2016

October 15, 2016

Philippians 4:8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

Given the very toxic political environment we are now living in, with all of the gory details, and vulgar jests and comments that are flying let, right, and center, it has become necessary for us to address the principles and instructions given in God’s word, as it pertains to what we allow our minds to absorb, and dwell upon. In the passage above, the apostle Paul gives us a breakdown of the method by which we must evaluate all information being permitted to enter our thought processes. Whenever we have a choice, as Christians we must be very deliberate in what we choose to see, read, and hear, for there is always an impact upon the mind, for better, or for worse.

There are several reasons why the Bible instructs to avoid seeing, or hearing evil, and one of the main ones is that we can become tainted imperceptibly, and before you know it, we will start to repeat, and in some cases, act out the very things we have seen or heard. This fact is based upon the principle which says that “By beholding we become changed”. This goes for both good and evil, for if we are constantly exposing our minds to evil, our innermost thoughts will gradually adapt to what we are imbibing. The same is also true of that which is elevating, for our subconscious mind stores whatsoever we feed into it, whether it be good of evil.

For many months now, the news media and news anchors have earnestly sought to dig up all the dirt on the two presidential candidates, and they have made it their duty to highlight the vulgar, and the vilest elements in human nature, repeating, and in many instances, elaborating on the shortcomings and sins of the fallen. This is done under the guise of what is labeled investigative reporting, but what is really taking place is that the multitudes are being initiated into, or reminded of evil constantly.

We have repeatedly stated on this forum that there were millions of evil spirits let loose across the land since that fateful day of June 26th 2015, and we are now beginning to see the effects of their influence upon the hearts and minds of the people. To put it in plain words, we are reaping the harvest we have sown nationally by destabilizing the sacred marriage institution, which is the foundation of society. This is the reason why the presidential election has now taken on a satanic tone, instead of those involved addressing the concerns and needs of the nation.

For those of us who may have missed it, two very important events took place in June of 2015. [1] The Supreme court dealt a deadly blow to God-ordained marriage, by making same-sex marriage legal in all fifty states. [2] In June of that same year, Donald Trump entered the race, and immediately started to spew very disturbing and alarming sentiments much to the chagrin of the GOP. From that time forward, the race for the White House has descended to the bottomless pit, with the most gruesome, vulgar and vile revelations coming from both the left and the right.

What is note-worthy, is that no one in the political realm could explain, or account for the very rare phenomena, where the two front runners are being investigated for criminal activity, and where people are faced with the prospect of voting for the lesser of two evils. In fact, many individuals are not merely voting for the candidate they love, but against the candidate they hate. And as the worst elements in human nature are now being highlighted 24/7 by the news media, national embarrassment, shame and remorse, anger and resentment, outrage and lies, conspiracies and speculations, suspicions and evils of every variety have now caused the entire nation to look tremblingly towards the near future, as if some cataclysmic event is just about to take place.

This is exactly as the devil would have it, for he and his agencies do deal in the currency of accusation, faultfinding, regurgitation of past sins and character assassination, as well as vulgar jests and joking such as are enacted on SNL. Thus, when we have stated unequivocally that millions of evil spirits were let loose last year, we should never expect to see devils with pitchforks and horns, running up and down our streets, but rather their invisible adverse influences in the display of the lowest and the vilest elements in human nature. Let’s read:

Revelation 12:9 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.
10 And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.

Ephesians 5:3 But fornication, and all uncleanness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints;
4 Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting,
which are not convenient, but rather giving of thanks.
5 For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.
The history of the fall of the city of Jerusalem, after the rejection of Christ provides the needed insights and precedents which will explain what we are now witnessing in our own nation. Let’s read:

[The Great Controversy. pp. 28>29] For forty years after the doom of Jerusalem had been pronounced, the Lord delayed his judgments upon the city and the nation. The command had gone forth, “Cut it down; why cumbereth it the ground?” But divine mercy had spared it yet a little longer. Through the preaching of the apostles and their associates, God would cause light to shine upon them; they would be permitted to see how prophecy had been fulfilled.

Then God withdrew his protection from them, and removed his restraining power from Satan and his angels, and the nation was left to the control of the leader she had chosen. Her children had spurned the grace of Christ, which would have enabled them to subdue their evil impulses, and now these became the conquerors. Satan aroused the fiercest and most debased passions of the soul.

Men did not reason; they were beyond reason,—controlled by impulse and blind rage. In the family and in the nation, among the highest and the lowest classes alike, there was suspicion, envy, hatred, strife, rebellion, murder. The rulers of the people had no power to rule themselves. The fear of God no longer disturbed them. Satan was at the head of the nation, and the highest civil and religious authorities were under his sway.

Thus, because of the adverse situation we now find ourselves in, we will have to pick and choose what we allow our minds to be bombarded with each day for when the vulgar and the vile are kept constantly before our faces, then the process of initiation into evil spirals out of control. For instance, here’s what the Bible has to say about the “Doctrine of Balaam”, the prophet who had tried repeatedly to curse the Hebrews, by endeavoring to cast a spell on them.

Numbers 23:20 Behold, I have received commandment to bless: and he hath blessed; and I cannot reverse it.
21 He hath not beheld iniquity in Jacob, neither hath he seen perverseness in Israel: the Lord his God is with him, and the shout of a king is among them.
22 God brought them out of Egypt; he hath as it were the strength of an unicorn.

But when the spell could not work, he resorted to the art of “Beholding”, the same method which is currently being used by the news media to sow and reap evil. In many cases, the news anchors may not be aware of what they are doing, however that fact does not change the downward spiral in morality, as the juicy tidbits which arouse the worst passions of the heart are dwelt upon with eager interest. Let’s read:

Revelation 2:14 But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac to cast a stumbling block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication.

Question: How did Balaam “Teach” the children of Israel to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and also to commit fornication?
Answer: He invited them to look at the rituals, and festivities, and before you know it, the Hebrews had adopted the heathen practices as a way of life. As the song says, “Just one look, that’s all it took” and the Hebrews were enticed by what they heard and saw, and became entangled in the very same sins as the Moabites were indulging. Let’s read:
Numbers 25:1 And Israel abode in Shittim, and the people began to commit whoredom with the daughters of Moab.
2 And they called the people unto the sacrifices of their gods: and the people did eat, and bowed down to their gods.
3 And Israel joined himself unto Baalpeor: and the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel.

Similarly, if we now allow our minds to dwell on the salacious details of what Mr. Trump, and Bill Clinton did, sooner or later, our thoughts and imaginations can become tainted by the same moral pollution, by the same words and expressions, and before you know it, we may begin to sound, and act like them. The servant of The Lord writes a very interesting, and relevant commentary on the downward spiral of ancient Israel, with a warning for those who are living in the last days of earth’s history, when the worst passions of human nature will be displayed before our eyes on a continual basis.

[Patriarchs & Prophets pp. 459] A long preparatory process, unknown to the world, goes on in the heart before the Christian commits open sin. The mind does not come down at once from purity and holiness to depravity, corruption, and crime. It takes time to degrade those formed in the image of God to the brutal or the satanic. By beholding we become changed. By the indulgence of impure thoughts man can so educate his mind that sin which he once loathed will become pleasant to him.

Satan is using every means to make crime and debasing vice popular. The mind is educated to familiarity with sin. The course pursued by the base and vile is kept before the people in the periodicals of the day, and everything that can excite passion is brought before them in exciting stories. They hear and read so much of debasing crime that the once tender conscience, which would have recoiled with horror from such scenes, becomes hardened, and they dwell upon these things with greedy interest.

It’s worthy of note, that while millions have been glued to their television sets, drinking in the moral filth which is being served up by political priests and priestesses, hundreds, are dying in Haiti, and many more are passing into Christ-less graves in Yemen, Syria, and parts of Africa. Thousands of Americans, and others have been overwhelmed by flooding in various parts of the U.S., but the constant drip of salacious details about Trump’s sexual rendezvous have virtually sucked up all the oxygen in the room, in so much that millions have no time to think about those who are suffering untold hardship.

Hence the reason why the study for this afternoon cautions us to think on those things that are mentioned in our first passage. Let’s read again:

Thus, it is now necessary for us to extrapolate the pertinent instructions given to us by God, so that we too should not fall a prey to the evil devices of satan. The following passages must be applied in the most literal sense, and on a consistent basis, by the grace and power of God, in order to avoid those old skeletons, and those latent evil desires which lay dormant in human nature, from being resurrected. Let’s read:

Instruction # [1] Job 31:1 I made a covenant with mine eyes; why then should I think upon a maid?

To “Think upon a maid” means to indulge in porn of any kind. It also means reading about, or listening to the sexual encounters of others. Just because it’s on Fox News or CNN does not make it news-worthy for the Christian, and therefore we should make all efforts at avoiding, seeing, and hearing that which will surely suggest impure thoughts. To do this will require serious and earnest efforts by the grace of God, but Divine power is promised to all who so desire. God’s will is that we live in this world, but not be of the world, meaning that we should not partake of any, and everything that is served up in the public domain. Let’s read:

[Patriarchs & Prophets pp. 460] We have a work to do to resist temptation. Those who would not fall a prey to Satan's devices must guard well the avenues of the soul; they must avoid reading, seeing, or hearing that which will suggest impure thoughts. The mind should not be left to wander at random upon every subject that the adversary of souls may suggest. “Girding up the loins of your mind,” says the apostle Peter, “Be sober, ... not fashioning yourselves according to your former lusts in ... your ignorance: but like as He which called you is holy, be ye yourselves also holy in all manner of living.” 1st Peter 1:13-15.

Instruction # [2] Ephesians 5:11 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.
12 For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret.

When we repeat what Trump and Clinton did or did not do, then we become conduits of evil-speaking, and the atmosphere surrounding us will become tainted. Hence the reason why the following texts are written for our admonition, so that we will not inadvertently align ourselves with the kingdom of darkness. Let’s read:

Leviticus 19:16 Thou shalt not go up and down as a talebearer among thy people.

Proverbs 11:13 A talebearer revealeth secrets: but he that is of a faithful spirit concealeth the matter.

Matthew 12:36 But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.
37 For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.

Exodus 23:13 And in all things that I have said unto you be circumspect: and make no mention of the name of other gods, neither let it be heard out of thy mouth.

Instruction # [3] John 18:36 Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world.
The kingdoms of this world also have to do with the political arena and all that is entailed therein. When God has given a particular Christian a definite call to serve in the political arena, then that person should rise to the occasion and serve faithfully, he or she being guided constantly by the principles, methods and laws that are consistent with Christ’s kingdom. Daniel and Joseph were called to serve in a secular setting, but they did not become vice-presidents by campaigning against rivals and calling them names.

Thus, it is a sad commentary we make of our time, that many Evangelical Christians, Pentecostals, and Catholics, have now become inextricably entangled in the snare of politics, and the separating lines that are drawn between church and state have become severely blurred. If we assay to become involved with the kingdoms of this world, without being bidden to do so by God, then in most cases, we will end up adapting to their, principles, and methods, which, as a rule, always leads to in-fighting of some kind. Let’s read:

John 18:36 Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence.

Question: What does Mr. Trump, Mrs. Clinton, Dr. Ben Carson, Mike Pence, Marco Rubio, Paul Ryan, have in common? They are all Christians. How is it then that there is so much vitriol and infighting and suspicion amongst themselves? It all has to do with their involvement with the kingdoms of this world. Let’s read:

Luke 22:24 And there was also a strife among them, which of them should be accounted the greatest.

Matthew 20:20 Then came to him the mother of Zebedees children with her sons, worshipping him, and desiring a certain thing of him.
21 And he said unto her, What wilt thou? She saith unto him, Grant that these my two sons may sit, the one on thy right hand, and the other on the left, in thy kingdom.
24 And when the ten heard it, they were moved with indignation against the two brethren.
25 But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them.
26 But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister;
27 And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant:
28 Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.

Thus, we close off our study today with an excerpt from the pen of inspiration, showing the dangers that are incident to the many power struggles of the kingdoms of this world, and it is the will of God that as Christians, we live on a higher plane, and operate by higher and nobler, principles and standards than those which motivate those who desperately seek for the highest place.

[The Desire Of Ages pp. 435>436] Lucifer desired God's power, but not His character. He sought for himself the highest place, and every being who is actuated by his spirit will do the same. Thus alienation, discord, and strife will be inevitable. Dominion becomes the prize of the strongest. The kingdom of Satan is a kingdom of force; every individual regards every other as an obstacle in the way of his own advancement, or a steppingstone on which he himself may climb to a higher place.

[The Desire Of Ages pp. 353] It is the dragon that is wroth; it is the spirit of Satan that is revealed in anger and accusing. But God's servants are to be representatives of Him. He desires them to deal only in the currency of heaven, the truth that bears His own image and superscription. The power by which they are to overcome evil is the power of Christ.

May God add His blessing to the study and practice of His word.

God bless!

The Difference Between Faith And Presumption. Sabbath Afternoon. 10/08/2016

October 08, 2016

In our day millions of Christians have succumbed to a counterfeit of faith known as presumption, and because it resembles the real thing very closely, it has become increasingly difficult for people to tell the difference. Presumption, in the spiritual sense is that attitude, and erroneous conclusion that God’s goodness will save or deliver us from the results of wrong choices and actions. It is also manifested in a disposition to make little, or no effort in achieving God’s will. Humanity is often tempted on these two main strains of presumption, and it’s very sad that in the overwhelming majority of cases, satan has been successful.

Presumption leads a person to sin deliberately, believing that they will always be forgiven. It also leads persons to take unnecessary risks, thereby putting themselves deliberately in harm’s way when not warranted, and then expecting God to deliver if trouble comes along. Presumption also leads many people to make no effort in working for their daily bread, expecting The Lord to provide miraculously, without any input from the human agent.

Faith on the other hand trusts whole-heartedly in the promises, stipulations, and prerequisites of the Bible, making maximum effort in the fulfillment of God’s promises, trusting Him to take up the slack, and giving Him the glory, and the credit for what has been accomplished. Faith without any works is dead, and therefore any doctrine that savors of the phrase “just believe and it will happen” is a form of presumption. Let’s read:

James 2:17 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.
19 Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.
20 But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?
25 Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way?

[The Desire Of Ages. pp. 126] Faith is in no sense allied to presumption. Only he who has true faith is secure against presumption. For presumption is Satan's counterfeit of faith. Faith claims God's promises, and brings forth fruit in obedience. Presumption also claims the promises, but uses them as Satan did, to excuse transgression. Faith would have led our first parents to trust the love of God, and to obey His commands. Presumption led them to transgress His law, believing that His great love would save them from the consequence of their sin.
It is not faith that claims the favor of Heaven without complying with the conditions on which mercy is to be granted. Genuine faith has its foundation in the promises and provisions of the Scriptures. Often when Satan has failed of exciting distrust, he succeeds in leading us to presumption. If he can cause us to place ourselves unnecessarily in the way of temptation, he knows that the victory is his. God will preserve all who walk in the path of obedience; but to depart from it is to venture on Satan's ground. There we are sure to fall.

The Savior has bidden us, “Watch ye and pray, lest ye enter into temptation.” Mark 14:38. Meditation and prayer would keep us from rushing unbidden into the way of danger, and thus we should be saved from many a defeat.

This past week we were warned by the national weather service on several occasions to make the necessary preparations for the approach of a deadly hurricane. Some people took the warning seriously, whilst others deliberately chose to put themselves in harm’s way, just for the fun of surfing. When God uses human agencies to warn us of things to come, He expects us to use our available knowledge, and intelligence in a preemptive manner, so as to avoid as far as possible, any adverse or life-threatening circumstances.

With the Christian, everything that is done or which is accomplished in life is always achieved through the cooperation of the human and the Divine, for it is God who works within us to will and to do of His good pleasure. Thus, as a general rule of thumb, any prospective achievement which allows the human agent to sit back on his or her lees, while God does all the work, is a form of presumption, and should be resolutely resisted and avoided.

To deliberately go surfing when a dangerous storm is brewing nearby is not faith, but presumption, and in such cases, God usually does not hear, or answer the prayers of those who are thus exercised. When sufficient warning had been given to pharaoh about the coming seven years of drought, those who took the Lord seriously made ample preparation, and all those who didn’t placed themselves in very difficult circumstances.

Again, when the warning was given to pharaoh, and his servants about the hailstorm that was to occur the next day, all who heeded the warning took the necessary steps in protecting life and property, whilst those who did not suffered heavy fatalities, and temporal loss. And God worked no miracle to prevent the natural result of a wrong choice. It is a sin of presumption not to make any preparations in the face of dire warnings from God. Let’s read:

Exodus 9:18 Behold, tomorrow about this time I will cause it to rain a very grievous hail, such as hath not been in Egypt since the foundation thereof even until now.
19 Send therefore now, and gather thy cattle, and all that thou hast in the field; for upon every man and beast which shall be found in the field, and shall not be brought home, the hail shall come down upon them, and they shall die.
20 He that feared the word of the Lord among the servants of Pharaoh made his servants and his cattle flee into the houses.
21 And he that regarded not the word of the Lord left his servants and his cattle in the field.
22 And the Lord said unto Moses, Stretch forth thine hand toward heaven, that there may be hail in all the land of Egypt, upon man, and upon beast, and upon every herb of the field, throughout the land of Egypt.
23 And Moses stretched forth his rod toward heaven: and the Lord sent thunder and hail, and the fire ran along upon the ground; and the Lord rained hail upon the land of Egypt.
24 So there was hail, and fire mingled with the hail, very grievous, such as there was none like it in all the land of Egypt since it became a nation.
25 And the hail smote throughout all the land of Egypt all that was in the field, both man and beast; and the hail smote every herb of the field, and brake every tree of the field.

Genesis 41:22 And I saw in my dream, and, behold, seven ears came up in one stalk, full and good.
23 And, behold, seven ears, withered, thin, and blasted with the east wind, sprung up after them. 24 And the thin ears devoured the seven good ears: and I told this unto the magicians; but there was none that could declare it to me.
25 And Joseph said unto Pharaoh, The dream of Pharaoh is one: God hath shewed Pharaoh what he is about to do.
26 The seven good kine are seven years; and the seven good ears are seven years: the dream is one.
27 And the seven thin and ill-favored kine that came up after them are seven years; and the seven empty ears blasted with the east wind shall be seven years of famine.
28 What God is about to do he sheweth unto Pharaoh.
29 Behold, there come seven years of great plenty throughout all the land of Egypt.
30 And there shall arise after them seven years of famine; and all the plenty shall be forgotten in the land of Egypt; and the famine shall consume the land;
31 And the plenty shall not be known in the land by reason of that famine following; for it shall be very grievous.
32 And for that the dream was doubled unto Pharaoh twice; it is because the thing is established by God, and God will shortly bring it to pass.
33 Now therefore let Pharaoh look out a man discreet and wise, and set him over the land of
Egypt.
34 Let Pharaoh do this, and let him appoint officers over the land, and take up the fifth part of the land of Egypt in the seven plenteous years.
35 And let them gather all the food of those good years that come, and lay up corn under the hand of Pharaoh, and let them keep food in the cities.
36 And that food shall be for store to the land against the seven years of famine, which shall be in the land of Egypt; that the land perish not through the famine.
37 And the thing was good in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of all his servants.

Whenever the national weather service issues us its warnings about coming hurricanes or tornadoes, it always gives us at least three very important pieces of information which are very critical to the survival of those who ought to listen:
[1] Where the storm, or the tornado is headed.
[2] The intensity and potential damage that can be done.
[3] What needs to be done in order to avoid catastrophic human loss, as well as property damage. Let’s read:

Gov. Rick Scott issued an urgent plea to people living in low-lying areas to leave as soon as possible. He also had a warning for thrill seekers looking to take advantage of the increasingly rough seas. It is important to stay away from the coast, which could see swells upward of 10 feet, he said. Florida Gov. Rick Scott on Thursday issued a dire warning to residents living in evacuation zones to leave immediately or risk death because of an impending hurricane set to make landfall in the state.

Hurricane Matthew is bearing down on the state, and forecasters have predicted forceful winds and a storm surge of 5 to 9 feet starting early Friday. The storm is expected to hit Florida as a Category 4 hurricane. "If you're watching and you're in an evacuation area, get out," Scott said. "Don't take a chance. Time is running out.

This is clearly going to either have a direct hit or come right along our coast and we're going to have hurricane-force winds. There are no excuses. You need to leave. Evacuate, evacuate, evacuate." Scott stressed that it could be a matter of life and death. "Are you willing to take a chance to risk your life? Are you willing to take a gamble?" he said. "That's what you're doing. If you're reluctant to evacuate, just think of all the people the storm has already killed. You and your family could be among these numbers if you don't take this seriously."

There is no reason for anyone to be on the beach, Scott said. "Do not surf, do not be on the beach," Scott said. He told residents to be prepared for power outages, saying that it is a matter of when it happens, not if. "You will lose power. Millions of Floridians are going to lose power," Scott said. "Just remember, this storm can change at a moment's notice."

There is another, far more deadly spiritual storm now approaching, and although the dire warnings, with the same three critical pieces of information have already been given, many are still “Surfing” as it were. The Bible tells us that the second coming of Christ is brewing in the not too distant future, and like the national weather service, God has given us ample time to prepare preemptively, so as to minimize the catastrophic loss of life that has been predicted. Like our own Governor, Rick Scott, the words of solemn entreaty have been echoed by the prophets, but millions of folks are still wandering in darkness incognizant of the imminent danger facing our world.

When the laws of God are replaced by the laws of men, the probation of the entire human race will be brought to a swift and permanent close, and when that occurs a deadly, terrible spiritual storm, with ramifications, and consequences in the material world will ensue. Trouble is often found greater in anticipation than in reality, as it was in the case of hurricane Matthew hitting Florida, but this cannot be said of the storm that is now brewing just on the Horizon. To understand the magnitude of what is being spoken of, we will need to observe what the scripture says about it, in several different passages, when describing its impact on the human race. Let’s read:

Daniel 12:1 And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.
2 And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.
3 And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever.
4 But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.

Amos 8:3 And the songs of the temple shall be howlings in that day, saith the Lord God: there shall be many dead bodies in every place; they shall cast them forth with silence.
Revelation 13:16 And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:
17 And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.
18 Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.

Revelation 14:9 And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand,
10 The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation”…
12 Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith
of Jesus.

Psalms 50:3 Our God shall come, and shall not keep silence: a fire shall devour before him, and it shall be very tempestuous round about him.
4 He shall call to the heavens from above, and to the earth, that he may judge his people.
5 Gather my saints together unto me; those that have made a covenant with me by sacrifice.
6 And the heavens shall declare his righteousness: for God is judge himself.

Isaiah 30:27 Behold, the name of the Lord cometh from far, burning with his anger, and the burden thereof is heavy: his lips are full of indignation, and his tongue as a devouring fire:
28 And his breath, as an overflowing stream, shall reach to the midst of the neck, to sift the nations with the sieve of vanity: and there shall be a bridle in the jaws of the people, causing them to err.
29 Ye shall have a song, as in the night when a holy solemnity is kept; and gladness of heart, as when one goeth with a pipe to come into the mountain of the Lord, to the mighty One of Israel.
30 And the Lord shall cause his glorious voice to be heard, and shall shew the lighting down of his arm, with the indignation of his anger, and with the flame of a devouring fire, with scattering, and tempest, and hailstones.

Daniel 2: 34 Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon his feet that were of iron and clay, and brake them to pieces.
35 Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshing floors; and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them: and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth.
44 And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be
destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever.
45 Forasmuch as thou sawest that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it brake in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold; the great God hath made known to the king what shall come to pass hereafter: and the dream is certain, and the interpretation thereof sure.

Some may be wondering, or asking where we are in the stream of time, as it pertains to this cryptic image of Daniel chapter two. Answer: We are living in the toe nails, which means that we are living on the brink of something stupendous, the likes of which the world has never seen. And like governor Rick Scott, the God of heaven has sent his own national weather service to warn the inhabitants of earth of things to come. Thus, we will take just a few excerpts of the warnings and entreaties which were given as hurricane Matthew approached, and we will show the parallel warnings in scripture, so that all who so desire may now find shelter in Christ while the small window of opportunity still remains. Let’s read:

[1] “Leave immediately or risk death because of an impending hurricane”.
Matthew 24:3 And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?
4 And Jesus answered and said unto them”…
15 When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:)
16 Then let them flee into the mountains:
17 Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take anything out of his house:
18 Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes.

Revelation 18:2 And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird.
3 For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies.
4 And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.
5 For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities.

[2] “Don't take a chance. Time is running out”.

Matthew 24:32 Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh:
33 So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors.
37 But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
38 For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark,
39 And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
42 Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.
44 Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.

[3] “There are no excuses”.

Luke 14:16 Then said he unto him, A certain man made a great supper, and bade many:
17 And sent his servant at supper time to say to them that were bidden, Come; for all things are now ready.
18 And they all with one consent began to make excuses. The first said unto him, I have bought a piece of ground, and I must needs go and see it: I pray thee have me excused.
19 And another said, I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to prove them: I pray thee have me excused.
20 And another said, I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.

[4] “It could be a matter of life and death”.

Matthew 25:31 When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:
32 And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:
33 And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.
34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:
41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels.

[5] "Are you willing to take a chance to risk your life? Are you willing to take a gamble?" he said. "That's what you're doing. You and your family could be among these numbers if you don't take this seriously."

Ezekiel 14:12 The word of the Lord came again to me, saying,
13 Son of man, when the land sinneth against me by trespassing grievously, then will I stretch out mine hand upon it, and will break the staff of the bread thereof, and will send famine upon it, and will cut off man and beast from it:
14 Though these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it,
16 they shall deliver neither sons nor daughters; they only shall be delivered, but the land shall be desolate.

We close with a short history of the flood that came upon the antediluvian world, and the lackadaisical, attitude manifested by approximately 7 billion folk. Let’s read:

[Patriarchs & Prophets pp. 98>101]
Mercy had ceased its pleadings for the guilty race. The beasts of the field and the birds of the air had entered the place of refuge. Noah and his household were within the ark, “and the Lord shut him in.” A flash of dazzling light was seen, and a cloud of glory more vivid than the lightning descended from heaven and hovered before the entrance of the ark. The massive door, which it was impossible for those within to close, was slowly swung to its place by unseen hands.

Noah was shut in, and the rejecters of God's mercy were shut out. So when Christ shall cease His intercession for guilty men, before His coming in the clouds of heaven, the door of mercy will be shut. Then divine grace will no longer restrain the wicked, and Satan will have full control of those who have rejected mercy. For seven days after Noah and his family entered the ark, there appeared no sign of the coming storm. It was a time of triumph to the world without. The apparent delay confirmed them in the belief that Noah's message was a delusion, and that the Flood would never come.

But upon the eighth day dark clouds overspread the heavens. There followed the muttering of thunder and the flash of lightning. Soon large drops of rain began to fall. The world had never witnessed anything like this, and the hearts of men were struck with fear. All were secretly inquiring, “Can it be that Noah was in the right, and that the world is doomed to destruction?” Darker and darker grew the heavens, and faster came the falling rain. The beasts were roaming about in the wildest terror, and their discordant cries seemed to moan out their own destiny and the fate of man.

Then “the fountains of the great deep” were “broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened.” Water appeared to come from the clouds in mighty cataracts. Rivers broke away from their boundaries, and overflowed the valleys. Jets of water burst from the earth with indescribable force, throwing massive rocks hundreds of feet into the air, and these, in falling, buried themselves deep in the ground.

The people first beheld the destruction of the works of their own hands. Their splendid buildings, and the beautiful gardens and groves where they had placed their idols, were destroyed by lightning from heaven, and the ruins were scattered far and wide. The altars on which human sacrifices had been offered were torn down, and the worshipers were

made to tremble at the power of the living God, and to know that it was their corruption and idolatry which had called down their destruction.

As the violence of the storm increased, trees, buildings, rocks, and earth were hurled in every direction. The terror of man and beast was beyond description. Above the roar of the tempest was heard the wailing of a people that had despised the authority of God. Satan himself, who was compelled to remain in the midst of the warring elements, feared for his own existence. Others were frantic with fear, stretching their hands toward the ark and pleading for admittance.

But their entreaties were in vain. Conscience was at last aroused to know that there is a God who ruleth in the heavens. They called upon Him earnestly, but His ear was not open to their cry. In that terrible hour they saw that the transgression of God's law had caused their ruin.
The beasts, exposed to the tempest, rushed toward man, as though expecting help from him. Some of the people bound their children and themselves upon powerful animals, knowing that these were tenacious of life, and would climb to the highest points to escape the rising waters. Some fastened themselves to lofty trees on the summit of hills or mountains; but the trees were uprooted, and with their burden of living beings were hurled into the seething billows. One spot after another that promised safety was abandoned.

As the waters rose higher and higher, the people fled for refuge to the loftiest mountains. Often man and beast would struggle together for a foothold, until both were swept away. From the highest peaks men looked abroad upon a shoreless ocean. The solemn warnings of God's servant no longer seemed a subject for ridicule and scorning. How those doomed sinners longed for the opportunities which they had slighted! How they pleaded for one hour's probation, one more privilege of mercy, one call from the lips of Noah!

But the sweet voice of mercy was no more to be heard by them. Love, no less than justice, demanded that God's judgments should put a check on sin. The avenging waters swept over the last retreat, and the despisers of God perished in the black depths.

He that hath an ear to hear, let him hear what The Spirit says to the churches, because it is going to “Rain” again.
God bless!

The Trickle-Down Effect Of Sin. Sabbath afternoon. 10/01/2016

October 01, 2016

Ever since the fall of our first parents, there has been a trickle-down effect of sin, which has both spiritual, and physical dimensions. For every sin committed, whether deliberately, or inadvertently, there are consequences which occur, the physical being more obvious than the spiritual. For example, when Adam and Eve sinned, they died immediately, spiritually speaking, because their relationship with God had been broken. This spiritual death was not apparent at the first, however, the physical effects soon began to be observed, and as time went by, the baleful, and ultimate effect of physical death took its toll. Let’s read:

Genesis 3:6 And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.
7 And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.
8 And they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God amongst the trees of the garden.
9 And the Lord God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou?
10 And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.

Genesis 5:5 And all the days that Adam lived were nine hundred and thirty years: and he died.

[Spirit Of Prophecy vol. 1 pp. 39>41] Eve reasoned that the serpent said they should not surely die, and she felt no signs of God's displeasure, but a pleasant influence, as she imagined the angels felt. Adam regretted that Eve had left his side; but now the deed was done. And in utter discouragement he resolved to share her fate. Eve was before him, just as lovely and beautiful, and apparently as innocent, as before this act of disobedience. He saw in her no signs of death. He seized the fruit and quickly ate it, and, like Eve, felt not immediately its ill effects.

The covering of light about them soon disappeared, and under a sense of guilt, and loss of their divine covering, a shivering seized them, and they tried to cover their exposed forms. The air that had been of a mild and even temperature, seemed to chill them. The guilty pair had a sense of sin. They felt a dread of the future, a sense of want, a nakedness of soul. The sweet love, and peace, and happy, contented bliss, seemed removed from them, and in its place a want of something came over them that they never experienced before. They then for the first turned their attention to the external. They had not been clothed, but were draped in light as were the heavenly angels. This light which had enshrouded them departed.

[The Story Of Redemption. pp. 55] As Adam witnessed the first signs of decaying nature in the falling leaf and in the drooping flowers, he mourned more deeply than men now mourn over their dead. The drooping flowers were not so deep a cause of grief, because more tender and delicate; but for the tall, noble, sturdy trees to cast off their leaves, to decay, presented before him the general dissolution of beautiful nature, which God had created for the special benefit of man.

Thus, we will study several cases in which the trickle down effect of sin can be clearly seen, and then we will apply the same principle to our day, first, to see why we are, where we are, and then to apply the God-ordained remedies for our restoration.

[1] We will begin with Eli and his sons, to whom were given the office of the priesthood, and who were the highest earthly authorities in the land of the Hebrews. Eli as a father had a problem in the discipline of his sons, because doing so involved unpleasant duties, such as crossing the will of his children when they chose to do wrong, Thus, as a result of his lack of decisive action in the training of his children, a dire trickle-down effect was observed across the entire nation, in both the spiritual, and physical realms. Let’s read:

1st Samuel 2:12 Now the sons of Eli were sons of Belial; they knew not the Lord.
16 And if any man said unto him, Let them not fail to burn the fat presently, and then take as much as thy soul desireth; then he would answer him, Nay; but thou shalt give it me now: and if not, I will take it by force.
17 Wherefore the sin of the young men was very great before the Lord: for men abhorred the
offering of the Lord.
22 Now Eli was very old, and heard all that his sons did unto all Israel; and how they lay with the women that assembled at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.
23 And he said unto them, why do ye such things? for I hear of your evil dealings by all this people.
24 Nay, my sons; for it is no good report that I hear: ye make the Lord's people to transgress.

1st Samuel 3:11 And the Lord said to Samuel, Behold, I will do a thing in Israel, at which both the ears of every one that heareth it shall tingle.
12 In that day I will perform against Eli all things which I have spoken concerning his house: when I begin, I will also make an end.
13 For I have told him that I will judge his house for ever for the iniquity which he knoweth; because his sons made themselves vile, and he restrained them not.
14 And therefore I have sworn unto the house of Eli, that the iniquity of Eli's house shall not be purged with sacrifice nor offering forever.

[Patriarchs and Prophets. pp. 577>] Many of the people, filled with indignation at the corrupt course of Hophni and Phinehas, ceased to come up to the appointed place of worship. Thus the service which God had ordained was despised and neglected because associated with the sins of wicked men, while those whose hearts were inclined to evil were emboldened in sin. Ungodliness, profligacy, and even idolatry prevailed to a fearful extent.

Those who have too little courage to reprove wrong, or who through indolence or lack of interest make no earnest effort to purify the family or the church of God, are held accountable for the evil that may result from their neglect of duty. We are just as responsible for evils that we might have checked in others by exercise of parental or pastoral authority
as if the acts had been our own. Because of Eli's position, his influence was more extended than if he had been an ordinary man. His family life was imitated throughout Israel. The baleful results of his negligent, ease-loving ways were seen in thousands of homes that were molded by his example.

The adverse effects in the temporal realm:
1st Samuel 4:2 And the Philistines put themselves in array against Israel: and when they joined battle, Israel was smitten before the Philistines: and they slew of the army in the field about four thousand men.
10 And the Philistines fought, and Israel was smitten, and they fled every man into his tent: and there was a very great slaughter; for there fell of Israel thirty thousand footmen.

[Patriarchs & Prophets pp. 583] As the shattered and disheartened force returned to their encampment, “the elders of Israel said, Wherefore hath the Lord smitten us today before the Philistines?” The nation was ripe for the judgments of God, yet they did not see that their own sins had been the cause of this terrible disaster. The Philistines made a fierce assault, which resulted in the defeat of Israel, with great slaughter. Thirty thousand men lay dead upon the field, and the ark of God was taken, the two sons of Eli having fallen while fighting to defend it.

[2] The Elders of Israel in the sexual sins committed with the Moabites, and the adverse effects in the spiritual realm:
Numbers 25:1 And Israel abode in Shittim, and the people began to commit whoredom with the daughters of Moab.
2 And they called the people unto the sacrifices of their gods: and the people did eat, and bowed down to their gods.
3 And Israel joined himself unto Baalpeor: and the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel.
4 And the Lord said unto Moses, Take all the heads of the people, and hang them up before the Lord against the sun, that the fierce anger of the Lord may be turned away from Israel.

[Patriarchs & Prophets pp. 454] At Balaam's suggestion, a grand festival in honor of their gods was appointed by the king of Moab, and it was secretly arranged that Balaam should induce the Israelites to attend. Great numbers of the people joined him in witnessing the festivities. They ventured upon the forbidden ground, and were entangled in the snare of Satan. Beguiled with music and dancing, and allured by the beauty of heathen vestals, they cast off their fealty to Jehovah. As they united in mirth and feasting, indulgence in wine beclouded their senses and broke down the barriers of self-control.

Passion had full sway; and having defiled their consciences by lewdness, they were persuaded to bow down to idols. They offered sacrifice upon heathen altars and participated in the most degrading rites. It was not long before the poison had spread, like a deadly infection, through the camp of Israel. Those who would have conquered their enemies in battle were overcome by the wiles of heathen women. The rulers and the leading men were among the first to transgress, and so many of the people were guilty that the apostasy became national. “Israel joined himself unto Baalpeor.”

When Moses was aroused to perceive the evil, the plots of their enemies had been so successful that not only were the Israelites participating in the licentious worship at Mount Peor, but the heathen rites were coming to be observed in the camp of Israel.

And now, the adverse effects in the temporal realm:
Numbers 25:9 And those that died in the plague were twenty and four thousand.

[3] David, and his sin with Bathsheba, the murder of her husband Uriah, and the adverse effects in the spiritual realm:
2nd Samuel 12:6 And he shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity.
7 And Nathan said to David, Thou art the man. Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, I anointed thee king over Israel, and I delivered thee out of the hand of Saul;
9 Wherefore hast thou despised the commandment of the Lord, to do evil in his sight? thou hast killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword, and hast taken his wife to be thy wife, and hast slain him with the sword of the children of Ammon.
10 Now therefore the sword shall never depart from thine house; because thou hast despised me, and hast taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be thy wife.
11 Thus saith the Lord, Behold, I will raise up evil against thee out of thine own house, and I will take thy wives before thine eyes, and give them unto thy neighbour, and he shall lie with thy wives in the sight of this sun.
12 For thou didst it secretly: but I will do this thing before all Israel, and before the sun.

[Patriarchs & Prophets pp. 723] Heretofore God's providence had preserved David against all the plottings of his enemies, and had been directly exercised to restrain Saul. But David's transgression had changed his relation to God. The Lord could not in any wise sanction iniquity. He could not exercise His power to protect David from the results of his sin as he had protected him from the enmity of Saul. There was a great change in David himself. He was broken in spirit by the consciousness of his sin and its far-reaching results. He felt humbled in the eyes of his subjects. His influence was weakened.

Hitherto his prosperity had been attributed to his conscientious obedience to the commandments of the Lord. But now his subjects, having a knowledge of his sin, would be led to sin more freely. His authority in his own household, his claim to respect and obedience from his sons, was weakened. A sense of his guilt kept him silent when he should have condemned sin; it made his arm feeble to execute justice in his house. His evil example exerted its influence upon his sons, and God would not interpose to prevent the result. He would permit things to take their natural course, and thus David was severely chastised.

[Patriarchs & Prophets pp. 727] “He shall restore fourfold,” had been David's unwitting sentence upon himself, on listening to the prophet Nathan's parable; and according to his own sentence he was to be judged. Four of his sons must fall, and the loss of each would be a result of the father's sin. The shameful crime of Amnon, the first-born, was permitted by David to pass unpunished and unrebuked. The law pronounced death upon the adulterer, and the unnatural crime of Amnon made him doubly guilty. But David, self-condemned for his own sin, failed to bring the offender to justice.

For two full years Absalom, the natural protector of the sister so foully wronged, concealed his purpose of revenge, but only to strike more surely at the last. At a feast of the king's sons the drunken, incestuous Amnon was slain by his brother's command.

2nd Samuel 15:13 And there came a messenger to David, saying, The hearts of the men of Israel are after Absalom.
14 And David said unto all his servants that were with him at Jerusalem, Arise, and let us flee; for we shall not else escape from Absalom: make speed to depart, lest he overtake us suddenly, and bring evil upon us, and smite the city with the edge of the sword.
16 And the king went forth, and all his household after him. And the king left ten women, which were concubines, to keep the house.
17 And the king went forth, and all the people after him, and tarried in a place that was far off.
18 And all his servants passed on beside him; and all the Cherethites, and all the Pelethites, and all the Gittites, six hundred men which came after him from Gath, passed on before the king.
22 And David said to Ittai, Go and pass over. And Ittai the Gittite passed over, and all his men, and all the little ones that were with him.
23 And all the country wept with a loud voice, and all the people passed over: the king also himself passed over the brook Kidron, and all the people passed over, toward the way of the wilderness.
24 And lo Zadok also, and all the Levites were with him, bearing the ark of the covenant of God: and they set down the ark of God; and Abiathar went up, until all the people had done passing out of the city.
25 And the king said unto Zadok, Carry back the ark of God into the city: if I shall find favor in the eyes of the Lord, he will bring me again, and shew me both it, and his habitation:
30 And David went up by the ascent of mount Olivet, and wept as he went up, and had his head covered, and he went barefoot: and all the people that was with him covered every man his head, and they went up, weeping as they went up.

Question: Do the very same trickle-down effects of sin continue to occur in our day, and if so, what are those sins, and what can be done to stop the dire hemorrhaging we’re now experiencing?
Answer: The very same principle of root cause and
effect takes place, just as it did in years gone by, and it is scheduled to soon escalate to a national emergency, as sin is made the law of the land. In each instance we investigated, the cascading effect began with the leaders, and the adverse results of sin was experienced by the multitudes and leaders alike.

Last year in June, we saw the culmination of a trend towards the acceptance of gay marriage, in the final legalization by the supreme court. Ever since that fateful day of June 26 2015, better known as “Black Friday”, the trickle-down effects of all sexual sins has increased to a large degree, both in the spiritual and physical realms, with national and international consequences, which, as we previously observed, will be allowed to run their natural course. The sacred institution of God-ordained marriage was given to the human family as a bulwark to protect society from untold evils, and therefore, by the act of changing the fundamental dimension, we have signally reversed God’s order, which will result in the destabilization of society. Let’s read:

Whenever a nation or the judiciary makes a law, by that very act they are saying that this is the right thing to do. And thus, the logical reasoning along that very same line is that God was wrong when He restricted the institution to one man and his female wife. And therefore, if God was wrong, then mortal man is apparently more intelligent and wiser than The Lord. This is exactly how the authority of God is now being usurped, and will finally culminate in the legislation of worship, with the judiciary concluding that God also gave us the wrong day to worship on.

This is one of the main reasons why we are now witnessing an unprecedented uptick in violence, crime, mass shootings, terrorist activity, and general dissolution of society, where suspicion, unrest, and conspiracy theories are flying back and forth. This is also the reason for the highly unusual election cycle which is being branded as a choice for the better of two evils. Many do not know it as yet, but we have been cornered as a nation, and moral declension will continue to escalate to a frightening extent, if we do not put on the emergency brakes real soon. Let’s read:

(CNN) Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump are historically unpopular, but large numbers of Americans who can't stand them will likely vote for one of them anyway. They'll do this because, among other reasons, they'll feel forced into choosing the lesser of two evils.

(The Christian Post- By kevin Porter) Since Franklin Graham knows that many Christians feel that they don't have good options this presidential election season, he's advising that they support the candidate most likely to listen to their concerns. "You have to make that choice," he said. "Now, you might have to hold your nose." He also identified what he felt were currently the biggest threats to the nation, which included crime, racism, secularism, abortion, and gay marriage. During his tour stop in Madison, Wisconsin in June, Graham said the massacre at a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida -- the deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history -- was a "symptom" of the country's spiritual condition.

Therefore, the question is, what do we do? What can now be done to arrest the situation, so that we may experience a reversal of our fortunes? What can we do, to try to prevent the full consequences of our actions from taking effect? We must now turn to the Bible for answers, for it contains the only safe, and workable remedies that can be applied. Let’s read:

2nd Chronicles 7:14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
15 Now mine eyes shall be open, and mine ears attent unto the prayer that is made in this place.

Humbling ourselves individually and nationally will include first an admission that we have sinned, then asking God to forgive us, and a repeal of that which has caused a serious rupture in our relationship with The God in whom we claim to trust. Then, we must be willing to bear the adverse consequences of our actions, even though it will include actual loss in the temporal realm, including human lives. Then, when these prerequisites are in place, we may ask God to have mercy on us, so that He may again rein in the millions of demons that have been let loose across the land, by our own choices.

These scriptural recommendations are not expected to be popular or politically correct, but they are the only ways by which we can be restored to the divine favor. Thus, we hope and pray that our political and religious leaders may begin to connect the dots, for we have strayed very far from God’s ideal for his earth-born children. We therefore end with a few passages of scripture which encapsulate where we are, and what needs to be urgently done to stay the current, cascading course of evil. Let’s read:

Isaiah 1:15 And when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you: yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear: your hands are full of blood.
16 Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil;
17 Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed”…
18 Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.
19 If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land:
20 But if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.

May God add His blessing to the study and practice of His word.

God bless!

How To Remedy A Haunted House. Sabbath Afternoon. 09/24/2016

September 24, 2016

There are many homes across the land in which the devils have already taken up residence; some know of it and others don’t. The manifestation of demons does not only take a gruesome form, with persons frothing at the mouth, or doing other weird things, unthinkable things. Manifestations also occur in the form of paranormal activity, or in constant bickering amongst husbands, and wives, and family members. Whatever the case might be, this study will focus on the root causes, the God-ordained remedies, and how we may avoid a repeat of these phenomena in the future.

To begin with, it’s important for us to understand that God has set certain bounds by which every created intelligence living on the planet are to live and operate, and it’s very comforting to know, that although we live in a sinful world, God has not left us to the arbitrary control of evil spirits. There are several pertinent promises in the scriptures which confirm to us God’s protecting watch-care, and by these we are to live.

These precious promises are given on condition, and whenever, and wherever the stipulations are fulfilled, God’s Omni-potent hand will be over and about His people as an invisible shield of defense. In other words, if demons or evil men attempt to harm or curse God’s people, they will first have to pass through God. And the sacred record teaches us that whenever, in His own wisdom it becomes necessary to use force in the accomplishment His benevolent purposes, He most definitely will, even though it is not His preferable method of working. Let’s read:

Isaiah 26:3 Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.
4 Trust ye in the Lord forever: for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength.

Isaiah 32:17 And the work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance forever.
18 And my people shall dwell in a peaceable habitation, and in sure dwellings, and in quiet resting places.

2nd timothy 1:7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

Proverbs 3:23 Then shalt thou walk in thy way safely, and thy foot shall not stumble.
24 When thou liest down, thou shalt not be afraid: yea, thou shalt lie down, and thy sleep shall be sweet.

Psalms 121:1 I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.
2 My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth.
3 He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber.
5 The Lord is thy keeper: the Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand.
6 The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night.
7 The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul.
8 The Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore.

Psalms 34:7 The angel of the Lord encampeth round
about them that fear him, and delivereth them.
8 O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.

[Excerpts From The Great Controversy. pp 511>513] The connection of the visible with the invisible world, the ministration of angels of God, and the agency of evil spirits, are plainly revealed in the Scriptures, and inseparably interwoven with human history. There is a growing tendency to disbelief in the existence of evil spirits, while the holy angels that “minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation” (Hebrews 1:14) are regarded by many as spirits of the dead. But the Scriptures not only teach the existence of angels, both good and evil, but present unquestionable proof that these are not disembodied spirits of dead men.

Angels are in nature superior to men, for the psalmist says that man was made “a little lower than the angels.” Psalm 8:5. We are informed in Scripture as to the number, and the power and glory, of the heavenly beings, of their connection with the government of God, and also of their relation to the work of redemption. Ten thousand times ten thousand and thousands of thousands, were the heavenly messengers beheld by the prophet Daniel.

The apostle Paul declared them “an innumerable company.” Daniel 7:10; Hebrews 12:22. As God's messengers they go forth, like “the appearance of a flash of lightning,” (Ezekiel 1:14), so dazzling their glory, and so swift their flight. The angel that appeared at the Savior's tomb, his countenance “like lightning, and his raiment white as snow,” caused the keepers for fear of him to quake, and they “became as dead men.” Matthew 28:3, 4.

When Sennacherib, the haughty Assyrian, reproached and blasphemed God, and threatened Israel with destruction, “it came to pass that night, that the angel of the Lord went out, and smote in the camp of the Assyrians an hundred fourscore and five thousand.” There were “cut off all the mighty men of valor, and the leaders and captains,” from the army of Sennacherib. “So he returned with shame of face to his own land.” 2 Kings 19:35; 2 Chronicles 32:21.

Angels are sent on missions of mercy to the children of God. To Abraham, with promises of blessing; to the gates of Sodom, to rescue righteous Lot from its fiery doom; to Elijah, as he was about to perish from weariness and hunger in the desert; to Elisha, with chariots and horses of fire surrounding the little town where he was shut in by his foes; to Daniel, while seeking divine wisdom in the court of a heathen king, or abandoned to become the lions’ prey; to Peter, doomed to death in Herod's dungeon; to the prisoners at Philippi; to Paul and his companions in the night of tempest on the sea.
Thus holy angels have, in all ages, ministered to God's people. A guardian angel is appointed to every follower of Christ. These heavenly watchers shield the righteous from the power of the wicked one. Said the Savior, speaking of those that believe in Him: “Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of My Father.” Matthew 18:10. The angels appointed to minister to the children of God have at all times access to His presence.

Thus God's people, exposed to the deceptive power and unsleeping malice of the prince of darkness, and in conflict with all the forces of evil, are assured of the unceasing guardianship of heavenly angels. Nor is such assurance given without need. If God has granted to His children promise of grace and protection, it is because there are mighty agencies of evil to be met—agencies numerous, determined, and untiring, of whose malignity and power none
can safely be ignorant or unheeding.

The following therefore are some fundamentals we must understand pertaining to the spiritual realm.
[1] It’s important for us to understand that there is generic protection, by which all humanity is brought under the safety net of the Holy Spirit, who is The General running things on the planet, in Christ’s stead. Then there is tailor-made protection through which The Lord commissions His special forces to surround, and watch over His people, and all those who shall be heirs of salvation, night and day. This fact was acknowledged by satan himself, after he observed that Job had an invisible shield of holy angels guarding his family, his property, livestock, and pets night and day. Let’s read:

This leads us to our second basic point:
[2] Demons are banned from making incursions into the homes in which God-fearing believers dwell.

Matthew 12:28 But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you.
29 Or else how can one enter into a strong man's house, and spoil his goods, except he first bind the strong man? and then he will spoil his house.

[The Adventist Home. pp. 323] When Christ is in the heart, He is brought into the family. The father and mother feel the importance of living in obedience to the Holy Spirit so that the heavenly angels, who minister to those who shall be heirs of salvation, will minister to them as teachers in the home, educating and training them for the work of teaching their children.

[The Desire Of Ages pp. 324] When the soul surrenders itself to Christ, a new power takes possession of the new heart. A change is wrought which man can never accomplish for himself. It is a supernatural work, bringing a supernatural element into human nature. The soul that is yielded to Christ becomes His own fortress, which He holds in a revolted world, and He intends that no authority shall be known in it but His own. A soul thus kept in possession by the heavenly agencies is impregnable to the assaults of Satan.

Let’s take two well-documented examples:

1st Samuel 16:14 But the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, and an evil spirit troubled him.
15 And Saul's servants said unto him, Behold now, an evil spirit troubleth thee.

1st Samuel 19:19 And it was told Saul, saying, Behold, David is at Naioth in Ramah.
20 And Saul sent messengers to take David: and when they saw the company of the prophets prophesying, and Samuel standing as appointed over them, the Spirit of God was upon the messengers of Saul, and they also prophesied.
21 And when it was told Saul, he sent other messengers, and they prophesied likewise. And Saul sent messengers again the third time, and they prophesied also.
22 Then went he also to Ramah, and came to a great well that is in Sechu: and he asked and said, Where are Samuel and David? And one said, Behold, they be at Naioth in Ramah.
23 And he went thither to Naioth in Ramah: and the Spirit of God was upon him also, and he went on, and prophesied, until he came to Naioth in Ramah.
24 And he stripped off his clothes also, and prophesied before Samuel in like manner, and lay down naked all that day and all that night. Wherefore they say, Is Saul also among the prophets?

Numbers 23:4 And God met Balaam,
5 And the Lord put a word in Balaam's mouth, and said, Return unto Balak, and thus thou shalt speak.
7 And he took up his parable, and said, Balak the king of Moab hath brought me from Aram, out of the mountains of the east, saying, Come, curse me Jacob, and come, defy Israel.
8 How shall I curse, whom God hath not cursed? or how shall I defy, whom the Lord hath not defied?
11 And Balak said unto Balaam, What hast thou done unto me? I took thee to curse mine enemies, and, behold, thou hast blessed them altogether.
12 And he answered and said, Must I not take heed to speak that which the Lord hath put in my mouth?
16 And the Lord met Balaam, and put a word in his mouth, and said, Go again unto Balak, and say thus.
17 And when he came to him, behold, he stood by his burnt offering, and the princes of Moab with him. And Balak said unto him, What hath the Lord spoken?
18 And he took up his parable, and said, Rise up, Balak, and hear; hearken unto me, thou son of Zippor:
19 God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?
20 Behold, I have received commandment to bless: and he hath blessed; and I cannot reverse it.
21 He hath not beheld iniquity in Jacob, neither hath he seen perverseness in Israel: the Lord his God is with him, and the shout of a king is among them.
22 God brought them out of Egypt; he hath as it were the strength of an unicorn.
23 Surely there is no enchantment against Jacob, neither is there any divination against Israel: according to this time it shall be said of Jacob and of Israel, What hath God wrought!

[Patriarchs & Prophets pp. 449] The great magician had tried his power of enchantment, in accordance with the desire of the Moabites; but concerning this very occasion it should be said of Israel, “What hath God wrought!” While they were under the divine protection, no people or nation, though aided by all the power of Satan, should be able to prevail against them. All the world should wonder at the marvelous work of God in behalf of His people—that a man determined to pursue a sinful course should be so controlled by divine power as to utter, instead of imprecations, the richest and most precious promises, in the language of sublime and impassioned poetry.

And the favor of God at this time manifested toward Israel was to be an assurance of His protecting care for His obedient, faithful children in all ages. When Satan should inspire evil men to misrepresent, harass, and destroy God's people, this very occurrence would be brought to their remembrance, and would strengthen their courage and their faith in God.

[Patriarchs & Prophets pp. 457] When Balaam was called to curse the Hebrews he could not, by all his enchantments, bring evil upon them; for the Lord had not “beheld iniquity in Jacob,” neither had He “seen perverseness in Israel.” Numbers 23:21, 23. But when through yielding to temptation they transgressed God's law, their defense departed from them.

When the people of God are faithful to His commandments, “there is no enchantment against Jacob, neither is there any divination against Israel.” Hence all the power and wily arts of Satan are exerted to seduce them into sin. If those who profess to be the depositaries of God's law become transgressors of its precepts, they separate themselves from God, and they will be unable to stand before their enemies.

Thus, the question is: “What causes houses to be haunted, and what causes paranormal activity in homes? Is it possible for demons to make arbitrary, or random incursions into the homes where God reigns supreme?” This leads us to our third point.

[3] Forays, disturbances, and paranormal activity which occur in homes, and families are the result of something spiritual being out of place, such as sins, or errors that are being cherished, or wrongs that have not been repented of or forsaken. In addition, if there is anything that is deemed accursed that has been deliberately brought into the house, and kept there, the house can thus become haunted. These forbidden items include, but are not limited to idols, talismans, Ouija boards, mounted jewelry, amulets, genies, pornography, all books on magic, good-luck charms, and horror movies, amongst others. Let’s read:

Deuteronomy 7:25 The graven images of their gods shall ye burn with fire: thou shalt not desire the silver or gold that is on them, nor take it unto thee, lest thou be snared therein: for it is an abomination to the Lord thy God.
26 Neither shalt thou bring an abomination into thine house, lest thou be a cursed thing like it: but thou shalt utterly detest it, and thou shalt utterly abhor it; for it is a cursed thing.

Proverbs 26:2 As the bird by wandering, as the swallow by flying, so the curse causeless shall not come.

Thus the remedies for haunted houses must include the removal of the root cause, whatever it may be. As was stated before on numerous occasions, God is much more practical, and down to earth in His instructions, and therefore, in order to fix a haunted house, the following scriptural instructions must be followed precisely. [1] If the root cause involves any accursed thing, it must be immediately searched out, and permanently removed from the dwelling.
Let’s read:

Joshua 7:10 And the Lord said unto Joshua, Get thee up; wherefore liest thou thus upon thy face?
11 Israel hath sinned, and they have also transgressed my covenant which I commanded them: for they have even taken of the accursed thing, and have also stolen, and dissembled also, and they have put it even among their own stuff.
12 Therefore the children of Israel could not stand before their enemies, but turned their backs before their enemies, because they were accursed: neither will I be with you any more, except ye destroy the accursed from among you.

Acts 19:18 And many that believed came, and confessed, and shewed their deeds.
19 Many of them also which used curious arts brought their books together, and burned them before all men: and they counted the price of them, and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver.

[2] If the problem involves any national or personal, cherished sins, they must all be acknowledged, and confessed, and forsaken, or else The Lord will turn a deaf ear to prayers and entreaties for deliverance. It is of critical importance for us to take heed of this second point, for there is a subjective form of the gospel that’s being actively peddled across the land, by which answers to prayers are purportedly given without compliance. This constitutes a doctrine of devils, and will never produce any real or lasting results. Let’s read:

1st John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

[3] Sending for the elders in certain situations is highly recommended, for there are times when one saint may not have the faith or the courage, or the spirit to pray, as he or she ought. In such cases, the instructions given by James are to be followed, and God will hear and answer according to His good will when the prerequisites are met. Let’s read:

James 5:13 Is any among you afflicted? let him pray.
14 Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord:
15 And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.
16 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.

In closing, the Bible gives us warning against being repeat offenders, for if God has chosen to deliver us from haunted homes and minds, we should then treasure our deliverance as a most precious gift, with a firm determination not to walk in the paths of evil anymore. This is critically important, because if we were to return to the former ways, or sins, the case with us will be much more difficult to extricate ourselves from. This, according to the word of God. Let’s read:

Matthew 12:43 When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest, and findeth none.
44 Then he saith, I will return into my house from whence I came out; and when he is come, he findeth it empty, swept, and garnished.
45 Then goeth he, and taketh with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first.

John 5:5 And a certain man was there, which had an infirmity thirty and eight years.
6 When Jesus saw him lie, and knew that he had been now a long time in that case, he saith unto him, Wilt thou be made whole?
7 The impotent man answered him, Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool: but while I am coming, another steppeth down before me.
8 Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk.
14 Afterward Jesus findeth him in the temple, and said unto him, Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee.

2nd Peter 2:20 For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning.
21 For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them.

May God add His blessing to the study and practice of His every word.

God bless!

It Began With Food, It Will End With Food. Sabbath Afternoon. 09/17/2016

September 17, 2016

The very first temptation which occurred on this planet was on appetite, and the very last one will also be on appetite. The mark of the beast will be tailor-made to directly affect our food source, and because of our need of food, every person will be brought to the point of decision. In the garden of Eden, worship and food were tied together, for as soon as Adam and Eve ate from the forbidden tree, their worship to God was interfered with. Thus it will be when the mark of the beast is implemented across the globe, the issues of worship and food will also be inextricably tied together. Let’s read:

Genesis 3: 6 And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.
8 And they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God amongst the trees of the garden.
9 And the Lord God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou?
10 And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.
11 And he said, Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat?

Let us just take a moment to seriously reflect on a few statements given from the pen of inspiration, for although may Christians may not be aware of the extensive reach of the mark of the beast, yet the overwhelming majority of Christians will be in danger of falling for the mark, because of the issue of food. One of the main reasons why the mark will be also accepted in “The hand”, is because of the sheer necessity of eating, not merely because many agree with the system. Let’s read:

[Last day Events pp. 173>181] Prosperity multiplies a mass of professors. Adversity purges them out of the church. The time is not far distant when the test will come to every soul. The mark of the beast will be urged upon us. When the law of God is made void the church will be sifted by fiery trials, and a larger proportion than we now anticipate will give heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils. Chaff like a cloud will be borne away on the wind, even from places where we see only floors of rich wheat.

Soon God's people will be tested by fiery trials, and the greater proportion of those who now appear to be genuine and true will prove to be base metal. This is a terrible ordeal but nevertheless it must take place. As the storm approaches, a large class who have professed faith in the third angel's message, but have not been sanctified through obedience to the truth, abandon their position and join the ranks of the opposition.

[The Great Controversy pp. 621] The season of distress and anguish before us will require a faith that can endure weariness, delay, and hunger, a faith that will not faint, though severely tried. The period of probation is granted to all to prepare for that time.

To put it plainly, there will be only two sources of food from which all humanity must choose to eat in the near future, when the mark of the beast starts to be implemented, either from God, or from man. In other words, if any person refuses to subscribe to the counterfeit system of worship enforced by the beast system, they will have to find another source of food, for according to the Bible, the entire food chain, together with all its available resources will soon come under the direct jurisdiction of the beast system, and this will bring home to our doorsteps the very real prospect of standing firmly for right, or starving to death, if we are not found to be in Christ Jesus.

This is the reason why Bible makes very plain, the magnitude and seriousness of the problem that will be created by the beast in Revelation 13, and this is also the reason why a very blunt warning is to be given to earth’s inhabitants, before the prophecy begins to unfold.

Revelation 18:1 And after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory.
2 And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird.
3 For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies.
4 And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.
11 And the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her; for no man buyeth their merchandise any more.
12 The merchandise of gold, and silver, and precious stones, and of pearls, and fine linen, and purple, and silk, and scarlet, and all thyne wood, and all manner vessels of ivory, and all manner vessels of most precious wood, and of brass, and iron, and marble,
13 And cinnamon, and odors, and ointments, and frankincense, and wine, and oil, and fine flour, and wheat, and beasts, and sheep, and horses, and chariots, and slaves, and souls of men.

And if we intend to be eating from God, it will do us well to now find out how He will be feeding us. The fact that there will be only two food sources in the future, when the last days of earth’s history begin to unfold is distinctly brought to view in the Bible. In the following passages we see The Lord providing food miraculously for His people, and the reason for this is that their unswerving integrity in serving, and obeying Him against all odds, has caused all of their economic privileges, including shopping at Walmart and Publix to be entirely cut off, thus making God’s intervention in their behalf necessary.

As a matter of fact, the history of Elijah during, and after the contest on Mt Carmel, between the laws of God, and the laws of men, directly mirrors what will befall God’s people in the last days of earth’s history, for it is more of a blueprint, rather than just another historical account of God’s interaction in the affairs of men. Let’s read:

1st Kings 19:1 And Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and withal how he had slain all the prophets with the sword.
2 Then Jezebel sent a messenger unto Elijah, saying, So let the gods do to me, and more also, if I make not thy life as the life of one of them by tomorrow about this time.
3 And when he saw that, he arose, and went for his life, and came to Beersheba, which belongeth to Judah, and left his servant there.
4 But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree: and he requested for himself that he might die; and said, It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers.
5 And as he lay and slept under a juniper tree, behold, then an angel touched him, and said unto him, Arise and eat.
6 And he looked, and, behold, there was a cake baken on the coals, and a cruse of water at his head. And he did eat and drink, and laid him down again.
7 And the angel of the Lord came again the second time, and touched him, and said, Arise and eat; because the journey is too great for thee.
8 And he arose, and did eat and drink, and went in the strength of that meat forty days and forty nights unto Horeb the mount of God.

Isaiah 33:16 He shall dwell on high: his place of defense shall be the munitions of rocks: bread shall be given him; his waters shall be sure.

Revelation 13:16 And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:
17 And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.

There are lessons which we must take away from the first temptation and fall of Adam and Eve, for the manner in which they fell has been a sort of template which most of people have followed ever since. Both Adam and Eve were not hungry when they ate of the forbidden fruit, and because there is nothing new under the sun, we find today, just as it was throughout history, that millions of people will eat when they are not hungry, for various reasons, some social, some because the food looks tempting and delicious, some because of the taste, and smell, and some because of curiosity. Let’s read:

(The Signs of the Times, April 4, 1900). The plan of salvation was so arranged that when Adam was tested, temptation was removed from him as far as possible. When Adam was tempted, he was not hungry.

This brings us to the issue of how and when God will be providing food for His people during the time of trouble. If we desire to be fed by God, it’s necessary that we study His ways of doing things, because, as we investigate the issue of being fed miraculously, we discover that God never feeds His people if they are not hungry. And thus, if we cultivate the habit of eating when we are not hungry, then we will be preparing ourselves to eat from the beast system, not from God. Let’s read:

Exodus 16:15 And Moses said unto them, This is the bread which the Lord hath given you to eat.
16 This is the thing which the Lord hath commanded, Gather of it every man according to his eating, an omer for every man, according to the number of your persons; take ye every man for them which are in his tents.
17 And the children of Israel did so, and gathered, some more, some less.
18 And when they did mete it with an omer, he that gathered much had nothing over, and he that gathered little had no lack; they gathered every man according to his eating.
21 And they gathered it every morning, every man according to his eating: and when the sun waxed hot, it melted.

1st Kings 19:4 But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree: and he requested for himself that he might die; and said, It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers.
5 And as he lay and slept under a juniper tree, behold, then an angel touched him, and said unto him, Arise and eat.
6 And he looked, and, behold, there was a cake baken on the coals, and a cruse of water at his head. And he did eat and drink, and laid him down again.
7 And the angel of the Lord came again the second time, and touched him, and said, Arise and eat; because the journey is too great for thee.
8 And he arose, and did eat and drink, and went in the strength of that meat forty days and forty nights unto Horeb the mount of God.

Matthew 14:15 And when it was evening, his disciples came to him, saying, This is a desert place, and the time is now past; send the multitude away, that they may go into the villages, and buy themselves victuals.
16 But Jesus said unto them, They need not depart; give ye them to eat.
17 And they say unto him, We have here but five loaves, and two fishes.
18 He said, Bring them hither to me.
19 And he commanded the multitude to sit down on the grass, and took the five loaves, and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, he blessed, and brake, and gave the loaves to his disciples, and the disciples to the multitude.

Mark 11:12 And on the morrow, when they were come from Bethany, he was hungry.
13 And seeing a fig tree afar off having leaves, he came, if haply he might find anything thereon”…

Matthew 4:1 Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.
2 And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred.
3 And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.
4 But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.
11 Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him.

The very first temptation to Christ in the wilderness was on food, because the devil has observed that of the three categories of temptations the one on food is much more difficult to overcome, even more than sexual addiction and pride, which fade into oblivion, when compared with temptations on food. Thus, it is necessary that we observe the process of the fall of our first parents, for the Bible points out the two main areas we need to be careful of, when dealing with the temptation to eat in a manner that is not in harmony with God’s will. Let’s read:

[Genesis 3:6] [1] And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food.

Just because something may seem as if it’s good to eat doesn’t mean it’s good for human consumption, especially if it has been prohibited by God. Many of the world’s dietitians tout the so-called benefits of several foods that have been banned in the word of God. And even if The Lord has given the all-clear to partake of certain foods, we are not free to do so intemperately. Ackee is good to eat, but there is a right time, and way to eat it, or else the wages of sin will be death. Water is also very good, but water can also kill us when the laws of temperance are disregarded. Let’s read:

By Chris Brooke for the Daily Mail
UPDATED: 01:44 EST, 8 July 2008
Andrew Thornton, 44, ‘ overloaded’ his body after drinking ten litres – more than 17 pints – in eight hours. The divorcee, who played football regularly, thought he was being sensible by refusing to take painkillers for gum disease. He was taken to the hospital last December after collapsing at the home he shared with his mother Alice. Doctors initially thought he was drunk because he was staggering and slurring his words. However, his symptoms were caused by swelling in the brain brought on by excess fluid. Doctors put salt back into his body to counter the effects of his water intake, but the following day he had a fatal heart attack.

[Genesis 3:6]
[2] And that it was pleasant to the eyes”…

Just because food may look good, and appetizing, doesn’t mean we should start eating. Millions of people are found to be eating, solely because the food looks good. Especially is this the case when there is a buffet style situation, or when there is the option of all you can eat. If we continue to indulge the habit of eating food based on its appearance, we will be setting the stage for us to eat from the beast, because food items are becoming prettier, and prettier by the day. Even the very names have become quite pretty and enticing: Twinkies, Oreos, Southern Comfort, French fries, Pepperoni, Cookies, Pringles, Candy cane, Kit Kat, and Lollipops. Etc.

The problem with eating foods just because they look good, is that every type of food and fruit to be found in heaven also looks really good. And thus, if our appetites are not brought under the control of reason, we will be eating all day in Eden, a prospect that is not in line with God’s ideal will for us.

[Conflict & Courage pp. 12] In this garden the Lord placed trees of every variety for usefulness and beauty. There were trees laden with luxuriant fruit, of rich fragrance, beautiful to the eye, and pleasant to the taste, designed of God to be food for the holy pair. There were the lovely vines which grew upright, laden with their burden of fruit, unlike anything man has seen since the fall. The fruit was very large and of different colors; some nearly black, some purple, red, pink, and light green. This beautiful and luxuriant growth of fruit upon the branches of the vine was called grapes. They did not trail upon the ground, although not supported by trellises, but the weight of the fruit bowed them down.

There is one more issue remaining for us to reckon with as it pertains to the topic for this evening. In Revelation chapter 13 where John treats extensively on the mark of the beast, widespread ramifications of its implementation, the word “cause” is used. The reason why this is so is because satan can entice, he can solicit, and he may try to bully, but he can never force anyone to take the dreaded mark. And so we must observe how the forbidden fruit ended up in the hands of the unsuspecting Eve. Let’s read:

[Patriarchs & Prophets pp.55] The serpent plucked the fruit of the forbidden tree and placed it in the hands of the half-reluctant Eve, then he reminded her of her own words, that God had forbidden them to touch it, lest they die. She would receive no more harm from eating the fruit, he declared, than from touching it. Perceiving no evil results from what she had done, Eve grew bolder. When she “saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat.” It was grateful to the taste, and as she ate, she seemed to feel a vivifying power and imagined herself entering upon a higher state of existence.

Without a fear she plucked and ate. And now, having herself transgressed, she became the agent of Satan in working the ruin of her husband. In a state of strange, unnatural excitement, with her hands filled with the forbidden fruit, she sought his presence, and related all that had occurred. An expression of sadness came over the face of Adam. He appeared astonished and alarmed. To the words of Eve he replied that this must be the foe against whom they had been warned; and by the divine sentence she must die.

In answer she urged him to eat, repeating the words of the serpent, that they should not surely die. She reasoned that this must be true, for she felt no evidence of God's displeasure, but on the contrary realized a delicious, exhilarating influence, thrilling every faculty with new life, such, she imagined, as inspired the heavenly messengers. Adam understood that his companion had transgressed the command of God, disregarded the only prohibition laid upon them as a test of their fidelity and love.

There was a terrible struggle in his mind. He mourned that he had permitted Eve to wander from his side. But now the deed was done; he must be separated from her whose society had been his joy. How could he have it thus? Adam had enjoyed the companionship of God and of holy angels. He had looked upon the glory of the Creator. He understood the high destiny opened to the human race should they remain faithful to God. Yet all these blessings were lost sight of in the fear of losing that one gift which in his eyes out-valued every other. Love, gratitude, loyalty to the Creator—all were overborne by love to Eve. She was a part of himself, and he could not endure the thought of separation.

He did not realize that the same Infinite Power who had from the dust of the earth created him, a living, beautiful form, and had in love given him a companion, could supply her place. He resolved to share her fate; if she must die, he would die with her. After all, he reasoned, might not the words of the wise serpent be true? Eve was before him, as beautiful and apparently as innocent as before this act of disobedience. She expressed greater love for him than before. No sign of death appeared in her, and he decided to brave the consequences. He seized the fruit and quickly ate.

Similarly, some will receive the mark because they are deceived into receiving it, while many others will accept it for social reasons, even though their decision is based on a knowledge of the adverse consequences, hence the reason why the mark will be given in either the right hand, or the forehead, signifying intelligent, deliberate decision-making. We therefore end with a passage of scripture which cautions us to bring the desires of the flesh under control whilst we still have opportunity to, for as stated before, it began with food, and it will end with food. Let’s read:

1st Corinthians 9:25 And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.
26 I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air:
27 But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.

God bless!

Blessed Are The Peace Makers. Sabbath Afternoon. 09/10/2016

September 10, 2016

In a world where real and lasting peace seems to be evading us, God has pronounced a blessing on those who make deliberate, and well-directed efforts to foster peace, when achieved along the godly lines and principles, as outlined in His word. Christ, who is described as The Prince of peace, gave us several examples of what we should do, when faced with volatile situations, especially when our own rights have been violated. The natural response of the human heart is to protect or fight for our rights.

And while it is true that we should never volunteer to become door mats, yet, if in our efforts to reach a peaceful agreement, it becomes necessary for us to surrender our rights, without disobeying Christ, then so let it be. It is not so much our rights that we
are to fight for, but rather God’s right to our service. When as Christians we may be wronged, or treated unfairly, we are to make efforts at reconciliation, and if in the process we may suffer loss, then the teaching of Christ is that we should leave the results with God, for we are in His hands. This fundamental truth about peacemaking efforts is conceptualized in the teachings of Christ, as He dwelt on the issue in the sermon on the mount. Let’s read:

Matthew 5:39 But I say unto you, that ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.
40 And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloak also.
41 And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain.
42 Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away.
43 Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt
love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.
44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;
45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.
46 For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?
47 And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so?
48 Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.

However, as was stated before, there are guiding principles and spiritual laws which must at all times be incorporated into any effort at peace-making, for
in all things, the will of God, as revealed in His word must be consulted. The following therefore are just some of the fundamentals that are to be observed when seeking to make peace.

[1] The truth plays a pivotal role in the process of reconciliation, because lasting peace cannot be built upon the shifting foundations of falsehoods. Thus, it is of critical importance to have all the facts, and to review them in an objective, unbiased manner. This guiding principle goes a long way in bringing about peaceful resolutions to difficulties or conflicts, for as Christians, we are to always deal in the currency of heaven, even the truth the whole truth and nothing but the truth.

John 17:17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.
18 As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world.
19 And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth.

John 16:13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth”…

John 8:31 Then said Jesus to those which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;
32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

This leads us to our second principle in our efforts at peacemaking:

[2] Every story has two sides, and therefore, it is imperative that a person listen objectively to both accounts before rushing to judgment. Emotionally charged decisions and hasty responses are often made when only one side of a story is heard. In addition, most people will present their side of a story in a manner that will justify themselves. It’s very rare that a person will confess to being the culprit in any given situation, when presenting their own side of a story. Let’s read:

Proverbs 18:13 He that answereth a matter before he heareth it, it is folly and shame unto him.

Daniel 3:8 Wherefore at that time certain Chaldeans came near, and accused the Jews.
13 Then Nebuchadnezzar”… commanded to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Then they brought these men before the king.
14 Nebuchadnezzar spake and said unto them, Is it true?

John 7:50 Nicodemus saith unto them”…
51 Doth our law judge any man, before it hear him, and know what he doeth?

[3] Lasting peace can never be purchased through a compromise of truth or principle. One of the main contributing factors to the moral decay of society is the practice of compromising truth and principle in order to reach a majority, consensus opinion, with those who refuse to give up sin. This is why so many pulpits across the land are now pregnant with false doctrines, specifically designed to suit itching ears. When truth becomes distasteful to the multitudes, the clergy often bends to the wishes and clamors of the majority, and so, instead of making peace, social unrest, adversity, and turmoil will be the inevitable results. Let’s read:

Genesis 34:1 And Dinah the daughter of Leah, which she bare unto Jacob, went out to see the daughters of the land. 2 And when Shechem the son of Hamor the Hivite, prince of the country, saw her, he took her, and lay with her, and defiled her.
3 And his soul clave unto Dinah the daughter of Jacob, and he loved the damsel, and spake kindly unto the damsel.
7 And the sons of Jacob came out of the field when they heard it: and the men were grieved, and they were very wroth, because he had wrought folly in Israel in lying with Jacob's daughter: which thing ought not to be done.
8 And Hamor communed with them, saying, The soul of my son Shechem longeth for your daughter: I pray you give her him to wife.
9 And make ye marriages with us, and give your daughters unto us, and take our daughters unto you.
10 And ye shall dwell with us: and the land shall be before you; dwell and trade ye therein, and get you possessions therein.
14 And they said unto them, We cannot do this thing, to give our sister to one that is uncircumcised; for that were a reproach unto us.

[The Desire Of Ages pp. 356] The servants of Christ should beware lest, in seeking to prevent discord, they surrender the truth. They are to “follow after the things which make for peace” but real peace can never be secured by compromising principle. And no man can be true to principle without exciting opposition.

[4] God is depending on the one who is in the truth to initialize the process of peace-making. The one who is in the wrong does not usually seek for any reconciliation, and therefore, the true Christian is to take the first steps in resolving difficulties, just as Jesus did. Pride often stands in the way of humility, and some may become disturbed at the prospect of seeking out the one who is at fault. But this is what Christ did in Eden when Adam and eve sinned, and
so should we when anyone has sinned against us. Let’s read:

Matthew 5:23 Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee;
24 Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.

[5] Those seeking to make peace should be willing to cheerfully bear the full brunt of the cost of peace whether the cost be in damage done by gossiped words that caused wounds, or in monetary losses, as the case might be. Too many times we are dead focused on the issue of restitution, and fairness, so that the lines between forgiveness and restoration become pretty blurred. To seek for a very strict form of justice when dealing with offences against ourselves is contrary to the teachings of the Bible, where the principle of mercy bears sway. This does not mean that we are to become insensitive to all justice, it just means that we are to prefer mercy, just as Christ does. Let’s read:

Matthew 5:38 Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.

These words are lifted from the old Testament, and represent a very strict form of justice. But the true Christian will not become obsessed with justice as much as with mercy, because God’s salvation used justice as a vehicle to carry mercy to millions. The cross is not only about strict justice, it’s much more about mercy to those who do not deserve it, for if it is closely investigated, we will observe that there’s a whole lot of injustice that took place at the cross in accomplishing our redemption. Let’s read:

Galatians 6:1 Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.
2 Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.

James 5:16 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.
19 Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him;
20 Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.

[Testimonies 5:168>169] The heart in which love rules will not be filled with passion or revenge, by injuries which pride and self-love would deem unbearable. Love is unsuspecting, ever placing the most favorable construction upon the motives and acts of others. Love will never needlessly expose the faults of others. It does not listen eagerly to unfavorable reports, but rather seeks to bring to mind some good qualities of the one defamed. Love not only bears with others’ faults, but cheerfully submits to whatever suffering or inconvenience such forbearance makes necessary. This love “never faileth.” It can never lose its value; it is the attribute of heaven. As a precious treasure it will be carried by its possessor through the portals of the city of God.

[6] When seeking to make peace, it is of the utmost importance that our demeanor, and our speech do not come across in angry tones, for this will only add fuel to the flames that have already been kindled. Sheep must not become wolves by their interaction with wolves. We are counseled to remain distinctly sheep, and also to behave like sheep under all circumstances, and in all places. Let’s read:

Matthew 10:16 Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.

Luke 9:51 And it came to pass, when the time was come that he should be received up, he steadfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem,
52 And sent messengers before his face: and they went, and entered into a village of the Samaritans, to make ready for him.
53 And they did not receive him, because his face was as though he would go to Jerusalem.
54 And when his disciples James and John saw this, they said, Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them, even as Elias did?
55 But he turned, and rebuked them, and said, Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of.
56 For the Son of man is not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them. And they went to another village.

[The Desire Of Ages pp. 353>354] The servants of Christ are not to act out the dictates of the natural heart. They need to have close communion with God, lest, under provocation, self rise up, and they pour forth a torrent of words that are unbefitting, that are not as dew or the still showers that refresh the withering plants. This is what Satan wants them to do; for these are his methods. But God's servants are to be representatives of Him. He desires them to deal only in the currency of heaven, the truth that bears His own image and superscription. And the spirit that is kept gentle under provocation will speak more effectively in favor of the truth than will any argument, however forcible.

Thus, for our case study we will revisit a well-known incident which occurred many years ago. Two women have been arguing for some time over a baby, and the heated dispute then reaches a boiling point, so that the matter is brought before King Solomon for redress. Let’s read:

1st Kings 3:16 Then came there two women, that were harlots, unto the king, and stood before him.
17 And the one woman said, O my lord, I and this woman dwell in one house; and I was delivered of a child with her in the house.

Since they were living in the same house, the first accuser must have known the other’s first name. One of the sure signs that alienation has begun to set in, is when we try to avoid calling a person by their proper name, but instead refer to them in generic terms such as “This man, or this woman”.

1st Kings 3:18 And it came to pass the third day after that I was delivered, that this woman was delivered also: and we were together; there was no stranger with us in the house, save we two in the house.
19 And this woman's child died in the night; because she overlaid it.
20 And she arose at midnight, and took my son from beside me, while thine handmaid slept, and laid it in her bosom, and laid her dead child in my bosom.
21 And when I rose in the morning to give my child suck, behold, it was dead: but when I had considered it in the morning, behold, it was not my son, which I did bear.
22 And the other woman said, Nay; but the living is my son, and the dead is thy son. And this said, No; but the dead is thy son, and the living is my son. Thus they spake before the king.
23 Then said the king, The one saith, This is my son that liveth, and thy son is the dead: and the other saith, Nay; but thy son is the dead, and my son is the living.
24 And the king said, Bring me a sword. And they brought a sword before the king.
25 And the king said, Divide the living child in two, and give half to the one, and half to the other.
26 Then spake the woman whose the living child was unto the king, for her bowels yearned upon her son, and she said, O my lord, give her the living child, and in no wise slay it. But the other said, Let it be neither mine nor thine, but divide it.
27 Then the king answered and said, Give her the living child, and in no wise slay it: she is the mother thereof.
28 And all Israel heard of the judgment which the king had judged; and they feared the king: for they saw that the wisdom of God was in him, to do judgment.

In this incident, the real mother had decided to give up her rights, so that her son could live. Her action involved relinquishing her baby to her accuser, and it would have hurt her deeply had the culprit walked away with the child. At times, we ourselves may be placed in a similar predicament, where we may have to give up our dearest rights for the sake of peace. And we too may be hurting if we were to see the culprit walking away with our proverbial
“Child”. For instance, if we were summoned before the courts to address a financial matter, in which we were right, and the plaintiff was wrong, if the judge then rules in favor of the plaintiff, then our efforts to make peace will be tested severely, because making peace in such a situation will not only cost us financially, but then we are instructed by Christ to go looking for the person in an effort to bring about reconciliation. This is not an easy matter, and we do not naturally have it within ourselves to do such things, but we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us. We therefore end with the following passage which encapsulates the principle of self-denial, involved in seeking after peace. Let’s read:

1st Peter 2:18 Servants, be subject to your masters with all fear; not only to the good and gentle, but also to the froward.
19 For this is thankworthy, if a man for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully.
20 For what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God.
21 For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:
22 Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth:
23 Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously.

May God add His blessing to the study and practice of His word.

God bless!

Dead Men Don't Tell Tales. Sabbath Afternoon. 09/03/2016

September 03, 2016

The belief that the dead can speak to us lies at the foundation of every pagan religion, and in so many cases, has also infiltrated major denominations in Christianity. The Bible is very clear in its instructions as to how folks should relate to this issue, because the ramifications, and consequences do extend to eternity. There is often a restless curiosity about future events, especially on a personal level, which drives millions to seek counsel from those who are deceased. But God gives us warning that any such conversations or communications are not coming from deceased relatives and friends, but instead are the direct result of intrusions made by evil spirits.

The belief that the dead can speak to us had its beginnings in the garden of Eden when satan first introduced the concept to an unsuspecting Eve, and ever since that fateful day, it has gained traction, to the point where it has now become a cornerstone in the belief systems of many world religions. In the teachings of Islam, Roman Catholicism, Hinduism, as well as in the minds of many secularists, the spirits of dead friends and relatives continue to live on and with very many, these demonstrations have more weight than even the Bible itself. But the scripture points us to the very source of this soul-destroying teaching. Let’s read:

Genesis 3: 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?
2 And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden;
3 But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.
4 And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die:
5 For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.

God strictly forbade his people, on pain of death, to consult with any witches, or wizards, fortune-tellers magicians, necromancers, and the likes, for just as it was in the beginning with Eve, the communications from these supposedly dead friends and relatives, would in fact be coming from the devil, and as such would result in complete, and irreversible demon possession, if God does not intervene. This is the reason why the Bible writers, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, identify the very source of all such demonstrations.

For example, when Balaam enticed the Hebrews to attend one of the Moabitish religious services, the sacrifices, the worship, and also the festivities they participated in were in honor of the dead, and thus by default, the devils who impersonated the dead. Let’s read:

Numbers 25:1 And Israel abode in Shittim, and the people began to commit whoredom with the daughters of Moab.
2 And they called the people unto the sacrifices of their gods: and the people did eat, and bowed down to their gods.
3 And Israel joined himself unto Baalpeor: and the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel.
4 And the Lord said unto Moses, Take all the heads of the people, and hang them up before the Lord against the sun, that the fierce anger of the Lord may be turned away from Israel.

Psalms 106:28 They joined themselves also unto Baalpeor, and ate the sacrifices of the dead.
36 And they served their idols: which were a snare unto them.
37 Yea, they sacrificed their sons and their daughters unto devils.

Deuteronomy 32:16 They provoked him to jealousy with strange gods, with abominations provoked they him to anger.
17 They sacrificed unto devils, not to God; to gods whom they knew not, to new gods that came newly up, whom your fathers feared not.

1st Corinthians 10:20 But I say, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils, and not to God: and I would not that ye should have fellowship with devils.
21 Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils: ye cannot be partakers of the Lord's table, and of the table of devils.

Thus, our case study will involve a well-documented example of a so-called interaction with the dead, so that we may have clear concepts of truth and duty, and may thus be prepared to discern between the true and the false in our day. King Saul is distressed, because the philistines have amassed a large force to fight against Israel, but because of his previous stubbornness and rebellion, he gets no answer, or assurance from God, because rebellion is equivalent to witchcraft, being instigated by the same spirit. In addition to this, the prophet Samuel is very dead, so that Saul has no one to turn to in his predicament. Let’s read:

1st Samuel 28:3 Now Samuel was dead, and all Israel had lamented him, and buried him in Ramah, even in his own city. And Saul had put away those that had familiar spirits, and the wizards, out of the land.
4 And the Philistines gathered themselves together, and came and pitched in Shunem: and Saul gathered all Israel together, and they pitched in Gilboa.
5 And when Saul saw the host of the Philistines, he was afraid, and his heart greatly trembled.
6 And when Saul enquired of the Lord, the Lord answered him not, neither by dreams, nor by Urim, nor by prophets.
7 Then said Saul unto his servants, Seek me a woman that hath a familiar spirit, that I may go to her, and enquire of her. And his servants said to him, Behold, there is a woman that hath a familiar spirit at Endor.
8 And Saul disguised himself, and put on other raiment, and he went, and two men with him, and they came to the woman by night: and he said, I pray thee, divine unto me by the familiar spirit, and bring me him up, whom I shall name unto thee.
9 And the woman said unto him, Behold, thou knowest what Saul hath done, how he hath cut off those that have familiar spirits, and the wizards, out of the land: wherefore then layest thou a snare for my life, to cause me to die?
10 And Saul sware to her by the Lord, saying, As the Lord liveth, there shall no punishment happen to thee for this thing.
11 Then said the woman, whom shall I bring up unto thee? And he said, Bring me up Samuel.
12 And when the woman saw Samuel, she cried with a loud voice: and the woman spake to Saul, saying, why hast thou deceived me? for thou art Saul.
13 And the king said unto her, Be not afraid: for what sawest thou? And the woman said unto Saul, I saw gods ascending out of the earth.

Let’s pause here for a moment to explain what is really taking place here, because many people have stumbled over the wording of the writer, and thus have erroneously concluded that it must have been Samuel, since the Bible says so. Samuel, who had been dead for some time, was the prophet of God through whom the Lord had given instructions to give to Saul previously. But king Saul had habitually disobeyed the voice of Samuel when he was alive, so now that the prophet is dead, it’s highly unlikely that Saul will obey his voice, and thus, The Lord will never resort to speaking through the channel of a medium.

Furthermore, God had repeatedly instructed the Hebrews to get rid of witches, and everyone who practiced dark arts, for they would be a continual snare to His people, should they be allowed to live. Thus, no reasonable individual can now expect God to cooperate with, or speak through someone who is directly opposed to His kingdom, and who had been slated for death. Let’s read:

Exodus 22:18 Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live.

Deuteronomy 18:10 There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch.
11 Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer.
12 For all that do these things are an abomination unto the Lord: and because of these abominations the Lord thy God doth drive them out from before thee.

Thus, the entity that appeared to Saul is none other than the same deadly foe who appeared to Eve in the garden of Eden, and who, as in that same first instance, has repeatedly displayed the ability to impersonate any, and all lesser life forms, including man, who was made a little lower than the angels. So the Bible confirms that Saul was speaking, not to the prophet Samuel, but directly to satan. Let’s read:
1st Chronicles 10:13 So Saul died for his transgression which he committed against the Lord, even against the word of the Lord, which he kept not, and also for asking counsel of one that had a familiar spirit, to enquire of it;
14 And enquired not of the Lord”…

However, as the communications between Saul and satan continue, another issue of interest emerges, that of being able to know future events, as was portrayed in the accurate prophecy of Saul’s death the following day. This aspect of the encounter has long been a source of debate as to whether or not the devils have such abilities. Through observation and manipulation, evil spirits can to a certain extent predict future events, which they are often actively engaged in bringing to pass. This however does not give them credence, nor should it be viewed as an endorsement from heaven.

The ability to foretell certain future events does not authorize anyone to forsake the grand truths, and principles of God’s word. A false prophet might be able to accurately predict some future events, but because they may come to pass does not mean that the designation of false prophet has been removed.
Let’s read:

1st Samuel 28:16 Then said Samuel, Wherefore then dost thou ask of me, seeing the Lord is departed from thee, and is become thine enemy?
17 And the Lord hath done to him, as he spake by me: for the Lord hath rent the kingdom out of thine hand, and given it to thy neighbour, even to David:
18 Because thou obeyedst not the voice of the Lord, … therefore hath the Lord done this thing unto thee this day.
19 Moreover the Lord will also deliver Israel with thee into the hand of the Philistines: and tomorrow shalt thou and thy sons be with me: the Lord also shall deliver the host of Israel into the hand of the Philistines.
20 Then Saul fell straightway all along on the earth,
and was sore afraid, because of the words of Samuel: and there was no strength in him; for he had eaten no bread all the day, nor all the night.

In our day, the same experience of Saul, and the witch of Endor is being repeated, for when nations and individuals are facing great danger, and when distressing circumstances may loom large on the horizon, very many people, instead of turning to the God of heaven, prefer to turn to the witch of Endor, in the form of astrologers, magicians, fortunetellers, séances, spiritual advisors, psychics, and the likes. Currently we are facing a dire predicament like no other, for pundits, experts, and professors alike are alarmed, and quite dismayed at how this election cycle is turning.

And just as king Saul was facing a national dilemma, when he turned to witchcraft for answers, we have to wonder if the same thing may not be taking place we speak. What is most disturbing about Saul and the séance with the witch of Endor, is that, as the leader of the nation, he has now come under the full sway of devils, and since there is a game called “Follow the leader”, he is now going to lead many thousands of people to irretrievable destruction and ruin. Let’s read:

1st Samuel 31:1 Now the Philistines fought against Israel: and the men of Israel fled from before the Philistines, and fell down slain in mount Gilboa.
2 And the Philistines followed hard upon Saul and upon his sons; and the Philistines slew Jonathan, and Abinadab, and Melchishua, Saul's sons.
3 And the battle went sore against Saul, and the archers hit him; and he was sore wounded of the archers.

4 Then said Saul unto his armourbearer, Draw thy sword, and thrust me through therewith; lest these uncircumcised come and thrust me through, and abuse me. But his armourbearer would not; for he was sore afraid. Therefore Saul took a sword, and fell upon it.
5 And when his armourbearer saw that Saul was dead, he fell likewise upon his sword, and died with him.
6 So Saul died, and his three sons, and his armourbearer, and all his men, that same day together.

This is the reason why satan focuses most of his efforts on religious and political leaders, for once they come under his dominion, the multitudes are certain to follow. When the leaders of nations come under the control of evil spirits, as a direct result of resorting to séances, the citizens who follow in their train are also often subject to the fatal and adverse effects of their wrong course of action. Thus, when calamity strikes as a result, leaders and followers alike suffer the harsh consequences, just as with was with king Saul and his people.

And while we must never judge any current political leader, yet it is expedient for us to examine some of the undeniable facts, as it pertains to consultation with the dead, which as observed before, is actually direct communication with the same foe who lay in ambush, up in the tree of knowledge, of good and evil. Let’s read:

Nov 7th 2008. CHICAGO, Illinois (CNN) -- President-elect Barack Obama called Nancy Reagan on Friday to apologize for a remark about seances he made during his first news conference earlier in the day. When a reporter asked Obama if he had spoken with any ex-presidents since his election on Tuesday, he responded that he had spoken to all former presidents "that are living." "I didn't want to get into a Nancy Reagan thing about, you know,
doing any seances," he said.

Nancy Reagan, wife of 40th President Ronald Reagan, was derided in 1988 when his former chief of staff Donald Regan revealed in a book that the first lady had consulted an astrologer to determine the president's schedule. President Reagan died in 2004 at 93. Other first ladies have reportedly used spiritual advisers. In his 1996 book, "The Choice," Washington Post editor and writer Bob Woodward said that as first lady, Senator Hillary Clinton had seance-like sessions at the White House during which she conversed with late first lady Eleanor Roosevelt.

Abraham Lincoln's wife, Mary Todd Lincoln, was rumored to have held seances at the White House in order to contact her two dead sons, Eddie and Willie. She also reportedly went to seances under an assumed name after the president's death to attempt to contact him.
We observed in the precedents given, that it is at times of national peril, and uncertainty that many turn political and religious leaders turn to the witch of Endor for answers and guidance. We are now at such a time, and the current national uneasiness is encapsulated in the back and forth now taking place within the GOP, and other political circles. Let’s read:

Cnn by Brian Stelter August 31, 2016: 7:01 PM ET
This conservative media crackup has been happening for months, but this week it was broadcast on the airwaves like never before, with a verbal war of words involving Sean Hannity, Glenn Beck and Rush Limbaugh, three of America's most popular talk radio hosts. Hannity, one of Trump's biggest boosters in the media, called out his counterparts for failing to support Trump and the GOP.

He said on Tuesday that he'll hold figures like Beck, columnist Jonah Goldberg and the conservative publication National Review responsible if Hillary Clinton beats Trump. "You own Hillary Clinton," Hannity said to them. Prominent anti-Trump commentator Bill Kristol tweeted this response: "Hannity has become Lady Macbeth: Gradually becoming more unhinged as the man in whom he believes falters." Beck responded differently, by saying there's no "holy war" going on and that he agrees with Hannity that Clinton "is a disaster." So what's happening? "All of us feel like we're trapped in a barn fire," Beck said, "so we don't know what to do."

Thus, the question we must answer for ourselves is, does the Bible state specifically that such situations will occur during the final days of earth’s history? And if so what should be our position and response, if, and when we get wind that our national, political, and religious leaders are confirmed to be consulting with the proverbial “Witch of Endor? For answers, and for counsel we turn to the scriptures, because the word of God has been given to guide our feet in the ways of righteousness.

As we begin to trace the history of monarchs and séances, a pretty disturbing trend emerges, for we soon discover that most national leaders in times past have consulted with the dead through their spiritual advisors, so this is nothing new, or unique to our day. Let’s read:

Genesis 41:1 And it came to pass at the end of two full years, that Pharaoh dreamed: and, behold, he stood by the river.
7 And the seven thin ears devoured the seven rank and full ears. And Pharaoh awoke, and, behold, it
was a dream.
8 And it came to pass in the morning that his spirit was troubled; and he sent and called for all the magicians of Egypt, and all the wise men thereof: and Pharaoh told them his dream; but there was none that could interpret them unto Pharaoh.

Exodus 7:8 And the Lord spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying,
9 When Pharaoh shall speak unto you, saying, Shew a miracle for you: then thou shalt say unto Aaron, Take thy rod, and cast it before Pharaoh, and it shall become a serpent.
10 And Moses and Aaron went in unto Pharaoh, and they did so as the Lord had commanded: and Aaron cast down his rod before Pharaoh, and before his servants, and it became a serpent.
11 Then Pharaoh also called the wise men and the sorcerers: now the magicians of Egypt, they also did in like manner with their enchantments.

2nd kings 21:1 Manasseh was twelve years old when he began to reign, and reigned fifty and five years in
Jerusalem.
6 And he made his son pass through the fire, and observed times, and used enchantments, and dealt with familiar spirits and wizards: he wrought much wickedness in the sight of the Lord, to provoke him to anger.

Revelation16:13 And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet.
14 For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.

The reason why this study is of particular import to us today, is because the belief that there is life after death opens up the floodgates of spiritualism, and therefore prepares the entire world for the ultimate manifestation of demonic activity, when satan is scheduled to make a direct appearance to all of humanity. The scriptures do warn us of this coming event which is to precede the coming of Christ, and thus it is incumbent upon us to study the scriptures, so that we may be able to distinguish between the counterfeit and the true. Let’s read:

2nd Thessalonians 2:3 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;
4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.
7 For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.
8 And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:
9 Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,
10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:
12 That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

[The Great Controversy pp. 624] As the crowning act in the great drama of deception, Satan himself will personate Christ. The church has long professed to look to the Savior's advent as the consummation of her hopes. Now the great deceiver will make it appear that Christ has come. In different parts of the earth, Satan will manifest himself among men as a majestic being of dazzling brightness, resembling the description of the Son of God given by John in the Revelation. The glory that surrounds him is unsurpassed by anything that mortal eyes have yet beheld.

The shout of triumph rings out upon the air., “Christ has come! Christ has come!” The people prostrate themselves in adoration before him, while he lifts up his hands, and pronounces a blessing upon them, as Christ blessed his disciples when he was upon the earth. His voice is soft and subdued, yet full of melody. In gentle, compassionate tones he presents some of the same gracious, heavenly truths which the Savior uttered; he heals the diseases of the people, and then, in his assumed character of Christ, he claims to have changed the Sabbath to Sunday, and commands all to hallow the day which he has blessed.

He declares that those who persist in keeping holy the seventh day are blaspheming his name by refusing to listen to his angels sent to them with light and truth. This is the strong, almost overmastering delusion. Like the Samaritans who were deceived by Simon Magus, the multitudes, from the least to the greatest, give heed to these sorceries, saying, This is “the great power of God.”

We end with a word of warning, coming from the mouth of Christ, pertaining to these very issues we have been investigating, for they are much nearer than many, even amongst Christians, believe. Let’s read:

Luke 21:34 And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares.
35 For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth.
36 Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.

May The Lord add His blessing to the study of His word.

God bless!

Understanding God's Providences. Sabbath Afternoon. 08/27/2016

August 27, 2016

Temptations often come to us repeatedly, under one pretext or another, with logical reasoning that seems to indicate that a wrong course of action must be pursued. At times, it may seem as if the only way out of a certain predicament is to adopt principles and methods that are averse to righteousness. But we should never forget that the laws and principles of God’s kingdom are eternal in nature, and whatever the situation might be, God never authorizes or instructs anyone to violate His revealed will. Thus, whenever we encounter a challenge, hurdle, or difficulty which needs to be addressed or resolved, there are certain methods, and actions which must be taken off the table up front. In other words, the end does not always justify the means.

For instance, when the children of Israel were fainting with hunger, and as far as they could see, the only thing to eat readily was flesh with the blood, that course of action should have been dispensed with, because God’s providences in such a situation will absolutely follow another route. So for starters, the eating of blood must be immediately taken off the table as a viable option for resolving the difficulty. Let’s read:

1st Samuel 14:31 And they smote the Philistines that day from Michmash to Aijalon: and the people were very faint.
32 And the people flew upon the spoil, and took sheep, and oxen, and calves, and slew them on the ground: and the people did eat them with the blood.
33 Then they told Saul, saying, Behold, the people sin against the Lord, in that they eat with the blood. And he said, Ye have transgressed”…

Leviticus 3: 17 It shall be a perpetual statute for your generations throughout all your dwellings, that ye eat neither fat nor blood.

Similarly, with the age old practice of lying to extricate ourselves from difficult situations. Lying is never, ever justified, or endorsed in the Bible, even when it may seem as if good comes as a result, as with the case of Rahab. In that instance, the spies were hidden, and when confronted by the king, she uttered a falsehood, which, to all appearances, resulted in the deliverance of the sought after spies. But even though God accepted her faith, that’s not the only way in which they could have been delivered, for God has a thousand ways and means at His disposal to deliver His people, of which we know nothing, and which do not incorporate lying as a viable option.

Psalms 120:2 Deliver my soul, O Lord, from lying lips, and from a deceitful tongue.
3 What shall be given unto thee? or what shall be done unto thee, thou false tongue?
4 Sharp arrows of the mighty, with coals of juniper.

Christ expects us to deal in the currency of heaven at all times, in all places, and in all situations. They say that in order for one to be a good politician, a person has to be a good liar, and from what we are now witnessing in the current political arena, it seems as if our chickens are coming home to roost. But Christians are counseled in the Bible to adopt the eternal principles of truth, for God is a God of truth. Let’s read:

Deuteronomy 32:3 Because I will publish the name of the Lord: ascribe ye greatness unto our God.
4 He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he.

John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

John 17:17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.

Again, with the issue of stealing, there is no precedent given in the Bible, which anyone can use as a justification for robbery. Extreme hunger does not make stealing a
necessity, and if we were to pray to God for deliverance in such a situation, He will never ever advise us to steal. This too must be taken off the table, because the ways of God’s providences never involves violating the eternal principles of righteousness He has set forth in His word. Let’s read:

Exodus 20:15 Thou shalt not steal.

Leviticus 19:11 Ye shall not steal, neither deal falsely, neither lie one to another.

Proverbs 6:30 Men do not despise a thief, if he steal to satisfy his soul when he is hungry;
31 But if he be found, he shall restore sevenfold; he shall give all the substance of his house.

Thus we embark upon the study of understanding God’s providences, so as to be able to ascertain His guidance in a particular given situation, when every evidence seems to point us in another direction opposed to the scriptural principles. We need to be always enabled by The Spirit of God to discern the temptations of the adversary for often in times of adversity, the lines of distinction between the truth and error can seem to be pretty blurred. In our case study, we see king Saul, hunting David as Israel’s most wanted, and on two separate occasions, the undeniable, distinct providences of God seem on the surface to point in a certain direction that will violate Biblical principles of truth and duty. Let’s read:

1st Samuel 24:2 Then Saul took three thousand chosen men out of all Israel, and went to seek David and his men upon the rocks of the wild goats.
3 And he came to the sheepcotes by the way, where was a cave; and Saul went in to cover his feet: and David and his men remained in the sides of the cave.
4 And the men of David said unto him, Behold the day of which the Lord said unto thee, Behold, I will deliver thine enemy into thine hand, that thou mayest do to him as it shall seem good unto thee. Then David arose, and cut off the skirt of Saul's robe privily.
5 And it came to pass afterward, that David's heart smote him, because he had cut off Saul's skirt.
6 And he said unto his men, The Lord forbid that I should do this thing unto my master, the Lord's anointed, to stretch forth mine hand against him, seeing he is the anointed of the Lord.

1st Samuel 26:5 And David arose, and came to the place where Saul had pitched: and David beheld the place where Saul lay, and Abner the son of Ner, the captain of his host: and Saul lay in the trench, and the people pitched round about him.
6 Then answered David and said to Ahimelech the Hittite, and to Abishai the son of Zeruiah, brother to Joab, saying, Who will go down with me to Saul to the camp? And Abishai said, I will go down with thee.
7 So David and Abishai came to the people by night: and, behold, Saul lay sleeping within the trench, and his spear stuck in the ground at his bolster: but Abner and the people lay round about him.
8 Then said Abishai to David, God hath delivered thine enemy into thine hand this day: now therefore let me smite him, I pray thee, with the spear even to the earth at once, and I will not smite him the second time.
9 And David said to Abishai, Destroy him not: for who can stretch forth his hand against the Lord's anointed, and be guiltless?
10 David said furthermore, As the Lord liveth, the Lord shall smite him; or his day shall come to die; or he shall descend into battle, and perish.
11 The Lord forbid that I should stretch forth mine hand against the Lord's anointed: but, I pray thee, take thou now the spear that is at his bolster, and the cruse of water, and let us go.
12 So David took the spear and the cruse of water from Saul's bolster; and they gat them away, and no man saw it, nor knew it, neither awaked: for they were all asleep; because a deep sleep from the Lord was fallen upon them.

Two basic Biblical principles would have been violated if David had taken the logical advice of his advisers.
[1] Seeking to overthrow God ordained authority, even when His appointed leaders do wrong, is never ever the will of God. If God has set up individuals in a position of authority, then He will take them down in due season, if and when that becomes necessary. But never are we to presume to take it upon ourselves to oust the men of God’s appointment, for then we will be guilty of lifting our hands against His anointed, and by default, against The Lord of Heaven. Let’s read:

Daniel 4:17 This matter is by the decree of the watchers, and the demand by the word of the holy ones: to the intent that the living may know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will”…
Daniel 2:20 Daniel answered and said, Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever: for wisdom and might are his:
21 And he changeth the times and the seasons: he removeth kings, and setteth up kings: he giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know understanding.

Romans 13:1 Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.
2 Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation.

[2] We should never allow ourselves to be actuated by the spirit of revenge, for anything that is done from this perspective, without the direct permission of God, will never bear the signature of heaven. The spirit of revenge is the spirit of satan, and anyone who is motivated by the same spirit will ultimately do satan’s bidding. Let’s read:

Revelation 12:13 And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child.

Romans 12:17 Recompense to no man evil for evil.
19 Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.
21 Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.

It’s on this point that many of us fail of meeting the divine standard, for in some cases, old grudges are held on to tenaciously and there is a secret desire for revenge, or punishment to be meted out to those who may have done us wrong. Even if we never take pro-active steps in indulging retaliation, the fact that we harbor the desire is enough to warrant guilt in the books of heaven. A true Christian will be willing and ready to forgive, for it is by this measure that we ourselves are also forgiven in heaven. Let’s read:

Matthew 6:9 After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
14 For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you:
15 But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

Proverbs 24:17 Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth, and let not thine heart be glad when he stumbleth:
18 Lest the Lord see it, and it displease him, and he turn away his wrath from him.

It was on the issue of retaliation that God, through His providences, had to put a check on David, for when he was treated with great ingratitude, after having done good for someone, a dormant evil in his character began to surface. David, and his trained soldiers had been protecting Nabal’s herdsmen from marauders for a period of time, but Nabal showed no gratitude when David asked of him a simple favor. Let’s read:

1st Samuel 25:5 And David sent out ten young men, and David said unto the young men, Get you up to Carmel, and go to Nabal, and greet him in my name:
6 And thus shall ye say to him that liveth in prosperity, Peace be both to thee, and peace be to thine house, and peace be unto all that thou hast.
7 And now I have heard that thou hast shearers: now thy shepherds which were with us, we hurt them not, neither was there ought missing unto them, all the while they were in Carmel.
8 Ask thy young men, and they will shew thee. Wherefore let the young men find favour in thine eyes: for we come in a good day: give, I pray thee, whatsoever cometh to thine hand unto thy servants, and to thy son David.
9 And when David's young men came, they spake to Nabal according to all those words in the name of David, and ceased.
10 And Nabal answered David's servants, and said, Who is David? and who is the son of Jesse? there be many servants now a days that break away every man from his master.
11 Shall I then take my bread, and my water, and my flesh that I have killed for my shearers, and give it unto men, whom I know not whence they be?
12 So David's young men turned their way, and went again, and came and told him all those sayings.
13 And David said unto his men, Gird ye on every man his sword. And they girded on every man his sword; and David also girded on his sword: and there went up after David about four hundred men; and two hundred abode by the stuff.
14 But one of the young men told Abigail, Nabal's wife, saying, Behold, David sent messengers out of the wilderness to salute our master; and he railed on them.
15 But the men were very good unto us, and we were not hurt, neither missed we anything, as long as we were conversant with them, when we were in the fields:
16 They were a wall unto us both by night and day, all the while we were with them keeping the sheep.
17 Now therefore know and consider what thou wilt do; for evil is determined against our master, and against all his household: for he is such a son of Belial, that a man cannot speak to him.
18 Then Abigail made haste, and took two hundred loaves, and two bottles of wine, and five sheep ready dressed, and five measures of parched corn, and an hundred clusters of raisins, and two hundred cakes of figs, and laid them on asses.
20 And it was so, as she rode on the ass, that she came down by the covert on the hill, and, behold, David and his men came down against her; and she met them.
21 Now David had said, Surely in vain have I kept all that this fellow hath in the wilderness, so that nothing was missed of all that pertained unto him: and he hath requited me evil for good.
23 And when Abigail saw David, she hasted, and lighted off the ass, and fell before David on her face, and bowed herself to the ground,
24 And fell at his feet, and said, Upon me, my lord, upon me let this iniquity be: and let thine handmaid, I pray thee, speak in thine audience, and hear the words of thine handmaid.
26 Now therefore, my lord, as the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, seeing the Lord hath withholden thee from coming to shed blood, and from avenging thyself with thine own hand, now let thine enemies, and they that seek evil to my lord, be as Nabal.

[Testimonies Vol. 5, pp 170>171] One of the most common sins, and one that is attended with most pernicious results, is the indulgence of an unforgiving spirit. How many will cherish animosity or revenge and then bow before God and ask to be forgiven as they forgive. Surely they can have no true sense of the import of this prayer or they would not dare to take it upon their lips. We are dependent upon the pardoning mercy of God every day and every hour; how then can we cherish bitterness and malice toward our fellow sinners! If, in all their daily intercourse, Christians would carry out the principles of this prayer, what a blessed change would be wrought in the church and in the world! This would be the most convincing testimony that could be given to the reality of Bible religion.

May God add His blessing to the study and practice of His every word.

God bless!

The Purpose Of The Latter Rain. Sabbath Afternoon. 08/20/2016.

August 20, 2016

The Purpose Of The Latter Rain
Sabbath Afternoon
08/20/2016

The latter rain, which is referred to in the book of Joel, is the final outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon the inhabitants of earth, to bring each living person to the point of decision, either for or against Christ. This is what the church has long waited for, and it will soon become a worldwide phenomenon, as the history of our planet draws to a close. Some people may not have previously known of God’s purpose in giving the latter rain, and because of this many have erroneously looked forward with eager anticipation to the conversion of the whole world.

However, because our relationship with Christ is based upon freedom of choice, the conversion of the entire world will never occur. The decisions we make from day to day will culminate in one final, irrevocable decision, after our minds have been illuminated on the truths which pertain especially to our time. Thus, the purpose of the latter rain is to enable us to make informed choices, and to bring to full maturity, the characters of those who will have chosen Christ as Lord and Savior of their lives. This work of fine-tuning our characters for the heavenly courts is referred to in the book of Malachi. Let’s read:

Malachi 3:2 But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner's fire, and like fullers' soap:
3 And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness.

As it stands currently, the hearts and minds of most folks are not focused on the final events which are taking place daily, and because of this, we will be visited with some unnatural events that cannot be either explained, or denied by science, and which will turn the attention of earth’s inhabitants to the momentous issues which are just upon us. And as we examine the Biblical precedents we will observe that this pattern of operation has been used by God repeatedly in times past, to gain our attention, and will again be employed in the very near future. Let’s read:

Luke 21:25 And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring;
26 Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.

Strange weather events are deemed to be the result of global warming, and the phenomena of global terrorism is purported to be the result of fanaticism, according to the “Experts”. And thus, the signs that are given in scripture, pointing unmistakably to the close of human probation, are being reasoned away on one pretext or another. Therefore, The Lord will do something unnatural, something that cannot be reasoned away on any scientific, or philosophical grounds, to arrest our attention from the mundane issues to the eternal, and this, in conjunction with the outpouring of the latter rain, will climax this earth’s history.

We will examine four precedents given in sacred history, which present to our minds, both the final urgent appeals of The Holy Spirit, working through human agencies, coupled together with unnatural events, as probation was about to close for certain nations, and peoples. Let’s read:

[1] The close of probation for the antediluvian world:
Genesis 6: 3 And the Lord said, My spirit shall not always strive with man”…
13 And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them”…

Genesis 7:7 And Noah went in, and his sons, and his wife, and his sons' wives with him, into the ark”…
8 Of clean beasts, and of beasts that are not clean, and of fowls, and of everything that creepeth upon the earth,
9 There went in two and two unto Noah into the ark, the male and the female, as God had commanded Noah.

[Patriarchs & Prophets pp. 97>98] The ark was finished in every part as the Lord had directed, and was stored with food for man and beast. And now the servant of God made his last solemn appeal to the people. With an agony of desire that words cannot express, he entreated them to seek a refuge while it might be found. Again they rejected his words, and raised their voices in jest and scoffing. Suddenly a silence fell upon the mocking throng. Beasts of every description, the fiercest as well as the most gentle, were seen coming from mountain and forest and quietly making their way toward the ark.

A noise as of a rushing wind was heard, and lo, birds were flocking from all directions, their numbers darkening the heavens, and in perfect order they passed to the ark. Animals obeyed the command of God, while men were disobedient. Guided by holy angels, they “went in two and two unto Noah into the ark,” and the clean beasts by sevens. The world looked on in wonder, some in fear. Philosophers were called upon to account for the singular occurrence, but in vain. It was a mystery which they could not fathom. But men had become so hardened by their persistent rejection of light that even this scene produced but a momentary impression.

[2] Sodom and Gomorrah.
Genesis 18:17 And the Lord said, Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do;
20 And the Lord said, Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous;
21 I will go down now, and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it, which is come unto me; and if not, I will know.
22 And the men turned their faces from thence, and went toward Sodom: but Abraham stood yet before the Lord.
23 And Abraham drew near, and said, Wilt thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked?
24 Peradventure there be fifty righteous within the city: wilt thou also destroy and not spare the place for the fifty righteous that are therein?
25 That be far from thee to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked: and that the righteous should be as the wicked, that be far from thee: Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?
26 And the Lord said, If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sakes.
27 And Abraham answered and said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord, which am but dust and ashes:
28 Peradventure there shall lack five of the fifty righteous: wilt thou destroy all the city for lack of five? And he said, If I find there forty and five, I will not destroy it.
29 And he spake unto him yet again, and said, Peradventure there shall be forty found there. And he said, I will not do it for forty's sake.
30 And he said unto him, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak: Peradventure there shall thirty be found there. And he said, I will not do it, if I find thirty there.
31 And he said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord: Peradventure there shall be twenty found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for twenty's sake.
32 And he said, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak yet but this once: Peradventure ten shall be found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for ten's sake.
33 And the Lord went his way, as soon as he had left communing with Abraham: and Abraham returned unto his place.
Genesis 19:4 But before they lay down, the men of the city, even the men of Sodom, compassed the house round, both old and young, all the people from every quarter:
5 And they called unto Lot, and said unto him, Where are the men which came in to thee this night? bring them out unto us, that we may know them.
6 And Lot went out at the door unto them, and shut the door after him,
7 And said, I pray you, brethren, do not so wickedly.
9 And they said, Stand back. And they said again, This one fellow came in to sojourn, and he will needs be a judge: now will we deal worse with thee, than with them. And they pressed sore upon the man, even Lot, and came near to break the door.
10 But the men put forth their hand, and pulled Lot into the house to them, and shut to the door.
11 And they smote the men that were at the door of the house with blindness, both small and great: so that they wearied themselves to find the door.

[Patriarchs & Prophets pp. 159] It was an immense company, youth and aged men alike inflamed by the vilest passions. The strangers had been making inquiry in regard to the character of the city, and Lot had warned them not to venture out of his door that night, when the hooting and jeers of the mob were heard, demanding that the men be brought out to them. They mocked Lot as making himself a judge over them, and threatened to deal worse with him than they had purposed toward his guests. They rushed upon him, and would have torn him in pieces had he not been rescued by the angels of God.

The heavenly messengers “put forth their hand, and pulled Lot into the house to them, and shut to the door.” The events that followed, revealed the character of the guests he had entertained. “They smote the men that were at the door of the house with blindness, both small and great: so that they wearied themselves to find the door.” The inhabitants of Sodom had passed the limits of divine forbearance—“the hidden boundary between God's patience and His wrath.” The fires of His vengeance were about to be kindled in the vale of Siddim.

[3] The Philistines.
1st Samuel 5:1 And the Philistines took the ark of God, and brought it from Ebenezer unto Ashdod.
2 When the Philistines took the ark of God, they brought it into the house of Dagon, and set it by Dagon.
3 And when they of Ashdod arose early on the morrow, behold, Dagon was fallen upon his face to the earth before the ark of the Lord. And they took Dagon, and set him in his place again.
4 And when they arose early on the morrow morning, behold, Dagon was fallen upon his face to the ground before the ark of the Lord; and the head of Dagon and both the palms of his hands were cut off upon the threshold; only the stump of Dagon was left to him.

[Patriarchs & Prophets pp. 586] The Philistines removed the ark in triumph to Ashdod, one of their five principal cities, and placed it in the house of their god Dagon. But upon entering the temple on the following day, they beheld a sight which filled them with consternation. Dagon had fallen upon his face to the earth before the ark of Jehovah. The priests reverently lifted the idol and restored it to its place. But the next morning they found it, strangely mutilated, again lying upon the earth before the ark. The upper part of this idol was like that of a man, and the lower part was in the likeness of a fish.

Now every part that resembled the human form had been cut off, and only the body of the fish remained. Priests and people were horror-struck; they looked upon this mysterious event as an evil omen, foreboding destruction to themselves and their idols before the God of the Hebrews. They now removed the ark from their temple and placed it in a building by itself.

[4] The destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans.
Acts 2:1 And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.
2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.
3 And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.
4 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
5 And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven.
6 Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language.
7 And they were all amazed and marvelled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galilaeans?
8 And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born?
9 Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia, and in Judaea, and
Cappadocia, in Pontus, and Asia,
10 Phrygia, and Pamphylia, in Egypt, and in the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews and proselytes,
11 Cretes and Arabians, we do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God.
12 And they were all amazed, and were in doubt, saying one to another, What meaneth this?
14 But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said unto them, Ye men of Judaea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my words:
15 For these are not drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day.
16 But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel;
17 And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:
18 And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy.
37 Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?
38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
39 For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.
40 And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation.
41 Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.

[The Great controversy pp. 30] Signs and wonders appeared, foreboding disaster and doom. In the midst of the night an unnatural light shone over the temple and the altar. Upon the clouds at sunset were pictured chariots and men of war gathering for battle. The priests ministering by night in the sanctuary were terrified by mysterious sounds; the earth trembled, and a multitude of voices were heard crying, “Let us depart hence.” The great eastern gate, which was so heavy that it could hardly be shut by a score of men, and which was secured by immense bars of iron fastened deep in the pavement of solid stone, opened at midnight, without visible agency.

These four precedents we have just observed are to have a repeat in our day, as the final outpouring of The Holy Spirit, under the symbolism of the latter rain, is about to take place. And just as before, it is going to be accompanied by various supernatural phenomena, which cannot be explained using our current scientific methodologies. Thus, the purpose of the latter rain is to bring to the forefront of our minds, the serious decisions which must be made by every person, before human probation is finally, and permanently closed. This latter rain is what is being referred to in the following verses. Let’s read:

Joel 3:9 Proclaim ye this among the Gentiles; Prepare war, wake up the mighty men, let all the men of war draw near; let them come up:
11 Assemble yourselves, and come, all ye heathen, and gather yourselves together round about: thither cause thy mighty ones to come down, O Lord.
12 Let the heathen be wakened”…
13 Put ye in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe: come, get you down, for their wickedness is great. 14 Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision: for the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision.
15 The sun and the moon shall be darkened, and the stars shall withdraw their shining.
16 The Lord also shall roar out of Zion, and utter his voice; and the heavens and the earth shall shake: but the Lord will be the hope of his people”…

Joel 2:1 Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain: let all the inhabitants of the land tremble: for the day of the Lord cometh, for it is nigh at hand.
23 Be glad then, ye children of Zion, and rejoice in the Lord your God: for he hath given you the former rain moderately, and he will cause to come down for you the rain, the former rain, and the latter rain in the first month.
28 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:
29 And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit.
30 And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke.
31 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and terrible day of the Lord come.
32 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be delivered: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the Lord hath said, and in the remnant whom the Lord shall call.

[The Acts Of The Apostles pp. 54>55] It is true that in the time of the end, when God's work in the earth is closing, the earnest efforts put forth by consecrated believers under the guidance of the Holy Spirit are to be accompanied by special tokens of divine favor. Under the figure of the early and the latter rain, that falls in Eastern lands at seedtime and harvest, the Hebrew prophets foretold the bestowal of spiritual grace in extraordinary measure upon God's church.

The outpouring of the Spirit in the days of the apostles was the beginning of the early, or former, rain, and glorious was the result. But near the close of earth's harvest, a special bestowal of spiritual grace is promised to prepare the church for the coming of the Son of man. This outpouring of the Spirit is likened to the falling of the latter rain; and it is for this added power that Christians are to send their petitions to the Lord of the harvest “in the time of the latter rain.” In response, “the Lord shall make bright clouds, and give them showers of rain.” “He will cause to come down ... the rain, the former rain, and the latter rain.

But as was stated before, not everyone who has experienced the latter rain will be saved. In fact, after the latter rain has passed, the majority of earth’s inhabitants will be found in irreconcilable rebellion against Christ, because the last showers of rain will ripen both good and bad fruit. This is why we should pay close attention to the following, for there will be a repeat of these experiences in the not too distant future. Let’s read:

Acts 2:36 Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made the same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.

Jesus Christ is now being crucified afresh with the doctrine which teaches that His commandments have been nailed to the cross. If the law of God, is abolished, then we have no sin, and if we have no sin, we do not need a Savior, and if we need no Savior, then Christ is crucified in vain. Even though most Christians today now keep Sunday as the day of rest, the Bible nowhere enjoins or states that the
Sabbath was changed to Sunday, and thus, Sunday keeping is a commandment of men, not of God. Let’s read:

Matthew 15:8 This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.
9 But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.

Luke 4:14 And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee”…
16 And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up for to read.

Acts 2:37 Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?
38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
41 Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.

The outpouring of the latter rain is not given us to teach the satanic message of all love is equal. It is given with the sole specific purpose of focusing the attention of earth’s peoples on the downtrodden law of God, including the 4th, which states explicitly “Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy”. This is the reason why in Revelation chapters 13&14, where John treats extensively on the mark of the beast, together with the closing scenes of earth’s history, the word “Love” is never mentioned even once, whilst the word “Worship” is repeated no
less than seven times, the number of perfection.

It is of critical importance for us to understand this very solemn truth, because the next thing to occur on planet earth, after the latter rain has fallen, and after everyone has made their final decision, is the permanent close of human probation which will open the floodgates of utter destruction upon the face of the earth. Let’s read:

Revelation 14:14 And I looked, and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud one sat like unto the Son of man, having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle.
15 And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to him that sat on the cloud, thrust in thy sickle, and reap: for the time is come for thee to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe.
16 And he that sat on the cloud thrust in his sickle on the earth; and the earth was reaped.
18 And another angel came out from the altar, which had power over fire; and cried with a loud cry to him that had the sharp sickle, saying, thrust in thy sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth; for her grapes are fully ripe.
19 And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great winepress of the wrath of God.
20 And the winepress was trodden without the city, and blood came out of the winepress, even unto the horse bridles, by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs.

But as stated before, The Holy Ghost is given to ripen both the good and the evil, or, in other words, to bring both groups to full maturity, hence we see in the following incident, two Christians who were filled with the Holy Ghost, but who will be eternally lost, because the cultivated sin of covetousness was never let go. And thus, as the Holy Spirit was poured out upon all the believers, they also partook of the Holy Spirit, and were brought to maturity in their sins. Just so shall it also be when the latter rain is poured out upon all flesh, for all who continue to cling to sin will mature in sin, and those who cling to righteousness will mature in righteousness. Let’s read:

Acts 5:1 But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession,
2 And kept back part of the price, his wife also being privy to it, and brought a certain part, and laid it at the apostles' feet.
3 But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land?
4 Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God.
5 And Ananias hearing these words fell down, and gave up the ghost: and great fear came on all them
that heard these things.
6 And the young men arose, wound him up, and carried him out, and buried him.
7 And it was about the space of three hours after, when his wife, not knowing what was done, came in.
8 And Peter answered unto her, Tell me whether ye sold the land for so much? And she said, Yea, for so much.
9 Then Peter said unto her, How is it that ye have agreed together to tempt the Spirit of the Lord? behold, the feet of them which have buried thy husband are at the door, and shall carry thee out.
10 Then fell she down straightway at his feet, and yielded up the ghost: and the young men came in, and found her dead, and, carrying her forth, buried her by her husband.
11 And great fear came upon all the church, and upon as many as heard these things.

[Acts Of The Apostles pp. 71>72] In sharp contrast to the example of benevolence shown by the believers, was the conduct of Ananias and Sapphira, whose experience, traced by the pen of Inspiration, has left a dark stain upon the history of the early church. With others, these professed disciples had shared the privilege of hearing the gospel preached by the apostles. They had been present with other believers when, after the apostles had prayed, “the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost.”

Deep conviction had rested upon all present, and under the direct influence of the Spirit of God, Ananias and Sapphira had made a pledge to give to the Lord the proceeds from the sale of certain property. Afterward, Ananias and Sapphira grieved the Holy Spirit by yielding to feelings of covetousness. They began to regret their promise and soon lost the sweet influence of the blessing that had warmed their hearts with a desire to do large things in behalf of the cause of Christ. They thought they had been too hasty, that they ought to reconsider their decision.

They talked the matter over, and decided not to fulfill their pledge. They saw, however, that those who parted with their possessions to supply the needs of their poorer brethren, were held in high esteem among the believers; and ashamed to have their brethren know that their selfish souls grudged that which they had solemnly dedicated to God, they deliberately decided to sell their property and pretend to give all the proceeds into the general fund, but really to keep a large share for themselves. Thus they would secure their living from the common store and at the same time gain the high esteem of their brethren.

The choices and decisions that we make, pertaining to right and wrong, do etch their signatures into the fabric of our characters. Habits are formed by the deliberate, repetitive decisions and actions we may make, and then those habits form our character, which is essentially who we are at the core, and then our characters are sealed for eternity. Hence the reason why it is so important for us to use the enlightenment that God gives us through His Holy Spirit to make those choices and decisions that are in harmony with the principles and laws of His word.

We therefore end with a passage of scripture which encourages us to appropriate to ourselves, both the former and the latter rain, whilst the opportunity still lingers. Let’s read:

2nd Peter 1:3 According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:
4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
5 And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;
6 And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;
7 And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.
8 For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
10 Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall.

God bless!

Distractions, Decoys, Disturbances, The D Words. Sabbath Afternoon. 08/13/2016

August 13, 2016

The truths of God’s word have always made their way against determined resistance from the hosts of darkness, and many different snares, plots, and assaults are often made, in order that the soldiers of the cross should lose focus, and be turned from disseminating the messages given by God. This was often the case with Christ, as He stood teaching the multitudes, for in one way or another, agencies of evil were set in motion, to try if possible, to prevent the gospel from being heard.

Nothing has changed since that time, therefore, we should not always expect smooth sailing when the word of God is opened for study, because as stated several times before on this forum, the devil and his agents fear nothing more than to be exposed.

The servant of the Lord gives us a preview of what we may expect and encounter as the word of God is being presented, especially when errors, and ploys of evil spirits are being revealed. One thing is quite certain, and it’s that they will not stand idly by and watch the invasion of their territory without making some move to counteract the force of truth, and that’s why it’s important for us to understand the nature of the battle, and also the parameters that are set, so as not to become annoyed, or disturbed when these incidents do occur. Let’s read:

[Early Writings pp. 266>267] I saw that Satan bade his angels lay their snares especially for those who were looking for Christ's second appearing and keeping all the commandments of God. Satan told his angels that the churches were asleep. He would increase his power and lying wonders, and he could hold them. “But,” he said, “the sect of Sabbath-keepers we hate; they are continually working against us, and taking from us our subjects, to keep the hated law of God.

As they appoint meetings in different places, we are in danger. Be very vigilant then. Cause disturbance and confusion if possible. Battle every inch of ground. I saw that Satan carries out his plans well. As the servants of God appoint meetings, Satan with his angels are on the ground to hinder the work.

Let’s take some examples in scripture so that we may point out specifically how and when these disturbances occur. In the first instance, we’ll see Jesus presenting a soul-stirring message to the people, treating upon important subjects such as hypocrisy, confessing Christ, and persecution. But then, out of the blue, the devil moves upon a man to introduce an issue which has absolutely nothing to do with the truths Christ was presenting, and this is done with the sole intention of trying to cause Jesus to be thrown off-track, and thus the truths may be erased from the minds of the hearers. This specific ploy is engaged very often by the hosts of darkness, and is often manifested in our day when questions, which have absolutely nothing to do with the topic being presented, are posed. Let’s read:

Luke 12:1 In the meantime, when there were gathered together an innumerable multitude of people, insomuch that they trode one upon another, he began to say unto his disciples first of all, Beware ye of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.
2 For there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; neither hid, that shall not be known.
7 But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows.
8 Also I say unto you, Whosoever shall confess me
before men, him shall the Son of man also confess before the angels of God.
11 And when they bring you unto the synagogues, and unto magistrates, and powers, take ye no thought how or what thing ye shall answer, or what ye shall say:
12 For the Holy Ghost shall teach you in the same hour what ye ought to say.
13 And one of the company said unto him, Master, speak to my brother, that he divide the inheritance with me.
14 And he said unto him, Man, who made me a judge or a divider over you?
15 And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.

The next example represents one of the more logical incursions, which on the surface may seem to make sense, but which is instigated by the forces of darkness to oppose the work of Christ. It is a well documented fact that logic is often found to be the diabolical enemy of faith, and is often introduced as an effective decoy to counteract the work of God in our behalf. Thus, through the medium of logic, very many blessings have often been short-circuited, and we often have not a clue as to what has transpired. Let’s read:

John 11:38 Jesus therefore again groaning in himself cometh to the grave. It was a cave, and a stone lay upon it.
39 Jesus said, Take ye away the stone. Martha, the sister of him that was dead, saith unto him, Lord, by this time he stinketh: for he hath been dead four days.

[The Desire Of Ages pp. 535] When the Lord is about to do a work, Satan moves upon someone to object. “Take ye away the stone,” Christ said. As far as possible, prepare the way for My work. But Martha's positive and ambitious nature asserted itself. She was unwilling that the decomposing body should be brought to view. The human heart is slow to understand Christ's words, and Martha's faith had not grasped the true meaning of His promise.

Martha’s problem is that she had been previously distracted with the preparation of food, and thus the way had already been paved for this current decoy. And speaking of food, it is one of the most common and effective methods used by satanic agencies to initiate disturbances, distractions and decoys, and disagreement on issues which pertain to the advancement of God’s kingdom, on which there would otherwise have been a consensus. In such instances the root cause of the disturbances can often be traced back to the dining table, hence the reason why The Lord has prohibited us from eating any food before doing Bible studies, lest we ourselves become distracted, and confused in our presentations.
This course of action on our part, in obedience to the will of God has often caused us to be considered as being anti-social, but God will now open up our understanding, so that we may see clearly the great wisdom of His instructions. Let’s read:

[Testimonies Vol. 7 pp. 257>258] Before our brethren assemble in council or board meetings, each one should present himself before God, carefully searching the heart and critically examining the motives. Pray that the Lord may reveal self to you so that you may not unwisely criticize or condemn propositions. At bountiful tables men often eat much more than can be easily digested. The overburdened stomach cannot do its work properly. The result is a disagreeable feeling of dullness in the brain, and the mind does not act quickly. Disturbance is created by improper combinations of food; fermentation sets in; the blood is contaminated and the brain confused.

Some may ask, What has this to do with board meetings? Very much. The effects of wrong eating are brought into council and board meetings. The brain is affected by the condition of the stomach. A disordered stomach is productive of a disordered, uncertain state of mind”… “and often makes one obstinate in maintaining erroneous opinions. The supposed wisdom of such a one is foolishness with God.

I present this as the cause of the situation in many council and board meetings, where questions demanding careful study have been given but little consideration, and decisions of the greatest importance have been hurriedly made. Often when there should have been unanimity of sentiment in the affirmative, decided negatives have entirely changed the atmosphere pervading a meeting. These results have been presented to me again and again.

But in the next instance, family members are used to cause distractions, and because of the personal nature of this decoy, we should be very careful to handle such disturbances as Christ would, with the courtesy and kindness befitting our interaction with our blood relatives. In this example, Christ is again presenting a very important truth, about His power to expel evil angels from the soul, when suddenly, His sermon is interrupted by a delegation of family members, who insist on seeing Him right there and then.

The suggestion for Christ’s family members to converse with Him at this particular time, originates directly from the prince of darkness, for he is the author of the thought, which is then infused into the minds of Christ’s closest relatives. Let us pay close attention to this decoy, for it will be repeated over and over again in our personal experiences. Let’s read:

Mark 3:23 And he called them unto him, and said unto them in parables, How can Satan cast out Satan?
24 And if a kingdom be divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.
25 And if a house be divided against itself, that house cannot stand.
26 And if Satan rise up against himself, and be divided, he cannot stand, but hath an end.
27 No man can enter into a strong man's house, and spoil his goods, except he will first bind the strong man; and then he will spoil his house.
31 There came then his brethren and his mother, and, standing without, sent unto him, calling him.
32 And the multitude sat about him, and they said unto him, Behold, thy mother and thy brethren without seek for thee.
33 And he answered them, saying, Who is my mother, or my brethren?
34 And he looked round about on them which sat about him, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren!
35 For whosoever shall do the will of God, the same is my brother, and my sister, and mother.

John 7:1 After these things Jesus walked in Galilee: for he would not walk in Jewry, because the Jews sought to kill him.
2 Now the Jew's feast of tabernacles was at hand.
3 His brethren therefore said unto him, Depart hence, and go into Judaea, that thy disciples also may see the works that thou doest.
4 For there is no man that doeth any thing in secret, and he himself seeketh to be known openly. If thou do these things, shew thyself to the world.
5 For neither did his brethren believe in him.
6 Then Jesus said unto them, My time is not yet come: but your time is alway ready.
7 The world cannot hate you; but me it hateth, because I testify of it, that the works thereof are evil.
8 Go ye up unto this feast: I go not up yet unto this feast: for my time is not yet full come.
9 When he had said these words unto them, he abode still in Galilee.
10 But when his brethren were gone up, then went he also up unto the feast, not openly, but as it were in secret.

The same ploys were often carried on in the old Testament era, and with amazing success. In various ways and through different human agencies the one and the same principle was used. In this instance satan appeals to the better nature in us, and his distractions are cleverly shrouded in garbs of pity, which will certainly arouse the kindness in us, as Christians. Kindness should never be allowed to cause us to disobey God’s revealed will, for it does not atone for a departure from His most explicit commands. Let’s read:

Judges 2:1 And an angel of the Lord came up from Gilgal to Bochim, and said, I made you to go up out of Egypt, and have brought you unto the land which I sware unto your fathers; and I said, I will never break my covenant with you.
2 And ye shall make no league with the inhabitants of this land.

Joshua 9:3 And when the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done unto Jericho and to Ai,
4 They did work wilily, and went and made as if they had been ambassadors, and took old sacks upon their asses, and wine bottles, old, and rent, and bound up;
5 And old shoes and clouted upon their feet, and old garments upon them; and all the bread of their provision was dry and mouldy.
6 And they went to Joshua unto the camp at Gilgal, and said unto him, and to the men of Israel, We be come from a far country: now therefore make ye a league with us.
7 And the men of Israel said unto the Hivites, Peradventure ye dwell among us; and how shall we make a league with you?
8 And they said unto Joshua, We are thy servants. And Joshua said unto them, Who are ye? and from whence come ye?
9 And they said unto him, from a very far country thy servants are come because of the name of the Lord thy God: for we have heard the fame of him, and all that he did in Egypt,
10 And all that he did to the two kings of the Amorites, that were beyond Jordan, to Sihon king of Heshbon, and to Og king of Bashan, which was at Ashtaroth.
11 Wherefore our elders and all the inhabitants of our country spake to us, saying, Take victuals with you for the journey, and go to meet them, and say unto them, We are your servants: therefore now make ye a league with us.
12 This our bread we took hot for our provision out of our houses on the day we came forth to go unto you; but now, behold, it is dry, and it is mouldy:
13 And these bottles of wine, which we filled, were new; and, behold, they be rent: and these our garments and our shoes are become old by reason of the very long journey.
14 And the men took of their victuals, and asked not counsel at the mouth of the Lord.
15 And Joshua made peace with them, and made a league with them, to let them live: and the princes of the congregation sware unto them.
16 And it came to pass at the end of three days after they had made a league with them, that they heard that they were their neighbours, and that they dwelt among them.
18 And the children of Israel smote them not, because the princes of the congregation had sworn unto them by the Lord God of Israel. And all the congregation murmured against the princes.
19 But all the princes said unto all the congregation, We have sworn unto them by the Lord God of Israel: now therefore we may not touch them.

20 This we will do to them; we will even let them live, lest wrath be upon us, because of the oath which we sware unto them.

Nehemiah 6:1 Now it came to pass when Sanballat, and Tobiah, and Geshem the Arabian, and the rest of our enemies, heard that I had builded the wall, and that there was no breach left therein; (though at that time I had not set up the doors upon the gates;)
2 That Sanballat and Geshem sent unto me, saying, Come, let us meet together in some one of the villages in the plain of Ono. But they thought to do me mischief.
3 And I sent messengers unto them, saying, I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down: why should the work cease, whilst I leave it, and come down to you?
4 Yet they sent unto me four times after this sort; and I answered them after the same manner.
5 Then sent Sanballat his servant unto me in like manner the fifth time with an open letter in his hand;
6 Wherein was written, It is reported among the heathen, and Gashmu saith it, that thou and the Jews think to rebel: for which cause thou buildest the wall, that thou mayest be their king, according to these words.
7 And thou hast also appointed prophets to preach of thee at Jerusalem, saying, There is a king in Judah: and now shall it be reported to the king according to these words. Come now therefore, and let us take counsel together.
8 Then I sent unto him, saying, There are no such things done as thou sayest, but thou feignest them out of thine own heart.
9 For they all made us afraid, saying, Their hands shall be weakened from the work, that it be not done. Now therefore, O God, strengthen my hands.

If the distractions and decoys were just limited to events where sermons and Bible studies are given, then we may not have too much cause for alarm. But the fact of the matter is that even the secular world is being distracted too, including those who are in league with the forces of evil. For instance, the world is now inundated with wars and rumors of wars, bloodshed, and unprecedented migration of peoples, and terrorism, etc. And right here in America we too are distracted, by Email scandals, and divisive rhetoric, and we are faced with two bad options in the political horse race, in so much that pundits, commentators, and learned professors are now at a loss to explain the upheaval in the political realm.

How is it that both candidates for the presidency are now embroiled in fraud, and potential jail time, and how against all odds Donald Trump made it to the top of the GOP ticket, no one can explain, nor give a plausible reason. And thus, there is a valid question to be answered: What is satan’s purpose in bringing and instigating all of this confusion, both nationally and internationally? Answer: To prevent folks from focusing on what is really important, and to avoid any contemplation of two unprecedented events that are soon to take place, and which will forever change the course of this earth’s history, and will, according to the Bible, find most of earth’s teeming multitudes unprepared. So let’s turn to the Bible for answers.

Two very important events are soon to take place:

[1] The permanent close of human probation.
[2] The second coming of Christ in the clouds of heaven.

The first event, the close of human probation will permanently lock in our decisions, either for or against Christ, which will then prepare the way for the second event, Christ’s second coming. These are the two main reasons why we are now inundated with a plethora of distractions, disturbances, and decoys. Let’s read:

Joel 2:1 Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain: let all the inhabitants of the land tremble: for the day of the Lord cometh, for it is nigh at hand;
2 A day of darkness and of gloominess, a day of clouds and of thick darkness, as the morning spread upon the mountains”…
11 And the Lord shall utter his voice before his army: for his camp is very great: for he is strong that executeth his word: for the day of the Lord is great and very terrible; and who can abide it?
12 Therefore also now, saith the Lord, turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning.
28 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:
29 And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit.
30 And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke.
31 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and terrible day of the Lord come.
32 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be delivered.

Joel 3:11 Assemble yourselves, and come, all ye heathen, and gather yourselves together round about: thither cause thy mighty ones to come down, O Lord.
12 Let the heathen be wakened, and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat: for there will I sit to judge all the heathen round about.
13 Put ye in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe: come, get you down; for the press is full, the fats overflow; for their wickedness is great.
14 Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision: for the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision.
15 The sun and the moon shall be darkened, and the stars shall withdraw their shining.
16 The Lord also shall roar out of Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem; and the heavens and the earth shall shake: but the Lord will be the hope of his people”…..

Revelation 12:12 Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.
17 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.

Matthew 24:37 But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
38 For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark,
39 And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
44 Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.

1st Thessalonians 5:2 For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.
3 For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.
4 But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.
6 Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.

The Great Controversy pp. 491 When the work of the investigative Judgment closes, the destiny of all will have been decided for life or death. Probation is ended a short time before the appearing of the Lord in the clouds of heaven. Christ in the Revelation, looking forward to that time, declares: “He that is unjust, let him be unjust still; and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still; and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still; and he that is holy, let him be holy still. And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.”

The righteous and the wicked will still be living upon the earth in their mortal state—men will be planting and building, eating and drinking, all unconscious that the final, irrevocable decision has been pronounced in the sanctuary above. Before the flood, after Noah entered the ark, God shut him in, and shut the ungodly out; but for seven days the people, knowing not that their doom was fixed, continued their careless, pleasure-loving life, and mocked the warnings of impending judgment.

“So,” says the Savior, “shall also the coming of the Son of man be.” Silently, unnoticed as the midnight thief, will come the decisive hour which marks the fixing of every man's destiny, the final withdrawal of mercy's offer to guilty men. “Watch ye therefore; ... lest coming suddenly He find you sleeping.” Perilous is the condition of those who, growing weary of their watch, turn to the attractions of the world.

While the man of business is absorbed in the pursuit of gain, while the pleasure-lover is seeking indulgence, while the daughter of fashion is arranging her adornments,—it may be in that hour the Judge of all the earth will pronounce the sentence, “Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting.”

[The Great Controversy pp. 38] Come when it may, the day of God will come unawares to the ungodly. When life is going on in its unvarying round; when men are absorbed in pleasure, in business, in traffic, in money-making; when religious leaders are magnifying the world's progress and enlightenment, and the people are lulled in a false security,—then, as the midnight thief steals within the unguarded dwelling, so shall sudden destruction come upon the careless and ungodly, “and they shall not escape.”

It is imperative then for us not to be distracted, or cause our focus to be removed from the heavenly sanctuary, where Christ is now wrapping up His work in behalf of those who are called by His name. And it is even more important, that we do not be distracted from disseminating the solemn, sacred truths which pertain to our day, for we have very limited time in which to finish up the work of the gospel in all the world. We therefore end with a passage of scripture which encourages us all to stay focused on what’s really important, and whenever distractions, disturbances, or decoys arise, let us trust to the mighty power of God to restrain the hosts of darkness, for only He can do for us what we cannot. Let’s read:
Romans 13:11 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.
12 The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light.
13 Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying.
14 But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.

God bless!

Defeating Our Invisible Foes. Sabbath Afternoon. 08/06/2016.

August 06, 2016

Whenever we find ourselves embroiled in a war we must fight to win, and since the Bible informs us of a warfare taking place for our very souls, then we must go to the root of the problem, and not seek external solutions for internal or invisible problems. Although science does not acknowledge the fact, it is an undeniable and inconvenient truth, that our societies and morality have taken a decided turn for the worse, and the man-made solutions made by those in authority are not delivering the desired results. The main reason for this is that we are at war with invisible foes, and unless we come to grips with this fundamental truth, we will keep spinning our wheels in the proverbial mud. Let’s read:

Many people, even amongst Christians erroneously believe that it’s only Christ’s true followers that are engaged in this war, but the Bible insists that every living person is involved, and will take one side or the other, sooner or later. In fact, the two following examples pull back the curtains, and reveal in a nut shell, what actually takes place on a daily basis, with leaders of nations. In the first instance we see an invisible assault taking place on a head of state, and what is quite alarming, is that this particular person is in the know, and is supposed to understand what often takes place behind the scenes, yet, when he is confronted with the adverse results of his decision, he takes the full brunt of responsibility, as if the idea originated with himself. Let’s read:

1st Chronicles 21:1 And Satan stood up against Israel, and provoked David to number Israel.
2 And David said to Joab and to the rulers of the people, Go, number Israel from Beersheba even to Dan; and bring the number of them to me, that I may know it.
3 And Joab answered, The Lord make his people an hundred times so many more as they be: but, my lord the king, are they not all my lord's servants? why then doth my lord require this thing? why will he be a cause of trespass to Israel?
4 Nevertheless the king's word prevailed against Joab.
16 And David lifted up his eyes, and saw the angel of the Lord stand between the earth and the heaven, having a drawn sword in his hand stretched out over Jerusalem. Then David and the elders of Israel, who were clothed in sackcloth, fell upon their faces.
17 And David said unto God, Is it not I that commanded the people to be numbered? even I it is that have sinned and done evil indeed; but as for these sheep, what have they done?

Daniel 10:4 And in the four and twentieth day of the first month, as I was by the side of the great river, which is Hiddekel;
5 Then I lifted up mine eyes, and looked, and behold a certain man clothed in linen, whose loins were girded with fine gold of Uphaz:
6 His body also was like the beryl, and his face as the appearance of lightning, and his eyes as lamps of fire, and his arms and his feet like in colour to polished brass, and the voice of his words like the voice of a multitude.
7 And I Daniel alone saw the vision: for the men
that were with me saw not the vision; but a great quaking fell upon them, so that they fled to hide themselves.
8 Therefore I was left alone, and saw this great vision, and there remained no strength in me: for my comeliness was turned in me into corruption, and I retained no strength.
9 Yet heard I the voice of his words: and when I heard the voice of his words, then was I in a deep sleep on my face, and my face toward the ground.
10 And, behold, an hand touched me, which set me upon my knees and upon the palms of my hands.
11 And he said unto me, O Daniel, a man greatly beloved, understand the words that I speak unto thee, and stand upright: for unto thee am I now sent. And when he had spoken this word unto me, I stood trembling.
12 Then said he unto me, Fear not, Daniel: for from the first day that thou didst set thine heart to understand, and to chasten thyself before thy God, thy words were heard, and I am come for thy words.
13 But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me one and twenty days: but, lo, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me; and I remained there with the kings of Persia.

Thus, it is with the deepest concern that we embark upon the study of how to defeat our invisible foes, for the same activities, and adverse results of old, are being repeated, and ramped up exponentially even as our political and religious leaders may deny the fact. We begin by confronting the very first and fundamental truth, pertaining to our invisible foes:
[1] The existence and identity of our invisible foes, for unless we face this first basic truth all our efforts will ultimately be ill-directed at the symptoms, and not at the cause. Let’s read:

Revelation 12:7 And there was war in heaven:
Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels,
8 And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven.
9 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.
10 And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.
12 Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.

Mark 5:1And they came over unto the other side of
the sea, into the country of the Gadarenes.
2 And when he was come out of the ship, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit.
6 But when he saw Jesus afar off, he ran” …
7 And cried with a loud voice, and said, What have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of the most high God? I adjure thee by God, that thou torment me not.
8 For he said unto him, Come out of the man, thou unclean spirit.
9 And he asked him, What is thy name? And he answered, saying, My name is Legion: for we are many.

Mark 3:11 And unclean spirits, when they saw him, fell down before him, and cried, saying, Thou art the Son of God.
12 And he straitly charged them that they should not make him known.

[The Great Controversy pp. 511>517] The connection of the visible with the invisible world, the ministration of angels of God, and the agency of evil spirits, are plainly revealed in the Scriptures, and inseparably interwoven with human history. There is a growing tendency to disbelief in the existence of evil spirits”… But the Scriptures not only teach the existence of angels, both good and evil, but present unquestionable proof that these are not the disembodied spirits of dead men. A guardian angel is appointed to every follower of Christ.

These heavenly watchers shield the righteous from the power of the wicked one. This Satan himself recognized when he said, “Doth Job fear God for naught? Hast not thou made a hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side?” Thus God's people, exposed to the deceptive power and unsleeping malice of the prince of darkness, and in conflict with all the forces of evil, are assured of the unceasing guardianship of heavenly angels. Nor is such assurance given without need.

If God has granted to his children promise of grace and protection, it is because there are mighty agencies of evil to be met,—agencies numerous, determined, and untiring, of whose malignity and power none can safely be ignorant or unheeding. Evil spirits, in the beginning created sinless, were equal in nature, power, and glory with the holy beings that are now God's messengers. But fallen through sin, they are leagued together for the dishonor of God and the destruction of men. United with Satan in his rebellion, and with him cast out from Heaven, they have, through all succeeding ages, co-operated with him in his warfare against the divine authority.

We are told in Scripture of their confederacy and government, of their various orders, of their intelligence and subtlety, and of their malicious designs against the peace and happiness of men. Old-Testament history presents occasional mentions of their existence and agency; but it was during the time when Christ was upon the earth that evil spirits manifested their power in the most striking manner. Christ had come to enter upon the plan devised for man's redemption, and Satan determined to assert his right to control the world.

The hosts of darkness saw that they did not possess unlimited control, and they understood that if Christ's mission should be successful, their rule was soon to end. Satan raged like a chained lion, and defiantly exhibited his power over the bodies as well as the souls of men. The fact that men have been possessed with demons, is clearly stated in the New Testament. The persons thus afflicted were not merely suffering with disease from natural causes. Christ had perfect understanding of that with which he was dealing, and he recognized the
direct presence and agency of evil spirits.

None are in greater danger from the influence of evil spirits than are those who, notwithstanding the direct and ample testimony of the Scriptures, deny the existence and agency of the devil and his angels. So long as we are ignorant of their wiles, they have almost inconceivable advantage; many give heed to their suggestions while they suppose themselves to be following the dictates of their own wisdom.

This is why, as we approach the close of time, when Satan is to work with greatest power to deceive and destroy, he spreads everywhere the belief that he does not exist. He is pleased to hear his name used in sport and mockery by those who think themselves intelligent and well-informed.

[2] The intelligence quotient of our invisible foes: Let’s read:
Ezekiel 28:1The word of the Lord came again unto me, saying,
2 Son of man, say unto the prince of Tyrus”…
3 Behold, thou art wiser than Daniel; there is no secret that they can hide from thee:
4 With thy wisdom and with thine understanding thou hast gotten thee riches, and hast gotten gold and silver into thy treasures:
5 By thy great wisdom and by thy traffick hast thou increased thy riches, and thine heart is lifted up because of thy riches:
6 Therefore thus saith the Lord God; Because thou hast set thine heart as the heart of God;
7 Behold, therefore I will bring strangers upon thee”…
11 Moreover the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,
12 Son of man, take up a lamentation upon the king of Tyrus, and say unto him, Thus saith the Lord God; Thou sealest up the sum, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty.
13 Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold: the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created.
14 Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire.
15 Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee.

Genesis 3:1 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?
2 And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden:
3 But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.
4 And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die:
5 For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.

[3] The capabilities of our invisible foes, and their ability to inhabit, and control lesser beings such as animals, birds, fish, and humans. Also, their fluency in any known language, and their ability to pass freely through solid matter. Let’s read:

Genesis 3:1 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?

Matthew 8:28 And when he was come to the other side into the country of the Gergesenes, there met him two possessed with devils, coming out of the tombs, exceeding fierce, so that no man might pass by that way.
29 And, behold, they cried out, saying, What have we to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God? art thou come hither to torment us before the time?
30 And there was a good way off from them an herd of many swine feeding.
31 So the devils besought him, saying, If thou cast us out, suffer us to go away into the herd of swine.
32 And he said unto them, Go. And when they were come out, they went into the herd of swine: and, behold, the whole herd of swine ran violently down a steep place into the sea, and perished in the waters.

John 13:26 Jesus answered, He it is, to whom I shall give a sop, when I have dipped it. And when he had dipped the sop, he gave it to Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon.
27 And after the sop Satan entered into him. Then said Jesus unto him, That thou doest, do quickly.
28 Now no man at the table knew for what intent he spake this unto him…. Question: How did satan enter the room, unnoticed by any of the disciples, including Judas, even though the doors were most likely closed?

Matthew 16:21 From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day.
22 Then Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee.
23 But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men.

[4] The activities of our invisible foes: ….. They go to church regularly, they study the Bible every day, unlike many Christians, and they are well versed in quoting scriptures, much more so than any teacher, pastor, or professor of theology. They also cause catastrophic damage to human lives, and property, after taking full control of the hearts and minds of men. They also manipulate the forces and elements of nature when permitted, including hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes, and many diseases. The most recent brutal attack in Nice France, and the deliberate crash of German-wings flight 9525 were both the result of demon possession. Science may beg to differ, but one day soon we will all have to confront this inconvenient truth. Let’s read:

German-wings Flight 9525 co-pilot deliberately crashed plane, officials say. By Josh Levs, Laura Smith-Spark, and Holly Yan, CNN. Updated 9:38 PM ET, Thu March 26, 2015.
Lufthansa CEO says his company is "speechless that this aircraft has been deliberately crashed by the co-pilot". The co-pilot of German-wings Flight 9525 purposely crashed the plane into the French Alps, killing all 150 people on board, officials said Thursday.

"We at Lufthansa are speechless that this aircraft has been deliberately crashed by the co-pilot," said Carsten Spohr, CEO of Lufthansa, which owns German-wings. It's unknown whether Lubitz planned his actions, Robin said. But he "took advantage" of a moment in which the pilot left the cockpit and "activated the descent," which can only be done deliberately. The plane's cockpit audio recorder captured horrific sounds. The captain, somehow locked out of the cockpit, can be heard banging on the door, Robin said. And screaming can be heard on the audio recording for the final few minutes of the flight.

Mark 1:23 And there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit; and he cried out,
24 Saying, Let us alone; what have we to do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth? art thou come to destroy us? I know thee who thou art, the Holy One of God.
25 And Jesus rebuked him, saying, Hold thy peace, and come out of him.
26 And when the unclean spirit had torn him, and cried with a loud voice, he came out of him.
Matthew 4:3 And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.
4 But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.
5 Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple,
6 And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.

2nd Corinthians 11:14 And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.
15 Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.

Job 1:6 Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan came also among them.
7 And the Lord said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered the Lord, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.
8 And the Lord said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil?
9 Then Satan answered the Lord, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought?
10 Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land.
11 But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face.
12 And the Lord said unto Satan, Behold, all that he
hath is in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thine hand. So Satan went forth from the presence of the Lord.
13 And there was a day when his sons and his daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother's house:
14 And there came a messenger unto Job, and said”…
18 Thy sons and thy daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother's house:
19 And, behold, there came a great wind from the wilderness, and smote the four corners of the house, and it fell upon the young men, and they are dead; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.

Ephesians 2:1 And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;
2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the ower of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the
children of disobedience

[The Great Controversy pp. 589> 580] Satan delights in war; for it excites the worst passions of the soul, and then sweeps into eternity its victims steeped in vice and blood. It is his object to incite the nations to war against one another; for he can thus divert the minds of the people from the work of preparation to stand in the day of God. Satan works through the elements also to garner his harvest of unprepared souls. He has studied the secrets of the laboratories of nature, and he uses all his power to control the elements as far as God allows. Even now he is at work.

In accidents and calamities by sea and by land, in great conflagrations, in fierce tornadoes and terrific hail-storms, in tempests, floods, cyclones, tidal waves, and earthquakes, in every place and in a thousand forms, Satan is exercising his power. He sweeps away the ripening harvest, and famine and distress follow. He imparts to the air a deadly taint, and thousands perish by the pestilence. These visitations are to become more and more frequent and disastrous. Destruction will be upon both man and beast.

It is obvious that the inhabitants of planet earth are in desperate need of Someone who can successfully defeat our invisible foes, and who can show us how to fight victoriously, for without the inherent ability, or the weapons to battle our enemies, victory will be an elusive dream. In order for any battle to be won, two elements are indispensable, surveillance and power. Of our own selves we do not possess surveillance capabilities, neither do we naturally have the necessary power to defeat these powerful foes.

That’s why Jesus Christ is absolutely essential to the well-being of each member of the human family, for only He has the needed capabilities, and the power, which He then passes on to those who believe and trust in Him. But we must unite ourselves under His royal banner which features obedience to all His commandments, and faith in His power to save. Radars, and drones, and human intelligence, and nuclear bombs are all worthless when engaging evil angels, and thus, if we desire victory, we must turn to the only Person in the universe who has a time-proven track record of successfully, and repeatedly defeating the invisible hosts of darkness. There are several texts in the Bible which confirm this sacred truth. Let’s read:

Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
13 Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.
16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

Matthew 4:23 And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people.
24 And his fame went throughout all Syria: and they brought unto him all sick people that were taken with divers diseases and torments, and those which were possessed with devils, and those which were lunatick, and those that had the palsy; and he healed them.

Matthew 12:28 But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you. 29 Or else how can one enter into a strong man's house, and spoil his goods, except he first bind the
strong man? and then he will spoil his house.

Revelation 11:15 And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.

James 2:19 Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.

2nd Corinthians 10:3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh:
4 (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)
5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.

Ephesians 6:10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.
11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;
15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:
18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints.

Give a practical example in praying before flying. Give a practical example in overcoming cultivated and inherited tendencies to evil.

Luke 10:17 And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name.
18 And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven.
19 Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.
20 Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.
Romans 8:35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,
39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Psalms 46:1 God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
2 Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea;
3 Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof.

May God add His blessing to the study and practice of His every word.

God bless!

In The Days Of These Kings. Sabbath Afternoon. 07/30/2016

July 30, 2016

The two visions for our future being peddled by the candidates on both sides of the political aisle, seem to suggest that our best and brightest days, and our safest and most prosperous days are just before us, if one or the other is elected. On the right, we have Mr. Trump heralding an era of law and order, with millions of jobs being created, and with the period of global terrorism, and lawlessness coming to a sudden end. In a Trump presidency, a wall will be built to finally secure our borders, and Isis will be brought its knees. In his own words, he is the only person alive who can “Fix” all our problems, and so, he says that he must be elected, if America is to be made great again.

On the left, we have been given soaring promises of a new dawn in our nation’s history, in which the playing field will be leveled, and where Mrs. Clinton will not only save us from the tyranny of Trump, but will return us to peace and prosperity, with a bright future for our children. In a Clinton presidency, the phenomenon of global warming will be reduced to sustainable levels, and fat-cats on wall street will be made to pay for their financial sins, whilst the poor, the needy, the disenfranchised, together with the millions of immigrants will be given a welcome seat at the negotiating table. Families that have lived in the shadows, are promised a new day, and thus, in order for our national and international problems to be resolved, the proverbial glass ceiling must finally be broken, according to politicians on the left.

Now, while it’s always good to be optimistic about the future, yet, as Christians, we must make certain that, our understanding of future events, is never to be informed by scripted, smooth-talking agents who herald a bright future on this earth as we know it, but rather by the solemn predictions of the Bible as given by all the prophets of The Most High. In other words, the predictions of the Bible stand in marked contrast to the contemporary world vision of future greatness in this world, and soon, the two opposing concepts will be pitted directly against each other.

However, in order for us to better understand the conundrum we are facing, there is a fundamental, but inconvenient truth we will need to grapple with, in order that we be not disappointed by the empty, unfulfilled promises, as in days, and years gone by. There aren’t any nations existing today, which will welcome the prospect, or the thought that they will come to an end, and therefore, the truths of God’s word, heralding His establishment of a permanent, spiritual kingdom of righteousness, will never be generally received by national leaders, or the vast multitudes under their jurisdiction. But, in the days of “these kings”, God has indeed promised that He will set up His own kingdom, which shall never, ever
be destroyed. Let’s read:

Daniel 2:1 And in the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar Nebuchadnezzar dreamed dreams, wherewith his spirit was troubled, and his sleep brake from him.
2 Then the king commanded to call the magicians, and the astrologers, and the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans, for to shew the king his dreams. So they came and stood before the king.
3 And the king said unto them, I have dreamed a dream, and my spirit was troubled to know the dream.
19 Then was the secret revealed unto Daniel in a night vision. Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven.
31 Thou, O king, sawest, and behold a great image. This great image, whose brightness was excellent, stood before thee; and the form thereof was terrible.
32 This image's head was of fine gold, his breast and his arms of silver, his belly and his thighs of brass,
33 His legs of iron, his feet part of iron and part of clay.
34 Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon his feet that were of iron and clay, and brake them to pieces.
35 Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshing floors; and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them: and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth.
36 This is the dream; and we will tell the interpretation thereof before the king.
37 Thou, O king, art a king of kings: for the God of heaven hath given thee a kingdom, power, and strength, and glory.
38 And wheresoever the children of men dwell, the beasts of the field and the fowls of the heaven hath he given into thine hand, and hath made thee ruler over them all. Thou art this head of gold.
39 And after thee shall arise another kingdom inferior to thee, and another third kingdom of brass, which shall bear rule over all the earth.

Now, while it is true that Nebuchadnezzar greatly appreciated the dream being brought back to his memory through the prophet Daniel, there are two main phrases in the interpretation given to the king which seemed to bother him: [1] "After thee" [2] Inferior to thee. The king rightly understood from these two phrases, that his kingdom would not be permanent in nature, and that Babylon was to be succeeded by an inferior kingdom, which wounded his personal, and national pride. And as he rolled over the prediction in his mind, he could not bear the thought that Babylon was to come to an end, so in the very next chapter, he comes up with an idea
to nullify the solemn predictions of God, so that, as he thought, Babylon would stand forever. In order to solidify support for his own vision of Babylon’s future, he calls for a BNC --- Babylon National convention, a national assembly of leaders, so as to galvanize national unity upon his preferred vision of the future of the nation. Let’s read:

Daniel 3:1 Nebuchadnezzar the king made an image of gold, whose height was threescore cubits, and the breadth thereof six cubits: he set it up in the plain of Dura, in the province of Babylon.
2 Then Nebuchadnezzar the king sent to gather together the princes, the governors, and the captains, the judges, the treasurers, the counsellors, the sheriffs, and all the rulers of the provinces, to come to the dedication of the image which Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up.
4 Then an herald cried aloud, To you it is commanded, O people, nations, and languages,
5 That at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, dulcimer, and all kinds of musick, ye fall down and worship the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king hath set up:
6 And whoso falleth not down and worshippeth shall the same hour be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace.

This mindset, of desiring permanence by a national leader was not only exclusively indigenous to the kingdom of Babylon, for as stated before, there isn’t a single nation on the planet which will welcome its demise, as being good news. It is inherent in human nature to seek for permanence, for there is where hopes of continued national greatness are embedded. This is the reason why Mr. Trump suggests that we cannot have prosperity without security, and thus, in the attempt to “Make America great again” an image, a cryptic, antitypical form of worship must be set up, whether it be on the left or right side of the political arena. Let’s read:

Jeremiah 26:1 In the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah came this word from the Lord, saying,
2 Thus saith the Lord; Stand in the court of the Lord's house, and speak unto all the cities of Judah, which come to worship in the Lord's house, all the words that I command thee to speak unto them; diminish not a word:
3 If so be they will hearken, and turn every man from his evil way, that I may repent me of the evil, which I purpose to do unto them because of the evil of their doings.
4 And thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the Lord; If ye will not hearken to me, to walk in my law, which I have set before you,
5 To hearken to the words of my servants the prophets, whom I sent unto you, both rising up early, and sending them, but ye have not hearkened;
6 Then will I make this house like Shiloh, and will make this city a curse to all the nations of the earth.
8 Now it came to pass, when Jeremiah had made an end of speaking all that the Lord had commanded him to speak unto all the people, that the priests and the prophets and all the people took him, saying, Thou shalt surely die.
9 Why hast thou prophesied in the name of the Lord, saying, This house shall be like Shiloh, and this city shall be desolate without an inhabitant? And all the people were gathered against Jeremiah in the house of the Lord.
11 Then spake the priests and the prophets unto the princes and to all the people, saying, This man is worthy to die; for he hath prophesied against this city, as ye have heard with your ears.
12 Then spake Jeremiah unto all the princes and to all the people, saying, The Lord sent me to prophesy against this house and against this city all the words that ye have heard.
13 Therefore now amend your ways and your doings, and obey the voice of the Lord your God; and the Lord will repent him of the evil that he hath pronounced against you.
15 But know ye for certain, that if ye put me to death, ye shall surely bring innocent blood upon yourselves, and upon this city, and upon the inhabitants thereof: for of a truth the Lord hath sent me unto you to speak all these words in your ears.

Luke 4:24 And he said, Verily I say unto you, No prophet is accepted in his own country.
25 But I tell you of a truth, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elias, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, when great famine was throughout all the land;
26 But unto none of them was Elias sent, save unto Sarepta, a city of Sidon, unto a woman that was a widow.
27 And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Eliseus the prophet; and none of them was cleansed, saving Naaman the Syrian.
28 And all they in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath,
29 And rose up, and thrust him out of the city, and led him unto the brow of the hill whereon their city was built, that they might cast him down headlong.
30 But he passing through the midst of them went his way.

Thus it is, that the message of a coming kingdom of righteousness, which will up-end all other existing kingdoms, will never be popular with the multitudes but God will have us to study the prophecy in Daniel chapters 2&3 so that we may know for certain what is coming upon the face of the earth in short order. “In the days of these kings” therefore points to a period in earth’s history when the nations of earth will be fragmenting, when decades-long attempts at unity between nations will begin to fracture, for no apparent reason.

Daniel 2:42 And as the toes of the feet were part of iron, and part of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong, and partly broken.
43 And whereas thou sawest iron mixed with miry clay, they shall mingle themselves with the seed of men: but they shall not cleave one to another, even as iron is not mixed with clay.
44 And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever.
45 Forasmuch as thou sawest that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it brake in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold; the great God hath made known to the king what shall come to pass hereafter: and the dream is certain, and the interpretation thereof sure.

And so, there is one question, and one only which needs to be answered: “Are we living in the days of “These kings? Is it true that the international unity between various nations have now begun to come apart? And if so, what should be our understanding of visions of the future, given the political rhetoric we are being inundated with? The answers are to be found in the scriptures, and must also be confirmed by current events. Let’s read:

Luke 21:10 Then said he unto them, Nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.

Daniel 2:43 And whereas thou sawest iron mixed
with miry clay, they shall mingle themselves with the seed of men: but they shall not cleave one to another, even as iron is not mixed with clay.

(CNN) A new normal shrouds Europe now.
Questions we didn't ask last summer: What next? Where will I be? Who will l know? Is my life less safe? The attacks in Belgium, France and Germany amplify anxieties over Brexit, Frexit, an unraveling of an order dictated by the European Union. The fabric of cohesion offering peace, prosperity and security patiently woven over decades suddenly feels like a paper bag in a summer storm. Ready to rip. String of recent attacks fuels anxiety that old order is unraveling. Europe is facing greatest threats in a generation.

Luke 21:25 And there shall be signs in the sun, and
upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity…
26 Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth.

2nd Timothy 3: This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.
2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,
4 Traitors, heady, high-minded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;

(CNN) The shooting deaths of three officers in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, this month pushed the number of law enforcement fatalities past a tragic benchmark.
As of July 20, 32 law enforcement officers were shot to death in the United States, according to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund, which keeps data on officers killed on the job. That's up 78% from this time last year, when gun-related deaths accounted for 18 of 62 law enforcement fatalities through July 20, 2015. And it means gun-related deaths account for nearly half of the 67 law enforcement deaths.

(CNN) Battlefield success against ISIS may produce more terrorism for the West, FBI Director James Comey warned this week. Speaking to a cybersecurity conference at Fordham University Wednesday, Comey predicted that eventually crushing ISIS in its self-proclaimed caliphate in Syria and Iraq will likely result in dispersing terrorists elsewhere. "At some point there is going to be a terrorist diaspora out of Syria like we've never seen before," Comey said. "Not all of the Islamic State killers are going to die on the battlefield."

Normandy, Istanbul, Dhaka, Nice, Baghdad, Orlando: WHY? By Peter Bergen, CNN National Security Analyst Updated 5:53 PM ET, Tue July 26, 2016
(CNN) Mass casualty terrorist attacks in Orlando, at the Istanbul airport, at a café in Bangladesh, a market in Baghdad, the Bastille Day celebration in Nice, and on Tuesday the murder of an elderly priest in Normandy, all carried out by ISIS or in the name of ISIS. And that's just in the past several weeks. After each one of these attacks the first question is: Why? Why would anyone kill complete strangers who are dancing at a nightclub, or eating at a restaurant, or folks attending a holiday fireworks display, or an 86-year-old priest?

It becomes clearly obvious that something is going terribly wrong in our world, and we will soon need to choose between listening to our smooth-talking politicians, or to the word of God. If we choose the smooth words of our national leaders, we will be ill-prepared for what is coming upon the face of the earth, and if we trust man to fix our existential problems, we will be hanging our hopes of national security, and permanence upon very brittle line.

However, if we choose to believe the word of God, which says “In the days of these kings” the God of heaven will set up a permanent kingdom, then we will be moved to make the necessary preparations, by a complete surrender to The Lord Jesus Christ, to His laws, principles, His statutes, and His methods. It is vain for us to seek external solutions to the internal problem of sin, and therefore, the history of earth will gradually wind down before our eyes, even though politicians may beg to differ.

As was stated before in a previous Bible study, if a woman takes the helm in the greatest nation on earth, we may know for certain that the end is near, even at the doors, for a woman played a leading role at the beginning of earth’s history, and it’s quite possible that a woman will again play a leading role at its end. This is not an advice for any person to vote for either side, for God’s will is to be accomplished, regardless of who wins the election. We therefore end with a caution against putting our trust in either man or woman, for none can deliver us in times of great crisis. Let’s read:

1st Thessalonians 5:2 For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.
3 For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.
4 But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.
5 Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. 6 Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.

God bless!

America In Prophecy. Sabbath Afternoon. 07/23/2016

July 23, 2016

It is no coincidence that America is now the only remaining super-power on the earth, for this is a fulfillment of prophecy written long ago. It is worthy of note that throughout sacred history, and also in the prophecies which deal with the nations of the earth, the Bible has mainly focused our attention on the dominant power on the earth at any given time, and how that nation relates to His people and how the other nations are affected, and interact with that power. For instance, there were several other nations in existence in the days of Babylon, yet it was the predominant nation at the time, and as such, it is featured prominently in the prophecies pertaining to that same era, and beyond. Let’s read:

Daniel 4:10 Thus were the visions of mine head in
my bed; I saw, and behold a tree in the midst of the earth, and the height thereof was great.
11 The tree grew, and was strong, and the height thereof reached unto heaven, and the sight thereof to the end of all the earth:
12 The leaves thereof were fair, and the fruit thereof much, and in it was meat for all: the beasts of the field had shadow under it, and the fowls of the heaven dwelt in the boughs thereof, and all flesh was fed of it.

Daniel 2:37 Thou, O king, art a king of kings: for the God of heaven hath given thee a kingdom, power, and strength, and glory.
38 And wheresoever the children of men dwell, the beasts of the field and the fowls of the heaven hath he given into thine hand, and hath made thee ruler over them all. Thou art this head of gold.
39 And after thee shall arise another kingdom inferior to thee, and another third kingdom of brass, which shall bear rule over all the earth.

Thus, in referring to the beast of Revelation 13:11, and onwards to the end of the same chapter, God is bringing to our attention the activities of the last dominant power to bear sway on the earth, even though there are many other nations in existence. And just as how Babylon was looked up to by all the other nations of its time, just so, America is looked up to for leadership, and other necessities such as food, innovation, security, and monetary policy etc. This is the reason why there is this saying: “When America sneezes, the rest of the world catches a cold”.

And so we begin with the birth of the nation, being one of the youngest, but the greatest of our time. It was in 1776 when the declaration of independence from British rule was documented, and America was officially inaugurated into the nations of the earth. It is most important for us to observe the time at which America became a sovereign nation, for the Bible is very specific as to when this was to take place.

According to the scriptures, it would begin to occur just about the time that the deadly wound incurred by papal Rome took place, and it would continue on in the years thereafter. Thus, because the majority of states entered the union after the French general Berthier took the then ruling pontiff, Pope Pius V1 as prisoner, where he died in captivity, the Scripture says that America would then take the center-stage “After” the first composite beast of Revelation 13. This first beast of verses 1>10 is none other than papal Rome. Let’s read:

Revelation 13:1 And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy.
3 And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast.

Catholic Encyclopedia
Pope Pius VI
After the French Revolution, pope Pius V1 rejected the "Constitution civile du clergé" on 13th of March 1791, suspended the priests that accepted it, provided as well as he could for the banished clergy and protested against the execution of Louis XVI. France retaliated by annexing the small papal territories of Avignon and Venaissin. The pope's co-operation with the Allies against the French Republic, and the murder of the French attaché, Basseville, at Rome, brought on by his own fault, led to Napoleon's attack on the Papal States. Because the pope refused to submit, he was forcibly taken from Rome on the night of 20 Feb., and brought first to Siena and then to Florence. At the end of March, 1799, though seriously ill, he was hurried to Parma, Piacenza, Turin, then over the Alps to Briançon and Grenoble, and finally to Valence, where he succumbed to his sufferings before he could be brought further.

This is the deadly wound which is being referred to in Revelation 13:3, which as we have just read, took place in 1798. Thus, the scripture identifies a nation coming upon the scene of action, just about this time, out of relative obscurity, to take preeminence amongst the nations of the earth, from that time forward. And when the sacred oracles of scripture are matched against the characteristics of history, the evidence points unmistakably to America as being the only nation to fit the bill. Let’s read:

IN CONGRESS, July 4, 1776.
The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen United States of America:
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

RANK STATE DATE ENTERED THE UNION
1 Delaware December 7, 1787
2 Pennsylvania December 12, 1787
3 New Jersey December 18, 1787
4 Georgia January 2, 1788
5 Connecticut January 9, 1788
6 Massachusetts February 6, 1788
7 Maryland April 28, 1788
8 South Carolina May 23, 1788
9 New Hampshire June 21, 1788
10 Virginia June 25, 1788
11 New York July 26, 1788
12 North Carolina November 21, 1789
13 Rhode Island May 29, 1790
14 Vermont March 4, 1791
15 Kentucky June 1, 1792
16 Tennessee June 1, 1796
17 Ohio March 1, 1803
18 Louisiana April 30, 1812
19 Indiana December 11, 1816
20 Mississippi December 10, 1817
21 Illinois December 3, 1818
22 Alabama December 14, 1819
23 Maine March 15, 1820
24 Missouri August 10, 1821
25 Arkansas June 15, 1836
26 Michigan January 26, 1837
27 Florida March 3, 1845
28 Texas December 29, 1845
29 Iowa December 28, 1846
30 Wisconsin May 29, 1848
31 California September 9, 1850
32 Minnesota May 11, 1858
33 Oregon February 14, 1859
34 Kansas January 29, 1861
35 West Virginia June 20, 1863
36 Nevada October 31, 1864
37 Nebraska March 1, 1867
38 Colorado August 1, 1876
39 North Dakota November 2, 1889
40 South Dakota November 2, 1889
41 Montana November 8, 1889
42 Washington November 11, 1889
43 Idaho July 3, 1890
44 Wyoming July 10, 1890
45 Utah January 4, 1896
46 Oklahoma November 16, 1907
47 New Mexico January 6, 1912
48 Arizona February 14, 1912
49 Alaska January 3, 1959
50 Hawaii August 21, 1959
Washington, D.C. February 21, 1871

But the scripture says that the deadly wound which was incurred by the papacy would be healed, after which America will gradually begin to speak like a dragon. Thus it is worthy of note that the healing of the wound took place after America had been firmly established as a nation, and the reason why this information is necessary, is to leave no doubt as to the correct identification of America as the lamb-like beast. Let’s read:

THE NEW YORK TIMES, Tuesday, February 12, 1929. VATICAN AND ITALY SIGN PACT RECREATING A PAPAL STATE. 60 YEARS OF ENMITY ENDED; THRONGS CHEER IN STREETS: By ARNALDO CORTESI. Wireless to THE NEW YORK TIMES

ROME, Feb. 11.--The Pope is again an independent sovereign ruler, as he was throughout the Middle Ages, though his temporal realm, established today, is the most microscopic independent State in the world, and probably the smallest in all history. — THE NEW YORK TIMES, Tuesday, February 12, 1929.

The same information can also be found in the San Francisco Chronicle edition of February 12, 1929.

Now that we have identified America as the second beast of Revelation 13, we must then examine her prominent features, to better understand her role as the last super-power upon the earth, before the kingdom of God and Christ is established. America in its infancy is described as a lamb, which suggests a characteristic of gentleness. The gentleness of a lamb, with which America in its infancy is therefore described can be observed in our nation’s two most prominent features, represented by the horns, and which symbolize the founding principles of civil and religious liberty.

These two prominent features are thus the secret of America’s genius and great success. The freedom to worship God according to the dictates of one’s own conscience was greatly repressed during the 1260 years of Papal supremacy, better known as the dark ages, during which time the Bible was chained to the walls of monasteries, and only the priests and clergy were privy to its sacred teachings. But then America granted religious liberty to all its peoples, thus guaranteeing the freedom of choice, and the freedom of conscience with which each person was originally endowed by our Creator. Let’s read:

The Bill of Rights: Third amendment.

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

Well, well, well, we were hoping that the prophecy would end on this high note, but according to the scripture, something would go terribly wrong, in so much that the once lamb-like nation would begin to speak like a dragon, which means that the use of force would begin to characterize her actions in the compulsion of conscience, and in the restriction of fundamental civil liberties. In the following verses, America is scheduled to exercise all the power and authority of Papal Rome, and we know from history that the papacy ruled by fiat, not by the freedom of choice in matters of conscience, as is clearly seen in the following verse. Let’s read:

Revelation 13:7 And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations…. [The first beast during the dark ages].

Thus, the question is: “Will America soon be ruling by fiat, against the individual conscience, just like it was in the dark ages, when a very perverted form of Christianity was urged upon the people, on pain of death to dissenters? This is the question God wants each person to consider very carefully, because the answer has ramifications which extend way into eternity. Let’s read:

Revelation 13:11 And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon.
12 And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.
15 And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed.
16 And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:
17 And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.
18 Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.

So how are we doing, and are we living at the times spoken of in the previous passages, when the use of force in coercing the individual conscience will be implemented, and the lamb-like beast will speak like a dragon? Let’s read:

The Washington Times - Wednesday, May 4, 2016 President Obama’s Justice Department on Wednesday threatened to pull federal education dollars from North Carolina if the state does not repeal a law prohibiting people from using public restrooms of the opposite sex. In a letter to Republican Gov. Pat McCrory, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Vanita Gupta said the state’s HB2 law violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, which bars discrimination on the basis of sex in the workplace, and Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, which prohibit discrimination on the basis of sex in education.
“The Department of Justice has determined that, as a result of compliance with and implementation of NC House Bill2, both you and the state of NC are in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964,” Ms. Gupta said.

The agency said North Carolina officials have until Monday to address the issue, or the state risks losing millions of dollars in federal education funding. Joseph Backholm, director of the Family Policy Institute of Washington, said the Justice Department’s threat to cut education funds is a tactic fitting for a playground bully.

California Public School Kids Now Required to Study Contributions of LGBT Americans.
By Philip Shepherd | January 4, 2012 | 5:20 PM EST
(CNSNews.com) – On Jan. 1, the California Department of Education started implementing a new law that requires all children in the state’s public schools to study the “role and contributions” of “lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender Americans” to the “development of California and the United States of America.”

This law, according to the pro-family group SaveCalifornia.com, will require the schools to promote “lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender Americans as role models” and mandate that “children as young as kindergarten must be taught to admire persons who engage in homosexuality.”

The issue being directly addressed in Revelation 13 has to do with worship, because the word is being mentioned over and over again. And because God teaches by repetition, He will have us consider very carefully, the ramifications of certain courses of action, which are currently being pursued. In his address to the Republican convention, Dr. Ben Carson mentioned the fact that on our dollar bill the words “In God we trust” are inscribed. We should also point out here that in the original declaration of independence, and also in the bill of rights, the word God and Creator is used, suggesting that our nation believes in God.

What is strangely absent on both the dollar bill, and the bill of rights, is the name of the “God” which is referenced, for it is quite easy for us to assume that because the founding fathers were Christians, that the God being referenced must be Christ, since the word Christian actually means “Little Christ”. But without a clear delineation of which God is being referenced, the door is now open for it to be Christ, Allah, Moshiach, Buddha, Krishna, Brahma, Mary, Zeus, or Selassie. Who exactly is being referred to we don’t really know, because it has never been clearly stated.

However, if it is the Christian’s God that is being referred to, then we would need to find out what are His stated requirements as it pertains to the issue of worship, lest the use of force against our consciences, as predicted, inevitably drive us into a counterfeit form of worship, from which there will be absolutely no escape to those who are coerced into subscribing. Therefore, from here on out, we must permit Jesus Christ to speak for Himself, so that we may be certain as to what constitutes true worship to Him.

Revelation 1:1 The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John.
3 Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.
4 John to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace be unto you, and peace, from him which is, and which was, and which is to come; and from the seven Spirits which are before his throne;
5 And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,
6 And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.
7 Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.
12 And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks;
13 And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man.

Revelation 1:10 I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day”…
Question: Which day is The Lord’s Day”?

Mark 2:27 And he said unto them, The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath.
28 Therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the Sabbath.

Here in America, and abroad, there are now two established Sabbaths, one for the Jews, and the other for Christians. Now, there has been a whole lot of back and forth over which day is the official Sabbath, but for those who believe that the God on the dollar bill is Christ, then we must, as “Little Christs” follow where He leads the way. And since the last controversy to take place on earth centers around the issue of worship, then it’s necessary to ascertain which day is the Sabbath Christ expects His followers to observe and keep holy. So let’s follow His lead:

Luke 4:16 And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up for to read.

This Sabbath that Christ kept, and that He expects all “Little Christs” to keep is the very same one that was given in commandment form on Mount Sinai. As a matter of fact, if we believe in Easter, then we should not find it hard to believe in the seventh day Sabbath, for it was because Christ and His “Little Christs” rested over the sacred hours, that Easter has any meaning whatsoever. Let’s read:

Luke 23:55 And the women also, which came with him from Galilee, followed after, and beheld the sepulchre, and how his body was laid.
56 And they returned, and prepared spices and ointments; and rested the Sabbath day according to the commandment.

Matthew 19:16 And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?
17 And he said unto him”… “if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.

Thus, the issue being referred to in Revelation 13 must be the official day of rest, for as we scrutinize the nature of the warning given, we see clearly that the overwhelming majority of people will be gathered together on one side of the issue, whilst a relatively small number will be identified as “Little Christs”. And therefore, anyone who does not agree with the lamb-like beast in accepting her dogmas, will be visited with the severest economic sanctions, in so much that their buying and selling privileges will be entirely cut off. Let’s read:

Revelation 13:15 And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed.
16 And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads.
17 And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.
18 Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.

Revelation 14:6 And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people,
7 Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.

Exodus 20:10 But the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God”…
11 For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day, and hallowed it.

In closing, let’s remember that America will play a leading role in the enforcement of the counterfeit system of worship, and although we may never know which God is being referenced on our dollar bill, yet, the next time we utter those cryptic words, “In God we trust”, let’s hope and pray that it's Jesus Christ being referenced, as it pertains to us individually and nationally. We therefore end with two passages from Christ, and it is His will that we may fully align ourselves with Him, whilst we have a very brief window of opportunity to. Let’s read:

Revelation 22:14 Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.
17 And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.
20 He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.
21 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.

May God add His blessing to the study and practice of His every word.

God bless!

Conditions Of Answered Prayer. Sabbath Afternoon. 07/16/2016

July 16, 2016

As the nations are in mourning over the escalating violence and bloodshed across the land, many folks are now wondering if the prayers of the nations are being answered, for although politicians and clergy have banded together to seek God, yet for some reason the violence and immorality keep increasing every day, in so much that a valid question is now being considered, “Is God hearing and answering us?” It is important then for us to understand the conditions that are necessary for our prayers to be answered, and even though many smooth-talking clergy and secular folk may beg to differ, the truth of the matter is that the original parameters, as set forth in the scriptures still stand, even if some may not acknowledge or agree with them.

Whenever we petition God, and there is no answer whatsoever from the Lord, it means that most likely He is not listening, and thus it behooves us to find out why He seems to have closed His ears to our cries. The fact that God will hear, and answer our prayers, when the stipulated conditions are fulfilled is a most sacred truth, for it provides stability, and confidence, security, and assurance, in a world that is becoming increasingly volatile by the day. When we pray along scripturally sound lines, The Lord will always answer us. He may say yes, He may say no, or He may say wait, but one thing is certain, He will answer the prayers that are made in harmony with the instructions given in His word. Let’s read:

John 14:13 And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
14 If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.

Isaiah 65:24 And it shall come to pass, that before
they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear.

This is not rocket science, for it’s as plain as it gets, because God is not a man that He should lie. Take for example, when Abraham petitioned the Lord in behalf of His son, for a wife, in harmony with the instructions given in His word, The Lord answered his prayer and the prayer of His servant the exact way specified in the previous passage, for it also stipulates the speed with which the answer will be coming, “While they are yet speaking”. Let’s read:

Genesis 24:12 And he said O Lord God of my master Abraham, I pray thee, send me good speed this day, and shew kindness unto my master Abraham.
13 Behold, I stand here by the well of water; and the daughters of the men of the city come out to draw water:
14 And let it come to pass, that the damsel to whom I shall say, Let down thy pitcher, I pray thee, that I may drink; and she shall say, Drink, and I will give thy camels drink also: let the same be she that thou hast appointed for thy servant Isaac; and thereby shall I know that thou hast shewed kindness unto my master.
15 And it came to pass, before he had done speaking, that, behold, Rebekah came out, who was born to Bethuel, son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham's brother, with her pitcher upon her shoulder.
16 And the damsel was very fair to look upon, a virgin, neither had any man known her: and she went down to the well, and filled her pitcher, and came up.

The hearing, and answering of prayers made to God also pertain to the issues of personal, and national security, for we have several instances in the Bible, where some individuals were being threatened with violence, but because all the scriptural parameters were in place, the enemy could not wreak havoc, as would otherwise have been the case. And thus, it is of the utmost importance that we find out the root causes of the millions of unanswered prayers which seem to be falling on deaf ears. Let’s read:

2nd Chronicles 20:1 It came to pass after this also, that the children of Moab, and the children of Ammon, and with them other beside the Ammonites, came against Jehoshaphat to battle.
3 And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek the Lord, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah.
4 And Judah gathered themselves together, to ask help of the Lord: even out of all the cities of Judah they came to seek the Lord.
5 And Jehoshaphat stood in the congregation of Judah and Jerusalem, in the house of the Lord, before the new court,
6 And said, O Lord God of our fathers, art not thou God in heaven? and rulest not thou over all the kingdoms of the heathen? and in thine hand is there not power and might, so that none is able to withstand thee?
12 O our God, wilt thou not judge them? for we have no might against this great company that cometh against us; neither know we what to do: but our eyes are upon thee.
13 And all Judah stood before the Lord, with their little ones, their wives, and their children.
14 Then upon Jahaziel”… “came the Spirit of the Lord in the midst of the congregation;
15 And he said, Hearken ye, all Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem, and thou king Jehoshaphat, Thus saith the Lord unto you, Be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God's.
17 Ye shall not need to fight in this battle: set yourselves, stand ye still, and see the salvation of the Lord with you, O Judah and Jerusalem: fear not, nor be dismayed; tomorrow go out against them: for the Lord will be with you.
20 And they rose early in the morning, and went forth into the wilderness of Tekoa: and as they went forth, Jehoshaphat stood and said, Hear me, O Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem; Believe in the Lord your God, so shall ye be established; believe his prophets, so shall ye prosper.
21 And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed singers unto the Lord, and that should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army, and to say, Praise the Lord; for his mercy endureth forever.
22 And when they began to sing and to praise, the Lord set ambushments against the children of Ammon, Moab, and mount Seir, which were come against Judah; and they were smitten.
23 For the children of Ammon and Moab stood up against the inhabitants of mount Seir, utterly to slay and destroy them: and when they had made an end of the inhabitants of Seir, every one helped to destroy another.
24 And when Judah came toward the watch tower in the wilderness, they looked unto the multitude, and, behold, they were dead bodies fallen to the earth, and none escaped.

We often pride ourselves on being a predominantly Christian nation, but these verses are so plain and direct that it is not possible to subvert them, which means that if God is not hearing, or answering our prayers as a nation, we then have a major problem on our hands, and thus, the intelligent thing to do is to find out why. The problem is never with God, but with the human agent as is clearly specified in the scriptures. Let’s read line upon line, with a humble and teachable spirit.

Isaiah 59:1 Behold, the Lord's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear:
2 But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.
3 For your hands are defiled with blood, and your fingers with iniquity; your lips have spoken lies, your tongue hath muttered perverseness.

James 4:3 Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss”….

Proverbs 1:24 Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded.
25 But ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof:
27 When your fear cometh as desolation, and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish cometh upon you.
28 Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me:
29 For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the Lord:
30 They would none of my counsel: they despised all my reproof.

Thus, it is necessary for us to establish a few facts pertinent to the issue of “Conditions of answered prayer”: [1] The God of the old Testament is none other than Jesus Christ.

1st Corinthians 10:1 Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea;
2 And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea;
3 And did all eat the same spiritual meat;
4 And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.

[2] God never changes to suit fads, or contemporary ideas, or majority opinions. Let’s read:
Malachi 3:6 For I am the Lord, I change not”….

[3] Our expectation of what God will do in response to the current crisis, must be based upon Biblically sound precedents, so as not to be disappointed if, and when He doesn’t answer our prayers. Let’s read:

In the scripture there are blessings attendant to the obedient, for the laws of cause and effect are often permitted to run their natural course. In addition, whenever individuals or nations set themselves to follow the laws and principles of God, He sets in motion blessings which are meant to encourage us, and to confirm to us that we are on the same page with Him. And we are never to conclude that the following verses pertained solely to the nation of Israel, for the promises of God are for every nation and person living on the planet. Let’s read:

Acts 10:34 Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons:
35 But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him.

Deuteronomy 28:1 And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the Lord thy God, to observe and to do all his commandments which I command thee this day, that the Lord thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth:
2 And all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God.
3 Blessed shalt thou be in the city, and blessed shalt thou be in the field.
6 Blessed shalt thou be when thou comest in, and blessed shalt thou be when thou goest out.
7 The Lord shall cause thine enemies that rise up against thee to be smitten before thy face: they shall come out against thee one way, and flee before thee seven ways.
10 And all people of the earth shall see that thou art called by the name of the Lord; and they shall be afraid of thee.
For example: Numbers 23:16 And the Lord met Balaam, and put a word in his mouth, and said, Go again unto Balak, and say thus.
17 And when he came to him, behold, he stood by his burnt offering, and the princes of Moab with him. And Balak said unto him, what hath the Lord spoken?
18 And he took up his parable, and said, Rise up, Balak, and hear; hearken unto me, thou son of Zippor:
19 God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?
20 Behold, I have received commandment to bless: and he hath blessed; and I cannot reverse it.
21 He hath not beheld iniquity in Jacob, neither hath he seen perverseness in Israel: the Lord his God is with him, and the shout of a king is among them.
23 Surely there is no enchantment against Jacob, neither is there any divination against Israel.

But! There is another side to the equation, for all these blessings can go into reverse gear when
nations and individuals deliberately choose to walk contrary to God’s revealed will. In addition to this, we must always bear in mind the fact that The Lord retains entire jurisdiction over all the inhabitants of the earth, whether they be Christians or not, for we are His both by creation and redemption. Neither Pharaoh, or Nebuchadnezzar were Christians, yet they came under the sovereignty of The Most High. Let’s read:

Judges 10:6 And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the Lord, and served Baalim, and Ashtaroth, and the gods of Syria, and the gods of Zidon, and the gods of Moab, and the gods of the children of Ammon, and the gods of the Philistines, and forsook the Lord, and served not him.
7 And the anger of the Lord was hot against Israel, and he sold them into the hands of the Philistines, and into the hands of the children of Ammon.
8 And that year they vexed and oppressed the children of Israel: eighteen years, all the children of Israel that were on the other side Jordan in the land of the Amorites, which is in Gilead.
9 Moreover the children of Ammon passed over Jordan to fight also against Judah, and against Benjamin, and against the house of Ephraim; so that Israel was sore distressed.
10 And the children of Israel cried unto the Lord, saying, We have sinned against thee, both because we have forsaken our God, and also served Baalim.
11 And the Lord said unto the children of Israel, Did not I deliver you from the Egyptians, and from the Amorites, from the children of Ammon, and from the Philistines?
12 The Zidonians also, and the Amalekites, and the Maonites, did oppress you; and ye cried to me, and I delivered you out of their hand.
13 Yet ye have forsaken me, and served other gods: wherefore I will deliver you no more.
14 Go and cry unto the gods which ye have chosen; let them deliver you in the time of your tribulation.
15 And the children of Israel said unto the Lord, We have sinned: do thou unto us whatsoever seemeth good unto thee; deliver us only, we pray thee, this day.
16 And they put away the strange gods from among them, and served the Lord: and his soul was grieved for the misery of Israel.

One of the main sins that has triggered so much of the violence and bloodshed across the land, is the sin of legalizing gay marriage, by which we have essentially cast out the most sacred institution via the highest legislative body in the land. God gave us marriage between one man and his female wife as the foundation of society, and therefore, when we presume to interfere with traditional marriage, we will shake the very foundations of our society, and the sure result will be the gradual disintegration of all law and order in the civilized world. Let’s read:

[The Great Controversy pp. 584>585] Wherever the divine precepts are rejected, sin ceases to appear sinful, or righteousness desirable. Those who refuse to submit to the government of God are wholly unfitted to govern themselves. Let the restraint imposed by the divine law be wholly cast aside, and human laws would soon be disregarded. Property would no longer be safe. Life itself would not be respected. The marriage vow would no longer stand as a sacred bulwark to protect the family. The civilized world would become a horde of robbers and assassins; and peace, rest, and happiness would be banished from the earth.

Furthermore, we may pray to God until we are blue in the face, but if we do not take proactive steps to reverse the evil by confession and forsaking of sins, then the verdict is that God will not be listening to our petitions, neither will He intervene to restrain the billions of demons from stalking the land, and wreaking havoc in high and low places. God never ever blesses disobedience, neither does He hear or answer nations or individuals who are deliberately living in violation of His plainest commands, which are given for our best good, except our prayers are of the order recommended in 2nd Chronicles 7, that of confession, repentance, and a turning away from the sins that have caused the alienation. Let’s read:

Psalms 66:18 If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me.

Matthew 19:4 And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female,
5 And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh?
6 Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.

Leviticus 18:22 Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination.
24 Defile not ye yourselves in any of these things: for in all these the nations are defiled which I cast out before you:
25 And the land is defiled: therefore I do visit the iniquity thereof upon it, and the land itself vomiteth out her inhabitants.

Science as we know it, cannot make a direct link between immorality and bloodshed, and therefore, in our search for answers to the ongoing disruptions of society, we may be often tempted to attribute our misfortunes to some other cause, such as racial discrimination, income inequality, or even to global terrorism. While these may be contributing factors, the root cause of the current problem is a turning away from the sacred institutions, and a deliberate indulgence in known sin. Unless these issues are addressed, we will keep spinning our wheels in the proverbial mud, and there will continue to be a cascading effect to the dismantling of society.

Excuses, apologies, and explanations for sin is of the order that does not produce favorable results. If we confess because we are forced to, or because of fear, or because of adverse circumstances looming on the horizon, then our prayers will not pass the roof, but will instead drop out of the sky like a big stone. And so, in the name of The Lord Jesus Christ, we petition the nations of earth, the leaders of the free world, the judges across the land, the clergy, and families and individuals, to do some serious soul-searching, for Christ takes no delight in the
wanton destruction of lives He came to save, but will rather have us confess and forsake our sins, so that the current tide of evils might be stayed. Thus, in harmony with this plea, is the assurance that the penitent will be accepted in The Beloved, when the stated conditions are fulfilled. Let’s read:

Joel 2:1Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain: let all the inhabitants of the land tremble: for the day of the Lord cometh, for it is nigh at hand.
12 Therefore also now, saith the Lord, turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning.
13 And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the Lord your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness”…
15 Blow the trumpet in Zion, sanctify a fast, call a solemn assembly.
16 Gather the people, sanctify the congregation,
assemble the elders, gather the children” ...
17 Let the priests, the ministers of the Lord, weep between the porch and the altar, and let them say, Spare thy people, O Lord, and give not thine heritage to reproach, that the heathen should rule over them: wherefore should they say among the people, Where is their God?
18 Then will the Lord be jealous for his land, and pity his people.
28 And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh”…
32 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be delivered”…

He who has ears to hear, let him hear what The Spirit says unto the churches. God bless!

Woman- From Beginning To The End. Sabbath Afternoon. 07/09/2016

July 09, 2016

Throughout history, various women have played important roles in the battle between good and evil and now as we stand on the brink of eternity, we should consider what the word of God has to say about the role of the woman, as it pertains to the fulfilment of prophecy. From Eden to eternity, from Eve, right down to our present day, women have had major roles, and have been used figuratively to represent the true church of Christ, being identified with a pure, chaste woman, and with a prostitute woman representing the apostate churches. This fact must be understood first, before we unravel the various prophecies pointing to the climax of earth’s history.

However, there are some undeniable facts which must be taken into consideration, especially when we observe that history often repeats itself. Woman played a major role at the beginning of this earth’s history, both in the spiritual and literal sense, and a woman will play a major role at the close of earth’s history, at least in the spiritual sense. A woman took the lead in the garden of Eden, and thus it is quite possible that a woman will also take the lead as the history of earth winds down to a close.

It’s important for us to consider that the serpent never spoke to, or through Adam at the beginning, because the entire conversation pertaining to the forbidden tree, initially took place between Eve and satan alone. Let’s read:

Genesis 3:1 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? 2 And the woman said unto the serpent, we may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: 3 But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. 4 And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: 5 For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. 6 And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.

After sin had entered our world, God appeared to Adam and Eve, and after questioning them about what had transpired, He then made the very first prophecy in the Bible, which included a woman, both in the physical and spiritual sense. The enmity between satan and the woman, which was to be placed by God, referred primarily to the alienation between the church and the adversary, but in the most literal sense, a real woman was scheduled to be involved in the birth of the Messiah, who would bruise the head of the serpent. Thus, the two prong method of interpreting prophecy is the method by which both the spiritual, and physical counterparts of prophecy are investigated, wherever applicable. Let’s read:

Genesis 3:14 And the Lord God said unto the serpent, because thou hast done this, thou art cursed” …
15 And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.

Matthew 1:1 The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.
2 Abraham begat Isaac; and Isaac begat Jacob; and Jacob begat Judas and his brethren;
3 And Judas begat Phares and Zara of Thamar; and Phares begat Esrom; and Esrom begat Aram;
4 And Aram begat Aminadab; and Aminadab begat Naasson; and Naasson begat Salmon;
5 And Salmon begat Booz of Rachab; and Booz begat Obed of Ruth; and Obed begat Jesse;
6 And Jesse begat David the king; and David the king begat Solomon of her that had been the wife of Urias;
7 And Solomon begat Roboam; and Roboam begat Abia; and Abia begat Asa;
16 And Jacob begat Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ.
17 So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations; and from David until the carrying away into Babylon are fourteen generations; and from the carrying away into Babylon unto Christ are fourteen generations.
18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost.

Thus it was, that from the time of the first prophecy in Eden forward, the church of Christ, with all of His followers would be represented as a woman, and warfare would be waged relentlessly against them by the adversary of souls. Again, the two-pronged method of interpretation is used in the prophecy describing the birth of Christ. As Balaam prophesied concerning Jesus, He makes mention of a “Star” that would arise out of Jacob. The Star that is being referred to in the spiritual sense is Christ, but at His birth, a literal star comprising a company of shining angels was seen in the starry heavens, and thus, we observe once more, the convergence of both the literal and spiritual aspects of prophecy. Let’s read:

Numbers 24:17 I shall see him, but not now: I shall behold him, but not nigh: there shall come a Star out of Jacob, and a Sceptre shall rise out of Israel, and shall smite the corners of Moab, and destroy all the children of Sheth.

Matthew 2:1 Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem,
2 Saying, where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.

As was stated before, a woman in prophecy is used to represent the church of God upon the earth, with a chaste woman portraying the church when she is faithful to God, and with a harlot woman typifying the church in its apostate form. Let’s read:

Jeremiah 6:2 I have likened the daughter of Zion to a comely and delicate woman.
3 The shepherds with their flocks shall come unto her; they shall pitch their tents against her round about; they shall feed everyone in his place.

Ezekiel 16:1 Again the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,
2 Son of man, cause Jerusalem to know her abominations,
15 But thou didst trust in thine own beauty, and playedst the harlot because of thy renown, and pouredst out thy fornications on every one that passed by”…..

Hosea 1:2 The beginning of the word of the Lord by Hosea. And the Lord said to Hosea, Go, take unto thee a wife of whoredoms and children of whoredoms: for the land hath committed great whoredom, departing from the Lord.
Revelation 12:1 And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars:
2 And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered.

But then in Revelation chapter 17, we observe that a woman is riding on a scarlet colored beast, having a cup filled with all the abominations of the earth, and since a prostitute in prophecy represents the church in apostate form, then it means that the beast which is being ridden is being controlled by a church deep in apostasy, for wherever we have a horse and its rider, the one in the saddle retains the control, and never ever the horse. Let’s read:

Revelation 17:1 And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters:
2 With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication.
3 So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet colored beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.
4 And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet color, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication:
5 And upon her forehead was a name written, Mystery, Babylon The Great, The Mother Of Harlots And Abominations Of The Earth.

In this vision, the woman is observed to be sitting on a beast, and upon many waters. She is also seen to have daughters, for the designation of mother only applies to women who have children. This fact then tells us with certainty that her daughters must of necessity carry many prominent features of her spiritual genetic code, and her DNA, and because of this, there are important questions which demand answers, if we are to correctly understand the fine details of what John is being shown.

Question: What is being represented by the beast, and the waters over which the woman has sway?
Answer: According to the Bible, the beast and the waters represent nations, and the political powers of earth, together with all the citizenry and peoples under their jurisdiction. Thus, the woman who is seated atop the beast is an apostate church which is running the show, as far as the current agenda and decisions of nations and politicians go. We saw a clear demonstration of this vision when the current pontiff addressed the highest governing bodies in the nation, even the joint session of congress, and who also spoke for the very first time in history to the governing body of the united nations, laying out in great detail the agenda for nations and politicians under its sway to follow. Let’s read:

Revelation 17:7 And the angel said unto me, wherefore didst thou marvel? I will tell thee the mystery of the woman, and of the beast that carrieth her, which hath the seven heads and ten horns.
15 And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues.

Daniel 7:1 In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon Daniel had a dream and visions of his head upon his bed: then he wrote the dream, and told the sum of the matters.
3 And four great beasts came up from the sea, diverse one from another.
7 After this I saw in the night visions, and behold a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly; and it had great iron teeth: it devoured and brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with the feet of it: and it was diverse from all the beasts that were before it; and it had ten horns.
8 I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots: and, behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things.
16 I came near unto one of them that stood by, and asked him the truth of all this. So he told me, and made me know the interpretation of the things.
23 Thus he said, the fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth, which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces.
24 And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise: and another shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings.
25 And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.

APOSTOLIC JOURNEY OF HIS HOLINESS POPE FRANCIS TO CUBA, TO THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND VISIT TO THE UNITED NATIONS HEADQUARTERS. (19-28 SEPTEMBER 2015) VISIT TO THE JOINT SESSION OF THE UNITED STATES CONGRESS.

United States Capitol, Washington, D.C.
Thursday, 24 September 2015

[Excerpts] “All of us are quite aware of, and deeply worried by, the disturbing social and political situation of the world today. Our world is increasingly a place of violent conflict, hatred and brutal atrocities, committed even in the name of God and of religion. We know that no religion is immune from forms of individual delusion or ideological extremism.

This means that we must be especially attentive to every type of fundamentalism, whether religious or of any other kind. But there is another temptation which we must especially guard against: the simplistic reductionism which sees only good or evil; or, if you will, the righteous and sinners.

Our world is facing a refugee crisis of a magnitude not seen since the Second World War. This presents us with great challenges and many hard decisions. On this continent, too, thousands of persons are led to travel north in search of a better life for themselves and for their loved ones, in search of greater opportunities.

The Golden Rule also reminds us of our responsibility to protect and defend human life at every stage of its development. This conviction has led me, from the beginning of my ministry, to advocate at different levels for the global abolition of the death penalty. I am convinced that this way is the best, since every life is sacred, every human person is endowed with an inalienable dignity, and society can only benefit from the rehabilitation of those convicted of crimes” …..

Therefore, there are only two more questions to be answered as it pertains to the woman riding atop the beast. [1] Does the two-pronged method of interpretation apply in this case, and if so [2] Will we see a literal, physical woman in the driver’s seat in the very near future?

For answers, we turn to the word of God, because if there is to be a literal, physical counterpart of the woman atop the beast, then she would have to be in harmony with the apostate church’s agenda. Let’s read:

Luke 17:28 Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded;
30 Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed.

Those words “As it was in the days of Lot” should cause us to observe how it was in the days of Lot, for according to the words of Christ, history is going to be repeated. Let’s read:

Genesis 19:1 And there came two angels to Sodom at even; and Lot sat in the gate of Sodom: and Lot seeing them rose up to meet them”…
2 And he said, Behold now, my lords, turn in, I pray you, into your servant's house, and tarry all night, and wash your feet, and ye shall rise up early, and go on your ways. And they said, Nay; but we will abide in the street all night.
3 And he pressed upon them greatly; and they turned in unto him, and entered into his house; and he made them a feast, and did bake unleavened bread, and they did eat.
4 But before they lay down, the men of the city, even the men of Sodom, compassed the house round, both old and young, all the people from every quarter:
5 And they called unto Lot, and said unto him, where are the men which came in to thee this night? bring them out unto us, that we may know them.
6 And Lot went out at the door unto them, and shut the door after him,
7 And said, I pray you, brethren, do not so wickedly.
9 And they said, Stand back. And they said again, this one fellow came in to sojourn, and he will needs be a judge; now will we deal worse with thee, than with them.

Aboard the Papal Plane (CNN) Pope Francis said Sunday that Christians owe apologies to gays and others who have been offended or exploited by the church, remarks that some Catholics hailed as a breakthrough in the church's tone toward homosexuality.

“If someone is gay and he searches for the Lord and has good will, who am I to judge?” Francis told reporters, speaking in Italian but using the English word “gay.”

Since the activities of the days of Sodom are to be duplicated and increased exponentially towards the end of earth’s history, then it follows logically, that both the spiritual and physical counterparts of the woman riding the beast, must be on the same page as it pertains to gay marriage, and LGBT issues. So let’s see if there is alignment on these issues.

www.bloomberg.com: “Hillary Clinton, presumptive Democratic nominee for president, on Sunday marched the final few blocks of New York's annual gay pride parade through throngs of cheering supporters packed along iconic Christopher Street. "Hillary! Hillary!" crowds chanted as she walked slowly to shake hands and pose for photos, flanked by New York Governor Andrew Cuomo and New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio. Clinton exited her van at Seventh Avenue, half a block west of the Stonewall Inn, site of the 1969 uprising that sparked the modern LGBT rights movement. President Barack Obama this week declared the area a national monument.

Mark 13:28 Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When her branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is near:
29 So ye in like manner, when ye shall see these things come to pass, know that it is nigh, even at the doors.
35 Watch ye therefore: for ye know not when the master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning:
36 Lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping.
37 And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch.

May God add His blessing to the study and practice of His word.

God bless!

Let's Talk About Sex. Sabbath Afternoon. 07/02/2016

July 02, 2016

Sexual immorality, like a shadow of death has now overspread the land, and the prophecies of Isaiah pertaining to our gross spiritual darkness has now become a reality, from which we cannot now turn away our faces. In high and low places, amongst leaders and followers, amongst stars and fans, with teachers and students, with clergy and laity, with the rich and poor alike, the perversion of love, and sexual relations has now become a metastasizing stage four cancer, that is threatening to engulf all of society. Indeed, the great confusion pertaining to the word “Love” causes us to use it with caution.

There are only three categories of sins from which satan can choose to tempt the human family, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, and as our feet stand upon the borders of the heavenly Canaan, the temptations to deviate from The Lord’s ordained order will not only be significantly ramped up, but as we have seen with our own eyes, will be made the law of the land. Thus, with the prospect of popular opinion battling against the laws, principles, and instructions of God, as Christians we will need to beware of the snare of sexual immorality, lest the sheer force of a majority opinion invade our thoughts and actions, thereby debarring us from the gates of heaven.

For starters, The Lord will have us understand that the urge to merge is a God-ordained desire, but it must only be fulfilled according to the stipulations laid down in the Bible. One man, and his female wife in the context of God-ordained marriage is what the Lord specifies, and any other variation to the contrary constitutes a violation of His word, and will never be accepted, condoned, or approved by Him in our day, when the fullest light of the gospel, and His revealed will on this matter is literally at our fingertips. We must also be careful of the sin of the Pharisee, by which we may count our own versions of marriage, such as shacking up, or cohabiting, as being acceptable to The Lord, when contrasted with the other extreme perversions of marriage, with which we are now surrounded. Let’s read:

[Christ’s Object Lessons pp. 159] As the Pharisee judges himself by other men, so he judges other men by himself. His righteousness is estimated by theirs, and the worse they are the more righteous by contrast he appears.

Genesis 2:24 Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.

This is as simple as it gets, but very great violence has been, and is being done to this very sacred ordinance, to the point where many folks are at a loss as to what to do on mother’s and father’s day. First it started with LG, then it went to LGB, then as the issue spread LGBT was coined to include those of other sexual orientations. But it doesn’t stop there, because two more letters were necessary to extend the diversions from God’s original ideal. And so we now have LGBTQ, and NB for non-binary. And at the rate we are going, it will become necessary to soon add on all the letters of the alphabet, to read LGBTQRSTUVWXYZ, and so forth. But the word of God still stands forever, and His perfect will is made known to all who would harbor correct concepts of truth and duty. Let’s read:

Matthew 19:4 And he answered and said unto them, have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female,
5 And said, for this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh?
6 Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.

After the fall, intimate relations between the sexes took a dramatic turn, resulting in men generally falling for what they see, and with women generally falling for what they hear. The reason for this is because of the way in which the temptation and the fall took place. On the one hand, Eve had listened attentively with curious interest to hear a serpent speak, and therefore fell for what she heard, whilst Adam made his decision because of his intimate relationship with his wife, who was very beautiful. Let’s read:

[Patriarchs And Prophets pp. 54] Now was the tempter's opportunity. As if he were able to discern the workings of her mind, he addressed her: “Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?” Eve was surprised and startled as she thus seemed to hear the echo of her thoughts. But the serpent continued, in a musical voice, with subtle praise of her surpassing loveliness; and his words were not displeasing. Instead of fleeing from the spot she lingered wonderingly to hear a serpent speak.

[Patriarchs And Prophets pp. 56>57] An expression of sadness came over the face of Adam. He appeared astonished and alarmed. To the words of Eve he replied that this must be the foe against whom they had been warned. Adam understood that his companion had transgressed the command of God, disregarded the only prohibition laid upon them as a test of their fidelity and love. There was a terrible struggle in his mind. He did not realize that the same Infinite Power who had from the dust of the earth created him, a living, beautiful form, and had in love given him a companion, could supply her place. He resolved to share her fate; if she must die, he would die with her. Eve was before him, as beautiful and apparently as innocent as before this act of disobedience. He seized the fruit and quickly ate.

Thus there are certain pertinent instructions which go along with the revelations of scripture regarding the fall of Adam and Eve, and if these cautions are observed, husbands and wives can avoid to a large degree, the temptations to sexual immorality, to which each may at times be subject.

Instruction # [1] It is never advisable for a husband and his female wife to be apart from each other for extended periods of time, wherever and whenever such situations can be avoided. The reason for this is, when either spouse is absent for too long, satan can, and will introduce thoughts and suggestions which under different circumstances may not even be considered. This instruction is to be found in the old and new testaments, for it is the wisdom of God and not of man. Let’s read:

1st Corinthians 7:3 Let the husband render unto the wife due benevolence: and likewise also the wife unto the husband.
4 The wife hath not power of her own body, but the husband: and likewise also the husband hath not power of his own body, but the wife.
5 Defraud ye not one the other, except it be with consent for a time, that ye may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again, that Satan tempt you not for your incontinency.

Proverbs 7:6 For at the window of my house I looked through my casement,
7 And beheld among the simple ones, I discerned among the youths, a young man void of understanding,
8 Passing through the street near her corner; and he went the way to her house,
9 In the twilight, in the evening, in the black and dark night.
13 So she caught him, and kissed him, and with an impudent face said unto him,
18 Come, let us take our fill of love until the morning: let us solace ourselves with loves.
19 For the good-man is not at home, he is gone on a long journey.
21 With her much fair speech she caused him to yield, with the flattering of her lips she forced him.
22 He goeth after her straightway, as an ox goeth to the slaughter, or as a fool to the correction of the stocks;
23 Till a dart strike through his liver; as a bird hasteth to the snare, and knoweth not that it is for his life.

Instruction # [2] We should avoid idleness as much as possible. Very many people, even amongst those who are professed Christians have been educated in pornography because they had nothing else to do. The devil always finds work for idle hands to do, for this was how Sodom and Gomorrah were ensnared in gross sexual immorality. The prophet identifies idleness as one of the main triggering mechanisms for the sins of the twin cities, and because God is much more practical than many Christians realize, He is giving us these instructions, and cautions so that we may position ourselves intelligently, closing all doors to the tempter, as much as is humanly possible. Let’s read:

Ezekiel 16:49 Behold, this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom, pride, fullness of bread, and abundance of idleness was in her and in her daughters”…..
50 And they were haughty, and committed
abomination before me, therefore I took them away as I saw good.

[Patriarchs And Prophets pp. 156>157] There is nothing more desired among men than riches and leisure, and yet these gave birth to the sins that brought destruction upon the cities of the plain. Their useless, idle life made them a prey to Satan's temptations, and they defaced the image of God, and became satanic rather than divine. Idleness is the greatest curse that can fall upon man, for vice and crime follow in its train. It enfeebles the mind, perverts the understanding, and debases the soul. Satan lies in ambush, ready to destroy those who are unguarded, whose leisure gives him opportunity to insinuate himself under some attractive disguise. He is never more successful than when he comes to men in their idle hours.

But to every good and perfect gift God has given us, satan has a perverted counterfeit, and especially in our day when the battle of the sexes has become so confused, it’s important for the multitudes to know the difference. Satan has succeeded in introducing counterfeit marriages, a counterfeit Sabbath, a counterfeit Jesus, and a counterfeit Holy Ghost. There are also counterfeit tongues and a counterfeit faith, so when it comes to the issue of sex, it’s very important for us to be on guard, so that we do not fall a prey to the current moral declension that is cascading in our day at an alarming rate. It’s also very important for us to avoid deliberate distortions of the word love as misinterpreted by many groups, organizations, politicians, clergy, and other entities.

In the mortal battle against cultivated and inherited tendencies to evil, the Bible reveals a very sobering fact, that the propensities that are not subdued and overcome by the grace and power of God, will one day, sooner or later, overcome us. In other words, it is a “Eat or be eaten” scenario we are dealing with. This applies to all sins, whether it be uncontrolled anger, gossiping, unrestrained appetite, or the indulgence of sensual thoughts and desires. Any sin that is not completely overcome is an adversary awaiting an opportune moment to strike, it’s just that simple. Let’s read:

2nd Peter 2:19 …“For of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage.
20 For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning.

The psalmist David had harbored the sin of sexually immoral desires for several years, but because of His connection with God, the desires were subdued and kept at bay for a very long time, though they remained, not being entirely uprooted. But God does not want to merely keep our sinful desires at bay, He wants to cut out the roots so that iniquity will not arise a second time in our lives. It is always dangerous to settle for partial victory, to leave the roots of sin in the soil of our hearts, because at the opportune time these propensities will be fanned into life under the right circumstances. This applies to every sin, and thus we should never consider ourselves exempt from the instructions given on the matter in God’s word. Let’s read:

2nd Samuel 11:1 And it came to pass, after the year was expired, at the time when kings go forth to battle, that David sent Joab, and his servants with him, and all Israel; and they destroyed the children of Ammon, and besieged Rabbah. But David tarried still at Jerusalem.
2 And it came to pass in an eveningtide, that David arose from off his bed, and walked upon the roof of the king's house: and from the roof he saw a woman washing herself; and the woman was very beautiful to look upon.
3 And David sent and enquired after the woman. And one said, Is not this Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?
4 And David sent messengers, and took her; and she came in unto him, and he lay with her; for she was purified from her uncleanness: and she returned unto her house.

This sin of David did not occur in a vacuum, but was rather the culmination of a long running series of sinful thoughts and desires, cherished in the dark recesses of his mind, and which were never entirely surrendered to God. It is worthy of note, that while David’s prayer life, and communion with God was intact, these propensities were held at bay, but even then, from time to time he would succumb to the same temptations, under the cover of what was then socially acceptable. No man, and no Christian ever falls suddenly, because the decision to sin is the result of a long, protracted process by which inordinate desires are cherished in the mind and dwelt upon, until a decision is made act upon them whenever the opportune moment arrives. Let’s read:

James 1:14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.
15 Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.

[Patriarchs & prophets pp. 459] A long preparatory process, unknown to the world, goes on in the heart before the Christian commits open sin. The mind does not come down at once from purity and holiness to depravity, corruption, and crime. It takes time to degrade those formed in the image of God to the brutal or the satanic. By beholding we become changed. By the indulgence of impure thoughts man can so educate his mind that sin which he once loathed will become pleasant to him.

2nd Samuel 3:2 And unto David were sons born in Hebron: and his firstborn was Amnon, of Ahinoam the Jezreelitess;
3 And his second, Chileab, of Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite; and the third, Absalom the son of Maacah the daughter of Talmai king of Geshur;
4 And the fourth, Adonijah the son of Haggith; and the fifth, Shephatiah the son of Abital;
5 And the sixth, Ithream, by Eglah David's wife. These were born to David in Hebron.

2nd Samuel 5:13 And David took him more concubines and wives out of Jerusalem, after he was come from Hebron: and there were yet sons and daughters born to David.

No study of the scriptures will do justice by merely pointing out sin, without offering viable remedies and solutions to the problems we face. And as it pertains to the current spiritual darkness on sexual immorality, we will need to pay very close attention to the words and instructions of God.

Instruction # [1] If anyone is currently indulging the sin of pornography in any form or fashion, the word of God says to cease and desist immediately. We may pray until we are blue in the face, about this problem, which has now become an epidemic, but if we do not take proactive steps to stem the tide of evil, we will be entirely engulfed in sexual sins of the darkest hue.

Furthermore, if we do not overcome on this point, it will overcome us, and it will take us further than we are willing to go, it will cost us more than we are willing to pay, and it will keep us longer than we are willing to stay. This is not merely good advice, it is a serious caution coming from The Lord, for many are soon going to bear the full brunt of responsibility, and consequences for inordinate actions, if decided and deliberate changes are not made. Let’s read:

Hebrews 10:26 For if we sin willfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins,
27 But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries.

Revelation 3:19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.
21 To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.
22 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit
saith unto the churches.

[Patriarchs & Prophets pp. 460] Those who would not fall a prey to Satan's devices must guard well the avenues of the soul; they must avoid reading, seeing, or hearing that which will suggest impure thoughts. The mind should not be left to wander at random upon every subject that the adversary of souls may suggest. “Girding up the loins of your mind,” says the apostle Peter, “Be sober, ... not fashioning yourselves according to your former lusts in ... your ignorance: but like as He which called you is holy, be ye yourselves also holy in all manner of living.”

This will require earnest prayer and unceasing watchfulness. We must be aided by the abiding influence of the Holy Spirit, which will attract the mind upward, and habituate it to dwell on pure and holy things. And we must give diligent study to the word of God. “Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to Thy word.” “Thy word,” says the psalmist, “have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against Thee.”

Instruction # [2] Victory over any, and every type of sexual immorality is an impossibility without the grace and power of the Holy Ghost. As a matter of fact, even if we earnestly desire to do right, our good desires are not powerful enough to preempt sinning, and thus we will need God’s supernatural power, and energy in the relentless pursuit of perfection. Let’s read:

Romans 7:19 For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.
20 Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.
21 I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me.
22 For I delight in the law of God after the inward man:
23 But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.
24 O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?

John 15:4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.
5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.

[Patriarchs & Prophets pp. 460] The heart must be renewed by divine grace, or it will be in vain to seek for purity of life. He who attempts to build up a noble, virtuous character independent of the grace of Christ is building his house upon the shifting sand. In the fierce storms of temptation it will surely be overthrown. David's prayer should be the petition of every soul: “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. And having become partakers of the heavenly gift, we are to go on unto perfection, being “kept by the power of God through faith.”

In closing, it’s important to remember that victory is well within reach of all, if we so desire, because Jesus Christ was revealed to destroy the works of sin, and because of this we have the promise that we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us.

God bless!

The Holistic Approach To Christianity. Sabbath Afternoon. 06/25/2016

June 25, 2016

The purpose of the plan of salvation is to make us whole again through the merits and righteousness of Christ, and the work of God within us is intended to produce fine-tuned characters, together with sound minds and bodies which are reflective, as far as possible, of the original. Therefore, we should try to avoid the snare of being satisfied with a second grade, unbalanced form of Christianity, in which the three dimensions of Christian living, mentioned in the third book of John are not evenly developed. The abundant life Christ came to give us, does not cause us to be deficient in any area, but instead, enables us to reach for the stars in everything we set our hearts and minds to do. Let’s read:

3rd John 1:2 Beloved, I wish above all things that
thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.

Spiritual, physical, and material health are the three dimensions included here, and we should strive by the grace of God to make certain that none of these areas fall short of His glory and purposes, wherever and whenever we are not inhibited by physical, or mental disabilities. In other words, The Lord is not honored by a Christian who has a lot of faith, but cannot pay his bills on time. Neither is He pleased with one who is satisfied to just have an intellectual knowledge of the scriptures, but is indulging habits that produce sickness and diseases, which could otherwise be avoided.

Christ is looking for value for His sacrifice. In other words, He is expecting in these last days of earth’s history, with all of the knowledge, truth, and light that has been shed on our pathway, to produce in us prime examples of His restorative work, who have become well-balanced and fine-tuned by His grace, and in cooperation with Him. Those who set their standard of Christian living at a low bar, thus do violence to the grace of Christ, and are classed with the unfaithful steward who hid his talents and potential in the sand. Let’s read:

Psalms 1:1 Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.
2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.
3 And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.

For instance, the Bible teaches us that Abraham and his offspring cultivated the mindset of pilgrims, and wherever they set up their encampment, the first thing they did was to build an altar to the Lord, thus ensuring that the spiritual aspect of Christianity was taken care of, receiving their highest priority. But the spiritual aspect was also clearly reflected in the temporal realm, for they possessed great wealth, in so much that there was not enough room for the households of Abraham and Lot to dwell together.

As a direct result of the well-balanced relationship between the spiritual and the temporal, Abraham was able to keep himself from being subject to the whims and fancies of those who did not fear God, and because of this, he and his family procured an honorable position in the hearts and minds of his heathen neighbors. For instance, when he rescued the inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah from their invading enemies, he was offered the spoils of war, but because he was well situated financially, he was able to honor God by refusing what was customary at that time. Let’s read:

Genesis 14:14 And when Abram heard that his brother was taken captive, he armed his trained servants, born in his own house, three hundred and eighteen, and pursued them unto Dan.
15 And he divided himself against them, he and his servants, by night, and smote them, and pursued them unto Hobah, which is on the left hand of Damascus.
16 And he brought back all the goods, and also brought again his brother Lot, and his goods, and the women also, and the people.
17 And the king of Sodom went out to meet him after his return from the slaughter of Chedorlaomer, and of the kings that were with him, at the valley of Shaveh, which is the king's dale.
21 And the king of Sodom said unto Abram, Give me the persons, and take the goods to thyself.
22 And Abram said to the king of Sodom, I have lift up mine hand unto the Lord, the most high God, the possessor of heaven and earth,
23 That I will not take from a thread even to a shoelatchet, and that I will not take any thing that is thine, lest thou shouldest say, I have made Abram rich.

Some of us Christians are so financially constrained that we may have jumped at that offer from the king of Sodom, but by so doing we would have greatly dishonored God, for our actions would have demonstrated that we were dependent on the material wealth of others for our financial health. And while we are never to set our affections on the things of this world, yet The Lord expects us to be faithful stewards in the unrighteous mammon, for it is only as we display faithfulness in the earthly that we will be qualified to then handle much greater responsibilities in the heavenly. Let’s read:

Luke 16:10 He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much.
11 If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches?
12 And if ye have not been faithful in that which is another man's, who shall give you that which is your own?

There is nothing wrong with being a rich pilgrim, even though the health/wealth gospel has greatly distorted the stated order of priorities given in the scriptures. Church building requires not only faith, but cold hard cash, for whenever the contractors are finished with their work, we cannot pay them with faith. They will need the green backs so that they in turn can pay their bills. God is much more practical than many folks realize.

There is nothing wrong with manifesting a noble independence, especially in this land of opportunity where any, and every one can make a business out of nothing. There is landscaping, mobile beauty salons, mobile pet grooming, and even hotels where pets can spend vacations or sleep over for the night. Thus, with a wide variety of opportunities available at our disposal, all it takes is character and some investment together with prayer, to establish oneself as an independent pilgrim, not living off of plastic, and well able to render to those credit card companies and other debtors their just dues.

If we come up to the last great test, we will find ourselves being the victims of concessions, for the many debts that are owed to Macy’s, Home Depot, American express, and Visa, will come back to haunt us. The adversary of souls will offer us a cancellation of all these debts, in return for our signing on to the beast system, and because many will be entangled in outstanding debt, a tremendous pressure will be brought to bear against us to sign and drive. It is the purpose of the adversary to make the acceptance of the mark as easy and painless as possible. So he will promise not to tell the church-board, or any other church member, if we will only sign. Let’s read:

[The Great controversy pp. 607] As the movement for Sunday enforcement becomes more bold and decided, the law will be invoked against commandment-keepers. They will be threatened with fines and imprisonment, and some will be offered positions of influence, and other rewards and advantages, as inducements to renounce their faith.

The servant of God refers to a noble independence by which the children of God are not to be slaves to the monetary policies of those who may not fear God. When Daniel, after giving the only correct interpretation to the king of Babylon, was offered an expensive gold chain of many carats, he, like Abraham also nobly refused, for by developing a well-balanced Christianity, he was not dependent on the financial or material overtures of the king. In other words, Daniel did not need any gold chain to take to the pawnshop, so that he could buy himself some groceries. Let’s read:

Daniel 5:13 Then was Daniel brought in before the king. And the king spake and said unto Daniel, Art thou that Daniel, which art of the children of the captivity of Judah, whom the king my father brought out of Jewry?
14 I have even heard of thee, that the spirit of the gods is in thee, and that light and understanding and excellent wisdom is found in thee.
15 And now the wise men, the astrologers, have been brought in before me, that they should read this writing, and make known unto me the interpretation thereof: but they could not shew the interpretation of the thing:
16 And I have heard of thee, that thou canst make interpretations, and dissolve doubts: now if thou canst read the writing, and make known to me the interpretation thereof, thou shalt be clothed with scarlet, and have a chain of gold about thy neck, and shalt be the third ruler in the kingdom.
17 Then Daniel answered and said before the king, Let thy gifts be to thyself, and give thy rewards to another; yet I will read the writing unto the king, and make known to him the interpretation.

[Counsels on Stewardship pp. 254] All must practice economy. No worker should manage his affairs in a way to incur debt .... When one voluntarily becomes involved in debt, he is entangling himself in one of Satan's nets which he sets for souls.

Deuteronomy 15:1 At the end of every seven years thou shalt make a release.
2 And this is the manner of the release: Every creditor that lendeth ought unto his neighbour shall release it; he shall not exact it of his neighbour, or of his brother; because it is called the Lord's release.
3 Of a foreigner thou mayest exact it again: but that which is thine with thy brother thine hand shall release;
4 Save when there shall be no poor among you; for the Lord shall greatly bless thee in the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee for an inheritance to possess it:
5 Only if thou carefully hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God, to observe to do all these commandments which I command thee this day.
6 For the Lord thy God blesseth thee, as he promised thee: and thou shalt lend unto many nations, but thou shalt not borrow; and thou shalt reign over many nations, but they shall not reign over thee.

[The Adventist Home pp. 374] Independence of one kind is praiseworthy. To desire to bear your own weight and not to eat the bread of dependence is right. It is a noble, generous ambition that dictates the wish to be self-supporting. Industrious habits and frugality are necessary. Many, very many, have not so educated themselves that they can keep their expenditures within the limit of their income. They do not learn to adapt themselves to circumstances, and they borrow and borrow again and again and become overwhelmed in debt, and consequently they become discouraged and disheartened. All should learn how to keep accounts. Some neglect this work as nonessential, but this is wrong. All expenses should be accurately stated. Let’s read:

Romans 13:7 Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honour to whom honour.
8 Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law.

Another dimension of Christian living in which we often fall short is the issue of health, and the main reason for this in most cases is that we have not availed ourselves of the knowledge God has been pleased to give. Whenever the issue of health is neglected, and whenever the laws of health are being constantly violated, the sure results will be seen in a host of diseases and sicknesses which could be otherwise avoided. And the consequent imbalance between the spiritual, the physical, and the financial causes all three dimensions to suffer adverse effects. In other words, a rich pilgrim with a whole lot of faith, will be severely restricted in his usefulness if through a violation of health laws and principles, he contracts diseases which then cause him to be bedridden. Let’s read again:

3rd John:1:2 Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.

Psalms 103:1 Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name.
2 Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:
3 Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases;
4 Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies;
5 Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's.

An amazing commentary is written by the pen of inspiration, pertaining to the four Hebrews who were taken captive by Nebuchadnezzar, together with their fellow countrymen. Daniel and his three companions followed the pattern and the promises given in the scriptures, and as a direct result, were able to achieve the fine balance spoken of in the 3rd book of John. God blessed their efforts and their sound decisions, and the rest is history, for in all three areas of Christian development, they were without a match. Let’s read:

[Christian temperance pp. 26>27] They were captives in a strange land, and Infinite Wisdom had placed them there. At this trial of their loyalty, they considered their position, with its dangers and difficulties, and then in the fear of God made their decision. Even at the risk of the king's displeasure, they would be true to the religion of their fathers. They obeyed the divine law, both physical and moral, and the blessing of God gave them strength and comeliness and intellectual power.

These youth had received a right education in early life; and now, when separated from home influences and sacred associations, they honored the instructors of their childhood. With their habits of self-denial were coupled earnestness of purpose, diligence, and steadfastness. They were not actuated by pride or unworthy ambition; but sought to acquit themselves creditably, for the honor of their down-trodden people, and for His glory whose servants they were.

When the ability and acquirements of these youth were tested by the king at the end of the three years of training, none were found like unto Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. Their keen apprehension, their choice and exact language, their extensive and varied knowledge, testified to the unimpaired strength and vigor of their mental powers. Therefore they stood before the king. “And in all matters of understanding that the king inquired of them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and astrologers that were in all his realm.”

God always honors the right. The most promising youth from all the lands subdued by the great conqueror had been gathered at Babylon, yet amid them all, the Hebrew captives were without a rival. The erect form, the firm, elastic step, the fair countenance, the undimmed senses, the untainted breath,—all were so many certificates of good habits—insignia of the nobility with which nature honors those who are obedient to her laws.

Some of us may erroneously conclude that the physical, the spiritual, and the financial are three disconnected entities which exist autonomously. But nothing can be further from the truth, for both the Bible and the pen of inspiration debunk those conclusions, showing that the one can adversely affect the other. Furthermore, the inability to keep a healthy mind and body has a direct bearing on the spiritual aspect, and can significantly impede our potential at living victoriously. On the other hand, a healthy body and frame of mind goes a long way in enabling us to resist temptations. Let’s read:

[Christ’s Object lessons pp. 346>347] Health is a blessing of which few appreciate the value; yet upon it the efficiency of our mental and physical powers largely depends. Our impulses and passions have their seat in the body, and it must be kept in the best condition physically and under the most spiritual influences in order that our talents may be put to the highest use. Anything that lessens physical strength enfeebles the mind and makes it less capable of discriminating between right and wrong. We become less capable of choosing the good and have less strength of will to do that which we know to be right.

The misuse of our physical powers shortens the period of time in which our lives can be used for the glory of God. And it unfits us to accomplish the work God has given us to do. By allowing ourselves to form wrong habits, by keeping late hours, by gratifying appetite at the expense of health, we lay the foundation for feebleness. By neglecting physical exercise, by overworking mind or body, we unbalance the nervous system. Those who thus shorten their lives and unfit themselves for service by disregarding nature's laws, are guilty of robbery toward God.

The opportunity of blessing others, the very work for which God sent them into the world, has by their own course of action been cut short. And they have unfitted themselves to do even that which in a briefer period of time they might have accomplished. The Lord holds us guilty when by our injurious habits we thus deprive the world of good. Transgression of physical law is transgression of the moral law; for God is as truly the author of physical laws as He is the author of the moral law. His law is written with His own finger upon every nerve, every muscle, every faculty, which has been entrusted to man. And every misuse of any part of our organism is a violation of that law.

All should have an intelligent knowledge of the human frame that they may keep their bodies in the condition necessary to do the work of the Lord. The physical life is to be carefully preserved and developed that through humanity the divine nature may be revealed in its fullness. The relation of the physical organism to the spiritual life is one of the most important branches of education. It should receive careful attention in the home and in the school. All need to become acquainted with their physical structure and the laws that control natural life. He who remains in willing ignorance of the laws of his physical being and who violates them through ignorance is sinning against God. All should place themselves in the best possible relation to life and health. Our habits should be brought under the control of a mind that is itself under the control of God.

The other dimension which is indeed the most important is that of the spiritual, and this area, more than any other is to be properly maintained at all costs, in order that the other two aspects may not be made to override our relationship with God. Anything that is worth achieving in the Christian’s life is to be done in cooperation with God, hence the reason why we are cautioned to pray about everything. The tendency to go it alone, or to try to be good without God, is a recipe for disaster, for it always ends in great defeat and disappointment of some kind. Let’s follow the recommendations given in the scriptures for it is only by our consistently depending on God that a well-balanced Christianity can ever become a reality. Let’s read:

1st Thessalonians 5: 17 Pray without ceasing.
18 In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

Psalms 16:7 I will bless the Lord, who hath given me counsel: my reins also instruct me in the night seasons.
8 I have set the Lord always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.

Before we diet, pray. Before we go shopping, pray. Before we make an investment, pray. Before we move to the country, pray. Before doing any and everything, pray. Before we pray, pray. Pray without ceasing is the one and only way to achieve that fine balance which keeps evading so many of us. We therefore end with a passage of scripture which shows us the indispensable principles of total dependence and cooperation with God in all things. Let’s read:

Philippians 2:12 Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.
13 For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.

May God add His blessing to the study and practice of His word.

God bless!

Beware Of The Enchanted Ground. Sabbath Afternoon. 06/18/2016

June 18, 2016

There are certain graphic truths which we will have to confront individually and nationally, sooner or later, and until we do, the permanent solutions to our problems will keep evading us. One of the main reasons why we keep spinning our wheels in the mud, is because science as we know it, for the most part has dismissed the reality of fallen intelligences who roam our world, and are much more involved and acquainted with the human experience, than many are willing to admit. For starters, the Bible teaches us that we are not alone on this planet, but there are mighty, invisible forces and foes, who are directly involved with our everyday lives.

Many of these intelligences work for the up-building of humanity, and many others work to secure our destruction. And it’s only because of the mercies of God why we are permitted to carry on our existence even though millions of people do not give God the credit and the praise where it is due. But if for some reason God were to pull back the curtains and were to reveal to us what’s really taking place all around us, most folks will remain prostrate on their knees, not daring to even move or breathe.

God is directly involved in the salvation and well-being of all humanity, and on one the side of the equation, we observe where His operations in the earth, and the ministry of His holy angels are geared towards our recovery and happiness. It’s not the work of chance, but instead, the interpositions of God in our behalf. Thus, the following are just some of the many scriptures which shed some light on the invisible world, for we are not alone down here on this planet, and it’s important to establish this fact, beyond the shadow of a doubt before proceeding.
And as we read, it is the will of God that we reason soberly, the implications of the information given, so that we may make straight paths for our feet. Let’s read:

Lamentations 3:21 This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope.
22 It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.
23 They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.

Psalms 136:1 O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.
23 Who remembered us in our low estate: for his mercy endureth for ever:
24 And hath redeemed us from our enemies: for his mercy endureth for ever.
25 Who giveth food to all flesh: for his mercy endureth for ever.
26 O give thanks unto the God of heaven: for his mercy endureth for ever.
35 He turneth the wilderness into a standing water, and dry ground into watersprings.
36 And there he maketh the hungry to dwell, that they may prepare a city for habitation;
37 And sow the fields, and plant vineyards, which may yield fruits of increase.
38 He blesseth them also, so that they are multiplied greatly; and suffereth not their cattle to decrease.

Psalms 107:23 They that go down to the sea in ships, that do business in great waters;
24 These see the works of the Lord, and his wonders in the deep.
25 For he commandeth, and raiseth the stormy wind, which lifteth up the waves thereof.
26 They mount up to the heaven, they go down
again to the depths: their soul is melted because of
trouble.
27 They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man, and are at their wit's end.
28 Then they cry unto the Lord in their trouble, and he bringeth them out of their distresses.
29 He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still.
30 Then are they glad because they be quiet; so he bringeth them unto their desired haven.
31 Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!

But there are times when after many warnings and entreaties have being given, and the inhabitants of earth stubbornly refuse to repent, then God in His mercy has no other choice but to speak to us in a “Strange” language, even through “judgments” by which we are permitted to reap the harvest we ourselves may have sown. And there are other invisible intelligences who work directly for the down-fall of the human race, whose activities are not acknowledged in many circles.

But unless we do believe, and accept the scriptural teaching on these issues, we will always be searching for external solutions to invisible and internal problems, and the resolutions we seek will keep evading us. The first two texts that we will read in the next few passages are two of the saddest in the Bible, for it shows us God’s long-suffering towards mortals, and His reluctance to permit plan “B” to come our way. Let’s read:

Ecclesiastes 8:11 Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart
of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil.
12 Though a sinner do evil an hundred times, and his days be prolonged, yet surely I know that it shall be well with them that fear God, which fear before him.

Isaiah 26:9 For when thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness.
10 Let favor be shewed to the wicked, yet will he not learn righteousness: in the land of uprightness will he deal unjustly, and will not behold the majesty of the Lord.

[The Great Controversy pp. 36] By stubborn rejection of divine love and mercy, the Jews had caused the protection of God to be withdrawn from them, and Satan was permitted to rule them according to his will. We cannot know how much we owe to Christ for the peace and protection which we enjoy. It is the restraining power of God that prevents mankind from passing fully under the control of Satan. But when men pass the limits of divine forbearance that restraint is removed.

God does not stand toward the sinner as an executioner of the sentence against transgression; every ray of light rejected, every warning despised or unheeded, every passion indulged, every transgression of the law of God, is a seed sown, which yields its unfailing harvest. The Spirit of God, persistently resisted, is at last withdrawn from the sinner, and then there is left no power to control the evil passions of the soul, and no protection from the malice and enmity of Satan.

John 13:21 When Jesus had thus said, he was troubled in spirit, and testified, and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, that one of you shall betray me.
22 Then the disciples looked one on another, doubting of whom he spake.
26 Jesus answered, He it is, to whom I shall give a sop, when I have dipped it. And when he had dipped the sop, he gave it to Judas Iscariot, the son
of Simon.
27 And after the sop Satan entered into him. Then said Jesus unto him, That thou doest, do quickly.

Ephesians 2:1 And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;
2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:
3 Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.

Revelation 16:13 And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet.
14 For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.

Thus, having established the fact that the invisible world on our planet is buzzing with activity in the form of angels, both holy and fallen, we will now focus our attention on the important issue of “The enchanted ground”- the places where satanic forces are firmly entrenched. There are specific places, and venues, and events where evil angels do congregate En-masse for two specific purposes, [1] To bind all human attendees in chains of darkness and sin, and [2] To eliminate all those who have by their choice, forfeited the invisible shield of God’s protection.
Question: Where are such places, and how can we identify those activities and venues, so as to avoid expiring before our time?

Answer: For the purpose of clarity, the enchanted ground is any place where people gather together for those purposes described in the 5th chapter of Galatians. Wherever, and whenever folks gather to indulge the lower passions of sinful human nature, wherever spirituous liquors and beverages are sold, for immediate consumption, and wherever lust and fornication are given free rein, there, evil spirits are gathered together in droves, and in most cases they show up early, to prepare the way for the capture and destruction of the unwary.
Evil angels recognize the deliberate and scheduled indulgence in sinful activity as being an integral part of their agenda and principles, and wherever people show up for the unbridled indulgence of the lower passions, satan and his angels view their choices as an endorsement of his kingdom, and thus he rightly assumes that he was invited to such a place. But the activities of demons are not however restricted only to these specific venues, however it is a guarantee that their presence will be seen and felt whenever, and wherever the following activities are indulged.

Hence the reason why it is imperative for us, to not only understand these parameters, but also to obey implicitly the all-wise instruction from the God of heaven. Danger doesn’t necessarily depend on how many serpents are lurking at the forbidden tree, but danger lies in us disregarding God’s instruction not to go near it. Whatever may be our forbidden tree, the instruction of God is plain and simple, do not go near it, nor touch it lest ye die. Thus, for purposes of clarity, the meanings of the various activities are being inserted, so as to leave no doubt in our minds as to what The Lord is referring to. Let’s read:

Galatians 5:19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery …. [ voluntary sexual intercourse between a married person and a person who is not his or her spouse. In other words, whenever adultery is taking place, there are other uninvited guests in the room], fornication….[ any Biblically, unlawful sexual intercourse, including those which take place between people who are shacking up. The “Urge to merge” is a God ordained desire, but it must be fulfilled only in the context of marriage between one man and his “Female” wife.], uncleanness ….. [moral and spiritual impurity] lasciviousness …. [feeling or revealing an overt and often offensive sexual desire] 20 Idolatry.. [ image-worship or divine honor paid to any created object, or person] witchcraft ….[ The practices or art of witches including sorcery, enchantments, contact with evil spirits via movies, séance’s, the occult, Ouija boards transcendental meditation, voodoo, magic, fortune tellers, levitation and pornography] hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions… [conduct or speech inciting people to rebel against the authority of a state or monarch] heresies…. [ self-chosen doctrines not emanating from God] 21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings… [excessive and boisterous intemperance and lustful indulgence, including those situations where alcoholic beverages are ingested without restraint, such as nightclubs, strip joints, and bars] and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

Whenever, and wherever these indulgences are practiced and fostered, there is where evil spirits congregate by the millions in some cases, and thus the venues become satan’s enchanted ground. Let’s read:

[Patriarchs and Prophets pp. 459>460] Many of the amusements popular in the world today, even with those who claim to be Christians, tend to the same end as did those of the heathen. There are indeed few among them that Satan does not turn to account in destroying souls. Through the drama he has worked for ages to excite passion and glorify vice... “the masquerade, the dance, the card table, Satan employs to break down the barriers of principle and open the door to sensual indulgence. In every gathering for pleasure where pride is fostered or appetite indulged, where one is led to forget God and lose sight of eternal interests, there Satan is binding his chains about the soul.

Another issue that needs clarification is the reason why the Bible states that danger lurks in such places and at such events. Although demons and evil angels may not be seen with the naked eye, yet they often cause catastrophic damage and carnage to the human family whenever their principles and methods are adopted. And since they are invisible, we will scarcely ever see the literal manifestations of their persons, for they almost always use human agents to do their bidding, and to carry out their dirty work.

Take for instance the situation with Job, when satan was permitted to interfere with him, his family, and his belongings. In almost every catastrophe which followed, human agencies, controlled remotely by demons were used in the accomplishment of their nefarious designs. This point is critically important, and must be brought into the equation, for there are too many people now dying prematurely, and many more are scheduled to bite the dust, even though early expiration can be avoided in several of these instances. Thus, it’s important for us to accept the Biblical teaching, which warns us of an invisible foe, who can work great harm, when permitted, or when provoked by us to do so. Let’s read:

Job 1:6 Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan came also among them.
8 And the Lord said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil?
9 Then Satan answered the Lord, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought?
10 Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land.
11 But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face.
12 And the Lord said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thine hand. So Satan went forth from the presence of the Lord.
13 And there was a day when his sons and his daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother's house:
14 And there came a messenger unto Job, and said, The oxen were plowing, and the asses feeding beside them:
15 And the Sabeans fell upon them, and took them away; yea, they have slain the servants with the edge of the sword; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.
16 While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, The fire of God is fallen from heaven, and hath burned up the sheep, and the servants, and consumed them; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.
17 While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, The Chaldeans made out three bands, and fell upon the camels, and have carried them away, yea, and slain the servants with the edge of the sword; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.
18 While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, Thy sons and thy daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother's house:
19 And, behold, there came a great wind from the wilderness, and smote the four corners of the house, and it fell upon the young men, and they are dead; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.

Job 2:1 Again there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan came also among them to present himself before the Lord.
2 And the Lord said unto Satan, From whence comest thou? And Satan answered the Lord, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.
3 And the Lord said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? and still he holdeth fast his integrity, although thou movedst me against him, to destroy him without cause.
4 And Satan answered the Lord, and said, Skin for skin, yea, all that a man hath will he give for his life.
5 But put forth thine hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will curse thee to thy face.
6 And the Lord said unto Satan, Behold, he is in thine hand; but save his life.
7 So went Satan forth from the presence of the Lord, and smote Job with sore boils from the sole of his foot unto his crown.

And the list goes on and on, with David being used by satan as the human agent in the destruction of 70,000 people, with Herod being used to execute thousands of Jewish children at the birth of Christ, with Pharaoh, with Judas, with Hitler, and with Bin Laden. We will almost never see a real demon in action, committing such heinous crimes, for human gents under their control are most often used to do their bidding. Let’s read:

[The Great Controversy pp. 614] The same destructive power exercised by holy angels When God commands, will be exercised by evil angels when he permits. There are forces now ready, and only waiting the divine permission, to spread desolation everywhere.

[Our High Calling. pp. 307] Let us remember that if we do not heed the cautions that God gives us, a fall is before us. Christ will not save from wounds the one who places himself unbidden on the enemy's ground. He lets the self-sufficient one, who acts as if he knew more than his Lord, go on in his supposed strength. Then comes suffering and a crippled life or perhaps defeat and death.

As with any Bible study, we will be remiss if viable solutions are not offered, for God seeks to bring these issues to light so that we may find safe haven in Christ alone. Thus, because the forces of evil are invisible, humanity needs an invisible general who is able to see invisible adversaries, and who has both the power and resources to defeat all internal and external foes. That Person is the One and only Jesus Christ, who has never lost a battle with demons and who has a proven track record of delivering satan’s captives, and setting us free. Yet we have a definite role to play in all this, for cooperation with God is the key to victory, safety, and longevity. Let’s read:

1st John 2:15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
17 And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever

Colossians 3:1 If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.
2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.
5 Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:

[Patriarchs and prophets pp. 460] The heart must be renewed by divine grace, or it will be in vain to seek for purity of life. He who attempts to build up a noble, virtuous character independent of the grace of Christ is building his house upon the shifting sand. In the fierce storms of temptation it will surely be overthrown. Yet we have a work to do to resist temptation. Those who would not fall a prey to Satan's devices must guard well the avenues of the soul; they must avoid reading, seeing, or hearing that which will suggest impure thoughts.

The mind should not be left to wander at random upon every subject that the adversary of souls may suggest. “Girding up the loins of your mind,” says the apostle Peter, “Be sober, ... not fashioning yourselves according to your former lusts in ... your ignorance: but like as He which called you is holy, be ye yourselves also holy in all manner of living.” Says Paul, “Whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.”

Thus it behooves us to choose wisely, and to avoid as far as possible, entering onto satan’s enchanted ground, for there is no guarantee of protection from God, for those who choose to ignore, or scoff at His warnings and entreaties. We therefore end with a passage of scripture, which enjoins us to stay the course with Christ, ever being mindful to follow the instructions and principles He has given us for our best temporal and eternal good. Let’s read:

1st peter 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:
9 Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.
10 But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.
May God add His blessing to the study and practice of His every word.

God bless!

The Secret To Longevity. Sabbath Afternoon. 06/11/2016

June 11, 2016

Longevity does not only have to do with diet, and exercise, and following the laws of health, it also has very much to do with applying good common sense in our everyday lives, and understanding the parameters God has set for His dealing with earth’s inhabitants. There are reasonable expectations that we can look to God for, and then there are several unwarranted expectations which are based merely on man’s opinions about what God should or should not do. One thing is certain however, and that is the fact that God has given to each of us the freedom to choose, either good or evil, with stipulated results for each course of action pursued.

For instance, it is a good healthful decision to eat vegetables, fruits, nuts and grains, for tremendous benefit will attend our way if we do, since they represent the original diet given to man in Eden. But vegetarians must also act intelligently, adopting scriptural principles in every experience of life, for there is a syndrome known as a foolish vegetarian, where a person may be extremely particular about what is being eaten, but who takes unnecessary risks in other areas of life which could significantly shorten his or her life-span.

(CNN) Danger has long been part of the allure of climbing the world's highest peak. Avalanches killed 35 climbers on Mount Everest the past two years -- including 16 in one devastating day in 2014. And now the 2016 climbing season has claimed its first victims. "Everest is a mountain of extremes," said Jon Kedrowski, a geographer and climber who summited Mount Everest in 2012, when 10 climbers died. "At high altitude, the body deteriorates on a certain level. The climate on the mountain is brutal. Temperatures range from -31 to -4 Fahrenheit.

Over the last weekend three people died attempting to summit Mount Everest. Eric Ary Arnold, Subash Paul and Maria Strydom all lost their lives tackling the world’s tallest mountain – but many headlines have focused on Maria. Why? Because she was vegan. Maria Strydom set out to climb seven summits in seven countries with her husband Robert Gropel, in an attempt to “prove that vegans can do anything and more”. Let’s read:

Ecclesiastes 3:1 To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:
2 A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted.

Now, it’s obvious that Mrs. Strydom might have been alive today, if she had decided not to take an unnecessary risk, thus dying prematurely. And then there’s the flip side of the same issue, where folks postpone the appointed time for various reasons. Human nature naturally recoils from death, and in
the following instance we observe that a choice is made through prayer, for an extended existence. In both Mrs. Strydom’s case, and the next example we will look at, the human agent chose their own time of departure, and God permitted it because of our freedom of choice. Let’s read:

2nd Kings 20:1 In those days was Hezekiah sick unto death. And the prophet Isaiah the son of Amoz came to him, and said unto him, Thus saith the Lord, Set thine house in order; for thou shalt die, and not live.
2 Then he turned his face to the wall, and prayed unto the Lord, saying,
3 I beseech thee, O Lord, remember now how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in thy sight. And Hezekiah wept sore.
4 And it came to pass, afore Isaiah was gone out into the middle court, that the word of the Lord came to him, saying,
5 Turn again, and tell Hezekiah the captain of my people, Thus saith the Lord, the God of David thy father, I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears: behold, I will heal thee: on the third day thou shalt go up unto the house of the Lord.
6 And I will add unto thy days fifteen years”…..

During those fifteen extra years, a son by the name of Manasseh was born to Hezekiah, and he turned out to be one of the most wicked kings to reign over Israel. God in His foreknowledge had seen the train wreck coming, and in His wisdom and mercy, had scheduled Hezekiah’s funeral before such a serious tragedy should take place. But Hezekiah was not willing to go along with God’s plans, and so he made his own time of expiration, and the rest is history, for, beginning with the very next chapter, we see an example of the results of choosing our own time over God’s own. Let’s read:

2nd Kings 21:1 Manasseh was twelve years old when he began to reign, and reigned fifty and five years in Jerusalem”…..
2 And he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord, after the abominations of the heathen, whom the Lord cast out before the children of Israel.
3 For he built up again the high places which Hezekiah his father had destroyed; and he reared up altars for Baal, and made a grove, as did Ahab king of Israel; and worshipped all the host of heaven, and served them.
6 And he made his son pass through the fire, and observed times, and used enchantments, and dealt with familiar spirits and wizards: he wrought much wickedness in the sight of the Lord, to provoke him to anger.
16 Moreover Manasseh shed innocent blood very much, till he had filled Jerusalem from one end to another; beside his sin wherewith he made Judah to sin, in doing that which was evil in the sight of the Lord.
Thus, the focus of our study for this evening will not be diet, but rather common sense, and Biblical laws and principles, which, if applied, can in most cases, extend our lives significantly, bringing us into line with God’s ideal will for each of us. The issue of God’s timing and our longevity is one that needs to be understood by everyone, for there are very great misconceptions as to God’s will for His people as it pertains to the issue of the time to die.

In our first passage in Ecclesiastes, where it speaks of “A time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which planted”, God’s ideal time for planting and reaping, birthing and dying is being referenced, but we must never take that to mean that we are thus prevented from making any input, or altering in any way, God’s ideal plan for our lives.

And especially when it comes to the issue of long life, The Lord will have us to understand that our own choices often interfere with His ideal timing, and causes most of us to die prematurely. For instance, two Christian young people were drag racing on a busy street, when they lost control at high speed, got into a fatal crash, and were killed instantly on the scene. This was absolutely not God’s time for them to die, and in situations such as these we should know that certain courses of action can signally derail God’s ideal will for our longevity.

Similarly, we can cut short our lives by ingesting certain forbidden foods, and a whole lot of disease and human suffering, and healthcare costs can be incurred simply by making choices that effectively negate God’s will for us as it pertains to long life. Let’s read:

Leviticus 17:13 And whatsoever man there be of the children of Israel, or of the strangers that sojourn among you, which hunteth and catcheth any beast or fowl that may be eaten; he shall even pour out the blood thereof, and cover it with dust.
14 For it is the life of all flesh; the blood of it is for the life thereof: therefore I said unto the children of Israel, Ye shall eat the blood of no manner of flesh: for the life of all flesh is the blood thereof: whosoever eateth it shall be cut off.

“Shall be cut off”. Those four words often haunt the minds of individuals, causing many to blame God for their misfortunes and early demise, as if He is the one doing the “Cutting off”. We can, and often do “Cut off” our own selves by following our own ways. The work of satan is to tempt us into believing that God is working against us, when in fact, Jesus Christ came that we might have life, and have it more abundantly. If we choose to dig our graves with our teeth, let none be found blaming God or asking why me, for God has made ample provision for each of us to make sensible choices in our life experiences, so that we may promote longevity. Let’s read:
[The Great Controversy pp. 36] God does not stand toward the sinner as an executioner of the sentence against transgression; but he leaves the rejecters of his mercy to themselves, to reap that which they have sown. Every ray of light rejected, every warning despised or unheeded, every passion indulged, every transgression of the law of God, is a seed sown, which yields its unfailing harvest.

Donald Trump has come under fire in recent days for what many people describe as very incendiary remarks against women and minorities. But in fact he has some bright spots in his life experience, for he does not drink or smoke. These are two highly recommended habits which will go a long way in fostering longevity, hence the reason why we keep saying that God is much more practical and down to earth in His instructions to us, than many people realize. Will Trump be saved because of those good habits? Absolutely not. Will he reap the benefits in this life? Absolutely. And there are other scriptural instructions which would have the same exact effect. Let’s read:

Leviticus 17:23 Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, Ye shall eat no manner of fat, of ox, or of sheep, or of goat.
24 And the fat of the beast that dieth of itself, and the fat of that which is torn with beasts, may be used in any other use: but ye shall in no wise eat of it.
25 For whosoever eateth the fat of the beast, of which men offer an offering made by fire unto the Lord, even the soul that eateth it shall be cut off from his people.

The planting season for tomatoes in Florida usually starts just before spring, but that does not prevent someone from planting seeds around Christmas time. Will they grow? Probably not! Does God then prevent anyone from going contrary to the laws on sowing, and planting their tomatoes at odd times? Absolutely not. Similarly, there is a time to expire which is God’s ordained time. But just like with the stubborn farmer who chooses to plant his tomato seeds in the dead of winter, just so any person can expire quite prematurely, before the God ordained time, simply because of a wrong course of action pursued.

As a matter of fact, human beings actually have one of at least two choices, when it comes to a time to expire. We can submit to God’s schedule, or we can choose our own, and then there is the third way of passing by which a person may die as a result of the actions of others, such as terrorism, or accidents in which bystanders have been mowed down. But one thing is certain, in many cases our choice is made to override God’s will. Indeed, it is a sad commentary that we make, that the overwhelming majority of the inhabitants of earth do expire outside of God’s schedule, whereas God’s will for us generally is to live as long as is possible, in as healthy a state as possible, and then to die quickly, without suffering years and years of debilitating pain and agony. This is absolutely not God’s ideal will Let’s read:

Psalm 116:15 Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints.

Proverbs 3:1 My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments:
2 For length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to thee.

3rd John 1:2 Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy
soul prospereth.

Ecclesiastes 7:7 Be not over much wicked, neither be thou foolish: why shouldest thou die before thy time?

Thus, our case study for this evening will be taken from the life of one of the most prolific writers of the Bible, even the apostle Paul, who chose his own time to die, and as a result, expired prematurely. As we read, let us remember that God, in most cases, does not interfere with our personal choices, nor does He usually reverse the laws of cause and effect but instead allows them to run their natural course, in most instances. Let’s read:

Acts 21:10 And as we tarried there many days, there came down from Judaea a certain prophet, named Agabus.
11 And when he was come unto us, he took Paul's girdle, and bound his own hands and feet, and said, Thus saith the Holy Ghost, So shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man that owneth this girdle, and shall deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.
12 And when we heard these things, both we, and they of that place, besought him not to go up to Jerusalem.
13 Then Paul answered, What mean ye to weep and to break mine heart? for I am ready not to be bound only, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.
14 And when he would not be persuaded, we ceased, saying, the will of the Lord be done.

That last statement, “The will of The Lord be done” needs clarification, for it is often used to gloss over issues and actions in which we may have chosen to do our own will. The question that we most need to answer in this case is, what was God’s will for Paul’s life in this instance? Was it His will for Paul to go up to Jerusalem, and be severely beaten to a pulp, and from there, to go on to be jailed, and never, ever again to be set free, and then to be executed by the Roman authorities? Was this the will of God, even if many souls were converted, and several rulers were exposed to the truth?

And is it God’s will that we should deliberately imperil our lives for the sake of the gospel especially after being warned of such things by The Holy Ghost. This causes other questions to arise, for if Paul’s decision was really aligned with God’s will for him, then why would the Holy Ghost give him such a graphic warning? Let’s read:

Acts 21:27 And when the seven days were almost ended, the Jews which were of Asia, when they saw him in the temple, stirred up all the people, and laid hands on him,
28 Crying out, Men of Israel, help: This is the man, that teacheth all men everywhere against the people, and the law, and this place: and further brought Greeks also into the temple, and hath polluted this holy place.
29 (For they had seen before with him in the city Trophimus an Ephesian, whom they supposed that Paul had brought into the temple.)
30 And all the city was moved, and the people ran together: and they took Paul, and drew him out of the temple: and forthwith the doors were shut.
31 And as they went about to kill him, tidings came unto the chief captain of the band, that all Jerusalem was in an uproar.
32 Who immediately took soldiers and centurions, and ran down unto them: and when they saw the chief captain and the soldiers, they left beating of Paul.

God’s ideal will for us is to avoid putting ourselves at unnecessary risk in any and every situation, if it can be avoided, and this principle also covers the preaching of the gospel in places and communities where folks harbor deep hatred against the truth. In other words, except God personally bids us go into a dangerous environment, we should avoid doing so at all costs. This is not merely the right or intelligent thing to do, it is a direct instruction coming from Christ Himself, both by precept and example. Let’s read:

Matthew 10:5 These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not:
6 But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
7 And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand.
8 Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give.
23 But when they persecute you in this city, flee ye into another: for verily I say unto you, Ye shall not have gone over the cities of Israel, till the Son of man be come.
24 The disciple is not above his master, nor the servant above his lord.

Thus there are a few conclusions we can draw from several passages of scripture which pertain to the issue of longevity, and if we implement them, we will find ourselves much more aligned with God’s plan for us. In addition to this, it is of the most critical importance that our ideas and concepts of God’s interaction with us be informed by the bible, especially as we move into very turbulent waters. If we do not understand how God works in our behalf, we will be ill-prepared to trust and obey His voice when it begins to sound in our ears, in the most literal sense. The time of trouble just before us will require an intelligent faith and understanding of the God whom we serve.
So here are three brief pointers which if observed can save us from dying before our time, and as we read, let’s remember that God’s will is that every instruction in His word be followed diligently, so as to procure a healthy body and mind, together with length of days. Let’s read:

[1] Do not go unbidden to places where the forces of satan are firmly entrenched. If God did not send us into such places, we should not go. This first instruction also covers situations in which we may previously have known there is danger lurking. If with a factual knowledge of danger, we proceed without God’s permission, we will put ourselves at great risk, and there’s absolutely no guarantee that God will hear or even answer our prayers in such situations. Let’s read:

[Testimonies for the church vol. 2 pp. 222] It is dangerous for those who wish to honor God to find their pleasure and entertainment with companions who fear Him not. Satan ever surrounds such with great darkness; and if those who profess Christ go unbidden into this darkness, they tempt the devil to tempt them. If, in order to do good and glorify His name, the Lord requires us to go among infernal spirits, where is the blackest darkness, He will encircle us with His angels and keep us unsullied. But if we seek the company of sinners, and are pleased with their coarse jests, and entertained and amused with their stories, sports, and ribaldry, the pure and holy angels remove their protection and leave us to the darkness we have chosen.

Matthew 2:13 And when they were departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him.
14 When he arose, he took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt:
15 And was there until the death of Herod”….

John 7:1 After these things Jesus walked in Galilee: for he would not walk in Jewry, because the Jews sought to kill him.
3 His brethren therefore said unto him, Depart hence, and go into Judaea, that thy disciples also may see the works that thou doest.
4 For there is no man that doeth any thing in secret, and he himself seeketh to be known openly. If thou do these things, shew thyself to the world.
6 Then Jesus said unto them, My time is not yet Come”….

[The Desire Of Ages pp. 225] Jesus refused to go outside the path of obedience. While manifesting perfect trust in His Father, He would not place Himself, unbidden, in a position that would necessitate the interposition of His Father to save Him from death. He would not force Providence to come to His rescue, and thus fail of giving man an example of trust and submission.

[2] The adoption of the laws of health will go a long way in promoting longevity, to Christians and non- Christians alike. The laws of God are eternal in nature, and anyone who subscribes to the teachings of the Bible will reap the benefits in this life, and if Christ is in the vessel, eternal life. Let’s read:

Psalms 103: 2 Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:
3 Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases;
4 Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies;
5 Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's.

[3] Prayer in all things is an indispensable asset, for even with an over-abundance of knowledge and understanding at our disposal, yet we will still need God’s guidance, direction, will power, and energy in order to cooperate with Him in all things. Long life with good quality is not the result of chance or of accident, but is the fruit of the harmonious working together of the Divine with the human agent.

And if we are faithful, the prospect is before us that we may never taste of death, if this is God’s will. We therefore end with a passage of scripture which emphasizes the last point on prayer, and it is the will of God that we put not our trust in man, but in the Living God in whose hands we are. Let’s read:

Psalm 91:He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
2 I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.
3 Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence.
4 He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.
5 Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day;
6 Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday.
7 A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee.
8 Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked.
9 Because thou hast made the Lord, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation;
10 There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling.
11 For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.
12 They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.
13 Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder: the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet.
14 Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name.
15 He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him.
16 With long life will I satisfy him, and shew him my salvation.

May God add His blessing to the study and practice of His every word.

God bless!

Another Storm Is coming. Sabbath Afternoon 06/04/2016

June 04, 2016

The days before the flood shed tremendous light on the days in which we are now living, and Jesus in His discourses on end-time events, also mentions many precedents found at the time of the Antediluvians. It is stated clearly in God’s word that history repeats itself, and when we look at the historical context we see that the fulfillment of Christ’s prophecies is not in the distant future, but are coming to pass even as we speak. Thus, it is important for us to study and learn from the mistakes made by the folks of Noah’s day, so that when the coming fire-storm arrives, we will have positioned ourselves intelligently in Christ. Let’s read:

There are several important observations and many lessons to extract, and if we were to apply them in our own experience we may avoid the pitfalls which caused almost the whole earth to perish.
[1] We should never look to the popular, majority opinion for conviction of truth and duty. Back then it was not the majority in the right, it is also not the majority that is currently in the right, and according to the Bible, it will never ever be the majority in the right, for the truths given by God will never become popular or mainstream. Thus anyone who is looking to popular, mainstream opinions for guidance, is in for a huge disappointment, and will be forever lost,
If a different course is not pursued. When Noah was preaching his message he was regarded as a fanatic, and just so it will be as the closing scenes of earth’s history begin to unfold. The majority will be inclined to dismiss the prophecies in the books of Revelation and Daniel as being fictional, and most people will also doubt any possibility of their fulfillment. Let’s read:

Genesis 7:1 And the Lord said unto Noah, Come thou and all thy house into the ark; for thee have I seen righteous before me in this generation.
7 And Noah went in, and his sons, and his wife, and his sons' wives with him, into the ark, because of the waters of the flood.

Matthew 7:13 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:
14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find
it.

Matthew 22:14 For many are called, but few are chosen.

1st Corinthians 1:26 For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called.

Genesis 19:4 But before they lay down, the men of the city, even the men of Sodom, compassed the house round, both old and young, all the people from every quarter:
5 And they called unto Lot, and said unto him, Where are the men which came in to thee this night? bring them out unto us, that we may know them.
12 And the men said unto Lot, Hast thou here any besides? son in law, and thy sons, and thy daughters, and whatsoever thou hast in the city, bring them out of this place:
13 For we will destroy this place, because the cry of them is waxen great before the face of the Lord; and the Lord hath sent us to destroy it.
14 And Lot went out, and spake unto his sons in law, which married his daughters, and said, Up, get you out of this place; for the Lord will destroy this city. But he seemed as one that mocked unto his sons in law.
15 And when the morning arose, then the angels hastened Lot, saying, Arise, take thy wife, and thy two daughters, which are here; lest thou be consumed in the iniquity of the city.

2nd Peter 3:3 Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts,
4 And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.

Just as there were scoffers in Noah’s day, there will also be a multitude of scoffers in our day, and this is because science as we know it almost never brings the God-Factor into the equation, for God has been essentially banished from our reckoning through the teaching of the theory of evolution. As far as the antediluvians were concerned, nature was bound under fixed laws, which could not change. Rain had never fallen, and the laws of physics, of gravity and buoyancy, together with the recurring seasons had been in place for hundreds of years. Added to this, there wasn’t any historical precedent for what was being predicted by Noah, therefore the scientific community generally shrugged off the warnings of God’s servant as fringe fanaticism in its worst form.

This leads us to our second point:
[2] “Fixed laws” of nature have been put in place by God, so that the human family would not have to constantly worry about tomorrow, or whether the sun will rise in the east and set in the western sky. These laws which govern the natural world are not only supervised by God, they originated with Him, and therefore can be turned upside down, inside out at a moment’s notice if He so chooses. It is only because of His merciful and consistent nature why physical and natural laws have been kept in place for centuries, but when human probation will have been closed, there will be sudden, and unexpected reversals of what we now depend on as being the norm. And for those who may not yet know it, there is a doctrine known as Intelligent design. Let’s read:

Genesis 1:14 And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years:
15 And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was
so.
16 And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also.
17 And God set them in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth.

Psalm 19:1 The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork.
2 Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge.
3 There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard.
4 Their line is gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them hath he set a tabernacle for the sun,
5 Which is as a bridegroom coming out of his
chamber, and rejoiceth as a strong man to run a race.
6 His going forth is from the end of the heaven, and his circuit unto the ends of it: and there is nothing hid from the heat thereof.

Psalm 104:1 Bless the Lord, O my soul. O Lord my God, thou art very great; thou art clothed with honour and majesty.
2 Who coverest thyself with light as with a garment: who stretchest out the heavens like a curtain:
3 Who layeth the beams of his chambers in the waters: who maketh the clouds his chariot: who walketh upon the wings of the wind:
4 Who maketh his angels spirits; his ministers a flaming fire:
5 Who laid the foundations of the earth, that it should not be removed for ever.
6 Thou coveredst it with the deep as with a garment: the waters stood above the mountains.
7 At thy rebuke they fled; at the voice of thy thunder they hasted away.
8 They go up by the mountains; they go down by the valleys unto the place which thou hast founded for them.
9 Thou hast set a bound that they may not pass over; that they turn not again to cover the earth.
10 He sendeth the springs into the valleys, which run among the hills.
13 He watereth the hills from his chambers: the earth is satisfied with the fruit of thy works.
14 He causeth the grass to grow for the cattle, and herb for the service of man: that he may bring forth food out of the earth.
19 He appointed the moon for seasons: the sun knoweth his going down.
20 Thou makest darkness, and it is night: wherein all the beasts of the forest do creep forth.
21 The young lions roar after their prey, and seek their meat from God.
24 O Lord, how manifold are thy works! in wisdom hast thou made them all: the earth is full of thy riches.
25 So is this great and wide sea, wherein are things creeping innumerable, both small and great beasts.
26 There go the ships: there is that leviathan, whom thou hast made to play therein.
27 These wait all upon thee; that thou mayest give them their meat in due season.
28 That thou givest them they gather: thou openest thine hand, they are filled with good.
29 Thou hidest thy face, they are troubled: thou takest away their breath, they die, and return to their dust.
30 Thou sendest forth thy spirit, they are created: and thou renewest the face of the earth.
31 The glory of the Lord shall endure for ever: the Lord shall rejoice in his works.
32 He looketh on the earth, and it trembleth: he toucheth the hills, and they smoke.
33 I will sing unto the Lord as long as I live: I will sing praise to my God while I have my being.

For instance, we now know that the earth rotates on its axis once every 24 hours to give us our 24hr cycle of day and night. But The Lord will have us to understand some fundamentals pertaining to this cycle, because that uniform rotation was originally set in motion by God, and it is kept in motion, not by “mother nature”, but by Father God. And even though we have observed the consistency of this rotation for millenniums, and have come to depend on it for calendars, commerce, and paychecks, yet the earth does not run on automatic gears, but is instead a “standard shift”, complete with reverse gear, if God so chooses. This important fact needs to be considered by the scientific community so as to correct the erroneous conclusions held by some, that nothing, and no one can stop the earth in its tracks. This is what is described in the Bible as being false science. Let’s read:

Isaiah 40: 18 To whom then will ye liken God? or what likeness will ye compare unto him?
22 It is he that sitteth upon the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers; that stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in:
25 To whom then will ye liken me, or shall I be equal? saith the Holy One.
26 Lift up your eyes on high, and behold who hath created these things, that bringeth out their host by number: he calleth them all by names by the greatness of his might, for that he is strong in power; not one faileth.

Joshua 10:12 Then spake Joshua to the Lord in the day when the Lord delivered up the Amorites before the children of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel, Sun, stand thou still upon Gibeon; and thou, Moon, in the valley of Ajalon.
13 And the sun stood still, and the moon stayed, until the people had avenged themselves upon their enemies”….. “So the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and hasted not to go down about a whole day.
14 And there was no day like that before it or after it, that the Lord hearkened unto the voice of a man.

Our Stock market opens at 9:30 am each morning, and on this particular day traders and investors are gathered together by the thousands on wall street, eager to begin another round of money-making. But in their excitement, they fail to observe something unusual is taking place. For some unknown reason, the clocks on wall street have stopped at 9:00 am. One trader notices the phenomena, and the news quickly spreads, because every other physical and digital time-keeping device is also stuck at 9:00 am. Scientists and astrologers are immediately called upon for explanations, but to no avail. Then, in utter desperation they send for Stephen Hawkins, but he in turn tells them to go ask “Mother nature”. And it gets worse, for without warning, every clock and time-keeping device begin to simultaneously move backward. At this point, Wall-Street becomes like a church, where all traders are on their knees, not asking for money, but begging for mercy. Let’s read:

2nd Kings 20:8 And Hezekiah said unto Isaiah, What shall be the sign that the Lord will heal me, and that I shall go up into the house of the Lord the third day?
9 And Isaiah said, This sign shalt thou have of the Lord, that the Lord will do the thing that he hath spoken: shall the shadow go forward ten degrees, or go back ten degrees?
10 And Hezekiah answered, It is a light thing for the shadow to go down ten degrees: nay, but let the shadow return backward ten degrees.
11 And Isaiah the prophet cried unto the Lord: and
he brought the shadow ten degrees backward, by which it had gone down in the dial of Ahaz.

[Patriarchs And Prophets pp. 96>97] The world before the Flood reasoned that for centuries the laws of nature had been fixed. The recurring seasons had come in their order. Heretofore rain had never fallen; the earth had been watered by a mist or dew. The rivers had never yet passed their boundaries, but had borne their waters safely to the sea. Fixed decrees had kept the waters from overflowing their banks. But these reasoners did not recognize the hand of Him who had stayed the waters, saying, “Hitherto shalt thou come, but no further.”

As time passed on, with no apparent change in nature, men whose hearts had at times trembled with fear, began to be reassured. They reasoned, as many reason now, that nature is above the God of nature, and that her laws are so firmly established that God Himself could not change them. Reasoning that if the message of Noah were correct, nature would be turned out of her course, they made that message, in the minds of the world, a delusion—a grand deception.

They manifested their contempt for the warning of God by doing just as they had done before the warning was given. They continued their festivities and their gluttonous feasts; they ate and drank, planted and builded, laying their plans in reference to advantages they hoped to gain in the future; and they went to greater lengths in wickedness, and in defiant disregard of God's requirements, to testify that they had no fear of the Infinite One.

This leads us to point #3, for God will provide for earth’s inhabitants, right up until the day that our probation closes.
[3] God continued to provide for the antediluvians right up until the day of the flood. Similarly, when the other storm that is now brewing is about to burst, God will provide the necessities of life right up to the very last. This aspect of God’s providence often causes folks to believe that He will not keep His promises of judgment, and as a result, many are induced to mock and scoff at His warnings up until the very last day. But it is because of His mercies why we are not consumed, and therefore we should be very careful never to take His grace for granted. Let’s read:

Ecclesiastes 8:11 Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil.

Isaiah 28:21 For the Lord shall rise up as in mount Perazim, he shall be wroth as in the valley of Gibeon, that he may do his work, his strange work; and bring to pass his act, his strange act.
22 Now therefore be ye not mockers”.... for I have
heard from the Lord God of hosts a consumption, even determined upon the whole earth.

Genesis 8:22 While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.

[Patriarchs And Prophets pp. 96>98] It was not multitudes or majorities that were on the side of right. The world was arrayed against God's justice and His laws, and Noah was regarded as a fanatic. Satan, when tempting Eve to disobey God, said to her, “Ye shall not surely die.” Great men, worldly, honored, and wise men, repeated the same. “The threatenings of God,” they said, “are for the purpose of intimidating, and will never be verified. You need not be alarmed. Such an event as the destruction of the world by the God who made it, and the punishment of the beings He has created, will never take place.
Be at peace; fear not. Noah is a wild fanatic.” The world made merry at the folly of the deluded old man. Instead of humbling the heart before God, they continued their disobedience and wickedness, the same as though God had not spoken to them through His servant. Connection with God made him strong in the strength of infinite power, while for one hundred and twenty years his solemn voice fell upon the ears of that generation in regard to events, which, so far as human wisdom could judge, were impossible.

[4] Human probation will close permanently just before the coming storm hits. In Noah’s day, the door of mercy was closed seven days before the flood, and although we are not given any specific time-frame for our day, we can be certain that it will be a short period between the close of the investigative judgment and the coming storm. This will be confirmed by fearful convulsions of nature, and in quite unusual behavior manifested by birds,
and other members of the animal kingdom.
Just as their strange behavior heralded the coming flood, just so in our day will the same be repeated, for there are, and will continue to be, very strange occurrences and behaviors in the animal kingdom, which science as we know it, cannot account for. Let’s read:

Jeremiah 12:4 How long shall the land mourn, and the herbs of every field wither, for the wickedness of them that dwell therein? the beasts are consumed, and the birds; because they said, He shall not see our last end.

[Patriarchs And prophets pp.97>98] The period of their probation was about to expire. Noah had faithfully followed the instructions which he had received from God. The ark was finished in every part as the Lord had directed, and was stored with food for man and beast. And now the servant of God made his last solemn appeal to the people. With an agony of desire that words cannot express, he entreated them to seek a refuge while it might be found. Again they rejected his words, and raised their voices in jest and scoffing.

Suddenly a silence fell upon the mocking throng. Beasts of every description, the fiercest as well as the most gentle, were seen coming from mountain and forest and quietly making their way toward the ark. A noise as of a rushing wind was heard, and lo, birds were flocking from all directions, their numbers darkening the heavens, and in perfect order they passed to the ark. Animals obeyed the command of God, while men were disobedient. Guided by holy angels, they “went in two and two unto Noah into the ark,” and the clean beasts by sevens.

The world looked on in wonder, some in fear. Philosophers were called upon to account for the singular occurrence, but in vain. It was a mystery which they could not fathom. But men had become so hardened by their persistent rejection of light that even this scene produced but a momentary impression. As the doomed race beheld the sun shining in its glory, and the earth clad in almost Eden beauty, they banished their rising fears by boisterous merriment, and by their deeds of violence they seemed to invite upon themselves the visitation of the already awakened wrath of God.

[5] The loud cry of the third angel of Revelation 14 will be the equivalent of Noah’s last call before the door of the ark was shut. God through Noah made it as easy as possible for anyone who so chose, to be saved from the flood. Even after all the birds and animals went in first, the door of mercy still lingered wide open. As a matter of fact, if anyone in that vast multitude had been doubtful of The Lord’s warnings, but had decided to walk through those doors, they would have been saved, even with all of their doubts.

Similarly, God is now making it as easy as possible for everyone to be saved, and as His final appeals go forth from a heart that yearns with pity upon a doomed planet, He implores us with solemn pathos, not to refuse His gracious overtures to save us. Even if we might not fully understand, or agree with the truths that are pertinent to our time, yet if we obey God’s voice, God will honor the act of obedience, and will save us in His kingdom. It is not necessary to understand all of the intricate issues associated with the Sabbath, or the mark of the beast, in order to obey God’s voice. God says to us, obey, and do not receive the mark, and that should settle it for us.

In accepting Christ as our Lord and Savior, we are pledging by His grace to walk in harmony with His wise laws and instructions. The issue at play in our day is the Sabbath of the 4th Commandment, which God has specified as the only sacred day of rest for every person. Thus, in accepting Christ as Lord and Savior, we do acknowledge that He is also Lord of the Sabbath, and as such, we should be willing to follow in His footsteps. We end with four passages of scripture coming from The Lord, encouraging and cautioning us to return to the original Sabbath day of rest, given to the human family at creation. Let’s read:

Genesis 2:1 Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them.
2 And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made.
3 And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.

Luke 4:16 And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read.

Isaiah 58:13 If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the sabbath a delight, the holy of the Lord, honourable; and shalt honour him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words:
14 Then shalt thou delight thyself in the Lord; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.

Isaiah 66:22 For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain before me, saith the Lord, so shall your seed and your name remain.
23 And it shall come to pass, that from one new moon to another, and from one sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me, saith the Lord.
24 And they shall go forth, and look upon the carcases of the men that have transgressed against me: for their worm shall not die, neither shall their fire be quenched; and they shall be an abhorring unto all flesh.

He that hath an ear to hear, let him hear what The Spirit of God is saying to the churches.

God bless!

Think On These Things. Sabbath Afternoon. 10/15/2016

The Difference Between Faith And Presumption. Sabbath Afternoon. 10/08/2016

The Trickle-Down Effect Of Sin. Sabbath afternoon. 10/01/2016

How To Remedy A Haunted House. Sabbath Afternoon. 09/24/2016

It Began With Food, It Will End With Food. Sabbath Afternoon. 09/17/2016

Blessed Are The Peace Makers. Sabbath Afternoon. 09/10/2016

Dead Men Don't Tell Tales. Sabbath Afternoon. 09/03/2016

Understanding God's Providences. Sabbath Afternoon. 08/27/2016

The Purpose Of The Latter Rain. Sabbath Afternoon. 08/20/2016.

Distractions, Decoys, Disturbances, The D Words. Sabbath Afternoon. 08/13/2016

Defeating Our Invisible Foes. Sabbath Afternoon. 08/06/2016.

In The Days Of These Kings. Sabbath Afternoon. 07/30/2016

America In Prophecy. Sabbath Afternoon. 07/23/2016

Conditions Of Answered Prayer. Sabbath Afternoon. 07/16/2016

Woman- From Beginning To The End. Sabbath Afternoon. 07/09/2016

Let's Talk About Sex. Sabbath Afternoon. 07/02/2016

The Holistic Approach To Christianity. Sabbath Afternoon. 06/25/2016

Beware Of The Enchanted Ground. Sabbath Afternoon. 06/18/2016

The Secret To Longevity. Sabbath Afternoon. 06/11/2016

Another Storm Is coming. Sabbath Afternoon 06/04/2016

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