Neighborhood Ministry
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blood of Christ bruise Satan under your feet. Will you choose Christ
as your portion forever?
Pray, Maria, earnestly, that God will reveal to you yourself the sin
and corruption of your own heart. Let this desire be ever with you,
for it is important for you to see yourself as a sinner in order for you
to feel the necessity of pardon through the blood of Christ. Let your
second prayer be, “Lord, reveal to me Thyself, Thy mercy, and the
value of Thy blood.” Lay hold on everlasting life. You have proved the
worthlessness of earthly things, and it has been perfectly astonishing
to me that you yet seemed to manifest so little interest in becoming
a Christian. But I can understand it now. Your personal appearance
is your idol. God cannot dwell in your heart or thoughts where self
rules supreme. Your good appearance Satan means to use to your own
destruction and, if he succeeds, it will prove to be the greatest curse
that ever came upon you.
What is show and appearance merely? What are good looks alone
without moral worth or true goodness of heart and nobleness of mind?
They are a mere outside gloss, which pleases a certain class of minds,
but which will perish in the day of God, leaving only sinful, corrupt
deformity. Seek heaven, seek true humility, and God will then direct
your path.—
Letter 2, 1865
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