Christ, the Majesty of heaven, came to this earth in human flesh, expressing divine benevolence, sympathy, and love for the fallen race as He stood at the head of the human family. He came to redeem sinners and clothe them with His righteousness. As the Saviour of the world, He was subject to temptations. The enemy assailed Him on every point. Constantly he came to Him with the suggestion that by compromising with the world, He might win the world. Christ is our example…. [Although] He was in the world, He was not of the world. He was not to conform to worldly practices in order to reach the object of His life. He was not to please Himself. The highest standard must be maintained. Deviation from strict moral rectitude would mar His whole lifework.

In order to save humanity, Christ came down to the level of humanity, as far as worldly advantages were concerned. He came to this earth to be tempted in all points like as human beings are tempted. In the wilderness Satan came to Him and assailed Him on the great points on which he assails man, but the Saviour did not yield to the enemy. Not in a single particular was He overcome. And the temptations were just as real to Him as they are to us today.

Constantly the Pharisees tried to lead Christ away from the principles of God’s government. Making a great profession of piety, they sought to lead Him to swerve from His allegiance. Satan has persuaded many men to deviate from principle by telling them that the end will justify the means. Reasoning from a human standpoint, they excuse themselves for wrongdoing by saying that the cause of God would be the gainer in their unfaithful dealing. This deviation from the holy principles of heaven has placed them in the ranks of the great deceiver….

Christ came to this earth in human form to inaugurate a spiritual reform. He came to show man how to discard all ostentation and show; how to live upon the pure, vital principles of reform. He came to institute a plan whereby human character might be made pure. By His grace He desires to place men and women close beside the throne of God.

The laws of Christ’s kingdom are so simple, so compact, and yet so complete, that any man-made additions will create confusion. And the more simple our plans or work in God’s service, the more we shall accomplish. By studying how they can adopt the plans of worldly policy in their work for God, men disarrange God’s plans of humility and simplicity, which He desires shall be followed in advancing His kingdom.—Manuscript 53, June 30, 1901, untitled manuscript.
The Upward Look p. 195
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Prayer Requests
—-Things were better for R yesterday at work. Please continue to pray that all will be well today as well. L
—-urgently needing prayer again. Connie
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Dear Friends,
Some years ago when he was still in college, Ronnie Jay’s favorite goldfish jumped out of the tank. Ronnie Jay had added some new fish a few days before and we were wondering if this had anything to do with his goldfish’s new behaviour. Ronnie had not noticed the fish until he was carrying some groceries into his apartment and accidentally stepped on him. Immediately he scooped up the fish and tossed it into the tank. Then he isolated the fish in another tank.
How very sad and upset my son was! He and I prayed for that fish and so did some of you. Praise God! That fish lived and is doing well. The scales on a third of its body that it had lost have grown back. The fish did not act right, though. He lost his trust. He seemed so unhappy. Finally, Ronnie Jay decided to add a couple of smaller goldfish to keep him company. Suddenly, he perked up. The poor fish had been lonely!
We all feel lonely sometimes. We all feel like a fish out of water sometimes. Our life is lacking something. God has put that loneliness within us to draw us to Himself. Praise God! We don’t have to stay lonely. We don’t have to stay feeling like we are suffocating in a world of sin. Our Dear Saviour loves us so much that He came to this sinful, old world to rescue us. He will be by our side whenever we call Him. Indeed, He is knocking at our heart’s door longing to come in. (Rev 3:20) Even when everyone else leaves us feeling very empty and alone, God is there yearning to fill us with His love and comfort that only He can give. He promises,” I will never leave you or forsake you.” (Heb. 13:5) He desires to always be right there going through our life with us during both the good and bad times, leading us, comforting us, helping us in all.
Does God’s everlasting love ever fade away? Is it conditional? NO!! This is a kind of love that we can hardly imagine because it is so different from God’s love. Human love fades away. God’s love never ends. Many times human love leaves us feeling more lonely because of all the conditions attached. God’s love fills us with joy! Accepting God’s love, doesn’t mean that you will never have bad things happen in life, but you will always have Someone to help you through the problems that come up in everyday life.
May we keep our hand in Jesus’ Nail-scarred Hand and allow Him to lead us all the way to His Heavenly kingdom is my prayer.
Rose

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/rosesdevotional/~3/9-hQTnw7Mro/gods-plans-are-simple.html

Dear Husband: I received a few lines from Willie today with the cheering account of your steady improvement in health. For this we have hoped and have not ceased our earnest prayers. The Lord has a work for you to do. You must not be discouraged, even if you have days of suffering and pain and weariness….

I miss you here so much, but the Lord has not left me alone. Today has been a precious day to us in Oregon. The Spirit of the Lord was manifested in a most marked manner in the nine o’clock social [i.e., testimony] meeting. Many humble, good testimonies were borne and the melting Spirit of God rested upon preachers and people. I tried to speak to the people a short time. I told them that it is the privilege of the Christian to come to Jesus in living faith, being in earnest, claiming the promises of God, not depending upon feeling, but taking God at His word. He is a God of love, of tender compassion, of long forbearance, more kind, more beneficent that the kindest earthly parent….

While talking faith and presenting Jesus as our strong helper, my heart was broken, the tears flowed freely. I seldom weep, but the melting love of Christ melted my heart and opened the fountain of tears as I presented the great ransom Jesus had made for our souls that we might have pardon, purity, and peace, and a heaven of bliss. God would have His followers useful on earth and honored and glorified in the kingdom of God….

We sought to lead the people to reach forward to the things that are before us, seeking earnestly to attain the highest elevation of Christian character. In this we must rely simply on the merits and righteousness of our Surety. We must have awakened in us a holy jealousy of ourselves, and cultivate a spirit of vigilant prayer. We want the spirit of earnest, longing desire that Moses had when he prayed, “I beseech thee, shew me thy glory” (Exodus 33:18). And his petition was not presumptuous. God did not rebuke His servant as being bold and irreverent.

The Lord would have us day by day [become] more like Christ, keeping His words, conforming to His precepts and example, entering more and more deeply every day into the spirit and meaning of God’s requirements and gracious promises…. In God will we trust. Be of good courage in the Lord. Lean heavily upon Jesus’ all-sustaining arm…. (Signed) Your Ellen.—Letter 37, June 28, 1878, to James White, who was traveling in the Eastern United States.
The Upward Look p. 193
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Prayer Requests
—-I’m asking for prayers for my mom. She has COPD and lung issues and is really struggling. She is coughing, having a constant headache, and her oxygen is quite low. She cannot sleep. I’m asking for her complete healing spirtual, physical, emotional, and Peaceful rest every night. We serve a Mighty God Who heals. Hilary
—-Please pray for my son Lee. He lost one of his high school friends this week to cancer and is struggling to understand. Please pray for comfort and peace for Lee and his friends family as they cope with the loss of Corey. Donell
—-I have a special needs unpsoken request on behalf of my daughter as well as my wife. David
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Dear Friends,
My mother loved to garden. For several years she had a small garden at the back of our neighbor’s yard. The rich, black soil of Kalamazoo brought forth abundantly. It gave her so much pleasure to work in the soil and watch the fruit of her labor develop and grow. She grew green beans, corn, tomatoes, squash, lettuce, radishes, all the produce that she was especially fond of. She had the tomato vines staked up and was proud of the fact that the plants were over her head and full of large, juicy, red fruit.
Since her tiny garden was in the city, many in the neighborhood knew it was there. One day, some teenage boys decided to have some “fun.” They started a fire in her garden and soon the green plants were smoldering. They were too lush and green to burn well, but most of them were ruined. All of my mother’s care and hard work was for nothing. The garden was unsaveable.
My mother smelled smoke and went outside. She began crying with disappointment and all sorts of emotions filled her as she saw one of the neighborhood boys in that smoldering garden. My mother was filled with rage and started yelling and threatening him. The youth finally made my mother realize that he was trying to put out the smoldering mess. He gave her the names of the boys who had done this mischief and she contacted the police and their parents.
Just as my mother had misjudged the youth who was trying to help her, so we sometimes are quick to jump to wrong conclusions. How often we misjudge someone’s motives and cause hurt feelings that ruin a person even more than my mother’s garden was ruined. The hurt from our misjudgment can last for years and causes pain beyond our comprehension.
The Great Judge of the Universe warns us, “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 “Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven: Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.” Luke 6:37,38
We all make mistakes. We all make errors in judgment. We have all sinned. (Rom 3:23) Yet, how often we never let a person rise above an error that they may have committed years ago. They are looked down upon and made to feel the effects of a misjudgment until their life is destroyed just as surely as was my mother’s garden and we are responsible for it. We will have to answer to the Great God of the Universe for our part in destroying them. Fearful position.
How important it is to our Heavenly Father that we treat each other with the kindness and forgiveness that He shows us. Jesus gives us a glimpse of His forgiveness that also serves as a warning to us. “Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened unto a certain king, which would take account of his servants. And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him, which owed him ten thousand talents. But forasmuch as he had not to pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife, and children, and all that he had, and payment to be made. The servant therefore fell down, and worshipped him, saying, Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. Then the lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him, and forgave him the debt. But the same servant went out, and found one of his fellowservants, which owed him an hundred pence: and he laid hands on him, and took him by the throat, saying, Pay me that thou owest. And his fellowservant fell down at his feet, and besought him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. And he would not: but went and cast him into prison, till he should pay the debt. So when his fellowservants saw what was done, they were very sorry, and came and told unto their lord all that was done. Then his lord, after that he had called him, said unto him, O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst me: Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellowservant, even as I had pity on thee? And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him. So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.” Matt 18:23-35
Just as a parent wants His children to get along in harmony, so our Great Creator wants us to be happy, loving, forgiving, kind, and to enjoy being together without mentioning former words or actions. Peter tells us, “above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins.” 1 Peter 4:8 “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!” Psa 133:1
Indeed, we must learn to live together in peace and love here in this world, if we expect to live together in the kingdom of Heaven. In that fair land there will be nothing to hurt or annoy. “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.” What a great and glorious time that will be! To have our Loving Creator take us in His arms and comfort us and wipe away our tears. There will be no misjudging, no irritations, no disunity there. We will live in love and harmony for there we shall know even as also we are known. May we all be in that grand and glorious land is my prayer.
Rose

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/rosesdevotional/~3/DeBBADQs7Cg/more-like-christ-every-day.html

It is our privilege to understand the great responsibilities that God has placed upon us so that we shall not be in darkness as to what is coming upon our world. We cannot afford to meet that day without a preparation. But when we think of this great and solemn event of Christ’s coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory, we should live in great humiliation before God lest we fail of the grace of God and prove ourselves unworthy of eternal life….

We see that the world at large have no thoughts of this great day, and many of them do not care to hear anything about it. But we must meet the record of our lives. We must remember that there is a witness to all our works. An eye like a flame of fire beholds us in all our actions of life. Our very thoughts and the intents and purposes of our hearts are laid bare to God’s inspection. As the features are produced upon the polished plate of the artist, so are our characters upon the books of record in heaven.

We ask you, “How stands your character in the sight of God today? Are you preparing your souls for the grand review, that you may have the white robe of character in that day?” You cannot afford to indulge in sin and iniquity. You cannot afford to be found a transgressor of God’s great moral rule of righteousness….

The God of heaven has given us reasoning powers and intellect, and He wants us to use them. He has given us this body which He wishes us to preserve in perfect health so that we can give Him perfect service. The Lord God is an ever-present witness to the deeds of wickedness done among the children of men upon this earth. How does He look upon men and women for whom He has paid an infinite price, but who refuse to obey His laws? …

We cannot wait until the judgment before we consent to deny self and to lift the cross. We cannot then form characters for heaven. It is here in this life that we must take sides with the humble, self-denying Redeemer. It is here that we must overcome envy, strife, selfishness, love of money, and love of the world. It is here that we must enter the school of Christ, and learn of the Master the precious lessons of meekness and lowliness of mind. And here it must be our aim and earnest effort to be loyal and true to the God of heaven by obeying all of His commandments and thus be fitting up for the mansions that Christ has gone to prepare for all who love God.—Manuscript 6a, June 27, 1886, “Preparation for the Judgment,” a sermon by Sister White in Orebro, Sweden.
The Upward Look p. 192
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Prayer Requests
—-Please pray for RA and BD that things will go better at work. B
—-Praise—I was sick and now I am well and able to work. Anward
—-My friend just died and I need prayer and so does her family. Paula
—-Pray for Becky, my daughter-in-law who is nine months pregnant and her father just passed. Sara
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Dear Friends,
When I was eight, my mother had the opportunity to go to Nashville, Tennessee during the Christmas holidays with a friend of hers named Don, who was a nightclub singer. He was on his way to Florida to sing in a nightclub there. To see a show at the Grand Ol’ Oprey in Nashville had been a dream of hers as she loved country-western music. She took me along. We had a wonderful time. She was more relaxed and happy than I had seen her up to that point. She was very grateful to Don for inviting her.
Over the years, my mother lost track of Don as he went from one small nightclub to another. She talked of him sometimes, though. He had been raised in the church, but had never given his life to Jesus. As he got older and found that he had a real talent for singing, he began to desire a career in the entertainment industry. Instead of committing his life to Jesus and letting Him lead, he gave himself totally to the persuit of show business. The fame that he was sure he deserved eluded him, and he spent his life in small clubs singing for people whose minds were clouded by alcohol. He was not really happy. He had no family, no true friends, nothing but what he could carry in his car. His was a wasted life.
How much different Don’s life would have been had he used the musical talents that our Great Creator had given him for God’s glory. Jesus told a story about our use of the talents He has given to each of us. “For the kingdom of heaven is as a man travelling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods. And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability; and straightway took his journey. Then he that had received the five talents went and traded with the same, and made them other five talents. And likewise he that had received two, he also gained other two. But he that had received one went and digged in the earth, and hid his lord’s money. After a long time the lord of those servants cometh, and reckoneth with them. And so he that had received five talents came and brought other five talents, saying, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents: behold, I have gained beside them five talents more. His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord. He also that had received two talents came and said, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me two talents: behold, I have gained two other talents beside them. His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord. Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strowed: And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine. His lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strowed: Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury. Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents. For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath. And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Matt 25:14-30
May we use all of our talents for our Wonderful Saviour’s glory. And, as we do, may we daily “grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.” 2 Peter 3:18
Rose

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/rosesdevotional/~3/8pQGX45Wo_o/for-what-are-you-preparing.html