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Check back daily for inspiration from the Word of God Encouraging Word Part 5 New International Version 22 Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken. 23 But you, God, will bring down the wicked into the pit of decay; the bloodthirsty and deceitful will not live out half their days. But as for me, I trust in you. God will take care of your enemies. Give your problems to Him and don’t pick them up again, especially if you can’t fix them. Don’t worry but trust God. He cannot be shaken and if you walk in Him, He won’t let you be shaken. Pastor Jeff Lane Encouraging Word Part 4 New International Version 11 Here is a trustworthy saying: If we died with him, we will also live with him; 12 if we endure, we will also reign with him. If we disown him, he will also disown us; 13 if we are faithless, he remains faithful, for he cannot disown himself. Even when your faith is waning, don’t disown Him. He will not disown you because of a lack of faith. Look he says He cannot. Endure hardships and you will overcome and reign with Him. Pastor Jeff Lane Encouraging Word Part 3 Psalm 23:4 New International Version 4 Even though I walk through the darkest valley,[a] I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. God does not say you will not go through dark places, but that you will go through them and He is with you. Don’t camp there in unbelief. He will bring you comfort and get you through this. Pastor Jeff Lane Encouraging Word Part 2 Deuteronomy 31:8 New International Version 8 The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.” Why be discouraged? God goes before you. He is in the storm before you get there and is preparing a way through. Don’t be discouraged God has got this. Pastor Jeff Lane Encouraging Word Part 1 New International Version More Than Conquerors 31 What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? 33 Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. 34 Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 36 As it is written: “For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”[a] 37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. God will never leave you, not even in a storm. He is with you. Nothing can separate you from His love. He is for you, the Holy Spirit is interceding for you as well as Jesus. How can you lose? Pastor Jeff Lane The Forgotten Fruit Part 5 Titus 2 New International Version Doing Good for the Sake of the Gospel 2 You, however, must teach what is appropriate to sound doctrine. 2 Teach the older men to be temperate, worthy of respect, self-controlled, and sound in faith, in love and in endurance. 3 Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good. 4 Then they can urge the younger women to love their husbands and children, 5 to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God. 6 Similarly, encourage the young men to be self-controlled. 7 In everything set them an example by doing what is good. In your teaching show integrity, seriousness 8 and soundness of speech that cannot be condemned, so that those who oppose you may be ashamed because they have nothing bad to say about us. 9 Teach slaves to be subject to their masters in everything, to try to please them, not to talk back to them, 10 and not to steal from them, but to show that they can be fully trusted, so that in every way they will make the teaching about God our Savior attractive. 11 For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. 12 It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, 13 while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, 14 who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good. 15 These, then, are the things you should teach. Encourage and rebuke with all authority. Do not let anyone despise you. These are the things a pastor must teach. We are to teach others to be self-controlled. I have highlighted how many times Paul says self-controlled. Must have been important to teach this. It seems to be the forgotten fruit. Let us be self-controlled in all we do, not giving into temptation but lifting each other up and encouraging each other to do what is right. Pastor Jeff Lane The Forgotten Fruit Part 4 Proverbs 25:28 New International Version 28 Like a city whose walls are broken through is a person who lacks self-control. Lack of self-control leaves a gap in our defenses. Satan likes to put temptations in our path to take advantage of our own evil desire. They can become a gap that the enemies can come in. Have self-control and close the gap. Fasting is a way to exercise our self-control muscles. If you can say no to food you can say no to sin. Start off with a meal and work your way to longer fasts. If you start out with a long fast, you will most likely fail and become discouraged. Pastor Jeff Lane The Forgotten Fruit Part 3 New International Version 12 Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him. 13 When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; 14 but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. 15 Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death. It is our own evil that leads to conceiving sin and it is our desires that we need to control before they give birth to sin. Let God give you your desires. Pastor Jeff Lane The Forgotten Fruit Part 2 Genesis 4:1-16 New International Version Cain and Abel 4 Adam made love to his wife Eve, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Cain. She said, “With the help of the Lord I have brought forth a man.” 2 Later she gave birth to his brother Abel. Now Abel kept flocks, and Cain worked the soil. 3 In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the Lord. 4 And Abel also brought an offering—fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The Lord looked with favor on Abel and his offering, 5 but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast. 6 Then the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? 7 If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.” 8 Now Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let’s go out to the field.”[d] While they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him. 9 Then the Lord said to Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?” “I don’t know,” he replied. “Am I my brother’s keeper?” 10 The Lord said, “What have you done? Listen! Your brother’s blood cries out to me from the ground. 11 Now you are under a curse and driven from the ground, which opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand. 12 When you work the ground, it will no longer yield its crops for you. You will be a restless wanderer on the earth.” 13 Cain said to the Lord, “My punishment is more than I can bear. 14 Today you are driving me from the land, and I will be hidden from your presence; I will be a restless wanderer on the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me.” 15 But the Lord said to him, “Not so; anyone who kills Cain will suffer vengeance seven times over.” Then the Lord put a mark on Cain so that no one who found him would kill him. 16 So Cain went out from the Lord’s presence and lived in the land of Nod, east of Eden. There is a lot going on here. Cain did not love God as Able. He loved himself more and wanted to keep the best for himself. Just as a side note if you are thinking about marriage and the one you love is not giving you their best and holds it back for themselves, maybe the problem is they just don’t love you enough that you should consider marriage. In fact, move on, it just will not work. This person is not marriage material. Are they stingy, selfish, self-centered then move on. Think about it, is that what you would have your children to be? Another question is do you feel you are stingy or don’t put that special person above yourself ? If that is the case do not marry, it will lead to disaster. Cains attitude led to murder. He was greedy and we see none of the fruits of the Spirit in his life. God in His love even tried to warn Cain to master sin to have self-control, but he did not. It cost his relationship with his brother and God. It led to no longer being in a relationship with either. How sad. Cain had no remorse, you could not reason with him, no love but for self, he would rather murder his brother than control his greed. Remember this before you marry such a person. Remember one thing led to another. This grew over a period of time not all at once. Ladies read the signs if he does not pay for the meal, you will be the meal one day. Pastor Jeff Lane The Forgotten Fruit Part 1 Galatians 5:13-26 New International Version Life by the Spirit 13 You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love. 14 For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” 15 If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other. 16 So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever[c] you want. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. 19 The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21 and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other. Self-control is a fruit of the Spirit, but some seem to think it is the forbidden fruit. We see so little of it today. Back in the sixties the “if it feels good do it.” Motto started. Very little thought was given to responsibility and results of our actions. Just because it may taste sweet in the mouth doesn't mean it won’t turn bitter in the stomach. Walking in the Spirit means we will have evidence of the walk. The fruits of the Spirit are that evidence of the walk. The Bible has much to say about self-control and it is essential to our walk with Jesus. We are going to take a look at it. Pastor Jeff Lane Heeding His Warnings New International Version Proverbs 12:15 15 The way of fools seems right to them, but the wise listen to advice. Isaiah 8:20 20 Consult God’s instruction and the testimony of warning. If anyone does not speak according to this word, they have no light of dawn. God tell us in different ways what we need to do in certain situations. He will send people around us or communicate through the Holy spirit with wisdom on what to do. However, you must take time and pray, make sure you’re listening to God instead of reacting out of emotion. If they do not open their ears to hear, God will deal with them on his own accord. All you can do for the people who don’t heed Gods warnings and advice is to pray. Aleah A. Refuge New International Version Psalms 61:3 3 For you have been my refuge, a strong tower against the foe. Ephesians 4:32 32 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. So, you really messed up this time, that’s what the devil loves to remind us. Sometimes it’s not our place to tell people what they did wrong, but be a refuge, a safe place for them to be as others tell them what they already know, what sin they committed. We can be guides of the word of God, however, we are not the ones to place judgment of their hearts. We give them the word they need to hear, but at times we need to be the refuge in Jesus for the recovery and healing in forgiveness. Compassion is something that Jesus taught us to have and as a church we need to have more of. I mourn over those who have been led down a wrong path, but God has his timing of discipline and compassion. Pray for those around you, do not let your heart be hardened by the world around us. Aleah A. Oh, What A Scary World, Pregnancy & God Part 3 New International Version Ephesians 6:4 4 Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training & instruction of the Lord. Ephesians 6:13 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, & after you have done everything, to stand. Everywhere you look, you see pain, suffering, and the scary things of this world we live in. You become overwhelmed and start to worry about what’s happening around you, as well your own given struggles of sin from the past. You worry your baby will have to grow up struggling with what you had to struggle with and it pains you to think about. You want to shelter them, taking all that pain away from them. We can’t. Jesus died for us so we wouldn’t have to face these scary situations alone. You won’t be able to protect everything that comes your children’s way, but we can pray and show them what it is like to live in the Lord’s presence. We can be there to guide them, praying for their direction and their walk with God. By praying for your baby and closing the doors on your sins of the past, you already have the head start for a better life for them to live. Aleah A. Fear, Pregnancy & God Part 2 Philippians 4:6-7 New International Version 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer & petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts & your minds in Christ Jesus. Anything God creates the devil will be shortly behind to destroy. In pregnancy there are many fears and worries mothers begin to have. Mainly these are pushed by the doctors, social media, or even family members. Sometimes we need to remember that God knitted us perfectly to be able to carry a baby to full term. We forget to rely on him and sometimes we let the devil use the people around us to install fear into our pregnancy. If you lean on him, he will carry you through all your fears because they are not bigger than he is. Aleah A. Cursed or Blessed Part 6 New International Version 10 This is what the Lord says: “When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my good promise to bring you back to this place. 11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. 12 Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. 14 I will be found by you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back from captivity.[a] I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile.” When we repent and seek Him, God will bring you back from the land of Nod. Wandering. He will give us hope and a future. Just humble yourself, seek Him, pray and repent. Simple! James 4:10 New International Version 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up. Pastor Jeff Lane Cursed or Blessed Part 5 2 Chronicles 7:13-14 New International Version 13 “When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command locusts to devour the land or send a plague among my people, 14 if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land. Repentance will bring us back into God’s presence. It will cleanse us of our sin through the blood of Jesus. It will deliver us from the curse and heal not only us but our land. 1 John 1:9 New International Version 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. Pastor Jeff Lane Cursed or Blessed Part 4 New International Version 19 Do not fret because of evildoers or be envious of the wicked, 20 for the evildoer has no future hope, and the lamp of the wicked will be snuffed out. The sinner who does not repent has no hope or future. They just wander through life. Lost to sin and the curse. Do not be envious of them. Pastor Jeff Lane Cursed or Blessed Part 3 New International Version The Parable of the Unmerciful Servant 21 Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?” 22 Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times. 23 “Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. 24 As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand bags of gold was brought to him. 25 Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt. 26 “At this the servant fell on his knees before him. ‘Be patient with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.’ 27 The servant’s master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go. 28 “But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred silver coins. He grabbed him and began to choke him. ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ he demanded. 29 “His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay it back.’ 30 “But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. 31 When the other servants saw what had happened, they were outraged and went and told their master everything that had happened. 32 “Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. 33 Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’ 34 In anger his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed. 35 “This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.” In contrast I want you to see the character of God. Man wants to be avenged seventy times seven after he sins but he doesn't deserve it. God will forgive seventy times seven if we repent. Forgiveness is offered to all if they but repent. How easy it is. Pastor Jeff Lane Cursed or Blessed Part 2 Genesis 4:9-24 9 Then the Lord said to Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?” “I don’t know,” he replied. “Am I my brother’s keeper?” 10 The Lord said, “What have you done? Listen! Your brother’s blood cries out to me from the ground. 11 Now you are under a curse and driven from the ground, which opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand. 12 When you work the ground, it will no longer yield its crops for you. You will be a restless wanderer on the earth.” 13 Cain said to the Lord, “My punishment is more than I can bear. 14 Today you are driving me from the land, and I will be hidden from your presence; I will be a restless wanderer on the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me.” 15 But the Lord said to him, “Not so; anyone who kills Cain will suffer vengeance seven times over.” Then the Lord put a mark on Cain so that no one who found him would kill him. 16 So Cain went out from the Lord’s presence and lived in the land of Nod, east of Eden. 17 Cain made love to his wife, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Enoch. Cain was then building a city, and he named it after his son Enoch. 18 To Enoch was born Irad, and Irad was the father of Mehujael, and Mehujael was the father of Methushael, and Methushael was the father of Lamech. 19 Lamech married two women, one named Adah and the other Zillah. 20 Adah gave birth to Jabal; he was the father of those who live in tents and raise livestock. 21 His brother’s name was Jubal; he was the father of all who play stringed instruments and pipes. 22 Zillah also had a son, Tubal-Cain, who forged all kinds of tools out of bronze and iron. Tubal-Cain’s sister was Naamah. 23 Lamech said to his wives, “Adah and Zillah, listen to me; wives of Lamech, hear my words. I have killed a man for wounding me, a young man for injuring me. 24 If Cain is avenged seven times, then Lamech seventy-seven times.” Look at the arrogance of Cain, he is neither sorry, nor cares about what he did to his brother. He does not repent but is only concern for his own wellbeing. He does not realize that he is the keeper of his children and we see his line are murderers and become more arrogant than him. What the fathers do in moderation the children will do in excess. Of course, this will lead to an increase in sin and the curse. It will lead to them being wiped from the face of the earth. (See Genesis 6) Pastor Jeff Lane Cursed or Blessed Part 1 Genesis 4:1-16 New International Version Cain and Abel 4 Adam made love to his wife Eve, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Cain. She said, “With the help of the Lord I have brought forth a man.” 2 Later she gave birth to his brother Abel. Now Abel kept flocks, and Cain worked the soil. 3 In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the Lord. 4 And Abel also brought an offering—fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The Lord looked with favor on Abel and his offering, 5 but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast. 6 Then the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? 7 If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.” 8 Now Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let’s go out to the field.” While they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him. 9 Then the Lord said to Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?” “I don’t know,” he replied. “Am I my brother’s keeper?” 10 The Lord said, “What have you done? Listen! Your brother’s blood cries out to me from the ground. 11 Now you are under a curse and driven from the ground, which opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand. 12 When you work the ground, it will no longer yield its crops for you. You will be a restless wanderer on the earth.” 13 Cain said to the Lord, “My punishment is more than I can bear. 14 Today you are driving me from the land, and I will be hidden from your presence; I will be a restless wanderer on the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me.” 15 But the Lord said to him, “Not so; anyone who kills Cain will suffer vengeance seven times over.” Then the Lord put a mark on Cain so that no one who found him would kill him. 16 So Cain went out from the Lord’s presence and lived in the land of Nod, east of Eden Abel was blessed because he brought the best of increase to the Lord. Cain did not bring the best to God, and we can see Cain's heart through this. He is drifting away from God. It led to him murdering his brother. God even warns him, but he is hardened in his heart towards God and man. It brings a curse on him and the ground. He leaves the presence of the Lord. When somebody starts to backslide it almost always starts with tithing. Some never fully give their heart to God and never start tithing. Either way they find themselves under a curse and soon get angry at God for their hard hearts. People do what they want to do. Walking by faith we understand that we walk by what God says not by what we see. We understand that I have more when giving back to God the best than storing it on earth where moth and rust steal it from us. Cain went to live in the land of Nod which means Wandering. He had no purpose in living. Lost for eternity. People don’t usually back slide in a moment but in a slow fade. They fall asleep in Delilah’s lap not realizing they have left the presence of God. Wake up and get out of this world and know the Lord. Pastor Jeff Lane Lord you Got the Wrong Person Part 4 New International Version Jacob’s Dream at Bethel 10 Jacob left Beersheba and set out for Harran. 11 When he reached a certain place, he stopped for the night because the sun had set. Taking one of the stones there, he put it under his head and lay down to sleep. 12 He had a dream in which he saw a stairway resting on the earth, with its top reaching to heaven, and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. 13 There above it stood the Lord, and he said: “I am the Lord, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac. I will give you and your descendants the land on which you are lying. 14 Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out to the west and to the east, to the north and to the south. All peoples on earth will be blessed through you and your offspring. 15 I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.” God told Jacob, soon to be Israel, that he and his offspring would be the window to the world to see and know God. He was to be a blessing to the world. God told him and is telling you He will go with you, and reach the world through you and will see to it is done. What is holding you back but you. Go in the strength you have, obey God, be strong and courageous, don’t listen to others, and God will do what He has promised you. Pastor Jeff Lane Lord you Got the Wrong Person Part 3 New International Version 20 Early in the morning David left the flock in the care of a shepherd, loaded up and set out, as Jesse had directed. He reached the camp as the army was going out to its battle positions, shouting the war cry. 21 Israel and the Philistines were drawing up their lines facing each other. 22 David left his things with the keeper of supplies, ran to the battle lines and asked his brothers how they were. 23 As he was talking with them, Goliath, the Philistine champion from Gath, stepped out from his lines and shouted his usual defiance, and David heard it. 24 Whenever the Israelites saw the man, they all fled from him in great fear. 25 Now the Israelites had been saying, “Do you see how this man keeps coming out? He comes out to defy Israel. The king will give great wealth to the man who kills him. He will also give him his daughter in marriage and will exempt his family from taxes in Israel.” 26 David asked the men standing near him, “What will be done for the man who kills this Philistine and removes this disgrace from Israel? Who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God?” 27 They repeated to him what they had been saying and told him, “This is what will be done for the man who kills him.” 28 When Eliab, David’s oldest brother, heard him speaking with the men, he burned with anger at him and asked, “Why have you come down here? And with whom did you leave those few sheep in the wilderness? I know how conceited you are and how wicked your heart is; you came down only to watch the battle.” 29 “Now what have I done?” said David. “Can’t I even speak?” 30 He then turned away to someone else and brought up the same matter, and the men answered him as before. 31 What David said was overheard and reported to Saul, and Saul sent for him. 32 David said to Saul, “Let no one lose heart on account of this Philistine; your servant will go and fight him.” 33 Saul replied, “You are not able to go out against this Philistine and fight him; you are only a young man, and he has been a warrior from his youth.” 34 But David said to Saul, “Your servant has been keeping his father’s sheep. When a lion or a bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock, 35 I went after it, struck it and rescued the sheep from its mouth. When it turned on me, I seized it by its hair, struck it and killed it. 36 Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, because he has defied the armies of the living God. 37 The Lord who rescued me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine.” Saul said to David, “Go, and the Lord be with you.” 38 Then Saul dressed David in his own tunic. He put a coat of armor on him and a bronze helmet on his head. 39 David fastened on his sword over the tunic and tried walking around, because he was not used to them. Have you ever noticed that when God calls you to do something there is always others telling you can’t or telling you gotta do it their way? Satan tried to use the family then tried to use the king. I mean Satan thought surely he would listen to the king. The battle belonged to the Lord and Davis was the only one to see that. David knew his God and that he was able to deliver him. He did it before and he would do it again. You might say as David saw it an enemy is an enemy, they will all fall before God. David could not do this Saul’s way or the Army way he had to go in what he was used to and that was God as his strength. Why could the king and army see God the way David did, because they limited God to their own abilities. How do you see God? How do you see yourself? We are made in God’s image not the other way around. Pastor Jeff Lane Lord you Got the Wrong Person Part 2 New International Version 7 “Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. 8 Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. 9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” 10 So Joshua ordered the officers of the people: 11 “Go through the camp and tell the people, ‘Get your provisions ready. Three days from now you will cross the Jordan here to go in and take possession of the land the Lord your God is giving you for your own.’” Joshua didn’t know if He could measure up to Moses, but God let him see that God made him fit for the job and not just him but God showed the people as well. God didn’t ask Joshua to move in something he did not have but said go in the strength you have and it will be enough. Joshua was to obey God, go, but be strong and courageous. This was to give the people strength. They would see Joshua had faith in God and so then they would. God said I will give you this land. Pastor Jeff Lane Lord You Got the Wrong Person Part 1 New International Version 11 The angel of the Lord came and sat down under the oak in Ophrah that belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, where his son Gideon was threshing wheat in a winepress to keep it from the Midianites. 12 When the angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon, he said, “The Lord is with you, mighty warrior.” 13 “Pardon me, my lord,” Gideon replied, “but if the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us? Where are all his wonders that our ancestors told us about when they said, ‘Did not the Lord bring us up out of Egypt?’ But now the Lord has abandoned us and given us into the hand of Midian.” 14 The Lord turned to him and said, “Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian’s hand. Am I not sending you?” 15 “Pardon me, my lord,” Gideon replied, “but how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family.” 16 The Lord answered, “I will be with you, and you will strike down all the Midianites, leaving none alive.” If you see God's ability to use you by your own abilities you will accomplish very little for the kingdom. Simply put you see God only as big as yourself. Gideon saw himself and God that way. Instead of seeing Himself through God’s eyes, he saw God through his own. God saw Gideon as a mighty warrior, Gideon saw himself as the weakest in Israel, his clan, and his family. Funny how God chooses the weakest to show His strength. When God calls you He calls you with what you have and then as man of faith God will make you an overcomer. God says you’re mighty then you're mighty. God does not lie. He has not abandoned you nor will He. He always goes with you. Don’t tell God you are not good enough. Pastor Jeff Lane Your Will Not Mine, Pregnancy & God 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 New International Version 16 Rejoice always, 17 pray continually, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. Before Asa & I got married we had the discussion on when we would like to have our first child. We came to the agreement that if God had other plans on the timing that we would trust in him and that his will would be done. Trusting in God is not always the easiest decision to make, we are human & we tend to overthink, letting the world guide our decisions. Our first baby was not exactly a planned one by us, but rather God's plan. In terms of the world, we would not exactly fit in with the standards of “being ready” to have a child. You’ll never fully be ready to have a human being in your life with a free will, leading their own decisions & guiding them to have wisdom in those decisions. However, Jesus is there to guide us, holding our hand if we just trust in him. Do not listen to the lies of the devil trying to deceive you into thinking your child is a burden and that the timing isn’t right. No Baby is a mistake, it was God's will for them to be here, just like you and me. Aleah A. You Are Needed Part 5 James 2:16 New International Version 16 If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? WE need your prayers, but we also need your financial help. Pastor Jeff and Becky Lane You Are Needed Part 4 1 Corinthians 9:1-14 New International Version Paul’s Rights as an Apostle 9 Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are you not the result of my work in the Lord? 2 Even though I may not be an apostle to others, surely I am to you! For you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord. 3 This is my defense to those who sit in judgment on me. 4 Don’t we have the right to food and drink? 5 Don’t we have the right to take a believing wife along with us, as do the other apostles and the Lord’s brothers and Cephas[a]? 6 Or is it only I and Barnabas who lack the right to not work for a living? 7 Who serves as a soldier at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard and does not eat its grapes? Who tends a flock and does not drink the milk? 8 Do I say this merely on human authority? Doesn’t the Law say the same thing? 9 For it is written in the Law of Moses: “Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain.”[b] Is it about oxen that God is concerned? 10 Surely he says this for us, doesn’t he? Yes, this was written for us, because whoever plows and threshes should be able to do so in the hope of sharing in the harvest. 11 If we have sown spiritual seed among you, is it too much if we reap a material harvest from you? 12 If others have this right of support from you, shouldn’t we have it all the more? But we did not use this right. On the contrary, we put up with anything rather than hinder the gospel of Christ. 13 Don’t you know that those who serve in the temple get their food from the temple, and that those who serve at the altar share in what is offered on the altar? 14 In the same way, the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should receive their living from the gospel. We are not asking for help this week that we might make a living but that we might preach the gospel of Jesus unhindered because of finances. We made a living before Call 2 Pray and will do so still. We cannot stop preaching the Gospel no matter what, but with you we can reach more people than ever. We do not need criticism at this time but your prayer and financial help. May God richly bless you! Pastor Jeff and Becky Lane You Are Needed Part 3 Matthew 10:42 New International Version 42 And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones who is my disciple, truly I tell you, that person will certainly not lose their reward.” Call 2 Pray needs you. Even if it is just a cup of water You can make a difference. People need springs of living water and we with your help have been providing the Word for some time now. Help us to continue to be there for you. Pastor Jeff and Becky Lane You Are Needed Part 1 New International Version 38 Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” I do not believe that I have ever asked for funds through our daily devotional, but I am compelled to do so today. Giving has been down all summer. I have used less airtime to ask for funds than I have ever have in the past. My staff have reprimanded me for doing so but I feel such compassion for the hurting I find myself praying for them and then the time is up. As the scripture says God will reward you as you give. Please step out in faith and give what you can now. I know many of you have been hurting financially, and some have even lost their homes. Please everyone pray for them. Years ago God saved our home and He told me it was through giving He worked a miracle for us. Please don’t bind the hands of God in your life and in the church. As you give, He will provide. God bless you richly for your response. Pastor Jeff and Becky You Are Needed Part 2 I have been doing these devotionals for many years now and don’t believe I have ever asked for financial help for the ministry till this week. Every year when school starts, giving goes down and we prepare for it in advance, but this year because of all that is going on Giving is down and we could not. We started this ministry without a dime. It has been by faith since day one. God has always used you good people to provide for this ministry. He has not told us to shrink back but to expand. We need your help now. Please do what you can so we can continue to save souls and meet the needs of the people. Pastor Jeff and Becky Lane No other Name Part 5 Ephesians 2 New International Version Made Alive in Christ 2 As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 2 in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. 3 All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh[a] and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. 4 But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. 6 And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7 in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. 8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. 11 Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called “uncircumcised” by those who call themselves “the circumcision” (which is done in the body by human hands)— 12 remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ. 14 For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, 15 by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, 16 and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. 17 He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. 18 For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit. 19 Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. 21 In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. 22 And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit. This great salvation we have received though the name of Jesus is by grace. Grace is unmerited favor. You didn’t and can’t earn it for it is a gift of God. To add anything to that grace is to try to sell you something that is a gift of God. It is not cheap and was bought with the blood of the Son of God but it is offered to you free of charge and any other cost or condition to say otherwise is to blaspheme the gift of God Jesus blood. It reconciles us to the Father, both Jews and gentiles, by the name and His blood. This grace is all I need to be saved. Such wondrous love of God to give us His Son by which all men might be saved. Nothing but grace. No man can add or subtract what God has done for us. All praise be to His name forever. Pastor Jeff Lane No Other Name Part 4 New International Version 5 Moses writes this about the righteousness that is by the law: “The person who does these things will live by them.” 6 But the righteousness that is by faith says: “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’” (that is, to bring Christ down) 7 “or ‘Who will descend into the deep?’” (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). 8 But what does it say? “The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart,” that is, the message concerning faith that we proclaim: 9 If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. 11 As Scripture says, “Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.” 12 For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, 13 for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” 14 How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? 15 And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!” 16 But not all the Israelites accepted the good news. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our message?” 17 Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ. God has sent, commissioned, or ordained individuals by the anointing of the Holy Spirit to bring forth the message of salvation, redemption or reconciliation so that we may believe and be saved. Clearly, we must believe with our hearts and confess with our mouths that Jesus is Lord. Nothing here about believing in the authority of an organization to be saved. Sure, God has ordained the church but we are that church it is not a man-made organization, but the body of Christ and we make up that body. It is not the church that ordains but the Holy Spirit. The church can recognize that calling but not bestow it, how often has the church got it wrong. You will know them by their fruits and the evidence and the works of the Holy Spirit. Satan can manipulate an organization and use it. Buyer beware. Let the Holy Spirit judge. Pastor Jeff Lane No Other Name Part 3 New International Version Peter and John Before the Sanhedrin 4 The priests and the captain of the temple guard and the Sadducees came up to Peter and John while they were speaking to the people. 2 They were greatly disturbed because the apostles were teaching the people, proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection of the dead. 3 They seized Peter and John and, because it was evening, they put them in jail until the next day. 4 But many who heard the message believed; so the number of men who believed grew to about five thousand. 5 The next day the rulers, the elders and the teachers of the law met in Jerusalem. 6 Annas the high priest was there, and so were Caiaphas, John, Alexander and others of the high priest’s family. 7 They had Peter and John brought before them and began to question them: “By what power or what name did you do this?” 8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them: “Rulers and elders of the people! 9 If we are being called to account today for an act of kindness shown to a man who was lame and are being asked how he was healed, 10 then know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed. 11 Jesus is “‘the stone you builders rejected, which has become the cornerstone.’[a] 12 Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.” 13 When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus. 14 But since they could see the man who had been healed standing there with them, there was nothing they could say. 15 So they ordered them to withdraw from the Sanhedrin and then conferred together. 16 “What are we going to do with these men?” they asked. “Everyone living in Jerusalem knows they have performed a notable sign, and we cannot deny it. 17 But to stop this thing from spreading any further among the people, we must warn them to speak no longer to anyone in this name.” 18 Then they called them in again and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. 19 But Peter and John replied, “Which is right in God’s eyes: to listen to you, or to him? You be the judges! 20 As for us, we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.” 21 After further threats they let them go. They could not decide how to punish them, because all the people were praising God for what had happened. 22 For the man who was miraculously healed was over forty years old. Peter and John make it clear that there is no other name in heaven and earth by which we can be saved except the name of Jesus. The religious rulers and the high priest clearly understood this and in a spirit of antiChrist they tried to stop them from preaching in the name of Jesus. Today many do the same thing by saying you must be ‘saved’ in their organization’s or religious groups' names also. This obviously is also a spirit of antiChrist. Were they there when Jesus died on that cross, did they shed their blood for you, were they chosen by God for such a salvation, can they heal the sick? Where is the evidence of their power? Are they even mentioned in God’s word? Obviously not. These religious leaders of Jesus’ day blocked salvation and did not enhance it. Anti-Christ means to get in the way of Christ or block it, not just the opposite of Him. Be careful who you follow or listen to. They may be blocking the message of the Father not bringing it. Only those sent by God not man can bring us the message of God and He will confirm it with signs and wonders. Pastor Jeff Lane No Other Name Part 2 New International Version 22 “Fellow Israelites, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know. 23 This man was handed over to you by God’s deliberate plan and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men,[a] put him to death by nailing him to the cross. 24 But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him. 25 David said about him: “‘I saw the Lord always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. 26 Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest in hope, 27 because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead, you will not let your holy one see decay. 28 You have made known to me the paths of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence.’[b] 29 “Fellow Israelites, I can tell you confidently that the patriarch David died and was buried, and his tomb is here to this day. 30 But he was a prophet and knew that God had promised him on oath that he would place one of his descendants on his throne. 31 Seeing what was to come, he spoke of the resurrection of the Messiah, that he was not abandoned to the realm of the dead, nor did his body see decay. 32 God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of it. 33 Exalted to the right hand of God, he has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear. 34 For David did not ascend to heaven, and yet he said, “‘The Lord said to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand 35 until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.”’[c] 36 “Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah.” 37 When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” 38 Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.” 40 With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.” 41 Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day. On the day of Pentecost Peter makes it quite clear we must repent to be saved. This was the message of the Prophets in the Old Testament and it was the message of John the Baptist, the one to prepare the way for the coming of Jesus, and it was the message of Jesus. No repentance no redemption Period. Any person or organization telling you differently has a spirit of antichrist. Pastor Jeff Lane No Other Name Part 1 New International Version 14 “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. 2 My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. 4 You know the way to the place where I am going.” Jesus the Way to the Father 5 Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?” 6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7 If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.” 8 Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.” 9 Jesus answered: “Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? 10 Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you I do not speak on my own authority. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. 11 Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the works themselves. We just got back from vacation in Utah and it was beautiful in its own way. While there we talked to many Mormons or LDS people. I was a bit amazed as to how little they knew of their own religion, but one thing became evident as in so many religious organizations or denominations and that is they believe and are taught that if you are not a part of their church then you are not saved or ‘redeemed' as they put it. It got me thinking how many people believe they must be part of a certain group or do certain things, “Works,” to be saved or redeemed? Point being that we are saved only through Jesus the Christ from Nazareth. It is only through Him and no other name by which we may be reconciled to God the Father. Furthermore, I want to make clear what the Bible says about being reconciled to the Father and that to add any other condition to that salvation is heresy and the spirit of antichrist. Jesus plainly states that there is no other way to the Father except through Him, period. You cannot know or be received by the Father except through Jesus. As we will see we come to believe through the preaching of the word, but a church organization cannot save you. The church cannot save you only Jesus can. Pastor Jeff Lane Return to Me New International Version 10 The Lord said, “What have you done? Listen! Your brother’s blood cries out to me from the ground. 11 Now you are under a curse and driven from the ground, which opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand. New International Version 4 “Go to Bethel and sin; go to Gilgal and sin yet more. Bring your sacrifices every morning, your tithes every three years.[a] 5 Burn leavened bread as a thank offering and brag about your freewill offerings— boast about them, you Israelites, for this is what you love to do,” declares the Sovereign Lord. 6 “I gave you empty stomachs in every city and lack of bread in every town, yet you have not returned to me,” declares the Lord. 7 “I also withheld rain from you when the harvest was still three months away. I sent rain on one town, but withheld it from another. One field had rain; another had none and dried up. 8 People staggered from town to town for water but did not get enough to drink, yet you have not returned to me,” declares the Lord. 9 “Many times I struck your gardens and vineyards, destroying them with blight and mildew. Locusts devoured your fig and olive trees, yet you have not returned to me,” declares the Lord. 10 “I sent plagues among you as I did to Egypt. I killed your young men with the sword, along with your captured horses. I filled your nostrils with the stench of your camps, yet you have not returned to me,” declares the Lord. 11 “I overthrew some of you as I overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah. You were like a burning stick snatched from the fire, yet you have not returned to me,” declares the Lord. 12 “Therefore this is what I will do to you, Israel, and because I will do this to you, Israel, prepare to meet your God.” 13 He who forms the mountains, who creates the wind, and who reveals his thoughts to mankind, who turns dawn to darkness, and treads on the heights of the earth— the Lord God Almighty is his name. Malachi 3:7 New International Version 7 Ever since the time of your ancestors you have turned away from my decrees and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you,” says the Lord Almighty. “But you ask, ‘How are we to return?’ Becky and I just returned from out west. We were amazed by the beauty and that in all we saw we wonder how anyone could even doubt there is a God? There was something else we were amazed by. Drought! The lakes were so low. It is the worst drought on record. The Salt lake looks like the Salt Flats. The other thing that amazed us was the attitude of so many. Most said“It is just a cycle, no need to worry things will go back as they were”. They were doing nothing about conserving water. I could not help but think about what the Bible said about the last days and the lack of leadership. God said that He would withhold the rain and the dew if His people would not repent. There is so little sorrow for the murder of babies and when we got a break though our leaders are fighting to restore the murdering. No remorse for the past but only a longing to continue in sin. Like Sodom and Gomorrah they parade their sin with pride. Refusing to repent. If our nation would but repent, seek God, pray and turn from their wicked ways He would forgive us even though our nation's sin is great. It is time for this nation to wake up! This is not just drought but God’s judgment on this nation. Soon the cities will be dry and long for water. Like the rich man and Lazareth they will long for a drop of water to cool their thirst but find none. Some may say I sound dramatic but mark my words this is serious. Pastor Jeff Lane Power in the Spoken Word Part 10 New International Version 12 “I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. 13 But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. 14 He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you. 15 All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will receive from me what he will make known to you.” Once again it is the Holy Spirit who reveals the Father and the word to us. We must release it by speaking it and the Holy Spirit is loosed to do God’s work. Pastor Jeff Lane Power in the Spoken Word Part 9 New International Version 14 For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. 15 The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” 16 The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. 17 Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory. We have been given the Spirit of God by which we can do the will of the Father. We are heirs of this glory and it is God’s will that his glory be done on earth though us as His son did. Pastor Jeff Lane Power in the Spoken Word Part 8 New International Version 19 Jesus gave them this answer: “Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does. 20 For the Father loves the Son and shows him all he does. Yes, and he will show him even greater works than these, so that you will be amazed. Jesus having become fully man could do nothing on His own, but only what the Father did though Him. It must be the Father’s will being done, not ours. The Father shows Himself and His will to us to do. We can do nothing but the Father’s will. Jesus always did and spoke the Father’s will as we too must do. Pastor Jeff Lane Power in the Spoken Word Part 7 New International Version The Word Became Flesh 1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not understood it. Jesus is the spoken or living Word of God the Father. He was, is, and always will. He is the alpha and omega, the beginning and the end. God’s word shall never pass away or return void. When Jesus or God’s word is spoken by the Holy Spirit things must happen. The church has nor understood what a great thing the Father has done for us. Pastor Jeff Lane Power in the Spoken Word Part 6 Genesis 1 New International Version The Beginning 1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. 3 And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. 4 God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light “day,” and the darkness he called “night.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day. 6 And God said, “Let there be a vault between the waters to separate water from water.” 7 So God made the vault and separated the water under the vault from the water above it. And it was so. 8 God called the vault “sky.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the second day. 9 And God said, “Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place, and let dry ground appear.” And it was so. 10 God called the dry ground “land,” and the gathered waters he called “seas.” And God saw that it was good. 11 Then God said, “Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds.” And it was so. 12 The land produced vegetation: plants bearing seed according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good. 13 And there was evening, and there was morning—the third day. 14 And God said, “Let there be lights in the vault of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark sacred times, and days and years, 15 and let them be lights in the vault of the sky to give light on the earth.” And it was so. 16 God made two great lights—the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night. He also made the stars. 17 God set them in the vault of the sky to give light on the earth, 18 to govern the day and the night, and to separate light from darkness. And God saw that it was good. 19 And there was evening, and there was morning—the fourth day. 20 And God said, “Let the water teem with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the vault of the sky.” 21 So God created the great creatures of the sea and every living thing with which the water teems and that moves about in it, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. 22 God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the water in the seas, and let the birds increase on the earth.” 23 And there was evening, and there was morning—the fifth day. 24 And God said, “Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds: the livestock, the creatures that move along the ground, and the wild animals, each according to its kind.” And it was so. 25 God made the wild animals according to their kinds, the livestock according to their kinds, and all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good. 26 Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.” 27 So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. 28 God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.” 29 Then God said, “I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. 30 And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds in the sky and all the creatures that move along the ground—everything that has the breath of life in it—I give every green plant for food.” And it was so. 31 God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the sixth day. What can we learn from this? God said and it was so. The Holy Spirit does the work and brings order. God creates, brings life, gives everything to us, and has made us in His image to rule. Now when we sinned we gave away our authority to rule and have the power of God to Satan. Jesus redeemed and gave it back to us. We were created to rule. Pastor Jeff Lane Power in the spoken word Part 5 New International Version 2 We all stumble in many ways. Anyone who is never at fault in what they say is perfect, able to keep their whole body in check. 3 When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. 4 Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. 5 Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. 6 The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell. Take an account of your words. What is the course of your life? Where is your tongue leading you or turning you? Is that the way you want to go? Is that the way you want your marriage to go? Is that the way you want your children to go? No man can control the tongue, but thanks be to Jesus He can control the tongue. Give your tongue to the Holy Spirit. Speak Jesus’s words of life and blessing over all things in your life. Let all the blessing of God be loosed in your life and then may springs of living water overflow on all that are around you. Pastor Jeff Lane Power in the Spoken Word Part 4 New International Version 6 But the righteousness that is by faith says: “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’” (that is, to bring Christ down) 7 “or ‘Who will descend into the deep?’” (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). 8 But what does it say? “The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart,” that is, the message concerning faith that we proclaim: 9 If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. 11 As Scripture says, “Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.” 12 For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, 13 for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” I cannot do great things to find forgiveness and be saved. God has made it so simple. Believe in your heart and confess with your mouth and be saved, forgiven and reinstated to God. The power God has put in the tongue. Power to forgive and be forgiven and saved. Power to be set free from shame. Sin is the power of Satan over us, but repentance is the power to be cleansed of our sin and rule over Satan. No sin no curse. Speak and be set free. Pastor Jeff Lane Power in the Spoken Word Part 3 New International Version 36 But I tell you that everyone will have to give account on the day of judgment for every empty word they have spoken. 37 For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.” I don’t know about you but when I read this, I want to erase a lot of what I have said and thank God He does. Just to think that I would have to give an account for every word I have spoken. I said something once and it got back to my father in law. I don’t even know why I said it. I was just upset at the time and was so sorry I said it. He confronted me about it and asked why I said it. I was speechless. It was one of the most uncomfortable moments of my life. What could I say? I said it and was so sorry, but I could not take it back. It hurt him so bad, and he was so good to me. My shame was so deep. I felt like I died a thousand deaths in that moment and yet could not escape the pain I felt for the hurt I caused. He could be so wise sometimes and considered my age and forgave me. I suspect he had done something stupid like what I had done. How will we ever be able to stand before God and all He has done for us and give an account. Yet He has given His son so we would have a way out. Repent and erase your past. What a great and loving God we serve. He loves us even when we hate or curse Him. Nothing can separate us from the love of God. Pastor Jeff Lane Power in the spoken Word Part 2 New International Version 33 “Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad, for a tree is recognized by its fruit. 34 You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of. 35 A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him. You are what you speak, and you speak what you are. People know you by your words and so does God. It is who you are. People tell me often that they are a good person then a vomit of filth comes out of their mouths. Listen to yourself. Is that who you want to be? Is that who you want your children to be? They will be like you. Is that who you want God to know you as? What kind of fruit comes from your month? The heart, like the ground, will grow what you plant in it. Plant good fruit and get good fruit. Plant poison and get poison. The heart, like the ground, does not care what you plant in it. It produces only what you plant. God gave you a mind to use it. Be careful what you plant in your heart. Put in poison, get death, produce death. Pornography, lies, greed, gossip, slander, and so forth get death. Plant faithfulness, gentleness, love, peace, truth and so forth get life. What’s in your heart? Like the children’s church song says: Be careful little ears what you hear, be careful little eyes what you see. Pastor Jeff Lane Power in the spoken word Part 1 Proverbs 18:21 New International Version 21 The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit. Words are like seeds planted. You will reap what you sow. Kind produces after kind, so be careful what you say and plant. The tongue holds sway over our lives and those around us. It can build up or tear down our lives and our children’s lives. Think before you speak. Do we really want to eat that kind of fruit? Pastor Jeff Lane Need Direction Part 5 1 Corinthians 2:6-16 New International Version God’s Wisdom Revealed by the Spirit 6 We do, however, speak a message of wisdom among the mature, but not the wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. 7 No, we declare God’s wisdom, a mystery that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began. 8 None of the rulers of this age understood it, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. 9 However, as it is written: “What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived”[a]— the things God has prepared for those who love him— 10 these are the things God has revealed to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. 11 For who knows a person’s thoughts except their own spirit within them? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. 12 What we have received is not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us. 13 This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual realities with Spirit-taught words. 14 The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit. 15 The person with the Spirit makes judgments about all things, but such a person is not subject to merely human judgments, 16 for, “Who has known the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ. This is yet verification that I need the Holy Spirit to know the Father’s will and to do such I must have the mind of Christ. How can I have His mind? We must be taught of the Spirit. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word. Problem is Satan has used God’s word to deceive and mislead others. No, we must have the Holy Spirit to inspire us as to what God meant when He spoke that word. We need those who are commissioned by God to teach us that word, not those commissioned by man. Pastor Jeff Lane Need Direction Part 4 New International Version Taming the Tongue 3 Not many of you should become teachers, my fellow believers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly. 2 We all stumble in many ways. Anyone who is never at fault in what they say is perfect, able to keep their whole body in check. 3 When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. 4 Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. 5 Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. How can a man tame the tongue? Only God can. He does it by His Holy Spirit. The tongue is the rudder of our lives and the church. We need a bit in our months to steer us in the right direction. The Holy Spirit directs us from in front and behind. No rudder, no bit you will fall into a pit. Now if I were going on a trip, I would plan things out on a map and these days the internet. The problem is I must have access to it. Without the Holy Spirit I do not have access to the mind of the Father. Like trying to follow an old fashion map I become bogged down and it takes longer. A map does not show the detours of the moment, but to have the mind of the Father not only can I know the moment but see what is coming in the future for God is already there. Furthermore, God shows me the destination. I end up where I am to be instead of where I think I should be. Pastor Jeff Lane Need Direction Part 3 New International Version The Great Commission 16 Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. 17 When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. 18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Jesus Command the disciples to teach others to obey His commands. What commands? First before you go receive the Holy Spirit. Pastor Jeff Lane Need Direction Part 2 New International Version 4 On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. 5 For John baptized with[a] water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” 6 Then they gathered around him and asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?” 7 He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” 9 After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight. 10 They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. 11 “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.” Jesus told them to go and seek the Gift of the Holy Spirit and not leave until they got Him. They started out with five Hundred but on the day of the Spirit came they only had one hundred and twenty. Few will truly seek so they don’t find. They make excuses for their laziness in the Spirit. If you want the things of God you must go after them. Don’t give up. They got direction when they obeyed. Stop looking into the clouds and seek Him. Hard to see clouds when your head is bowed. Jesus is coming back but we are to reach the lost and we should be found doing the Father’s business when Jesus returns. Jesus gave them direction and that was to seek the Holy Spirit before all else. Pastor Jeff Lane Need Direction Part 1 New International Version Jesus the Way to the Father 5 Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?” 6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7 If you really know me, you will know[a] my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.” 8 Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.” 9 Jesus answered: “Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? 10 Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you I do not speak on my own authority. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. 11 Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the works themselves. 12 Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. 13 And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it. 15 “If you love me, keep my commands. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be[b] in you. 18 I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. 19 Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. 20 On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. 21 Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.” People tend not to read this chapter far enough. They fail to realize verse fifteen is pivotal to what Jesus is teaching them. If you see Jesus, you see the Father but in time they would no longer see Him because He was going to be with the Father. They needed to see Jesus even after he would be with the Father. Jesus told them to obey His commands. What commands? Jesus would send His Holy Spirit and baptize them, and the Spirit would be in them as He is in Jesus and Jesus in the Father. The Godhead is one and you must have all the Godhead to know Him. Can one resist the Holy Spirit and have the mind of Christ? I think not. Why would you not want all the Godhead? If you need direction, then you must have the Baptism in the Holy Spirit. Jesus said you must receive the Holy Spirit and as we will see to have the Holy Spirit, we must seek Him. Jesus comes to us, but we must seek the Father and the Holy Spirit to come into the fullness of the Father. It’s not a suggestion but a command. It is when I teach these things people get so angry. The flesh resists the Holy Spirit as Stephen does such a great job and points this out. The flesh does not want to die, so it fights death. The flesh gets angry enough to kill those who have the Holy Spirit and want to give it to others. We must die to ourselves to receive the Holy Spirit. Those in the flesh always killed the anointed of God, or those who the Spirit was on. Even Jesus was full of the Holy Spirit so the people who claimed to be of God killed Him. They would rather Jesus be dead than to receive that Spirit that was on Him and die themselves. Pastor Jeff Lane Faith That Overcomes All Storms Part 5 Matthew 6:9-10 New International Version 9 “This, then, is how you should pray: “‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, 10 your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. I have always believed that praying, “God your will be done not mine,’ is the greatest prayer of faith and the most powerful. Whatever we bind on earth is bound in heaven and whatever we lose on earth is loosed in heaven. Will not God give us more than we can ask or think why bind it? Loose the will of the Father. How can we who are finite know how to pray, but when we pray in the Spirit we have the mind of Christ. What is more powerful than that? What is better than that? We know that if God gave us His son He not give us all things, so in all things pray God’s will be done. Pastor Jeff Lane Faith That Overcomes All Storms Part 4 Matthew 6:5-8 New International Version Prayer 5 “And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 6 But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. 7 And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. God rewards those who pray. We are to pray without ceasing with all kinds of prayer. If we walk by faith, then we pray. Don’t worry about others. You are not praying to impress them. Our prayer life is personal and should be. We don’t babble to our spouses, nor should we do so with God. As I have taught my children to pray, talk to God as you would a man. He will hear and answer you. Jesus is our friend. Jesus will reward you. Pastor Jeff Lane Faith That Overcomes All Storms Part 3 Matthew 6:1-4 New International Version Giving to the Needy 6 “Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. 2 “So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 3 But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. Practice your faith by practicing your righteousness. Faith makes us righteous but righteousness will activate your faith. Giving is an act of righteousness. It is an act that God will reward. If we walk by faith we love to give because we love God and those who love Him obey Him. Those who love God will be rewarded. Do you believe this? If you do, there will be evidence. Faith is doing not a noun but a verb. Is your faith alive or a thing? Things that live move dead things do nothing. We are to live by faith. God rewards those who walk by faith and give to those who are in need. If you give to the least of people, you give to God. Pastor Jeff Lane Faith That Overcomes All Storms Part 2 Romans 1:17 New International Version 17 For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed—a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.” Galatians 3:11 New International Version 11 Clearly no one who relies on the law is justified before God, because “the righteous will live by faith.” Galatians 3:11 New International Version 11 Clearly no one who relies on the law is justified before God, because “the righteous will live by faith.” We do not live by the law but by faith. It saves you from whatever you need saving from. We are the righteousness of God through Christ Jesus. We cannot rely on living by the law. It just reminds us we are sinners and under a curse but by faith in Jesus we walk by the Holy Spirit and are justified and set free from sin and the curse. As we live by faith so shall we walk in the consequences of faith. Those consequences of faith are peace, healing, prosperity that is to be poured out on others, and love. What can man do to me? What can Satan do to me? Nothing, for those who walk by faith have died to the things of this world and they have no hold on them. People of faith start walking in abundance. Not abundance that is to be stored up but an abundance that is to be poured out on others because the things of God are ever increasing. If you believe this you will walk in the gift of generosity. Faith is to be ever increasing like all things of God. Walk by faith. Pastor Jeff Lane Faith That Overcomes All Storms Part 1 2 Corinthians 5:7 New International Version 7 For we live by faith, not by sight. We live in disturbing times, and it is becoming harder and harder to get by, but it is not God’s will that we get by. It is His will that we are a blessing to others and help them for when we help others we will be helped. The world seeks the news of the day to make plans to survive, invest and live. We live by faith. Faith that overcomes all situations. Those who look to the world and devise their worldly plans will fail in due season. They will slip and fall. Those who look to God and trust in Jesus will walk on the waters of storms. They live by every word that proceeds from the month of God. He put those words in your month that you might be saved if you confess or speak them. The same Faith that redeems from sin redeems you from all things if you believe and speak to the mountain. People of this world get their news from God but those who walk by faith get their news from God. Look no longer to the world and the things in it but look to Jesus and walk by the faith He provided. Pastor Jeff Lane Just Call on Him and He will Hear you Part 5 Jeremiah 29:11 New International Version 11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Is this promise just for Israel? Is it not for all who would call on the name Jesus? God has a plan for you. Call on Him while He may be found. Where there is breath there is hope. New International Version 13 For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. 14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. 15 My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. 16 Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. 17 How precious to me are your thoughts,[a] God! How vast is the sum of them! 18 Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand— when I awake, I am still with you Pastor Jeff Lane Just Call on Him and He will Hear you Part 4 New International Version 6 But the righteousness that is by faith says: “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’” (that is, to bring Christ down) 7 “or ‘Who will descend into the deep?’” (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). 8 But what does it say? “The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart,” that is, the message concerning faith that we proclaim: 9 If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. 11 As Scripture says, “Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.” 12 For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, 13 for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” It is not a right because of natural birth or good works but he hears you when you open your month and call on the name Jesus. Simply by faith that He answers those who call upon Him. He even puts the word in your month so that you might be saved. From what you may ask. Whatever you need, Jesus has provided you salvation from it. Pastor Jeff Lane Just Call on Him and He will Hear you Part 3 New International Version Invitation to the Thirsty 55 “Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost. 2 Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and you will delight in the richest of fare. 3 Give ear and come to me; listen, that you may live. I will make an everlasting covenant with you, my faithful love promised to David. 4 See, I have made him a witness to the peoples, a ruler and commander of the peoples. 5 Surely you will summon nations you know not, and nations you do not know will come running to you, because of the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, for he has endowed you with splendor.” 6 Seek the Lord while he may be found; call on him while he is near. 7 Let the wicked forsake their ways and the unrighteous their thoughts. Let them turn to the Lord, and he will have mercy on them, and to our God, for he will freely pardon. 8 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. 9 “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. 10 As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, 11 so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it. 12 You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands. Though we are all sinners and wicket He hears our cries and answers our voice when we call upon Him. We must but repent and He is there. Oh, if only we would call upon Him so He could rescue us. He is watching and waiting, just look to Him and He will lift you up not because you are worthy but because he loves you. Pastor Jeff Lane Just Call on Him and He will Hear you Part 2 New International Version 6 “Your slave is in your hands,” Abram said. “Do with her whatever you think best.” Then Sarai mistreated Hagar; so she fled from her. 7 The angel of the Lord found Hagar near a spring in the desert; it was the spring that is beside the road to Shur. 8 And he said, “Hagar, slave of Sarai, where have you come from, and where are you going?” “I’m running away from my mistress Sarai,” she answered. 9 Then the angel of the Lord told her, “Go back to your mistress and submit to her.” 10 The angel added, “I will increase your descendants so much that they will be too numerous to count.” 11 The angel of the Lord also said to her: “You are now pregnant and you will give birth to a son. You shall name him Ishmael,[a] for the Lord has heard of your misery. 12 He will be a wild donkey of a man; his hand will be against everyone and everyone’s hand against him, and he will live in hostility toward all his brothers.” 13 She gave this name to the Lord who spoke to her: “You are the God who sees me,” for she said, “I have now seen the One who sees me.” 14 That is why the well was called Beer Lahai Roi; it is still there, between Kadesh and Bered. This story of Hagar should bring great comfort to those of us who are gentiles or non-Jews by birth. Hagar was Egyptian and a slave. She was pregnant not by choice but duty as a slave. She was run out of her home and dying in the desert but God had a plan for her and her son. He heard her and saw her tears. God does not play favorites but sees all who call on Him. He has a plan and a purpose for your life. Call on Him while He is near. Pastor Jeff Lane Just Call on Him and He will Hear you Part 1 My daughter lay dying in the hospital. It had been a week since she had been in a horrible auto accident with five others. She could not walk and was in a wheelchair. Broken pelvis in seven places, broken collar bone, and we were told she would never have children or walk again. She was only sixteen years old. The nurse had just told me she had minutes to live because she was bleeding out and if they opened her up, she would instantly die. They moved her into a room so we could say goodbye. I was alone in another room and had no strength to tell Becky she would be gone in a few moments. I collapsed on the floor and cried out to God for help. He heard me and answered me. I rose after only a few minutes and knew she would live and be normal again. I went to Becky, and we walked in the room. We prayed again when all her vital signs went back to normal. She stayed five more days without any evidence she had an issue, so they released her and said complications from a previous injury because they did not know what to say. Within weeks God healed her of everything else and she not only walked but she went rollerblading then bike riding for miles. She told me, “Dad, God was your God and I always listened as you told of all the miracles He gave you. Now I know the God who knows you and He is my God and hears me too. All I could do was cry and praise God through the tears of joy. Pastor Jeff Lane I Will Never Leave You Part 5 Jesus was the water from the rock in the wilderness. He is manna from heaven. He is quile in the lonely place. Ravens brought Him to Elijah in by the stream. He is oil in the jug and flour in the jar. Wine at the wedding. Life to the widows' sons. Fish and bread to the five thousand and the four thousand. He was gold coins in the mouth of the fish. Healing to the waters of Mara, site to the blind and strength to the cripple, skin to the leper, and all in all to us. Jesus is all you need and the rest is disappointment. Pastor Jeff Lane I Will Never Leave You Part 4 New International Version 24 “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money. Do Not Worry 25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? 28 “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? 31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. We all know something is terribly wrong in the world today. People are stressed and full of anxiety. What about the future, where will I live, will I have enough to eat, can I afford gas, will I have a job and the list goes on? Last night I was putting gas in the car and a man looking very embarrassed asked me; “Please sir could you put a little gas in my can and help me.” I looked at him and filled his can. People can’t even afford to drive their cars to work. God says don’t look at the storm, but at Him. He will carry you though, but we must seek Him before everything else. He never changes and He never leaves us if we seek Him first. God will take care of all these things. Pastor Jeff Lane I Will Never Leave You Part 3 1 Timothy 6:6-12 New International Version 6 But godliness with contentment is great gain. 7 For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. 8 But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. 9 Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. 11 But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. 12 Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses. Pursue Righteousness not money. The love of money will lead you to sin and destruction. I was telling some people last night about a man who was very successful in the eyes of the world. He was a big-time professional athlete, multiple college degrees, and very wealthy, but he was lying in the hospital dying. Why? He was depressed, an alcoholic, and tried to commit suicide. Though it would seem that he had the world by the tail, nothing was fulfilling to him. Then he met two carpenters. The first told him about the second. He gave his life to Jesus and has been happy ever since. God has returned much of his success as the world would see it, but that makes him no difference. He loves Jesus now. In fact, he found himself back in the hospital recently, but this time he wanted to live but was dying. Jesus healed him and gave him more time. The doctor’s were amazed. People, pursue God’s righteousness and take hold of eternal life. The things of this world, like satan, promise life but only take it. Jesus came to give life to the full. Pastor Jeff Lane I Will Never Leave You Part 2 Hebrews 13:7-8 New International Version 7 Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith. 8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. The things of this world always fade away. You cannot depend on the government because it is not God, as some look at it. Pharaoh was humbled by God putting His first born to death. Why? Because they believed in the physical god. What was that? The god of self, mankind. They believed in secular humanism and that man could overcome every problem, but he cannot overcome the sin problem. Men come and go but God remains the same. He cannot leave His children because His character does not change. As we look at the people who have served Him humbly, we see He always delivered them and even from death for He is the God of the living. Our God does not change, nor can He lie He will always deliver His people. Pastor Jeff Lane I Will Never Leave You Part 1 Hebrews 13:5 New International Version 5 Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” Money is declining in value everyday just as I told you it would. Love God who is ever increasing glory to us who love and obey Him. The God of money will disappoint, but the God of righteousness will never fail you. He will never leave you. I have found money tends to always find a way to leave us. Laugh out Loud, but our God cannot forsake us. Pastor Jeff Lane Could History Repeat Itself Yet Again? Part 5 Genesis 4:1-12 New International Version Cain and Abel 4 Adam[a] made love to his wife Eve, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Cain.[b] She said, “With the help of the Lord I have brought forth[c] a man.” 2 Later she gave birth to his brother Abel. Now Abel kept flocks, and Cain worked the soil. 3 In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the Lord. 4 And Abel also brought an offering—fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The Lord looked with favor on Abel and his offering, 5 but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast. 6 Then the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? 7 If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.” 8 Now Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let’s go out to the field.”[d] While they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him. 9 Then the Lord said to Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?” “I don’t know,” he replied. “Am I my brother’s keeper?” 10 The Lord said, “What have you done? Listen! Your brother’s blood cries out to me from the ground. 11 Now you are under a curse and driven from the ground, which opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand. 12 When you work the ground, it will no longer yield its crops for you. You will be a restless wanderer on the earth.” New International Version 21 “Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death. 22 You will be hated by everyone because of me, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. 23 When you are persecuted in one place, flee to another. Truly I tell you, you will not finish going through the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes. I see this happening before our eyes. Sadly, it is church people too. They think they are doing God a favor. Pastor Jeff Lane Could History Repeat Itself Yet Again? Part 4 New International Version 51 “You stiff-necked people! Your hearts and ears are still uncircumcised. You are just like your ancestors: You always resist the Holy Spirit! 52 Was there ever a prophet your ancestors did not persecute? They even killed those who predicted the coming of the Righteous One. And now you have betrayed and murdered him— 53 you who have received the law that was given through angels but have not obeyed it.” The Stoning of Stephen 54 When the members of the Sanhedrin heard this, they were furious and gnashed their teeth at him. 55 But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. 56 “Look,” he said, “I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.” 57 At this they covered their ears and, yelling at the top of their voices, they all rushed at him, 58 dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. Meanwhile, the witnesses laid their coats at the feet of a young man named Saul. 59 While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” 60 Then he fell on his knees and cried out, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” When he had said this, he fell asleep. Yep! History is repeating itself yet again. The religious establishment and many people of God are still resisting the Holy Spirit and His work. The Holy Spirit is God. Do no harden your heart but instead ask the Holy Spirit to reveal Himself to you and fill you. Pastor Jeff Lane Could History Repeat Itself Yet Again Part 3 New International Version 31 “His armed forces will rise up to desecrate the temple fortress and will abolish the daily sacrifice. Then they will set up the abomination that causes desolation. 32 With flattery he will corrupt those who have violated the covenant, but the people who know their God will firmly resist him. 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4 New International Version 3 Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness[a] is revealed, the man doomed to destruction. 4 He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be God. Satan’s tactics never change. He keeps repeating himself over and over. He will deceive many and proclaim himself God yet again in these last days. People will follow him to the lake of fire unwilling to repent and be saved. How could this be and by a false church having a form of godliness and yet deny the power of God. Just as Seven said they deny the Holy Spirit. Pastor Jeff Lane Could History Repeat Itself Yet Again? Part 2 New International Version The Plot to Kill Jesus 45 Therefore many of the Jews who had come to visit Mary, and had seen what Jesus did, believed in him. 46 But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. 47 Then the chief priests and the Pharisees called a meeting of the Sanhedrin. “What are we accomplishing?” they asked. “Here is this man performing many signs. 48 If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and then the Romans will come and take away both our temple and our nation.” 49 Then one of them, named Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, spoke up, “You know nothing at all! 50 You do not realize that it is better for you that one man die for the people than that the whole nation perish.” 51 He did not say this on his own, but as high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the Jewish nation, 52 and not only for that nation but also for the scattered children of God, to bring them together and make them one. 53 So from that day on they plotted to take his life. 2 Timothy 3:13 New International Version 13 while evildoers and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. James 3:16 New International Version 16 For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice. The Jewish ruling council (Religious leaders) were only concerned about themselves, not God’s people. They didn’t even ask if this could be God. They simply deceived themselves and as a result God deceived them. He prophesied through the high priest that Jesus would need to die for the Jewish nation, but he did not know this was God’s will because Jesus was the Messiah not of Satan. Their selfish ambition blinded their eyes to the truth. Could this still be happening? There is a very popular pastor who preaches against the Baptism in the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking in tongues. Of course, tongues are the power of God to release His will on earth. They never attack the baptism, just the tongues saying it is of Satan. He is loved by the media and many follow him. I call him an instrument of Satan. Masquerading as an angel of light. People if the world loves you are its own. These so-called preachers of light would not dare say anything positive about tongues because they fear reprisal by their own. They fear man more than God. Just keep the tongues buried with the Apostles and you too can be accepted by them. They pay their followers off with prestige, praise, and positions. Wake up church. It will be the traditional church who will be false prophets for the anti-Christ. Pastor Jeff Lane Could History Repeat Itself Yet Again? Part 1 1 Corinthians 10:1-13 New International Version Warnings From Israel’s History 10 For I do not want you to be ignorant of the fact, brothers and sisters, that our ancestors were all under the cloud and that they all passed through the sea. 2 They were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea. 3 They all ate the same spiritual food 4 and drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ. 5 Nevertheless, God was not pleased with most of them; their bodies were scattered in the wilderness. 6 Now these things occurred as examples to keep us from setting our hearts on evil things as they did. 7 Do not be idolaters, as some of them were; as it is written: “The people sat down to eat and drink and got up to indulge in revelry.” 8 We should not commit sexual immorality, as some of them did—and in one day twenty-three thousand of them died. 9 We should not test Christ, as some of them did—and were killed by snakes. 10 And do not grumble, as some of them did—and were killed by the destroying angel. 11 These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the culmination of the ages has come. 12 So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall! 13 No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it. New International Version The Guards’ Report 11 While the women were on their way, some of the guards went into the city and reported to the chief priests everything that had happened. 12 When the chief priests had met with the elders and devised a plan, they gave the soldiers a large sum of money, 13 telling them, “You are to say, ‘His disciples came during the night and stole him away while we were asleep.’ 14 If this report gets to the governor, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble.” 15 So the soldiers took the money and did as they were instructed. And this story has been widely circulated among the Jews to this very day. I have often thought how could these Israelites see and witness all these miracles God had done and yet turn their backs on Him? Could we do it again and have men covered God’s works so as not to face Him? I think the answer is obvious. Yes and yes. Hosea 4:6 says God’s people perish for a lack of understanding and knowledge. People like Hitler and Stalin tried to cover or destroy all truth and now a spirit of antiChrist in our world does the same. Satan acts like he has science and knowledge to back his lies and yet it is a lie itself. Fake news, false information, and lying politicians repeat history yet again as people eat their lies like comfort food to be a pain killer so they can continue in their sin all the time destroying the lives of the unborn and poor of the world. Just to have the material things of this world they relish these lies. Just like Egypt would destroy all evidence of an undesirable moment in their history these people cover the truth though their false propaganda and courts they control. Know the past or repeat it. Seek the Lord while He may be found. You have a Bible, read it. Know the Lord and know the truth while it may be found. Swallow the lie and be deceived even more. God will allow you to be deceived so to bring down on your head His wrath for those who turn their backs on Him. Look at the guard’s report. Who came up with that idea? Was it not the church leaders? Pastor Jeff Lane Will You Deny Him? Part 5 Zechariah 4:6 New International Version 6 So he said to me, “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the Lord Almighty. New International Version 32 God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of it. 33 Exalted to the right hand of God, he has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear. 34 For David did not ascend to heaven, and yet he said, “‘The Lord said to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand 35 until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.”’[a] 36 “Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah.” 37 When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” 38 Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Ephesians 1:11-14 New International Version 11 In him we were also chosen,[a] having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, 12 in order that we, who were the first to put our hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory. 13 And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory. New International Version 46 “Why are you sleeping?” he asked them. “Get up and pray so that you will not fall into temptation.” It is only through prayer inspired by the Holy Spirit that you can survive what is to come. Only with the Spirit’s help can you keep from denying Him and to deny the Mark. Lean not on your own understanding. Our weapons are mighty through Christ Jesus. Pick up the Sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God. Pastor Jeff Lane Will You Deny Him? Part 4 New International Version Jesus Prays on the Mount of Olives 39 Jesus went out as usual to the Mount of Olives, and his disciples followed him. 40 On reaching the place, he said to them, “Pray that you will not fall into temptation.” 41 He withdrew about a stone’s throw beyond them, knelt down and prayed, 42 “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.” 43 An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him. 44 And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.[a] 45 When he rose from prayer and went back to the disciples, he found them asleep, exhausted from sorrow. 46 “Why are you sleeping?” he asked them. “Get up and pray so that you will not fall into temptation.” If Jesus went through this kind of anguish to do the will of God and drink the cup God prepared for Him, are you ready to say no to the Mark? Can you survive even a little of the Tribulation should you have to? What are you going to do to prepare? We need to Pray! Pastor Jeff Lane Will You Deny Him Part 3 New International Version 31 “Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift all of you as wheat. 32 But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.” 33 But he replied, “Lord, I am ready to go with you to prison and to death.” 34 Jesus answered, “I tell you, Peter, before the rooster crows today, you will deny three times that you know me.” New International Version Peter Disowns Jesus 54 Then seizing him, they led him away and took him into the house of the high priest. Peter followed at a distance. 55 And when some there had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and had sat down together, Peter sat down with them. 56 A servant girl saw him seated there in the firelight. She looked closely at him and said, “This man was with him.” 57 But he denied it. “Woman, I don’t know him,” he said. 58 A little later someone else saw him and said, “You also are one of them.” “Man, I am not!” Peter replied. 59 About an hour later another asserted, “Certainly this fellow was with him, for he is a Galilean.” 60 Peter replied, “Man, I don’t know what you’re talking about!” Just as he was speaking, the rooster crowed. 61 The Lord turned and looked straight at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word the Lord had spoken to him: “Before the rooster crows today, you will disown me three times.” 62 And he went outside and wept bitterly. Now if Peter who walked on water with Jesus, healed the sick with His power, listened to His teaching for three years, watched Him raise the dead and saw Moses and Elijah with Him on the mountain gave in and denied Christ what makes you think you will not? Peter and the others only were martyred after receiving the Holy Spirit and praying as Jesus did. Then and only then were they able not to deny Him. Pastor Jeff Lane Will You Deny Him? Part 2 1 Corinthians 10:1-13 New International Version Warnings From Israel’s History 10 For I do not want you to be ignorant of the fact, brothers and sisters, that our ancestors were all under the cloud and that they all passed through the sea. 2 They were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea. 3 They all ate the same spiritual food 4 and drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ. 5 Nevertheless, God was not pleased with most of them; their bodies were scattered in the wilderness. 6 Now these things occurred as examples to keep us from setting our hearts on evil things as they did. 7 Do not be idolaters, as some of them were; as it is written: “The people sat down to eat and drink and got up to indulge in revelry.”[a] 8 We should not commit sexual immorality, as some of them did—and in one day twenty-three thousand of them died. 9 We should not test Christ,[b] as some of them did—and were killed by snakes. 10 And do not grumble, as some of them did—and were killed by the destroying angel. 11 These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the culmination of the ages has come. 12 So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall! 13 No temptation[c] has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted[d] beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted,[e] he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it. Now I ask you; what makes you think you have more on the ball than these who were freed from slavery, saw God destroy Egypt, drown their armies, ate manna, drank from the rock, walk through the parted sea and still did not believe and entered the promise land that you would not deny Christ? Most the church today can’t even say not to sin not realizing every time they do they deny Him. Wake up church and pray you don’t fall into temptation! Pastor Jeff Lane Will You Deny Him Part 1 Revelation 13:5-17 New International Version 5 The beast was given a mouth to utter proud words and blasphemies and to exercise its authority for forty-two months. 6 It opened its mouth to blaspheme God, and to slander his name and his dwelling place and those who live in heaven. 7 It was given power to wage war against God’s holy people and to conquer them. And it was given authority over every tribe, people, language and nation. 8 All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast—all whose names have not been written in the Lamb’s book of life, the Lamb who was slain from the creation of the world.[a] 9 Whoever has ears, let them hear. 10 “If anyone is to go into captivity, into captivity they will go. If anyone is to be killed[b] with the sword, with the sword they will be killed.”[c] This calls for patient endurance and faithfulness on the part of God’s people. The Beast out of the Earth 11 Then I saw a second beast, coming out of the earth. It had two horns like a lamb, but it spoke like a dragon. 12 It exercised all the authority of the first beast on its behalf, and made the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast, whose fatal wound had been healed. 13 And it performed great signs, even causing fire to come down from heaven to the earth in full view of the people. 14 Because of the signs it was given power to perform on behalf of the first beast, it deceived the inhabitants of the earth. It ordered them to set up an image in honor of the beast who was wounded by the sword and yet lived. 15 The second beast was given power to give breath to the image of the first beast, so that the image could speak and cause all who refused to worship the image to be killed. 16 It also forced all people, great and small, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hands or on their foreheads, 17 so that they could not buy or sell unless they had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of its name. I have unsaved people tell me they will never take the Mark of the Beast if or when it comes. My answer is if you can’t live for Jesus now when times are still good and you say so arrogantly you could stand up for Christ and take that mark as you, your spouse, and your children are starving or being put to death before your eyes. Or You are all being beaten while others simply take the Mark and live. Pardon me but I have my doubts. You say you will not deny Jesus then, but you can’t live for Him now? Right. Tell yourself that if it makes you feel better, but you are self-deceived. Don't wait until it's too late to serve Him, serve and follow Him now! Pastor Jeff Lane Where is the zeal ? Part 5 Acts 1:4 New International Version 4 On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. Why is the church not consumed with zeal to be filled with the fire of God and His Holy Spirit? Like a government committee they discuss it, talk, debate about it, but do nothing. A form of Godliness but denying the power. Pastor Jeff Lane Where is the zeal? Part 4 New International Version 17 His disciples remembered that it is written: “Zeal for your house will consume me.” Matthew 3:11 New International Version 11 “I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me comes one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. Christ's zeal for the church was to cleanse it so the church would do God’s will. He was consumed with it. Where is the cleansing fire for God’s church? Pastor Jeff Lane Where is the zeal Part 3 James 3:5 New International Version 5 Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. Please consider how little it would take to start a revival. David was a boy, Mary a child, and John the Apostle a teenager. Size doesn't matter, but the Spirit of God does. Where’s the spark? What is in your heart? Pastor Jeff Lane Where is the zeal Part 2 Revelation 3:14-22 New International Version To the Church in Laodicea 14 “To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God’s creation. 15 I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! 16 So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. 17 You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. 18 I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see. 19 Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent. 20 Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me. 21 To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I was victorious and sat down with my Father on his throne. 22 Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” The church is lukewarm at best. We bind the hands of God due to our lack of fire. To overcome lukewarmness is the only place where the church is promised to have the right to sit on the throne with Jesus. Where’s the fire? Pastor Jeff Lane Where is the zeal? Part 1 New International Version 14 Now Elisha had been suffering from the illness from which he died. Jehoash king of Israel went down to see him and wept over him. “My father! My father!” he cried. “The chariots and horsemen of Israel!” 15 Elisha said, “Get a bow and some arrows,” and he did so. 16 “Take the bow in your hands,” he said to the king of Israel. When he had taken it, Elisha put his hands on the king’s hands. 17 “Open the east window,” he said, and he opened it. “Shoot!” Elisha said, and he shot. “The Lord’s arrow of victory, the arrow of victory over Aram!” Elisha declared. “You will completely destroy the Arameans at Aphek.” 18 Then he said, “Take the arrows,” and the king took them. Elisha told him, “Strike the ground.” He struck it three times and stopped. 19 The man of God was angry with him and said, “You should have struck the ground five or six times; then you would have defeated Aram and completely destroyed it. But now you will defeat it only three times.” 20 Elisha died and was buried. Now Moabite raiders used to enter the country every spring. 21 Once while some Israelites were burying a man, suddenly they saw a band of raiders; so they threw the man’s body into Elisha’s tomb. When the touched Elisha’s bones, the man came to life and stood up on his feet. There was enough fire left in Elisha’s bones to raise the dead. God’s not dead. God is the chariots and horses of Israel and yet there was not enough zeal for God to lose or release the power of God to destroy the enemies of Israel. Think about it. Where is the zeal for God today? People don’t have enough zeal for God to get out of bed and go to church. Pastor Jeff Lane Stand Firm Part 8 New International Version 12 When the angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon, he said, “The Lord is with you, mighty warrior.” 13 “Pardon me, my lord,” Gideon replied, “but if the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us? Where are all his wonders that our ancestors told us about when they said, ‘Did not the Lord bring us up out of Egypt?’ But now the Lord has abandoned us and given us into the hand of Midian.” 14 The Lord turned to him and said, “Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian’s hand. Am I not sending you?” This story reminds me of my father because it sounds like something he would say to me. You do this and don’t doubt because I am sending you in other words “I got your back”. God got your back so stand firm. He will go and be with you. Pastor Jeff Lane Stand Firm Part 7 Joshua 1:7-9 New International Version 7 “Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. 8 Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. 9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” I have always believed that God is no respecter of persons. One He does for one He will do for another as long as we obey Him and remain faithful. We are all to be strong and courageous, but in this we will only be successful if we obey Him. God tells us to stand firm and He will deliver us. Now then, be very strong and courageous and He will be with you as He was with Moses and Joshua. Pastor Jeff Lane Stand Firm Part 6 Ephesians 6:10-13 New International Version The Armor of God 10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. God did not tell us to put on the full armor of His to go on a picnic. We are to fight and will fight in the Spirit or fall. Be prepared so you can stand on the day of battle. Some will tell you that there will be no battle and no need for your armor, but God says put it on so you can stand against Satan's onslaught. The day of evil will come no matter what some may say. If you stand you will stand, but if you flee and hide you will not make it through to the end. When you have done all else, stand and see the salvation of the Lord. Pastor Jeff Lane Stand Firm Part 5 1 Corinthians 15:49-58 New International Version 49 And just as we have borne the image of the earthly man, so shall we[a] bear the image of the heavenly man. 50 I declare to you, brothers and sisters, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. 51 Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed— 52 in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. 53 For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. 54 When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.”[b] 55 “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” 56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 58 Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain. When Jesus returns we are to be about the Father’s business. Let nothing move you but do the work God has given us. The saving of souls. We are now being made in the image of Jesus and as He died at the hands of men and rose from the dead, so we have nothing to fear. Even if they should slay us yet shall we live. So stand firm in your faith and all you do because we will no matter what. Pastor Jeff Lane Stand Firm Part 4 New International Version 6 Now this I know: The Lord gives victory to his anointed. He answers him from his heavenly sanctuary with the victorious power of his right hand. 7 Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God. 8 They are brought to their knees and fall, but we rise up and stand firm. WE are not to trust in the weapons of this world. We can only trust in the name of Jesus. David a young boy came against the giant in the name of the Lord not javelin and sword. In the times we live in, carnal weapons will be of no use, but the word of God will prevail. Every knee shall bow at the name of Jesus, but His children can stand firm in their faith against all worldly weapons. Pastor Jeff Lane Stand Firm Part 3 Isaiah 7:9 New International Version 9 The head of Ephraim is Samaria, and the head of Samaria is only Remaliah’s son. If you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all.’” When Ahaz was king of Judah a vast army was coming against them, but God points out they are not gods but only human. God mocks them and tells Ahaz to stand firm in his faith or not at all.. Faith is our fortified city and strength against our enemies. We can stand firm against all odds. God is our shield and great reward. What can man do to me? Pastor Jeff Lane Stand Firm Part 2 Jeremiah 1:17-19 New International Version 17 “Get yourself ready! Stand up and say to them whatever I command you. Do not be terrified by them, or I will terrify you before them. 18 Today I have made you a fortified city, an iron pillar and a bronze wall to stand against the whole land—against the kings of Judah, its officials, its priests and the people of the land. 19 They will fight against you but will not overcome you, for I am with you and will rescue you,” declares the Lord. Can you even imagine God saying this to you? Jeremiah was a young man and yet He stood his ground and spoke the word of God fearlessly. The more he stood up to his people and the enemies the stronger he became. Unlike many preachers today he spoke against sin. If we hold back the word of the Lord, we become an enemy of God. We will no longer have to worry about the world, the world will be the least of our problems. Stand firm in the word and hold none of God’s words back. Whatever you bind on earth you bind in heaven. It is not a good idea to try to hold God back. Pastor Jeff Lane Stand Firm Part 1 New International Version 4 Jesus answered: “Watch out that no one deceives you. 5 For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and will deceive many. 6 You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. 7 Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are the beginning of birth pains. 9 “Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. 10 At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, 11 and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. 12 Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, 13 but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. God tells us we will go through some hard times, but HE will not forsake us. We must stand for Him firmly in our faith till it is over. Being a Christian is not for the faint of heart. People often see us as weak and just stupid, but God has shown us what is to come and makes us strong. Pastor Jeff Lane Left Behind? No Worries part 5 1 Thessalonians 5:9 New International Version 9 For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. Wow! First Thessalonians 5:9 sums it up. God will not pour out His wrath on His righteous people who are saved by the blood of Jesus. What a comfort. I can not hide from God, fool God or escape His judgment, but He is willing to make me righteous as He is righteous if I will only accept Jesus. No other way but Jesus. Pastor Jeff Lane Left Behind? No Worries part 4 New International Version The Sons of Noah 18 The sons of Noah who came out of the ark were Shem, Ham and Japheth. (Ham was the father of Canaan.) 19 These were the three sons of Noah, and from them came the people who were scattered over the whole earth. 20 Noah, a man of the soil, proceeded to plant a vineyard. 21 When he drank some of its wine, he became drunk and lay uncovered inside his tent. 22 Ham, the father of Canaan, saw his father naked and told his two brothers outside. 23 But Shem and Japheth took a garment and laid it across their shoulders; then they walked in backward and covered their father’s naked body. Their faces were turned the other way so that they would not see their father naked. Ham committed a homosexual act on his father and God judged him. He may have made it through the flood, but he did not escape God’s judgment. Like Lot’s wife his sin was exposed and judged. God knows the heart and only Jesus can save us. Pastor Jeff Lane Left Behind? No Worries part 3 New International Version 23 By the time Lot reached Zoar, the sun had risen over the land. 24 Then the Lord rained down burning sulfur on Sodom and Gomorrah—from the Lord out of the heavens. 25 Thus he overthrew those cities and the entire plain, destroying all those living in the cities—and also the vegetation in the land. 26 But Lot’s wife looked back, and she became a pillar of salt. New International Version On Not Loving the World 15 Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. You can take the person out of the sin but you can’t take the sin out of the person. Sin has to be out of your heart, but physical location will not save you. Lot’s wife, like so many, looked back and longed for what she had. People say the sinner’s prayer but then keep looking back at their life of sin as the good times. They even brag about it. We often put them in front of the church to tell of their life of sin as though we gave that up. No, we gained so much more. The problem of much of the church is facing the wrong direction to see it. Living out of the city won’t save your soul or body. Only the righteousness of God through Christ Jesus can do that. Pastor Jeff Lane Left Behind? No Worries part 2 New International Version 12 The two men said to Lot, “Do you have anyone else here—sons-in-law, sons or daughters, or anyone else in the city who belongs to you? Get them out of here, 13 because we are going to destroy this place. The outcry to the Lord against its people is so great that he has sent us to destroy it.” 14 So Lot went out and spoke to his sons-in-law, who were pledged to marry his daughters. He said, “Hurry and get out of this place, because the Lord is about to destroy the city!” But his sons-in-law thought he was joking. 15 With the coming of dawn, the angels urged Lot, saying, “Hurry! Take your wife and your two daughters who are here, or you will be swept away when the city is punished.” 16 When he hesitated, the men grasped his hand and the hands of his wife and of his two daughters and led them safely out of the city, for the Lord was merciful to them. 17 As soon as they had brought them out, one of them said, “Flee for your lives! Don’t look back, and don’t stop anywhere in the plain! Flee to the mountains or you will be swept away!” 18 But Lot said to them, “No, my lords, please! 19 Your servant has found favor in your eyes, and you have shown great kindness to me in sparing my life. But I can’t flee to the mountains; this disaster will overtake me, and I’ll die. 20 Look, here is a town near enough to run to, and it is small. Let me flee to it—it is very small, isn’t it? Then my life will be spared.” 21 He said to him, “Very well, I will grant this request too; I will not overthrow the town you speak of. 22 But flee there quickly, because I cannot do anything until you reach it.” (That is why the town was called Zoar.) God would not let the angel destroy Sodom for the sake of one righteous person. He would spare the whole earth for the sake of one righteous person. If only one would stand in the gap. It is also noteworthy that God still spared the town of Zoar at Lot’s request. God even gave a chance of life to Lot’s son in law but they laughed at him. I saw a program lately and they were mocking a lady who believed in the rapture. They were laughing at her and I could not help but think of Lot’s sons in law. The world is not ignorant of God’s word for it says the word would be preached in all the earth before Jesus returns and sets up His kingdom. Pastor Jeff Lane Left Behind? No Worries New International Version Abraham Pleads for Sodom 16 When the men got up to leave, they looked down toward Sodom, and Abraham walked along with them to see them on their way. 17 Then the Lord said, “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do? 18 Abraham will surely become a great and powerful nation, and all nations on earth will be blessed through him.[a] 19 For I have chosen him, so that he will direct his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing what is right and just, so that the Lord will bring about for Abraham what he has promised him.” 20 Then the Lord said, “The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is so great and their sin so grievous 21 that I will go down and see if what they have done is as bad as the outcry that has reached me. If not, I will know.” 22 The men turned away and went toward Sodom, but Abraham remained standing before the Lord.[b] 23 Then Abraham approached him and said: “Will you sweep away the righteous with the wicked? 24 What if there are fifty righteous people in the city? Will you really sweep it away and not spare[c] the place for the sake of the fifty righteous people in it? 25 Far be it from you to do such a thing—to kill the righteous with the wicked, treating the righteous and the wicked alike. Far be it from you! Will not the Judge of all the earth do right?” 26 The Lord said, “If I find fifty righteous people in the city of Sodom, I will spare the whole place for their sake.” 27 Then Abraham spoke up again: “Now that I have been so bold as to speak to the Lord, though I am nothing but dust and ashes, 28 what if the number of the righteous is five less than fifty? Will you destroy the whole city for lack of five people?” “If I find forty-five there,” he said, “I will not destroy it.” 29 Once again he spoke to him, “What if only forty are found there?” He said, “For the sake of forty, I will not do it.” 30 Then he said, “May the Lord not be angry, but let me speak. What if only thirty can be found there?” He answered, “I will not do it if I find thirty there.” 31 Abraham said, “Now that I have been so bold as to speak to the Lord, what if only twenty can be found there?” He said, “For the sake of twenty, I will not destroy it.” 32 Then he said, “May the Lord not be angry, but let me speak just once more. What if only ten can be found there?” He answered, “For the sake of ten, I will not destroy it.” 33 When the Lord had finished speaking with Abraham, he left, and Abraham returned home. Soon God will begin the Tribulation and His wrath on the earth. He will destroy the works of Satan and all those who follow him, but what about us? Will any be left behind to suffer God’s wrath? Well in the case of Sodom Abraham pleads for the righteous and of course with Lot his nephew in mind. God says for the sake of ten He would not destroy the city and Abraham is consoled thinking surely there will be ten righteous people left in Sodom and Lot’s safety is assured, but he was wrong because there were not ten righteous. God said that the end times would be like then and there will be few who are righteous, but like then, He will remove the righteous from the wicked. How many will be left behind? Well you will have to wait for the next devotional. Pastor Jeff Lane Overcoming Sin Part 5 New International Version 14 What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? 15 Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. 16 If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? 17 In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. 18 But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.” Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds. 19 You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder. 20 You foolish person, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless[a]? 21 Was not our father Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? 22 You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. 23 And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,”[b] and he was called God’s friend. 24 You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone. 25 In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction? 26 As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead. Faith without Deeds is dead as love without deeds is dead. You cannot separate faith and love. They are one as the Godhead is one. Pastor Jeff Lane Overcoming Sin Part 4 New International Version 19 This is how we know that we belong to the truth and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence: 20 If our hearts condemn us, we know that God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything. 21 Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God 22 and receive from him anything we ask, because we keep his commands and do what pleases him. 23 And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us. 24 The one who keeps God’s commands lives in him, and he in them. And this is how we know that he lives in us: We know it by the Spirit he gave us. There is no condemnation (Romans 8:12) in Christ Jesus. Our hearts nor anything else in all creation can condemn those who walk in His love. If we believe in His name we are saved and will walk as He walked love our brothers and sisters as He loves us. Think of the greatest commandments. Mark 12:29-31 New International Version 29 “The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ 31 The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.” If we do all this it sums up all the law and the prophets. We will live! To do all this is to believe in Jesus. These are the evidence of righteousness. Pastor Jeff Lane Overcoming Sin Part 3 New International Version 16 This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. 17 If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? 18 Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth. Love like faith is an action word not a noun. There is evidence if we walk in love. We want and do what is best for others just as God does for us. Where you treasure is your heart is. Is your treasure in others or your own selfish ambitions? Remember selfish ambition is where you will find every evil practice. Pastor Jeff Lane Overcoming Sin Part 2 New International Version More on Love and Hatred 11 For this is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love one another. 12 Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own actions were evil and his brother’s were righteous. 13 Do not be surprised, my brothers and sisters, if the world hates you. 14 We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love each other. Anyone who does not love remains in death. 15 Anyone who hates a brother or sister is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life residing in him. How do I know if I am overcoming sin and the world? The world will hate you without reason wanting to kill you, but you will love your sister and brother and be willing to die for them. “No murderer has eternal life residing in him” or in other words they do not have Jesus. If we harbor hatred for others, we do not have the love of God in us nor do we have eternal life. Sin resides in our bodies. Pastor Jeff Lane Overcoming Sin Part 1 New International Version 9 No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in them; they cannot go on sinning, because they have been born of God. 10 This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not God’s child, nor is anyone who does not love their brother and sister. What a place to start a teaching on overcoming sin, but we must. There are many preachers out there that teach once saved always saved and that it is ok to sin and do whatever you want and you will still go to heaven. Yet John teaches if you are saved you will stop sinning because you're born of God. Now it is dangerous to take one or a few scriptures to build a doctrine. We must use the whole word and all it says to understand what Jesus did for us. If I am born of this world I will act like this world. Kind produces after kind. A simple but profound truth. If I am born of this world I keep on sinning, but if I am born of God I will stop. Jesus often said look at the evidence to make a right judgment. If I am born of God, I will be like Him and If I am born of the devil I will be like him. We know that if we are born of God we will love our brothers and sisters. We will die to our own earthly desires and serve each other. How do we overcome sin? We must love each other. Pastor Jeff Lane It’s always been God reaching out to us Part 5 Genesis 4:5-7 New International Version 5 but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast. 6 Then the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? 7 If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.” God once again is reaching out to man. He wants obedience not sacrifice. Cain refused to listen and killed his brother as though that would fix his own soul. Man trying to fix himself, but God was always trying to forgive and save us. Pride of man is his downfall. Pastor Jeff Lane
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महान् विवाद नयाँ देशमा ज्योति- Contents - १ — तीर्थयात्री पुर्खाहरू - २ — बिहानका अग्रदूतहरू - ३ — अमेरिकाको सुधारक - ४ — अँध्यारोद्वारा ज्योति - ५ — एक महान् धार्मिक जागृति - ६ — एक चेतावनी इन्कार भयो - ७ — अगमवाणीहरूको पूर्णता - ८ — पवित्रस्थान के हो? - ९ — पवित्रहरूका पवित्रमा - १० — परमेश्वरको अपरिवर्तनीय व्यवस्था - ११ — एउटा सुधार-कार्य - १२ — आधुनिक जागृतिहरू - १३ — जीवनको अभिलेख सामु - Results - Related - Featured - Weighted Relevancy - Content Sequence - Relevancy - Earliest First - Latest First ७ — अगमवाणीहरूको पूर्णता जब परमप्रभुको आगमन पहिले अपेक्षा गरिएको समय अर्थात् १८४४को शरद् ऋतु पार भयो, तब जसले उहाँको आगमन विश्वाससाथ प्रतीक्षा गरे तिनीहरू केही समयसम्म सन्देह र अनिश्चिततामा डुबे। जब संसारले तिनीहरूलाई पूर्ण पराजय भएको भन्ठान्यो र भ्रमलाई आत्म-सात् गरेको भनी प्रमाणित गऱ्यो तब परमेश्वरको वचन नै तिनीहरूको सान्त्वनाको स्रोत भयो। तिनीहरूको विश्वासका प्रमाणहरू जाँच गर्दै कैयौँले धर्मशास्त्रहरूको अनुसन्धानलाई कायम राखे, र थप ज्योति प्राप्त गर्न होसियारसाथ अगमवाणीहरू अध्ययन गरे। तिनीहरूको विश्वासको समर्थनमा बाइबलका गवाहीहरू स्पष्ट र निर्णायक देखिन्थ्यो। सही चिन्हहरूले ख्रीष्टको आगमनको निकटतालाई केन्द्रित गरे। पापीहरूको परिवर्तन र इसाईहरूको बीचमा आत्मिकी जीवनको जागृति दुवैमा परमप्रभुको विशेष आशिष् थियो, त्यसले त्यो सन्देश स्वर्गबाट आएको हो भनी गवाही दियो। विश्वासीहरूले तिनीहरूका नैराश्यताको वर्णन गर्न सकेनन्, तापनि परमेश्वरले तिनीहरूलाई विगतका अनुभवहरूमा अगुवाइ गर्नुभएको थियो भनी तिनीहरू ढुक्क भए।MBND 127.1 तिनीहरूले दोस्रो आगमनको समयमा लागू हुन्छ भनी सोचेको अगमवाणीसँग मिसिएको शिक्षाचाहिँ विशेष गरेर तिनीहरूको अनिश्चितता र सन्देहको अवस्थाको लागि उपयुक्त थियो, र वर्तमान समयमा तिनीहरूका समझमा अन्धकार भए तापनि उचित समयमा स्पष्ट हुनेछ भन्ने कुरामा तिनीहरूलाई विश्वासका साथ प्रतीक्षा गर्न उत्साह दिलायो।MBND 127.2 यी अगमवाणीहरूमध्ये हबकूक २:१-४ पनि एउटा थियो: “म मेरो पहरामा नै उभिरहनेछु, र पर्खालमा म आफै खड़ा रहनेछु, र उहाँ मलाई के भन्नुहुन्छ सो म हेर्दैरहनेछु। यस उजूरको कस्तो जवाफ मैले दिनुपर्ने सो म हेरिबस्नेछु। तब परमप्रभुले मलाई जवाफमा भन्नुभयो, ‘तैंले यो प्रकाश पाटीहरूमा प्रष्ट गरी लेख्, र समाचारवाहक त्यससित दौड्न सकोस्। किनकि प्रकाश ठहरिएको समय पूरा हुनलाई पर्खिरहेछ। त्यसले अन्तको विषयमा बताउँछ र त्यो झूटो ठहरिनेछैन। त्यो पूरा हुन ढिलो भए तापनि त्यसको प्रतीक्षा गर्दैबस्, किनभने त्यो निश्चय नै पूरा हुनेछ, त्यसले ढिलो गर्नेछैन। हेर्, त्यो घमण्डले फुलिएको छ, त्यसका इच्छाहरू सोझा छैनन्—तर धर्मीचाहिँ आफ्नो विश्वासद्वारा जिउनेछ।’”MBND 127.3 “प्रकाश पाटीहरूमा प्रष्ट गरी लेख्, र समाचारवाहक त्यससित दौड्न सकोस्,” भन्ने यो अगमवाणीमा दिइएको निर्देशनले १८४२को आरम्भतिर दानिएल र प्रकाशको दर्शनहरूलाई व्याख्या गर्ने एउटा अगमवाणीक नक्सा तयार गर्ने चारल्स फिचलाई सल्लाह दिइयो। यो नक्साको प्रकाशनमा हबकूकले दिएको आदेश पूरा भएको भनी ठानियो। जे भए पनि उति नै खेर त्यही अगमवाणीमा दिइएको दर्शनको पूर्णतामा प्रत्यक्ष ढिलाइ भएको अर्थात् प्रतीक्षाको घड़ीलाई कसैले ध्यान दिएन। नैराश्यपछि त यो धर्मशास्त्र असाध्यै अर्थमुलक बन्न गयो: “किनकि प्रकाश ठहरिएको समय पूरा हुनलाई पर्खिरहेछ। त्यसले अन्तको विषयमा बताउँछ र त्यो झूटो ठहरिनेछैन। त्यो पूरा हुन ढिलो भए तापनि त्यसको प्रतीक्षा गर्दैबस्, किनभने त्यो निश्चय नै पूरा हुनेछ, त्यसले ढिलो गर्नेछैन। ... तर धर्मीचाहिँ आफ्नो विश्वासद्वारा जिउनेछ।”MBND 128.1 इजकिएलको अगमवणीको एक अंश विश्वासीहरूको निम्ति एक सान्त्वना र सामर्थ्यको एक स्रोत बन्न गयो: “परमप्रभुको यो वचन मकहाँ आयो: ‘हे मानिसको छोरो, “दिन बित्दैजान्छ, र पनि दर्शन भने कुनै कुरा हुँदैन” भन्ने तिमीहरूको देश इस्राएलमा चल्दैआएको यो उखान के हो? यसकारण तिनीहरूलाई भन्, “परमप्रभु परमेश्वर यसो भन्नुहुन्छ: ... दिनहरू नजिकै छन्, जब हरेक दर्शन पूरा हुनेछ। ... मैले भन्ने कुराहरू म, परमप्रभु आफैले नै भन्नेछु, र त्यो ढिलो नभई पूरा हुनेछ।”’” “इस्राएलका घराना यसो भन्दैछ, ‘त्यसले देखेको दर्शन धेरै वर्षपछि मात्र पूरा हुनेछ, र त्यसले धेरै समयपछिको कुराहरूको अगमवाणी कहन्छ।’ यसकारण तिनीहरूलाई भन्, ‘परमप्रभु परमेश्वर यसो भन्नुहुन्छ: मैले भनेको एउटै कुरा पनि अब ढिलो हुनेछैन, तर जे कुरा म भन्दछु, सो पूरा हुने नै छ, परमप्रभु परमेश्वर भन्नुहुन्छ।’” इजकिएल १२:२१-२५, २७, २८।MBND 128.2 जसले आदि र अन्त जान्नुहुन्छ उहाँले युगहरूसम्म देख्नुभएको थियो र तिनीहरूका नैराश्यताको पूर्वदर्शन गर्नुभएको थियो, त्यसकारण तिनीहरूलाई आशा र साहसका वचनहरू प्रदान गर्नुभएको थियो भन्ने विश्वासका साथ प्रतीक्षारत जनहरू रमाए। यदि यस्ता प्रकारका धर्मशास्त्रका अंशहरूले धैर्यसाथ प्रतीक्षा गर्न र परमेश्वरको वचनमा भरोसा स्थिर राख्न तिनीहरूलाई चेतावनी नदिएको भए त्यो प्रतीक्षाको घड़ीमा तिनीहरूको विश्वास डग्मगाउनेथियो।MBND 128.3 मत्ती २५को दश कन्याहरूको दृष्टान्तले पनि दोस्रो आगमनको प्रतीक्षा गरिरहेका मानिसहरूको अनुभवलाई व्याख्या गर्दछ। मत्ती २४मा उहाँको आगमन र संसारको अन्त्यका चिन्हहरूको विषयमा जब चेलाहरूले प्रश्न गरे तब ख्रीष्टले जवाफमा संसार र चर्चको इतिहासमा हुने केही महत्वपूर्ण घटनाहरूको विषयमा भन्नुभयो जुन उहाँको प्रथमदेखि दोस्रो आगमनसम्म हुनेथियो; विशेष गरी यरूशलेमको विनाश, मूर्तिपूजक रोम र पोपको रोमको अधिकारको शासनमा हुने चर्चका सतावटहरूको महासङ्कष्ट, सूर्य र चन्द्रमा अँध्यारो हुने र ताराहरू खस्ने जस्ता कुराहरूमाथि उहाँले ध्यानाकर्षित गराउनुभयो। त्यसपछि उहाँले आफ्नो राज्यमा आफ्नो आगमन हुने कुरा गर्नुभयो, र उहाँले आफ्नो आगमनको प्रतीक्षा गर्ने दुई वर्गका कमाराहरूको विषयमा दृष्टान्त भन्नुभयो। अध्याय २५ यी शब्दहरूद्वारा आरम्भ हुन्छ: “तब स्वर्गको राज्य दश कन्याहरूसँग तुलना गर्न सकिन्छ।” यहाँ अन्तिम दिनहरूमा बाँचिरहेको मण्डलीलाई देखाइएको छ र अध्याय २४को अन्ततिर त्यही कुरालाई केन्द्रित गरेको छ। यो दृष्टान्तमा एक पूर्वीय विवाहको घटनाहरूद्वारा तिनीहरूको अनुभवलाई वर्णन गरिएको छ।MBND 129.1 “तब स्वर्गको राज्य दश कन्याहरूसँग तुलना गर्न सकिन्छ। तिनीहरूले आ-आफ्नो बत्ती लिएर दुलहालाई भेट्न निस्के। तीमध्ये पाँच जना निर्बुद्धि र पाचँ जनाचाहिँ बुद्धिमती थिए। किनकि जब निर्बुद्धिहरूले आफ्ना बत्ती लगे, तब तिनीहरूले साथमा तेलचाहिँ लगेनन्। तर बुद्धिमतीहरूले चाहिँ आफ्ना बत्तीसँगसँगै पात्रमा तेल पनि लगे। दुलहाले बियाँलो गर्दा ती सबै निद्राले लट्ठ भए र निदाए। तर मध्यरातमा ‘हेर दुलहा, उनलाई भेट्न आओ,’ भन्ने आवाज आयो।” [मत्ती २५:१-६]।MBND 129.2 पहिलो स्वर्गदूतको सन्देशको घोषणाअनुसार ख्रीष्टको आगमन दुलहाको आगमनद्वारा प्रतिनिधित्व गरेको थियो भन्ने बुझाइ थियो। उहाँको शीघ्र आगमनको घोषणामा व्यापक भएको सुधार-कार्य नै कन्याहरू बाहिर निस्कने क्रिया थियो। मत्ती २४मा जस्तै यो दृष्टान्तमा पनि दुई वर्गहरूको प्रतिनिधित्व गरेको छ। सबैले तिनीहरूसँग बत्ती अर्थात् बाइबल लिएर गएका थिए, र त्यही ज्योतिद्वारा तिनीहरू दुलहा भेट्न बाहिर निस्केर गए। तर “निर्बुद्धिहरूले आफ्ना बत्ती लगे, तब तिनीहरूले साथमा तेलचाहिँ लगेनन्।” “तर बुद्धिमतीहरूले चाहिँ आफ्ना बत्तीसँगसँगै पात्रमा तेल पनि लगे।” पछिल्लो वर्गले चाहिँ परमेश्वरको अनुग्रह, पवित्र आत्माको नयाँ बल प्रदान गर्ने, उज्ज्वल पार्ने शक्ति प्राप्त गरे, जसले उहाँको वचनलाई गोड़ाको निम्ति ज्योति र बाटोको निम्ति उज्यालो बनाउँछ। परमेश्वरको भयमा तिनीहरूले धर्मशास्त्रहरूको सत्यता सिक्न अध्ययन गरेका थिए, र उत्सुकतासाथ हृदय र जीवनको शुद्धता खोजेका थिए। यिनीहरूले परमेश्वर र उहाँको वचनमा विश्वासको व्यक्तिगत अनुभव प्राप्त गरेका थिए, जसलाई बियाँलो र नैराश्यले नष्ट पार्न सक्दैनथ्यो। अरूले “आफ्ना बत्ती लगे, तब तिनीहरूले साथमा तेलचाहिँ लगेनन्।” तिनीहरू भावनाद्वारा अगि बढेका थिए। तिनीहरूको भय गम्भीर सन्देशले सचेत पारेको थियो, तर तिनीहरूचाहिँ आफ्ना साथीहरूका विश्वासमा भरोसा राखेका थिए, सत्यताको पूर्ण समझ वा हृदयमा हुने अनग्रहको साँचो कामविना नै असल भावनाहरूको धिपधिज बत्तीमा नै सन्तुष्टि थिए। यिनीहरू तुरुन्तै इनामको अभिलाषामा पूरा आशा लिई परमप्रभुलाई भेट्न गएका थिए; तर तिनीहरू बियाँलो र नैराश्यको निम्ति तयार थिएनन्। जब परीक्षा आयो तब तिनीहरूको विश्वास डग्मगाउन र तिनीहरूको ज्योति निभ्न लाग्यो।MBND 130.1 “दुलहाले बियाँलो गर्दा ती सबै निद्राले लट्ठ भए र निदाए।” दुलहाको बियाँलोले त्यो पार गरिएको समयलाई प्रतिनिधित्व गर्दछ जसमा परमप्रभुको आगमन आशा गरिएको थियो, र नैराश्य र बियाँलो मात्रै देखियो। यो अनिश्चितताको समयमा देखावटी चासो हुनेहरू र अल्प-हृदयकाहरू दोधारमा परे र तिनीहरूका प्रयत्नहरू शिथिल हुन थाले; तर जसको विश्वास बाइबलीय व्यक्तिगत ज्ञानमा आधारित थियो, तिनीहरूको गोड़ा चट्टानमाथि बसालिएको थियो, जसलाई नैराश्यको बाढ़ीले बगाउन सक्दैनथ्यो। तिनीहरू “सबै निद्राले लट्ठ भए र निदाए;” एउटा वर्गले आफ्ना विश्वासको बेवास्ता गरे र परित्याग गरे, अर्कोले भने अझै स्पष्ट ज्योति प्रदान नगरिएसम्म धैर्यसाथ प्रतीक्षा गरी नै रहे। यद्यपि त्यो परीक्षाको रातमा पछिल्लोको पनि उत्साह र समर्पण केही मात्रामा हराएको जस्तो देखिन्थ्यो। अल्प-हृदय र देखावटीहरू अब तिनीहरूका साथीहरूको विश्वासमा भरोसा गर्न सकेनन्। प्रत्येक व्यक्ति आफै खडा रहनु वा लड्नुपर्नेथियो।MBND 131.1 लगभग यही समयमा कट्टरपन्थ देखा पर्न थाल्यो। जसले सन्देशको जोशिला विश्वासीहरू हुन् भनी दाबी गर्दथे, तिनीहरूमध्ये केही जनाले परमेश्वरको वचनलाई एक अटल अगुवाको रूपमा मान्यता दिन इन्कार गरे र तिनीहरूलाई आत्माले अगुवाइ गरेको छ भन्ने कुरा दाबी गरेर तिनीहरूले आफ्नै भावनाहरू, विचारहरू र परिकल्पनाहरूको नियन्त्रणमा आफैलाई छाड़िदिए। त्यहाँ यस्ता मानिसहरू पनि थिए जसले तिनीहरूको कार्यमा सहमत नगर्नेहरू सबै जनालाई घृणा गर्दै अन्धो र अमिल्दो जोश प्रकट गर्थे। तिनीहरूका कट्टरपन्थी विचारहरू र व्यवहारहरूले गर्दा येशूको दोस्रो आगमनलाई प्रतीक्षा गर्नेहरूको ठूलो समूहबाट सहानुभूति प्राप्त गरेनन्, अझै पनि तिनीहरूले सत्यताको कार्यमा अपमान ल्याउने काम गरे।MBND 131.2 यही कार्यद्वारा परमेश्वरको कामलाई शैतानले विरोध गर्ने र नाश गर्ने प्रयास गरिरहेको थियो। येशूको दोस्रो आगमनको कार्यद्वारा मानिसहरूको मन अति छोएको थियो, हजारौँ पापीहरू परिवर्तन भएका थिए, र त्यो प्रतीक्षाको घड़ीमा पनि विश्वासयोग्य मानिसहरू आफै सुसमाचार घोषणा गर्ने कार्यमा समर्पित भएका थिए। दुष्टताको राजकुमारले त्यसका जनताहरू गुमाइरहेको थियो; र परमेश्वरको कार्यमा अपमान ल्याउनका लागि त्यसले विश्वासीहरूलाई बहकायो र तिनीहरूलाई चरमसीमासम्म पुऱ्याउन खोज्यो। त्यसपछि त्यसका समर्थकहरूले प्रत्येक गलत, प्रत्येक असफलता, प्रत्येक अनुचित व्यवहारलाई लिएर येशूको आगमनका विश्वासीहरू र तिनीहरूको विश्वासलाई घिनलाग्दो प्रकट गर्न बढाइचढाइ गरेर मानिसहरूको सामु प्रस्तुत गर्न तयारी अवस्थामा खडा थिए। यसरी उसले दोस्रो आगमनमा विश्वास गरेको दाबी गर्नेहरूलाई जति सङ्ख्या भित्र्याउन सक्थ्यो तैपनि तिनीहरूको हृदयचाहिँ उसको शक्तिले नियन्त्रण गरेको हुन्थ्यो, त्यति नै मात्रामा विश्वासीहरूको पूर्ण समूहका प्रतिनिधिहरू स्वरूप तिनीहरूप्रति ध्यानाकर्षित गर्नेद्वारा उसले धेरै फाइदा हासिल गर्न सक्थ्यो।MBND 131.3 शैतानचाहिँ “भाइहरूलाई दोष लगाउने” हो, र त्यसको आत्माले नै प्रभुका मानिसहरूका गल्तीहरू र खोटहरू खोज्ने र त्यसलाई बाहिर ल्याउने प्रेरणा दिँदछ, जबकि तिनीहरूका असल कार्यहरूको चाहिँ चर्चा नभई पार हुन्छन्। जब परमेश्वर मानिसहरूको मुक्तिको निम्ति काम गर्नुहुन्छ तब जहिले पनि ऊ क्रियाशील हुन्छ। जब परमेश्वरका छोराहरू परमप्रभुको सामुन्ने उपस्थित हुन्छन् तब शैतान पनि तिनीहरूको बीचमा आउँछ। प्रत्येक जागृतिमा अपवित्र हृदय भएकाहरू र असन्तुलित दिमाग भएकाहरू ल्याउन तयार हुन्छ। जब तिनीहरूले सत्यताका केही बुँदाहरू स्वीकार गर्छन्, र विश्वासीहरूसँग स्थान प्राप्त गर्छन् तब उसले तिनीहरूद्वारा यस्ता सिद्धान्तहरू समावेश गराउँछ जसले बेहोशीहरूलाई बहकाउँछ। कुनै व्यक्ति परमेश्वरका सन्तानको समूहमा छ, आराधनालयमा छ र परमप्रभुको टेबुलमा नै छ भन्दैमा सत्य इसाई प्रमाणित हुँदैन। शैतानले जसलाई आफ्नो माध्यम स्वरूप प्रयोग गर्न सक्छ, तिनीहरूलाई माध्यम बनाएर ऊ पनि प्राय: ती अति गम्भीर उत्सवहरूमा उपस्थित हुन्छ।MBND 132.1 स्वर्गीय सहरतर्फ गरेको यात्रामा परमेश्वरका मानिसहरू अघि सर्दा दुष्टताको राजकुमारले त्यसको प्रत्येक इन्चमा झगड़ा गर्छ। चर्चको सम्पूर्ण इतिहासमा कुनै पनि सुधार-कार्य गम्भीर बाधाहरूविना विकसित भएको छैन। पावलको दिनमा पनि त्यस्तै थियो। जहाँ-जहाँ प्रेरितले चर्च स्थापना गर्दथे त्यहाँ विश्वासलाई ग्रहण गर्न दाबी गर्ने केही मानिसहरू हुन्थे, जसले झूटा शिक्षाहरू ल्याउँदथे कि यदि ती स्वीकार गरेको भए बिस्तारै सत्यताको प्रेमबाट टाढा बनाउनेथिए। लुथरले पनि कट्टरपन्थी मानिसहरूको कामबाट ठूलो चिन्ता र तनाव भोगे जसले परमेश्वर तिनीहरूसँग प्रत्यक्ष बोल्नुभएको कुराको दाबी गरे र त्यसकारण तिनीहरूले धर्मशास्त्रको गवाहीभन्दा पनि तिनीहरूका आफ्नै विचारहरू र धारणा राखे। धेरै जना विश्वास र अनुभवमा कमी थिए, तापनि तिनीहरू ठूलोरूपले आत्म-निर्भर भएका महसुस गर्दथे र कुनै नयाँ कुरा सुन्न र भन्न मन पराउने गर्दथे, तिनीहरू ती नयाँ शिक्षकहरूका भेषद्वारा भ्रममा परे र परमेश्वरले लुथरलाई जुन कुरा निर्माण गर्नका लागि अगुवाइ गर्नुभएको थियो, तिनीहरू त्यसलाई भत्काउन शैतानका कामदारहरूसँग समावेश भए। वेश्लीहरू र अन्य मानिसहरूले तिनीहरूका प्रभाव र विश्वासद्वारा संसारलाई आशिषित तुल्याएका थिए, तिनीहरूले पनि अति जोशिलो, असन्तुलित र अपवित्र मानिसहरूलाई हरेक योग्यताको कट्टरपन्थभित्र धकेल्ने शैतानको चतुऱ्याइँसँग हरेक पाइलामा सामना गरे।MBND 132.2 विलियम मिलरले कट्टरपन्थमा पुऱ्याउने प्रभावहरूलाई कुनै पनि सहानुभूति देखाएनन्। तिनले पनि लुथरले झैँ भने कि प्रत्येक आत्मालाई परमेश्वरको वचनद्वारा जाँच्नुपर्छ। मिलरले भने, “वर्तमान दिनमा कति जनाको दिमागमा दियाबलसको ठूलो शक्तिले शासन गरेको छ। ती कस्ता प्रकारका आत्माहरू हुन् त भनी हामी कसरी जान्ने? बाइबलले जवाफ दिन्छ: ‘तिनीहरूका फलबाट चिन्नेछौ।’ ... संसारमा धेरै प्रकारका आत्माहरू निस्केर आएका छन् र हामीले आत्मालाई जाँच्नुपर्ने आदेश पाएका छौं। जुन आत्माले हामीलाई यस वर्तमान संसारमा संयमी, धर्मी र भक्तिसाथ जिउन अगुवाइ गर्दैन त्यो आत्मा ख्रीष्टबाट आएको होइन। म झन्-झन् विश्वस्त भएको छु कि यी असभ्य कार्यहरूमा शैतानले धेरै काम गरेको छ। ... हामीहरूमध्ये जतिले पूर्ण पवित्र भएको बहाना गरेका छन् तिनीहरूले मानिसहरूका परम्पराहरूलाई अनुकरण गरिरहेका छन्, र तिनीहरू पनि अरू त्यस्तो बहाना नगर्नेहरू जस्तै सत्यताप्रति चाहिँ त्यत्तिकै अनजान छन्।” —Bliss, pages 236, 237. “झूटो आत्माले हामीलाई सत्यताबाट टाढ़ा लैजान्छ र परमेश्वरको आत्माले हामीलाई सत्यतामा डोऱ्याउनुहुनेछ। तर तपाईं भन्नुहोला कि कुनै मानिस झूटमा हुन सक्छ र ऊसँग सत्यता छ भनी उसले सोच्छ। त्यसो भए के त? हामी आत्मा र वचन सहमत हुन्छ भन्ने जवाफ दिन्छौं। यदि कुनै मानिसले आफैलाई परमेश्वरको वचनद्वारा जाँच्छ र सम्पूर्ण वचनभरि पूर्ण मिलाप पाउँछ भने त्यसपछि ऊसँग सत्यता छ भनी उसले विश्वास गर्नुपर्छ; यदि उसलाई अगुवाइ गरेको आत्मा परमेश्वरको व्यवस्था वा पुस्तकको सम्पूर्ण प्रवाहसँग मिलेको पाइएन भने त्यसपछि ऊ होसियारसाथ हिँडोस्, नत्रता ऊ दियाबलसको पासोमा पर्नेछ।” —The Advent Herald and Signs of the Times Reporter, vol. 8, No. 23 (Jan. 15, 1845). “इसाईजगत्को सम्पूर्ण हल्लाबाट भन्दा आँखाको उज्ज्वलता, भिजेको गाला र घाँटीमा अड्केको उच्चारणबाट मैले प्रायः आन्तरिक भक्तिको प्रमाण प्राप्त गरेको छु।” —Bliss, page 282.MBND 133.1 सुधार-कार्यका दिनहरूमा जसले त्यसको विरुद्धमा बडो उत्सुकतासाथ परिश्रम गरिरहेका थिए सुधार-कार्यका शत्रुहरूले तिनीहरूलाई नै कट्टरपन्थको सम्पूर्ण दुष्टताको दोष लगाए। येशूको दोस्रो आगमनको अभियानका विरोधीहरूले पनि उस्तै कार्य गरेका थिए। चरमपन्थीहरू र कट्टरपन्थीहरूका झूटहरू कुव्याख्या र बढाइचढाइ गरेर सन्तुष्ट भएनन्, तिनीहरूले प्रतिकूल विवरणहरू फैल्याए जसमा सत्यताको केही समानता थिएन। ती मानिसहरू भेदभाव र घृणाद्वारा परिचालित भएका थिए। ख्रीष्ट ढोकामै हुनुहुन्छ भन्ने घोषणाद्वारा तिनीहरू बेचैन भए। यो सत्य हुन सक्छ भन्ने कुरामा तिनीहरू डराए तापनि त्यसो होइन कि भन्ने पनि आशा गरे, र दोस्रो आगमनका विश्वासीहरू र तिनीहरूको विश्वास विरुद्ध लड़ाइँको रहस्य यही नै थियो।MBND 134.1 पावल वा लुथरको दिनको चर्चमा कट्टरपन्थीहरू र ठगाहाहरूको उपस्थितिकै कारणले तिनीहरूको कार्यलाई दोष लगाउनुभन्दा पनि केही कट्टरपन्थीहरूले दोस्रो आगमनका विश्वासीहरूका समूहमा प्रवेश गरेको भन्ने कुराचाहिँ सो कार्य परमेश्वरबाट आएको होइन भनी निष्कर्ष निकाल्ने पर्याप्त बहाना छैन। परमेश्वरका मानिसहरू तिनीहरूका निद्राबाट जागून् र पश्चात्ताप र सुधार-कार्यको काम उत्सुकतासाथ सुरु गरून्; तिनीहरूले येशूमा भएझैँ सत्यता सिक्नका लागि धर्मशास्त्र खोजी गरून्; तिनीहरूले परमेश्वरमा पूर्ण समर्पण गरून् र शैतान अझै पनि क्रियाशील र सचेत छ भनी प्रमाणको अभाव हुनेछैन। उसको अधिकारमा भएका सम्पूर्ण पतित दूतहरू उसलाई सहयोग गर्न बोलाएर सम्पूर्ण सम्भावित छलका साथ उसको शक्ति प्रकट गर्नेछ।MBND 134.2 दोस्रो आगमनको घोषणाले कट्टरपन्थ र विभाजन ल्याएको होइन। जब दोस्रो आगमनका विश्वासीहरू आफ्नो वास्तविक विश्वासको विषयमा शङ्का र चिन्ताको अवस्थामा थिए तब यी कुराहरू १८४४को ग्रिष्म ऋतुमा देखा परेको थियो। पहिलो स्वर्गदूतको सन्देश र “मध्यरातको कराइ”-को प्रचारले कट्टरपन्थ र झगड़ा दबाएको प्रत्यक्ष देखियो। जो यी गम्भीर कार्यहरूमा संलग्न भए तिनीहरू एकै मनका थिए; तिनीहरूका हृदयहरू आपसी प्रेम र येशूप्रतिको प्रेमले भरिएका थिए, जो तिनीहरूले चाँडै नै भेट्ने आशा रोखेका थिए। एउटै विश्वास, एउटै आशिषित आशाले तिनीहरूलाई कुनै पनि मानविक प्रभावभन्दा पनि माथि उचालेको थियो र त्यो शैतानको आक्रमण विरुद्ध एक ढाल प्रमाणित भयो।MBND 135.1 “दुलहाले बियाँलो गर्दा ती सबै निद्राले लट्ठ भए र निदाए। तर मध्यरातमा ‘हेर दुलहा, उनलाई भेट्न आओ,’ भन्ने आवाज आयो। तब ती सबै कन्याहरू ब्यूँझे, र आफ्नो-आफ्नो बत्ती ठीकठाक पारे।” मत्ती २५:५-७। २३०० दिनहरू अन्त हुनेछ भनी पहिले सोचेको समय र पछाड़ि ती पुग्छ भनी पत्ता लगाइएको त्यही सालको शरद् ऋतुको बीचमा, १८४४को ग्रीष्म ऋतुमा त्यो सन्देशचाहिँ धर्मशास्त्रकै शब्दहरूमा घोषणा गरिएको थियो: “हेर, दुलहा आउँदैछन्!” (KJV)।MBND 135.2 यरूशलेमको पुनर्स्थापना गर्ने अर्ताशास्तको आदेश जुन २३०० दिनहरूको अवधिको आरम्भ थियो, त्यो ४५७ बि.सी. को शरद् ऋतुमा लागू भयो तर अघि विश्वास गरेजस्तै वर्षको सुरुवातमा चाहिँ थिएन भन्ने पत्ता लगाइएको कुराले त्यस गतिविधितर्फ डोऱ्यायो। ४५७को शरद् ऋतुबाट हिसाब गर्दा २३०० वर्षहरू १८४४को शरद् ऋतुमा अन्त हुन्छ। (एपेण्डिक्समा हेर्नुहोस्, ३२९ पृष्ठको नोट)।MBND 135.3 पुरानो नियमका सङ्केतहरूबाट पनि यस्ता तर्कहरू निकालिएका थिए जसले “पवित्रस्थानको शुद्धीकरण” हुनुपर्ने घटनाको समय शरद् ऋतुतर्फ नै केन्द्रित गरिएको थियो। जब ख्रीष्टको पहिलो आगमनसँग सम्बन्धित सङ्केतहरू पूरा भएको तरिकाप्रति ध्यानाकर्षण गरियो तब यो कुरा स्पष्ट भयो।MBND 135.4 निस्तार चाड़को थुमा मारिने कार्यले ख्रीष्टको मृत्युलाई सङ्केत गरेको थियो। पावल भन्छन्: “हाम्रो निस्तारको थुमा, ख्रीष्टको बलिदान भइसकेको छ।” १ कोरिन्थी ५:७। जुन पहिलो फलको बिट्टा निस्तार चाड़को समयमा परमप्रभुको सामुन्ने डोलाउँदथ्यो सोचाहिँ ख्रीष्टको पुनरुत्थानको सङ्केत थियो। प्रभु र उहाँका मानिसहरूको पुनरुत्थानको विषयमा बोल्दै पावलले भने, “ख्रीष्टचाहिँ अगौटै फल, त्यसपछि उहाँको पुनरागमनमा ख्रीष्टका आफ्नैहरू।” १ कोरिन्थी १५:२३। कटनीभन्दा अगाड़ि भेला गराइएको पहिलो पाकेको अनाजमध्ये डोलाउने बिटाजस्तै ख्रीष्ट पनि उद्धार पाउनेहरूको अमरत्व कटनीको पहिलो फल हुनुहुन्छ, त्यसपछि भविष्यमा पुनरुत्थान हुनेहरू परमेश्वरको धन्सारमा जम्मा हुनेछन्।MBND 135.5 यी सङ्केतहरू घटनामा मात्र नभएर समयमा पनि पूरा भए। जुन दिन र महिनामा पन्ध्र शताब्दीहरूसम्म निस्तारको थुमा मारिएको थियो त्यही दिन र महिना अर्थात् यहूदीहरूको पहिलो महिनाको चौधौँ दिनमा ख्रीष्टले उहाँका चेलाहरूसँग निस्तार चाड़ मनाउनुभयो र उहाँले त्यो चाड़ स्थापना गर्नुभयो जुन “संसारको पाप उठाइलैजाने परमेश्वरका थुमा”-को रूपमा भएको उहाँको आफ्नो मृत्युको स्मृति बन्न गयो। त्यही रात दुष्ट हातहरूद्वारा क्रूसमा टाँगिन र मारिन उहाँ लगिनुभयो। हाम्रा प्रभु डोलाउने बलिको वास्तविकताको स्वरूप तेस्रो दिनमा बौरिउठ्नुभयो, “सुतिजानेहरूमध्येमा उहाँचाहिँ प्रथम फल हुनुहुन्छ,” उहाँ पुनरुत्थान भएका धर्मीहरूको एक उदाहरण हुनुहुन्थ्यो, जसको “हीन शरीर” परिवर्तन हुनेछ र उहाँले उहाँको “महिमाको शरीरजस्तै हुनलाई परिवर्तन गरिदिनुहुनेछ।” १ कोरिन्थी १५:२०; फिलिप्पी ३:२१।MBND 136.1 त्यसै गरी दोस्रो आगमनको विषयमा वर्णन गर्ने सङ्केतहरू पनि साङ्केतिक सेवामा देखाएअनुसार समयमा नै पूरा भएको हुनुपर्छ। पवित्रस्थान शुद्धीकरण हुने मोशाको पद्धतिअनुसार यहूदीहरूको सातौँ महिनाको दशौँ दिनमा प्रायश्चित्तको दिन पर्दथ्यो (लेवी १६:२९-३४), जसमा प्रधान पूजाहारीले सम्पूर्ण इज्राएलीहरूका निम्ति प्रायश्चित्त गर्थ्यो र यसरी तिनीहरूका पापहरू पवित्रस्थानबाट मेटाएपछि बाहिर निस्केर मानिसहरूलाई आशिष् दिन्थ्यो। त्यसरी हाम्रा महाप्रधान पूजाहारी अर्थात् ख्रीष्ट पाप र पापीहरूको विनाशद्वारा पृथ्वी शुद्ध गर्न र उहाँको प्रतीक्षारत मानिसहरूलाई अमरत्वको आशिष् प्रदान गर्न आउनुहुनेछ भन्ने विश्वास थियो। सातौँ महिनाको दशौँ दिन अर्थात् महान् प्रायश्चित्तको दिन, पवित्रस्थानको शद्धीकरण १८४४को अक्टोबर २२मा परेको थियो र त्यसै दिनलाई प्रभुको अगमनको समय स्वरूप मानियो। यो २३०० दिनहरू शरद् ऋतुमा अन्त हुनेछ भनी प्रस्तुत भइसकेका प्रमाणहरूसँग पनि मिलेको थियो र यो निष्कर्ष शक्तिशाली देखियो।MBND 136.2 मत्ती २५को दृष्टान्तमा ढिलाइ र निदाएको समयपछि दुलहा आएको छ। योचाहिँ अगमवाणी र सङ्केतहरू दुवैद्वारा अघि प्रस्तुति गरिएको तर्कअनुसार नै थियो। तिनीहरूले आफ्ना सत्यवादिताको शक्तिशाली विश्वासलाई कायम राखे र “मध्यरातको कराइ” हजारौँ विश्वासीहरूद्वारा घोषणा गरियो।MBND 136.3 वेगवान् छालजस्तै त्यो कार्य देशभरि फैलियो। सहरदेखि सहरसम्म, गाउँदेखि गाउँसम्म र दुर्गम गाउँहरूसम्म पनि त्यो पुग्यो, यहाँसम्म कि परमेश्वरका प्रतीक्षारत मानिसहरू पूर्ण जागा नभएसम्म फैली नै रह्यो। उदाउँदै गरेको घामको सामु आरम्भित तुसारोझैँ कट्टरपन्थ यो घोषणा सामुन्ने हराएर गयो। तिनीहरूका शङ्का र चिन्ता हटेर गएका विश्वासीहरूले देखे, र तिनीहरूका हृदयहरूमा आशा र साहस जिवन्त भए। त्यो कार्य अतिवादविहीन थियो जुन परमेश्वरको वचन र पवित्र आत्माको नियन्त्रणको प्रभावविना नै जहिले पनि मानवीय उत्तेजनामा देखिन्छ। त्योचाहिँ प्राचीन इस्राएलीमा उहाँका दासहरूबाट हप्कीका सन्देशहरू पाएपछि आउने नम्रताका समयहरू र परमप्रभुतिर फर्कने कार्यको उस्तै प्रकारको थियो। त्यसले यस्तो चरित्रगुण धारण गऱ्यो कि परमेश्वरको कार्य प्रत्येक युगमा चिनायो। हृदयको गहिरो अनुसन्धान, पाप स्वीकार र संसारप्रति परित्यागमा नै ठूलो आनन्द थियो। परमप्रभुलाई भेट्न गरिने तयारीचाहिँ छट्पटाइरहेका हृदयको लागि बोझ थियो। त्यहाँ अथक प्रार्थना र परमेश्वरप्रति पूर्ण समर्पण गरिएको थियो।MBND 137.1 त्यो कार्यको विषयमा वर्णन गर्दै मिलरले भने: “त्यहाँ कुनै आनन्दको ठूलो वक्तव्य छैन: किनकि त्यो भविष्यको समयको लागि लुकाइएको छ जसमा सम्पूर्ण स्वर्ग र पृथ्वी सँगै अवर्णनीय आनन्द र महिमाको पूर्णतामा आनन्द मनाउनेछन्। त्यहाँ कुनै चर्को आवाज छैन: त्यो पनि स्वर्गबाट आउने चर्को आवाजको लागि लुकाइराखिएको छ। गायकहरू शान्त छन्: तिनीहरू स्वर्गबाट आएका सङ्गीतका दल अर्थात् स्वर्गदूतका दलहरूसँगै गाउन प्रतीक्षा गरिरहेका छन्। ... त्यहाँ कुनै मतान्तर छैन: सबै जना एउटै हृदय र एउटै मनका छन्।” —Bliss, pages 270, 271.MBND 137.2 यो कार्यमा सहभागी भएको अर्को एक जनाले गवाही दिए: “यसले उच्च स्वर्गको परमेश्वरको सामुन्ने हृदयको अति नै गहिरो जाँच र प्राणको नम्रता जताततै उत्पादन गरायो। यसले संसारका थोकहरूप्रति मोह त्याग्न, वाद-विवादहरू र दुश्मनीहरू समाधान गर्न, गल्तीहरू स्वीकार गर्न, परमेश्वरको अघि चकनाचूर बन्न र पश्चात्तापी बन्न, उहाँमा क्षमा र ग्रहणका लागि निर्धारित हृदयको निवेदन गर्न अगुवाइ गऱ्यो। यसले आत्म-नम्रता र प्राणको निर्बलता ल्यायो कि यस्तो पहिले कहिले देखेको थिएन। परमेश्वरले योएलद्वारा आज्ञा गर्नुभएझैँ, जब परमेश्वरको महान् दिन नजिकै हुन्थ्यो, तब त्यसले कपड़ा होइन हृदय फटायो, र उपवास बसेर, रुँदै र शोक गर्दै परमप्रभुतर्फ फर्कने बनायो। परमेश्वरले जकरियाद्वारा भन्नुभएझैँ, अनुग्रह र निवेदनको आत्मा उहाँका सन्तानमाथि खन्याइयो; तिनीहरूले उहाँमाथि हेरे जसलाई तिनीहरूले घोचेका थिए, त्यो देशमा तिनीहरू अत्यन्तै विलाप गरे, ... र जसले परमप्रभुको प्रतीक्षा गरिरहेका थिए तिनीहरूले उहाँको सामु आफूलाई इन्कार गरे।” —Bliss, in Advent Shield and Review, vol. 1, p. 271 (January, 1845).MBND 137.3 सम्पूर्ण महान् धार्मिक कार्यहरूमध्ये प्रेरितहरूका दिनहरूदेखि यता १८४४को शरद् ऋतुमा जस्तो मानवीय अपूर्णतारहित र शैतानका चतुऱ्याइँहरूरहित कहिल्यै पनि भएको थिएन। धेरै वर्षको अन्तरालपछि पनि अहिले त्यस कार्यमा सहभागी हुनेहरू र सत्यताको पक्षमा स्थिर उभिनेहरू सम्पूर्णले त्यो आशिषित कार्यको पवित्र प्रभाव अझै पनि महसुस गर्छन् र त्यो परमेश्वरबाट नै आएको थियो भनी गवाही दिन्छन्।MBND 138.1 “हेर दुलहा, उनलाई भेट्न आओ” भन्ने बोलावटमा प्रतीक्षारत जनहरू “ब्यूँझे, र आफ्नो-आफ्नो बत्ती ठीकठाक पारे।” तिनीहरूले कहिल्यै पनि अनुभव नगरेको उत्कट इच्छासाथ परमेश्वरको वचन अध्ययन गरे। जो-जो निराशमा परेका थिए तिनीहरूलाई जगाउन स्वर्गबाट स्वर्गदूतहरू पठाइए र तिनीहरूलाई सन्देश ग्रहण गर्न तयार पारे। मानिसहरूको बुद्धि र शिक्षाले त्यो कार्य भएको थिएन, तर परमेश्वरको शक्तिले भएको थियो। त्यो बोलावटलाई सबभन्दा पहिले सुन्ने र पालन गर्नेहरू सबभन्दा प्रतिभाशाली मानिसहरू थिएनन्, तर सबभन्दा नम्र र समर्पित मानिसहरू थिए। किसानहरूले तिनीहरूको बाली खेतमै छोडे, मिस्त्रीहरूले तिनीहरूका सर-सामानहरू थन्काए, र आँसु र आनन्दसाथ चेतावनी दिन बाहिर निस्केर गए। जसले पहिले परमेश्वरको कार्यमा अगुवाइ गरे तिनीहरू त्यो कार्यमा सहभागी हुन पछि परे। साधारणतया चर्चहरूले यो सन्देश विरुद्ध ढोका बन्द गरे, र जसले त्यो ग्रहण गरे तिनीहरूमध्ये ठूलो सङ्ख्यामा तिनीहरूको सम्बन्धबाट निस्केर आए। परमेश्वरको कृपाले गर्दा दोस्रो स्वर्गदूतको सन्देशसँगै यो घोषणा भएको कारण त्यो काममा शक्ति प्रदान गरियो।MBND 138.2 धर्मशास्त्रद्वारा प्रमाण स्पष्ट र निर्णायक भए तापनि “हेर, दुलहा आउँदैछन्” भन्ने सन्देश त्यति विवादपूर्ण विषयवस्तु थिएन। त्यसका साथै एक उत्साहपूर्ण शक्तिको परिचालित भयो जसले मानिसको मन छोयो। त्यहाँ कुनै शङ्का थिएन, कुनै प्रश्न पनि थिएन। यरूशलेममा ख्रीष्टको विजयपूर्ण प्रवेशको अवसरमा देशका विभिन्न क्षेत्रबाट चाड़ मान्न भेला भएकाहरू जैतुन पहाड़मा थुप्रिए, र जब तिनीहरू येशूलाई घेर्ने भीडमा सहभागी भए तब तिनीहरूले त्यो घड़ीको प्रेरणा प्राप्त गरे र त्यो आवाज गुञ्जायमान पार्न सहयोग गरे: “धन्य उहाँ, जो परमप्रभुको नाउँमा आउनुहुन्छ!” मत्ती २१:९। त्यसरी कति जना अविश्वासीहरू जिज्ञासाले, कति जनाचाहिँ गिल्ला गर्न दोस्रो आगमनका सभाहरूमा थुप्रिए, तिनीहरूले त्यो सन्देशमा विश्वास दिलाउने शक्तिको महसुस गरे: “हेर, दुलहा आउँदैछन्।”MBND 138.3 त्यो समयमा यस्तो विश्वास थियो कि प्रार्थनाको जवाफ प्राप्त गरिन्थ्यो—यस्तो विश्वास थियो कि इनामको पुरस्कारसँग सम्बन्धित थियो। सुक्खा पृथ्वीमा पानीका वर्षा भएझैँ इच्छुक अनुसन्धाताहरूमाथि अनुग्रहको आत्मा वर्षियो। जसले तिनीहरूका मुक्तिदातासँग आमने-सामने उभिने अपेक्षा गरेका थिए, तिनीहरूले व्यक्त गर्न नसकिने गम्भीर आनन्द महसुस गरे। जब उहाँको आशिष् विश्वासयोग्य, विश्वासी जनहरूमाथि प्रशस्त गरी प्रदान गरियो तब पवित्र आत्माको नरम पार्ने र वशमा पार्ने शक्तिले हृदय पगाल्यो।MBND 139.1 जसले सन्देश ग्रहण गरे तिनीहरू होसियारी र गम्भीरतासाथ त्यो समयसम्म आइपुगे जुन समयमा तिनीहरूले आफ्ना प्रभुलाई भेट्ने अपेक्षा गरेका थिए। प्रत्येक बिहान परमेश्वरले तिनीहरूलाई ग्रहण गर्नुभयो भन्ने प्रमाण प्राप्त गर्ने तिनीहरूको प्रथम कर्तव्य थियो भनी तिनीहरूले महसुस गरे। तिनीहरूका हृदयहरू एकै थिए, र तिनीहरूले सँगै र एक-अर्काको लागि धेरै प्रार्थना गरे। तिनीहरू प्रायः एकान्त ठाउँहरूमा परमेश्वरसँग कुरा गर्न भेला हुन्थे, र ती खेतहरू र जङ्गलहरूबाट मध्यस्थताको आवाज उचालिन्थ्यो। तिनीहरूलाई तिनीहरूका दैनिक खानाभन्दा पनि मुक्तिदाताको सहमतिको आश्वासन झन् धेरै आवश्यक थियो; र यदि तिनीहरूको दिमाग बदलिएर अन्धकार भयो भने तिनीहरू त्यो सफा नभएसम्म विश्राम गर्दैनथे। जब तिनीहरूले क्षमापूर्ण अनग्रहको गवाही महसुस गरे तब तिनीहरूले उहाँलाई हेर्ने इच्छा राखे जसलाई तिनीहरूले आत्माबाटै प्रेम गरेका थिए।MBND 139.2 तर फेरि तिनीहरू नैराश्यमा पर्नुपर्नेथिए। अपेक्षा गरेको समय पार भयो, र तिनीहरूका मुक्तिदाता आउनुभएन। अचल भरोसाका साथ तिनीहरूले उहाँको आगमनको प्रतीक्षा गरेका थिए, र अब तिनीहरूलाई पनि मरियमलाई जस्तै लाग्यो जब तिनी मुक्तिदाताको चिहानमा आई र खालि भेटाई, तब तिनी आश्चर्यसाथ रुँदै भनी: “तिनीहरूले मेरा प्रभुलाई लगेछन्, र उहाँलाई कहाँ राखेका छन्, म जान्दिनँ।” यूहन्ना २०:१३।MBND 139.3 यो सन्देश सत्य हुन सक्छ भन्ने भय अर्थात् डरको महसुसले यो अविश्वासी संसारमा केही समयसम्म नियन्त्रण गऱ्यो। त्यो समय पार भएपछि पनि यो महसुस तुरुन्तै हटेन; सुरुमा तिनीहरू नैराशित जनहरूमाथि विजय हुने आँट गरेनन्; तर जब तिनीहरूले परमेश्वरको क्रोधको कुनै चिन्ह देखेनन् तब तिनीहरू भयमुक्त भए र तिनीहरू घृणा र गिल्ला गर्नतर्फ लागे। जसले प्रभुको शीघ्र आगमनमा विश्वास गर्ने दाबी गरेका थिए, तिनीहरूको ठूलो समूहले आफ्ना विश्वास परित्याग गरे। त्यसमा यति विश्वस्त हुनेहरूमध्ये केहीको गौरवमा यति गहिरो चोट पऱ्यो कि यस संसारबाट नै भाग्न मन लाग्यो। योनाजस्तै तिनीहरू परमेश्वरको विषयमा गनगन गरे, र जीवनभन्दा बरु मृत्यु नै छाने। जुनहरूले तिनीहरूको विश्वास परमेश्वरको वचनमाथि नभई अरूको विचारमाथि राखेका थिए, अब तिनीहरू आफ्ना विचारहरू फेरि पनि परिवर्तन गर्न तयार भए। गिल्ला गर्नेहरूले कमजोर र कायरहरूलाई तिनीहरूको पक्षमा ल्याए, र अब कुनै डरहरू वा अपेक्षाहरू छैन भनी घोषणा गर्न तिनीहरू सबै जना एकत्र भए। समय पार भएको थियो, प्रभु आउनुभएको थिएन, र संसारचाहिँ हजारौँ वर्षहरूसम्म यस्तै रहन सक्थ्यो।MBND 140.1 उत्सुक र इमान्दार विश्वासीहरूले ख्रीष्टको खातिर सर्वस्व छोडेका थिए र कहिले पनि महसुस नगरेको उहाँको उपस्थितिमा तिनीहरू सहभागी भएका थिए। तिनीहरूले विश्वास गरेअनुसार तिनीहरूले संसारलाई आखिरी चेतावनी दिएका थिए; तिनीहरूका ईश्वरीय मालिक र स्वर्गीय दूतहरूको सङ्गतमा चाँडै नै स्वागत हुने अपेक्षा गरेर सन्देश ग्रहण नगर्ने सङ्गतबाट तिनीहरू झण्डै पूर्णरूपले अलग भएका थिए। तीव्र इच्छासाथ तिनीहरूले प्रार्थना गरेका थिए: “आउनुहोस्, प्रभु येशू र चाँडै आउनुहोस्।” तर उहाँ आउनुभएको थिएन। अब फेरि जीवनका चिन्ताहरू र फिक्रीहरूका गह्रुङ्गो भारी उठाउनु र खिसी गर्ने संसारका ठट्ठाहरू र गिल्लाहरू सहनुचाहिँ विश्वास र धैर्यको डरलाग्दो जाँच थियो।MBND 140.2 तापनि यो नैराश्यचाहिँ ख्रीष्टको पहिलो आगमनमा चेलाहरूद्वारा अनुभव गरेको नैराश्यभन्दा ठूलो थिएन। जब येशू विजयीपूर्ण साथ गधामाथि चढेर यरूशलेममा आउनुभयो, तब उहाँका चेलाहरूले विश्वास गरे कि अब उहाँ दाऊदको सिंहासनमा चढ्नै लाग्नुभएको थियो र इस्राएललाई अत्याचारीहरूको हातबाट छुटकारा दिलाउनै लाग्नुभएको थियो। उच्च आशाहरू र हर्षित आकाङ्क्षाहरूसाथ तिनीहरू आफ्ना राजाप्रति आदर प्रकट गर्न एक-अर्कामा होडबाजी चलिरहेको थियो। धेरै जनाले तिनीहरूका बाहिरी वस्त्र बाटोमा ओछ्याइदिए, वा उहाँको अघि पातले भरिएको खजूरका हाँगाहरू छरिदिए। तिनीहरूका जोशिलो आनन्दमा तिनीहरू आनन्दले एकसाथ कराए: “दाऊदका पुत्रलाई होसन्ना!” जब फरिसीहरू त्यो आनन्दपूर्ण उत्तेजित जमातद्वारा झर्को माने र रिसाएर येशूले उहाँका चेलाहरूलाई हकारून् भन्ने इच्छा गरे, तब उहाँले जवाफ दिनुभयो: “यिनीहरू चूप लागे भने ढुङ्गाहरू कराउनेछन्।” लूका १९:४०। अगमवाणी पूरा हुनुपर्नेथियो। चेलाहरूले परमेश्वरको अभिप्राय पूरा गरिरहेका थिए; तापनि तिनीहरूमाथि तीतो नैराश्य आउनै लागेको थियो। तिनीहरूले केवल केही दिनपछि नै मुक्तिदाताको संतापपूर्ण मृत्यु देखे र उहाँलाई चिहानमा राखे। तिनीहरूका अपेक्षाहरू कुनै पनि कुरामा पूरा भएन र तिनीहरूका आशाहरू येशूसँगै मरेका थिए। तिनीहरूका प्रभु विजेता भई चिहानबाट बाहिर निस्की नआउञ्जेलसम्म तिनीहरूले बुझ्न सकेनन् जुन अगमवाणीद्वारा सम्पूर्ण कुरा पूर्ववाणी गरिएको थियो र “ख्रीष्टलाई अवश्य दुःख भोग्नु र मृतकबाट जीवित हुनुपर्थ्यो।” प्रेरित १७:३।MBND 140.3 पाँच सय वर्ष अगाड़ि नै परमप्रभुले जकरिया अगमवक्ताद्वारा घोषणा गर्नुभएको थियो: “हे सियोनकी छोरी, खूब रमाऊ। हे यरूशलेमकी छोरी, जोरसित कराऊ! हेर, तिम्रा राजा तिमीकहाँ आउँदैहुनुहुन्छ। उहाँ धर्मात्मा र मुक्तिदाता हुनुहुन्छ। उहाँ भला हुनुहुन्छ, र गधामाथि, अर्थात् गधाको बच्चा एउटा बछेड़ामाथि सवार भएर आउँदैहुनुहुन्छ।” जकरिया ९:९। ख्रीष्ट न्यायमा र मृत्युमा जाँदैहुनुहुन्छ भनी चेलाहरूले जानेको भए तिनीहरूले यो अगमवाणी पूरा गर्न सक्दैनथे।MBND 141.1 त्यसरी नै मिलर र तिनका सहकर्मीहरूले अगमवाणी पूरा गरे र संसारलाई प्रकट गर्नुपर्छ भन्ने प्रेरणाले पूर्ववाणी गरेको सन्देश तिनीहरूले दिए, तर यदि तिनीहरूले आफ्नो नैराश्य प्रकट गरेको र परमप्रभु आउनुभन्दा अगाड़ि सारा जातिहरूलाई प्रचार गर्नुपर्ने अर्को सन्देश प्रकट गराउने अगमवाणीहरू पूर्णरूपले बुझेका भए तिनीहरूले त्यो दिन सक्दैनथे। पहिलो र दोस्रो स्वर्गदूतको सन्देश ठीक समयमा प्रचार गरियो र परमेश्वरले तिनीहरूद्वारा पूरा गर्न चाहनुभएको काम पूरा भयो।MBND 141.2 संसारले हेरिरहेको वा आशा गरिरहेको थियो कि यदि समय पार भयो र ख्रीष्ट आउनुभएन भने दोस्रो आगमनको विश्वास बिलाएर जानेछ। तर कति जनाले शक्तिशाली परीक्षाको कारण तिनीहरूको विश्वास छोडे भने कति जनाचाहिँ स्थिर भई खडा रहे। दोस्रो आगमनको कार्यका फलहरू स्वरूप नम्रताको आत्मा र हृदयको जाँच, संसारको परित्याग र जीवनको सुधार जस्ता कार्यहरू भए, जसले यो परमेश्वरबाट नै आएको थियो भन्ने गवाही दिएको थियो। दोस्रो आगमनको प्रचार पवित्र आत्माको शक्तिद्वारा नै भएको थियो भन्ने कुरा तिनीहरूले इन्कार गर्ने साहस गरेनन् र तिनीहरूले अगमवाणीको अवधिको हिसाबमा पनि केही गल्ती पत्ता लगाउन सकेनन्। तिनीहरूका विरोधीहरूमध्ये सबभन्दा सक्षम विरोधी पनि तिनीहरूको अगमवाणीको वर्णन प्रणालीलाई नष्ट गर्न सकेन। बाइबलको प्रमाणविना तिनीहरूको विश्वास त्याग्न सहमत भएनन् जुन उत्कट प्रार्थनाका साथ धर्मशास्त्रको अध्ययनबाट परमेश्वरका आत्माद्वारा दिमागहरूमा प्रकाश पाएको थियो र त्यसकै जीवित शक्तिले हृदय पोलिरहेको थियो; जुन विश्वासले सबभन्दा कठोर आलोचना र प्रसिद्ध धार्मिक शिक्षकहरू र सांसारिक बुद्धिमानी मानिसहरूको सबभन्दा तीतो विरोध सामना गरेको थियो र जसले शिक्षित र भाषणकलायुक्त मानिसहरूको संयुक्त फौज, र प्रतिष्ठित र नीचहरू दुवैका उस्तै गिल्लाहरू र खिसीहरू विरुद्ध दृढतासाथ खडा भयो।MBND 141.3 यो कुरा साँचो थियो कि अपेक्षा गरिएको घटना असफल भयो, तर त्यसले पनि परमेश्वरको वचनमा भएको तिनीहरूको विश्वासलाई हल्लाउन सकेन। जब चालिस दिनमा सहर नष्ट हुनेछ भनी योनाले निनवेका सड़कहरूमा घोषणा गरे, तब परमप्रभुले निनवेका मानिसहरूको नम्रता ग्रहण गर्नुभयो र तिनीहरूको पश्चात्तापको समय थपिदिनुभयो; यद्यपि योनाको सन्देश परमेश्वरले नै पठाउनुभएको थियो, र निनवेचाहिँ उहाँको इच्छाअनुसार जाँचियो। त्यसै गरी दोस्रो आगमनका विश्वासीहरूले विश्वास गरे कि परमेश्वरले तिनीहरूलाई न्यायको चेतावनी प्रदान गर्न अगुवाइ गर्नुभएको थियो। तिनीहरूले घोषणा गरे: “सुन्नेहरू सबैका हृदयहरू यसले जाँचेको छ, र परमप्रभुको आगमनप्रति एउटा प्रेम जगाएको छ; अथवा यसले उहाँको आगमनको विषयमा खुल्लमखुल्ला वा गुप्तमा घृणा जगाएको छ, तर परमेश्वरलाई पहिल्यै थाहा थियो। यसले एउटा रेखा कोरेको छ ... ताकि ज-जसले तिनीहरूको आफ्नै हृदय जाँच्नेछन्, तिनीहरूले जान्न सकून् कि तिनीहरू त्यो रेखाको कतातिर भेटाइनेछन्, यदि त्यति बेला परमप्रभु आउनुभएको भए ‘हेर, यहाँ नै हाम्रा परमेश्वर हुनुहुन्छ; हामीले उहाँको बाटो हेऱ्यौं, र उहाँले हामीलाई बचाउनुहुनेछ’ भनी तिनीहरू कराएका हुन्थे कि तिनीहरूले चट्टानहरू र पहाड़हरूलाई तिनीहरूमाथि खसोस् र सिंहासनमा बस्नुहुनेको मुहारबाट र थुमाको क्रोधबाट तिनीहरूलाई लुकाओस् भनी कराउनेथिए। परमेश्वरले यसरी हामीले विश्वास गरेझैँ उहाँका मानिसहरूलाई जाँच्नुभएको छ, तिनीहरूका विश्वास जाँच्नुभएको छ, तिनीहरूलाई प्रमाणित गर्नुभएको छ, र सङ्कष्टको समयमा उहाँले तिनीहरूलाई राख्न उचित ठान्नुभएको अवस्थाबाट पछि हट्छन् कि हट्दैनन् भनी उहाँले हेर्नुभएको छ; र तिनीहरूले संसारलाई त्यागेर परमेश्वरको वचनमा मात्रै सम्पूर्ण भरोसा राख्छन् कि राख्दैनन् भनी हेर्नुभएको छ।” —The Advent Herald and Signs of the Times Reporter, vol. 8, No. 14 (Nov. 13, 1844)MBND 142.1 परमेश्वरले तिनीहरूका विगतको अनुभवमा अगुवाइ गर्नुभयो भनी जसले अझै पनि विश्वास गरे तिनीहरूका भावनाहरू विलियम मिलरका शब्दहरूमा व्यक्त भएका छन्: “यदि मैले फेरि जीवन जिउन पाएको भए जुन प्रमाण त्यो समयमा मैले पाएको थिएँ, त्यसैको आधारमा परमेश्वर र मानिससँग ईमानदारितासाथ भन्नुपर्दा मैले पहिले जसो गरें, म फेरि त्यसै गर्नेथिएँ।” “मैले मेरो पोशाक मानिसहरूको रगतबाट मुक्त बनाएको छु भन्ने मलाई आशा छ। मेरो शक्तिले भ्याएसम्म तिनीहरूको सम्पूर्ण दोषबाट आफूलाई मुक्त गराएको म अनुभव गर्छु।” यो परमेश्वरको मानिसले लेखे, “म दुई पल्ट नैराश्यमा परे तापनि म अहिलेसम्म त नष्ट वा निराश भएको छैनँ। ... ख्रीष्टको आगमनमाथि मेरो आशा पहिले जस्तै बलियो छ। गम्भीर चिन्तन-मननका वर्षहरूपछि मात्र मेरो गम्भीर कर्तव्य मलाई जे महसुस भयो मैले त्यही गरें। यदि मैले केही गल्ती गरें भने त्यो त्यही नै थियो कि सँगी मानिसहरूप्रति माया, प्रेम र परमेश्वरप्रति कर्तव्यको महसुस गरेको थिएँ।” “मलाई एउटा कुरा थाहै छ, मैले विश्वास गरेको कुराबाहेक मैले अरू कुनै पनि कुरा प्रचार गरेको छैनँ; र परमेश्वर मसँग हुनुभएको छ; उहाँको शक्ति यो कार्यमा प्रकट रहेको छ, र धेरै असल काम भएको छ।” “पूरै मानवीय दृष्टिकोणमा धेरै हजार मानिसहरू त्यो समयको प्रचारद्वारा धर्मशास्त्र अध्ययन गर्न लागेका छन्, र विश्वास र ख्रीष्टको रगतको छर्काइद्वारा परमेश्वरमा मिलाप भएका छन्।” —Bliss, pages 256, 255, 277, 280, 281. “मैले कहिल्यै पनि घमण्डीहरूको मुस्कान चाहना गरेको छैनंँ, नता संसारको रिसबाट नै म डराएँ। अब म तिनीहरूको समर्थन किन्न चाहन्नँ, नता तिनीहरूको घृणा उक्साउन मेरो कर्तव्यभन्दा पर जानेछु। म कहिले पनि मेरो जीवनको सुरक्षा तिनीहरूको हातबाट खोज्नेछैनँ र यदि परमेश्वर उहाँको असल कृपामा निर्देशन दिनुहुन्छ भने तिनीहरूको हातबाट जीवन गुमाउनदेखि पछि हट्नेछैनँ भनी आशा गर्दछु।” —J. White, Life of Wm. Miller, page 315.MBND 143.1 परमेश्वरले उहाँका मानिसहरूलाई त्याग्नुभएन; जसले हडबडीका साथ तिनीहरूले प्राप्त गरेका ज्योति इन्कार गरेनन्, नता दोस्रो आगमनको कार्य इन्कार गरे तिनीहरूसँग अझै पनि पवित्र आत्मा रहनुभयो। हिब्रूहरूलाई लेखेको पत्रमा यो सङ्कष्टको समयमा जाँचमा परेकाहरू र प्रतीक्षारत जनहरूका लागि साहस र चेतावनीका शब्दहरू छन्: “त्यसकारण आफ्नो यो भरोसा नत्याग, जसमा ठूलो इनामको प्रतिफल छ। परमेश्वरको इच्छा पूरा गर्न र प्रतिज्ञा गरिएको प्रतिफल प्राप्त गर्न तिमीहरूलाई स्थिर रहनु आवश्यक छ। किनकि अब एकै छिनमा, ‘आउनुहुनेचाहिँ आउनु नै हुनेछ, र बियाँलो गर्नुहुनेछैन। तर मेरो धार्मिक जनचाहिँ विश्वासद्वारा बाँच्नेछ, र यदि ऊ पछि हट्छ भनेता म उसँग खुशी हुनेछैनँ।’ तर हामी पछि हट्ने र विनाश पारिनेहरूमध्येका होइनौं, तर विश्वास गरी बचाइएकाहरूमध्येका हौं।” हिब्रू १०:३५-३९।MBND 143.2 यो चेतावनी अन्तिम दिनहरूको चर्चलाई सम्बोधन गरिएको छ भन्ने कुरा प्रभुको आगमनको निकटता देखाएका शब्दहरूले प्रमाणित गर्दछ: “एकै छिनमा, ‘आउनुहुनेचाहिँ आउनु नै हुनेछ, र बियाँलो गर्नुहुनेछैन।’” यो स्पष्ट सङ्केत गरिएको हो कि त्यहाँ प्रत्यक्ष ढिलाइ भएको थियो र परमप्रभु बियाँलो गर्नुभयो जस्तो देखिएको थियो। यहाँ दिइएको शिक्षा विशेष गरी यो समयमा भएको दोस्रो आगमनको विश्वासीहरूको अनुभवमा उपयुक्त छ। यहाँ सम्बोधन गरिएका मानिसहरूले विश्वासको जहाज ध्वंस गर्ने खतरामा छन्। तिनीहरूले उहाँको आत्मा र उहाँको वचनको अगुवाइलाई अनुकरण गरेर परमेश्वरको इच्छा पूरा गरेका थिए; तापनि तिनीहरूले आफ्ना विगतका अनुभवमा उहाँको उद्देश्य बुझ्न सकेनन्, नता तिनीहरूले अगाड़ि भएको मार्ग नै चिन्न सके, र परमेश्वरले साँच्चै अगुवाइ गर्नुभएको छ कि छैन भनी तिनीहरू परिक्षित भए। यो समयमा ती शब्दहरू उपयुक्त भए: “धार्मिक जनचाहिँ विश्वासद्वारा बाँच्नेछ।” जब तिनीहरूको मार्गमा “मध्यरातको कराइ”-को उज्ज्वल ज्योति चम्केको थियो र तिनीहरूले अगमवाणीहरू खोलिएका र ख्रीष्टको आगमनको निकटता निर्देशन गर्ने चिन्हहरू निकै छिटो-छिटो पूरा भएका देखे तब तिनीहरूले देखेको जस्तै गरी हिँड़े। तर अब निराशपूर्ण आशाहरूद्वारा ढलेर तिनीहरू परमेश्वर र उहाँको वचनमाथि विश्वास गरेर मात्र खडा हुन सक्थे। उपहास गर्ने संसारले भनिरहेको थियो: “तिमीहरू भ्रममा परेका छौ। तिमीहरूको विश्वास छोडिदेऊ, र दोस्रो आगमनको कार्यचाहिँ शैतानको थियो भनी भन।” तर परमेश्वरको वचनले घोषणा गऱ्यो: “यदि ऊ पछि हट्छ भनेता म उसँग खुसी हुनेछैनँ।” अहिले तिनीहरूको विश्वास त्याग्नु र त्यो सन्देशमा रहेको पवित्र आत्माको शक्तिलाई इन्कार गर्नुचाहिँ विनाशतर्फ गएको हुनेथियो। तिनीहरू पावलका शब्दहरूद्वारा दृढ रहन साहस प्राप्त गरे: “आफ्नो यो भरोसा नत्याग,” “तिमीहरूलाई स्थिर रहनु आवश्यक छ,” “अब एकै छिनमा, ‘आउनुहुनेचाहिँ आउनु नै हुनेछ, र बियाँलो गर्नुहुनेछैन।’” तिनीहरूको एउटा सुरक्षित उपायचाहिँ यही थियो कि तिनीहरू परमेश्वरबाट प्राप्त गरिसकेको ज्योति कायम राख्नुपर्ने, उहाँका प्रतिज्ञाहरू बलियो गरी पक्रनुपर्ने, र निरन्तररूपले धर्मशास्त्र खोजी गर्नुपर्ने, र धैर्यसाथ प्रतीक्षा गर्नुपर्ने र बाँकी ज्योति प्राप्त गर्न जागा रहनुपर्नेथिए।MBND 144.1