I was shown Satan as he once was, a happy, exalted angel. Then I was shown him as he now is. He still bears a kingly form. His features are still noble, for he is an angel fallen. But the expression of his countenance is full of anxiety, care, unhappiness, malice, hate, mischief, deceit, and every evil. That brow which was once so noble, I particularly noticed. His forehead commenced from his eyes to recede. I saw that he had so long bent himself to evil that every good quality was debased, and every evil trait was developed. His eyes were cunning, sly, and showed great penetration. His frame was large, but the flesh hung loosely about his hands and face. As I beheld him, his chin was resting upon his left hand. He appeared to be in deep thought. A smile was upon his countenance, which made me tremble, it was so full of evil and satanic slyness. This smile is the one he wears just before he makes sure of his victim, and as he fastens the victim in his snare, this smile grows horrible.23Early Writings, 152, 153.

The people of God must be prepared to withstand the wily foe. It is this resistance that Satan dreads. He knows better than we do the limit of his power and how easily he can be overcome if we resist and face him. Through divine strength the weakest saint is more than a match for him and all his angels, and if brought to the test he [the weakest saint] would be able to prove his superior power. Therefore Satan’s step is noiseless, his movements stealthy, and his batteries masked….

Man is Satan’s captive and is naturally inclined to follow his suggestions and do his bidding. He has in himself no power to oppose effectual resistance to evil. It is only as Christ abides in him by living faith, influencing his desires and strengthening him with strength from above, that man may venture to face so terrible a foe. Every other means of defense is utterly vain.24Testimonies for the Church 5:293, 294.

The Faith I Live By p. 318
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Prayer Requests
—-Please pray for my neighbor. He and his wife has invested a lot of money in the place next door. Her daughter’s mother has been telling them for years that the place goes to her when she dies but she won’t put it in writing. She is in her 90’s. They have done thousands of dollars of remodeling of that house. Please pray that she will sign a document that the house goes to them at her death. M
—-I have a private prayer request. Buck
—-Please pray for my husband who is having trouble at work because of Sabbath. He thinks that they are going to fire him soon. A
—-Please pray for Fran. She has been transferred closer to home but will not have as intense physical therapy. Rose
—-Please pray for Danni and her family who are travelling and are having car trouble. Rose
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Dear Friends,
I was thinking the other day about how long I have been retired—Twelve years. That brought back memories both bad and good—the coworkers with their idiosyncrasies, the interesting criminal cases, the defendants that sometimes could be difficult to deal with, my desk overflowing with paperwork, the cart they got me for the heavy files I had to take to various offices or pick them up from others. Oh, so many memories!
For about the first five years or so that I worked there, I had to carry great stacks of heavy files, affidavits, criminal histories, etc. As our workload increased, that became very difficult for me as we had much more than we had had before. Several people advised me to ask for a cart, so that I could do my work with ease. I resisted for quite a while, but eventually I got up the courage to ask for one. Seeing the need for it, our supervisor ordered the cart. Bev, who did the ordering, and I selected a cart from the catalog that was like the one that I had seen in another office. I had often wished for one just like it.
When the cart arrived, however, we were surprised at how small the box was. When we opened it, we found the reason. It was completely unassembled. As we looked at all of the parts, we realized that we needed help. However, we knew that if we waited for the maintenance men to put it together, it could be days before they came as they had many duties much more important than assembling a cart. Now that I had it, I really wanted to use it that day.
Thankfully, several of the men in our department volunteered to assemble it. As they looked at all of the parts, they knew that the first thing that they needed to do was look for the directions that had to be included somewhere in that box. Once those directions were found and followed exactly, those many pieces began to take the shape of a cart. Before long, it was completed and I could use it that very day. I was delighted!
Just as the manufacturer had included directions for assembling the cart, so our Great Creator has given us directions that will bring us health and happiness and keep us on the path that leads to our Heavenly Home. How important, then, it is for us to read and follow those directions. James urges us, “be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.” James 1:22-25
How important it is for us to be students of God’s Holy Word. How vital that we apply it to our life allowing it to transform us into a useful worker for the Master. As we hide God’s Word in our hearts, we become changed into His image. Paul tells us, “But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.” 2 Cor 3:18 As we read and heed the Scriptures, we are kept from falling into the snares of the evil one. The Psalmist David speaks of this. “Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word. With my whole heart have I sought thee: O let me not wander from thy commandments. Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee. Blessed art thou, O LORD: teach me thy statutes.” Psa 119:9-12
As we meditate upon God’s Word, the Holy Spirit reveals so many gems of truth in each text; that it becomes an exciting experience. Jeremiah says, “Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called by thy name, O LORD God of hosts.” Jer 15:16 David adds, “I will meditate in thy precepts, and have respect unto thy ways. I will delight myself in thy statutes: I will not forget thy word.” “The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple. The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes. The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring for ever: the judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. Moreover by them is thy servant warned: and in keeping of them there is great reward.” Psa 119:15,16; 19:7-11
May we “study to show [ourselves] approved unto God a workman that needeth not to be ashamed rightly dividing the word of truth” is my prayer. 2 Tim 2:15

Rose

Source: https://rosesdevotional.org/safety-in-vigilance-2.html

If we would come into possession of the heavenly inheritance, the glorious, eternal substance, we must be in covenant relation with God, and employ every faculty of our being to win souls to Christ…. God’s people must be a peculiar, holy people, distinct in character and practice from the world, distinguished from all the religionists of the day. They must be patterns in personal piety and good works. There is higher, holier work for us to do than we have yet done. Christ has said, “My Kingdom is not of this world.” It has no principles that will meet the principles of the world. The Lord has set His church as a light in the world, to guide the world to heaven. It is to be a part of heaven on the earth, flashing divine light on the pathway of benighted souls.92The Review and Herald, January 21, 1890.

You are a spectacle to the world, to angels, and to men. God’s people should now receive the light and diffuse it. They need not try to shine; if their hearts are enlightened by Christ, they cannot help shining. The brightness will appear; every true disciple will reveal Christ to the world as the sin-pardoning Saviour.93The Review and Herald, July 26, 1898.

We are Seventh-day Adventists. Are we ashamed of our name? We answer, No, no! We are not. It is the name the Lord has given us. It points out the truth that is to be the test of the churches…. That this may be, we must look ever to Jesus.94Selected Messages 2:384.

The name Seventh-day Adventist carries the true features of our faith in front, and will convict the inquiring mind. Like an arrow from the Lord’s quiver, it will wound the transgressors of God’s law, and will lead to repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.95Testimonies for the Church 1:224.

There are many who are looking to you, to see what religion can do for you. If you are faithful in your God-given work, you will make right impressions, and will lead souls in the way of righteousness.96The Review and Herald, October 16, 1888.
The Faith I Live By p. 304
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Prayer Requests
—-Please continue to pray for Fran. She is in a rehab hospital and she needs lots of it. Rose
—-Please pray for my husband Robert. He has been having stomach pain for close to two months on and off. He will not go to the doctors about it. Lucyanne
—-Please pray for Mike M who has sepsis. Rose
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Dear Friends,
Every year about this time, I post the following article written some years ago as it is such an important message.
Rose

Should Christians Celebrate Halloween?
October 1, 1995
By Amazing Facts
by Debra J. Hicks

Please check all that apply. This year for Halloween, I’ll probably:

Dress the little ones up in costumes and escort them around our neighborhood to collect candy.
Check out the local haunted house.
Get together with some buddies to watch a scary movie.
Dress up in a devil suit and scare the neighborhood kids that knock on the front door.
Turn off the porch light and hope nobody finds me eating the three bags of Snickers bars I bought for trick-or-treaters.
Most people see nothing wrong with the activities listed above. They consider Halloween festivities to be a harmless way for their children to have an evening of “fantasy and fun.”

But does this standard hold true for Christians? Is dressing up like ghosts, goblins, and witches really “no big deal”? Or is it glorifying and empowering Satan?

If we have truly committed our hearts and our lives to Christ, we will set ourselves apart as people who seek to reflect God’s goodness and love to the world. Because we become like the things we behold, the apostle Paul in Philippians 4:8 counsels Christians to think deeply about-and to continually fill our minds with-what is good. A careful, honest look at Halloween reveals little or nothing that is good. Instead, it is a day that points toward Satanism, fear, and gluttony.

“For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? What harmony is there between Christ and Belial?” (2 Corinthians 6:14-15, NIV).

Although the word Halloween means “holy or hallowed evening,” history shows that nothing could be further from the truth. Halloween is clearly a relic of pagan times, and it has never reflected true Christian virtues.

The customs connected with Halloween are most commonly traced to a festival celebrated by the Druids-priests of the Celtic tribes that occupied northern and western Europe. This celebration, which dates back several centuries before Christ, began each year on October 31 and was called the festival of Samhain, the lord of death.

As part of their worship of Samhain, the Druid priests built huge bonfires on which both animals and humans were sacrificed. This barbaric practice continued openly for hundreds of years, until Rome conquered Britain and outlawed it.

Years passed, and Rome continued to conquer new territory and increase in power. The people of each conquered nation were forced not only to become Roman citizens, but also to become members of the Roman church. As you can imagine, these new “converts” cared little about Christianity and clung tenaciously to their cherished pagan practices.

So, since the Roman church was unable to get people to abandon their heathen festivals, it decided to “sanctify” some of them. The Druids’ celebration in honor of the lord of death thus became All Saints’ Day, which was to be observed by all churches. Officially, it was proclaimed a day to honor all the saints who had died, known or unknown. But in practice, it remained what it had always been-a pagan celebration of the “Day of the Dead.”

Throughout its history, Halloween has been thought of as the time when supernatural forces prevail. Anton LaVey, author of “The Satanic Bible” and high priest of the Church of Satan, says that Satanists consider Halloween the most important day of the year. He says that on this night, satanic, occult, and witchcraft power are at their highest potency level, and that any witch or occultist who has been having difficulty with a spell or curse can usually achieve success on October 31st because Satan and his powers are at their best that night.

Divination, or fortune telling, is also believed to reach its highest powers on Halloween, as people are eager to learn what might happen to them in the upcoming year. Even today, predictions of leading psychics and astrologers are generally released about the time of Halloween.

Clearly, the rites and symbols of this holiday reveal that it is still a day that glorifies Satan. Look around you. Though October 31 is still a month away, you can probably see evidences that Halloween is approaching. Pictures of ghosts, goblins, witches, skeletons, and devil-faced pumpkins appear on store windows everywhere. Horror movies are promoted on television and in the theaters, and most bookstores give prominent attention to books dealing with death and the occult.

As Christians, we are not to associate with the things of Satan. Christ Himself said, “No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other” (Matthew 6:24).

“For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind” (2 Timothy 1:7).

Since its beginning, the festival of Halloween has played upon people’s fears. The Celtic people believed that on the night of October 31, demons, witches, and the spirits of all those who had died within the past year roamed about freely. Most people were afraid to leave their homes on this night. Those who absolutely had to go out wore grotesque masks and terrifying costumes. They reasoned that if they looked horrible enough, the spirits would think they were one of them and would do them no harm!

Fear is a big part of modern Halloween celebrations, as well. Spooky decorations, horror movies, and haunted houses make a very real impression on little children. Is there any wonder so many youth have nightmares or are afraid to be alone in the dark? Satan delights in filling people’s minds with thoughts of fear, death, and destruction. It is a tactic he has used for centuries to keep mankind under his control.

God, on the other hand, longs to give His children peace. He doesn’t want us to be paralyzed by our fears. In fact, the Bible says that Christ died “that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage” (Hebrews 2:15, NKJV).

“Whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31, NKJV).

Several days before their festival began, the Druid priests would go from house to house demanding food or other items they would use in their worship of Samhain, the lord of death. If a villager refused to give them what they wanted, the priest would put a demonic curse on the home. It was no idle threat, either. Someone from that house usually died within the year. It is from this abominable practice that our present-day “trick-or-treat” custom evolved.

While it is true that trick-or-treat is no longer primarily about curses, it is about gluttony. Children go from house to house, filling grocery bags full of candy and then returning home to feast on their great treasure. Often, those who stay at home to hand out the candy consume great amounts of it themselves!

Even this element of Halloween, which in comparison might seem harmless, does nothing to glorify God. The Bible says that the body is the temple of the Holy Spirit. We should not be polluting that temple with food that clouds our perceptions and draws us away from God.

“Have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them” (Ephesians 5:11).

Satan is no doubt jubilant that such a large portion of this “Christian nation” views a holiday in his honor as something that is harmless fun. Could it be that by our carelessness, we are contributing to the extraordinary power Satan seems to have on October 31?

No matter how fun or exciting it may seem, Halloween is no celebration for a Christian. If we truly seek to glorify God, then how can we devote one day of the year to worshipping Satan? We can’t.

The Bible says, “Ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light” (1 Peter 2:9).

Source: https://rosesdevotional.org/the-name-the-lord-has-given-us-2.html

The children of Israel were anciently commanded to make an offering for the entire congregation to purify them from ceremonial defilement. This sacrifice was a red heifer and represented the more perfect offering that should redeem from the pollution of sin. This was an occasional sacrifice for the purification of all those who had necessarily or accidentally touched the dead. All who came in contact with death in any way were considered ceremonially unclean. This was to forcibly impress the minds of the Hebrews with the fact that death came in consequence of sin and therefore is a representative of sin. The one heifer, the one ark, the one brazen serpent, impressively point to the one great offering, the sacrifice of Christ.

This heifer was to be red, which was a symbol of blood. It must be without spot or blemish, and one that had never borne a yoke. Here, again, Christ was typified. The Son of God came voluntarily to accomplish the work of atonement. There was no obligatory yoke upon Him, for He was independent and above all law. The angels, as God’s intelligent messengers, were under the yoke of obligation; no personal sacrifice of theirs could atone for the guilt of fallen man. Christ alone was free from the claims of the law to undertake the redemption of the sinful race….

Jesus might have remained at His Father’s right hand, wearing His kingly crown and royal robes. But He chose to exchange all the riches, honor, and glory of heaven for the poverty of humanity, and His station of high command for the horrors of Gethsemane and the humiliation and agony of Calvary….

The wounded hands, the pierced side, the marred feet, plead eloquently for fallen man, whose redemption is purchased at such an infinite cost. Oh, matchless condescension! Neither time nor events can lessen the efficacy of the atoning sacrifice.26Testimonies for the Church 4:120, 121, 124.
The Faith I Live By p. 199
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Prayer Requests
—-Please pray for Esther and children as they are away this weekend. Rose
—-I’m really sick. I’ve been fighting an acute UTI for over a month. No antibiotic has worked. Now they tell me that I have a rare infection. Given a new rx that is strong enough to kill MERSA. (Not mersa) I’m scared, as it has a lot of bad side effects, and I don’t do well with new meds. Sylvia
—-Please pray for Angel. She was born with the umbilical cord around her neck. She’s in critical condition in the ICU. She needs a miracle right now. Maria
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Dear Friends,

When I was about 5, I was given a little beagle puppy for my very own. I was so happy to have this puppy friend! I had been so lonely because I was the only child in the neighborhood at that time. How I loved and cuddled that little dog. He was my “baby” whenever I played house.

Sadly, that little beagle didn’t last very long. One day, as I was pretending he was my little baby and decided to give him a bath. Now that might have been no problem if I had used pretend water. Instead, I gave him a bath in the icy water that was coming out of the drainpipe from the snow that was melting from off from the roof. After the bath, I had no towel to dry him so I just continued playing with my puppy. The poor little thing got thoroughly chilled that early spring day.

Because of that chilling, he got distemper and died. How terrible I felt when I was told that it was all my fault that I had killed my puppy! I cried and cried, but all the tears in the world could not bring my puppy back. I felt very guilty for a very long time. Eventually, I matured enough to understand that I had been too young to realize that my actions that long-ago spring day would result in such a loss.

Just as I did not realize that by giving my puppy a cold bath there would be grave consequences, so there are millions who are rushing down the path which leads to destruction without realizing what their end will be. Those millions go through life thinking that all is well, but in the end they will hear those frightful words, “I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.” Matt 7:23 Those consequences are far worse than what happened to my little beagle.

How often we, ourselves, act without thinking of the consequences. How many times we, ourselves, wish we could take back our own hasty words. God’s Word says, “There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.” Prov 14:12 “Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.” Matt 7:13,14 May we allow our Dear Saviour to lead us, that we may, in turn, lead others in that narrow path that leads to His Glorious Kingdom is my prayer.

Rose

Source: https://rosesdevotional.org/the-voluntary-sacrifice-of-jesus-2.html