Amidst the Strife of Nations....

He who slumbers not, who in every crisis has been the strength and dependence of His people, will carry out His eternal purpose.  He will halt the designs of wicked men, and will bring to confusion the counsels of those who plot mischief against His people.

 He who is the King, the Lord of hosts…amidst the strife and tumult of nations guards His children still.  When the strongholds of kings shall be overthrown, when the arrows of wrath shall strike through the hearts of His enemies, God’s people will be safe in His hands.   By Ellen G White

Read Psalm 91 - in Holy Scripture, the Bible

I thank God for you

I have not stopped thanking God for you (the reader), I pray for you daily.
Ephesians 1:16

Even before God created the world, He loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in His eyes.  God decided back then to adopt us into His own family by bringing us to Himself thru Christ Jesus.  It gave Him great happiness to do this!
God is so rich in love and grace that He purchased our freedom with the blood of His Son Jesus and forgave our sins!
Ephesians 1:4-7

God's Free Love

God's love cannot be bought - He gives it freely.

He could not give anything less

When God gave His Son, Jesus, to die for humanity's sins, He could not have given anything greater - and He could not have given anything less.

Our Defense Attorney in the Final Judgment

          The Biblical judicial system was not like ours.  The one bringing the charges served as prosecutor.  The judge served as defense attorney.  If the judge realized the charges were serious, he could call for the accused's eldest male relative to sit at his right side to help him with the defense.

          Jesus speaks with the Father, because they are both on the same side defending us against Satan's accusations!!  This is why the Bible speaks of looking forward to God's Judgment.  It means vindication to those who love and obey the Lord!!

          "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ..." 2 Corinthians 5:10.  "The Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the Son."  John 5:22.

           "Who is to judge us?  It is Christ Jesus, who died, yes, who was raised, for He is at the right hand of God, who intercedes for us!"  Romans 8:34.   "And to testify that it is He [Jesus] who was ordained of God to be the Judge of the living and dead."  Acts 10:42.

          Jesus speaks, "My judgment is true; for I am not alone, but I am with the Father who sent Me."  John 8:16.   "…if anyone sins, we have an Attorney with the Father, Jesus Christ the Righteous." 1 John 2:1.  "He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man God ordained."  Acts 17:31.

           "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."  1 John 1:9.  Jesus says, "But I say to you, that every idle word that people speak, they will give account thereof in the Day of Judgment!"  Matthew 12:36.  

           "As many as have sinned in the Law [Ten Commandments] shall be judged by the Law.  Romans 2:12.   We shall be "judged by the Law of liberty" [the Ten Commandments].  James 2:12.

           "Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep His Commandments, for this is the whole duty of humanity.  For God will bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good or evil."  Ecclesiastes 12:13, 14.

What does God Hate?

Just finished reading "Gods Lamb, our High Priest" by Loren Seibold in Signs of the Times November 2015 magazine. A caption on page 41 caught my attention:


"it's because God loves humanity so much - that He hates the damage sin has
done to us, the creatures created in His image."


This quote blew me away! Thank you Loren for this insight!

Even those who hate God

God loves everyone, even those who hate Him.

We are Never Abandoned

Christ will never abandon those for whom He has died. We may leave Him and be overwhelmed with temptation, but Christ can never turn from one for whom He has paid the ransom of His own life.

Prophets & Kings 176 E G White

I Love You...Says God

God says, "I love you with eternal love, pursuing after you with loving kindness. Whoever believes in Me and keeps My Commandments loves Me, and My Father will love them who love Me and I will love them and manifest Myself to them. For God so loved the human race that He gave His only Son, that anyone who believes in Him will not suffer eternal death but will have eternal life."

This is love: not that we love God, but that He loves us, and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. No one has a greater love than the One who lays down His life for His friends.

Dear Friend, since God loves us this much, we should love each other. We love because God first loved us. If anyone says, "I love God," yet hates another, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. Jesus said, "By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for others."

Dear Friend, I close my letter with these last words. Be a mature Christian, pay attention to what I have written, be in unity, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you always. And to know the love of Christ, which surpasses all understanding….

 Now to God who is able to do all things super-abundantly beyond what we think or ask...to Him be the glory... throughout all generations, forever. Amen!


The above quotes come from these Bible texts (variety of versions): Jeremiah 31:3/ 1 John 14:21/ John 3:16/ 1 John 4:9-10/ John 15:13/ 1 John 4:11,19-20/ John 13:35/ 2 Corinthians 13:11/ Ephesians 3:19-21

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

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.

...Even Those who Hate Him

People, God does love you. He loves you so much. Please accept what Jesus has done for you - He died on the cross and provides for you in your daily life.

Even if you do not like God He still provides for you.

God loves everyone - even those who hate Him.

God won't Force us to love Him

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.

Jesus determined, (in council with His Father) to do everything possible, no matter the cost, to rescue sinners. Jesus loves you more than He values His own life – He died for 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.

God planned for you before the world began. He longs for you to talk to Him about everything that is on your mind.

God always listens. I go to Him with all my problems and He always looks after me. As a small child I learned these things – it made all the difference in my life.


Often your mind may be
Clouded because of pain.
Then do not try to think.
You know that Jesus loves you!
He understands you.
You may do His will by simply
Resting in His arms.

Have You Ever Wondered about Heaven...?

Have you ever wondered what eternal life in Heaven and the Earth made new will be like?! Then I ask you to read Isaiah chapter 65, verses 17-18 and verses 21-25. Now read Revelation chapter 21, verses 1 thru 27, and continuing thru chapter 22, verses 1 to 7. These are the best descriptions I can find in Holy Scripture of Heaven. And they are awesome!!


"We do not propose undue speculation on the details of the future life. Its loveliness will surpass our fondest dreams, its beauty will excel our most enthusiastic imaginations, and its joy will soar above the flight of our highest hopes." God Speaks to Modern Man, p 602, Arthur E Lickey

"One pulse of harmony and gladness beats through the vast creation....From the minutest atom to the greatest world, all things, animate and inanimate, in their unshadowed beauty and perfect joy, declare that God is love." The Great Controversy, p 678, Ellen G White


"Now the dwelling of God is with humanity, and God will live with them. They will be His people, and God Himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death, or mourning, or crying, or pain - for that is all gone forever!" Revelation 21:3-4


But now we desire a better country, a Heavenly country. God is not ashamed to be called our God, for He has prepared for us a City! Hebrews 11:16 - paraphrased

He Died

Jesus Christ died for us. The loving, lovely One for the lost sheep. He did not have to do this, but He died so that we might have immortal life in beautiful Heaven with Him for eternity.

Who can Comprehend the Love....

Who can comprehend the love that God has shown in sending Christ to save perishing souls?

 I am conscious that language is far too feeble to depict this love. And our minds can not take it in. It is impossible even for the angels fully to comprehend how completely God identifies His interests with those of His blood-bought heritage, and how tenderly He deals with the tried and tempted....

How much God loves human beings, we never can compute. The universe is filled with proofs of His measureless benevolence.

Excerpt from Battle Creek Letters, November 11, 1902
from Ellen G White to John Harvey Kellogg MD

Christ will Freely Give

When the law of God and the Spirit of God have made the sinner conscious of his sin, let him come to Christ. The forgiveness that the law could not provide, Christ will freely give.

...The woman taken in adultery Christ did not condemn, for she already felt condemned and ashamed. She needed sympathy and forgiveness, and Christ was ready to grant it to her.

God Speaks to Modern Man, p 386, Arthur E Lickey

Destroy the Law...?

God's law and His character are inseparable. He did not and will not change either. Calvary is God's final and unanswerable argument in favor of His eternal law. Destroy the law and Calvary becomes a meaningless tragedy.

God Speaks to Modern Man, p 372, by Arthur E. Lickey