The light that Daniel received direct from God was given especially for these last days. The visions he saw by the banks of the Ulai and the Hiddekel, the great rivers of Shinar, are now in process of fulfillment, and all the events foretold will soon come to pass.

Consider the circumstances of the Jewish nation when the prophecies of Daniel were given. The Israelites were in captivity, the Temple had been destroyed, their Temple service suspended. Their religion had centered in the ceremonies of the sacrificial system. They had made the outward form all-important, while they had lost the spirit of true worship. Their services were corrupted with traditions and practices of heathenism, and in the performance of the sacrificial rites they did not look beyond the shadow of the substance. They did not discern Christ, the True Offering for the sins of man. The Lord wrought to bring the people into captivity, and to suspend the services in the Temple, in order that the outward ceremonies might not become the total of their religion. The principles and practices must be purged of heathenism, the ritual service ceased, in order that the heart might be revived. The outward glory was removed, that the spiritual might be revealed.

In the land of their captivity, as the people returned unto the Lord with repentance, He manifested Himself unto them. They lacked the outward representation of His presence, but bright beams of the Sun of Righteousness shone into their minds and hearts. When they called unto God in their humiliation and distress, visions were given to the prophets which unfolded the events of the future—the overthrow of the oppressors of God’s people, the coming of the Redeemer, and the establishment of the everlasting kingdom….

Daniel had companions, and they had a special work to do. Although greatly honored in this work, they did not become in any way exalted. They were scholars, being skilled in secular as well as religious knowledge; but they had studied science without being corrupted. They were well-balanced because they had yielded themselves to the control of the Holy Spirit. These youth gave to God all the glory of their secular, scientific, and religious endowments. Their learning did not come by chance; they obtained knowledge by the faithful use of their powers; and God gave them skill and understanding.—Letter 134, May 27, 1898, to J. H. Kellogg.

The Upward Look p. 161
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Prayer Requests
—-Please pray for my youngest daughter she is fighting demons. Rene
—-Praise—Yesterday Ron lost his hearing aid. He had a mask on at the doctor’s office and as near as he can figure it came out when he took the mask off in the car. Praise the Lord He sent His angel to guide it into the green bag he carries his stuff in! After searching everywhere, Eileen found it there. Rose
—-A friend has sent this request asking for our prayer support for his wife. Prayers appreciated. ”
Karla had 4 strokes in the last 2 weeks. She was NOT doing well and didn’t eat for 4 days. The dr. told me I wouldn’t be taking her home alive BUT she must have been listening and has been eating like a logger since and they transported her to Sequim for rehab. Today they locked down the rehab center because of the virus and in checking Karla she had a 99.8 fever – but they think she aspirated some food and may have picked up so far a low stage case of pneumonia. they will let me know tomorrow plus the entire center was tested for the virus. KEEP HER IN PRAYER as she is very weak and needs all the prayers she can get.” Michael

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/rosesdevotional/~3/0fp26I2zRDg/read-the-book-of-daniel.html

“Therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.” It does not understand the principles that underlie our course of action. We must stand before God with a conscience void of offense. There are wonderful privileges for every one of us. God never places before us a requirement without giving us the power to perform it. He never asks us to take one step in advance of Him. He leads the way, and we are to follow after. Following Him, we are in no danger of going astray. Thus only can we perfect a Christian character as stewards of the grace of God.

To us have been entrusted the truths of the gospel for this time. It is a wonderful, wonderful treasure, and the Lord desires us to have our eyes enlightened and our hearts quickened. He desires us to be nerved and strengthened by the power that He will give us if we will only be true to Him. He desires every one of us to perfect a character after the divine similitude. The Christian who does not do this casts a reflection on God. He dishonors his Saviour. Those who have access to the words written in Scripture are without excuse if they do not apply these words to themselves, if they do not thus cleanse their hearts from sin. By the lights shining from the throne of God upon our pathway, we shall be judged at the last great day….

To have light shining upon the pathway in the clearness of the gospel of Christ, as it has shone upon our pathway, is a fearful responsibility. We are to follow on step by step, with our eyes fixed upon our Leader. He will not lead us one step out of the right way.

God gave Christ to our world to save us from eternal death. Behold Him, behold Him! Keep looking upon Him till you reflect His image. Do not accept the words of any man, unless you can see that he is conformed to the divine image, because if you do, you sustain him in doing wrong; you sustain him by asking his counsel and following his directions.

What we need is the pure word from the Holy Bible. Christ has bidden us conform our lives to His life. We are to know what it means to keep the commandments of God in truth and righteousness. The love that was in the heart of Christ is to be in our hearts, that we may reveal it to those around us. We need to be daily strengthened by the deep love of God, and to let this love shine forth to those around us.—Manuscript 66, May 25, 1905, “The Need of Home Religion,” a talk.
The Upward Look p. 159
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Prayer Requests
—-A friend of mine’s son is in the hospital with serious complications due to vaping. Please keep him in your prayers. Valerie
—-Please pray for Ron and Eileen today as they both have doctor appointments that could be scary. Rose
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Dear Friends,
When the weather is nice, we used to like to walk along the river or at a local nature preserve in the evenings after work or on weekends. Ronnie Jay photographed many animals in those places—-beaver, deer, raccoon, herons, ducks, coyote, etc. On those walks, I often thought about how much more interesting it would have been taking those walks with Darlene, my best friend who died some years ago of cancer. We enjoyed the walks we took with her when we lived in Washington state as she was very knowledgeable in the things of nature. She could name the rocks, trees, plants, and flowers and would often point out different plants that were edible just in case we ever got lost in the woods. Sometimes we would sample them. They were not very tasty, but it was good to know what was edible and what was not. Our walks with Darlene was like a school to learn new things. How I miss her.
We have a better Best Friend who will never die. What blessing is ours to have the Great Creator of the Universe love us and lead us ever upward on the path to the Heavenly Kingdom. We have the privilege of walking with Him each day. He has promised, “I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye. Ps. 32:8 What a wonderful blessing! To be taught by the One Who loves us so much that He died to save us, to walk with Him each day as He unfolds new and beautiful truths from His Word.
Moreover, as we behold Him in His Word and allow Him to direct our path, we are changed into His likeness. “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 “A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them. Eze 36:26, 27
May we place our hand in our Dear Saviour and walk with Him each day is my prayer.
Rose

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/rosesdevotional/~3/01PKbV61Zok/behold-him.html

A few even in Sardis held fast their integrity. Their only hope was in holding fast to God, and in them the promise will be fulfilled, “I will make a man more precious than fine gold; even a man than the golden wedge of Ophir” (Isaiah 13:12)….

In the early Christian church there were men who were true disciples of Christ. They met often together where prayer was wont to be made. They could only work to advance those principles that bore the signet of heaven. They first talked with God, ascertained what spirit they themselves were of; then they could closely and critically examine every point, every method, every principle in the light reflected from the Sun of Righteousness. They did not accept strange fire. They took their fire from the divine altar. To them, holy and just principles were sacred, and by cherishing these they kept themselves unspotted from the world.

Ever looking to Jesus, they marked the spirit in which He worked and followed His example. They gave to others the pure principles of the Word of God. This Word was their counselor, their guide, their close companion. To them, the Scriptures were supreme authority. For every question agitated they had one standard to consult. It was not, “What saith men?” but, “What saith the Lord?”

Those who are constrained by the love of Christ will be faithful to the work and Word of God…. The true Christian is ever to feel that he is dependent upon his Maker. And he will not be ashamed to acknowledge his dependence. Like Daniel, he will not take credit to himself. He will give all honor to God, letting worldly men as well as his brethren know that he is depending upon the Lord, and weeding out of his life everything that would grieve His Spirit. Like Daniel, he will improve every opportunity of adding to his acquirements. He will trade upon the talents the Lord has given him, after the holy principles laid down in the Word. And this will give him multiplied ability….

If God gives a man wisdom, his course of action will be in harmony with the will of God, and those connected with him will have confidence in his wisdom to devise and plan for the progress and advancement of the work of God in saving souls that are ready to die. The apostle Peter says: “Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord, according as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness” (2 Peter 1:2, 3).—Manuscript 66, May 24, 1898, to the General Conference and our publishing institutions.
The Upward Look p. 157
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Prayer Requests
—-Please pray for Brenda, Fran, and Joyce who all have serious health issues. Also pray for Ron who is having eye issues. Rose
—-My friend is going in for cancer surgery on 3-10- 2020 and she is terrified that she won’t make it. just a hysterectomy with cancer.she is a church member who really needs to fall in love with Jesus..and trust Him for everything. thanks. M.
—-Please pray for my post open heart patient for healing. Emerson
—-Please pray for Linda and Lisa and all the family in the loss of their mother. Rose
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Dear Friends,

When Esther was young she often babysat for various evangelistic meetings that our church had. When the parents would leave the little children in her care, they would begin to cry and want their mother. Esther would pick up the crying child and talk softly. She would tell them how she remembered when I would leave her in the care of those who were babysitting for some meetings and how she felt. She felt as if those people were trying to steal her and she would never see her mama again. She would tell them that their mama will come back for them just like I had for her. The crying child would always calm down and cling to Esther because here was someone who understood his fears.
How often we feel like a crying child all forsaken and alone. Praise God! We have a Savior Who understands our sorrows for He left the glories of Heaven and the worship of all the beings in the vast Universe and became a man to save us. Isaiah prophesied of Him, “He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth. He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken. And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth. Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand. He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities. Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.” Isa 53:3-12
What a wonderful God we serve! Let us continually cling to our Loving Saviour Who went through so much sorrow and grief for us so that we can be saved.
Rose

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/rosesdevotional/~3/gypPPnsriqs/what-is-the-source-of-your-fire.html