Sabbath Delight

1 If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.
2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.
3 For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.
4 When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.
5 Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:
6 For which things’ sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience:
7 In the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them.
8 But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth.
9 Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds;
10 And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:
11 Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all.
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.
18 Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as it is fit in the Lord.
19 Husbands, love your wives, and be not bitter against them.
20 Children, obey your parents in all things: for this is well pleasing unto the Lord.
21 Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged.
22 Servants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh; not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but in singleness of heart, fearing God;
23 And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;
24 Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.
25 But he that doeth wrong shall receive for the wrong which he hath done: and there is no respect of persons.

from chapter 20 the topic “Satan’s Personations”

In this age antichrist will appear as the true Christ, and then the law of God will be fully made void in the nations of our world. Rebellion against God’s holy law will be fully ripe. But the true leader of all this rebellion is Satan clothed as an angel of light. Men will be deceived and will exalt him to the place of God, and deify him. But Omnipotence will interpose, and to the apostate churches that unite in the exaltation of Satan, the sentence will go forth, “Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire: for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her.”—Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers, 62. {TA 268.4; VAAn.273.1}

Disguised as an angel of light, he [Satan] will walk the earth as a wonder-worker. In beautiful language he will present lofty sentiments. Good words will be spoken by him, and good deeds performed. Christ will be personified, but on one point there will be a marked distinction. Satan will turn the people from the law of God. Notwithstanding this, so well will he counterfeit righteousness, that if it were possible, he would deceive the very elect. Crowned heads, presidents, rulers in high places, will bow to his false theories.—The Review and Herald, August 17, 1897. {TA 269.1; VAAn.273.2}

It is impossible to give any idea of the experience of the people of God who shall be alive upon the earth when celestial glory and a repetition of the persecutions of the past are blended. They will walk in the light proceeding from the throne of God. By means of the angels there will be constant communication between heaven and earth. And Satan, surrounded by evil angels, and claiming to be God, will work miracles of all kinds, to deceive, if possible, the very elect. God’s people will not find their safety in working miracles, for Satan will counterfeit the miracles that will be wrought.—Testimonies for the Church 9:16. {TA 269.2; VAAn.273.3}

Satan is preparing his deceptions that in his last campaign against the people of God, they may not understand that it is he. “And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.” … Satan will go to the extent of his power to harass, tempt, and mislead God’s people.—The Review and Herald, May 13, 1862. {TA 270.1; VAAn.274.1}

Satan … will come personating Jesus Christ, working mighty miracles; and men will fall down and worship him as Jesus Christ. We shall be commanded to worship this being, whom the world will glorify as Christ. What shall we do?—Tell them that Christ has warned us against just such a foe, who is man’s worst enemy, yet who claims to be God.—The Review and Herald, December 18, 1888. {TA 270.2; VAAn.274.2}

The time is coming when Satan will work miracles right in your sight, claiming that he is Christ; and if your feet are not firmly established upon the truth of God, then you will be led away from your foundation.—The Review and Herald, April 3, 1888. {TA 270.3; VAAn.274.3}

In the last days he [Satan] will appear in such a manner as to make men believe him to be Christ come the second time into the world. He will indeed transform himself into an angel of light. But while he will bear the appearance of Christ in every particular, so far as mere appearance goes, it will deceive none but those who … are seeking to resist the truth.—Testimonies for the Church 5:698. {TA 270.4; VAAn.274.4}

August 5, 2021. At dawn, THE ETERNAL woke me up and told me: “pay attention.” At that moment, when I woke up, I heard the reading of Faith and Works. I have a small telephone, very old, [which] I always put on to listen to the Spirit of Prophecy or the Bible —at night— while we sleep. {Daisy Escalante: 08-05-2021 , en.p1}

There was this telephone, playing in the Faith and Works book, it was talking in chapter 19. I quickly looked it up and saw that the title was: “Opinions and Practices Must Adjust to God’s Word.” I meditated on this. I prayed. After a while, I went back to lay down. {Daisy Escalante: 08-05-2021 , en.p2}

So then, I had a dream. I saw myself in a house, this was normal, like any large house. I saw that the owner of the house was very meticulous, she took great care in the cleanliness of said house, she collected the garbage from each room. And, soon, I saw that she finished and went down to a basement. There I saw her go with the garbage. In the basement, there were hundreds and hundreds of bags of garbage. And I realized that many animals slipped among them. I was asking myself how a woman so meticulous in cleaning was doing this. Why not take the garbage out of the house [instead of] putting it in the basement of her house? {Daisy Escalante: 08-05-2021 , en.p3}

I saw that the woman came out of the basement and went to rest. Some time after her rest, a loud noise was heard and, immediately afterwards, I saw that all the little animals were slipping through the garbage bags. And they charged at her. And they devoured her! And I didn’t see her anymore. {Daisy Escalante: 08-05-2021 , en.p4}

At that moment, I woke up. And I was told: “many believe that sin when it is insignificant is defenseless. The speculations, the airs of greatness, the feelings of always knowing the right thing, a sense of authority over others, the belief that they have 99% of the truth, but with a mixture of lies, this and others, will be the cause of many who rest in this confidently, because of the habit they have for so long, will be their ruin.” {Daisy Escalante: 08-05-2021 , en.p5}

Oh, beloved brothers! I leave these faithful and true words that I have received from the LORD at this hour for each one of you. May the LORD bless us.

Faith and Works (FW)

Chapter 19—Opinions and Practices to Be Conformed to God’s Word

Selected from The Review and Herald, March 25, 1902.

There are many who claim that they have been sanctified to God, and yet when the great standard of righteousness is presented to them they become greatly excited and manifest a spirit which proves that they know nothing of what it means to be sanctified. They have not the mind of Christ; for those who are truly sanctified will reverence and obey the Word of God as fast as it is opened to them, and they will express a strong desire to know what is truth on every point of doctrine. An exultant feeling is no evidence of sanctification. The assertion, “I am saved, I am saved,” does not prove that the soul is saved or sanctified. {FW 121.1; FO.123.1} {Daisy Escalante: 08-05-2021 , en.p6}

Many who are greatly excited are told that they are sanctified, when they have no intelligent idea of what the term means, for they know not the Scriptures or the power of God. They flatter themselves that they are in conformity to the will of God because they feel happy; but when they are tested, when the Word of God is brought to bear upon their experience, they stop their ears from hearing the truth, saying, “I am sanctified,” and that puts an end to the controversy. They will have nothing to do with searching the Scriptures to know what is truth, and prove that they are fearfully self-deceived. Sanctification means very much more than a flight of feeling. {FW 121.2; FO.123.2} {Daisy Escalante: 08-05-2021 , en.p7}

Excitement is not sanctification. Entire conformity to the will of our Father which is in heaven is alone sanctification, and the will of God is expressed in His holy law. The keeping of all the commandments of God is sanctification. Proving yourselves obedient children to God’s Word is sanctification. The Word of God is to be our guide, not the opinions or ideas of men. Let those who would be truly sanctified search the Word of God with patience, with prayer, and with humble contrition of soul. Let them remember that Jesus prayed, “Sanctify them through Thy truth: Thy word is truth” ( John 17:17). {FW 121.3; FO.124.1} {Daisy Escalante: 08-05-2021 , en.p8}

Living by Every Word of God

Christianity is simply living by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. We are to believe in, and live in, Christ, who is the way, the truth, and the life. We have faith in God when we believe His Word; we trust and obey God when we keep His commandments; and we love God when we love His law. {FW 122.1; FO.124.2} {Daisy Escalante: 08-05-2021 , en.p9}

Believing a lie will not put any one of us in the way of being sanctified. Should all the ministers in the world tell us that we were safe in disobeying a single precept of the holy standard of righteousness, it would not lessen our obligations nor make our guilt less, if we reject a plain “Thou shalt” or “Thou shalt not.” We need not think that because our fathers did a certain way and died happy, we may follow in their footsteps and be accepted in rendering the same service and doing the same works that they did. {FW 122.2; FO.124.3} {Daisy Escalante: 08-05-2021 , en.p10}

We have more light than they had in their day; and if we would be accepted of God, we must be as faithful in obeying the light and walking in it as they were in receiving and obeying the light that God sent to them. We must accept and improve the light that shines upon our pathway as faithfully as they accepted and improved the light that fell upon their pathway in their generation. We shall be judged according to the light that shines into the soul-temple in our day; and if we follow the light, we shall be free men and women in Christ Jesus. {FW 122.3; FO.124.4} {Daisy Escalante: 08-05-2021 , en.p11}

August 17, 2021. While working in the field, these words were spoken to me: “You should pray urgently for many things, but for three things that are, as yet, neglected and also very important: {Daisy Escalante: 08-17-2021 , en.p1}

– for an implicit obedience in keeping the Sabbath of the Eternal,

– so that the earth may have God’s blessing in giving us its fruits,

– above all things kept, to ask the Eternal to keep your heart.”

After this I was told:

“-Begin to make an inventory of what is really necessary, and get rid of what is unprofitable, and put in its place what is profitable.

-Lighten the load with urgency. Sell that which will profit you for a good preparation.

-Memorize the Psalms, make them your prayers, for they will be of great comfort and encouragement in the day of affliction.”

These are the words I have received in this hour and I faithfully share them with you. May God grant that we may understand what the Eternal wants to let us know in this hour. May the Lord bless us. {Daisy Escalante: 08-17-2021 , en.p2}

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