Items For Prayer And Praise

By Lois J. Stucky

    This Jesus who has been exalted in these pages – "The Wonderful One" – is the same One who abides by faith within the heart and life of each Christian. What a matchless privilege to draw upon His life, His grace, His enabling for living life day by day! It is marvelous that God should give His Son to die on the cross to atone for our sins and to bring us into fellowship with Himself. It is equally marvelous that God's salvation goes beyond that and He gives His Son to live in us the life He desires of us. God forgive us that we fail to lay hold of this in fuller measure, that He might be more greatly glorified in our lives.

    It is more than many of us apprehend – to have Christ's mind in us in actuality, to choose His will in all things, to appropriate His victory in our times of conflict. This is perhaps in part because some of us are not eager for the meekness of the Lamb of God to possess us. We are not ready to lay down our will to take up His will in all things. It may cross our will at crucial points. But those who yield and appropriate as God plans will be ready to sit with Christ on the Throne. There is a song that says, "Oh, Jesus Christ, grow Thou in Me; be Thou my life and aim...." Jesus Christ grows in us as we feed on the Word, commune with Him in prayer and yield to Him consistently throughout the day.

    Taking Christ to be all in us and to us is life at its richest and best in that which counts for eternity. Knowing Christ and having His abiding presence is fullness of joy (1 John 1:3, 4). "Heavenly" gifts are ours in Him. These are treasures that may be possessed by brothers and sisters in Christ living in poverty, persecution and peril. This Jesus, born in a humble stable, opposed by most of the respectables of the day, nailed at last to a cross – triumphs in Heaven today. He who drank the cup of sorrow and suffering gives to all who come to Him His love and life and grace to carry them through whatever befalls. He is a Saviour for all time, for all the world, for all circumstances. To Him be great glory and honor! What a Christ to possess! What a Christ to proclaim!

Will You Be a Friend?

    Several letters coming to Herald of His Coming from overseas recently have said, "I want to be your friend." In Herald of His Coming they find something for which their heart longs. They want continued friendship and communication. We invite you to extend your hand with ours to be a friend to them.

    God has given us "enough and to spare," some in greater measure than others. To us who have is given the privilege of sharing this wonderful Gospel that is ours by the grace and goodness of God. Many of you have already proven yourselves friends. Some of you send supporting gifts to Herald of His Coming; many of you pray for the ministry. A number receive extra copies to share with others, or pass their own copy on after reading. One brother puts some messages into Braille for the blind. Some in other language areas translate and type or write out messages for those not knowing English. Some read to illiterates or to those with failing eyesight. When the Holy Spirit sheds the love of God in hearts, it is blessed to see how people become friends and share the Gospel.

    As world conditions worsen in many ways and calls for help become more insistent and urgent, we may sigh and wish to turn a deaf ear. Think of a mother's response to her baby's needs. It can become wearying at times, perhaps trying. But does she really want to escape it? Escape something that has captured her heart? Might the love of God so capture our hearts that we will faithfully keep on and on in our outreach for souls.

    We hear of opposition to the Gospel becoming stronger, and of countries closing to the Gospel message. There is a vicious foe frantically at work. Let us zealously work while it is day! Look around you. To whom can you be a Gospel friend? Tomorrow's opportunity might not be the same as today's. Do not let it slip away, forever lost.

     Again we invite you also to join us in being a Gospel friend to Herald of His Coming readers overseas. Their letters come daily with eager requests – new converts wanting to know about life in Christ, praying friends earnest about increasing their prayer effectiveness, pastors and teachers who lack resource materials and depend on Herald messages to enrich their ministries, etc. We need your supporting gifts to send out the literature they desire. When day is finally done, we can look back with comfort if we have invested and worked for Eternity.

Praise God!

    For the faithful friends through the 53 years of printing, whose hearts God has touched to undergird the Herald ministry, so many have been effectively ministered to by the Word and by the Spirit.

Please Pray!

    For the salvation of many Jewish people throughout the world.

    For anointing of the Holy Spirit on this issue of Herald of His Coming, making it spiritual meat and drink to readers.

    That in this festive season, Jesus Christ will be exalted as Lord and Saviour, and that His people will endeavor to keep His priorities uppermost all the while.

    That God will thrust forth workers into the harvest field.

    That God will intervene in world affairs, to keep open doors for the spread of the Gospel.

    That God will rend the heavens and come down in unprecedented ways to save and to deliver from sin and Satan.