Greetings MOL Family!

Do you think Jesus knows His business? Do you think He knows how many hours to put in one day, how many days to put in a week?

Keeping Up With Jesus

In that priceless volume, Ministry of Healing, you’ll find this jewel:

If every moment were valued and rightly employed, we should have time for everything that we need to do for ourselves and for the world. – Ministry of Healing, pg. 208

That’s another one of those immense statement that inspiration makes. It takes faith to accept it. But I believe it because God says so. What do you say?

So, you have time for everything? Oh, my. I see so many things that I want to do. Yes. Let me tell you something friends, once there was a man that was doing a work for God. As he looked at the sun nearing the western horizon, he was sure that the job couldn’t get done before sundown. Mighty in faith, he asked God to stop the sun and give him more time. You remember his name? – Joshua.

Did God hearken to him? Yes. But do you remember that the Scripture, in telling the record, says that there was no day like that before, nor since. And I’ve concluded that God did it once to show us that He could do it all the time; and He did it only once to show us that it isn’t necessary. Twenty-four hours is just right for a day. I know because God did it, and He says what He does is very good. Will you vote with Him on that?

What about 7 days in a week? Why, do you know when we (the Remnant) keep the Sabbath, we are expressing our faith in the fact that 6 days are enough to do our work in, and that’s why we rest the 7th. That’s what the commandment says; this is the heart of the law.

Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shall thou labour, and do all thy work. – Exodus 20:8-9

Wait a minute, do how much? – All of it in 6 days? – Why, I can’t. But faith says, I can do what? – All things through Christ which strengthens me (Philippians 4:13). But may I tell you part of the secret is this, God never promised you that you’d get done everything you planned to do. So if that’s what’s worrying you, you’ve got plenty to worry about. It’ll drive you to the mad house, and then you won’t be able to do anything.

Are you willing, in a very practical way, to set aside your plans and accept God’s plans for your life? If you are, you can survive. If you’re not, you’ll go with the multitudes, and oh what a sad end awaits you.

“He that dwells in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.” Friends, you cannot keep up with all the work there is to do. God never intended you to. You cannot keep up with reading all the books that are printed. And someone says, “Oh, I wish I could read this book and that book and the other book, and the other book.”

Just to keep up with the latest discoveries in science a man would have to read more than 3,000 printed pages every day. How’s that for a rat race? You could see a man who would try that every day would be further behind than when he started. No wonder some people commit suicide. Don’t go that road. Go with Jesus, out under the olive tree, up the mountainside. The early morning often found Him in some secluded place meditating, searching the Scriptures, or in prayer.

You say, “But this is a modern age.” It certainly is. It’s going to teach us fast. “But I have to keep up.” Keep up with who? Let’s try to keep up with Jesus, what do you say friends? He’s the One we’re going to follow all through eternity. Why not follow Him now? And if that puts us out of step with the world, Amen. If it puts us out of gear with what’s going on around us, so be it.

And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. – Philippians 4:4-7

May I remind you again friends, for this is so important – The only way, in Heaven or earth, that you can get more time for some things is to put less time into something else. Now what is it you want to do more of?

Someone says, “Oh, I wish I could have more time for study and prayer.” I wonder if there’s anyone that wishes you had more time for sleep? I wonder if there’s anyone that wishes you had more time for outdoor, physical exercise? I wonder if there’s anyone that wishes you had more time for missionary work?

Tell me, in the name of common sense, how are you going to get more time for prayer and study, more time for sleep, more time for outdoor, physical exercise, and more time for missionary work, unless you take less time for some other things?

Here’s a suggestion how some people can save some time, of how some people are saving time. And as you’ll see, these are the survivors. These are the happy people. Notice who it is in this picture that are afraid and fearful, worried and anxious. Then notice those who rejoice:

The sinners in Zion are afraid; [who is afraid? –breaking the law brings fear and worry and anxiety] fearfulness hath surprised the hypocrites. Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire? Who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings? [Now watch heaven’s photograph of the survivors] He that walks righteously, and speaks uprightly; he that despises the gain of oppressions, that shakes his hands from holding of bribes, that stops his ears from hearing of blood, and shuts his eyes from seeing evil; He shall dwell on high: his place of defense shall be the munitions of rocks: bread shall be given him; his waters shall be sure. Thine eyes shall see the king in His beauty: they shall behold the land that is very far off. – Isaiah 33:14-17

What a beautiful picture of survivors. Will you be among them?

Now notice, how does this man get time to see the King in His beauty? He shuts his eyes to a lot of things that are happening in this world. He shuts his eyes from seeing evil.

Someone says, “Well that’s about all that is going on.” – Agreed. So, you can see how much time you’ll save. That’s right. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. They shall see Him when He comes, and welcome Him with joy. They see Him now by the eye of faith.

Thank God, their vision is not marred or blurred or out of focus by gazing hour after hour at these TV screens, with their trash, trouble, and trivia. Oh friend, if TV will get you ready for the coming of Jesus, let’s have more and more of it, what do you say? But if it will only fill your heart with fear and worry and anxiety, part of the time through fiction and part of the time through facts, then let us enter into the experience of this verse. The survivor is the one who shuts his eyes and stops his ears.

Do you know what the national average for viewing TV is? It runs into hours per day, per person all over the country. I hope somebody else is getting yours.

Now don’t misunderstand me friends. I’m not here to tell you that no body should ever look at a TV. I’m studying with you how to survive. I’m studying with you how to get an experience to keep your mind instead of losing your mind.

What does the text in Isaiah say about the survivors? He stops his ears from hearing of blood, and shuts his eyes from seeing evil; He shall dwell on high: his place of defense shall be the munitions of rocks: bread shall be given him; his waters shall be sure. He’ll survive through the time of famine. He’ll survive through the 7 last plagues. He’ll keep his mind when the masses are losing theirs. He has seen the King in His beauty, and his soul is enraptured.

Accept the Assignment

You know dear friends, when Jesus approached those last hours of sacrifice, He took Himself to the garden, and there under the olive trees He fought the battle through before the mob ever came. As the result, when they appeared, His heart was at peace.

There’s a mob ahead. You too must face the riot, the violence. You too must face men fired by demons as they threaten to tear you limb from limb, unless you will take the mark of the beast. You too may be tortured in secret chambers, in hidden recesses, or in public. You too will be grilled at the judgment hall. Will you survive? If you have learned to abide with Jesus in the secret place of prayer, you can stand with Him in the judgment hall and before the howling mob with the same peace that was His.

What is He now testing us with? — Little trials and crosses. Somebody burns the toast. Does it upset your digestion? Some baby cries in the night. Are you irritated? The neighbor’s chickens [or cows] get into your garden. Are you ready for a fight? Somebody pushes past you in traffic and takes the place that belongs to you. (Somebody says, “Now you’re getting pretty close to home.”) Ah my friends, He is now testing us with little trials and crosses.

There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, [so you won’t have to bear it? What? Isn’t that what it says? Do you wish it said that? Fortunately, you and I didn’t write it] that ye may be able to bear it. – 1 Corinthians 10:13

Ah my friends, instead of praying for problems equal to our strength, let us pray for grace equal to our problems! Let us accept the assignment. Jesus is the One Who is passing out the tests from day to day. Every day we have a 5-minute paper as it were. Ahead of us is the final examination. Let us learn to look to our Leader and accept His assignments without murmuring, what do you say? Surely if He went through all He did, in Gethsemane, and the judgment hall, and the cross, He will help you and me to be among the remnant who survive today, and flood the earth with the glory of His love, the glory of His peace.

I hope you will take what we’ve studied into the laboratory of the new week, and in a very practical way tell your Lord that you will be willing to accept His assignment from day to day. You’ll be willing to face whatever problem He allows. And that you’re going to make first things first. You’re not going to make the newspaper first, nor the TV, nor social media. There are a lot of other things you’re not going to make first.

How do you pay tithe? Do you pay tithe out of what’s left after you’ve handled all the bills? Did anybody ever make a success of paying tithe that way? You know he didn’t. The only way to be successful in tithe paying is to pay the tithe when? — First. That’s the way to deal with this problem. Make God first in your life every morning. Seek ye first the kingdom of God.

And as I said in our previous lesson, let me repeat it, for it needs repeating: That means getting to bed at a sensible hour so you can wake up refreshed. Meet your Master, down on your knees, let Him talk to you through His word, and then you talk to Him in prayer. Back and forth, let the conversation deepen into fellowship. Then moment by moment through the day, without murmuring or complaining, accept the assignment, and do what you think is the next thing He wants you to do. When it’s time to go to bed – go, friend. Lay the burdens down at the feet of Jesus. Be willing to miss a lot of things that the world is filling up on. Then at the close of the week, remember He has helped you in 6 days to do all your work. By faith, believe that…

Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus. – Revelation 14:12

Then, as we welcome the Sabbath, while there will be a lot of things that we will wish we’d gotten done, we can let the Savior make up our deficiencies – He’s good at that. But we’ll have the peace and joy of knowing that we’ve made Him happy. That’s worth more than keeping up with the Joneses, what do you say?

Heavenly Father, may Your peace, which passes all understanding, keep our hearts and minds through Christ Jesus, Amen.

Join us next week, as we continue on with our class rotation. Invite a friend, and we’ll see you then… 

-Continue on to the next study-

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To experience God’s peace in your home –a little heaven, upon this earth– we invite you to take advantage of our “Family Special”, for the rest of this month >> Learn More

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* This study has been adapted from classes taken by Elder W.D. Frazee.