In order to accomplish his work unperceived, Satan chose to employ as his medium the serpent—a disguise well adapted for his purpose of deception. The serpent was then one of the wisest and most beautiful creatures on the earth. It had wings, and while flying through the air presented an appearance of dazzling brightness, having the color and brilliancy of burnished gold. Resting in the rich-laden branches of the forbidden tree and regaling itself with the delicious fruit, it was an object to arrest the attention and delight the eye of the beholder. Thus in the garden of peace lurked the destroyer, watching for his prey.

The angels had cautioned Eve to beware of separating herself from her husband while occupied in their daily labor in the garden; with him she would be in less danger from temptation than if she were alone. But absorbed in her pleasing task, she unconsciously wandered from his side. On perceiving that she was alone, she felt an apprehension of danger, but dismissed her fears, deciding that she had sufficient wisdom and strength to discern evil and to withstand it. Unmindful of the angels’ caution, she soon found herself gazing with mingled curiosity and admiration upon the forbidden tree. The fruit was very beautiful, and she questioned with herself why God had withheld it from them.

Now was the tempter’s opportunity. As if he were able to discern the workings of her mind, he addressed her: “Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?” Eve was surprised and startled as she thus seemed to hear the echo of her thoughts…. To the tempter’s ensnaring question she replied: “We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.” …

Such has been Satan’s work from the days of Adam to the present, and he has pursued it with great success. He tempts people to distrust God’s love and to doubt His wisdom. He is constantly seeking to excite a spirit of irreverent curiosity, a restless, inquisitive desire to penetrate the secrets of divine wisdom and power. In their efforts to search out what God has been pleased to withhold, multitudes overlook the truths that He has revealed, and that are essential to salvation.—Patriarchs and Prophets, 53-55.
Christ Triumphant p. 21
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Prayer Requests
—-Please pray for E and children as they are away from home on a trip. R
—-Prayer please for my daughter and her son. Too much to go into, but prayers are urgently needed. Janet
—-Just heard of a group of tornadoes back east. Massive destruction and loss of life. One child was killed when a tree fell on his parent’s car. Please pray for all who have lost everything including loved ones. BP
—-I have several prayer requests. Prayers for my friend Pam. Her mom fell in the grocery store at check out and broke her femur. She’s in her 70s and in rehab. She is missing some things, which happens in situations like that. Prayers for a quick recovery and that her items turn up again.
My family is in a situation where we will likely be moving again in a few months (between June and August), and NO IDEA where God will send us. Prayers for the new location and that we have a peace about it…. We just want to go where HE is leading.
Prayers for Jaclyn. She had another seizure in her sleep. It’s really got her down, and she’s afraid to sleep as she has them only in her sleep. This time, they said she was turning blue, so she’s thinking she is not breathing in her sleep and becoming hypoxic. She has another sleep study coming up soon, we hope. But she has a LOT of fear about all this and THAT is not coming from Jesus. She needs that peace that passes understanding and the doctors need guidance to help her with treatment or just a touch of healing from the Lord. She did not have seizures until she had her son, and that involved high blood pressure and a stroke. These puzzle pieces have to fit somehow, but no one can seem to put it together. But Jesus is ultimately the solution and her healer. Jennifer
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Dear Friends,

Some years ago, there was a strange and senseless murder in our city. A minister’s son stopped at a gas station after a basketball game. As he got out of his car to go inside, a member of one of the gangs in the city, pulled out a gun and shot him. Later the gang member said that he killed him because he didn’t like the way the young man looked at him. That was all. He just didn’t like the look on his face! Sadly, these things happen every day. How cruel is the heart of mankind without the Spirit of God dwelling there. Those who have long ago, shut God out of their lives become capable of atrocities that are beyond comprehension. Before giving themselves over to the evil one, they would, no doubt, have been horrified had they seen what they would do in the future.

Just so, when Adam and Eve disobeyed God by eating the fruit from the tree of knowledge of good and evil, how little they realized the results of their disobedience. Had they known, they would have recoiled in horror at the results of that small act of disobedience. From that small act, came a great change upon all the world. Before the fall, Adam and Eve had good fellowship with their Creator. At the time for evening worship, He came to this small planet in His great universe and conversed with them face to face. But after their disobedience, hearing Him walking in the garden brought a feeling of fear and dread instead of the joy they had formerly felt. God’s Word tells us, “And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden. And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou? And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself. And he said, Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat?” Gen 3:8-11

God knew what they had done, but He wanted them to acknowledge their transgression and ask forgiveness. Instead, Adam blamed Eve and Eve blamed the serpent, and, ultimately, they both blamed God. “And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat. And the LORD God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat. And the LORD God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life.” vs 12-14 How good and kind our Loving Father is! Before He told His erring children of the consequences of their sin, He gave them the promise of a Saviour! “And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.” vs 3:15

“Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee. And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life; Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field; In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return. vs 16-19 From that point, death, sorrow, pain, and heartache began. How Adam and Eve must have grieved as they saw the first leaf fall from the trees. Sorrow upon sorrow reached its culmination when their firstborn slew his brother. (Gen 4:1-12)

God does not leave us in such a pitiful state. He has provided Jesus, the “way, the truth, and the life” to bring us back into the family of heaven. John 14:6 Someday soon, this sinful, old world will pass away. Sin and sinners will be no more. John speaks of this time, “And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new.” “Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life and may enter in through the gates into the city.” Rev 21:1-4; 22:14 May we all be there is my prayer.
Rose

Source: https://rosesdevotional.org/temptation-sometimes-disguised-as-pleasure.html

The sin of Lucifer is unexplainable. He was disloyal to God. His mourning and complaining aroused sympathy among the angelic hosts, and many took the same position as did Satan [Lucifer]. How did the Lord break the force of these accusations?

Because of Satan’s accusing power, it was not the plan of God to deal with him as he deserved. The tempter would throw all the blame of his course upon others who were below him. He would make it appear that if he could have moved according to his own judgment all this demonstration of rebellion would have been avoided.

The condemning power of Satan would lead him to institute a theory of justice inconsistent with mercy. He claims to be officiating as the voice and power of God, claims that his decisions are justice, are pure and without fault. Thus he takes his position on the judgment seat and declares that his counsels are infallible. Here his merciless justice comes in, a counterfeit of justice, abhorrent to God.

But how shall the universe know that Lucifer is not a safe and just leader? To their eyes he appears right. They cannot see, as God sees, beneath the outward covering. They cannot know as God knows. To work to unmask him and make plain to the angelic host that his judgment is not God’s judgment, that he has made a standard of his own and exposed himself to the righteous indignation of God, would create a state of things that must be avoided.

It was on account of Satan’s deceiving power that many angels became disloyal to God. God was true and right. Satan was wrong and he was convinced that he was wrong. He must now choose, either by submission to place himself on the Lord’s side, or by lying to sustain himself. By sophistry and fraud he appeared to gain an advantage, but it was only for a short time. God cannot lie; He moves in a direct line. Lucifer could speak the truth when it served his purpose best, but he could move in a crooked course to avoid humiliation and defeat….

Satan could not be presented to the universe at once in his real character. His crooked course must be allowed to continue until he should reveal himself as an accuser, a deceiver, a liar, and a murderer. In the latter act, Satan uprooted himself from the affection of the loyal universe. In the death of the Son of God the deceiver was unmasked.—Letter 16a, 1892.
Christ Triumphant p. 11
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Prayer Requests
—-Emergency prayer request. just got a call from Calic. asking for prayer for a young man who is in ICU he had a heart attack and the family is devastated. Mary
—-Please pray for baby whose intestines outside of his body and hydrocephalus and will be born in a week or so. Please pray for God’s will to be done. Rose
—-Please pray for my cousin who had a stroke and a heart attack. Please also pray for Trish who is recuperating from a serious condition. D
—-Please continue to pray for E and children. R
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Dear Friends,

One of my favorite rainy-day past times as a child was looking at my grandmother’s photo albums. On one such occasion, I saw an old lady I had not noticed before. She was a thin woman with her white hair pulled back in a bun. Her face had no wrinkles, but there was a sadness about her that could not be hidden in that photo taken so long ago.

When I asked my grandmother, she told me that it was her Aunt Alice. Alice had been a happy girl, who was full of life and joy. She met a good-looking young man, and after a proper courtship, they became engaged. They loved each other deeply and finally the wedding day arrived. Alice was even more joyful than normal. That day she had anticipated as the happiest day of her life had finally arrived!

The church was decorated with flowers and filled with guests all waiting in eager anticipation to see this lovely young couple unite their lives. She wore a beautiful white wedding gown of lace. Her hair was combed in a lovely style specially to please the man she loved so deeply. The minister and the wedding attendants were there. All was ready.

Horrified, the best man ran back to the church. Shouting loudly and with tears in his eyes, he poured out his devastating news. Alice couldn’t believe it. She picked up the long skirt of her bridal gown and ran to the scene. There she saw the one she loved lying in the road—dead. Alice never recovered from that shock. She was never the same again. She became quiet and withdrawn and mourned for that young man for the rest of her life.

As I listened to the story, I felt like crying. Yet there is a tragedy much worse than this story—a disappointment far greater that happens every day without our even thinking about it. All around us are those who are spending their life with barely a thought heavenward. Jesus is coming soon and there will be multitudes unready to meet Him. With a sorrow far worse than Aunt Alice’s, they will cry out, “The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved.” Jer 8:20 What dreadful words! Words spoken by some who knew Jesus was coming, but who did not make the heart preparation necessary. They seemed ready on the outside but were careless and indifferent and thought that a “head knowledge” of the truths of God’s Word was enough.

Jesus told a parable that illustrates this point. “Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. And five of them were wise, and five were foolish. They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them: But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.
While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him. Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out. But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves. And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut. Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not. Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.” Matt 25:1-13 All those virgins believed that the Bridegroom was coming, but only half of them made the needed preparation.

May we “work out (our) own salvation with fear and trembling that we will not be found “standing at the altar.” Phil 2:12 May we “give diligence to make (our) calling and election sure” 2 Peter 1:10 May we live so close to God each day, allowing Him to change us into His image, that when He comes we will look up and say, “Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, and he will save us: this is the LORD; we have waited for him, we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation.” Isa 25:9

Rose

Source: https://rosesdevotional.org/no-excuse-for-sin.html

How beautiful the earth was when it came from the Creator’s hand! God presented before the universe a world in which even His all-seeing eye could find no spot or stain, no defect or crookedness. Each part of His creation occupied the place assigned it and answered the purpose for which it was created. Like the parts of some great machine, part fitted to part, and all was in perfect harmony…. There was no disease … and the vegetable kingdom was without taint of corruption. God looked upon the work of His hands wrought out by Christ and pronounced it “very good.” He looked upon a perfect world, in which there was no trace of sin, no imperfection.

But a change came. Satan tempted Adam, and he fell. He who in heaven had become disloyal and had been cast out made lying reports of God to the beings He had created, and they listened to his reports and believed his lie. And sin entered the world, and death by sin.—Letter 23, 1903 (see also The Review and Herald, July 21, 1904).

When Christ saw that there was no human being able to be humanity’s intercessor, He Himself entered the fierce conflict and battled with Satan. The First Begotten of God was the only one who could liberate those who by Adam’s sin had been brought in subjection to Satan.

The Son of God gave Satan every opportunity to try all his arts upon Him. The enemy had tempted the angels in heaven, and afterward the first Adam. Adam fell, and Satan supposed he could succeed in ensnaring Christ after He assumed humanity. All the fallen host looked upon this engagement as an opportunity to gain the supremacy over Christ. They had longed for a chance to show their enmity against God. When the lips of Christ were sealed in death, Satan and his angels imagined that they had obtained the victory….

In the death struggle the Son of God could rely only upon His heavenly Father. All was by faith. He Himself was a ransom, a gift, given for the freeing of the captives. By His own arm He has brought salvation to humanity; but at what a cost to Himself!—Manuscript 125, 1901 (The Upward Look, 357).
Christ Triumphant p. 8
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Prayer Requests
—-I have some relatives who are struggling and need your prayers. Buck
—-Please pray for my son Josh. May his pain turn into a need for you. My heart is breaking for him! Louisw
—- Asking for prayer for the mother of four of my grandchildren. Her name is Ana. She is deep into the occult. She has threatened to have me killed many times. She has also made plans to kill two of my sons. My son went over there on Xmas day to see his kids. There was an argument and as my son was walking out of her house holding some of his belongings, she hit him in the back of his head with a hammer. I cannot turn her in. She seems to be able to find out the names of anyone who turns her in to any agency and then they are doomed to her revenge. She really needs prayer. Put her on the prayer group and my grandchildren and son also. Thank you very much. She told me that if I had her prosecuted it would be one of the last things I would ever do. So, I didn’t follow through with going to court against her. I believe it was true. CC
—-E and children need prayer and God’s guidance. R
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Dear Friends,

When I talked with Esther on the phone some years ago when she was still in college, I knew something was upsetting her. After a few pointed questions, she told me that the first story in her literature book was making God out to be worse than the heathen deities and made them heroes. It sickened her to read such blasphemy. She prayed for wisdom to know what to do. She decided to drop the class and take another one which would still meet the requirement. One other student did the same.

Whether our problem is a small one or an overwhelmingly large one, God invites us, “Call unto me, and I will answer thee” Jer 33:3 Jesus assures us, “If ye had faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye might say unto this sycamine tree, Be thou plucked up by the root, and be thou planted in the sea; and it should obey you.” Luke 17:6 He says, “If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.” John 14:14 I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent? Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them t hat ask him?” Luke 11:9-13

James gives another dimension to our prayer being answered, “let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.” James 1:6, 7 John explains, “And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.” 1 John 5:14 Think of it! The Great Creator of the Universe is willing to answer our prayer of faith!

May we come to God, knowing that He loves us with an “everlasting love.” Jer 31:3 May we fulfill the conditions to answered prayer, that God, Who longs to give us that which we ask, may work mightily for us. May we remember to praise God when He answers our petitions is my prayer.

Rose

Source: https://rosesdevotional.org/the-new-creation.html