Friday, March 31, 2023
Christlikeness, March 31
Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. 1 John 3:2.
Christ is soon coming in the clouds of heaven, and we must be prepared to meet Him, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing. We are now to accept the invitation of Christ. He says, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart; and ye shall find rest unto your souls” (Matthew 11:28, 29). The words of Christ to Nicodemus are of practical value to us today: “Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit” (John 3:5-8).
The converting power of God must be upon our hearts. We must study the life of Christ, and imitate the divine Pattern. We must dwell upon the perfection of His character, and be changed into His image. No one will enter the kingdom of God unless his passions are subdued, unless his will is brought into captivity to the will of Christ.
Heaven is free from all sin, from all defilement and impurity; and if we would live in its atmosphere, if we would behold the glory of Christ, we must be pure in heart, perfect in character through His grace and righteousness. We must not be taken up with pleasure and amusement, but be fitting up for the glorious mansions Christ has gone to prepare for us. If we are faithful, seeking to bless others, patient in well-doing, at His coming Christ will crown us with glory, honor, and immortality.—The Review and Herald, April 28, 1891.
Thursday, March 30, 2023
Dependence, March 30
Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:12.
The experience of the Christian in his earliest love is full of simplicity and freshness; but as his opportunities multiply, his experience should enlarge, and his knowledge increase. He should become strong to bear responsibility, and his maturity should be in proportion to his privileges....
But unless there is an hourly dependence upon Christ, increasing knowledge and privileges will result in self-trust and self-righteousness. The young Christian is in danger of forgetting that it is Christ that has begun the good work in him, and that it is Christ that must finish it. The soul must renounce all merit, and trust wholly in the merit of Him who is too wise to err. Man of himself can do no good thing. Said Jesus, “Without me ye can do nothing” (John 15:5). The soul is to stay itself upon God.
In the gift of Christ all heaven was poured out, and through Christ the Holy Spirit is promised to the believer. Jesus said to His disciples, “The Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you” (John 14:26). Christ not only offers pardon to the believing, repenting soul, but He promises him the constant aid of the Holy Spirit.
In the growth of the seed in the soil, man cannot see the working of unseen agencies that develop the plant to perfection, bringing up first the blade, then the ear, then the full corn in the ear. But though young in the faith, you may know that you have passed from death unto life, if the fruits of the Spirit are made manifest in your life. If you are growing in faith and hope and love, you may know that your spiritual vision has been cleared. If you delight to dwell upon the plan of salvation, upon the glorious manifestations of the divine character, if your heart, in contemplation of the love of God, glows with thankfulness and joy, you may be sure that you have been illuminated by the beams of the Holy Spirit, and heavenly agencies are bringing your character up to maturity of Christian life.—The Signs of the Times, March 27, 1893.
Wednesday, March 29, 2023
15 million people could endure flooding as another atmospheric river takes aim at storm-battered California
Current events in light of Bible prophecy.
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On Mar 29, 2023 07:30 am
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CNN, by Nouran Salahieh and Holly Yan: Another round of storms is headed to flood-ravaged California, where residents are still grappling with impassable roads, overflowing rivers, inundated neighborhoods and a levee breach that forced hundreds to evacuate.
By Sunday afternoon, parts of California’s famed Highway 1 already looked like ponds – prompting authorities to shut down part of the scenic road in Monterey County.
“Full closure of #Hwy1 from Salinas Road to Highway 129 in #Watsonville due to flooding,” tweeted Caltrans District 5, part of the state’s transportation department.
A new atmospheric river is expected to slam the state Monday, threatening heavy rain and even more flooding in central and Northern California just as another atmospheric river winds down, the National Weather Service said.
Atmospheric rivers are long, narrow bands of moisture that can carry saturated air thousands of miles like a fire hose.
About 15 million people remain under flood watches in California and Nevada.
“Rainfall totals exceeding 6 inches are possible across portions of central and Northern California through this event,” CNN Meteorologist Haley Brink said Sunday.
Starting Monday night, “the rain will impact increasingly sensitive portions of central California that were hit hard by the rainfall on Friday and early Saturday,” the Weather Prediction Center said. As a result, it “won’t take long once the steady heavy rain gets started for flooding impacts to resume.”
More flooding could make for a dire situation in some neighborhoods, where torrential walls of rain in recent days turned streets into rivers and damaged roads, stranding people and prompting rescues. At least two people have died as a result of the storms, officials said.
Among the hardest-hit areas is Monterey County, where the swollen Pajaro River breached a levee at around midnight Friday. Water gushed uncontrollably into nearby Pajaro, forcing residents to flee – the “worst case scenario” for the community, said Luis Alejo, chair of the Monterey County board of supervisors.
Some people weren’t able to evacuate before the floodwater arrived, and crews were still out performing high-water rescues Saturday, Cal Fire Capt. Curtis Rhodes told CNN.
‘Folks who can least afford this type of hardship’
Many Pajaro residents are farm workers who may not only lose property, but also not be able to make a living for some time if the continued flooding impacts agriculture, Alejo said.
“These are the folks who can least afford this type of hardship,” he said.
As residents crowd emergency shelters, efforts to stop the flooding from the breach are complicated by the approaching second atmospheric river.
“This weekend is a very brief respite,” said David King with the National Weather Service. “The weather will turn, expected Monday night.”
‘We are now an island’
While eyes were on the Pajaro River, the Salinas River to the south was also overflowing – prompting more evacuation orders in Monterey County. The rising river water had already flooded homes and businesses around the San Ardo community.
Emergency crews have rescued more than 90 people in Monterey County, Sheriff Tina Nieto said. “We even rescued a man floating down one of the areas in a tube with his pet on top of him,” she said.
To the north, as Friday’s heavy rains pummeled Santa Cruz County, about 700 residents in Soquel got trapped after a pipe failure led to severe flooding and the collapse of the one road linking the community to the rest of the region, said Steve Wiesner, the county’s assistant public works director.
Residents will remain isolated until a new crossing can be created – which could take days, Wiesner said.
“We are now an island,” resident Molly Watson told CNN.
Another hard hit area was Tulare County, where evacuation orders were expanded to include the Teviston community as well as parts of Cutler and Exeter when river flow increased, the county sheriff’s office announced Friday night. Officials urged residents to stay clear of waterways and avoid all unnecessary travel.
In Tulare County, video from Springville showed devastating damage after Friday’s severe flooding.
“It’s quite heartbreaking,” Hatti Shepard told CNN. “Many hard-working people displaced with losses of home and possessions.”
The recent atmospheric rivers are the latest to bedevil the state after an onslaught of similar storms in December and January also resulted in deadly flooding.
But this new wave of storms is pummeling areas already buried by heavy snowfall from the past two weeks. Melting snowpack will play a role in prolonging flooding over the upcoming days, forecasters said.
President Joe Biden has approved a state of emergency declaration requested by Gov. Gavin Newsom. The move frees funds for the millions of residents who have been hit with severe weather since the beginning of the year.
Newsom on Sunday expanded the declaration to include six additional counties, including Calaveras, Del Norte, Glenn, Kings, San Benito and San Joaquin. The proclamation “supports impacted residents in all the counties under a storm state of emergency,” according to the governor’s office.
Meanwhile, Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo expanded a state of emergency to include more counties due to flooding associated with the same storm.
“As this severe weather continues to impact more residents across northern Nevada I again urge all Nevadans to stay safe, travel cautiously, and to follow all local guidance,” Lombardo said in a statement. “State and federal partners will continue to monitor local damage and will work quickly to assess needed repairs across northern Nevada.”
Prophetic Link:
“There will soon be a sudden change in God’s dealings. The world in its perversity is being visited by casualties,—by floods, storms, fires, earthquakes, famines, wars, and bloodshed. The Lord is slow to anger, and great in power; yet He will not at all acquit the wicked. “The Lord hath His way in the whirlwind and in the storm, and the clouds are the dust of His feet.” Final Events, 356.2
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