What I am going to share is not merely for the sake of starting another thread. It comes straight from the heart. I have been professing to be a Christian for twenty-five years or so. I have longed for the coming of Christ. At this time in my life, more than ever before, I am ready to confess how wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked I am, not only because the Lord says so, but because He has shown me to a degree how utterly helpless human nature is if left to itself. I long for the latter rain to fall upon God's people, for the work here on earth to be finished, and to see Jesus coming in the clouds of heaven and to be caught up with Him in the air and be with Him for ever and ever!

Much is said about what the Gospel is and what it is not, but one thing we may be sure of is that without the Spirit of Christ, to help our infirmities, we cannot form a Christian character!

And unless we form a Christian character we can not enter the kingdom of Heaven!

Something else we should all agree on is that the only way for us to have the Holy Spirit, to form a Christian character, is through faith and through faith only!

"Jesus is our propitiation through faith in His blood." Rom.3:25. Faith in His blood! Yes. That means trusting wholly in the meritorious blood that was shed.

"Looking unto Jesus and trusting in His merits we appropriate the blessings of light and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit." 5 T 744.

Is not that last statement plain and clear? Thank God it is! And the gift of the Holy Spirit brings all other blessings in its train! A.A.50; D.A.672.

Pray that the Lord will increase our faith in the merits of the blood that is of value beyond estimate for it is our only hope to receive the gift of the Spirit which accomplishes everything!

God bless!

P.S. If there is anything I appreciate with all my heart, beside the privilege given to us of claiming the merits of our Savior as our own, is God's willingness to forgive seventy times seven. How many times I have let him down! How many times I have dissappointed Him! And as many times the Lord has forgiven me. I don't want to dissappoint Him any more! I don't want to let Him down any more! Please let us pray for each other that we may take hold of the victory which was purchased for us at such an infinite cost!

Amen.

I want to be first to extend my hand to you AB.

Yesturday I saw on 3ABN an SDA Pastor telling how God lead his research in preparing material on praying as a local Church Body for the baptism, revival, outpouring of the Holy Spirit. It included a ten day fast (of all things that came between a person and God.)

Pastor Dennis Smith at smith06515@msn.com

(800)453-0008

200 Fountain St #206 New Haven CT, 06515

It was not a search for gifts, but to come closer to Jesus than ever before. In fact I think I will e-mail him & request it.

I will be praying for you, pray for me. Jesus & the Holy Ghost are exceedingly abundantly able above all that we ask or think. He will save to the uttermost all who come unto God by Him.

Edward, is this something that is on video that he is sending out on request? I dont get 3ABN unless I watch it on the net and that gets rather tiresome.

Amelia

AB wrote:

"At this time in my life, more than ever before, I am ready to confess how wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked I am, not only because the Lord says so, but because He has shown me to a degree how utterly helpless human nature is if left to itself."

Dear brother, if you are "ready to confess" then delay no longer. Jesus is pleading with open arms to set you free from your wretched condition. In Christ you are free from the burden and guilt of sin. In Christ you may proclaim with Paul:

Galatians 2
20 I am crucified with Christ: neverthless 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.

Jesus loves you with an everlasting love. Please respond to His love and be free indeed.

John 8
31 Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;
32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
33 They answered him, We be Abraham's seed, and were never in bondage to any man: how sayest thou, Ye shall be made free?
34 Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin.
35 And the servant abideth not in the house for ever: but the Son abideth ever.
36 If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.

Amelia,
He had a segment that was video taped @ 3ABN. Contact them online to see if they will have him do a series, I think they briefly mentioned something about it.

I contacted Pastor Dennis Smith by e-mail about his book. I is available through only one ABC.

Here is the information about the book.

The book costs $ 7.99 plus shipping and is only available at the ABC store in So. Lancaster, Mass. Their phone number is: 1-800-435-0008.

adventbeliever, I was very moved by your post. It is true that we all need to come into a closer walk with the Lord, or we will never get off this planet.
I will pray for you and others, and I ask the same of you. God bless you.

Thanks Ed and Zyph.

Mike: I did not say that for the first time in my life I was ready to confess how wretched I was but I did say that "more than ever before" I was ready to confess that. It is not something we need to confess only at some point in our lives but now and ever!

"We have nothing to recommend us to God, but the plea that we may urge NOW and EVER is our utterly helpless condition that makes His redeemer power a necessity." D.A.317.

[ May 28, 2002, 02:09 PM: Message edited by: adventbeliever ]

AB, thank you. "Helpless condition" sounds more fitting than "wretched condition." It's hard to view someone as wretch when they're walking in the Spirit and mind of the new man. Manifesting the fruits of Spirit is a far cry from the lusts of the flesh.

What do you think of this statement by Ellen White? It was quoted at the 1893 General Conference before the delegates in session:

"Are you in Christ? Not if you do not acknowledge yourselves erring, helpless, condemned sinners." E.G. White, 1893 G.C.B. p.178.

[ May 29, 2002, 01:57 PM: Message edited by: adventbeliever ]

Here's the context of the quote:

Testimonies for the Church Volume Five, page 48, paragraphs 2 and 3
"Many of you are seeking honor of one another. But what is the honor or the approval of man to one who regards himself as a son of God, a joint heir with Christ? What are the pleasures of this world to him who is daily a sharer in the love of Christ which passes knowledge? What are the contempt and opposition of man to him whom God accepts through Jesus Christ? Selfishness can no more live in the heart that is exercising faith in Christ than light and darkness can exist together. Spiritual coldness, sloth, pride, and cowardice alike shrink from the presence of faith. Can those who are as closely united with Christ as the branch to the vine, talk of and to everyone but Jesus?

"Are you in Christ? Not if you do not acknowledge yourselves erring, helpless, condemned sinners. Not if you are exalting and glorifying self. If there is any good in you, it is wholly attributable to the mercy of a compassionate Saviour. Your birth, your reputation, your wealth, your talents, your virtues, your piety, your philanthropy, or anything else in you or connected with you, will not form a bond of union between your soul and Christ. Your connection with the church, the manner in which your brethren regard you, will be of no avail unless you believe in Christ. It is not enough to believe about Him; you must believe in Him. You must rely wholly upon His saving grace."

Apparently Ellen White was concerned that these brethren were losing sight of Jesus, and feeling all self-important. It would be inconsistent for people thus afflicted to claim the promises of perfection when in fact their life and character are not in harmony with the example of Jesus. I trust and pray this is not the case with you.

[ May 29, 2002, 04:22 PM: Message edited by: Mike Lowe ]