Morning Devotions: Recent Episodes
Real Christianity Unplugged
These Daily Devotionals by inspired author Ellen G. White, speaks to many issues that affect us as children of God. She gives great encouragement to those on the path to life. Its a great way to start your day.
Christ found the kingdoms of the world corrupt. After Satan was expelled from heaven, he erected his standard of rebellion on this earth, and sought by every means to win men to his standard
The kingdom of God comes not with outward show. The gospel of the grace of God, with its spirit of self-abnegation, can never be in harmony with the spirit of the world.
As Jesus traveled through Galilee, teaching and healing, multitudes flocked to Him from the cities and villages.
“He opened his mouth, and taught them, saying, Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:2, 3).
In these words an individual work is laid out for each one of us. We are to make determined efforts to overcome as Christ overcame.
The only hope of any man lies through Jesus Christ.... The pure and holy garments are not prepared to be put on by any one after he has entered the gate of the city.
The expression, “He that overcometh,” indicates that there is something for every one of us to overcome.
When, as overcomers, we shall be “clothed in white raiment,” the Lord will acknowledge our faithfulness as verily as in the days of the early Christian church He acknowledged the “few names even in Sardis,” who had “not defiled their garments;”
“The wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” While life is the inheritance of the righteous, death is the portion of the wicked. Moses declared to Israel, “I have set before thee this day life and good, and death and evil.”
It was our Lord Himself who promised His disciples, “If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself.”
In view of the Lord's soon coming, how earnest we should be in forming characters after the divine similitude....
Every action of ours in befriending God's people will be rewarded as done unto Himself.
Among earth's inhabitants, scattered in every land, there are those who have not bowed the knee to Baal. Like the stars of heaven, which appear only at night, these faithful ones will shine forth when darkness covers the earth and gross darkness the people.
When the Lord makes up His jewels, the true, the frank, the honest, will be looked upon with pleasure.
The judgment scene will take place in the presence of all the worlds; for in this judgment the government of God will be vindicated, and His law will stand forth as “holy, and just, and good.”
esus is coming, but not as at His first advent, a babe in Bethlehem, not as He rode into Jerusalem, when the disciples praised God with a loud voice and cried, Hosannah; but in the glory of the Father, and with all the retinue of holy angels with Him, to escort Him on His way to earth.
The Life-giver will call up His purchased possession in the first resurrection, and until that triumphant hour, when the last trump shall sound and the vast army shall come forth to eternal victory, every sleeping saint will be kept in safety and will be guarded as a precious jewel, who is known to God by name.
In the power of Him who rides forth conquering and to conquer, weak, finite man may gain the victory.
No human language can portray the scenes of the second coming of the Son of Man in the clouds of heaven.... He will come clad in the robe of light, which He has worn from the days of eternity.
The Lord Jesus is making experiments on human hearts through the exhibition of His mercy and abundant grace.
All who would have their names retained in the book of life, should now, in the few remaining days of their probation, afflict their souls before God by sorrow for sin, and true repentance.
There is joy and consolation for the true-hearted, faithful Christian, that the world knows not of. To them it is a mystery. The Christian's hope is big with immortality and full of glory.
At this time, when great light is shining forth from the Word of God, making dark mysteries plain as day, is the day of mercy, of hope, of joy and assurance to all who will be benefited thereby, to all who will open their minds and hearts to the bright beams of the Sun of Righteousness....
Many who profess to be looking for the speedy coming of Christ, are becoming conformed to this world, and seek more earnestly for the applause of those around them, than the approbation of God....
“Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent.” Those who have been born again remember with what joy and gladness they received the light of heaven, and how eager they were to tell everybody of their happiness....
Our work here is soon to close, and every man will receive his reward according to his own labor.
Today Satan presents the same temptations that he presented to Christ, offering us the kingdoms of the world in return for our allegiance.
O that our hearts may be deeply impressed with the importance of living holy lives, that the world may take knowledge of us that we have been with Jesus, and have learned of Him.
The admonition to the Israel of today is, “The end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer.”
Dangers beset every path, and he who comes off conqueror will indeed have a triumphant song to sing in the city of God.
The Galatians were given up to the worship of idols, but as the apostles preached to them, they rejoiced in the message that promised freedom from the thraldom of sin. Paul and his fellow-workers proclaimed the doctrine of righteousness by faith in the atoning sacrifice of Christ.
The time is coming when it will be too late to seek God, and I have been thinking how we shall feel when probation is closed, and all our life-work ended.
Satan is now using every device in this sealing time to keep the minds of God's people from the present truth, and to cause them to waver.
In our work we meet with many discouragements. But we shall not gain a particle of strength by dwelling on the discouragements.
It would be well for us to spend a thoughtful hour each day in contemplation of the life of Christ.
It is our privilege to reach high and still higher, for clearer revealings of the character of God.
The strength of nations and of individuals is not found in the opportunities and facilities that appear to make them invincible; it is not found in their boasted greatness.
Many of the youth repine because they have not ability to do some large work, and they covet talents by which they might do some wonderful things; but while they are spending their time in vain desires, they are making a failure of life.
The end of all things is at hand. What we have done must not be allowed to place the period to our work.
As you make advances in the Christian life, you will be constantly growing up into the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. In your experience, you will be proving what is the length and breadth, the depth and height, of the love of God, which passeth knowledge.
Let the youth be taught from childhood that there is no excellence without great labor.
It is positively necessary for those who believe the truth, to be making continual advancement, growing up into the full stature of men and women in Christ Jesus.
You cannot weaken your own influence and standing more than in trying to weaken each other.
We are not always to remain children in our knowledge and experience in spiritual things.
Let us, under all circumstances, preserve our confidence in Christ. He is to be everything to us,—the first, the last, the best in everything. Then let us educate our tongues to speak forth His praise, not only when we feel gladness and joy, but at all times.
It is the duty of every child of God to store his mind with divine truth; and the more he does this, the more strength and clearness of mind he will have to fathom the deep things of God.
God fixes no limit to the advancement of those who are “filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding.”
You have within your reach more than finite possibilities. A man, as God applies the term, is a son of God.
Many of the youth ... sink under every cloud, and have no power of endurance. They do not grow in grace.... Their carnal hearts must be changed. They must see beauty in holiness; then they will pant after it as the hart panteth after the water-brooks....
Abraham's household comprised more than a thousand souls. Those who were led by his teachings to worship the true God found a home in his encampment; and here, as in a school, they received such instruction as would prepare them to be representatives of the faith
Joseph regarded his being sold into Egypt as the greatest calamity that could have befallen him; but he saw the necessity of trusting in God as he had never done when protected by his father's love.
Through the grace of Christ you will make decided endeavors to overcome all cold, rough, harsh, uncourteous ways and manners....
Exalted powers are within the reach of every one. Under God's supervision, a man may have an uncorrupted, sanctified, elevated, ennobled mind.
None are to be forward or obtrusive, but we are quietly to live out our religion, with an eye single to the glory of God....
The religion of Christ never degrades the receiver, never makes him coarse or rough or uncourteous.
We are to obey the laws of His kingdom, making ourselves all that it is possible for us to be.
You need to seek constantly the highest culture of mind and soul, that you may bring to the education and training of your children a restful spirit, a loving heart; that you may imbue them with pure aspirations, and cultivate in them a love for things honest and pure and holy
Rest yourself wholly in the hands of Jesus. Contemplate His great love, and while you meditate upon His self-denial, His infinite sacrifice made in our behalf in order that we should believe in Him, your heart will be filled with holy joy, calm peace, and indescribable love.
That which brings sickness of body and mind to nearly all is dissatisfied feelings and discontented repinings.
That God who marks the fall of a sparrow, marks your deportment and your feelings; He marks your envy, your prejudice, your attempt to justify your action in the least matter of injustice.
Jesus does not present to His followers the hope of attaining earthly glory and riches, and of having a life free from trial, but He presents to them the privilege of walking with their Master in the paths of self-denial and reproach, because the world knows them not.
Christ is “the Prince of peace,” and it is His mission to restore to earth and heaven the peace that sin has broken.
Under the Jewish economy, on the birth of children an offering was made to God, by His own appointment.
here were occasions when Christ spoke with an authority that sent His words home with irresistible force, with an overwhelming sense of the greatness of the Speaker, and the human agencies shrunk into nothingness in comparison with the One before them.
Christ longed to fill the world with a peace and joy that would be a similitude of that found in the heavenly world....
Great responsibility comes to those who have been baptized in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Strive to understand the meaning of the words, “Ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.”
The contemplation of the Word of God will make us wise unto salvation; the knowledge of this Word will insure our happiness, and our success in the perfection of Christian character.
Your self-pity is an injury to you; you sympathize with yourself, feel that you are not esteemed as you should be, that your work is altogether too hard, and your best efforts are unappreciated.
A mere profession of godliness is worthless. It is he that abideth in Christ that is a Christian.
In the intercessory prayer of Jesus with His Father, He claimed that He had fulfilled the conditions which made it obligatory upon the Father to fulfill His part of the contract made in heaven, with regard to fallen man.... He declares Himself glorified in those who believe on Him.
In these words we have a most convincing statement to prove the fact that unity, kindness, and love will exist among those who are Christians indeed.
Christ has left us a perfect, sinless example. His followers are to walk in His footsteps.
The union between Christ and His people is to be living, true, and unfailing, resembling the union that exists between the Father and the Son.
Are we confessing Christ in our daily life? Do we confess Him in our dress, adorning ourselves with plain and modest apparel?
He [Judas] ... did not become transformed, and converted into a living branch through connection with the True Vine.
Those who will walk closely in the footsteps of their self-sacrificing, self-denying Redeemer will have the mind of Christ reflected in their minds.
Those who would follow Christ, must believe in Him; they must open the heart to receive Him as an abiding guest.
We seldom find two persons exactly alike. Among human beings as well as among the things of the natural world, there is diversity.
God requires us to be faithful in the smallest details of life,—to guard our words, our spirit, and our actions. To do this, we need to acquire perfect self-control, and this will demand of us constant, ceaseless watchfulness....
The Lord has a place for the very best ability He has intrusted to men. In the work of building up His kingdom, we may employ every capacity given of God, as faithfully and earnestly as did Daniel in Babylon, when he was found faithful to every duty to man, and loyal to his God.
You are fighting for the crown of life.... Live to please Him who thought you of such value that He gave Jesus, His only begotten Son, to save you from your sins
The Lord has made every provision so that we may have a rich, abundant, joyful experience. John writes concerning Christ, saying, “In him was life; and the life was the light of men.”
“As my Father hath sent me, even so send I you.” We are to bear as definite a testimony to the truth as it is in Jesus, as did Christ and His apostles.
The Lord is willing to do great things for us. We shall not gain the victory through numbers, but through the full surrender of the soul to Jesus.
When Jesus spoke these words, He was talking to a company, many of whom knew by experience what a shepherd's life is in Palestine.
Our duty will only be discerned and appreciated when viewed in the light which shines from the life of Christ.
Are you not chosen of God to be a vessel unto honor, to convey light and truth to those who are in error and darkness?
“Ye are my witnesses, saith the Lord.” Thank God that it is our privilege to be called witnesses for God.
The Lord has given to the youth capabilities and talents with which they are to do the work of God.
We are God's servants, doing His service. Into the great web of life we are to draw no thread of selfishness; for this would spoil the pattern.
There are many to whom life is a painful struggle; they feel their deficiencies, and are miserable and unbelieving; they think they have nothing for which to be grateful.
Crime of every type is increasing in the world, and the earth is defiled under the inhabitants thereof.
So ready, so eager is the Saviour's heart to welcome us as members of the family of God, that in the very first words we are to use in approaching God, He places the assurance of our divine relationship,—“Our Father.”
True Christian benevolence springs from the principle of grateful love. Love to Christ cannot exist without corresponding love to those whom He came into the world to redeem.
As a people, we are not deficient in talent. There are men and women among us whose labors God would accept if they would offer them to Him, but there are so very few who have the spirit of sacrifice
“By their fruits ye shall know them.” The inward adorning of a meek and quiet spirit is priceless. In the life of the true Christian the outward adorning is always in harmony with the inward peace and holiness.
In every age God's chosen messengers have been reviled and persecuted; yet through their affliction, the knowledge of God has been spread abroad.
The Lord estimates as of supreme value the holiness of His people, and He permits reverses to come upon individuals, upon families, and upon churches, that His people may see their danger, and humble their hearts before Him in repentance.
We should earnestly seek to know and appreciate the truth, that we may present it to others as it is in Jesus.
The temper, the personal peculiarities, the habits from which character is developed—everything practiced in the home will reveal itself in all the associations of life.
There are two ways to deal with children,—ways that differ widely in principle and in results. Faithfulness and love, united with wisdom and firmness, in accordance with the teachings of God's Word, will bring happiness in this life and in the next.
If we have Christ abiding with us, we shall be Christians at home as well as abroad. He who is a Christian will have kind words for his relatives and associates.
God has given you life and all the rich blessings that make it enjoyable, and in return He has claims upon you for service, for gratitude, for love, for obedience to His law
Much time is lost in longing to do some great thing, some wonderful work, while the duties lying close at hand, the performance of which would make the life fragrant, are lost sight of.
In forming a relationship with Christ, the renewed man is but coming back to his appointed relationship with God
If you could only realize that the God of heaven takes those who have been rebels against His government, and says to them, You may be laborers together with Me, you would this day consecrate yourselves wholly to Him
To the last of His work Christ is a sin-pardoner. At deepest midnight, as the Star of Bethlehem was about to sink into oblivion, lo there shines amid the moral darkness with distinct brightness the faith of a dying sinner as he lays hold upon a dying Saviour.
There can be only two classes.... And all who place themselves on the side of the disloyal are standing under Satan's black banner, and are charged with rejecting and despitefully using Christ.
How precious is the knowledge that we have a faithful Friend, One who will impart to us a noble, elevated character, which will fit us for the companionship of the heavenly angels in the courts above!
Christ was crucified for fallen man. But to many who call themselves Christians this event is nothing.
It is the power of the cross alone that can separate man from the strong confederacy of sin.
What a terrible record the human race will have to meet in the last day, since the vast majority of men have refused the priceless offering,—rejected the richest gift that God could bestow upon the world.
After the crucifixion of Christ, the priests and rulers did not feel the sense of victory which they had expected.
Christ is our pattern, and those who follow Christ will not walk in darkness; for they will not seek their own pleasure.
The rich man is not to glory in his riches. If we fix our affections on worldly things, we fail to exalt Christ.
Men are not to rejoice in their wisdom, their strength, or their riches, but in the fact that they have a knowledge of Christ. This knowledge is the most excellent, the most precious, that we can possess.
The cross of Christ,—how many believe it to be what it is? How many bring it into their studies, and know its true significance?
Our Saviour came to this world to endure in human nature all the temptations wherewith man is beset.
The cross is invested with a power that language cannot express. Christ's sacrifice in behalf of the human race puts to shame our meager efforts and methods to meet and uplift humanity, to help sinful men and women to find Jesus.
Christ was nailed to the cross between the third and sixth hour, that is between nine and twelve o’ clock. In the afternoon He died.
Christ has made reconciliation for sin, and has borne all its ignominy, reproach, and punishment; and yet while bearing sin, He has brought in everlasting righteousness, so that the believer is spotless before God....
Thank God that He who spilled His blood for us, lives to plead it, lives to make intercession for every soul who receives Him. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
Some speak of the Jewish age as a Christless period, without mercy or grace. To such are applicable the words of Christ to the Sadducees, “Ye know not the Scriptures, neither the power of God.”
Every soul is precious, because it has been purchased by the precious blood of Jesus Christ.
Christ should be uplifted by those whom He has redeemed by dying on the cross a death of shame.
The Lord Jesus had protected the children of Israel from the venomous serpents in the wilderness, but this part of their history they did not know. Angels from heaven had accompanied them, and in the pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night Christ had been their protection through all their journeying.
Never before was there such a general knowledge of Jesus as when He hung upon the cross.
The spotless Son of God hung upon the cross, His flesh lacerated with stripes; those hands so often reached out in blessing, nailed to the wooden bars; those feet so tireless on ministries of love, spiked to the tree; that royal head pierced by the crown of thorns; those quivering lips shaped to the cry of woe.
In order to fight successfully, a soldier must have courage and strength. Of ourselves, we are weak and feeble. But we have the promise, “They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength.”
We must do our work with cheerfulness and hopefulness. We are in no case to become discouraged. Let us keep our eyes off the disagreeable parts of our experience, and let our words be full of good cheer.
Great is the work of the Lord. Men are choosing sides. Even those supposed to be heathen will choose the side of Christ, while those who become offended, as did the disciples, will go away and walk no more with Him....
Perplexities will increase; but let us, as believers in God, encourage one another. Let us not lower the standard, but keep it lifted high, looking to Him who is the Author and the Finisher of our faith.
The history of Achan teaches the solemn lesson that for one man's sin the displeasure of God will rest upon a people or a nation till the transgression is searched out and punished.
God has men in reserve, prepared to meet the demand, that His work may be preserved from all contaminating influences.
In the family circle and in the church we should place Christian temperance on an elevated platform.
The ungodly are those who do not love and obey the commandments of God, but go contrary to them.
Some men have no firmness of character. They are like a ball of putty and can be pressed into any conceivable shape.... This weakness, indecision, and inefficiency must be overcome.
In the absence of Moses, the judicial authority had been delegated to Aaron, and a vast crowd gathered about his tent, with the demand, “Make us gods, which shall go before us....”
In Jonathan, the son of Saul, the Lord saw a man of pure integrity,—one to whom He could draw nigh, and upon whose heart He could move....
The third angel is flying in the midst of heaven, heralding the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.
Abraham, ... in obedience to the divine command, ... pursues his journey with Isaac by his side.
These words of approval and instruction are addressed to every young man who has put on the whole armor of righteousness.
Christian life is more than many take it to be. It does not consist wholly in gentleness, patience, meekness, and kindliness.
Our Lord is cognizant of the conflict of His people in these last days with the satanic agencies combined with evil men who neglect and refuse their great salvation.
And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.” The very atmosphere is polluted with sin.
“Walk in the light.” To walk in the light means to resolve, to exercise thought, to exert will-power, in an earnest endeavor to represent Christ in sweetness of character. It means to put away all gloom.
“And ... he appointed singers unto the Lord, and that should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army.”
Christ has given us no assurance that to attain to perfection of character is an easy matter. It is a conflict, a battle and a march, day by day. It is through much tribulation that we enter the kingdom of heaven.
Only the sense of God's presence can banish the fear that, for the timid child, would make life a burden. Let him fix in his memory the promise, “The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them.”
It requires moral courage to take a position to keep the commandments of the Lord. An opposer of the truth once said that it was only weak-minded people ... who would turn away from the churches to keep the seventh day as the Sabbath.
God calls for men,—for those who in His sight will be true. Reforms must be brought about in the churches.
This is an important statement; for there are many who desire to love and serve God, and yet when afflictions comes upon them, they do not discern the love of God in it, but the hand of the enemy.
If from the beginning we had walked in the counsel of God, thousands more would have been converted to the present truth.
The Lord desires you to be of good courage. Brace up.... Satan is working on every hand to destroy faith, and to make people unhappy.
This Holy Book has withstood the assaults of Satan, who has united with evil men to make everything of divine character shrouded in clouds and darkness.
The confession of which John here speaks, is not the result of a nominal faith, but is the result of an abiding faith in the living Saviour,
Our petitions to God should not proceed from hearts that are filled with selfish aspirations.
Few temptations are more dangerous or more fatal to young men than the temptation to sensuality and none if yielded to will prove so decidedly ruinous to soul and body for time and eternity.
By your choice words and a consistent course of action, by your propriety, your earnest piety, make a telling confession of your faith, determined that Christ shall occupy the throne in the soul temple; and lay your talents without reserve at His feet to be employed in His service...
In all business transactions, we are to let the light shine decidedly. There is to be no sharp practice. Everything is to be done with the strictest integrity. Better consent to lose something financially than to gain a few shillings by sharp practice.
If Adam and Eve had never touched the forbidden tree, the Lord would have imparted to them knowledge,—knowledge upon which rested no curse of sin, knowledge that would have brought them everlasting joy.
The Lord Jesus came to our world full of mercy, life, and light, ready to save those who should come unto Him. But He can save no one against his will. God does not force the conscience;
Whatever of ours God claims from us, He returns again, enriched, transfigured, with His own glory....
Where the heart is purified and refined, and made fit for the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, the tongue will be sanctified to the glory of God....
Let there be singing in the home, of songs that are sweet and pure, and there will be fewer words of censure, and more of cheerfulness and hope and joy.... As a part of religious service, singing is as much an act of worship as is prayer. Indeed, many a song is prayer.
We made it a practice to read instructive and interesting books, with the Bible, in the family circle, and our children were always happy as we thus entertained them.
The enemy of righteousness has every kind of pleasure prepared for youth in all conditions of life; and they are not presented alone in crowded cities, but in every spot inhabited by human beings.
The Lord requires that every human agent shall do his best; and those that do their best will have the greatest personal satisfaction, and will bring the greatest satisfaction to those who have an interest in them.
Had He [Christ] chosen to do so, He could have passed His days in a world of His own creating, in ease and plenty, and claimed for Himself all the pleasures and enjoyment the world could give Him
The youth should stand in a position where their hearts may be wholly the Lord's; where they are honoring God with their strength. God will then honor them by giving them knowledge and wisdom.
In order to be acceptable in God's sight, the leaders of the people were to give strict heed to the sanitary condition of the armies of Israel, even when they went forth to battle.
The mind does not wear out nor break down so often on account of diligent employment and hard study, as on account of eating improper food at improper times, and of careless inattention to the laws of health.
From out-of-door life, men, women and children will gain the desire to be pure and guileless.
A faithful fulfillment of home duties, filling the position you can occupy to the best advantage, be it ever so simple and humble, is truly elevating.
A home where love dwells and where it finds expression in looks, in words, in acts, is a place where angels delight to dwell....
Disappointments you will have, but ever bear in mind that Jesus, the living, risen Saviour, is your Redeemer, your Restorer. He loves you, and it is better to share His love than to sit with princes and be separated from Him....
Sympathy is good, wisely given, but it must be judiciously imparted, with a knowledge that the subject is deserving sympathy. What shall be said of receiving advice and counsel? Proverbs 25:9-12.
The Lord has not changed.... He is true, merciful, compassionate, faithful in the performance of His Word, both in promises and threatenings.
It is not safe for the professed follower of Christ to associate with the careless and reckless; for it is an easy matter to come to view things as they do, and to lose all sense of what it means to be a follower of Jesus
God's Word places great stress upon the influence of association, even upon men and women. How much greater is its power on the developing mind and character of children and youth.
From the earliest years it is necessary to weave into the character principles of stern integrity, that the youth may reach the highest standard of manhood and womanhood....
Things will go wrong with every one; sadness and discouragement press every soul; then a personal presence, a friend who will comfort and impart strength, will turn back the darts of the enemy that are aimed to destroy.
When Joshua went forth in the morning before the taking of Jericho, there appeared before him a warrior fully equipped for battle. And Joshua asked, “Art thou for us, or for our adversaries?” and He answered, “As Captain of the host of the Lord am I now come.”
Christ was standing at the point of transition between two economies and their two great festivals.... As He ate the Passover with His disciples, He instituted in its place the service that was to be the memorial of His great sacrifice.
When the disciples entered the supper room, their hearts were full of resentful feelings. Judas pressed next to Christ on the left side; John was on the right.
Satan made stronger attacks upon Christ than he will ever make upon us. There was much at stake with him, whether Christ or himself should be conqueror.
God expects us to build characters in accordance with the Pattern set before us. We are to lay brick upon brick, adding grace to grace, finding our weak points and correcting them in accordance with the directions given.
Our Saviour took up the true relationship of a human being as the Son of God. We are sons and daughters of God. In order to know how to behave ourselves circumspectly, we must follow where Christ leads the way.
Christ is our example. He placed Himself at the head of the human family to accomplish a work the importance of which men do not comprehend because they do not realize the privileges and possibilities before them as members of the human family of God
Under the Jewish economy, on the birth of children an offering was made to God, by His own appointment.
Christ wrought miracle after miracle when He was on this earth. In this work He showed what God can do for afflicted bodies and souls.... He was constantly ministering to others, improving every opportunity offered Him.
Jesus expects much of the youthful soldiers of His army, and let it be your determination that you will not disappoint your Captain and Leader. You are to wear His armor, to be marshaled under His banner, and become co-laborers with Him in conquering His enemies and extending His kingdom
Jesus lived in a peasant's home, and faithfully and cheerfully acted His part in bearing the burdens of the household.... Jesus carried into His labor cheerfulness and tact.
Let me point you to the life of Christ, to His compassion, His humility and love, His inexpressible tenderness. You are to copy His example.
You are to follow God as dear children, to be obedient to all His requirements, walking in love as Christ also hath loved us.... Love was the element in which Christ moved and walked and worked. He came to embrace the world in the arms of His love.
Today in the religious world there are multitudes who, as they believe, are working for the establishment of the kingdom of Christ as an earthly and temporal dominion.
What a support Christ would have found in His earthly relatives if they had believed in Him as one from heaven, and had co-operated with Him in doing the work of God! Their unbelief cast a shadow over the earthly life of Jesus.
How often we feel that we have been dealt with unjustly, that things have been said concerning us that were untrue, and that we have been set in a false light before others. When we are thus tried, we shall need to keep strict guard over our spirit and our words.
In this age we are pained to see that children and youth look upon themselves as too far advanced to submit themselves to the control of their parents.... They seem to imagine that to yield to parental authority would be an evidence of weakness, a sacrifice of their rightful independence.
One class have come up without self-control; they have not bridled the temper or the tongue; and some of these claim to be Christ's followers, but they are not. Jesus has set them no such example....
The great trial of Christ in the wilderness on the point of appetite was to leave man an example of self-denial. This long fast was to convict men of the sinfulness of things in which professed Christians indulge.
The physical constitution of Jesus, as well as His spiritual development, is brought before us in these words, “The child grew,” and “increased in stature.” In childhood and youth attention should be given to physical development.
In all the gracious deeds that Jesus did, He sought to impress upon men the parental, benevolent attributes of God. In all His lessons He was seeking to teach men the wonderful truth that “God so loved the world,
It was morning; the sun had just risen above the Mount of Olives, and its rays fell with dazzling brightness on the marble palaces, and lighted up the gold of the temple walls, when Jesus, pointing to it, said, “I am the light of the world.”
Christ was a representative before men and before angels, of the character of the God of heaven. He demonstrated the fact that when humanity depends wholly upon God, men may keep God's commandments and live, and His law be as the apple of the eye.
The strength of Christ was in prayer.... Christ retired to the groves or mountains with the world and everything else shut out.
The childhood and youth of Christ were spent in humble circumstances, under conditions that were favorable to the development of a sound constitution. His life was passed mostly in the open air.
After Joseph and Mary had searched for Him [Christ] for three days, they found Him in the court of the temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them, and asking them questions.
Jesus was our example in all things that pertain to life and godliness. He was baptized in Jordan, just as those who come to Him must be baptized.
It was the simplicity of the life of Christ, and His freedom from pride and vanity, that gave Him favor with God and man. He did not seek to attract attention for distinction.
The life of Christ demonstrates to all youth that a life of industry and obedience is favorable to the formation of good moral character, firm principles, strength of purpose, sound knowledge, and high spiritual attainments.
If you are seeking to reflect the life and character of Christ, you will be true and obedient to your parents. You will show your love for them by your willing obedience
Jesus claimed His sonship to the Eternal.... His first visit to the temple had awakened new impulses. All earthly obligations were, for the time, lost sight of; but with the knowledge of His divine mission, and of His union with God, He did not resist the authority of His parents.
Jesus is the perfect pattern, and it is the duty and privilege of every child and youth to copy the pattern.
Because of the deception practiced to secure his father's blessing, intended for Esau, Jacob had fled for his life, alarmed by his brother's deadly threats.
It is only when the sinner feels the need of a Saviour, that his heart goes after the One who can help him. When Jesus walked among men, it was the sick that wanted a physician.
He [Christ] came ... to elevate and ennoble our mental powers, so that our efforts in this life might not be misdirected and lost.
When enlightened by the Spirit of God, the believer beholds the perfection of Jesus, and beholding this perfection, he rejoices with joy unspeakable. In self he sees sin and helplessness; in the Redeemer sinlessness and infinite power.
Christ sought to save the world, not by conformity to it, but by revealing to the world the transforming power of the grace of God to mold and fashion the human character after the likeness of the character of Christ.
Thanksgiving and praise should be expressed to God for temporal blessings and for whatever comforts He bestows upon us.
Blessed is the soul who can say, “I am guilty before God: but Jesus is my Advocate. I have transgressed His law. I cannot save myself; but I make the precious blood that was shed on Calvary all my plea.
If you have given yourself to God, to do His work, you have no need to be anxious for tomorrow.
Let every youth consider the parable of the ten virgins. All had lamps, that is, an outward semblance of religion; but only five of them had the inward piety. Five of them were wanting in the oil of grace.
There are some young men and women who have no method in doing their work. Though they are always busy, they can present but little results.
We are heaven-bound, and we should show the attractive part of our faith. We should not go as a crippled band of mourners, groaning and complaining all along the journey to our Father's house.
Let no one say, “I cannot overcome my defects of character”; for if this is your decision, then you cannot have eternal life. The impossibility is all in your will. If you will not, that constitutes the cannot.
There are young men and young women who are very much opposed to order and discipline.... They pay no heed to rules for rising and retiring at regular hours, but burn the midnight oil, and then lie in bed in the morning....
Habits, often repeated, make character. Children who allow themselves to speak rudely to one another, and to be impolite at home, are forming habits that will cling to them in after life, and that will be most difficult to overcome.
God is clothed with power; He is able to take those who are dead in trespasses and sins, and by the operation of the Spirit which raised Jesus from the dead, transform the human character, bringing back to the soul the lost image of God.
The very first step in the path of life is to keep the mind stayed on God, to have His fear continually before the eyes. A single departure from moral integrity blunts the conscience, and opens the door to the next temptation.
God encourages us to contemplate His works in the natural world. He desires that we shall turn our minds from the study of the artificial to the natural. We shall understand this better as we lift up our eyes to the hills of God, and contemplate the works which His own hands have created.
Christians should ... cultivate a love for meditation, and cherish a spirit of devotion. Many seem to begrudge moments spent in meditation, and the searching of the Scriptures, and prayer, as though the time thus occupied was lost.
There are many who are easily amused with story books. The mind is filled with a cheap kind of food for meditation, so that it becomes powerless to search and comprehend the very things which concern eternal interests.
The Lord purifies the heart very much as we air a room. We do not close the doors and windows, and throw in some purifying substance; but we open the doors and throw wide the windows, and let heaven's purifying atmosphere flow in
Put your highest power into your effort. Call to your aid the most powerful motives. You are learning. Endeavor to go to the bottom of everything you set your hand to. Never aim lower than to become competent in the matters which occupy you.
Will men and women consider how God regards the creatures He has made? He formed man's mind. We do not think one noble thought that does not come from Him. He knows all the mysterious workings of the human mind; for did He not make it?
When we receive Christ as an abiding guest in the soul, the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, will keep our hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. The Saviour's life on earth, though lived in the midst of conflict, was a life of peace.
The wisdom that is from above is “first pure.” Into the city of God there will enter nothing that defiles. All who are to be dwellers there, will here have become pure in heart.
rue sanctification unites believers to Christ and to one another in bonds of tender sympathy. This union causes to flow continually into the heart rich currents of Christlike love, which flows forth again in love for one another.
Jesus says, “Love one another as I have loved you.” Love is not simply an impulse, a transitory emotion, dependent upon circumstances; it is a living principle, a permanent power.
The youth especially stumble over this phrase, “A new heart.” They do not know what it means. They look for a special change to take place in their feelings. This they term conversion.
Diligent heart-keeping is essential to a healthy growth in grace. The heart in its natural state is a habitation for unholy thoughts and sinful passions. When brought into subjection to Christ, it must be cleansed by the Spirit from all defilement.
Give to God the most precious offering that it is possible for you to make; give Him your heart. He speaks to you saying, “My son, My daughter, give Me thine heart. Though your sins be as scarlet, I will make them white as snow; for I will cleanse you with My own blood.
A man may refuse to hear the counsels and admonitions of God. He may choose to take the regulating of his conduct into his own hands.... Like Moab, he refuses to be changed....
In the military schools of Egypt, Moses was taught the law of force, and so strong a hold did this teaching have upon his character that it required forty years ... to fit him for leadership of Israel by the law of love. The same lesson Paul had to learn.
Unselfishness, the principle of God's kingdom, is the principle that Satan hates; its very existence he denies. From the beginning of the great controversy he has endeavored to prove God's principles of action to be selfish, and he deals in the same way with all who serve God.
For the honor of God and the deliverance of His downtrodden people, Moses sacrificed the honors of Egypt. Then, in a special sense, God undertook his training.... He had yet to learn the lesson of dependence upon divine power.
The prophet Elijah was about to close his earthly labors. Another was to be called to carry forward the work for that time. In his course of travel, Elijah was directed northward....
Christ's two days’ delay after hearing that Lazarus was sick was not a neglect or a denial on His part.... This should be an encouragement to us.... We are to rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him.
The reason so many of Christ's professed disciples fall into grievous temptation is that they have not a correct knowledge of themselves. Here is where Peter was so thoroughly sifted by the enemy.
The religion of Jesus Christ means progress; it means to be ever reaching upward to a holier and higher standard. The Christian whose heart has been touched with the beauty of the Saviour's character, is to put into practice that which he learns in the school of Christ.
All have daily lessons to learn in the school of Christ, and a daily experience to gain, that they may understand their duty as His children.
The lives of some are without peace or gladness because they never get out of the range of self. They are ever reaching out for sympathy from others.
It is right for the youth to feel that they must reach the highest development of their mental powers. We would not restrict the education to which God has set no limit. But our attainments avail nothing if not put to use for the honor of God and the good of humanity....
He who will observe simplicity in all his habits, restricting the appetite and controlling the passions, may preserve his mental powers strong, active, and vigorous, quick to perceive everything which demands thought or action, keen to discriminate between the holy and the unholy, and ready to engage in every enterprise for the glory of God and the benefit of humanity.
He who deservedly bears the name of Christian, which signifies Christlike, will be filled with piety and purity, with love and reverence for God and Jesus Christ whom He hath sent; and his spirit, his words, his actions, will all bear the impress of Heaven.
Strength of character consists of two things—power of will and power of self-control. Many youth mistake strong, uncontrolled passion for strength of character; but the truth is that he who is mastered by his passions is a weak man.
Look to Jesus as your guide and pattern.... Study how you can be like Him, in thoughtfulness for others, in meekness and humility.
You will have to learn the important lesson of what it is to be a man in the sight of God. It is to be like Jesus, meek and lowly of heart, to guard the interests of others more sacredly than you would your own...
You are safe only as, in perfect submission and obedience, you connect yourselves with Christ.
No member of the family can inclose himself within himself.... If he is filled with the love of Christ, he will manifest courtesy, kindness, tender regard for the feelings of others, and will communicate to his associates, by his acts of love, a tender, grateful, happy feeling
Satan still comes with his temptations to the children of men. He employs every means at his command to conceal himself from view, and this is why so many are ignorant of his devices.
It is in youth that the affections are most ardent, the memory most retentive, and the heart most susceptible to divine impressions; and it is during youth that the mental and physical powers should be set to the task in order that great improvements may be made in view of the world that now is, and that which is to come.
The first lesson to be taught ... is the lesson of dependence upon God.... As a flower of the field has its root in the soil; as it must receive air, dew, showers, and sunshine, so must we receive from God that which ministers to the life of the soul.
If you are willing to learn meekness and lowliness of heart in Christ's school, He will surely give you rest and peace. It is a terribly hard struggle to give up your own will and your own way. But this lesson learned, you will find rest and peace.
Natural science is God's storehouse from which every student in the school of Christ may draw. The ways of God in natural philosophy, and the mysteries connected with His dealings with man, are a treasury from which all may draw.
While the Lord has not promised His people exemption from trials, He has promised that which is far better. He has said, “As thy days, so shall thy strength be.” ...
Flattery is an art by which Satan lieth in wait to deceive and to puff up the human agent with high thoughts of himself....
We are to be witnesses for Christ; and this we shall be when we grow up daily into the full stature of men and women in Christ. It is our privilege to grow more and more like Him every day.
When you present your petitions to the Lord, it should be in humility, without boasting of superior attainments, but with real soul hunger for the blessing of God. Christ always knows what is cherished in the heart.
The mind is the best possession we have; but it must be trained by study, by reflection, by learning in the school of Christ, the best and truest educator the world has ever known.
It is today that the sweet voice of mercy is falling upon your ears. It is today that the heavenly invitation comes to you. It is today that in Heaven everything says, Come
The ninth commandment requires of us an inviolable regard for exact truth in every declaration by which the character of our fellow men may be affected.
Both public and private sins are included in this prohibition. The eighth commandment condemns man-stealing and slave-dealing, and forbids wars of conquest. It condemns theft and robbery. It demands strict integrity in the minutest details of the affairs of life.
This commandment forbids not only acts of impurity, but sensual thoughts and desires, or any practice that tends to excite them. Purity is demanded not only in the outward life, but in the secret intents and emotions of the heart.
All acts of injustice that tend to shorten life; the spirit of hatred and revenge, or the indulgence of any passion that leads to injurious acts toward others, or causes us even to wish them harm (for “whoso hateth his brother is a murderer”);
Those who would truly follow Christ must let Him abide in the heart, and enthrone Him there as supreme. They must represent His spirit and character in their home life, and show courtesy and kindness to those with whom they come in contact.
God said, “The seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God.” He placed His sanctity upon this day and blessed it and hallowed it as a day of rest.... It is the only commandment in the whole Decalogue that tells who God is. It places God in distinction with every other god.
The reason for this command is given: we are not to swear “by the heaven, for it is the throne of God; nor by the earth, for it is the footstool of his feet; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, for thou canst not make one hair white or black.” All things come of God.
Our Creator demands our supreme devotion, our first allegiance. Anything which tends to abate our love for God, or to interfere with the service due Him, becomes thereby an idol.
The ten commandments, Thou shalt, and Thou shalt not, are ten promises assured to us if we render obedience to the law governing the universe
God chose Israel as the depositary of priceless treasure of truth for all nations, and He gave them His law as the standard of the character they were to develop before the world, before angels, and before the unfallen worlds....
In these days of peril shall we show less devotion to the truth of God, and less fervent attachment to His law, than in former years? The very condition of things exists which Christ declared would be, prior to His second coming in power and glory.
The ten holy precepts spoken by Christ upon Sinai's mount were the revelation of the character of God, and made known to the world the fact that He had jurisdiction over the whole human heritage.
The talent of speech was given to be used for the benefit of all. Pleasant, cheery words cost no more than unpleasant, moody words. Sharp words wound and bruise the soul.
The psalmist asks, “Lord, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? who shall dwell in thy holy hill? He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart. He that backbiteth not with his tongue, nor doeth evil to his neighbour, nor taketh up a reproach against his neighbour.
A man's character may be quite accurately estimated by the nature of his conversation.... Those who jest and joke and indulge in cheap conversation place themselves upon a level where Satan can gain access to them.
God has given every youth the talent of speech to be improved for Him. This is a most important trust.... Let your words be life-giving, pointing those around you to the Saviour.
The knowledge of the truth is altogether too precious to be hoarded up, and bound about, and hid in the earth. Even the one talent entrusted by the Master is to be faithfully employed
God has not given talents to merely a chosen few, but to everyone He has committed some peculiar gift to be used in His service.
It is too true that the great mass who possess ability and talent do not choose to travel the Christian road. Are their talent and ability too precious to devote to the Giver, the Lord of heaven and earth?
Genuine self-denial will be practiced by all who follow Christ. Judas undertook to follow Christ, and at the same time to carry out his selfish, covetous plans. He had the same privileges as had the other disciples.
The Lord would not have any one of us be presumptuous, care not for health, and make no provision whatever for a sustenance; but when He sees the world taking all the thoughts and absorbing all the affections, He sees that eternal realities are lost sight of. He would correct this evil, which is the work of Satan.
The lessons of Christ are of that character to show the relative importance of heaven and earth. He presents before the mind's eye that the claims of heaven are first in importance.
The enemy seeks in many ways to draw our minds from the study of the Word. Many he leads to seek for satisfaction in amusements and pleasures that seem desirable to the carnal heart.
It is an alarming fact that the love of the world predominates in the minds of the young. They decidedly love the world and the things that are in the world, and for this very reason the love of God finds no room in their hearts.
The work of God is in need of youthful ardor, zeal, and courage. Mental and physical vigor are essential for the advancement of the cause of God. To plan with clear mind and execute with courageous hand demand fresh and uncrippled energies.
This reproof of Christ comes to many Marthas in our time. They lose much spiritual and divine knowledge that would make them wise unto salvation, through their bustling activity to do so much in temporal things, to shower favors upon those whom they love.
We must beware that we do not become overburdened even with what seem the necessary cares of life, so that we are unable to do the most essential work.... The largest share of the thoughts and the busy activities that engage hands and hearts, are given to selfish, personal, earthly interests.
Always stand up for Christ. In word, in spirit, in action, be His witness. He loves you, and He wants to impart to you His rich grace, that you may impart this to others.... Christ has purchased you with His own blood.
Enoch's life and character, which were so holy that he was translated to heaven without seeing death, represent what the lives and characters of all must be, if, like Enoch, they are to be translated when Christ shall come.
Light and truth are within the reach of all, ... but if they do not set their minds to searching God's Word, Satan will find chaff to fill their minds, leaving no room for the growth of the precious seed of truth.... We are surrounded with temptations so disguised that they allure while they taint and corrupt the soul.
Age after age the curiosity of men has led them to seek for the tree of knowledge; and often they think they are plucking fruit most essential, when, like Solomon in his research, they find it altogether vanity and nothingness in comparison with the science of true holiness.
Many do not earnestly seek to understand the lessons found in God's Word. They lay aside the Bible, and allow their minds to become engrossed with the cheap reading found in books of fiction, newspapers, and magazines.
Everyone who names the name of Christ is to adorn the doctrine of Christ our Saviour by a well-ordered life and a godly conversation, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit.... Possessing this, you will have favor both with God and with men.
Lovers of fashion may claim to be followers of Christ, but their dress and conversation show what occupies the mind and engages the affections. The outside appearance is an index to the heart.
Pride of dress is not a small matter, but a serious evil. It causes time, thought, and money to be spent in the decoration of the body, while the culture of the heavenly graces is neglected.
The children of Israel ... were commanded to have a simple ribbon of blue in the border of their garments, to distinguish them from the nations around them, and to signify that they were God's peculiar people. [See Numbers 15:39, 40.]
Whatever detracts from physical vigor weakens mental effort. Hence, every practice unfavorable to the health of the body should be resolutely shunned...
Inspiration has recorded the history of Daniel and his companions as a shining example for the youth of all succeeding ages.... Those who would preserve their powers unimpaired for the service of God must observe strict temperance in the use of all His bounties, as well as total abstinence from every injurious or debasing indulgence.
With an eye single to the glory of God, we should give careful, thoughtful attention to the matter of our eating and drinking. We need divine guidance, even in our commonest habits of everyday life, that there may be no little leaks which will consume means unnecessarily, simply for the gratification of perverted appetites.
The light God has given on health reform is for our salvation and the salvation of the world. Men and women should be informed in regard to the human habitation, fitted up by our Creator as His dwelling place, and over which He desires us to be faithful stewards....
Perfection of character cannot be attained when the laws of nature are disregarded; for this is transgression of the law of God. His law is written by His own finger upon every nerve, every muscle, every fiber of our being, upon every faculty which has been entrusted to man.
That perfection of character which the Lord requires is the fitting up of the whole being as a temple for the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. God will accept of nothing less than the service of the entire human organism.
Jesus has given to childhood and youth a perfect example. Study the Pattern, Christ Jesus, and copy it if you would be like Him—pure, holy, sinless, and undefiled. Study the childhood of Christ. He was the Son of God, yet the Bible record tells us He returned from Jerusalem and was subject unto His parents....
By their neglect to exercise proper restraint, many parents are creating great unhappiness for their children. The youth who are left to constantly seek for pleasure in amusement or selfish gratification are not happy, and never can be happy while following this course.
Men have taught that God's law has been done away. Were this the case we would have no standard of character, and would have nothing to show us God's righteous claims. We should be adrift upon an ocean of uncertainty, and have no guide in dealing with the solemn responsibilities of the family relation.
The period of childhood and youth—how much is bound up in these years of probation! God desires that you shall improve this time, dear youth, by obtaining a fitness for the work. If you need an education, set yourselves to work with a determination to get one.
A healthy, growing Christian will not be a passive recipient among his fellows. He must give as well as receive. Our graces are increased by exercise. Christian society will furnish us with pure air to breathe, and in breathing it we must be active.
We should have the love of Christ in the heart to such a degree that our interest in others will be impartial and sincere. Our affections should take a wide range, and not center simply upon a few who flatter us by special confidences
The true Christian will not choose the company of the unconverted. If Christ is formed within, the hope of glory, we cannot enjoy the malarious spiritual atmosphere which surrounds the souls of the irreligious...
The pure truth, which sanctifies the soul, will give you courage to cut yourself loose from the most pleasing acquaintance whom you know does not love and fear God, and knows nothing of the principles of true righteousness.
Your associates may not be expected to be free from imperfections or sin. But in choosing your friends, you should place your standard as high as possible. The tone of your morals is estimated by the associates you choose. You should avoid contracting an intimate friendship with those whose example you would not choose to imitate....
In order to have a healthy body, the blood circulating through the veins must be pure; in order to be pure it must have pure air and pure food. The use of improper food and the inhalation of impure air cause disease, which appears in various forms.
The great Master Artist calls our attention to the soulless flowers of the field, pointing out the beautiful tints and the wonderful variety of shades one flower may possess. Thus God has revealed His skill and care. Thus He would show the great love He has for every human being.
Our heavenly Father has furnished us with tokens of His greatness and His majesty. Especially is this so in a wonderful degree in these mountainous regions
The great Architect has formed and fashioned the scenes of nature that they may have an important bearing upon man's intellectual and moral character. These are to be God's school to educate the mind and morals.
We have looked upon the lofty, terraced mountains in their majestic beauty, with their rocky battlements resembling grand old castles. These mountains speak to us of the desolating wrath of God in vindication of His broken law; for they were heaved up by the stormy convulsions of the flood.
There is beauty in the valley's awful grandeur, in the solemn, massive, cleft rocks; there is majesty in the towering mountains that look as if they touched the heavens. There are the lofty trees with their delicately formed leaves; the spires of grass, the opening bud and blossoming flower, the forest trees, and every living thing. They all point the mind to the great and living God.
The Word of God not only sets forth the great principles of truth and duty which should govern our lives, but it presents also, for our encouragement, the history of many who have exemplified these principles.... Except the one perfect Pattern, there is not described in the Sacred Pages a single character more worthy of emulation than that of the prophet Daniel.
As long as Satan has power to work upon human minds that are not barricaded with the Holy Spirit, there will be stern and earnest conflict between good and evil, and evil will be manifested, even among those who claim to be the children of God....
I have a continual longing for Christ to be formed within, the hope of glory. I long to be beautified every day with the meekness and gentleness of Christ, growing in grace and in the knowledge of Jesus Christ up to the full stature of men and women in Christ Jesus.
In this world we might become hopelessly perplexed, as the devil wants us to be, if we keep looking upon those things that are perplexing; for by dwelling upon them, and talking of them, we become discouraged. In criticizing others because they fail to manifest love, we shall kill the precious plant of love in our own hearts.
I see a providence in all of God's works.... The clouds and rain, as well as the bright sunshine, have their mission in blessings to man. The God of nature knows just what we need and He moves forward in a straight line, sending blessings upon the just and upon the unjust.
Few realize the power of habit. Inspiration asks, “Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots?” and adds, “then may ye also do good that are accustomed to do evil.” Jeremiah 13:23. This is a solemn assertion.... But there is comfort and courage in the reflection that if evil habits acquire such force that it seems almost impossible to turn in the right direction, the power of good habits is equally strong.
Make straight paths for your feet,” says the apostle, “lest that which is lame be turned out of the way.” Hebrews 12:13. The path that leads away from God, away from His holy, perfect standard of right, is always crooked and dangerous. Yet ... many have been walking in this path of transgression.
Pure religion brings peace, happiness, contentment; godliness is profitable to this life and the life to come.
Whatever we are at heart will be revealed in character, and will have an influence on all those with whom we associate. Our words, our actions, are a savor of life unto life or of death unto death.
Many have a vivid, unsanctified sensitiveness which keeps them constantly on the alert for some word, some look, or some action which they can construe as a lack of respect and appreciation. All this must be overcome.
We are in this world to meet with persons of varied minds and different temperaments, and you must consider that they do not differ with you any more than you differ with them.... We are to cultivate forbearance, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, and love and be bound together by the ties of human brotherhood.
Kind words, pleasant looks, a cheerful countenance, throw a charm around the Christian that makes his influence almost irresistible. This is a way to gain respect, and extend the sphere of usefulness, which costs but little. I
We must learn to place the best possible construction upon doubtful conduct of others.... If we are ever suspecting evil we are in danger of creating what we allow ourselves to suspect.... We cannot pass along without sometimes having our feelings hurt and our temper tried, but as Christians we must be just as patient, forbearing, humble, and meek as we desire others to be.
In dealing with our fellow men we all are to consider that they are of like passions with ourselves, feeling the same weaknesses and suffering the same temptations. They, with us, have a struggle with life if they maintain their integrity.... True Christian courtesy unites and perfects both justice and politeness, and mercy and love make up the filling, giving the finest touches and most graceful charms to the character....
When one once gives place to an angry spirit he is just as much intoxicated as the man who has put the glass to his lips
Envy and jealousy are diseases which disorder all the faculties of the being. They originated with Satan in paradise.... Those who listen to his [Satan's] voice will demerit others, and will misrepresent and falsify in order to build up themselves.
Our bodies are built up from what we eat and drink; and the character of our spiritual experience depends on what our minds feed upon and assimilate. By continually dwelling upon the mistakes and defects of others, many become religious dyspeptics.... Those who are so busy in dissecting the words and acts of others, to discover all that is objectionable, fail to discern the good and pleasant things. They do not eat of the proper food to promote spiritual vitality and healthy growth.
Oh, how hard many make the Christian life! They climb the steep, briary path, staggering under imposed burdens, as though they must tinker up the characters of others.... They do not experience the sweet peace of Christ. They do not grasp the help Jesus gives them, but they are continually grieving over supposed wrongs of others, and overlook the cheering, blessed tokens for good all along their pathway.
God would have His children realize that in order to glorify Him their affection must be given to those who most need it.... No selfishness, in look, word, or deed, is to be manifested when dealing with those of like precious faith, ... whether they be high or low, rich or poor.
None should be so fearful of being like the world that it will lead them to be careless in their houses, leaving things in disorder and uncleanness. It is not pride to be neat in dress, cleanly in person, orderly and tasteful in their household arrangements.... These outside appearances tell the business character of those living in the house, and not only this but the religious character of its inmates
The good qualities which many possess are hidden, and instead of attracting souls to Christ they repulse them. If these persons could see the influence of their uncourteous ways and unkind expressions upon unbelievers, and how offensive is such conduct in the sight of God, they would reform their habits, for a lack of courtesy is one of the greatest stumbling blocks to sinners.
There is need to cultivate every grace that Jesus ... has brought within our reach; for that grace alone can remedy our defects; Christ alone can transform the character. And God would have us manifest this grace, so richly provided, in the little as well as the large things of life.... Our God is a God of order and He desires that His children shall will to bring themselves into order, and under His discipline....
Life is not made up of great things alone; it is the little things that make the sum of life's happiness or miseries. It is the little things in life that reveal a person's real character. Oh, if all youth and those of mature age could see as I have seen the mirror of person's lives presented before them, they would look more gravely upon even the little duties of life.
The religion of Christ enjoins upon men to carry the pure principles of truth into their daily life, in buying and selling, in the transaction of all business, with as true a sense of religious obligation as that with which they offer to God their supplications. Business must not divert the soul from God.
A false balance is a symbol of all unfair dealing, all devices to conceal selfishness and injustice under an appearance of fairness and equity. God will not in the slightest degree favor such practices. He hates every false way. He abhors all selfishness and covetousness. Unmerciful dealing He will not tolerate, but will repay in kind.
How many youth who might have become men or women of usefulness and power have failed because in early life they contracted habits of indecision which followed them through life to cripple all their efforts.
God placed our first parents in Paradise, surrounding them with all that was useful and lovely. In their Eden home nothing was wanting that could minister to their comfort and happiness. And to Adam was given the work of caring for the Garden. The Creator knew that Adam could not be happy without employment. The beauty of the Garden delighted him, but this was not enough. He must have labor to call into exercise the wonderful organs of the body.
Industry is a blessing to youth. A life of idleness is to be shunned by a young man as a vice. However humble the occupation may be, if only honorable, if the humble duties are done faithfully, he will not lose his reward. Industry is essential to health. If habits of industry were encouraged, a door would be closed against a thousand temptations.
There are many who are absorbed in worldly business, and they do not give the Lord that devotion which is essential for their spiritual improvement. They tax brain, bone, and muscle to the uttermost, and gather to themselves burdens which lead them to forget God. Their spiritual powers are not exercised as well as their physical powers, and every day they are on the losing side, growing poorer and poorer in heavenly riches.
We should carefully weigh the matters relative to the work we take up. Will this work be a blessing to souls? God has not given us work merely to keep us busy, but for His name's glory. Many are busily engaged gathering wood, hay, stubble. But this will all be consumed....
How can I best present before the youth the necessity of self-cultivation, is my constant inquiry. I would urge upon our youth to regard every moment of time as golden. Do not waste it in indolence; do not spend it in folly; but grasp the higher treasures. Cultivate the thoughts and expand the soul by girding about the mind, not allowing it to be filled with unimportant matters.
To every man God has entrusted talents for wise improvement. If rightly used, these talents will reflect glory to the Giver. But the most precious gifts of God may be perverted, and thus become a curse rather than a blessing.
How is it possible that we may grow in grace? It is possible to us only as we empty our hearts of self, and present them to Heaven, to be molded after the Divine Pattern. We may have a connection with the living channel of light; we may be refreshed with the heavenly dew, and have the showers of heaven descend upon us. As we appropriate the blessing of God, we shall be able to receive greater measures of His grace.
“Watch unto prayer,” and you will steadily grow in grace and in a knowledge of Christ. Your experience will not be one-sided, deformed, but healthful, symmetrical. All unawares to yourself, you will have expanded like the widespreading cedar, and many will profit by your counsel; your association with them will have the fragrance of heaven
Genuine conversion is needed, not once in years, but daily. This conversion brings man into a new relation with God. Old things, his natural passions and hereditary and cultivated tendencies to wrong, pass away, and he is renewed and sanctified. But this work must be continual; for as long as Satan exists, he will make an effort to carry on his work. He who strives to serve God will encounter a strong undercurrent of wrong.
Holiness is not rapture; it is the result of surrendering all to God; it is living by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God; it is doing the will of our heavenly Father; it is trusting in God in trial, believing in His promise in the darkness as well as in the light. Religion is to walk by faith, as well as by sight, trusting in God with all confidence, and resting in His love
Our sanctification is God's object in all His dealing with us. He has chosen us from eternity that we might be holy. Christ gave Himself for our redemption, that through faith in His power to save from sin, we might be made complete in Him.
What is sanctification? It is to give one's self wholly and without reserve—soul, body, and spirit—to God; to deal justly; to love mercy, and to walk humbly with God; to know and to do the will of God without regard to self or self-interest; to be heavenly-minded, pure, unselfish, holy, and without spot or stain
Jesus did not give full comments or connected discourses upon doctrines, but He oft spoke in short sentences, as one sowing the heavenly grains of doctrines like pearls which need to be gathered up by a discerning laborer.... True learners, sitting at Christ's feet, discover the precious gems of truth uttered by our Saviour, and will discern their significance and appreciate their value.
We can overcome only by believing in every word that proceedeth from the mouth of God. We must know what is written in order that we may not be defeated by the sophistry and enchantments of Satan.... If we have been ensnared by his enchanting power, let us in the name of Jesus rebuke his power, and break with Satan without delay....
The words, “Give us this day our daily bread,” refer not only to temporal food but to the spiritual food which brings everlasting life to the receiver. When we believe and receive Christ's word, we eat His flesh and drink His blood..
The knowledge that comes from God is the bread of Life. It is the leaves of the tree of life which are for the healing of the nations. The current of spiritual life thrills the soul as the words of Christ are believed and practiced. Thus it is that we are made one with Christ. The experience that was weak and feeble becomes strong. It is eternal life to us if we hold the beginning of our confidence firm unto the end.
All scripture is given by the inspiration of God. Let the seeker of Truth who accepts the Bible as the inspired Word of God lay aside every previous idea and take the Word in its simplicity. The seeker of Truth must renounce every sinful practice and enter the Holy of Holies, with hearts softened and subdued, ready to listen to what God says.
The Holy One our Creator and our God has given rules for the guidance of every soul so that no one may miss his or her way. We cannot turn away from any of these divine rules and be found guiltless. We are required to make the will of God paramount in our live.
The Bible has the highest claim to our reverent attention. We must not be satisfied with a superficial knowledge but seek to know the full meaning of the Words of Truth and to drink deep of the Spirit of the Holy Oracles. Reading chapters daily and memorising Bible verses without careful thought as to the meaning of the sacred text is a work of little profit.
God's Word gives light and understanding to the simple. The youth must press upward and forward in order to meet the standard outlined in God's Word. We must obey God's Word to the very letter. Satan is playing the game of life and he wants to deceive us by his deceptive reasoning.
The Bible must not be studied as a scientific text, but its beauty, the evidence of its power to save the soul that believes is a lesson the is most times never learned. The practice of the Word must be brought into our every day life. In God's Word, the Bible, is seen the glory of the Redeemer.
Children must be trained for God's honour and glory. The mind must be cultivated and stored with the precious seed of Bible Truth.