Keys Storehouse

Keys to the Storehouse – I Would Never Deny My Lord, or Would I?

by

Over the years the devil has fooled many, including me. Even today, by our words or our actions we may be denying our Lord. How the devil would rejoice and love to keep this knowledge hidden from us and keep us in darkness. If we have not sorrowed over or confessed these actions, we will be just where the adversary wants us. This is not the time to sleep, but to watch.

Those losing spiritual consciousness are no longer alert to the lurking danger. “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.” I Peter 5:8. He is seeking whom he may destroy spiritually.

While sleeping and not watching, it is so easy to be lulled into thinking that there is nothing to be sorry for or to confess. What a deception! You are being devoured! There are many ways in which the Lord is denied, instead giving glory to the devil.

“We may deny Him in our words, by speaking evil of others, by foolish talking, jesting and joking, by idle or unkind words, or by prevaricating, speaking contrary to truth. In our words we may confess that Christ is not in us. In our character we may deny Him by loving our ease, by shunning the duties and burdens of life which someone must bear if we do not, and by loving sinful pleasure. We may also deny Christ by pride of dress and conformity to the world, or by uncourteous behavior. We may deny Him by loving our own opinions and by seeking to maintain and justify self. We may also deny Him in allowing the mind to run in the channel of lovesick sentimentalism and to brood over our supposed hard lot and trials.”

“… The conversation and the deportment should be a real and visible expression of grace and truth within. If the heart is sanctified, submissive, and humble, the fruits will be seen outwardly and will be a most effectual confession of Christ.” Testimonies, vol. 3, 331, 332.

“A spirit contrary to the spirit of Christ would deny Him, whatever the profession. Men may deny Christ by evilspeaking, by foolish talking, by words that are untruthful or unkind. They may deny Him by shunning life’s burdens, by the pursuit of sinful pleasure. They may deny Him by conforming to the world, by uncourteous behavior, by the love of their own opinions, by justifying self, by cherishing doubt, borrowing trouble, and dwelling in darkness. In all these ways they declare that Christ is not in them.” The Desire of Ages, 357.

Awake! Ponder the path of your feet moment by moment. Have you denied Him today in thoughts, words or actions? Be honest with yourself; confess those neglects so the devil does not win.

Today is the day of salvation. Go to the Lord, fall on your knees and tell Him your heart’s sorrow for denying Him and ask Him for forgiveness. Give not victory to the devil and lose your eternal life. Jesus is waiting in the Most Holy Place of the Sanctuary in heaven to hear from you today. Tomorrow has not come, and then it may be too late, as it may not come.

Heavenly Father, My heart is filled with much sorrow right now. I now know I have been denying You in thoughts, words and actions. Please forgive me. I praise You for showing me these things. Keep me alert to the dangers in my path that I may not lose eternal life. Amen.

Keys to the Storehouse – Ponder Thy Path

by

Do you realize how much you are loved? God loves you so much that He “gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” John 3:16.

There is a statement in Selected Messages, Book 1, 311 that is well worth thinking upon. It begins, “The Creator loves His creatures, but …” (Emphasis added.)

That little word but alters our whole thought process.

We are told to “Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established. Turn not to the right hand nor to the left: remove thy foot from evil.” Proverbs 4:26, 27.

Have you pondered the path of your feet lately? We are told, “Ye shall observe to do therefore as the Lord your God hath commanded you: ye shall not turn aside to the right hand or to the left.” Deuteronomy 5:32.

“Joshua, the commander of Israel, searched the books diligently in which Moses had faithfully chronicled the directions given by God—His requirements, reproofs, and restrictions—lest he should move unadvisedly. Joshua was afraid to trust his own impulses, or his own wisdom. He regarded everything that came from Christ, … as of sufficient importance to be sacredly cherished. “Ellen G. White Comments,” The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 2, 993, 994.

Have you pondered the path of your feet lately? I ask this because we are told:

“The Creator loves His creatures, but he who loves sin more than righteousness, error more than truth, perpetuates the transgression that brought woe into our world, and cannot be regarded with favor by the God of truth. The way of truth and righteousness involves a cross.” (Emphasis added.) Selected Messages, Book 1, 311.

If you love sin more than righteousness or error more than truth, you perpetuate that sin—you preserve it from extinction, and you will never be allowed into the kingdom of heaven. Are you choosing to follow the heavenly path, pondering the path of your feet so that sin is not preserved?

“Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest.” Joshua 1:7, 8.

“The highway of the upright is to depart from evil: he that keepeth his way preserveth his soul.” Proverbs 16:17.

When you sin, or violate the law,

  • you have chosen sin over righteousness;
  • you love error more than truth;
  • you perpetuate the transgression and preserve it from extinction.

When you want to “preserve” sin from extinction by your actions,

  • you cannot be regarded with favor by the God of truth.

“The Creator loves His creatures, but … .” If you were to place your name in the place of His creatures, would the word but appear after your name? Send up the prayer found in Psalm 139:23, 24 which says, “Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”

Lord, I pray that I will always be regarded with favor by You. As I ponder the path of my feet, please give me spiritual discernment that I may see where the devil is deceiving me into preserving sin. I do not ever want to choose sin over righteousness or error over truth. Please hold up my goings in Thy paths that my footsteps slip not. Amen.

Keys to the Storehouse – Red Flags

by

Every repentant sinner appears at the door of the Most Holy Place. Have you been to that door this morning—where Jesus is? Were you there last night?

“Day by day the repentant sinner brought his offering to the door of the tabernacle and, placing his hand upon the victim’s head, confessed his sins, thus in figure transferring them from himself to the innocent sacrifice.” The Great Controversy, 418.

Are you a sinner? It may be that you don’t recognize yourself as a sinner or have anything for which to be sorry. Or maybe you don’t think you have denied Him in any of your actions or words.

We are told in Romans 3:23 that, “All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God”—come short of God’s character.

Do you suppose that you may have overlooked something? Or are sins, because of repetition, no longer sins in your mind, and you are thinking all is well? God does not want us to be deceived. Several red flags are brought to our attention in the following paragraph so that we may ponder the path of our life before it is too late.

“A spirit contrary to the spirit of Christ would deny Him, whatever the profession. Men may deny Christ by evilspeaking, by foolish talking, by words that are untruthful or unkind. They may deny Him by shunning life’s burdens, by the pursuit of sinful pleasure. They may deny Him by conforming to the world, by uncourteous behavior, by the love of their own opinions, by justifying self, by cherishing doubt, borrowing trouble, and dwelling in darkness. In all these ways they declare that Christ is not in them.” The Desire of Ages, 357. (Emphasis supplied.)

Have you overlooked anything in your life that has not been brought to the door of the Most Holy Place where Jesus is waiting to hear from you?

Sinners do not have eternal life. Each time the law of God is broken, whether it be physical, mental or spiritual laws, that guilty person is living on “death row” waiting for execution, unless or until those sins have been confessed and repented of.

Have you been to the Most Holy Place today to confess, repent of and transfer that sin and guilt to the Most Holy Place and to receive the Holy Spirit, the life of Jesus, in your soul? Go to Him in sincerity, confess, repent, remove the clutter and invite Him into your heart and plead for His Holy Spirit. Why? Because, “The influence of the Holy Spirit is the life of Christ in the soul.” God’s Amazing Grace, 195.

“Those who are begotten unto a new life by the Holy Spirit, have become partakers of the divine nature, and in all their habits and practices, they will give evidence of their relationship to Christ. When men who claim to be Christians retain all their natural defects of character and disposition, in what does their position differ from that of the worldling? They do not appreciate the truth as a sanctifier, a refiner. They have not been born again.” The Review and Herald, April 12, 1892. (Emphasis supplied.)

Have you been to the Most Holy Place today?

My precious Jesus, I come humbly to the door of the Most Holy Place to repent of my behavior that has denied entrance of Thy life, through the Holy Spirit, into my soul. You have opened my eyes to see that I have sinned and fallen short of Thy character. Forgive me. As I lift my soul heavenward I sincerely desire to be filled with Your life through the influence of Thy Holy Spirit. I choose Your life and not death. Amen.

Keys to the Storehouse – Jesus Longed to See!

by

“Jesus longed to see.” That is quite a statement to think upon. It makes you want to know what He longed to see!

A rich young man came to Jesus inquiring what he could do to inherit eternal life. Jesus told him to keep the commandments, to which he replied, “All these things have I kept from my youth up: what lack I yet?” (See Matthew 19:20.) In those words, there was seen no need. “He [Jesus] longed to see in him a humble and contrite heart, conscious of the supreme love to be given to God, and hiding its lack in the perfection of Christ.” The Desire of Ages, 519.

Jesus longs to see in each one of us

A humble heart:

  • A heart expressing dependence
  • A heart expressing unworthiness
  • A heart willing to submit, willing to yield and to be obedient

Did He see this in the young ruler? No. Does He see this humble heart in you? Jesus longs to see

A contrite heart:

  • A heart that is broken in spirit because of a sense of sin
  • A sincere sorrow for sin
  • A deep repentance

Did He see this in the young ruler? No. Does He see a contrite heart in you? To receive the love of God, your supreme love of self must be surrendered and its deficiency hid in the perfection of Jesus.

“Christ read the ruler’s heart. Only one thing he lacked, but that was a vital principle.” Ibid.

Imagine, thinking to keep the commandments for his whole lifetime and yet still lacking the vital principle necessary for his spiritual life and future. Jesus saw in this young man the potential to represent Him and become a divine force among men. “He longed to make him like Himself, a mirror in which the likeness of God would be reflected. …

“He needed the love of God in the soul. This lack, unless supplied, would prove fatal to him; his whole nature would become corrupted.” Ibid.

We too could ask this same question of Jesus. If we give ourselves to Christ, we can grow in the atmosphere of His presence. However, if we choose to remain lacking, refusing the love of God, our whole nature will become corrupt. This means:

  • It will decay
  • It will be polluted
  • It will be perverted
  • It will be rotten

Jesus longed to see a willingness to be a coworker—but, sadly, the young man turned away.

  • He chose not to receive a humble and contrite heart.
  • He chose not to recognize the supreme love to be given to God.
  • He chose not to hide his lack in Jesus.

“With what earnest, anxious longing, what soul hunger, did the Saviour look at the young man, hoping that he would yield to the invitation of the Spirit of God!” Ibid., 520.

The young man “wanted eternal life, but would not receive into the soul that unselfish love which alone is life, and with a sorrowful heart he turned away from Christ.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 393.

That same invitation is offered today: “Choose you this day whom ye will serve.” Joshua 24:15.

“The Redeemer longed to create in him that discernment which would enable him to see the necessity of heart devotion and Christian goodness.” The Desire of Ages, 519.

But he refused and turned away! What will you do?

Father: I want Jesus to see in me a humble and contrite heart, conscious of the supreme love to be given to Thee. I choose to open my heart fully to receive Christ so I may be transformed into Your likeness, which is my only hope of salvation. Please help me to hide all that I lack in the perfection of Jesus so that I will not become corrupt and lose life eternal as did that young man long ago. Amen.

Keys to the Storehouse – Whom Do You Reflect?

by

When I think about all of the time I have wasted in the past dwelling on the faults of my employers, my children, my spouse, which time could have been used in walking with the Lord and not with the devil and his accusers, what a waste! We do not have time “to live on the husks of others’ faults or failings.” The Ministry of Healing, 492.

Too much time has been wasted and will be wasted that could be used in walking in peace with the Lord Jesus and not riled up with the devil and his cohorts. Did you know that the “very act of looking for evil in others develops evil in those who look”? Ibid.

Is that why I have a scowl on my face—which really is a reflection of the devil and which causes me to sit on my “pity pot”? Get out of the devil’s atmosphere! If you do not have peace in your heart, in your mind, then it is time to place your thoughts upon heavenly places! Why waste your time sitting with the devil and lose out on that peace which God has promised through Jesus Christ. Put a smile on your face, put a scripture song or verse in your heart. Remember what Philippians 4:8 says: “… whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.” Paul knew what things he needed to dwell upon—we must know those same things!

“Instead of criticizing and condemning others, say,

  • I must work out my own salvation.
  • If I co-operate with Him who desires to save my soul, I must watch myself diligently.
  • I must put away every evil from my life.
  • I must overcome every fault.
  • I must become a new creature in Christ.

Then, instead of weakening those who are striving against evil, I can strengthen them by encouraging words.” Ibid.

Heavenly Father: Thank you for Your word which sets us free from the devil’s distractions. You have shown us how to keep our minds in heavenly places and to walk in that atmosphere. “Hold up my goings in Thy paths, that my footsteps slip not” (Psalm 17:5). Do not allow me to live on the husks of others’ faults! I choose not to sit with the devil and his cohorts, for my joy is found in Your presence. Amen.

Keys to the Storehouse – Strange Infatuation

by

One of the meanings for the word infatuation is unreasoning admiration or love. There is a strange infatuation, a strange unreasoning admiration or love for the things that Satan presents. What is it that makes the words of the great deceiver more attractive to the majority of people than the word of God? What makes them even more attractive to even those professing Christianity at times? Is it that unreasoning admiration—that strange infatuation?

“The Majesty of Heaven in tears! the Son of the infinite God troubled in spirit, bowed down with anguish! … Jesus, looking down to the last generation, saw the world involved in a deception similar to that which caused the destruction of Jerusalem. The great sin of the Jews was their rejection of Christ; the great sin of the Christian world would be their rejection of the law of God, the foundation of his government in Heaven and earth. … Millions in bondage to sin, slaves of Satan, doomed to suffer the second death, would refuse to listen to the words of truth in their day of visitation. Terrible blindness! strange infatuation!” The Spirit of Prophecy, vol. 4, 23.

You must not be entangled in this strange infatuation—for it is very deadly and will cause your eternal death if not recognized. We need to know and understand the word of God now to escape the deception, which leads to eternal death.

Remember: “The one who promised Adam life in disobedience was the great deceiver. … ‘Ye shall not surely die;’ and this declaration, resting solely upon the authority of Satan, is echoed from the pulpits of Christendom, and received by the majority of mankind as readily as it was received by our first parents. The divine sentence, ‘The soul that sinneth, it shall die’ (Ezekiel 18:20), is made to mean, The soul that sinneth, it shall not die, but live eternally. We cannot but wonder at the strange infatuation which renders men so credulous concerning the words of Satan, and so unbelieving in regard to the words of God.” Ibid., 353.

You do not want to be part of those blinded by this strange infatuation because they will at the last day say: “ ‘All this,’ cries the lost soul, ‘I might have had; but I chose to put these things far from me. Oh, strange infatuation! I have exchanged peace, happiness, and honor, for wretchedness, infamy, and despair.’ All see that their exclusion from Heaven is just. In their lives they declared, We will not have this Jesus to reign over us.” Ibid., 483.

“Although some are so estranged from God that they do not recognize His voice, though a strange infatuation leads them in their perversity of heart to strive against the manifestations of the Spirit of God, let not those who are striving earnestly to do the work and will of God become discouraged. Let each work earnestly, prayerfully, holding his torch in his hand, shedding light upon willing and unwilling eyes. Having their orders from heaven, they are to be true and faithful, in all things representing the compassion of Christ.” Pamphlet, 149, 51.

“Doubters, unbelievers, and skeptics turn the truth into a lie.” The Spirit of Prophecy, vol. 4, 360.

Are you turning the truth into a lie by professing to live for Jesus but listening to the devil’s lie? Oh, strange infatuation!

(All emphasis supplied.)

Father: Preserve me from turning the truth into a lie in my life. Give me spiritual discernment. I never want to exchange peace, happiness, and honor, for wretchedness, infamy, and despair. Preserve my soul from Satan’s lies that I may not fall under the spell of this strange infatuation that strives against the manifestations of the Holy Spirit and leads to eternal loss and death. Amen.

Keys to the Storehouse – My Fears

by

“Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure.” Philippians 2:12, 13

God does not bid you fear that He will fail to fulfill His promises, that His patience will weary, or His compassion be found wanting. Fear lest your will shall not be held in subjection to Christ’s will, lest your hereditary and cultivated traits of character shall control your life. ‘It is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure’ [Philippians 2:13]. Fear lest self shall interpose between your soul and the great Master Worker. Fear lest self-will shall mar the high purpose that through you God desires to accomplish. Fear to trust to your own strength, fear to withdraw your hand from the hand of Christ and attempt to walk life’s pathway without His abiding presence.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 161.

We are not to fear that God will fail to fulfill His promises or that His patience will run out. We are to fear the following and pray these fears to the God of heaven:

Heavenly Father,

  • I fear lest my will shall not be held in subjection to the will of Your beloved Son, Jesus.
  • I fear lest my hereditary and cultivated traits of character shall control my life and not the guidance of Your Holy Spirit.
  • I fear lest self shall interpose between my soul and Thee, the great Master Worker.
  • I fear lest my self-will shall mar that high purpose that You desire to accomplish through me and that others may be turned away from You because of self.
  • I fear to trust in my own strength but choose to trust in Your strength.
  • I fear to withdraw my hand from the hand of Christ and attempt to walk life’s pathway without His abiding presence.
  • I lift these fears to You this moment that I may be comforted and that my life will not be without Christ—a life of sadness and gloom, but of joy and peace, because Christ, while dwelling in me, will be a wellspring of joy. Amen.

“The life in which the fear of the Lord is cherished will not be a life of sadness and gloom. It is the absence of Christ that makes the countenance sad, and the life a pilgrimage of sighs. Those who are filled with self-esteem and self-love do not feel the need of a living, personal union with Christ. The heart that has not fallen on the Rock is proud of its wholeness. Men want a dignified religion. They desire to walk in a path wide enough to take in their own attributes. Their self-love, their love of popularity and love of praise, exclude the Saviour from their hearts, and without Him there is gloom and sadness. But Christ dwelling in the soul is a wellspring of joy. For all who receive Him, the very keynote of the word of God is rejoicing.” Ibid., 162.

Let us each go humbly to the Lord with our fears so that He may revive our hearts. (See Isaiah 57:15.) Let us strive to be one with our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ that we may receive that wellspring of joy into our hearts.

“Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of My righteousness.” Isaiah 41:10.

Cast your fears upon the Lord and wait on Him and He “shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.” Isaiah 40:31.

Keys to the Storehouse – The Angels’ Report

by

Angels of God have been commissioned to this earth as “ministering spirits” (see Hebrews 1:14) to present “to us the righteousness of Christ, justification by faith, the exceeding great and precious promises of God’s word, free access to the Father by Christ, the comfort of the Spirit, the well-grounded assurance of eternal life in the kingdom of God. …

“In heaven it is said by the ministering angels: The ministry which we have been commissioned to perform we have done.

  • “We pressed back the army of evil angels.
  • “We sent brightness and light into the souls of men, quickening their memory of the love of God expressed in Jesus.
  • “We attracted their eyes to the cross of Christ.
  • “Their hearts were deeply moved by a sense of the sin that crucified the Son of God.
  • “They were convicted.
  • “They saw the steps to be taken in conversion;
  • “They felt the power of the gospel;
  • “Their hearts were made tender as they saw the sweetness of the love of God.
  • “They beheld the beauty of the character of Christ.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 317, 318.

What a most wonderful ministry the angels carry out and with great joy are able to report! As I read, excitement filled my heart and I praised God. Then read the following:

“But

  • “With the many it was all in vain. [It was unsuccessful, without effect.]
  • “They would not surrender their own habits and character.
  • “They would not put off the garments of earth in order to be clothed with the robe of heaven.
  • “Their hearts were given to covetousness.
  • “They loved the associations of the world more than they loved their God.” Ibid., 318.

Oh, what sad statements by the angels who anxiously minister for each of their charges. I pray that it is with great joy that the angels return with a good report and that none of us finds the garments of earth more desirable than the robe of heaven. How tragic it will be and what a terrible loss it will be when we each face eternity if the invitation has been rejected.

“Sad will be the retrospect in that day when men stand face to face with eternity. The whole life will present itself just as it has been. The world’s pleasures, riches, and honors will not then seem so important. Men will then see that the righteousness they despised is alone of value. They will see that they have fashioned their characters under the deceptive allurements of Satan. The garments they have chosen are the badge of their allegiance to the first great apostate. Then they will see the results of their choice. They will have a knowledge of what it means to transgress the commandments of God. …

“The days of our probation are fast closing. The end is near. To us the warning is given, ‘Take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares.’ Luke 21:34. Beware lest it find you unready. Take heed lest you be found at the King’s feast without a wedding garment.” Ibid., 318, 319.

Father, walk with me this day that my heart will not be drawn away from heavenly places. I choose to surrender my habits and character to you and to put off the garments of earth in exchange for Your heavenly garments. Remove the love of the world from my heart and replace it with the love of Jesus.

Keys to the Storehouse – A Controversy or a Smile

by

A controversy is a dispute or a difference in opinion. The greatest controversy ever is the difference of opinion between God’s word and the devil’s word.

This dispute caused a rebellion against the Creator and resulted in Satan and his followers being evicted from heaven. This warfare was transferred to this earth when Adam and Eve sinned and continues through all whom Satan is able to deceive. His objective is to get men to reject, in one way or another, God’s word. He wants you to rebel!

Though the great controversy is rampant, few realize their danger, as they have been anesthetized by worldly allurements. The devil is at war, daily claiming his victims and deceiving the masses. The controversy between God’s word, which is good, and the devil’s word, which is evil, has been shoved under a rug and all seems calm—for now!

Look around! God’s holy word, which was preserved through the ages at such a cost of suffering is but little valued. In Western society Bibles are everywhere, but little valued. Even in the church, God’s word is exchanged for the traditions of men and very few have total confidence in a “Thus saith the Lord.” Where is your confidence?

By rejecting the truth we reject its Author. Nothing excites Satan more than to see God’s word in this state of rejection. In the case of most people there is no controversy and Satan is smiling.

God forbids dishonest practices, coveting, lying, but this has become the normal behavior of most people who really think that because it is just a little lie or a little dishonesty it does not matter. Most people have reduced God to Santa Claus and they really expect Him to reward bad behavior. This is a lie and one that makes Satan smile at the deception.

In the modern church there is often no distinction between a professed Christian and the ungodly. Church members love what the world loves while at the same time professing the name Christian. They don’t know it, but they are on Satan’s side and he has no controversy with them. He simply smiles!

Why would he have a controversy with the professed Christian who is walking contrary to God’s word? The road on which they travel may appear to be smooth and comfortable, but see how happy the devil is when Christians walk by faith in God’s word! He quickly sharpens his weapons against those faithful few and readies himself for all out war.

When the battle heats up, God’s faithful ones refuse to step off the narrow path to compromise, which angers the devil. But too many take a detour, hoping for a little peace while avoiding the controversy. This peace only lasts for a moment before the devil smiles. “A smile was upon his [Satan’s] countenance, which made me [Ellen White] tremble, it was so full of evil and satanic slyness. This smile is the one he wears just before he makes sure of his victim, and as he fastens the victim in his snare, this smile grows horrible.” Early Writings, 152.

Is Satan smiling as he fastens you in his snare or does he have a controversy with you? Flee to the Word to confirm that you are following the right path and have not taken a detour to destruction. The choice is yours; which would you prefer, the affirming smile of a loving Saviour or the satanic sly smile of the enemy of souls? “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.” I Peter 5:8.

Father: Draw me to Your Word that I may continue to do battle on the side of right in this controversy with the devil and his word. Give me spiritual discernment that I may endure to the end with You at my side and one day soon receive Your smile of approbation and not that horrible smile from Satan that leads to destruction. Amen.

Keys to the Storehouse – Character Under Pressure

by

We live in a world of uncertainty with much pressure and/or stress. It is how we respond at such times that reveals just who controls our character; is it Christ or Satan? History reveals that during the Reformation, under almost indescribable persecution, Christ upheld His faithful ones, giving them the resolve to stand firm in their faith no matter what the consequences were. “The procession halted, the house was entered, the family were dragged forth and chained, and the terrible company went forward in search of fresh victims. … It was a reign of terror.” D’Aubigne, History of the Reformation in Europe in the Time of Calvin, b. 4, ch. 10.” The Great Controversy, 226.

“The victims were put to death with cruel torture, it being specially ordered that the fire should be lowered in order to prolong their agony. But

  • they died as conquerors.
  • Their constancy was unshaken,
  • their peace unclouded.
  • Their persecutors, powerless to move their inflexible firmness, felt themselves defeated.

“ ‘The scaffolds were distributed over all the quarters of Paris, and the burnings followed on successive days, the design being to spread the terror of heresy by spreading the executions.

  • The advantage, however, in the end, remained with the gospel.
  • All Paris was enabled to see what kind of men the new opinions [new faith] could produce.
  • There was no pulpit like the martyr’s pile.
  • The serene joy that lighted up the faces of these men as they passed along … to the place of execution,
  • their heroism as they stood amid the bitter flames,
  • their meek forgiveness of injuries, transformed, in instances not a few, anger into pity, and hate into love, and pleaded with resistless eloquence in behalf of the gospel.’—Wylie, b. 13, ch. 20.” Ibid., 226.

Compared to these heroes of faith, how do you respond under the little pressures and stresses of each day? We are told that all Paris saw the reflection of Christ’s character shining through the flames. These innocent souls forgave their persecutors in meekness with hearts that were turned from anger and hate to love and pity. That transformation of character is available to all who have that desire and ask. There is no limit to the witness of the one in whom Christ lives. Then, when times of pressure and/or stress come upon us, it is the character of Christ that shines through and touches those around us because He has been transforming us ever so gradually.

Do you want that character that will stand strong in the flames of hate and that will reflect Christ at all times? Ask for it! Ask for the Holy Spirit to come into your life and make that transformation. God is waiting for such a request.

“God knows you by name. He knows every action of your life. …

“God knows every thought, every purpose, every plan, every motive.” My Life Today, 291.

The above group of people had the Holy Spirit working in their hearts daily and when the enemy came in like a flood, the Lord fulfilled His promise in each of them. “I am with you alway.” Matthew 28:20.

What a fulfillment!

Father: I plead for Your Holy Spirit to take total control of my heart. Bestow upon me a constancy today that will remain unshaken and a peace that will remain unclouded through all the pressures and stresses in my life so that Your character will be reflected no matter what may befall me. Amen.