Daily Devotional

July 4, 2016

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A High Standard

And ye shall be holy unto me: for I the Lord am holy, and have severed you from other people, that ye should be mine. Lev. 20:26.

I also saw many do not realize what they must be in order to live in the sight of the Lord without a high priest in the sanctuary through the time of trouble. Those who receive the seal of the living God and are protected in the time of trouble must reflect the image of Jesus fully.

I saw that many were neglecting the preparation so needful and were looking to the time of “refreshing” and the “latter rain” to fit them to stand in the day of the Lord and to live in His sight. Oh, how many I saw in the time of trouble without a shelter! They had neglected the needful preparation; therefore they could not receive the refreshing that all must have to fit them to live in the sight of a holy God. Those who . . . fail to purify their souls in obeying the whole truth . . . will come up to the time of the falling of the plagues, and then see that they needed to be hewed and squared for the building. But there will be . . . no Mediator to plead their cause before the Father. Before this time the awfully solemn declaration has gone forth, “He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still.”

I saw that none could share the “refreshing” unless they obtain the victory over every besetment, over pride, selfishness, love of the world, and over every wrong word and action. We should, therefore, be drawing nearer and nearer to the Lord and be earnestly seeking that preparation necessary to enable us to stand in the battle in the day of the Lord. Let all remember that God is holy and that none but holy beings can ever dwell in His presence.

We are today to watch that we offend not in word or deed. . . . We must today seek God and be determined that we will not rest satisfied without His presence. We should watch and work and pray as though this were the last day that would be granted us. How intensely earnest, then, would be our life. How closely would we follow Jesus in all our words and deeds.

From Devotional: Our Father Cares, pp. 318, 319.

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Thought of the Day

July 4, 2016

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Whenever one is encompassed with clouds, perplexed by circumstances, or afflicted by poverty or distress, Satan is at hand to tempt and annoy. He attacks our weak points of character. He seeks to shake our confidence in God, who suffers such a condition of things to exist. Desire of Ages, p. 120.

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Devoción Matutina en español

July 3, 2016

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El templo sagrado del cuerpo

¿O ignoráis que vuestro cuerpo es templo del Espíritu Santo, el cual está en vosotros, el cual tenéis de Dios, y que no sois vuestros? Porque habéis sido comprados por precio; glorificad, pues, a Dios en vuestro cuerpo y en vuestro espíritu, los cuales son de Dios. 1 Corintios 6:19-20.

Esa perfección de carácter que el Señor requiere es la preparación de todo el ser como un templo para la morada del Espíritu Santo. Dios no aceptará nada menos que el servicio de todo el organismo humano. No basta poner en acción algunas partes de la maquinaria viviente. Todas las partes deben trabajar en armonía perfecta, o el servicio será deficiente. Así es como el hombre es calificado para cooperar con Dios representando a Cristo ante el mundo. Así Dios desea preparar a un pueblo que esté delante de él puro y santo, para poder introducirlo en la sociedad de los ángeles celestiales.

Se nos ha confiado el mensaje más solemne dado alguna vez al mundo, y el objeto que debe mantenerse clara y distintamente ante nuestras mentes es la gloria de Dios. Cuidemos de no hacer nada que debilite nuestra salud física, mental o espiritual, porque Dios no acepta un sacrificio manchado, enfermo y corrompido. Debemos ejercer cuidado en el comer, en el beber y en el trabajar, para no rebajar nuestra eficiencia...

Es nuestro deber adiestrar y disciplinar el cuerpo a fin de rendir al Maestro el servicio más elevado posible. No debemos dejarnos controlar por las inclinaciones. No debemos dejarnos dominar por el apetito, ni consentir en el uso de aquello que no es para nuestro bien, simplemente porque halaga el gusto; tampoco hemos de procurar vivir según un plan de inanición, con la idea de que así nos haremos espirituales, y de que Dios será glorificado. Debemos emplear la inteligencia que Dios nos ha dado a fin de perfeccionar nuestro cuerpo, alma y espíritu para que podamos tener un carácter simétrico, tanto como una mente equilibrada, y hacer una obra perfecta para el Maestro.

El sagrado templo de nuestro cuerpo debe mantenerse puro y sin contaminación, para que el Espíritu Santo de Dios more en él.^{* 2 Reyes 4-5.}

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Daily Devotional

July 3, 2016

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God's Law Made Void in America

It is time for thee, Lord, to work: for they have made void thy law. Ps. 119:126.

A time is coming when the law of God is, in a special sense, to be made void in our land [the United States]. The rulers of our nation will, by legislative enactments, enforce the Sunday law, and thus God's people will be brought into great peril. When our nation, in its legislative councils, shall enact laws to bind the consciences of men in regard to their religious privileges, enforcing Sunday observance, and bringing oppressive power to bear against those who keep the seventh-day Sabbath, the law of God will, to all intents and purposes, be made void in our land.

When the land which the Lord provided as an asylum for His people, that they might worship Him according to the dictates of their own consciences, the land over which for long years the shield of Omnipotence has been spread, the land which God has favored by making it the depository of the pure religion of Christ--when that land shall, through its legislators, abjure the principles of Protestantism, and give countenance to Romish apostasy in tampering with God's law--it is then that the final work of the man of sin will be revealed. Protestants will throw their whole influence and strength on the side of the Papacy; by a national act enforcing the false sabbath, they will give life and vigor to the corrupt faith of Rome, reviving her tyranny and oppression of conscience. Then it will be time for God to work in mighty power for the vindication of His truth.

The prophet says: "I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory. And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen. . . . And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues. For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities." When do her sins reach unto heaven? When the law of God is finally made void by legislation. Then the extremity of God's people is His opportunity to show who is the governor of heaven and earth. As a Satanic power is stirring up the elements from beneath, God will send light and power to His people, that the message of truth may be proclaimed to all the world.

From Devotional: Maranatha, p. 179.

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Thought of the Day

July 3, 2016

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We tried to call up our greatest trials, but they looked so small compared with the far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory that surrounded us, that we could not speak them out, and we all cried out, Alleluia! heaven is cheap enough, and we touched our golden harps and made heaven's arches ring. Heaven, p. 60, 61.

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Daily Devotional

July 3, 2016

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God’s Judgments in the Land

Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth. Luke 21:26.

O that God’s people had a sense of the impending destruction of thousands of cities, now almost given to idolatry! . . .

Not long ago a very impressive scene passed before me. I saw an immense ball of fire falling among some beautiful mansions, causing their instant destruction. I heard someone say, “We knew that the judgments of God were coming upon the earth, but we did not know that they would come so soon.” Others said, “You knew? Why then did you not tell us? We did not know.” On every side I heard such words spoken. . . .

Soon grievous troubles will arise among the nations—trouble that will not cease until Jesus comes. As never before we need to press together, serving Him who has prepared His throne in the heavens and whose kingdom ruleth over all. God has not forsaken His people, and our strength lies in not forsaking Him.

The judgments of God are in the land. The wars and rumors of wars, the destruction by fire and flood, say clearly that the time of trouble, which is to increase until the end, is very near at hand. We have no time to lose. The world is stirred with the spirit of war. The prophecies of the eleventh of Daniel have almost reached their final fulfillment. . . .

Last Friday morning, just before I awoke, a very impressive scene was presented before me. I seemed to awake from sleep but was not in my home. From the windows I could behold a terrible conflagration. Great balls of fire were falling upon houses, and from these balls fiery arrows were flying in every direction. It was impossible to check the fires that were kindled, and many places were being destroyed. The terror of the people was indescribable.

Strictly will the cities of the nations be dealt with, and yet they will not be visited in the extreme of God’s indignation, because some souls will yet break away from the delusions of the enemy, and will repent and be converted, while the mass will be treasuring up wrath against the day of wrath.

From Devotional: Our Father Cares, pp. 317, 318.

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Thought of the Day

July 3, 2016

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If we have in any sense a more trying conflict than had Christ, then He would not be able to succor us. But our Saviour took humanity, with all its liabilities. He took the nature of man, with the possibility of yielding to temptation. We have nothing to bear which He has not endured. Desire of Ages, p. 117.

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