Tag: God

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Devotionals

‘GLORY TO GOD IN THE HIGHEST, AND ON EARTH PEACE, GOODWILL TOWARD MEN’

FROM YOUR PASTOR’S DESK:

‘GLORY TO GOD IN THE HIGHEST, AND ON EARTH PEACE, GOODWILL TOWARD MEN’

“Oh that today the human family would recognize that song!” And wonder why there is no peace on earth and goodwill among the nations and  kingdoms of the earth!

That “peace on earth” and “goodwill toward men” sung by the angelic choir of heaven with the humble shepherds out in the fields only as their audience on earth, while the whole heavenly universe rejoiced, can only be understood, appreciated and possessed when we turn our attention away from the frenetic world around us and focus on the following:

“The story of Bethlehem is an exhaustless theme. In it is hidden ‘the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God.’ Rom. 11:33. We marvel at the Savior’s sacrifice in exchanging the THRONE of heaven for the MANGER, and the companionship of adoring ANGELS for the BEASTS of the stall.

“Human pride and self-sufficiency stand rebuked in His presence Yet this was but the  BEGINNING of His wonderful CONDESCENSION. It would have been an almost INFINITE HUMILIATION for the Son of God to take man’s nature, even when Adam stood in his INNOCENCE in Eden.

“But Jesus accepted humanity when the race had been weakened by FOUR THOUSAND YEARS OF SIN. Like every child of Adam, He accepted the results of the working of the great LAW OF HEREDITY. What these results were is shown in the history of His earthly ancestors. He came with such a HEREDITY to share our SORROWS and TEMPTATIONS, and to give us AN EXAMPLE OF A SINLESS LiFE…….

“To meet a bitterer conflict and a more fearful risk, God gave His only begotten Son, that the path of life might be made sure for OUR LITTLE ONES. “Herein is love.’ Wonder, O heavens! and be astonished, O earth!” (Desire of Ages, pp. 48, 49).

I will not greet you with a Merry Christmas but with this message that is much better, more truthful, uplifting, encouraging and edifying!
God bless all, NMF 

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Devotionals

NEBUCHADNEZZAR MADE READY TO MEET DANIEL’S GOD

November, 4 2020

FROM YOUR PASTOR’S DESK:

NEBUCHADNEZZAR MADE READY TO MEET DANIEL’S GOD

Having met Daniel who excelled socially, physically and intellectually by his own determination, Nebuchadnezzar was now ready to realize Daniel’s spiritual superiority by being introduced to Daniel’s God!

“These events prepared Nebuchadnezzar to meet Daniel’s God. [Here’s how]. A series of dramatic experiences—the dream of chapter 2, the striking deliverance from the fiery furnace (ch. 3), and the dream of chapter 4—demonstrated to the king’s satisfaction the knowledge, power, and authority of Daniel’s God.

“The INFERIORITY of human knowledge, exhibited in the experience of ch. 2, led Nebuchadnezzar to admit to Daniel, ‘Of a TRUTH it is, that your God is a God of gods, and the Lord of kings, and a Revealer of secrets’ (ch. 2:47).

“He freely acknowledged that the wisdom of God was superior, not only to human wisdom, but even to the SUPPOSED wisdom of his own gods. The incident of the Golden Image and fiery furnace led Nebuchadnezzar to admit that the God of heaven ‘delivered His servants’ (ch.3:28). His conclusion was that no one in all his realm ‘should speak anything amiss against the God’ of the Hebrews in view of the fact that ‘no other God’ can ‘deliver after this sort’ (v. 29).

“Nebuchadnezzar now realized that the God of heaven was not only wise but powerful, that He was not only omniscient but omnipotent. The third experience—the SEVEN YEARS during which his own vaunted wisdom and power were temporarily removed—taught the king that only that the ‘Most High’ is wise and powerful but that He exercises that THAT wisdom and power to rule in HUMAN affairs. (ch. 4:32). He has wisdom, power and authority.

“It is significant that the FIRST ACT Nebuchadnezzar performed AFTER his reason returned to him was to ‘praise and extol and honor the King of heaven’ and to acknowledge that ‘those that walk in pride’ as he had done for so many years, God ‘is able to abase’ (v. 37).”- Ibid, pp. 751, 752.
(More follows tomorrow). Bless all, NMF. 

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Devotionals

THE BOOK OF DANIEL REVEALS HOW GOD USES VARIOUS MEN TO FULFILL HIS WILL

November, 3 2020

FROM YOUR PASTOR’S DESK:

THE BOOK OF DANIEL REVEALS HOW GOD USES VARIOUS MEN TO FULFILL HIS WILL

“The first four chapters of Daniel narrate the MEANS by which God secures the allegiance of Nebuchadnezzar. [He never employs deception, compromise of principle, coercion, intimidation, craftiness, deception, confusion, or persecution].

“First of all, God needed a man who would be a FIT REPRESENTATIVE of the principles and policies of heaven at the court of Babylon, so He chose Daniel to be His personal AMBASSADOR to Nebuchadnezzar.

“The means God employed to bring Daniel, a captive, to the favorable attention of Nebuchadnezzar, and the means by which Nebuchadnezzar came to have confidence, first in Daniel and then in Daniel’s God, illustrate the MANNER in which God uses men TODAY to accomplish His will on earth.

“God could use Daniel BECAUSE Daniel was a man of PRINCIPLE, a man of STERLING character, a man whose chief business life was to live for God!

“Daniel ‘purposed in His heart’ (Dan. 1:8) to live in harmony with all the REVEALED will of God. First, God brought him ‘into favor and tender love’ with the officials of Babylon (v. 9). This prepared the way for the second step, the demonstration of the PHYSICAL superiority of Daniel and his companions (vs. 12-15). Then followed a demonstration of INTELLECTUAL superiority. ‘God gave them all knowledge and skill in all learning and wisdom’ (v. 17), with the result that they were considered ‘ten times better’ than their closest competitors (v. 20).

“Thus in Personality, Physique, and Intellect Daniel proved to be markedly SUPERIOR to his fellow men, and thereby WON the confidence and respect of Nebuchadnezzar.”

For me, this is what the children’s song, “Dare to be a Daniel” really means—much more than “daring to pray” when it was outlawed or bravely, without murmur, doubt and complaint to be “thrown into the hungry lions’ den!”
(More follows tomorrow). God bless all, NMF 

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Devotionals

WHY OUR TRUST IN GOD IS SO UNSTABLE

October 11, 2020

FROM YOUR PASTOR’S DESK:

WHY OUR TRUST IN GOD IS SO UNSTABLE

“Trust in the Lord, and do good; so shall thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed.” Ps. 37: 3, KJV.

“‘Trust in the Lord.’ Each day has its burdens, it’s cares, and perplexities: and when we meet, how ready we are to talk of our difficulties and trials.”

Where do many of these trials come from? “So many BORROWED troubles intrude, so many fears are INDULGED, such a weight of anxiety is expressed, that one might almost suppose that we had NO pitying, loving Savior, ready to hear all our requests, and be to us a ‘present help in every time of need.

“Some are always fearing and borrowing trouble. Everyday they are surrounded with the tokens of God’s love, every day they are enjoying the bounties of His providence, but they OVERLOOK this present blessings. Their minds are continually dwelling upon something DISAGREEABLE which they fear may come of some difficulty may really exist, which, though SMALL, blinds their eyes to the many things which demand GRATITUDE.

“The difficulties, which they encounter, instead of driving them to God, the only source of help, SEPARATE them from Him, because they awaken unrest and repining.

“Brethren and sisters, do we well to be thus UNBELIEVING? Why should we be UNGRATEFUL and DISTRUSTFUL? Jesus is our Friend. All heaven is interested in our welfare: and our anxiety and fear GRIEVE the Holy Spirit of God!

“We should not indulge in a solicitude which only frets and wears us, but does not help us bear trials.

“No place should be given to that distrust of God which leads us to make a PREPARATION against future want, the CHIEF pursuit of life, as though our HAPPINESS consisted in these EARTHLY things, and we could gain them while IGNORING the fact that God controls all things.” – E.G. White, This Day with God, p. 42.

How often Christians grieve the Holy Spirit, not by doing wicked things or being “trouble-makers” but by being “trouble-borrowers.” To make things even worse, they allow the trials resulting from their choices to separate them from God instead of driving them to Him, the only Source of help! That’s self-inflicted double jeopardy.

Indeed “an ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure.” God help us all, NMF.  

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Devotionals

ANGELS ARE OUR COMPANIONS ASSIGNED ‘TO KEEP US IN ALL OUR WAYS’

October 5, 2020
FROM YOUR PASTOR’S DESK:

ANGELS ARE OUR COMPANIONS ASSIGNED ‘TO KEEP US IN ALL OUR WAYS’

“For unto the angels has He not put in subjection the world to come.”

Heb. 2: 5

“God has not put the world to come in subjection to the angels. Because of SIN man fell very low in the scale of values. When Christ identified Himself with humanity and became a man, a NEW DIGNITY became
ours. We are now closely united with God in a fellowship that is EVEN CLOSER than that which the angels know. In this NEW RELATIONSHIP God did not put man in subjection to angels! We deal directly with Christ without any [angelic] intermediary.” p. 90.

Continue reading “ANGELS ARE OUR COMPANIONS ASSIGNED ‘TO KEEP US IN ALL OUR WAYS’”
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Devotionals

WE PARTAKE OF THE DIVINE NATURE IMPARTED THRU THE DIVINE POWER OF CHRIST’S HUMAN NATURE AS GOD IN THE FLESH

October 2, 2020

FROM YOUR PASTOR’S DESK:

WE PARTAKE OF THE DIVINE NATURE IMPARTED THRU THE DIVINE POWER OF CHRIST’S HUMAN NATURE AS GOD IN THE FLESH

“To those who have obtained like precious faith with us by the righteousness of our GOD AND SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST. Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and Jesus our Lord, as His DIVINE POWER has given to us all things that PERTAIN to LIFE and GODLINESS, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, by which have been given to us EXCEEDINGLY GREAT AND PRECIOUS PROMISES, that through these you may be PARTAKERS OF THE DIVINE NATURE, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust [unholy, worldly, carnal desires and the lust of the eye and the flesh’].”

2 Pet. 1:1-4, NKJV.

The Incarnation: “Layon aside His royal robe and kingly crown, Christ clothes His divinity with humanity, that human beings might be RAISED from their degradation [caused by sin], and placed on vantage ground.

Continue reading “WE PARTAKE OF THE DIVINE NATURE IMPARTED THRU THE DIVINE POWER OF CHRIST’S HUMAN NATURE AS GOD IN THE FLESH”
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Devotionals

TRUST wholly in the Almighty God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob

September 30, 2020

FROM YOUR PASTOR’S DESK:

TRUST wholly in the Almighty God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob

“His grace is SUFFICIENT for all our trials, and although they are GREATER NOW than ever before, yet if we trust WHOLLY in God, we can overcome every temptation, and through His grace come off as VICTORIOUS [daily, one day at a time].” (E. G. White, God’s Amazing Grace, p. 59).

Let all encourage one another to overcome as Jesus overcame and be part of the saints identified in Revelation as “they that overcome the beast and image” “by the blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony.” God bless all, NMF 

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Devotionals

THE HUMANITY OF JESUS

September 27, 2020

FROM YOUR PASTOR’S DESK:

THE HUMANITY OF JESUS

Whenever mortal sinners like you and me approach the subject of the Incarnation of Christ, we are warned to “take off your shoes from your feet for the ground in which you are standing is holy ground.” We would do well to take heed! Let all remember that “spiritual things can only be discerned spiritually.” The carnal mind disqualifies itself “for it is at enmity against God’s law.”

Now, please read Hebrews 2: 5-8 first. Then consider these:

“Christ is presented here as being ‘lower than the angels,’ though ‘crowned with glory and honor.’ He is shown to be VERY MAN, as truly as in the first chapter He is shown to be VERY GOD. His humanity enables Him to be the kind of High Priest [merciful and all-powerful Intercessor, Mediator, Advocate] men need.

Continue reading “THE HUMANITY OF JESUS”