(Excerpt from- Steps to Christ)
'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.
A life in Christ is a life of restfulness. There may be no ecstasy of feeling, but there should be an abiding, peaceful trust.
YOUR HOPE IS NOT IN YOURSELF; IT IS IN CHRIST.
Your weakness is united to His strength, your ignorance to His wisdom, your frailty to His enduring might.
So you are not to look to yourself, NOT TO LET THE MIND DWELL UPON SELF, BUT LOOK TO CHRIST. LET THE MIND DWELL UPON HIS LOVE, UPON THE BEAUTY, THE PERFECTION, OF HIS CHARACTER. CHRIST IN HIS SELF-DENIAL, CHRIST IN HIS HUMILATION, CHRIST IN HIS PURITY AND HOLINESS, CHRIST IN HIS MATCHLESS LOVE-- THIS IS THE SUBJECT FOR THE SOUL'S CONTEMPLATION.
It is by loving Him, copying Him, depending wholly upon Him, that you are to be transformed into His likeness.
Jesus says, "Abide in Me."
(((Joh_15:4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. ))))
These words convey the idea of rest, stability, confidence. Again He invites, "Come unto Me, . . . and I will give you rest." Matthew 11:28. The words of the psalmist express the same thought: "Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him." And Isaiah gives the assurance, "In quietness and in confidence shall be your strength." Psalm 37:7; Isaiah 30:15. This rest is not found in inactivity; for in the Saviour's invitation the promise of rest is united with the call to labor: "Take My yoke upon you: . . . and ye shall find rest." Matthew 11:29. The heart that rests most fully upon Christ will be most earnest and active in labor for Him.
WHEN THE MIND DWELLS UPON SELF, IT IS TURNED AWAY FROM CHRIST, THE SOURCE OF STRENGTH AND LIFE.
Hence it is Satan's constant effort to keep the attention diverted from the Saviour and thus prevent the union and communion of the soul with Christ.
The pleasures of the world, life's cares and perplexities and sorrows, the faults of others, or your own faults and imperfections--to any or all of these he will seek to divert the mind.
Do not be misled by his devices. Many who are really conscientious, and who desire to live for God, he too often leads to dwell upon their own faults and weaknesses, and thus by separating them from Christ he hopes to gain the victory.
We should not make self the center and indulge anxiety and fear as to whether we shall be saved.
All this turns the soul away from the Source of our strength.
Commit the keeping of your soul to God, and trust in Him.
Talk and think of Jesus.
Let self be lost in Him.
Put away all doubt; dismiss your fears.
Say with the apostle Paul, "I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me." Galatians 2:20. Rest in God. He is able to keep that which you have committed to Him. If you will leave yourself in His hands, He will bring you off more than conqueror through Him that has loved you.
When Christ took human nature upon Him, He bound humanity to Himself by a tie of love that can never be broken by any power save the choice of man himself.
Satan will constantly present allurements to induce us to break this tie--to choose to separate ourselves from Christ. Here is where we need to watch, to strive, to pray, that nothing may entice us to choose another master; for we are always free to do this.
But let us keep our eyes fixed upon Christ, and He will preserve us. Looking unto Jesus, we are safe. Nothing can pluck us out of His hand. In constantly beholding Him, we "are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord." 2 Corinthians 3:18.
It was thus that the early disciples gained their likeness to the dear Saviour. When those disciples heard the words of Jesus, they felt their need of Him. They sought, they found, they followed Him. They were with Him in the house, at the table, in the closet, in the field. They were with Him as pupils with a teacher, daily receiving from His lips lessons of holy truth. They looked to Him, as servants to their master, to learn their duty. Those disciples were men "subject to like passions as we are." James 5:17. They had the same battle with sin to fight. They needed the same grace, in order to live a holy life.
Even John, the beloved disciple, the one who most fully reflected the likeness of the Saviour, did not naturally possess that loveliness of character. He was not only self-assertive and ambitious for honor, but impetuous, and resentful under injuries. But as the character of the Divine One was manifested to him, he saw his own deficiency and was humbled by the knowledge. The strength and patience, the power and tenderness, the majesty and meekness, that he beheld in the daily life of the Son of God, filled his soul with admiration and love. Day by day his heart was drawn out toward Christ, until he lost sight of self in love for his Master. His resentful, ambitious temper was yielded to the molding power of Christ. The regenerating influence of the Holy Spirit renewed his heart. The power of the love of Christ wrought a transformation of character. This is the sure result of union with Jesus. When Christ abides in the heart, the whole nature is transformed. Christ's Spirit, His love, softens the heart, subdues the soul, and raises the thoughts and desires toward God and heaven.
When Christ ascended to heaven, the sense of His presence was still with His followers. It was a personal presence, full of love and light. Jesus, the Saviour, who had walked and talked and prayed with them, who had spoken hope and comfort to their hearts, had, while the message of peace was still upon His lips, been taken up from them into heaven, and the tones of His voice had come back to them, as the cloud of angels received Him--"Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world." Matthew 28:20. He had ascended to heaven in the form of humanity. They knew that He was before the throne of God, their Friend and Saviour still; that His sympathies were unchanged; that He was still identified with suffering humanity. He was presenting before God the merits of His own precious blood, showing His wounded hands and feet, in remembrance of the price He had paid for His redeemed. They knew that He had ascended to heaven to prepare places for them, and that He would come again and take them to Himself.
As they met together after the ascension they were eager to present their requests to the Father in the name of Jesus. In solemn awe they bowed in prayer, repeating the assurance, "Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in My name, He will give it you. Hitherto have ye asked nothing in My name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full." John 16:23, 24. They extended the hand of faith higher and higher with the mighty argument, "It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us." Romans 8:34. And Pentecost brought them the presence of the Comforter, of whom Christ had said, He "shall be in you." And He had further said, "It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send Him unto you." John 14:17; 16:7. Henceforth through the Spirit, Christ was to abide continually in the hearts of His children. Their union with Him was closer than when He was personally with them. The light, and love, and power of the indwelling Christ shone out through them, so that men, beholding, "marveled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus." Acts 4:13.
All that Christ was to the disciples, He desires to be to His children today; for in that last prayer, with the little band of disciples gathered about Him, He said, "Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on Me through their word." John 17:20.
Jesus prayed for us, and He asked that we might be one with Him, even as He is one with the Father. What a union is this! The Saviour has said of Himself, "The Son can do nothing of Himself;" "the Father that dwelleth in Me, He doeth the works." John 5:19; 14:10. Then if Christ is dwelling in our hearts, He will work in us "both to will and to do of His good pleasure." Philippians 2:13. We shall work as He worked; we shall manifest the same spirit. And thus, loving Him and abiding in Him, we shall "grow up into Him in all things, which is the head, even Christ." Ephesians 4:15.'
Steps to Christ - E.G. White
*******
My thoughts-
I believe I've put this up before, if so, it's worth reading again and again.
Do we spend enough time contemplating Jesus?
What exactly do we spend our time doing?
We have to ask ourselves these questions because if we don't then we're letting ourselves be blinded, to be deceived and that's how Satan wants us.
These don't have to be easy questions, they don't have to be questions you want to hear or want to answer. Asking tough questions is needed, wake up calls are needed.
So answer the questions.
Do we, do you, spend enough time contemplating Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior?
What exactly do we, do you spend time doing?
The answers are important. If you find yourself making excuses rather than giving a heart felt honest reply, then keep asking yourself the question and force yourself to answer with total honesty.
If you answer that you don't spend enough time contemplating Jesus, then what do you think must be done? Obviously, spend more time with Jesus, right? Seriously, if you've come to this conclusion then you really, really should heed the voice of the Holy Spirit, and the admonitions we find in the Lord's word. We need to behold our Savior. We need to abide in Him. He must be in our lives! Not on the outside of our lives peeking in from time to time but a REAL part of our lives, an ACTIVE part of our lives.
If we honestly gave an assessment of what we spend our time doing, can we truly say that Christ is with us in all those things we do? He should be, shouldn't He? And if we can't imagine Christ with us doing those things with us, should we be doing them?
I know, believe me, I know that in the world we live in a world with television and such, it's hard to imagine our Savior sitting down watching television, isn't it? What about His reading the books we read? Doing the things we do?
Lord, please help us. Help us live our lives with YOU in them, in all things. IF there are things in our lives that aren't what they should be, please Lord, help us get the victory over them. Please, Lord, please, let us be willing to sacrifice all to You, as You sacrificed all for us.
Help us, Lord.
Save us!
Through Your love! By Your mercy and grace!
'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.
A life in Christ is a life of restfulness. There may be no ecstasy of feeling, but there should be an abiding, peaceful trust.
YOUR HOPE IS NOT IN YOURSELF; IT IS IN CHRIST.
Your weakness is united to His strength, your ignorance to His wisdom, your frailty to His enduring might.
So you are not to look to yourself, NOT TO LET THE MIND DWELL UPON SELF, BUT LOOK TO CHRIST. LET THE MIND DWELL UPON HIS LOVE, UPON THE BEAUTY, THE PERFECTION, OF HIS CHARACTER. CHRIST IN HIS SELF-DENIAL, CHRIST IN HIS HUMILATION, CHRIST IN HIS PURITY AND HOLINESS, CHRIST IN HIS MATCHLESS LOVE-- THIS IS THE SUBJECT FOR THE SOUL'S CONTEMPLATION.
It is by loving Him, copying Him, depending wholly upon Him, that you are to be transformed into His likeness.
Jesus says, "Abide in Me."
(((Joh_15:4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. ))))
These words convey the idea of rest, stability, confidence. Again He invites, "Come unto Me, . . . and I will give you rest." Matthew 11:28. The words of the psalmist express the same thought: "Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him." And Isaiah gives the assurance, "In quietness and in confidence shall be your strength." Psalm 37:7; Isaiah 30:15. This rest is not found in inactivity; for in the Saviour's invitation the promise of rest is united with the call to labor: "Take My yoke upon you: . . . and ye shall find rest." Matthew 11:29. The heart that rests most fully upon Christ will be most earnest and active in labor for Him.
WHEN THE MIND DWELLS UPON SELF, IT IS TURNED AWAY FROM CHRIST, THE SOURCE OF STRENGTH AND LIFE.
Hence it is Satan's constant effort to keep the attention diverted from the Saviour and thus prevent the union and communion of the soul with Christ.
The pleasures of the world, life's cares and perplexities and sorrows, the faults of others, or your own faults and imperfections--to any or all of these he will seek to divert the mind.
Do not be misled by his devices. Many who are really conscientious, and who desire to live for God, he too often leads to dwell upon their own faults and weaknesses, and thus by separating them from Christ he hopes to gain the victory.
We should not make self the center and indulge anxiety and fear as to whether we shall be saved.
All this turns the soul away from the Source of our strength.
Commit the keeping of your soul to God, and trust in Him.
Talk and think of Jesus.
Let self be lost in Him.
Put away all doubt; dismiss your fears.
Say with the apostle Paul, "I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me." Galatians 2:20. Rest in God. He is able to keep that which you have committed to Him. If you will leave yourself in His hands, He will bring you off more than conqueror through Him that has loved you.
When Christ took human nature upon Him, He bound humanity to Himself by a tie of love that can never be broken by any power save the choice of man himself.
Satan will constantly present allurements to induce us to break this tie--to choose to separate ourselves from Christ. Here is where we need to watch, to strive, to pray, that nothing may entice us to choose another master; for we are always free to do this.
But let us keep our eyes fixed upon Christ, and He will preserve us. Looking unto Jesus, we are safe. Nothing can pluck us out of His hand. In constantly beholding Him, we "are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord." 2 Corinthians 3:18.
It was thus that the early disciples gained their likeness to the dear Saviour. When those disciples heard the words of Jesus, they felt their need of Him. They sought, they found, they followed Him. They were with Him in the house, at the table, in the closet, in the field. They were with Him as pupils with a teacher, daily receiving from His lips lessons of holy truth. They looked to Him, as servants to their master, to learn their duty. Those disciples were men "subject to like passions as we are." James 5:17. They had the same battle with sin to fight. They needed the same grace, in order to live a holy life.
Even John, the beloved disciple, the one who most fully reflected the likeness of the Saviour, did not naturally possess that loveliness of character. He was not only self-assertive and ambitious for honor, but impetuous, and resentful under injuries. But as the character of the Divine One was manifested to him, he saw his own deficiency and was humbled by the knowledge. The strength and patience, the power and tenderness, the majesty and meekness, that he beheld in the daily life of the Son of God, filled his soul with admiration and love. Day by day his heart was drawn out toward Christ, until he lost sight of self in love for his Master. His resentful, ambitious temper was yielded to the molding power of Christ. The regenerating influence of the Holy Spirit renewed his heart. The power of the love of Christ wrought a transformation of character. This is the sure result of union with Jesus. When Christ abides in the heart, the whole nature is transformed. Christ's Spirit, His love, softens the heart, subdues the soul, and raises the thoughts and desires toward God and heaven.
When Christ ascended to heaven, the sense of His presence was still with His followers. It was a personal presence, full of love and light. Jesus, the Saviour, who had walked and talked and prayed with them, who had spoken hope and comfort to their hearts, had, while the message of peace was still upon His lips, been taken up from them into heaven, and the tones of His voice had come back to them, as the cloud of angels received Him--"Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world." Matthew 28:20. He had ascended to heaven in the form of humanity. They knew that He was before the throne of God, their Friend and Saviour still; that His sympathies were unchanged; that He was still identified with suffering humanity. He was presenting before God the merits of His own precious blood, showing His wounded hands and feet, in remembrance of the price He had paid for His redeemed. They knew that He had ascended to heaven to prepare places for them, and that He would come again and take them to Himself.
As they met together after the ascension they were eager to present their requests to the Father in the name of Jesus. In solemn awe they bowed in prayer, repeating the assurance, "Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in My name, He will give it you. Hitherto have ye asked nothing in My name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full." John 16:23, 24. They extended the hand of faith higher and higher with the mighty argument, "It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us." Romans 8:34. And Pentecost brought them the presence of the Comforter, of whom Christ had said, He "shall be in you." And He had further said, "It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send Him unto you." John 14:17; 16:7. Henceforth through the Spirit, Christ was to abide continually in the hearts of His children. Their union with Him was closer than when He was personally with them. The light, and love, and power of the indwelling Christ shone out through them, so that men, beholding, "marveled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus." Acts 4:13.
All that Christ was to the disciples, He desires to be to His children today; for in that last prayer, with the little band of disciples gathered about Him, He said, "Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on Me through their word." John 17:20.
Jesus prayed for us, and He asked that we might be one with Him, even as He is one with the Father. What a union is this! The Saviour has said of Himself, "The Son can do nothing of Himself;" "the Father that dwelleth in Me, He doeth the works." John 5:19; 14:10. Then if Christ is dwelling in our hearts, He will work in us "both to will and to do of His good pleasure." Philippians 2:13. We shall work as He worked; we shall manifest the same spirit. And thus, loving Him and abiding in Him, we shall "grow up into Him in all things, which is the head, even Christ." Ephesians 4:15.'
Steps to Christ - E.G. White
*******
My thoughts-
I believe I've put this up before, if so, it's worth reading again and again.
Do we spend enough time contemplating Jesus?
What exactly do we spend our time doing?
We have to ask ourselves these questions because if we don't then we're letting ourselves be blinded, to be deceived and that's how Satan wants us.
These don't have to be easy questions, they don't have to be questions you want to hear or want to answer. Asking tough questions is needed, wake up calls are needed.
So answer the questions.
Do we, do you, spend enough time contemplating Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior?
What exactly do we, do you spend time doing?
The answers are important. If you find yourself making excuses rather than giving a heart felt honest reply, then keep asking yourself the question and force yourself to answer with total honesty.
If you answer that you don't spend enough time contemplating Jesus, then what do you think must be done? Obviously, spend more time with Jesus, right? Seriously, if you've come to this conclusion then you really, really should heed the voice of the Holy Spirit, and the admonitions we find in the Lord's word. We need to behold our Savior. We need to abide in Him. He must be in our lives! Not on the outside of our lives peeking in from time to time but a REAL part of our lives, an ACTIVE part of our lives.
If we honestly gave an assessment of what we spend our time doing, can we truly say that Christ is with us in all those things we do? He should be, shouldn't He? And if we can't imagine Christ with us doing those things with us, should we be doing them?
I know, believe me, I know that in the world we live in a world with television and such, it's hard to imagine our Savior sitting down watching television, isn't it? What about His reading the books we read? Doing the things we do?
Lord, please help us. Help us live our lives with YOU in them, in all things. IF there are things in our lives that aren't what they should be, please Lord, help us get the victory over them. Please, Lord, please, let us be willing to sacrifice all to You, as You sacrificed all for us.
Help us, Lord.
Save us!
Through Your love! By Your mercy and grace!
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