If ever there was a time in the history of Seventh-day Adventists when they should arise and shine, it is now. No voice should be restrained from proclaiming the third angel’s message. Let none, for fear of losing prestige with the world, obscure one ray of light coming from the Source of all light.

It requires moral courage to do the work of God for these last days, but let us not be led by the spirit of human wisdom. The truth should be everything to us. Let those who want to make a name with the world go with the world. The great conflict is right at hand in which all will take sides. In it the whole Christian world will be involved. Daily, hourly, we must be actuated by the principles of the Word of God. Self must be sanctified by the principles of the righteousness, the mercy, and the love of God.

At every point of uncertainty, pray, and earnestly inquire, “Is this the way of the Lord?” With your Bibles before you, consult with God as to what He would have you do. Holy principles are revealed in the Word of God. The source of all true wisdom is found in the cross of Calvary.

Everywhere we see increasing evidence that the message we have from God is to be the last message of warning to the churches of the world. Yet year after year is passing into eternity, and the churches are unwarned. I am instructed to speak to my brethren and to ask, “Are we conscious of the neglect?” I have been given message after message for our brethren encouraging them to begin work in every place where the way shall open. If laborers would go forth to the work, the Lord would bless their own souls, and would make their efforts fruitful. As the people hear the reasons of our faith, they will become interested, and will be converted. There are many important places open to those who will work for souls. We should not be selfish in seeking to retain workers long in one place, but should be willing to sacrifice that the work may be begun in other cities that need the light of truth.

Let us urge those who have been converted from error to truth to become missionaries for the extension of the knowledge of truth. Invent some way of becoming acquainted with the people…. If you will work with wisdom, with heart and soul interest, and with earnest prayer to your heavenly Father, you will find access to souls….

Let those who are already at work open the way for others who desire to labor and who are qualified to take part in missionary effort.—Letter 94a, June 6, 1909, to “Dear Brethren and Sisters in Washington.”
The Upward Look p. 171
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Prayer Requests
—-Please pray for all the many people affected by the virus.
—-Please pray for Robert, the son of my neighbor’s friend. He had a stroke today and is currently in the hospital.Shirley
—-Prayer request for a domestic/emotional situation. Barbara
—-Please pray for my mother she has a high fever and is in a nursing home quarantine. Jackie
—Please pray for my oldest daughter, she’s in a demonic home and desperately needs to move. But in these times finding a place in harder than ever. But I know that God is able. Please pray for her to find a new home as well as her safety. Sandra
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Dear Friends,
Shortly after I was born, my parents divorced, so the only father-figure I had in my life was my grandfather, Edwin Harmon. (He and my grandmother had adopted me.) He was a very good and patient man and I learned much from him. Although my grandmother was nice to me, she really didn’t take time for me. Mostly she shooed me out to play or sat me down at the long dining room table and gave me a long word like “Washington” to make little words out of. Needless to say, I spent most of my time with my grandfather.

From the moment he came home from work, until I went to bed, I followed him everywhere. No matter what he did, he would explain things to me. I listened intently to his every word. When I watched him make change purses from pungent Moroccan leather, he let me smell the rich leather he used for his purses and explained the difference between the smells of quality and cheap leathers. When I watched him clean the fish he had caught, he showed me the still-beating heart and various other parts and without realizing it, I got a lesson in anatomy. I was there when he ate his bedtime snack of aged cheese, or ketchup and bread which he shared with me (which certainly did not help my weight problem any). As he ate that very strong cheese he loved, he would explain how it was made. No matter where my Grandfather was, you would find me.

Our Heavenly Father wants to have an even closer relationship with us. Our Great Creator yearns for us to spend time with Him and follow Him just like I followed my grandfather. Our Great Creator longs to speak to us through His Word and for us to listen to His voice, to hear our response, to interact with us throughout the day. He desires to have us ask Him anything, to talk with Him about our worries, to bring to Him our joys or our sorrows. He promises, “ I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye.” Ps 32:8

Jesus assures us, “If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.” John 14:23 Just before His final moments, Jesus prayed, “Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me.” 17:24 Indeed, Jesus is coming soon and soon we will be able to follow Him wheresoever He goes for He “will dwell with [us], and [we] shall be his people, and God himself shall be with [us], and be [our] God.” Rev 21:3 Praise the Lord! We do not have to wait until we are in Heaven to be near to Him. That close walk can begin now. May we, beginning this very day and continuing throughout our life, have that close and loving relationship with our Dear Father in Heaven that He so yearns for us to have.
Rose

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/rosesdevotional/~3/D5DBHDlV__Q/now-is-the-time-arise-and-shine.html

Moab did not know anything of the process of unsettling, and the people made but little moral and spiritual progress. “His taste remained in him, and his scent is not changed” (Jeremiah 48:11).

A life of monotony is not the most conducive to spiritual growth. Some can reach the highest standard of spirituality only through the breaking up of the regular order of things….

God desires human beings to be more closely associated with Him. Therefore He takes them away from their friends and acquaintances. When God was preparing Elijah for translation, He moved him from place to place, that he might leave behind the methods and customs he had previously followed, that he might not settle down on his lees, and thus fail of obtaining moral greatness and spiritual soundness. It was God’s design that Elijah’s influence should be a power to help many souls to a more perfect experience.

Let those who are not permitted to rest in quietude, who must be constantly on the move, pitching their tent tonight in one place and tomorrow night in another place, remember that the Lord is leading them, and that this is His way of helping them to form perfect characters. In all the changes we are required to make, God is to be recognized as our Companion, our Guide, our Stronghold, and our Dependence. We are to ever be moving, advancing in knowledge, and thus it will be [that] they follow on to know the Lord. The light of His leading He will prepare as the morning.

The Lord has various ways of testing and proving His people. Again and again He has brought about changes to see whether His human agents will keep His commandments. When in His providence He sees that changes are essential for character building, He breaks up the smooth current of the life. He orders that changes shall be made, so that His worker shall not stagnate by following the regular order.

We are living in a time which calls for decided, sanctified action. Everything that can be done by the followers of Christ should be done, for the enemy will work with all his power to deter souls from receiving the truth…. But nevertheless, God’s work is to go forward. We are to sow beside all waters, even though we know that many will seek to extinguish the light of truth.—Letter 59, June 5, 1901, to A. G. Daniells.

The Upward Look p. 170
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Prayer Requests
—-My nephew Nathanael is missing. He is 13 years old. Prayers desperately needed. Nathalie
—-My friend is now asking for prayer for her six-year-old grandson in Colorado who has become ill and is awaiting diagnosis. Marsha
—-Zayden is 8 years old and lost his vision in his right eye yesterday. He was medically transported to Children’s Hospital and was diagnosed with cancer yesterday. He’s been sick for 2 weeks and is now in a fight for his life. The family is asking for prayers and for God to intervene! Robin
—-Please pray for all those who have the corona virus and for all the health care workers who are caring for them.
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Dear Friends,
Years ago, Ron visited a dentist and his family who had a baby. Normally, when a baby is born into a family, what a time of joy it is! As the parents see that little one for the first time, they are filled with such love for that new little life. They anticipate his first smile, his first word, his first step. Each day there are new developments to enjoy. But this baby girl brought only sorrow to these parents. This girl had continued to grow physically, but had stopped developing mentally when she was six months of age. She had been a baby for 16 years! She could sit up, and smile, and make little baby noises, but that was all. The dentist said to Ron, “Parents often say that six months is such a sweet time, they wish their baby could stay at six months forever. They don’t know what they are saying.” How sad! What a tragedy!
Sadly this tragedy is repeated spiritually in way too many lives. Yet, we rarely realize it, for a lack of spiritual development is not as apparent as was that poor girl’s lack of mental growth. Just as a baby should grow and develop, so the Christian should be constantly growing into the image of his Redeemer. Paul spoke to the believers in the Corinthian church about their lack of growth. “And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able. For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?” 1 Cor 2:1-3 When speaking to the Hebrews, he said, “For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat. For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe. But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.” Heb 5:12-14 Think of it! Paul tells us that if we are fighting with fellow church members, if we are envious of them, if we hold animosity toward them, if we do not forgive them as Christ forgave; we have stopped developing spiritually to the point that we can not endure sound doctrine. Fearful position! We are like the Laodicians who thought they were spiritually rich and increased with goods, and in need of nothing; but were in reality wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked. (Rev 3:17)
May we “grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ” “that we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:” 2 Peter 3:18 Eph 4:15, 16
Rose

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/rosesdevotional/~3/_f94thGzA48/why-god-permits-unsettling-experiences.html

We have been taught by God concerning the great plan of redemption. This should be to us a matter of earnest thanksgiving. God’s promises will never fail if we constantly watch unto prayer….

Our knowledge should give spirituality to the understanding. Our knowledge of the Scriptures should be practical. The Lord is pleased when those who are connected with Him are filled with a knowledge of His will. His servants should daily gain more knowledge of Him. Daily they should grow in grace and in spiritual understanding, strengthened with might according to His glorious power. They are to increase in spiritual efficiency, that they may give strength to the people of God.

God does not ask sinners to enter His service with their natural traits of character, to make a failure before the heavenly universe and before the world…. The hard, cruel spirit which judges and condemns has left the trace of the enemy upon everything. But mercy is to come in and lay her broad impress upon every plan. The world is to see principles different from those which have hitherto been presented. Christ has erected the cross. He does not call upon any man to manufacture tests and crosses for His people. He presents His requirements before them, and gives them the invitation, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:28-30). Wear My yoke, and in your daily experience you will find the rest which comes only to the obedient.

Christ invites all to come to Him, but when they come, they are to lay aside their sins. All their vices and follies, all their pride and worldliness, are to be laid at [the foot of] His cross. This He requires because He loves them, and desires to save them; not in their sins but from their sins. He who accepts the truth longs for transformation, and the light comes to him in bright rays.

The truth is to be believed and practiced, because Christ asserts it to be the word of the living God. The brightest beams of light from the threshold of heaven are thrown on the pathway in which God requires His people to walk. When sinners accept Christ as their personal Saviour, they realize the greatness of God’s gift to them, and praise and thanksgiving flow to the divine Giver.

The recovery of souls from sin is to be a revenue of goodness to men and of glory to God.—Manuscript 44, June 4, 1901, “Instruction to Believers.”
The Upward Look p. 169
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Prayer Requests
—-I have breast cancer – last stage which has spread into my skin, womb, eyes and brain already. Pls pray for God mercy and supernatural healing for me. AN
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Dear Friends,
In 1984, we spent the summer in a tent at a private campground. Eileen was 13, Ronnie Jay 5, and Esther Marie was 2. It was a lovely summer with lots of adventures for the children. The owner of the campground had a grandson, Lindon, who was a year older than Ronnie Jay. The two boys became friends instantly.
One day the boys as they were playing in the field, they found part of a map that had been dropped by some utility workers a few days before. Ron, joking as usual, told them it was a pirate’s treasure map: then he went to work. Ronnie Jay and Lindon talked about their find for hours. I knew nothing of this. I only knew that the two boys were having a great time playing quietly.
The campground was in the midst of a fairly good-sized forest. A path near our campsite went through the woods and down the hill to the river. That path was off limits to our two youngest as the river was fast flowing and the woods were full of poisonous snakes.
As I was doing the little duties that must be done around a camp, I suddenly realized that I had not heard or seen the boys in quite awhile. As I was searching, I met Lindon’s grandmother. She was searching for Lindon. We were really worried then. We called and called, but they did not answer. Finally, a very tall man, who was camping there overnight, saw our panicked look and asked us if we were looking for two little boys. We said, “Yes!” He smiled and pointed, “I see two heads bobbing along through that tall grass over there.”
Those two little boys were in BIG trouble! We were waiting for them at the end of the path that led to Lindon’s house, which was about 1/4 mile away. Lindon was not allowed there while his parents were at work. There were too many things a little boy could get into while unsupervised. Besides they had mean dogs. The two boys had risked punishment because of their desire for treasure. Upon questioning them, we discovered the reason for their disobedience. Then Ron was in BIGGER trouble for telling the boys such a story. Over the fireplace, Lindon’s father had a large sword hanging for decoration. But it was a real sword and it was sharp. Lindon had decided that they would need that sword to fight the pirates if any were guarding the treasure! Thankfully they were too short, even when standing upon a chair, to reach the weapon and had given up.
How careful we must be when we tell children anything. They have perfect trust, perfect confidence in us. They are not filled with the skepticism we develop over the years. They believe every word we tell them. Jesus said, “Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” Matt 18:3,4 How He longs for us to have that perfect trust, perfect confidence in Him. May we bring Him all of our problems to solve, because He bids us, “Come unto Me all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” Matt 11:28
Rose

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/rosesdevotional/~3/Dv2RgPycR9I/light-comes-in-bright-rays.html