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STRANGERS AND PILGRIMS

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So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
KJV Romans 10:17
the updates
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20:20 the year of Vision #Proverbs

20/5/2020

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S+P #gems virtual Bible Study

6/5/2020

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John 17 💎 17
Philippians 4 💎 6-8
Romans 12 💎 1-2
2 Corinthians 3 💎 18
Psalms 51 💎 10
Colossians 3 💎 1-4
2 Timothy 3 💎 15-17
Jeremiah 29 💎 11-13
Isaiah 1 💎 18
Psalms 57 💎 2
John 8 💎 11
Luke 15 💎 4-7
Zephaniah 3 💎 17
John 14 💎 15 
Proverbs 2 💎 1-12

Treasure Trove 💎 of Precious Promises

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Talk About God’s Blessings

29/4/2020

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When thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.
Luke 22:32 KJV

Faith familiarizes the soul with the existence and presence of God, and, living with an eye single to the glory of God, more and more we discern the beauty of His character, the excellence of His grace. Our souls become strong in spiritual power; for we are breathing the atmosphere of heaven. . . . We are rising above the world, beholding Him who is the Chief among ten thousand, the One altogether lovely.
—Selected Messages, book 1, 334.
Everyone who loves God is to testify of the preciousness of His grace and truth. Those who receive the light of truth are to have lesson upon lesson to educate them not to keep silent, but to speak often one to another. They are to keep in mind the Sabbath meeting, when those who love and fear God, and who think upon His name, can have opportunity to express their thoughts in speaking one to another. . . .
The Majesty of heaven identifies His interests with those of the believers, however humble may be their circumstances. And whenever they are privileged to meet together, it is appropriate that they speak often one to another, giving utterance to the gratitude and love that is a result of thinking upon the name of the Lord. Thus shall God be glorified as He hearkens and hears, and the testimony meeting will be considered the most precious of all meetings; for the words spoken are recorded in the book of remembrance. . . .
Do not gratify the enemy by dwelling upon the dark side of your experience; trust Jesus more fully for help to resist temptation. If we thought and talked more of Jesus, and less of ourselves, we should have much more of His presence. If we abide in Him, we shall be so filled with peace, faith, and courage, and shall have so victorious an experience to relate when we come to meeting, that others will be refreshed by our clear, strong testimony for God. These precious acknowledgements to the praise of the glory of His grace, when supported by a Christlike life, have an irresistible power, which works for the salvation of souls. The bright and cheerful side of religion will be represented by all who are daily consecrated to God. We should not dishonor our Lord by a mournful relation of trials that appear grievous. All trials that are received as educators will produce joy. The whole religious life will be uplifting, elevating, ennobling, fragrant with good words and works.

—The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 4, 1183.
📜 HB 138.2 - HB 138.5
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S+P #goldletter virtual Bible Study

15/4/2020

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A great study, lead by The Comforter, on afflictions and infirmities;
and how we benefit from them.
​May you be as awed + blessed as we were!

1 Peter 1:16 KJV
Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.​
Psalm 119:71,75 KJV
It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn thy statutes.
I know, O Lord, that thy judgments are right, and that thou in faithfulness hast afflicted me.
John 20:29 KJV
Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed:
blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.
John 12:37 KJV
But though he had done so many miracles before them,
​yet they believed not on him:
Job 33:29 KJV
Lo, all these things worketh God oftentimes with man,
Luke 12:6-7 KJV
Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings, and not one of them is forgotten before God?
But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered.
Fear not therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows.
Job 34:21-23 KJV
For his eyes are upon the ways of man, and he seeth all his goings.
There is no darkness, nor shadow of death, where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves.
For he will not lay upon man more than right;
​that he should enter into judgment with God.
1 Peter 2:21-23 KJV
For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us,
leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:
Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth:
Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not;
but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously:
Psalm 15:4 KJV
He that sweareth to his own hurt, and changeth not.
1 Corinthians 13:4-5 KJV
Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,
Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;
2 Corinthians 12:7-10 KJV
And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations,
there was given to me a thorn in the flesh,
the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.
For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me.
And he said unto me,
My grace is sufficient for thee:
for my strength is made perfect in weakness.

Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities,
in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake:
for when I am weak, then am I strong.
2 Corinthians 11:30 KJV
If I must needs glory, I will glory of the things which concern mine infirmities.
Romans 5:3 KJV
And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience;
Philippians 4:11 KJV
Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.
2 Corinthians 4:6-18 KJV
For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts,
to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
But we have this treasure in earthen vessels,
​that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.

We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair;
Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed;

Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus,
that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body.
For we which live are alway delivered unto death for Jesus' sake,
that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh.
So then death worketh in us, but life in you.
We having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken;
we also believe, and therefore speak;
Knowing that he which raised up the Lord Jesus
shall raise up us also by Jesus, and shall present us with you.
For all things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace
might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God.
For which cause we faint not;
but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.
For our light affliction, which is but for a moment,
worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;

While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen:
for the things which are seen are temporal;
but the things which are not seen are eternal.
Hebrews 2:10 KJV
For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory,
to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.
Philippians 2:4 KJV
Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.
Luke 22:42 KJV
Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.
2 Corinthians 2:14-15 KJV
Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ,
and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place.
For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish:
Hebrews 12:11-16 KJV
Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous:
nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.

Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees;
And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed.
Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:
Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God;
lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled;
Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright.
Galatians 2:17-18 KJV
But if, while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners,
​is therefore Christ the minister of sin? God forbid.
For if I build again the things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor.
Revelation 3:18-22 KJV
I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich;
and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear;
and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.
As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.
Behold, I stand at the door, and knock:
if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him,
and will sup with him, and he with me.
To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne,
even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.
He that hath an ear, let him hear

what the Spirit saith unto the churches. 
Mark 9:24 KJV
And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears,
Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief. 

#sufferings ~ #blessings ~ #WINNING

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Devotional Diary Entry: Easter 2020, Monday

13/4/2020

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Hymn 165 🤍 Revelation 3:18-22

Look, you saints, the sight is glorious,
See the Man of sorrows now;
From the fight returned victorious,
Every knee to Him shall bow.
Crown Him! Crown Him! Crown Him!
Crown Him! Crown Him! Crown Him!
Crowns become the victor’s brow.

Crown the Savior! angels crown Him!
Rich the trophies Jesus brings;
On the seat of power enthrone Him
While the vault of heaven rings.
Crown Him! Crown Him! Crown Him!
Crown Him! Crown Him! Crown Him!
Crown the Savior, King of Kings.

Sinners in derision crowned Him,
Mocking thus the Savior’s claim;
Saints and angels crowd around Him,
Own His title, praise His name.
Crown Him! Crown Him! Crown Him!
Crown Him! Crown Him! Crown Him!
Spread abroad the victor’s fame!

Hark! those bursts of acclamation!
Hark! those loud triumphant chords!
Jesus takes the highest station;
Oh, what joy the sight affords!
Crown Him! Crown Him! Crown Him!
Crown Him! Crown Him! Crown Him!
King of kings and Lord of lords!
King of kings and Lord of lords!
✒ based on Revelation 11:15, this hymn draws a striking contrast between the humiliation Christ suffered while on earth and the glory, adoration, shouting, and singing that will accompany His second coming and the beginning of His kingdom; the hymn takes on power and meaning when sung from the heart of those who look for the second coming of Christ.
I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.
As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.
Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.
To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.
He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.
And the seventh angel sounded;
and there were great voices in heaven, saying,
The kingdoms of this world
are become the kingdoms of our Lord,
and of his Christ;
and he shall reign for ever and ever.

And the four and twenty elders,
which sat before God on their seats,
fell upon their faces, and worshipped God,
Saying, We give thee thanks,
O Lord God Almighty,
which art, and wast, and art to come;
because thou hast taken to thee thy great power,
and hast reigned.
Revelation 11:15-17 KJV

Hymn 177 🤍 Romans 5:1-11

Jesus, your blood and righteousness
My beauty are, my glorious dress;
Mid flaming worlds, in these arrayed,
With joy shall I lift up my head.

Bold shall I stand in that great day,
Cleansed and redeemed, no debt to pay;
For by your cross, absolved I am
From sin and guilt, from fear and shame.

Lord, I believe your precious blood,
Which at the mercy seat of God
Pleads for the captives’ liberty,
Was also shed in love for me.

When from the dust of death I rise
To claim my mansion in the skies,
This then shall be my only plea:
Christ Jesus lived and died for me.
✒ Zinzendorf was deeply impressed by a picture of the thorn-crowned Christ that bore underneath the words "What hast thou done for Me?"; for Zinzendorf, writing hymns was a passion; he wrote the first of some 2000 at age 12, and the last one came from his pen just a few days before his death. 
Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:
By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience;
And patience, experience; and experience, hope:
And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.
For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.
For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die.
But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.
For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.
And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.

Crowns 👑 become the victor's brow

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Devotional Diary Entry: Easter 2020, Sunday

12/4/2020

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Hymn 175 💚 John 12:23-32

​Now the green blade rises from the buried grain,
Wheat that in dark earth many days has lain;
Love lives again, that with the dead has been;
Love is come again like wheat arising green.

In the grave they laid Him, love by hatred slain,
Thinking that He would never wake again,
Laid in the earth like grain that sleeps unseen;
Love is come again like wheat arising green.

Forth He came in triumph, like the risen grain,
He that for three days in the grave had lain;
Raised from the dead, my living Lord is seen;
Love is come again like wheat arising green.

When our hearts are wintry, grieving, or in pain,
Your touch can call us back to life again,
Field of our hearts that dead and bare have been;
Love is come again like wheat arising green.
And Jesus answered them, saying, The hour is come, that the Son of man should be glorified.
Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.
He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal.
If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honour.
Now is my soul troubled; and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour: but for this cause came I unto this hour.
Father, glorify thy name. Then came there a voice from heaven, saying, I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again.
The people therefore, that stood by, and heard it, said that it thundered: others said, An angel spake to him.
Jesus answered and said, This voice came not because of me, but for your sakes.
Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out.
And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.

Hymn 166 💚 1 Corinthians 15:51-58

Christ the Lord is risen today,
Sons of men and angels say,
Raise your joys and triumphs high,
Sing, ye heavens, and earth reply,
Alleluia!

Lives again our glorious King,
Where, O death, is now thy sting?
Once he died our souls to save,
Where’s thy victory, boasting grave?
Alleluia!

Love’s redeeming work is done,
Fought the fight, the battle won,
Death in vain forbids him rise,
Christ has opened paradise,
Alleluia!

Soar we now where Christ has led,
Following our exalted Head,
Made like him, like him we rise,
Ours the cross, the grave, the skies,
Alleluia!
✒ a triumphant hymn of the Resurrection
Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,
In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.
So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.
O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?

The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.
But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.

Love lives again! 🤴 Love is come again!

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Devotional Diary Entry: Easter 2020, Sabbath

11/4/2020

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Hymn 386 🤎 Hebrews 4:1-3, 9-11

The sacred anthem slowly rang
Across the fields of praise,
When earth’s first Sabbath made complete
All creatures and all days.

Walking with God, there,
Woman and man together share
The blessed Sabbath mood;
And in that green and golden world
Know all God’s works are good.

But now in our diminished lives
We sing a blemished song;
The earth is worn and disarrayed
And all our work goes wrong.

Still in our worship,
Joining in praise and fellowship,
By Sabbath radiance blessed,
We put our doubt and fear away
And rest within God’s rest.

And arching over time and space
The Lord of Sabbaths wills
Renewal for the weary earth
And healing for our ills.

Hearts will rejoice then;
There will be no more weeping, when
We know and shall be known.
With hosts of the redeemed we’ll sing
Around God’s shining throne.
✒ begins with the first Sabbath, reflects on our present experience, and looks forward to the renewed worship, with the Creator of the Sabbath, in a restored world.
​Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it.
For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.
For we which have believed do enter into rest, as he said, As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest: although the works were finished from the foundation of the world.

There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God.
For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his.
Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.

Hymn 395 🤎 Psalm 27:4-8

As birds unto the genial homeland fly,
The winter’s cold and low’ring skies to flee,
So seeks my soul Thy gracious presence here
And finds, O God, its rest and peace in Thee.

Here at Thy shrine we leave all vexing care,
Forget the disappointment, grief and tear,
And on the wings of hopeful song and prayer
We rise, and rising feel Thy Spirit here.

Bless all who spend this night in pain and woe,
The burdened heart, the fainting, and distressed,
Thy comfort send to darkened homes bereaved,
Thy saving help to those by want oppressed.

Come, Sabbath joy, each trusting heart now fill,
And blissful peace within our homes abide,
May thankful praise each grateful heart now thrill,
And to God’s loving care their lives confide.
​✒ a special hymn of the feeling of love and reverence for the holy hours of the Sabbath; especially touching is the third stanza, which asks God's blessing on all who are in pain, or distressed, and those who mourn the loss of a loved one.
One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to enquire in his temple.
For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion: in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me; he shall set me up upon a rock.
And now shall mine head be lifted up above mine enemies round about me: therefore will I offer in his tabernacle sacrifices of joy; I will sing, yea, I will sing praises unto the Lord.
Hear, O Lord, when I cry with my voice: have mercy also upon me, and answer me.
When thou saidst, Seek ye my face; my heart said unto thee, Thy face, Lord, will I seek.

O Sweet rest within God's rest 🕊 Sabbath Blessings!

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Devotional Diary Entry: Easter 2020, Friday

10/4/2020

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Hymn 150 🖤 1 Peter 2:13-25

Who is He in yonder stall,
At whose feet the shepherds fall?

Who is He in deep distress,
Fasting in the wilderness?

Who is He, the gathering throng
Greet with loud triumphant song?

Lo, at midnight, who is He
Prays in dark Gethsemane?

Who is He on yonder tree
Dies in shame and agony?

Who is He that from the grave
Comes to heal and help and save?

Who is He that from His throne
Rules through all the world alone?

Refrain
‘Tis the Lord, O wondrous story,
‘Tis the Lord, the King of glory!
At His feet we humbly fall,
Crown Him, crown Him Lord of all.
At His feet we humbly fall- the Lord of all.
Crown Him, crown Him, Jesus, Jesus,
Crown Him Lord of all.
​✒ each stanza refers to a major event in the life and ministry of Jesus
Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake:
whether it be to the king, as supreme;
Or unto governors, as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers, and for the praise of them that do well.
For so is the will of God, that with well doing ye may put to silence
the ignorance of foolish men:
As free, and not using your liberty for a cloke of maliciousness,
but as the servants of God.
Honour all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honour the king.
Servants, be subject to your masters with all fear;
not only to the good and gentle, but also to the froward.
For this is thankworthy, if a man for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully.
For what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God.
For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:
Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth:
Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously:
Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness:
by whose stripes ye were healed.

For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.

Hymn 164 🖤 1 Peter 1:13-21

​There is a green hill far away,
Without a city wall,
Where the dear Lord was crucified,
Who died to save us all.

We may not know, we cannot tell,
What pains He had to bear,
But we believe it was for us
He hung and suffered there.

He died that we might be forgiven,
He died to make us good,
That we might go at last to heaven,
Saved by His precious blood.

There was no other good enough
To pay the price of sin;
He only could unlock the gate
Of heaven, and let us in.

O dearly, dearly has He loved!
And we must love Him too,
And trust in His redeeming blood,
And try His works to do.
✒ the second line, which refers to Hebrews 13:12 "without the gate", prompted a small child to ask what was meant by a hill not having a city wall; the child did not understand that 'without' in this case meant "outside"​
Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;
As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance:
But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation;
Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.
And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man's work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear:
Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers;
But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:

Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you,
Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God.

The Good Gospel Truths ✝️ this Ultimate of Flashback Fridays

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A Mirror

4/4/2020

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Hymn 306 🤎 Draw Me Nearer

I am thine, O Lord, I have heard thy voice,
and it told thy love to me;
but I long to rise in the arms of faith
and be closer drawn to thee.

Consecrate me now to thy service, Lord,
by the power of grace divine;
let my soul look up with a steadfast hope,
and my will be lost in thine.

O the pure delight of a single hour
that before thy throne I spend,
when I kneel in prayer, and with thee, my God,
I commune as friend with friend!

Refrain
Draw me nearer, nearer, blessed Lord,
to the cross where thou hast died.
Draw me nearer, nearer, nearer, blessed Lord,
to thy precious, bleeding side.

The expression of the countenance is itself
​a mirror of the life within.

📜 Manuscript 24, 1887

Psalm 4 🔑 4 KJV
Stand in awe, and sin not: commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still.
Proverbs 4 🕯 23 KJV
Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.
A soul filled with the love of Jesus lends to
the words, the manners, the looks,
hope, courage and serenity.
📜 Manuscript 24, 1887
In the work of heart-keeping we must be instant in prayer,
unwearied in petitioning the throne of grace for assistance. ...
The Christian can not always be in the position of prayer,
but his thoughts and desires can always be upward.
Our self-confidence would vanish, did we talk less and pray more.
📜 The Youth's Instructor, March 5, 1903
To keep your heart in heaven,
will give vigor to all your graces, and put life into all your duties.
To discipline the mind to dwell upon heavenly things,
will put life and earnestness into all our endeavors.
The affections should center upon God.
Contemplate His greatness, His mercy and excellences.
Let His goodness and love and perfection of character captivate your heart.
Converse upon His divine charms, and the heavenly mansions He is preparing for the faithful.
He whose conversation is in heaven, is the most profitable Christian to all around him.
His words are useful and refreshing.
They have a transforming power upon those who hear them,
​and will melt and subdue the soul.
📜 The Review and Herald, March 29, 1870
Philippians 4 🔑 8 KJV
Finally, brethren,
whatsoever things are true,
whatsoever things are honest,
whatsoever things are just,
whatsoever things are pure,
whatsoever things are lovely,
whatsoever things are of good report;
if there be any virtue,
and if there be any praise,
think on these things.
1 Corinthians 13 💫 11 KJV
When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child:
​but when I became a man, I put away childish things.

Thoughts, understood, speak

Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth,
but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.

Ephesians 4:29 KJV
My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue;
​but in deed and in truth.
1 John 3:18 KJV
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20:20 the year of Vision #Chronicles

20/3/2020

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Royal Love

14/2/2020

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As the Father hath loved me,
so have I loved you: continue ye in my love.
​
If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love;
even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love.

These things have I spoken unto you,
that my joy might remain in you,
and that your joy might be full.

This is my commandment,
That ye love one another, as I have loved you.
​
Greater love hath no man than this,
that a man lay down his life for his friends.


Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.

John 15:9-14 KJV

Amen 💜 #loveDefined 👑 #royalLove

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Contemplate the better land..

30/1/2020

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Now the God of hope
fill you with all joy and peace in believing,
that ye may abound in hope,
​through the power of the Holy Ghost.

Romans 15:13 KJV

If Jesus had not died our sacrifice and risen again, we should never have known peace, never have felt joy, but only experienced the horrors of darkness and the miseries of despair.

Then let only praise and gratitude
be the language of our hearts.

All our lives we have been partakers of His heavenly benefits, recipients of the blessings of His priceless atonement. Therefore it is impossible for us to conceive the low and helpless state ... from which Christ has raised us. When we feel the pains, the sorrows and bereavements to which we are subject, let not one murmuring thought dishonor our Redeemer.... We cannot determine how much less we suffer than our sins deserve....

The language of the soul
​should be that of joy and gratitude.

If any have dark chapters in their experience let them bury them.
Let this history not be kept bright by repetition....
​Cultivate only those thoughts and those feelings which will produce gratitude and praise....
I entreat of you never to utter one word of complaint,
but to cherish feelings of gratitude and thankfulness. By so doing you will be learning to make melody in your hearts. Weave into your experience the warp and woof, the golden threads, of gratitude.
Contemplate the better land,
where tears are never shed, where temptations and trials are never experienced, where losses and reproaches are never known,
​where all is peace and joy and happiness.

Here your imagination may have full scope.

These thoughts will make you more heavenly-minded,
​will endue you with heavenly vigor, will satisfy your thirsty soul with rivers of living waters, and will set upon your heart the seal of the divine image.
They will fill you with joy and hope in believing and will abide with you as a comforter forever.

Manuscript 9, 1883.
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20:20 the year of Vision #Exodus

20/1/2020

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#reflections

22/10/2019

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Reflections from this evening's home worship hour
​on the presence of God within 👑
​in the midst of the gall of this life without..
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the Hope of the Church

12/9/2019

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For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,
Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;
Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;
Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.
Titus 2:11-14 KJV
For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand.
I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:
​Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.

2 Timothy 4:6-8 KJV
For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.
For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.
For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
Wherefore comfort one another with these words.

1 Thessalonians 4:14-18
And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.
1 Peter 5:4 KJV
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~ excerpt from ‘​Bible Readings for the Home Circle’ 1908; ch. The Millenium
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Letter 87, 1894

29/8/2019

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​To every soul thirsting after holiness there is repose, there is rest, there is the quickening influence of the Holy Spirit, and then the holy, happy, peaceful walk and precious communion with Christ. Then, oh, then, can we intelligently say with John, 

“Behold the Lamb of God,
​that taketh away the sin of the world”

👣 👑 💝
John 1:29 ~ 1BC 1111.4
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Ezekiel 34 ~ love My Shepherd

25/8/2019

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And the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,
Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel, prophesy, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God unto the shepherds; Woe be to the shepherds of Israel that do feed themselves! should not the shepherds feed the flocks? Ye eat the fat, and ye clothe you with the wool, ye kill them that are fed: but ye feed not the flock.
The diseased have ye not strengthened, neither have ye healed that which was sick, neither have ye bound up that which was broken, neither have ye brought again that which was driven away, neither have ye sought that which was lost; but with force and with cruelty have ye ruled them.
And they were scattered, because there is no shepherd: and they became meat to all the beasts of the field, when they were scattered. My sheep wandered through all the mountains, and upon every high hill: yea, my flock was scattered upon all the face of the earth, and none did search or seek after them.
Therefore, ye shepherds, hear the word of the Lord;
As I live, saith the Lord God, surely because my flock became a prey, and my flock became meat to every beast of the field, because there was no shepherd, neither did my shepherds search for my flock, but the shepherds fed themselves, and fed not my flock;
Therefore, O ye shepherds, hear the word of the Lord;
Thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I am against the shepherds; and I will require my flock at their hand, and cause them to cease from feeding the flock; neither shall the shepherds feed themselves any more; for I will deliver my flock from their mouth, that they may not be meat for them.
For thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I, even I, will both search my sheep, and seek them out.
As a shepherd seeketh out his flock in the day that he is among his sheep that are scattered; so will I seek out my sheep, and will deliver them out of all places where they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day.
And I will bring them out from the people, and gather them from the countries, and will bring them to their own land, and feed them upon the mountains of Israel by the rivers, and in all the inhabited places of the country.
I will feed them in a good pasture, and upon the high mountains of Israel shall their fold be: there shall they lie in a good fold, and in a fat pasture shall they feed upon the mountains of Israel.
I will feed my flock, and I will cause them to lie down, saith the Lord God.
I will seek that which was lost, and bring again that which was driven away, and will bind up that which was broken, and will strengthen that which was sick: but I will destroy the fat and the strong; I will feed them with judgment.

And as for you, O my flock, thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I judge between cattle and cattle, between the rams and the he goats.
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Seemeth it a small thing unto you to have eaten up the good pasture, but ye must tread down with your feet the residue of your pastures? and to have drunk of the deep waters, but ye must foul the residue with your feet? And as for my flock, they eat that which ye have trodden with your feet; and they drink that which ye have fouled with your feet.
Therefore thus saith the Lord God unto them; Behold, I, even I, will judge between the fat cattle and between the lean cattle. Because ye have thrust with side and with shoulder, and pushed all the diseased with your horns, till ye have scattered them abroad; Therefore will I save my flock, and they shall no more be a prey; and I will judge between cattle and cattle.
And I will set up one shepherd over them, and he shall feed them, even my servant David; he shall feed them, and he shall be their shepherd.
And I the Lord will be their God, and my servant David a prince among them; I the Lord have spoken it.
And I will make with them a covenant of peace, and will cause the evil beasts to cease out of the land: and they shall dwell safely in the wilderness, and sleep in the woods.

And I will make them and the places round about my hill a blessing; and I will cause the shower to come down in his season; there shall be showers of blessing.

And the tree of the field shall yield her fruit, and the earth shall yield her increase, and they shall be safe in their land, and shall know that I am the Lord, when I have broken the bands of their yoke, and delivered them out of the hand of those that served themselves of them.
And they shall no more be a prey to the heathen, neither shall the beast of the land devour them; but they shall dwell safely, and none shall make them afraid.
And I will raise up for them a plant of renown, and they shall be no more consumed with hunger in the land, neither bear the shame of the heathen any more.
Thus shall they know that I the Lord their God am with them, and that they, even the house of Israel, are my people, saith the Lord God.
And ye my flock, the flock of my pasture, are men, and I am your God, saith the Lord God.
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With Nature and With God

17/8/2019

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All who are under the training of God need the quiet hour for communion with their own hearts, with nature, and with God. In them is to be revealed a life that is not in harmony with the world, its customs, or its practices; and they need to have a personal experience in obtaining a knowledge of the will of God.
We must individually hear Him speaking to the heart. When every other voice is hushed, and in quietness we wait before Him, the silence of the soul makes more distinct the voice of God. He bids us,
“Be still, and know that I am God.”
Psalm 46:10.
This is the effectual preparation for all labor for God. Amidst the hurrying throng, and the strain of life’s intense activities, he who is thus refreshed will be surrounded with an atmosphere of light and peace. He will receive a new endowment of both physical and mental strength. His life will breathe out a fragrance, and will reveal a divine power that will reach men’s hearts.
MH 58.3
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Devotional Gold

21/5/2019

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​KJV Psalms 132 👑

Verse 9
​Let thy priests be clothed with righteousness;
and let thy saints shout for joy.


Verse 12

​If thy children will keep my covenant and my testimony
​that I shall teach them,
​their children shall also sit upon thy throne for evermore.


Verse 16

​I will also clothe her priests with salvation:
and her saints shall shout aloud for joy.


​​Verse 18

​His enemies will I clothe with shame:
but upon himself shall his crown flourish.

#righteousness*IS*salvation

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Hoped in Thy Word

17/2/2019

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the Rainbow encircling the Throne

11/11/2018

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​After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven:
and the first voice which I heard was
as it were of a trumpet talking with me;
which said, Come up hither,
and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter.
And immediately I was in the spirit:
and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne.
And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone:
and there was a rainbow round about the throne,
​in sight like unto an emerald.
​KJV Revelation 4:1-3
The rainbow spanning the heavens with its arch of light is a token of "the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature." Genesis 9:16. And the rainbow encircling the throne on high is also a token to God's children of His covenant of peace. As the bow in the cloud results from the union of sunshine and shower, so the bow above God's throne represents the union of His mercy and His justice.
Ed 115
As the bow in the cloud is formed by the union of the sunlight and the shower, so the rainbow encircling the throne represents the combined power of mercy and justice. It is not justice alone that is to be maintained; for this would eclipse the glory of the rainbow of promise above the throne; man could see only the penalty of the law. Were there no justice, no penalty, there would be no stability to the government of God.
It is the mingling of judgment and mercy that makes salvation full and complete. It is the blending of the two that leads us, as we view the world’s Redeemer and the law of Jehovah, to exclaim, “Thy gentleness hath made me great.” We know that the gospel is a perfect and complete system, revealing the immutability of the law of God. It inspires the heart with hope, and with love for God. Mercy invites us to enter through the gates into the city of God, and justice is sacrificed to accord to every obedient soul full privileges as a member of the royal family, a child of the heavenly King.
If we were defective in character, we could not pass the gates that mercy has opened to the obedient; for justice stands at the entrance, and demands holiness, purity, in all who would see God. Were justice extinct, and were it possible for divine mercy to open the gates to the whole race, irrespective of character, there would be a worse condition of disaffection and rebellion in heaven than before Satan was expelled. The peace, happiness, and harmony of heaven would be broken up. The change from earth to heaven will not change men’s characters; the happiness of the redeemed in heaven results from the characters formed in this life, after the image of Christ. The saints in heaven will first have been saints on earth.
The salvation that Christ made such a sacrifice to gain for man, is that which is alone of value, that which saves from sin—the cause of all the misery and woe in our world. Mercy extended to the sinner is constantly drawing him to Jesus. If he responds, coming in penitence with confession, in faith laying hold of the hope set before him in the gospel, God will not despise the broken and contrite heart. Thus the law of God is not weakened, but the power of sin is broken, and the scepter of mercy is extended to the penitent sinner (Letter 1f, 1890).
6BC 1071.11-1072.3
God loves His obedient children. He has a kingdom prepared, not for disloyal subjects, but for His children whom He has tested and tried in a world marred and corrupted by sin. As obedient children, we have the privilege of relationship with God. “If children,” He says, “then heirs” to an immortal inheritance.... Christ and His people are one (Letter 119, 1897).
6BC 1077.8
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The Holy Spirit Will Empower for Witnessing

12/9/2018

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~ To Be Like Jesus; EGW
And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus:
and great grace was upon them all.
Acts 4:33
What was the result of the outpouring of the Spirit on the day of Pentecost? The glad tidings of a risen Savior were carried to the uttermost parts of the inhabited world. The hearts of the disciples were surcharged with a benevolence so full, so deep, so far-reaching, that it impelled them to go to the ends of the earth, testifying, God forbid that we should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. BLJ 270.2
As they proclaimed the truth as it is in Jesus, hearts yielded to the power of the message. The church beheld converts flocking to it from all directions. Believers were reconverted. Sinners united with Christians in seeking the pearl of great price. Those who had been the bitterest opponents of the gospel became its champions.... The only ambition of the believers was to reveal the likeness of Christ’s character, and to labor for the enlargement of His kingdom.... BLJ 270.3
Under their labors there were added to the church chosen ones, who, receiving the word of life, consecrated their lives to the work of giving to others the hope that had filled their hearts with peace and joy. Hundreds proclaimed the message “The kingdom of God is at hand.” They could not be restrained or intimidated by threatenings. The Lord spoke through them, and wherever they went, the sick were healed, and the poor had the gospel preached unto them. So mightily can God work when human beings give themselves up to the control of His Spirit. BLJ 270.4
To us today, as verily as to the first disciples, the promise of the Spirit belongs. God will today endow men and women with power from above, as He endowed those who on the day of Pentecost heard the message of salvation. At this very hour His Spirit and His grace are for all who need them and who will take Him at His word. BLJ 270.5
​Notice that it was after the disciples had come into perfect unity, when they were no longer striving for the highest place, that the Spirit was poured out. They were of one accord. All differences had been put away. And the testimony borne of them after the Spirit had been given is the same. Mark the word: “The multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul.” The Spirit of Him who died that sinners might live animated the entire company of believers.—(Australasian) Union Conference Record, June 1, 1904. BLJ 270.6
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Matthew 13:44-46
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Victory in the Mighty Name of Jesus

6/9/2018

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~ In Heavenly Places; EGW
The name of the Lord is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe.
Proverbs 18:10
It was in the time of greatest weakness that Christ was assailed by the fiercest temptations. Thus Satan thought to prevail. By this policy he had gained the victory over man. When strength failed, and the will power weakened, and faith ceased to repose in God, then those who had stood long and valiantly for the right were overcome. Moses was wearied with the forty years’ wandering of Israel, when for the moment his faith let go its hold upon infinite power. He failed just upon the borders of the Promised Land. So with Elijah, who had stood undaunted before King Ahab, who had faced the whole nation of Israel with the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal at their head. After that terrible day upon Carmel, when the false prophets had been slain and the people had declared their allegiance to God, Elijah fled for his life before the threats of idolatrous Jezebel. Thus Satan had taken advantage of the weakness of humanity.... HP 256.2
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. We are tempted to distrust God, to question His love. Often the tempter comes to us as he came to Christ, arraying before us our weakness and infirmities. He hopes to discourage the soul and to break our hold upon God. Then he is sure of his prey. If we would meet him as Jesus did, we should escape many a defeat. By parleying with the enemy we give him an advantage.... HP 256.3
Jesus gained the victory through submission and faith in God, and by the apostle He says to us, “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you” (James 4:7). We cannot save ourselves from the tempter’s power; he has conquered humanity, and when we try to stand in our own strength, we shall become a prey to his devices; but “the name of the Lord is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe.” Satan trembles and flees before the weakest soul who finds refuge in that mighty name. HP 256.4
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Apophthegm of Proverbs Thirty-One

31/8/2018

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Give not thy strength unto women, nor thy ways to that which destroyeth kings.
It is not for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine; nor for princes strong drink:
Lest they drink, and forget the law, and pervert the judgment of any of the afflicted.
Verses 3 - 5
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Apophthegm of Proverbs Thirty

30/8/2018

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Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him.
Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.
Two things have I required of thee; deny me them not before I die:
Remove far from me vanity and lies: give me neither poverty nor riches;
feed me with food convenient for me:
​Lest I be full, and deny thee, and say, Who is the LORD?
or lest I be poor, and steal, and take the name of my God in vain.
Verses 5 - 9
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