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Hi to all
Here is the Daily Devotional
EILEEN SHELTERED BY GOD
Eileen was in a desperate situation. As a 27-year-old mother of four children, she had suffered physical abuse from her husband for 12 years. After being placed in a battered women’s shelter, her husband tracked her down. So she ran with her children out into a snowstorm to escape his violence.
She eventually ended up in another town where local law enforcement worked with residents to find her a safe refuge. “God place me in the home of Sabbath-keepers,” she recalls. “They protected me and sheltered me.” For the first time in her life she heard about the seventh-day Sabbath. “I felt so much joy in learning about this truth.”
Unfortunately, her abusive husband once more found her, so she left this family and a church she had grown to love. Eileen spent much of her life trying to avoid the cruel husband of her children. But she never forgot what she learned from the Sabbath-keepers and passed this truth on to each of her kids.
Years later, two of her adult sons told Eileen about a Sabbath-keeping pastor named Doug Batchelor. After a bad experience in one church, she had stepped away from church, but decided to go online and watch a few sermons from this new preacher.
“I was blown away by his love for the truth,” she admits, “and his ability to clearly explain the Bible.” Eileen was especially touched by an Everlasting Gospel sermon titled “The Unpardonable Sin.” “I wondered if I had committed this sin and at times even felt tortured by it.” But the message eased her heart and gave her hope.
Eileen has been fighting cancer for the last couple of years. “My hope was growing dim until I began listening to Pastor Doug. I have courage again.” In one of the darkest hours of her life she found safety in the arms of God.
Reflect: What do you do when your hope is growing dim? You can always find light in the Bible, a sure place of refuge during your darkest moments.
KEY BIBLE TEXTS
He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler. Psalm 91:4From Amazing facts
God bless
Jesus summarised the Law when speaking to the rich young ruler in Lk 18
” You know the commandments,
’DO NOT COMMIT ADULTERY
DO NOT MURDER
DO NOT STEAL
DO NOT BEAR FALSE WITNESS
HONOR YOUR FATHER AND MOTHER.”
the proud breast beating about sabbath keeping?
Hi to all
Here is the Daily Devotional
GENE BROUGHT BACK TO LIFE, PART 1
Gene came to a turning point in his life and realized that the way he was living needed to change. As he drove home from work one day, he asked Jesus to come into his life and take over. Slowly, the Lord began to work. Gene and his wife began to occasionally attend a Sunday church again, usually on special occasions like Easter or when there was a guest speaker.
Soon after, while watching TV, a new program caught Gene’s eye. It was called Amazing Facts. “I was immediately attracted to the title of the program because I like facts. I base my life and my work as a rancher on solid evidence. When Pastor Doug Batchelor spoke of a free offer on the program I ordered it.
The resource I received spoke of the Standard Oil Company president reading Exodus 2:3 and the pitch used on the basket in which Moses was laid as a baby. Since I had been working in and around the oil industry for over 10 years, the article grabbed my attention.”
For several months Gene continued receiving materials from Amazing Facts, but eventually this stopped coming. “I saw Pastor Doug preach a few more times on the television, but then I couldn’t find his program anymore, even though I tried again on several occasions.”
Several years later, Gene went through a life-changing experience while undergoing surgery for cancer on his right kidney. The operation was only supposed to take a couple of hours, followed by two days in the hospital and a couple weeks to recover at home. But during the procedure, things went downhill fast.
During the operation, Gene began bleeding and the surgeon had a difficult time stopping it. At one point, after the surgeon had done his best, Gene was sent into recovery. Then the doctor met with his wife, June, and two daughters, and said, “Gene is bleeding and I don’t know why. His blood pressure is dangerously low and I can’t do anything about it.”
Immediately, Gene’s family began to pray. Then the doctor, with the help of other physicians, took Gene back into surgery. His two-hour surgery ended up lasting 14 hours, but God brought him through.
Reflect: Have you ever faced the possibility of imminent death? Where did your thoughts turn? God is just a prayer away. Turn to the Lord for He will hear your every cry for help.
KEY BIBLE TEXTS
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Psalm 23:4From Amazing facts
God bless
Hi all
Here is the Daily Devotional
CYRIL A CURE FOR EMPTINESS, PART 1
When Cyril was 10 years old, his mother became a Christian. “My mom ensured we went to church every Sunday and I grew up thinking I knew the truth and felt quite assured,” he says. “I attended one of the modern Pentecostal churches in Nigeria.” His church was patterned after one of the popular mega-churches in the United States.
Although he was an active part of this church family, Cyril eventually began to feel a deep emptiness. Hungering for answers, Cyril regularly attended prayer meetings and other church programs. But he somehow still felt there was something significant, even essential, missing from his experience. “I wasn’t [just] a Sunday to Sunday Christian,” he says.
“I attended midweek meetings, and all the conferences, etc. Sadly, it all felt so shallow and peripheral after a while. It was clear to me that the truth entailed much more than what I got.” The problem was that Cyril had no clue how to nail down that truth. While Cyril was struggling with this spiritual emptiness and dissatisfaction, a manager in his office gave him an invitation to a particular meeting. “She sold it in a very interesting way—that the meeting would appeal to me as it would be an intellectually stimulating experience. She concealed the fact it was a church meeting.”
Up until then, Cyril had made a point not to regularly attend other churches because there were so many choices and he felt they were all basically the same and could offer him nothing more. The one exception was the Roman Catholic Church because it appealed to his sense of sanctity and reverence. So it was only out of very high regard for the manager that he decided to attend the meeting.
“My secret resolve,” he says, “was to attend once and be freed from the commitment.” But the Lord had other plans!
The meeting Cyril attended was a Daniel and Revelation seminar on videotape, and the speaker was Pastor Doug Batchelor. Here, for the first time, Cyril was exposed to the undiluted gospel of Jesus Christ. At the beginning of the series, the message Cyril heard was very unsettling, as he had never studied the book of Daniel and initially found this new light extremely challenging.
“After the first day, I was genuinely upset,” he recalls.
Reflect: Can you think of a time in your life when you were genuinely upset when confronted with the truth? It’s often a giant opportunity to grow in Christ!
KEY BIBLE TEXTS
Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Matthew 11:28From Amazing facts
God bless
Hi to all
Here is the Daily Devotional
CYRIL A CURE FOR EMPTINESS, PART 2
When Cyril first attended a church video seminar on the book of Daniel by Pastor Doug Batchelor, he admits, “I was genuinely upset. I grew up as a Christian and had attended church and Sunday school frequently, but the book of Daniel and the insights from the message were completely foreign to me.” However, it was clear from that first meeting that he had found the cure to his emptiness. Cyril did not need an invitation for the rest of the series but sat eagerly in the front row each time, absorbing truth after truth.
Pastor Doug’s messages helped Cyril understand key doctrinal issues. He was especially grateful for the clear insights he received on the subject of speaking in tongues—something he had previously misunderstood. “At some point during the meetings,” Cyril shares, “I remembered I hadn’t been properly baptized, so I approached a friendly brother in the church and asked questions.” Cyril was baptized on a Sabbath at the end of the series.
Cyril believes his life has been impacted tremendously by the work of Amazing Facts. He says, “The multitude of messages and interviews I listened to were very important to my stability in the church. I have learned to trust God from day to day. Very important to me is the need to be able to ensure that I can help intellectuals appreciate the veracity of the Bible.”
His favorite program on the Amazing Facts website is the Sabbath School Study Hour. “I love Bible study,” he remarks, “and it is always a blessing to get fresh perspective that is much deeper and broader than mine.”
Today, Cyril feels blessed to be part of a Sabbath-keeping congregation. “I have found people here who have helped my faith a lot,” he says. He is currently active in his church and is happy to be part of an army of young professionals engaged in mission work to reach some inaccessible regions of Nigeria. He also serves as an ordained elder.
Reflect: God wants you to be an inspiration in the body of Christ. What can you do to be a blessing to someone at church this week?
KEY BIBLE TEXTS
But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life. John 4:14From Amazing facts
God bless
In whose name did PASTOR DOUG BATCHELOR baptise him?
it matters more than PASTOR DOUG BATCHELOR does.
Hi to all
Here is the Daily Devotional
ELISABETH GOD ALLOW UTURN
A few years ago, there was a popular automobile bumper sticker that read: “If you’re headed in the wrong direction, God allows U-Turns.” Elizabeth knows about this first hand. For four years she was married to a woman. Despite having been raised with Christian influences in her life, Elizabeth and her “wife” were both “into vulgar music, media, and worldly goals,” as well as using drugs and alcohol.
One day Elizabeth and her partner discovered Amazing Facts on YouTube and it completely changed their lives. As they listened to Pastor Doug Batchelor, they began to sense a change taking place in their hearts. She recalls, “We became more aware of the truth, and that Jesus is the only hope in this temporary life.”
“Both of us realized we were deceived into following the enemy by the lust of our flesh. Amazing Facts taught us about the Bible Sabbath along with other Bible truths.” Elizabeth says that while watching Pastor Doug, “the Holy Spirit was at work as we learned more and more truth. Our desires changed.”
The two women—now living celibate lives—got in touch with a local Sabbath-keeping church and began Bible studies with the pastor and his wife. This led to their “full conversion and baptism,” as Elizabeth explains. “And there’s no doubt,” she adds, “that Amazing Facts was a key factor in our Christian conversion and growth as believers.”
Elizabeth regularly brought home Amazing Facts booklets from church. “I enjoyed reading the different topics. They reference Scripture, which helped me learn many Bible truths. Some booklets helped me unlearn false teachings I had learned before.” The ministry has even helped Elizabeth become an evangelist. “I enjoy sharing the printable materials on the Amazing Facts website now. It has been helpful to me in guiding others in their Christian lives.”
Her Christian life today “is Spirit-filled,” she says. “My life is about serving others out of love and reflecting the Savior.” After being baptized, she shares, “My life goal is to lead other people to Christ, helping others know Jesus can help them overcome addictions, sin, vanity, and all of the enemy’s deceptions.”
Reflect: Have you ever gone down a one-way street in the wrong direction? What could have happened if you kept going? God wants us to quickly turn around if we are following the ways of the world.
KEY BIBLE TEXTS
“This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.”
Galatians 5:16From Amazing facts
God bless
Hi Berean,
Did pastor Doug baptise them in the name of Jesus Christ?
” And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved”
Acts 4.12
Hi to all
Here is the Daily Devotional
CONNIE AWAKENED TO THE SABBATH
After a routine mammogram came back abnormal, Connie became frightened and longed for a more spiritual connection. To deal with her fear, she would sing Christian songs, look up at the sky, and talk to God. When further testing proved that she was fine, she rejoiced and felt that God had allowed this experience to wake her up.
During this time, while faithfully attending church every Sunday, Connie recorded a couple sermons each week from a Sabbath-keeping network. When she heard the pastors on these programs saying “Happy Sabbath,” she was puzzled because she thought Sabbath-keeping was a Jewish tradition.
When she watched an Amazing Facts program, an advertisement came up that encouraged viewers to visit sabbathtruth.com. Since she was curious about the Sabbath, she visited the site and her eyes were opened to what the Bible teaches about the seventh day.
Connie says, “It’s amazing that it was all there in the Bible, but I never saw it before. When I started honoring the Sabbath, I shared it with my mother, and she wanted to as well.” Both Connie and her mom had been keeping Sunday while learning about the Sabbath. She made a point of doing her shopping and other business on Saturday in order to keep Sunday holy. But when Connie learned about Sabbath being on the seventh day, she and her mother were convicted to keep Saturday as the Sabbath.
Connie continued watching Amazing Facts and began sharing what she learned with others. “I minister to inmates through the mail, using Amazing Facts study guides,” says Connie. “The inmates love it! One wrote and asked me where I was getting this stuff. I tell them all about Pastor Doug, Amazing Facts, and sabbathtruth.com.”
Connie’s life is far different today from the life she lived before discovering Jesus. “I was chasing after the things of this world but still felt empty. I would drink so much that I couldn’t even walk or talk,” she says. “Now I feel complete. I honestly believe that if I had not listened to God’s call to watch Pastor Doug, I would be dead today. I am so thankful that God used Pastor Doug to wake me up. I was asleep and didn’t even know it.”
Reflect: Have you ever fallen asleep (or nearly so) while driving? How much more dangerous is it to fall asleep to the sobering times in which we live.
KEY BIBLE TEXTS
And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. Romans 13:11From Amazing facts
God bless
Pastor Doug has quite a following.
Should we follow men and their teachings?
Do we not already have a Lord to lead us to safety?
Eph.4
[1] I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called,
[2] With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love;
[3] Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
[4] There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling;
[5] One Lord, one faith, one baptism,
[6] One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.
[7] But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.
[8] Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.
[9] (Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth?
[10] He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.)
[11] 👉And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;👈
[12]👉 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:👈
[13]👉 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:
[14] That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;
[15] But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:
[16] From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.👈🙏
Nowhere does Doug and the SDA feature.
back to basics.
Seek ye first the kingdom of God and everything else will be added to you.
Hi Berean,
Those appointed to roles in the body of Christ have first been bathed in his name for forgiveness of their sins and been anointed for service with the Spirit.
SDA members need not apply.
Hi to all
Here is the Daily Devotional
DO YOU THINK MORE TRUE PROPHETS WILL APPEAR BETWEEN NOW AND JESUS’ SECOND COMING?
Based on Joel’s prophecy, it certainly appears possible. Keep in mind that not all who call themselves prophets are true prophets. Jesus warns us there will also be false prophets. “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves” (Matthew 7:15). Genuine prophets focus on uplifting Jesus and the Bible. A false prophet is interested in consuming and gaining attention to themselves.
If someone in the last days claims to be a prophet, they should be tested by what the Bible says about true prophets. For instance, “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15). In addition to Christ’s words about false prophets, He adds, “You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles?” (Matthew 7:16). When a person who freely breaks God’s law claims to be a true prophet, we know they are deceived.
Many have distorted views of the work of God’s prophets. They picture some type of carnival palm reader who makes predictions for money and to tickle the fancy of the curious. We are often drawn to the sensational. But when you compare that image with John the Baptist, it just doesn’t match.
I believe God has already sent His remnant church a prophet in these last days to guide and direct His people in preparation for Jesus’ soon return. Could the Lord send another prophet? Yes. I don’t think we should box God in and make predictions that are not in harmony with Joel’s vision. But if a person should be raised up, we should follow the advice of Paul, who wrote, “Do not despise prophecies. Test all things; hold fast what is good” (1 Thessalonians 5:20, 21).
KEY BIBLE TEXTS
And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions: Joel 2:28From Amazing facts
God bless
Hi Berean,
Doug Batchelor may one of them.
Check the fruit.
All should seek first the Kingdom of God and everything else will be added to us.
HOW DO YOU KNOW IF A PROPHET IS TRUE OR FALSE?
Hi to all
Here is the Daily Devotional
Jesus spoke to this question when giving us signs of the end. “Take heed that no one deceives you. For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many” (Matthew 24:4, 5). Later He warned, “False christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive” (Matthew 24:24).
Notice that Jesus did not say there would never be any more true prophets. The gift of prophecy was promised to the church and was not cut off at the time of Christ. Luke writes, “In the last days … I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy” (Acts 2:17).
There are Bible tests you can apply to identify a true prophet. Here are some examples: First, prophets don’t express their private opinions on spiritual matters. “Prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit” (2 Peter 1:21). Second, a prophet never speaks in contradiction to the Word. Their teachings are in harmony with Scripture.
The Bible provides further information on different types of false prophets in Deuteronomy 18:10–12 and Revelation 21:8. It identifies charmers (someone who casts spells), observer of times (astrologers), sorcerers (someone who claims to speak with the dead), consulters of familiar spirits (mediums), users of divination (fortune tellers), witches (female psychics), and wizards (male psychics).
God has given His church the spirit of prophecy (Revelation 19:10) for the purpose of building up believers (1 Corinthians 14:22). True prophets live a godly life (Matthew 7:15–20), have predictions that come true (Deuteronomy 18:20–22), and are called to service by God (Isaiah 6:1–10). We should follow the apostle Paul’s advice to “Despise not prophesyings. Prove all things; hold fast that which is good” (1 Thessalonians 5:20, 21).
KEY BIBLE TEXTS
To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them. Isaiah 8:20From Amazing facts
God bless
Of course it took some Pagan astrologers (magi ) studying the heavens to humiliate the chosen people by recognising the arrival of the King,
Gen 1.14
DOES IT REALLY MAKE A DIFFERENCE TO PRAY ON BEHALF OF OTHER PEOPLE?
Hi to all
Here is the Daily Devotional
I believe in the power of intercessory prayer, not only because I have seen God work in powerful ways to change lives, but also because the Bible repeatedly gives us instruction on how we should pray for others.
Many Bible heroes were intercessors. Abraham interceded for Sodom (Genesis 18), Moses cried out for Israel (Exodus 32), as did David, Samuel, Hezekiah, and others. Jesus is our great Intercessor, and all of our prayers go through Him. “There is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus” (1 Timothy 2:5).
One of the clearest models of intercessory prayer is found in Daniel 9. Here we read how this Old Testament prophet poured out his heart on behalf of his people. Like a type of Christ, Daniel identifies with the sins of the people, using the word “we” repeatedly in this prayer. He takes this time of intercession seriously by fasting and taking off his government work robes.
The Bible tells us the different types people for whom we should intercede, such as those in authority (1 Timothy 2:2), the church (Psalm 11:6), friends (Job 42:8), the sick (James 5:14), and even those who persecute us (Matthew 5:44). It doesn’t take a special calling to intercede for others. All Christians should pray for their family and friends and those in need.
My favorite story that demonstrates the power of intercessory prayer is the apostle Peter’s release from prison by an angel. Notice how Luke introduces this incident: “Peter was therefore kept in prison, but constant prayer was offered to God for him by the church” (Acts 12:5). In this case, the answer to the prayers of the church for Peter’s release was a resounding ‘yes.’
We might be tempted to think that intercessory prayer is a waste of time because we don’t always “get” what we have prayed for. But we should remember to ask for God’s will to be done. Sometimes that means ‘no’ and sometimes it means “wait.”
KEY BIBLE TEXTS
Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. James 5:16From Amazing facts
God bless
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