When all the people heard the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and all kinds of musick, all the people, the nations, and the languages, fell down and worshipped the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up. Daniel 3:7.
History will be repeated. False religion will be exalted. The first day of the week, a common working day, possessing no sanctity whatever, will be set up as was the image at Babylon. All nations and tongues and peoples will be commanded to worship this spurious sabbath. This is Satan’s plan to make of no account the day instituted by God, and given to the world as a memorial of creation.
The decree enforcing the worship of this day is to go forth to all the world.
As America, the land of religious liberty, shall unite with the papacy in forcing the conscience and compelling men to honor the false sabbath, the people of every country on the globe will be led to follow her example.
Foreign nations will follow the example of the United States. Though she leads out, yet the same crisis will come upon our people in all parts of the world.
Nations will be stirred to their very center. Support will be withdrawn from those who proclaim God’s only standard of righteousness, the only sure test of character. And all who will not bow to the decree of the national councils and obey the national laws to exalt the sabbath instituted by the man of sin, to the disregard of God’s holy day, will feel, not the oppressive power of popery alone, but of the Protestant world, the image of the beast.
The season of distress before God’s people will call for a faith that will not falter. His children must make it manifest that He is the only object of their worship, and that no consideration, not even that of life itself, can induce them to make the least concession to false worship. To the loyal heart the commands of sinful, finite men will sink into insignificance beside the word of the eternal God. Truth will be obeyed though the result be imprisonment or exile or death.
Maranatha p. 214
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Prayer Requests
—–Please pray for LS who has a fitness test for work today. LH
—–Please pray for Janell. She is 31 weeks along and has dilated to 3. Pray that she will be able to hold out a little longer until the baby is stronger. Rose
—–Please pray for me & Nadine as we are about to depart, heading to San Antonio, TX to volunteer to one of the biggest Medical Mission Rally in North American Division of Seventh-day Adventists (Pathway to Health). May the traveling mercies be upon us! May this rally touch many hearts and brings healing to the sick, & also helps bring Jesus closer to our hearts. There’s no greater and rewarding feelings than helping and serving others…..Please pray for this rally fellow believers! Mary
“Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons. You received without paying, give without pay”. Mathew 10:5
—–I’m at the hospital. Checked in with severe back pain. Please pray for me. Ginger
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Dear Friends,
When I was seven, my mother had a boyfriend named George. He lived with his mother in a large, white house near a lake. She sometimes took me to visit him there. One hot, summer day, we went there to go swimming. I liked to play in the water but did not know how to swim. My mother and George left me to play around in the shallows while they went out into the deeper water. The lake was quite shallow, so they had to go out very far in order to swim.
I soon tired of being alone at the shore. It was lonely all by myself. Looking out across the water, I noticed that my mother and George were having lots of fun. I could tell that they were standing rather than swimming. I wanted to have fun too, so I decided that I would walk out to where my mother was.
Suddenly, I stepped into a large drop-off and found myself completely underwater. It happened so fast, I had not even had time to shut my eyes. The bright sunshine shining through the water that enveloped me make it appear a strange yellow-green color. It seemed so unreal that I was not even afraid. I did not even realize my danger. I just held my breath and looked around. Everything seemed so unreal and pleasurable that I didn’t even think of breathing or trying to get out of that hole.
The next thing I remember was being on the shore gasping for breath. Years later, when we were talking about this incident, my mother explained that George had looked toward the shore and had seen me disappear from view. He was an excellent swimmer and soon had reached the place where he had last seen me. It did not take him long to find me and drag me to shore.
How many people are looking around at this world’s pleasures with as much wonder and admiration as I did that underwater landscape. They do not realize the danger they are in any more than I did. They see the allurements of sin and walk headlong into them not realizing that they are walking into a trap: a trap that they cannot get out of by themselves. They do not know that their “adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.” 1 Peter 5:8 They think they are enjoying life and having fun. Suddenly, without warning, everything goes terribly wrong. They find themselves drowning in a sea of sin. They want to be free, but they cannot of themselves escape. Their only hope is for someone to save them out of their danger.
Praise God! Someone has volunteered to save us! The Great Creator of the Universe left all the glories of Heaven to rescue us from the sea of iniquity in which we are drowning. He, Whom all Heaven adored came down to this wretched planet, suffered all the abuse that evil men could help upon Him, and died for us that we might have eternal life in His Glorious Home Above. The One Who knew no sin became “sin for us, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” 2 Cor 5:21 He, “Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.” Phil 2:6-8 Our Loving Rescuer is pleading with all, “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. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” Matt 11:28-30
John declares, “Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.” 1 John 4:11 Indeed, our Great Commander has promised to be with us as we cooperate with Him in this great work of rescuing the perishing. “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.” Matt 28:19,20 “Brethren, if any…do err from the truth, and one convert him; Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.” James 5:19,20
“Ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. And of some have compassion, making a difference: And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh. Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and for ever. Amen.” Jude 20-25
Rose