By Their Fruits Ye Shall Know Them, June 30

"Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. . . . Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them." Matt. 7:17 - 20.WGD 183.1 No matter how high his profession, he whose heart is not imbued with love for God and for his fellow - men, is not a disciple of Christ. Though he should possess great faith, and even have power to work miracles, yet without love his faith would be worthless. He might display great liberality, but should he from some other motive than genuine love, bestow all his goods to feed the poor, the act would not commend him to the favor of God. In his zeal he might even meet a martyr's death, yet if destitute of the gold of love he would be regarded by God as a deluded enthusiast or an ambitious hypocrite. - Testimonies, vol. 5, p. 168,WGD 183.2 There is an eloquence far more powerful than the eloquence of words in the quiet, consistent life of a pure, true Christian. What a man is has more influence than what he says. . . . It is our own character and experience that determine our influence upon others. In order to convince others of the power of Christ's grace, we must know its power in our own hearts and lives. The gospel we present for the saving of souls must be the gospel by which our own souls are saved. Only through a living faith in Christ as a personal Saviour is it possible to make our influence felt in a skeptical world. If we would draw sinners out of the swift - running current, our own feet must be firmly set upon the Rock, Christ Jesus. The badge of Christianity is not an outward sign, not the wearing of a cross or a crown, but it is that which reveals the union of man with God. - Ministry of Healing, pp. 469, 470.

Seek Peace, June 30

Blessed is the man whose strength is in You. Psalm 84:5.FH 193.1 "Blessed are the peacemakers."... How many are there who are truly desirous of becoming blessed, who would not only hear but do the words of Christ? Those who will not rely upon themselves, but who will put their trust in a power out of and above themselves, will be enabled to become doers of the words of Christ....FH 193.2 "Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake" (not for their coarse, harsh spirit that leads them to stir up strife and dissension, but "for righteousness' sake"). The righteous are those who desire peace and will have peace at the cost of everything save the sacrifice of principle. Truth they cannot sacrifice, though adherence to it costs them distress, reproach, suffering, and even death. "For their's is the kingdom of heaven." Those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake place the commandments of God first in their lives, and they allow no human policy, no promise of reward, no offer of honor, to come between them and their God. They cannot be induced to deny Christ and to betray His cause. The rich promises of God have a place in their memory, and when the enemy comes in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord lifts up a standard against him. The Holy Spirit opens to the understanding the preciousness of the Scriptures....FH 193.3 The church itself needs converting so that its members may be made channels of light, may be blessed and made a blessing. A vague reliance upon God's mercy will not obtain for us access to the throne of grace or draw down the blessing from God the Father which He has provided for those who do His will. Faith must center in the Word of God, which is spirit and life. Every page of the Sacred Word is illumined with the beams of the Sun of Righteousness.FH 193.4 The Word of God is to be the support of the afflicted, the comfort of the persecuted. God Himself speaks to the believing, trusting soul, for God's Spirit is in His Word, and a special blessing will be received by those who accept the words of God when illuminated to their mind by the Holy Spirit. It is thus that the believer eats of Christ, the Bread of Life. Truth is seen in a new light, and the soul rejoices as in the visible presence of Christ. - Signs of the Times, October 10, 1895.

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Laws Governing Spiritual Interpretation (Gospel of Health) 6.29

The Fruits of The Spirit Are Borne, June 29

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law." Gal. 5:22, 23.WGD 182.1 This fruit can never perish, but will produce after its kind a harvest unto eternal life. . . . Christ is waiting with longing desire for the manifestation of Himself in His church. When the character of Christ shall be perfectly reproduced in His people, then He will come to claim them as His own.WGD 182.2 It is the privilege of every Christian, not only to look for, but to hasten the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Were all who profess His name bearing fruit to His glory, how quickly the whole world would be sown with the seed of the gospel. Quickly the last great harvest would be ripened, and Christwould come to gather the precious grain. - Christ's Object Lessons, p. 69.WGD 182.3 The heart in which love rules, will not be filled with passion or revenge, by injuries which pride and self - love would deem unbearable. Love is unsuspecting, ever placing the most favorable construction upon the motives and acts of others. Love will never needlessly expose the faults of others. It does not listen eagerly to unfavorable reports, but rather seeks to bring to mind some good qualities of the one defamed. . . . The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, and peace. Discord and strife are the work of Satan and the fruit of sin. If we would as a people, enjoy peace and love, we must put away our sins, we must come into harmony with God, and we shall be in harmony with one another. Let each ask himself: Do I possess the grace of love? Have I learned to suffer long, and to be kind? - Testimonies, vol. 5, p. 169

Harmony, June 29

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. Matthew 5:9.FH 192.1 Those who have glimpses of the perfection of Christ's character will be filled with a longing to become like Him. They will desire to be peacemakers and to receive the blessing He has promised to the peacemakers....FH 192.2 The enemy of all righteousness will be ready to lead you into a course that will be the very opposite of that which the peacemaker should take. He who loves discord and strife will tempt you to act a part in connection with himself to stir up strife. He will lead you to think that you see in some brother or sister something that is wrong, and Satan will urge you to go and tell it to others; but Christ has told you to go to your brother and "tell him his fault between thee and him alone." Which leader are you going to obey? It is not in accordance with the natural heart to deal frankly and faithfully one with another. It appears easier to tell your brother's fault to someone else than it does to tell it to him alone, but it is his ear alone that should hear your accusation.... They who are blessed are those who work in harmony with God, who are laborers together with Christ. The grace which the Spirit of God imparts is a wellspring of life to the soul and will refresh all who come in contact with the peacemaker....FH 192.3 It is important that we consider that the spirit we cherish now, the works that we now do, will testify to our fitness or unfitness for the future life. We are now upon trial, and it is to be seen whether or not we will fulfill the Lord's prayer and do the will of God on earth as it is done in heaven. Those who are carrying out Satan's plans and are hurting and bruising souls by their course of action prove that they are not the children of Christ....FH 192.4 It is best that every one of us should do right because it is right, and thus we may create about us an atmosphere of peace. We shall not then be found pressing to the side of Satan's human agents to catch their spirit and to repeat their words of accusation and reproach against those who are seeking to be obedient to the commandments of the Lord. We shall not link in with the adversary of souls and aid him in stirring up suspicion and strife and in causing souls who love God to be tempted to do evil. - Signs of the Times, October 10, 1895.

Friday Evening Service (Gospel of Health)

A Friend to the Pure in Heart, June 28

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Matthew 5:8.FH 191.1 The pure in heart shall see God. While all shall behold Christ as a judge, the pure in heart shall behold Him as a friend; for Jesus has said, "Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you." The pure in heart shall see Christ as a friend and elder brother. Those who are constantly looking unto Christ for His counsel, who pray in sincerity for His Holy Spirit, will be grieved if a cloud hides Him from their sight....FH 191.2 The Christian world in this age are inclined to accept the sophistries of Satan in the place of the words of God. Many have separated themselves from God by wicked works, and they love not to behold God or to retain Him in their knowledge. They do not want to see God any more than did Adam when he hid himself from the approach of his heavenly Father....FH 191.3 We are to look unto Jesus as our only hope for the taking away of our sins, for in Him is no sin. He became sin for us that He might bear our guilt, standing before the Father as guilty in our place, while we who believe in Him as a personal Savior shall, because of His merits, be accounted as pure from the contaminating influence of sin. Through the imputed righteousness of Christ, we are accounted guiltless. Christ has given to every human being the evidence that He alone is able to bear human grief, sorrow, and sin. Those who claim Christ as their substitute and surety, hanging their helpless souls upon Christ, can endure as seeing Him who is invisible. The benediction, "Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God" belongs to them.FH 191.4 When you are betrayed into sin, do not despair. Do not delay and mourn in hopeless unbelief, but take your case at once to Jesus....FH 191.5 Christ passed over the ground where Adam failed, and redeemed his disgraceful failure. He was made perfect through suffering and is able to succor all who shall be tempted, and to make a way of escape that they may be able to endure temptation.... He knows how to sympathize with every human being, for He has identified His interest with the interests of those He came to save. What a wonderful high priest is Jesus! We may lay our very soul burden upon Him. - Signs of the Times, October 3, 1895.

The Transformed Life Is Sincere, June 27

"That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ." Phil. 1:10.WGD 180.1 Many whom God has qualified to do excellent work accomplish very little, because they attempt little. Thousands pass through life as if they had no definite object for which to live, no standard to reach. Such will obtain a reward proportionate to their works. Remember that you will never reach a higher standard than you yourself set. Then set your mark high, and step by step, even though it be by painful effort, by self - denial and sacrifice, ascend the whole length of the ladder of progress. Let nothing hinder you. Fate has not woven its meshes about any human being so firmly that he need remain helpless and in uncertainty. Opposing circumstances should create a firm determination to overcome them. The breaking down of one barrier will give greater ability and courage to go forward. Press with determination in the right direction, and circumstances will be your helpers, not your hindrances.WGD 180.2 Be ambitious, for the Master's glory, to cultivate every grace of character. In every phase of your character - building you are to please God. This you may do; for Enoch pleased Him, though living in a degenerate age. And there are Enochs in this our day. . . .WGD 180.3 A character formed according to the divine likeness is the only treasure that we can take from this world to the next. Those who are under the instruction of Christ in this world will take every divine attainment with them to the heavenly mansions. And in heaven we are continually to improve. How important, then, is the development of character in this life. - Christ's Object Lessons, pp. 331, 332

The Fruits of Mercy, June 27

Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. Matthew 5:7.FH 190.1 It is the duty of the children of God to be all light in the Lord and scatter blessings upon the path of others. They are not to say, "Be ye warmed, and be ye fed," and do nothing to relieve the necessities of those who are in want....FH 190.2 We are the Lord's purchased possession, and as His human agents it is our positive duty to administer in temporal and spiritual things from the store which God has given us. Love must be kept in constant exercise to inspire faith in God, that praise may be called forth from human hearts to God and that the golden chain of love may bind the hearts of humanity together. Those who are recipients of the mercy, sympathy, and compassion of God should pass it along to others....FH 190.3 The Son of the infinite God is our Pattern. Heaven is full of mercy, and it is constantly outflowing not only to a favored few, but for the blessing of those who need it most, for the benefit of those who have the least pleasantness and happiness brought into their lives....FH 190.4 Those whom God has made stewards of capabilities and means, He commands, for their own interest, to lay up their treasure in heaven, and as He has given freely to them of His bountiful mercy, to give freely to others. Instead of living for themselves, Christ is to live in them, and His Holy Spirit is to lead them to dispense wisely their goods, being merciful to others even as He is merciful to all. No man or woman can be a follower of Christ and live for self....FH 190.5 In proportion as goods are entrusted they should be dispensed to others. The humblest men and women are to trade upon the Lord's talents, realizing that what has been lent to them should be returned with usury to God. Though we have but one talent, if it be faithfully consecrated to God and employed in acts of mercy in temporal or spiritual things, we thus ministering to the wants of the needy, our talent will increase in value and be noted upon the heavenly record as exceeding our powers of computation. Every merciful action, every sacrifice, every self - denial, will bring a sure requital, a hundredfold in this time, and in the world to come everlasting life. - Signs of the Times, September 12, 1895.

Hungering for Righteousness, June 26

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled. Matthew 5:6.FH 189.1 The true bread of life is found only in Christ. Those who do not recognize that the bounties of rich grace, the heavenly banquet, have been prepared at an infinite cost to satisfy those who hunger and thirst after righteousness will not be refreshed....FH 189.2 "Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger."...FH 189.3 Those who hunger and thirst after righteousness are filled with a longing desire to become Christlike in character, to be assimilated to His image, to keep the way of the Lord, and to do justice and judgment. We should ever cultivate an earnest desire for the righteousness of Christ. No temporal wants should attract and divert the mind to such a degree that we should not experience this soul hunger to possess the attributes of Christ.... When in trouble and affliction, the soul longs for the love and power of God. There is an intense desire for assurance, for hope, for faith, for confidence. We should seek for pardon, for peace, for the righteousness of Christ.... Every soul who seeks the Lord with the whole heart is hungering and thirsting after righteousness....FH 189.4 The soul hunger will be satisfied when our hearts are emptied of pride, vanity, and selfishness; for faith will then appropriate the promises of God, and Christ will supply the vacuum and abide in the heart. There will be a new song in the mouth, for the word will be fulfilled, "A new heart also will I give you." The testimony of the believer will be, "Of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace."...FH 189.5 Without Christ the hunger and thirst of the soul would remain unsatisfied. The feeling of want, the craving after something not temporal, not tainted with earthliness and commonness, could never be appeased. The mind must grasp something higher and purer than anything that can be found in this world....FH 189.6 Christ was crucified for the sin of the world, and after His resurrection and ascension all the world were invited to look to Him and live. We are enjoined to look at the things unseen, to keep before the mind's eye the most vivid images of eternal realities, that by beholding we may become changed into the image of Christ. - Signs of the Times, August 29, 1895.

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The Transforming Power of Truth, June 25

"And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure." 1 John 3:3.WGD 178.1 None but He who has created man can effect a change in the human heart. God alone can give the increase. Every teacher is to realize that he is to be moved by divine agencies. The human judgment and ideas of the most experienced are liable to be imperfect and faulty, and the frail instrument, subject to his own hereditary traits of character, has need to submit to the sanctification of the Holy Spirit every day, else self will gather the reins and want to drive. In the meek and lowly spirit of the learner, all human methods and plans and ideas must be brought to God for His correction and indorsement; otherwise the restless energy of Paul or the skilful logic of Appollos will be powerless to effect the conversion of souls. - Testimonies, vol. 6, p. 167.WGD 178.2 Jesus assumed humanity that He might meet humanity. He brings men under the transforming power of truth by meeting them where they are. He gains access to the heart by securing sympathy and confidence, making all feel that His identification with their nature and interest is complete. The truth came from His lips beautiful in its simplicity, yet clothed with dignity and power. What a teacher was our Lord Jesus Christ! How tenderly did He treat every honest inquirer after truth, that He might gain admission to his sympathies, and find a home in the heart. - Testimonies to Ministers, p. 190.WGD 178.3 Christ has made every provision that His church shall be a transformed body, illumined with the Light of the world, possessing the glory of Immanuel. It is His purpose that every Christian shall be surrounded with a spiritual atmosphere of light and peace. - Christ's Object Lessons, p. 419.

Meekness, a Fruit of the Spirit, June 25

Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. Matthew 5:5.FH 188.1 Those who have humbly sought God for comfort and peace in the midst of trial have had imparted to them the gentleness of Christ. Those who have learned of Him who is meek and lowly of heart express sympathy and manifest gentleness toward those who are in need of consolation, for they can comfort others with the consolation wherewith they are comforted of God....FH 188.2 Meekness is a fruit of the Spirit and an evidence that we are branches of the living God. The abiding presence of meekness is an unmistakable evidence that we are branches of the True Vine and are bearing much fruit. It is an evidence that we are by faith beholding the King in His beauty and becoming changed into His likeness. Where meekness exists, the natural tendencies are under the control of the Holy Spirit. Meekness is not a species of cowardice. It is the spirit which Christ manifested when suffering injury, when enduring insult and abuse. To be meek is not to surrender our rights, but it is the preservation of self - control under provocation to give way to anger or to the spirit of retaliation. Meekness will not allow passion to take the lines.FH 188.3 When Christ was accused by the priests and Pharisees, He preserved His self - control, but He took His position decidedly that their charges were untrue. He said to them, "Which of you convinceth me of sin?"... He knew that His position was right. When Paul and Silas were beaten and thrust into prison without trial or sentence, they did not surrender their right to be treated as honest citizens....FH 188.4 At all times and in all places Christians should be that which the Lord designs that they should be - free in Christ Jesus. Duty performed in the Spirit of Christ will be done with sanctified prudence. We shall be guided as with a light from heaven when we have a vital connection with God.... Those who have repented of their sins, who have cast their weary, heavy - burdened souls at the feet of Christ, who have submitted to His yoke and become His colaborers, will be partakers with Christ in His sufferings and partakers also of His divine nature....FH 188.5 Jesus is our pattern, and it is from Him that we receive strength and grace to walk in humility and contrition before God. - Signs of the Times, August 22, 1895.

June 24

"Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand." Eph. 6:13.WGD 177.1 Those who stand in defense of the honor of God, and maintain the purity of truth at any cost, will have manifold trials, as did our Saviour in the wilderness of temptation. While those who have yielding temperaments, who have not courage to condemn wrong, but keep silent when their influence is needed to stand in defense of the right against any pressure, may avoid many heart - aches and escape many perplexities, they will also lose a very rich reward, if not their own souls. Those who are in harmony with God, and who through faith in Him receive strength to resist wrong and stand in defense of the right, will always have severe conflicts, and will frequently have to stand almost alone. But precious victories will be theirs while they make God their dependence. His grace will be their strength. Their moral sensibility will be keen and clear, and their moral powers will be able to withstand wrong influences. Their integrity, like that of Moses, will be of the purest character. - Testimonies, vol. 3, pp. 302, 303.WGD 177.2 Stupidity must be shaken off. We must arouse from the lethargy that will prove our destruction unless we resist it. Satan has a powerful, controlling influence upon minds. . . . There is no such thing now as a neutral position. We are all decidedly for the right, or decidedly with the wrong. . . . There are many who profess to believe the truth who are blind to their own danger. They cherish iniquity in their hearts and practice it in their lives. Their friends cannot read their hearts, and frequently think that such are all right. - Testimonies, vol. 3, pp. 328, 329

Ministry of Comfort, June 24

Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Matthew 5:4.FH 187.1 The Lord works through human instrumentalities and has commissioned to His followers the duty of ministering to those who are desponding and distressed. There are hearts all around us that need to be uplifted, that need the bright beams of the Sun of Righteousness. The Lord looks to those whom He has comforted and blessed to enlighten those who are in darkness and to relieve those who are in sorrow. Those who have received light and peace and joy are not to pass by those who mourn, but are to come close to them in human sympathy and help them to see a sin - pardoning Savior, a merciful God.FH 187.2 Christ has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows, and He will give joy and gladness to those who mourn. Will you, my brother and sister who have felt the sorrows of earth, do service for Christ in helping the very ones who need your help?...FH 187.3 Those who love Jesus will have the mind of Christ and will comfort all who mourn; those who are poor, tempted, and discouraged they will help to walk in the light of the cross and not in the shadows and in the darkness....FH 187.4 The Lord Jesus has given to His people the special work of comforting all that mourn. Christ is working for this class, and He calls upon human beings to become His instrumentalities in bringing light and hope to those who are mourning in the midst of apparently dark providences.....FH 187.5 The furnace fire may kindle upon the servants of God, but it is for the purpose of purifying them from all dross, and not that they may be destroyed and consumed....FH 187.6 We honor God by trusting in Him when all looks dark and forbidding. Let those who are afflicted look unto Him, and talk of His power, and sing of His mercy....FH 187.7 There is a blessing pronounced upon all who mourn. Had there been no mourners in our world, Christ could not have revealed the parental character of God. Those oppressed by the conviction of sin are to know the blessedness of forgiveness and to have their transgressions blotted out. Had there been none who mourn, the sufficiency of Christ's expiation for sin would not have been understood. - Signs of the Times, August 8, 1895.

Remedy for Soul Poverty, June 23

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 5:3.FH 186.1 These comforting words of Christ are addressed not to the proud, not to the boastful and self - conceited, but to those who realize their own weakness and sinfulness. Those who mourn, the meek who feel themselves unworthy of the favor of God, and those who hunger and thirst after righteousness are all included in "the poor in spirit."...FH 186.2 The poor in spirit feel their poverty, their want of the grace of Christ. They realize that they know little of God and His great love, and that they need light in order that they may know and keep the way of the Lord. They dare not face temptation in their own strength, for they realize that they have not moral force to resist evil. They have no pleasure in reviewing their past life and little confidence in looking to the future, for they are sick at heart. But it is to such that Christ says, "Blessed are the poor in spirit." Christ saw that those who feel their poverty may be made rich....FH 186.3 What great privileges are within the reach of those who feel the poverty of their soul and submit to the will of God! The remedy for soul poverty is found alone in Christ. When the heart is sanctified by grace, when Christians have the mind of Christ, they have the love of Christ, which is spiritual riches more precious than the gold of Ophir. But before there can be an intense desire for the wealth contained in Christ, which is available to all who feel their poverty, there must be a sense of need. When the heart is full of self - sufficiency and preoccupied with the superficial things of earth, the Lord Jesus rebukes and chastens in order that men and women may awake to a realization of their true condition....FH 186.4 You may come to Jesus in faith and without delay. His provision is rich and free, His love is abundant, and He will give you grace to wear His yoke and to lift His burden with cheerfulness. You may claim your right to His blessing by virtue of His promise. You may enter into His kingdom, which is His grace, His love, His righteousness, His peace and joy in the Holy Ghost. If you feel in deepest need, you may be supplied with all His fullness, for Christ says, "I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance." Jesus calls you to come. "Blessed are the poor in spirit: for their's is the kingdom of heaven." - The Signs of the Times, August 1, 1895.

Sabbath Midday Service (Gospel of Health) 6/22/2019

Will a Man Rob God? June 22

But you say, "In what way have we robbed You?" In tithes and offerings. Malachi 3:8.FH 185.1 Would you do it? The Bible speaks of this as if it were an impossibility that anyone should venture to do such a thing. "Yet ye have robbed me."...FH 185.2 The Lord saw just how it would be when the world was filled with inhabitants, and therefore He makes a covenant with His people that they should give Him their tithes and offerings, according to the arrangement which He has made. This is His. It does not belong to any of you. God has made this arrangement with you, that you may show that you realize your dependence and accountability to God by returning to Him His portion. If you do this, His blessing will come upon you. All that we have is the Lord's, entrusted to us as His stewards. That which we hand back to Him He must first give to us....FH 185.3 We breathe because God takes charge of the human machinery. Day by day He keeps it in working order, and He wants us to think of the infinite sacrifice He has made for us in suffering with One equal with Himself - His only begotten Son. He consented to let Him come to a world all seared and marred with the curse of sin, to stand at the head of humanity as a sin - bearing, sin - pardoning Savior....FH 185.4 Christ declared that all power in heaven and earth has been given to Him.... He takes His position at the head of humanity, covering humanity with divinity....FH 185.5 God forbid that any one of us should fail of gaining the precious boon of eternal life. Do not rob God. Walk honestly before Him. All is His. He has entrusted goods to His agents for the advancement of His work in the world. They are to bring to His treasury a faithful tithe, and besides this they are to bring gifts and offerings as the cause shall demand.... God desires us to realize that heaven has been brought near to earth. Ten thousand times ten thousand and thousands of thousands of angels minister to those who shall be heirs of salvation....FH 185.6 God is in earnest with us. He expects us to help in planting His standard in places which have never heard the truth.... From all over the world, calls for help are coming. Lay out no money unnecessarily. Deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow the Master. You can never give Him as much as He has given you. He gave His life for you. What have you given for Him? - The General Conference Bulletin, April 8, 1901. (Taken from Ellen White's talk, Apr. 6, 1901.)

I Shall Not Fear, June 21

"The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?" Ps. 27:1.WGD 174.1 Those who are finally victorious will have seasons of terrible perplexity and trial in their religious life; but they must not cast away their confidence, for this is a part of their discipline in the school of Christ, and it is essential in order that all dross may be purged away. The servant of God must endure with fortitude the attacks of the enemy, his grievous taunts, and must overcome the obstacles which Satan will place in his way.WGD 174.2 Satan will seek to discourage the followers of Christ, so that they may not pray or study the Scriptures, and he will throw his hateful shadow athwart the path to hide Jesus from the view, to shut away the vision of His love, and the glories of the heavenly inheritance. It is his delight to cause the children of God to go shrinkingly, tremblingly, and painfully along, under continual doubt. He seeks to make the pathway as sorrowful as possible; but if you keep looking up, not down at your difficulties, you will not faint in the way, you will soon see Jesus reaching His hand to help you, and you will only have to give Him your hand in simple confidence, and let Him lead you. . . .WGD 174.3 Jesus is the light of the world, and you are to fashion your life after His. You will find help in Christ to form a strong, symmetrical, beautiful character. Satan cannot make of none effect the light shining forth from such a character. The Lord has a work for each of us to do. He does not provide that we shall be sustained by the influence of human praise and petting; He means that every soul shall stand in the strength of the Lord. - Messages to Young People, pp. 63, 64.

True Riches, June 21

Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head. Matthew 8:20.FH 184.1 Christ came to this world to live a life of perfect obedience to the laws of God's kingdom. He came to uplift and ennoble human beings, to work out an enduring righteousness for them. He came as a medium through which truth was to be imparted. In Him are found all the excellencies necessary to absolute perfection of character....FH 184.2 Christ gave up His high command in the heavenly courts, and laying aside His royal robe and kingly crown, He clothed His divinity with humanity. For our sakes He became poor in earthly riches and advantages, that human beings might be rich in the eternal weight of glory. He took His place at the head of the human family and consented to endure in our behalf the trials and temptations that sin has brought. He might have come in power and great glory, escorted by a multitude of heavenly angels. But no, He came in humility, of lowly parentage. He was brought up in an obscure and despised village. He lived a life of poverty and suffered often with privation and hunger. This He did to show that earthly riches and high rank do not increase the value of souls in the sight of God. He has given us no encouragement to think that riches make anyone worthy of eternal life. Those church members who, when a brother becomes poor, treat him as if he were unworthy of their notice certainly did not learn this from Christ....FH 184.3 It is submission to sin that brings the great unhappiness of the soul. It is not poverty but disobedience that lessens our hope of gaining eternal life, which the Savior came to bring us. True riches, true peace, true content, enduring happiness - these are found only in entire surrender to God, in perfect reconciliation to His will.FH 184.4 Christ came to our world to live a life of stainless purity, thus to show sinners that in His strength they, too, can obey God's holy precepts, the laws of His kingdom. He came to magnify the law and make it honorable by His perfect conformity to its principles. He united humanity and divinity, that fallen human beings might become partakers of the divine nature and thus escape the corruption that is in the world through lust.FH 184.5 It was from the Father that Christ constantly drew the power that enabled Him to keep His life free from spot or stain of sin. - The Review and Herald, July 4, 1912.

As a Root Out of Dry Ground, June 20

For He shall grow up... as a root out of dry ground. He has no form or comeliness; and when we see Him, there is no beauty that we should desire Him. Isaiah 53:2.FH 183.1 The people of Jesus' day could not see, beneath the disguise of humility, the glory of the Son of God. He was "despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief." He was to them as a root out of dry ground, with no form nor comeliness that they should desire Him....FH 183.2 Christ reached the people where they were. He presented the plain truth to their minds in the most forcible and simple language. The humble poor, the most unlearned, could comprehend through faith in Him the most exalted truths of God. No one needed to consult the learned doctors as to His meaning. He did not perplex the ignorant with mysterious inferences nor use unaccustomed and learned words of which they had no knowledge. The greatest Teacher the world has ever known was the most definite, simple, and practical in His instruction.FH 183.3 While priests and rabbis were assuring themselves of their competency to teach the people and to cope even with the Son of God in expounding doctrine, He charged them with ignorance of the Scriptures or the power of God. It is not learning of the world's great persons that opens the mysteries of the plan of redemption. The priests and rabbis had studied the prophecies, but they failed to discover the precious proofs of the Messiah's advent, of the manner of His coming, of His mission and character. Those who claimed to be worthy of confidence because of their wisdom did not perceive that Christ was the Prince of life.FH 183.4 The rabbis looked with suspicion and contempt upon everything that did not bear the appearance of worldly wisdom, national exaltation, and religious exclusiveness; but the mission of Jesus was to oppose these very evils, to correct these erroneous views, and to work a reformation in faith and morals. He attracted attention to purity of life, to humility of spirit, and to devotion to God and His cause without hope of worldly honor or reward....FH 183.5 He rejoiced in spirit as He beheld the poor of this world eagerly accepting the precious message which He brought. He looked up to heaven and said, "I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes." - The Review and Herald, August 3, 1911.

June 19, I Shall Be Like A Tree

"And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper." Ps. 1:3.WGD 172.1 There must be no pretense in the lives of those who have so sacred and solemn a message as we have been called to bear. The world is watching Seventh - day Adventists, because it knows something of their profession of faith, and of their high standard, and when it sees those who do not live up to their profession, it points at them with scorn.WGD 172.2 Those who love Jesus will bring all in their lives into harmony with His will. They have chosen to be on the Lord's side, and their lives are to stand out in vivid contrast with the lives of worldlings. The tempter will come to them with his blandishments and bribes, saying, "All this will I give thee if thou wilt worship me." But they know that he has nothing worth receiving, and they refuse to yield to his temptations. Through the grace of God, they are enabled to keep their purity of principle unsullied. Holy angels are close beside them, and Christ is revealed in their steadfast adherence to the truth.WGD 172.3 They are Christ's minutemen, bearing, as true witnesses, a decided testimony in favor of the truth. They show that there is a spiritual power that can enable men and women not to swerve an inch from truth and justice, for all the gifts that men can bestow. Such ones, wherever they may be, will be honored of heaven, because they have conformed their lives to the will of God, caring not what sacrifices they are called upon to make. - Testimonies, vol. 9, pp. 23, 24.WGD 172.4 Men must have moral backbone, an integrity which cannot be flattered, bribed, or terrified. - Testimonies., vol. 5, p. 297

Jesus' Convincing Power, June 19

And they were astonished at His teaching, for His word was with authority. Luke 4:32.FH 182.1 The mission of Jesus was demonstrated by convincing miracles. His doctrine astonished the people. It was not the contradictory jargon of the scribes, full of mysticism, burdened with absurd forms and meaningless exactions, but it was a system of truth that met the wants of the heart. His teaching was plain, clear, and comprehensive. The practical truths He uttered had a convincing power and arrested the attention of the people. Multitudes lingered at His side, marveling at His wisdom. His manner corresponded with the great truths He proclaimed. There was no apology, no hesitancy, not the shadow of a doubt or uncertainty that it might be other than He declared. He spoke of the earthly and the heavenly, of the human and the divine, with positive authority, and the people "were astonished at his doctrine: for his word was with power."FH 182.2 He had declared Himself to be the Messiah, but the people would not receive Him, though they saw His wonderful works and marveled at His wisdom. He did not meet their expectation of the Messiah. They had been instructed to look for earthly pomp and glory at the advent of their Deliverer, and they dreamed that under the power of "the Lion of the tribe of Judah" the Jewish nation would be exalted to preeminence among the nations of the world. With these ideas they were not prepared to receive the humble Teacher of Galilee, although He came just as the prophets had foretold that He would come. He was not recognized as "the truth," the "light of the world," although He spoke as never anyone spoke, for His appearance was humble and unpretending. He came without attendants of earthly pageant and glory. There was, however, a majesty in His very presence that bespoke His divine character. His manners, though gentle and winning, possessed an authority that inspired respect and awe. He commanded, and disease left the sufferer. The dead heard His voice and lived, the sorrowing rejoiced, and the weary and heavy - laden found rest in His compassionate love....FH 182.3 The lame, the blind, the palsy - stricken, and leprous, and those afflicted with all manner of diseases came to Him, and He healed them all.... Heaven endorsed His claims with mighty manifestations. - The Review and Herald, July 6, 1911.

I Shall Not be Moved, June 18

"I have set the Lord always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved." Ps. 16:8.WGD 171.1 It is by small things that our characters are formed to habits of integrity. . . . Nothing with which we have to do is really small. Every action is of some account, either on the side of right, or on the side of wrong. It is only by exercising principle in the small transactions of ordinary life that we are tested and our characters formed. In the various circumstances of life we are tested and proved, and thereby we acquire a power to stand the greater and more important tests that we are called to endure, and are qualified to fill still more important positions. The mind must be trained through daily tests to habits of fidelity, to a sense of the claims of right and duty above inclination and pleasure. Minds thus trained do not waver between right and wrong, as the reed trembles in the wind; but as soon as matters come before them, they discern at once that principle is involved, and they instinctively choose the right without long debating the matter. They are loyal because they have trained themselves to habits of faithfulness and truth. By being faithful in that which is least, they acquire strength, and it becomes easy for them to be faithful in greater matters. - Testimonies, vol. 3, p. 22.WGD 171.2 If our lives are filled with holy fragrance, if we honor God by having good thoughts toward others, and good deeds to bless others, it matters not whether we live in a cottage or a palace. Circumstances have but little to do with the experiences of the soul. - Testimonies., vol. 5, p. 488.WGD 171.3 A great name among men is as letters traced in sand; but a spotless character will endure to all eternity. - Testimonies., vol. 5, p 579.

Secure in Jesus' Hands, June 18

My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.... And they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. John 10:27, 28.FH 181.1 When Satan heard the word, "I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed," he knew that men and women would be given power to resist his temptations. He realized that his claim to the position of prince of the newly created world was to be contested, that One would come whose work would be fatal to his evil purposes, that he and his angels would be forever defeated. His assurance of certain power, his sense of security, was gone. Adam and Eve had yielded to his temptations, and their posterity would feel the strength of his assaults. But they would not be left without a helper. The Son of God was to come to the world, to be tempted in our behalf, and in our behalf to overcome.FH 181.2 There is enmity between fallen human beings and Satan only as they place themselves on God's side and yield obedience to the law of Jehovah. This brings to them power to withstand Satan's attacks. It is through Christ's sacrifice that they are enabled to obey.... The Son of God, bearing human nature, and tempted on all points as we are tempted, met and resisted the assaults of the enemy. And in His strength human beings can gain the victory, meeting the tempter, yet not overcome by his artifice and his presumptuous presentations. By accepting Christ as a personal Savior, men and women can stand firm against the temptations of the enemy. Human beings may have eternal life if they will accept the principles of heaven and allow Christ to bring the heart and mind into obedience to the law of Jehovah.FH 181.3 Christ saw the meaning of Satan's wiles, and till the end of His test and trial, He stood firm in His resistance, refusing to swerve from allegiance to God....FH 181.4 The way in which Satan tempted Christ, he is today tempting every soul. He seeks to hold every person under his reasoning. The Savior warns us against entering into controversy with him or his agencies. We are not to meet them except on the Bible ground, "It is written." The less that we have to do with the arguments of those who are opposed to God, the firmer will be our foundation. We are to repeat as seldom as possible the sentiments of Satan's forming. Let every tempted soul keep looking at the principles that are wholly from above, remembering the promise, "I will put enmity between thee and the woman." - The Review and Herald, May 3, 1906.

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June 17

Press Toward the Mark, "Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus." Phil. 3:13, 14.WGD 170.1 The heavenly intelligences will work with the human agent who seeks with determined faith that perfection of character which will reach out to perfection in action. To every one engaged in this work Christ says, I am at your right hand to help you. As the will of man co - operates with the will of God, it becomes omnipotent. Whatever is to be done at His command, may be accomplished in His strength. All His biddings are enablings. - Christ's Object Lessons, pp. 332, 333.WGD 170.2 Beginning in the morning of life, controlled by the laws of nature and of God, the Christian moves steadily onward and upward, daily drawing nearer his heavenly home, where await for him a crown of life, and a new name, "which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it." Constantly he grows in happiness, in holiness, in usefulness. The progress of each year exceeds that of the past year.WGD 170.3 God has given the youth a ladder to climb, a ladder that reaches from earth to heaven. Above this ladder is God, and on every round fall the bright beams of His glory. He is watching those who are climbing, ready, when the grasp relaxes and the steps falter, to send help. Yes, tell it in words full of cheer, that no one who perseveringly climbs the ladder will fail of gaining an entrance into the heavenly city.WGD 170.4 Satan presents many temptations to the youth. He is playing the game of life for their souls, and he leaves no means untried to allure and ruin them. - Messages to Young People, p. 95

The Only Source of Truth, June 17

I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst. John 6:35.FH 180.1 There are many in this age of the world who act as if they were at liberty to question the words of the Infinite, to review His decisions and statutes, endorsing, revising, reshaping, and annulling at their pleasure. We are never safe while we are guided by human opinions, but we are safe when we are guided by a "Thus saith the Lord." We cannot trust the salvation of our souls to any lower standard than the decisions of an infallible Judge. Those who make God their guide and His Word their counselor behold the lamp of life. God's living oracles guide their feet in straight paths. Those who are thus led do not dare to judge the Word of God, but ever hold that His Word judges them. They get their faith and religion from the Word of the living God. It is the guide and counselor that directs their path. The Word is indeed a light to their feet and a lamp to their path. They walk under the direction of the Father of light, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. He whose tender mercies are over all His works makes the path of the just as a shining light, which shineth more and more unto the perfect day....FH 180.2 The world is perishing for want of pure, unadulterated truth. Christ is the truth. His words are truth, and they have a greater value and a deeper significance than appears on the surface. All the sayings of Christ have a value beyond their unpretending appearance. Minds that are quickened by the Holy Spirit will discern the value of these sayings. They will discern the precious gems of truth, though they may be buried treasure....FH 180.3 The heart is the citadel of the being, and until that is wholly on the Lord's side, the enemy will gain constant victories over us through his subtle temptations.FH 180.4 If the life is given into its control, the power of the truth is unlimited. The thoughts are brought into captivity to Jesus Christ. From the treasure of the heart are brought forth appropriate and fitting words. Writing to Timothy, Paul says, "Hold fast the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus." - The Review and Herald, March 29, 1906.

The Word of God Is Bread From Heaven, June 16

"As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me. This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead: he that eateth of this bread shall live for ever." John 6:57, 58.WGD 169.1 Our life is to be bound up with the life of Christ; we are to draw constantly from Him, partaking of Him, the living bread that came down from heaven, drawing from a fountain ever fresh, ever giving forth its abundant treasures. If we keep the Lord ever before us, allowing our hearts to go out in thanksgiving and praise to Him, we shall have a continual freshness in our religious life.WGD 169.2 Our prayers will take the form of a conversation with God, as we would talk with a friend. He will speak His mysteries to us personally. Often there will come to us a sweet, joyful sense of the presence of Jesus. Often our hearts will burn within us as He draws nigh to commune with us as He did with Enoch. . . . In those who possess it, the religion of Christ will reveal itself as a vitalizing, pervading principle, a living, working, spiritual energy. There will be manifest the freshness and power and joyousness of perpetual youth.WGD 169.3 The heart that receives the Word of God is not as a pool that evaporates, not like a broken cistern that loses its treasure. It is like the mountain stream fed by unfailing springs, whose cool, sparkling waters leap from rock to rock, refreshing the weary, the thirsty, the heavy laden. - Christ's Object Lessons, pp. 129, 130.WGD 169.4 Christians should be preparing for what is soon to break upon the world as an overwhelming surprise, and this preparation they should make by diligently studying the word of God. - Prophets and Kings, p. 626.

Beholding Christ, June 16

Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. 2Corinthians 5:17 Through the power that Jesus gives, we can be "more than conquerors." But we cannot manufacture this power. Only through the Spirit of God can we receive it. We need a deep insight into the nature of Christ and into the mystery of His love, "which passeth knowledge." We are to live in the warm, genial rays of the Sun of Righteousness. Nothing but Christ's loving compassion, His divine grace, His almighty power, can enable us to baffle the relentless foe and subdue the opposition of our own hearts. What is our strength? The joy of the Lord. Let the love of Christ fill our hearts, and then we shall be prepared to receive the power that He has for us.FH 179.2 Let us thank God every day for the blessings that are ours. If human agents will humble themselves before God, realizing how inappropriate it is for them to cherish self - sufficiency, realizing their utter inability to do the work that needs to be done in order that their souls may be purified; if they will cast away their own righteousness, Christ will abide in their hearts. He will put His hand to the work of creating them anew and will continue the work till they are complete in Him.FH 179.3 Christ will never neglect the work that has been placed in His hands. He will inspire the resolute disciple with a sense of the perversity, the sin - stained condition, the depravity, of the heart upon which He is working. True penitents learn the uselessness of self - importance. Looking to Jesus, comparing their own defective characters with the Savior's perfect character, they say only,FH 179.4 "In my hand no price I bring; Simply to thy cross I cling."FH 179.5 With Isaiah they declare, "Lord, thou wilt ordain peace for us: for thou also hast wrought all our works in us. O Lord our God, other lords beside thee have had dominion over us: but by thee only will we make mention of thy name." - The Review and Herald, March 31, 1904

The Word of God Stimulates Growth, June 15

"As new born babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby: if so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious." 1 Peter 2:2, 3.WGD 168.1 We recommend to every student the Book of books as the grandest study for human intelligence, the book that contains the knowledge essential for this life and the life to come. . . . The student who in his school life becomes familiar with the truths of God's Word and feels their transforming power upon his heart, will represent the character of Christ to the world in well - ordered life and a godly conversation. - Counsels to Teachers, pp. 395, 396.WGD 168.2 As with life, so it is with growth. It is God who brings the bud to bloom and the flower to fruit. It is by His power that the seed develops, "first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear.". . . The plants and flowers grow not by their own care or anxiety or effort, but by receiving that which God has furnished to minister to their life. The child can not, by any anxiety or power of its own, add to its stature. No more can you, by anxiety or effort of yourself, secure spiritual growth. The plant, the child, grows by receiving from its surroundings that which ministers to its life, - air, sunshine, and food. What these gifts of nature are to animal and plant, such is Christ to those who trust in Him. . . . In the matchless gift of His Son, God has encircled the whole world with an atmosphere of grace, as real as the air which circulates around the globe. All who choose to breathe this life - giving atmosphere will live, and grow up to the stature of men and women in Christ Jesus. As the flower turns to the sun . . . so should we turn to the Sun of Righteousness, . . . that our character may be developed into the likeness of Christ. - Steps to Christ, pp. 72, 73

A Teacher Sent From God, June 15

If I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you. Matthew 12:28.FH 178.1 In Christ's mighty works there was sufficient evidence to convince anyone. But the Jewish rulers did not want the truth. They could not but acknowledge the reality of the works of Christ, but they cast condemnation upon them all. They were forced to acknowledge that supernatural power attended His work, but this power, they declared, was derived from Satan. Did they really believe this? No, but they were so determined that the truth should not lead to their conversion that they charged the work of the Spirit of God to the devil....FH 178.2 All - compassionate Redeemer! What love, what matchless love, is Thine! Charged by the great men of Israel with doing His works of mercy by the power of the prince of devils, He was as one who saw and heard not. The work He came from heaven to do must not be left undone. Truth must be unfolded to humanity. The Light of the world must flash His beams into the darkness of sin and superstition. The truth found no place in the hearts of those who should have been foremost to receive it, because they were barricaded with prejudice and wicked unbelief. Among those who had not such exalted privileges, Christ prepared hearts to receive His message. He made new bottles for the new wine.FH 178.3 Every truth is invested by the God of heaven with an influence proportionate to its character and importance. The plan of redemption, which means everything to a lost and ruined world, was to be proclaimed, and the Spirit of God in Christ Jesus was brought into vital contact with the heart of the world....FH 178.4 By Christ the truth was proclaimed. The hearts of those who professed to be the children of God were barricaded against it, but those who had not been so highly privileged, those who were not clothed with the garments of self - righteousness, were drawn to Christ....FH 178.5 Today Satan endeavors to keep hidden from the world the great atoning sacrifice, which reveals the love of God and the binding claims of His law. He wars against the work of Christ.... But while he is carrying on this work, heavenly intelligences are combining with God's human instrumentalities in the work of restoration. - The Review and Herald, April 30, 1901.

Grow In Grace and Knowledge, June 14

"But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ." 2 Peter 3:18.WGD 167.1 Young friends, the fear of the Lord lies at the very foundation of all progress; it is the beginning of wisdom. Your Heavenly Father has claims upon you; for without solicitation or merit on your part He gives you the bounties of His providence; and more than this, He has given you all heaven in one gift, that of His beloved Son.WGD 167.2 In return for this infinite gift, He claims of you willing obedience. As you are bought with a price, even the precious blood of the Son of God, He requires that you make a right use of the privileges you enjoy.WGD 167.3 Your intellectual and moral faculties are God's gifts, talents intrusted to you for wise improvement, and you are not at liberty to let them lie dormant for want of proper cultivation, or be crippled and dwarfed by inaction. It is for you to determine whether or not the weighty responsibilities that rest upon you shall be faithfully met, whether or not your efforts shall be well directed and your best.WGD 167.4 We are living in the perils of the last days. All heaven is interested in the characters you are forming. Every provision has been made for you, that you should be a partaker of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. Man is not left alone to conquer the powers of evil by his own feeble efforts. Help is at hand, and will be given every soul who really desires it. Angels of God, that ascend and descend the ladder that Jacob saw in vision, will help every soul who wills to climb even to the highest heaven. - Fundamentals of Christian Education, pp. 85, 86.

Principles In Business, June 14

What will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? Mark 8:36, 37.FH 177.1 It is the place of the followers of Christ to acknowledge their dependence upon God in everything and to carry out the principles of their faith in all the relations of life, including business transactions. They cannot otherwise correctly represent the religion of Christ. And they should be honest with God as well as with others. Can someone be dishonest with God? Read the prophet's answer: "Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me."...FH 177.2 Tithes and offerings belong to God. The means in our possession should be regarded as a sacred trust, to be used to the glory of the Giver. Self - denial is the condition of salvation. The charity that seeketh not her own is the fruit of that disinterested love that characterized the life of our Redeemer. Those who for love to Christ deny themselves will find the happiness which the selfish seek in vain, but those who make their own pleasures and selfish interests the chief object of life will lose the happiness they think to enjoy.FH 177.3 The apostle Paul has something to say on the subject of system in giving: "Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given order to the churches of Galatia, even so do ye. Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him."FH 177.4 God's rule of giving, as expressed in His Word, excludes no one, and it presses heavily on no one. It touches the poor but lightly, and is not really felt by the rich....FH 177.5 Said Christ, "Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." If we lay up our treasure in heaven, our hearts will be in heaven; if our treasure is on the earth, our hearts will be set on things of the earth, worrying about losses, and anxious about gains and riches....FH 177.6 As in the balances of the sanctuary the offering is estimated in accordance with the spirit of love and sacrifice that prompted it, the promises will just as surely be fulfilled to the liberal poor man or woman who has little to offer but gives that little freely, as to the wealthy who give largely of their abundance....FH 177.7 Christ's kingdom should be superior to every other interest.... God feeds the sparrow and clothes the lily; will He be less mindful of the needs of His children? - Bible Echo (Australia), December 9, 1895.

Strength and Beauty Of Character, June 13

"I will be as the dew unto Israel: he shall grow as the lily, and cast forth his roots as Lebanon. His branches shall spread, and his beauty shall be as the olive tree, and his smell as Lebanon." Hosea 14:5, 6.WGD 166.1 It rests with you, young men and women, to decide whether you will become trustworthy and faithful, ready and resolute to take your stand for the right under all circumstances. Do you desire to form correct habits? Then seek the company of those who are sound in morals, and whose aim tends to that which is good. The precious hours of probation are granted that you may remove every defect from the character, and this you should seek to do, not only that you may obtain the future life, but that you may be useful in this life. A good character is a capital of more value than gold or silver. It is unaffected by panics or failures, and in that day when earthly possessions shall be swept away, it will bring rich returns. Integrity, firmness, and perseverance are qualities that all should seek earnestly to cultivate; for they clothe the possessor with a power which is irresistible,- - a power which makes him strong to do good, strong to resist evil, strong to bear adversity.WGD 166.2 The love of truth, and a sense of the responsibility to glorify God, are the most powerful of all incentives to the improvement of the intellect. With this impulse to action the student cannot be a trifler. He will be always in earnest. . . . In every place are to be found youth whose mind is cast in an inferior mould. When brought into association with this class, those who have placed themselves without reserve on the side of Christ will stand firmly by that which reason and conscience tell them is right. - Counsels to Teachers, pp. 225, 226.

The Ordinances, June 13

I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you. John 13:15.FH 176.1 The symbols of the Lord's house are simple and plainly understood, and the truths represented by them are of the deepest significance to us. In instituting the sacramental service to take the place of the Passover, Christ left for His church a memorial of His great sacrifice for sinners. "This do," He said, "in remembrance of me." This was the point of transition between two economies and their two great festivals. The one was to close forever; the other, which He had just established, was to take its place, and to continue through all time as the memorial of His death....FH 176.2 With the rest of the disciples, Judas partook of the bread and wine symbolizing the body and blood of Christ. This was the last time that Judas would be present with the twelve; but that the scripture might be fulfilled, he left the sacramental table, Christ's last gift to His disciples, to complete his work of betrayal....FH 176.3 The children of God are to bear in mind that God is brought sacredly near on every such occasion as the service of feet washing....FH 176.4 The object of this service is to call to mind the humility of our Lord and the lessons He has given in washing the feet of His disciples. There is in us a disposition to esteem ourselves more highly than our brothers and sisters, to work for ourselves, to serve ourselves, to seek the highest places; and often evil surmisings and bitterness of spirit spring up over mere trifles. This ordinance, preceding the Lord's Supper, is to clear away these misunderstandings, to bring us out of our selfishness, down from our stilts of self - exaltation to the humility of spirit that will lead us to wash one another's feet....FH 176.5 The ordinance of feet washing has been especially enjoined by Christ, and on these occasions the Holy Spirit is present to witness and put a seal to His ordinance. He is there to convict and soften the heart. He draws the believers together and makes them one in heart. They are made to feel that Christ indeed is present to clear away the rubbish that has accumulated to separate the hearts of the children of God from Him. - The Review and Herald, June 22, 1897.

Increasing In The Knowledge Of God, June 12

"That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God." Col. 1:10.WGD 165.1 He uses his gifts best who seeks by earnest endeavor to carry out the Lord's great plan for the uplifting of humanity. Persevere in the work that you have begun, until you gain victory after victory. Educate yourselves for a purpose. Keep in view the highest standard, that you may accomplish greater and still greater good, thus reflecting the glory of God. - Messages to Young People, p. 48.WGD 165.2 Do not become overwhelmed with the great amount of work you must do in your lifetime, for you are not required to do it all at once. Let every power of your being go to each day s work, improve each precious opportunity, appreciate the helps that God gives you, and make advancement up the ladder of progress step by step. Remember that you are to live but one day at a time, that God has given you one day, and heavenly records will show how you have valued its privileges and opportunities. May you so improve every day given you of God, that at last you may hear the Master say, "Well done, thou good and faithful servant." - Mesages to Young People., p. 46.WGD 165.3 Nothing is apparently more helpless, yet really more invincible, than the soul that feels its nothingness, and relies wholly on the merits of the Saviour. God would send every angel in heaven to the aid of such an one, rather than allow him to be overcome. - Testimonies, vol. 7, p. 17.WGD 165.4 Remember that in your life, religion is not merely one influence among others; it is to be an influence dominating all others. Be strictly temperate. Resist every temptation. Make no concessions to the wily foe. - Counsels to Teachers, p. 489

The Uplifted Savior, June 12

As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. John 3:14, 15.FH 175.1 In humility Christ began His mighty work for the uplifting of the fallen race. Passing by the cities and the renowned seats of learning, He made His home in the humble and obscure village of Nazareth. In this place, from which it was commonly supposed that no good could come, the world's Redeemer passed the greater part of His life working at His trade as a carpenter. His home was among the poor; His family was not distinguished by learning, riches, or position. In the path which the poor, the neglected, the sorrowing, must tread, He walked while on earth, taking upon Him all the woes which the afflicted must bear.FH 175.2 It was the proud boast of the Jews that the Messiah was to come as a king, conquering His enemies and treading down the heathen in His wrath. But it was not the mission of Christ to exalt men and women by ministering to their pride. He, the humble Nazarene, might have poured contempt upon the world's pride, for He was commander in the heavenly courts; but He came in humility, showing that it is not riches or position or authority that the God of heaven respects, but that He honors a humble, contrite heart made noble by the power of the grace of Christ.FH 175.3 Christ closed His life of toil and denial in our behalf by a crowning sacrifice for us.... Christ is a living Savior. Today He sits at the right hand of God as our Advocate, making intercession for us; and He calls upon us to look unto Him and be saved. But it has ever been the tempter's determined purpose to eclipse Jesus from the view, that we may be led to lean upon the arm of humanity for help and strength; and he has so well accomplished his purpose that we, turning our eyes from Jesus, in whom all hope of eternal life is centered, look to our fellow men for aid and guidance....FH 175.4 As the serpent was lifted up in the wilderness by Moses, that all who had been bitten by the fiery serpents might look and live, so must the Son of Man be lifted up before the world by His servants. Christ and Him crucified is the message God would have His servants sound through the length and breadth of the world. - The Review and Herald, September 29, 1896.

We Are No More Children Tossed to and Fro, June 11

"That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; but speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ." Eph. 4:14, 15.WGD 164.1 In perfecting a Christian character, it is essential to persevere in right doing. I would impress upon our youth the importance of perseverance and energy in the work of character - building. From the earliest years it is necessary to weave into the character principles of stern integrity, that the youth may reach the highest standard of manhood and womanhood. They should ever keep the fact before their eyes that they have been bought with a price, and should glorify God in their bodies and spirits, which are His. . . .WGD 164.2 It is the work of the youth to make advancement day by day. Peter says, "Add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; and to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; and to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ."WGD 164.3 All these successive steps are not to be kept before the mind's eye, and counted as you start; but fixing the eye upon Jesus, with an eye single to the glory of God, you will make advancement. You cannot reach the full measure of the stature of Christ in a day, and you would sink in despair could you behold all the difficulties that must be met and overcome. You have Satan to contend with, and he will seek by every possible device to attract your mind from Christ. - Messages to Young People, pp. 45, 46

Jesus, the Fulfillment of Prophecy, June 11

For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me; for he wrote about Me. John 5:46.FH 174.1 Jesus spoke with assurance and revealed a depth of knowledge far exceeding that of the most learned of the scribes and rabbis. It was evident that He had a thorough knowledge of the Old Testament Scriptures and that He presented truth that was unmingled with human sayings and maxims. The old truths fell upon their ears like a new revelation....FH 174.2 Jesus presented His lessons to the people, but He did not make a practice of asserting His high and authoritative claim. He had come to save the lost world, and His words and works, His whole life in humanity, was to speak of His divinity. He left it to His own dignity, to His life, to His course of action, to witness to the people that He worked the works of God. He left it to them to draw their own conclusion concerning His claims while He expounded to them the prophecies concerning Himself. He directed them to search the Scriptures, for it was essential that they should interpret correctly the mission and work of the Son of God. He pointed out the fact to them that He was fulfilling the prophecies that had hitherto been given by holy men who were moved upon by the Holy Spirit. He declared plainly that they wrote of Him, and brought the clear rays of the light of prophecy to illuminate His words and works.... He stood forth in His ministry as one distinguished from every other teacher. He Himself had inspired the prophets to write of Him. His life work had been planned in the eternal counsels of heaven before the foundation of the world.... His life was the light of the world, and He presented His life before the people, that their faith might lay hold upon it, and that they might become one with Him.FH 174.3 Though He presented infinite truth, He left many things unsaid that He might have said, because even His disciples were not able to comprehend them. He said, "I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now." The burden of His teaching was obedience to the commandments of God, that would work transformation of character and inculcate moral excellence, shaping the soul after the divine similitude. Christ had been sent to earth to represent God in character. Jesus was the Life - giver, the Teacher sent of God to provide salvation for a lost world and to save us in spite of all Satan's temptations and lying deceptions. He Himself was the gospel. In His teachings He clearly presented the great plan devised for the redemption of the race. - The Review and Herald, July 7, 1896.

Destruction the Results of Disobedience, June 10

"If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land: but if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it." Isa. 1:19, 20.WGD 163.1 The want of respect for the counsel of a godly parent, is one of the marked sins of this degenerate age. There are many lives in our land that are dark and wretched because of one step taken in the dark. By one act of disobedience many a youth has blighted his whole life and weighed down a loving mother's heart with anguish. God will not hold you guiltless if you follow in this course. By despising the counsel of a God - fearing mother, who would willingly give her life for her children, you are transgressing the fifth commandment. You know not where your steps are leading you.WGD 163.2 I again plead a mother's claim, a mother's love. There can be no baser ingratitude than that which marks the sin of disobedience to a Christian mother. In the days of your helpless infancy she watched over you; her prayers and tears were witnessed of Heaven as she affectionately cherished you. For her children she has toiled and planned, thought, prayed, and exercised self - denial. Through your whole life her true heart has been anxious and earnest for your welfare. And yet now you choose your own course; you follow your own blind, stubborn will, irrespective of the bitter harvest you will reap, and the sorrow you will bring her. - Testimonies, vol. 5, p. 125.WGD 163.3 Disobedience has closed the door to a vast amount of knowledge that might have been gained from the Word of God. Had men been obedient, they would have understood the plan of God's government. The heavenly world would have opened its chambers of grace and glory for exploration. - exploration. - Counsels to Teachers, pp. 440, 441

Jesus Loves You, June 10

But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8.FH 173.1 I love to speak of Jesus and His matchless love. I have not one doubt of the love of God. I know that He is able to save to the uttermost all that come unto Him. His precious love is a reality to me, and the doubts expressed by those who know not the Lord Jesus Christ have no effect upon me.... Take Jesus as your personal Savior. Come to Him just as you are, give yourself to Him, grasp His promise by living faith, and He will be to you all that you desire....FH 173.2 Those who give their hearts to Christ will find rest in His love. We have a token of the magnitude of His love in His sufferings and death.... Jesus endured such agony... because He became the sinner's substitute and surety. He Himself bore the penalty of the law which sinners deserved in order that they might have... another chance to prove their loyalty to God....FH 173.3 There are only two classes in the whole universe - those who believe in Christ and whose faith leads them to keep God's commandments, and those who do not believe in Him and are disobedient....FH 173.4 You have every reason to believe that He can and will save you. Why? Because you are guiltless? No; because you are a sinner, and Jesus says, "I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance." The call is addressed to you, and when Satan says to you that there is no hope, tell him you know there is, "for God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."...FH 173.5 The hand that was nailed to the cross for you is stretched out to save you. Believe that Jesus will hear your confession, receive your requests, forgive your sins, and make you a member of the royal family. You need the hope which Jesus will give to cheer you under every circumstance....FH 173.6 Those who accept the truth will find their love for earthly things dislodged. They see the surpassing glory of heavenly things and appreciate the excellence of that which relates to everlasting life. They are charmed with the unseen and eternal. Their grasp loosens from earthly things; they fasten their eyes with admiration upon the invisible glories of the heavenly world. They realize that their trials are working out for them a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, and in comparison to the riches that are theirs to enjoy, they count them light afflictions which are for but a moment. - The Review and Herald, June 23, 1896.

His Commands Are Not Grievous, June 9

"For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous." 1 John 5:3.WGD 162.1 We are to give ourselves to Christ, to live a life of willing obedience to all His requirements. All that we are, all the talents and capabilities we possess, are the Lord's, to be consecrated to His service. When we thus give ourselves wholly to Him, Christ, with all the treasures of heaven, gives Himself to us. We obtain the pearl of great price. - Christ's Object Lessons, p. 116.WGD 162.2 Remember, you have a Heaven to gain, an open path to perdition to shun. God means what He says. When He prohibited our first parents from eating the fruit of the tree of knowledge, their disobedience opened the floodgates of woe to the whole world. If we walk contrary to God, He will walk contrary to us. Our only safe course is to render obedience to all His requirements at whatever cost. All are founded in infinite love and wisdom. - Testimonies, vol. 5, p. 365.WGD 162.3 The young should be controlled by firm principle, that they may rightly improve the powers which God has given them. But youth follow impulse so much and so blindly, without reference to principle, that they are constantly in danger. Since they cannot always have the guidance and protection of parents and guardians, they need to be trained to self - reliance and self - control. They must be taught to think and act from conscientious principle. - Messages to Young People, p. 379.WGD 162.4 It is through the power and prevalence of truth that we must be sanctified, and elevated to the true dignity of the standard set forth in the Word. The way of the Lord can be learned only through most careful obedience to His Word. Study the Word. - Messages to Young People., p. 391.

Cleansing the Temple, June 9

"My house is a house of prayer, " but you have made it a "den of thieves." Luke 19:46.FH 172.1 Why was it that Christ's indignation was stirred as He came into the temple courts? His eye swept over the scene, and He saw in it the dishonor of God and the oppression of the people. He heard the lowing of the oxen, the bleating of the sheep, and the altercation between those who were buying and selling. In the courts of God even the priests and rulers were engaged in traffic.... When once their attention was called to Him, they could not withdraw their eyes from His face, for there was something in His countenance that awed and terrified them. Who was He? A humble Galilean, the son of a carpenter who had worked at His trade with His father, but as they gazed upon Him, they felt as though they were arraigned before the judgment bar....FH 172.2 Christ saw the poor and the distressed and the afflicted in trouble and dismay because they had not sufficient to purchase even a dove for an offering. The blind, the lame, the deaf, the afflicted, were in suffering and distress because they longed to present an offering for their sins, but the prices were so exorbitant they could not compass it. It seemed that there was no chance for them to have their sins pardoned....FH 172.3 When Christ had expelled those who had sold doves, He had said, "Take these things hence." He had not driven the doves out as He had the oxen and the sheep, and why? Because they were the only offering of the poor. He knew their necessities, and as the sellers were driven from the temple, the suffering and the afflicted were left in the courts....FH 172.4 But the priests and the rulers, recovering from their dismay, said, "We will return and challenge Him, and ask Him by what authority He had presumed to expel us from the temple."FH 172.5 But what a scene met their eyes as they entered again the courts of the temple. Christ was ministering to the poor, the suffering, and the afflicted.... He gave the suffering tender comfort. He took the little ones in His arms and commanded freedom from disease and suffering. He gave sight to the blind, hearing to the deaf, health to the diseased, and comfort to the afflicted....FH 172.6 He was doing the very work which had been prophesied that the Messiah would do. - The Review and Herald, August 27, 1895.

Sabbath Service (Gospel of Health)

Blessed Are They That Do His Commandments, June 8

"Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city." Rev. 22:14.WGD 161.1 A faithful obedience to God's requirements will have a surprising influence to elevate, develop, and strengthen all man's faculties. Those who have in youth devoted themselves to the service of God, are found to be the men of sound judgment and keen discrimination. And why should it not be so? Communion with the greatest Teacher the world has ever known, strengthens the understanding, illuminates the mind, and purifies the heart - elevates, refines, and ennobles the whole man. . . .WGD 161.2 Among the youth who profess godliness, there is a large class who may seem to contradict this statement. They make no advancement in knowledge or in spirituality. Their powers are dwarfing, rather than developing. But the psalmist's words are true of the genuine Christian. It is not, indeed, the bare letter of God's Word that gives light and understanding; it is the Word opened and applied to the heart by the Holy Spirit. When a man is truly converted, he becomes a son of God, a partaker of the divine nature. Not only is the heart renewed, but the intellect is strengthened and invigorated. There have been many instances of persons who before conversion were thought to possess ordinary and even inferior ability, but who after conversion seemed to be entirely transformed. They then manifested remarkable power to comprehend the truths of God's Word, and to present these truths to others. . . .WGD 161.3 God will do a great work for the youth, if they will by the aid of the Holy Spirit receive His Word into the heart and obey it in the life. - Messages to Young People, pp. 65, 66

The Great Source of Truth, June 8

Learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. Matthew 11:29.FH 171.1 Christ is the author of all truth. Every brilliant conception, every thought of wisdom, every human capacity and talent, is the gift of Christ. He borrowed no new ideas from humanity; for He originated all. But when He came to earth, He found the bright gems of truth which He had entrusted to the human race, all buried up in superstition and tradition. Truths of most vital importance were placed in the framework of error, to serve the purpose of the archdeceiver. Human opinions, the most popular sentiments of the people, were glossed over with the appearance of truth, and were presented as the genuine gems of heaven, worthy of attention and reverence. But Christ swept away erroneous theories of every grade. No one save the world's Redeemer had power to present the truth in its primitive purity, divested of the error that Satan had accumulated to hide its heavenly beauty.FH 171.2 Some of the truths that Christ spoke were familiar to the people. They had heard them from the lips of priests and rulers and from people of thought; but for all that, they were distinctively the thoughts of Christ. He had given them to people in trust, to be communicated to the world. On every occasion He proclaimed the particular truth He thought appropriate for the needs of His hearers, whether the ideas had been expressed before or not.FH 171.3 The work of Christ was to take the truth of which the people were in want, and separate it from error, and present it free from the superstitions of the world, that the people might accept it on its own intrinsic and eternal merit. He dispersed the mists of doubt, that the truth might be revealed, and shed distinct rays of light into the darkness of human hearts. He placed the truth in clear contrast with error, that it might appear as truth before the people. But how few appreciate the value of the work that Christ was doing! How few in our day have a just conception of the preciousness of the lessons which He gave to His disciples!FH 171.4 He proved Himself to be the way, the truth, the life. He sought to attract minds from the passing pleasures of this life to the unseen and eternal realities. Views of heavenly things do not incapacitate men and women for the duties of this life, but rather render them more efficient and faithful. - The Review and Herald, January 7, 1890.

Yours & Your Families Health!

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Long Life Promised, June 7

"And if thou wilt walk in my ways, to keep my statutes and my commandments, as thy father David did walk, then I will lengthen thy days." 1 Kings 3:14.WGD 160.1 Men and women cannot violate natural law by indulging depraved appetite and lustful passions, and not violate the law of God. Therefore He has permitted the light of health reform to shine upon us, that we may see our sin in violating the laws which He has established in our being. All our enjoyment or suffering may be traced to obedience or transgression of natural law. Our gracious heavenly Father sees the deplorable condition of men, who, some knowingly but many ignorantly, are living in violation of the laws that He has established. And in love and pity to the race, He causes the light to shine upon health reform. He publishes His law, and the penalty that will follow the transgression of it, that all may learn, and be careful to live in harmony with natural law. . . .WGD 160.2 Ignorance is no excuse now for the transgression of law. The light shines clearly, and none need be ignorant, for the great God Himself is man's instructor. All are bound by the most sacred obligations to God to heed the sound philosophy and genuine experience which He is now giving them in reference to health reform. - Testimonies, vol. 3, pp. 161, 162.WGD 160.3 What a God is our God! He rules over His kingdom with diligence and care; and He has built a hedge - the ten commandments - about His subjects, to preserve them from the results of transgression. In requiring obedience to the laws of His kingdom, God gives His people health and happiness, peace and joy. - Counsels to Teachers, p. 454.

Slow to Learn, June 7

In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. John 1:4, 5.FH 170.1 Christ was the foundation of the whole system of Jewish worship, and in it was shadowed forth the living reality - the manifestation of God in Christ. Through the sacrificial system all could see Christ's personality and look forward to their divine Savior. But when He stood before them representing the invisible God - for in Him dwelt "all the fulness of the Godhead bodily" - they were not able to discern His divine character because of their want of spirituality. Their own prophets had foretold Him as a Deliverer.... But though His character and mission had been so plainly delineated, though He came unto His own, His own received Him not. Occasionally divinity flashed through humanity - the glory escaped through the disguise of the flesh and brought forth an expression of homage from His disciples. But it was not until Christ ascended to His Father, not until the descent of the Holy Spirit, that the disciples fully appreciated the character and the mission of Christ. After the baptism of the Holy Spirit they began to realize that they had been in the very presence of the Lord of life and glory. As the Holy Spirit brought the sayings of Christ to their remembrance, their understanding was opened to comprehend the prophecies, to understand the mighty miracles which He had wrought.... They seemed of much less importance in their own eyes after their awakening to the fact that Christ had been among them than they did before they realized this. They never wearied of rehearsing every item which had come under their notice in connection with His words and works. They were often filled with remorse at their stupidity and unbelief and misapprehension as they recalled His lessons of instruction which they had but dimly understood when He had spoken them in their presence, and which now came to them as a fresh revelation. The Scriptures became a new book to them....FH 170.2 The disciples remembered that Christ had said, "Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth." The Word was to be their guide and director. As the disciples searched Moses and the prophets which testified of Christ, they were brought into fellowship with the Deity and learned anew of their great Teacher, who had ascended to heaven to complete the work which He had begun upon earth. - The Review and Herald, April 23, 1895.

Today's Assignment, June 6

Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me. John 17:24.FH 169.1 Christ was infinite in wisdom, and yet He thought best to accept of Judas, although He knew what were his imperfections of character. John was not perfect; Peter denied his Lord; and yet it was of men like these that the early Christian church was organized. Jesus accepted them that they might learn of Him what constitutes a perfect Christian character. The business of every Christian is to study the character of Christ. The lessons which Jesus gave His disciples did not always harmonize with their reasonings.... The Redeemer of the world ever sought to carry the mind from the earthly to the heavenly. Christ constantly taught the disciples, and His sacred lessons had a molding influence upon their characters. Judas alone did not respond to divine enlightenment. To all appearances he was righteous, and yet he cultivated his tendency to accuse and condemn others....FH 169.2 Judas was selfish, covetous, and a thief, yet he was numbered with the disciples. He was defective in character, and he failed to practice the words of Christ. He braced his soul to resist the influence of the truth, and while he practiced criticizing and condemning others, he neglected his own soul, and cherished and strengthened his natural evil traits of character until he became so hardened that he could sell his Lord for thirty pieces of silver.FH 169.3 Oh, let us encourage our souls to look to Jesus! Tell everyone how dangerous it is to neglect the soul's eternal healthfulness by looking upon the diseased souls of others, by talking upon the uncomeliness of character found in those who profess the name of Christ. The soul does not become more and more like Christ by beholding evil, but like the evil which it beholds....FH 169.4 Let us remember that our great High Priest is pleading before the mercy seat in behalf of His ransomed people. He ever liveth to make intercession for us.... The blood of Jesus is pleading with power and efficacy for those who are backslidden, for those who are rebellious, for those who sin against great light and love.... He will not forget His church in the world of temptation. - The Review and Herald, August 15, 1893.

Obedience Necessary To Enter Heaven, June 4

"Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; hut he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven." Matt. 7:21.WGD 157.1 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. - The Desire of Ages, p. 668.WGD 157.2 The children are to be taught that their capabilities were given them for the honor and glory of God. To this end they must learn the lesson of obedience; for only by lives of willing obedience can they render to God the service He requires. Before the child is old enough to reason, he may be taught to obey. By gentle, persistent effort, the habit should be estab - lished. Thus to a great degree may be prevented those later conflicts between will and authority that do so much to arouse in the minds of the youth alienation and bitterness toward parents and teachers, and too often resistance of all authority, human and divine. Let children be shown that true reverence is revealed by obedience. God has commanded nothing that is unessential, and there is no other way of manifesting reverence so pleasing to Him as by obedience to that which He has spoken.- - Counsels to Teachers, pp. 110, 111.WGD 157.3 With energy and fidelity our youth should meet the demands upon them; and this will be a guarantee of success. - Counsels to Teachers., p. 100