God's People are Safe

God who slumbers not, who in every crisis has been the strength and dependence of His people, will carry out His eternal purpose.

   He will thwart 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.

E G WHITE

A PRAYER

Lord, take my heart, For I cannot give it. It is Thy property.
Keep it pure, For I cannot keep it for Thee.
Save me in spite of my weak, unchristlike self.
Mold me, fashion me,
Raise me into a pure and holy atmosphere,
Where the rich current of Thy love can flow through my soul.

Christ’s Object Lessons 159, E G WHITE

VBS - Vacation Bible School

In the 1960's - during two weeks in June - from nine a.m. until noon - mornings were spent at Missouri Synod Lutheran Vacation Bible School.

 All the children would enter the sanctuary by two's singing “Onward Christian Soldiers” while following the Christian and American flags.

In the sanctuary we would sing, pray and listen to a sermonette and a mission story. Then in our classrooms we would work on crafts and listen to Bible stories.

 It was so wonderful to be there! And so wonderful to be a part of it all!

Always Room for One More

God never downsizes His kingdom. There is always room for one more.

Benign tumors

Four weeks ago Andy's doctor (ENT) found two tumors on Andy's neck, one was quite large. A biopsy was performed - both were benign! The ENT urged to have them removed ASAP - so the following week they were removed in a 3 hour surgery. Andy's incision goes from around the ear down almost to the adam's apple. Praise the Lord that none of the facial nerves were cut/damaged!

The day after Andy's surgery I noticed a large, painful purple/red lump on my left breast. My doctor saw me the next day and it was removed. It was benign!

We are both in pain still, but healing.

Praise God the tumors were benign and removed promptly!

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

Lay All Your Plans Before God

Lay all your plans before God, to be carried out or given up as His providence shall indicate.

Accept His plans instead of your own, even though their acceptance requires the abandonment of cherished projects.

Testimonies for the Church, Volume 7, page 44, E G White

Not by Feeling, but by Faith

Whether we feel God’s love towards us or not – God does love us – God loves you. Believe that He does.

  Go not by feeling but by faith!


When something is wrong in your life you must make the change to line up with what God says in Holy Scripture. God cannot truly bless unless our lives are right with Him.

 God bless you.

No Mimic Battle

We do not understand as we should the great conflict going on between invisible agencies, the controversy between loyal and disloyal angels. Over every [person] good and evil angels strive. This is no make-believe conflict.

It is no mimic battle in which we are engaged. We have to meet most powerful adversaries, and it rests with us to determine which shall win. We are to find our Strength where the early disciples found theirs.

Signs of the Times, Feb. 17, 1914, E G White

See Blog January 12, 2015 - Stupendous Crisis

Before our eyes...

Today men and nations are being tested by the plummet in the hand of Him who makes no mistake...

. Today the signs of the times declare that we are standing on the threshold of great and solemn events. 

Everything in our world is in agitation. Before our eyes is fulfilling the Savior's prophecy of the events to precede His coming.

Prophets & Kings, pp 536-537, E G White

See blog Jan 12, 2015 - Stupendous Crisis

The remainder of our life...

Let us look to the monumental pillars, reminders of what the Lord has done to comfort us and to save us from the hand of the destroyer.

Let us keep fresh in our memory all the tender mercies that God has shown us:
the tears He has wiped away,
the pains He has soothed,
the anxieties removed,
the fears dispelled,
the wants supplied,
the blessings bestowed -
thus strengthening ourselves for all that is before us through the remainder of our [life]...

Steps to Christ 89, 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

Finances

"There is one who makes himself rich, yet has nothing; and one who makes himself poor, yet has great riches." Proverbs 13:7

"Better is a little with righteousness, than vast wealth without justice [God]." Proverbs 16:8

From a Bible view, God promises to provide for us when we put the principles of Heaven first in our lives.

 In a world where little is certain, in an age of tremendous financial insecurity, God promises that when we are faithful to Him, He will provide.

No one ever trusted God in vain. He never disappoints those who trust in Him.

Chapter by G Edward Reid, in the book God will Provide, pages 21, 27. by John Bradshaw of It Is Written

Weight-Loss Diet

My doctor gave me this weight loss diet - its very simple!

Eat three meals a day.

Eat 50 to 55 grams of carbs per meal - With your choice of foods, but no more than 55 grams.
You can eat lots of food per meal if the carbs per item is low.  Count the carbs of EVERYTHING you eat.

You are allowed a 10 gram carb snack @ 10 am and one at 3 pm.

Drink water between meals to help you stay full.

The Answer by Deb M

There will come an Answer, though the time is unknown.
It is God’s only Answer, He will send His Own.
It is God's perfect Answer for all humanity;
He brings peace, joy and freedom, love and dignity.


Men have their own answers, but strange as it seems,
They say war is the answer for all men's sufferings.
But I know God has the Answer to hate, bloodshed and war;
For Christ is the Answer the world needs nothing more.


Soon Christ will come,
And will end this world of strife
Christ, [pause]
Our only Hope and Life

SIGNS of Jesus' Second Coming

Do not be afraid, believe in God & Jesus. John 14:1-3
Like a woman’s labor pains, the Frequency & Severity of the Signs Increase until Jesus comes. 1 Thessalonians 5:2-3; Matthew 24:7-8



INCREASING SIGNS IN THE PHYSICAL WORLD
Earthquakes/Disasters [Violent Weather?] - Matthew 24:7; Luke 21:11, 25
Famine, Strange New Diseases/Pestilence - Matthew 24:7; Luke 21:11
Signs in the Sun, Moon and heavenly bodies - Matthew 24:29; Luke 21:25

INCREASING SIGNS IN THE BUSINESS WORLD
Labor & Money Troubles - James 5:1-6
Increase in Knowledge - Daniel 12:4

INCREASING SIGNS IN THE POLITICAL WORLD
Disregard for Justice - Isaiah 59:12-14; James 5:6
Fear, Distress, Perplexity Everywhere - Luke 21:25-28
Wars & Rumors of War - Matthew 24:6, 7; Luke 21:9, 10
World Leaders/Pastors preach “Peace & Safety” –
1 Thessalonians 5:3; Jeremiah 6:14; Ezekiel 7:25

INCREASING SIGNS IN THE SOCIAL WORLD
Moral Collapse, Increase of Violence & Crime - 2 Timothy 3:1-6, 13
Love pleasure more than God - 2 Timothy 3:4
No Natural Affection - 2 Timothy 3:3
Disobedient to Parents / No Self Control - 2 Timothy 3:1-4
Evil increases, so the love of many grows indifferent - Matthew 24:12

INCREASING SIGNS IN THE RELIGIOUS WORLD
Form of godliness, but denying God - 2 Timothy 3:5
Disregard for God’s will, but doing “religious” works - Matthew 7:21-23
Ignoring/Rebellion against God’s Truth - 2 Timothy 4:3-4
False christs & prophets - Matthew 24:11, 24
Scoffing at Jesus’ Promise to Return Soon - 2 Peter 3:3-14

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.

God's Leading Statesmen

God has His agents among the leading men and women of the nation. With unanswerable arguments statesmen who fear the Lord are influenced by holy angels to oppose measures that would greatly impede the work of God. Thus a few people will hold in check a powerful current of evil.

Based on The Great Controversy, chapter 38-The Final Warning, page 610, E G White

Illustration of Jesus' Second Coming - Deb M Dream

Illustration of Jesus’ Second Coming – Deb's Dream
Being chased by killers I ran into the woods and stopped in a small clearing where a beautiful, simple, little, solid church was standing. Climbing roses, vines, and bright flowers were its adornment. I decided to enter the House of Refuge.

A very happy, pleasant man greeted me and seated me on the right hand side of the sanctuary. He used the outside aisle as the center aisle was reserved for the guest. I felt a wedding was to begin.

The man seated me next to a beautiful, young woman: long dark hair, sweet round face, big brown eyes, short. Her attitude immediately impressed me that she was a very God-fearing woman. While we sat, she quietly mentioned her son was soon expected, though she did not know when. I thought, "how nice," and told her I would like to meet him. She said I would and then I realized who her Son was! We sat in the church praying and reading our Bibles.

Suddenly there was much commotion and appalling noise. Brown-robed men, walking two abreast, came down the center aisle each carrying a book and a large, dimly lighted candle. As the men walked down the center aisle they told obscene jokes, pushed and shoved each other, and were very irreverent. Standing in front of the little church they mocked sacred things such as faith, prayer and God. The young woman was clearly upset; I, too, was upset but did not know what to do.

A voice rang out, "He is here!" The men's faces grew pale and anxious. Camera flashes filled the room as reporters huddled by the front door waiting, but no One came.

The men relaxed and continued to create even greater havoc. They said He was late and would never come, that it was all a big hoax. I wanted to speak out about their sacrilegious attitude but the young woman silently bade me not to.

Suddenly bright light illuminated the little church. We turned to see what was going on as a trumpet sounded. The woman's Son had come! The Lord was an awesome sight, majestic and inspiring! I was not frightened by Him, but felt deeply humbled.

His face! I could not take my eyes off His face! It was alight and alive with glory. His eyes burned as living flame, His skin was like polished brass, and His robe was pure white with a gold belt.

The woman and I, never taking our eyes off Him, raised to our feet to honor Him. The men looked away and shrank into oblivion.

I wished upon waking that the dream had been real, for it was very grand and wonderful.