Ellen G. White Devotional: August 2016

Tuesday, August 30, 2016

Devoción Matutina en español

August 30, 2016

Guardaos del mal

No ruego que los quites del mundo, sino que los guardes del mal. Juan 17:15.

Los que por sus negocios se ven en la necesidad de relacionarse con hombres mundanos, deberían permanecer constantemente en guardia, manteniendo estricta vigilancia sobre sí mismos y orando siempre, no sea que el enemigo los tome desprevenidos. A aquellos de sus seguidores que forzosamente se ven obligados a tratar con mundanos, Dios les da gracia de acuerdo con sus necesidades. Si se mantienen siempre en guardia, se les da especial discernimiento cuando están obligados a permanecer en compañía de aquellos que no honran al Señor Jesucristo. Sus mismas transacciones deben revelar el hecho de que son cristianos. Deben ser bondadosos y corteses en todo lo que digan o hagan, mostrando que están bajo la dirección y disciplina de Dios; que están sirviendo al Señor Jesucristo.

Los seguidores de Cristo deben estar separados del mundo en principios e inclinaciones. Pero no deben aislarse del mundo. Cristo dijo: “Como tú me enviaste al mundo, así yo los he enviado al mundo”. Juan 17:18. “Vosotros sois la luz del mundo”. Mateo 5:14. No debemos apartarnos del mundo para escapar de la persecución. Debemos permanecer entre los hombres, para que el sabor del amor divino pueda ser como sal que preserve al mundo de la corrupción.

Corazones que responden a la influencia del Espíritu Santo son los canales a través de los cuales fluyen las bendiciones de Dios...

Los que estudian la Palabra de Dios y día tras día reciben la enseñanza de Cristo, llevan el sello de los principios celestiales. Una influencia elevada y santa mana de ellos. Una atmósfera servicial rodea sus almas. Los principios puros, santos y elevados que siguen, los capacitan para dar un testimonio viviente del poder de la gracia divina.— The Review and Herald, 27 de julio de 1905.

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Daily Devotional

August 30, 2016

So Costly—and Yet Free

By the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life. Rom. 5:18.

Money cannot buy it, intellect cannot grasp it, power cannot command it; but to all who will accept it, God’s glorious grace is freely given. But men may feel their need, and, renouncing all self-dependence, accept salvation as a gift. Those who enter heaven will not scale its walls by their own righteousness, nor will its gates be opened to them for costly offerings of gold or silver, but they will gain an entrance to the many mansions of the Father’s house through the merits of the cross of Christ.

For sinful men, the highest consolation, the greatest cause of rejoicing, is that Heaven has given Jesus to be the sinner’s Saviour. . . . He offered to go over the ground where Adam stumbled and fell; to meet the tempter on the field of battle, and conquer him in man’s behalf. Behold Him in the wilderness of temptation. Forty days and forty nights He fasted, enduring the fiercest assaults of the powers of darkness. He trod the “winepress alone; and of the people there was none with” Him (Isa. 63:3). It was not for Himself, but that He might break the chain that held the human race in slavery to Satan.

As Christ in His humanity sought strength from His Father, that He might be enabled to endure trial and temptation, so are we to do. We are to follow the example of the sinless Son of God. Daily we need help and grace and power from the Source of all power. We are to cast our helpless souls upon the One who is ready to help us in every time of need. Too often we forget the Lord. Self gives way to impulse, and we lose the victories that we should gain.

If we are overcome let us not delay to repent, and to accept the pardon that will place us on vantage ground. If we repent and believe, the cleansing power from God will be ours. His saving grace is freely offered. His pardon is given to all who will receive it. . . . Over every sinner that repents the angels of God rejoice with songs of joy. Not one sinner need be lost. Full and free is the gift of saving grace.

From Devotional: Our Father Cares, pp. 209, 210.

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Thought of the Day

August 30, 2016

Without unceasing prayer and diligent watching we are in danger of growing careless and of deviating from the right path. Prayer, p. 32

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Daily Devotional

August 30, 2016

Pray Earnestly for Christian Character

Until all of us come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to maturity, to the measure of the full stature of Christ. Ephesians 4:13, NRSV.

We can never see our Lord in peace, unless our souls are spotless. We must bear the perfect image of Christ. Every thought must be brought into subjection to the will of Christ. As expressed by the great apostle, we must come into "the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ." We shall never attain to this condition without earnest effort. We must strive daily against outward evil and inward sin if we would reach the perfection of Christian character.

Those who engage in this work will see so much to correct in themselves, and will devote so much time to prayer and to comparing their characters with God's great standard, the divine law, that they will have no time to comment and gossip over the faults or dissect the characters of others. A sense of our own imperfections should lead us to humility and earnest solicitude lest we fail of everlasting life. The words of inspiration should come home to every soul: "Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?"

If the professed people of God would divest themselves of their self-complacency and their false ideas of what constitutes a Christian, many who now think they are in the path to heaven would find themselves in the way of perdition. Many proud-hearted professors [of religion] would tremble like an aspen leaf in the tempest could their eyes be opened to see what spiritual life really is. Would that those now reposing in false security could be aroused to see the contradiction between their profession of faith and their everyday demeanor.

To be living Christians, we must have a vital connection with Christ.... When the affections are sanctified, our obligations to God are made primary, everything else secondary. To have a steady and ever-growing love for God, and a clear perception of His character and attributes, we must keep the eye of faith fixed constantly on Him. Christ is the life of the soul. We must be in Him and He in us, else we are sapless branches. - The Review and Herald, May 30, 1882.

From Devotional: To Be Like Jesus, p. 36.

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Thought of the Day

August 30, 2016

It is the work of Satan to seek some stain upon the character of Christ's followers, to talk of their faults, and magnify their errors. - RH November 6, 1883

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Monday, August 29, 2016

Devoción Matutina en español

August 29, 2016

Dones que satisfacen nuestras necesidades

Mira, yo he llamado por nombre a Bezaleel, hijo de Uri, hijo de Hur, de la tribu de Judá; y lo he llenado del Espíritu de Dios, en sabiduría y en inteligencia, en ciencia y en todo arte. Éxodo 31:2, 3.

Dios siempre tiene hombres designados para que aparezcan en el escenario justamente donde se necesita llevar a cabo una obra determinada, hombres con quienes y por medio de quienes puede trabajar... Dios ha confiado talentos a cada hombre: Dones que satisfacen las necesidades de un determinado lugar...

El Señor dará entendimiento a todos los que se quieran relacionar plenamente con su obra. No tenemos que confiar sólo en la sabiduría humana. En Dios hay sabiduría, y tenemos el privilegio de acudir a él para obtener consejo...

Todos somos miembros de la familia del Altísimo, y en mayor o menor medida tenemos talentos que él nos ha confiado, por cuyo empleo nos hace responsables. Ya sea que nuestros talentos sean grandes o pequeños, tenemos que emplearlos en el servicio del Señor, y debemos reconocer el derecho de los demás de emplear los talentos que se les han confiado.

Nunca debemos despreciar el más mínimo capital físico o intelectual. Algunos sólo pueden negociar con pesos y centavos y, con la bendición de Dios y gracias a una labor diligente, esos humildes siervos pueden hacer inversiones con buen éxito, y obtener ganancias proporcionadas al capital que se les confió. Nadie debiera despreciar al humilde obrero que está ocupando su lugar, y que está llevando a cabo una obra que alguien debe hacer, por pequeña que ésta parezca.

¡Oh, cómo me duele el corazón cuando veo a hombres que han tenido grandes oportunidades y que tratan de ocupar puestos de menor importancia cuando, con un poco de aliento, podrían haber ocupado un puesto de mayor responsabilidad! El Señor usa los vasos grandes y pequeños. Muchos cuyas vidas están llenas de actividades que cumplen con dedicación, necesitan el consejo y el ánimo que les pueden dar los demás; necesitan palabras de aprobación. Dios contempla con satisfacción los progesos que hacen sus hijos cuando se ayudan y se animan mutuamente.

Todos, ya sea que tengan pocos o muchos talentos, deben unirse íntimamente. Necesitamos más del espíritu del Salvador para ayudar a los que se les ha impedido progresar.—Carta 260, del 2 de diciembre de 1903, dirigida al Dr. George A. Hare, a quien se había invitado para que se uniera al personal del sanatorio que se quería fundar en Washington.

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Daily Devotional

August 29, 2016

The Sins Of The World

He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. Isa. 53:5.

Some have limited views of the atonement. They think that Christ suffered only a small portion of the penalty of the law of God; they suppose that, while the wrath of God was felt by His dear Son, He had, through all His painful sufferings, the evidence of His Father’s love and acceptance; that the portals of the tomb before Him were illuminated with bright hope, and that He had the abiding evidence of His future glory. Here is a great mistake. Christ’s keenest anguish was a sense of His Father’s displeasure. His mental agony because of this was of such intensity that man can have but faint conception of it.

With many the story of the condescension, humiliation, and sacrifice of our divine Lord awakens no deeper interest . . . than does the history of the death of the martyrs of Jesus. Many have suffered death by slow tortures; others have suffered death by crucifixion. In what does the death of God’s dear Son differ from these? . . . If the sufferings of Christ consisted in physical pain alone, then His death was no more painful than that of some of the martyrs. But bodily pain was but a small part of the agony of God’s dear Son. The sins of the world were upon Him, also the sense of His Father’s wrath as He suffered the penalty of the law transgressed. It was these that crushed His divine soul. . . . The separation that sin makes between God and man was fully realized and keenly felt by the innocent, suffering Man of Calvary. He was oppressed by the powers of darkness. He had not one ray of light to brighten the future. . . . It was in this terrible hour of darkness, the face of His Father hidden, legions of evil angels enshrouding Him, the sins of the world upon Him, that the words were wrenched from His lips: “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” . . .

In comparison with the enterprise of everlasting life, every other sinks into insignificance.

From Devotional: Our Father Cares, pp. 208, 209.

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Thought of the Day

August 29, 2016

There is no such thing as our entering the heavenly portals through indulgence and folly, amusement, selfishness, but only by constant watchfulness and unceasing prayer. Prayer, p. 31

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Daily Devotional

August 29, 2016

Transformed by Communion With God

But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord. 2 Corinthians 3:18, NKJV.

During that long time spent in communion with God, the face of Moses had reflected the glory of the divine Presence; unknown to himself his face shone with a dazzling light when he descended from the mountain. Such a light illumined the countenance of Stephen when brought before his judges; "and all that sat in the council, looking stedfastly on him, saw his face as it had been the face of an angel" (Acts 6:15).

Aaron as well as the people shrank away from Moses, and "they were afraid to come nigh him." Seeing their confusion and terror, but ignorant of the cause, he urged them to come near. He held out to them the pledge of God's reconciliation, and assured them of His restored favor. They perceived in his voice nothing but love and entreaty, and at last one ventured to approach him. Too awed to speak, he silently pointed to the countenance of Moses, and then toward heaven. The great leader understood his meaning. In their conscious guilt, feeling themselves still under the divine displeasure, they could not endure the heavenly light, which, had they been obedient to God, would have filled them with joy....

By this brightness God designed to impress upon Israel the sacred, exalted character of His law, and the glory of the gospel revealed through Christ. While Moses was in the mount, God presented to him, not only the tables of the law, but also the plan of salvation. He saw that the sacrifice of Christ was prefigured by all the types and symbols of the Jewish age; and it was the heavenly light streaming from Calvary, no less than the glory of the law of God, that shed such a radiance upon the face of Moses. That divine illumination symbolized the glory of the dispensation of which Moses was the visible mediator, a representative of the one true Intercessor.

The glory reflected in the countenance of Moses illustrates the blessings to be received by God's commandment-keeping people through the mediation of Christ. It testifies that the closer our communion with God, and the clearer our knowledge of His requirements, the more fully shall we be conformed to the divine image, and the more readily do we become partakers of the divine nature. - Patriarchs and Prophets, 329, 330.

From Devotional: To Be Like Jesus, p. 35.

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Thought of the Day

August 29, 2016

Satan is an accuser of the brethren, and all who engage in this work show that they are actuated by the same spirit. - RH November 6, 1883

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Sunday, August 28, 2016

Devoción Matutina en español

August 28, 2016

El pecado que Dios no puede perdonar

Por tanto os digo: Todo pecado y blasfemia será perdonado a los hombres; mas la blasfemia contra el Espíritu no les será perdonada. Mateo 12:31.

“La sangre de Jesucristo su Hijo nos limpia de todo pecado”. 1 Juan 1:7. No importa cuán pecadora haya sido una persona, no importa cuál sea su posición, si se arrepiente y cree, y va a Cristo y confía en él como su Salvador personal, puede ser salvada hasta lo sumo.

Conozco el peligro, de los que rehúsan andar en la luz que Dios les da. Atraen sobre sí la terrible crisis que significa quedar abandonados a sus propios caminos, a su propio juicio. La conciencia se torna cada vez menos impresionable. La voz de Dios parece más distante, y el que hace el mal es abandonado a su propia infatuación. Resiste tercamente cada invitación, desprecia todo consejo, y se aleja de cada provisión realizada para su salvación. El Espíritu de Dios ya no ejerce un poder restrictivo sobre él, y se promulga la sentencia: “Es dado a ídolos; déjalo”. Oseas 4:17. ¡Cuán oscura, cuán sucia, cuán obstinada es su independencia! Parecería como si la insensibilidad de la muerte estuviera en su corazón. Este es el proceso por el que pasa el alma que rechaza la obra del Espíritu Santo.

Nadie necesita considerar el pecado contra el Espíritu Santo como algo misterioso e indefinible. El pecado contra el Espíritu Santo es el pecado de un rechazo persistente a responder a la invitación a arrepentirse. Si rehusáis creer en Jesucristo como vuestro Salvador personal, ... significa que amáis la atmósfera que rodeó al primer gran apóstata. Elegís esa atmósfera antes que la atmósfera que rodea al Padre y al Hijo, y Dios os permite elegir.— The Review and Herald, 29 de junio de 1897.

Arrepentios de vuestros pecados, confesadlos a Dios, dejad toda iniquidad, y podréis apropiaros de todas sus promesas. “Mirad a mí, y sed salvos” ( Testimonies for the Church 5:634.

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Daily Devotional

August 28, 2016

Unutterable Loneliness

I have trodden the winepress alone; and of the people there was none with me. Isa. 63:3.

Through childhood, youth, and manhood, Jesus walked alone. In His purity and His faithfulness, He trod the winepress alone, and of the people there was none with Him. He carried the awful weight of responsibility for the salvation of men. He knew that unless there was a decided change in the principles and purposes of the human race, all would be lost. This was the burden of His soul, and none could appreciate the weight that rested upon Him.

Throughout His life His mother and His brothers did not comprehend His mission. Even His disciples did not understand Him. He had dwelt in eternal light, as one with God, but His life on earth must be spent in solitude. As one with us, He must bear the burden of our guilt and woe. The Sinless One must feel the shame of sin. The peace lover must dwell with strife, the truth must abide with falsehood, purity with vileness. Every sin, every discord, every defiling lust that transgression had brought, was torture to His spirit.

Alone He must tread the path; alone He must bear the burden. Upon Him who had laid off His glory and accepted the weakness of humanity the redemption of the world must rest. He saw and felt it all, but His purpose remained steadfast. Upon His arm depended the salvation of the fallen race, and He reached out His hand to grasp the hand of Omnipotent love.

The loneliness of Christ, separated from the heavenly courts, living the life of humanity, was never understood or appreciated by the disciples as it should have been. . . When Jesus was no longer with them, . . . they began to see how they might have shown Him attentions that would have brought gladness to His heart. . . .

The same want is evident in our world today. But few appreciate all that Christ is to them. If they did, the great love of Mary [Matt. 26:6-13] would be expressed, the anointing would be freely bestowed. . . . Nothing would be thought too costly to give for Christ, no self-denial or self-sacrifice too great to be endured for His sake.

From Devotional: Our Father Cares, pp. 207, 208.

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Thought of the Day

August 28, 2016

It is our safety, our life, our joy, to dwell upon the truths of the plan of salvation. Faith and prayer are necessary in order that we may behold the deep things of God. Our minds are so bound about with narrow ideas, that we catch but limited views of the experience it is our privilege to have. Prayer, p. 30.

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Daily Devotional

August 28, 2016

Prayer an Effective Weapon Against Satan

Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. James 4:7, 8, NKJV.

Satan is constantly at work, but few have any idea of his activity and subtlety. The people of God must be prepared to withstand the wily foe. It is this resistance that Satan dreads. He knows better than we do the limit of his power and how easily he can be overcome if we resist and face him.

Through divine strength the weakest saint is more than a match for him and all his angels, and if brought to the test [the weakest saint] would be able to prove ... superior power. Therefore Satan's step is noiseless, his movements stealthy, and his batteries masked. He does not venture to show himself openly, lest he arouse the Christian's dormant energies and send him or her to God in prayer.

The enemy is preparing for his last campaign against the church. He has so concealed himself from view that many can hardly believe that he exists, much less can they be convinced of his amazing activity and power.... Boasting of their independence they will, under his specious, bewitching influence, obey the worst impulses of the human heart and yet believe that God is leading them. Could their eyes be opened to distinguish their captain, they would see that they are not serving God, but the enemy of all righteousness. They would see that their boasted independence is one of the heaviest fetters Satan can rivet on unbalanced minds.

Human beings are Satan's captives and are naturally inclined to follow his suggestions and do his bidding. They have in themselves no power to oppose effectual resistance to evil. It is only as Christ abides in them by living faith, influencing their desires and strengthening them with strength from above, that they may venture to face so terrible a foe. Every other means of defense is utterly vain. It is only through Christ that Satan's power is limited. This is a momentous truth that all should understand. Satan is busy every moment, going to and fro, walking up and down in the earth, seeking whom he may devour. But the earnest prayer of faith will baffle his strongest efforts. Then take "the shield of faith," brethren and sisters, "wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked." - Testimonies for the Church 5:293, 294.

From Devotional: To Be Like Jesus, p. 34.

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Thought of the Day

August 28, 2016

We shall be forgiven only as we forgive. - FLB

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Saturday, August 27, 2016

Devoción Matutina en español

August 27, 2016

Señales en los cielos

De la higuera aprended la parábola: Cuando ya su rama se enternece, y las hojas brotan, sabéis que el verano está cerca. Así también vosotros, cuando viereis todas estas cosas, sabed que está cercano, a las puertas. Mateo 24:32, 33.

“El Salvador dio señales de su venida y aún más que eso, fijó el tiempo en que la primera de estas señales iba a aparecer, ‘Y luego después de la aflicción de aquellos días, el sol se oscurecerá y no dará su lumbre, y las estrellas caerán del cielo, y las virtudes de los cielos serán conmovidas.’ ...

“Cristo declaró que al final de la gran persecución papal, el sol se oscurecería, y la luna no daría su luz. Luego las estrellas caerían del cielo.”— El Deseado de Todas las Gentes, 570.

“Así es como se realizó la última de esas señales de su venida, tocante a las cuales Jesús había dicho a sus discípulos: ‘Cuando viereis estas cosas, sabed que está cerca, a las puertas mismas.’ Después de estas señales, Juan vio que el más grande acontecimiento que debía seguir, era el cielo que desaparecería como un libro cuando es arrollado, mientras que la tierra era sacudida, que las montañas y las islas eran movidas de sus lugares, y que los impíos, aterrorizados, trataban de esconderse de la presencia del Hijo del hombre.”— Seguridad y Paz en el Conflicto de los Siglos, 383.

“Pero el día y la hora de su venida, Cristo no los ha revelado.... El tiempo exacto de la segunda venida del Hijo del hombre es un misterio de Dios.”— El Deseado de Todas las Gentes, 571.

“Aún un poco más, y veremos al Rey en su hermosura. Un poco más, y enjugará toda lágrima de nuestros ojos.”—— Ibid.

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Daily Devotional

August 27, 2016

God’s Eternal Pledge

He hath remembered his covenant forever, the word which he commanded to a thousand generations. Ps. 105:8

God stands back of every promise He has made. With your Bibles in your hands, say: “I have done as Thou hast said. I present Thy promise, ‘Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you’ (Matt. 7:7).” . . .

The rainbow about the throne is an assurance that God is true; that in Him is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. We have sinned against Him and are undeserving of His favor; yet He Himself has put into our lips that most wonderful of pleas: “Do not abhor us, for thy name’s sake, do not disgrace the throne of thy glory: remember, break not thy covenant with us” (Jer. 14:21). He has pledged Himself to give heed to our cry when we come to Him confessing our unworthiness and sin. The honor of His throne is staked for the fulfillment of His word to us.

To everyone who offers himself to the Lord for service, withholding nothing, is given power for the attainment of measureless results. The Lord God is bound by an eternal pledge to supply power and grace to everyone who is sanctified through obedience to the truth.

Nehemiah pressed into the presence of the King of kings and won to his side a power that can turn hearts as rivers of waters are turned. [See Nehemiah 1 and 2.]

To pray as Nehemiah prayed in his hour of need is a resource at the command of the Christian under circumstances when other forms of prayer may be impossible. Toilers in the busy walks of life, crowded and almost overwhelmed with perplexity, can send up a petition to God for divine guidance. . . . In times of sudden difficulty or peril the heart may send up its cry for help to One who has pledged Himself to come to the aid of His faithful, believing ones whenever they call upon Him. In every circumstance, under every condition, the soul weighed down with grief and care, or fiercely assailed by temptation, may find assurance, support, and succor in the unfailing love and power of a covenant-keeping God.

From Devotional: Our Father Cares, p. 207.

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Thought of the Day

August 27, 2016

"Pray always;" that is, be ever in the spirit of prayer, and then you will be in readiness for your Lord's coming. Prayer, p. 29

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Daily Devotional

August 27, 2016

Walking With God Through Prayer

Enoch walked with God three hundred years, and begot sons and daughters.... And Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him. Genesis 5:22-24, NKJV.

While engaged in our daily work, we should lift the soul to heaven in prayer. These silent petitions rise like incense before the throne of grace; and the enemy is baffled. The Christian whose heart is thus stayed upon God cannot be overcome. No evil arts can destroy his or her peace. All the promises of God's Word, all the power of divine grace, all the resources of Jehovah, are pledged to secure his or her deliverance. It was thus that Enoch walked with God. And God was with him, a present help in every time of need.

Prayer is the breath of the soul. It is the secret of spiritual power. No other means of grace can be substituted and the health of the soul be preserved. Prayer brings the heart into immediate contact with the Wellspring of life, and strengthens the sinew and muscle of the religious experience. Neglect the exercise of prayer, or engage in prayer spasmodically, now and then, as seems convenient, and you lose your hold on God. The spiritual faculties lose their vitality, the religious experience lacks health and vigor....

It is a wonderful thing that we can pray effectually, that unworthy, erring mortals possess the power of offering their requests to God. What higher power can human beings desire than this - to be linked with the infinite God? Feeble, sinful human beings have the privilege of speaking to their Maker. We may utter words that reach the throne of the Monarch of the universe. We may speak with Jesus as we walk by the way, and He says, I am at thy right hand.

We may commune with God in our hearts; we may walk in companionship with Christ. When engaged in our daily labor, we may breathe out our heart's desire, inaudible to any human ear; but that word cannot die away into silence, nor can it be lost. Nothing can drown the soul's desire. It rises above the din of the street, above the noise of machinery. It is God to whom we are speaking, and our prayer is heard. - Messages to Young People, 249, 250

From Devotional: To Be Like Jesus, p. 33.

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Thought of the Day

August 27, 2016

God does not want our individuality lost in another's; he desires we possess our own characters, softened and sanctified by his sweet grace. - MCP

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Friday, August 26, 2016

Devoción Matutina en español

August 26, 2016

Revelador de la gracia de Cristo

Pero cuando viniere aquel Espíritu de verdad, él os guiará a toda verdad; porque no hablará de sí mismo, sino que hablará todo lo que oyere, y os hará saber las cosas que han de venir. Juan 16:13.

Se ha dicho del Consolador: “El os guiará a toda verdad”. Cristo, mediante el Espíritu Santo, expondrá con más claridad ante quienes creen en él, lo que ha inspirado a hombres santos a escribir acerca de la verdad.— The Review and Herald, 12 de abril de 1892, pp. 226.

Cristo dijo acerca del Espíritu: “El me glorificará”. Juan 16:14. Así como Cristo glorificó al Padre por la demostración de su amor, así el Espíritu habría de glorificar a Cristo revelando al mundo las riquezas de su gracia. La misma imagen de Dios debe ser reproducida en la humanidad. El honor de Dios, el honor de Cristo, está implicado en la perfección del carácter de su pueblo. ...

El Espíritu obra en nosotros trayendo a menudo a la mente y en forma vívida las preciosas verdades del plan de redención. Olvidaríamos esas verdades y las ricas promesas de Dios perderían para nosotros su eficacia, si no fuera por el Espíritu, que toma las cosas de Dios y nos las muestra. ... El Espíritu ilumina nuestras tinieblas, informa nuestra ignorancia, y nos ayuda en nuestras múltiples necesidades. Pero la mente debe buscar a Dios en forma constante. Si se permite que la mundanalidad entre en ella, si no tenemos deseos de orar, ni deseos de estar en comunión con él, quien es la fuente de la fortaleza y la sabiduría, el Espíritu no permanecerá en nosotros. Los incrédulos no reciben la rica dotación de gracia que los haría sabios para la salvación, pacientes, perdonadores, rápidos para percibir y apreciar las ministraciones celestiales, prontos en discernir las trampas de Satanás, y fuertes para resistir el pecado. Dios no puede realizar su obra poderosa en favor de ellos porque son incrédulos.— The Review and Herald, 19 de mayo de 1904.

La religión de Cristo significa más que el perdón del pecado; significa que el pecado es quitado y que el vacío es llenado con el Espíritu. Significa que la mente es divinamente iluminada, que el corazón es vaciado del yo, y llenado con la presencia de Cristo. Cuando esta obra sea realizada por los miembros de la iglesia, la iglesia será una iglesia viva y activa.— The Review and Herald, 10 de junio de 1902.

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Thought of the Day

August 26, 2016

The victory is not won without much earnest prayer, without the humbling of self at every step. Our will is not to be forced into co-operation with divine agencies, but it must be voluntarily submitted. Prayer, p. 28

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Daily Devotional

August 26, 2016

Written On The Heart

After those days, saith the Lord, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts. . . . I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more. Jer. 31:33, 34.

The same law that was engraved upon the tables of stone, is written by the Holy Spirit upon the tables of the heart. Instead of going about to establish our own righteousness we accept the righteousness of Christ. His blood atones for our sins. His obedience is accepted for us. Then the heart renewed by the Holy Spirit will bring forth “the fruits of the Spirit.” Through the grace of Christ we shall live in obedience to the law of God written upon our hearts. Having the Spirit of Christ, we shall walk even as He walked.

There are two errors against which the children of God—particularly those who have just come to trust in His grace—especially need to guard. The first . . . is that of looking to their own works, trusting to anything they can do, to bring themselves into harmony with God. He who is trying to become holy by his own works in keeping the law, is attempting an impossibility. . . .

The opposite and no less dangerous error is, that belief in Christ releases men from keeping the law of God; that since by faith alone we become partakers of the grace of Christ, our works have nothing to do with our redemption. . . . If the law is written in the heart, will it not shape the life? . . . Instead of releasing man from obedience, it is faith, and faith only, that makes us partakers of the grace of Christ, which enables us to render obedience. . . .

Where there is not only a belief in God’s Word, but a submission of the will to Him; where the heart is yielded to Him, the affections fixed upon Him, there is faith—faith that works by love, and purifies the soul. Through this faith the heart is renewed in the image of God. And the heart that in its unrenewed state is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be, now delights in its holy precepts, exclaiming with the psalmist, “O how love I thy law! it is my meditation all the day” (Ps. 119:97). And the righteousness of the law is fulfilled in us, “who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit” (Rom. 8:1).

From Devotional: Our Father Cares, p. 206.

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Daily Devotional

August 26, 2016

Spiritual Growth Through Prayer

Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. Matthew 7:7, 8, NKJV.

Ministers [and all] who would labor effectively for the salvation of souls must be both Bible students and men and women of prayer. It is a sin for those who attempt to teach the Word to others to be themselves neglectful of its study. All who feel the worth of souls will flee to the stronghold of truth, where they may be furnished with wisdom, knowledge, strength, and divine power to work the works of God. They should not rest without the holy unction from on high. Too much is at stake for them to dare to be careless in regard to their spiritual advancement....

Ministers of Christ [and others] whom God has made the depositaries of His law, you have an unpopular truth. You must bear this truth to the world. Warnings must be given ... to prepare for the great day of God. You must reach those whose hearts are calloused by sin and love of the world. Continual and fervent prayer, and earnestness in well-doing, will bring you into communion with God; your mind and heart will imbibe a sense of eternal things, and the heavenly unction, which springs from connection with God, will be poured upon you. It will render your testimony powerful to convict and convert. Your light will not be uncertain, but your path will be luminous with heavenly brightness. God is all-powerful, and Heaven is full of light. You have only to use the means God has placed in your power to obtain the divine blessing.

Be instant in prayer. You are a savor of life unto life, or of death unto death. You occupy a fearfully responsible position. I entreat you to redeem the time. Come very near to God in supplication, and you will be like a tree planted by the river of waters, whose leaf is always green, and whose fruit appears in due season.... Only go to God, and take Him at His word, and let your works be sustained by living faith in His promises. God does not require from you eloquent prayers and logical reasoning; but only a humble, contrite heart, ready and willing to learn of Him. - The Review and Herald, August 8, 1878.

From Devotional: To Be Like Jesus, p. 32.

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Thought of the Day

August 26, 2016

Every individual being has a life distinct from all others, an experience differing essentially from theirs. - ST November 29, 1877

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Thursday, August 25, 2016

Devoción Matutina en español

August 25, 2016

Revelada por el amor

Un mandamiento nuevo os doy: que os améis unos a otros; como yo os he amado, que también os améis unos a otros. En esto conocerán todos que sois mis discípulos, si tuviereis amor los unos con los otros. Juan 13:34, 35.

La cadena áurea del amor, que vincula los corazones de los creyentes en unidad, con lazos de compañerismo y amor, y en unión con Cristo y el Padre, establece la perfecta conexión y da al mundo un testimonio del poder del cristianismo que no puede ser controvertido...

Satanás comprende el poder de tal testimonio ante el mundo, y cuánto puede hacer en transformar el carácter... Pondrá en práctica cualquier medio concebible para romper esa cadena áurea que une corazón con corazón de los que creen la verdad y los une en íntima relación con el Padre y el Hijo.—A Fin de Conocerle, 175.

Los que nunca experimentaron el tierno y persuasivo amor de Cristo, no pueden guiar a otros a la fuente de la vida. Su amor en el corazón es un poder competente, que induce a los hombres a revelarlo en su conversación, por un espíritu tierno y compasivo, y en la elevación de las vidas de aquellos con quienes se asocian...

En el corazón que ha sido renovado por la gracia divina, el amor es el principio dominante de acción. Modifica el carácter, gobierna los impulsos, controla las pasiones, y ennoblece los afectos. Ese amor, cuando uno lo alberga en el alma, endulza la vida, y esparce una influencia ennoblecedora en su derredor.— Los Hechos de los Apóstoles, 439, 440.

El que ama a Dios sobre todas las cosas y a su prójimo como a sí mismo, trabajará comprendiendo constantemente que es un espectáculo al mundo, a los ángeles y a los hombres. Haciendo suya la voluntad de Dios, revelará en su vida el poder transformador de la gracia de Cristo. En todas las circunstancias de la vida, tomará el ejemplo de Cristo como guía.

Todo leal y abnegado obrero de Dios tiene la disposición de gastar y ser gastado por causa de otros... Mediante esfuerzos fervientes y reflexivos para ayudar donde sea necesario, el verdadero cristiano muestra su amor a Dios y a sus prójimos. Quizá pierda su vida en el servicio. Pero cuando venga Cristo para reunir sus joyas, la encontrará otra vez.— Mensajes Selectos 1:100.

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Daily Devotional

August 25, 2016

Terms Of The Covenant

If ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people. Ex. 19:5.

In the beginning, God gave His law to mankind as a means of attaining happiness and eternal life.

The ten commandments, Thou shalt, and Thou shalt not, are ten promises, assured to us if we render obedience to the law governing the universe. “If ye love me, keep my commandments” (John 14:15). Here is the sum and substance of the law of God. The terms of salvation for every son and daughter of Adam are here outlined. . . .

That law of ten precepts of the greatest love that can be presented to man is the voice of God from heaven speaking to the soul in promise, “This do, and you will not come under the dominion and control of Satan.” There is not a negative in that law, although it may appear thus. It is DO and Live.

The condition of eternal life is now just what it always has been—just what it was in Paradise before the fall of our first parents—perfect obedience to the law of God, perfect righteousness. If eternal life were granted on any condition short of this, then the happiness of the whole universe would be imperiled. The way would be open for sin, with all its train of woe and misery, to be immortalized.

Christ does not lessen the claims of the law. In unmistakable language He presents obedience to it as the condition of eternal life—the same condition that was required of Adam before his fall. . . . The requirement under the covenant of grace is just as broad as the requirement made in Eden—harmony with God’s law, which is holy, just, and good.

The standard of character presented in the Old Testament is the same that is presented in the New Testament. This standard is not one to which we cannot attain. In every command or injunction that God gives there is a promise, the most positive, underlying the command. God has made provision that we may become like unto Him, and He will accomplish this for all who do not interpose a perverse will and thus frustrate His grace.

From Devotional: Our Father Cares, p. 205.

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Thought of the Day

August 25, 2016

Confederacies will increase in number and power as we draw nearer to the end of time... There needs to be much more of prayer, much more of earnest effort, among professed believers. Prayer, p. 27.

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Daily Devotional

August 25, 2016

What It Means to Pray in Christ's Name

And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything in My name, I will do it. John 14:13, 14, NKJV.

The Lord is disappointed when His people place a low estimate upon themselves. He desires His chosen heritage to value themselves according to the price He has placed upon them. God wanted them, else He would not have sent His Son on such an expensive errand to redeem them. He has a use for them, and He is well pleased when they make the very highest demands upon Him, that they may glorify His name. They may expect large things if they have faith in His promises.

But to pray in Christ's name means much. It means that we are to accept His character, manifest His spirit, and work His works. The Savior's promise is given on condition. "If ye love me," He says, "keep my commandments." He saves men and women, not in sin, but from sin; and those who love Him will show their love by obedience.

All true obedience comes from the heart. It was heart-work with Christ. And if we consent, He will so identify Himself with our thoughts and aims, so blend our hearts and minds into conformity to His will, that when obeying Him we shall be but carrying out our own impulses. The will, refined and sanctified, will find its highest delight in doing His service. When we know God as it is our privilege to know Him, our life will be a life of continual obedience. Through an appreciation of the character of Christ, through communion with God, sin will become hateful to us....

We cannot depend for counsel upon humanity. The Lord will teach us our duty just as willingly as He will teach somebody else. If we come to Him in faith, He will speak His mysteries to us personally. Our hearts will often burn within us as One draws nigh to commune with us as He did with Enoch. Those who decide to do nothing in any line that will displease God will know, after presenting their case before Him, just what course to pursue. And they will receive not only wisdom, but strength. Power for obedience, for service, will be imparted to them, as Christ has promised. - The Review and Herald, July 14, 1910.

From Devotional: To Be Like Jesus, p. 31.

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Thought of the Day

August 25, 2016

The heart that has long slighted God's mercy becomes hardened in sin, no longer susceptible to the influence of the grace of God. - EP 103

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Wednesday, August 24, 2016

Devoción Matutina en español

August 24, 2016

La falsa sabiduría del hombre

Éxodo 2:11-15.

Y fue enseñado Moisés en toda la sabiduría de los egipcios; y era poderoso en sus palabras y obras. Hechos 7:22.

Moisés suponía que su educación en la sabiduría de Egipto lo había capacitado completamente para sacar a los hijos de Israel de la esclavitud. ¿No estaba acaso instruido en todo lo que debía saber un general de ejército? ¿No había tenido las mayores ventajas de las mejores escuelas del reino? Sí; él sentía que podía liberarlos. Primeramente se ocupó en tratar de ganar el favor de su propio pueblo haciéndole justicia. Mató a un egipcio que oprimía a uno de sus hermanos. Al hacer esto, manifestó el espíritu de aquel que es homicida desde el principio, y probó que no era digno de representar al Dios de misericordia, amor y ternura. Su primer intento se convirtió en un fracaso miserable. Como muchos otros, inmediatamente perdió su confianza en Dios y dio la espalda a la obra que se le había encomendado. Huyó de la ira del Faraón. Llegó a la conclusión de que a causa de su error... Dios no le permitiría tener parte alguna en la obra de liberar a su pueblo de su cruel esclavitud. Pero el Señor permitió que sucedieran estas cosas para poder enseñarle la bondad, benevolencia y paciencia que todo obrero del Señor necesita tener...

Estando Moisés en las mismas cumbres de su gloria humana, el Señor permitió que revelara la necedad de la sabiduría del hombre, la debilidad de la fuerza humana, para hacerle comprender su completa impotencia y su ineficiencia sin el sostén del Señor Jesús.— Fundamentals of Christian Education, 342, 344.

Al dar muerte al egipcio, Moisés había caído en el mismo error que cometieron tan a menudo sus antepasados; es decir, había intentado realizar por sí mismo lo que Dios había prometido hacer. Dios no se proponía libertar a su pueblo mediante la guerra, como pensó Moisés, sino por su propio gran poder, para que la gloria fuese atribuida sólo a él. No obstante, aun de este acto apresurado se valió el Señor para cumplir sus propósitos. Moisés no estaba preparado para su gran obra. Aún tenía que aprender la misma lección de fe que se les había enseñado a Abrahán y a Jacob, es decir, a no depender, para el cumplimiento de las promesas de Dios, de la fuerza y sabiduría humanas, sino del poder divino. Historia de los Patriarcas y Profetas, 253.^{* Jueces 9, 10}

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Daily Devotional

August 24, 2016

To Draw Us To God

I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee. Jer. 31:3.

The Lord of life and glory clothed His divinity with humanity to demonstrate to man that God through the gift of Christ would connect us with Him. Without a connection with God no one can possibly be happy. Fallen man is to learn that our Heavenly Father cannot be satisfied until His love embraces the repentant sinner, transformed through the merits of the spotless Lamb of God.

The work of all the heavenly intelligences is to this end. Under the command of their General they are to work for the reclaiming of those who by transgression have separated themselves from their Heavenly Father. A plan has been devised whereby the wondrous grace and love of Christ shall stand revealed to the world. In the infinite price paid by the Son of God to ransom man, the love of God is revealed. This glorious plan of redemption is ample in its provisions to save the whole world. Sinful and fallen man may be made complete in Jesus through the forgiveness of sin and the imputed righteousness of Christ.

In all the gracious deeds that Jesus did, He sought to impress upon men the parental, benevolent attributes of God. . . . Jesus would have us understand the love of the Father, and He seeks to draw us to Him by presenting His parental grace. He would have the whole field of our vision filled with the perfection of God’s character. . . . It was only by living among men that He could reveal the mercy, compassion, and love of His heavenly Father; for it was only by actions of benevolence that He could set forth the grace of God.

Christ came to manifest the love of God to the world, to draw the hearts of all men to Himself. . . . The first step toward salvation is to respond to the drawing of the love of Christ. . . . It is that men may understand the joy of forgiveness, the peace of God, that Christ draws them through the manifestation of His love. If they respond to His drawing, yielding their hearts to His grace, He will lead them on step by step, to a full knowledge of Himself, and this is life eternal.

From Devotional: Our Father Cares, pp. 204, 205.

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Thought of the Day

August 24, 2016

Every morning take time to begin your work with prayer. Do not think this wasted time; it is time that will live through eternal ages. Prayer, p. 26

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Daily Devotional

August 24, 2016

Prayers of a Godly Woman Answered

For this child I prayed, and the Lord has granted me my petition which I asked of Him. 1 Samuel 1:27, NKJV.

Elkanah, a Levite of Mount Ephraim, was a man of wealth and influence, and one who loved and feared the Lord. His wife, Hannah, was a woman of fervent piety. Gentle and unassuming, her character was marked with deep earnestness and a lofty faith.

The blessing so earnestly sought by every Hebrew was denied this godly pair; their home was not gladdened by the voice of childhood; and the desire to perpetuate his name led the husband - as it had led many others - to contract a second marriage. But this step, prompted by a lack of faith in God, did not bring happiness. Sons and daughters were added to the household; but the joy and beauty of God's sacred institution had been marred and the peace of the family was broken. Peninnah, the new wife, was jealous and narrow-minded, and she bore herself with pride and insolence. To Hannah, hope seemed crushed and life a weary burden; yet she met the trial with uncomplaining meekness....

The burden which she could share with no earthly friend she cast upon God. Earnestly she pleaded that He would take away her reproach and grant her the precious gift of a son to nurture and train for Him. And she made a solemn vow that if her request were granted, she would dedicate her child to God, even from its birth....

Hannah's prayer was granted; she received the gift for which she had so earnestly entreated. As she looked upon the child, she called him Samuel - "asked of God." As soon as the little one was old enough to be separated from his mother, she fulfilled her vow.... From Shiloh, Hannah quietly returned to her home at Ramah, leaving the child Samuel to be trained for service in the house of God, under the instruction of the high priest. From the earliest dawn of intellect she had taught her son to love and reverence God and to regard himself as the Lord's. By every familiar object surrounding him she had sought to lead his thoughts up to the Creator. When separated from her child, the faithful mother's solicitude did not cease. Every day he was the subject of her prayers.... She did not ask for her son worldly greatness, but she earnestly pleaded that he might attain that greatness which Heaven values - that he might honor God and bless his fellow human beings. - Patriarchs and Prophets, 569-572.

From Devotional: To Be Like Jesus, p. 30.

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Thought of the Day

August 24, 2016

What was Christ's joy? - It was the joy of saving the lost. - RH March 21, 1893

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Tuesday, August 23, 2016

Devoción Matutina en español

August 23, 2016

El trabajo era necesario incluso en el Edén

“Más del árbol de la ciencia del bien y del mal no comerás; porque el día que de él comieres, ciertamente morirás”. Génesis 2:17.

Al crear a Adán y Eva el Señor se propuso que fueran seres activos y útiles. La santa pareja fue ubicada en el Paraíso rodeada de todo lo que fuera agradable a la vista y bueno para comer. Plantó para nuestros primeros padres un hermoso jardín en Edén. La tierra produjo toda clase de árboles majestuosos, para utilidad y adorno. Flores de raro encanto, de todos los tonos y matices, perfumaron el aire. Los alegres pájaros cantores, de variado plumaje, entonaron sus cánticos de alabanza al Creador.

El paraíso deleitó los sentidos de la santa pareja, pero esto no era suficiente, necesitaban tener una actividad en la que pudieran emplear el maravilloso organismo humano. Aquel que los diseñó sabía qué sería bueno para ellos; y si la felicidad hubiera estado en no hacer nada, en su condición de santa inocencia, hubieran quedado sin empleo. Pero apenas fueron creados, Dios les señaló su labor. Habían de encontrar su empleo y felicidad en atender lo que Dios había creado y sus necesidades serían abundantemente satisfechas con los frutos del jardín.

El trabajo mental y muscular es benéfico. Cada facultad de la mente y cada músculo del cuerpo tienen una función diferente, y todos deben ejercitarse a fin de desarrollarse y gozar de un vigor saludable. Cada rueda del mecanismo viviente debe ser utilizada. Todo el organismo debe ejercitarse constantemente para ser eficiente y cumplir el objetivo de su creación.—Manuscrito 58, 1890.

A Cristo se lo llama el segundo Adán. En una condición de pureza y santidad, en estrecha relación con Dios y siendo objeto del amor divino, Jesús comenzó donde el primer Adán se inició. Sin embargo, el primer Adán gozó en cada aspecto de una situación más favorable que la de Cristo. La maravillosa provisión provista en Edén para la santa pareja fue hecha por un Dios que los amaba. Todo en la naturaleza que los circuía era puro y sin mancha. Las frutas, las flores y los hermosos y encumbrados árboles abundaban en el Jardín del Edén. A Adán y Eva se les proveyó en abundancia de todo lo que necesitaban.

Pero Satanás insinuó dudas en cuanto a la sabiduría divina... Eva cayó bajo la tentación y Adán aceptó el fruto prohibido de la mano de su esposa. El cayó ante la prueba más pequeña que el Señor dispuso para probar su obediencia y un diluvio de aflicciones se derramó sobre nuestro mundo... Por la desobediencia de un hombre muchos fueron hechos pecadores.—Manuscrito 20, 1898.

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Daily Devotional

August 23, 2016

Source Of Compassion And Mercy

Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: the sceptre of thy kingdom is a right sceptre. Ps. 45:6.

Though now He has ascended to the presence of God, and shares the throne of the universe, Jesus has lost none of His compassionate nature. Today, the same tender, sympathizing heart is open to all the woes of humanity. Today the hand that was pierced is reached forth to bless more abundantly His people that are in the world. . . .

Through all our trials we have a never-failing Helper. He does not leave us alone to struggle with temptation, to battle with evil, and be finally crushed with burdens and sorrow. Though now He is hidden from mortal sight, the ear of faith can hear His voice saying, Fear not; I am with you. “I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive forevermore” (Rev. 1:18).

Those who put away iniquity from their hearts and stretch out their hands in earnest supplication unto God will have that help which God alone can give them. A ransom has been paid for the souls of men, that they may have an opportunity to escape from the thralldom of sin and obtain pardon, purity, and heaven. . . . Those who frequent the throne of grace, offering up sincere, earnest petitions for divine wisdom and power, will not fail to become active, useful servants of Christ. They may not possess great talents, but with humility of heart and firm reliance upon Jesus they may do a good work in bringing souls to Christ. . . .

Thousands have a false conception of God and His attributes. . . . God is a God of truth. Justice and mercy are the attributes of His throne. He is a God of love, of pity and tender compassion. Thus He is represented in His Son, our Saviour. He is a God of patience and long-suffering. If such is the being whom we adore and to whose character we are seeking to assimilate, we are worshiping the true God.

If we are following Christ, His merits, imputed to us, come up before the Father as sweet odor. And the graces of our Saviour’s character, implanted in our hearts, will shed around us a precious fragrance.

From Devotional: Our Father Cares, pp. 203, 204.

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Thought of the Day

August 23, 2016

We must live a twofold life--a life of thought and action, of silent prayer and earnest work. Prayer, p. 25

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Daily Devotional

August 23, 2016

Look to Jesus in Prayer

And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up. John 3:14, NKJV.

Throughout the camp of Israel there were the suffering and the dying who had been wounded by the deadly sting of the serpent. But Jesus Christ spoke from the pillar of cloud, and gave directions whereby the people might be healed. The promise was made that whosoever looked upon the brazen serpent should live; and to those who looked the promise was verified. But if anyone said: "What good will it do to look? I shall certainly die under the serpent's deadly sting"; if they continued to talk of their deadly wound, and declared that their case was hopeless, and would not perform the simple act of obedience, they would die. But everyone who looked lived....

Our attention is now called to the Great Physician. "Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world." Just as long as we look at our sins, and talk of and deplore our wretched condition, our wounds and putrefying sores will remain. It is when we take our eyes from ourselves, and fasten them upon the uplifted Savior, that our souls find hope and peace. The Lord speaks to us through His Word, bidding us "look and live." "He that hath received his testimony hath set to his seal that God is true. For he whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God: for God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him. The Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into his hand. He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life."

There is every reason why we should be encouraged to hope for the salvation of our souls. In Jesus Christ every provision for our salvation has been made. No matter what may have been our sins and shortcomings, there is a fountain open in the house of David for all sin and uncleanness. "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." This is the word of the Lord. Shall we accept it? Shall we believe on Him? - The Signs of the Times, April 2, 1894.

From Devotional: To Be Like Jesus, p. 29.

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Thought of the Day

August 23, 2016

When you make mortal man your helper, and pour all your troubles into human ears, you only deprive yourself of strength. - RH April 16, 1889

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Monday, August 22, 2016

Devoción Matutina en español

August 22, 2016

¡Mantén al salvador contigo!

Al regresar ellos, acabada la fiesta, se quedó el niño Jesús en Jerusalén, sin que lo supiesen José y su madre. Lucas 2:43.

Todos los actos de la vida de Jesús fueron importantes. Cada acontecimiento de su vida era para el beneficio de sus seguidores del futuro. Esta circunstancia de la demora de Cristo en Jerusalén enseña una lección importante.

Jesús conocía los corazones. Sabía que, al volver la muchedumbre de Jerusalén, se hablaría y comentaría mucho que no estaría sazonado con humildad y gracia, y el Mesías y su misión se olvidarían casi del todo. Eligió volver de Jerusalén solo con sus padres; pues al retirarse, su padre y madre tendrían más tiempo para reflexionar y meditar en las profecías ... No quería que los penosos acontecimientos que iban a experimentar cuando él ofreciera su vida por los pecados del mundo, fueran nuevos e inesperados para ellos. Se separó de ellos cuando volvieron a Jerusalén. Después de la celebración de la Pascua, lo buscaron con dolor durante tres días.

Aquí hay una lección para todos los seguidores de Cristo. ... Es necesario ser cuidadosos en palabras y acciones cuando los cristianos están juntos, no sea que Jesús sea olvidado por ellos, y continúen indiferentes al hecho de que Jesús no está en su medio. Cuando se dan cuenta de su condición, descubren que han viajado sin la presencia de Aquel que podría dar paz y gozo a su corazón, y se ocupan días en volver y buscar a Aquel a quien deberían haber retenido consigo cada momento. Jesús no estará entre los que descuidan su presencia y se ocupan de conversaciones que no tienen ninguna referencia con su Redentor.

Todos tienen el privilegio de retener a Jesús consigo. Si lo hacen, sus palabras deben ser selectas, sazonadas con gracia. Los pensamientos de su corazón deben encaminarse a meditar en las cosas celestiales y divinas.— The Review and Herald, 31 de diciembre de 1872.

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