TEACHING TRUTH

Presented By: Jeremiah C.. Riley

Step by Step to Victory, February 29 (Ye Shall Receive Power)

I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air: but I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway. 1 Corinthians 9:26, 27.

God leads His people on step by step. The Christian life is a battle and a march. In this warfare there is no release; the effort must be continuous and persevering. It is by unceasing endeavor that we maintain the victory over the temptations of Satan. Christian integrity must be sought with resistless energy and maintained with a resolute fixedness of purpose....

There is a science of Christianity to be mastered—a science as much deeper, broader, higher than any human science as the heavens are higher than the earth. The mind is to be disciplined, educated, trained; for we are to do service for God in ways that are not in harmony with inborn inclination. There are hereditary and cultivated tendencies to evil that must be overcome. Often the training and education of a lifetime must be discarded, that one may become a learner in the school of Christ. Our hearts must be educated to become steadfast in God. We are to form habits of thought that will enable us to resist temptation. We must learn to look upward. The principles of the Word of God—principles that are as high as heaven, and that compass eternity—we are to understand in their bearing upon our daily life. Every act, every word, every thought, is to be in accord with these principles.

The precious graces of the Holy Spirit are not developed in a moment. Courage, fortitude, meekness, faith, unwavering trust in God's power to save, are acquired by the experience of years. By a life of holy endeavor and firm adherence to the right the children of God are to seal their destiny.

We have no time to lose. We know not how soon our probation may close. Eternity stretches before us. The curtain is about to be lifted. Christ is soon to come. The angels of God are seeking to attract us from ourselves and from earthly things. Let them not labor in vain.—Testimonies for the Church 8:313, 314.

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Sanctified but Not Sinless, February 27

But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: that, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord. 1 Corinthians 1:30, 31.

Just here we might distinguish between genuine and false sanctification. Sanctification does not consist in merely professing and teaching the Word of God, but in living in conformity to His will. Those who claim to be sinless, and make their boast of sanctification, are self-confident, and do not realize their peril. They anchor their souls upon the supposition that having once experienced the sanctifying power of God, they are in no danger of falling. While claiming to be rich and increased in goods, and in need of nothing, they know not that they are miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked.

But those who are truly sanctified have a sense of their own weakness. Feeling their need, they will go for light and grace and strength to Jesus, in whom all fullness dwells, and who alone can supply their wants. Conscious of their own imperfections, they seek to become more like Christ, and to live in accordance with the principles of His holy law. This continual sense of inefficiency will lead to such entire dependence upon God that His Spirit will be exemplified in them. The treasures of heaven will be opened to supply the wants of every hungering, thirsting soul. All of this character have the assurance of one day beholding the glory of that kingdom which as yet the imagination can only faintly grasp.

Those who have felt the sanctifying and transforming power of God must not fall into the dangerous error of thinking that they are sinless, that they have reached the highest state of perfection, and are beyond the reach of temptation. The standard the Christian is to keep before him is the purity and loveliness of Christ's character. Day by day he may be putting on new beauties, and reflecting to the world more and still more of the divine image.—The Bible Echo, February 21, 1898.


Presented By:
Jeremiah C. Rilety (J. Courage)

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Presented By Brother Prince Hall

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Presented By Sister Sheryl Richards
Word Of The Morning: Influence

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Presented By Sister Delony Morrison (https://www.facebook.com/delony.Morr)

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Chapter 12—The Wilderness Temptation
This chapter is based on Matthew 4:1-11; Mark 1:12, 13; Luke 4:1-13.
“Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And He fasted forty days and forty nights, and afterward He was hungry.” RSV.
Jesus did not invite temptation. He went to the wilderness to be alone, to contemplate His mission. By fasting and prayer He was to brace Himself for the bloodstained path He must travel. But Satan thought this the best time to approach Him.
Mighty issues were at stake. Satan claimed the earth as his and styled himself “the prince of this world.” He declared that men had chosen him as their sovereign; through men he held dominion over the world. Christ had come to disprove Satan's claim. As the Son of man, Christ would stand loyal to God. Thus it would be shown that Satan had not gained complete control of the human race, and that his claim to the world was false. All who desired deliverance from his power would be set free.
Satan had known that he did not hold absolute sway over the world. There was seen in men a power that withstood his dominion. See Genesis 3:15. In the sacrifices offered by Adam and his sons he discerned a symbol of communion between earth and heaven. He set himself to intercept this communion. He misrepresented God and misinterpreted the rites that pointed to the Saviour. Men were led to fear God as one who delighted in their destruction. The sacrifices that should have revealed His love were offered only to appease His wrath.
When God's written word was given, Satan studied the prophecies. From generation to generation he worked to blind the people that they might reject Christ at His coming.
At the birth of Jesus, Satan knew that One had come to dispute his dominion. That the Son of God should come to this earth as a man filled him with apprehension. His selfish soul could not understand such love. Since he had lost heaven, he was determined to cause others to share his fall. He would cause them to undervalue heavenly things, and set the heart upon things of earth.

Satan Determined to Prevail
From the time when the Commander of heaven was a babe in Bethlehem, He was continually assailed by the evil one. In the councils of Satan it was determined that He should be overcome.
The forces of evil were set upon His track to engage in warfare against Him, and if possible to prevail over Him.
At the Saviour's baptism, Satan heard the voice of Jehovah testifying to the divinity of Jesus. Now that Jesus had come “in the likeness of sinful flesh” (Romans 8:3), the Father Himself spoke. He had before communicated with humanity through Christ; now He communicated with humanity in Christ. Now it was manifest that the connection between God and man had been restored.
Satan saw that he must either conquer or be conquered. All the energies of apostasy were rallied against Christ.
Many look on this conflict between Christ and Satan as having no special bearing on their own life. But within every human heart it is repeated. The enticements Christ resisted were those we find so difficult to withstand. With the weight of the sins of the world upon Him, Christ withstood the test on appetite, on the love of the world, and on that love of display which  leads to presumption. These were the temptations that overcame Adam and Eve, and that so readily overcome us.
Satan had pointed to Adam's sin as proof that God's law could not be obeyed. In our humanity, Christ was to redeem Adam's failure. But when Adam was assailed by the tempter, none of the effects of sin were upon him. He stood in the strength of perfect manhood, possessing full vigor of mind and body. Surrounded with the glories of Eden, he was in daily communion with heavenly beings.
It was not thus with Jesus when He entered the wilderness to cope with Satan. For 4000 years the race had been decreasing in physical strength, in mental power, and in moral worth; and Christ took upon Him the infirmities of degenerate humanity. Only thus could He rescue man from the lowest depths of his degradation. FROM HEAVEN WITH LOVE chapter 12

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Unwavering Faithfulness: When Good Deeds Feel Exhausting  
**Scripture:** "Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord." – 1 Corinthians 15:58 KJV   "And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not." – Galatians 6:9 KJV
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In the Christian life, there are seasons of exhilarating growth and abundant fruitfulness, and then there are seasons of quiet, persistent labor where the results aren't immediately apparent. It's in these latter seasons, especially, that the enemy of our souls loves to whisper doubts and sow seeds of discouragement. We might find ourselves asking, "Is it really making a difference? Is anyone even noticing? Is all this effort truly worth it?"   This is precisely why the Apostle Paul, inspired by the Holy Spirit, exhorts us in 1 Corinthians 15:58 to be "stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord." The foundation for this unwavering commitment isn't found in fleeting feelings or immediate gratification, but in the profound truth that "your labour is not in vain in the Lord."

 Every act of kindness, every patient word, every selfless sacrifice, every prayer offered – all of it is seen, known, and valued by our heavenly Father. Nothing we do for His glory, done in His strength, is ever wasted.   Galatians 6:9 echoes this sentiment with a powerful promise: "And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not." The enemy wants us to faint, to give up just before the harvest. But God assures us that there *will* be a harvest. Our faithfulness, even when it feels like a solitary, uphill climb, is cultivating a crop of blessing, both in this life and in eternity. The key is perseverance – not giving up, not growing weary.

  **Illustration:**  
Consider Martha. For over sixty years, Martha had been a beacon of selfless service in her community and within her church. She had volunteered at the local food pantry every Tuesday and Thursday for decades, her hands calloused from packing countless boxes. She had cooked innumerable meals for grieving families, visited the sick in their homes, and spent countless hours counseling young mothers. Her life was a testament to "well doing."  

But lately, Martha felt a creeping weariness. Her knees ached more than they used to, and the gratitude she once felt from those she served seemed to have dwindled. A new, younger generation of volunteers had joined the food pantry, and while she appreciated their enthusiasm, she sometimes felt overlooked, her years of experience taken for granted. She had poured her life out, and now, at seventy-eight, she found herself wondering, "What was it all for? Did it really make a lasting difference? I'm tired, so very tired, and sometimes it feels like it wasn't worth the effort."

Discouragement was a heavy cloak she struggled to shed.   One quiet morning, as she sat with her worn Bible, her eyes fell upon 1 Corinthians 15:58: "Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord." As she read the words, a warmth began to spread through her heart. She wasn't doing it for recognition, or for immediate thanks, or even for measurable results in this life. She was doing it "in the Lord." Her labor was not in vain *in Him*.  

 Then, Galatians 6:9 surfaced in her mind: "And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not." The phrase "in due season" resonated deeply. Perhaps her harvest wasn't meant to be immediate or always visible. Perhaps the seeds she had sown in countless lives would blossom in ways she might never witness.   A tear rolled down Martha's cheek, but this time, it wasn't a tear of despair but of renewed resolve.

The weariness was still there in her bones, but the discouragement in her spirit began to lift. She realized that her faithfulness was a testament to God's faithfulness. Her work, done for Him, was not about her recognition, but about His glory. She might not see the full impact of her labor now, but she knew, with a fresh certainty, that in the Lord, it was never, ever in vain. She closed her Bible, a quiet strength settling over her, ready to continue abounding in the work of the Lord, one faithful step at a time.  

She slowly knelt her tired weary body beside her bed and prayed: “Heavenly Father, I thank You for the truth of Your Word that reminds me that my labor in You is never in vain. Forgive me when I grow weary and allow discouragement to set in. Strengthen me, Lord, by Your Holy Spirit, to be stedfast and unmoveable, always abounding in Your work. Help me to trust in Your promise that in due season I shall reap, if I faint not. May my life be a testament to Your unfailing love and faithfulness. In Jesus' name, Amen.”

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Presented By: Jeremiah C. Riley

Free From the Curse of Sin, February 26, Ye Shall Receive Power

But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life. Romans 6:22.
The Lord would have His people sound in the faith—not ignorant of the great salvation so abundantly provided for them. They are not to look forward, thinking that at some future time a great work is to be done for them; for the work is now complete. The believer is not called upon to make his peace with God; he never has nor ever can do this. He is to accept Christ as his peace, for with Christ is God and peace. Christ made an end of sin, bearing its heavy curse in His own body on the tree, and He hath taken away the curse from all those who believe in Him as a personal Saviour. He makes an end of the controlling power of sin in the heart, and the life and character of the believer testify to the genuine character of the grace of Christ.

To those that ask Him, Jesus imparts the Holy Spirit; for it is necessary that every believer should be delivered from pollution, as well as from the curse and condemnation of the law. Through the work of the Holy Spirit, the sanctification of the truth, the believer becomes fitted for the courts of heaven; for Christ works within us, and His righteousness is upon us. Without this no soul will be entitled to heaven. We would not enjoy heaven unless qualified for its holy atmosphere by the influence of the Spirit and the righteousness of Christ.

In order to be candidates for heaven we must meet the requirement of the law: “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself” (Luke 10:27). We can do this only as we grasp by faith the righteousness of Christ. By beholding Jesus we receive a living, expanding principle in the heart, and the Holy Spirit carries on the work, and the believer advances from grace to grace, from strength to strength, from character to character. He conforms to the image of Christ, until in spiritual growth he attains unto the measure of the full stature in Christ Jesus. Thus Christ makes an end of the curse of sin, and sets the believing soul free from its action and effect.—Selected Messages 1:394, 395.

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PRESENTED BY BROTHER JOEL

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Presented By Sister Sheryl Richards:

The Sure Remedy  (Christian Service Chapter 9)
For the disheartened there is a sure remedy,—faith, prayer, work. Faith and activity will impart assurance and satisfaction that will increase day by day. Are you tempted to give way to feelings of anxious foreboding or utter despondency? In the darkest days, when appearances seem most forbidding, fear not. Have faith in God. He knows your need. He has all power. His infinite love and compassion never weary. Fear not that He will fail of fulfilling His promise. He is eternal truth. Never will He change the covenant He has made with those who love Him. And He will bestow upon His faithful servants the measure of efficiency that their need demands.—Prophets and Kings, 164, 165.
There is but one genuine cure for spiritual laziness, and that is work,—working for souls who need your help.—Testimonies for the Church 4:236.
This is the recipe that Christ has prescribed for the fainthearted, doubting, trembling soul. Let the sorrowful ones, who walk mournfully before the Lord, arise and help some one who needs help.—Testimonies for the Church 6:266.
Christians who are constantly growing in earnestness, in zeal, in fervor, in love,—such Christians never backslide.—The Review and Herald, June 7, 1887.
It is those who are not engaged in this unselfish labor who have a sickly experience, and become worn out with struggling, doubting, murmuring, sinning, and repenting, until they lose all sense as to what constitutes genuine religion. They feel that they cannot go back to the world, and so they hang on the skirts of Zion, having petty jealousies, envyings, disappointments, and remorse. They are full of fault finding, and feed upon the mistakes and errors of their brethren. They have only a hopeless, faithless, sunless experience in their religious life.—The Review and Herald, September 2, 1890.

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Presented By Jeremiah C. Riley

In Cooperation With the Spirit, February 25
Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. Philippians 2:12.

If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17). Nothing but divine power can regenerate the human heart and imbue souls with the love of Christ, which will ever manifest itself with love for those for whom He died. The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, goodness, faith,

meekness, temperance. When a man is converted to God, a new moral taste is supplied, a new motive power is given, and he loves the things that God loves; for his life is bound up by the golden chain of the immutable promises to the life of Jesus. Love, joy, peace, and inexpressible gratitude will pervade the soul, and the language of him who is blessed will be, “Thy gentleness hath made me great” (Psalm 18:35).

But those who are waiting to behold a magical change in their characters without determined effort on their part to overcome sin will be disappointed. We have no reason to fear while looking to Jesus, no reason to doubt but that He is able to save to the uttermost all that come unto Him; but we may constantly fear lest our old nature will again obtain the supremacy, that the enemy shall devise some snare whereby we shall again become his captives.

We are to work out our own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God that worketh in you to will and to do of His good pleasure. With our limited powers we are to be as holy in our sphere as God is holy in His sphere. To the extent of our ability, we are to make manifest the truth and love and excellence of the divine character. As wax takes the impression of the seal, so the soul is to take the impression of the Spirit of God and retain the image of Christ.

We are to grow daily in spiritual loveliness. We shall fail often in our efforts to copy the divine Pattern. We shall often have to bow down to weep at the feet of Jesus, because of our shortcomings and mistakes; but we are not to be discouraged; we are to pray more fervently, believe more fully, and try again with more steadfastness to grow into the likeness of our Lord.—Selected Messages 1:336, 337. (Ye Shall Receive Power)  February 25

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