The Strong Man

"Physically, Samson was the strongest man upon the earth; but in self-control, integrity, and firmness (character), he was one of the weakest of men.".

The real greatness of a man is "measured by the power of the feelings that he controls."

Patriarchs and Prophets, pp 567,568,Ellen G White

Cleansing the Mind

The only safeguard against evil is the indwelling of Christ in the mind through faith in His righteousness. It is because selfishness exists in our souls that temptation has power over us.

But, when we see the great love of God, selfishness appears to us in its hideous and repulsive character, and we desire to have it expelled from the soul.

As the Holy Spirit glorifies Christ, our hearts are softened and subdued, the temptation loses its power, and the grace of Christ transforms the character.

Thoughts from the Mount of Blessing, p 118, E G White

Character

The character is revealed, not by occasional good deeds and occasional misdeeds, but by the tendency of the habitual words and acts.

                      Steps to Christ, 57-58, E G White

Deceptive Power

There are few who have any just conception of the deceptive power of hypnotism and spiritualism and the danger of coming under its influence.

Many tamper with it merely to gratify their curiosity. They have no real faith in it and would be horrified at the thought of yielding themselves to demons.

But they venture upon forbidden ground, and the devil exercises his power over them against their will. Let them once be induced to submit their minds to his direction, and he holds them captive.

It is impossible, in their own strength, to break away from the alluring, bewitching spell.  Nothing but the power of God, granted in answer to the earnest prayer of faith, can deliver them.

All who indulge sinful traits of character, or willfully cherish a known sin, are inviting the temptations of Satan.

based on The Great Controversy, 558, e g white

What God Doesn't Do

In my life experience, I have found that God doesn't do certain things.

For instance:
God doesn't stroke our egos; nor does He give us compliments about our beauty:
our face, figure, hair, make-up, etc.

 God is most concerned with our character, and how we are progressing spiritually.  
God is most concerned with our relationship with Him, and how this translates into our relationship with others.

I have found that the old devil speaks thoughts that appeal to our vanity.  

And when we are totally full of ourselves, the devil slams us down by saying how ugly we are, and that God could never accept such a mess!

But we are fine just the way God made us!

Of course we should always appear put together, presentable, clean and well groomed. But our main concern is to be close to God, and the kind way we treat others as we would like to be treated.

Dm

Perfect Peace - Do Not Worry

“Like a father pities his children, so the Lord pities those that fear Him. For He knows our frame, He remembers that we are only dust.”  Psalm 103:13-14

“Do not worry about anything, but in everything, by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7

“God will keep you in perfect peace, when your mind is focused on God, because you trust in God.” Isaiah 26:3

And the Lord your God, will turn a curse into a blessing for you, because the Lord your God loves you!  Deuteronomy 23:5

How to Study Holy Scripture

We should only study the Holy Scriptures with a prayer dependence on God, and a sincere desire to learn His will.

We must come with a humble and teachable attitude to obtain knowledge from the great I AM. Otherwise, evil angels will blind our minds and harden our hearts so that we will not be impressed with the truth.

Scripture should never be studied without prayer. Only the Holy Spirit can cause us to feel the importance of those things easy to be understood, or prevent us from twisting truths difficult of comprehension.

It is the office of holy angels to prepare the heart to comprehend God's Word that we shall be charmed with its beauty, admonished by its warnings, or animated and strengthened by its promises.


Based on The Great Controversy, 1888 edition, p 599, E G White

Conscious Dignity

It is the privilege of everyone to so live that God will approve and bless (her).
….It is not the will of your heavenly Father that you should ever be under condemnation and darkness.
It is not pleasing to God that you should demerit yourself.

…While we should not think of ourselves more highly than we ought, the Word of God does not condemn a proper self-respect.
…child of God, we should have a conscious dignity of character, in which pride and self-importance have no part.”

Excerpts from Daughters of God 142, E G White

We have an Advocate!

If anyone be in Christ, they are a new creature: old things are passed away, all things have become new.  2 Corinthians 5:17 

And you will be made alive, who were dead in sin. Ephesians 2:1

For the Father has made Jesus to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.  2 Corinthians 5:21

For this is good and acceptable to God our Savior: Who wants all people to be saved, and to come to the knowledge of truth. 1 Timothy 2:3-4

Not by our works of righteousness, but according to His mercy He saved us….  Titus 3:5

 My little children, these things I write to you, that you sin not. And if any one sins, we have an Advocate with the Father – Jesus Christ the righteous.   And He is the sacrifice for our sins, and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world!  1 John 2:1-2 

Confirmation

Search the Scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of Me." John 6:39 [KJV]

In seventh and eighth grade (1967-1969) church catechism class was conducted by Pastor Keith. This class prepared us for the "Rite of Confirmation" when we renewed our baptismal vows spoken for us by our parents and godparents when we were infants.

Catechism was not as expected. A Catechism book was used in our study. We memorized printed answers to printed questions and the Bible seemed to take second place. Being in the last row, where I could not see, did not help my concentration, but "we must sit alphabetically."

Thumbing through the Bible I read a text that was so impressive that I wrote it in large letters in my catechism book, "We ought to obey God rather than man," Acts 5:29.

We were required to memorize the catechism's version of the Ten Commandments.

One day in Catechism we were studying the Sabbath commandment, third in the Catechism, fourth in the Bible, when Kurt asked, "Why are the catechism's Ten Commandments different from the Bible's?"

Pastor Keith asked if anyone had mentioned this to him. Kurt said his grandmother had.

 The pastor said the Bible and Catechism agree on everything, then changed the subject.

Kurt persisted and the class urged him on. As he read the Sabbath commandment from the Bible and then from the Catechism we were amazed they did not agree. Kurt pointed out that the Bible specified the seventh day of the week as the Sabbath, not Sunday the first day as the pastor taught.

Pastor Keith angrily snapped, "Do not mention this subject again! You are too young to understand, you do not know anything! You have not even been confirmed! You are to take my word for what the Bible says and accept it!"

He dismissed us early under a veil of fear and confusion.

. Questions were raised such as, “Why does the Bible say one thing and the catechism another? Why does the pastor get upset if we ask Bible questions?”

On Confirmation Sunday the pastor gave each confirmand a personal Bible text. Mine was, "lo, I am with you always even unto the end of the world," Matthew 28:20. I had never heard this text before, and it filled me with questions and awe; "the end of the world?"

THE TEN COMMANDMENTS

OLD TESTAMENT - THE TEN COMMANDMENTS

1. You will have no other gods before Me. Exodus 20:3

2. You will not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or in the earth, or that is in the water under the earth. You will not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate Me; and showing mercy unto thousands that love Me and keep My Commandments. Exodus 20:4-6

3. You will not take the Name of the Lord thy God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that takes His name in vain.
Exodus 20:7

4. Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy. Six days you may work, and do all your work; but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God. In it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, daughter, manservant, maidservant, thy animals, nor the stranger that is within thy gates. For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy. Exodus 20:8-11

5. Honor your father and mother, that your days be long upon the land which the Lord thy God gives to you. Exodus 20:12

6. You will not murder. Exodus 20:13

7. You will not commit adultery. Exodus 20:14

8. You will not steal. Exodus 20:15

9. You will not lie about a neighbor. Exodus 20:16

10. You will not covet your neighbor’s house, wife, servants, animals, or anything that is your neighbor’s. Exodus 20:17


NEW TESTAMENT - THE TEN COMMANDMENTS

1. You will worship the Lord your God. and Him only will you serve. Matthew 4:10

2. Little children, keep yourselves from idols 1 John 5:21
...abstain from idols... Acts 15:20
Do not be idolaters... 1 Cor. 10:7

3. That the Name of God and His doctrine be not blasphemed. 1 Timothy 6:1

4. For He spoke in a certain place of the seventh day on this wise, And God did rest the seventh day from all His works. There remains a rest [‘keeping of a Sabbath’ margin] to the people of God. For he that is entered into His rest, he also hath ceased from his own works as God did from His. Hebrews 4:4, 9, 10

5. Honor thy father and thy mother. Matthew 19:19

6. Thou shalt not murder. Matthew 19:18

7. Thou shalt not commit adultery. Matthew 19:18

8. Thou shalt not steal. Romans 13:9

9. Thou shalt not bear false witness. Romans 13:9

10. Thou shalt not covet. Romans 7:7

God's Precious Animals

In training animals I verbally correct only when necessary, and praise and love them constantly showing them respect. The pets return my love and respect more than one hundred percent.

Example: Being very ill, I passed out on the floor. Regaining conscientiousness I found my pets doing their best to help me. Timmy the cat was lying over my left ankle, Ivory the cat was laying over my right ankle, and Ingrid the dog was lying by my side. Only when I felt better did the animals leave their post. God uses even little animals to help.

"The intelligence displayed by many animals approaches so closely to human intelligence that it is a mystery.

". The animals see and hear and love and fear and suffer. They use their organs far more faithfully than many human beings use theirs. They manifest sympathy and tenderness toward their companions in suffering.

"  Many animals show affection for those who have charge of them, far superior to the affection shown by some of the human race. They form attachments for man which are not broken without great suffering to them."

  Ministry of Healing pages 315-316 by Ellen G White

Your Greatest Desire...

Have you determined to be rich? Then let these words in Matthew chapter six impress your heart and direct your life. They will teach you to be content, and to yield your will to the control of the Holy Spirit. You will not then be elbowing (back-stabbing)your fellow-worker that you may make room for your plans.

But your greatest desire will be to work in just the place that God has assigned you, and where He can look upon you with approval.

An Appeal for Unity and Confidence, pamphlet 14, p 13, Ellen G White

Hasty Temper...Spirit of Strife

Great is our need of the saving grace of Christ. Everywhere we turn we see more or less clearly revealed the spirit of strife for place and position, a reaching out for honor and recognition.

My brethren and sisters, if you desire honor, seek it in the right way. How shall you seek it, do you ask? In obedience to the word of truth. Our ambition in this life should be to honor Christ at every step.

The hasty temper, the cruel speech, the unkind thought, are not to be indulged. It is not for us to exalt this one, and condemn that one. In right words, words that bless and encourage, we are to reveal the fruits of righteousness.

An Appeal for Unity and Confidence, pamphlet 14, page 13, Ellen G White

This entry is just as much for me as anyone. In the past week, I too, had a hasty temper.

Valentine's Day

In high school and college I was very particular as to who I dated. The guy had to show respect for himself; if he had no respect for himself how could he have respect for me?

 Respect was very important, as was morality, which included no smoking, drinking, drugs or lewd behavior. (I did not date much, but married a gem of a husband!)

 I did not start dating until I was almost seventeen.

 And am proud to say I kept my promise made at a young age and was a chaste virgin for my future husband.

We have been married over 40 (forty) consecutive years!

Complaints? - Really?!

The children of Israel were led into difficult circumstances, like at Marah, where they were practically dying of thirst and found that the water was bitter. Angrily they reproached Moses for leading them into such a terrible spot, forgetting that the Lord Himself had led them there.


"Many look back to the Israelites, and marvel at their unbelief and murmuring, feeling that they themselves would not have been so ungrateful; but when their faith is tested, even by little trials, they manifest no more faith and patience than did ancient Israel. When brought into [tight] places, they murmur at the process by which God has chosen to purify them."
Patriarchs and Prophets, p 293 by E G White

Our Reaction to Trials

Trials are for our own good. It isn't the trial that counts - its our reaction to it.

Self-indulgence

Professed Christians yearly expend an immense sum for useless and harmful self-indulgences, while souls are perishing for the word of life.

If all who profess to be followers of Christ were truly sanctified, their money, instead of being spent for needless and even hurtful self-indulgences, would be turned into the Lord's treasury.

Based on The Great Controversy, p 475, E G White

Trials Patiently Borne

Trials patiently borne, blessings gratefully received, meekness, kindness, mercy, and love, habitually exhibited, are the lights that shine forth in the character before the world, revealing the contrast with the darkness that comes of the selfishness of the natural heart.

  Patriarchs & Prophets 134, E G White




My right wrist was sprained this week, will not go into circumstances, please pray - I am in bad pain. DM