Category: bible study

Reading Time: 3 minutes

Come here and listen; I will tell you everything God has done for me (Psalms 66:16, CEV)

Revelation 12:11 reveals both the ground of the believer’s victory and the means by which that victory is made manifest.

“And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death” (ESV).

The victory is not won through human strength or merit, but through the atoning blood of Christ, while the believer’s testimony bears witness to what that blood has accomplished. Such testimony is not limited to verbal confession; it is the visible outworking of a life transformed by grace. This is why the cultivation of gratitude and praise is so significant. A thankful heart testifies that Christ has already triumphed and that His people live in the assurance of His victory.

As by faith we behold Jesus, His joy and peace are reflected in our countenances, demonstrating the reality of our union with Him. Our faces become illuminated with the sunshine of His love, and our lives bear witness to the power of the gospel. When the Holy Spirit vivifies the soul, praise naturally overflows into a testimony that uplifts others who have not yet experienced the joy of Christ’s presence.

The “word of our testimony” encompasses both faithful proclamation and the quiet witness of lives radiant with gratitude, while the willingness to love not even life itself unto death reveals a complete allegiance to the Lamb who first gave Himself for them.

Psalm 66:16 extends the thought of Revelation 12:11 by inviting the redeemed to publicly declare what God has done:

“All who worship God, come here and listen; I will tell you everything God has done for me” (CEV).

The “word of their testimony” is therefore not an abstract confession but a personal witness to the saving acts of God in the life of the believer. Those who have overcome by the blood of the Lamb have something worth telling because their story is ultimately Christ’s story of redeeming grace. Instead of sputtering over “testimonies” of history, the transformed believer will simply echo HIS – STORY.

Such testimony is strengthened by a spirit of gratitude and praise, for thanksgiving acknowledges God’s continual faithfulness and magnifies His work rather than our own. As the Holy Spirit fills the heart with the joy and peace of Christ, that inward transformation is reflected in both word and demeanor.

A countenance brightened by the sunshine of His love, a life marked by humble praise, and a willingness to speak openly of God’s goodness together become a compelling testimony that invites others to “come and hear” what the Lord has done. In this way, the writers of Psalm 66:16 and Revelation 12:11 unite in presenting testimony as both proclamation and demonstration of “the everlasting gospel.” The grateful declaration of God’s mighty acts through lips that praise Him and lives that unmistakably bear the evidence of His redeeming power. This is what will move the world in these last day events that our world is embroiled in.

People of The Savior, RISE UP. Jesus your Light IS come. And the glory of our Creator God has risen upon you! (Isa 60:1) May your life become a living worship song.

Reading Time: 6 minutes

“…there was silence, then I heard a voice…” Job 4:16 (ESV)

Perhaps Creator is waiting in the very depths of my being to speak to me, if only I would become still enough to hear His voice. It sounds like a relatively simple thought. An easy concept to go with. A very searching thought. I often assume that if God wishes to speak, He will simply overwhelm me with His presence. Yet as I struggle in my mess to hear His Voice, I see how that throughout Scripture we find something quite different. Again and again Creator calls His people to quietness, attentiveness, and trust. I am realizing now that my problem is seldom that Jesus has stopped speaking. More often, than not, it is that my stony heart has become far too crowded to listen. Kind of like when Joseph and Mary were told “there is no room at the Inn for Jesus.” My heart gets so crowded, that it becomes a prison. And I become it’s slave.

I couldn’t help but notice that as soon as I began to quiet myself and listen, a literal pandemonium of voices arose within me, each clamoring for the attention it believed it deserved. Some were my own voices. My personal life questions, my fears, my memories, my endless analyses. Trying to come up with reasons why Creator God could or couldn’t do the endless barrage of my petitions to Him. My prayers, would be repeated so urgently that I scarcely left room for God to answer them. Others carried the subtle suggestions of the tempter, whispering doubt, accusation, anxiety, or despair. Still others echoed the world’s constant turmoil: its demands, its fears, its endless stream of opinions and distractions.

The unrest these voices produce is exhausting. They pull me in opposite directions until I find it too difficult to rest. Too hard to think clearly. Impossible to discern the next faithful step that Jesus wanted me to take. Instead of peace there is often confusion. Instead of confidence there is pressure. My soul became like the troubled sea that “cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt” (Isaiah 57:20).

Yet, in the midst of the toss and turmoil of my times of wandering, Creator is wonderfully patient. Jesus is always there. Jesus will never leave nor forsake me. But Jesus does not usually compete with the noise. Jesus will wait. Our Lord of glory, our personal Savior can be seen waiting just for me. Just for you. As I slowly, sometimes very stubbornly learn to “be still,” there emerges from the depths of my being a Voice unlike all the others. The Voice of Jesus does not shout at me. The Voice of Jesus does not try to manipulate me. The Voice of Jesus does not accuse me. The Voice of Jesus does not demand my attention through fear. The Voice of Jesus does not ever use F.alse E.vidence A.ppearing R.eal. The Voice of Jesus carries an authority that requires no volume. The Voice of Jesus comes with a certainty that never needs argument.

The Voice of Jesus is in verity, the still, small Voice spoken of in the Bible. The Voice of Jesus is that still small Voice that speaks to my soul. My innermost being. The Bible reminds us that the prophet Elijah did not encounter the Lord in the great wind, the earthquake, or the fire, but in “a quiet, gentle voice.” (1 Kings 19:12, ERV).

Elijah knew that the sound of a gentle whisper was God’s voice. He realized that God doesn’t reveal himself only in powerful, miraculous ways. To look for God only in something big (such as rallies, churches, conferences, highly visible leaders, or special books) may be just how to miss Him because Creator is often found gently whispering in the quietness of a humbled heart. Are you listening for God? Step back from the noise and activity of your busy life and listen humbly and quietly for his guidance. It may come when you least expect it.

God’s strength is not absent from dramatic displays, yet in some cases His personal communication comes through a quiet, gentle stillness. The One who spoke galaxies into existence also knows how to speak softly enough for my listening heart.

What surprises me most is not simply that God speaks so clearly, but how He speaks. In The Voice of our Lord of glory, there is an indescribable tenderness. This tenderness is not weakness. The Voice of God is the gentle strength of the Shepherd who gathers lambs in His arms and carries them close to His heart (Isaiah 40:11). The Voice of God is the compassion of Jesus who looks upon weary and burdened people and invites them to, “Come unto me…and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). The Voice of God is the kindness of the Father who remembers that we are but dust (Psalm 103:13-14).

In God’s Voice, there is unmistakable power. Not the power that crushes, intimidates, or dominates, but the quiet authority that speaks light into darkness and peace into troubled hearts. One word from “the Christ” calmed a raging sea. One word from “the Christ” raised the dead. One word from “the Christ” forgave sinners. The same risen Lord still speaks with life giving authority. As we are told: “…the word of God is living and active…” (Hebrews 4:12). His voice reaches places that no human reasoning or emotional effort can ever reach.

When I hear God’s Voice, there is a profound comfort.

Not merely relief from difficult circumstances, but the deep assurance that I was not facing them alone. Jesus did promise His followers, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid” (John 14:27). The Holy Spirit, whom Jesus called “another Comforter” or Advocate (John 14:16-17, 26), ministers that peace within us, reminding us that we belong to Christ and that nothing can separate us from His love (Romans 8:38-39).

This tenderness, power, and comfort could never arise from human optimism or positive thinking. No “cognitive therapy,” or “behavior modification” needed. These three things: tenderness, power, and comfort, all flow from the living presence of the risen Christ dwelling by His Spirit within His people. The The Voice of Christ reaches beyond our emotions into the deepest places of the heart. Where fear slowly gives way to trust. Where striving begins to surrender to faith.

This is how my spirit drinks in the life of our risen Lord. This is how I go forth to life’s conflicts, disappointments, responsibilities, and joys like a flower that has quietly absorbed, through the shades of night, the cool and crystal drops of morning dew. Hidden from the world’s attention, nourishment has already taken place. Strength has already been given. Life has already been received. The flower does not manufacture the dew. It simply receives it. And we are told that when we receive Jesus, He will give us power to be, or to become “the sons and daughters of God.” (John 1:12)

So it is with grace. But just as the morning dew never settles on a stormy night, so the refreshing dews of our Creator’s grace seldom settle upon the restless, hurried, distracted soul. Yes, God is always gracious, yet we often become so occupied with the noise around us, and within us that we fail to notice the quiet ways He comes to refresh His children.

The invitation remains as relevant today as ever: “Be still, and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10). Quietness is not an escape from life but preparation for it. It is not passivity but thoughtful faith. In stillness we discover that the Shepherd has never stopped speaking. We simply learn, little by little, to recognize our Shepherd’s voice.

Perhaps today Creator is not asking us to do more, strive harder, or search farther? Perhaps He is simply inviting us to become still enough, long enough to hear Him clearly.

Jesus assures us: “I am the Good Shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.” “I am the Good Shepherd, and know My sheep, and am known of Mine. As the Father knoweth Me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down My life for the sheep.” {DA 476.1}

Here, Jesus found access to the minds of His hearers by the pathway of their familiar associations. Jesus had likened the Spirit’s influence to the cool, refreshing water. Jesus had represented Himself as the light, the source of life and gladness to nature and to man. Now in a beautiful pastoral picture Jesus represents His relation to those that believe on Him. No picture was more familiar to His hearers than this, and Christ’s words linked it forever with Himself. Never could the disciples look on the shepherds tending their flocks without recalling the Savior’s lesson. They would see Christ in each faithful shepherd. They would see themselves in each helpless and dependent flock. {DA 476.2}

“For His sheep know His voice, and they follow Him because they recognize the One who speaks life to their souls.” (John 10:27).

Reading Time: 7 minutes

Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill. (Mat 5:17, KJV)

There are many well meaning Christians today who have decided to go with whatever some Pastor or church has told them to believe about the law of God somehow being “cancelled,” or “no longer needed,” because Jesus has “fulfilled” the law. Jesus did state that His purpose in coming here in the Incarnate form was to “fulfil” the law. The logical question for us to ask now is simply, “OK, what did/does Jesus mean when He says this to us today?

One of the worst things people sometimes do in studying this topic is to quote things out of their intended context as revealed in Scripture. The topic of “fulfilling” the law is one of the biggest ways that people use to defend their positions of “the law is not something we can keep, or need to even try to keep.” “Jesus fulfilled the law so we don’t have to,” they say. The context in Mat 5:17 is found right in the text itself, especially in the next two verses, so lets look at those texts first:

Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. (Mat 5:17-19, KJV)

Whatever you might currently believe now about the law being “fulfilled, it is certainly apparent that Jesus was not telling us to ignore it or to not try to keep His law. In fact, Jesus expands the application of the law to our modern day use and says that the law even applies to our thoughts. This is how Jesus says it in Mat 5:21-22

“Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment:But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.”

It is obvious that one of the functions of God’s law is to govern our thoughts. To establish our thought life according to God’s ways which are most certainly reflected in God’s laws. Paul expresses this idea very well when he said “the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;”(2 Cor 10:4-5).

God’s ten commandment law is a literal transcript of His character and if we are to reach the point of “Christ in you the hope in glory,” then we would want to also draw on His law for our guide in all things. There is no sensible Bible reason to ignore or negate or disobey it. The Psalmist gives the ultimate description of God’s law when he says

“The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple. (Psalms 19:7)

We serve a wonderful God who would never lie or contradict Himself so if someone wants to use His Word in such a way as to make it look like God says something in one place, yet cancels that word in another place, they are simply reflecting a very unhelpful interpretation of the Bible. 2 Cor 10:4-5, and Psalms 19: 7 connect quite naturally to the idea of Christ “fulfilling the law” in Matthew 5:17 because they both point beyond mere external obedience of God’s law to the deeper work God intends the law to accomplish in the human heart. God’s intentions for His law is the same in both Old and New Testaments.

Psalm 19:7 says, “The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul.” The law was never merely a list of regulations, that we cannot keep, that we are to go through and check off one by one. The law’s purpose was/is transformative. God’s law reveals God’s character, exposes sin, and leads a person toward repentance and restoration. The first four commandments describe our relationship to God, and the last six commandments describe our relationships with other people.

When Jesus says He came not to destroy the law but to fulfill it, He is not speaking merely of keeping commandments externally. Jesus fulfills the very purpose for which the law was given. Jesus did all that he did the same way we are supposed to do ourselves, today. Jesus depended completely on God to live His life here on earth. The Father’s law aims at the conversion of the soul, and Christ accomplishes that work in those who come to Him just as they are. The law can reveal the problem, but Christ provides the remedy. In that sense, He brings the law’s intended ministry to its fullest expression. (see Eph 2;13)

Jesus demonstrated how God’s law is supposed to look like in the life of all believers. Therefore the law is essentially both a mirror, and a road map for Christians today. The law is a mirror because we can use it to compare ourselves to, and see where we need to go or what we need to do next. It can be painful to see where our short coming are but this is what we are supposed to see when we look into the “mirror” of God’s law. God’s law also functions as a road map in telling us how to decide on matters or situations that may arise where we are not sure how to proceed and so it also serves as our map to follow in living the Christian life today.

Its very hard to think that Jesus ever came to abolish all this. The Bible does not support such an idea. How can anyone trust in a God who would reverse His own laws. His own principles which define both who He is and what we are to become? Paul makes this matter much clearer in the last verse of Romans 3:31

“Does this mean that by this faith we do away with the Law? No, not at all; instead, we uphold the Law.”

The reason that Christians must uphold all of God’s law, that is, the Ten Commandments, is very simple. They were never done away with on the cross, and as Paul also told us

“Whosoever commits sin transgresses the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.”(1 John 3:4).

Christians who deny that the cross upholds the law, and the very plain teachings of Scripture which inform us that it was not the law that was “done away with on the cross,” rather it was “sin in the flesh” that was done away on the cross:

“For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh” (Rom 8:3)

Jesus came into the world and died so that sin would be defeated. He did not come to make peace with sin or leave sin in our lives. Jesus does not save people “in their sins” Jesus saves people “from their sins.” Jesus came to free believers from sin’s power. Jesus came to take away sin’s guilt, and to one day remove it completely from our lives. If sin is transgression of God’s ten commandment law, then Jesus came to enable us to keep His commandments by asking us to receive Him into our hearts so that He can “enable us to become the sons and daughters of God.” (John 1:12)

The Bible is always emphasizing that Christ’s work is against sin in every way. Not against His own law which “converts the soul.” (Psalms 19:7) “The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul.” The testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple. Jesus is not merely forgiving sin while leaving it untouched; He is actively working to destroy sin’s power. (John 1:12) Sin no longer has to rule the believer. Believers will have no more guilt. Believers are forgiven and no longer condemned. Ultimately, sin itself will be completely removed from the believer, a work that begins now and is completed before the second coming of Jesus. This all fits well with passages such as Romans 8:3,

“God condemned sin in the flesh”, 1 John 3:8, “The Son of God appeared for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil”, and Titus 2:14, “to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own”.

When we think of instructions, decrees, and commandments, we often think of rules that keep us from having fun. From enjoying our lives. But here we see the opposite. God’s laws revive us, make us wise, bring joy to the heart, give insight, warn us, and reward us. God’s laws are guidelines and lights for our path, rather than chains on our hands and feet. They point at danger to warn us, and then point at success to guide us.

“The law of the Lord is perfect.” “converting the soul.”

As Christians, we “establish the law.” We are enabled to keep “the law of the Lord thy God.” Jesus said it very clearly. There can be no mistake. “If ye love me, keep my commandments.” (John 14:15). Obedience to God is indeed possible in our humanity. We are to serve Jesus in the nature we have,just as He served God in the nature we have. We serve Jesus in the nature that has been redeemed by His own blood. (Eph 2:13). In the righteousness of Christ we shall be enabled to stand before God pardoned, and as though we had never sinned. We are to turn in faith to Jesus Christ, and show our love to God through obedience to His commands:

“If we say we know God but do not obey his commands, we are lying. The truth is not in us. But when we obey God’s teaching, his love is truly working in us. This is how we know that we are living in him. If we say we live in God, we must live the way Jesus lived.” (1 John 2:4-6).

Jesus always fulfilled the law. So should we that others might see His true character and goodness, instead of pointless behavior modifications, and religiosity. True religion is the imitation of Christ. Those who follow Christ will deny self, take up the cross, and walk in His footsteps. Following Christ means obedience to all His commandments. Rev 14:4 tells us that the people who make it to Heaven are they which “followed The Lamb wherever He went.” “The LORD’S laws are right. They make people happy. The LORD’S commands are good. They show people the right way to live.” (Psalms 19:8, ERV)

Reading Time: 11 minutes

Reflections on 1 Thessalonians 5:5

“You are all children of the light and children of the day. We don’t belong to the night or darkness.” (1 Thessalonians 5:5, ERV)

When I read these words from Paul, I immediately notice that he is not merely giving information. He is reminding believers of who they are. He does not say, “Try to become children of light.” He says, “You are all children of the light.” This is a statement about our identity before it is a command for behavior. The Christian life begins here. If I want to live differently, I must understand who I can become through Christ.

There are times when I look at myself and I see my weaknesses, failures, and shortcomings. I remember past mistakes and present struggles. Some days I feel like I am literally drowning in my shortsightedness, and in my attempts at “being good,” trying to keep this person or that person “happy.”  Yet, Paul directs my attention away from what I once was, sometimes even from what I really am, and toward what God wants to or has made me into. Through faith in Jesus Christ, I am no longer identified with darkness. I am now counted among the children of light. This is not because of my goodness but because of God’s amazing love, mercy, and grace. The Bible tells us that ALL who are afar off are made near by the blood of Christ. (Eph 2:13)

The contrast between light and darkness does run throughout Scripture. It has become an outright war. A great controversy between good and evil. A literal fight to the death between light and dark. From the very beginning, God spoke light into existence. Light became a symbol of Creators presence. Light became a symbol of Creator’s truth. Light became a symbol of Creator’s purity. The Creator’s Light IS the symbol and source of eternal life. Jesus Himself says “I am the light of the world.” (John 8:12) The full verse reads: “Then spoke Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: they that follow me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.”  It is interesting too, to note how Rev 14:4, in describing people who made it to Heaven as “they that followed The Lamb, wherever He goes.”

In Scripture, darkness often represents ignorance. Darkness represents deception. Darkness represents sin. Darkness represents separation from God. Paul is drawing upon this biblical imagery when he tells seekers and believers that they belong to the light and the day.

I find it very meaningful that Paul says we are children of light. A child naturally shares the characteristics of his father and household. In the same way, those who have been born of God should increasingly reflect His character. In The Book of Heaven, light is not merely around us; it is meant to be within us. Jesus Himself declared, “I am the light of the world” (John 8:12). Those who follow Him are brought out of darkness and into His marvelous light.

This truth reminds me of what Peter wrote: “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people who belong to God. You were chosen to talk about the wonderful acts of God, who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” (1 Peter 2:9, ERV). It is the same truth in the Old Testament where the Psalmist says, “Come and hear, all ye that fear God, and I will declare what he hath done for my soul.” (Psalms 66:16)

Notice that God calls us out of darkness. Darkness is not our destination. Darkness is what we are rescued from. Every seeker, every believer has experienced this in some measure. We may have lived in confusion, self-deception, pride, fear, or unbelief. Yet Creator God has shone His light into our hearts. God has revealed Christ to us. There are a thousand ways that God has done this. Our Heavenly Father has showed us our need and His provision. God’s Holy Educating Spirit has opened our eyes to truth. (John 16:13-14)

I can identify with this personally. Before God’s Word began to shape my thinking, there were many things I assumed were true simply because they were commonly accepted. Especially at Church. Yet the light of Scripture has a way of exposing what is hidden. It reveals both God’s character and my own condition. Sometimes that process is uncomfortable, but I am finding how it is always beneficial. (Rom 8:28)

Long before I became a Christian, I worked as a palliative care nurse. Early in my nursing career, I was assigned to a young police officer who had been diagnosed with an astrocytoma. He had a wife and two teenage sons. When I first met him, he was able to carry on thoughtful, animated conversations. Yet over the course of only three months, I watched the disease steadily take everything from him. Eventually, on Christmas Eve, he died with his family at his bedside. I was there with the family. He was the first palliative care patient I had that died on my watch.

Throughout the experience I remained professional. I did everything my training required me to do. I supported the family, carried out my responsibilities, and appeared composed, as they later stated. But after he died, something inside me began to unravel. On the drive home, I broke down completely. I was only in my early thirties myself. I did not know how to process what I had witnessed. I had spent months watching a young husband and father die, and suddenly I found myself confronted with questions that no amount of professional training could answer. Questions about life, death, suffering, meaning, and what lies beyond the grave.

The next day, I happened to open an old blue trunk that had been sitting untouched for years. It contained old photographs, papers, and forgotten belongings from another season of my life. Buried in the bottom was a small white Bible. Years earlier, a well-meaning Christian had given it to me in the hope that I might read it and be “converted.” But I had little interest at the time. I had simply tossed that Bible into the trunk and forgotten about it for many years.

When the moment that The Holy Spirit had been waiting for arrived, as I opened that Bible, it fell open to a passage I had never intentionally searched for: 1 Thessalonians chapter 5. My eyes settled on verse 5:

“You are all children of the light and children of the day. We don’t belong to the night or darkness.”

At the time, I knew very little about Scripture, but those words struck me with unusual force. Looking back now, I can see that I was living in darkness. Not necessarily a life of outward wickedness, but darkness in the biblical sense of not knowing. I did not know God. I did not understand death. I had no real framework for hope beyond the grave. I had encountered suffering face to face and discovered that all my nursing and psychological education and experience could not answer the deepest questions of the human heart.

Yet in that moment, God began shining light into my own darkness.

Years later, when I reflected on Paul’s words in 1 Thes 5:5, I realized that before a person can become a child of light, the light must first reach them somehow. (Rom 10:14). In my experience, God often does that in unexpected ways. Sometimes He uses a sermon. Sometimes He uses a conversation. Sometimes a song or a dream. Sometimes God uses a tragedy that forces me to confront realities I would rather avoid. In my case, He used the death of a young police officer, an old forgotten Bible, and a verse that seemed to be waiting for me when I finally opened its pages.

That experience taught me something I have never forgotten. The light of God is not merely information and facts that I collect to say, “I am right, you are wrong.” The Light of Christ is illumination. It allows me to see reality. It shows us all who we really are, who God really is, and where hope can be found when every earthly answer fails. The psalmist wrote it like this:

“Your word is like a lamp that guides my steps, a light that shows the path I should take.” (Psalm 119:105, ERV)

As children of light, we are people who walk by that light. We do not create the light ourselves. We receive the light from God through His Word and through His Holy, Educating Spirit. Day by day, Scripture illuminates our path. It exposes dangers, corrects errors, and directs our steps. Comforts us in our distress.

“Practical truth must be brought into our personal life, and the Word, like a sharp, two-edged sword, must cut away the surplus of self that there is in our characters.”  (7BC 928.9)

“For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.”  (Heb 4:12-13)

Now, Paul’s statement in 1 Thessalonians 5:5 occurs within a bigger picture discussion about the return of Christ. He reminds believers that the Day of the Lord will come unexpectedly upon the world. Those living in spiritual darkness will be caught unprepared. Yet believers are reminded that we are not supposed to be surprised. Earlier Paul wrote:

“But you, brothers and sisters, are not living in darkness. That day will not surprise you like a thief.” (1 Thessalonians 5:4, ERV)

This challenges us all to consider whether we are living with spiritual vigilance. Are we walking in the light? Children of light are not asleep to spiritual realities. We recognize that history, as in HIS-STORY, is moving toward God’s appointed conclusion. We understand that Christ will return. Therefore, we seek to live thoughtfully, prayerfully, and faithfully, “in spirit and in truth.” (John 4:23-24)

Now, the very next verses after 1 Thes 5:5 continue with this thought:

“So, we should not be like other people. We should not be sleeping but should be awake and have self-control.” (1 Thessalonians 5:6, ERV)

According to Scripture, being awake is more than some sort of astute physical awareness. It is spiritual attentiveness. Spiritual vigilance. It means paying attention to God’s voice. It means allowing His Word to examine my heart. (Heb 4:12). It means resisting the spiritual drowsiness that can come from becoming too comfortable with the world around me. Or with church accomplishments. Or perceived “spiritual prowess.” (Rev 3:17)

I think many believers can relate to this struggle. It is so easy to become distracted. Daily responsibilities, entertainment, so called social media, concerns about finances, political debates, troubles at Church, troubles at home, and countless other matters can compete to consume our attention. None of these things are necessarily wrong in themselves, but they can gradually dull our spiritual senses if we are not careful to keep them from becoming more important than God. Is there something in your life that you have allowed to become bigger than your Creator God? Something more important than Jesus?

Paul is calling us back to our identity. We are “children of the day.” Daylight is associated with visibility and openness. Being awake. Things are seen clearly in the daytime. Likewise, followers of Christ are called to live transparent lives before God. Hidden sins thrive in darkness, but they lose their power when brought into the light.

“If we live in the light, as God is in the light, we can share fellowship with each other. Then the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from every sin.” (1 John 1:7, ERV)

What a beautiful promise. Walking in the light does not mean achieving perfection. It means living honestly before God. It means acknowledging our need of His mercy. The light does not merely expose sin; it also reveals the cleansing remedy and power provided through Jesus Christ. (John 1:12)

I am encouraged by that truth because every believer, including myself, still experiences weakness. We all still fall short. None of us are sinless. (Rom 3:23) Yet God does not ask me to hide my struggles. He calls me to bring them into His light where healing, forgiveness, and transformation can occur. (Rom 12:1-2) Paul also describes believers in Ephesians, using similar language:

“At one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. So, live like children who belong to the light.” (Ephesians 5:8, ERV)

Notice again the progression. First comes our identity, then our conduct. Because I am now light in the Lord, I should live accordingly. I will be enabled to live in the Light. (John 1:12). My actions should increasingly align with who God says what I am. The fruit of light includes goodness, righteousness, and truth. These qualities are not produced through human effort alone but through the work of God’s Spirit within us. (Gal 5:22-23).

“The influence of the Holy Spirit is the life of Christ in the soul. We do not see Christ and speak to Him, but His Holy Spirit is just as near us in one place as in another. It works in and through everyone who receives Christ. Those who know the indwelling of the Spirit reveal the fruits of the Spirit–love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith.” {6BC 1112.1}

As I reflect on 1 Thessalonians 5:5, I realize that Creator, through Paul, was/is offering both comfort and responsibility. Creator wants to walk us along the path to transformation. Not conformity. Transformation into “the image of God,” by being “children of the Light.” (Rom 12:1-2)

The comfort is, that we belong to Christ. We are “children of light and children of the day”. We have been called out of darkness. We have been given understanding through God’s Word. We have hope concerning the future because we know the One who holds the future. Our responsibility is to walk consistently with that identity. Children of light should not love darkness. Children of the day should not live as though they belong to the night. We are God’s children. We are called to remain awake, alert, and faithful while waiting for our Lord’s return.

Every morning when the sun rises, it silently testifies to the reality of light overcoming darkness. In a similar way, God intends for His people to reflect His light in a dark world. Through our words, our conduct, our faithfulness, and our love, others should catch glimpses of the character of Christ. “Arise. Shine. For thy light has come and the glory of The Lord is risen upon you!” (Isa 60:1)

When I read Paul’s words in 1 Thes 5:5, I hear them as both a declaration and an invitation. God declares what His people are: “children of light and children of the day.” Then He invites us to live in harmony with that reality. I believe that through that text of 1 Thes 5:5, that God began calling me out of darkness and “into His marvellous light.” (1 Pet 2:9)

This message has been about demonstrating something important about 1 Thessalonians 5:5 and beyond. Paul is not merely talking about moral behavior or behavioural modification trickery. He is talking about an entirely different way of seeing reality. Before that Christmas Eve, when I stood in the very presence of death, for the first time, with no light to interpret it; I was in darkness. I almost couldn’t handle it. It was too much. All I could do then was to cry for three days. But this precious text became part of God’s answer to that darkness. And this is exactly the kind of testimony that will allow us to connect our own experiences of grief, confusion, and unanswered questions to Paul’s declaration that we are called out of darkness and into Creator’s “marvelous light.” (1 Pet 2:9)

“The wrath of God is not declared against unrepentant sinners merely because of the sins they have committed, but because, when called to repent, they choose to continue in resistance, repeating the sins of the past in defiance of the light given them.” (AA 62.1)

“People who believe in God’s Son are not judged guilty. But people who do not believe are already judged, because they have not believed in God’s only Son. They are judged by this fact: The light has come into the world. But they did not want light. They wanted darkness, because they were doing evil things. Everyone who does evil hates the light. They will not come to the light, because the light will show all the bad things they have done. But anyone who follows the true way comes to the light. Then the light will show that whatever they have done was done through God [or not]. (John 3:19-21).

“A soul filled with the love of Jesus lends to the words, the manners, the looks, hope, courage and serenity. It reveals the spirit of Christ. It breathes a love which will be reflected. It awakens a desire for a better life; souls ready to faint are strengthened; those struggling against temptation will be fortified and comforted. The words, the expression, the manners throw out a bright ray of sunshine, and leave behind them a clear path toward heaven, the source of all light. Every one of us has opportunities of helping others. We are constantly making impressions upon [one another] about [what we are]. The expression of the countenance is itself a mirror of the life within. Jesus desires that we shall become like Himself, filled with tender sympathy, exerting a ministry of love in the small duties of life.”  {3BC 1156.6}

May we, God’s Church, His adopted sons and daughters, embrace the identity that our Creator God has given us. May we walk in His truth. May we remain awake and watchful. And may the light of Christ shine ever more brightly in our lives until the day we see Him face to face.

The path of those who live right is like the early morning light. It gets brighter and brighter until the full light of day. (Prov 4:18, ERV)

“For you are all children of the light and children of the day. We don’t belong to the night or darkness.” (1 Thessalonians 5:5, ERV)

Reading Time: 10 minutes

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself for our sins to deliver us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, (Gal 1:3-4, ESV)

“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.” (by EGW, SC 9.1)

The beautiful testimony of nature is wonderfully magnified by the gift of revelation. Just as the rain falls to nourish the soil, God’s written Word, Creator’s written promises are designed to revive the human soul, giving a clearer voice to the abundant beauty around us. Scripture and nature harmonize perfectly, revealing that the same hand which carved the majestic mountains has also traced a path for our personal peace. For our eternal life. As the psalmist notes

“The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork” (Psalm 19:1).

Every sunset is a promise of a new day at sunrise. The chance for a new start. Every sunrise becomes a visual reminder of His enduring mercy. Perfectly echoing the truths found within the pages of His Word.

This living testimony isn’t just a static backdrop for us; it is an active, speaking guide if we would pause to listen. Every rustling leaf, rushing stream, and changing season carries a rhythmic wisdom meant to ground our often-chaotic modern lives. When we are overwhelmed by the digital noise and anxieties of today, creation speaks a language of patience, steady growth, and resilience. Of “something new.” (Isa 43:19)  Here, Isaiah pictures a new Exodus for a people once again oppressed, as the Israelites had been as slaves in Egypt before the Exodus. They would cry to God, and again he would hear and deliver them. A new Exodus would take place through a new wilderness. But the past miracles were nothing compared to what God wants to do for his people in the future.

Praise God! In the wilderness, where we can enjoy nature, we are reminded that seasons of darkness and winter are necessary prerequisites for a fruitful, beautiful spring. As the book of Job indicates, “But now ask the beasts, and they will teach you; and the birds of the air, and they will tell you; or speak to the earth, and it will teach you” (Job 12:7-8).

Job expands on this profound truth in nature by challenging those who misunderstand life’s storms, essentially saying:

“Why do you insist that the Almighty brought this disaster to punish me? Every single creature on land, in the air, and in the sea. Along with everything that happens to them is the work of His hands, and all of creation recognizes Him as the ultimate Creator and Ruler.

This is a basic truth that nature teaches everyone. But using this fact to judge me, claiming that I am suffering because I am a hypocrite, is completely out of line. God directs everything with perfect wisdom and power; but as for why things happen the way they do, and why good and bad circumstances are scattered so randomly throughout nature and human life, you are just as clueless as I am.”

By tuning our hearts to the nature’s commentary that surrounds us, we find practical direction for our daily lives. Learning when to let go, how to weather the storms of life, and how to quietly align ourselves with a deeper, divine pace.

When we look closely at these natural teachers, their individual messages become stunningly clear. The delicate wildflowers blooming quietly on a hillside whisper of God’s intricate artistry, reminding us that our lives are beautiful and deeply seen by Him even when we feel unnoticed by the world.

The shifting clouds above remind us that no matter how dark or heavy a trial may seem, there is always light woven directly into it. The sun never ceases to shine on the other side of the shadow, promising that the overcast seasons of our life are only temporary.

The ancient, deeply rooted trees standing firm against fierce winds call us to anchor our souls in truth, teaching us the quiet power of resilience and steady endurance in Christ.

To experience the natural world this way gives a profound, modern meaning to the prophetic promise that “the mountains and the hills shall break forth into singing before you, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands” (Isaiah 55:12). Today, when the mountains “sing” or the trees “clap,” it means that when we walk in alignment with God’s peace, our perception of the world is completely transformed.

A landscape that once felt lonely, harsh, or indifferent suddenly becomes a sanctuary of praise. The roaring wind through a forest begins to sound like applause, cheering us onward, and the majestic silence of a mountain peak feels like a grand, reverent hymn. God’s beautiful creation show us how His joy is so expansive that it overflows into the very fabric of creation, and of humanity, inviting us to stop viewing ourselves as isolated travelers and instead see that in this life we may walk through a living house of worship that is actively supporting us.

I learned the depth of this firsthand during a very difficult, frightening chapter in my life. When my late wife was dying, escaping into the quiet sanctuary of nature became my literal therapy. Even in the dead of winter, when the world felt frozen, cold, and hopeless, I found an undeniable comfort in grounding myself against the earth. I would seek out a strong, steady tree with thick green moss cushioned beneath it. Even though there was snow in the rest of the forest. I would simply lie down there to sleep or pray for a while. I wonder, was this little sanctuary made just for me?

In those quiet moments, I made a conscious choice to notice every detail, photographing anything beautiful I could find as a way to anchor my soul. It was there, resting on that vibrant living carpet in the dead of winter, that I felt the close embrace of the Creator, fulfilling the promise of Psalm 23:2-3:

“He makes me to lie down in green pastures.” The Lord met me in my deepest grief and provided a refuge where my heavy heart could finally breathe.

When spring and summer arrived, that therapy shifted into a vibrant explosion of flowers and greenery. Walking among those blooms and capturing their colors through my camera lens was so profoundly uplifting that I literally felt like I had taken a happy pill. I became fascinated by their design. How some of these delicate flowers manage to grow even in the dark, shaded places where nothing else would grow, and how others instinctively close their petals at night to protect themselves from the biting cold, only to unfurl and look into our eyes again the very moment the morning sun breaks through.

Watching this daily rhythm made me feel deeply renewed, proving that the restoration God promises isn’t just a distant hope, but a present reality. It perfectly illustrated the truth of Lamentations 3:22-23: “Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.” Just as He engineered the flowers to survive the dark night and open to the morning light, He faithfully renews our spirits with every new dawn.

The boundless declarations of nature and revelation alike is not just painted in grand, sweeping landscapes; it is intimately woven into the tiniest details of everyday life. The precise balance of our world, where every creature finds its exact needs for shelter, food, and purpose, reflects a Father who cares deeply for the happiness of all He has made. When we observe this intentional design, this intelligent design, our own anxieties begin to fade. Jesus lovingly directed our attention to this truth, by saying

“Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?” (Matthew 6:26).

Since the Creator details the lives of the birds of the air with such loving precision, we can live with the quiet confidence that He is infinitely more attentive to the joys and heartaches of His children. The Bible even says that “God is love,” (1 John 4:8) and that “love never fails.” (1 Cor 13:8)

When we translate the natural rhythms of nature and revelation into our human experience, the parallel gives us hope, and is very comforting. For us, “closing up for protection” like a flower doesn’t mean a lack of faith or a permanent shutdown; rather, it looks like a healthy, God-given retreat inward when the emotional winter becomes too biting to bear. Jesus did say

“Come ye apart and rest awhile.” (John 6:37).

It is this kind of unforced rhythm of grace, that provides us the season of boundaries, of silent processing, and prayerful solitude, where we protect our fragile hearts from being completely overwhelmed by grief or fatigue until the light returns. When Creator “does a new thing.” (Isa 43:19)

When we are like the trees, we aren’t immune to the howling winds of hardship. We possess a hidden, deep-rooted stability. Outwardly, the storms of life may shake our branches and strip away what felt familiar, but inwardly, our souls are anchored deep into the unchanging truth of God’s love, allowing us to stand tall when everything else is falling apart all around us.

If I were to capture a photograph of a person who is seeing the light within the clouds, and tasting of the peace after a storm, that picture wouldn’t look like a life that has never known pain. When we see the light in our clouds, and paint a picture of that, our life does not suddenly become sanitized. Instead, the picture would show an amazing contrast: a face still marked by tear-stained cheeks, in scars of trauma and grief, yet illuminated by a soft, genuine smile. One might wonder where the smile even came from once they see all these other things in the picture.

But we should also see in such a picture, a posture of absolute rest and stillness renewing our body that was once tense with exhaustion. Eyes looking upward. Catching the unmistakable transformation of hope breaking through a heavy brow. Piercing the dark clouds with the light of Christ and His promises. Such a picture would be the portrait of a soul that has survived the downpour, standing in the refreshing calm of the aftermath, knowing with absolute certainty that the sun never truly stopped shining.

“God is love” is written upon every opening bud, upon every spire of springing grass. The lovely birds making the air vocal with their happy songs, the delicately tinted flowers in their perfection perfuming the air, the lofty trees of the forest with their rich foliage of living green, all testify to the tender, fatherly care of our God and to His desire to make His children happy. {by EGW, SC 10.1}

In the grand fabric of faith, this much needed, earthly renewal is the physical reflection of a much higher spiritual reality. The beckoning comfort found beneath the mossy trees, the resilience of a winter landscape, and the joy of a spring blossom, are all tangible whispers of the inclusive promise written in the New Testament that reads:

“Grace to you and peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father” (Galatians 1:3-4).

The deep sense of peace that meets us in the quiet sanctuaries of nature is not an illusion; it is a direct deposit of the divine grace flowing straight from the Creator’s heart. Because God’s love is the source that animates the sunshine and the rain, it finds its saving climax in the sacrifice of Christ, who gave Himself completely to anchor our souls in a peace that no earthly storm can tear away.

This beautiful connection of “nature and revelation alike” gives us the ultimate answer to the brokenness of our world. The “present evil age” that Paul writes about encompasses all of the heavy mysteries Job questioned. The random scatterings of heartache, the freezing winters of grief, and the agonizing pain of watching a loved one slip away. This is right where Creator can and will do a new thing, just as He does in the forest every year. As the delicate flowers are specially designed to close for protection and open victoriously to the morning sun, God has a special plan for our final rescue. Christ’s sacrifice was designed to pull us out of the despair of this broken world and deliver us into eternal restoration. When we step out into nature, or read our Bibles, we feel our spirits lifted, we are experiencing that beautiful, living prophecy, (Gal 1:3-4), of our ultimate deliverance.

Nature and revelation alike ultimately harmonize to tell us collectively, one singular story: the very same Father who meticulously cares for the birds, shapes the clouds, and cushions the forest floor is the God who has already given everything to secure your everlasting comfort, renewal, and peace.

When we read our opening text, (Gal 1:3-4), we see a powerful convergence between the general grace found in nature and the profound reality of salvation. While the quote from Steps to Christ invites us to look at the sunshine, the rain, and the hills as a daily broadcast of our Father’s love and care for our happiness. Galatians 1:3-4 focuses that same divine heart into a definitive, gift of something new that provides for our future. It reminds us that the Creator who masterfully designs the earth to gladden our physical lives is the exact same Father who orchestrated a sacrifice to bring salvation to our souls. Ultimately, while nature showcases God’s love through the beauty around us, revelation anchors that love for us in the ultimate gift of redemption. In the promise of eternal life. (John 3:16-19)

Grounding ourselves in this dual witness of love found in nature and revelation alike, can fundamentally shape our individual purpose, and the collective mission of the church. When our calling is rooted in both nature and revelation, our ministry mirrors the fuller spectrum of God’s character. We learn that the church’s mission isn’t just to share the message of eternal salvation, such as many do when merely reciting doctrines and “correcting” people, but we must also reflect the Father’s tender, daily care by tending to the practical needs, comfort, and well-being of those around us.

By embodying a love that is nurturing and sacrificially redemptive, we become a living sanctuary where people can experience both the refreshing gladness of God’s creation and the healing power of His grace.

“Christ’s method alone will give true success in reaching the people. The Savior mingled with men as one who desired their good. He showed His sympathy for them, ministered to their needs, and won their confidence. Then He bade them, “Follow Me.” (Ministry of Healing,143)

This is why the Apostle prayed

“Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself for our sins to deliver us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father.” (Gal 1:3-4)

Reading Time: 9 minutes

Jesus told His followers a story to teach them that they should always pray and never give up. (Luke 18:1)

One of the biggest struggles in prayer is losing heart and quitting too soon. A person may pray for something for a few days, a few weeks, or even months. But when no clear answer seems to come, they often become discouraged and stop praying about it altogether.

This is a serious mistake. Many people start things but never finish them. That habit can damage every area of life. A person who constantly begins things without completing them develops a pattern of failure. Many beginnings with no completions. The same is true in prayer. If someone starts praying for something but gives up before the answer comes, they are building a habit of spiritual defeat.

When people lose heart, discouragement grows. Soon they begin to doubt whether prayer really works at all. That kind of unbelief weakens the prayer life and robs it of strength.

“To persist in prayer and not give up does not mean endless repetition or painfully long prayer sessions. Constant prayer means keeping our requests continually before God as we live for him day by day, believing he will answer. When we live by faith, we are not to give up. God may delay answering, but his delays always have good reasons. As we persist in prayer, we grow in character, faith, and hope.” (Life Application Notes re Luke 18:1)

Someone may ask, “How long should we keep praying? Is there a time when we should stop asking and simply leave the matter with God?” The answer is this: keep praying until the request is clearly answered, or until God gives deep peace and assurance in your heart that the answer is coming. Only then should we stop pleading. Prayer is not only speaking to God. Prayer is also listening to God. Prayer is also part of a spiritual battle against evil. God often works through the prayers of His people in that conflict. Because of this, God alone knows when the work of prayer is complete, not us. Sometimes we stop praying because we see the answer with our eyes. Other times we stop because God gives faith and assurance in the heart. That faith can become just as certain as physically seeing the answer, because it comes from God Himself.

As believers grow in prayer, they begin to recognize this quiet assurance from God. They learn when to rest in faith and when to continue praying until the answer comes. Remain at God’s promises until you meet Him there. God often comes to His people through the promises He has spoken in His Word.

“We must pray always, if we would grow in faith and experience. We are to be ‘instant in prayer,’ to ‘continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving.’ Peter exhorts believers to be ‘sober, and watch unto prayer.’ Paul directs, ‘In every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.’ ‘But ye, beloved,’ says Jude, ‘praying in the Holy Ghost, keep yourselves in the love of God.’ Unceasing prayer is the unbroken union of the soul with God, so that life from God flows into our life; and from our life, purity and holiness flow back to God.” (SC 97)

As we are reminded in Scripture:

“Pray without ceasing.” (1 Thes 5:17).

Prayer should be continual and persistent, not something quickly abandoned when answers seem delayed.

“Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward. For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.” (Heb 10:35-36)

This passage connects patience, endurance, faith, and receiving God’s promises, which is the main point for today’s message.

“When we know not what to pray for as we ought, we are to pray as did Jacob, ‘I will not let thee go, except thou bless me.’ This persevering prayer will bring the sure answer of blessing. God is too wise to err, and too good to withhold any good thing from them that walk uprightly. Then do not be afraid to trust Him, even though you do not see the immediate answer to your prayers.” (Our High Calling, 131)

In Luke 18:1-8, Jesus tells the parable of the persistent widow to teach one central lesson: God’s people should continue praying and never lose heart, even when answers seem delayed.

The passage begins by directly stating Christ’s purpose for the story: “people ought always to pray, and not to faint.” Before the parable even starts, Jesus reveals the meaning. Prayer is not meant to be occasional, weak, or easily discouraged. It is to be continual, persevering, and rooted in faith. Trusting in God’s “precious promises.” (2 Pet 1:4)

Jesus describes a judge who neither feared God nor cared about people. He was hard, selfish, and unmoved by justice. A widow repeatedly came to him asking for help against her adversary. In Bible times, widows were often among the weakest and most vulnerable people in society. She had no power, influence, or wealth. All she possessed was her persistence.

At first the judge ignored her. He had no compassion and no desire to help. Yet the widow kept returning again and again with the same request. Finally, the judge decided to act, not because he became righteous, but because her continual pleading troubled him. He said within himself that he would give her justice so she would stop wearing him down with her constant appeals.

Jesus then draws a sharp contrast between the unjust judge and God. The lesson is not that God is reluctant like the judge. Quite the opposite. If even a corrupt and uncaring judge eventually responds to persistence, how much more will a loving and righteous God respond to the cries of His people?

Christ says:

“Shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them?” Luke 18:7

The “elect” are God’s faithful people. They cry to Him “day and night,” showing continual dependence and trust. The delay mentioned in the passage does not mean God is indifferent. Rather, it reveals that faith is often developed through waiting. Prayer is not merely about obtaining things from God; it is part of a living relationship of trust, endurance, and surrender.

One important truth in this parable is that delayed answers are not the same as denied answers. Heaven may seem silent for a time, but silence is not abandonment. God sees the whole conflict between good and evil in ways human beings cannot. Sometimes He delays because He is working on circumstances, on other people, or on the heart of the one praying.

The widow also represents the condition of the believer in this world. God’s people often feel weak, oppressed, misunderstood, or surrounded by injustice. Yet Christ teaches them not to give up. Persistent prayer becomes an expression of faith. Every repeated prayer says, “I still believe God hears. I still believe He cares. I still believe He will act.”

This parable also shows that true prayer is more than casual words. The widow was earnest. She cared deeply about what she requested. In the same way, real intercession involves persistence because the matter truly matters to the heart. Shallow desires are quickly abandoned, but deep faith continues knocking at heaven’s door.

There is also an important connection between prayer and spiritual warfare. The widow had an “adversary.” Scripture often presents believers as living in conflict against the powers of evil. Persistent prayer becomes part of the believer’s resistance against discouragement, temptation, fear, and unbelief. This is why the enemy often tries to convince people to stop praying. If he can cause discouragement, he can weaken faith.

“The darkness of the evil one encloses those who neglect to pray. The whispered temptations of the enemy entice them to sin; and it is all because they do not make use of the privileges that God has given them in the divine appointment of prayer. Why should the sons and daughters of God be reluctant to pray, when prayer is the key in the hand of faith to unlock heaven’s storehouse, where are treasured the boundless resources of Omnipotence?” (SC 94)

Near the end of the parable, Jesus says something that is very striking:

“Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?” Luke 18:8

This reveals the deeper issue behind persistent prayer: faith. Continuing in prayer when answers are delayed is itself an act of faith. Anyone can pray once. Faith continues praying when nothing seems to change. Faith holds onto God’s character even when circumstances remain dark.

The parable of Luke 18:1-9 teaches that persistence in prayer is not trying to force God to care. Rather, persistent prayer keeps the heart connected to God until His will and answer are revealed. Prayer changes the believer as much as it changes circumstances. Through continued prayer, faith grows stronger, dependence deepens, patience develops, and the soul learns to trust God’s timing.

“Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer.” (Rom 12:12)

“Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance.” (Eph 6:18)

“The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.” (James 5:16)

Together these verses show that persistent prayer is not fanaticism or unbelief. It is one of the clearest expressions of enduring faith in God.

Ephesians 6:18 brings the entire “armor of God” passage to its strongest point by saying how every piece of spiritual armor must be connected to constant prayer. Paul writes, “Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance.” This verse teaches that the Christian life is not fought merely by human strength, knowledge, or discipline, but through continual dependence upon God. The phrase “praying always” does not mean a person must speak prayers every second of the day, but that the heart should remain in continual communion with God.

“All prayer and supplication” shows there are different kinds of prayer. Worship, confession, thanksgiving, urgent pleading, and intercession for others. It depends on who we are and what is going on with us at the time. To pray “in the Spirit” means prayer is guided by the Holy Spirit rather than by mere form or empty repetition. Here, Paul also connects prayer with spiritual alertness by saying believers must watch “with all perseverance,” meaning they are not to grow careless, sleepy, or discouraged in prayer. In the context of spiritual warfare, this verse reveals that prayer is not separate from the battle; it is the very atmosphere in which the battle is fought. Without persevering prayer, the armor becomes ineffective because the believer is attempting to fight spiritual conflicts without continual connection to the power and purpose of God.

2 Peter 1:4 declares that God has given believers “exceeding great and precious promises.” Prayer is one of the best way for people to lay hold of those promises and bring them into our daily experience. The promises of God are not merely comforting statements to admire from a distance; they are invitations to come boldly before God in faith. When a believer prays over God’s promises, they are not trying to persuade God to be willing, but are responding to what God has already declared Himself willing to do. Prayer becomes the hand of faith reaching up to claim what God has spoken. This is why Scripture repeatedly connects prayer and God’s promise together. God often chooses to wait for His people to ask, trust, and persevere before fulfilling what He has pledged. he who created us knows that prayer deepens our dependence upon Him and teaches the soul confidence in His Word. As one Christian author stated it:

“Every promise in the Word of God furnishes us with subject matter for prayer, presenting the pledged word of Jehovah as our assurance.” — Thoughts From the Mount of Blessing,133).

“And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he hears us.” (John 5:14)

The promises of God reveal His will. Prayer gives the believer confidence to approach heaven on the basis of those promises. True prayer is therefore deeply connected to Scripture because faith itself is built upon hearing and believing God’s Word. When Christians pray the promises of God, they are agreeing with heaven rather than merely expressing human wishes. This is why persevering prayer grows stronger when rooted in God’s promises; the believer is no longer standing upon feelings or appearances, but upon the unchanging character of God Himself. Prayer anchored in the divine promises of God can endure delay, hardship, and silence because it trusts the One who spoke.

“Ask; then ask again, and keep asking. It is better far to ask than to receive without asking. The cloud of mercy is hanging over you, and God longs to have you claim His promises.” (Christ’s Object Lessons,145).

“God in His great mercy will give to all His believing people efficiency and power for His work and service, even as He gave power to Joseph, Samuel, Daniel, Timothy, and scores of others who availed themselves of His promises. They believed Him and relied upon Him, and this was their righteousness. Men and women have to move by faith. They have to press their way through the cloud of objections which Satan brings up to hinder their progress. When God sees that they will trust Him as their helper and their efficiency, they may pass safely through the great darkness…”.]{adapted from EGW, UL 206.4}

“Without the constant help which comes only from God, even those who are looked upon as the most eminent believers are in danger of falling into the sins which Satan has prepared to dishonor God. Bear in mind, all who claim to be believers, that it is only when you have that faith which works by love and purifies the soul, only when you have the joy of Christ’s salvation in the heart, that you are qualified to guide sinners to repentance and reformation. It is the genuine believer, who not only assents to the truth, but believes and practices the truth, who is not satisfied unless he has with him the presence of God, that is a power for good in the world.”{by EGW, UL 206.5}

Reading Time: 2 minutes

“What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asked him. The blind man said, “Rabbi, I want to see.” (Mark 10:51, NIV)

It is only when we recognize our own brokenness that we truly seek a Healer. When Jesus lived among us, it was the sick who sought out the doctor. The poor, the suffering, and the desperate followed Him because He offered a level of help and comfort that the rest of the world simply couldn’t provide.

Consider “Blind Bartimaeus,” sitting by the roadside. He had waited a long time for a chance to encounter Christ. All around him, crowds of people with perfect physical vision were busy going about their lives, yet they had no interest in seeing Jesus. A single look of faith would have connected them to His divine love, mercy, and grace, but they were largely unaware of their own spiritual “sickness.” Because they didn’t feel they lacked anything, they felt no need for Jesus. Bartimaeus knew exactly what he lacked. In his eyes, even though he was physically blind, Bartimaeus knew his only hope was Jesus.

As Bartimaeus sat waiting, he heard the sound of a large crowd. He asked what was happening, and when people told him, “Jesus of Nazareth is passing by,” he didn’t hesitate. With intense desperation, Bartimaeus shouted, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” (Mark 10:46)

Even when the people around him tried to shut him up, Bartimaeus only cried out louder. His persistence paid off. Jesus heard him, and his unwavering faith was rewarded. Bartimaeus received more than just his physical sight; his spiritual eyes were opened as well. He recognized Christ as his Redeemer, and the light of Heaven flooded his soul.(Mark 10:52)

This amazing story of Bartimaeus serves as the perfect blueprint for people today. “Anyone who recognizes their need for Christ as clearly as Bartimaeus did will find Him.” God loves you and His promise is for you: “You will seek Him, and you will find Him, when you search for Him with all your heart.” (Jeremiah 29:13).

Anyone who is as earnest and determined as Bartimaeus was will receive the blessings they seek. Those who suffered and turned to Jesus were captivated by His divine character and the “beauty of holiness” He radiated. Ultimately, anyone who accepts Christ through faith is given the power and right to become a child of God.

But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. (John 1:12-13,KJV)

– adapted from Sons and daughters of God, Apr 23rd, by EGW

 

 

Reading Time: 7 minutes

(How Grace And Knowledge Work Together)

“…grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.” (2 Pet 3:18)

To “grow in grace” means to become more like Christ in heart—more patient, kind, forgiving, and humble. To grow “in knowledge” means to understand Him more clearly—who He is, what He has done, and what He is doing now.

These are not separate things. They feed each other. The more you truly know Christ, the more your life changes. And the more you live in His grace, the more clearly you understand Him. Knowing Christ is not just information. It is a living relationship that transforms the heart. (Rom 12:1-2)

“This is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.” (John 17:3)

“Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord.” (2 Pet 1:12)

Peter is saying that grace is mediated or multiplied through knowledge of Christ. Grace is not received in isolation. In or of itself. Grace is according to our needs, and in each met need our knowledge of Christ deepens. Knowledge here is relational (experiential), not just intellectual. Increased reception of Grace turns into a greater knowledge of Christ, which leads to the transformed life of a Christian. We come to know Christ—and receive His grace—through His promises.

God gives a promise, such as forgiveness, strength, presence, new heart. We believe the promise, not just intellectually,but personally, and we say with belief: “Wow, this is for me.” Our faith connects you to Christ. Faith is not our Savior. Jesus is. Faith is simply the “hand’ by which we appropriate His merits. One of His promises could be that “hand.” The promises are expressions of His character. Claiming the promise, we begin to experience what the promise describes. We may know Him more deeply, not by theory, but by lived reality. Personal experience with Jesus. Every promise reveals something specific about Christ. A promise of forgiveness shows His mercy. A promise of strength shows His power. A promise of presence shows His faithfulness. When we trust a promise of God and experience it, we are not just receiving a benefit, we are encountering the Person behind it. That is why Peter says this leads to being “partakers of the divine nature,” because by this process we begin to share in His character.

Jesus said “Anyone that has my commandments, and keeps them… I will love them, and will manifest myself to them.” (John 14:21) Christ “manifests” (reveals) Himself through lived response to His word, which would include His promises. This is a good example of experiential knowledge. Jesus “manifests” (reveals) Himself through lived response to His word—which includes His promises. This is experiential knowledge. Receiving God’s grace multiplies the ways we can know Him as he truly is. Christ is known through His word, especially by His great and precious promises. Promises, when believed, become channels of grace. Grace experienced leads to deeper knowledge of Him.

“Promises are estimated by the truth of the one who makes them. Many [people] make promises only to break them, to mock the heart that trusted in them. Those who lean upon such [people] lean upon broken reeds. But God is behind the promises He makes. He is ever mindful of His covenant, and His truth endureth to all generations” {7BC 942.12}

“It is the Lord’s desire that His followers shall grow in grace, that their love shall abound more and more, that they shall be filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the praise and glory of God.”{7BC 947.2}

“One of the divine plans for growth is impartation. The Christian is to gain strength by strengthening others. “He that watereth shall be watered also himself.” This is not merely a promise; it is a divine law, a law by which God designs that the streams of benevolence, like the waters of the great deep, shall be kept in constant circulation, continually flowing back to their source. In the fulfilling of this law is the secret of spiritual growth.” {7BC 947.3}

“Peter urged his readers to grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ; that is, they were to get to know him better and better. This is the best way to discern false teaching. No matter where we are in our spiritual journey, no matter how mature we are in our faith, the sinful world will always challenge our faith. We still have much room for growth. Every day we need to draw closer to Christ so that we will be prepared to stand for truth in any and all circumstances.” (Life Application Notes)

Why Is Jesus Called Both Lord and Savior?

The verse calls Jesus both “Lord” and “Savior” because He does two inseparable works. As Savior, Jesus rescues us from sin, both its guilt and its penalty. As Lord, Jesus leads our life—guiding, correcting, and speaking the truth in love. If Jesus only saved but did not lead, then what would stop us from falling again? If Jesus only ruled but did not save, how could we ever have hope beyond this life? We would then have no hope. The two titles do belong together. Thats why the Bible says

“If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.” (1 Cor 15:19)

“Why does Paul say believers would be “more to be pitied than anyone in the world” if there were only earthly value to Christianity? In Paul’s day, Christianity often brought a person persecution, ostracism from family, and, in many cases, poverty. There were few tangible benefits from being a Christian in that society. It was certainly not a step up the social or career ladder. More important is the fact that if Christ had not been resurrected from the dead, Christians would not be forgiven of their sins or have any hope of eternal life. If what Christians believe is a lie, we would be pitiful because we would be going through such suffering for no purpose. Fortunately, that is not the case!” (Life Application) Our hope in eternal life goes well beyond the things of this earth.

Many other verses will show us the same thing, how that the two titles, “Savior” and “Lord” do belong together:

Luke 2:11 — “For unto you is born this day… a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.” Jesus is not partly one and partly the other. He is fully both Savior and Lord.

A Picture of The Growing Christian

If you painted a picture of someone living this verse, you would not just see some manner of outward success. You would also see quiet, steady change such as a person who forgives when hurt, someone who is patient under pressure, a life that reflects humility instead of pride,
or, perhaps the steady trust in God even when things are unclear. This kind of growth is often slow, like light increasing at sunrise. Scripture describes it this way:

Proverbs 4:18 “The path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.”

Knowing God, by experiencing His grace, is not instant perfection. It is steady progress. It is growth. That’s why Peter says “Grow in grace. He is regognizing it is all a process, not just one event.

Growth Under Severe Trial

Now imagine my own, personal experience. In a hospital bed, with severe burns over half their body. Everything outward looks broken—pain, weakness, severe disfigurement, long recovery. What would “growing in grace and knowledge” look like here? If you were able to look at a picture of that, what might you see in the picture? Perhaps, we would see things like trust in God even through intense suffering. Peace that does not come from circumstances or other people. Great patience that endures in a very long healing process, a quiet, powerful testimony that points others to Christ. In such a setting, growth may not look like activity, but it does look like endurance, surrender, and deep trust.

2 Corinthians 4:16 — “Though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.” Even when the body is breaking down, almost destroyed, the inner life can still grow stronger. We can grow in grace, no matter what.

To grow in grace and knowledge is to live in a deepening relationship with Christ. As Savior, He heals and restores us. As Lord, He guides and shapes us.

In everyday life, this growth shows as steady, consistent character change. In suffering, it shows as quiet endurance and deeper trust. Whether in strength or weakness, the same truth holds. The more we know Jesus, the more we become like Jesus.

“But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory…” (2 Cor 3:18)

“…when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.” (1 John 3:2)

“…the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him.” (Col 3:10)

“And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ…” (John 17:3)

“That I may know him… being made conformable unto his death.” (Phil 3:10)

Seeing JESUS clearly means becoming like JESUS. Growth in knowledge of Christ means renewal into His image. Knowing Christ is not just information. Knowing Christ is transformative, life-giving. Knowing JESUS leads to conformity to His character and experience.

“By beholding we become changed. As we contemplate the character of Christ, we become changed into His image.” (COL 355)

“A true knowledge of God and of Jesus Christ whom He has sent transforms the character.” (MH 409)

“The more we know of Christ, the more we shall reflect His image.” (RH April 24, 1888)

“When we are united to Christ, the mind is brought into harmony with His mind, the will is merged in His will, the thoughts are brought into captivity to Him.” (5T 514)

“Glorious is the triumph awaiting the faithful. The apostle, realizing the possibilities before the Corinthian believers, sought to set before them that which uplifts from the selfish and the sensual, and glorifies life with the hope of immortality. Earnestly he exhorted them to be true to their high calling in Christ. “My beloved brethren,” he pleaded, “be ye steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.” {AA 321.1}

Reading Time: 9 minutes

Elijah was a man just like us. He had the same kinds of feelings and struggles. He prayed very earnestly that it would not rain, and no rain fell on the earth for three and a half years. Then he prayed again, and the sky gave rain, and the earth produced its crops. (James 5:17–18)

There are some very important lessons for us in Elijah’s life. In our opening text for today, we see how, when he was on Mount Carmel and prayed for rain, his faith was tested. Still, he kept bringing his request to God again and again.

Elijah’s servant watched while Elijah prayed.

Six times he came back and said, “There is nothing—no cloud, no sign of rain.”

But Elijah did not give up. He did not become discouraged. Instead, he looked carefully at his own life to see if he had failed to honor God in any way. As he searched his heart, he felt smaller and smaller in his own eyes, and he saw that God was everything.

As Paul once said: “My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power,so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God’s power.” (1 Cor 2:4-5)

This is what Elijah wanted. He wanted to rely only on God, and not in his own human wisdom.

When Elijah came to the point where he gave up trusting in himself and trusted fully in God, the answer came. Yes, he had to repeat the same prayer six times, but finally his servant returned and said:

“Look, there is a small cloud rising from the sea, about the size of a man’s hand.” (1 Kings 18:34)

That small cloud would have been hard to see. That small cloud was just the size of your hand. That small cloud teaches us something important.

God’s answers may be significantly delayed. God’s answers may begin very small, almost unnoticeable. But Elijah trusted God even when there was no sign. Elijah trusted God even when the sign was so small that the average person would not see it. Elijah trusted God because he knew the power of the text that says “despise not the day of small beginnings.” (Zech 4:10)

Elijah was a man of God who experienced the enormous power of “no sign.” Elijah was a man who personally experienced the exponential power of only a tiny sign. A miniature token of indication that God was there. Elijah did not wait for a great storm to believe. Elijah believed even when he saw just a little cloud. In the same way, his experience is to be that of the Christian today who professes the name of Jesus. We can always trust God even when we see no sign! We should always trust God even when we see only a very small beginning of His answer.

We have a God who listens to our prayers. If we trust His word, He will honor our faith. He wants our lives to be closely connected with His will. Then He can safely bless us, because we will not take the credit for ourselves. Instead, we will give all the praise to Him. Now, God does not always answer right away. If He did, we might think we deserve His blessings. That we have some kind of merit. Or personal influence. We might stop examining our hearts and become careless. We might forget how much we depend on Him. We might presume the answer we want rather than what he wants.

This is why God alone is worthy to be glorified. When we understand who He is, we see that all honor belongs to Him. The Bible calls us to “fear God and give glory to Him,” because He is the Creator of all things. Rev 14:6–7 reminds us that everything we have comes from Him, not from ourselves. When we truly see this, we stop lifting ourselves up and instead give Him the praise He deserves.

Rev 14:6-7 gives God’s people everywhere, today the full assurance of the cross and this is why we cannot give any glory to ourselves for anything that God does in and through us. Our Creator God gives His people today the most powerful declaration where He says “I am the LORD: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images.” (Isa 42:8,11)

Elijah humbled himself until he no longer wanted any glory for himself. This is the condition upon which God hears prayer. And when we are humble, we will give all the praise to Him for God alone is worthy to be glorified. (Rev 14:6-7)

“The Christian’s most powerful resource is communion with God through prayer. The results are often greater than we thought were possible. Some people see prayer as a last resort to be tried when all else fails. This approach is quite backwards. Prayer should come first. Because God’s power is infinitely greater than ours, it only makes sense to rely on it—especially because God encourages us to do so.” (Life Application Notes)

In 1 Kings 18:34, when the servant says, “there is nothing,” he is reporting exactly what human eyes can see—no cloud, no rain, no visible answer. Yet Elijah continues to pray because he is not depending on sight, but on God’s word and promise. When he continued to pray like this, the man of God showed us a key principle for the believers of today: what we see is often incomplete. The Bible makes this clear in 2 Cor 4:18

“while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.”

And in The Old Testament Creator declares how that His thoughts are not our thoughts and His ways are not our ways (Isa 55:11-12)

In other words, what appears to be “nothing” in our limited sight may actually be the beginning of God’s unseen work. The absence of visible evidence is never a sign of the absence of God’s activity.

This truth is also explained in 1 Samuel 16:7: “for man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks  on the heart.” God sees deeper and farther than we can. In a given situation, we may judge by circumstances or our ever-changing feelings and conclude that nothing is happening, but God may already be moving in ways we cannot detect.

Elijah understood this difference. While the servant saw an empty sky, Elijah trusted a faithful God. This teaches us that faith rests not on what we can measure or observe, but on who God is. When we face moments that seem empty or silent, we are invited to trust that God sees what we cannot, and that His purposes are already in motion even when we cannot yet see the result.

Magnifying the Lord

Let such as love thy salvation say continually, The Lord be magnified. Psalms 40:16.

As witnesses for Christ, we are to tell what we know, what we ourselves have seen and heard and felt, If we have been following Jesus step by step, we shall have something right to the point to tell concerning the way in which He has led us. We can tell others how we have personally tested His promise, and found the promise true. We can bear witness to what we have known of the grace of Christ. This is the witness for which our Lord calls, and for want of which the world is perishing. (1 John 1:1-3, Rev 12:11)

The true Christian will make God first and last and best in everything. No ambitious motives, no discouragements, no short sightedness will ever chill their love for God. (the opposite of the rest of the world where the bible says “the love of many will wax cold.” Steadily, with perseverance,  sometimes almost imperceptively, will a true Christian strive in the effort to always give honor that points to our Heavenly Creator. Our Father in Heaven. It is when we are faithful in exalting the name of God that our impulses are under divine supervision, and we are enabled to develop both spiritual and intellectual power.

In our meager human realms, feelings can be a small sign. Feelings can sometimes even be no sign! Most often our feelings are NO SIGN of anything, at least to us! But does “no sign” mean that God is not at work? Does “no sign” have to mean that God cannot be glorified? Does “no sign” mean that we have to fall apart?

Friends, let me tell you now about three very famous men.

Three men were walking on a wall. Feeling. Faith and Fact. (the FACT being God’s Word, the FACT being God’s promises!) And so here we have three men. Feeling, Faith, and Fact who were walking on a wall. When Feeling had an awful fall, and Faith was taken back. Fact remained and brought Faith back. And Faith brought Feeling too!

Friends, according to the everlasting gospel, there is hope among the tiniest fragments of our lives. If your heart has been broken by grief, by worry, by fear, by anxiety, or by anything else, just make art with all the pieces. Jesus will help you to do that! In our humanity, we are born of the anguish we bear, and we turn all that into the love we want to give. This is precisely why Jesus said

“Gather up the fragments that remain, so that nothing is lost.” (John 6:12)

Those with whom the Christian comes into contact have a right to know what has been revealed to the follower of Christ. We are to make it known both by precept and example. The Christian is to publish the good news of salvation. They are never to grow weary of the recital of God’s goodness.

Jesus, our divine Master, Jesus our divine Savior, Jesus our divine Judge, Jesus our divine Lawyer (Advocate) Jesus our divine Creator always exalted the name of His Heavenly Father. Jesus our all in all always taught His disciples to pray

“Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name” (Mat 6:9, A.R.V.).

Today, God’s people who were first called “Christians” in Antioch (Acts 11:26) are never to forget to acknowledge,

“Thine is . . . the glory” (Mat 6:13).

That is the testimony that will literally move the world!

“If Christians were to act in concert, moving forward as one, under the direction of one Power, for the accomplishment of one purpose, they would move the world.” {CCh 69.8}

“We talk much about the truth; but unless we live the truth, unless we ourselves are reaching its standard, and helping others to reach it, our work will not have the approval of Heaven.” {RH, June 19, 1913 par. 9}

“We do not realize how untiring are Satan’s efforts to sap our spirituality. He is working mightily that the people of God may be only half converted. Then self will swell to large proportions, and there will be no revelation to the world of the transforming power of God. If this power does not rest upon God’s people and move them to sanctified action, they cannot do the work in the earth that has been shown us must be done. Without this power, they will not realize their responsibility as his representatives in a world of unbelief.” {RH, June 19, 1913 par. 10}

“If Jesus were made the sum and substance of every discourse given, sinners would be converted. By the message borne they would know what they must do to be saved. Lift Him up, the Man of Calvary, higher and still higher. He who draws nigh to Christ need not try to shine. As he beholds the Savior, he catches the divine rays of light from the Sun of Righteousness, and he can not help shining. The light that is in him shines forth in clear, bright rays, in words and works of righteousness.

Christ’s grace dwells in him richly, and heaven’s light shines through him. He honors Christ by complete obedience. He is stimulated to more vigorous action in the cause of God as he imparts that which the Lord gives him. He is a light-bearer in the world, shedding light on those who are in darkness. He walks close by the side of Christ, conversing with Him and gathering divine principles from His Word. He goes about doing good, comforting the downcast, guiding wandering footsteps in the narrow way, sweetening the cup of bitterness which many drink as the result of their own course of action, watching over those who need the guidance of a firm, steady hand to lead them to the feet of the Master, helping all with whom he comes in contact to fight resolutely the battles of the Lord.” {ST, July 4, 1900 par. 13}

Let God Manage You

“And let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us. Psalm 90:17.” {TMK 218.1}

“God wants you to let Him manage you, that you may be a loving and lovable Christian. (John 1:12) The Lord would have the natural and hereditary traits of character come under the pruning knife of His Word. Look steadfastly unto Jesus, that you may catch His spirit and cherish the qualities of Christlike character.

“Then it will be recognized by all who have any connection with you, that you have learned of Christ His meekness, His affection, His tenderness, His sympathy. Never rest satisfied until you possess a loving and lovable spirit. Your words may come from the good treasure of the heart to strengthen, help, bless, and win all around you…. Others catch your spirit. The seeds we sow will bear a harvest in goodness, patience, kindness, and love, or exactly the opposite.” {TMK 218.2}

“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.” {MH 470.1}

To many in the world today, a “loving and lovable Christian” just doesnt make sense for a lot of people. It means nothing to them. But to Jesus, NOTHING IS SOMETHING.

Friends, Jesus loves you now. Jesus Loves You Now.

“But NOW in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made near by the blood of Christ.” Eph 2:13 We are made near NOW by the blood of Christ.

“Righteousness by faith means we are accepted before we are acceptable, we are loved before we are lovable, and we are received before we are receivable.” — Dr. Leslie Pollard at the Alberta Conference Ministries Convention, Apr 12, 2026.

To Jesus, NOTHING IS SOMETHING.