Come here and listen; I will tell you everything God has done for me (Psalms 66:16, CEV)
Psalms 66:16
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.
“…there was silence, then I heard a voice…” Job 4:16 (ESV)
John 10:27
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).
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)
Mat 5:17
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)
“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)
1 Thes 5:5
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)
“…where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.” (Mat 18:20)
Mat 18:20
God’s faithful people are distinguished by a single hearted loyalty. The Bible would call it “one mind.” God has faithful people who are not trying to do what Christ said cannot be done—serve both God and wealth. at the same time. They stand out like bright lights in a morally dark world, shining amid the deep spiritual darkness that covers humanity like a funeral shroud.
Whatever you bind on earth will be recognized in heaven, and whatever you release on earth will be recognized in heaven as well. You are serving as representatives of heaven, and the results of your work have eternal significance. Yet you do not carry this responsibility alone. Wherever God’s Word is accepted and obeyed with a sincere heart, Christ is present. He is not only with believers when the church gathers together; wherever His followers meet in His name, no matter how few they may be, He is there among them. The decisions you make in harmony with God’s will on earth will always be affirmed by heaven.
This is why Creator says, ‘If two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, My Father in heaven will do it for them.’ By saying ‘My Father in heaven,’ Jesus reminded His disciples that although He shares their human experience, understands their struggles, and sympathizes with their suffering, He is also united by His divine nature with the throne of the eternal God.
What an extraordinary promise! The angels of heaven work alongside men and women in the effort to save those who are lost. All the resources and power of heaven are joined with human effort to draw people to Christ.”
May the God of all comfort surround you with faithful companions on this journey we call life. May Creator grant you the courage to step out of whatever is isolating you from the peace of God that passes understanding, and into the warmth of a covenant community. May God’s people become a refuge for your soul and a reminder of His never ending faithfulness. Go in peace. Stay connected. And know that you are deeply loved. And that you were never meant to walk alone. This is my prayer in Jesus name.
Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. (Isa 1:18)
Isa 1:18
Isaiah 1:18 reveals one of the most amazing invitations in Scripture. After exposing the reality of sin and rebellion, God does not immediately pronounce judgment; instead, He says, “Come now, and let us reason together.” The Creator of the universe invites guilty sinners into a conversation of grace. Our sins may be as scarlet. Deeply stained, obvious, and impossible for us to remove.
God promises complete cleansing through His mercy. The contrast between scarlet and snow, crimson and wool, emphasizes not merely forgiveness but transformation. This verse reminds us that God does not ask us to pretend our sin does not exist; He asks us to bring it honestly before Him.
The same God who reveals our condition is the God who provides the remedy. In Christ, the stains of the past need not define the future, for His grace is greater than our guilt, and His power is able to make the sinner clean.
“We may keep so near to God that in every unexpected trial our thoughts will turn to Him as naturally as the flower turns to the sun.”
“Keep your wants, your joys, your sorrows, your cares, and your fears before God. You cannot burden Him; you cannot weary Him. He who numbers the hairs of your head is not indifferent to the wants of His children. “The Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy.” James 5:11. His heart of love is touched by our sorrows and even by our utterances of them. Take to Him everything that perplexes the mind. Nothing is too great for Him to bear, for He holds up worlds, He rules over all the affairs of the universe. Nothing that in any way concerns our peace is too small for Him to notice. There is no chapter in our experience too dark for Him to read; there is no perplexity too difficult for Him to unravel. No calamity can befall the least of His children, no anxiety harass the soul, no joy cheer, no sincere prayer escape the lips, of which our heavenly Father is unobservant, or in which He takes no immediate interest. “He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds.” Psalm 147:3. The relations between God and each soul are as distinct and full as though there were not another soul upon the earth to share His watchcare, not another soul for whom He gave His beloved Son.” {by EGW, SC 99.4, 100.1}
LORD, hear my prayer! Listen to the words I cry to you. Look at my tears. I am only a traveler passing through this life with you. Like all my ancestors, I will live here only a short time. (Psalms 39:2)
Psalms 39:2
What a wonderful Savior is Jesus my Lord. What a beautiful and cherished name. What hope and inspiration it brings to the soul. Jesus never hid or watered down the truth, yet He always spoke it with love. In every interaction, He showed remarkable wisdom, kindness, and consideration for others. He was never rude, never harsh without cause, and never inflicted unnecessary pain on a sensitive heart. He did not condemn people simply for their weaknesses. He always spoke the truth, but He spoke it lovingly.
When Jesus confronted hypocrisy, unbelief, and sin, He did not do so with cold anger or a spirit of condemnation. Even His strongest rebukes were filled with sorrow and compassion. Tears seemed to accompany His words. He wept over Jerusalem. The city He loved. Because its people refused to accept Him, the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Though they rejected Him as their Savior, He still looked upon them with tender pity and deep grief, a sorrow so profound that it broke His heart.
His life was marked by self-sacrifice and constant concern for others. He never used truth as a weapon to wound people but combined it with extraordinary tenderness and compassion. Every person was precious to Him. While He carried Himself with divine dignity, He also treated every member of God’s family with the utmost kindness and care. He saw in every person a fallen soul whom He had come to save.
The psalmist once said
“You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in Your bottle. Are they not recorded in Your book?” (Psalm 56:8).
This picture reminds us that no grief escapes God’s notice and no tear is shed without His knowledge. Every disappointment, every heartache, every silent cry offered in loneliness is precious to Him. The God of heaven does not view human suffering with indifference. He remembers it, records it, and treasures the struggles of His children as something of great value. The tears that others may overlook are carefully preserved by Him. This was perfectly demonstrated in the life of Jesus. He wept with those who wept, grieved over the lost, and carried the burdens of humanity upon His own heart. His compassion was not distant or theoretical. Tears are deeply personal. Jesus knows every sorrow we endure because He has entered into our suffering and Jesus bears it with us.
Tears. The silent language of a heart carrying burdens too deep for words, a witness to grief, longing, repentance, love, and hope. Today, we too may find comfort in the astonishing truth that God not only sees our tears but treasures them, gathering them into His bottle and recording them in His book. Every tear shed in loneliness, every tear cried in prayer, every tear born from sorrow, grief, pain, is precious to Him.
The world may not even know about our pain, but heaven does. A tear becomes a sacred testimony that we have loved, struggled, endured, and trusted God through the darkness. When a tear falls, it does not disappear into the dust and become forgotten; it falls into the hands of a compassionate Father who remembers every wound and promises that one day He will wipe away every tear forever. Jesus. THE God of all comfort.
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)
Gal 1:3-4
“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)
For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous. (1 John 5:3)
Mat 11:28-30
“Jesus never promised that obeying him would be easy. But the hard work and self-discipline of serving Christ is no burden to those who love him. If our load starts to feel heavy, we can always trust Christ to help us bear it” (Life Application Notes, 1 John 5:3)
Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Mat 11:28-30 ESV)
“As your soul yearns after God, you will find more and still more of the unsearchable riches of His grace. As you contemplate these riches you will come into possession of them and will reveal the merits of the Savior’s sacrifice, the protection of His righteousness, the fullness of His wisdom, and His power to present you before the Father “without spot, and blameless.” (2Pet 3:14). {by EGW, AA 567.1}
“You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, take care that you are not carried away with the error of lawless people and lose your own stability. But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.” (2 Pet 3:17-18, ESV)
“And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come. “(Mat 24:14)
Mat 24:14
Prophecy and world events tell us these days that we are at a shameful place in our history and in our Church mission. So many of us are so preoccupied with news, events, persecutions, predictions, and various aspects of spiritualism, that we do not recognize what is happening to us. One quick example of how to know what is going on is to just ask someone in Church, “So what did Jesus do for you today?” A few people will give a trite answer, but most will just say some dry theory that has nothing about their personal testimony in it. Preaching the gospel, and preaching the gospel AS A WITNESS, are two completely different things. Many people don’t even have a personal testimony. No personal experience with Jesus!
Matthew 24:14 is one of the central prophetic verses for understanding how God’s people are to prepare for the closing events of earth’s history. The Bible presents the preaching of the gospel not merely as a religious activity, but as the final global work that directly precedes the end. Christ does not say that the end comes after political collapse, natural disasters, or even persecution. Those things are signs. But He specifically connects the coming of the end with the completion of a worldwide “witness.” This makes the mission of the church inseparable from end-time preparation.
This verse is deeply connected to the Three Angels’ Messages of Revelation 14. The Great Controversy explains that the final warning message is to go to every nation, kindred, tongue, and people, “AS A WITNESS” before probation closes. The gospel of the kingdom is not simply the message that Jesus saves individuals from sin. It is the announcement that Christ is about to establish His kingdom, that judgment is now in session, and that humanity must now choose between allegiance to Christ or allegiance to Babylon and the beast powers. In this sense, the gospel becomes an opportunity in a crisis message. It calls people not only to conversion, but to loyalty, and personal experience with Jesus during the final conflict.
There is an important difference between preaching the gospel and preaching the gospel as a witness. Preaching the gospel can simply mean sharing truth, teaching doctrine, or inviting people to salvation. It may produce acceptance, rejection, “decisions,” or indifference. But preaching the gospel as a witness carries judicial and prophetic significance. The preaching of the gospel functions during end times, in Scripture like a testimony given in a court before a verdict is executed. The language of “witness” in Matthew 24:14 carries legal overtones. In the Bible, God is frequently portrayed as Judge, humanity is on trial, truth is presented as evidence, and witnesses testify before judgment is carried out.
When Jesus says the gospel will be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations, He is saying more than merely information will spread globally. Much more than just a list of correct doctrines. He is saying the world will receive testimony from God before the final judgment and destruction occur. Humanity will not be able to say it was left without warning, light, or opportunity.
This pattern appears repeatedly throughout Scripture. Before the flood, Noah was called a preacher of righteousness. His preaching was not merely an invitation; it was testimony against the unbelief of his generation. Before Sodom’s destruction, Abraham interceded and Lot gave warning. Before Jerusalem fell, prophets repeatedly testified to the nation. In each case, God sent witnesses before executing judgment. The same framework appears in the Three Angels’ Messages in Revelation 14:6-12. The first angel announces that the hour of God’s judgment is come. That means the message goes out during a judicial phase of history. Under the first angel, the gospel is proclaimed while heaven’s judgment is in session. This is what connects directly with the investigative judgment. The world is not merely hearing a religious message; it is hearing heaven’s final testimony before probation closes.
Among other things, a witness gives personal testimony, personal experience, that establishes accountability. Look at what John says in 1 John 1:1-3, “what we have seen and heard and handled of the word of life, that’s what we are telling you now.” In Scripture, a witness confirms that people have been given opportunity, light, and evidence before judgment falls. Thus Matthew 24:14 teaches that the world must first receive a clear testimony concerning God’s kingdom before the end comes. The issue is not merely how many people hear sermons, but whether humanity has received a final witness concerning truth and error. This is the final witness that will move the world:
“Our confession of His faithfulness is Heaven’s chosen agency for revealing Christ to the world. We are to acknowledge His grace as made known through the holy men of old; but that which will be most effectual is the testimony of our own experience. We are witnesses for God as we reveal in ourselves the working of a power that is divine. Every individual has a life distinct from all others, and an experience differing essentially from theirs. God desires that our praise shall ascend to Him, marked by our own individuality. These precious acknowledgments to the praise of the glory of His grace, when supported by a Christ-like life, have an irresistible power that works for the salvation of souls.” (DA 347)
This concept appears throughout Scripture. Noah preached before the flood as a witness to his generation. Jonah’s warning stood as a witness to Nineveh. The apostles testified before rulers and nations. Likewise, the remnant church is called to give a final witness to the entire world. This is why Adventists have historically emphasized worldwide evangelism, publishing, medical missionary work, education, and media ministries. The objective should not simply be church growth. It is the completion of God’s testimony to humanity. So, think about it. Why do most of our churches now baptize people, if they even do that anymore, only to see most of them leave the church in a few months?
Ellen White wrote that the final proclamation would lighten the earth with God’s glory and that every person will have sufficient light to decide. She describes a time when the loud cry of the third angel will swell into a worldwide witness empowered by the Holy Spirit. This latter rain experience is THE essential preparation for end-time events because only a Spirit-filled church can give a Spirit-filled witness. The preparation, therefore, is not primarily an obsessive, survivalist type preparation or even a correct doctrinal preparation alone. It is spiritual/Biblical preparation through surrender to Christ, reception of the Holy Spirit, and participation in God’s final mission AS A WITNESS.
Matthew 24:14 also reveals that believers prepare for the end by becoming involved in the work of God rather than retreating from the world in fear, as they see end time events unfolding. The delusion of somehow escaping the worst of it by “country living” is festering in our ranks to the point where there are no resources left with many such to carry out the work in the capacity that Creator calls us to. Hiding, or “protecting” our correct behaviors in the country, or even in the church, and damning anyone who does not conform, or saying that our special truth is for Adventists only is the spirit of antichrist. All the gospel is for everyone all the time.
The church must stop waiting passively for prophecy to happen. Stop focusing so much on “the Beast,” to the point where Christ and Him crucified are lost sight of! God’s people must be actively participating in the fulfillment of prophecy. Every act of witnessing, every Bible study, every translated tract, every sermon, and every Christlike interaction become part of the final testimony to the nations. People then get to see what a child of God is really like. All the trenchant preachers we so adore for their self-important pronouncing will soon be dust in the wind. In Jer 3:15, God promises us “Pastors after mine own heart.”
Mat 24:14, therefore transforms end-time preparation from speculation about events into participation in mission. The people most prepared for Christ’s return are those cooperating with Him in giving the true last warning message to the world. Rev 14:4 tells us clearly that the ones who make it to Heaven “are they that followed The Lamb wherever he went.”
The Three Angel’s Message (Rev 14:6-12) should place utmost importance on the Biblical clarity of the final message. The issue is not simply numerical evangelism as in how many “decisions” were made for Christ, (meaning in many cases number of baptisms). Evangelism is far more than the spreading of a vague, denominated, self-justifying Christianity. The true witness of the worldwide three angel’s messages must clearly reveal:
1/ the character of God: “but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.” (1 Pet 1:15-16)
2/ the everlasting gospel (Rev 14:6)
3/ Christ’s priestly ministry (Heb 7:25, Heb 2:17, Heb 4:14)
4/ the call out of Babylon (Rev 18:4)
5/ the commandments of God (Rev 14:12, Rev 22:14)
6/ the faith of Jesus (Rev 14:12)
7/ the warning against worshiping the beast (Rev 14:9)
Look and Live Is the Message for these times!
The true “warning message” for these end times is “Christ on the cross!
“Hanging upon the cross Christ was the gospel. Now we have a message, “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sins of the world.” Will not our church members keep their eyes fixed on a crucified and risen Saviour, in whom their hopes of eternal life are centered? This is our message, our argument, our doctrine, our warning to the impenitent, our encouragement for the sorrowing, the hope for every believer. If we can awaken an interest in [people’s] minds that will cause them to fix their eyes on Christ, we may step aside and ask them only to continue to fix their eyes upon the Lamb of God. They thus receive their lesson. Whosoever will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. He whose eyes are fixed on Jesus will leave all. [They] will die to selfishness. [They] will believe in all the Word of God, which is so gloriously and wonderfully exalted in Christ”. {6BC 1113.1}
“As the sinner sees Jesus as He is, an all-compassionate Savior, hope and assurance take possession of [their] soul. The helpless soul is cast without any reservation upon Jesus. None can bear away from the vision of Christ Jesus crucified a lingering doubt. Unbelief is gone.” {6BC 1113.2}
Only when people look and live will the world truly receive a witness. The Witness that Jesus spoke about in Mat 24:14. It is in this sense that the preaching of the gospel in the last days resembles personal testimony (1 John 1:1-3) that is entered into the record before the Judge renders the final sentence for each person.
“And they overcame him [meaning the devil] by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.” (Rev 12:11)
“All who will can be over comers. Let us strive earnestly to reach the standard set before us. Christ knows our weakness, and to Him we can go daily for help. It is not necessary for us to gain strength a month ahead. We are to conquer from day to day.” {7BC 974.3}
“The time of God’s destructive judgments is the time of mercy for those who have no opportunity to learn what is truth. Tenderly will the Lord look upon them. His heart of mercy is touched; His hand is still stretched out to save, while the door is closed to those who would not enter. Large numbers will be admitted who in these last days hear the truth for the first time.” {7BC 979.3}
