God Calls to Prayer Seek the Lord and his strength, seek his face continually. 1 Chronicles 16:11. Prayer is heaven’s ordained means of success in the conflict with sin and the development of Christian character. The divine influences that come in answer to the prayer of faith will accomplish in the soul of the suppliant all for which he pleads. For the pardon of sin, for the Holy Spirit, for a Christlike temper, for wisdom and strength to do His work, for any gift He has promised, we may ask; and the promise is, “Ye shall receive.”—The Acts of the Apostles, 564. When the mind of man is brought into communion with the mind of God, the finite with the Infinite, the effect on body and mind and soul is beyond estimate. In such communion is found the highest education. It is God’s own method of development.—The Acts of the Apostles, 126. Not all your good purposes and good intentions will enable you to withstand evil. You must be men and women of prayer. Your petitions must not be faint, o...

 Whenever we experience a special deliverance, or new and unexpected favors are granted us, we should acknowledge God’s goodness by gifts or offerings to His cause. As we are continually receiving the blessings of God, so we are to be continually giving. “Of all that You give me,” said Jacob, “I will surely give a tenth to You.” Shall we who enjoy the full light of the gospel be content to give less to God than was given by those who lived before Jesus came? Aren’t our obligations even greater? But how useless to measure time, money, and love mathematically against a love so immeasurable and a gift of such incredible worth. Tithes for Christ! Oh, meager pittance, shameful response to that which cost so much! From the cross of Calvary Christ calls for total consecration of all that we have, all that we are. With new faith and assured of the presence of heavenly angels, Jacob continued his journey to “the land of the people of the East.” But how different was his arrival from that of...

The Life Is Transformed Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.... Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them. Matthew 7:17-20. No matter how high his profession, he whose heart is not imbued with love for God and for his fellow-men, is not a disciple of Christ. Though he should possess great faith, and even have power to work miracles, yet without love his faith would be worthless. He might display great liberality, but should he from some other motive than genuine love, bestow all his goods to feed the poor, the act would not commend him to the favor of God. In his zeal he might even meet a martyr’s death, yet if destitute of the gold of love he would be regarded by God as a deluded enthusiast or an ambitious hypocrite.—Testimonies for the Church 5:168, There is an eloquence far more powerful than the eloquence of words in the quiet, consistent life of a pure, true Christian. What a man is has more influence than what he says...

This chapter is based on Genesis 28 to 31.  Threatened with death by Esau, Jacob went out from his father’s home a fugitive, but with the father’s blessing. Isaac had renewed the covenant promise to him and had told him look for a wife among his mother’s family in Mesopotamia. Yet it was with a deeply troubled heart that Jacob set out on his lonely journey. With only his staff in his hand he must travel hundreds of miles through a country inhabited by wild, roving tribes. In his remorse and dread he tried to avoid people, to prevent his angry brother from following him. He feared that he had lost forever the blessing God had wanted to give him, and Satan was at hand to press temptations upon him. The evening of the second day found him far away from his father’s tents. He felt he was an outcast, and he knew that all his trouble had come upon him because of his own wrong actions. Despair pressed upon his soul, and he hardly dared to pray. But he was so lonely that he felt the need o...

 The Life Is Transformed But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. Galatians 5:22, 23. This fruit can never perish, but will produce after its kind a harvest unto eternal life.... 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. 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.—Christ's Object Lessons, 69. The heart in which love rules, will not be filled with passion or revenge, by injuries which pride and self-love would deem unbearable. L...

 Esau had lightly valued the blessing when it seemed within his reach, but now that it was gone from him his grief and rage were terrible. “Bless me—me also, O my father! ... Have you not reserved a blessing  for me?” But the birthright that he had so carelessly bargained away he could not regain. Esau sold his inheritance “For one morsel of food,” for a momentary gratification of his appetite that had never been restrained. But when he saw his folly, it was too late to recover the blessing. “He found no place for repentance, though he sought it diligently with tears” (Hebrews 12:17). Esau was not shut out from seeking God’s favor by repentance, but he could find no way to recover the birthright. His grief did not spring from conviction of sin; he did not desire to be reconciled to God. He sorrowed because of the results of his sin, but not for the sin itself. In Scripture Esau is called a “profane person” (verse 16). He represents those who lightly value the redemption Christ...

The Life Is Transformed Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God. Philippians 1:11. The plant does not germinate, grow, or bring forth fruit for itself, but to “give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater.” So no man is to live unto himself. The Christian is in the world as a representative of Christ, for the salvation of other souls. There can be no growth or fruitfulness in the life that is centered in self. If you have accepted Christ as a personal Saviour, you are to forget yourself, and try to help others. Talk of the love of Christ, tell of His goodness. Do every duty that presents itself. Carry the burden of souls upon your heart, and by every means in your power seek to save the lost. As you receive the Spirit of Christ,—the spirit of unselfish love and labor for others,—you will grow and bring forth fruit. The graces of the Spirit will ripen in your character. Your faith will increase, your convictions deepen...

 Jacob and Rebekah succeeded in their plan but gained only trouble and sorrow by deception. God had declared that Jacob was to receive the birthright, and His word would have been fulfilled if they had waited in faith for Him to work. Rebekah bitterly regretted the wrong counsel she had given her son. Jacob was weighed down with self-condemnation—he had sinned against his father, his brother, his own soul, and against God. In one short hour he had provided material for lifelong repentance. This scene was vivid before him in later years when the wicked course of his own sons pained his soul. No sooner had Jacob left his father’s tent than Esau entered. Though he had sold his birthright, he was now determined to secure its blessing. With the spiritual was connected the temporal birthright, which would give him the headship of the family and a double portion of his father’s wealth. “Let my father arise,” he said, “and eat of his son’s game, that your soul may bless me.” Trembling with...

The Life Is Transformed That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ. Philippians 1:10. Many whom God has qualified to do excellent work accomplish very little, because they attempt little. Thousands pass through life as if they had no definite object for which to live, no standard to reach. Such will obtain a reward proportionate to their works. Remember that you will never reach a higher standard than you yourself set. Then set your mark high, and step by step, even though it be by painful effort, by self-denial and sacrifice, ascend the whole length of the ladder of progress. Let nothing hinder you. Fate has not woven its meshes about any human being so firmly that he need remain helpless and in uncertainty. Opposing circumstances should create a firm determination to overcome them. The breaking down of one barrier will give greater ability and courage to go forward. Press with determination in the right direction, ...

 Esau, coming home one day faint and weary from hunting, asked for the food that his brother was preparing. Jacob seized the advantage and offered to satisfy his brother’s hunger at the price of the birthright. “Look, I am about to die,” cried the reckless, self-indulgent hunter, “so what is this birthright to me?” For a dish of red stew he gave up his birthright and confirmed the transaction by an oath. To satisfy the desire of the moment he carelessly traded the glorious heritage God Himself had promised his fathers. His whole interest was in the present. He was ready to sacrifice heavenly things for earthly pleasures, to exchange a future good for a momentary indulgence. “Thus Esau despised his birthright.” In giving it up he felt a sense of relief. Now he could do as he liked. For this wild pleasure, wrongly called freedom, many are still selling their birthright of an eternal inheritance in the heavens! Esau took two Hittite wives. They worshiped false gods, and their idolatry...

The Life Is Transformed Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. 2 Corinthians 5:17. As the mind dwells upon Christ, the character is molded after the divine similitude. The thoughts are pervaded with a sense of His goodness, His love. We contemplate His character, and thus He is in all our thoughts. His love encloses us. If we gaze even a moment upon the sun in its meridian glory, when we turn away our eyes the image of the sun will appear in everything upon which we look. Thus it is when we behold Jesus; everything we look upon reflects His image, the Sun of Righteousness. We cannot see anything else, or talk of anything else. His image is imprinted upon the eye of the soul, and affects every portion of our daily life, softening and subduing our whole nature. By beholding we are conformed to the divine similitude, even the likeness of Christ. To all with whom we associate we reflect the bright and cheerful...

This chapter is based on Genesis 25:19-34; 27. Jacob and Esau, the twin sons of Isaac, present a sharp contrast in character and in life. Before their birth, the angel of God foretold how different from each other they would be. In answer to Rebekah’s troubled prayer, he declared that two sons would be given her. He opened to her their future history, that each would become the head of a mighty nation but that one would be greater than the other, and the younger would have prominence. Esau grew up loving to please himself, centering all his interest in living for today. Unhappy with restraint, he delighted in the chase and the life of a hunter, yet he was his father’s favorite. This elder son fearlessly ranged over mountain and desert, returning home with game and exciting accounts of his adventurous life. Jacob, who was thoughtful, diligent, and always thinking more of the future than the present, was content to live at home, occupied in caring for the flocks and working the soil. His...

The Life Is Transformed And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure. 1 John 3:3. None but He who has created man can effect a change in the human heart. God alone can give the increase. Every teacher is to realize that he is to be moved by divine agencies. The human judgment and ideas of the most experienced are liable to be imperfect and faulty, and the frail instrument, subject to his own hereditary traits of character, has need to submit to the sanctification of the Holy Spirit every day, else self will gather the reins and want to drive. In the meek and lowly spirit of the learner, all human methods and plans and ideas must be brought to God for His correction and indorsement; otherwise the restless energy of Paul or the skillful logic of Apollos will be powerless to effect the conversion of souls.—Testimonies for the Church 6:167. Jesus assumed humanity that He might meet humanity. He brings men under the transforming power of truth by meeting th...

 Isaac was the heir of the promises through which the world was to be blessed; yet when he was forty years old he let his father choose a wife for him. And the result of that marriage is a tender and beautiful picture of happiness at home: “Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah’s tent; and he took Rebekah and she became his wife, and he loved her. So Isaac was comforted after his mother’s death.” Young people too often feel that selecting a life partner is something about which they should only consult themselves. They think they are fully qualified to make their own choice, without the aid of their parents. A few years of married life usually show them their error, but too late. The same lack of wisdom and self-control that dictated the hasty choice makes matters worse, until marriage becomes a bitter burden. This is the way that many wreck their happiness in this life and their hope of the life to come. If ever the Bible was needed as a counselor, if ever divine guidance should...

A Steadfast Experience 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. Ephesians 6:13. Those who stand in defense of the honor of God, and maintain the purity of truth at any cost, will have manifold trials, as did our Saviour in the wilderness of temptation. While those who have yielding temperaments, who have not courage to condemn wrong, but keep silent when their influence is needed to stand in defense of the right against any pressure, may avoid many heartaches and escape many perplexities, they will also lose a very rich reward, if not their own souls. Those who are in harmony with God, and who through faith in Him receive strength to resist wrong and stand in defense of the right, will always have severe conflicts, and will frequently have to stand almost alone. But precious victories will be theirs while they make God their dependence. His grace will be their strength. Their moral sensibility will...

 Rebekah herself was asked whether she was willing to go so great a distance from her father’s house to marry the son of Abraham. She believed that God had selected her to be Isaac’s wife, and said, “I will go.” The servant, anticipating his master’s joy, was impatient to be gone, and when morning came they set out on the homeward journey. Abraham was living at Beersheba, and Isaac, who had been tending the flocks in the adjoining country, had returned to his father’s tent  to wait for the messenger from Haran. “And Isaac went out to meditate in the field in the evening; and he lifted his eyes and looked, and there, the camels were coming. Then Rebekah lifted her eyes, and when she saw Isaac she dismounted from her camel; for she had said to the servant, ‘Who is this man walking in the field to meet us?’ The servant said, ‘It is my master.’ So she took a veil and covered herself. And the servant told Isaac all the things that he had done. Then Isaac brought her into his mother...

A Steadfast Experience As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving. Colossians 2:6, 7. We need to be converted daily. Our prayers should be more fervent; then they will be more effectual. Stronger and stronger should be our confidence that God’s Spirit will be with us, making us pure and holy, as upright and fragrant as the cedar of Lebanon.—Gospel Workers, 272. Many receive applause for virtues which they do not possess. The Searcher of hearts weighs the motives, and often deeds highly applauded by men are recorded by Him as springing from selfishness and base hypocrisy. Every act of our lives, ... is judged by the Searcher of hearts according to the motives which prompted it.—Gospel Workers, 275. Those who are engaged in service for the Master need an experience much higher, deeper, broader, than many have yet thought of having. Many who are...

 This chapter is based on Genesis 24. Abraham had become an old man, yet one thing remained for him to do. God had appointed Isaac as the next keeper of the divine law and the father of the chosen people, but he was still unmarried. The Canaanites were idol worshipers, and God had forbidden marriages between them and His people, knowing that such marriages would lead to abandoning their faith. Isaac was gentle and yielding. If he united with someone who did not fear God, he would be in danger of sacrificing principle for the sake of harmony. To Abraham, the choice of a wife for his son was extremely important, and he was anxious to have Isaac marry someone who would not lead him away from God. In ancient times, marriage engagements were generally made by the parents, and this was the custom among those who worshiped God. None were required to marry those whom they could not love, but the youth were guided by the judgment of their God-fearing parents. It was a dishonor to parents, e...

A Steadfast Experience 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. Colossians 3:16. Faith in Jesus will grow as you become better acquainted with your Redeemer by dwelling upon His spotless life and His infinite love. You cannot dishonor God more than to profess to be His disciple while you keep at a distance from Him, and are not fed and nourished by His Holy Spirit. When you are growing in grace, you will love to attend religious meetings, and you will gladly bear testimony of the love of Christ before the congregation. God, by His grace, can make the young man prudent, and He can give to the children knowledge and experience. They can grow in grace daily. You should not measure your faith by your feelings. Closely examine your own heart, and the state of your affections toward God. Inquire, Have I devoted the precious moments of today in seeking ...

 In the religious world today God’s mercy has been taken for granted and treated lightly. Many people try to invalidate the law by “teaching as doctrines the commandments of men” (Matthew 15:9). Skepticism prevails in many churches, not skepticism in its broadest sense—an open denial of the Bible—but a skepticism undermining faith in the Bible as a revelation from God. Genuine devotion to God has been replaced by hollow formalism and as a result apostasy and immorality prevail. Christ declared, “As it was also in the days of Lot ... Even so will it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed” (Luke 17:28, 30). The world is quickly becoming ready for destruction. Our Savior said, “Take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly. For it will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth”—all whose interests are centered in this world. “Watch therefore, and pr...

A Steadfast Experience The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? Psalm 27:1. Those who are finally victorious will have seasons of terrible perplexity and trial in their religious life; but they must not cast away their confidence, for this is a part of their discipline in the school of Christ, and it is essential in order that all dross may be purged away. The servant of God must endure with fortitude the attacks of the enemy, his grievous taunts, and must overcome the obstacles which Satan will place in his way. Satan will seek to discourage the followers of Christ, so that they may not pray or study the Scriptures, and he will throw his hateful shadow athwart the path to hide Jesus from the view, to shut away the vision of His love, and the glories of the heavenly inheritance. It is his delight to cause the children of God to go shrinkingly, tremblingly, and painfully along, under continual doubt. He see...

 “The sun had risen upon the earth when Lot entered Zoar.” The bright rays of morning seemed to promise only prosperity and peace to the cities of the plain. The stir of active life began in the streets; people were going their various ways, intent on the business or pleasure of the day. The sons-in-law of Lot were making fun of the fears and warnings of the weak-minded old man. Suddenly and unexpectedly as thunder from a cloudless sky, the storm broke. The Lord rained brimstone and fire on the cities and the plain. Palaces and temples, costly homes, gardens, vineyards, and the pleasure-seeking crowds that only the night before had insulted the messengers of heaven—all were consumed. The smoke went up like a great furnace. The lovely Valley of Siddim became a place never to be  built up or inhabited—a witness to all generations that God’s judgments on transgression are certain. There are greater sins than those for which Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed. People who hear the g...

A Steadfast Experience He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much. Luke 16:10. As a man “thinketh in his heart, so is he.” Many thoughts make up the unwritten history of a single day; and these thoughts have much to do with the formation of character. Our thoughts are to be strictly guarded; for one impure thought makes a deep impression on the soul. An evil thought leaves an evil impress on the mind. If the thoughts are pure and holy, the man is better for having cherished them. By them the spiritual pulse is quickened, and the power for doing good is increased. And as one drop of rain prepares the way for another in moistening the earth, so one good thought prepares the way for another. The longest journey is performed by taking one step at a time. A succession of steps brings us to the end of the road. The longest chain is composed of separate links. If one of these links is faulty, the chain is wort...

 Lot returned sorrowfully to his home and reported that his appeal had failed. Then the angels told him to take his wife and two daughters who were still in the house and leave. But Lot delayed. He had no true concept of the debasing sins practiced in that wicked city, and he did not realize the terrible necessity for God’s judgments to put a restraint on sin. Some of Lot’s children clung to Sodom, and the thought of leaving those whom he held dearest on earth seemed more than he could bear. It was hard to forsake his luxurious home and all the wealth of his whole life, to go out as a poor, homeless wanderer. Shocked with sorrow, he lingered. If it had not been for the angels, all of them would have perished. The heavenly messengers took him and his wife and daughters by the hand and led them out of the city. In all the cities of the plain, even ten righteous persons had not been found. But in answer to Abraham’s prayer, the one man who feared God was snatched from destruction. The...

 A Steadfast Experience And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper. Psalm 1:3. There must be no pretense in the lives of those who have so sacred and solemn a message as we have been called to bear. The world is watching Seventh-day Adventists, because it knows something of their profession of faith, and of their high standard, and when it sees those who do not live up to their profession, it points at them with scorn. Those who love Jesus will bring all in their lives into harmony with His will. They have chosen to be on the Lord’s side, and their lives are to stand out in vivid contrast with the lives of worldlings. The tempter will come to them with his blandishments and bribes, saying, “All this will I give thee if thou wilt worship me.” But they know that he has nothing worth receiving, and they refuse to yield to his temptations. Through the grac...