ENCOURAGEMENT !!!: Its Been a Rough 3 Weeks

ENCOURAGEMENT !!!: Its Been a Rough 3 Weeks: I’ve been going thru a rough 3 weeks. Unfortunately, I was going by feeling and not by faith. Satan was getting a strong hold on my emotio...

God Believes in You!

God is so powerful that He could force us to love Him, but

God doesn’t use force, because He loves us and wants us to love Him back.  Even if you hate God – He still loves you.

Bad things happen to good people – it’s because of sin,

not  because God hates you.  

God loves everyone.   The devil hates everyone. 

You don’t believe in God?  He believes in you!

Trust yourself to God – He will care for you.

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

Your Past Experience

Whatever may have been your past experience, however discouraging your present circumstances, if you will come to Jesus just as you are: weak, helpless, and despairing, our compassionate Savior will meet you a great way off, and will throw about you His arms of love and His robe of righteousness.

  Jesus presents us to the Father clothed in the white raiment of His own character. He pleads before God in our behalf, saying: I have taken the sinner’s place. Look not upon this wayward child, but look on Me.

           Thoughts from the Mount of Blessing 21, E G White

Limit to satan's Power

Satan… knows better than we do the limit of his power, and how easily he can be overcome if we resist him and face him. Through Divine strength, the weakest saint is more than a match for satan and all his [demons].

Testimonies Vol. 5, 293, E G White

A Sympathizing Friend

Whatever our situation, if we are doers of His word, we have a Guide to direct our way;
whatever our perplexity, we have a sure Counselor;
whatever our sorrow, bereavement or loneliness, we have a Sympathizing Friend (His name is Jesus Christ).

Ministry of Healing 249 E G White

Problems of Marriage

Satan hates marriage - this is no surprise. He is behind all marriage problems!

Satan causes strife, arguments, anger, adultery, jealousy, bitterness, envy, sexual sin, and a slew of other problems - especially those dealing with the emotions.

There is a war going on! Between Satan and his minions, and God and His holy angels. Between the devil and Gods people. [See this Blog site dated June 13, 2015 - No Mimic Battle].

Stay true to Jesus, ask His Holy Spirit for help and discernment. Focus on Jesus love for you.

Stay true to God and your spouse. Honor your marriage.

If there is violence, seek shelter, get help.

PRAY !

The Lord is disappointed when His people place a low estimate on themselves. Desire of Ages 668

Prayer is Heaven’s ordained means of success in the conflict with sin and the development of Christian character. Acts of the Apostles 564

When we come to Him in faith, every petition enters the heart of God. When we have asked for His blessing, we should believe that we receive it, and thank Him that we have received it. Then we are to go about our duties assured that the blessing will be realized when we need it most. Desire of Ages 200

When every other voice is hushed, and in quietness we wait before Him, the silence of the soul makes more distinct the voice of God. Desire of Ages 363

Make every effort to keep the communion between Jesus and your own soul. Steps to Christ 98


all quotes by E G White

Open the Windows of the Soul

God is inviting us to close the windows of the soul earthward and open them Heavenward, that He may flood our hearts with the glory, which is shining across the threshold of Heaven.

In Heavenly Places 247 by E G White

Constant, Perfect Peace

There will be peace, constant peace, flowing into the soul, for the rest is found in perfect submission to Jesus Christ. Obedience to God’s will finds rest. The disciple that walks in the meek and [humble] steps of the Redeemer finds rest, which the world cannot give, and the world cannot take away. ‘Thou will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on Thee: because he trusteth in Thee.’ 

[Gentleness & humbleness], which ever characterized the life of the divine Son of God, possessed by His true followers, brings contentment, peace, and happiness that elevate them above the slavery of artificial life.

Our High Calling 98 by E G White

Feel the pain - Cry if you want

Go ahead, feel the pain - Cry if you want. Acknowledge something has died even if it is just a dream of how your life was supposed to go. Tears have a way of cleansing the soul and refreshing the spirit. As you release all that is bottled up inside, God collects those precious tears in a bottle, and does not disregard them. See Psalm 56:8.

Unveiling the Diva Mystique p 82, Michelle McKinney Hammond, Harvest House Publishers, 2005

What is Love?

If I had the gift of speaking in foreign languages without learning them, and even if I could speak every heavenly language, but did not love others, I would only be making noise.

If I had the gift of prophecy and knew the future, but did not love others, what good would it do?

Even if I had the gift of faith and could move mountains, I still would be worth nothing without love.

If I gave all my worldly possessions to the poor, and even if I were burned alive for preaching the Gospel, but did not have love, it would be of no value.

Love* is patient and kind, never jealous or envious, never boastful or proud, never haughty, selfish or rude.

Love does not demand it's own way. Love is not irritable or grouchy. Love does not hold grudges, and will not keep score against friend or enemy.

Love is never glad about injustice, but rejoices whenever truth wins out. Love is loyal, and has faith in God under all circumstances.

Someday prophecy, foreign languages and special knowledge will disappear, but Love goes on forever.

Now we know so little even with our special gifts, but when Jesus comes and we have been made perfect and complete at His coming, then those special gifts will come to an end, for they are no longer needed.

It is like this: when I was a child, I spoke and thought as a child. But when I reached adulthood my thoughts were far above childish ways.

 In the same way, we can see and understand only a little about God now, as if we were looking at His reflection in a poor mirror. But someday we are going to see Him as He is, face to Face! What I see now is blurry, but later I will see everything as clearly as God sees now!

There are three great things: FAITH - HOPE - LOVE. And the greatest is LOVE!

*God is Love. In this paragraph substitute your name wherever the word "Love" appears.

Bible Text: 1 Corinthians 13:1-13.

Don't Worry

If you have given yourself to God you have no need to be anxious for tomorrow. God knows the end from the beginning. The events of tomorrow, which are hidden from your view, are open to the eyes of God.

When you try to manage your life, and depend only on your own wisdom for success, you are taking a burden which God has not given you. You may well have anxiety and anticipate danger and loss. But when you really believe God loves you, you will stop worrying about the future. When you trust God – then your troubles and torments will disappear, for your will is swallowed up in the will of God.

Only one day at a time is yours, and during the day you are to live for God. Cast all your cares, purposes and plans upon Christ, for He cares for you.

 “I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.” Jeremiah 29:11.

Based on Thoughts from the Mount of Blessing, pp 100-101, E G White

Its Been a Rough 3 Weeks

I’ve been going thru a rough 3 weeks. Unfortunately, I was going by feeling and not by faith. Satan was getting a strong hold on my emotions, and I was confused and felt lost. I felt desperate to get back to God! How did I get to this place where I felt I had lost all faith or God had lost hold of me!? I remembered the verse that says, “I will never leave you nor forsake you,” but even this did not seem to help my feelings of despair.

Calling my friend she counseled me with prayer and Scripture and logic. I’m glad she is a retired Christian educator – she knows how to handle situations and people. She promised me that God had not forgotten me, that He was right there and had been all the time.

I read the Gospel of Matthew on my iPad and highlighted and made copious notes. I read Scripture exclusively and am being greatly benefited.

If ever you find yourself getting depressed - that God doesn’t care about you or love you - remember to read Scripture exclusively. Start reading in the Bible where you think you’ll gain the most good. (After Matthew I started reading Exodus!)

Please guard your mind against Satan’s attacks, pray always and read Holy Scripture.

By deb m