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Daily Devotional
WALKING CATFISH
AN AMAZING FACT: The walking catfish is a unique species of freshwater catfish found primarily in Southeast Asia and the Democratic Republic of Congo. As reflected in its name, it has an amazing ability to “walk” or scoot across land to find food or suitable environments. While it does not truly walk, it does have the ability to use its pectoral fins to keep it upright as it makes a sort of wiggling forward motion with snakelike movements. Some of these squirming migrations span well over a mile.
You might be wondering, “How does this fish manage to breathe while out of water for so long?” The walking catfish possesses a large accessory breathing organ. Tree-like respiratory structures extend above the gill chambers, enabling it to absorb atmospheric oxygen. It can survive quite a while using this form of locomotion as long as it stays moist. That’s why most of these migrations happen during or after a rainfall.This fish normally lives in slow-moving (and often stagnant) ponds, swamps, streams, and rivers of the Mekong basin. When these flooded rice paddies or temporary pools dry up, its “walking” skill comes in handy for moving to other pools of water. It would be interesting to be driving down the road and see a sign that says: “Caution: Catfish Crossing!”
Knowing God can design fish to walk on land, it should not be hard for us to believe He can empower a man to walk on water. When Jesus saw His disciples in a boat on Galilee fighting a storm, He went out to them, walking on water. At first they were afraid of this strange sight, but Peter then asked, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on
the water” (Matthew 14:28). Jesus said, “Come.”The Lord also says to each of us, “Come.” Like walking on water, the pathway to God defies the reality we live with every day. Like a walking catfish, it may seem strange, from the perspective of the world, to humble yourself and confess your sinfulness. But God will lift you up and keep you from stumbling back into the stagnant pools of this world.
KEY BIBLE TEXTS
Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, Jude 1:24God bless
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Daily Devotional
JESUS RECEIVES AND DEFENDS REPENTANT SOULS
The Lord said to Satan: May the Lord rebuke you, Satan! May the Lord rebuke you, he who chose Jerusalem! Isn’t that a brand snatched from the fire? (Zechariah 3.2)
Satan claims the right to have on his side those who once found themselves under his dark banner, but who turned from sin and laid their helpless souls on Jesus. All who rely on the merits of Christ, by faith, hold the promise of God and pledge to make peace with him.
God’s children will be tried. The consecrated formula is: “God tempted Abraham”, “God tempted the children of Israel”. Thus, the Eternal gave permission to Satan to test them so that their faith would bring glory and honor to God when the court was to sit, each individual then being judged according to his actions. God knows every heart, every motive, every thought; but he allows Satan to test and tempt his children to reveal their confidence and loyalty to the Lord.
The Lord hates sin; but he loves and forgives the believing and repentant sinner. He collects all those who desire it and places them under his protection. Satan stalks every soul, but in every temptation, God provides the means to avert the ambush, so God’s children are not tempted beyond their strength.
“He showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right hand as the accuser. Satan’s task is clearly defined as that of resisting the worthy work of Christ. When Christ moves between tempted souls and Satan, the angry adversary howls imprecations, accusing Christ of being unjust, for protecting these souls and raising a standard against him…
In the presence of the unaltered worlds, of the celestial universe, of the irritated adversary who adorned them with stained robes and moral filth, impelling God to restore them to him, Jesus answered, day and night, the overwhelming charges with which Satan accused. To those standing before him, watching the controversy with interest and repressing Satan’s stubbornness toward the righteous, Jesus said, “Take off his filthy garments! Then he said to Joshua, See, I take away your iniquity, and I clothe you with festive habits. »
(Ellen G. White – Manuscript 27, 1894.)
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Daily Devotional
MARCHING OFF THE MAP
AN AMAZING FACT: When Alexander the Great was leading his victorious armies down through Asia Minor, the great leader came at last to the foothills of the mighty Himalayas, beyond which lay the Khyber Pass and India. As far as Alexander was concerned, he was standing at the end of the world. You see, up until that time no maps had been made of the vast territory before him. As far as he knew he was marching his soldiers off the map of the world!
Often when ancient mapmakers reached the edge of what had been charted, they drew a line and depicted dragons and monsters beyond. You can understand why this practice didn’t exactly encourage exploration. One Roman commander in the first century had led his troops beyond the line on the map into “dragon territory.” He sent a courier back to Rome with a straightforward message: “We have just marched off the map. Please send new orders.”In the same way, when Columbus first sailed west in search of a shortcut to the Indies, he knew he would be essentially sailing off the map into a region that mapmakers marked with sea monsters. Moreover, because of the unknown distance ahead, he loaded his ships with as many provisions as they could carry and set sail by faith across the trackless sea, believing God was urging him forward.
When we consider conditions in the world today, with the unprecedented change in every arena of life, it would seem we have reached a point in history where we are drifting off the map! But the good news is that nothing that happens takes God by surprise. All these things have been charted before in Bible prophecy. When Daniel was asked to interpret a strange dream of an ancient Babylonian king, he said, “But there is a God in heaven who reveals secrets, and He has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will be in the latter days” (Daniel 2:28).
Nothing is hidden from God’s eyes, not even the ends of the earth. The past, present, and future are all before the Lord.
KEY BIBLE TEXTS
For the LORD thy God hath blessed thee in all the works of thy hand: he knoweth thy walking through this great wilderness: these forty years the LORD thy God hath been with thee; thou hast lacked nothing. Deuteronomy 2:7God bless
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Daily Devotional
CHRIST PROVES THAT WE CAN KEEP HIS COMMANDMENTS
The tempter approached and said to him: If you are the Son of God, command that these stones become pains. (Matthew 4.3)
If his divine nature had not put on human nature, Christ could not have associated himself with the fallen race and become their Redeemer. It was essential that he experience the tug of all our temptations and bestow upon us the trials and afflictions that we are called to experience in order to become our Saviour. Satan, the mighty traitor expelled from heaven, long claimed dominion over the earth, but Christ appeared to defeat this traitor and enable us, in turn, to defeat the enemy of our souls by divine grace. Standing at the head of mankind, Christ demonstrated to the universe, by his blameless obedience, that human beings were capable of keeping the commandments of God.
Christ remaining faithful, in all circumstances, to each of the commandments of the law of God. He has forged an example of perfect living for us, in prosperity or in adversity, accepted or rejected, at a wedding banquet or inconvenienced by hunger. He endures all the hardships endured by the poor and the afflicted. Without ever having sinned, he suffered from exhaustion and hunger. He understands each of the inconveniences that are ours. From childhood to adulthood, he sticks to the test of obedience.
Taken into the desert to be tempted, Jesus was enlightened by the Spirit of God. He did not solicit temptation. He goes to the desert to isolate himself and meditate on his mission and his work. As he fasted and prayed, he prepared to climb the steep, bloodstained path he was to take. Knowing that the Savior had gone into the wilderness, Satan felt that the time had come for him to approach Him. Weak and emaciated with hunger, weary and haggard, suffering agony, “his countenance was disfigured, so different was his appearance from that of the sons of men”, the opportunity presented itself to Satan. He was convinced that he now had all the assets to crush Christ.
The first temptation cut off the appetite. A being approached him, as if in answer to his prayers, someone having the appearance of a celestial angel. He made him hear that he had a message from God, the latter wanted his fast to end. Weakened by hunger, the Savior wanted to eat when Satan came to him. Pointing to stones strewn in the desert, having the appearance of loaves of bread, the tempter said to him: “If you are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread. »
(Ellen G. White – Manuscript 155, 1902 (Sermons and Talks 2, pages 217, 218.))
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And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.(not pains)
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Daily Devotional
CHRIST ENDURED TEMPTATIONS ARMED WITH THE SCRIPTURES
Jesus answered: It is written: Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. (Matthew 4.4)
Although he [Satan] appeared to him in the form of an angel of light, his first words betrayed his character: “If you are the Son of God. This is an insinuation to mistrust. If Jesus did what Satan suggested to him, that would imply that he did not question his insinuation. If Christ’s trust in God was shaken, Satan was assured of victory. He hoped that discouragement and extreme hunger would overwhelm Jesus and that he would lose all faith in his Father and perform a miracle for himself.
It was not without inner struggle that Jesus listened, in silence, to the great seducer. Nevertheless, the Son of God did not have to prove his divinity to Satan. He confronted the tempter with words of scripture. “It is written,” he said, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. In every temptation he faced the fight, armed with the Word of God.
When Christ said to the tempter, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God”, he was repeating the words he had spoken over one thousand four hundred years earlier at the address of the people of Israel. These same words were recorded for us. We must commune with the one who gives life, who keeps our heart moving and watches over the regularity of our pulsations. God offers the breath of life to each member of his great earthly family. He deserves genuine and sincere reverence and adoration. When you consider what he has done for you, how can you help loving him? He offered his Son as an atoning offering for your sins so that you would have an advantageous position with God.
If the world could accept God’s demands of it, we would not see or hear of the abominable acts perpetrated so frequently around us. The various facts, occupying several columns of our newspapers, would not mention the murders, the acts of cruelty and the daily gestures of tyranny. Like the antediluvians, the inhabitants of the earth have almost totally forgotten God and his law. -Manuscript 155, 1902. (Sermons and Talks 2, page 218).
When Satan tricks the human mind, these seductive influences are welcomed as coming from heaven. Many souls are thus trapped before they realize that they are not walking with God, but with the enemy of all righteousness. Today, Satan uses his influence to fascinate human beings with his seductive theories. The warning recommending us to be careful not to let it enter our hearts comes to us from the dawn of time.
(Ellen G. White – Manuscript 37, 1903. (The Upward Look page 135.))
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Daily Devotional
THE MISSION OF CHRIST WAS FULFILLED THROUGH SUFFERING
The devil carried him into the holy city, placed him on the top of the temple, and said to him, If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down; for it is written: He will command his angels concerning you; and they will carry you on their hands, lest your foot strike against a stone. (Matthew 4.5-6)
The second temptation has to do with presumption…Satan feels that he is meeting Jesus on his own ground. The crafty enemy speaks words spoken by the lips of God. He is obviously accustomed to the texts of Scripture. But in quoting the promise: “He shall command his angels concerning you”, he omits part of it: “to keep you in all your ways”, i.e. in all your chosen ways. by God. Jesus refuses to turn from the path of obedience and does not want to force the hand of Providence to come to his aid. He will not offer us an example of trust and submission in this context. He never performed a miracle for himself. His marvelous works were all performed for the benefit of others. Jesus declares to Satan:
“It is also written: You shall not tempt the Lord your God. God watches over all who set out on the path of obedience, for to stray from it is to venture into Satan’s territory. We are then guaranteed to fall…
Jesus emerged victorious from the second temptation, but Satan then showed himself in his true colors by affirming that he was the god of this world. Placing Jesus on a high mountain, Satan presented him with a panoramic view of the kingdoms of the world in all their glory. The eyes of Jesus, having recently contemplated only sadness and desolation, fixed this scene of great beauty where prosperity blossomed as far as the eye could see. Then, the voice of the tempter was heard: “I will give you all these things, if you bow down and worship me. »
Christ’s mission could only be accomplished through suffering. His future held only pains, afflictions, conflicts and an ignominious death. At this time, Christ can free himself from a fearful future by acknowledging the supremacy of Satan. But to do so would be to forfeit victory over the great controversy. Christ then declared to the tempter: “Away, Satan! For it is written: You shall worship the Lord your God, and serve him alone. The flashes of the divinity of Christ streak the sky of suffering humanity. Not having the power to resist the injunction made to him, Satan, humiliated and furious, withdrew from the presence of the Redeemer of the world.
(Ellen G. White – Manuscript 155, 1902 (Sermons and Talks 2, pages 218, 219).)
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THE REDEEMER IS COMFORTED AFTER THE TRIAL
So the devil left him. And behold, angels came to Jesus, and ministered to him. (Matthew 4.11)
Once the enemy was gone, Jesus fell exhausted on the ground. He had endured the ordeal, but fainted on the battlefield. What gentle hand could lay on his forehead? How would he take care of himself and eat to regain his strength? Would he be abandoned and perish when he had just won a victory? No, the heavenly angels who witnessed the conflict came to his bedside and took care of the Son of God, lying as one dying. His strength restored by a little food and his soul comforted by a loving message from his Father, he was assured that all heaven was celebrating his victory. Leaving the desert, he went to proclaim with power his message of salvation and mercy.
What if Satan had won the victory? What hope would we have had? Christ came to reveal to the unaltered worlds, to the angels and to the human race, that there was no limit to the obedience of the law of God. He came to represent God through his human form. He met all the demands we face. – Manuscript 155, 1902. (Sermons and Talks 2, pages 219,220).
When in conflict with Satan, the human family can count on all the help that Christ received. She must not be overwhelmed. She can be more than victorious through the one who loves her and who has offered her his life… Clothed in his humanity, the Son of God fought with the same relentlessness these same temptations which assail us: satisfaction of lusts, journey on a perilous path, adoration of the gods of the world and abandonment of an eternity of bliss for the pleasures of the earth. Everyone will be tempted, but the Word reveals to us that we will not be tempted beyond our strength. We can resist and defeat our treacherous enemy.
Every soul has a heaven to conquer and a hell to dodge. The angelic body is ready to come to the rescue of tempted and tried souls. The Son of the Infinite God bore the test on our behalf. The cross of Calvary stands clearly before every soul. When all are judged and the culprits delivered to the punishment for their contempt and their disobedience towards God, not one of them will be able to allege any pretext, no one being obliged to perish. They had the choice between two princes, Christ or Satan. During the great tribulation, each individual will receive the support that Jesus obtained.
(Ellen G. White – Letter 116, 1899.)
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Daily Devotional
ATTENDING HIS OWN FUNERAL
AN AMAZING FACT: After his sister died in 1951, James Nelson Gernhart was outraged because relatives wanted to bury her with a low-budget funeral. At 75 and alone, “Old Jim,” as he was known, wanted to make sure this didn’t happen to him. He resolved that everybody in tiny Burlington, Colorado (population 2,200), would know that he was going out with more dignity. He would have his funeral before he died!
Some townsfolk didn’t think Old Jim should have his funeral when he wasn’t even dead. They refused to let him use the community center. Then the singers Jim had scheduled backed out. Undaunted, Old Jim rented the town armory and substituted records of his favorite hymns. In the next town he hired a pastor to officiate. Then he plunked down $3,600 of his savings for a solid copper casket—a lot of money back then. Using newspaper ads, Old Jim invited everyone in town to his funeral.In spite of the objections, nearly half the town filed into the dimly lit room, sat solemnly down on folding chairs, and watched as a hearse rolled up to the door. Eighteen honorary pallbearers formed a double line while eight old friends carried in the casket. With a sad expression on his weather-beaten face, Old Jim walked behind the casket, hat in hand. The preacher began his text: “He that believeth in me though he be dead yet shall he live.” Old Jim beamed, and tears gathered in his eyes when the recorded strains of “Beautiful Isle of Somewhere” floated out over the armory.
The service continued for the next 55 minutes. Finally, the piano played “Rock of Ages.” Old Jim wrote out a $100 check for the minister and marched cheerfully out. “Now I don’t care what they do with me when I die,” he said. “I’ve got myself fixed up real good.”
I know this may sound odd, but did you know the Bible recommends you conduct your own funeral? To break free of the slavery to sin, our old self must be crucified, and the “body of sin” must be “done away with.” In this way, the Bible says, “ … reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:11).
KEY BIBLE TEXTS
“Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.”
Romans 6:6″For he that is dead is freed from sin.”( Romans 6:7)God bless
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Daily Devotional
EVERY TEMPTATION OVERCOME IS A PRECIOUS VICTORY
Blessed is anyone who fears the Lord, who walks in his ways! Then you enjoy the work of your hands, you are happy, you prosper. (Psalms 128.1-2)
You must show the world why you desire to become citizens of Paradise. Do not allow careless and irreverent words to pass your lips. What you say around you will have disastrous consequences in the church. Your attitude, your words, your state of mind impress those around you.
Satan offers the kingdoms of this earth to every soul doing his will. Such is the temptation he offered to Christ in the desert. So he said to the disciples of Jesus: “If you adopt my methods, I will reward you with wealth. By resisting temptation, one reaps a precious victory. On his last attempt, Satan was greeted with the following words: “Get back, Satan! For it is written: You shall worship the Lord your God, and serve him alone. So far, Christ’s responses to temptations had been affirmative, now he commands the tempter to flee from his sight, and defeated, Satan leaves him as he expects victory…
Those who seek success at the detestable cost of submitting to Satan’s will will find they have made a bad deal. All deals with Satan are extremely expensive. The privileges it boasts are a frightening and deceptive lure. His promises to us are made in exchange for good, holy, and pure principles. Always contradict Satan by these words: “It is written…”
I say these things to all who love and fear God. Those who are willing to do the work of righteousness will not be deceived by the lures of the enemy. The angels of God are at their side to bend them if they give them the opportunity. Their actions will be informed by an acute notion of good. They will distinguish between good and evil, truth and error. Those who enter the kingdom of heaven will have reached a high standard of morality, having not attempted to conceal the truth or deceive, but having exalted the name of God and upheld his Word. Their principles will not have been misapplied to justify Satan’s tricks.
(Ellen G. White – Letter 188, 1905.)
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<span style=”color: #ff6600;”>JESUS CAN SAVE ALL SOULS</span>
<span style=”color: #ff9900;”>That the test of your faith, more precious than perishable gold, which however is tested by fire, may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ appears. (1 Peter 1.7)</span>
We are not preserved by our intelligence, our words or our wealth. Security does not reside in them. We are protected only by the power of God and by faith in salvation. We live in a time when it is essential that we cleave to the infinite God by faith, or we will be unable to overcome the powers of darkness attempting to destroy us. The Holy Spirit is a lamp illuminating our path. Let us put our trust in Christ who always stands at our right hand to help us.
Temptations will arise. But when Satan casts his infernal shadow before us, let us join by faith the one who, in addition to having created us, offered us his blood to redeem us. We are Christ’s most precious heritage. Let us cooperate with him in living faith and work for our salvation. His hand holds us and sustains us through trials and temptations.
Those who keep their faith to the end will emerge from the crucible of trials like fine gold purified seven times. As you move through turmoil, remember that faith tested in the crucible of affliction is more precious than gold tested in the fire.
Do you believe that after offering his precious life to redeem the beings he created, Christ will not offer you substantial strength to enable you to overcome temptations through the blood of the Lamb and the word of his testimony? He has the power to save every individual. At the time of his ascension he said, “All power is given to me in heaven and on earth. Unlimited power is given to him who stood at the head of mankind to redeem us. For nearly six weeks he who is immaculate fought against the powers of darkness in the wilderness of temptation, overcoming not in his favor but in our favor and thus enabling any son or daughter of Adam to overcome the temptations by the merits of his innocence.
Only those who practice holiness will contemplate the King and his beauty.
Abandon all vain and futile discussions and all frivolous and singular elements. Don’t clutter your mind with thoughts of worldly entertainment and pleasures. Mobilize to save your soul. If you lose it, it would have been better if you had never been born. You don’t have to lose your soul. Use every moment of this life, given by God, for the glory of his name. Strengthen yourselves in order to resist the powers of darkness so that they do not overwhelm you.
(Ellen G. White – Manuscript 110, 1901. (Sermons and Talks 2, pages 174-176).)
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BE ALERT TO ALTERATION OF SCRIPTURES
The salvation of the righteous comes from the Lord; he is their protector in time of trouble. The Lord helps them and delivers them; he delivers them from the wicked and saves them, because they seek refuge in him. (Psalms 37.39-40)
This temptation in the wilderness was a personal conflict between Christ and the wicked one, the author of sin. Formerly, Satan was a protecting cherub in the heavenly courts, the angel who came next after Christ. But having risen up against God, he involved the angels in his rebellion. There was war in heaven, Satan and his followers were then driven out. Excluded from heaven, Satan invests himself in founding a kingdom on this earth and in winning the human race to his cause. But Christ, as the Son of God, undertook to be the pledge of mankind in the event that the latter should allow themselves to be enslaved by Satan.
Christ came to earth to stand on Adam’s ground and resist the temptations that made him succumb… After his baptism, he went into the desert and was tempted there by the enemy. He fasted for forty days and forty nights, then being hungry, Satan presented himself to him, as if coming from the heavenly courts, and tempted him…
The enemy well knew the power of the word of God. He knew that this word had provided bread for the Israelites when they sojourned in the desert and that this same word had the capacity to supply the needs of Christ. But such was not God’s plan, he wanted Christ to be treated like all human beings. He would not perform a miracle for him, because Satan would maintain that this test had been distorted since he would have used a supernatural power; therefore, God could not require human beings to keep his commandments if the effort cost them their lives….
Satan wanted Christ to be guilty of the sin of presumption by needlessly exposing his life. He did not repeat the whole divine quotation, but omitted “in all your ways”, that is to say in those of duty. If Christ had relied on the mercy of God by risking his life to present to Satan the proofs of his messiahship, he would not have taken the path of duty.
The Word of God is familiar to all, for Satan perverts and truncates the Scriptures, men follow his example, presenting part of the Word of God to those whom they desire to lead down a wrong path and concealing what might thwart their plans .
(Ellen G. White – Manuscript 153, 1899.)
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FROM THE WOMB
AN AMAZING FACT: The most children ever born to one mother took place in the 18th century in Shuya, Russia, near Moscow. In a total of 27 pregnancies, the wife of a peasant named Feodor Vassilyev gave birth to 69 children. The litters were comprised of 16 pairs of twins, seven sets of triplets, and four sets of quadruplets! The case was reported to Moscow by the Monastery of Nikolskiy on February 27, 1782. Only two of the children born died in infancy. Among all their children, there were no single births.
In Psalm 22 David not only describes his own suffering, but his words move beyond his own experience to describe the coming Messiah. Though he felt forsaken, David remembers the trust he learned at birth. “But you are He who took Me out of the womb; You made Me trust while on My mother’s breast” (Psalm 22:9). The first lesson of life that babies learn is trust. Mothers play a significant role in teaching their little ones to have a sense of security in this often cold and difficult world.Some mothers have a bigger job because they have more children. Currently, the world’s most prolific mother is Leontina Albina nee Espinosa, of San Antonio, Chile, who in 1981 produced her 55th and last child. Her husband, Gerardo Seconda Albina, states that they were married in Argentina in 1943 and have had five sets of triplets (all boys) before arriving in Chile.
Like David, we can find our source of trust in God. “Our fathers trusted in You; They trusted, and You delivered them” (Psalm 22:5). Though Jesus cried out on the cross, “My God, My God, why have you forsaken Me?” He still trusted His life in the Father’s hands. “Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit” (Luke 23:46).
The Lord has many children. We can trust the heavenly Father to never forget one of us. Put your trust in God today.
KEY BIBLE TEXTS
I was cast upon thee from the womb: thou art my God from my mother’s belly. Psalms 22:10God bless
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Daily Devotional
UNUSUAL WEATHER
AN AMAZING FACT: The fastest temperature rise ever recorded was in Spearfish, South Dakota, on January 22, 1943, when it climbed 49 degrees in only two minutes.
There have been many more strange and amazing weather records set since the use of accurate instruments and official confirmations. For instance, the most consecutive number of days above 100 degrees happened in Marble Bar, Western Australia, from October 31, 1923, to April 7, 1924. That totals 160 days! (I wonder if they also broke records for selling the most lemonade.) The world record for the highest temperature ever recorded was at the Furnace Creek Ranch in Death Valley, California, where the thermometer hit an astounding 134 degrees on July 10, 1913.At the other end of the spectrum, the coldest temperature ever recorded on our planet was at the Vostok Station in the Antarctica on July 21, 1983, where it was minus 128.6 degrees. The fastest temperature drop was 49 degrees in 15 minutes in Rapid City, South Dakota, on January 10, 1911.
When it comes to precipitation, the most rain to ever fall in one minute was 1.5 inches in Barot, Guadeloupe, on November 26, 1970. The most rain in less than one hour was 12 inches in 42 minutes in Holt, Missouri, on June 22, 1947. And the most rain in one year was 1,042 inches in Cherrapunji, India, in 1860. That’s almost 87 feet!
What grabs our attention about unusual weather? Day after day, the weather generally tends to be pretty predictable. Farmers count on this when timing their planting and harvest. So if it snows in the summer or rains during harvest time, this out of place weather can destroy crops. That’s just what Solomon is saying when describing the idea of honoring fools.
I am sorry to say that in today’s culture, we regularly honor people who lack moral judgment. Celebrities who make millions of dollars and have affairs make the front page of the news. Business leaders who steal, sports heroes who use drugs, comedians who pour filth from their mouths, and politicians who break the law are sometimes excused and adored because of their other accomplishments. We’re a little mixed up when we applaud fools. It makes about as much sense as a snowstorm at Furnace Creek in July.
Additional reading: Proverbs 26:1–12
KEY BIBLE TEXTS
As snow in summer, and as rain in harvest, so honour is not seemly for a fool. Proverbs 26:1God bless
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FERVENT AND URGENT PRAYER WILL BRING DIVINE HELP
Strive to enter through the narrow door. For, I tell you, many will seek to enter, and will not be able. (Luke 13.24)
Christ withstood many temptations for our sake and offered us, in his name, the means to stand up to Satan. When we are overwhelmed and driven by temptation, when the feelings and desires of the natural heart struggle to overcome, we should pray fervently and earnestly to our heavenly Father, in the name of Christ, for the help of our Saviour, achieve victory and banish the presence of Satan at our side. Nevertheless, we cannot claim to have won, because we only made modest efforts.
The threat does not come from the hostility of the world, but from the bonds we have with the world, following the example of those who do not love God or his truth. Losing material possessions in the name of the truth and enduring inconveniences resulting from our loyalty do not jeopardize our faith and our hope, but we are in danger when we allow ourselves to be seduced and dominated by the temptations of Satan. Trials strengthen us if we accept them and bear them without murmuring, they detach us from the love of the world and lead us to place our trust in God.
Help comes only from God. Never pride ourselves on possessing personal strength or wisdom, for our strength is only weakness and our wisdom is only madness. Christ overcame the enemy in our name, for having had pity on our weakness, knowing that we would be overwhelmed and pass away if he had not come to our rescue.
The merits of Christ elevate and ennoble humanity so it is possible for us to overcome the decay caused by the fall by linking ourselves to the Infinite through the divine nature of Christ. It is pernicious to imagine that any effort on our part can earn us the eternal reward. Just consider how much it cost our Savior in the wilderness of temptation. Satan knew that everything depended on his success or failure in his attempts to overcome Christ through his temptations. Satan knew that the plan of salvation would be completed, its power removed and its destruction confirmed, if Christ triumphed where Adam had failed.
(Ellen G. White – Manuscript 65, 1894. (Review and Herald, February 5, 1895).)
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VICTORY OBTAINED IN THE NAME OF JESUS
Whoever overcomes, I will make him sit with me on my throne, as I overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne. (Revelation 3.21)
The temptations of Satan worked effectively to corrupt human nature, men being unable to resist this powerful influence, while Christ, our representative, was able to endure this terrible conflict by relying totally on the power of God and by embodying the perfect example.
Christ suffered for us beyond understanding. Let us accept trials and sufferings in the name of Jesus to be able to overcome like Christ and to know the praises on the throne of our Redeemer. Consider the life and suffering our precious Savior endured for our sake and remember that if we are unwilling to bear trials, obligations and strife, unwilling to share in the sufferings of Christ, we will be found unworthy. to occupy his throne.
We have everything to gain in this conflict with our mortal enemy, so we dare not give in to his temptations for a moment. But, we are unable to dominate Satan by our abilities alone. Humbled and clothed in our nature, Christ struck him down after undergoing trying temptations and resisting his suggestions that we learn how to overcome him in our turn.
Christ is our Pattern, the holy and perfect example given to us to follow. We can never equal him, but can imitate him and resemble him according to our dispositions. Let us commit all that we are and all that we have to God so that, finding ourselves in a difficult situation or in contact with Satan, we will remember that we will win the victory in the name and in the power of the Conqueror. By surrendering us to Christ instead of being enslaved, the angels will fly to our rescue. However, we will not achieve victory without suffering, because Jesus suffered for us.
The Christian life is a constant struggle and conflict. It is a struggle and a test. Nevertheless, every allegiance to Christ, every personal renunciation in his name, every trial nobly endured, every victory won over temptation is a step leading to the final glorious victory.
(Ellen G. White – Manuscript 65, 1894. (Review and Herald, February 5, 1895.))
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Daily Devotional
WICKED AND DEADLY
AN AMAZING FACT: Cobra venom is not the strongest in the world, but cobras can inject so much venom in a single bite that they can kill an elephant. Moreover, cobras are the only snake in the world that can spit their venom. Still, cobras are not poisonous; they are venomous. That means they have deadly venom, yes, but the rest of the snake is edible to predators if they dare to try!
The King Cobra is not a snake you would want to run into when going for an afternoon stroll. Most cobras are shy and will run when people are around. Not the King Cobra. It is aggressive and will rear up and stand its ground when confronted. There are actually hundreds of different types of cobra snakes. The King is the longest venomous snake in the world and grows to 18 feet long. Some have measured at 20 feet long!In Psalm 58 David describes the judgment of the wicked. He says, “The wicked are estranged from the womb; they go astray as soon as they are born, speaking lies. Their poison is like the poison of a serpent” (v. 3). It is interesting that the baby cobra has full strength venom and can defend itself just like the parent. Sin is deadly! We should avoid it at all costs.
David continues, “They are like the deaf cobra that stops its ear, which will not heed the voice of charmers, charming ever so skillfully” (vs. 4, 5). A cobra’s best hearing comes not from it ears but through sensations through the ground. Most charmers will remove the fangs and venom sacs from cobras because they are so dangerous.
Living a wicked life makes our words deadly. We become stubborn and will not listen. In the end God will judge the wicked and they will be destroyed. Let us strive to live a pure and righteous life. Let our words bring life, not death.
KEY BIBLE TEXTS
Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? Genesis 3:1God bless
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Daily Devotional
WE CAN BE PERFECT IN CHRIST
Abide in me, and I will abide in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it remains attached to the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in me. (John 15.4)
Satan wished to alter the government of God and put his own stamp on the laws of the divine kingdom. Christ not acceding to his desire, Satan fought the Son of God. This struggle escalated. Working in secret, except for God, Lucifer became a hypocritical and devious being. He was trying to pass off his lies as words of truth.
He was cast out of heaven and Christ apparently found himself alone in the wilderness of temptation. But he was not alone, angels surrounded him, like those who help beings assailed by the enemy. Christ found himself in the desert with the one who initiated the war in heaven, the one whom he dominated and who was defeated.
Now Satan finds him in other circumstances, the glory that surrounded Christ is no longer visible. He humbled himself and took on our nature. What mental torture his is! What pain does he feel! He is not in front of a hideous monster, with bat wings and cloven feet, but of an angel of splendid light, seeming to have just left the presence of God.
It is impossible to measure the extent and power of these temptations unless the Lord reveals these scenes to us, but they would only be partially understood. The trials and adversities experienced by our Master prove to us that he could have failed, otherwise this struggle would have been a farce. But he did not yield to the apparent solicitude of the enemy, demonstrating that human nature, united by faith to the divine nature, is unshakable and capable of withstanding the temptations of Satan.
The perfect humanity of Christ is similar to that which we could develop through our relationship with Christ. As God, Christ could not be tempted as to his allegiance to heaven. But by taking on our nature, he could have yielded to temptation. He had not even put on the nature of angels, but that of humanity, similar in all points to ours, apart from the defilement of sin.
His divine nature combined with human nature made him susceptible to Satan’s temptations. Christ’s trial was greater than that of Adam and Eve, for Christ put on our fallen nature, but not corrupt, and did not defile Himself by giving credence to Satan’s words.
(Ellen G. White – Manuscript 57, 1890. (Ellen G. White Manuscript Releases 16, pages 180-183.))
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Daily Devotional
WE ARE ALL CALLED TO BECOME CHILDREN OF GOD
Beloved, we are now children of God, and what we will be has not yet been manifested; but we know that when he appears we will be like him, because we will see him as he is. (1 John 3.2)
John received here a vision of the unlimited love of an infinite God. He cannot find the words to express it and calls on the whole earth to contemplate it. Types and antitypes prefigure Christ in the Old Testament. Those who walked with the Son of God in his earthly ministry recorded his activities in the New Testament. For three and a half years, the disciples received teachings from the lips of Christ, from the greatest teacher on earth. What led him there? Adam and Eve had transgressed the law of God in Eden…
Christ observed our world before entering it and noticed the power wielded by Satan over the human family. He claimed all mankind because of Adam’s sin. Emphasizing their calamities and diseases, he blamed God for them. He claimed that God showing no mercy to them, they might as well find themselves under his own dominion. Deciding to offer his own life for the salvation of the human race, Jesus abandoned his royal robe and crown to clothe his divinity in humanity.
Ever since the transgression of God’s law, a rumor had been circulating that human beings were unable to keep God’s law. Humanity and divinity were combined in Jesus Christ. He came to earth to elevate mankind to the scale of divine moral worth. He trod the very ground where Adam staggered. He faced the temptations of Satan and emerged victorious. The latter approached the Son of God like an angel of light, as he does to tempt us.
Jesus Christ emerged victorious from the wilderness of temptation. When on the banks of the Jordan, the sky perceived the accents of a prayer which it had never heard, it rose directly towards God through the darkness surrounding the Son of God. The heavens were opened and the Holy Spirit, in the form of a dove, descended and alighted on him and the following words were heard from the lips of the infinite one: “This is my Son well -loved in whom I put all my affection. We did not grasp the import of these words which meant: “You are accepted through my Beloved.” »…
Christ descended on this atom that constitutes our world and honored it by endorsing human nature. He celebrated humanity before all intelligent creatures.
(Ellen G. White – Manuscript 16, 1893.)
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Daily Devotional
THE DECEIVER (THE OCTOPUS)
AN AMAZING FACT: When it comes to disguise, octopuses are the ultimate chameleons. Thanks to special cells in their skin, they have the ability to change color and texture, assuming a thousand combinations. In the blink of an eye, they can fade into the sea floor, appearing to be just another bumpy rock.
One Pacific Ocean octopus has earned its name from its incredible ability to transform its shape. The mimic octopus has been known to imitate everything from giant crabs and fish to sea snakes. One clever species will even take up residence in a vacant clamshell and use the suction cups on its tentacles to slowly open and close the shell. It will then wiggle the tip of one tentacle like a little worm to attract hungry fish—and whoosh!—the octopus will jet out and seize the unsuspecting victim.Among the most flexible and versatile of all God’s creatures, an octopus can squeeze into amazingly small spaces to hunt or avoid predators. They’ve been known to hide themselves in soda cans and aspirin bottles! This ability to fit into tight spots pays off when hunting, as octopuses can chase small crabs, shrimp, and fish into tiny cracks, coaxing them out with their long tentacles.
The Bible tells us that when Jesus’ disciples asked about signs of the end of the age, Jesus said, “Take heed that no one deceives you. For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am He,’ and will deceive many” (Mark 13:5, 6). One of the signs of Christ’s soon coming is the work of the deceiver, Satan, who will pretend to be the Messiah and call people to follow him. If we study our Bibles carefully, we will watch and be ready for it. God will give us eyes to spot the master of deception no matter what shape or color he makes himself into. We need not fall into his traps.
KEY BIBLE TEXTS
Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; 2 Thessalonians 2:3God bless
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