“And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.”. (KJV) ( Luke 2:7 ) Jesus’s entrance to this world was quite humble. And yet it’s a paradox for the King of the earth to arrive in modest conditions. He came, in his righteousness, to serve us, those who are unrighteous. As an adult Jesus taught us to love our enemies which sounds backwards. These paradoxes are different from how you would expect a real king to arrive....

Isaiah 9:6-7 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with ju…stice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.The word “zeal” is defined as: fervor for a person, cause, or object. Our God is zealous for us. We are the object of His fervor…the recipients of His amazing love. To those who believe in Christ, eternal life and everlasting peace is the promise. Praise God that through Christ He has secured our future in His loving arms for eternity, and ushered in a kingdom that can never be overthrown or destroyed. Verse/Commentary courtesy of ‘Verse-A-Day’...

Genesis 3:1-3 “Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?  And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.” “Satan begins his trickery with a half-truth eating from the trees in the garden. Right out of the gate, he tries to confuse what God really said to Eve and get her to believe that she heard God wrong. Eve remembers what God actually said, and repeats that to Satan, standing her ground for now. As you may well know, Satan comes next with more lies about what God has said, and lies about what will, or will not happen if Adam and Eve eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Deception is the game of our enemy, and deceiving you is the only weapon he has against you. You are free from sin and from believing these lies in Christ. Do not grant Satan power that he does not really have in your life.” Verse/Commentary courtesy of ‘Verse-A-Day’...

Lift Up The Standards as The Great Controversy Intensifies “For we can do nothing against the truth, but for the truth. For we are glad when we are weak and you are strong. And this also we pray, that you may be made complete.” (2 Corinthians 13:8, 9, NKJV.) “God has appointed apostles, pastors, evangelists, and teachers, for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith. God declares to His people, “Ye are God’s husbandry, ye are God’s building.” There must be a continual advancement. Step by step His followers must make straight paths for their feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way. – Those who would labor for God must work intelligently to replenish the deficiencies in themselves and glorify the Lord God of Israel by standing in the light, working in the light of the Sun of Righteousness. Thus they will carry the church forward and upward and heavenward, making its separation from the world more and more distinct. – As they assimilate their character to the divine Pattern, men and women will not guard their own personal dignity. With jealous, sleepless, loving, devoted interest, they will guard the sacred interest of the church from the evil which threatens to dim and cloud the glory that God intends shall shine forth through it. They will see that Satan’s devices have no place or countenance in it by encouraging faultfinding, gossiping, evil speaking, and accusing of the members; for those things would weaken and overthrow it. – There never will be a time in the history of the church when God’s workers can fold their hands and be at ease, saying, “All is peace and safety.” Then it is that sudden destruction cometh. Everything may move forward amid apparent prosperity; but Satan is wide awake, and is studying and counseling with his evil angels another mode of attack where he can be successful. The contest will wax more and more fierce on the part of Satan; for he is moved by a power from beneath. – As the work of God’s people moves forward with sanctified, resistless energy, planting the standard of Christ’s righteousness in the church, moved by a power from the throne of God, the great controversy will wax stronger and stronger, and will become more and more determined. Mind will be arrayed against mind, plans against plans, principles of heavenly origin against principles of Satan. Truth in its varied phases will be in conflict with error in its ever-varying, increasing forms, and which, if possible, will deceive the very...

“It’s very important we stay tuned into God’s word. Otherwise, how will we know if we are receiving the truth according to Christ’s teaching? Couldn’t we easily be misguided if we are not well versed with the truth? God has blessed us with an important tool, the Bible. Let’s use it correctly to steer ourselves in the right direction as well as to determine if others are teaching us correctly. Are you familiar with the Bible to determine if others are teaching according to what it says? “These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.” (KJV) ( Acts 17:11 )...

“Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.” (KJV) ( James 1:3 ) Yes, we do endure trials that will test our faith. Yes, we may fail and not behave as honorably as we would like, but use it as a learning experience. The next time you find yourself getting swept away in drama, bitterness, and anger, step away. Regain your composure and consult God to provide you with the attitude and words that will allow you to respond in a loving manner and produce an endurance of faith....