All Things Are Possible, January 5

Faith in My Life All things are possible to him that believeth. Mark 9:23. It is faith that connects us with heaven, and brings us strength for coping with the powers of darkness. In Christ, God has provided means for subduing every evil trait, and resisting every temptation, however strong.16The Ministry of Healing, 65, 66. The righteous have ever obtained help from above. How often have the enemies of God united their strength and wisdom to destroy the character and influence of a few simple persons who trusted in God. But because the Lord was for them, none could prevail against them.... Let them be separated from their idols and from the world, and the world will not separate them from God. Christ is our present, all-sufficient Saviour. In Him all fullness dwells. It is the privilege of Christians to know indeed that Christ is in them of a truth. “This is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.” All things are possible to him that believeth; and whatsoever things we desire when we pray, if we believe that we receive them we shall have them. This faith will penetrate the darkest cloud and bring rays of light and hope to the drooping, desponding soul. It is the absence of this faith and trust which brings perplexity, distressing fears, and surmisings of evil. God will do great things for His people when they put their entire trust in Him.17Testimonies for the Church 2:139, 140. Through faith God's children have “subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens.” And through faith we today are to reach the heights of God's purpose for us.18Prophets and Kings, 157.

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Japan racing to find survivors after ‘catastrophic’ earthquake; at least 57 dead On Jan 03, 2024 07:30 am

share on Twitter Like Japan racing to find survivors after ‘catastrophic’ earthquake; at least 57 dead on Facebook USA Today, by Christopher Cann: Aftershocks rattled Japan on Tuesday after at least 57 people were killed in a powerful earthquake on the western coast that flattened buildings and triggered tsunami warnings. On Monday afternoon, a 7.6 temblor rocked Ishikawa, a prefecture of Japan about 180 miles west of Tokyo, where all the deaths so far have been reported. The deaths were mostly in the cities of Wajima and Suzu. At least 17 people were severely injured, said Yoshimasa Hayashi, a spokesperson for the Japan government. Officials said there could be more earthquakes in the near future. Five crew members aboard a Japanese coast guard aircraft were killed Tuesday in a collision with an airliner at Haneda Airport in Tokyo. Officials said the coast guard aircraft was set to deliver aid for earthquake victims. More than 200 tremors had been recorded since Monday afternoon as rescue crews desperately searched the rubble for survivors, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency. Water and cell phone service are down in some areas. City mayor says damage is ‘catastrophic’ Tens of thousands of homes were reduced to rubble in the initial quake. In Wajima, many homes were destroyed in fires that broke out overnight. Utility and cellphone services were still down in some areas Tuesday. Dozens of injured people were being treated in area hospitals. “It’s not just that it’s a mess. The wall has collapsed, and you can see through to the next room. I don’t think we can live here anymore,” Miki Kobayashi, an Ishikawa resident, told The Associated Press. Yoshimasa Hayashi, Japan’s foreign minister, said Tuesday in a news conference that 57,360 people were huddled in evacuation centers after fleeing from their homes. He added that thousands of households across four prefectures were still without water. Masuhiro Izumiya, the mayor of Suzu, a coastal city of about 13,500 people in Ishikawa, near the quake’s epicenter, said the damage there is “catastrophic.” About 90% of the area’s homes have been “completely or almost destroyed,” he said at a disaster response meeting Tuesday. On Monday, officials issued a major tsunami warning – the first since a major quake hit the country in March 2011 and killed more than 18,000 people. The warnings were all downgraded hours later, though authorities cautioned residents that aftershocks could cause more damage. Waves reached heights of 3 feet in some areas along Japan’s central west coast. ‘A battle against time’ in search for survivors More than 1,000 soldiers have been deployed by the Japanese military to the disaster zones, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Tuesday. “Saving lives is our priority, and we are fighting a battle against time,” he said. “It is critical that people trapped in homes get rescued immediately.” In a statement Monday, President Joe Biden said his administration has been “in touch with Japanese officials, and the United States stands ready to provide any necessary assistance for the Japanese people.” “Jill and I are praying for the people of Japan who have been impacted by the terrible earthquake,” Biden said. “As close Allies, the United States and Japan share a deep bond of friendship that unites our people. Our thoughts are with the Japanese people during this difficult time.” At least five dead after airliner collides with coast guard plane A Japan Airlines flight collided Tuesday with a Japanese coast guard plane that was going to deliver relief aid. The airliner’s 379 passengers were believed to have escaped the plane before it became engulfed in flames. Five crew members aboard the Japanese coast guard plane were dead at the scene. Swede Anton Deibe, 17, a passenger on the airliner, told the Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet that “the entire cabin was filled with smoke within a few minutes. We threw ourselves down on the floor. Then the emergency doors were opened and we threw ourselves at them.” How are Japan’s buildings prepared for earthquakes? Japan, which rests along the tectonic belt in the Pacific Basin known as the Ring of Fire, is prone to earthquakes. The country has long been a leader in disaster preparedness and uses advanced warning systems, practiced response services and strict building codes. Japan was the first country to institute a building code that requires contractors to consider seismic force, according to the Building Center of Japan. The code took effect in 1924. In 1950, Japan enacted the Building Standard Law to further protect residents from building collapses and damage from extreme events such as typhoons and earthquakes. The law has been amended through the decades as technology has improved and often after a natural disaster, such as the 2011 earthquake, which prompted the construction of sea walls along the country’s northeast coastline that reach heights of 41 feet. The law, which requires regular inspections of a building’s structural integrity, applies to buildings with two or more stories and those with more than 650 square feet of floor space. But the standards are different in regions throughout the country depending on the area’s history and conditions. Newer buildings, especially skyscrapers near the coast, undergo rigorous planning evaluations and must meet strict standards. Many of the country’s older buildings have been made more resilient with shock absorbers and steel reinforcements. Emergency drills, which are common in Japan, also prepare the country’s citizens and first responders for natural disasters. “There is probably no people on Earth other than Japanese who are so disaster-ready,” said Toshitaka Katada, a University of Tokyo professor specializing in disasters. Prophetic Link: “In accidents and calamities by sea and by land, in great conflagrations, in fierce tornadoes and terrific hailstorms, in tempests, floods, cyclones, tidal waves, and earthquakes, in every place and in a thousand forms, Satan is exercising his power. He sweeps away the ripening harvest, and famine and distress follow. He imparts to the air a deadly taint, and thousands perish by the pestilence. These visitations are to become more and more frequent and disastrous. Destruction will be upon both man and beast. “The earth mourneth and fadeth away,” “the haughty people … do languish. The earth also is defiled under the inhabitants thereof; because they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, broken the everlasting covenant.” Isaiah 24:4, 5. Great Controversy, 589.3

I Give My Heart, January 3

Consecration in My Life My son, give me thine heart, and let thine eyes observe my ways. Proverbs 23:26.**************** The Lord says to every one of you, “My son, give Me thine heart.” He sees your disorders. He knows that your soul is diseased with sin, and He desires to say to you, “Thy sins are forgiven.” The Great Physician has a remedy for every ill. He understands your case. Whatever may have been your errors, He knows how to deal with them. Will you not trust yourself to Him? 10The Youth's Instructor, February 13, 1902.********************* The blessing of God will rest upon every soul that makes a full consecration to Him. When we seek for God with all the heart, we shall find Him. God is in earnest with us, and He wants us to make thorough work for eternity. He has poured out all heaven in one gift, and there is no reason why we should doubt His love. Look to Calvary....********************** God asks you to give Him your heart. Your powers, your talents, your affections, should all be surrendered to Him, that He may work in you to will and to do of His good pleasure, and fit you for eternal life.11The Review and Herald, May 5, 1891.****************** When Christ dwells in the heart, the soul will be so filled with His love, with the joy of communion with Him, that it will cleave to Him; and in the contemplation of Him, self will be forgotten. Love to Christ will be the spring of action. Those who feel the constraining love of God, do not ask how little may be given to meet the requirements of God; they do not ask for the lowest standard, but aim at perfect conformity to the will of their Redeemer. With earnest desire they yield all, and manifest an interest proportionate to the value of the object which they seek.12Steps to Christ, 44, 45.****************** It is the submissive, teachable spirit that God wants. That which gives to prayer its excellence is the fact that it is breathed from a loving, obedient heart.13Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers, 419.

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I Consecrate My All, January 2

My Consecration Today I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. Romans 12:1. God calls for whole-souled consecration to His ways. Our highest powers are to be carefully cultivated. Our talents are lent us by God for use, not to be perverted or abused. They are to be improved by use, that they may do the work of God.5The Youth's Instructor, June 30, 1898. We are to give ourselves to the service of God, and we should seek to make the offering as nearly perfect as possible. God will not be pleased with anything less than the best we can offer. Those who love Him with all the heart will desire to give Him the best service of the life, and they will be constantly seeking to bring every power of their being into harmony with the laws that will promote their ability to do His will.6Patriarchs and Prophets, 352, 353. Personal consecration is necessary, and we cannot have this unless heart holiness is cultivated and cherished.7The Review and Herald, October 2, 1900. Let your prayer be, “Take me, O Lord, as wholly Thine. I lay all my plans at Thy feet. Use me today in Thy service. Abide with me, and let all my work be wrought in Thee.” This is a daily matter.8Steps to Christ, 70. The surrender of all our powers to God greatly simplifies the problem of life. It weakens and cuts short a thousand struggles with the passions of the natural heart. Religion is as a golden cord that binds the souls of both youth and aged to Christ. Through it the willing and obedient are brought safely through dark and intricate paths to the city of God.... How many times have the deep things of God been unfolded before us, and how highly should we prize these precious privileges.... The bright beams of Heaven's light are shining upon your pathway.... Receive and cherish every Heaven-sent ray, and your path will grow brighter and brighter unto the perfect day.9The Youth's Instructor, February 2, 1893.

The Way of Righteousness Is Life, January 1

January—A Consecrated Life My Consecration Today In the way of righteousness is life; and in the pathway thereof there is no death. Proverbs 12:28. Another year now opens its fair unwritten pages before you. The recording angel stands ready to write. Your course of action will determine what shall be traced by him. You may make your future life good or evil; and this will determine for you whether the year upon which you have just entered will be to you a happy new year. It is in your power to make it such for yourself and for those around you.1The Youth's Instructor, January 5, 1881. Let patience, long-suffering, kindness, and love become a part of your very being; then whatsoever things are pure and lovely and of good report will mature in your experience.2The Signs of the Times, January 4, 1883. Angels of God are waiting to show you the path of life.... Decide now, at the commencement of the new year, that you will choose the path of righteousness, that you will be earnest and true-hearted, and that life with you shall not prove a mistake. Go forward, guided by the heavenly angels; be courageous; be enterprising; let your light shine; and may the words of inspiration be applicable to you—“I write unto you, young men, because you are strong and have overcome the wicked one.” 3The Youth's Instructor, January 5, 1881. If you have ... given yourself to Christ, you are a member of the family of God, and everything in the Father's house is for you. All the treasures of God are open to you, both the world that now is and that which is to come. The ministry of angels, the gift of His Spirit, the labors of His servants—all are for you. The world, with everything in it, is yours so far as it can do you good. Even the enmity of the wicked will prove a blessing, by disciplining you for heaven. If “ye are Christ's” “all things are yours.” 4Thoughts from the Mount of Blessing, 110.