God Hates the Shedding of Innocent Blood

Pro 6:16  These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him:

Pro 6:17  A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood,

Pro 6:18  An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief,

Pro 6:19  A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.

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The LORD hates-  hands that shed innocent blood- murder.

Remember this verse from yesterday's study--

Joh_8:44  Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.

A murderer from the beginning.  Not only is the devil the father of lying, but he is also a murderer from the beginning.

The very first murder-  Cain murdering his brother Abel.

Gen 4:1  And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from the LORD.

Gen 4:2  And she again bare his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground.

Gen 4:3  And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the LORD.

Gen 4:4  And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his offering:

Gen 4:5  But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell.

Gen 4:6  And the LORD said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen?

Gen 4:7  If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him.

Cain was wroth at God because God did not accept his offering.  Notice how Cain brought of the fruit of the ground…  NOT the best, choicest of fruits, but just fruit of the ground.  While Abel gave God the best, the choicest, the firstling of his flock.  Cain did not give God the respect due to Him and God was trying to teach Cain that if he does well he will be accepted.  There are consequences to our actions. If we try to cheat someone out of what they are due, aren't we accountable for that cheating? Cain was trying to cheat God out of what wad due to Him and he was being held accountable for that. Cain didn't want to be held accountable. Cain wanted his half-hearted offering to be good enough and was angry when it wasn't accepted. His anger a selfish righteous indignation. God wanted Cain to do well. God wanted Cain to love Him first and foremost, but Cain had a love for himself in his heart instead. 

Being self serving Cain couldn't have his brother showing him up, it infuriated him.

Murdering Abel, taking Abel out of the picture no longer did Cain have to compare himself and his selfish actions to those of his selfless brother.

Death, the first human death had come to the world and this after Satan told Eve that they wouldn't die as he enticed her to eat the forbidden fruit. He knew, SATAN KNEW that if Eve and Adam ate of that forbidden fruit their disobedience would warrant a sentence of death, they would no longer live eternally.  Satan was a murderer as soon as he first tempted Eve. He wanted humans to die, it was his intention for them to be able to die. In fact, Satan is responsible for EVERY human and animal death that has ever taken place. Without Satan's tempting, Eve would never have ate from the forbidden tree. Satan is a murderer.

Cain's murder of Abel was the first human loss of life. The death that Satan told Eve would not happen- that she wouldn't surely die--

Gen_3:4  And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die

--was a direct bold-faced lie from Satan against what God had already spoken as truth.

Gen_2:17  But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.

Did this death happen instantaneously? No. God did not say it would be instantaneous. Death was made possible for humans by Eve's and Adam's disobedience, which was instigated by Satan.

Murder.

The ending of life. The bringer of instant death. NO man has the right to determine the death of another man. No man has the right to strip away the very breath of life God gave to someone. No man has the right to end the probation of another. We are all under probation, and we will all decide who we wish to follow -our Savior or Satan- during our probation. Cutting short the probation of another makes you accountable for the state that person died in. Were they, like Abel, innocent and under the Savior's righteousness? Or were they not under the Savior's redemption, and therefore never to be able to enter the kingdom of our Creator and Redeemer?   We don't know, we can't know, but just the fact that we are stealing the life of another is so incredibly wrong that it doesn't matter.  Taking that life you had no hand in giving, the breath of life never having been yours to give, is wrong, terribly wrong.

God hates murder.

Remember this--

Mat 5:21  Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment:

Mat 5:22  But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.

We must LOVE, not lie, not judge, not murder, not steal.

Please LORD, help us to LOVE, LOVE in us, we are so weak! Keep us from all things that are of SATAN, please Savior, please save us from ourselves, KEEP US FROM EVIL!

All by YOUR love!

God Hates Lying

Pro 6:16  These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him:
Pro 6:17  A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood,
Pro 6:18  An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief,
Pro 6:19  A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.

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A lying tongue- liars, any lie, all lies.

The Lord HATES lying.

ly•ing1 (ˈlaɪ ɪŋ)

n.
1. the telling of lies.
adj.
2. telling or containing lies; deliberately untruthful.
[1175–1225]

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• Lie
• A lie is a false statement to a person or group made by another person or group who knows it is not the whole truth, intentionally. A barefaced lie is one that is obviously a lie to those hearing it. Wikipedia

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The Lord HATES when we intentionally make false statements.

The father of lies is…

Joh_8:44  Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father it is your will to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and standeth not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father thereof.

The devil is the father of lies.

The one who created lies.

God is TRUTH.
Satan is LYING.

The LORD hates when we lie because that reveals that we are of the FATHER of lies, not the FATHER of truth!

If we holdfast to the truth then we are holding fast to our CREATOR, our SAVIOR.
If we holdfast to lying then we are holding fast to SATAN, our destroyer!

Every single lie, no matter how tiny we want to claim it is, no matter how harmless we want to imagine it being, no matter how white we label that lie is still a LIE.

We soothe our conscience by saying our lies actually prevent warrantless harm, and undeserved upset.  We say that because we don't want to hurt anyone with the truth because it is true, the truth can hurt… a lot!

The truth can hurt us, it can hurt others, it can cause us untold embarrassment. The truth can destroy, no one said the truth is harmless, but it is THE TRUTH.  How often do we simply tell a tiny lie in order to keep ourselves from the shame of some action or non-action of ours?  Is it easier to say 'I forgot…'  than say, 'I didn't want to…'  Is it easier to say, 'Yes, I like that…'  than to say, 'No, I don't like that…' ?  Is it easier to say, 'It'll be all right…'  than to say, 'It's not going to be all right.' ?    You understand what I'm saying.  We find it EASIER to lie and we ease our conscience by saying it's the right thing to spare another person.

I'm not equating telling the truth to being a blunt speaker who says what they feel, intentionally hurting others.  I'm saying that we should tell the truth when we are faced with either telling the truth or telling a lie. But to offer unsolicited comments on everything and anything, and call it telling the truth is just patting ourselves on the back in a self-righteous way and truly causing intentional harm where no harm is warranted.

The next time we are tempted to lie we need the Holy Spirit to convict us of the truth- the God HATES lying, God will HATE that lie we tell.  Do we believe it? We have to believe it, it's God's truth!

Satan is the one who loves lies and loves to hear us lie.

Who do we choose to follow?  It is OUR choice.  God or Satan.

And yes, it's easy and hard.

Mat 11:29  Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
Mat 11:30  For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

Mat_10:38  And he that doth not take his cross and follow after me, is not worthy of me.

Easy and hard.

It is the truth and because Satan hates the truth He will attack us and make it as hard as he can for us to live in the truth.

God will allow what He will allow knowing the end from the beginning , knowing what we all need to endure even when we can't fathom the how's or why's.  All by HIS grace may we LIVE in HIM in HIS holy TRUTH!

Please Savior, please help us to live in truth, hating lies as You hate lies. Teach us, guide us, keep us in YOU!  All by YOUR grace and mercy, YOUR LOVE, ALWAYS!

The Lord Hates

Pro 6:16  These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him:
Pro 6:17  A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood,
Pro 6:18  An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief,
Pro 6:19  A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.

1- A proud look - pride, self-centered, boastful, haughty.
2- A lying tongue- liars, any lie, all lies.
3- Hands that shed innocent blood- murder.
4- A heart that deviseth wicked imaginations-evil scheming, destructive planning.
5- Feet that be swift in running to mischief- eager to do wrong, ready to cause strife in any form at any moment, desiring to cause trouble and upset.
6- A false witness that speaketh lies-  lying against others, harming others by not telling the truth, protecting yourself through lying, through providing false information.
7- He that soweth discord among brethren- stirring up strife, enjoying being able to cause others to fight against each other.

The LORD hates all the above and yet for so many this is their daily way of life, isn't it? We can make all kinds of excuses to justify when we come off as being prideful, boastful, haughty- because we're not supposedly really doing that, we're just 'saying', we're just 'explaining', we're just 'letting people know' and don't worry we're still good people because we give to the poor, we help those in need, we give 'this and that' much to the charities that need our help.  Truly- even more boasting in the justification.   We are told the LORD hates a proud look and that proud look is a self-pride, it's a haughtiness in us individually.

We've been talking about selfishness and our need to be rid of self and filled with Christ, if we are haughty and prideful that is the ultimate in being filled to the brim with selfishness. Even if you give millions to the poor you can do so and still be filled with intense pride and selfishness.  We have to be EMPTIED of self, empty of pride because we have to be able to fully comprehend we only exist because of our Creator, because of our Savior and we lose sight of that often and some lose sight of it altogether. When we lay claim to self--boasting then we leave out the truth that all things worth boasting about are gifts entirely from God. Yes, all things.  It's by HIS grace that we are given any talents we may have.

Our Savior said--

Joh_5:19  Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise.

Joh_8:28  Then said Jesus unto them, When ye have lifted up the Son of man, then shall ye know that I am he, and that I do nothing of myself; but as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things.

Jesus could do NOTHING of himself!

And if JESUS could do NOTHING of HIMSELF- why in the world do we ever believe WE can do things of ourselves? Why? Why do we imagine any kindness in ourselves comes from ourselves? Why do we have to bother ourselves about whether or not WE are good people?  We aren't supposed to even be thinking that way, but rather whether or not we are GOD'S people!  Are we GOD'S people?!   If we are God's, truly God's, and not under some false god's control, then we will automatically become what we imagine being a good person is.  If our 'goodness' isn't God's goodness it's not goodness at all, not really.

God works in all people in different ways, the most sweet, the most kind person who claims to believe in no God at the moment could be under the influence of God and being led to Him by a different path than the one we are on. We can condemn NO ONE!  We can pray for their walk with God to become fully realized, but who are we to judge when we cannot see the end from the beginning.

We need our Savior to empty us of self. We need to abase ourselves, meaning put down and degrade the part in us that wants to be prideful. When we are blessed to realize our own prideful acts we should immediately repent of them! God first, God always!

When inside us stirs up that flickering evil flame of - 'What about me? Where do I fit in?'- we have to stamp it down and fully comprehend there would be NO 'me', there would be NO 'I' without God FIRST!

Please Lord Savior, Creator, please help us to be boastful only of YOU, let any pride we have be pride of YOU and not of self.  Bless us and keep us IN YOU always, our blessed Savior!

In YOUR amazing LOVE!

Become Spiritually Minded, Not Worldly Minded

Mat_6:19  Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:
Mat_6:20  But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal

1Jn_2:15  Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

1Jn 4:5  They are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them.

1Jn 5:4  For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.
1Jn 5:5  Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?

Joh 15:19  If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.

Rom 12:2  And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

Gal 1:10  For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ.

Eph 2:2  Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience

Col 3:1  If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.
Col 3:2  Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.

1Ti 6:10  For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

('The worldly-minded must have the tendrils of the heart removed from the rubbish of the world, around which they are clinging, and entwined about God; they must become spiritually minded.'

 {5T 249.2} EGW Testimonies for the Church.)

TRUTH.

By the grace and mercy of God may we be HIS, belonging to HIM and NOT THIS WORLD!

Please, Lord God, Savior, please save us from the evils this world is full to overflowing with, especially from the evils disguised to be things of God's but are not!

We would be YOURS and no other's!

Bless us, help us, keep us, know us!

All in YOUR LOVE!

Christians must be like Christ

"Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children." Christians must be like Christ. They should have the same spirit, exert the same influence, and have the same moral excellence that He possessed. The idolatrous and corrupt in heart must repent and turn to God. Those who are proud and self-righteous must abase self and become penitent and meek and lowly in heart. The worldly-minded must have the tendrils of the heart removed from the rubbish of the world, around which they are clinging, and entwined about God; they must become spiritually minded. The dishonest and untruthful must become just and true. The ambitious and covetous must be hid in Jesus and seek His glory, not their own. They must despise their own holiness and lay up their treasure above. The prayerless must feel the need of both secret and family prayer, and must make their supplications to God with great earnestness.

 {5T 249.2} EGW Testimonies for the Church.

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Is it a novel idea- Christians must be like Christ?

He is our ROLE MODEL, isn't He?  He is the One we are to be modeling our lives after. Yet at every turn we come face to face with our selfishness, our self-serving. We've lied to ourselves and call it by another name, we call it 'taking care of ourselves'.  We say we have to look after ourselves or we won't be able to look after others. And we tell ourselves others have to understand that because they're the same way.

As our Savior takes residence in us self has to leave us, and so we are going to be shown our self-serving more and more right up until the return of our Lord. Every day we are going to come face to face with our selfishness.  Every day, more and more it will be pointed out to us and if it isn't then we have to truly question our desire to be Christ's.

Once our selfishness is revealed we can wallow in self pity and despair of ever being selfless but that is exactly what Satan wants us to do, exactly!

It's good to feel the anguish of realization that we are so incredibly selfish, but not good to let that anguish to turn hopelessness.

Selfishness can appear in so many forms and each of its forms will be made known to us. Our Savior will not leave us helpless. With every temptation there is a way out of it before we let it draw us into sin and yes, selfishness is sinful by its very nature though many will tell you it's not.

By being made aware of our sin we are being shown that there is hope in Christ, through Christ.

Please Lord keep us aware of our selfishness, keep us aware of anything that will keep us from You. Help us choose You over all other things so we may be Yours fully!

Time is running out

'An Hour and An End' by William Grotheer.  We are continuing with the appendix .

May God bless us and help us to get only truth from what we read. Help us, Lord, to discern between truth and error wherever it is found. We don't want to believe anything just because it sounds good to our ears. Please, please help us.

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'Historical Parallels

When one really perceives that the prophetic utterances of Jesus have significance for His followers, then the historical parallel between events in secular history and the events in the history of the Seventh-day Adventist Church speaks with force. When one understands that "the most solemn truths ever entrusted to mortals were given to the Seventh-day Adventist Church (9T:19); and that the Church "is to be weighed" in "the balances of the sanctuary" regarding "the work entrusted to her" (8T:247), this historical parallel becomes terrifyingly significant.

1888 The Lambeth Conference of Bishops of the Anglican Church adopts four principles as the basis for church unity. This became known as the Lambeth Quadrilateral. (This was the first step that led to the Faith and Order Movement and then ultimately to the World Council of Churches)

1888 The Minneapolis General Conference session and the Message of' Righteousness by Faith. (This was to have been the beginning of "the loud cry" and the sounding of the angel of Revelation 18. (R&H, Nov. 22, 1892.)

1896-1897 Jewish State proposed; first Zionist Congress in Basel, Switzerland. God revealed how He viewed the Church's reaction to the 1888 Message:

 "All the universe of heaven witnessed the disgraceful treatment of Jesus Christ, represented by the Holy Spirit. Had Christ been before them, they would have treated Him in a manner similar to that which the Jews treated Christ." Jan. 16, 1896 (Series A,.#6, p. 20)

1901   Letter to P. T. Magan - "We may have to remain here in this world because of insubordination many more years as did the children of Israel."

1903   God's evaluation and counsel following the General Conference session in Oakland, California - "Unless the church, which is now being leavened with her own backsliding, shall repent and be converted..." (8T:250)

1927 First World Conference on Faith & Order.

1929 - "Mussolini and Gasparri Sign Historic Roman Pact" "Heal Wound of Many Years" (Headlines of San Francisco Chronicle, Feb. 12)  

1931   New Statement of Beliefs placed in SDA Yearbook. Omitted statement on purpose of prophecy and phrase designating the Papacy as the "man of sin."

1948 State of Israel created in Palestine; World Council of Churches formed.  
--  p 50 ---  
1950   Two Missionaries to Africa give God's call for Denominational Repentance.

1955-1956   SDA-Evangelical Conferences. Fundamental Beliefs denied and compromised.

1957   Questions on Doctrine published

1967 Israeli armies take Old Jerusalem and restore Jewish sovereignty.  Andrews University professor appointed to the Faith and Order Commission of the World Council of Churches; major entry into the Wall Street Stock Market; Liberal element in the Church gains recognition and functions as Association of Adventist Forums publishing Spectrum.

The closing period of the "Times of the Gentiles (Nations)" begins. Could be compared to "the last week" of the 70 weeks of Daniel 9 in the history of the Jewish Church.

1971   Movement of Destiny published with official blessing of both Robert H. Pierson and Neal C. Wilson.

1977   A gold medallion - a symbol of the SDA Church placed in the hands of Pope Paul VI by B. B. Beach.

1979 Pope welcomed to the White House with "hand-clasp" by President Jimmy Carter (October 6) Annual Council (October 9-17) approves an Andrews University prepared Statement of Beliefs and recommends it to the General Conference to convene at Dallas, Texas, in 1980.

1980 The Knesset of Israel voted to move the seat of government from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. (July 30)  General Conference in Dallas voted new (apostate) Statement of Beliefs. (April 25)

The closing period of the "Times of the Gentiles (Nations)" ended with the government of Israel fully functioning from Jerusalem. The apostasy of the Church in its official renunciation of the trust bestowed upon her was complete. The hour and the end had come.

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Yet here we still are, yet many more years later 34 of them.

After all the things we've read in this manuscript of William Grotheer's, how can we deny what time we are living in?

Israel of old were sentenced to wander in the wilderness for forty years so that none of the rebelling generation were to enter the promised land. All those of rebellious age in thought and heart would die in those forty years of wandering and only those who were God's in heart and thought would enter the promised land.

Forty years of wandering.

Am I saying we only have six more years left to wandering in the wilderness of this sin-filled earth before we are privileged to enter the promised land of heaven in eternity?

No.

I can't make that claim. All I can say is in 1980 an hour and an end had come. All that remains is the atonement for the individuals, the probation for the individuals.  Spiritual Israel's leadership has been judged, spiritual Israel's corporate body has been judged, and all that remains is for individual spiritual Israeli's to be judged.

When the cup is full, when that time allotted for this is up whenever that may be, a time of trouble such as we've never seen is next.  There is no more repentance, no more forgiveness, no more atonement, all has been finished.

1980.

34 years ago.

Time is running out.

History doesn't lie. We can't afford to allow ourselves to be blind to the signs of the time, to our prophetic history.

Soon, very soon, that cup will be full and then it will be over.

Please LORD save us from ourselves!

Help us to know the time and to live as if we do know the time we are living in.

Please, Lord, SAVE US!

All by YOUR grace, YOUR love!

Savior, save us! Not because we deserve it because we never will!

Emptied of self means filled with our Savior.

'An Hour and An End' by William Grotheer.

We're still tying up this manuscript by looking at the Appendix.  Today we are talking about something that we should ALL be very interested in simply because it is TRUTH. Relevant truth for you and I. Truth that if we ignore it we are being willfully blind and we all know that if we choose darkness over light then we are not going to be Christ's, we can't be Christ's - He is the Light of the world. So please, read it slowly, carefully… study it, study to know it and comprehend it, making it a part of you.

Please, Lord, help us as we study. Open our hearts and minds to You and all Your truth!

All by Your grace!

'APPENDIX B --What Will the Final Witness Be?

There are those, who, when confronted with the significance of Christ's prophecy in Luke 21:24, ask - Does this mean that when Jerusalem was no longer under Gentile control, probation had closed for all individuals?

The answer is, No!

Only the times of the nations had been fulfilled.

Then another question follows - If the present work is for the Church - "the closing work for the church" - then how and when will the final witness be given to the individuals who perhaps have never heard the truth for this time?

The same night that Jesus gave the prophecy concerning Jerusalem which would serve as a sign when the times of the visitation of the nations were ended, He also told what the final witness would be.

This part of the prophecy is found in Mark's gospel. It reads: -        But take heed to, yourselves: for they shall deliver you up to councils; and in the synagogues ye shall be beaten: and ye shall be brought before rulers and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them. (Mark 13:9)

The 10th verse is interposed parenthetically - and it gives the time location, reading: "And the gospel must first be published among the nations."

When the gospel has been given as a witness to the nations, their times of visitation are fulfilled, and the end period begins. After giving this time setting, Jesus continued the thought of the 9th verse: -       But when they shall lead you, and deliver you up, take no thought beforehand what ye shall speak, neither do ye premeditate: but whatsoever shall be given you in that hour, that speak ye: for it is not ye that speak, but the Holy Spirit.

For men and women to merely open their mouths, and the voice of the Holy Spirit is heard can mean only one thing - they are completely filled and controlled by the

p 46 -- Holy Spirit.

The final atonement of Jesus will have accomplished its objective, and the fulness of the latter rain will have been experienced by the "faithful few" who have overcome by the blood of the Lamb, and who are now ready to give their testimony, loving not their lives unto death. (See Rev. 12:11)

Rev 12:11  And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.

God alone will be exalted in that day. It will not be men nor institutions which will be headlined by this experience. THOSE WHO BOW THEIR HEARTS BEFORE GOD IN SURRENDER IN THE CLOSING MOMENTS OF HUMAN PROBATION AS A RESULT OF THIS FINAL WITNESS, WILL BE KNOWN ONLY TO GOD.

 It is our responsibility now to understand what it means to be so completely emptied of self that the Spirit of God will alone appear not only in our manner of conduct, but be able to take over our minds and voices. The image of Jesus, who "emptied Himself" (Phil. 2:7 RV) and who declared, "of my own self, I can do nothing*' (John 5:30) will be mirrored in such lives.'

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As we struggle day to day being shown how exceedingly full of self we are just knowing we ar to be emptied of self says so much.

It is a thought meant to bring us to despair by Satan, but a thought meant to give us hope when we realize that it is ONLY Christ who can empty us of self, we CANNOT do it on our own. Satan wants us to believe we can do it on our own so that when we try and fail over and over again he swoops in when we are at our lowest point and tries to destroy us with despair of ever being empty of self- it's Satan's specialty.

Emptied of self means filled with our Savior.

We can never empty any part of our self, but Christ can fill us, and as He fills us He delivers us from self. Christ in us, our hope!

Col_1:27  To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory

All Glory to GOD, may we be filled with Christ now and forever!  Please LORD empty us as You feel us with YOU and YOUR love.