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Daily Devotional
SEEK HIM FIRST
AN AMAZING FACT: During the California Gold Rush, people often sent their clothes all the way to China to be laundered. It took three months to receive the clean clothes back … and longer if the ships encountered a typhoon.
In 1848, James Marshall found gold in the American River northeast of present-day Sacramento. Newspapers reported the discovery, but no one believed it until Sam Brannan flaunted a bottle of gold dust around San Francisco two months later. Then San Franciscans dashed inland. That summer, New York newspapers reported the find and the gold rush began.Miners flooding into California envisioned wealth untold, but in reality, hard work, diminishing gold, and stiff competition awaited them. One wrote, “Mining is the hardest work imaginable. … A weakly man might as well dig his grave as dig for gold.”
Mining camps’ inflated prices required a miner to find a half-ounce of gold a day just to get by. A thousand dollars worth might emerge from a single pan, but few miners ever found that much. About 400,000 men from around the world thronged to California in the 1850s, but most of them returned home with less than what they’d arrived with. Despite finding the first nugget, Marshall died broke.
Chinese immigrants took over the minefields that white miners abandoned. Laundry was women’s work, so at first dirty clothes were sent to China. But the immigrants saw opportunity, and Chinese laundries popped up everywhere. Miners in Weaverville, California, ridiculed John for washing their clothing for free. But a year later, the immigrant sported a fancy wardrobe; he’d found his fortune in the miners’ pants cuffs!
The 49ers sought material wealth. Today, in the scramble to acquire our needs and wants, it’s easy to neglect what’s really important. But God promises that when we put Him first, our needs will be taken care of—and more!
KEY BIBLE TEXTS
Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? Matthew 6:30Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? Matthew 6:31God bless
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Daily Devotional
RUNNING THE RACE
AN AMAZING FACT: The world’s longest certified footrace is the Self-Transcendence 3,100 Mile Race. It’s held in New York City over a 52-day period.
Begun in 1996 by Sri Chinmoy, the Self-Transcendence is a remarkable feat, held annually between June and August. Instead of running a straight 3,100 miles, however, runners actually run 5,649 laps around a single city block in Queens, New York, that is just .5488 miles around. Runners must average nearly 60 miles a day to complete the race within the 52-day limit—which takes upwards of 18 hours a day.Over the course of one day, a runner will consume 10,000 calories, consisting of things like eggs, mashed potatoes, and tofu. And, as can be imagined, each runner will go through as many as 20 pairs of running shoes during the whole race.
Since its inception, fewer than 30 people have completed the race. One of those 30, Madhupran Wolfgang Schwerk of Germany, is the record-holder. In 2006, he ran the race in 41 days and 8 hours, averaging 75 miles per day.
The Bible often compares the Christian’s journey to a race. Paul wrote to the believers in Corinth: “Do you know that those who run a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it” (1 Corinthians 9:24).
God invites us to follow His lead and aim for the prize—the same prize Jesus pursued—the salvation of souls. But it’s not a short race, requiring only a short burst of speed. As we daily respond to God’s grace, we can gain strength to run with endurance the race that is set before us.
KEY BIBLE TEXTS
Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Hebrews 12:1Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:2God bless
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daily meditation
BEWARE OF THOSE WHO CONTRADICT THE ORDERS OF GOD
Behold, a man of God came from Judah to Bethel, by the word of the Lord, while Jeroboam stood at the altar to burn incense. The altar was split open, and the ashes that were on it were sprinkled, according to the sign which the man of God had given, by the word of the LORD. (1 Kings 13.1,5)
When Jeroboam [king of ten tribes of Israel, after Solomon] saw the altar split open and the ashes spread over the ground, he howled in anger: “Seize it! “And the hand he had stretched out withered, so he could no longer bring it back to him.” Alarmed, he said to the prophet: “Call on the Lord your God and pray for me, that I may withdraw my hand.” The man of God cried out to the Lord, and the king was able to withdraw his hand, which was as before. »
“The king said to the man of God: Come with me into the house, you will take some food, and I will give you a present. The man of God said to the king, If you give me half of your house, I will not go in with you…for this command has been given to me, by the word of the Lord: You shall not eat. of bread and you shall drink no water, and you shall not take the way you came back when you return. »
The prophet refused to receive anything from Jeroboam, but succumbed to the temptation of an elderly prophet living in Bethel. The latter said to him: “Come home with me, and you will take some food. But the man of God answered him, as he had already answered Jeroboam. The old prophet then lied to him, saying, “I too am a prophet like you; and an angel spoke to me from the LORD, and said to me, Bring him back with you into your house, and let him eat bread and drink water. He declared that the Lord had spoken to him, when he had not. This will certainly happen again and again.
The man of God had had the courage to deliver his message of reproof. He had not hesitated to denounce the king’s erroneous method of worship. He had also refused Jeroboam’s invitation, although he had promised him a reward. But he was too sure of himself when the old man claimed to have a heavenly message for him.
When the Eternal gives an order to someone, as he did vis-à-vis this messenger, he himself must cancel this order. Those who turn away from the voice of God to listen to counter orders are threatened by evil. This prophet obeyed a counter order, so God gave permission for him to die.
The split altar, the paralyzed arm, the terrifying consequence of the prophet’s disobedience were signs that should have led the king to turn from his wicked ways and serve the Lord. But we read: “After this event Jeroboam did not turn from his evil way. »
(Ellen G. White – Manuscript 1, 1912.)
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Daily Devotional
MEN’S ANGRY AT INSPIRED WARNINGS
No sooner had Ahab seen Elijah than he said, Are you causing trouble in Israel? Elijah answered, I do not trouble Israel; it is you, on the contrary, and your father’s house, since you have forsaken the commandments of the Lord and have gone after BaaL (1 Kings 18:17-18)
Few realize the power of an unconsecrated woman. I was taken to the days of Ahab. God would have been with Ahab if he had walked according to heavenly counsel, but he does not act according to God’s ways. He married Jezebel, an idolatrous woman who had more influence over the king than God; so she led him to worship his gods and the people followed. God sent Elijah, bearing a message of warning, to Israel, but neither the king nor the people heeded his words. He was considered a messenger of evil. Eventually, God allowed a drought to plague the area.
Did these men and women discern their error, recognize the object of this judgment, and humble their hearts before God? Nope! Jezebel declared that Jehovah’s prophets themselves were responsible for this calamity. She asserted that all Israel suffered because of their reproaches and that there would be no rest or prosperity in this land as long as these prophets lived. A wave of anger arose against these men, sent by God to exhort the people to repent of their wickedness. Many holy men died for their testimony. Elijah was divinely preserved to proclaim before the king and queen God’s warnings and threats.
God said to Elijah, “Go, present yourself before Ahab”. When the king and the prophet_ met, Ahab asked him, “Are you the troublemaker in Israel?” But Elijah answered, “I do not trouble Israel; it is you, on the contrary, and the house of your father, since you have forsaken the commandments of the LORD and have gone after Baal. »
He instructed Ahab to gather the prophets of Baal; then came a marvelous manifestation of the power of God. All day the false prophets had been asking for a manifestation of Baal, but they received no response. When Elijah cried out to the God of heaven, the answer came instantly. Baal’s prophets prayed inconsistently and extravagantly. Elijah prayed simply and earnestly, asking God to show his superiority so that Israel would turn to him. His prayer accepted, the answer came. Fire came down from heaven and consumed the sacrifice and the water that had flooded it.
Witnessing this marvelous manifestation of power, the people of Israel exclaimed, “The Lord is God! Their hearts were touched and softened by the miracle they witnessed, Elijah took advantage of this opportune moment to suppress the false prophets.
(E. G. White – Manuscript 29, 1911.)
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Daily Devotional
WHEN YOU ARE SERIOUSLY TEMPTED, LOOK TO JESUS
He sat down under a broom, and asked for death, saying: That is enough! Now, Lord, take my soul, for I am no better than my fathers. (1 Kings 19.4)
Jesus is afflicted by all our sufferings. The General of our salvation has been made perfect through suffering. During our existence we will demonstrate if we are able to withstand the test of God. When Satan’s temptations come, we go through moments of intense testing. Will we be crushed by Satan’s alluring power or will we overcome Satan’s temptations as Christ overcame them? Shall we store up the heavenly treasures of truth in our minds that when the adversary assaults us, we can say to him, “It is written,” as Christ did, without using our own fiery words? Satan understands what “is written” better than many Christians because he is an avid student of the Holy Scriptures. Its purpose is to pervert the truth of God, lead people into disobedience, and neglect the study of God’s Word.
Giving orders to God is a monumental mistake. Elijah did not know what he was saying when he confessed to God that he was weary of life and wanted death. The Lord did not take him at his word, for Elijah had a mission to accomplish before he was praised and taken to heaven. Have we forgotten that Jesus, the Heavenly Majesty, suffered from being tempted? Jesus did not allow the enemy to throw him into the mire of unbelief or leave him to rot in the quagmire of discouragement and despair…
God abhors sin. Satan’s work is to cause others to do evil. Satan used his bewitching power to charm the mind to choose sin over virtue. The influence of one individual over another can be disastrous, for Satan has the power to manage and direct that influence. Nevertheless, the Lord Jesus changes the order of things, taking on the sins and guilt of the human race and drawing people to himself through the Holy Spirit. He sanctifies and uses the human being to undertake a work opposed to that of Satan.
“Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. How precious is this promise to the tempted soul. When, subject to temptations and difficulties, men keep their eyes fixed on Jesus and approach God by invoking his goodness and mercy, Jesus places himself at their side, then the annoyances that they considered insurmountable disappear.
Dark times lie ahead, but they should not trouble us. By being alarmed, we show disbelief. Christ invites you to say, “Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. »
(Ellen G. White – Letter 43, 1892.)
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Daily Devotional
In a violent world, where dictators have nothing to do with human rights, various international bodies try to assert human rights.
Even if some nations have signed the charter of human rights, autocratic rulers tend not to respect these rights for their fellow citizens, as the testimony of this Chinese Christian reminds us.
It is important to say that human rights have their foundation in the Bible.
During a conference, the Protestant theologian, André Gounelle, recalled the biblical foundations of human rights.
He points out, in particular, that the Bible highlights three fundamental rights: the right to life, the right to liberty and the right to justice.
Without going into all the details of his presentation, let us recall that the right to life is contained in this fundamental law: “thou shalt not kill” (Exodus 20:13).
The right to freedom is directly related to faith which is a personal choice. Faith, according to the Bible, is the voluntary and personal commitment of an individual. Everyone is free to believe or not to believe. All totalitarian regimes that impose a belief or the absence of belief do not respect this fundamental principle of freedom of conscience, as this testimony reports.
The right to justice is underlined by the reminder of the impartiality that judges must exercise, the reminder that the powerful must not crush the weakest, and that the rich must help the poorest.
We are not unaware of the immense abyss that exists between what is proclaimed in the Bible, which is included in the universal rights of man, and reality.
Life is flouted by war and hatred, including by certain religious people who think they are worshiping God by killing their fellow men.
Freedom is undermined by many totalitarian regimes, but also in certain social and family circles.
Justice sometimes privileges the powerful and the rich at the expense of the weak and the poor, because only the powerful and the rich can afford the best lawyers.
Should we give up? Certainly not. Over the centuries, through their commitments and their prayers, Christians have brought about changes and collective awareness.
Let us continue to defend human rights where we can, and pray.
“Lord, we pray to you for the associations for the defense of human rights, and for all those who fight on a daily basis for the respect of the right to life.
We pray that violations of respect for the right to life will be abolished.
We pray that freedom of conscience be respected in all countries and all religious and social circles.
We pray for social, economic, legal justice to progress in all countries of the world, in the name of Jesus, amen! »
With love,
Paul Calzada
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Daily Devotional
AN AMAZING FACT: Researchers studying walleye vision found that orange is the color most visible to walleyes, followed by yellow and yellow green. Surprisingly, red is the least visible color. No wonder you find so many orange and chartreuse lures in the tackle boxes of savvy walleye anglers.
Another interesting fact about walleye fish is that a sudden decrease in light level triggers them to bite. That explains why the fish usually turn on just as the sun is disappearing below the horizon and the light intensity is rapidly decreasing. It also accounts for the biting that starts when the dark clouds preceding a thunderstorm roll in.The very best time to catch a trophy walleye is five to seven weeks after the fish have completed spawning. That’s when the big females, famished after not having eaten for nearly two months, go on the prowl for food. And with the natural supply of baitfish at its annual low, they’re likely to hit almost anything you throw at them.
Maybe you can’t think of anything more boring than fishing, but many of Jesus’ first disciples were fishermen. The first time they heard Jesus, He asked them to push their boats out into the lake and let down their nets. Inside they laughed, “What does He know about fishing? You don’t catch much fish in the daytime!” But they agreed to do it anyway. “And when they had done this, they caught a great number of fish, and their net was breaking” (Luke 5:6).
Peter appropriately responded to the amazing catch of fish. “When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying ‘Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!’” (v. 8). Jesus replied, “Do not be afraid. From now on you will catch men” (v. 10). The proud fisherman was not ready to serve the Master fisherman until he was humbled. We are best prepared to go fishing when we recognize our limitations and listen to the Creator of fish and men.
KEY BIBLE TEXTS
And when they had brought their ships to land, they forsook all, and followed him. Luke 5:11God bless
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Daily Devotional
HUMBLE TASKS PREPARE US FOR BETTER SERVICE
There’s Elisha here, son of Shaphath, pouring water on Elijah’s hands. (2 Kings 3.11)
Elisha’s departure was not without tears and regrets. A party was held at the family home to celebrate the honor conferred on one of the family members. What was Elisha’s first task? He took care of the little things and did them wholeheartedly. It is recorded that he poured water on the hands of Elijah, his master, as he was the prophet’s personal servant.
Any task, no matter how small, performed for the Master with complete self-denial, is as acceptable as the highest service. Humble and willing service is required of all who claim to be children of God.
After serving Elijah for a time, Elisha was called to the first rank. At that time, no one was greater than him. He had worked under Elijah as an apprentice, but the time had come for the manager to leave and give way to his deputy. Elijah preparing for his translation, Elisha was able to take his place as the prophet’s successor.
“The sons of the prophets who were in Jericho came to Elisha and said to him, Do you know that the LORD has taken away your master from over your head today? And he answered: I know it also. Elijah said to him, Stay here, I pray thee, for the LORD has sent me to Jordan. He answered: The LORD is alive and your soul is alive! I won’t leave you. And they both went on their way… And they stopped at the edge of the Jordan. Then Elijah took his cloak, rolled it up, and struck the waters with it, which parted here and there, and they both passed away dry. As they continued walking talking, behold, a chariot of fire and horses of fire separated them from each other, and Elijah ascended into heaven in a whirlwind. »
“Elisha was watching. He took the robe that Elijah had dropped, and struck the waters with it, and said, Where is the LORD God of Elijah? He also struck the waters, which parted here and there, and Elisha passed over. »
While plowing his field, Elisha learned a lesson, that of not allowing failure or discouragement to bring him down. He had now put his hand to the plow in a different kind of furrow, but he would not falter or become discouraged. Whenever the opportunity to turn back was given to him, he would declare, “The Lord lives, and as your soul lives, I will not forsake you!” »
(Ellen G. White – Letter 12, 1897.)
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Daily Devotional
GOD SPEAKS
AN AMAZING FACT: Albert Einstein did not learn how to talk until after the age of two.
It’s hard to believe that the man who many consider to be one of the most brilliant geniuses—if not the most brilliant genius—in the history of the world had trouble learning how to talk. But such was the case with theoretical physicist Albert Einstein. His parents were so worried, in fact, that they consulted a doctor about the problem. The problem didn’t end after he began to finally talk, however. He was so quirky and slow in his speech that family members dubbed him “der Depperte,” or, “the dopey one.”When he did make sense in his speech, he still left people perplexed. Upon seeing his sister Maja for the first time after her birth, he immediately asked, “Yes, but where are the wheels?”
We can be thankful that God has no such problem when it comes to speaking or making sense. This reality caused the psalmist to joyfully proclaim, “I called on the Lord in distress; the Lord answered me and set me in a broad place” (Psalm 118:5). We need not fear that God will not hear us when we cry out or that He will not respond with a voice of truth and peace.
This doesn’t mean, of course, that God will always respond to us instantly or even in the way that we want. But we can rest in the assurance that He will speak on our behalf and that His words are powerful enough to bring about amazing things.
KEY BIBLE TEXTS
For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: Isaiah 55:10So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it. Isaiah 55:11GOD BLESS
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Daily Devotional
WHICH PRISONER ?
AN AMAZING FACT: The United States has the highest incarceration rate in the developed world. The most recent statistics (2009) show 743 inmates for every 100,000 people. According to the U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics, 7.2 million people were on probation, in jail or prison, or on parole—or about 3.1 percent of all adults.
At the end of 2009, there were about 2.3 million inmates in the United States. The three states with the lowest ratio of prisoners per population were Maine, Minnesota, and New Hampshire. The states with the highest ratio were Louisiana, Mississippi, and Oklahoma.There are different types of facilities to hold inmates. Local city and county jails hold less serious offenders. Prisons hold more serious offenders and range from minimum security to supermax facilities, which house the most dangerous criminals. Prison population charts look fairly level with moderate increases from the 1920s to the 1970s. But in the 1980s until today, the graph spikes upward very quickly.
At Jesus’ trial before Pilate, a prisoner named Barabbas was brought out. This hardcore criminal did not forget to pay a parking meter; he had been incarcerated for murder and was likely a member of the violent Jewish party called the Zealots. Pilate felt the pressure of the crowd, who wanted him to unjustly convict Jesus. He remembered the Jewish custom of releasing a prisoner during Passover, and he gave the mob a choice between Jesus and Barabbas.
The guilty man was set free, and the righteous Man was condemned. The true prisoner was unchained, and the One without fault was bound. The murderer got off and the Life Giver got put in. The one who truly deserved death, Barabbas, represents you and me. He was released so that the One who did not deserve death could take on the penalty of sin so that we could be set free.
KEY BIBLE TEXTS
And so Pilate, willing to content the people, released Barabbas unto them, and delivered Jesus, when he had scourged him, to be crucified. Mark 15:15God bless
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Daily Devotional
THE SOUL AGAINST REPUTATION
Arise, go to Nineveh, the great city, and cry out against it! For his wickedness has come up to me. (Jonah 1.2)
God sent a message to Nineveh through Jonah, his servant. “And Jonah arose, and went to Nineveh, according to the word of the Lord…He cried and said, Another forty days, and Nineveh is destroyed!” »
When the people of Nineveh humbled themselves before God, and begged him to have mercy on them, he heard their cry. “God saw that they were doing this and coming back from their wrong way. Then God repented of the evil he had resolved to do to them, and did not do it. »
But Jonah revealed that he had not considered the souls of this cursed city. He had thought about his own reputation, fearing to pass for a false prophet… Realizing then, that moved by compassion, the Eternal spared this city which had transgressed his precepts, Jonah did not cooperate with God through his merciful plan . The interest of these inhabitants was not a major concern for him. That so many people should perish, because they had not been properly instructed, hardly affected him. Listen to his complaint:
“Now, Lord, take my life, for death is better to me than life. The Lord answered, Do you do well to be angry? And Jonah went out of the city, and sat down on the east side of the city. There he made himself a hut, and stood there in the shade, until he saw what would happen in the city. The Eternal God caused a castor bean to grow, which rose above Jonah, to give shade to his head and to take away his irritation. Jonah felt great joy because of this castor bean. »
Then the Lord gave a lesson to Jonah: “But the next day at dawn God brought a worm that ate the gourd, and the gourd withered. At sunrise, God caused a warm east wind to blow, and the sun struck Jonah on the head, so that he fainted. He asked for death, and said, Death is better to me than life… And the LORD said, You have pity on the castor which cost you no trouble and which you did not cause to grow, which was born in a night and perished in a night. And I, I would not have pity on Nineveh, the great city, in which there are more than one hundred and twenty thousand men who do not know how to distinguish their right from their left, and animals in large numbers? »
In the account of Nineveh, there is a lesson that should be studied carefully. Do your duty to those who are ignorant and sinners and support them.
(Ellen G. White – Manuscript 164, 1897.)
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Daily Devotional
STICK TO YOUR PRINCIPLES
Danielt resolved not to defile himself by the king’s food and by the wine the king drank, and he begs the chief eunuch not to force him to defile himself. (Daniel 1.8)
Daniel was very young when he was taken captive to Babylon. He must have been fifteen or sixteen, because people talk about him as a child, so he was a teenager. Why does Daniel refuse to eat at the king’s fine table? Why will he refuse to drink wine, when this drink had been placed before him according to the order of the king? He knew that “the use of wine would become pleasant to him and that he would prefer it to water”.
Daniel could have claimed that being at the royal table and having to submit to the king’s order, he had no other alternative but to obey. But he and his comrades consulted each other. The wine was a trap in itself, they decided. They had learned of the story of Nadab and Abihu from the scrolls. The use of wine had made them dependent on this drink. They drank wine before their sacred services in the sanctuary. Their senses wandered. They no longer distinguished the sacred from the profane. Being misty to them, they do what was not befitting in the brain of the holy place.
The instruction transmitted to the people was preciously preserved and distilled through songs, taught to children, so that they become familiar with the truths. Daniel and his companions had learned the story of Nadab and Abihu and those of Abel, Seth, Enoch and Noah.
Another element that appealed to these young captives was linked to the fact that the king asked for a blessing from his idols before his meals. This act, according to their religious teaching, dedicated the entire meal to the pagan god. To sit at a table where such idolatry was practiced constituted, in the eyes of Daniel and his three brothers, a dishonor to the God of heaven.
This decision had many consequences. Considered slaves, their brilliant intelligence and pleasant physique favored them, nonetheless. They decided that the mere act of sitting at the king’s table, sharing his food or accepting wine, even if they did not drink it, constituted a denial of their faith. They do not choose to stand out, but to remain faithful to their principles and to avoid becoming corrupt at the court of Babylon by exposing themselves to the temptations relating to food and drink. These corrupting influences would lift their guards, they would dishonor God and defile their character.
(Ellen G. White – Manuscript 122, 1897.)
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Yes, for his people
A.Bost
Yes, for his people Jesus prays.
Let us listen to his sighs;
That at his voice our tender soul
Respond with holy desires.
In high places, shining with glory,
He entered victorious,
And on the expiatory altar,
He offers his precious blood.2
Yes, for our souls, Jesus prays.
In this moment, O charity!
He pleads, intercedes and begs
For us who saddened him.
To her child, to the Father,
His heart obtains sweet forgiveness,
And, to help him in his misery,
His voice calls for a new gift.3
Yes, for his people Jesus prays.
Beloved! approach without fear.
He stretches out his bruised hand
Between heaven and our sins.
Oh ! what love he shows us
This all-powerful Mediator!
That to his request also join
Of our love the holy ardor!4
Yes, for yours, Jesus, you pray.
How sweet it is for us to know!
So, Lord! you invite us
To put all our hope in you.
Under the scent of your prayer
Make us walk with ardor;
To bless you, our whole soul
Rise to you, mighty Saviour.CLOTTU
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Daily Devotional
STRANGLER FIGS
AN AMAZING FACT: The tropical banyan fig tree is sometimes known as a strangler fig because of its unusual growth habits. Tiny, sticky seeds are deposited by a bird high in the branches of another tree. The aggressive sprouts grow quickly and begin sending roots down over the trunk of the host tree, seeking out the rich soil below. Once they have found the ground and anchored themselves, the strangler fig roots rapidly thicken.
Where the fig roots cross each other they fuse together, creating a lattice around the host tree’s trunk. As the roots grow thicker, they compete with the host tree for sunlight and nutrients from the soil. Soon, they squeeze the trunk of its host, cutting off its flow of sap. Gradually, the host tree starves as the banyan tree monopolizes its sunlight, water, and nutrients. Eventually, the host tree dies and rots away, leaving a hollow center with the fig standing in its place.Some banyan trees put down “aerial roots”—roots that dangle from the branches until they reach the ground and become a second trunk for the same tree. One particular tree in India, called The Great Banyan, is listed in the 1985 Guinness Book of World Records as the world’s largest tree. It is more than 250 years old and covers an area of four acres. Its 3,300 aerial roots make it appear more like a forest than a single tree. In the 1920s, its original trunk decayed and was removed, but the additional trunks continue to supply all the nutrients it needs.
At first, the sticky seeds of sin can appear small and harmless. But when tolerated, its tentacles will quickly grow. Soon the Christian’s spiritual life begins to starve, and additional sins begin to take root. Eventually, the Christian is choked to death. In the parable of the sower, Jesus instructed His disciples that the thorns that choked the good seed were the “cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things” so that the word of God sown in the person’s heart becomes unfruitful (Mark 4:19). Are the cares of this world choking the word of God from your heart?
KEY BIBLE TEXTS
And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up, and choked it, and it yielded no fruit. Mark 4:7https://www.amazingfacts.org/bible-study/daily-devotional
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Daily Devotional By Julio Cesar Prado
A Desperate Land
The prophet Isaiah says that “The LORD maketh the earth empty, and maketh it waste, and turneth it upside down, and scattereth abroad the inhabitants thereof” (Isaiah 24:1).
We cannot determine the year Jesus will return, but through the prophecies, we know that His second coming is very near. Since creation, six millennials have passed, and the seventh will begin with Christ’s return, who will establish a new order of things. The long reign of evil will then be broken. The kingdoms of the world will become the kingdoms of our Lord Jesus Christ, and He will reign for ever and ever.
The return of our Lord Jesus Christ is a most glorious truth and an event of the utmost importance, in which all children of God, since the beginning of the world, have centered their hope. Enoch, the seventh of the descendants of the first fathers, contemplated in prophetic vision that great day, and said: “Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints (angels), to execute judgment upon all” (Jude 1:14, 15).
The prophets of the Old Testament and the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ also contemplated this glorious day. Isaiah wrote: “Behold, the Lord GOD will come with strong hand, and his arm shall rule for him: behold, his reward is with him, and his work before him” (Isaiah 40:10). Paul said, “So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation” (Hebrews 9:28).
Many say no one knows the season of Jesus’ second coming. They claim that He could come back tomorrow or a thousand years from now, and that we can not determine anything.
But the truth is that Christ could not come at a time unknown by His followers, for “Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets.” (Amos 3:7). God did not send the flood without first warning the people for 120 years through His servant. He did not destroy Sodom and Gomorrah without warning his faithful ones (Genesis 18:17).
In any case, God has never allowed an event to occur without first informing His servants or providing warning to the people through His servants. As a result, the coming of Christ into His kingdom, which is the end of the world (Revelation 14:14-19; Matthew 13:39), could not happen without God’s servants knowing about it and being able to warn the rest of the world.
For more than a century, the gospel of the kingdom of glory, which will be established at Christ’s return, has been preached all over the world. “And this Gospel of the kingdom,” said Jesus, “shall be preached in all the world as a witness to all nations, and then the end will come” (Matthew 24:14). The “end” will be determined by the coming of Christ. He will come to reap the earth (Revelation 14:15, 16). The harvest is the “end of the world” (Matthew 13:39).
“Then the seventh angel sounded: And there were loud voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever! … The nations were angry, and Your wrath has come, And the time of the dead, that they should be judged, And that You should reward Your servants the prophets and the saints, And those who fear Your name, small and great … Then the temple of God was opened in heaven, and the ark of His covenant was seen in His temple. And there were lightnings, noises, thunderings, an earthquake, and great hail” (Revelation 11:15, 18, 19).
God’s wrath will be consumed in the “last seven plagues” (Revelation 15:1). Having poured out the sixth plague, Christ has not yet come, for on that occasion He says, “Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he who watcheth” (Revelation 16:12, 15). He will only come after the last plague is poured out. He will come to judge the living and the dead (2 Timothy 4:1).
When Christ returns, He will raise up all the righteous who are sleeping in the dust of the earth (John 5:28, 29; 1 Corinthians 15:51, 52), who will be caught up in the air with the living saints and taken away from here.
“For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.” (1 Thessalonians 4:16, 17).
The righteous will be taken away from earth and to the mansions that Jesus went to prepare for them in His Father’s house in Heaven.
“Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father‘s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.” (John 14:1-3).
In Revelation chapter 7, the two classes of the saved—the transformed living and the resurrected dead—are described as being in Heaven praising God before His throne. They will reign with Christ “for a thousand years,” judging the wicked that are dead (Revelation 20:4; 1 Corinthians 6:2, 3).
Since all the ungodly will be destroyed at Christ’s coming, and all the saved will be taken to Heaven, there will be no living humans on this Earth for the millennium. The prophet Isaiah says that “Behold, the Lord maketh the earth empty, and maketh it waste, and turneth it upside down, and scattereth abroad the inhabitants thereof” (Isaiah 24:1). And the prophet Jeremiah, to whom he was given to observe the condition of the earth during the millennium, thus describes it: “I beheld the earth, and, lo, it was without form, and void; and the heavens, and they had no light. I beheld the mountains, and, lo, they trembled, and all the hills moved lightly. I beheld, and, lo, there was no man, and all the birds of the heavens fled. I beheld, and, lo, the fruitful place was a wilderness, and all the cities thereof were broken down at the presence of the LORD, and by his fierce anger. For thus hath the LORD said, The whole land shall be desolate; yet will I not make a full end.” (Jeremiah 4:23–26).
Christ will come “in his own glory, and in his Father’s, and of the holy angels.” (Luke 9:26). The seconds indicate the prophetic clock, contained in the Holy Scriptures, is not far off the day when the “Lord will come out of His place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity” (Isaiah 26:21). “But who may abide the day of His coming?”, asked the prophet Malachi, “and who shall stand when He appeareth?” (Malachi 3:2).
“Who shall ascend into the hill of the LORD? or who shall stand in his holy place? He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully. He shall receive the blessing from the LORD, and righteousness from the God of his salvation.” (Psalm 24:3-5).
God bless
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Daily Devotional
SHIPWRECKED
AN AMAZING FACT: Scuba diving and exploring shipwrecks off the coast of Bermuda is a popular tourist attraction. There are about 20 ships that wrecked on the island itself and nearly 300 wrecked ships in the area surrounding the island!
The island of Bermuda is a common tourist destination, with tropical weather and beautiful coral reefs. It is these coral reefs that have been responsible for the wrecks of nearly 300 ships in years past. One ship wrecked and brought Bermuda’s first settlers to the island. Other sunken ships included luxury liners, military ships, and merchant freighters. More recently, a smuggling ship known as the Xing Da sank in 1997 there after a pirating career that went back to smuggling contraband weapons during the Vietnam War.The apostle Paul also experienced a shipwreck on his journey to Rome. His ship wrecked as a result of a violent storm rather than coral; still, God’s watchful care brought Paul and the other passengers safely to the island of Malta. There he was able to pray, heal, and share the news of Jesus with the island’s inhabitants.
As you read the story, it is hard not to notice Paul’s persevering attitude. Rather than bemoaning his circumstances, he told the ship’s crew not to fear, commanded the officers not to kill the prisoners, and helped the passengers swim to shore. He gathered wood for a fire to warm the wet survivors, survived a snake’s bite, and went to heal and pray with the people of Malta. As sinful humans, facing difficult circumstances often leads us to complain. We feel we deserve better and wish to make ourselves feel better. But what a difference it makes when we choose to move forward with God’s work, even when the way is hard. God will bless those who press forward into the storm!
KEY BIBLE TEXTS
And when they were escaped, then they knew that the island was called Melita. Acts 28:1God bless
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Daily Devotional
DIRECT LINE
AN AMAZING FACT: President Grover Cleveland personally answered the White House telephone.
In one of the United States’ most controversial presidential campaigns ever, Grover Cleveland narrowly won the 1884 election and became the first Democratic president after the Civil War.Cleveland disliked showing special favor to any group. When a bill was passed granting aid to drought-stricken farmers in Texas, Cleveland vetoed it because he thought such aid fostered an expectation of “paternal care” by the government and “weakened our national character.” To criticism that his tough policies would work against his reelection, Cleveland retorted, “What is the use of being elected or re-elected unless you stand for something?” Sure enough, he lost in 1888, but won again in 1892, still the only president to serve two non-consecutive terms.
Despite his controversial campaign and tough reputation, New Jersey-born Cleveland was an ordinary man. A bachelor when he first entered office, Cleveland is one of only three presidents to marry while in office—and the only one to do so in the White House. His five children kept pet canaries, a mockingbird, and a dog. And Cleveland liked to answer the White House telephone himself.
President Cleveland had discovered a cancerous growth on the roof of his mouth. But in case the illness might cause the public to panic, Cleveland snuck aboard a boat over the Fourth of July holiday with several doctors, who surgically removed the cancer. For five days virtually no one knew where the President really was; the truth wasn’t revealed until nine years after his death.
Like President Cleveland, God answers anytime we call. In fact, He promises to hear and listen. (Jeremiah 29:12). And unlike President Cleveland could be, the Psalms promise that God is always on the job.
KEY BIBLE TEXTS
He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him. Psalms 91:15He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber. Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep. Psalms 121:3-4God bless
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Daily Devotional
HORSES, CHARIOTS, AND BATTLESHIPS
AN AMAZING FACT: A floating city awash in elegance, the Queen Mary is one of the most famous ships in history. Launched in 1934 by Her Majesty Queen Mary, it was a wonder of modern times. The ship was considerably bigger than the infamous Titanic—with a 1,019-foot length and 12 decks reaching 181 feet high. The engines produced 160,000 horsepower to move the 81,000 tons! On August 30, 1934, the Queen Mary shattered a speed record by crossing the Atlantic in just under four days, averaging over 30 knots.
Militaries the world over have always looked for bigger, better, stronger, and more powerful instruments of war. Today’s vehicles include tanks, fighter jets, helicopters, armored cars, and battleships. However, sometimes vehicles are modified for use in war. During World War II, the commercial ocean liner Queen Mary was converted into a troop ship and transported more than 700,000 military personnel a total of 569,000 miles. Many allied troops looked fondly on this powerful mother of the sea, especially when carried home.People in Bible times also looked to vehicles for warfare. At the time of King David, chariots began to appear in Israel, and his son Solomon greatly increased their usage. Yet David gives this warning in Psalm 20:7: “Some trust in chariots, and some in horses; but we will remember the name of the Lord our God.” It is not in the strength of man that victory is found. The greatest war to be fought and won is the battle over the self. Horses or battleships will not bring triumph over sin in the heart.
In 1967, the city of Long Beach bought the Queen Mary. Since then, $63 million has been spent on its conversion into a tourist spot with a museum, shops, restaurants, and hotel. With no possibility of sailing the seas, the Queen Mary is filled with activity but never leaves port. Likewise, the greatest military strength will never bring us home to heaven. Only in God’s name can we find victory over our battle with sin.
KEY BIBLE TEXTS
There is no king saved by the multitude of an host: a mighty man is not delivered by much strength. Psalms 33:16An horse is a vain thing for safety: neither shall he deliver any by his great strength. Psalms 33:17God bless
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