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TRAPPED IN A BATHROOM
Daily Devotional
AN AMAZING FACT: On November 19, 2010, a 69-year-old woman in Paris was found who had been trapped in her own bathroom for 20 days. The door lock had snapped off, and there was no window in the bathroom or a telephone at hand. She lived alone and was unable to summon help. But, she had the never-say-die attitude and resorted to a practical gimmick to draw attention. She kept banging the pipes with whatever she could find.
Her neighbors thought she was involved in some do-it-yourself renovation work and initially ignored the banging noises! But when the disturbances continued late into the night, neighbors complained they could not sleep. They decided to start a petition to have it stopped. But some neighbors realized they had not seen the grandmother in a few weeks. That is how they eventually came to investigate the woman’s apartment and rescued her. When firefighters broke into her second-floor flat they found her lying on the floor in the bathroom, badly malnourished and in a very weakened state. She had survived the ordeal with nothing but warm tap water for 20 days. The unnamed woman soon recovered in a local hospital.
In a similar way the Bible teaches we are surrounded by people who are trapped in sin and calling out for help… but maybe we don’t always recognize their signals. The apostle Paul once recognized a cry for help and responded. The Bible says, “And a vision appeared to Paul in the night. A man of Macedonia stood and pleaded with him, saying, ‘Come over to Macedonia and help us.’ Now after he had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go to Macedonia, concluding that the Lord had called us to preach the gospel to them ”(Acts 16: 9, 10).
Paul didn’t hesitate to help out when the Macedonians asked for assistance. We also should respond to the calls for help when people around us are dying for the message of the gospel. Would you be willing to break down doors to help your neighbors?
KEY BIBLE TEXTS
And a vision appeared to Paul in the night; There stood a man of Macedonia, and prayed him, saying, Come over into Macedonia, and help us. Acts 16: 9Hi to all
DOESN’T THE BIBLE TEACH IN LUKE 17 THAT THERE WILL BE A RAPTURE?
Daily Devotional
“Secret rapture” advocates often use this text as evidence of a time when Christ will supposedly snatch away His saints from the world. But to get the whole picture, we need to start with verse 26, when Jesus described Noah’s day: “Even so will it be in the day when the Son of Man is revealed” (v. 30). Then He explained that “one shall be taken, and the other shall be left.”
For the Jews, to be “taken away” meant they would be carried out of the Promised Land as a form of judgment, such as when Babylon and Assyria carried them away as captives.
In the days of Noah, remember how some were taken and some were left? Those taken away by the flood perished. Jesus said the flood “took them all away; so also will the coming of the Son of Man be” (Matthew 24:39).
Luke 17:37 makes this clear. The disciples wanted to know where these others would be taken. Jesus explained they would be taken away in judgment. “Wherever the body is, there the eagles will be gathered together.” (See also Matthew 24:28.)
In one parable, Jesus says the lost are taken first: “Gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them” (Matthew 13:30). Just as in Noah’s day, the righteous will be spared as the wicked are taken away in judgment. The bodies of the wicked will be scattered over the earth.
There is no secret rapture being hinted at here. Two people might be outwardly doing the same thing, sleeping in a bed or working in the field, but God looks upon the heart and some will be lost and some will be saved. The doctrine of the “secret rapture” is unknown in the Bible.
KEY BIBLE TEXTS
I tell you, in that night there shall be two men in one bed; the one shall be taken, and the other shall be left. Two women shall be grinding together; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Two men shall be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Luke 17:34-36Hi To all
MOUNTAIN CLIMBING
Daily Devotional
AN AMAZING FACT: Mountain climbing can be a dangerous business. In one 1996 Everest expedition eight climbers were killed and several others were stranded by a rogue storm. Some mountains are even more treacherous than Everest. The Annapurna peaks in the Himalaya range are among the world’s most perilous mountains, with a fatality rate of more than 40 percent among those who attempt to scale them.
So why do people climb mountains? When British climber George Mallory was asked in 1924 why he wanted to climb Mount Everest, he responded “Because it’s there.” August of that year Mallory and his partner, Andrew Irvine, disappeared on the way to the summit. For 75 years he was missing, but in 1999 his body was discovered in remarkable condition at about 27,000-foot elevation. No one is quite sure whether or not he and his partner made it to the summit. We hope so.
Then there is Reinhold Messner, an Italian mountaineer from South Tyrol, who is often viewed as the greatest mountain climber of all time. He is renowned for making the first solo ascents of Mount Everest without supplemental oxygen and for being the first climber to ascend all 14 peaks over 8,000 meters or 26,000 feet above sea level. Of course Mount Everest, at 29,032 feet, is the highest peak in the world. The mountain was officially conquered on the morning of May 29, 1953, when Edmund Hillary and his Sherpa guide, Tenzing, reached the summit where they took a few pictures and buried a cross.
Did you know the Bible says in the last days every believer may have to become a mountain climber? “So when you see the ‘abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where it ought not (let the reader understand), then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains” (Mark 13:14). God’s people have often fled to the mountains for safety. When the armies of Titus destroyed Jerusalem, over one million people died and about 97,000 were taken captive. But during a break in the siege, all the Christians fled, as Christ directed, and not one of them died.
KEY BIBLE TEXTS
And the LORD came down upon mount Sinai, on the top of the mount: and the LORD called Moses up to the top of the mount; and Moses went up. Exodus 19:20CAN YOU THINK A SIN?
Daily Devotional
Let’s see what Jesus says about sin in the mind. In Matthew 5:21, our Lord says, “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.’ But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment.” I don’t believe He’s actually calling someone like this a murderer; rather, He’s discussing the significance of thinking angry thoughts.
Now jump down to verses 27 and 28. “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” Here the Lord is telling us that sin is not always an action; it can be an attitude. It can be a thought. On another occasion, Jesus explained, “For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person” (Mark 7:21–23). Our minds are where all sin begins.
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus spent a lot more time talking about the attitude of pride and arrogance and sinful thoughts than the actual deeds, because every sinful deed originates with a thought in the mind. So if we’re going to squelch sin in our lives, we need to begin by asking the Lord to bring our minds and our thoughts into captivity to His Holy Spirit.
KEY BIBLE TEXTS
Ye have heard that it was said of them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment: But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire. Matthew 5:21-22Hi To all
Daily Devotional
AN AMAZING FACT: Passenger pigeons were once the most numerous birds in North America and possibly on Earth. The elegant birds had a slate-blue head, gray back, and a wine-red breast. The eye was scarlet with a short, slender black bill. Long-tailed, graceful, and fast, these pigeons could reach flight speeds of 60 to 70 mph. But they were not fast enough to escape annihilation.
Early settlers recorded massive flocks a mile wide and up to 300 miles long. These clouds of birds were so dense they darkened the sky for days as the immense flock passed overhead, one tier above the other. They were so thickly packed that a single shot from a shotgun could bring down 30 or 40 birds. Population estimates from the 19th century ranged from three to five billion birds.
Then began probably the most severe example of mass wildlife slaughter in history. The young chicks were regarded as a great delicacy, and the adults were killed for their feathers as well as their meat. Commercial hunters harvested tens of thousands of individuals daily, shipping them by boxcar-loads to markets in the East. In 1855, about 300,000 pigeons a year were being sent to New York restaurants. During 1874, Michigan sent over 3,000,000 birds east.
By the late 1880s, passenger pigeon flocks, which once numbered in the millions, contained no more than a few hundred birds. By the 1900s, no wild passenger pigeons could be found. From 1909 to 1912, the American Ornithologists’ Union offered $1,500 to anyone finding a nest, but these efforts were futile. The last passenger pigeon, named Martha, died alone at the Cincinnati Zoo on September 1, 1914. Who could have dreamed that within a few decades the most plentiful birds would be reduced to zero?
The book of Revelation teaches that in the last days an all-out effort will be made to annihilate God’s people. The image of the beast will “cause as many as would not worship the image of the beast to be killed” (Revelation 13:15). But Jesus said, “… My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do” (Luke 12:4). Jesus alone holds the keys to our existence. He will destroy death and give His people everlasting life.
KEY BIBLE TEXTS
And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ. Revelation 12:17Hi to all
ARE THERE DANGERS IN SOME OF THE NEW VERSIONS OF THE BIBLE?
Daily Devotional
First, we need to understand that unless you are looking at the original Hebrew and Greek texts, all Bibles are translations. The question we need to ask is about the quality of a translation and the text sources used. Some translations are really “paraphrases,” which means they don’t follow the source text closely, but rather loosely and subjectively give the meaning of phrases. Examples of this are the Living Bible or The Message. It is misleading, for example, when the Living Bible calls the mark of the beast a tattoo.
The careful Bible student will recognize that there are some biases in some of the new English translations. For instance, Hebrews 9:12 in some Bibles speaks of the holy place, but in others it speaks of the most holy place. This variation is shaped by different theological viewpoints. That’s why it is good to look at several translations that more closely follow the source text word by word, such as the King James, the New King James, and the New American Standard versions.
Sometimes the creation of these new translations is driven by money. Let me explain. The King James Bible is public domain. So in order for publishers to make money selling a Bible, they’re required to say something different than existing versions in order to copyright, market, and own it. For instance, you can be sued for copying and quoting the New International Version without permission, because the publishers own that version. They have a monetary motivation to come up with something different, but how many ways can you say the same thing in English?
I personally believe the Lord can work through any version. People have come to Christ in many parts of the world reading many different translations. But if you are doing a deep study on a passage, compare several versions with each other. In church, I like my members to read Scripture out loud from the same translation; otherwise, we start sounding like a barnyard full of confusion! My favorite translations are the King James and the New King James.
KEY BIBLE TEXTS
Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee. Psalms 119:11IN THE WRONG PLACE TWICE
Daily Devotional
AN AMAZING FACT: A 29-year-old engineer for Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Tsutomu Yamaguchi, was on a business trip in Hiroshima, Japan, when the U.S. dropped the first atomic bomb. On the morning of August 6, 1945, Yamaguchi was stepping off a streetcar when the atomic device, nicknamed “Little Boy,” detonated above Hiroshima. Yamaguchi said he was less than two miles away from ground zero when he saw the blinding flash of light. Then his eardrums ruptured and his upper torso was burned by the blast that followed. The explosion destroyed most of the city’s buildings and killed 80,000 people. Yamaguchi spent a painful night in a bomb shelter and the following day returned to his hometown of Nagasaki, 200 miles away.
By August 9, Yamaguchi made his way to his Nagasaki office, where he told his boss about the terrible Hiroshima blast. This was precisely when the second bomb, known as “Fat Man,” was dropped on Nagasaki, killing 70,000 people there. Yamaguchi said, “Suddenly the same white light filled the room. I thought the mushroom cloud had followed me from Hiroshima. I could have easily died on either of those days.” Yamaguchi became the only official survivor of both atomic blasts to hit Japan in World War II.
Six days after the Nagasaki attack, Japan surrendered. Yamaguchi recovered from his wounds, went to work for the American occupation forces, became a teacher, and eventually returned to work at Mitsubishi. He was in good health for most of his life, said his daughter; despite the double radiation exposure, he lived to be 93 years old.
The Bible talks about other cities that were wiped out by fire from heaven, but the witnesses were not so fortunate. The people of Sodom and Gomorrah, having “given themselves over to sexual immorality and gone after strange flesh” (Jude 1:7), were completely destroyed. Sadly, they turned away from the only Source of life.
KEY BIBLE TEXTS
And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly; And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked: (For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds;) The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished: 2 Peter 2:6-9Hi To all
DOES THE BIBLE TEACH THAT WE SHOULD BE BAPTIZED ON BEHALF OF OUR DEAD RELATIVES?
Daily Devotional
This interesting teaching by the apostle Paul might make it sound as if a person can be vicariously baptized on behalf of their dead relatives and friends and, thereby, secure salvation for the dead. Before looking more closely at the text, we should first be clear that the Bible teaches a person must personally believe in Jesus and confess his or her own sins in order for baptism to have any real meaning.
The apostle Peter told the crowd at Pentecost: “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins” (Acts 2:38, my emphasis). David tells us, “None of them can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him” (Psalm 49:7). “As it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment” (Hebrews 9:27). Our probation closes when we die; you cannot be saved by proxy.
So what could Paul possibly mean in this verse? Two explanations stand the test of Scripture. The first is the belief that Paul was merely referring to a pagan custom as an illustration to support the resurrection. In other words, he was saying, “Even the pagans, who get baptized on behalf of dead relatives, believe in the resurrection. How much more should we believe when we know Christ rose from the dead?”
Another view is that Paul is using the word “baptize” in a figurative sense. Notice Jesus’ words: “You do not know what you ask. Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?” (Matthew 20:22). Paul says, in his very next verse, “I die daily” (1 Corinthians 15:30). So to paraphrase our text, Paul might be saying, “If there is no resurrection, why should God’s messengers keep facing death?”
KEY BIBLE TEXTS
Else what shall they do which are baptized for the dead, if the dead rise not at all? why are they then baptized for the dead? 1 Corinthians 15:29Hi To all
NOBEL PEACE PRIZE
Daily Devotional
AN AMAZING FACT: Most of us have heard of the Nobel Peace Prize, but do you know the strange details that led to the forming of this prestigious award? Alfred Nobel was born in 1833 in Stockholm, Sweden. After receiving a first-class education in Russia the family returned to Sweden, where he and his brothers worked as chemical engineers.
Alfred Nobel did not invent nitroglycerin but was first to produce it commercially. In 1863 he developed a detonator for nitroglycerin using a strong shock rather than heat. But nitroglycerin in its fluid state is very volatile. Several explosions in his laboratory proved this, including one in 1864 in which his brother Emil and several others were killed. Recognizing this danger, Nobel moved his experimentation to a barge anchored on a lake outside Stockholm.
After much experimenting he eventually invented dynamite, also known as “Nobel’s Safety Powder.” This new material was made from a combination of nitroglycerin absorbed by a porous clay substance and was five times as powerful as gunpowder. This provided an easily handled, solid yet malleable explosive. Mining, railroad building, and other construction became much safer, more efficient, and cheaper. But military leaders also realized the value of dynamite for demolition and destruction. This deadly use of his creation greatly troubled the “Lord of Dynamite,” who was a pacifist and strongly opposed the wartime uses of his inventions.
In 1895 a newspaper confused the death of Nobel’s older brother with Alfred, and published Alfred Nobel’s obituary before he had actually died. Nobel was horrified to read that he was remembered as the man who created the explosives that caused so much death and carnage. Perhaps to alleviate his conscience, and to improve his legacy, upon his death his will provided that the bulk of his vast fortune go to a fund that would award prizes annually for advancements in physics, chemistry, medicine, literature, and peace. Alfred was also a great entrepreneur. Over the years he founded 90 factories and laboratories in more than 20 countries, and he held 355 patents.
Few people read their obituary before their death, and fewer still get a chance to change their reputation. But because of the matchless gift and sacrifice of Jesus we can have a new name.
KEY BIBLE TEXTS
He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it. Revelation 2:17Hi To all
Daily Devotional
AN AMAZING FACT: What animal has killed more people in Africa than any other? If you guessed the lion or crocodile you are wrong! It’s the hippopotamus. When you see a hippo yawning and stretching open his giant mouth, it is not because he is lazy, tired, or bored. It is actually a threat gesture. The hippo shows off his long, thick, razor-sharp canine teeth to tell you “back away.” They are fearlessly protective of their turf and have even been known to bite a small boat in half!
The name “hippopotamus” comes from two Greek words: “hippo” means horse and “potamus” means river. They live in the central and southern parts of Africa (and up along the Nile River). These big vegetarian creatures can weigh up to 4,000 pounds and love to live in rivers with deep water. They will eat grass, fallen fruit, and sometimes cultivated crops at night. They spend most of the day in the water. Hippos can grow to 17 feet long and 5 feet tall with a big mouth (over two feet across). They are the third largest animal in Africa, after the elephant and rhinoceros. And if you think this big animal is slow, hippos can easily outrun a human being and have been clocked at 19 mph for short distances.
We often think of someone who is courageous being as strong as a lion. But the Zulu warriors preferred to be compared to the hippopotamus. The bite of a hippo has actually been measured by scientists at 1,821 foot-pounds. The jaw hinge on a hippo is located so far back that it can open its mouth to almost 180 degrees. Those big teeth in the lower jaw can grow to 20 inches and are sharp. It’s a good idea to stay clear of the hippo, which has been called the most aggressive creature in the world and certainly the most dangerous animal in Africa.
The Bible speaks about an aggressive animal with a large mouth that we should avoid. In describing the church, Christ, and Satan, John writes, “And the dragon stood before the woman who was ready to give birth, to devour her Child as soon as it was born” (Revelation 12:4). Later, this same dragon spewed water out of its mouth to try to carry the woman away and destroy her (verse 15.) The serpent, Satan, is depicted in the Bible as the most aggressive creature on Earth. But we are safe from his attacks when we stay close to Jesus.
KEY BIBLE TEXTS
When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee. Isaiah 43:2Hi to all
POSTPONED BURIAL
Daily Devotional
AN AMAZING FACT: In 1803, John Colter was hired by Lewis and Clark to join them on their epic expedition because of his amazing ability to hunt wild game. One time, while trapping in an area inhabited by the Blackfoot Indians, Colter was captured. They stripped him and asked if he could run. He told the natives he was slower than a snail. Actually he was one of the fastest runners in the entire Kentucky region. The Blackfoot warriors signaled him to run for his life. He loped out slow for about 200 yards, and then broke into a hard sprint. After about two miles of running, there was only one brave still with him. Colter stopped so fast, the warrior almost tripped over him. He quickly dispatched the warrior and evaded the other Blackfoot.
Somewhere along the way to the trading post, he discovered the Yellowstone region. When he described the geysers and marvels he had seen, the other trappers teased him, calling the region “Colter’s Hell.” Incredibly, he escaped another capture and later returned to Missouri, where he married and settled down to farm. Colter was a neighbor to Daniel Boone. When the United States declared war on Great Britain in 1812, Colter enlisted and fought under Daniel Boone’s son, Nathan.
Sadly, a year later he died from illness while serving his country. His remains were shipped back to Missouri. However, his wife was too poor to provide a proper burial, so she left him lying “in state” in their cabin and moved away to her brother’s home. Amazingly, the body of this forgotten hero continued to lie in the remote cabin for the next 114 years, as the house slowly disintegrated around him.
This champion of the Lewis and Clark expedition and pioneer of Yellowstone was nearly lost to history until 1926, when the ruins of the cabin were discovered with his bones, as well as a leather pouch portraying his name. Afterward, his remains were gathered and buried with honors on a bluff in New Haven that overlooks the Missouri River.
Did you know the Bible talks about a hero that postponed burial for over 200 years after his death? Joseph made the children of Israel promise to carry his bones back to the Promised Land. His faith was rock solid that God would one day lead His people out of Egypt and take them on a cross-country expedition that would lead them home.
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And Joseph took an oath of the children of Israel, saying, God will surely visit you, and ye shall carry up my bones from hence. Genesis 50:25Hi to all
WHY DIDN’T ADAM AND EVE DIE THE VERY DAY THEY SINNED?
Daily Devotional
First, Adam and Eve did experience a spiritual death the very day they disobeyed God—they became aware of their nakedness. They also began to experience the slow physical breakdown from the aging process.
The Bible actually speaks of two separate deaths. The first death is the one we will all die if Jesus doesn’t come in our lifetime. “It is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment” (Hebrews 9:27). In the second death, the wicked will die in hellfire at the end of time (see Revelation 21:8). It’s important to understand that Jesus died the “second death” for every person.
When Adam and Eve sinned, they instantly would have died the second death except for the fact that Jesus stepped forward and offered to die on Calvary for every person. His supreme sacrifice spared them. “We see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone” (Hebrews 2:9).
When Adam sinned, his “undying” nature became a “dying” nature. Regarding the first death, the literal rendering of the word “die” in Genesis 2:17 is “dying you will die,” which is noted in the margins of most Bibles. It means that Adam and Eve would enter into the process of dying. Before sinning, the couple possessed a sinless nature; this nature was maintained by eating from the tree of life. At the moment of sin, their natures changed to dying, sinful natures. This is what God had told them would happen. Because they were barred from the tree of life, decay and deterioration, leading finally to death, began immediately. The grave became a certainty.
KEY BIBLE TEXTS
And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die. Genesis 2:16-17Hi to all
Daily meditation
September 22, 2021
GOD BLESSES THOSE WHO CARE FOR THE POOR
Blessed is he who acts with discernment towards the weak! In the day of trouble the Lord delivers him. (Psalm 41.1)
WE ARE servants of God, at his service. In the great network of life, we must not introduce any element of selfishness as this will spoil the model. However, how rude are human beings! They so rarely put the interests of God’s children before their own! They are surrounded by the poor, but go their way, thoughtless and indifferent, insensitive to widows and orphans who, without resources, accompany in silence. If the rich put a little money in a bank account, available for need, how much suffering should be avoided! The holy love of God should lead everyone to see that it is their duty to care for others and thus to keep alive the spirit of benevolence. […] God does us the honor to choose to make us his hands to help. Instead of complaining, teach us the privilege of serving under the orders of such a good and merciful master (50).
Hear what Isaiah says: “Bring home the poor homeless; if you see a naked man, cover him. […] Then your light will break out like the dawn, and your healing will sprout quickly. […] You will be like a watered garden, like a water point whose waters do not disappoint. “(Isaiah 58.78,11) […]
I remember the case of a poor man who lived next door to a rich widow. […] She had pruned her orchard, the cut branches and twigs were on the ground, near the fence. The man asks her for the favor of giving her the cut branches for heating, but she refuses, saying, “I want to keep them to make manure to enrich the soil.” I think about this incident every time I walk past his house. To enrich the soil in defiance of the needs of the poor (51)!
When one fails to recognize the needs of humanity and refuses to be the helping hand of God, the offering of the most leading, the greatest displays of liberality are an abomination in his eyes (52).
True happiness is found in a life of service alone (53).
(50. The Adventist Bible Commentary S.D.A., pp. 1118, 1119.
51. The Review and Herald, December 23, 1884.
52. Letter 8, 1901.
53. The Review and Herald, May 2, 1907.)Hi to all
SHOULD WE STILL HONOR OUR PARENTS IF THEY ARE ABUSIVE?
Bible Study / Daily Devotional
Daily Devotions
Average reading time is about 5 and a half minutes
Amazing Facts Audio Daily Devotional
All of the commandments are a reflection of God’s loving character, so I don’t believe we can safely ignore any of them, regardless of the circumstances.However, we need to understand what honoring our parents really means. It doesn’t necessarily mean condoning all their actions. Abuse in any form is wrong, evil, and against the principles of Scripture. That said, there is a certain inherent respect that should always be shown to a parent. Even when we disagree with them, we can do it respectfully.
I do believe that where abuse is involved, a person can respect a parent and still take action against that parent, such as the time King Asa removed his mother from power because she had set up an idol (2 Chronicles 15:16). Obviously, if a parent asks you to break one of God’s commandments, you should decline. God must be honored above a parent.
Sometimes it might be necessary for adult children to keep a distance for a time, especially if the parent continues the abusive behavior or if you’re clashing continuously. Separation is also appropriate when parents are meddling, perhaps trying to interfere in the raising of a grandchild or in the marriage (see Genesis 2:24).
However, we should avoid cutting off all ties with our parents if it’s possible to retain some type of cordial relationship. “I never want to see you again,” is pretty harsh and usually unnecessary. People change—they change and we change. As a Christian, you want to have a redemptive relationship and learn how to resolve conflict.
Being a Christian means sometimes you have to be kind and loving to people who aren’t lovable. Jesus said, “Love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you” (Matthew 5:44). Through the grace and power of Christ, the Christian can show mercy even to those who “spitefully use” them.
KEY BIBLE TEXTS
Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee. Exodus 20:12Hi To all
SHOULD WE STILL HONOR OUR PARENTS IF THEY ARE ABUSIVE?
Daily Devotional
Amazing Facts Audio Daily Devotional
All of the commandments are a reflection of God’s loving character, so I don’t believe we can safely ignore any of them, regardless of the circumstances.However, we need to understand what honoring our parents really means. It doesn’t necessarily mean condoning all their actions. Abuse in any form is wrong, evil, and against the principles of Scripture. That said, there is a certain inherent respect that should always be shown to a parent. Even when we disagree with them, we can do it respectfully.
I do believe that where abuse is involved, a person can respect a parent and still take action against that parent, such as the time King Asa removed his mother from power because she had set up an idol (2 Chronicles 15:16). Obviously, if a parent asks you to break one of God’s commandments, you should decline. God must be honored above a parent.
Sometimes it might be necessary for adult children to keep a distance for a time, especially if the parent continues the abusive behavior or if you’re clashing continuously. Separation is also appropriate when parents are meddling, perhaps trying to interfere in the raising of a grandchild or in the marriage (see Genesis 2:24).
However, we should avoid cutting off all ties with our parents if it’s possible to retain some type of cordial relationship. “I never want to see you again,” is pretty harsh and usually unnecessary. People change—they change and we change. As a Christian, you want to have a redemptive relationship and learn how to resolve conflict.
Being a Christian means sometimes you have to be kind and loving to people who aren’t lovable. Jesus said, “Love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you” (Matthew 5:44). Through the grace and power of Christ, the Christian can show mercy even to those who “spitefully use” them.
KEY BIBLE TEXTS
Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee. Exodus 20:12Hi to all
OLD DAKOTA THREE TOES
Daily Devotional
AN AMAZING FACT: Between 1883 and 1918, over 80,000 wolves were systematically slaughtered. By the early 1920s, wolves in the lower United States were all but completely wiped out. Near the end of the wolf extermination a lone wolf limped up to a ranch house in South Dakota. He had lost one of his toes in a trap.
Wolves are social creatures, and because he had lost all his fellow wolves he seemed to be seeking human aid. Instead of help, he was met with a raised rifle and had to flee. From that day until his death in 1925, Old Dakota Three Toes waged a vicious one-wolf war on Harding County, South Dakota. Measuring six feet and weighing over 80 pounds, Three Toes spent his remaining years killing ranchers’ stock. In one three-month period he destroyed $6,700 worth of sheep, cattle, and even horses. This “renegade wolf” who had watched his species annihilated undertook seemingly wanton attacks on cattle and sheep, killing scores in a night out of what seemed sheer vengeance.Whole communities marshaled their resources to kill this last of the Dakota wolves. Old Three Toes proved to be more intelligent than the 150 professional hunters who tracked him. He led riders down ravines that became too narrow for the horses, and through fields full of gopher holes where the horses could easily trip. He once hid in the body cavity of a dead horse. The old wolf ate only his own freshly killed prey to avoid poisoned bait. He was also especially good at springing traps.
Finally, the legendary old wolf was trapped by a state deputy predatory animal inspector who buried traps on a hill, then transplanted sagebrush beside them. The next day Three Toes, curious about the freshly dug earth round the bush, stepped into two of the traps. “Old Three-Toes,” the last natural wolf in South Dakota, was killed in 1925. He had lived for nearly 20 years, twice as long as the average wolf, driven by vengeance.
Some people spend much of their lives driven by bitterness and anger until they self-destruct. Peter once rebuked a man named Simon who thought to buy the Holy Spirit for money. “Repent therefore of this your wickedness, and pray God if perhaps the thought of your heart may be forgiven you. For I see that you are poisoned by bitterness and bound by iniquity” (Acts 8:22, 23). In the end, vengeance will trap and destroy us.
KEY BIBLE TEXTS
Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: Ephesians 4:31THE ELEPHANT BIRD
Daily Devotional
AN AMAZING FACT: Around the 1600s, early Arabian and Indian explorers began returning from the coast of east Africa with accounts of birds that were twice as tall as a man and three times as big as an ostrich. Naturally, their stories were scoffed at … until they brought evidence: eggs up to three feet in circumference! They were the eggs of an Aepyornis—a giant flightless bird found only on the island of Madagascar. Today the Aepyornis is better known as the elephant bird because of the stories Marco Polo told of a bird so strong that it could lift an elephant.
Though now extinct, the elephant bird was the largest bird that has ever lived. Scientists estimate that it stood 11 feet tall and weighed 900 pounds. By comparison, an exceptionally large ostrich might reach 9 feet and 300 pounds. By the time the French settled in Madagascar in the 1640s, the elephant bird had already become very rare. The last sighting of a live elephant bird was in 1649. The natives’ histories on Madagascar describe the elephant bird as a shy, peaceful giant. It was likely driven to extinction by people raiding its nests for the extraordinary eggs.In fact, its eggs were even bigger than the largest dinosaur eggs. One of the largest intact specimens is 35 inches in circumference around its long axis, and probably had a capacity of more than two gallons. Some biologists have calculated that these eggs were as large as a functional egg possibly could be, meaning the eggs of the extinct elephant birds were the largest single cells to have ever existed on Earth.
Many people thought the elephant bird was just a myth until they saw the undeniable evidence. Unfortunately, in spite of the obvious biblical evidence, some people still think that the devil is a mythical beast with goat hooves and a forked tail. But the Bible makes it clear that the devil is real—and a formidable foe. Peter describes him as a “roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour” (1 Peter 5:8). Yet the devil can be resisted! Peter also warns us to be watchful, vigilant, and steadfast in our faith and promises that eventually “the God of all grace” will “perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle” us (1 Peter 5:9, 10).
KEY BIBLE TEXTS
And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. Revelation 12:9Berean.
It is good to post teachings from others if they are truth.
But I ask you a personal question outside of that.
Do you have more faith in the Son of God and his Father, or the SDA?
Hi To all
WHAT ARE THE “KEYS OF THE KINGDOM”?
Daily Devotional
A key is used to open a lock. Jesus once explained that “whoever commits sin is a slave of sin,” but, “If the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed” (John 8:34, 36). In spiritual terms, there is a key that sets us free from sin and allows us to enter heaven. When the disciple Peter acknowledged Jesus as the Son of God, he put his finger on the very key that sets people free from sin. Peter himself is not the key; it is his confession of Christ that is a key.
Some people take Jesus’ words to mean that only certain ecclesiastical authorities have been given power to forgive sin. They believe a few individuals can “bind” or “loose” people by rights given to them by God. But salvation does not come through a human, but through the words of Christ given to His disciples. The Bible is clear: “As many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name” (John 1:12).
Using a similar illustration, Jesus once explained that He was the “door” to salvation (John 10:9). When we accept the words of Christ and have faith in His name, we receive the gift of eternal life. It is not given to us by a church representative, but by Jesus. God uses people as instruments through which to share His message, but the messenger is not the message.
Many scholars believe a more accurate translation of Matthew 16:19 would be, “shall have been bound in heaven.” In other words, God’s church on Earth should be in harmony with heaven. The church requires and prohibits only the things that God requires or prohibits. The only authority a church body has to make decisions is when it works in cooperation with heaven.
KEY BIBLE TEXTS
And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Matthew 16:19
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