Closer To Heaven
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Comments of the Week January 4-11 “I don’t think that there is anything inherently wrong with entertaining the saints and participating in rituals. The issue is when we substitute this for actual outreach evangelism and doing the work of service to the community. We tend to let the paid clergy drive the bus. Then we […] Source: https://atoday.org/comments-of-the-week-jan4-11/
Jesus invites us to come as we are, not as we think we should be. In His divine love, we find healing, transformation, and the courage to become the best versions of ourselves. Source: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/J8joyBaiihY
For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain. Philippians 1:21 NKJV
Paul felt the destiny of his life was to share the Gospel, even if it meant facing constant persecution and even death.
And now I am bound by the Spirit to go to Jerusalem. I don’t know what awaits me, except that the Holy Spirit tells me in city after city that jail and suffering lie ahead. But my life is worth nothing to me unless I use it for finishing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus—the work of telling others the Good News about the wonderful grace of God. Acts 20:22-24 NLT
Thankfully Paul’s life was preserved until he accomplished everything Jesus wanted him to accomplish.
Satan is constantly trying to attack those who share the Gospel, just as he constantly tried to attack Jesus Himself. It started with Herod trying to kill Jesus as a baby to even His own church trying to throw Him off a cliff, as well as trying to stone Him to death. But there was no way Jesus or Paul could die until they accomplished their destiny for living.
Photo by Danica Tanjutco on Unsplash
Likewise, even if our lives are cut short, we can be certain Jesus will not let that happen until He has accomplished His purpose for our lives. Here is a remarkable account of Ellen Harmon, a young girl, no more than eighteen years old. She is on a steamboat leaving Portland Maine that has just run into a very dangerous storm. While many were fearful for their lives, this young girl, when asked by an older woman why she was not afraid like everyone else, could answer with assurance:
“I told her I had made Christ my refuge, and if my work was done, I might as well lie in the bottom of the ocean as in any other place; but if my work was not done, all the waters of the ocean could not drown me. My trust was in God, that he would bring us safe to land if it was for his glory.” Ellen White, Life Sketches, p. 241
God did indeed have a work for Ellen to do. Ellen later married James White, an Adventist pioneer, and the rest is history. God also has a purpose for each of us. Our goal in this world should not necessarily be to live a long life, but to live a faithful life. As long as we have the assurance young Ellen had, that we are in God’s care and doing God’s work, the longevity of our life is not consequential, and we shall be prepared to walk away from this world either by death or the Second Coming at any time, satisfied we have accomplished our purpose and destiny as followers of Christ.
Each has his own experience, peculiar in its character and circumstances, to accomplish a certain work. God has a work, a purpose, in the life of each of us. Every act, however small, has its place in our life experience. – Ellen White, God’s Amazing Grace, Page 311
The theme for Day 5 (January 11th, 2026) is "Repent and Be Saturated with the Holy Spirit" Melody Mason, with the General Conference Ministerial, is serving as the prayer host and moderator for 10 Days of Prayer while Don MacLafferty, president of In Discipleship and author of 10 Days of Prayer UNLEASHED, leads the daily devotional and prayer time for this 7AM (EST) Zoom prayer call. For details on how to be part of this daily Zoom call during 10 Days of Prayer, visit: Tendaysofprayer.org LINKS and Quotes shared during this Zoom Meeting are below: “All who consecrate soul, body, and spirit to God will be constantly receiving a new endowment of physical and mental power. The inexhaustible supplies of heaven are at their command. Christ gives them the breath of His own spirit, the life of His own life. The Holy Spirit puts forth its highest energies to work in heart and mind…. Through co-operation with Christ they are complete in Him, and in their human weakness they are enabled to do the deeds of Omnipotence.” Desire of Ages, p. 827 Deeper study on HOW TO BE BAPTIZED by the HOLY SPIRIT: https://www.backtothealtar.org/2025/05/100-days-of-prayer-week-9/ Ten Days of Prayer
https://www.tendaysofprayer.org Livestream for 10 Days of Prayer
https://www.youtube.com/@ChapelOaks-SDA-KC Livestream program from Sabbath – "IF MY PEOPLE"
https://www.youtube.com/live/DelZgReYIvY?si=UJ5BMIbjYSRWdew2 Livestream program from Day 5 of 10 | Led by Don MacLafferty
https://youtube.com/live/tTcF8i92-ws Opening Song – His Strength is Perfect
https://youtu.be/JJ7M4vjqR9E?si=Mju2gJXxnw5DtduC Closing Song – Elijah's Song
https://www.revivalandreformation.org/resources/all/back-to-the-altar-revival-resources 24/7 United in Prayer – Join believers all around the world in prayer!
https://247unitedprayer.org Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KLxxrat-puA
The theme for Day 4 (January 10th, 2026) is "Humbly Come Together in the Mind of Christ" Melody Mason, with the General Conference Ministerial, is serving as the prayer host and moderator for 10 Days of Prayer while Don MacLafferty, president of In Discipleship and author of 10 Days of Prayer UNLEASHED, leads the daily devotional and prayer time for this 7AM (EST) Zoom prayer call. For details on how to be part of this daily Zoom call during 10 Days of Prayer, visit: Tendaysofprayer.org LINKS and Quotes shared during this Zoom Meeting are below: “From the soul that feels his need, nothing is withheld. He has unrestricted access to Him in whom all fullness dwells.” Desire of Ages, p. 300 “I saw that the remnant were not prepared for what is coming upon the earth. Stupidity, like lethargy, seemed to hang upon the minds of most of those who profess to believe that we are having the last message. My accompanying angel cried out with awful solemnity, “Get ready! get ready! get ready! for the fierce anger of the Lord is soon to come. His wrath is to be poured out, unmixed with mercy, and ye are not ready. Rend the heart, and not the garment. A great work must be done for the remnant. Many of them are dwelling upon little trials.” Said the angel, “Legions of evil angels are around you, and are trying to press in their awful darkness, that ye may be ensnared and taken. Ye suffer your minds to be diverted too readily from the work of preparation and the all-important truths for these last days. And ye dwell upon little trials and go into minute particulars of little difficulties to explain them to the satisfaction of this one or that.” Conversation has been protracted for hours between the parties concerned, and not only has their time been wasted, but the servants of God are held to listen to them, when the hearts of both parties are unsubdued by grace. If pride and selfishness were laid aside, five minutes would remove most difficulties. Angels have been grieved and God displeased by the hours which have been spent in justifying self. I saw that God will not bow down and listen to long justifications, and He does not want His servants to do so, and thus precious time be wasted that should be spent in showing transgressors the error of their ways and pulling souls out of the fire. I saw that God’s people are on the enchanted ground, and that some have lost nearly all sense of the shortness of time and the worth of the soul. Pride has crept in among Sabbathkeepers-pride of dress and appearance. Said the angel, “Sabbath keepers will have to die to self, die to pride and love of approbation.” – {EW 119-120.1} Ten Days of Prayer
https://www.tendaysofprayer.org Livestream for 10 Days of Prayer
https://www.youtube.com/@ChapelOaks-SDA-KC Livestream from our Special Sabbath Program – "If My People"
https://www.youtube.com/live/DelZgReYIvY?si=mLwWJJNCe_8AB0pI Livestream program from Day 4 of 10 | Led by Don MacLafferty
https://www.youtube.com/live/LPaqOfAD69U?si=bB0beBrj5SPIOXNR "The Beauty of Humility" – Three Versions
https://www.revivalandreformation.org/resources/all/the-beauty-of-humility Closing Song – Elijah's Song
https://www.revivalandreformation.org/resources/all/back-to-the-altar-revival-resources 24/7 United in Prayer – Join believers all around the world in prayer!
https://247unitedprayer.org Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j1xXjQtxuj4
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