Welcome to the Dying for Devotion Sermon given by Pastor David Shin on Sabbath, 15 September 2019 at Hillside O’Malley Seventh-day Adventist Christian Church in Anchorage, Alaska. David preached about the Prophet Daniel and his devotion to God.

Daniel the Prophet

Jesus Christ studied the Old Testament Scriptures when He was growing up and knew the Book of Daniel well. In Matthew 24:15, Jesus quotes Daniel.

Matthew 24:15

The Great Tribulation

“Therefore when you see the ‘abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place” (whoever reads, let him understand).

Pastor Shin made Three Observations.

1. Jesus declares that Daniel is a prophet.
2. Jesus points out that the book of Daniel is relevant to God’s last day people.
3. Jesus gives an divine endorsement that we should study the book of Daniel.

Background

1. Prophetic – End Time Emphasis
2. Narrative – 8 Stories

6 Stories – Characteristics to Develop

2 Stories – Characteristics to Avoid

3. Daniel Means God Is My Judge

Testimonies to Ministers

Ellen White wrote: “When the books of Daniel and Revelation are better understood, believers will have an entirely different religious experience. They will be given such glimpses of the open gates of heaven that heart and mind will be impressed with the character that all must develop in order to realize the blessedness which is to be the reward of the pure in heart.”

TM Page 114

Daniel

Daniel Means God Is My Judge

Daniel 6

When you study the chapter, you will see that men conspired against Daniel. No fault or charge could be found because Daniel was faithful. Daniel ended up being thrown into a Lion’s Den.

God protected Daniel from the Lions. King Darius ordered the men that had falsely accused Daniel to be thrown into the Lions Den. King Darius praised the God of Daniel and made a decree for people to reverence the God of Daniel.

Pastor Shin shared these 3 quotes from Ellen White.

“We should choose the right because it is right, and leave consequences with God” GC, Page 460.
“It is better to die than to sin; better to want than to defraud; better to hunger than to lie.” TC, Volume 4, Page 495.

The greatest want of the world is the want of men– men who will not be bought or sold, men who in their inmost souls are true and honest, men who do not fear to call sin by its right name, men whose conscience is as true to duty as the needle to the pole, men who will stand for the right though the heavens fall. Ed. 57

Comparisons In Daniel 6 & Revelation 13

Comparison No. 1:
Daniel was persecuted because he chose to obey God’s law.
Daniel 6:5
The Remnant will be persecuted for keeping God’s law as Christ did.
Revelation 12:17

Comparison No. 2:
The king of Persia made a law which commanded false worship.
Daniel 6:6-9

The Beast Power will lead the world to make a law that commands false worship.
Revelation 13:15

Comparison No. 3:
The Persian law led people to worship a man – Darius the Mede.
Daniel 6:7

The Mark of the Beast issue brings the world to worship a man with the number 666.
Revelation 13:18

Comparison No. 4
The penalty in Daniel 6 involved the death decree.
Daniel 6:7

The penalty in the Mark of the Beast issue involves the death decree.
Revelation 13:15

Comparison No. 5
Daniel was saved by the intervention of God.
Daniel 6:19-23

God’s people are delivered by the coming of Christ.
Revelation 19:11

Daniel would rather die than miss his devotions.

3 Aspects of Devotional Life

1. Relationship

5 Languages of Love

1. Acts of Service
2. Words of Affirmation
3. Physical Touch
4. Gifts
5. Quality Time

The relations between God and each soul are as distinct and full as though there were not another soul upon the earth to share His watchcare, not another soul for whom He gave His beloved son.
Steps to Christ, p. 100

3 Aspects of the Devotional Life

1. Relationship
2. Reclusion

“Jesus went out to a solitary place and there prayed.”
Mark 1:35

Consecrate yourself to God in the morning; make this your very first work. 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. Each morning consecrate yourself to God for that day. Surrender all your plans to Him, to be carried out or given up as His providence shall indicate. Thus day by day you may be giving your life into the hands of God, and thus your life will be molded more and more after the life of Christ.
Steps to Christ, Page 70

Mountain and Multitude

Be still and know that I am God.
Psalms 46:10

By beholding you become changed… 2 Cor. 3:18

3 Aspects of Devotional Life

1. Relationship
2. Reclusion
3. Re-scripting

Re-Scripting

1. Everyone has a script.
2. The script is written by someone else.
3. Scripts are fed by academic education, advertising, media, propaganda, and television.

At this point in the Dying for Devotion Sermon, Pastor Shin shows an image of a large television set and asks:

What Script Are You Following?

As the storm approaches, a large class who have professed faith in the third angel’s message, but have not been sanctified through obedience to the truth, abandon their position, and join the ranks of the opposition. By uniting with the world and partaking of its spirit, they have come to view matters in nearly the same light; and when the test is brought, they are prepared to choose the easy, popular side.
Great Controversy, 608

Pastor Shin ends the Dying for Devotion Sermon by showing a picture of Jesus Christ coming in the clouds accompanied by many angels.

Welcome to Three Angels Message In Verity Sermon given by Dr. Harold Lee on Sabbath, 14 September 2019 at Riverside Seventh-day Adventist Christian Church in Washougal, Washington.

There are 563 faith-based organizations that keep the Bible Sabbath now. One of them is the Seventh-day Adventist Christian church. What makes the Seventh-day Adventist Christian Church different from the others? Let us look at the name to find out.

Seventh day points us to the Creation which is described in the book of Genesis in the beginning of the Bible. Adventist means second coming of Jesus Christ which is the end of the Bible. In the Book of Revelation, what will happen in the end of time just before the return of Jesus Christ is described.

So, the Seventh-day Adventist Christian church covers the whole Bible. There are 28 fundamental beliefs that can be found on the website Adventist.org

What does Verity mean? Many corporations use a verity symbol. Verity is defined in the dictionary as truth. The Three Angels Message In Verity Sermon then is a message of truth from the Bible.

Dr. Harold Lee gave a short testimony about growing up as a Buddhist in Korea. He met a Presbyterian Christian and became a follower of Jesus Christ at a young age. Dr. Lee discovered the Three Angels Messages which are taught by the Seventh-day Adventist church and joined the church.

The Three Angels Messages are found in Revelation 14:6-10.

The Proclamations of Three Angels

6 Then I saw another angel flying in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach to those who dwell on the earth—to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people—

7 saying with a loud voice, “Fear God and give glory to Him, for the hour of His judgment has come; and worship Him who made heaven and earth, the sea and springs of water.”

8 And another angel followed, saying, “Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she has made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.”

9 Then a third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, “If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives his mark on his forehead or on his hand

10 he himself shall also drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out full strength into the cup of His indignation. He shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb.

The most published American woman author writes that Justification by Faith is Verity or Truth. Justification and Righteousness come from the same Greek word.

The Three Angels Messages are the Gospel. Gospel means the Good News.

Romans 1:16-18

The Just Live by Faith

16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “The just shall live by faith.”

God’s Wrath on Unrighteousness

18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness.

The Gospel reveals two things:

1. The Righteousness of God

2. The Wrath of God

John 3:36

He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.

Romans 5:20

Moreover, the law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more.

In Genesis 2:7, God formed Adam from the dust of the ground and breathed the breath of life into Adam. The Greek word that describes how God breathed the breath of life into Adam’s nostrils is the same word that is used for the wrath of God.

God wants to save all mankind. God is patient. In Revelation 14:10, the wine is an organic breakdown of yeast. It takes time for the process to happen. The wrath of God also takes time. It is the wine of the wrath of God that unrighteousness must drink.

Revelation 14:19

So, the angel thrust his sickle into the earth and gathered the vine of the earth and threw it into the great winepress of the wrath of God.

Dr. Lee met with a man that has not been able to work. In a long conversation, Dr. Lee learned that the man got drunk on wine at the age of 12. The man has had seizures ever since for over 30 years now.

The alcohol industry publishes reports that wine is good for your health. Those reports are wisdom of the world, not from God.

Let us look at the life of a man named Abraham.

Romans 4:3

For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.

Galatians 3:6

Just as Abraham “believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.”

You can learn about the life of Abraham in Genesis 12 and how he listened to God when God asked Abraham to leave his home in Haran at the age of 75. In Genesis 15, God makes a covenant with Abraham. In Genesis 17, God tells Abraham he will be the Father of Many even though Abraham was 100 years old. God kept His Covenant and Abraham’s wife Sarah had a son that was named Isaac.

Romans 4:5

David Celebrates the Same Truth

5 But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness.

Abraham was justified. In Romans 4:17, Abraham believed God that resurrected the dead and the God that creates man out of nothing. Sarah had no way to conceive as she was barren. Abraham also was dead as far as producing a child. But through God’s supernatural power, Sarah conceived Isaac.

Romans 4:17

(as it is written, “I have made you a father of many nations”) in the presence of Him whom he believed—God, who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did.

Hebrews 11:17 and verse 19

The Faith of the Patriarchs

17 By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises offered up his only begotten son.

19 Concluding that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead, from which he also received him in a figurative sense.

Romans 4:13

The Promise Granted Through Faith

13 For the promise that he would be the heir of the world was not to Abraham or to his seed through the law, but through the righteousness of faith.

Abraham was able. The message of Justification by Faith is the work of God laying the glory of man in the dust. Man does not have the power to do this himself.

In the book Steps to Christ, Ellen White writes that it is impossible for us to escape the pit of sin. Our hearts are evil. The carnal mind is the enemy of man.

Power from God can change the human heart. Nothing in us will earn us Salvation. God has provided a onetime sacrifice of His Son Jesus Christ so that all mankind can be saved. Hope the Three Angels Message In Verity Sermon has helped you. To read more Spiritual Messages of Truth, please visit my Spiritual Category. Just click the link below:

Spiritual Messages for Strength

Welcome to the Only Once In Eternity Sermon By Pat Hart. This message was given at the Riverside Seventh-day Adventist Christian church on Sabbath, 10 August 2019 by Pat Hart.

It’s August. We have not even had Labor Day yet, but do you think we can find a little Christmas spirit this morning? Let us turn back to our scripture reading to help us out.

Birth of the Messiah

Luke 2:17

Now when they had seen Him, they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child. And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart. Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told them.

Just think what an awesome privilege it was to get to see Jesus in the manger and to be the very, very first to tell the world the Messiah had been born and where to find Him!

Have you ever wondered how one qualifies for such an honor? Were the wise men just lucky? Were they just handy? Were there other people that had the same opportunity but missed it?

Let us think about the time of the birth of the Messiah. It had been 4,000 years since God had promised Adam and Eve one of their descendants would come to crush evil. The hope had been kept alive from generation to generation among God-fearing people. Prophets had given hundreds of specifics about when and where to expect Him. But after thousands of years. God grew silent because, so few listened anymore.

However, God suddenly aroused fresh attention to the old prophets when a priest was struck speechless while on duty in the temple. Everyone heard the news that an angel appeared to him and said his barren wife would have a son and they should call him John!

Luke 1:15-17

For He will be great in the sight of the Lord and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink. He will also be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb. And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God. He will also go before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.

This news spread far and wide because this was the first time in hundreds of years a major supernatural event had occurred among God’s people! You would think this preparation message would have turned everyone’s attention to the scriptures. You would think everyone would have come to attention trying to figure out what was going on, and eagerly preparing ‘for the Lord’. But that isn’t the way it was at all.

When the angels gathered to bring ‘good tidings of great joy’ for “All People” just a few months later, indifference pervaded the land of Israel. Hearts selfish and world-engrossed were untouched by the joy that thrilled all heaven. Only a few were longing to behold the Unseen. To these, heaven’s embassy was sent. Desire of Ages page 44.

Friends just think how many of God’s people missed the opportunity to share this once in eternity privilege with the shepherds! Just think how disappointed and amazed God’s universe was to see His people indifferent about Him!

I am bringing this up because the universe is very interested today to see how God’s people are preparing for the next once in eternity, glory-to-God-good-will-to-men event.

There were Three Angels sent from heaven with messages specific to the second coming of Jesus over a hundred years ago now. Does the universe see excitement or indifference among God’s people? How many of God’s people do angles find thrilled with these preparation messages and eagerly longing, I mean aching to behold the Unseen?

Jesus let us know that not all of us are prepared to see Him or to widely make known the sayings which have been told us concerning Him. Some of us are not prepared to cause people to marvel at these things. Only some of us are not prepared to glorify and praise Him for all the things that we have heard and seen about Jesus.

Let us turn to Matthew 25:1-13

Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Now five of them were wise, and five were foolish. Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them, but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept.

And at midnight a cry was heard. ‘Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him! Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise, give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out. But the wise answered, saying, No, lest there should not be enough for us and you; but go rather to those who sell, and buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut.

Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us! But He answered and said, Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you.

Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming.

Let us clarify what the role of the virgins was. It must have been more than lighting the road to everyone who could see which way to go. Surely the foolish virgins would not have gotten lost if they had just kept their eyes on the lights held high by the wise and followed closely along.

What they could not do though, without oil, was help celebrate the bridegroom! They could not spot light Him. They could not draw attention to Him. They could not help to awaken the sleeping world to His glory or this spectacular event. they could not bring people to their windows to see what was going on so more could join the party!

So, they missed out on a once in eternity opportunity. They missed out on associating with Him, being with Him, and making memories of Him on one of the greatest days of His life!

The only, but critical difference between the foolish and the wise was the wise had oil in their vessels and the foolish had empty vessels. If you know your role is to shed as much light as possible on the bridegroom, then would not having plenty of oil be uppermost in your mind? The fact that you neglect to fill your vessel with oil is a dead giveaway that you are more interested in being chosen than in being useful.

I do not want to be like that. You do not want to be like that. We want to be like the wise virgins. So, let us turn our attention to them.

The first thing to note is that their story is part of Jesus’ answer to the disciples’ question about signs of the end. So, it is important to point out that when the wise virgins awaken the world to the glory of the Bridegroom, it will be the greatest sign that His coming is imminent.

This sign is singular. There have always been earthquakes, false prophets, pestilences and war. It is even possible for stars to fall and the moon to turn blood red and the sun to be blocked from sight more than once. But it will only take once for the world to be illuminated with the glory of the Bridegroom to eliminate the Valley of Decision.

Consider carefully what having vessels full of oil says about the wise virgins.

Ellen White said, “Now is the time for the careless to arouse from their slumber. Now is the time to entreat that souls shall not only hear the word of God, but without delay secure oil in their vessels with their lamps. That oil is the righteousness of Christ. It represents character, and character is not transferable. No man can secure it for another. Each must obtain for himself a character purified from every stain of sin.” Testimonies to Ministers page 233.2

This reminds us that when Moses asked to see His Glory, God said: “I will make My goodness pass before you.” Exodus 33:19

Now is the time for the world to see God’s goodness! Let us continue with Only Once In Eternity Sermon By Pat Hart.

Ellen White said this over 100 years ago. Surely some of God’s people have secured oil and obtained a character purified from every stain of sin. But we know most of us have not. So far most of us have missed the opportunity to glorify the Bridegroom just as most of Gods people missed the once in eternity privilege of being first to announce His birth!

God in His great mercy has promised to send a fourth angel to revive and reinforce the messages of the first three who flew more than 100 years ago. He assures us this time the whole world will be illuminated with God’s glory and His Goodness!

Revelation 18:1

After these things I saw another angel coming down from heaven, having great authority, and the earth was illuminated with His glory.

This time a critical mass will have secured oil and developed characters purified from every stain of sin! This time the wheat will be ready for harvest. His bride, His church will be without spot or blemish.

“When the fruit is brought forth, immediately he putteth in the sickle, because the harvest is come. 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”. COL page 69

The wheat was not ready for the sickle in Old Testament times. The bride was not ready for the wedding in New Testament times, or in Reformation times, or Millerite times or since. But God’s word is sure. He will have a people who illuminate the world with the beauty of His character. His righteousness will be revealed through humanity despite everything the enemy can do. There can be no doubt. God has spoken

His investment in lost, broken, wretched humanity is certain to pay off! He will be able to present to the universe not only redeemed but restored characters washed whiter than snow in His own blood. This was the joy that was set before Jesus in His agony on the cross. It was enough to keep Him there to the bitter end.

How will this ever happen when it has never happened before?

“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 Christ would come to gather the precious grain.” COL page 69

The final message that ripens the harvest is an everlasting truth that humanity has been slow to comprehend. It is the Sabbath message. It is the message that celebrates God’s power to create and recreate as humans’ consent to become totally dependent on Him. it is the opposite of achieving goodness. It is the message of receiving Him, welcoming Him and celebrating what only He can do! It is the message of the faith of Jesus Himself lived and died by.

God planted the seed of this message in human hearts with His first promise to a couple in Eden who desperately tried to fix their shame problem with fig leaves. It took time for the gospel seed to germinate and sprout, but He faithfully cultivated it through many droughts and storms over the centuries. He will send a final rain to ripen the crop. He will be delighted to present to the universe a bountiful harvest of fat, golden wheat.

God has been developing and maturing His church through the ages of growing pains as a father pities his foolish children. He will be delighted to present her without fault or blemish as a worthy bride for His Son.

How will this happen?

Back to the shepherds. They were more interested in a Savior than most. They listened and responded to messages from heaven. They went to see Jesus for themselves. They enthusiastically, joyfully reported the miracle of what God had done!

Friends their generation had a once in eternity opportunity. They took it when others did not.

God offered our great-grandparents, grandparents, and parents a chance to experience the once in eternity privilege of illuminating the world with His glory. But like the saints in old Jerusalem, they missed it.

It is sad to say, but it is a fact. “If every soldier of Christ had done his duty, if every watchman on the walls of Zion had given the trumpet a certain sound, the world might ere this have heard the message of warning. But the work is years behind. While men have slept, Satan has stolen a march upon us.” 9T, page 29

It is our turn. But character development takes time and time is shorter today than ever before.

Who wants to commit themselves to a serious quest to buy oil – for His sake? Who wants to believe that if Christ could be born a helpless human and live by faith in Power from above Him? He can give His purifying, victorious faith. Who wants to believe He can wash every stain of sin from us and reveal His beautiful glory in our character? I do.

Who will stand with me and pray for this?

We have an awesome opportunity. We must not miss it.

Hope you have enjoyed reading Only Once In Eternity Sermon By Pat Hart. I pray we are all ready. You can read more posts in our Spiritual Messages Category by clicking the link below:

Spiritual Messages

Closing Hymn is #595

Let Every Lamp Be Burning

Welcome to the Honest Faith By Stan Beerman message. Here are the sermon notes that I took on 8 June 2019 when Stan gave this message at Riverside Seventh-day Adventist Christian Church in Washougal, Washington.

Sermon Notes

Many of the beaches of Oregon and Washington allow people to drive their vehicles on the beach. Drivers should be aware that driving on the sand can be difficult. You must stay on hard sand which is more common in the winter months. Stan shared a recent visit to the beach in the warmer weather and quickly realized that his truck had gotten stuck in the softer sand.

Stan prayed and just a couple of minutes later, a man in a 4 wheel drive truck with a long chain pulled up. The man asked Stan if he could help pull Stan’s truck out of the sand. Stan was amazed at how fast God had answered his prayer. Stan asked the man what his name was. The man replied Mike Angel. Stan got Mike’s address after asking him if he could send Mike a gift for helping him get unstuck.

Turn in your Bibles to 1 Corinthians 13 which is known as the Love Chapter in the Bible.

1 Corinthians 13 New King James Version (NKJV)
The Greatest Gift

13 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. 2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.

4 Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; 5 does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; 6 does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; 7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

8 Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part. 10 But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away.

11 When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. 12 For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.

13 And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

Build Faith

We must build our faith on earth. In Mark 9 and Matthew 7, Jesus was transfigured on the mountain in front of His Disciples Peter, James and John. Some Christian writers state this was the First Garden of Gethsemane. Jesus shined brightly.

Matthew 17:2-3
He was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light. 3 And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him.

There is a parallel here. Moses face shined brightly when he left God’s Presence on Mount Sinai or Mount Horeb. We should pray that as Seventh-day Adventist Christians that we should have a glow about us

In Mark 7:14, the Disciples asked Jesus what to do about the demon in the boy. Then in verses 19-20:

“Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why could we not cast it out?”

20 So Jesus said to them, “Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you. 21 However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.”

Do we see spiritual needs in others and feel inadequate? This is what the Disciples felt. Jesus was a great Psychologist.

In verse 21, the demon convulsed the boy. In verse 23, Jesus gets the father involved. Jesus tells us that all things are possible.

The Christian author CS Lewis wrote: Be transparent with God, be brutally honest. Jesus tells us that if we have faith the size of a mustard seed, all things are possible. A mustard seed is one of the tiniest seeds in the world.

How big is your God is the question we need to remember. Let us continue on with the Honest Faith By Stan Beerman message.

Pastor Beerman was in his second year of ministry when he got a call from a couple that was in their late 30’s at the time. The couple had no children and the couple desired having children. Pastor Beerman met them and had intercessory prayer for the couple.

Just 3 months later in the summer heat, Pastor Beerman is at a traffic light and stops next to a truck. The woman has her windows rolled down. The woman tells Stan that she is pregnant. The woman happens to be the woman he had prayed for 3 months earlier.

Another incident happened when Stan had a serious cold and was visiting an Idaho prison. One of the inmates prayed and one hour later, Stan was healed.

In Hebrews 11, Abraham believed. Faith is a relationship of trust that grows over time. We build our faith in our acts and behavior.

When we pray, it is what we believe in God’s character.

A pastor friend of Stan’s was a man named Doug. Doug had cancer. All of the elders had been in intercessory prayer for Doug. Doug died from the cancer.

In Mark 9:24, the father prays one of the most honest prayers in the Bible:

Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”

God’s character has to be cleared in our own minds. The boy was healed. The father prayed a desparate prayer.

God knows and likes to hear our prayers. Hope you have enjoyed reading the Honest Faith By Stan Beerman message.

Welcome to the How Can You Have Assurance of Heaven blog post about knowing how to be saved for eternal life. Assurance of Salvation is the most important aspect of a person’s life. Click on the video below to learn about the simple process God gave us.

Here are four key action verbs to describe the process:
Recognize >> Repent >> Ask >> Receive
Through Bible Study and listening to Bible teachers, I found a simple four step process straight out of the Bible to guarantee a place in God’s Eternal Kingdom.
When I was lost and in trouble, I am very grateful that my family had brought me up with the fundamental concept of a Supreme Being or God. I recognized my need for help.
Remember these four verbs:
1. Recognize
2. Repent
3. Ask
4. Receive
Here are the scriptures that guide our journey to how you can have assurance of heaven.
1. Recognize Your Sinfulness – Romans 3:23
“All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”
2. Believe Jesus died for You – Acts 16:31
“Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.”
3. Receive Him as Savior – John 1:12
“But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.”
4. Trust His Promise – John 20:31
“These are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.”

Greatest Display of Love

Human beings will never see a greater display of love than Jesus Christ dying on a cruel Roman cross for the sins of mankind. Christ believed in salvation received and heaven assured in regard to How Can You Have Assurance of Heaven.

“In terms of salvation, you cannot separate faith and repentance—both happen simultaneously. In order to be saved, you must place faith in Christ for the forgiveness of sins, and that faith decision requires a change of mind (repentance) about your way of life. Yet many people mistakenly believe they must change their way of living long before they can make a faith decision for the Savior. The truth is, repentance does not mean that we must completely change our ways and “clean ourselves up” so we can receive Christ as Lord.

If you’re holding off on a decision for Christ until you think you are “ready” or “worthy,” you’re waiting in vain. Jesus is ready to receive you right now. Only as a child of God will you find the power—His power—to truly become the person you were created to be.” Dr. Charles Stanley

MAY GOD BLESS YOU AND KEEP YOU!

I like to use the Bible Gateway site as I can see many different translations when doing my Bible Study.

Hope you have enjoyed reading my How Can You Have Assurance of Heaven post. For more spiritual messages, please visit my Spiritual Category Link:

Spiritual Messages

Welcome to the God’s Passion for Us post. These are the sermon notes from Pastor Merrill Caviness sermon given at Riverside Seventh-day Adventist Christian Church in Washougal, Washington on Sabbath, 20 April 2019.

Did you know that Jesus Christ was an innocent man? Jesus loves mankind so much that he took the role of being the sacrificial lamb and took the sins of the world on His Shoulders. Jesus lived a perfect life by following His Father’s Eternal Ten Commandment Law perfectly. He is the only human that has or will accomplish living a life without sin.

Jesus knew in the Garden of Gethsemane that He would have to go to the Cross to die for our sins. Every Christian’s fate depended on Jesus taking our sin burden on His Shoulders. In the Celebration of Holy Communion, once a quarter, Seventh-day Adventists take the bread and organic grape juice as the sacraments. Jesus said: “Do this in remembrance of Me” in 1 Corinthians 11:24.

Growing up, Pastor Merrill would tease his sister that was 6 years younger. His sister was always getting into trouble. She would get blamed for things that happened. Merrill would proclaim his innocence. He never wanted to accept guilt that was due him. Our world also does not want to accept guilt. The Blame Game is played by almost everyone.

In Matthew 27 and in Luke 23:14, Pilate, the Roman Governor sees no fault in Jesus.

Luke 23:14 New King James Version (NKJV)
Pilate said to them, “You have brought this Man to me, as one who misleads the people. And indeed, having examined Him in your presence, I have found no fault in this Man concerning those things of which you accuse Him.”

In Luke 23:16, Pilate should have let Jesus go. We find in Matthew 27 that Pilate is warned through his wife to not have anything to do with Jesus. Pilate’s wife had seen the whole trial. She has woken up frightened in a dream.

Matthew 27:19 New King James Version (NKJV)
While he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent to him, saying, “Have nothing to do with that just Man, for I have suffered many things today in a dream because of Him.”

It was a custom at Passover time for the Roman Governor to release a criminal. Pilate thought he would be able to get rid of dealing with Jesus and made the choice so easy for the Religious Leaders. Pilate said do you want me to release the hardened criminal Barabbas or Jesus? It should have been an easy choice. Pilate was in a bad place. The Religious Leaders had backed him into a difficult situation.

Pilate had Jesus beaten in front of the Religious Leaders.

John 19:3 New King James Version (NKJV)
Then they said, “Hail, King of the Jews!” And they struck Him with their hands.

Pilate exclaims that he found no guilt in Jesus in John 19:4. Jesus stood there bloody and His skin was torn from the torture. Barabbas was a hardened criminal. Jesus Christ was innocent, the spotless son of God, the Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world.

There has been a Great Controversy in the world ever since the fall of Lucifer in heaven. You can read this excellent book on the website below:

The Great Controversy

Every day, who will we chose? Jesus or Satan? In John 19:6, the Chief Priests cried out to crucify Jesus. We live in a self-seeking dog eat dog world. The Chief Priests were more concerned with their livelihood than justice.

Pilate asked Jesus where He was from in John 19:9. Jesus just stood there and never answered Pilate. At that point Pilate told the Religious Leaders that he was innocent of Jesus’s blood. Pastor Merrill states in his sermon God’s Passion for Us that his own sins killed Jesus.

Adam and Eve did not die immediately after they committed the very first sin on this earth. Jesus stepped forward. The Bible tells us:

Romans 6:23
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

The only reason we are alive today is Jesus Christ. The only totally innocent human being ever is Jesus Christ.

Jesus Christ became the guilty so we could live. HE LOVES YOU !

Pilate tried to accept the world and Jesus but it did not work.

Will you take responsibility and chose Jesus Christ over choosing the world?

We Need a Savior. Jesus Christ is the only way to the Father God.

John 14:6 New King James Version (NKJV)
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

Hope you have enjoyed reading my God’s Passion for Us post. You can read more posts like this in my category below:

Spiritual Messages

Welcome to our True Love post. This message is from Pastor Merrill Caviness sermon that he preached at Riverside Seventh-day Adventist Christian church in Washougal, Washington on 16 February 2019. In the Bible, 1 Corinthians 13 is an excellent chapter about love.

Are we looking for Love in all the wrong places? In the Bible, there is a love story in the Book of Genesis.

Genesis 2 tells us about Adam and Eve and the very first marriage.

18 And the Lord God said, “It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him.” 19 Out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field and every bird of the air, and brought them to Adam to see what he would call them. And whatever Adam called each living creature, that was its name. 20 So Adam gave names to all cattle, to the birds of the air, and to every beast of the field. But for Adam there was not found a helper comparable to him.

21 And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall on Adam, and he slept; and He took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh in its place. 22 Then the rib which the Lord God had taken from man He made into a woman, and He brought her to the man.

23 Adam said:

“This is now bone of my bones
And flesh of my flesh;
She shall be called Woman,
Because she was taken out of Man.”

24 Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.

25 And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.

In Genesis 3, Eve is deceived by the serpent. The snake questions God’s Authority and puts doubt into Eve’s mind by saying: “You will not surely die” in verse 4. God had instructed Adam and Eve to not eat of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. Eve took from the tree and ate the fruit and gave some to her husband Adam. As a result of not following God’s instructions, all of mankind fell into sin.

Blame Game

After the fall, we read in Genesis 3 that Adam blamed Eve, then Eve blamed the serpent and all death, disease, sin and suffering is a result of the original sin. God did not leave Adam and Eve after their fall into sin. God came looking for them as they hid themselves in the Garden of Eden.

Where do you find true love? Here are the different kinds of Love.

Types of Love

Storge is an Empathy Bond. This is family love. Love that your brother has for his sister or child has for their parent.

Philia or friend bond is the love between friends as close as siblings in strength and duration. The friendship is the strong bond existing between people who share common values, interests or activities.

Eros or erotic bond is love in the sense of “being in love” or “loving” someone. Eros is the love where you will give your life for some one else like Jesus Christ did for fallen mankind.

Agape or unconditional “God” love is the love that exists regardless of changing circumstances. Christian Author C.S. Lewis recognizes this selfless love as the greatest of the four loves, and sees it as a specifically Christian virtue to achieve.

The Bible tells us that because of sin, we have lost sight of True Love. The Bible tells us to Love One Another. God has agaped us. We should do the same for other people.

God created Family to teach us how to Love as He does. Make Jesus Christ first and foremost and you will survive trials of Life. Study to advance the happiness of each other. We get a foretaste of heaven when we live by serving other people now. Learn more by reading Ellen White’s book:

Adventist Home

Dave and Ann Wilson were near their 10 year wedding anniversary. Dave went all out to make their special day a blessing. He bought Ann 10 roses and took her out to dinner. Ann told Dave that their marriage was over. Dave took the news very hard.

Dave got on his knees in his car and began to pray. Dave asked God to change him. He prayed that God would make him available to be home more. He prayed to be a better father and husband.

Ann realized her own shortcomings and began praying with Dave. Dave and Ann Wilson have a much better relationship because they chose to seek God and pray.

Accept God’s Offer

God offers us true love that will be there always no matter what. Seek Agape Love in all your relationships. Father God, help us learn how to truly love, in Jesus name, Amen.

I pray that my True Love post has been helpful to you. For more Spiritual Messages, please visit my link below:

Spiritual Category

Camp Meeting In Chile 2019

Camp Meeting In Chile 2019 is a reflection of how the Gospel is being shared as small groups are studying the Bible together. Many people are being baptized as a result of the Gospel being shared.

Rich In the Important Things In Life

I have been blessed to be able to attend many camp meetings in many places in the world. I witnessed some wonderful moments at the Camp Meeting In Chile 2019. There were many young people full of enthusiasm. These people are so filled with God’s Holy Spirit that they sing while waiting in line for their meals.

Sharing the Gospel

The following video is in Spanish. My girl friend Patricia is on stage as she is a Bible worker in Chile. She and many other church members are actively sharing the Gospel with people in their communities. I like the appearance of the Union Mission Leader of Evangelism holding a dry Baptismal Robe just waiting for the next person that accepts Jesus Christ as their personal Savior.

Simple Things In Life

South America is a huge continent. Chile is as long north to south as the United States is east to west from Eastern Maine all the way to Blaine in the northwestern corner of Washington State. Chile is a narrow country and the border with Argentina is the Andes Mountain Range. Chile is loaded with natural resources and many people come from other nations in South America to work in Chile. The economy in Chile is strong.

Family is very important in Chile. The main religion is still Catholicism. The Catholic church has a major influence on the society. The Seventh-day Adventist Church also has a strong presence. You can see the role the church plays in the community right where my girl friend lives.

The local church has meetings on Wednesday night for prayer and a Bible message. The church also meets on God’s Holy and Sanctified Seventh-day Sabbath day in the morning for Bible study and then worship. There is also an evening vespers worship that is followed by fellowship with tea and some local favorite foods.

The church in Vicuna, Chile also has outreach on Sunday mornings. The church had a class on taking large plastic containers and creating mini gardens. You just shape the plastic container to be able to hold some potting soil and be able to have drainage from watering. You can plant all kinds of different vegetables in these containers.

Take Away From Church In Chile

Chile might not be the wealthiest nation on earth but it has many good qualities that more wealthy nations lack. The family is very strong in Chile. People serve each other in the church and community. The church is growing rapidly with many young people sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ with their friends.

I hope you have enjoyed reading our Camp Meeting In Chile 2019 post. For more posts about Spiritual Topics, please click the Link Below to go to our messages.

Spiritual Messages

Why There Is Trouble In the World

Welcome to my Why There Is Trouble In the World post. Eve Strayed from God’s Word Just a Little & Believed the Serpent’s Lie That She Would Not Die If She Ate the Fruit from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good & Evil.

All Death, Evil, Pain, & Suffering We Humans Experience Is a Direct Result of That Poor Decision. God has given man free will. That is the ultimate display of love towards us. God is love. God wants us to freely love Him. We can each choose whether we want to learn about the God of Love or close our spiritual nature off from His Love.

Today I Will Do My Best to Let God Be God & Have Him Use Me to Do HIS Will and not mine. Give Me the Bible, the Holy Word of God. Help Me Follow What It Says & Do Not Let Me Be Deceived As the World Is Being Led Down a Deceptive Trail to the Judgment Day.

How Can I Avoid Deception

1. Be a Student of God’s Word Which Is Found In the Bible
2. Pray for God to Pour Out the Holy Spirit On You
3. Be a Part of a Bible Based Church
4. Serve Others Where You Can Use Your Spiritual Gifts
5. Witness to People

Healed from Deception

Have you ever had someone ask Why There Is Trouble In the World? Because most of my friends know I am a Christian, I get asked this question from time to time. Why do little children get serious illnesses and die? Why do earthquakes, fires and floods devastate our world?

For the first 34 years of my life, I had no personal relationship with God. I had no need of religion and had enough of it in Christian boarding schools in Virginia. I was a prime target of Satan and fell into deception myself.

In 1994, God started calling me back to him. I was hospitalized for almost the whole year. God put the right people in my life to help me overcome some serious challenges. I praise God for every day that I wake up now.

To keep growing and avoid any further deception, I spend time growing my faith and serving God today. One of the best things a hurting person can do is find some way to serve others. It may be volunteering at your church, an assisted living facility, a homeless shelter or a food bank.

I hope my Why There Is Trouble In the World post has been helpful to you. I fully understand the Great Controversy that is still going on until Jesus Christ returns to the earth as Our Savior and King. This Post Is Approved By My Angel Patricia Gutierrez Who Serves God As a Bible Worker Here In Chile.

If you are interested in reading more Spiritual Articles, just click on my Link Below. I post sermon notes and lessons that have helped me grow.

Spiritual Messages

Prayer Sermon By Pastor Roger

Welcome to my Prayer Sermon By Pastor Roger post. Roger Walter is the Lead Pastor at Adventist Community Church of Vancouver, Washington. He gave this message on Sabbath, 9 February 2019.

Pastor Roger and his family moved to Colorado and bought a house. The neighbors moved in from Alaska to the property next to them the following year. The neighbors had a horse and one day the horse got loose from the fenced area on the property. Roger knew that animals have a nature that will take advantage of your fear and Roger knew he would have to approach the horse without fear. He was able to do that and guide the horse back into the fenced in area on the neighbors’ property.

Horses are smart animals and can communicate with people. A horse will follow a human around. Roger shared that he feels when he is praying to God, it is like communication between a horse and a human being.

Scripture Verses

Philippians 4:4-6

Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!

5 Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand.

6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.

The Church Is About Connecting with Jesus.

Church is NOT About:

• Building
• The Clothes You Wear
• Music
• Programs
• Religion

Growth of the Church

A key point of Prayer Sermon By Pastor Roger is how the early church grew when the Disciples and Apostles went out spreading the Good News of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Thousands were added to the church in one day through the power of the Holy Spirit.

ACTS is a Book In the Bible. It Stands for the Acts of the Apostles. Here is a useful Acronym for ACTS.

Adoration

Confession

Thanksgiving

Supplication ( Requests )

Every week, our worship includes a corporate prayer time where we come together. Each week, someone is struggling with family problems, money problems, family members problems, or health problems.

It takes 80 to 100 hours of spending time with someone to become a friend. It takes 120 to 200 hours to become best friends. Roger admits he has struggled spending time with God in prayer. Roger became best friends with God right away through prayer. He asked God to help him spend more time in prayer and in Bible Study.

Roger shared that the Bible came alive to him by spending time in prayer and Bible Study. Are you hurting now? Are there problems in your life?

Cry out to God and just say: “Help Me”. Roger shared about how grateful he is that Jesus holds us during our struggles.

Roger asked the Pastors and Elders to come forward for an Anointing Service and Prayer. He called for anyone that needed an Anointing and Prayer to come forward. I went down myself as I have a chronic health challenge in addition to some other issues. I was anointed and prayed over by Pastor John Bryson.

Many other people came forward and received anointing and prayer also.

Casting Out Demons

Mark 9:28-29

When He had come into the house, His disciples asked Him privately, “Why could we not cast it out?”

So He said to them, “This kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting.”

Why could the Disciples not cast out the demons? It is all about the connection with the Father. Roger has pleaded with God about some requests or supplications and Roger heard God answer NO. Roger did not like that answer. One specific prayer Roger has asked for over 7 years and so far Roger has not received an answer.

You can be a Christian all by yourself but being isolated is not the way God designed worship.

Closing Prayer in the Prayer Sermon By Pastor Roger is:

Father God, We pray that you will Baptize us in the Holy Spirit. We pray that we will walk in that spirit, In Jesus Name Amen.

For more sermons, please visit my Spiritual Category link below.

Spiritual Category

Sermon About Peace

Welcome to my Sermon About Peace post. Shabbat Shalom are two Hebrew words that mean Sabbath Peace.

We can have the peace and calmness that the Hebrew word Shalom means. Obtaining a peace like Nirvana is possible. Wholeness and being complete is the other meaning of the word. Jesus used the word Shalom often.

Matthew 5:9
Blessed are the peacemakers,
For they shall be called sons of God.

You probably have known someone who is a peace maker. You also have probably known someone that is not a peace maker. There are three areas in our lives that we as humans need peace ( shalom ).

Our first peace is peace with God. Everything was good in Genesis at creation until sin entered the garden. No matter what we do – it will never be good enough. We must have something outside of ourselves to restore us to fellowship and be close to God. We need God.

Judges 6:24
So Gideon built an altar there to the LORD, and called it The-LORD-Is-Peace. To this day it is still in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.

Yahweh Shalom means God is Peace. This Sermon About Peace touched me when I heard it so I added it to my blog.

Isaiah 9:6
For unto us a Child is born,
Unto us a Son is given;
And the government will be upon His shoulder.
And His name will be called
Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Ephesians 2:12-18
That at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.
Christ Our Peace
14 For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, 15 having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, 16 and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity. 17 And He came and preached peace to you who were afar off and to those who were near. 18 For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father.

Jesus came to restore Shalom. The Ultimate act of Shalom is the cross. We also need peace with each other. This is the second peace we need and it is all about our humanity and human relationships.

Ephesians 4:3
Endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

Romans 12:18
If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men.

We need to have peace with God first then peace with others will be fruit of our first relationship.

Colossians 3:15
And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful.

Philippians 4:6-7
Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

The difference between the good life and the Godly life is centered in peace. Sometimes the sea is very turbulent at the surface. When you go diving in turbulent waters, the further down you go the calmer the water becomes.

Adventist Radio broadcasts the Gospel of Hope about Jesus and His Teachings all over the world in many languages. Adventist Radio is reaching into Muslim nations. People are learning about forgiveness, service to others and peace. Some of these Muslim people are accepting Jesus and have become secret Christians as they have to hide their faith in a Muslim nation. These Christians are peacemakers.

The last peace is with ourselves. We will have peace in our own heart when we first have peace in God and with Humanity. My prayer for you is to be a peacemaker and that you can also share this peace with others in a world that is desperately needing hope and peace.

This Sermon About Peace was given by Pastor Tim Williams. He is the youth pastor from North Cascades SDA church. Tim preached this message on 11 June 2011 at the

Bellingham Seventh-day Adventist Church

There are many more sermons in my Spiritual Category of my Blog.

Spiritual Category

Welcome to the What Saves Us message that was given by Pastor Mark Witas at Sunnyside Seventh-day Adventist Christian Church in Portland, Oregon on Sabbath, 12 January 2019.

Psalms 9:7-8

New King James Version (NKJV)

⁷But the Lord shall endure forever;
He has prepared His throne for judgment.
⁸ He shall judge the world in righteousness,
And He shall administer judgment for the peoples in uprightness.

We do not like being caught speeding by a law enforcement officer. When you are guilty of speeding, you are under Judgment.

Every single human being except Jesus has sinned at some point in their life. There is a Judgment Day coming.

First Rock Concert In History Was When Jesus Wrote With His Finger In the Sand & the Adulteress Accusers Dropped Their Rocks.

In John 8, Jesus told the woman accused of Adultery that HE did not accuse her and to go and sin no more. Jesus offered her Mercy. The Religious Leaders were trying to trap Jesus and see what HE would say about the woman’s punishment for being caught in Adultery. Jesus did not say a word. HE bent over and began writing in the sand. Many Biblical scholars have commented that Jesus was writing the sins of the men who were accusing her of Adultery. As these men saw their sins written in the sand by the Finger of Jesus, they walked away from what was going to be a Death By Stoning Judgment against the woman.

John 8:1-12

Jesus the Light of the World
8 But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.

2 Now early in the morning He came again into the temple, and all the people came to Him; and He sat down and taught them. 3 Then the scribes and Pharisees brought to Him a woman caught in adultery. And when they had set her in the midst, 4 they said to Him, “Teacher, this woman was caught in adultery, in the very act. 5 Now Moses, in the law, commanded us that such should be stoned. But what do You say?” 6 This they said, testing Him, that they might have something of which to accuse Him. But Jesus stooped down and wrote on the ground with His finger, as though He did not hear.

7 So when they continued asking Him, He raised Himself up and said to them, “He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.” 8 And again He stooped down and wrote on the ground. 9 Then those who heard it, being convicted by their conscience, went out one by one, beginning with the oldest even to the last. And Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. 10 When Jesus had raised Himself up and saw no one but the woman, He said to her, “Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?”

11 She said, “No one, Lord.”

And Jesus said to her, “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.”

12 Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.”

Mercy

Jesus told the woman to go and sin no more. She received mercy. Jesus offers us all Mercy. We must accept that HE is the source of Grace that we need as fallen human beings.

Pastor Mark and his friend from seminary were coming back from the Camp Meeting in Alberta, Canada one summer. They were speeding trying to get home quickly. A Montana law enforcement officer pulled the young men over as they were clocked at doing 107 miles per hour.

Mark’s friend Alex was driving. The officer asked the two young men why there were speeding over 100 miles per hour. Alex told the police officer they were excited and were in a hurry to get back to seminary and share with their class mates how to best share the Gospel so they could save the world. The officer laughed and stated that their answer was the most incredible that he had heard and warned them to drive slower. The officer extended Grace to the two young men.

Micah 7:18

Who is a God like You,
Pardoning iniquity
And passing over the transgression of the remnant of His heritage?

He does not retain His anger forever,
Because He delights in mercy.

Judgment

Mercy does not save us. In the Judgment, we get what we deserve. Because of Jesus Christ and His Sacrifice on the Cross as My Savoir, I am assured of eternal life. Jesus took my punishment for my sins on His Shoulders. No Greater Love Can a Man Know Than the Love of Christ Jesus for the repent sinner.

Pastor Mark told a story about a car salesman and a Lincoln Continental. The salesman ended up in an accident and had a bloody lip as a result of the accident. The owner of the car business had every right to Judge the salesman and fire him for the accident. The car salesman received Grace.

Are you holding onto anything you should let go of?

Hope you have enjoyed reading the What Saves Us post. You can Read More of my posts in the Spiritual Category section of my website.

Spiritual Messages

Who Is God?

Who Is God?
Here are two great sermons I heard preached on Sabbath, 5 February 2011 at the Lynnwood Reformed Seventh-Day Adventist church in Washington. A gentlemen from Virginia gave the message. Jeff Wehr worked for the Keep The Faith ministry. Here are the sermons:

Sermon #1 Truth Sanctifies Us

John 14:9 Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?

Isaiah 60:1-2 Arise, shine, for your light has come,
and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.
2 For behold, darkness shall cover the earth,
and thick darkness the peoples;
but the Lord will arise upon you,
and his glory will be seen upon you.

Acts 2 shows how important Fellowship is in Christian community.

Exodus 33:18, 21-22 Moses said, “Please show me your glory.” And the Lord said, “Behold, there is a place by me where you shall stand on the rock, 22 and while my glory passes by I will put you in a cleft of the rock, and I will cover you with my hand until I have passed by.

Exodus 34:6-7 The Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, 7 keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children’s children, to the third and the fourth generation.”

Matthew 5:7 Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.

John 9:1-3 As he passed by, he saw a man blind from birth. 2 And his disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” 3 Jesus answered, “It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him.

God utilized a blind man to show His Love and Mercy. Christ work was benevolence as He healed the sick showed mercy and fed the hungry. Read Isaiah 58. By helping others we help ourselves. Find God in Face of Jesus who has my highest thoughts.

Revelation 14:6 Then I saw another angel flying directly overhead, with an eternal gospel to proclaim to those who dwell on earth, to every nation and tribe and language and people.

Psalms 119:72 The law of your mouth is better to me
than thousands of gold and silver pieces.

Isaiah 51:7 “Listen to me, you who know righteousness,
the people in whose heart is my law;
fear not the reproach of man,
nor be dismayed at their revilings.

Revelation 7:11-12 And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, 12 saying,“Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen.”

John 3:7 Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’

Romans 3:20 For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.

Galatians 3:23-24 Now before faith came, we were held captive under the law, imprisoned until the coming faith would be revealed. 24 So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith.

Read Romans 7, 8, 9, 13, and 20

Read James 2

Acts 13:38-39 Let it be known to you therefore, brothers, that through this man forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you, 39 and by him everyone who believes is freed from everything from which you could not be freed by the law of Moses.

Matthew 12:37 For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned. Christ credited His 33 years of sinless life to us.

Romans 11:6 But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works; otherwise grace would no longer be grace.

Ephesians 2:8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God.

Romans 4:6 Just as David also speaks of the blessing of the one to whom God counts righteousness apart from works.

Here is a recent post where I expose Satan’s Lies which is the opposite of God’s Truth.

Satan’s Lies

Sermon #2 Who Is God ?

Do a search on Amazon with the keywords “God” and “Suffering” and there are over 20,000 books returned in the search query. Many authors are writing about why God causes suffering on the earth. Question, Who Is God? God means everything to us. How can we cope when bad things happen to us?

Revelation 4:8 And the four living creatures, each of them with six wings, are full of eyes all around and within, and day and night they never cease to say,

“Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty,
who was and is and is to come!”
Hebrews 1:8-9 But of the Son he says,

“Your throne, O God, is forever and ever,
the scepter of uprightness is the scepter of your kingdom.
9 You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness;
therefore God, your God, has anointed you
with the oil of gladness beyond your companions.”
Life is based on what you love and hate. Ten Commandments are perfect love. Love what Jesus loves.

John 17:3 And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.

1 John 3:2 Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is.

Devil doesn’t want you to know God. Arab terrorists misconception of God caused Twin Towers catastrophe.

Matthew 7:21-23 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’

Revelation 12:7 Now war arose in heaven, Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon. And the dragon and his angels fought back. Michael means ‘who is like God’.

2 Corinthians 4:4 In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

John 20:19-23 On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” 20 When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. 21 Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.” 22 And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld.”

Romans Chapters 6, 7, and 8 are chapters that Paul writes extensively about ‘dying to self’.

Healing of the Blind Man

Healing of the Blind Man is the story from Mark 8 where Jesus went into enemy territory & healed the man in 2 steps. Jesus wants us to see Him Clearly. These are the sermon notes from Elder Paul Ybarra when he preached this sermon at Riverside Seventh-day Adventist Christian Church on Sabbath 26 January 2019.

Mark 8:22-26 New King James Version (NKJV)
A Blind Man Healed at Bethsaida

22 Then He came to Bethsaida; and they brought a blind man to Him, and begged Him to touch him. 23 So He took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the town. And when He had spit on his eyes and put His hands on him, He asked him if he saw anything.

24 And he looked up and said, “I see men like trees, walking.”

25 Then He put His hands on his eyes again and made him look up. And he was restored and saw everyone clearly. 26 Then He sent him away to his house, saying, “Neither go into the town, nor tell anyone in the town.”

Jesus Used Two Steps to Heal the Blind Man

Jesus had gone to Bethsaida. In the Gospels of Matthew, Luke and John, Jesus had cursed Bethsaida. Jesus had gone into enemy territory. The Religious Elite were scheming to trap Jesus. Jesus went there because HE knew that the blind man had the faith of a mustard seed.

When you study the Gospels, you see that most people had heard of Jesus. News of the Rabbi and the healing miracles HE accomplished traveled fast in the early first century without the internet. In the passage in Mark 8 verse 23, Jesus led the blind man by hand out of town and healed him.

Jesus spat on the blind man’s eyes. Spitting then and even today is an insult. In Mark 7:31-37, Jesus spat on a deaf man’s ears.

Turning back to Mark 8, in verse 24 Jesus asks the blind man what he sees after having spat on his eyes. The blind man replied that he saw men like trees walking around.

Jesus then put His Hands on the blind man’s eyes again and made him look up. Suddenly the blind man was restored and saw everyone clearly.

Jesus sent the healed blind man away and told him not to tell anyone. It is hard for a human being that has witnessed an incredible healing to keep their mouth shut. Our nature is to share good news.

Deeper Meaning to Healing the Blind Man

Besides the physical healing of the blind man’s eyes, there is a much deeper lesson Jesus is teaching here. Jesus wants us to see Him clearly. Jesus wants us to understand who HE is. Jesus went to the Cross to die the death that we deserve because of our sins. HE did that so that we do not have to die a second time. HE wants to be our Savior. Jesus is the bridge back to God the Creator. The most famous verse in the Bible reveals that in John 3:16:

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

In Mark 1 verse 44, Jesus had healed a leper. Jesus said to him, “See that you say nothing to anyone; but go your way, show yourself to the priest, and offer for your cleansing those things which Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.”

Jesus healed people’s physical problems more than HE preached. God wants us to be healthy. When a person’s physical needs are met, then they are ready to better understand spiritual teachings.

Takeaway from Mark 8 Healing of the Blind Man

• Read Your Bible
• Ask God to Reveal the Deep Meaning of the Scriptures to You
• Ask God to Guide You Daily

Hope you have enjoyed reading my Healing of the Blind Man post. You can find more posts in my Spiritual Category.

Spiritual Lessons