May 25

God does not send messengers to flatter the sinner. He delivers no message of peace to lull the unsanctified into fatal security. He lays heavy burdens upon the conscience of the wrongdoer, and pierces the soul with arrows of conviction. The ministering angels present to him the fearful judgments of God to deepen the sense of need, and prompt the cry, "What must I do to be saved?" Then the hand that has humbled (the sinner) in the dust, lifts up the penitent. The voice that has rebuked sin, and put to shame pride and ambition, inquires with tenderest sympathy, "What wilt thou that I shall do unto thee?"

          Desire of Ages, page 105 from the chapter, 'The voice in the wilderness'

        A friend told me last week that he had given a copy of ‘Steps to Christ’ or ‘Desire of Ages’ to a friend. The friend read the book and made the comment, “very fanciful’. My friend, correctly, thought that he was being told, “I don’t believe this, where is the evidence?”

     I would love you to re-read our passage for the day and say, after reading, “very fanciful”. If that really is your response you only have one authentic recourse. You must find out if the words you have read are fact or fiction.

     Take our passage and work out if there is a Bible passage to prove that the teaching is from God or not. Have a look at Romans 7:7-12 .. As I read I get the impression that the law of God is created and presented in such a way that the non-Christian is so disturbed by the exposure to the teaching of the law that they realise there is something wrong with them. The non-Christian should be ready to say, “I need Jesus”.

     Our passage is not fanciful at all. Consider how to apply the teaching. You have a friend who is not a Christian. He is not a bad person and certainly not a wicked person. However his life is not godly. Who would expect it to be. All come short of God’s glory. You decide to confront your friend’s sin.

     This is, in effect, a judgement on the person. Don’t worry, because you are not going to judge your friend to condemnation. You are going to lift your friend closer to God. Your hand, as a messenger for God, will humble your friend. Your next move will be to say, ‘how can I help you’?

     Our song, “The promise” is by the Martins. Thank you for your choice Bryn.  Click on the picture to see the video and hear the song.