Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour. 1 Peter 5:8.
Satan is rallying his forces to contend with the advancing work. He would bring reproach upon the work of God by setting brother against brother, and bringing in the elements of suspicion and evil surmising. I am bidden to say to our people, “Do not devise evil one against another. Do not cherish unbelief in your hearts. Do not harbor suspicion against your brethren and sisters.” This is one of the most successful ways in which Satan works to alienate the hearts of those who should be doing God’s service. Spend much time in earnest prayer for your individual selves. Talk and act as if in the presence of God….
Disaffection began in heaven because Satan could not have the place he coveted. Disaffection and distrust had never before entered any heart. When Satan began his evil work, he did not himself see where it would lead. But the thoughts he entertained after a time were expressed in suggestions of evil, and these, diffused among the angels, led to the great rebellion which was the beginning of all the woe and misery that has befallen mankind.
To those who are inclined to suspect others of wrongdoing and to charge their brethren with evil, I would say, “Please read in the book Great Controversy the chapter entitled ‘The Origin of Evil.’” Bring home its truths to your individual hearts. Remember that it was the spirit of envy and evil surmising, cherished in the heart of the rebel angel, that began the evil work that opened the floodgates of woe upon our world.
Satan is working in every church to spoil the flock of God. He seeks to lead brother to think evil of brother, and in this way he causes a great deal of grief and pain. I am instructed to say to every soul who professes to be a follower of Christ, “Keep your tongue from evil, and your lips, that they speak no guile.” Through self-exaltation Satan works to ruin the soul, and his working may be seen in every church. My brethren and sisters, keep strict guardianship over your spirit. Guard your words, lest Satan lead you to repeat his own history.
Guard your thoughts. In these closing days of earth’s history Satan is working with desperate effort to seduce souls into sin. Keep your tongue as with a bridle. Keep your thoughts upon the Word of the living God. The same spirit that prompted rebellion in heaven is at work in our churches…. We are living in the last days of this earth’s history, and Satan is making determined efforts to subvert the mind.—Letter 66, April 10, 1909, “To Those Assembled at Camp Meeting.”
The Upward Look p. 114
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Prayer Requests
—-Brian is supposed to come home Sunday. Please pray for travelling mercies. Rose
—-This is a praise report. I made it out of the hospital last night and I am home now. My pancreatitis is gone and my gall bladder is much better. I still have pneumonia and still need my gall bladder removed, but I want to recover fully first. Please continue to pray for my health. Connie
—-Please pray for my 95 yr old Dad, he hasn’t been feeling well, and is having many issues with his 15 yr old granddaughter who stays there, after her mom just left her there and took off with her boyfriend, now she is acting up doing drugs. pray her mom come back and gets her daughter. Becky
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Dear Friends,
Years ago, we lived for a short time in a coastal city in North Carolina. There was a beautiful park in the middle of town where we often took our children for a walk. The park had a little lake in the center of it. The five mile walk around the lake gave us good exercise. The walkways were bordered by beautiful azalea bushes of various hues. No matter how many times we walked in this park, we never tired of its beauty.
In the lake there were many alligators. These alligators stayed in the water among the cypress trees that grew in one part of the lake and never ventured close to the people. They posed no danger as long as everyone stayed out of those cypress trees. In fact, on one side of the lake children swam and we could rent paddleboats and rowboats. When a person rented a boat, he was always warned to stay away from the cypress trees. It seemed like the alligators had an unwritten rule that said, “You don’t bother us, we won’t bother you.”
One night all that changed forever. After the bars closed one night, a man and his buddies, who had been drinking way too much, decided to steal one of the boats on the “human” side of the lake. This man bragged that he was so tough, that he could go over to the “alligator” side and survive. Even as drunk as they were, his friends protested. He would not listen. Unsteadily getting into one of the boats, he began his last journey. His friends refused to go with him. They stood around for awhile and then staggered home. All that the police found the next morning, was the empty boat and the man’s hat floating on the surface of the water.
After that incident, there was one huge “gator,” that became very bold. He often ventured over to the shore on the “human” side and stalked anyone who looked like he would make a good meal. Of course, out in the daylight with many people around, he was not successful, but it did make everyone uncomfortable and the authorities were trying to decide what to do with him.
One day, as we were walking along, we noticed a person sitting near the water. That big old alligator must have thought he would taste good, because it was stalking him. The man got up and moved to another place where he could sit and look out over the water. Soon, the alligator swam over to where he was. We stopped to watch for awhile. No matter where that man went, that alligator followed. Finally, the man became so nervous that he left.
So it is with us. We have an enemy, who is seeking to destroy us. This enemy is much more dangerous than that big, old alligator. The Bible warns us, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, . . . walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: Whom resist stedfast in the faith.” 1 Peter 5:8,9 The evil one is continually stalking us, trying to destroy us “because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.” Rev 12:12
Praise God, we have a Savior Who will soon completely destroy the evil one! Our Great Redeemer says to Satan, “I will bring thee to ashes upon the earth in the sight of all them that behold thee. All they that know thee among the people shall be astonished at thee: thou shalt be a terror, and never shalt thou be any more.” Eze 28:18,19 Precious promise! We look forward to that time when our great adversary along with sin and sinners will be no more. Malachi tells us, “For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the LORD of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.” Malachi 4:1 “What do ye imagine against the Lord? He shall make an utter end: affliction shall not rise up the second time.” Nahum 1:9
What a wonderful day that will be when sin will be totally eradicated from the universe. John speaks of this grand and glorious time in Revelation 20-22. “And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 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. And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new…. And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.” Rev 21:1-8
May we resist the devil for we have the promise that if we do, he will flee from us. (James 4:7) May we accept our Dear Saviour’s offer of salvation today, while the door of mercy is still open. May we allow Him to cleanse us from all sin, that we may be ready for His Coming and to dwell with Him forevermore.
Rose

But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully. 2 Corinthians 9:6.
The possession of riches opens the way to great temptation to become covetous and selfish, to add riches to riches, and to bury in houses and lands the means that should be returned to God. Many use their means to gratify the demands of appetite, to follow the fashions, and to build for themselves grand houses. They do not follow the example of Christ, who gave Himself with all He had for the benefit of the world to deliver men from the power of Satan.
But if those who possess means will follow the example of Christ, their hearts will be filled with benevolence, and they may help in the proclamation of the truth in the cities, in the highways and the byways, and in carrying the gospel to all nations….
God’s work must be sustained by tithes and gifts and offerings. The Lord now calls for the means that He has entrusted to His stewards. There should be a constant stream flowing into the treasury, that the work may not be hindered. To some, God has entrusted earthly riches to be held in trust and to be returned to Him as they may be required to carry forward His work in the earth. He requires from His stewards a faithful tithe of all their capital, and in addition to the tithe, He calls for gifts and offerings.
The Lord Jesus requires nothing more from His followers than He Himself has performed. Those who practice self-denial and self-sacrifice for the cause of God are but following His example. He laid off His royal robe and kingly crown, and stepped down from His high command. He became poor, that through His poverty we might come into possession of the eternal treasures. He gave not only His riches, but His own life in self-denial and self-sacrifice, that He might remove every hindrance from those who seek an entrance into the kingdom of God.
Those who are not exposed to the temptations of those who are rich in this world’s goods have no reason to complain, for the Prince of life has shared with them a life of poverty. He was tempted in all points like as we are. In our behalf He placed Himself as one with us in poverty, to show us how we may withstand the temptations of satanic agencies….
The Lord Jesus invites us to become laborers together with Him. He is the owner of and has claims upon all that we possess. By our willingness to help in His work, we may now show our love for Him.—Manuscript 40, April 9, 1905, “Faithful Stewardship.”
The Upward Look p. 113
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Prayer Requests
—-Please pray for Brian, his mother, and his family. Rose
—-Asking for our Lord’s healing for prostate cancer. We’ve done all we can. Terry
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Dear Friends,
From the time she was a girl, my grandmother had collected beautiful ornaments to one day decorate her Christmas tree when she would have a home of her own. Throughout her life, she had added to that collection. As her collection grew, her relatives shared some of their decorations until by the time she was married, she had a collection well worth showing.
As a child, I always looked forward to the week before Christmas when my mother, my aunt, and I would walk to town, purchase a tree, and then drag it the mile back home. My mother, being an artist, always picked out the most symmetrical tree that was available. She was the one to decorate it. I followed her up the stairs to the attic and watched as she opened one of the dusty, old trunks that held those precious ornaments. I was never allowed to touch them as they were very delicate, but I could look to my heart’s content.
When the tree was completely decorated, it was truly a work of art. I have never seen any tree since that time that could rival any that my mother decorated. From the week before Christmas until New Years Day, most of my time was spent examining each item on that tree. In my mind’s eye, I can still see them.
We have a treasure available to us that is worth far more valuable than my grandmother’s ornaments. This treasure is worth everything. Our Dear Saviour tells us, “Therefore every scribe which is instructed unto the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which bringeth forth out of his treasure things new and old.” “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls: Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it. Matt 13:52,44-46
In God’s Holy Word is a storehouse of treasures awaiting our discovery. On its pages are the instructions that we need for every aspect our life. Its words show us the path to Heaven. “The word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” Heb 4:12
“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 is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.” “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.” Ps 119:9-11;1:1-3;19:7-11
Paul tells us that the “holy scriptures, are able to make [us] wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.” “Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” 2 Tim 3:15-17;2:15
May we daily study our Great Creator’s Instruction Manual, meditating upon His precepts so that the evil one cannot get a foothold within our mind. May we value God’s Great Gift by adding to our knowledge each day the treasures He has for us in His Word. May we put away all of the distractions that would keep us from obtaining the Pearl of Great Price is my prayer.
Rose

All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and 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 alway, even unto the end of the world. Matthew 28:18-20. U
The lessons on the parable of the vineyard and of the two sons come close home to all who have had the light of truth…. The instruction contained in these parables is of great value. All who are bearing responsibilities, be these responsibilities great or small, should study this instruction carefully. God looks for fruit from His vineyard. This fruit is the result of the work of His laborers. Every soul who believes in Christ has a work to do for Him. No true Christian can be idle in this time of such solemn importance….
Have you become a silent partner? … There are in our world many large cities in which the truth has not yet been proclaimed. Why should not the people of these cities hear the gospel message for this time? Has not Christ purchased them with His own blood? Are they not of as much value in His sight as those who have already received the truth? Are these portions of His vineyard to be left unworked, while upon other portions blessings are poured so abundantly that they are not appreciated? The truth is not appreciated, not being mixed with faith in them that hear, because they do not arouse and give to others the light they have received….
Christ’s last words to His disciples show the importance to be placed on the work of spreading the truth. Just before His ascension He gave them the commission, “Go ye therefore, and 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 alway, even unto the end of the world” (Matthew 28:19, 20).
Christ did not confine His labors to one place. Of His work we read, … “And he said unto them, I must preach the kingdom of God to other cities also: for therefore am I sent. And he preached in the synagogues of Galilee” (Luke 4:43, 44).
Would that all who have the light of truth would follow the example set by Christ, and not expend their God-given time and ability and means in one or two places, when the light of truth is to go to all the world. The wonderful display of grace shown in the gospel message is to be carried to all places.—Letter 92, April 8, 1902. “To My Brethren in Responsible Positions in the Medical Missionary Work.”
The Upward Look p. 112
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Prayer Requests
—-Please pray for Kitty who is losing her battle with cancer. Rose
—-Please pray for my neighbor. Her cat Miracle has a urinary tract infection and is fighting her when she tries to give her the needed medicine. My neighbor is asking prayer for her cat’s healing. M
—-Please pray for my sister-in-law Denise. She has been taken to the ER. Kay
—-please pray for Milt as He undergo a surgery this morning. Arlene
—-Please pray for my family. We are planning a trip to visit my in-laws in China and I’m terribly uneasy about it. If we are not supposed yo go, then I pray the holy spirit bring my husband and I into an agreement about the trip. Jennifer
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Dear Friends,

By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter; choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; … for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward. Hebrews 11:24-26.
Think of the life of Moses. What endurance and patience characterized his life. Paul in his Epistle to the Hebrews says, “For he endured, as seeing him who is invisible” (Hebrews 11:27). This character of Moses does not simply mean passive resistance of evil, but perseverance in a firm, consistent course. He kept the Lord ever before him, and the Lord was at his right hand to help him.
Moses had a deep sense of the presence of God. He saw God. He was not only looking down through the ages to a Christ that would be revealed, but he saw Christ in a special manner accompanying the children of Israel in all their travels. God was real to him and present in his thoughts. When called upon to face danger, to bear insult, and to be misunderstood for Christ’s sake, he was persevering to endure without retaliation.
Moses believed in God as One whom he needed, and One who would help him because he needed His help. God was to him a present help in every time of need. We have far too much dead, nominal faith, but the real trusting, persevering faith we do not have. God was to Moses a Rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. Moses had respect unto the recompense of the reward. Here is another point in faith we wish to study, and if brought into the life and experience, it will enable everyone who fears and loves God to endure trials. God will reward the man of faith and obedience. Moses was full of confidence in God, because he had appropriating faith. He needed the help of God, and he prayed for it, and believed for it, and wove it into his life experience that God cared for him. He believed that God ruled his life in particular. He knew that God had assigned to him a special work, and he would make that work thoroughly successful so far as possible. But he knew that he could not do this without the help of God, for he had a perverse people to deal with. The presence of God, he knew, was strong enough to carry him through the most trying positions that a man could be placed in. He could see and acknowledge God in every detail of his life, that he was under the eye of an all-seeing God, who weighs motives, who tries the hearts. He looked to God and believed in Him for strength to carry him through uncorrupted every form of temptation…. This is the kind of faith we need, faith that will endure the test.—Letter 42, April 7, 1886, to “Brother Ramsey.”
The Upward Look p. 111
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Prayer Requests
—-Praise—The company that deals with the lost cards are going to replace them free of charge. God is so good! Rose
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Dear Friends,
This is the time of year when people are planning and choosing a gift for friends and family. Conversation turns to Christmas plans, whether our shopping is done, decorating done, cooking and baking begun, what we wish to receive.
Decorations are everywhere, yet there is something missing. Some stores do not allow their employees to wish the customers “Merry Christmas.” No longer are there manger scenes in store windows or in the park as there was when I was a child. The lightpost decorations are mere snowflakes. While December 25th was not the actual day when Jesus was born but was a compromise chosen to make those who worshiped Mithra, the sun god, more comfortable with joining the Christian church, it is a time of year when we can especially remember that the Great Creator of the Universe “gave His only begotten Son” (John 3:16) for us.
Just as we delight to give gifts to those we love, our Heavenly Father sacrificed everything for us in giving us His Dearest Treasure. He gave this Great Gift even though He knew that few would appreciate Him, few would accept Him. What a sacrifice! What great love He has for us! With great care He sent a message of love to us through His Holy Word. “For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.” 2 Peter 1:21
God moved upon these special men, who were expecially filled with His Holy Spirit, to write His message of love and restoration to a perishing world. On every page, from Genesis to Revelation, we find His message to us, we find the way of salvation. The stories of the lives of those who lived so long ago, “were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.” Rom 15:4 Their sins and their victories were “written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.” 1 Cor 10:11
Moreover, our Loving Father gave Moses the pattern for the sacrificial system that pointed to Jesus and His great sacrifice for us. It serves “unto the example and shadow of heavenly things, as Moses was admonished of God when he was about to make the tabernacle: for, See, saith he, that thou make all things according to the pattern showed to thee in the mount.” Heb 8:5. As Moses met with God face to face upon Mount Sinai, he was shown and given a blueprint, so to speak, for the tabernacle He was about to build that was be but a dim reflection of the great sanctuary in Heaven. Each piece of furniture, each ceremony, was to point to a Heavenly reality. Each piece of furniture, each ceremony pointed to Jesus and His great work for our salvation.
The great prophets of old wrote what God revealed to them about the future. Prophecies were given that take us to the very end of time and beyond. Prophecies not only let us understand what is taking place around us, not only give us a glimpse into the future, but give us confidence in God’s Holy Word as we see the fulfillment of them. Our Powerful King has shown us the future, so we will not be left unprepared. He is “not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” 2 Peter 3:9 So He has not left us in darkness. He has given us great light.
May we, with joy, accept this Great Gift of Love, that He has sacrificed so much to give us. May we daily read and meditate upon His Holy Word and hide its words in our heart that we may draw closer to the One Who loves us so. May we daily kneel before our Saviour and give Him the gift He longs for most of all—our undivided heart.
Rose

Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit. John 12:24.
In this age we can see the necessity of drawing men to Christ. This draws them to one another in that confidence, that love, that unity, for which Christ prayed in His last prayer with and for His disciples. This unity was essential for their spiritual growth. This world is a battlefield, upon which the powers of good and evil are in ceaseless warfare.
At the time when Christ’s work bore only the appearance of cruel defeat, when to the disciples the case seemed hopeless, certain Greeks came to the disciples, saying, “We would see Jesus” (John 12:21). This inquiry showed Christ, who was then standing in the shadow of the cross, that the sacrificial offering of Himself would bring all who believe into perfect harmony with God. By making this propitiation of man’s sins, Christ’s kingdom would be perfected and extended throughout the world. He would work as the Restorer. His Spirit would prevail everywhere.
None of the people, not even the disciples, understood the nature of Christ’s kingdom. They seemed to be unable to believe that Jesus would not sit on David’s throne, that He would not take the scepter, and reign as a temporal prince in Jerusalem, before His ancients gloriously….
Christ heard the eager, hungering cry, “We would see Jesus.” These Greeks represented the nations and tribes and peoples who would awake to their great need of a power out of and above finite power. For a moment Christ looked into futurity, and heard voices proclaiming in all places of the earth, “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world” (chap. 1:29). This anticipation, the consummation of His hopes, is expressed in His words, “The hour is come, that the Son of man should be glorified” (chap. 12:23). But the way and manner that this glorifying was to take place was never absent from Christ’s mind. Only by His death could the world be saved. As the grain of wheat, the Son of man must be cast into the earth, and die, and be buried out of sight; but He was to live again!
[In] every harvest this lesson of the grain of wheat is repeated. Those who till the soil have the illustration of Christ’s words ever before them. The seed buried in the ground produces much fruit, and in their turn the seeds of this fruit are planted. Thus the harvest is multiplied. The harvest of the cross of Calvary will bear fruit unto eternal life. And the contemplation of this will be the glory of those who will live through eternal ages. With this lesson Christ connects the self-sacrifice we must practice.—Manuscript 33, April 6, 1897, “We Would See Jesus.”
The Upward Look p. 110
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Prayer Requests
—-Ron lost at work something worth thousands of dollars. If they are not found, he may have to pay for it. God knows where they are. Please pray that they will be found either by man or angels and returned quickly. Rose
—-Please pray for Eric who is having knee surgery today. Ron
—-Please pray for Anita and her needs. Katherin
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