel—to
hold up Jesus, the hope and consolation of all men. When the suffering body has been relieved,
... the heart is opened, and you can pour in the heavenly balm.​

A company of believers may be poor, uneducated, and unknown; yet in Christ they may do
a work in the home, the neighborhood, the church, and even in “the regions beyond,” whose
results will be as far-reaching as eternity. It is because this work is neglected that so many young
disciples never advance beyond the mere alphabet of Christian experience. The light which was
glowing in their own hearts when Jesus spoke to them, “Thy sins be forgiven thee,” they might
have kept alive by helping those in need. The restless energy that is so often a source of danger
to the young might be directed into channels through which it would flow out in streams of blessing.​

The hours so often spent in amusement that refreshes neither body nor soul should be spent
in ... seeking to help someone who is in need.​

Every opportunity to help a brother in need, or to aid the cause of God in the spread of the
truth, is a pearl that you can send beforehand, and deposit in the bank of heaven for safe-keeping.​

Love, courtesy, self-sacrifice—these are never lost. When God’s chosen ones are changed
from mortality to immortality, their words and deeds of goodness will be made manifest, and will
be preserved through the eternal ages.... Through the merits of Christ’s imputed righteousness,​

the fragrance of such words and deeds is forever preserved.

 

[EastCoastRemnant]

What Kind Of Inheritance?​

And Manoah said, Now let thy words come to pass. How shall we order the child, and
how shall we do unto him? Judges 13:12.​

The words spoken to the wife of Manoah contain a truth that the mothers of today would do
well to study.​

The child will be affected for good or for evil by the habits of the mother. She must herself
be controlled by principle, and must practice temperance and self-denial, if she would seek the
welfare of her child.​

If before the birth of her child she is unstable, if she is selfish, peevish, and exacting, the
disposition of her child will bear the marks of her wrong course.... But if she unswervingly
adheres to the right, if she is kind, gentle, and unselfish, she will give her child these traits of
character.​

And fathers as well as mothers are involved in this responsibility. Both parents transmit their
own characteristics, mental and physical, their dispositions and appetites, to their children.... The
inquiry of every father and mother should be, “What shall we do unto the child that shall be born
unto us?” The effect of prenatal influences has been by many lightly regarded; but the instruction
sent from heaven to those Hebrew parents ... shows how the matter is looked upon by our Creator.​

The mother who is a fit teacher for her children must, before their birth, form habits of
self-denial and self-control; for she transmits to them her own qualities, her own strong or weak
traits of character. The enemy of souls understands this matter much better than do many parents.
He will bring temptations upon the mother, knowing that if she does not resist him,
he can through her affect her child. The mother’s only hope is in God. She may flee to Him for
grace and strength. She will not seek help in vain. He will enable her to transmit to her offspring​

qualities that will help them to gain success in this life and to win eternal life.

 

[EastCoastRemnant]

Day Of Days​

And hallow my sabbaths; and they shall be a sign between me and you, that ye may
know that I am the Lord your God. Ezekiel 20:20.​

The Sabbath should be made so interesting to our families that its weekly return will be hailed
with joy.

The Sabbath school and the meeting for worship occupy only a part of the Sabbath. The
portion remaining to the family may be made the most sacred and precious season of all the
Sabbath hours.

In the minds of the children the very thought of the Sabbath should be bound up with the
beauty of natural things.... Happy the father and mother who can teach their children God’s
written word with illustrations from the open pages of the book of nature; who can gather under
the green trees, in the fresh, pure air, to study theWord and to sing the praise of the Father above.

In pleasant weather let parents walk with their children in the fields and groves. Amid the
beautiful things of nature tell them the reason for the institution of the Sabbath. Describe to them
God’s great work of creation. Tell them that when the earth came from His hand, it was holy and
beautiful. Every flower, every shrub, every tree, answered the purpose of its Creator.... Show that
it was sin which marred God’s perfect work; that thorns and thistles, sorrow and pain and death,
are all the result of disobedience to God. Bid them see how the earth, though marred with the
curse of sin, still reveals God’s goodness.

If we can cultivate within us a beauty of soul corresponding to the beauty of nature around
us, there will be a blending of the divine and human agencies.

As the sun goes down, let the voice of prayer and the hymn of praise mark the close of the
sacred hours and invite God’s presence through the cares of the week of labor.

Thus parents can make the Sabbath, as it should be, the most joyful day of the week. They​

can lead their children to regard it as a delight, the day of days, the holy of the Lord, honorable.

 

[EastCoastRemnant]

A Welcome To The Heavenly Home​

Open ye the gates, that the righteous nation which keepeth the truth may enter in.
Isaiah 26:2.​

The life on earth is the beginning of the life in heaven.
We are children of the heavenly King, members of the royal family, heirs of God, and joint
heirs with Christ. The mansions Jesus has gone to prepare are to receive only those who are true,
who are pure, who love and obey His words.... If we would enjoy eternal bliss, we must cultivate
religion in the home.... Peace, harmony, affection, and happiness should be perseveringly
cherished every day, until these precious things abide in the hearts of those who compose the
family.

That which will make the character lovely in the home is that which will make it lovely in
the heavenly mansions.

If we manifest the character of Christ here, keeping all the commandments of God, we shall
be cheered and blessed with glimpses of the pleasant home in the mansions Jesus has gone to
prepare.

Let all that is beautiful in our earthly home remind us of the crystal river and green fields,
the waving trees and the living fountains, the shining city and the white-robed singers, of our
heavenly home—that world of beauty which no artist can picture, no mortal tongue describe.

There the loves and sympathies that God has planted in the soul will find truest and sweetest
exercise. The pure communion with holy beings, the harmonious social life with the blessed
angels and with the faithful ones of all ages, the sacred fellowship that binds together “the whole
family in heaven and earth”all are among the experiences of the hereafter.... With unutterable
delight we shall enter into the joy and the wisdom of unfallen beings.

It is the privilege of parents to take their children with them to the gates of the city of God,
saying, “I have tried to instruct my children to love the Lord, to do His will, and to glorify Him.”​

To such the gate will be thrown open, and parents and children will enter in.