Closer To Heaven
|
|
|
A few years ago I came across a Facebook post where Adventists were discussing Ellen White’s instruction that you shouldn’t drink liquids with your meal. They took it very seriously. Someone wrote, “Many soups have liquid in them. Are we allowed to eat soup?” After a bit of casting about, someone came up with the […] Source: https://atoday.org/editorial-watermelon-soup-the-gospel/
Daily Lesson for Sunday 2nd of March 2025
As we have seen, the false “gods” of the nations were demons in disguise. And elsewhere we see evidence that demonic celestial rulers are sometimes behind earthly rulers. Even angelic agents sent by God can be opposed by the forces of the enemy.
Image © Review & Herald Publishing at Goodsalt.com
How could it be that an angel sent by God could be “withstood” for three weeks? Being all-powerful, God possessed the power to respond to Daniel immediately—that is, had He chosen to. If He exercised His power to do so, He could make an angel appear to Daniel right away. Yet, the angel sent by God was “withstood” by the “prince of the kingdom of Persia” for three entire weeks. What is going on here?
“For three weeks Gabriel wrestled with the powers of darkness, seeking to counteract the influences at work on the mind of Cyrus. . . . All that heaven could do in behalf of the people of God was done. The victory was finally gained; the forces of the enemy were held in check all the days of Cyrus, and all the days of his son Cambyses.”—Ellen G. White, Prophets and Kings, p. 572.
In order for such a conflict to transpire, God must not be exercising all of His power. The enemy must be afforded some genuine freedom and power that is not removed capriciously but is restricted by some parameters known to both parties (the details of which are not revealed to us). It seems there must be parameters in the cosmic conflict that even God’s angels are operating within, which in the coming lessons will be referred to as the “rules of engagement.”
In a certain sense, understanding these limits might not be hard if we grasp the idea, already talked about, that God works only by love, and that love, not coercion, is the foundation of His government. This idea, that God works only through the principles emanating from love, can help us better understand the great controversy.
|
How have you experienced the limits of working only through the principles of love and not coercion? What lessons did you learn about the limits of power? |
(0)
How can you build a deeper, more personal relationship with God? Paul’s powerful words in Romans 8:38-39 remind us that nothing—absolutely nothing—can separate us from God’s love. This Sabbath, take time to reflect on His unwavering love and surrender everything that might stand between you and your Savior. May this Sabbath bring you closer to Him. Happy Sabbath! #GodsLove #SabbathReflection #awr #adventistworldradio We are Adventist World Radio, dedicated to sending the gospel to every corner of the world, even in the most remote and inaccessible locations. Through radio broadcasts, Cell Phone Evangelism, Godpods, and Digital Evangelism on various social media platforms, we're striving to reach millions across the world in their native languages. Since we started broadcasting back in 1975, we've seen and heard some truly inspirational stories of people who've experienced life-changing encounters with God. Regardless of their beliefs or professions, we have seen God reach a pagan chieftain, a witch, a professional assassin, and even rebels. Witness God’s work at AWR, from broadcast to baptism. #short Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IktTjuggNL4
Hace poco reflexionaba sobre cómo ha cambiado mi relación con Jesús desde que dejé la fe de mi infancia. Aunque ya no creo en todas las cosas que creía en mi infancia adventista del séptimo día (confieso que ya no voy a la iglesia), descubrí que Jesús sigue presente en mi vida. Siempre amé a […] Source: https://atoday.org/editorial-jesus-sigue-presente/
Intercer is a website with biblical materials in Romanian, English, Hungarian and other languages. We want to bring the light from God's Word to peoples homes. Intercer provides quality Christian resources...[Read More]
