Month: June 2020

Categories
Devotionals

THE NINTH COMMANDMENT “Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.”

June 14, 2020

FROM YOUR PASTOR’S DESK:

THE NINTH COMMANDMENT
“Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.” Exo.20: 16; Deut.5:20.

“The ninth commandment requires of us an inviolable regard for exact truth in every declaration by which the character of our fellowmen may be affected. The TONGUE [see James 3:1-18], which is kept so little under the control of the human agent, is to be bridled by strong, conscientious principles, by the law of love toward God and men.” E.G. White, Letter 15, 1895.

Continue reading “THE NINTH COMMANDMENT “Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.””
Categories
FMM

Elisha’s Three Successive Different Prayers of Faith

Friday Morning Manna

June 12, 2020
Nathaniel Fajardo

email:[email protected]

Elisha’s Three Successive Different Prayers of Faith

(Based on: 2 Kings 6: 8-33; as told in Prophets and Kings, ch.21)

Before Elijah, only the second man after Enoch (the seventh of the godly patriarchs from Adam), was translated, God hand-picked Elisha to succeed, continue and expand on Elijah’s prophetic and reformation ministry. Elisha’s father was an affluent yet God-fearing farmer whose household were among “the seven thousand who had not bowed the knee to Baal during the time of well-nigh universal apostasy of Israel during the reign of king Ahab and queen Jezebel, his wicked and cruel heathen wife. See 1 Kings 19: 1-10, 11-20.

To underscore our focus today on faith versus fear, we cite the examples of two faith giants, Moses and Elijah, compared and contrasted to Christ’s temptations, who at their weakest moments, which were few were few and far in between yet momentous, allowed their faith to be temporarily overcome by fear. They yielded to the temptation to fear. Anytime and every time we yield t0 any temptation we sin against God. The following is quoted from Prophets and Kings:

Continue reading “Elisha’s Three Successive Different Prayers of Faith”
Categories
Devotionals

THE EIGHT COMMANDMENT. “Thou shalt not steal.”

June 11 2020

FROM YOUR PASTOR’S DESK:

THE EIGHT COMMANDMENT. “Thou shalt not steal.” Exo. 20:15; Lev. 19:11; Deut. 5:19, KJV.

“Both public and private sins are included in this prohibition. The eighth commandment condemns MAN-STEALING and SLAVE-DEALING [in all its different forms], and forbids WARS OF CONQUEST [all world wars were for conquest of other nations and peoples].

“It condemns theft and robbery.

“It demands STRICT INTEGRITY in the minutest details of the the AFFAIRS OF LIFE.

“It forbids OVERREACHING in trade [any business transaction], and requires the payment of JUST debts and wages.

“It declares that every attempt to ADVANTAGE oneself by the IGNORANCE, WEAKNESS of MISFORTUNE of another, is registered as FRAUD in the books of heaven.” E.G.White, Patriarchs and Prophets, pp. 308, 309.

“Thou shalt not steal’ was written by the finger of God
Yet how much UNDERHAND STEALING OF AFFECTIONS is practiced and excused. A deceptive courtship is maintained, private communications are kept up. . . . To trifle with hearts is a CRIME of no small magnitude the sight of a Holy God. As we deal with our fellowmen in PETTY DISHONESTY so will we deal with God. Men who persist in a course of dishonesty will carry out their principles until they CHEAT THEIR OWN SOULS and lose heaven and eternal life.” Ibid, Adventist Home, pp. 57, 392.

Such is God’s all-seeing eye that sees through the lens of His law magnified by the Holy Spirit!   NMF 

Categories
Devotionals

JESUS MAGNIFIED HIS LAW & MADE IT HONORABLE: HOW ABOUT THE RELIGIOUS LEADERS?

June 10 2020

FROM YOUR PASTOR’S DESK:

JESUS MAGNIFIED HIS LAW & MADE IT HONORABLE: HOW ABOUT THE RELIGIOUS LEADERS? See Isa 42:21

“Many religious teachers assert [who claim ‘the Bible and the Bible only’ as the basis of faith] assert that Christ by His death abolished the law, and men are henceforth free from its requirements. There are some [multitudes by now] who represent it as a ‘grievous yoke’; and in contrast to the ‘bondage of the law,’ they present the ‘liberty’ to be enjoyed under the gospel.

“But NOT SO did the prophets and apostles regard the holy law of God. Said David, ‘I will walk at liberty: for I seek Thy precepts.’Ps.119:45. The apostle James who wrote AFTER the death of Christ, refers to the Decalogue as the ‘royal law’ [Law of the King and His kingdom]’ and the ‘perfect law of liberty.’ James 2:8; 1:25.

Continue reading “JESUS MAGNIFIED HIS LAW & MADE IT HONORABLE: HOW ABOUT THE RELIGIOUS LEADERS?”
Categories
Devotionals

LESSONS FROM SOLOMON’S ADULTERY-IDOLATRY-APOSTASIES

June 9 2020

FROM YOUR PASTOR’S DESK:

LESSONS FROM SOLOMON’S ADULTERY-IDOLATRY-APOSTASIES. “

“For it was so, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned his heart after other gods; and his heart was not loyal to the Lord his god, as was the heart of his father David.” 1 Kings 11: 4, NKJV.(See verses 1-13).

“Pity the Man who was Envied. (See Eccl. 1:14). Many envied the popularity and abundant glory of Solomon, thinking that of all men he must be the MOST HAPPY. But amid all that glory of ARTIFICIAL display the man envied is the one to be MOST PITIED. His countenance is dark with despair. All the splendor about him is but to him mockery of the distress and anguish of his thoughts as he reviews his MISSPENT life in seeking for happiness through indulgence and selfish gratification of every desire.” E.H.White, Signs of the Times, Feb. 7, 1878.

Continue reading “LESSONS FROM SOLOMON’S ADULTERY-IDOLATRY-APOSTASIES”
Categories
Devotionals

THE SEVENTH COMMANDMENT “Thou shalt not commit adultery.”

June 8 2020

FROM YOUR PASTOR’S DESK:

THE SEVENTH COMMANDMENT.  “Thou shalt not commit adultery.” Exo.20:14.

Jesus magnified this law by declaring: “You have heard that it was said to those of old ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that whoever LOOKS at a woman to lust for her has ALREADY committed adultery with her in HIS HEART.” Matt. 5: 26,27, NKJV.

“When the thoughts of evil is loved and cherished, HOWEVER SECRETLY, said Jesus, it shows that sin STILL reigns in the heart. The soul is still in the gall of bitterness and in the BOND[AGE] of iniquity.

Continue reading “THE SEVENTH COMMANDMENT “Thou shalt not commit adultery.””
Categories
Devotionals

THE SIXTH COMMANDMENT: “Thou shalt not kill.”

June 7 2020

FROM YOUR PASTOR’S DESK:

THE SIXTH COMMANDMENT:  “Thou shalt not kill.” Exo. 20: 13; Deut. 5: 17; Matt. 5: 21,22, KJV.

O if only men would understand the spiritual magnification of this commandment (and the rest of the nine), the nation and mankind would not be suffering all the prejudice, racial hatred and killings hemorrhaging society today!

“Whosoever HATETH his brother is a MURDERER: and you know no murderer has life in him.” 1 John 3:15. “The spirit of hatred and revenge originated with Satan: and it led him to put to death [thru his combined Jewish and Roman agencies] the Son of God. Whoever cherishes MALICE or UNKINDNESS is cherishing the same spirit; and its fruit will be unto death. In the REVENGEFUL THOUGHT the evil deed lies enfolded, as the plant in the seed.” E. G. White, Mount of Blessing, p.89.

Continue reading “THE SIXTH COMMANDMENT: “Thou shalt not kill.””
Categories
FMM

The Battle for the ‘Present Truth’

Image by LoggaWiggler/Pixabay

Friday Morning Manna
June 5, 2020

Nathaniel Fajardo

email:[email protected]

The Battle for the ‘Present Truth’

“Wherefore I will not be negligent to put you always in remembrance of these things, though ye know them, and be established in present truth.” 2 Peter 1: 12 (see verses 1-11), Authorized Version

Jesus Christ, God Creator in the flesh (John 1: 14; 1 Tim. 3: 16) declared, “I am the way, the truth and the life,” John 14: 6. “Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, If you continue (abide) in My Word, you are My disciples indeed, and you shall know truth, and the truth shall set you free.” John 8: 31, 32.

In the plan of salvation the “good news” of the gospel is that Creator of man, condescended in the incarnation to become the Savior of mankind, fallen by sin and hopeless captives of Satan, by delivering, “setting them free” by His life example as a man, “tempted in all points as man is tempted yet without sin,” and by His death on the cross as their substitute and surety from, not in, the power and bondage to sin which is “the transgression of the law (1 John 3: 4). Hence the specific name given Him at His birth, “Thou shalt call His name Jesus, for He shall save His people from their sins.” Matt. 1: 21. Notice here that while Jesus died for the sins of the world, He saves His people from their sins! That is the truth.

Continue reading “The Battle for the ‘Present Truth’”