God's Word the Standard of Judgment

God will bring every work into judgment, including every secret thing, whether it is good or whether it is evil. Ecclesiastes 12:14, NKJV.

The Bible is an unerring guide for the human race in every phase of life. In it the conditions of eternal life are plainly stated. The distinction between right and wrong is clearly defined, and sin is shown in its most revolting character, clothed with the robes of death. If this guide is studied and obeyed, it is to us as the pillar of cloud, which led the children of Israel through the wilderness; but if it is ignored and disobeyed, it will witness against us in the day of judgment. God will judge all by His Word; according as they have fulfilled or disregarded its requirements, they will stand or fall....

"All things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you," said Christ, "do ye even so to them; for this is the law and the prophets." These words are of the highest importance, and should be our rule of life. But do we carry out this divine principle? Do we, when brought into contact with our fellow beings, deal with them just as we would desire them to deal with us in similar circumstances?

God tests men and women by their daily life. But many who make high professions of service to Him cannot bear this test. In their eagerness for gain they use false weights and deceitful balances. The Bible is not made their rule of life, and therefore they do not see the necessity of strict integrity and faithfulness. Anxious to amass wealth, they allow scheming dishonesty to come into their work. The world watches their conduct, and is not slow to measure their Christian worth by their business dealings....

The Bible always tells the same story. With it sin is always sin, whether committed by the possessor of millions or by the beggar in the streets. Better a life of deepest poverty crowned with God's blessings, than all the world's treasure without it. We may be very rich; but unless we have the consciousness that God honors us, we are poor indeed.--The Signs of the Times, December 24, 1896.

G.C New Tithe Plan

 Today, General Conference Executive Committee members voted to recommend to the Annual Council a change in the World Church’s tithe sharing formula. Currently, by policy, the North American Division contributes eight percent of its annual gross tithe to the World Church while the other 12 Divisions contribute two percent – a policy which reflected the financial position of the world tithe at that time.
        The North American Division’s portion of the world tithe has dropped from 69.15% in 1985 to 43.58% in 2010. Therefore, the World Church voted to recommend this change to reflect the growing needs of an ever-changing global field.
        “This decision will allow the North American Division to more adequately fund our missional goals and objectives,” said Tom Evans, treasurer of the North American Division. “The North American Division has been blessed in being instrumental in resourcing the mission of the World Church since its inception,” he said.
       The proposed change in the formula would occur over an eight-year period from 2013 through 2020.  

Hear Christ's Voice Through the Word

Jesus answered and said to them, "You are mistaken, not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God." Matthew 22:29, NKJV.

The voice of God is speaking to us through His Word, and there are many voices that we will hear; but Christ has said we should beware of them who will say, Here is Christ or there is Christ. Then how shall we know that they have not the truth, unless we bring everything to the Scriptures? Christ has warned us to beware of false prophets who will come to us in His name, saying that they are Christ.

Now, if you should take the position that it is not important for you to understand the Scriptures for yourselves, you will be in danger of being led away with these doctrines. Christ has said that there will be a company who in the day of retributive judgment will say, "Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?" But Christ will say, "Depart from me, ye that work iniquity."

Now, we want to understand what sin is; that it is the transgression of God's law. This is the only definition given in the Scriptures. Therefore we see that those who claim to be led of God, and go right away from Him and His law, do not search the Scriptures. But the Lord will lead His people; for He says that His sheep will follow if they hear His voice, but a stranger will they not follow. Then it becomes us to thoroughly understand the Scriptures. And we will not have to inquire whether others have the truth; for it will be seen in their characters.

The time is coming when Satan will work miracles right in your sight, claiming that he is Christ; and if your feet are not firmly established upon the truth of God, then you will be led away from your foundation. The only safety for you is to search for the truth as for hid treasures. Dig for the truth as you would for treasures in the earth, and present the Word of God, the Bible, before your heavenly Father, and say, Enlighten me; teach me what is truth. And when His Holy Spirit shall come into your hearts, to impress the truth into your souls, you will not let it go easily.--The Review and Herald, April 3, 1888.

The voice in the wilderness

Key Txt Mathews: 3:3   For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.

The message of John the Baptist was a warning to his audience to get ready for the coming of the messiah. He was the preparer of the way for the first advent of Jesus Christ. John message was a call for a transformed life a life that will be ready to accept Christ and to believe in Hid power.

The wilderness signify a lifeless environment where there is nothing so appealing or to be comfortable with. The children of Israel experienced the wilderness life on their way to the Promised Land for the forty year. In the wilderness the children of Israel:

      They had no water to drink it was so dry. Exodus 15:22   So Moses brought Israel from the Red sea, and they went out into the wilderness of Shur; and they went three days in the wilderness, and found no water. These remind us that in the wilderness we may lack water we may not have Christ in our life at the point we are in the wilderness. Christ is that spring of water that we need John 4:14"but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life."

      They were attacked by the serpent: In the wilderness they were attacked by serpent that killed most of them on their way to the promised land Numbers 21:1-9

      In the wilderness is where there was great moral collapse among the children of Israel.

      In the wilderness the children of Israel forgot about the hand of God which delivered them and they worshiped a calf.

There are many things which happened into the wilderness reminds us of all that happens in our life at the moment in our walk to heaven to the promised land we are also in the Journey as the Israelites’ were.

Therefore the message of John was timely and at the right place john was encountering the Pharisees and the Sadducees. These are people who were very zealous about their religion and their faith. His message was a call to repentance in readiness for the coming Messiah. The same message John was preaching is the message we are to preach at the moment the young are the ones to send forth the message. These call for the parents to train the children in the way of the lord and they shall not depart from it and they will be the best messengers.

The Sadducees and the Pharisees headed to the call and that was as a result of Johns message.

Mathews 3:7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, "Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?

Who Were Vipers?--The Pharisees were very strict in regard to the outward observance of forms and customs, and were filled with haughty, worldly, hypocritical self-righteousness. The Sadducees denied the resurrection of the dead and the existence of angels, and were skeptical in regard to God. This sect was largely composed of unworthy characters, many of whom were licentious in their habits. By the word "vipers" John meant those who were malignant and antagonistic, bitterly opposed to the expressed will of God. 

     John exhorted these men to "bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance." That is, Show that you are converted, that your characters are transformed. . . . Neither words nor profession, but fruits--the forsaking of sins, and obedience to the commandments of God--show the reality of genuine repentance and true conversion. We may be falling in the same trap as the Pharisees if we keep on allowing the worldly things to take us captive and we claim to be Christians we need to show forth the fruits of our conversion leave as per the spirit and not to conform to the worldly standard Romans 12:1-3. We need to change our ways and following the one whom as called let’s make our calling and election sure so that we may be true ambassadors of Christ.

We may enjoy the comfort that we were born and raised as Adventist but we need to understand that God as called as from the darkness to show forth is light to those are still in the darkness Acts 26:15-19

To my fellow youths it time for us to leave for Christ and dedicate our life for Christ and as His instrument lets develop an attitude of studying Gods word and prayer life. We need to stand for Christ let’s not compromise Christian principle for worldly gain, fame and recognition. We shall be held responsible for what we knew and dint hold to lets be those who discerns the signs of time and know what we ought to do like the Issachar’s.

Let’s be reminded these is the voice that these young who are being inducted today will be carrying the world only if we be an example to them that is why John said to Pharisees God will raise children for himself or even stones to carry the work Mathews 3:9"and do not think to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.' For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones.”

I pray that we may be the voice in the wilderness to carry forth the message the world in readiness for the coming of Christ lets point them to Christ as the source who can heal their venom poison, who can provide for them the leaving water and bread amidst deficiency. We are the messengers with the good news and our children are the messengers to are you willing to stand with God and be on is side to lead people to the cross and to point them to His second coming . Today is your moment to make that Choice.  

Ever Search for More Light

I set my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all that is done under heaven. Ecclesiastes 1:13, NKJV.

Whatever may be humanity's intellectual advancement, let no one for a moment think that there is no need of thorough and continuous searching of the Scriptures for greater light. As a people we are called individually to be students of prophecy. We must watch with earnestness that we may discern any ray of light which God shall present to us. We are to catch the first gleamings of truth; and through prayerful study clearer light may be obtained, which can be brought before others.

When God's people are at ease and satisfied with their present enlightenment, we may be sure that He will not favor them. It is His will that they should be ever moving forward to receive the increased and ever-increasing light which is shining for them. The present attitude of the church is not pleasing to God. There has come in a self-confidence that has led them to feel no necessity for more truth and greater light. We are living at a time when Satan is at work on the right hand and on the left, before and behind us; and yet as a people we are asleep. God wills that a voice shall be heard arousing His people to action.

Instead of opening the soul to receive rays of light from heaven, some have been working in an opposite direction. Both through the press and from the pulpit have been presented views in regard to the inspiration of the Bible which have not the sanction of the Spirit or the Word of God. Certain it is that no human being or set of human beings should undertake to advance theories upon a subject of so great importance, without a plain "Thus saith the Lord" to sustain them.

And when people, compassed with human infirmities, affected in a greater or less degree by surrounding influences, and having hereditary and cultivated tendencies which are far from making them wise or heavenly-minded, undertake to arraign the Word of God, and to pass judgment upon what is divine and what is human, they are working without the counsel of God. The Lord will not prosper such a work. The effect will be disastrous, both upon the one engaged in it and upon those who accept it as a work from God.

Treasures of Truth Are for Those Who Dig

If you seek her as silver, and search for her as for hidden treasures; then you will understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God. Proverbs 2:4, 5, NKJV.

Let none think that there is no more knowledge for them to gain. The depth of human intellect may be measured; the works of human authors may be mastered; but the highest, deepest, broadest flight of the imagination cannot find out God. There is infinity beyond all that we can comprehend. We have seen only the glimmering of divine glory and of the infinitude of knowledge and wisdom; we have, as it were, been working on the surface of the mine, when rich, golden ore is beneath the surface, to reward the one who will dig for it. The shaft must be sunk deeper and yet deeper in the mine, and the result will be glorious treasure. Through a correct faith, divine knowledge will become human knowledge.

No one can search the Scriptures in the spirit of Christ without being rewarded. When men and women are willing to be instructed as a little child, when they submit wholly to Christ, they will find the truth in His Word. If people would be obedient, they would understand the plan of God's government. The heavenly world would open its treasures of grace and glory for exploration. Human beings would be altogether different from what they are now; for by exploring the mines of truth, they would be ennobled. The mystery of redemption, the incarnation of Christ, His atoning sacrifice, would not be, as they are now, vague in our minds. They would be, not only better understood, but altogether more highly appreciated....

The value of this treasure is above gold or silver. The riches of earth's mines cannot compare with it. "The depth saith, It is not in me: and the sea saith, It is not with me. It cannot be gotten for gold, neither shall silver be weighed for the price thereof. It cannot be valued with the gold of Ophir, with the precious onyx, or the sapphire. The gold and the crystal cannot equal it: and the exchange of it shall not be for jewels of fine gold. No mention shall be made of coral, or of pearls: for the price of wisdom is above rubies."

Learn the Truth, Then Live It

Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You. Psalm 119:11, NKJV.

Study the word, which God in His wisdom and love and goodness has made so plain and simple. The sixth chapter of John tells us what is meant by a study of the Word. The principles revealed in the Scriptures are to be brought home to the soul. We are to eat the Word of God; that is, we are not to depart from its precepts. We are to bring its truths into our daily lives, grasping the mysteries of godliness.

Pray to God. Commune with Him. Prove the very mind of God, as those who are striving for eternal life, and who must have a knowledge of His will. You can reveal the truth only as you know it in Christ. You are to receive and assimilate His words; they are to become part of yourselves. This is what is meant by eating the flesh and drinking the blood of the Son of God. You are to live by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God; that is, what God has revealed. Not all has been revealed; we could not bear such a revelation. But God has revealed all that is necessary for our salvation. We are not to leave His Word for the suppositions of human beings.

Obtain an experimental knowledge of God by wearing the yoke of Christ. He gives wisdom to the meek and lowly, enabling them to judge of what is truth, bringing to light the why and wherefore, pointing out the result of certain actions. The Holy Spirit teaches the students of the Scriptures to judge all things by the standard of righteousness and truth and justice. The divine revelation supplies them with the knowledge that they need....

Make the Bible the man of your counsel. Your acquaintance with it will grow rapidly if you keep your mind free from the rubbish of the world. The more the Bible is studied, the deeper will be your knowledge of God. The truths of His Word will be written in your soul, making an ineffaceable impression....

Not only will the students themselves be benefited by a study of the Word of God. Their study is life and salvation to all with whom they associate. They will feel a sacred responsibility to impart the knowledge that they receive. Their lives will reveal the help and strength that they receive from communion with the Word.... Of such ones the Lord Jesus can indeed say, "Ye are laborers together with God."

A Sword for Battle

And the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Eph. 6:17.
     God has provided abundant means for successful warfare against the evil that is in the world. The Bible is the armory where we may equip for the struggle. Our loins must be girt about with truth. Our breastplate must be righteousness. The shield of faith must be in our hand, the helmet of salvation on our brow; and with the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, we are to cut our way through the obstructions and entanglements of sin.
     The first Adam fell; the second Adam held fast to God and His Word under the most trying circumstances, and His faith in His Father's goodness, mercy, and love did not waver for one moment. "It is written" was His weapon of resistance, and it is the sword of the Spirit which every human being is to use.
     In these days of peril and corruption, the young are exposed to many trials and temptations. Many are sailing in a dangerous harbor. They need a pilot; but they scorn to accept the much needed help, feeling that they are competent to guide their own bark, and not realizing that it is about to strike a hidden rock that may cause them to make shipwreck of faith and happiness. . . . There is a disposition with many to be impetuous and headstrong. They have not heeded the wise counsel of the word of God; they have not battled with self, and obtained precious victories; and their proud, unbending will has driven them from the path of duty and obedience.
     There are great things expected from the sons and daughters of God. I look upon the youth of today, and my heart yearns over them. What possibilities are open before them! If they sincerely seek to learn of Christ, He will give them wisdom, as He gave wisdom to Daniel. . . . "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom." . . . "In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths" (Ps. 111:10; Prov. 3:6).
     Let the youth try to appreciate the privilege that may be theirs, to be directed by the unerring wisdom of God. Let them take the Word of truth as the man of their counsel, and become skillful in the use of "the sword of the Spirit." Satan is a wise general; but the humble, devoted soldier of Jesus Christ may overcome him.

A Helmet for Protection

And take the helmet of salvation. Eph. 6;17. 

     God bids us fill the mind with great thoughts, pure thoughts. He desires us to meditate upon His love and mercy, to study His wonderful work in the great plan of redemption. Then clearer and still clearer will be our perception of truth, higher, holier, our desire for purity of heart and clearness of thought. The soul dwelling in the pure atmosphere of holy thought will be transformed by communion with God through the study of the Scriptures. 

     The mind must be educated and disciplined to love purity. A love for spiritual things should be encouraged; yea, must be encouraged, if you would grow in grace and in the knowledge of the truth. . . . Good purposes are right, but will prove of no avail unless resolutely carried out. Many will be lost while hoping and desiring to be Christians; but they made no earnest effort, therefore they will be weighed in the balances and found wanting. The will must be exercised in the right direction. I will be a wholehearted Christian. I will know the length and breadth, the height and depth, of perfect love. Listen to the words of Jesus: "Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled" (Matt. 5:6). Ample provisions are made by Christ to satisfy the soul that hungers and thirsts for righteousness.

     We should meditate upon the Scriptures, thinking soberly and candidly upon the things that pertain to our eternal salvation. The infinite mercy and love of Jesus, the sacrifice made in our behalf, call for most serious and solemn reflection. We should dwell upon the character of our dear Redeemer and Intercessor. We should seek to comprehend the meaning of the plan of salvation. We should meditate upon the mission of Him who came to save His people from their sins. By constantly contemplating heavenly themes, our faith and love will grow stronger. Our prayers will be more and more acceptable to God, because they will be more and more mixed with faith and love. They will be more intelligent and fervent. There will be more constant confidence in Jesus, and you will have a daily, living experience in the willingness and power of Christ to save unto the uttermost all that come unto God by Him. 

A Shield for Defence

Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. Eph. 6:16.

     Satan watches his opportunity to seize the precious graces when we are unguarded, and we shall have a severe conflict with the powers of darkness to retain them, or to regain a heavenly grace if through lack of watchfulness we lose it. But . . . it is the privilege of Christians to obtain strength from God to hold every precious gift. Fervent and effectual prayer will be regarded in heaven. When the servants of Christ take the shield of faith for their defense, and the sword of the Spirit for war, there is danger in the enemy's camp. 

     Amidst the snares to which all are exposed, they need strong and trustworthy defences on which to rely. Many in this corrupt age have so small a supply of the grace of God, that in many instances their defence is broken down by the first assault, and fierce temptations take them captives. The shield of grace can preserve all unconquered by the temptations of the enemy, though surrounded with the most corrupting influences. By firm principle, and unwavering trust in God, their virtue and nobleness of character can shine, and, although surrounded with evil, no taint need be left upon their virtue and integrity. 

     The work of conquering evil is to be done through faith. Those who go into the battlefield will find that they must put on the whole armour of God. The shield of faith will be their defence and will enable them to be more than conquerors. Nothing else will avail but this--faith in the Lord of hosts, and obedience to His orders. Vast armies furnished with every other facility will avail nothing in the last great conflict. Without faith, an angel host could not help. Living faith alone will make them invincible and enable them to stand in the evil day, steadfast, unmovable, holding the beginning of their confidence firm unto the end.  

Gospel Shoes for a Mission of Peace

And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace. Eph. 6:15. 

     We are living in the midst of an "epidemic of crime," at which thoughtful, God-fearing men everywhere stand aghast. . . . Every day brings its heart-sickening record of violence and lawlessness, of indifference to human suffering, of brutal, fiendish destruction of human life. Every day testifies to the increase of insanity, murder, and suicide. Who can doubt that satanic agencies are at work among men with increasing activity to distract and corrupt the mind, and defile and destroy the body? 

     And while the world is filled with these evils, the gospel is too often presented in so indifferent a manner as to make but little impression upon the consciences or the lives of men. Everywhere there are hearts crying out for something which they have not. They long for a power that will give them mastery over sin, a power that will deliver them from the bondage of evil, a power that will give health and life and peace. 

     The gospel is a message of peace. Christianity is a system, which, received and obeyed, would spread peace, harmony, and happiness throughout the earth. The religion of Christ will unite in close brotherhood all who accept its teachings. 

     The peace of Christ is born of truth. It is harmony with God. The world is at enmity with the law of God; sinners are at enmity with their Maker; and as a result they are at enmity with one another. . . . Men cannot manufacture peace. Human plans for the purification and uplifting of individuals or of society will fail of producing peace, because they do not reach the heart. The only power that can create or perpetuate true peace is the grace of Christ. When this is implanted in the heart, it will cast out the evil passions that cause strife and dissension. 

     The faces of men and women who walk and work with God express the peace of heaven. They are surrounded with the atmosphere of heaven. For these souls the kingdom of God has begun. 

     The Lord is soon coming. Talk it, pray it, believe it. Make it a part of the life. . . . Gird on the Christian armor, and be sure that your feet are "shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace."

Series Cont

Will continue with the next three parts tomorrow and the give the second sermon of Jonah running with God watch these space and Will be blessed together invite more friends and Join this blog for us to share the word of God together.

Till then may  God keep us together and His grace abound to all of you.

A Breastplate for Safety

And having on the breastplate of righteousness. Eph. 6:14.

     We must put on every piece of the armor, and then stand firm. The Lord has honored us by choosing us as His soldiers. Let us fight bravely for Him, maintaining the right in every transaction. . . . Put on as your breastplate that divinely protected righteousness which it is the privilege of all to wear. This will protect your spiritual life. 

     Ample provisions have been made for all who sincerely, earnestly, and thoughtfully set about the work of perfecting holiness in the fear of God. Strength, grace, and glory have been provided through Christ, to be brought by ministering angels to the heirs of salvation. None are so low, so corrupt and vile, that they cannot find in Jesus, who died for them, strength, purity, and righteousness, if they will put away their sins, cease their course of iniquity, and turn with full purpose of heart to the living God. He is waiting to strip them of their garments, stained and polluted by sin, and to put upon them the white, bright robes of righteousness.

     The truly righteous, who sincerely love and fear God, wear the robe of Christ's righteousness in prosperity and adversity alike. Self-denial, self-sacrifice, benevolence, kindness, love, patience, fortitude, and Christian trust are the daily fruits borne by those who are truly connected with God. Their acts may not be published to the world, but they themselves are daily wrestling with evil, and gaining precious victories over temptation and wrong. 

     All who have put on the robe of Christ's righteousness will stand before Him as chosen and faithful and true. Satan has no power to pluck them out of the hand of the Saviour. Not one soul who in penitence and faith has claimed His protection will Christ permit to pass under the enemy's power. 

     Each one will have a close struggle to overcome sin in his own heart. This is at times a very painful and discouraging work; because, as we see the deformities in our character, we keep looking at them, when we should look to Jesus and put on the robe of His righteousness. Everyone who enters the pearly gates of the city of God will enter there as a conqueror, and his greatest conquest will have been the conquest of self.  

A Girdle of Truth

Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth. Eph. 6:14.

     There is absolutely no safeguard against evil but truth. No man can stand firm for right in whose heart the truth does not abide. There is only one power that can make and keep us steadfast--the power of God, imparted to us through the grace of Christ. 

     There are many in the church who take it for granted that they understand what they believe; but, until controversy arises, they do not know their own weakness. When separated from those of like faith and compelled to stand singly and alone to explain their belief, they will be surprised to see how confused are their ideas of what they had accepted as truth.   

     The Lord calls upon all who believe His word to awake out of sleep. Precious light has come, appropriate for this time. It is Bible truth, showing the perils that are right upon us. This light should lead us to a diligent study of the Scriptures and a most critical examination of the positions which we hold. . . . Believers are not to rest in suppositions and ill-defined ideas of what constitutes truth. Their faith must be firmly founded upon the word of God so that when the testing time shall come and they are brought before councils to answer for their faith they may be able to give a reason for the hope that is in them, with meekness and fear. . . .

     The erroneous teachings of popular theology have made thousands upon thousands of skeptics and infidels. There are errors and inconsistencies which many denounce as the teaching of the Bible that are really false interpretations of Scripture. . . . Instead of criticizing the Bible, let us seek, by precept and example, to present to the world its sacred, life-giving truths, that we may "show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light" (1 Peter 2:9). 

     The truth stands firmly established on the eternal Rock--a foundation that storm and tempest can never move. . . . Do not lower the banner of truth . . . in order to unite with the solemn message for these last days anything that will tend to hide the peculiar features of our faith

Army of God

The strength of an army is measured largely by the efficiency of the men in the ranks. A wise general instructs his officers to train every soldier for active service. He seeks to develop the highest efficiency on the part of all. If he were to depend on his officers alone he could never expect to conduct a successful campaign. He counts on loyal and untiring service from every man in his army. The responsibility rests largely upon the men in the ranks.

     And so it is in the army of Prince Immanuel. Our General, who has never lost a battle, expects willing, faithful service from everyone who has enlisted under His banner. In the closing controversy now waging between the forces for good and the hosts of evil He expects all, laymen as well as ministers, to take part. All who have enlisted as His soldiers are to render faithful service as minutemen, with a keen sense of the responsibility resting upon them individually. 

     All who enter the army are not to be generals, captains, sergeants, or even corporals. All have not the care and responsibility of leaders. There is hard work of other kinds to be done. Some must dig trenches and build fortifications; some are to stand as sentinels, some to carry messages. While there are but few officers, it requires many soldiers to form the rank and file of the army; yet its success depends upon the fidelity of every soldier. One man's cowardice or treachery may bring disaster upon the entire army. 

     There is earnest work to be done by us individually if we would fight the good fight of faith. Eternal interests are at stake. We must put on the whole armor of righteousness, we must resist the devil, and we have the sure promise that he will be put to flight. The church is to conduct an aggressive warfare, to make conquests for Christ, to rescue souls from the power of the enemy. God and holy angels are engaged in this warfare. Let us please Him who has called us to be soldiers.

God's Grace

By disobeying the commands of God, man fell under the condemnation of His law. This fall called for the grace of God to appear in behalf of sinners. We should never have learned the meaning of this word "grace" had we not fallen. God loves the sinless angels, who do His service, and are obedient to all His commands; but He does not give them grace. These heavenly beings know naught of grace; they have never needed it; for they have never sinned. Grace is an attribute of God shown to undeserving human beings. We did not seek after it, but it was sent in search of us. God rejoices to bestow this grace upon everyone who hungers for it. To everyone He presents terms of mercy, not because we are worthy, but because we are so utterly unworthy. Our need is the qualification which gives us the assurance that we shall receive this gift. 

     But God does not use His grace to make His law of none effect, or to take the place of His law. . . . God's grace and the law of His kingdom are in perfect harmony; they walk hand in hand. His grace makes it possible for us to draw nigh to Him by faith. By receiving it, and letting it work in our lives, we testify to the validity of the law; we exalt the law and make it honorable by carrying out its living principles through the power of the grace of Christ; and by rendering pure, whole-hearted obedience to God's law, we witness before the universe of heaven, and before an apostate world that is making void the law of God, to the power of redemption. 

     Not because we first loved Him, does God love us; but "while we were yet sinners" (Rom. 5:8) Christ died for us, making full and abundant provision for our redemption. Although by our disobedience we have merited God's displeasure and condemnation, He has not forsaken us; He has not left us to grapple with the power of the enemy in our own finite strength. Heavenly angels fight our battles for us; and co-operating with them, we may be victorious over the powers of evil. Trusting in Christ as our personal Saviour, we may be "more than conquerors through him that loved us" (Rom. 8:37).

The Warfare

Hi friends i want to welcome you to the series The Warfare. Based from the book of Ephesians 6:11-18. The first part come in a short wile. May we be blessed as we go through the series.

WELCOM

Jesus Cares

The story of Bethlehem is an exhaustless theme. In it is hidden "the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God." Rom. 11:33. We marvel at the Saviour's sacrifice in exchanging the throne of heaven for the manger, and the companionship of adoring angel beasts of the stall. Human pride and self-sufficiency stand rebuked in His presence. Yet this was but the beginning of His wonderful condescension. It would have been an almost infinite humiliation for the Son of God to take man's nature, even when Adam stood in his innocence in Eden. But Jesus accepted humanity when the race had been weakened by four thousand years of sin. Like every child of Adam He accepted the results of the working of the great law of heredity. What these results were is shown in the history of His earthly ancestors. He came with such a heredity to share our sorrows and temptations, and to give us the example of a sinless life.

“Revived by His Word” Initiative Launches

Beginning April 17, Seventh-day Adventists around the world are invited to read one chapter of the Bible every day up until the July 2015 conclusion of the General Conference session. “Revived by His Word,” as the initiative is called, is gaining support from church members and leaders around the world. “Around the world, and particularly in Africa, I have seen the transforming power of the Bible in the lives of people at every level,” said Pardon Mwansa, a general vice president of the world church who is involved with the project. “By committing to this program of daily, prayerful Scripture reading, I believe Seventh-day Adventists will not only learn much about the God they serve, they will also find a great blessing,” he added. According to organizers, “the goal of the entire project is to provide an opportunity for Jesus to speak to His people through His Word so they will know Him better, seek Him more deeply, and share His love more fully.” “If there’s one habit that will change the life and conversations of Adventists around the globe, it’s the habit of daily placing ourselves before the open Word of God and filling our minds with the message of God’s love,” said Bill Knott, 

Into the Silent World

For each of us, there is one special story about Jesus that stands for all the rest—a tale that stirs us well beyond the ability of words to express. For me, that story has always been the Gospel of Mark’s record of Jesus’ encounter with a deaf-mute man (Mark 7:31-37). Apparently strange, full of seemingly odd bits and pieces, it ultimately unfolds into an unsurpassed narrative of the Lord who will cross any barrier to reach the hurting and the lonely. Through gestures, sign, and pantomime, Jesus enters the silent world of one who could neither hear nor speak: the Word of God became, for this one man, the Sign of God, wordlessly communicating the grace and love that both healed and restored him to his community. Our astonishment as the story ends is not that Jesus can cause a deaf man to hear, but that His compassion is so singular, so focused on this individual, that He will do what no one else in His culture would do to communicate God’s amazing affection. This story of healing is also a parable for His church, accustomed as it is to thinking of “the greatest good for the greatest number”—of majorities, efficiencies, and what most people want. Jesus intended that the church that acts in His name reproduce the same individualizing compassion—the same attention to unique challenges and giftedness—that characterized His own ministry. Jesus saw the potential disciple in each person He met— women and men, persons of all ethnicities, speakers of all languages, hearing and deaf, sighted and blind—and He tailored a ministry plan adapted to their need. You’ll be encouraged as you read this month’s cover story to learn how your church is reaching out to the millions around the globe who specially identify with the story found in Mark 7. As you read, pray for a heart of compassion that is willing to cross any barrier with the good news of healing and restoration.

His Children

Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not; because it knew him not. 1 John 3:1.

As John thought of the love of Christ, he was led to exclaim, "Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God."

People think it a privilege to see a royal personage, and thousands go great distances to see one. How much greater privilege it is to be sons and daughters of the Most High. What greater privilege could be conferred on us than to be given entrance into the royal family?

In order to become the sons and daughters of God, we must separate from the world. "Come out from among them, and be ye separate," the Lord says, "and I will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters." . . .

There is a heaven before us, a crown of life to win. But to the overcomer only is the reward given. He who gains heaven must be clothed with the robe of righteousness. "Every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure." In the character of Christ there was no discord of any kind. And this must be our experience. Our lives must be controlled by the principles that controlled His life.

Through the perfection of the sacrifice given for the guilty race, those who believe in Christ, coming unto Him, may be saved from eternal ruin. . . .

Let no one be so deluded by the enemy as to think that it is a condescension for any man, however talented or learned or honored, to accept Christ. Every human being should look to heaven with reverence and gratitude, and exclaim with amazement, "Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God."

Running To God

Running To God 

Jonah the runaway prophet was in a heap of trouble. The storm was fierce. The jury of Sailors had judged that he was unworthy of life. They were about to make Jonah walk the plank. He would be cast into the raging sea and there he would drown. I would hate to drown wouldn't you? I believe I would prefer most any other kind of death

These sailors took Jonah and threw him far out over the side of the ship and down he went into the cold water. At first he may have managed to hang on to some of the floating drebree that had been cast overboard. Praise God for this stuff. I will just hang on and save my life.

But Just when the storm seemed to be subsiding he sensed a new danger. He saw a large dark object under the water coming toward him. His worst fears were realized when he saw its cavernous mouth open wide. It was right under him. The water under him swirled like water going down a drain. A strong whirlpool sucked him down between giant jaws right into the belly of this water monster. It was the worst possible nightmare for Jonah. Just when he thought he could save himself by clinging to some of the crates and floating boards here comes sure Death!

But Jonah was dead wrong. What he feared the most was actually sent by a Loving God to be his personal Saviour! The Whale was a symbol of Christ. You Know, we are still like Jonah today. How often we fear the wrong things. The next time you get into a terrible crisis, just try to surrender yourself totally to God and trust in Him. Allow God to save you in His own time, in His own way.

God brings men into deep waters, not to drown them, but that they might be CLEANSED. Had Jonah been able to save himself that day and swim to the shore he probably would have never gone to Nineveh. It's citizens would all have been lost. God's will would not have been done.

God used a fish to preserve His runaway prophet. God did not want to kill Jonah, He wanted to save him. The belly of a great whale is not a happy place to live. But it was a healthy place to learn. Jonah learned more at the bottom of the sea than some students learn at the seminary. The whale had enrolled him in the most important school of his whole life. In this floating school Jonah learned a lifetime of lessons. We do not learn very many spiritual lessons on the mountaintop. Unfortunately, It seems that we learn them best down in the depths of the valley.

Jonah 1:17--The Lord provided a great fish to swallow Jonah.

WAS IT A WHALE? No where in this book does it say Whale. It says "A Great Fish". In Matthew 12:40 Jesus says KATOS. The King James translates it Whale but almost ALL other translations say Sea Monster or Great fish. Greek=Huge fish. Desire of Ages p. 406 says Whale. I am going to call it a Whale.

Whales get quite large. Over 100 feet long and up to 150 tons! That is 1 1/2 tons per foot. Let's see, I would weigh about 16,000 pounds! One whale is as large as 50 Elephants. In fact a Newborn Whale is 25 feet long and weighs as much as two full grown elephants! Whales are Larger by far than any dinosaur ever hoped to be!

Many churches have voted to take scissors to the book of Jonah and remove it from the Bible because they say it sounds FISHY! They think it was a parable or something. From the Catholic church on down unbelief is strong. Most Bible scholars..... throw the whole book of Jonah overboard. Do you know why I believe it? Because Jesus believed it! Matthew 12:40 Jesus Himself says: Jonah was 3 days and 3 nights in the Whale's belly! If you don't believe in Jonah then you are not a believer in Jesus!

Can a whale swallow a man? I heard someone say once that the reason that this Whale could swallow Jonah was because he was just one of the "MINOR" prophets of the Bible.

It has been amusing to me that since people have heard about this series on Jonah that so many have come up to me trying to prove the possiblilty of a miracle. Several well meaning persons have told me of stories showing how it possible for a person to live a certain number of days in the belly of a whale. One source said the stomach gasses emit enough oxygen for breathing. One said a whale swallowed a horse. But I ask, WHY is it that we always think that we have to offer an explanation for God's miracles? When the whale swallowed Jonah it was a miracle! Don't take away God's miracle. God specializes in miracles.

About this time Nineveh started to look real good. There inside the whale Jonah was incarcerated. Solitary confinement. Cut off from the whole world. Locked away. Doomed to die. But prisoners do have freedom to make a phone call. Jonah makes a 72 hour phone call, he talks to God for three days and it changes his whole life.

JONAH 2:1-2 Jonah called God. We have pagers and Ham radios, cellular phones and satellites but I don't know of anybody who has a phone that can make a call from inside a whale in the bottom of the sea. Jonah called God's personal number, and our kind helpful ever present God answered him. They had a L-O-N-G TALK. After that Jonah was never the same. Prayer changes things, mainly us!

Jonah, the world's first submarine passenger, thought his greatest need was to escape this underwater Alcatraz, but God knew his greatest need was a new heart. Through prayer Jonah found a saving relationship with God.

Jonah's prayer chapel was smelly, damp, dark, and dingy. You can pray wherever you are, in your car, at work, at home. Jonah should have spent more time in prayer at home by the sea of Galilee. How much easier it would have been if he had remembered to pray before he stepped up to the ticket booth at Joppa. It is never too late to pray. When you have gone down to the very depths of life, God will still listen.

JONAH 2:3-6 To the roots of the mountains. How deep did Jonah go? How deep is the Mediterranean sea? 14,436 feet! I don't know how deep that underwater taxi took Jonah, but it was deeper than any living human being had ever been. You can be well below the bottom of the barrel and if you repent, and ask, and trust Him, God will save you.

Verse 5 says the seaweed was wrapped around his head. Jonah was adorned with a TURBAN of smelly seaweed. The Claustrophobia was terrible. Breathing was very hard. He was at the end. What do you do in such a circumstance?

Jonah prayed. It is vital here to understand WHAT Jonah prayed. As I studied his prayer, I made an amazing discovery. This is fantastic! As far as I can tell, Jonah did not use one original thought or one original request in his whole prayer. Jonah simply prayed the Word of God! He prayed the scriptures. Almost a dozen times in these 8 verses he quotes from the book of Psalms.

• Psalm 120:1-I called on the Lord in my distress
• Psalm 86:13-you have delivered my soul from the depths...
• Psalm 88:6- You cast me into the darkest depths
• Psalm 42:7- The roar of your waves has swept over me
• Psalm 31:22-I am cut off from your sight
• Psalm 69:1-The waters have come up to my neck
• Psalm 69:2-I am in deep waters, the floods engulf me
• Psalm 30:3-You brought me up from the pit

Friend, can you see what Jonah was doing? He was STANDING ON THE PROMISES! Jonah had hid the WORD in his heart. He prayed the scriptures. He had memorized much of the Bible and in this time of crisis, it saved him. Without the Bible our prayers have no direction.

Why are some of our prayers unanswered? Could it be that too few of us have been alone with God and His Word long enough to retain anything from Him on which to Stand? If you are not spending time with God your storm is coming and when it does, what will you have to cling to?

Jonah was in the Whale. Job was on his dunghill, Joseph was in the pit, David was in a cave, Paul and Silas were in jail, chained to prison guards, but at midnight they sang a song that opened prison doors. Acts 16:25-26. Here we need to learn. When you are locked into the belly of a big crisis, there are two things that will help get you out. One is prayer, and the other is PRAISE. I can picture Jonah singing down in the belly of the whale. After he gave his heart to God, he had peace. He praised his Creator.

If you have been swallowed up by the giant troubles of life, do not allow yourself to wallow in self-pity. Remember to pray to God. Begin to praise Him. When you sing a song in the dark, things will begin to change. Never give up.

I Thessalonians 5:18---Give thanks in all circumstances. We are not especially to thank God for the Whale's belly, but we can certainly thank Him IN the whale's belly!

JONAH 2:9----Salvation comes from the Lord.

What a glad day when we stop trying to deliver ourselves. Folks, we serve a God Who is in the Delivery business. You see advertisements that say: "WE DELIVER". God delivers! Unless God comes through, we are sunk. There is no rescue apart from Him. The only way out of this whale was God. Jonah could no more save himself than we can save ourselves.

Jesus today wants to save each of us. Give your life to Jesus right now. Don't wait till the giant sea monsters of life have swallowed you up. Come to Jesus now. Accept Jesus now as your personal Saviour.

Next Message will be  : RUNNING WITH GOD. We hope to get Jonah out of the Whale and on the way to the wickedest city in the world. Don't miss this interesting and vital message. 

The Spirit Must Illuminate the Word

We have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God. 1 Corinthians 2:12, NKJV. God intends that, even in this life, truth shall be ever unfolding to His people. There is only one way in which this knowledge can be obtained. We can attain to an understanding of God's Word only through the illumination of that Spirit by which the Word was given. "The things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God"; "for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God." And the Savior's promise to His followers was: "When he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth.... For he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you." God desires human beings to exercise their reasoning powers; and the study of the Bible will strengthen and elevate the mind as no other study can do. It is the best mental as well as spiritual exercise for the mind. Yet we are to beware of deifying reason, which is subject to the weakness and infirmity of humanity. If we would not have the Scriptures clouded to our understanding, so that the plainest truths shall not be comprehended, we must have the simplicity and faith of a little child, ready to learn, and beseeching the aid of the Holy Spirit. A sense of the power and wisdom of God, and of our inability to comprehend His greatness, should inspire us with humility, and we should open His Word, as we would enter His presence, with holy awe. When we come to the Bible, reason must acknowledge an authority superior to itself, and heart and intellect must bow to the great I AM. We shall advance in true spiritual knowledge only as we realize our own littleness and our entire dependence upon God; but all who come to the Bible with a teachable and prayerful spirit, to study its utterances as the Word of God, will receive divine enlightenment. There are many things apparently difficult or obscure which God will make plain and simple to those who thus seek an understanding of them.... There are mines of truth yet to be discovered by the earnest seeker. Christ represented the truth as treasure hid in a field. It does not lie right upon the surface; we must dig for it. But our success in finding it does not depend so much on our intellectual ability as on our humility of heart and the faith which will lay hold upon divine aid.

Test of Obedience

"By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went." Hebrews 11:8. Abraham's unquestioning obedience is one of the most striking evidences of faith to be found in the entire Bible. To him, faith was "the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." Verse 1. Relying upon the divine promise, without the least outward assurance of its fulfillment, he abandoned home and kindred and native land, and went forth, he knew not whither, to follow where God should lead. "By faith he became a sojourner in the land of promise, as in a land not his own, dwelling in tents, with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise." Hebrews 11:9, R.V.

It was no light test that was thus brought upon Abraham, no small sacrifice that was required of him. There were strong ties to bind him to his country, his kindred, and his home. But he did not hesitate to obey the call. He had no question to ask concerning the land of promise--whether the soil was fertile and the climate healthful; whether the country afforded agreeable surroundings and would afford opportunities for amassing wealth. God has spoken, and His servant must obey; the happiest place on earth for him was the place where God would have him to be. 

     Many are still tested as was Abraham. They do not hear the voice of God speaking directly from the heavens, but He calls them by the teachings of His word and the events of His providence. They may be required to abandon a career that promises wealth and honor, to leave congenial and profitable associations and separate from kindred, to enter upon what appears to be only a path of self-denial, hardship, and sacrifice. God has a work for them to do; but a life of ease and the influence of friends and kindred would hinder the development of the very traits essential for its accomplishment. He calls them away from human influences and aid, and leads them to feel the need of His help, and to depend upon Him alone, that He may reveal Himself to them. Who is ready at the call of Providence to renounce cherished plans and familiar associations? Who will accept new duties and enter untried fields, doing God's work with firm and willing heart, for Christ's sake counting his losses gain? He who will do this has the faith of Abraham, and will share with him that "far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory," with which "the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared." 2 Corinthians 4:17; Romans 8:18.

The journey begins

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