Grace and Peace

Grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. 2 Peter 3:18

Grace and peace be multiplied to you through the knowledge of God, and Jesus our Lord. 2 Peter 1:2

This is Life Eternal, that they might know You the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom You have sent. John 17:3

Without Sin

So Christ was offered once to bear the sins of all. And unto them that look for Him will He come the second time without sin for salvation. Hebrews 9:28

Prophecy

Believe in the Lord your God, and you will be established; believe His prophets and you will prosper.
2 Chronicles 20:20

Do not despise prophecy.  Test all things; hold fast what is good.  1 Thessalonians 5:20, 21

Lord's Prayer, Modernized

Our Father in Heaven, holy is Your name.
Your kingdom come, May Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven
Please give us today our spiritual and physical food.
Please forgive our sins, help us to forgive those who sin against us.
Help us not to yield to temptation, and save us from evil.
For Yours is the kingdom, and the power and the glory, for ever.
Amen.

Matthew 6:9-13, modernization
New Testament, Holy Scriptures, the Bible
Debra m

Good Thought

The Lord is not willing that anyone should suffer eternal death, but that all should come to repentance! (and have eternal life!)

2 Peter 3:9, The Holy Scriptures, New Testament

Supply all your Needs

My God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

          Philippians 4:19, New Testament of the Holy Scriptures (the Bible)

The Christian's Privilege

For the kingdom of God is not food and drink; but righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit.
Romans 14:17.

It is the Christian's privilege to have righteousness, joy and peace.

A Righteousness which is of God by faith.....Romans 3:21-22
A Joy that rejoices evermore.....1 Thessalonians 5:16, Philippians 4:4
A Peace that passes understanding, which the world cannot take away.....Philippians 4:7

From Bible Readings for the Home, p 145, 1963 white leatherette edition

Self Surrendered

Have been reading a book, How to be a victorious Christian by Thomas Davis, 1975, Review & Herald Publishing, Washington DC.

There is no salvation in being a Christian in name only.  Many evil people say they are church goers;  but are they true Christians?  There is no salvation in works alone.

  It startled my mind. There is more to being Christian than just saying I believe in God.

"You believe there is one God?  Good!  Yet even the demons believe that --  and tremble!
James 2:19.

You must let the Holy Spirit and Jesus live in you, you must pray earnestly to Christ, and in Christ keep yourself from wrong-doing. Then you will do what is right because you love the Father and His Son Jesus more than yourself.

  Put God first, then others, then yourself.  Cast away any idols in your life.

"Faith by itself, if it is without works, is dead.". James 2:17.  Neither is there salvation in works only!

It's really not complicated. Just put God first, not yourself.
 Don't be self-centered. Be self surrendered to Jesus!

A Way Out

My own behavior baffles me. For I find myself not doing what I really want to do, but doing what I really hate. ...My conscious mind endorses God's Law, yet I observe an entirely different principle
at work in my nature....

In my mind I am God's willing servant, but in my nature I am tightly bound to the law of sin and death.

 ...who on earth can set me free from the hold of my own sinful nature!?

  I thank God
 there is a way out through Jesus Christ our Lord!

from the book of Romans 7:15-25 from the Holy Scriptures - the Bible

The coming of the Anti-christ

 The coming of the Anti-christ: For satan himself masquerades as an angel of light! So is it any wonder if his followers pretend to be holy and righteous? Their end will be what they deserve.. 2 Corinthians 11:13-15

Help for Anxiety

The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble.  Psalm 9:9

When I said, “my foot is slipping,” God’s love supported me. When anxiety was great within me, God’s love brought joy to my soul.  Psalm 94:18-19

For I am the Lord your God, who takes hold of your right hand, and says to you, “Do not fear, I will help you.”  Isaiah 41:13

My body and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and portion forever.  Psalm 73:26

Jesus says, “Do not let your heart be troubled, Trust in God, trust also in Me.”  John 14:1

 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, with prayer and thankfulness, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which is higher than all understanding, will guard your heart and mind in Christ Jesus.  Philippians 4:6-8

FINAL JUDGMENT GOING ON NOW!

Solemn are the scenes connected with the closing work of the Judgment. Momentous are the interests involved. The Judgment is now passing in Heaven above. …In the awful presence of God our lives are to come up in review.

When the work of the investigative Judgment closes, the destiny of all will have been decided for eternal life or eternal death. Probation ends a short time before the appearing of the Lord in the clouds of heaven.

The righteous and the wicked will still be living on earth in their mortal state –there will be planting and building, eating and drinking - they will all be unconscious that the final, irrevocable decision has been pronounced in Heaven above….

Watch and pray; for you know not when the time is. Mark 13:33

Watch…lest coming suddenly He find you sleeping. Mark 13:35-36

Perilous is the condition of those who, growing weary of their watch, turn to the attractions of the world. 


While business men and women are absorbed in the pursuit of wealth, 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.”  (Daniel 5:27)

Based on Excerpts from The Great Controversy, p 490-491 E G White

HEALTH - Part 2

Dear Friend:

As Jesus entered the village ten lepers met Him but kept their distance. They said, "Jesus! Master, have mercy on us!" Jesus looked at them and said, "Go. Show yourselves to the priest." Obeying Him they turned and ran and were healed. Then only one turned back to thank Jesus for healing him, and fell at Jesus' feet. Jesus said, "Were not ten healed? Where are the other nine? Only you have returned thanks to God. Arise and go your way, your faith has made you whole." Luke 17:12-14

**********

Paul said, "Three times I have pled with the Lord to remove my handicap. Each time the Lord said, `My grace is sufficient for you. For My strength is made perfect in weakness.' So I will now boast of my weakness for I am glad to be a living demonstration of Christ's power instead of showing off my own power and ability. For Jesus' sake I am content with weakness, insults, hardships, persecutions and disasters. For when I am weak, then I am strong. 2 Corinthians 12:8-10

***********

"Now we look in a mirror and see a blurred reflection, but someday we will see God and understand why things happened as they did just as clearly as God sees right now." 1 Corinthians 13:12

HEALTH

Dear friend, I pray above all else that you may prosper and be in health, even as your soul prospers. The Lord says, "My child, listen to My Words and keep them ever in mind. Allow them to penetrate into your entire being, for they mean real life and radiant health for you.

Do not be conceited, sure of your own wisdom. Instead, trust and reverence God and turn your back on evil. When you do that, then you will be given renewed health and vitality. For I will restore your health and heal your wounds.

Bless the Lord, O my soul, and do not forget all His benefits: Who forgives all your iniquities; who heals all your diseases.

The above quotes are taken from these Bible texts:
3 John 2/ Proverbs 4:20-22; 3:7-8/ Jeremiah 30:17/ Psalm 103:2-3.

One thing Satan loves...

Give your whole life to Jesus, not just parts here and there. God can only forgive the sins which you confess and give to Him.

One thing Satan loves is when people say they belong to God but continue living how they want.

“Pay attention, watch and pray; for you do not know when the time is.” Mark 13:33.

Be ready for Jesus’ coming at any time. Don’t fool yourself into thinking it is in 20 years or even in 3 years from now. You might not live that long! Nobody knows - so be ready now!

Love of Money...

Now the Spirit explicitly states that in the last days some will depart from the faith by listening to corrupt spirits and demonic doctrines. 1 Timothy 4:1

If any one … does not believe the words of Jesus Christ … that person is conceited, and understands nothing. They are doting on controversies and semantics, resulting in envy, strife, and evil thoughts. They think godliness is only a path to monetary gain - for the love of money (greed) is the cause of all evil. 1 Timothy 6:3-5, 10

But you, O child of God, run away from evil and follow righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience and humbleness. 1 Timothy 6:11

In regards to our faith and trials – Gold is not afraid of fire!

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

Faith & Works

What good is it, if a man claims to have faith but has no works? Can such faith save him?

Someone will say, "You have faith; and I have works.
Show me your faith without works, and I will show you my faith by what I do. "

You believe there is one God? Good! But even the demons believe that and shudder.

Foolish man! Do you want evidence that faith without works is useless? Was not our ancestor Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? You see his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did! Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness; and he was called God's friend.

You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone.

As the body without breath is dead, so faith without works is dead.

From the book of James 2:14, 18-24, 26.

COMFORT for the Sorrowing

Not now, but in the coming years,
It will be in the better land,
We’ll read the meaning of our tears,
And there we will understand.

We’ll catch the broken thread again,
And finish what here we began;
Heaven will the mysteries explain,
And then, ah then, we will understand.

Then trust in God through all thy days;
Fear not, for God does hold thy hand;
Though dark thy way, still sing and praise,
For in Heaven we will understand.
By Julius L. Tucker, in Comfort for the Sorrowing


We are on the verge of entering the Home that the Master referred to when He said, “Let not your heart be troubled, you believe in God believe also in Me. In My Father’s kingdom are many mansions; if it were not so I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you…. I will come again and receive you unto Myself; that where I am, there you may be also."  John 14:1-3.

God's Ten Commandments

God's Ten Commandments in the Old Testament of Holy Scripture

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


God's Ten Commandments in the New Testament of Holy Scripture

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 therefore 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. Matt 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