“For all things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God. (2 Corinthians 4:15.) The church is God’s appointed agency for the salvation of men. It was organized for service, and its mission is to carry the gospel to the world. From the beginning it has been God’s plan that through His church shall be reflected to the world His fullness and His sufficiency. The members of the church, those whom He has called out of darkness into His marvelous light, are to show forth His glory. The church is the repository of the riches of the grace of Christ; and through the church will eventually be made manifest, even to “the principalities and powers in heavenly places” (Ephesians 3:10), the final and full display of the love of God…. The church is God’s fortress, His city of refuge, which He holds in a revolted world…. During ages of spiritual darkness the church of God has been as a city set on a hill. From age to age, through successive generations, the pure doctrines of heaven have been unfolding within its borders. Enfeebled and defective as it may appear, the church is the one object upon which God bestows in a special sense His supreme regard. It is the theater of His grace, in which He delights to reveal His power to transform hearts. – As the rays of the sun penetrate to the remotest corners of the globe, so God designs that the light of the gospel shall extend to every soul upon the earth…. At this time, when the enemy is working as never before to engross the minds of men and women, we should be laboring with increasing activity. Diligently, disinterestedly, we are to proclaim the last message of mercy in the cities—in the highways and byways. All classes are to be reached. As we labor we shall meet with different nationalities. None are to be passed by unwarned. The Lord Jesus was the gift of God to the entire world—not to the higher classes alone, and not to one nationality, to the exclusion of others. His saving grace encircles the world. Whosoever will, may drink of the water of life. A world is waiting to hear the message of present truth.” – {AG 338 } From Gods Amazing Grace by Ellen G....

“By the word of the Lord were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth….For he spake, and it was done; he commanded, and it stood fast.” Psalm 33:6-9. “We need more to be shut in the audience with God. There is need of guarding our own thoughts. We are surely living amid the perils of the last days. We must walk before God meekly, with deep humility, for it is only such that will be exalted. – O how little man can comprehend the perfection of God, His omnipresence united with His almighty power. A human artist receives his intelligence from God. He can only fashion his work in any line to perfection from materials already prepared for his work. In his finite power he could not create and make his materials to serve his purpose if the Great Designer had not been before him, giving him the very improvements first in his imagination. – The Lord God commands things into being. He was the first Designer. He is not dependent on man, but graciously invites man’s attention, and cooperates with him in progressive and higher designs. Then man takes all the glory to himself, and is extolled by his fellow men as a very remarkable genius. He looks no higher than man. The one First Cause is forgotten…. I am afraid we have altogether too cheap and common ideas. “Behold, the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain thee” (1 Kings 8:27). Let not anyone venture to limit the power of the Holy One of Israel. There are conjectures and questions in regard to God’s work—“Put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground” (Exodus 3:5)…. In the formation of our world, God was not beholden to preexistent substance or matter. For the “things which are seen were not made of things which do appear” (Hebrews 11:3). On the contrary, all things, material or spiritual, stood up before the Lord Jehovah at His voice, and were created for His own purpose. The heavens and all the host of them, the earth and all things that are therein, are not only the work of His hand; they came into existence by the breath of His mouth. – The Lord had given evidence that by His power He could in one short hour dissolve the whole frame of nature. He can turn things upside down, and destroy the things that man has built up in his most firm and substantial manner….In fires, in floods, in earthquakes, in the fury of the great deep, in calamities by sea and by land, the warning is given...

In Love and Mercy Jesus Pleads With Us and for Us “Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.”…… … Lamentations  3:22-23, NKJV. – “Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful.” The Lord honors His human agents by taking them into partnership with Himself. The heart of Christ is full of forgiving mercy and truth. He is afflicted in all the afflictions of His people. We are to be compassionate, and find joy in coming with a kindly interest to bind up the wounds of those who have been pursued and left half dead by the ruthless hand of the destroyer. We are to be ready to heal the bruises that sin has made. – {BLJ 339.2} Those who do this are Christ’s ministers, and the world has a living testimony of the love of God before them in His representatives. God is revealed before the world in those who practice the works of Christ, and through His messengers He is known as a God of mercy, goodness, and forgiveness. “He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?” – {BLJ 339.3} God in Christ is ours, and His bounties of love and mercy are inexhaustible. He desires that everyone shall be benefited by the rich provisions that He has made for those who love Him; He invites us all to share with Him in His glory. The bliss of heaven has been provided for all who love God supremely and their fellow mortals as themselves. – {BLJ 339.4} Men and women would no longer be the slaves of sin if they would but turn from Satan’s alluring, delusive attractions, and look to Jesus long enough to see and understand His love. New habits will be formed, and powerful propensities for evil will be held in check. Our Leader is a conqueror, and He guides us on to certain victory. – {BLJ 339.5} Our Advocate, Jesus, is pleading before His Father’s throne in our behalf, and He is also pleading with the sinner, saying, “Turn ye, for why will ye die?” Has not God done everything possible through Christ to win us from satanic deception? … Is He not a risen Savior, ever living to make intercession for us? Is He not ever following up His great work of atonement by the work of the Holy Spirit on every heart? The bow of mercy still arches the throne of God, testifying to the fact that every soul who believes in Christ as a personal Savior shall...

12 Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; 13 Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. 14 And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness. 15 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. 17 And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by Him.” (Colossians 3: 12-17 KJV)   [/box] Lord Help me to live your Words Daily, and put on the Character of the New...

The Whole Armor of God “Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;” Ephesians 6:13-18 Remember, our goal in spiritual warfare is to stand firm in our faith in Christ Jesus. The enemy would have you doubt the truth of God, just like He did to Adam and Eve in Eden. (Genesis 3) Because of Christ we are able to “put on” salvation, faith, truth, righteousness, and the gospel of peace as armor; these are very real and protect us. Along with the word of God (our offensive weapon), each of these things is a gift from God through belief in and fellowship with Christ. Ask God to help you suit up for what is in store. You have help and protection, and are never alone in Christ. the gospel of peace readies us for spiritual warfare. With your mind centered on the gospel that saved you, pray in the Spirit. In a way, we wield the Word of God through prayer, because our prayers have the power to impact this world and how it functions. God is sovereign, and our prayers funnel through that sovereignty. God graciously desires to reveal Himself to us more and more as we fellowship with Him. Today, commit to praying. Prayer is central to this war and it has impact, influence, and great power. Verse/Commentary courtesy of ‘Verse-A-Day’...

“Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” (Ephesians 6:10-12 KJV ) “We are to stand against Satan’s schemes. Warring in the spirit is a learning process. As we learn, there will be times that we need to retreat. In training we practice putting on the full armor of God as verse 11 says. When we do this, we can stand against any evil without fear because God has crafted the armor and stands with us! Notice who we battle against in verse 12. As with any conflict, there are times for offense and times for defense. Remember this as you begin to recognize spiritual warfare with the eyes of your heart.” Verse/Commentary courtesy of ‘Verse-A-Day’...