bible study – Light In The Clouds

In The River Only

Reading Time: 9 minutes

In The River Only

“And the frogs shall depart from thee, and from thy houses, and from thy servants, and from thy people; they shall remain in the river only.” (Exodus 8:11)

The Lord empowered His servant Moses against Pharaoh to enact His great plan of redemption. This passage in Exodus 8 is at the heart of the drama of redemption, containing the stories of the ten plagues, the institution of the Passover, the deliverance from Egypt, and the beginning of the journey into the Wilderness. It is one of the most dramatic OT narratives on the plan of salvation. (Exodus 8:13

This frog plague originated in the Nile (Exodus 8:3). By stating that the frogs would “remain in the river only”, God shows us how the plague was not just some sort of arbitrary overpopulation of the frogs. Likewise, any removal of this plague would not be some random ending. The boundaries of the plague were under divine control. God was and is always in control. (Dan 2:21,1 Kings 3:7,Luke 1:51-52,Rev 19:6)

One very interesting thing to note here is that these ten plagues by which Moses spoke for God were very deliberately designed to challenge the Egyptian Deities that were commonly worshipped at that time in Egypt.

The Ten Plagues

Plague

Bible Reference

Affected Egyptian Deity

Blood	Exodus 7:14-25	Khnum – guardian of The Nile, spirit of the Nile, Osirus, – the Nile is his blood
Frogs	Exodus 8:1-15	Hekhet – goddess with frog head, goddess of resurrection, wife of the creator god Khnum, divine midwife
Lice	Exodus 8:16-19	Kheprer – god of resurrection whose symbol was the flying scarab (large Beetle)

Flies/insects	Exodus 8:20-32	Kheprer – god of resurrection whose symbol was the flying scarab (large beetle)
Pestilence on livestock	Exodus 9:1-7	Hathor – mother goddess, (cow) Apis – bull of the god Ptah, fertility symbol, , Mneuis – holy bull from Heliopolis
Boils	Exodus 9:8-12	Sekhemet – goddess with Lion’s head, goddess of plagues, but could also heal
Hail	Exodus 9:13-35	Nut – sky goddess, goddess of life, Seth – divine protector of the harvest
Locusts	Exodus 10:1-20	Senehem – protector god against plagues
Darkness	Exodus 10:21-23	Amon – Amon-ra, Ra, Aton, Horus – different solar/celestial deities
Death of Firstborn	Exodus 11:4-7, Exodus 12:29-30	Osirus – god of life, Pharoh himself

The frogs invaded Egypt at God’s command; they retreated at His command. The river remained their natural habitat; and even that was at God’s express command. The abnormal invasion into homes, beds, ovens, and kneading troughs was the judgment. The restoration by going back “into the river only” marked the cessation of judgment.

The Bible tells us that

“…he said, To morrow. And he said, Be it according to thy word: that thou mayest know that there is none like unto the LORD our God. And the frogs shall depart from thee, and from thy houses, and from thy servants, and from thy people; they shall remain in the river only.”(Exodus 8:10-11)

God’s control is precise. Not chaotic. The Bible, especially the prophetic books, assert again and again that there is no one like the LORD our God. Here the living God was being contrasted to the false gods of Egypt (Exodus 9:14; Exodus 15:11; Isa 40:25).

That God alone is matchless (Exodus 9:14; Exodus 15:11; Isa 40:25) is one of the major teachings of the OT prophets such as Moses. In a world in which gods seemed to be more plentiful than trees in a forest, our living Creator God was not to be compared to one of them. God, and God alone is distinct from all that is in His creation (Psalms 113:4-6).

The question, “Who is like God?” has no answer.

Lets take a closer look at our story now. The Nile was sacred in Egyptian religion. It was associated with divine life-giving power, often personified (by names such as Hapi), and the frogs used in this plague were linked with fertility symbolism (notably the goddess Heqet). It is very interesting to note that by confining the frogs back “to the river only,” as we read in our opening text,God returns the symbol of Egypt’s supposed fertility-power back to its source. We can see by this how God demonstrates that even the sacred river is under Creator’s sovereignty and that God shows how He alone controls both the ecological system and the Biblical symbolism attached to it. The message is clear: what Egypt worships as divine life-source is subordinate to the God of Israel.

But there is mercy within judgment. God does not annihilate the frogs entirely. He restores natural order. This shows how the purpose of the plague was revelatory, not destructive. God’s judgments aim to awaken, not to obliterate indiscriminately. Creation itself is preserved, though used as an instrument of correction. The frogs “in the river only,” are part of God’s creation that He called “good.” The plague was not really their purpose, but their movement into the human domain was used as instruments of humiliation.

Pharaoh asks Moses to entreat the Lord (Exodus 8:8). Moses even allows Pharaoh to choose the timing (Exodus 8:9–10). When relief comes exactly as promised, we are told

“But when Pharaoh saw that there was respite, he hardened his heart…” (Exodus 8:15)

The precise removal makes Pharaoh’s rebellion more culpable. He cannot attribute the event to coincidence, seasonal migration, or ecological fluctuation. The specification “in the river only” removes any ambiguity. Theologically, the plagues often function as a temporary unraveling of creation order (water disrupted, land invaded, boundaries blurred). When frogs invade domestic space, creation boundaries are crossed. Returning them to the river restores the creational distinction:

River = frog habitat

Home = human habitation

God both disrupts and restores. He demonstrates lordship over the structure of reality itself.

“They shall remain in the river only” signifies

divine precision and control. Supremacy over Egyptian deities. Mercy in restoration. Removal of perceived ambiguity in divine judgment. Reestablishment of creations express boundaries. This verse teaches that Creator is not merely stronger than Egypt’s gods; He is the One who governs nature, religion, and history with exacting authority. The plague begins and ends at His word, and as we see in our text for today, even the frogs obey Him more faithfully than Pharaoh does.

There is a strong theological and typological connection worth examining carefully. When we link Exodus 8:11 (frogs “remain in the river only” with Rev 16:13 (“three unclean spirits like frogs”) we learn that this is not arbitrary. Revelation consciously draws from Exodus plague imagery.

Revelation 15–16 presents the seven last plagues, intentionally echoing the Egyptian plagues. John is not inventing new imagery; he is repeating the Exodus typology.

“And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet.” (Rev 16:13)

We can know that these people realize that these judgments come from God because they curse him for sending them. And yet they still refuse to recognize God’s authority and repent of their sins. Likewise, Christians today should not be surprised at the hostility and hardness of heart of unbelievers. Even when the power of God is fully and completely revealed, many will still refuse to repent. Don’t wait until “just the right time,” when it’s more convenient, before turning to God. Do it now while you still have the chance. If we continually ignore God’s warnings, we will eventually be unable to hear our Creator at all.

Frogs appear only once in the book of Revelation, and their only Old Testament counterpart is found in Exodus 8:10-11, our opening text. This is where we find history repeating itself. Each repetition is more intense and more frequent than the past events.

In Exodus those frogs invade homes. They enter beds and ovens. They cross boundaries. They create disgust and defilement.

FB Meyer in his commentary for Exodus 8 says

“The frog was a goddess, hence the plague was aggravated, as it was unlawful to destroy one. This stroke elicited the first symptom of surrender. Though the magicians counterfeited the coming of the frogs they failed to remove them, and the king did not hope for such help from them. Pharaoh implored the intercession of the great Hebrew brethren, who, to make the power of God and the efficacy of prayer more manifest, asked the king to fix the time. They who know God and obey Him absolutely can reckon on Him with perfect certainty and confidence. Our God delights in the faith that dares to pledge His willingness and power, and He will not fail the soul that ventures wholly on His all-sufficiency.”

In Revelation 16 the frogs come out of mouths. They are spirits of devils. They work miracles. They go to kings of the earth to gather them to battle. The plague function shifts in Rev 16 from being an ecological nuisance to height of spiritual deception. The frog motif therefore represents an invasive, boundary-crossing. A defiling influence.

Why does “Remain in the River Only” Matter to people today? In Exodus, when God removes the plague, the frogs return to their natural habitat. All as if to say:

Judgment = removal of restraint.

Relief = reimposition of boundaries.

Now consider Revelation 16. The frogs there do not return to a river. They are allowed to go out globally. They gather the entire world to Armageddon. In other words, in Exodus, God confines the frogs. In Revelation, God permits the final, unconfined, world wide release of “frogs.” That contrast is significant.

Revelation repeatedly uses the word “river” symbolically. For example, the Euphrates in Revelation 16:12. Waters symbolizing peoples (Rev 17:15). In Exodus, frogs originate from the Nile — Egypt’s life-source and religious symbol. In Revelation, the end-time system has its own “waters” (peoples and support base). The frog-like spirits emerge from the dragon-beast-false prophet triad (a counterfeit trinity).

If we read Exodus from a prophetic view point, the frogs “remaining in the river only” shows that God ultimately limits deception. God restores order. God is in control of the affairs of both individuals and nations. Evil operates only within divinely set boundaries. In Revelation 16, however, we are reading the final phase before Christ’s intervention. There is a temporary global consent to the global deception:

“For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles…” (Rev 16:13-14)

This is analogous to Pharaoh’s hardened heart, but on a world wide scale. In a sense, the final crisis of Bible prophecy becomes a worldwide “second Egypt.”

There is a thematic connection here. It is one of hardened hearts. In Exodus, frogs are removed. Pharaoh hardens his heart. In Revelation, plagues fall. Humanity blasphemes and does not repent (Rev 16:9, 11). The same moral pattern repeats.

The frog plague is a type of invasive demonic deception. The confinement of frogs in Exodus demonstrates divine sovereignty over deceptive powers. Revelation shows the final unmasking and global mobilization of those same deceptive forces before their destruction. In Exodus, the frogs are restrained. In Revelation, they are released to accomplish final global polarization. And just as Egypt faced judgment after rejecting clear evidence, so the world in Revelation experiences final judgment after fully embracing the deception.

John…was a witness of the terrible scenes that will take place as signs of Christ’s coming. He saw armies mustering for battle, and men’s hearts failing them for fear. He saw the earth moved out of its place, the mountains carried into the midst of the sea, the waves thereof roaring and troubled, and the mountains shaking with the swelling thereof. He saw the vials of God’s wrath opened, and pestilence, famine, and death come upon the inhabitants of the earth. {7BC 982.3}

An event to be noticed under this plague is the issuing forth of the three unclean spirits to gather the nations to the great battle. The agency now already abroad in the world known as modern spiritism, is in every way a fitting means to be employed in this work. But it may be asked how a work which is already going on can be designated by that expression, when the spirits are not introduced into the prophecy until the pouring out of the sixth plague, which is still future. We answer that in this, as in many other movements, the agencies which Heaven designs to employ in the accomplishment of certain ends, go through a process of preliminary preparation for the part which they are to act.

Thus, before the spirits can have such absolute authority over the race as to gather them to battle against the King of kings and Lord of lords, they must first win their way among the nations of the earth, and cause their teaching to be received as of divine authority and their word as law. This work they are now doing, and when they shall have once gained full influence over the nations in question, what fitter instrument could be employed to gather them to be so rash and hopeless an enterprise?

“In the river only” brings us to the place where we can say in confidence:

“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea,though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling. There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy habitation of the Most High. God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved; God will help her when morning dawns. The nations rage, the kingdoms totter; he utters his voice, the earth melts. The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Come, behold the works of the LORD, how he has brought desolation on the earth. He makes wars cease to the end of the earth; he breaks the bow and shatters the spear; he burns the chariots with fire. “Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!” The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.” (Psalms 46:1-11).

The Dawn Chorus

Reading Time: 9 minutes

“But I will sing about your strength. I will rejoice in your love every morning. You have been my place of safety, the place I can run to when troubles come.” (Psalms 59:16, ERV)

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Throughout this psalm, David describes in vivid detail the behavior of his enemies. He conveys his own feelings of dread with the desperation and despair that he sees in the lives of those who want to harm him. What a delight, then, in these final verses to read about God’s role in David’s life as refuge, a place of safety, and as a source of unfailing love. David had learned to turn negative circumstances into reminders of God’s faithful presence.

What situations in your life today might be transformed if you were to turn them into starting points for praising God?

“Consecrate yourself to God in the morning; make this your very first work. Let your prayer be, ‘Take me, O Lord, as wholly Thine. I lay all my plans at Thy feet. Use me today in Thy service. Abide with me, and let all my work be wrought in Thee.’” (Steps to Christ,70)

Imagine beginning each morning that way. The birds start to sing, (The Dawn Chorus) and rather than hearing only a pleasant sound, we also take it as a reminder from Jesus to begin the day with our Creator. Their song prompts us to pause, give thanks, confess our need of Him, and ask for His guidance. The Dawn Chorus becomes a gentle invitation to choose whom we will follow throughout the hours ahead.

Before the day’s responsibilities begin competing for our attention, we may always have an opportunity to speak with God. The birds’ first songs can serve as a reminder to offer Him our first thoughts, thank Him for another day, and ask Him to help us make choices that honor Him.

There is a paragraph that really speaks to us about how God’s love is made known to us.

Nature and revelation alike testify of God’s love. Our Father in heaven is the source of life, of wisdom, and of joy. Look at the wonderful and beautiful things of nature. Think of their marvelous adaptation to the needs and happiness, not only of man, but of all living creatures. The sunshine and the rain, that gladden and refresh the earth, the hills and seas and plains, all speak to us of the Creator’s love. It is God who supplies the daily needs of all His creatures. In the beautiful words of the psalmist:

“The eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food in due season. You open your hand; you satisfy the desire of every living thing.”(Psalms 145:15-16){SC 9.1}

The Dawn Chorus refers to the collective singing of wild birds that occurs just before and after sunrise, particularly during the spring and summer months. This phenomenon is most pronounced as male birds sing to attract mates and defend their territories. That “first hour” in the morning is an amazing blessing to experience. It is truly “music to the ears.”

During the Covid 19 outbreak, and the lockdown, the birds did not take a break from their beautiful Dawn Chorus. Pandemic or not, we were not once allowed to forget the birds who had always been very vocal with their dawn choruses. No matter how bad the days got. They just kept doing what they were created to do. For one thing, there were no cars or traffic drown them out. No matter how crazy the world got back then, they continued to sing with one voice. And we all received the blessings of their song.

Similarly, the cross is the ultimate and most powerful symbol of love, sacrifice, suffering, redemption, and ultimately, our eternal hope. Yet when we consider Christ upon the cross, the symbol becomes something far more personal. More meaningful. An expression of divine love willingly given for the sake of humanity.

In The Dawn Chorus, that remarkable gathering of birds whose voices greet the world before most of us have awakened, the cross is a powerful symbol of sacrifice, suffering, redemption, and ultimately, hope. Yet when we consider Christ upon the cross, the symbol becomes something far more personal and profound: an expression of divine love willingly given for the sake of humanity. The cross reminds us that life is not without its burdens, that suffering and sacrifice are woven into the human experience, and that even in our darkest hours there can be meaning and the promise of renewal. Christ on the cross embodies the extraordinary truth that love can endure suffering, that forgiveness can overcome bitterness, and that death itself does not have the final word. (1 Thes 4:13-18). In this sense, the cross is not simply an emblem of what was lost, but a declaration of what can be gained through faith, humility, and love.

The Dawn Chorus. Like salvation, their song is a gift offered freely. A special gift that can only be fully appreciated by those who rise early enough, become still enough, and pay attention. Like the message of the cross, the dawn chorus invites us to look beyond ourselves and recognize the blessings that are already present in the world. Both The Dawn Chorus and The cross speak of this renewal. This hope. Of the possibility of beginning again. This is why we can say “nature and revelation alike testify to us of God’s love.” Christ’s sacrifice calls us to awaken spiritually, while the birdsong calls us to awaken to the beauty of creation.

The Dawn Chorus is more than a beautiful morning performance. It is an invitation for each of us to lift our own voices and sing our own song throughout the day. Just as the birds greet the rising sun with their individual melodies, we are invited to share our gifts, express our gratitude, offer encouragement, and bring kindness into the lives of those we encounter. Psalm 96:1 reminds us

“Sing to the LORD a new song; sing to the LORD, all the earth.”

Each new day offers us a fresh opportunity to make our lives a song of praise—not necessarily through music, but through our words, actions, compassion, and faith. The birds have their song, and God invites each of us to discover and share ours.

Perhaps the most beautiful connection to the Dawn Chorus is found in Zephaniah 3:17, which tells us that God Himself rejoices over us with singing. Imagine that! Before we have sung our first note of the day, before we have accomplished anything or offered anything to anyone, God is already delighting in us with joy. The birds sing their morning songs in praise of the Creator, but Zephaniah reminds us that the Creator also sings over His people. The Dawn Chorus, then, becomes a gentle reminder that we are not merely invited to sing to God; we are first loved, cherished, and celebrated by Him. Perhaps the greatest blessing of waking to the dawn chorus is knowing that our own song begins in response to the song of God’s everlasting love.

Our own song, then, begins in response to the song of God’s everlasting love. This is reflected in Revelation 14:6, where John sees an angel flying in midheaven, proclaiming “the everlasting gospel” to every nation, tongue, tribe, language, and people. The gospel is, at its heart, the good news of God’s unchanging love, His grace, and His desire to restore us to Himself.

Just as the Dawn Chorus rises each morning as a joyful response to the gift of a new day, a new beginning, so too, our lives become a song as we respond to the everlasting gospel. We do not sing in order to earn God’s love; we sing because we have already received it. And as we carry that good news into the world through our words, our actions, and the way we love others, we become part of that great chorus proclaiming God’s goodness. The everlasting gospel is God’s song of love to humanity, and our lives are invited to become its echo.

Those fortunate enough to hear the dawn chorus are rewarded not merely with music, but with a sense of wonder, gratitude, and connection to something greater than themselves. Perhaps it is one of life’s greatest lessons, that blessings, are already being offered. We just need to awaken early enough. In body, mind, and spirit, to receive them. Their song is a gift offered freely, but one that can only be fully appreciated by those who rise early enough, become still enough, to receive it as intended. Like the message of the cross, the Dawn Chorus invites us to look beyond ourselves and recognize the blessings that are already present in the world. Both speak of renewal, hope, and the possibility of beginning again. With each new Dawn Chorus, Jesus is simply saying to us

“this time, begin again with me.”

In the Dawn Chorus, we are invited to sing our song too. Christ’s sacrifice calls us to awaken spiritually, to forgiveness, second chance, and transformation. The birdsong invites us, reminds us to awaken to the beauty of creation and the prospects of second chance, of one step better, and of complete transformation. (2 Cor 5:17)

“So I beg you, brothers and sisters, because of the great mercy God has shown us, offer your lives as a living sacrifice to him—an offering that is only for God and pleasing to him. Considering what he has done, it is only right that you should worship him in this way. Don’t change yourselves to be like the people of this world, but let God change you inside with a new way of thinking. Then you will be able to understand and accept what God wants for you. You will be able to know what is good and pleasing to him and what is perfect.” (Rom 12:1-2, ERV)

Every dawn, every new chorus of the birds is like an invitation to begin again with Jesus We cannot know everything the day will bring. There may be joyful moments, unexpected difficulties, temptations, opportunities to help someone, or conversations that require patience and wisdom. I may encounter something that tests my faith or brings an old weakness to the surface. But before any of those things happen, I can make a choice:

“Today, I want to walk with You, Jesus.”

It is in this kind of way that “nature and revelation alike can testify to us of God’s love.” The Dawn Chorus. That’s where it starts for me. Lying awake in the early morning hours. A light spring rain coming down. And the “choir” begins their Heavenly melody unto God, while the rest of His creation listens in. Slowly waking to the chorus, and then I am being filled with my very own song. The Dawn Chorus has done it’s work of testifying to me of “one step better” to a place where there is comfort. Trust. Security. Wholeness.

We must remember that telling Jesus we want to walk with Him today will not be an automatic guarantee that the day will be easy for me. It does not mean we will never stumble or that every problem will disappear. It simply means that we are not choosing to face the day alone. We are placing ourselves in the hands of the One who knows me completely, loves me faithfully, and can give me the strength, the wisdom, to meet whatever comes. By looking back upon my past, so full of mercy and comfort, I may bless the Lord with my whole heart, and triumph in Him as the high place of my eternal security.

“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” (Psalms 46:1, ESV)

The Bible declares that God is our refuge even in the midst of total grief, or destruction. God is not merely a temporary retreat; he is our eternal refuge and can provide strength in any circumstance.

Your bars shall be iron and bronze, and as your days, so shall your strength be. (Deut 33:25, ESV)

As we depend only on God,we will be eager to repeat what the psalmist has said to anyone who will listen:

“On the day I called, you answered me; my strength of soul you increased.” (Psalms 138:3, ESV)

The greater our present trials the louder will our future songs be, and the more intense our joyful gratitude. Our troubles and trials and griefs create an opportunity for divine interposition. That’s why we can sing our triumphant praise. Our personal Dawn Chorus will arise, with healing in it’s wings, and others will be drawn to the Source of our song, for Jesus has said:

I will be lifted up from the earth. When that happens, I will draw all people to myself.” (John 12:32, ERV)

The sacrifice of Christ as an atonement for sin is the great truth around which all other truths cluster. In order to be rightly understood and appreciated, every truth in the Word of God, from Genesis to Revelation, must be studied in the light which streams from the cross of Calvary, and in connection with the wondrous, central truth of the Savior’s atonement. Those who study the Redeemer’s wonderful sacrifice grow in grace and knowledge. I present before you the great, grand monument of mercy and regeneration, salvation and redemption–the Son of God uplifted on the cross of Calvary. This is to be the theme of every discourse. Christ declares

“And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me” {5BC 1137.7-8}

Today can be the day. Today can be your day. When you ask Jesus to walk with you in all things. When you will then sing your own Dawn Chorus to all who are willing to listen, that God might be glorified. (1 John 1:1-3)

The cross stands alone, a great center in the world. It does not find friends, but it makes them. It creates its own agencies. Christ proposes that men shall become laborers together with God. He makes human beings His instrumentalities for drawing all men unto Himself. A divine agency is sufficient only through its operation on human hearts with its transforming power, making us colaborers with God. {5BC 1138.1} (see also Gal 6:14, Eph 2:13)

It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the Justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. (Rom 3:26, ERV)

“As the bow in the cloud is formed by the union of the sunlight and the shower, so the rainbow encircling the throne represents the combined power of mercy and justice. It is not justice alone that is to be maintained; for this would eclipse the glory of the rainbow of promise above the throne; man could see only the penalty of the law. Were there no justice, no penalty, there would be no stability to the government of God.” {6BC 1071.11}

“It is the mingling of judgment and mercy that makes salvation full and complete. It is the blending of the two that leads us, as we view the world’s Redeemer and the law of Jehovah, to exclaim:

“Thy gentleness hath made me great.” (Psalms 18:35)

We know that the gospel is a perfect and complete system, revealing the immutability of the law of God. It inspires the heart with hope, and with love for God. Mercy invites us to enter through the gates into the city of God, and justice is sacrificed to accord to every obedient soul full privileges as a member of the royal family, a child of the heavenly King.” {6BC 1072.1}

Draw Near to God and Find Peace

Reading Time: 9 minutes

“Acquaint now thyself with him, and be at peace: thereby good shall come unto thee” (Job 22:21, KJV).

To acquaint ourselves with God means to develop a personal relationship with Him through prayer, reading His Word, obeying His commands, and trusting His character. But how can we put this verse into practice each day?

Begin your morning by spending some quality time reading the Bible and praying before checking your phone or attending to other responsibilities. Ask God to guide your thoughts, words, and actions throughout the day. When anxiety arises, pause and pray specifically about what troubles you, then remind yourself of a promise from Scripture that relates to the problem or question.

Before making an important decision, ask

“Does this choice agree with God’s Word, reflect His character, and honor Him?”

When someone offends you, resist the urge to respond in kind, or in anger; instead, pray for wisdom and choose to speak with grace. The way Jesus would. remember, even when Judas came with the unruly mob to take Him away to be crucified, Jesus calmly called Judas

“friend.” (Mat 26:50)

Even as Judas betrayed Him, Jesus addressed him as “friend.” This moment reveals the remarkable restraint, compassion, and the dignity of Christ. Jesus did not respond with hatred or revenge, even when He was betrayed by someone who had walked with Him.

The word “friend” does not necessarily mean Jesus approved of Judas’s actions. Rather, it highlights the contrast between Judas’s betrayal and Jesus’ response. Jesus knew what Judas was doing. Yet Jesus remained composed and did not abandon His character of righteousness.

We cannot always control how others treat us, but we can always choose how we respond. Following Christ means refusing to let another person’s betrayal determine our character. We can speak truth, establish appropriate boundaries, and still refuse to be ruled by hatred or revenge.

At the end of your day, try spending some time reviewing your actions. Thanking God for His goodness. Confessing any wrongdoing. Identifying one way you can grow spiritually tomorrow. These simple, consistent habits will help to build a closer relationship with God.

Being at peace does not mean that every problem will disappear; it means that we learn to face our problems with confidence in God rather than being controlled by fear. The promise that good shall come unto us is not a guarantee of wealth or a trouble-free life, but an encouragement to walk faithfully with God and trust Him in every circumstance.

Do not leave this verse as a good thought that you admire but will never apply. Open your Bible, set aside time to pray, surrender a specific worry to God, and take one action that demonstrates obedience to His Word. Repeat these steps tomorrow. And then every day. As you consistently seek the Creator, you will cultivate a deeper relationship with Him and learn to experience the peace that comes from trusting His faithfulness.

“Acquaint now thyself with him, and be at peace: thereby good shall come unto thee.” (Job 22:21)

God desires more than our occasional attention; He desires a daily relationship with us. We draw near to Him by reading His Word, praying honestly, obeying His commands, and trusting Him with our concerns. This verse gives us a practical challenge: begin each morning with God, turn to Him when worry arises, seek His wisdom before making decisions, and examine your heart before going to bed. When someone offends you, choose grace over anger. When circumstances are uncertain, choose faith over fear. These actions will not remove every difficulty, but they help us develop a heart that rests in God’s faithfulness.

There is an amazing story about how Jesus experienced for Himself the peace talked about in Job 22:21

“And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish?” (Mark 4:38)

In the “likeness of sinful flesh” (Rom 8:3), Jesus must also have become acquainted with the Father, and then experienced that promise personally, especially in the boat. I mean, Jesus was sleeping quite comfortably while the disciples were afraid for their very lives.

Jesus’ deep and abiding peace becomes even more remarkable when we consider that He experienced genuine humanity in a world capable of extraordinary cruelty. Romans 8:3 tells us that God sent His Son “in the likeness of sinful flesh.” Jesus took upon Himself our human nature, experiencing hunger, exhaustion, sorrow, rejection, betrayal, physical pain, and death, yet without sin (Hebrews 4:15).

He knew what it was to be weary enough to sleep in a boat during a raging storm (Mark 4:38), yet Jesus had that peace spoken of in our opening text. Jesus also faced the hostility of religious leaders, the betrayal of Judas, the abandonment of His disciples, and the agony of the cross. How did He maintain such peace? His peace was rooted in His unbroken fellowship with the Father, His complete trust in the Father’s wisdom, and His unwavering commitment to the Father’s will. Jesus said, “I do always those things that please him” (John 8:29).

He regularly withdrew to pray (Luke 5:16), entrusted Himself to the Father, and refused to allow hatred to produce hatred within Him. When reviled, He did not retaliate; when He suffered, He committed Himself to the One who judges righteously (1 Peter 2:23). His peace did not mean that He was emotionally untouched by suffering. He wept, grieved, and experienced profound anguish in Gethsemane. Rather, His suffering never turned Him away from the Father or caused Him to abandon righteousness. Even at the cross, He prayed for His executioners (Luke 23:34) and ultimately entrusted His spirit to the Father as He died on the cross (Luke 23:46).

There is an important distinction here: Jesus did not overcome human cruelty by becoming less human or by suppressing His emotions. He overcame it by remaining perfectly faithful to the Father within His genuine human experience. Where our fallen nature is tempted to answer hatred with hatred, fear with panic, and injury with revenge, Jesus remained obedient, loving, and trusting. His peace was not the absence of suffering; it was the steadfastness of His relationship with the Father in the midst of suffering.

Jesus possessed that peace because of His complete trust in the Father and His unwavering confidence in the Father’s will. Through prayer, fellowship with the Father, and perfect submission to His purposes, Jesus lived in continual dependence upon Him. He did not need favorable circumstances to experience peace because His peace was rooted in His relationship with the Father, not in His surroundings. His sleep in the boat demonstrated that the raging storm did not disturb His confidence or prevent Him from resting.

On the cross, Jesus cried

“My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46).

These words, drawn from Psalm 22:1, express the terrible depth of His suffering. Christians differ in how they explain every aspect of this cry, but it is clear that Scripture does not portray Jesus as emotionally detached from the agony of the cross. He experienced suffering profoundly and expressed it openly. Yet He continued to entrust Himself to the Father. Luke 23:46 records His final words: “Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit.” The same Jesus who expressed anguish also expressed trust. His trust did not require Him to pretend that the anguish was absent.

What does this teach us about the peace of Christ?

Jesus was truly human, yet without sin (Hebrews 4:15). He experienced human emotions without allowing those emotions to lead Him into sin. He did not need to deny sorrow, fear, or anguish in order to remain faithful to the Father.

We often think that spiritual maturity means we should not feel distressed, hurt, angry, or afraid. We may even believe that admitting these emotions reveals a lack of faith. But Jesus’ example teaches us otherwise. We can acknowledge pain honestly before God without surrendering our hearts to bitterness, despair, or revenge.

When someone hurts us, we can admit that it hurts and still choose forgiveness. When we face uncertainty, we can acknowledge our fear and still choose obedience. When injustice angers us, we can recognize the wrong and respond righteously rather than vindictively.

It’s hard to imagine anyone allowing repentance or any other thing become a barrier between us and God. Our Lord will literally take us just as we are. (John 6:37)

“Jesus loves to have us come to Him just as we are, sinful, helpless, and needy. We may come, foolish and weak as we are, and fall at His feet in sorrow for sin. It is His glory to put His arms of love around us, heal our wounds, and make us clean.” (Steps to Christ, page 50).

We do not have to make ourselves worthy before coming to Jesus. We come to Him in our weakness, confess our sins, and allow Him to forgive, cleanse, and transform us. We come as we are, but we do not have to remain as we are.

“if anyone is in Christ, ALL THINGS become new.” (2 Cor5:17)

Jesus always came to the Father exactly as He was in each of His traumatic experiences. Even on the cross.

Isaiah also came to God with an open honest heart. He did not try to hide how he was feeling:

“Please, look down from the heavens. See what is happening now. Look down at us from your great and holy home in heaven. Where is your strong love for us? Where is your compassion? Why are you hiding your kind love from me?” (Isa 63:15)

Jesus Himself did not find peace by refusing to feel or to express His emotions. Jesus remained faithful to His Father in everything He felt or expressed in prayer.

This brings us back to the boat in Mark 4:38.

The Bible does not tell us precisely what Jesus was feeling as He slept. But His sleep demonstrates His genuine physical weariness. His later anguish in Gethsemane shows us that He was not incapable of distress. Rather, throughout His earthly life, He lived in complete dependence upon the Father, expressing genuine human emotions while remaining perfectly obedient. This is why Isaiah 26:3 declares:

“Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.”

The lesson is not that we must become emotionally bankrupt in order to experience God’s peace. It is that we can bring our whole selves, just as we are. Our grief. Our disappointments. Our fears. Our anger. Our deepest hurts. Our character. Bringing everything to God. Trusting Him to guide our responses, and establish the thoughts and intents of our hearts. The peace of Christ is not a heart that never trembles. It is a heart that remains surrendered to God even when it does tremble.

We too may develop this kind of peace by drawing near to God through prayer, meditating on His Word, and learning to trust His character, and proving His promises. Even when we cannot control our circumstances.

“Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.” (Isa 26:3)

Personal Application

Before the day ends, read a passage of Scripture, pray about a specific concern, and take an action that demonstrates obedience to God. Do not simply seek His help when you need something. Seek to know Him more deeply every day. True peace grows as we learn to trust the Lord, follow His direction, and leave the things beyond our control in His hands.

Suggested Daily Plan To Put Job 22:21 into practice.

Morning: 10 minutes. Begin with God. Just like your Bible does. Read a short Bible passage. Write down one truth about God and pray about that truth, asking for Creator’s guidance throughout the day.

When worry arises: 2 minutes. Turn your anxiety into prayer. Name the specific concern, ask God for wisdom, and identify one responsible action you can take in whatever you are praying about. Entrust the outcome to Jesus.

Before any decision, consult and apply God’s Word. Ask yourself whether your choice agrees with Scripture, demonstrates honesty and love, and honors God. Seek wise counsel when needed.

In your interactions, practice obedience. Speak kindly, refuse to repay hurt with hurt, forgive where appropriate, and make things right, when possible, whenever, wherever you have done wrong.

Evening: 5 minutes. Examine your day. Thank God for several things. Confess any wrongdoing, consider where you trusted Him or fell short, and identify one improvement for tomorrow. Ask yourself a reflection question:

Ask yourself, always, what is one area of your life where you need to draw closer to God and trust Him more completely?

Suggested Closing Prayer

Heavenly Father, help me to know You more deeply, seek Your wisdom daily, and how to obey Your Word in my thoughts, words, and actions. Teach me to bring my worries to You. Respond to others with grace and compassion of Christ. And to trust Your faithfulness, and your purposes when life is uncertain. Help me not merely to hear Your Word but to live it. May my life reflect the peace that comes from walking closely with You. Like Jesus had in the boat during that life-threatening storm.

God, be merciful to me because of your faithful love. Because of your great compassion, erase all the wrongs I have done. Scrub away my guilt. Wash me clean from my sin. I know I have done wrong. I remember that sin all the time.

I did what you said is wrong. You are the one I have sinned against. I say this so that people will know that I am wrong and you are right. What you decided is fair. I was born to do wrong, a sinner before I left my mother’s womb.

You want me to be completely loyal, so put true wisdom deep inside of me. Remove my sin and make me pure. Wash me until I am whiter than snow! Let me hear sounds of joy and happiness again. Let the bones you crushed be happy again. Don’t look at my sins. Erase them all. God, create a pure heart in me, and make my spirit strong again. Don’t push me away or take your Holy Spirit from me. Your help made me so happy. Give me that joy again. Make my spirit strong and ready to obey you. I will teach the guilty how you want them to live, and the sinners will come back to you. (Psalms 51:1-13, ERV)

Help me/us to draw near to God and find His peace, in Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

They Shall See Eye to Eye

Reading Time: 4 minutes

The voice of Your watchmen shall be lifted up! They lift up the voice together; they sing aloud, for they shall see eye to eye, when the LORD returns again to Zion. (Isaiah 52:8 AFV)

Isaiah paints an amazing picture of God’s people standing on the walls of Zion, watching and waiting for the Lord to act. For a long time the watchmen may have seen only fragments of the picture. One stood on one section of the wall and another stood elsewhere. Their perspectives were by nature of where they were standing, different. Just as today we see all the different viewpoints of different denominations, the Bible says that the day would come when God Himself would return to Zion, and the Bible says “they shall see eye to eye.”

This promise points beyond mere agreements between people. Human beings can sometimes agree and still be wrong. The great need of the church is not simply unity with one another, but unity in seeing what God is doing. And just WHO God is. Friends, when the Lord reveals Himself, confusion gives way to clarity. Personal opinions, cherished assumptions, and limited denominated viewpoints are surrendered to a clearer vision of His character, His truth, and His purposes.

The closer we come to Christ, the closer we will all become to one another. (1 John 1:7) Differences that arise from pride, self-interest, and human wisdom begin to fade in the light of His presence. At Pentecost, the disciples were “with one accord in one place” (not doctrinally) before the Holy Spirit was poured out upon them (Acts 2:1). Their unity was not manufactured; it wasn’t faked, it was the result of hearts surrendered to the same Lord, for the same reason.

It is not the ready speaker, the sharp intellect, that counts with God. It is the earnest purpose, the deep piety, the love of truth, the fear of God, that has a telling influence. A testimony from the heart, coming from lips in which is no guile, full of faith and humble trust, though given by a stammering tongue, is accounted of God as precious as gold; while the smart speech, the eloquent oratory, of the one to whom is entrusted large talents, but who is wanting in truthfulness, in steadfast purpose, in purity, in unselfishness, are as sounding brass and a tinkling cymbal. He may say witty things, he may relate amusing anecdotes, he may play upon the feelings; but the spirit of Jesus is not in it. All these things may please unsanctified hearts, but God holds in His hands the balances that weigh the words, the spirit, the sincerity, the devotion, and He pronounces it altogether lighter than vanity {6BC 1091.4}

For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. (Heb 4:12, ESV)

Isaiah’s prophecy also has special significance for the last days. God’s people today often see only parts of the larger picture in the great controversy between Christ and Satan. Depending on what faith background they come from. Yet as the final events unfold and God’s purposes become fully revealed, faithful watchmen will recognize the leading of the Lord and proclaim His message with one voice. Their unity will not be based on compromise but on a shared vision of Jesus Christ, that they have personally witnessed, and personally understood from Scripture. (1 John 1:1-3) It will be their actual lived experience and personal testimony to have the same Biblical views of our Creator/God.

Those whom the Lamb shall lead by the fountains of living waters, and from whose eyes He shall wipe away all tears, will be those now receiving the knowledge and understanding revealed in the Bible, the Word of God. We are to copy no human being. There is no human being wise enough to be our criterion. We are to look to the man Christ Jesus, who is complete in the perfection of righteousness and holiness. He is the author and finisher of our faith. He is the pattern man. His experience is the measure of the experience that we are to gain. His character is our model. Let us, then, take our minds off the perplexities and the difficulties of this life, and fix them on Him, that by beholding we may be changed into His likeness. We may behold Christ to good purpose. We may safely look to Him; for He is all-wise. As we look to Him and think of Him, He will be formed within, the hope of glory. {7BC 970.8,9}

The promise remains: when the Lord brings again Zion, His people “will see eye to eye” because they will be looking together at Him. The clearer our vision of Christ becomes today, the more fully this promise begins to be fulfilled in our lives.

“Christ had finished the work that was given Him to do. He had glorified God on the earth. He had manifested the Father’s name. He had gathered out those who were to continue His work among men. And He said, “I am glorified in them. And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to Thee. Holy Father, keep through Thine own name those whom Thou hast given Me, that they may be one, as We are.” “Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on Me through their word; that they all may be one; . . . I in them, and Thou in Me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that Thou hast sent Me, and hast loved them, as Thou hast loved Me.” {DA 680.3}

May the Lord open our eyes to see Him more clearly. May our Creator remove any pride, prejudice, or self will that is preventing us from understanding His truth. Father, God, please help us to keep our eyes fixed on Christ that we may be united in faith, purpose, love, and the fellowship that is only possible through genuine love. (1 John 1:7).) May we be faithful watchmen, ready to recognize Your leading and joyfully proclaim Your salvation. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

The Plan of Salvation Revealed

Reading Time: 8 minutes

“God has a way to make people right, and it has nothing to do with the law. He has now shown us that new way, which the law and the prophets told us about. God makes people right through their faith in Jesus Christ. He does this for all who believe in Christ. Everyone is the same. All have sinned and are not good enough to share God’s divine greatness. They are made right with God by his grace. This is a free gift. They are made right with God by being made free from sin through Jesus Christ. God gave Jesus as a way to forgive people’s sins through their faith in him. God can forgive them because the blood sacrifice of Jesus pays for their sins. God gave Jesus to show that he always does what is right and fair. He was right in the past when he was patient and did not punish people for their sins. And in our own time he still does what is right. God worked all this out in a way that allows him to judge people fairly and still make right any person who has faith in Jesus. (Rom 3:21-26, ERV)

Romans chapter three stands as one of the clearest revelations of the plan of salvation in all Scripture. It begins in darkness and ends in light. It starts with man’s hopeless condition and ends with God’s glorious remedy. Paul takes away every human excuse, strips away every claim of self-righteousness, and then points us to Jesus Christ as the only hope for a lost world. The chapter can be summarized in four simple truths. 1. All are guilty. 2. The law cannot save. 3. Christ has paid the price. 4. Salvation is received by faith.

The Universal Problem: All Have Sinned

Paul’s argument reaches its climax in Romans 3:10:

“There is none righteous, no, not one.”

The verdict is universal. It does not matter whether one is Jew or Gentile, religious or irreligious, educated or uneducated. Heaven’s courtroom reaches the same conclusion concerning every human being: all have sinned.

“For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).

The problem is not merely that we occasionally commit wrong actions. Sin has affected the entire human family. We have fallen short of God’s glory, His character, and His perfect standard of righteousness. This truth is difficult for our human pride to accept. We naturally compare ourselves with other people. Yet God does not compare us with one another. He compares us with His own holiness. Measured against that standard, every person stands condemned.

The plan of salvation cannot be appreciated until we first understand the seriousness of our condition. A physician cannot heal someone who refuses to admit he is sick. Likewise, Christ cannot save those who feel no need of salvation.

The Purpose of the Law

Paul then explains the role of God’s law:

“Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin” (Romans 3:20).

The law was never given as a ladder by which sinners could climb into heaven. The law functions as a mirror. A mirror reveals dirt on the face, but it cannot remove it. God’s law reveals His character and exposes our sinfulness. Our need. It points out the disease but cannot provide the cure.

Many people spend their lives trying to earn acceptance with God through good works, religious ceremonies, moral improvement, or sincere effort. Yet Romans 3 declares that no one can be justified through law-keeping. The law can diagnose the problem, but only Christ can provide the remedy.

The law says, “You are guilty.” The gospel says, “Jesus has paid your debt.” The law points us to our need. The gospel points us to our Savior.

The Great Turning Point: “But Now”

One of the most beautiful phrases in Scripture appears in Romans 3:21:

“But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested.”

Those two words, “But now,” change everything. After exposing the guilt of the entire world, Paul suddenly directs our attention away from ourselves and toward God. Humanity has no solution. Heaven provides one. The righteousness that sinners need is not something they produce. It is something God provides. The gospel is not primarily about what we do for God. It is about what God has done for us through Jesus Christ. This righteousness was foretold throughout the Old Testament. The sacrifices, the sanctuary, the priesthood, and the prophecies all pointed forward to Christ. What the law and the prophets anticipated, Jesus fulfilled.

Righteousness Through Faith

“Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe” (Romans 3:22).

Notice that salvation comes through faith. Faith is not merely agreeing with certain facts. Biblical faith is trusting ourselves entirely to Christ. It is accepting His righteousness instead of presenting our own. The sinner stands before God with empty hands. Faith says: “I cannot save myself.” “I cannot earn forgiveness.” “I cannot manufacture righteousness.” “But I believe Jesus can save me completely.”

This is why boasting is excluded. No one will stand in heaven praising himself. Every redeemed soul will praise Christ alone. The plan of salvation leaves no room for pride because salvation is entirely a gift of grace.

The Cost of Redemption

Romans 3:24 says: “Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.”

Free to us did not mean cheap to God. Our redemption required the sacrifice of heaven’s greatest treasure. Jesus entered our world, lived the life we should have lived, and died the death we deserved to die. Christ was treated as we deserve, that we might be treated as He deserves. It was at Calvary, where mercy and justice met together.

“Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood” (Romans 3:25).

The cross demonstrates two great truths simultaneously. First, it reveals how serious sin really is. Sin is so terrible that nothing less than the death of the Son of God could atone for it. Second, it reveals how much God loves sinners. He was willing to pay the infinite cost necessary to save them. At the cross we see God’s justice and God’s love embracing one another.

The Just and the Justifier

One of the most profound statements in Romans appears in Rom 3:26:

“That he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.”

God did not save sinners by ignoring His law. He did not set aside justice. He did not lower His standard. Instead, Christ satisfied the claims of justice on behalf of humanity. Because Jesus bore the penalty of sin, God can remain perfectly just while extending mercy to those who believe. The cross solved the greatest problem in the universe: How can a holy God save guilty sinners without compromising His righteousness? The answer is Jesus.

Romans 3:26 is one of the greatest summaries of the gospel ever written because it answers a question that has echoed throughout the great controversy between Christ and Satan: How can God forgive sinners and still remain perfectly righteous? If God simply excused sin, His law would lose its authority and justice would be compromised. Yet if justice alone were allowed to operate, the entire human race would perish. At the cross, God demonstrated that His law is unchangeable and that His love is immeasurable.

Jesus bore the penalty that justice demanded so that mercy could be extended to all who believe. In Christ’s sacrifice, God proved Himself to be both “just”—faithful to His holy character and law—and “the justifier”—the One who declares repentant sinners righteous. The cross therefore reveals not a conflict between justice and mercy, but their perfect harmony. Satan had charged that God could not be both loving and just.

Calvary forever answered that accusation. There, before the watching universe, God showed that He would rather bear the penalty of sin Himself than abandon those He came to save.

This paragraph also provides a natural bridge into the Great Controversy theme by showing that Romans 3:26 is not merely about individual salvation, but about God’s vindication before the universe as well.

The plan of salvation is not merely a doctrine to admire. It is an invitation to receive. A personal lived experience to be a part of. Every believer must come to the place where Paul brings us in Romans 3:

No confidence in self. No dependence upon works. No trust in personal merit. Complete dependence upon Christ. When we accept Jesus by faith, His righteousness becomes ours. His victory becomes our victory. His standing before the Father becomes our standing before the Father. The believer does not work in order to be saved. The believer works because he has been saved. Obedience becomes the fruit of salvation, not the root or means of salvation.

Romans 3 reveals the entire gospel in just a few verses: We are sinners. The law reveals our guilt. Christ paid our debt. God offers righteousness as a gift. Faith receives what grace provides. The sinner who trusts Christ stands forgiven, justified, and accepted before God.

“The thought that the righteousness of Christ is imputed to us, not because of any merit on our part, but as a free gift from God, is a precious thought.” (Faith and Works 18)

“The moment a sinner accepts Christ by faith, that moment they are pardoned. The righteousness of Christ is imputed to them, and they are no more to doubt God’s forgiving grace.” (1 SM 392)

These statements capture the central message of Romans 3. Salvation is not earned. It is received. Righteousness is not achieved. It is given. Forgiveness is not purchased by human effort. It is granted through faith in Jesus Christ.

Today the same invitation still stands. The cross remains sufficient. The blood of Christ still cleanses. The righteousness of Christ is still available. The grace of God is still extended to every repentant sinner.

The question is not whether Christ has provided salvation. The question is whether we will receive it.

“The Experience of Salvation

In infinite love and mercy God made Christ, who knew no sin, to be sin for us, so that in Him we might be made the righteousness of God. Led by the Holy Spirit we sense our need, acknowledge our sinfulness, repent of our transgressions, and exercise faith in Jesus as Saviour and Lord, Substitute and Example. This saving faith comes through the divine power of the Word and is the gift of God’s grace. Through Christ we are justified, adopted as God’s sons and daughters, and delivered from the lordship of sin. Through the Spirit we are born again and sanctified; the Spirit renews our minds, writes God’s law of love in our hearts, and we are given the power to live a holy life. Abiding in Him we become partakers of the divine nature and have the assurance of salvation now and in the judgment.”

Gen 3:15; Isa 45:22; Isa 53:1-12; Jer 31:31-34; Eze 33:11; Eze 36:25-27; Hab 2:4; Mar 9:23-24; Joh 3:3-8; Joh 3:16; Joh 16:8; Rom 3:21-26; Rom 8:1-4; Rom 8:14-17; Rom 5:6-10; Rom 10:17; Rom 12:2; 2 Co 5:17-21; Gal 1:4; Gal 3:13-14; Gal 3:26; Gal 4:4-7; Eph 2:4-10; Col 1:13-14; Tit 3:3-7; Heb 8:7-12; 1 Pe 1:23; 1 Pe 2:21-22; 2 Pe 1:3-4; Rev 13:8.) [Adventist Fundamental Belief #10]

We have been made right with God because of our faith. So we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. (Rom 5:1, ERV)

Faith is not the ground of our salvation, but it is the great blessing–the eye that sees, the ear that hears, the feet that run, the hand that grasps. It is the means, not the end. If Christ gave His life to save sinners, why shall I not take that blessing? My faith grasps it, and thus my faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things unseen. Thus resting and believing, I have peace with God through the Lord Jesus Christ. {6BC 1073.9}

“We live by what we believe will happen, not by what we can see.”(2 Cor 5:7, ERV)

The story of three men illustrates the nature of faith nicely:

“Three men were walking on a wall. Feeling. Faith and Fact. When Feeling had an awful fall, and Faith was taken back. Fact remained and brought Faith back. And Faith brought Feeling too.”

Faith and feeling are as distinct as the east is from the west. Faith is not dependent on feeling. We must earnestly cry to God in faith, feeling or no feeling, and then live our prayers. Our assurance and evidence is God’s word, and after we have asked we must believe without doubting. I praise Thee, O God, I praise Thee. Thou hast not failed me in the performance of Thy word. Thou has revealed Thyself unto me, and I am Thine to do Thy will {6BC 1073.10}

May we come to Jesus with nothing in our hands, trusting wholly in His merits, and discover for ourselves the glorious truth revealed in Romans chapter three: that God is both “just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.”

Reaffirm Your Love

Reading Time: 5 minutes

“So I beg you to reaffirm your love for him.” (2 Corinthians 2:8, ESV)

There are few things more difficult than continuing to love someone who has deeply disappointed me. It is often easier to forgive in theory than to forgive, as well as reaffirm love in practice. I may say the right words, yet keep my distance. I may stop condemning someone while still withholding encouragement, kindness, or acceptance. I can think of times where I did that.

Paul wrote the words of our opening text here to believers who had already confronted a member of their church about some serious wrongdoing. The correction had done its work. Now Paul urged them not to leave the repentant person standing outside in shame. Instead, they were to reaffirm their love. They were to make their forgiveness visible. Bring the person back into unfeigned fellowship.

I am finding that this challenge reaches into everyday life. It touches family disagreements, strained friendships, workplace conflicts, church misunderstandings, and even small offenses that happen in ordinary conversations. And, when someone admits a mistake, do I continue to treat them as guilty, or do I help them experience restoration? When someone stumbles and then turns back to God, do I keep reminding them of their failure, or do I remind them of God’s grace?

I can forgive someone and still keep them at a distance. I can stop speaking about their failure while continuing to remember it every time I see them. I can say, “I forgive you,” yet never fully welcome them back into my confidence, friendship, or fellowship.

The believers in Corinth faced that very temptation. A man had done something wrong. The church had dealt with the matter. The discipline had accomplished its purpose. The man had repented. Yet Paul saw a danger. The church might continue treating him as though he were still defined by his past. So Paul urged them

“I beg you to reaffirm your love for him.”

Notice that Paul did not simply say, “Forgive him.” He told them to “reaffirm” their love. Forgiveness needed to become visible. The repentant man needed more than the absence of condemnation; he needed the presence of acceptance.

Jesus showed what reaffirmed love looks like after Peter denied Him three times. Beside the Sea of Galilee, Jesus did not merely forgive Peter; He restored him, asking three times, “Do you love me?” and then recommissioning him for service (John 21:15-17). Peter was not left under a cloud of suspicion. Christ reaffirmed His love and confidence in him.

I am finding that this is exactly how Jesus deals with me.

“…God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).

Praise God from whom all blessings flow! The Lord does not reluctantly receive repentant sinners. He welcomes them. Like the father in the parable of the prodigal son, He sees them “afar off.” He runs to meet them. Embrace them, and restores them to fellowship. (Luke 15:20-24).

As I reflect on these things, I realize that reaffirming love is one of the clearest ways to reveal the character of Jesus. Anyone can remember a person’s failures. Christ teaches us to remember His grace. Anyone can keep a record of wrongs. Love “keeps no record of wrongs” (1 Corinthians 13:5, NIV). Neither will the true follower of Jesus Christ. Anyone can hold someone at arm’s length. Christ invites us all to draw near with the same mercy He has shown to us.

Today, let us ask God to help us not only to forgive, but also reaffirm our love to someone who needs it. You may know someone who needs a kind word, a restored friendship, an encouraging conversation, or a fresh expression of acceptance. As Christ has loved us, may we demonstrate that same restoring love to others.

“The Lord is waiting to manifest through His people His grace and power. But He requires that those who engage in His service shall keep their minds ever directed to Him. Every day they should have time for reading the Word of God and for prayer.{AG 276.2}

Individually we are to walk and talk with God; then the sacred influence of the gospel of Christ in all its preciousness will appear in our lives. {AG 276.3}

There is an eloquence far more powerful than the eloquence of words in the quiet, consistent life of a pure, true Christian. What a man is has more influence than what he says. {AG 276.4}

The officers who were sent to Jesus came back with the report that never man spoke as He spoke. But the reason for this was that never man lived as He lived. Had His life been other than it was, He could not have spoken as He did. His words bore with them a convincing power, because they came from a heart pure and holy, full of love and sympathy, benevolence and truth. {AG 276.5}

It is our own character and experience that determine our influence upon others. In order to convince others of the power of Christ’s grace, we must know its power in our own hearts and lives. The gospel we present for the saving of souls must be the gospel by which our own souls are saved. Only through a living faith in Christ as a personal Saviour is it possible to make our influence felt in a skeptical world. If we would draw sinners out of the swift-running current, our own feet must be firmly set upon the Rock, Christ Jesus. {AG 276.6}

The badge of Christianity is not an outward sign, not the wearing of a cross or a crown, but it is that which reveals the union of man with God. By the power of His grace manifested in the transformation of character the world is to be convinced that God has sent His Son as its Redeemer. No other influence that can surround the human soul has such power as the influence of an unselfish life. The strongest argument in favor of the gospel is a loving and lovable Christian. {AG 276.7}”

Praise God! Forgiveness removes the debt; reaffirmed love restores the relationship.

When God forgives, He does not merely cancel the record of our sins; He draws us back into fellowship with Himself. In the same way, genuine Christian forgiveness is more than releasing someone from what they owe us. It seeks, whenever possible, to restore the bond that was broken. This is what Paul urged in 2 Corinthians 2:8 when he pleaded with the church to “reaffirm your love” toward the repentant believer. Forgiveness says, “I will not hold this against you.” Reaffirmed love says, “I still want you near me.” And it’s worth noting here how the cross is what brings us near to Him, regardless of how “afar off” we are. (Eph 2:13)

We see this wonderful truth in Christ’s treatment of Peter after his denial. Jesus not only forgave Peter but restored him to friendship and service. As the Bible declares

“Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you” (Ephesians 4:32, ESV).

The question might be asked

“Am I living like this today? Am I reflecting Christ to others like this?”

Today, there may be someone in your world who already knows they are forgiven but they wonder if they are still loved. Ask God to show you who needs a word of encouragement like this. A sincere gesture of acceptance, or an invitation back into friendship/fellowship. Christ did not merely erase your debt; He welcomed you back into His heart. By reaffirming your love to others, you become a living witness of that same redeeming grace.

Prayer

Lord, thank You for not treating me according to my failures. For not treating anyone “as they truly deserve.” Where would any of us be if you treated us as we deserve? Thank you for Jesus who was treated as we deserve that we might be treated as he deserves. Thank You for Your patient, restoring love. Teach me to forgive as You forgive and to reaffirm my love toward those who have stumbled or offended. Help me to reflect the grace of Jesus in my home, my church, and my daily relationships. May others see in me the same mercy You have shown to me is my prayer in Jesus’ name. Amen.

The Lord Will Teach Your Children

Reading Time: 6 minutes

“I, the LORD, will teach your children, and they will have real peace.” (ISA 54:13 ERV)

I could probably just stop here and call this my message.

“The Lord Will Teach Your Children”

I recall anxiously wondering what my children were up to when the days came that they could be out of my sight,and able to decide what they were doing and where they were. Being a Christian parent, I added to that stress worrying about this standard or that standard that they might be abandoning. And what kind of trouble was it leading to? Late night calls from friends and hearing police in the back ground arresting one of my children. Standing by the bedside of one of my children in the hospital emergency department. He tried to commit suicide. He had over dosed on Cocaine and a few other things. Doctors were worried his heart would stop. I kept telling him I loved him. I wasn’t mad at him. I just wanted him to fight this so we could try again to do things better.

When I got home that night, I turned on the outside light at the door they would normally enter whenever they did come home. If they came home. I remember saying to God:

“Father, I am leaving the light on for them. Please let them be OK and come home. Even if just for a visit.”

The rest of this message talks a bit about what I meant by

“leaving the light on.”

We are talking about something for them to depend upon. Something to count on. Some day.

Parents of teenagers can easily become discouraged when conversations turn into arguments, values are questioned, and the children they once guided so closely seem to be pulling away. Isaiah 54:13 offers a promise that reaches beyond a parent’s abilities:

“I, the LORD, will teach your children, and they will have real peace.”

For a parent struggling with a teenager, Isaiah 54:13 offers both a responsibility and a relief:

“I, the LORD, will teach your children, and they will have real peace.”

God is not asking parents to stop teaching, praying for, encouraging, or lovingly influencing their children in spiritual matters. Or, anything else. In fact, these are sacred duties entrusted to all parents. But there comes a point when every parent discovers the limits of their human influence. A mother or father can present truth, but they cannot make a child believe it. They can point the way to Christ, but they cannot force a heart to follow Him.

The hardest lesson for parents is learning to surrender the outcome to God. When I left the light on at the back door that night, that was my way of finally saying to Jesus

“please take over Lord. Guide and direct and keep them safe.”

The real question for me then was:

“Whom will I trust more? My own ability to manage and control, or God’s ability to teach and lead my child?”

When parents faithfully do their part and then place their children into God’s hands, they can find peace in knowing that the One who understands every struggle, temptation, and hidden burden of their child’s heart has promised to be their Teacher. Any weakness or failure on the part of the parent/s doesn’t matter once Jesus takes over. The God who calls parents to influence their children is the same God who asks them to trust Him with what only He can do.

Like that night when I left the light on, maybe parents today could rededicate their children to God once they get older and have a mind of their own? Many churches or parents have some kind of dedication for their baby/infant children. A baby dedication is fundamentally an act of parental surrender. The parents acknowledge that the child ultimately belongs to God and that they need His wisdom and grace in raising that child.

The irony is that this surrender is often easier when the child is an infant, because the future challenges are still largely unknown. The teenage years can expose whether that dedication was merely ceremonial or whether it reflected a continuing reality of the parents trusting God with the raising and nurturing of their children. In this respect, there may be great value in parents having a renewed dedication of some kind. Not necessarily in a public church service, but in a private and deliberate act before God. Just between the parent and God at home. In private. They could consciously place their teenager into God’s hands again, acknowledging both their ongoing responsibility to influence and their inability to control. And there would be nothing wrong with daily dedicating our children to God. Acknowledging to Creator who is really in charge. This pattern is seen throughout the Bible.

Hannah first dedicated Samuel to the Lord before he was born (1 Samuel 1:11), but she then had to continue surrendering him year after year as she watched God lead his life.

Abraham’s experience on Mount Moriah was also a form of renewed dedication. God was not asking Abraham to stop being a father; He was asking Abraham to release his claim of ownership and trust God’s purposes for Isaac.

There is a powerful connection here to the promise of Isaiah 54:13:

“All thy children shall be taught of the LORD; and great shall be the peace of thy children.”

The verse focuses on the children receiving peace through being TAUGHT BY GOD. And praise God! Any parent who truly believes that promise in Isa 54:13 will often receive that same peace as well. The Bible says we reap what we sow. The parent will receive that same peace, not because every problem immediately disappears, but because the burden shifts from “I must make this work” to “God is teaching my child. I can trust God better and bigger than me, to teach my loved one.”

The parent’s peace grows in proportion to their trust in God’s ability to do what they cannot. Perhaps a simple prayer of dedication for a parent of teenagers might be:

“Creator God, this child ______ is Yours before he/she is mine. I will continue to love, teach, pray, counsel, and set an example, of a loving and lovable parent; but now I surrender my need to control the outcome. Fulfill Your promise to teach my child. Open his/her heart to Your voice, lead him in Your paths, and give him/her the peace that comes from knowing You. (John 14:27). Please, give me peace as I trust You to do what I cannot.”

Such a prayer does not end parental involvement; it redefines it. The parent remains faithful in influence while entrusting the transformation of the heart to God. That may be one of the deepest lessons hidden within Isaiah 54:13. For both the child and the parent to become students in the school of Christ.

One Christian writer sums it up like this:

“God will work with power when in trustful dependence upon Him parents will awake to the sacred responsibility resting upon them…” (Adventist Home 206)

“Let us make a solemn consecration of ourselves and our children to God. They are the property of God, and they are to be trained for His service.” (MS vol. 25, p. 62 (MR No. 1798)

Now is the time for parents to just “leave the light on.”

In a world where many parents carry heavy burdens for wandering, struggling, or distant children, the call is simple. Keep the light on. Not merely in the parent’s heart. But in a way the child knows it is there. Let them know that no matter how far they wander, they are loved, prayed for, and welcome to come home. Welcome in your heart and in your life. They need to trust that there is always something there for them that they can trust. Let them know that the door remains open, that forgiveness is available. Treat them like royalty. Parents, show by your actions that there is always a place for them in the family and before God.

The light that is left on for our children through the darkest night may become a quiet testimony of hope. Something that everyone will look back on with joy. Knowing God was there all the time. Just like He was with His own Son, even when Jesus died on the cross.

The light you leave on for your children can be an assurance that when they are ready to return, they will not be met with rejection, but with grace. Just as our heavenly Father continually leaves the light on for His children, (through His promises) parents can reflect His heart by maintaining a steady, visible witness of love, faith, and welcome until the day their child chooses to come home.

Perhaps your children are still at home. The light can still be left on for them too. Leaving the light on is more than an act of waiting; it is a symbol of unwavering faith, love, and hope. It reflects the heart of God, who never ceases to extend His promises and invitation to His children, no matter how dark their path may become.

For parents of wandering children, the light they leave on represents the assurance that home, forgiveness, and acceptance remain available when they are ready to return.

And this principle is not limited to children who have left home. Children who are still under a parent’s roof also need the light left on for them. A consistent example of prayer, godly character, encouragement, and trust in God’s promises. Whether near or far, every child benefits from knowing there is a place where faith is lived, love is constant, and the way back to God is always illuminated.

All parents can be rest assured that God will teach their children.

If we parents leave the light on, they will see it.

My Fetters Are Wings

Reading Time: 10 minutes

“Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness: thou hast enlarged me when I was in distress.”(Psalms 4:1 KJV)

Want to hear a strange testimony? There are certain testimonies that everyone understands. “I was sick, and God healed me.” “I was in trouble, and God delivered me.” “I was in need, and God provided.” These are wonderful testimonies. They reveal God’s power and His love for His children. But the psalmist, David, gives a different testimony. He does not simply say, “God delivered me from distress.” He says,

“Thou hast enlarged me when I was in distress.” (Psalms 4:1)

Not after the distress. Not before the distress! But during the distress, God did a new thing. A big thing. This is such a remarkable testimony. Distress normally narrows our lives. It limits our options. It confines us. It holds us still in one place, often it places us in situations we would never choose. Yet David says that the very thing that seemed to restrict him became the means by which God enlarged him.

Friends, the things that appear to bind us are often the very things God uses to set us free. The things we call chains, God sometimes calls wings. The title of our message today could very well be called

“My Fetters Are Wings.”

As human beings, we naturally associate enlargement with increase. More resources. More opportunities. More strength. More freedom. But God often enlarges His children through the opposite process. He enlarged Joseph through slavery. He enlarged Moses through exile. He enlarged David through persecution. He enlarged Daniel through captivity. He enlarged Paul through imprisonment. Again and again God permits circumstances that appear restrictive because He sees something we cannot see.

A bird’s wings become strong by pushing against resistance. A tree’s roots grow deep during drought. Gold is purified in fire. Faith matures through trial.

God’s purpose is not merely to make our circumstances comfortable. His purpose is to prepare a people fit for eternity. This is especially important as we consider the closing scenes of earth’s history. The great controversy between Christ and Satan has always centered on one question:

“Can God produce a people who will remain loyal to Him under every circumstance?”

In Eden, Adam and Eve obeyed while everything was perfect. In the final generation, God’s people will obey when everything around them is collapsing. The issue has never been mere outward obedience. The issue is trust. Will God’s people trust Him when they cannot buy or sell? Will they trust Him when public opinion turns against them? Will they trust Him when earthly support disappears? Will they trust Him when they must live entirely by faith?

The final crisis is not designed by God to destroy His people. It is designed to reveal what His grace can accomplish within His people. What appears to be their greatest restriction will become their greatest enlargement.

The Bible does mention an all nighter. An east wind that blew all night. Recall Israel at the Red Sea. Exodus 14 tells us that “the Lord caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night.” The people were trapped. Mountains on either side. The sea before them. Pharaoh behind them. To human eyes there was no future. Yet God was already working. Notice that the wind blew “all night.” Not just for a moment. Not for an hour. But all night.

The longest nights in a believer’s experience are often the nights when God is preparing a path that we cannot yet see. The people saw only darkness. God saw a highway. The people saw a barrier. God saw a doorway. The people saw the sea. God saw dry ground. Likewise, the final generation just before Jesus comes again will experience what appears to be a very long night of trouble.

Yet while darkness covers the earth, the Spirit of God will be preparing the way for final deliverance. The night itself will become part of the miracle. Perhaps nowhere is this principle more beautifully illustrated than in Daniel 3. God’s people set free by the fiery furnace. Jesus in the fire heated times seven right there in the flames. As the three Hebrews stood before the king of Babylon. Everyone else bowed. But they remained standing. As a result they were bound and thrown into a furnace.

Now, to human eyes they had lost everything. Freedom. Security. Protection. Influence. Life itself seemed moments away from extinction. Yet when Nebuchadnezzar looked into the furnace, he saw something astonishing. And he said

“Did not we cast three men bound into the midst of the fire?” (Dan 3:24)

The answer came

“Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire.” (Dan 3:25)

The fire consumed only one thing. Their bonds. The very flames intended to destroy them became the means of their liberation. Friends, THIS IS how God works. The enemy thought he was binding them. God was freeing them. The enemy thought he was humiliating them. God was honoring them. The enemy thought he was bringing them closer to death. God was bringing them closer to Christ.

And so it will be in the time of the end. The pressures Satan intends to use against God’s people will ultimately burn away the last remnants of self-reliance. Fear will be consumed. Worldliness will be consumed. Dependence on earthly systems will be consumed. The fire will destroy the bonds, but not the believers.

So, now move from Daniel 3 to Acts 2. The disciples had spent years with Jesus. Yet fear still lingered. Self-interest still lingered. Misunderstanding still lingered. Then came Pentecost.

“And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.” (Acts 2:3)

The same God who walked with His servants in Babylon now rested upon His individual servants in Jerusalem. The fire of God’s Holy Educating Spirit again appeared. But notice what happened afterward. Fear disappeared. Cowardice disappeared. Division disappeared. All doubts vanished! The disciples who had once fled from a servant girl now stood fearlessly before rulers and kings. The fire had not consumed them. It had only consumed what hindered them. Everything between their souls and Jesus!

The final outpouring of the Holy Spirit will accomplish a similar work.

Before Jesus returns, God will have a people upon whom His Spirit rests. A people whose loyalty is not dependent upon circumstances. A people whose confidence rests entirely in Christ. A people enlarged by the very distress that the devil used to try and destroy them.

Another picture of the end-time experience is Jacob wrestling with the Angel. Jacob faced the greatest crisis of his life. He feared destruction. He feared judgment. He feared the consequences of his past. Through the long night he wrestled. At sunrise he was physically weaker than before. He walked with a limp. Yet spiritually he was stronger than ever. His weakness became his strength. His surrender became his victory. His distress became his enlargement.

“The sinner cannot depend upon their own good works as a means of justification. They must come to the point where they will renounce all of their sin, and embrace one degree of light after another as it shines upon their pathway. The believer simply grasps by faith the free and ample provision made in the blood of Christ. They believe the promises of God, which through Christ are made unto them sanctification and righteousness and redemption. And if they follow Jesus, they will walk humbly in the light, rejoicing in the light and diffusing that light to others.

Being justified by faith, God’s people carry cheerfulness with them in all of their obedience, in all of their lived experiences. Peace with God is the result of what Christ is to the Christian. The souls who are in subordination to God, who honor Him, and are doers of His Word, will incrementally receive more and more divine enlightenment. In the precious Word of God there is purity and loftiness as well as beauty that, unless assisted by God, the highest powers of humanity cannot attain to.” {adapted from 6BC 1071.10}

Friends, the final generation, just before Jesus comes again will have a similar experience. The Scriptures describe a time when God’s people cling to His promises with unwavering faith while every visible support is removed. Like Jacob, they will discover that the greatest victories are won through complete dependence upon God.

Many believers imagine that the final crisis is primarily about surviving persecution. But the deeper issue is character. God is preparing a people who reflect Christ fully. A people whose faith remains steady regardless of circumstances. A people who reveal the character of Jesus before a watching universe. The final crisis is not simply about exposing Satan. It is about vindicating God’s grace.The Bible says it like this:

“To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.” (Rom 3:26)

This IS the entire flashpoint of everything in the great controversy of Bible prophecy.

The universe will see that God’s power can transform fallen human beings into loyal followers of Christ. Into a people that do perfectly reflect His character to the world, a people who keep the commandments of their God. This is HOW distress becomes enlargement. The very pressures that reveal our weakness also reveal the power of divine grace.

There is nothing in faith, in or of itself that makes it our savior. Faith cannot remove our guilt. Christ is the power of God unto salvation to all them that believe. The justification comes through the merits of Jesus Christ. JESUS has paid the price for the sinner’s redemption. Yet it is only through faith in His shed blood that Jesus can justify the believer. To a real Christian, their fetters become wings when by faith they access Christ’s atonement.

Perhaps some listening today are already experiencing their own personal “time of trouble.” A prolonged illness. A broken relationship. Financial uncertainty. Disappointment. Loneliness. A burden that seems impossible to carry. You may be praying for God to remove the chain. Maybe you want God to get you out of a terrible trial? Sometimes that IS just what God does. But sometimes Jesus transforms our chains into wings.

There was a time when I thought my life was over…I suffered terrible burns to 50% of my body. The scars and the suffering for years made me feel ugly, unwanted. And yet, those very flames were the means and the place where I met Jesus. The scars which multiplied my fetters and chains became wings and God later blessed me with the gift of marriage and two wonderful sons! We called our first son Jonathan because that means “Jehovah Gave,” and our second son Joseph, because that means “Jehovah Added.”

I recall another time recently, when I was out doing home visitations and Bible readings in a remote area. I had just finished visiting one place, and as I was leaving something happened to my car and the transmission just stopped working. For a moment I panicked. But then I thought that the people I just visited need to see a better witness than that. I started telling them about Creator God and how even though I didn’t know how, I just knew that God already had a solution. They thought I was off my rocker to be talking like that in the middle of such a challenge. I ended up waiting hours for a tow truck and during that time neighbors kept coming over and wondering what was happening. And I got to also talk to them about Jesus too. If my car didn’t break down just when and where it did I would not have been able to speak to all of those people about Jesus!

Friend, what if your trial is preparing you for greater usefulness? What if your burden is deepening your dependence upon Christ? What if your limitation is enlarging your capacity for Heaven, and “the things that accompany salvation?” (Heb 6:9). One day the redeemed will look back over their lives and see that many of the things they feared most were actually among God’s greatest blessings. The prison gave Joseph a throne. The furnace gave the Hebrews fellowship with Christ. Patmos gave John Revelation. The cross gave the world a Savior. And the trials of God’s people will prepare them for an everlasting kingdom. (Rev 12:11). The kingdom spoken of in “the everlasting gospel.” (Rev 14:6-7) Then, “at just such a time as this” (Esther 4:14) they will fully understand David’s words:

“Thou hast enlarged me when I was in distress.” (Psalms 4:1)

Their testimony will be:

“My shadows became light.” “My sorrows became strength.” “My chains became freedom.” “My fetters were wings.”

Friends, the question today is not whether distress will come. The question is not even how do I get out of the crises, or through it? But the question is going to be “do we trust Christ when the distress comes? Will we allow Him to use our trials to enlarge our faith? Will we let Him burn away the bonds that still hold us? Will we permit Him to prepare us for the final outpouring of His Spirit? Will we learn now to trust Him completely so that when earth’s last crisis arrives, our confidence rests securely in Him?

Jesus THE Christ (Mat 16:20) is seeking a people who will stand with Him, just as the three Hebrews stood in that fiery furnace. A people who will receive His Spirit as the disciples received it. A people who will cling to Him as Jacob clung to Him. A people who can say with David:

“Thou hast enlarged me when I was in distress.” (Psalms 4:1)

“The salvation that Christ made such a sacrifice to gain for us all, is that which is alone of value, that which saves from sin. Sin being the cause of all the misery and woe in our world. Mercy extended to the sinner is constantly drawing them to Jesus. If they respond, coming in penitence with confession, in faith laying hold of the hope set before them in the gospel, God will not despise the broken and contrite heart. Thus the law of God is not weakened, but the power of sin is broken, and the scepter of mercy is extended to the penitent sinner. {6BC 1072.3}

Our fetters become wings. (Isa 40:31)

The eagle of the Alps is sometimes beaten down by the tempest into the narrow defiles of the mountains. Storm clouds shut in this mighty bird of the forest, their dark masses separating her from the sunny heights where she has made her home. Her efforts to escape seem fruitless. She dashes to and fro, beating the air with her strong wings, and waking the mountain echoes with her cries. At length, with a note of triumph, she darts upward, and, piercing the clouds, is once more in the clear sunlight, with the darkness and tempest far beneath. So we may be surrounded with difficulties, discouragement, and darkness. Falsehood, calamity, injustice, shut us in. There are clouds that we cannot dispel. We battle with circumstances in vain. There is one, and but one, way of escape. The mists and fogs cling to the earth; beyond the clouds God’s light is shining. Into the sunlight of His presence we may rise on the wings of faith. {Ed 118.2}

Seeking our own wings through our own fetters, our testimony becomes:

“Thou hast enlarged me when I was in distress.” (Psalms 4:1)

May that be the testimony of God’s people today, and throughout eternity. May your fetters become your wings of faith is my prayer in Jesus’ name.

Amen.

Shallow Ground?

Reading Time: 3 minutes

“Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus. (Rev 14:12, KJV)

Revelation 14:12 and Revelation 22:11 stand near the close of Scripture, and together they reveal one of the most important truths in the Bible. Revelation 14:12 shows God’s people during earth’s final crisis: “Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.” Revelation 22:11 shows the close of probation, when every destiny is forever fixed: “He that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still.”

The connection is profound. Revelation 14:12 describes a people whose character is being revealed before the world. Revelation 22:11 describes that same character as permanently settled before the universe. But, the patience, faith, and obedience seen in Revelation 14 do not suddenly appear during the crisis. They are the result of years of daily surrender to Christ. In the everlasting gospel, little things mean big things. When Revelation 22:11 is finally pronounced, Heaven is not creating character; it is recognizing character that has already been formed.

This truth is also illustrated in Christ’s parable of the sower. Speaking of the seed that fell on stony ground, Scripture says there was “not much earth” (Matthew 13:5). The seed sprang up quickly, but because it lacked depth, it could not endure the heat of the sun.

The book called “Streams in the Desert” makes a searching application:

“Shallow! … those who have no real purpose, are moved by a tender appeal, a good sermon, a pathetic melody, and at first it looks as if they would amount to something; but not much earth– no depth, no deep, honest purpose, no earnest desire to know duty in order to do it. Let us look after the soil of our hearts.”

What a vivid description of superficial religion. A person may be stirred by truth, impressed by a sermon, or moved by a spiritual experience, yet never allow God’s Word to sink deeply enough to transform the life. There may be emotion without conviction, interest without commitment, and profession of faith without perseverance and change of character. Such faith flourishes briefly but cannot survive testing.

The saints of Revelation 14 are different. Their faith is rooted deeply in Christ. They have learned to trust Him in ordinary days before they are called to trust Him in extraordinary ones. Their obedience has been practiced in small decisions long before it is tested in the great ones. Their patience has been cultivated through countless trials. Their roots have grown deep.

This is why the final crisis does not destroy them. The heat that withers shallow faith only reveals the strength of faith that is deeply rooted. What appears in Revelation 14 is the visible evidence of what has been growing for years beneath the surface.

The lesson for us today is clear. Character is formed now. Every day we are either deepening our roots in Christ or allowing our experience to remain shallow. Every prayer, every act of obedience, every surrender of self, every step of faith is helping to form the character that will one day be fully revealed. The final events will not create loyalty to God; they will reveal whether loyalty has become part of who we are. This is one reason why Christians can say that with God, “crises equals opportunity.”

Therefore, while mercy still invites and probation still lingers, I pray that we all might heed the counsel:

“Let us look after the soil of our hearts.”

Let us seek more than religious excitement. Let us seek depth. Even in the little things. Let us ask God for a deep and honest purpose to know His will and do it. Then, when the patience of the saints is fully manifest before the world, we will stand among those whose roots are firmly planted in Christ and whose characters have been prepared by His grace.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, I ask You to examine the soil of my heart. Remove every hardness, every shallowness, and every obstacle to Your Word having free course in my soul. Give me deep roots in Christ, a sincere love for truth, and a steadfast desire to obey You. Form within me a character that reflects Jesus and can endure every trial. May my faith grow deeper each day until it is settled forever in You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

We Found No One Inside

Reading Time: 9 minutes

“…We Found No One Inside…” (Acts 5:23)

“…The prison truly found we shut with all safety, and the keepers standing without before the doors: but when we had opened, we found no one within.”

The authorities had done everything they could to secure the apostles in that prison:

The prison was locked. The guards were standing at their posts. The official security system appeared intact. And yet, the prisoners were gone! plain vanished into thin air! Now this phrase “we found no man within” is more than a report of an empty jail. It is evidence that God had acted in a way that human power could neither prevent nor explain (Acts 5:19).

For the Jewish leaders, the empty prison exposed the limits of their authority. They could arrest the apostles. Lock doors. Post guards. But they could not imprison the work of God. This reminds us of the empty tomb of Christ. The authorities could seal the tomb and post a watch, but when they came to inspect the situation, the One they sought to contain was no longer there (Matt. 28:2-6). In both cases, human power encountered an empty place where it expected to find a captive.

My friends, today I want to propose that the prison can represent various forms of bondage. Fear. Sin. Tradition. Human control. Spiritual oppression. Among many other things. But when Christ sets someone free, observers may return to the place where that person used to be and “find no one inside.” The old prisoner is gone. Paul expresses a similar truth when he says: “If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away.” (2 Cor. 5:17)

The prison may still be standing, but the captive has been released.

Today, in our so called modern age, we see things like

Empty religion, where many people inspect churches, denominations, or religious systems and find the structure quite intact. The doors are there. The traditions are there. The organization is there. But sometimes they “find no one inside” spiritually. The form remains while the life of God is absent. “There Is No One Inside.”

Jesus once said, and yes, this applies to us today:

“Thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead.” (Rev. 3:1)

A building can be full of people. The Church can have lots of members. And yet no one can be found who wants “Christ in you, the hope in Glory.” A Church can be completely empty of spiritual life. A believer may once have been imprisoned by a particular sin. Months or years later, Satan returns to the same prison cell expecting to find the old captive there. Instead, through Christ’s power, “he found no one inside.” The bondage remains available, but the prisoner has been set free.

The failure of persecution is everywhere in the history of God’s Church. Governments have repeatedly tried to suppress God’s work. They close churches, imprison believers, confiscate literature, and restrict preaching. Yet later investigators often discover that the message has simply spread further than before. The prison is secure.
The guards are present. But the prisoners themselves are gone. The work of God in the hearts of mankind has moved beyond the reach of those barriers.

“Church of the living God,” (1 Tim 3:15) We are “the pillar and ground of the truth!” (1 Tim 3;15). It’s high time to WAKE UP! Because the enemy seeks to hold God’s people under the sentence of death and under the power of this world. Yet when Christ returns, the graves themselves will be emptied out. (Acts 24:15). The greatest prison today my friends is the tomb. And like the apostles’ prison, the tomb of death will not be able to hold those whom God releases. The resurrection is coming because our Jesus is coming! And then it will be noised abroad “O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?” (1 Cor. 15:55)

Let’s look again at our opening text. Notice that the officers found everything exactly as expected except for the people. The prisoners themselves. The doors were shut. The guards were present. The procedures had worked. The only thing missing was the imprisoned apostles.

Doesn’t this often describes God’s work today? Of course God can accomplish His purposes without necessarily removing the obstacles first. Sometimes the doors remain closed while He delivers His people anyway.

Israel walked through a sea that should have stopped them. Daniel’s friends stand unharmed in a fiery furnace. Christ leaves a sealed tomb. The apostles leave a locked prison. As human beings, we usually focus on the barriers. But God focuses on the people whom He intends to deliver. The result is that others come expecting to find captives and instead “find no one inside.”

That theme runs through Scripture from Genesis to Revelation. Again and again, people see an obstacle, while God sees a person He intends to save. And today, many of us remain prisoners of the obstacles we see.

The Red Sea — The barrier becomes the pathway. Israel saw an impossible obstacle: “And they said unto Moses, Because there were no graves in Egypt, hast thou taken us away to die in the wilderness?” (Ex. 14:11)

God saw a people He intended to deliver: “Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD.” (Ex. 14:13)

The sea remained a sea until God opened a way through it. The obstacle was real, but it was never the determining factor. In Jericho, the walls were not the issue. Jericho’s walls dominated the spies’ earlier report and the fears of the people. Yet God began with:

“See, I have given into thine hand Jericho.” (Josh. 6:2)

The walls were still standing when God declared victory. Human eyes saw barriers; God saw delivered people. Regarding Daniel’s Friends. Well, the fire was not the story! Nebuchadnezzar focused on the furnace. But Jesus
focused on three faithful men. Afterward the king observed: “I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt.” (Dan. 3:25) The fire remained, but the captives were free. In fact, the only thing lost was their bonds (Dan. 3:24-25).

Then there was Daniel in the Lions’ Den. Now, The king saw an irreversible decree and a den of lions. But Jesus saw Daniel. The next morning when the King came to see if Daniel was there, Daniel shared the following testimony:

“My God hath sent his angel, and hath shut the lions’ mouths.” (Dan. 6:22)

The lions were still there. But they could not touch the one God intended to preserve. (Rom 8:38-39)

Now, with Lazarus, death itself was not the barrier. Just as death could not hold Jesus in the tomb, neither can death hold the believer in the tomb! It’s truly amazing! Everyone around Jesus focused on the tomb. Martha even pointed out the practical impossibility when she said to Jesus:

“Lord, by this time he stinketh.” (John 11:39)

But Jesus focused only on Lazarus. Then came the command: “Lazarus, come forth.” (John 11:43) The tomb that others viewed as a final prison of Lazarus was merely a temporary situation that God might be glorified.

In Acts 12, we see Peter in Prison. This situation closely parallels Acts 5. Herod multiplied security measures, well beyond what was the usual procedure:

“And when Herod had apprehended Peter, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four quaternions of soldiers.” (Acts 12:4).

Now the Greek word translated “quaternion” (tetradion) literally means a group of four. So a quaternion of soldiers was four soldiers assigned as a unit. Since Acts says Peter was guarded by four quaternions, that means there were 16 soldiers in total assigned to his custody. Why so many? Roman military practice often divided guard duty into watches. One quaternion of four soldiers would be on duty at a time while the others waited for their turn. Acts 12:6 gives a glimpse of the arrangement:

“Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains: and the keepers before the door kept the prison.”

Typically, there would be two soldiers who were physically attached to the prisoner. While two more soldiers guarded the entrance. This made escape virtually impossible from a human perspective.

Yet Peter walked out. The chains fell off. The gates opened. And the guards were powerless. God was never concerned by the number of soldiers. Peter was not ever bound permanently even against “four quaternions!”

Paul summarizes things perfectly:

“The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations.” (2 Pet 2:9)

God’s attention is always going to be fixed on the deliverance, not on the apparent impossibility of the circumstances.

Consider the empty tomb. Now this might be the greatest example yet. The authorities had a sealed tomb. A great stone. Many Roman guards. Yet the angel announced:

“He is not here: for he is risen.” (Matt. 28:6)

The very place designed to hold Christ beyond recovery became the perfect evidence that it could not hold Him. Those who came looking for a captive found no one inside. The tomb of Jesus was empty! The tomb of Jesus is still empty today and that my friends is the difference between Christianity and all the other religions and their Gods. They all have someone still in the grave. But MY JESUS could not be kept therein. The angel proclaimed “He is not here, He is risen!” (Mat 28:6)

The Bible truth on Deliverance repeatedly emphasizes that God’s power is revealed precisely where human obstacles appear greatest:

“We had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead.” (2 Cor. 1:9)

Scripture reasons that if God can raise the dead, then no lesser barrier than death can ever prevent His purpose.

During the end times,deliverance reaches it’s culmination at Christ’s return:

“The sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them.” (Rev. 20:13)

Death is what we humans call the final prison. Yet even there, those who come looking for God’s people will eventually “find no one inside.” Every grave that holds a redeemed believer is only a temporary holding place where people await the return of jesus as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. (1 Thes 4:13-18)

A verse in the book of Isaiah ties many of these examples together:

“When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee… when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned.” (Isa 43:2)

Notice what God does not say here. He does not promise there will be no waters, no fire, no prison, no lions, no tomb. Creator’s promise is simply that none of those things will possess the person He intends to deliver. The Bible’s recurring testimony is not that God’s people avoid impossible situations, but that God repeatedly demonstrates HOW impossible situations cannot keep what belongs to Him.

“There is no wisdom nor understanding nor counsel against the LORD.” (Prov. 21:30)

Human authorities focus on the restraints; God focuses on His servants and His purpose for them. The result is that what appears impossible becomes a testimony to God’s power to save. The Bible says that the key to unlock the prison house of sin is found in true repentance:

“Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life.” (Acts 11:18)

Repentance is presented as the pathway leading to eternal life throughout the Bible. Peter contrasts perishing with coming to repentance, showing repentance to be God’s appointed alternative to destruction.

“The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.” Mark 1:14-15

Jesus’ own gospel message began with a call to repentance and faith.

A particularly strong way to summarize the biblical teaching is:

“Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish” (Luke 13:3, 5).

That verse directly supports the statement that a profession of faith without repentance cannot save, because Jesus Himself says that without repentance the result is perishing, not salvation. Repentance does not earn salvation, but Scripture consistently presents it as the ordained response to God’s grace. Faith and repentance are like two sides of the same coin: we turn from sin and turn to Christ.

If people do not repent, simply claiming to believe in God will not save them. They will still be prisoners of sin. Instead of focusing on our disagreements, our trials, our differences, we should listen to the message of Jesus, the True Witness. When God’s people humble themselves before Him and sincerely seek the Holy Spirit with all their hearts, a powerful witness will be heard everywhere. It will be like the message described in Revelation, where an angel comes from heaven with great power and the whole earth is filled with God’s glory. (Rev 18:1)

When we escape the prison house of sin, people’s faces will shine with the joy and love of God. Their words will be filled with spiritual power as they testify, “The blood of Jesus Christ, God’s Son, cleanses us from all sin.”

“But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.” (1 John 1:7)

Jesus is eager to pour out the gift of the Holy Spirit on His people in a much greater measure. Every day, believers are praying for God to fulfill this promise, and not one sincere prayer of faith is ever forgotten. Are your prayers among them?

After Jesus returned to heaven, the Holy Spirit came just as He had promised. The Spirit came with great power, like a rushing mighty wind, filling the place where the disciples were gathered. What happened as a result? Thousands of people accepted Christ in a single day.

We have long believed that a mighty angel will come from heaven and that the earth will be filled with God’s glory. When that happens, we will see a great harvest of people coming to Christ, similar to what took place on the Day of Pentecost.

My friends, the Truth is a Presence, not a thing, a fact, or a special statement. There is ONE present, a warm-hearted Friend, an all-powerful Savior and Lord. And this is the joyful truth for weeping hearts everywhere, whatever may be the hand that has drawn the tears; by whatever stream it be that your weeping willow is planted. This is why the prophet Isaiah declared

[My people]…”get up and shine, because your light has come, and the glory of the LORD shines on you.” (Isa 60:1, NCV)

“the glory of the LORD shines on you,” sets the focus on God’s glory illuminating His people. In the context of Isaiah 60:2–3, the reason Jerusalem can “get up and shine” is not because she generates light herself, but because the LORD shines upon her while darkness covers the earth. Nations are then drawn to that reflected light.

This connects closely with passages such as:

Daniel 12:3 — “they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament.”
Matthew 5:14–16 — “Ye are the light of the world… let your light so shine before men.”
Revelation 18:1 — the earth is lightened with the glory of the angel, an end-time echo of Isaiah 60’s theme.

The sequence in Isaiah 60:1-3 is significant: God’s glory shines on His people. His people shine. The nations are drawn to the light. What a wonderful day that will be when the graves are opened and “We Find No one Inside.”