Aaron was a man of amiable disposition, whom God selected to stand with Moses and speak for him…. God might have chosen Aaron as leader; but He who is acquainted with hearts, who understands character, knew that Aaron was yielding and lacked moral courage to stand in defense of the right under all circumstances, irrespective of consequences. Aaron’s desire to have the good will of the people sometimes led him to commit great wrongs…. The same lack of firmness for the right in his family resulted in the death of two of his sons…. Nadab and Abihu failed to reverence the command of God to offer sacred fire upon their censers with the incense before Him….

Here is seen the result of loose discipline. As these sons of Aaron had not been educated to respect and reverence the commands of their father, as they disregarded parental authority, they did not realize the necessity of explicitly following the requirements of God…. Contrary to God’s express direction, they dishonored Him by offering common instead of sacred fire. God visited them with His wrath; fire went forth from His presence and destroyed them.

Aaron bore his severe affliction with patience and humble submission. Sorrow and keen agony wrung his soul. He was convicted of his neglect of duty. He was priest of the most high God, to make atonement for the sins of the people. He was priest of his household, yet he had been inclined to pass over the folly of his children. He had neglected his duty to train and educate them to obedience, self-denial, and reverence for parental authority. Through feelings of misplaced indulgence, he failed to mold their characters with high reverence for eternal things. Aaron did not see, any more than many Christian parents now see, that his misplaced love and the indulgence of his children in wrong was preparing them for the certain displeasure of God…. His gentle remonstrance, without a firm exercise of parental restraint, and his imprudent tenderness toward his sons were cruelty in the extreme.7Testimonies for the Church 3:293-295.
Courage and Conflict p. 102
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Prayer Requests
—-Please pray for our family. Buck
—-Please pray that the advertising done for our special Sabbath program will bring people into our church and lead people to Jesus. Kathy
—-Please pray to GOD for my complete healing and recovery from Parkinson’s disease. Myke
—-I would also like to have prayers for a friend of mine who is still struggling with the death of her husband and son. Name is Reta. A couple months or so ago he went to work and literally fell dead and a month later the son died. Maryanne
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Dear Friends,

A week or so ago, I was looking at some old photos and videos of when Ronnie Jay and Esther were in college. I was reminded of something that happened after Esther’s recital. All of the attendees were invited to the main level for refreshments. I asked Ronnie Jay if he would take pictures since I had left my camera at home. He handed me his camera, so I could click away at my heart’s content.

After I had taken quite a few pictures, I decided that I’d have a few tortilla chips and a glass of punch. I hung the camera around my neck (a big mistake for someone as klutzy as I) and balanced them on my lap. Esther’s professor came over to talk to me. This made me nervous as I’m a little shy and I also knew all of the troubles he had given Esther that year, but here he was praising her profusely. Suddenly, as I turned my head to look at him (he was behind the chair that was beside me) the nearly full cup of juice became airborne and overturned all over Ronnie Jay’s camera as well as all down the front of me.

I didn’t even think of my pale blue suit that was now wet and sticky. I had only one concern. I grabbed Ronnie Jay’s camera and looked around for some way to dry it. The professor rushed to get some paper towels. I followed. After drying it carefully, I found my son to tell him what had happened. I knew how much that camera meant to him as he loved to go out into the fields and woods and take pictures of various wild animals. He was very sweet about it and assured me that it was ok. He knew it was an accident. Then, after looking it over carefully, he took a picture of me (I looked very distressed) and put the camera in its case.

On the way home, he was assessing the damage. All seemed to work except the zoom was slower than normal. I offered to see if it could be fixed, but he thought it would be alright after using it for a while. How thankful I was that Ronnie Jay understood and forgave me!

How often we fall into sin just as easily as I overturned the sticky fruit punch. Soon we are covered with our sin just as surely as the camera and I was wet with sticky juice. Soon we are in the condition Isaiah described, “the whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint. From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness in it; but wounds, and bruises, and putrifying sores: they have not been closed, neither bound up, neither mollified with ointment.” Isa 1:5, 6 We become alarmed and attempt to clean ourselves up, but we soon find we are unable to do so. As Jeremiah says, “Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? then may ye also do good, that are accustomed to do evil.” Jer 13:23

Praise God! There is Someone Who can clean us up! He, Who gave His Life for us, not only forgives us, but He helps us to follow His example. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world. And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him. He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.” 1 John 1:9-2:6

Yet, although Our Loving God forgives, He does not always take away the consequences. Often the scars remain just as surely as the zoom on Ronnie Jay’s camera did not respond as quickly as it did before the sticky bath I gave it. They are reminders so we may not want to do wrong again and desire always to do the right. May we do those things that are pleasing in His sight is my prayer.

Rose

Source: https://rosesdevotional.org/misplaced-love-2.html

Because of Israel’s disobedience and departure from God, they were allowed to be brought into close places and to suffer adversity; their enemies were permitted to make war with them, to humble them and lead them to seek God in their trouble and distress….

When Israel was assailed by the Amalekites, Moses gave Joshua directions to fight with their enemies.48Testimonies for the Church 2:106-108.

Moses and Aaron and Hur were stationed on a hill overlooking the battlefield. With arms outstretched toward heaven, and holding the rod of God in his right hand, Moses prayed for the success of the armies of Israel. As the battle progressed, it was observed that so long as his hands were reaching upward, Israel prevailed, but when they were lowered, the enemy was victorious. As Moses became weary, Aaron and Hur stayed up his hands until the going down of the sun, when the enemy was put to flight.

As Aaron and Hur supported the hands of Moses, they showed the people their duty to sustain him in his arduous work while he should receive the word from God to speak to them. And the act of Moses also was significant, showing that God held their destiny in His hands; while they made Him their trust, He would fight for them and subdue their enemies; but when they should let go their hold upon Him, and trust in their own power, they would be even weaker than those who had not the knowledge of God, and their foes would prevail against them.

As the Hebrews triumphed when Moses was reaching his hands toward heaven and interceding in their behalf, so the Israel of God prevail when they by faith take hold upon the strength of their mighty Helper. Yet divine strength is to be combined with human effort. Moses did not believe that God would overcome their foes while Israel remained inactive. While the great leader was pleading with the Lord, Joshua and his brave followers were putting forth their utmost efforts to repulse the enemies of Israel and of God.49Patriarchs and Prophets, 299.
Conflict and Courage p. 95
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Prayer Requests
—-Please pray for the marriage of Mike and Ronda. Erik
—-We are looking at a new home tomorrow. I have a lot of anxiety about renewing our lease at the current home. Pray with me for the Lord’s will to be done and we live where he wants us to be. Jennifer
—-Please pray for healing for Barney. Thanks. Buck
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Dear Friends,

When Eileen was six, she and her cousin, Annie, often played together. One day, as they were playing, they noticed DJ, Annie’s little brother, who was two at the time eating something. They walked over to see what he had. There he was, happily eating live, wiggling worms! Eileen and Annie thought that was “yucky” and took the worms away. DJ began to cry. After talking their problem over, they decided that they would cook the worms for him. That would dry his tears.

Alabama is very hot in the summertime—hot enough that you can fry an egg on the sidewalk. So, they decided to fry the worms there. They explained to the whimpering DJ, that they were going to make the worm taste better for him. It didn’t take long before the worm was hard and stiff. They girls then picked it up and gave it to the boy. DJ ate it happily. He seemed to like fried worms much better than live ones, so they helped find him more.

A little later, I decided it was time to check on Eileen and see if she was alright. I walked around the trailer park until I found them. When I saw them putting worms on the hot sidewalk, I was shocked. As I looked around I could see many dried worms. Hating to see any animal hurt or killed, I explained that what they were doing was very wrong.

Taking Eileen by the hand and leading her into the house, I told her that she could not play outside for the rest of the day. This would help her remember to be kind to animals. Eileen was not happy. She felt that she was being treated unfairly and told me so. Finally, she was able to make me understand why they had done what they did. As I listened, I could see that in their childish reasoning that they were doing what they thought was right. I had misjudged their motives.

How often we misjudge one another. How often we “jump to conclusions” before we really know all of the circumstances. How often we condemn before understanding their motives. Our Dear Saviour said, “Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye.” Matt 7:1-5 He did not mean that we should allow wrongs to exist, but that we should “[not judge] according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment.” John 7:24

Just as it was right to stop Eileen and Annie from feeding DJ worms, so we are told that there is a time to judge. We should, however, be very careful not to shun, not to gossip, not to discourage, not to condemn. Instead, restoration should have a part with the judgment.

While it is true that when we see a wrong, we should not keep silent, we should to very careful of our own motives and work with that individual in a loving way. “Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted. Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. Gal 6:1,2

Let us ask for wisdom, that we might not misjudge another’s motives. Let us ask for the eyesalve of the Holy Spirit that we may work for the erring as Jesus did, seeking for their restoration; for if we do not approach them correctly, we will drive them further away from the right path. Let us, when corrected, study and pray to see if we truly, have strayed; and if so, step back upon the right path; but if not, stand firmly for the right.

Rose

Source: https://rosesdevotional.org/hands-toward-heaven-2.html

Pharaoh sowed obstinacy, and he reaped obstinacy. He himself put this seed into the soil. There was no more need for God by some new power to interfere with its growth, than there is for Him to interfere with the growth of a grain of corn. All that is required is that a seed shall be left to germinate and spring up to bring forth fruit after its kind. The harvest reveals the kind of seed that has been sown.35The S.D.A. Bible Commentary 1:1100.

Pharaoh saw the mighty working of the Spirit of God; he saw the miracles which the Lord performed by His servant; but he refused obedience to God’s command. The rebellious king had proudly inquired, “Who is the Lord, that I should obey his voice to let Israel go? … [Exodus 5:2].” And as the judgments of God fell more and more heavily upon him, he persisted in stubborn resistance. By rejecting light from heaven, he became hard and unimpressible. The providence of God was revealing His power, and these manifestations, unacknowledged, were the means of hardening Pharaoh’s heart against greater light. Those who exalt their own ideas above the plainly specified will of God, are saying as did Pharaoh, “Who is the Lord, that I should obey His voice?” Every rejection of light hardens the heart and darkens the understanding; and thus men find it more and more difficult to distinguish between right and wrong, and they become bolder in resisting the will of God.36Ibid., 1099, 1100.

He who has once yielded to temptation will yield more readily the second time. Every repetition of the sin lessens his power of resistance, blinds his eyes, and stifles conviction. Every seed of indulgence sown will bear fruit. God worked no miracle to prevent the harvest…. He who manifests an infidel hardihood, a stolid indifference to divine truth, is but reaping the harvest of that which he has himself sown. It is thus that multitudes come to listen with stoical indifference to the truths that once stirred their very souls. They sowed neglect and resistance to the truth, and such is the harvest which they reap.37Patriarchs and Prophets, 268, 269.
Conflict and Courage p. 88
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Prayer Requests
—-Yet another Sabbath and I can’t go to church because of coughing so hard. Please pray that not only I will get over this virus, but that all the other people I know who have it will get over it too. Rose
—-Please pray for me. I have so much going on in my life and am without the energy or the answers to deal with it. Barbara
—-The sons of two different friends of mine need prayers for healing. Both of them are in hospitals. Mary
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Welcome to Rose’s Devotional

The Route to Greater Spiritual Life in the Church

Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. John 3:7.

The question is often asked, Why is there not more power in the church? why not more vital godliness? The reason is, the requirements of God’s Word are not complied with in verity and in truth; God is not loved supremely, and our neighbor as ourselves. This covers the entire ground. Upon these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. Let these two requirements of God be obeyed explicitly, and there would be no discord in the church, no inharmonious notes in the family. With many the work is too superficial. Outward forms take the place of the inner work of grace. . . . The theory of the truth has converted the head, but the soul temple has not been cleansed from its idols. . . .

True conviction of sin, real heart sorrow because of wickedness, death to self, the daily overcoming of defects of character, and the new birth–these, represented as old things, Paul says had passed away, and all things had become new. Such a work many know nothing of. They grafted the truth into their natural hearts, and then went on as before, manifesting the same unhappy traits of character. What is now needed is the plain testimony borne in love from lips touched with living fire.

Church members do not show that living connection with God that they must have in order to win souls from darkness to light. Make the tree good, and good fruit will be the result. The work of the Spirit of God upon the heart is essential to godliness. It must be received into the hearts of those who accept the truth, and create in them clean hearts, before one of them can keep His commandments and be doers of the Word. “Marvel not,” said the great Teacher unto the astonished Nicodemus, “Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.”

The Bible is not studied as much as it should be; it is not made the rule of life. Were its precepts conscientiously followed, and made the basis of character, there would be steadfastness of purpose that no business speculations or worldly pursuits could seriously influence. A character thus formed, and supported by the Word of God, will abide the day of trial, of difficulties, and dangers. The conscience must be enlightened, and the life sanctified by the love of the truth received into the heart, before the influence will be saving upon the world.

What is needed is men of action for the time, prompt, determined, firm as a rock to principle, and prepared to meet any emergency. Why we are so weak, why there are so many irresponsible men among us, is because they do not connect with God; they have not an indwelling Saviour, and do not feel the love of Christ ever fresh and new. . . . No earthly relationship is as strong as this love. Nothing can compare with it.–Review and Herald, Aug. 28, 1879.

Reflecting Christ p. 208

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Prayer Requests

—–Today is day 28 without cigarettes for my son Kelly-Praise to God for
all those that have been praying for Kelly.. Please keep him in prayer
as he has to be off cigarettes for 6 months before they will put him on
the heart transplant list. Linda

—–That God would guide me to the correct ministry He desires me to serve in. Sandra

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Dear Friends,

When my Aunt Joyce found out that she had colon cancer, she took it with the stoical toughness with which she had faced many other of life’s disappointments. As the disease progressed, however, she began to soften toward religion and was seriously considering asking a pastor for counsel. About this time, she received a phone call from Pastor H. She was delighted as she had gone to school and church with him when they were teenagers. She would feel comfortable telling him what was on her heart.

The day finally came when Pastor H came to visit. Auntie Joyce felt relief that at last she would be able to have help returning to God. It had been over forty years since she had gone to church. There was a knock on the door. Auntie Joyce welcomed her former friend into her apartment. The first words out of his mouth were a flippant, “Girl, you’d better get your act together.” Then he belittled her for her wrong choices in life in a hardhearted and judgmental way. There was no loving compassion. There was no pointing her to the Great Physician Who was standing there waiting to bring her spiritual and perhaps even physical healing. There was no opening to her the Scriptures and no prayer raised in her behalf. There was no showing her the Good Shepherd Who with joy would welcome her back to the fold.

Poor Joyce was shocked! This man was no one with whom she could counsel. She felt her window of hope slam shut. Indeed, after Pastor H left, her disappointment turned to anger. She felt vindicated that she had left the church long years before. Christians were critical and judgmental. Christians were more unbelieving than unbelievers. Christians possessed no love for anyone other than their little circle of friends. Auntie Joyce shut her heart’s door against Jesus that day because of the way she was treated by a man who professed to be His follower. Moreover, she shared this experience with her grown children who were incensed by the way she was treated and looked upon Christians in an even worse light than they already had.

Our Dear Saviour bids us to “teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.” Matt 28:19, 20 Yet, we must be “wise as serpents, and harmless as doves” when we share our faith. 10:16 Paul reminds us, “Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.” Col 4:6 How important that we never treat the gospel in a careless or flippant manner. How vital that we have respect for those around us and speak of eternal realities with care and reverence lest they shut their heart and mind from their Only Helper just like my Auntie Joyce did. How essential that we speak the truth with the same love for the erring one that our Loving Redeemer has for them. (Eph 4:15)

May “the Lord make you to increase and abound in love one toward another, and toward all men, . . . To the end he may stablish your hearts [and theirs] unblameable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ” is my prayer.

Rose

Source: https://rosesdevotional.org/who-is-the-lord-2.html