Skip to main content

Posts

Showing posts from January, 2022

Juice Smith Part 1

😊😊 What will happen if human live together in the city? Just watch this story....😍

Messages to Young People: Making Home Happy

 If these young men would be a blessing anywhere, it should be at home. If they yield to inclination, instead of being guided by the cautious decision of sober reason, sound judgment, and enlightened conscience, they cannot be a blessing to society or  to their father's family, and their prospects in this world and in the better world may be endangered. Many youth receive the impression that their early life is not designed for care-taking, but to be frittered away in idle sport, in jesting, in joking, and in foolish indulgences. While engaged in folly and indulgences of the senses, some think of nothing but the momentary gratification connected with it. Their desire for amusement, their love for society and for chatting and laughing, increases by indulgence, and they lose all relish for the sober realities of life, and home duties seem uninteresting. There is not enough change to meet their minds, and they become restless, peevish, and irritable. These young men should feel i...

With God at Dawn: Seek Righteousness, January 31

 What Is Our Response? Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled. Matthew 5:6. If you have a sense of need in your soul, if you hunger and thirst after righteousness, this is an evidence that Christ has wrought upon your heart, in order that He may be sought unto to do for you, through the endowment of the Holy Spirit, those things which it is impossible for you to do for yourself. We need not seek to quench our thirst at shallow streams; for the great fountain is just above us, of whose abundant waters we may freely drink, if we will rise a little higher in the pathway of faith. The words of God are the well-springs of life. As you seek unto those living springs, you will, through the Holy Spirit, be brought into communion with Christ. Familiar truths will present themselves to your mind in a new aspect; texts of Scripture will burst upon you with a new meaning, as a flash of light; you will see the relation of other truths to the wo...

Messages to Young People: Chapter 114—Youth to Bear Responsibilities

 [Addressed to two young men.] These young men have duties at home which they overlook. They have not learned to take up the duties, and bear the home responsibilities, which it is their duty to bear. They have a faithful, practical mother, who has borne many burdens which her children should not have suffered her to bear. In this they have failed to honor their mother. They have not shared the burdens of their father as was their duty, and have neglected to honor him as they should. They follow inclination rather than duty. They have pursued a selfish course in their lives, in shunning burdens and toil, and have failed to obtain a valuable experience which they cannot afford to be deprived of if they would make life a success. They have not felt the importance of being faithful in little things, nor have they felt under obligation to their parents to be true, thorough, and faithful in the humble, lowly duties of life which lie directly in their pathway. They look above the common ...

With God at Dawn: Lay a True Foundation, January 30

 What Is Our Response? According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise master builder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. For other foundation can no man lay than is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 3:10, 11. Those who have trained the mind to delight in spiritual exercises, are the ones who can be translated and not be overwhelmed with the purity and transcendent glory of Heaven. You may have a good knowledge of the arts, you may have an acquaintance with the sciences, you may excel in music and in penmanship, your manners may please your associates, but what have these things to do with a preparation for Heaven? What have they to do to prepare you to stand before the tribunal of God? Be not deceived. God is not mocked. Nothing but holiness will prepare you for Heaven. It is sincere, experimental piety alone that can give you a pure, elevated character, and enable you to enter i...

Messages to Young People: Clothed With Christ's Righteousness

 When we are clothed with the righteousness of Christ, we shall have no relish for sin; for Christ will be working with us. We may make mistakes, but we will hate the sin that caused the sufferings of the Son of God.—The Review and Herald, March 18, 1890.

With God at Dawn: Hold Fast the Word, January 29

 What Is Our Response? Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers. Titus 1:9. The Lord has often made manifest in His providence that nothing less than revealed truth, the Word of God, can reclaim man from sin or keep him from transgression. That Word which reveals the guilt of sin, has a power upon the human heart to make man right and keep him so. The Lord has said that His Word is to be studied and obeyed; it is to be brought into the practical life; that Word is as inflexible as the character of God,—the same yesterday, today, and forever.—Testimonies to Ministers, 80, 81. But however much one may advance in spiritual life, he will never come to a point where he will not need diligently to search the Scriptures; for therein are found the evidences of our faith. All points of doctrine, even though they have been accepted as truth, should be brought to the law and to the testimony; if ...

Messages to Young People: Individual Responsibility

 Children, God has seen fit to intrust you to the care of your parents, for them to instruct and discipline, and thus act their part in forming your character for heaven. And yet it rests with you to say whether you will develop a good Christian character by making the best of the advantages you have had from godly, faithful, praying parents. Notwithstanding all the anxiety and faithfulness of parents in behalf of their children, they alone cannot save them. There is a work for the children to do. Every child has an individual case to attend to. Believing parents, you have a responsible work before you, to guide the footsteps of your children, even in their religious experience. When they truly love God, they will bless and reverence you for the care which you have manifested for them, and for your faithfulness in restraining their desires and subduing their wills.—Testimonies for the Church 1:391-403.

With God at Dawn: The Challenge of a Mighty Work, January 28

  What Is God's Purpose for Us? Enlarge the place of thy tent, and let them stretch forth the curtains of thine habitations: spare not, lengthen thy cords, and strengthen thy stakes. Isaiah 54:2. God’s people have a mighty work before them, a work that must continually rise to greater prominence. Our efforts in missionary lines must become far more extensive. A more decided work than has been done must be done prior to the second appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ. God’s people are not to cease their labors until they shall encircle the world. The vineyard includes the whole world, and every part of it is to be worked. There are places which are now a moral wilderness, and these are to become as the garden of the Lord. The waste places of the earth are to be cultivated, that they may bud and blossom as the rose. New territories are to be worked by men inspired by the Holy Spirit. New churches must be established, new congregations organized. At this time there should be representat...

Messages to Young People: Impatience at Restraint

 Sabbath-keeping children may become impatient of restraint, and think their parents too strict; hard feelings may even arise in their hearts, and discontented, unhappy thoughts may be cherished by them against those who are working for their  present and their future and eternal good. But if life shall be spared a few years, they will bless their parents for that strict care and faithful watchfulness over them in their years of inexperience....

With God at Dawn: We Must Seek Wisdom, January 27

 What Is God's Purpose for Us? Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding. For the merchandise of it is better than the merchandise of silver, and the gain thereof than fine gold. Proverbs 3:13, 14. Since God is the source of all true knowledge, it is, as we have seen, the first object of education to direct our minds to His own revelation of Himself. Adam and Eve received knowledge through direct communion with God; and they learned of Him through His works. All created things, in their original perfection, were an expression of the thought of God. To Adam and Eve nature was teeming with divine wisdom. But by transgression man was cut off from learning of God through direct communion, and to a great degree, through His works. The earth, marred and defiled by sin, reflects but dimly the Creator’s glory. It is true that His object-lessons are not obliterated. Upon every page of the great volume of His created works may still be traced His handwritin...

Messages to Young People: Strength for the Conflict

 We are living in an unfortunate age for children. A heavy current is setting downward to perdition, and more than childhood's experience and strength is needed to press against this current, and not be borne down by it. The youth generally seem to be Satan's captives, and he and his angels are leading them to certain destruction. Satan and his hosts are warring against the government of God, and all who have a desire to yield their hearts to Him and obey His requirements Satan will try to perplex and overcome with his temptations that they may become discouraged and give up the warfare.... By earnest prayer and living faith, great victories will be gained. Some parents have not realized the responsibilities resting upon them, and have neglected the religious education of their children. In the morning the Christian's first thoughts should be upon God. Worldly labor and self-interest should be secondary. Children should be taught to respect and reverence the hour of prayer....

With God at Dawn: We Are to Point Men to Jesus, January 26

 What Is God's Purpose for Us? Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. John 1:29. There is a great work to be done, and every effort possible must be made to reveal Christ as the sin-pardoning Saviour, Christ as the sin-bearer, Christ as the bright and morning Star; and the Lord will give us favor before the world until our work is done. While the angels hold the four winds, we are to work with all our capabilities. We must bear our message without any delay. We must give evidence to the heavenly universe, and to men in this degenerate age, that our religion is a faith and a power of which Christ is the Author, and His Word the divine oracle. Human souls are hanging in the balance. They will either be subjects for the kingdom of God or slaves to the despotism of Satan. All are to have the privilege of laying hold of the hope set before them in the gospel; and how can they hear without a preacher? The human family is in need of a moral renovation, a preparati...

Messages to Young People: Making Parents Happy

 Children who are Christians will prefer the love and approbation of their God-fearing parents above every earthly blessing. They will love and honor their parents. It should be one of the principal studies of their lives how to make their parents happy. In this rebellious age, children who have  not received right instruction and discipline have but little sense of their obligations to their parents. It is often the case that the more their parents do for them the more ungrateful they are, and the less they respect them. Children who have been petted and waited upon always expect it; and if their expectations are not met they are disappointed and discouraged. This same disposition will be seen through their whole lives; they will be helpless, leaning upon others for aid, expecting others to favor them and yield to them. And if they are opposed, even after they have grown to manhood and womanhood, they think themselves abused; and thus they worry their way through the world, h...

With God at Dawn: We Must Have Love for Others, January 25

 What Is God's Purpose for Us? Thou shall love thy neighbour as thyself. Matthew 22:39. The law of love calls for the devotion of body, mind, and soul to the service of God and our fellow-men. And this service, while making us a blessing to others, brings the greatest blessing to ourselves. Unselfishness underlies all true development. Through unselfish service we receive the highest culture of every faculty. More and more fully do we become partakers of the divine nature. We are fitted for heaven; for we receive heaven into our hearts.—Education, 16. It is a wicked pride that delights in the vanity of one’s own works, that boasts of one’s excellent qualities, seeking to make others seem inferior in order to exalt self, claiming more glory than the cold heart is willing to give to God. The disciples of Christ will heed the Master’s instruction. He has bidden us love one another even as He has loved us. Religion is founded upon love to God, which also leads us to love one another. I...

Messages to Young People: Chapter 113—Building Character at Home

 Satan tempts children to be reserved with their parents, and to choose as their confidants their young and inexperienced companions, such as cannot help them, but will give them bad advice.... Children would be saved from many evils if they would be more familiar with their parents. Parents should encourage in their children a disposition to be open and frank with them, to come to them with their difficulties and, when they are perplexed as to what course is right, to lay the matter just as they view it before the parents, and ask their advice. Who are so well calculated to see and point out their dangers as godly parents? Who can understand the peculiar temperaments of their own children as well as they? The mother who has watched every turn of mind from infancy, and is thus acquainted with the natural disposition, is best prepared to counsel her children. Who can tell as well what traits of character to check and restrain as the mother, aided by the father?

With God at Dawn: We Must Work Out Our Own Salvation, January 24

 What Is God's Purpose for Us? Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, ... work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure. Philippians 2:12, 13. The Christian life is a battle and a march. But the victory to be gained is not won by human power. The field of conflict is the domain of the heart. The battle which we have to fight—the greatest battle that was ever fought by man—is the surrender of self to the will of God, the yielding of the heart to the sovereignty of love. The old nature, born of blood and of the will of the flesh, can not inherit the kingdom of God. The hereditary tendencies, the former habits, must be given up. He who determines to enter the spiritual kingdom will find that all the powers and passions of an unregenerate nature, backed by the forces of the kingdom of darkness, are arrayed against him. Selfishness and pride will make a stand against anything that would show ...

With God at Dawn: We Must Fear and Serve the Lord, January 23

 What Is God's Purpose for Us? Thou shalt fear the Lord thy God; him shalt thou serve, and to him shalt thou cleave, and swear by his name. Deuteronomy 10:20. It is God’s purpose to manifest through His people the principles of His kingdom. That in life and character they may reveal these principles, He desires to separate them from the customs, habits, and practices of the world. He seeks to bring them near to Himself, that He may make known to them His will.... With a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, God brought out the Hebrew host from the land of bondage. Wonderful was the deliverance He wrought for them, punishing their enemies, who refused to listen to His Word, with total destruction. God desired to take His people apart from the world, and prepare them to receive His Word. From Egypt He led them to Mount Sinai, where He revealed to them His glory. Here was nothing to attract their senses or divert their minds from God; and as the vast multitude looked at the lofty mount...

With God at Dawn: God Hath Chosen Us to Save Us, January 22

 What Is God's Purpose for Us? But we are bound to give thanks always to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth. 2 Thessalonians 2:13. It is through the sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth that we become laborers together with God. Christ waits for the co-operation of His church. He does not design to add a new element of efficiency to His Word; He has done His great work in giving His inspiration to the Word. The blood of Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit, the divine Word, are ours. The object of all this provision of heaven is before us,—the salvation of the souls for whom Christ died; and it depends upon us to lay hold on the promises God has given and become laborers together with Him. Divine and human agencies must co-operate in the work.... Having stood in the counsels of God, having dwelt in the everlasting heights of the sanctuary, all el...

With God at Dawn: We Must Study His Works, January 21

 How Can We Know God? For Thou, Lord, hast made me glad through thy work: I will triumph in the works of thy hands. O Lord, how great are thy works! and thy thoughts are very deep. Psalm 92:4, 5. Many are the ways in which God is seeking to make Himself known to us and bring us into communion with Him. Nature speaks to our senses without ceasing. The open heart will be impressed with the love and glory of God as revealed through the works of His hands. The listening ear can hear and understand the communications of God through the things of nature. The green fields, the lofty trees, the buds and flowers, the passing cloud, the falling rain, the babbling brook, the glories of the heavens, speak to our hearts, and invite us to become acquainted with Him who made them all. Our Saviour bound up His precious lessons with the things of nature. The trees, the birds, the flowers of the valleys, the hills, the lakes, and the beautiful heavens, as well as the incidents and surroundings of da...

With God at Dawn: The Earth Is Full of His Goodness, January 20

 How Can We Know God? He loveth righteousness and judgment: the earth is full of the goodness of the Lord. By the word of the Lord were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth. Psalm 33:5, 6. From the stars that in their trackless course through space, follow from age to age their appointed path, down to the minutest atom, the things of nature obey the Creator’s will.... He who upholds the unnumbered worlds throughout immensity, at the same time cares for the wants of the little brown sparrow that sings its humble song without a fear. When men go forth to their daily toil, as when they engage in prayer; when they lie down at night, and when they rise in the morning; when the rich man feasts in his palace, or when the poor man gathers his children about the scanty board, each is tenderly watched by the heavenly Father.—Steps to Christ, 85. God is constantly employed in upholding and using as His servants the things that He has made. He works through the...

With God at Dawn: Taste and See, January 19

 How Can We Know God? O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him. Psalm 34:8. Thus through faith they will come to know God by an experimental knowledge. They have proved for themselves the reality of His Word, the truth of His promises. They have tasted, and they know that the Lord is good. The beloved John had a knowledge gained through his own experience.... So every one may be able, through his own experience, to “set his seal to this, that God is true.” He can bear witness to that which he himself has seen and heard and felt of the power of Christ. He can testify:—“I needed help, and I found it in Jesus. Every want was supplied, the hunger of my soul was satisfied; the Bible is to me the revelation of Christ. I believe in Jesus because He is to me a divine Saviour. I believe the Bible because I have found it to be the voice of God to my soul.” It is our privilege to reach higher and still higher, for clearer revealings of the character of Go...

With God at Dawn: Through the Holy Spirit, January 18

 How Can We Know God? He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you. John 16:14. The Holy Spirit exalts and glorifies the Saviour. It is His office to present Christ, the purity of His righteousness, and the great salvation that we have through Him.... The Spirit of truth is the only effectual teacher of divine truth. How must God esteem the human race, since He gave His Son to die for them, and appoints His Spirit to be man’s teacher and continual guide!—Steps to Christ, 91. Before offering Himself as the sacrificial victim, Christ sought for the most essential and complete gift to bestow upon His followers, a gift that would bring within their reach the boundless resources of grace.... Before this the Spirit had been in the world; from the very beginning of the work of redemption He had been moving upon men’s hearts. But while Christ was on earth, the disciples had desired no other helper. Not until they were deprived of His presence would they fee...

With God at Dawn: We Must Believe, January 17

 How Can We Know God? Believe in the Lord your God, so shall ye be established; believe his prophets, so shall ye prosper. 2 Chronicles 20:20. The whole Bible is a revelation of the glory of God in Christ. Received, believed, obeyed, it is the great instrumentality in the transformation of character. It is the grand stimulus, the constraining force, that quickens the physical, mental, and spiritual powers, and directs the life into right channels. The reason why the youth, and even those of mature years, are so easily led into temptation and sin, is that they do not study the Word of God, and meditate upon it, as they should. The lack of firm, decided will-power, which is manifest in life and character, results from neglect of the sacred instruction of God’s word. They do not by earnest effort direct the mind to that which would inspire pure, holy thought, and divert it from that which is impure and untrue. There are few who choose the better part, who sit at the feet of Jesus, as ...

Messages to Young People: Obedience to Parents

 Parents may do everything in their power to give their children every privilege and instruction, in order that they may give their hearts to God; yet the children may refuse to walk in the light and, by their evil course, cast unfavorable reflections  upon their parents who love them, and whose hearts yearn after their salvation. It is Satan who tempts children to follow in a course of sin and disobedience; and then if he is permitted he will take the life of the children while they are yet in their sins, in order to cut them off from all hope of salvation, and to pierce, as with a sword, the hearts of the God-fearing fathers and mothers, who will be bowed down with a sorrow that never can be lifted, because of their children's final impenitence and rebellion against God.... Children and youth, I entreat you, for Christ's sake, to walk in the light. Submit your will to the will of God. When “sinners entice thee, consent thou not.” Keep the way of the Lord, for you will have n...

With God at Dawn: We Must Seek Him, January 16

 How Can We Know God? I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me. Proverbs 8:17. Although God dwells not in temples made with hands, yet He honors with His presence the assemblies of His people. He has promised that when they come together to seek Him, to acknowledge their sins, and to pray for one another, He will meet with them by His Spirit. But those who assemble to worship Him should put away every evil thing. Unless they worship Him in spirit and truth and in the beauty of holiness, their coming together will be of no avail.—Prophets and Kings, 50. We must turn away from a thousand topics that invite attention. There are matters that consume time and arouse inquiry, but end in nothing. The highest interests demand the close attention and energy that are so often given to comparatively insignificant things.... “What think ye of Christ?”—This is the all-important question. Do you receive Him as a personal Saviour? To all who receive Him He gives power ...

Messages to Young People: Chapter 112—A Blessing in the Home

 The Lord says to the young, “My son, give Me thine heart.” The Saviour of the world loves to have children and youth give their hearts to Him. There may be a large army of children who shall be found faithful to God, because they walk in the light, as Christ is in the light. They will love the Lord Jesus, and it will be their delight to please Him. They will not be impatient if reproved; but will make glad the heart of father and mother by their kindness, their patience, their willingness to do all they can in helping to bear the burdens of daily life. Through childhood and youth, they will be found faithful disciples of our Lord. Children and youth, in your earliest years you may be a blessing in the home. What a grief it is to see children of God-fearing parents unruly and disobedient, unthankful and self-willed, full of determination to have their own way, regardless of the inconvenience or sorrow it causes their parents. Satan takes delight in ruling the hearts of children, an...

With God at Dawn: We Must Desire to Know Him, January 15

 How Can We Know God? For I desired mercy and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings. Hosea 6:6. We have no time to lose. We know not how soon our probation may close. At the longest, we have but a brief lifetime here, and we know not how soon the arrow of death may strike our hearts. We know not how soon we may be called to give up the world and all its interests. Eternity stretches before us. The curtain is about to be lifted. But a few short years, and for every one now numbered with the living the mandate will go forth: “He that is unjust, let him be unjust still; ... and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still; and he that is holy, let him be holy still.” Are we prepared? Have we become acquainted with God, the Governor of Heaven, the Lawgiver, and with Jesus Christ whom He sent into the world as His representative? When our life-work is ended, shall we be able to say, as did Christ our example: “I have glorified Thee on the earth: I have fi...

Messages to Young People: A Destiny in Obedience

 The youth are now deciding their own eternal destiny, and I would appeal to you to consider the commandment to which God has annexed such a promise, “that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.” Children, do you desire eternal life? Then respect and honor your parents.... If you have sinned in not rendering love and obedience to them, begin now to redeem the past. You cannot afford to take any other course; for it means to you the loss of eternal life. The Heart-searcher knows what is your attitude toward your parents; for He is weighing moral character in the golden scales of the heavenly sanctuary. O, confess your neglect of your parents, confess your indifference toward them, and your contempt of God's holy commandment.... The hearts of your parents have been drawn out in tender sympathy toward you, and can you return their love with cold ingratitude? They love your souls, they want you to be saved; but have you not often despised their counsel a...

With God at Dawn: God’s Throne Is in Heaven, January 14

 Where Can We Find God? The Lord is in his holy temple, the Lord’s throne is in heaven; his eyes behold, his eyelids try, the children of men. Psalm 11:4. The Bible shows us God in His high and holy place, not in a state of inactivity, not in silence and solitude, but surrounded by ten thousand times ten thousand and thousands of thousands of holy beings, all waiting to do His will. Through these messengers He is in active communication with every part of His dominion. By His Spirit He is everywhere present. Through the agency of His Spirit and His angels, He ministers to the children of men. Above the distractions of the earth He sits enthroned; all things are open to His divine survey; and from His great and calm eternity He orders that which His providence sees best.... Our knowledge of God is partial and imperfect. When the conflict is ended, and the Man Christ Jesus acknowledges before the Father His faithful workers, who in a world of sin have borne true witness for Him, they...

Messages to Young People: Chapter 111—Respect and Love for Parents

 Those who would truly follow Christ must let Him abide in the heart, and enthrone Him there as supreme. They must represent His spirit and character in their home life, and show courtesy and kindness to those with whom they come in contact. There are many children who profess to know the truth, who do not render to their parents the honor and affection that are due to them, who manifest but little love to father and mother, and fail to honor them in deferring to their wishes, or in seeking to relieve them of anxiety. Many who profess to be Christians do not know what it means to “honor thy father and thy mother,” and consequently will know just as little what it means, “that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.” Our youth profess to be among those who keep the commandments of God, and yet many of them neglect and break the fifth commandment; and the rich blessing promised to those who observe this precept, and honor father and mother, cannot be fu...

With God at Dawn: They That Seek His Face Shall Find Him, January 13

 Where Can We Find God? When thou saidst, Seek ye my face; my heart said unto thee, Thy face, Lord, will I seek. Psalm 27:8. All the powers of Satan are set in operation to hold the attention to frivolous amusements, and he is gaining his object. He is interposing his devisings between God and the soul. He will manufacture diversions to keep men from thinking about God. The world, filled with sport and pleasure-loving, is always thirsting for some new interest, but how little time and thought are given to the Creator of the heavens and the earth? ... God would have us study the works of infinity, and from this study learn to love and reverence and obey Him. The heavens and the earth with their treasures are to teach the lessons of God’s love and care and power. God calls upon His creatures to turn their attention from the confusion and perplexity around them, and admire His handiwork. As we study His works, angels from heaven will be by our side, to enlighten our minds, and guard t...

Messages to Young People: Possibilities of Home Training

 It is by the youth and children of today that the future of society is to be determined, and what these youth and children shall be depends upon the home. To the lack of right home training may be traced the larger share of the disease and misery and crime that curse humanity. If the home life were pure and true, if the children who went forth from its care were prepared to meet life's responsibilities and dangers, what a change would be seen in the world!—The Ministry of Healing, 351.

With God at Dawn: His Goodness Witnesses Continually, January 12

 Where Can We Find God? Nevertheless he left not himself without witness, in that he did good, and gave us rain from heaven, and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness. Acts 14:17. Sin has marred earth’s beauty; on all things may be seen traces of the work of evil. Yet much that is beautiful remains. Nature testifies that One infinite in power, great in goodness, mercy, and love, created the earth, and filled it with life and gladness. Even in their blighted state, all things reveal the handiwork of the great Master Artist. Wherever we turn, we may hear the voice of God, and see evidences of His goodness. From the solemn roll of the deep-toned thunder and old ocean’s ceaseless roar, to the glad songs that make the forests vocal with melody, nature’s ten thousand voices speak His praise. In earth, and sea, and sky, with their marvelous tint and color, varying in gorgeous contrast or blended in harmony, we behold His glory. The everlasting hills tell us of His po...

Messages to Young People: The Mother's Reward

 When the judgment shall sit, and the books shall be opened; when the “well done” of the great Judge is pronounced, and the crown of immortal glory is placed upon the brow of the victor, many will raise their crowns in sight of the assembled universe and, pointing to their mother, say, “She made me all I am through the grace of God. Her instruction, her prayers, have been blessed to my eternal salvation.” ... Young men should be trained to stand firm for the right amid the prevailing iniquity, to do all in their power to arrest the progress of vice, and to promote virtue, purity, and true manliness. The impressions made upon the mind and character in early life are deep and abiding. Injudicious training or evil associations will often exert upon the young mind an influence for evil that all after-effort is powerless to efface.—The Signs of the Times, November 3, 1881.

With God at Dawn: God Is Found in the Things He Made, January 11

 Where Can We Find God? For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse. Romans 1:20. In dwelling upon the laws of matter and the laws of nature, many lose sight of, if they do not deny, the continual and direct agency of God. They convey the idea that nature acts independently of God, having in and of itself its own limits and its own powers wherewith to work. In their minds there is a marked distinction between the natural and the supernatural. The natural is ascribed to ordinary causes, unconnected with the power of God. Vital power is attributed to matter, and nature is made a deity. It is supposed that matter is placed in certain relations, and left to act from fixed laws, with which God Himself can not interfere; that nature is endowed with certain properties, and placed subject to laws, and is then left to itself to obey these law...

Messages to Young People: Everyday Duties

 If children were taught to regard the humble round of everyday duties as the course marked out for them by the Lord, as a school in which they were to be trained to render faithful and efficient service, how much more pleasant and honorable would their work appear. To perform every duty as unto the Lord, throws a charm around the humblest employment, and links the workers on earth with the holy beings who do God's will in heaven. And in our appointed place we should discharge our duties with as much faithfulness as do the angels in their higher sphere. Those who feel that they are God's servants will be men who can be trusted anywhere. Citizens of heaven will make the best citizens of earth. A correct view of our duty to God leads to clear perceptions of our duty to our fellow men.

With God at Dawn: Elijah Found God in the Still, Small Voice, January 10

 Where Can We Find God? And after the earthquake a fire; but the Lord was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice. 1 Kings 19:12. Not in mighty manifestations of divine power, but by “a still small voice,” did God choose to reveal Himself to His servant. He desired to teach Elijah that it is not always the work that makes the greatest demonstration that is most successful in accomplishing His purpose. While Elijah waited for the revelation of the Lord, a tempest rolled, the lightnings flashed, and a devouring fire swept by; but God was not in all this. Then there came a still small voice, and the prophet covered his head before the presence of the Lord. His petulance was silenced, his spirit softened and subdued. He now knew that a quiet trust, a firm reliance on God, would ever find for him a present help in time of need.—Prophets and Kings, 168. God speaks to us through His providential workings, and through the influence of His Spirit upon the heart. In our circu...

Messages to Young People: Chapter 110—The Home a Training School

 The youth will not become weak-minded or inefficient by consecrating themselves to the service of God. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. The youngest child that loves and fears God is greater in His sight than the most talented and learned man who neglects the great salvation. The youth who consecrate their hearts and lives to God have, in so doing, placed themselves in connection with the Fountain of all wisdom and excellence.

With God at Dawn: The Heavens Declare His Glory, January 9

 Where Can We Find God? The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork. Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge. There is no speech nor language where their voice is not heard. Psalm 19:1-3. The same power that upholds nature, is working also in man. The same great laws that guide alike the star and the atom, control human life. The laws that govern the heart’s action, regulating the flow of the current of life to the body, are the laws of the mighty Intelligence that has the jurisdiction of the soul. From Him all life proceeds. Only in harmony with Him can be found its true sphere of action. For all the objects of His creation the condition is the same,—a life sustained by receiving the life of God, a life exercised in harmony with the Creator’s will. To transgress His law, physical, mental, or moral, is to place one’s self out of harmony with the universe, to introduce discord, anarchy, ruin. To him who learns thus to in...

Messages to Young People: The Home an Object Lesson

 The mission of the home extends beyond its own members. The Christian home is to be an object lesson, illustrating the excellence of the true principles of life. Such an illustration will be a power for good in the world. Far more powerful than any sermon that can be preached is the influence of a true home upon human hearts and lives. As the youth go out from such a home, the lessons they have learned are imparted. Nobler principles of life are introduced into other households, and an uplifting influence works in the community.—The Ministry of Healing, 352.

With God at Dawn: The Scriptures Testify of God, January 8

 Where Can We Find God? Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me. John 5:39. The study book of the highest value is that which contains the instruction of Christ, the Teacher of teachers.—Counsels to Parents, Teachers, and Students, 389. The words of the living God are the highest of all education.—Counsels to Parents, Teachers, and Students, 381. The Author of nature is the Author of the Bible. Creation and Christianity have one God. God is revealed in nature, and God is revealed in His Word. In clear rays the light shines from the sacred page, showing us the living God, as represented in the laws of His government, in the creation of the world, in the heavens that He has garnished. His power is to be recognized as the only means of redeeming the world from the degrading superstitions that are so dishonoring to God and man.... When the Bible is made the guide and counselor, it exerts an ennobling influence upon the min...

Messages to Young People: Unkind Speech in the Home

 What harm is wrought in the family circle by the utterance of impatient words; for the impatient utterance of one leads another to retort in the same spirit and manner. Then come words of retaliation, words of self-justification, and it is by such words that a heavy, galling yoke is manufactured for your neck; for all these bitter words will come back in a baleful harvest to your soul. Those who indulge in such language will experience shame, loss of self-respect, loss of self-confidence, and will have bitter remorse and regret that they allowed themselves to lose self-control and speak in this way. How much better would it be if words of this character were never spoken. How much better to have the oil of grace in the heart, to be able to pass by all provocation, and bear all things with Christlike meekness and forbearance. If you fulfill the conditions of God's promises, the promises will be fulfilled to you. If your mind  is stayed upon God, you will not go from a state of...

With God at Dawn: We May Know Him, January 7

 He Is a Living God And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life. 1 John 5:20. God never asks us to believe, without giving sufficient evidence upon which to base our faith. His existence, His character, the truthfulness of His Word, are all established by testimony that appeals to our reason; and this testimony is abundant. Yet God has never removed the possibility of doubt. Our faith must rest upon evidence, not demonstration. Those who wish to doubt will have opportunity; while those who really desire to know the truth, will find plenty of evidence on which to rest their faith.—Steps to Christ, 105. The Bible unfolds truth with a simplicity and a perfect adaptation to the needs and longings of the human heart, that has astonished and charmed the most highly cultivated minds, while it enables the humble and uncultu...

Messages to Young People: Chapter 109—Home Religion

 Home religion is greatly needed, and our words in the home should be of a right character, or our testimonies in the church will amount to nothing. Unless you manifest meekness, kindness, and courtesy in your home, your religion will be in vain. If there were more genuine home religion, there would be more power in the church.