April/May/June 2024
The Sinner’s Need of Christ
Man was originally endowed with noble powers and a well-balanced mind. He was perfect in his being, and in harmony with God. His thoughts were pure, his aims holy. But through disobedience, his powers were perverted, and selfishness took the place of love. His nature became so weakend through transgression that it was impossible for him, in his own strength, to resist the power of evil. He was made a captive of Satan, and would have remained so forever had not God specially interposed.
In his sinless state, man held joyful communion with Him "in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdon and knowledge." (Col. 2:3 ) But after his sin, he could no longer find joy in holiness, and he sought to hide from the presence of God. Such is still the condition of Him. The sinner could not be happy in God's presence; he would shrink from the companionship of holy beings. Could he be permitted to enter heaven, it would have no joy for him. The spirit of unselfish love that reigns there---every heart responding to Infinite Love---would touch no answering chord in his soul. His thoughts, his interests, his motives, would be alien to those that actuate the sinless dwellers there.
It is impossible for us, of ourselves, to escape from the pit of sin in which we are sunken. Or hearts are evil, and we cannot change them. "Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? not one." " The carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be." ( John 14:4 & Romans 8:7)
The Saviour said, "Except a man be born from above," unless he shall receive a new heart, new desires, purposes, and motives, leading to a new life, "he cannnot see the kingdom of God." (John 3:3) the idea that it is necessary only to develope the good that exists in man by nature, is a fatal deception. "The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned." "Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again." (1 Cor. 2:14 ; John 3:7) Of Christ it is written, "In Him was life; and the life was the light of men," ---the only "name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved." (John 1:4 ; Acts 4:12)
It is not enough to perceive the loving-kindness of God, to see the benevoence, the fatherly tenderness, of His character. It is not enough to discern the wisdom and justice of His law, to see that it is founded upon the eternal principle of love. Paul the apostle saw all this when he exvlaimed, "The law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good." But he added, in the bitterness of his soul-anguish and despair, "I am carnal, sold under sin." ( Rom. 7:16, 12, 14) He longed for the purity, the righteousness, to which in himself he was powerless to attain, and cried out, "O wreched man that I am! who shall deliver me from this body of death?" (Rom. 7:24) Such is the cry that has gone up from burdened hearta in all lands and in all ages. To all, there is but one answer, "Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world." (John 1:29)
Many are the figures by which the Spirit of God has sought to illustrate this truth, and make it plain to souls that long to be freed from the burden of guilt. When, after his sin in deceiving Esau, Jacob fled from his father's home, he was weighed down with a sence of guilt. Lonely and outcast as he was, seperated from all that had made life dear, the one thought that above all others pressed upon his soul, was the fear that sin had cut him off from God, that he was forsaken of Heaven. In sadness he lay down to rest on the bare earth, and around him only the lonely hills, and above, the heavens bright with stars. As he slept, a strange light broke upon his vision; and lo, from the plain on which he lay, vast shadowy stairs seemed to lead upward to the very gates of heaven, and upon them angels of God were passing up and down; while the glory above, the divine voice was heard in a message of comfort and hope...The mystic ladder of his dream represented Jesus, the only medium of communication between God and man.
But in vain are men's dreamsof progress, in vain all efforts for the uplifting of humanity, if they neglect the one source of hope and help for the fallen race. "Every good gift and every perfect gift" is of God. (James 1:17) There is no true excellence of character apart from Him. And the only way to God is Christ. He says, "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no one cometh to the Father, but by Me." (John 14:6)
The heart of God yearns over His earthly children with a love stronger than death. In giving up His Son, He has poured out to us all heaven in one gift. The Saviour's life and death and intercession, the ministry of angels, the pleading of the Spirit, the Father working above and through all, the unceasing interest of heavenly beings,---all are enlisted in behalf of man's redemption.
Shall we not regard the mercy of God? What more could He do? Let us place ourselves in right relation to Him who has loved us with amazing love. Let us avail ourselves of the means provided for us that we may be transformed into His likeness, and be restored to fellowship with the ministering angels, to harmony and communion with the Father and the Son. (Steps To Christ pgs. 17-22)
Recipe: Cooked Buckwheat Cereal
1 cup hulled raw buckwheat groats, soaked overnight & rinsed
2 cups water
1/2 tsp. himalayan salt
1/2 tsp honey
1 1/2 cups berries of choice
1/2 tsp cardamom
1/4 tsp. coriander
2 cups plant based milk
In a covered saucepan bring buckwheat, salt and water to a rolling boil. Lower heat and simmer 15-20 minutes until water is fully absorbed. Seve with milk and sweeten with 1/2 teaspoon of honey. Garnish with fresh berries, coriander and cardamom.
I like to eat this with a pat of plant based butter, a heaping tablespoon of nutritional yeast, and a dash of himalayan salt. This is a great savory alternative.
Health Nugget: Peppermint
Peppermint is an old household remedy and useful for a varietyof conditions. The leaves are the part of the plant used. it affects the stomach, intestines, muscles and circulation.
For an infusion steep 5 to 15 minutes. Take 6 oz. 3 times a day. For a tincture take 30 to 60 drops 3 times a day. For a fluid extract take 1/2 to 2 teaspoons 3 times daily. For am oil take 5 to 10 drops 3 times a day. For a powder take up to 10 30 capsules 3 times a day. If you have any medical conditions consult your practitioner before taking.
Internally: Peppermint slightly anesthetizes mucous membranes and gastro-intestinal tract. The tea is used for insomnia, migraine, measles, menstrual cramps, morning sickness, muscle spasms, chills, headache, nasea, nervous disorders, colic, fevers, dizzines, gas, vomiting, diarrhea, dysentery, heart trouble, poor appetite, rheumatism, and hysteria. It increases stomach acidity, aiding digestion, and is useful for iritable bowel syndrome. It will stopp vomiting due to nervous causes.
Externally: Peppermint leaves make a cooling and slightly anodyne application. They can also be made into a salve or bath additive for itching skin conditions. Peppermint is used for toothaches and to provide local anesthetic to pain and inflamed joints. To open up the sinuses, put 5 to 10 drops of oil into two quarts of hot water and breathe it in through the mouth and nostrils. cover the head with a towel as you do this. I used pepermint oil mixed with St. John's Wort oil when I had sciatic nerve pain. It helped dull the pain when I rubbed it in every 2 hours.
Note: The oil is toxic if taken internally; causes dermatitis. Menthol, the major chemical component of Peppermint oil, may cause allergic reactions. Infants should never be exoosed to menthol-containing products, as they can cause the lungs to collapse. Use should be avoided in cases of gallbladder or bile duct obstruction.
Children’s Corner: Ant Farmers
"The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their food in the summer." Proverbs 30:25
Perhaps you have heard of the famous parasol (or "leafcutter") ants that make gardens and raise their own crops. These amazing creatures are called "parasol" ants because they are often seen walking in processions, each one holding a piece of green leaf above its head! These bits of green leaf are not for food, but are taken to their nests and made into compost soil. These ants are actually farmers. They deliberately sow, prune, fertilize, weed, harvest, and store a fungus crop as carefully as any gardener tends his vegetables.
There are ants living in Texas that clear a "field" of 1 or 2 square yards and then plant rice. They lay out the rice in beds with pathways running among the plants and keep their rice fields carefully weeded. When the rice seeds ripen the ants harvest them, remove the husks, and store the kernals for food. Later the ants with very large jaws crack the seeds and crush the kernals into meal for the rest of the ants. If the rice gets damp and is in danger of spoiling, certain ants have the sole responsibility of carrying the damp grain out into the sunshine for drying.
Another species of Mediterranean ant goes even further in producing its food from farmed seeds. These ants carefully take dried seeds out in the rain until they start to sprout. At that point, they kill the sptout and dry the seeds in the sunshine again. When the seeds are dry, the ants take them down into the kitchen where workers crush and chew them into a dough like substance. They form the dough into cookie-shaped patties and then take the patties back out to bake in the sun. When the biscuits are baked, the ants store them in the nest again.
No wonder Solomon wrote, "Go to the ant, you sluggard! Consider her ways and be wise, which, having no captain, overseer or ruler, provides her supplies in the summer, and gathers her food in the harvest." (Proverbs 6:6-8) The same God who enables the tiny creature to prepare for its needs also gave us the intelligence to prepare for ours.