II Corinthians 4:5-7
"For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake. For God, Who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us."
December 30th
"...Return unto Me, and I will return unto you, saith the LORD of hosts...." Malachi 3:7
"Return, RETURN (unto Me)..." pleaded a Father's cry to His people in ages bygone. HE is still pleading with His earthly Chosen, and with all who belong to Christ – but who have wandered off. "'Tis easy enough to be pleasant, when life flows along like a song; but the man worth while is the one who can smile, when everything goes dead wrong" – wrote Ella Wheeler Wilcox, long ago. We find the same truth in the leaves of history. It was easy enough for Peter to be confident, and big in words when by the Master's side; but no feet on which to stand with the Master taken and his own liberty at stake. But we need not look to those of the long ago, but behold the same all about us. The Christian finds it so simple to follow his Lord while the path is smooth through fragrance-laden boweries of delight; but how swiftly knees buckle when some "cobra" slithers into the path. In time the Father starts to call: "Return, RETURN unto Me, and I will give you rest."
...Did you ever stop to realize that more than one million Israelites who fell in the wilderness, had precisely the same simple and easy opportunity of entering the land promised unto the fathers, as did (or had) Joshua and Caleb?
Chat 7/1970