Section 13—Personality
Chapter 70—Criticism (Part 2)
Wearing Nerves on the Outside—Those who criticize and condemn one another are breaking God’s commandments and are an offense to Him. They neither love God nor their fellow beings. Brethren and sisters, let us clear away the rubbish of criticism and suspicion and complaint, and do not wear your nerves on the outside. Some are so sensitive that they cannot be reasoned with. Be very sensitive in regard to what it means to keep the law of God and in regard to whether you are keeping or breaking the law. It is this that God wants us to be sensitive about.—The General Conference Bulletin, April 1, 1903 (The S.D.A. Bible Commentary 7:937.)
Counsel to One Who Mistook Pride for Sensitiveness—You stand ready to justify yourself by the plea that you are so sensitive, you feel so deeply, you suffer so much. I saw that all this will not excuse you in the sight of God. You mistake pride for sensitiveness. Self is prominent. When self is crucified, then this sensitiveness, or pride, will die; until then you are not a Christian.
To be a Christian is to be Christlike, to possess humility and a meek and quiet spirit that will bear contradiction without being enraged or becoming insane. If the deceptive covering which is about you could be rent asunder so that you could see yourself as God sees you, you would no longer seek to justify self but would fall all broken upon Christ, the only One who can remove the defects in your character and then bind you up.—Testimonies for the Church 2:573 (1870).
Honest Self-examination—Would all professed Christians use their investigative powers to see what evils needed to be corrected in themselves, instead of talking of others’ wrongs, there would be a more healthy condition in the church today.
Some will be honest when it costs nothing; but when policy will pay best, honesty is forgotten. Honesty and policy will not work together in the same mind. In time, either policy will be expelled and truth and honesty reign supreme, or if policy is cherished, honesty will be forgotten. They are never in agreement; they have nothing in common. One is the prophet of Baal, the other is the true prophet of God.
When the Lord makes up His jewels, the true, the frank, the honest, will be looked upon with pleasure. Angels are employed in making crowns for such ones, and upon these star-gemmed crowns will be reflected, with splendor, the light which radiates from the throne of God.—Testimonies for the Church 5:96 (1882).
The Root of Bitterness—While you so readily think and speak evil of one another, while you allow the root of bitterness to spring up and be cherished, your influence scatters from Christ and hardens hearts in resistance to the sweet spirit of unity and peace. Put it all away without a moment’s delay. “Love one another,” Christ says, “as I have loved you” (John 15:12).—Letter 33, 1890.
Faith Is Taking God at His Word—Remember that faith is taking God at His word. The Son of God is preparing a place for you in the mansions above. Let thanksgiving be expressed for this. Do not feel that because you do not always feel uplifted, you are not His child. Take hold with humility and zeal to do the work He asks of you. Appreciate every opportunity to do a work that will make you a blessing to those around you. Let it be your determination to do your part toward making the place where you are a place that God can approve and bless.—Letter 246, 1908.
Sinner’s Assurance of Acceptance—Through the goodness and mercy of Christ the sinner is to be restored to the divine favor. God in Christ is daily beseeching men to be reconciled to God. With outstretched arms He is ready to receive and welcome not only the sinner but the prodigal. His dying love, manifested on Calvary, is the sinner’s assurance of acceptance, peace, and love. Teach these things in the simplest form, that the sin-darkened soul may see the light shining from the cross of Calvary.—Letter 15a, 1890. (Selected Messages 1:178, 179.)
I Will Give You Rest—The Lord has given me a message for you, and not for you only, but also for other faithful souls who are troubled by doubts and fears regarding their acceptance by the Lord Jesus Christ. His word to you is, “Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art Mine” (Isaiah 43:1). You desire to please the Lord, and you can do this by believing His promises. He is waiting to take you into a harbor of gracious experience, and He bids you, “Be still, and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10). You have had a time of unrest; but Jesus says to you, “Come unto Me, … and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). The joy of Christ in the soul is worth everything. “Then are they glad,” because they are privileged to rest in the arms of everlasting love.—Letter 2, 1914 (Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers, 516.)
https://m.egwwritings.org/en/book/78.1377#1392
Dear Heavenly Father, Thank You for blessing us to see and reflect the character of Jesus and work as He did when He lived on earth. Please work within us to manifest the sweet love of Jesus, who Himself manifests a holy consistency without obstinacy, benevolence without weakness, and tenderness and sympathy without sentimentalism. Please bless us to rest in the power of Your love. Please bless us to steadfastly and lovingly share the gospel so that it inspires cheerful obedience and gladden the lives of others, thereby producing health in ourselves. Please grant to us that strength of abiding faith, which produces good works of service and continual contentment. Bless us with a submissive heart to Your Holy Spirit that we might love and be merciful and compassionate toward others, according to Your divine purpose. Through the power of Your Holy Spirit, please bless us to lay hold on eternity and in this world be exactly all You would have us be. Please grant to us the mind and love and faith of Jesus that others might be drawn to You eternally through how we live and what we say, especially in the most trying of circumstances. Because we ask all these in the Awesome name of Your Son, Almighty Jesus the Christ, our Savior, we say Thank You and Amen.
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Believe GOD…
¶Judge not, that ye be not judged.
For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.
And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye.—Matthew 7:1-5 KJV
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Do you feel sorrowful, disconnected—without a place to feel at home or useful? I pray this might show you the way forward. Watch…
https://www.youtube.com/live/2QB6fcwVuws?si=fsEvZU-rkI-BngfD
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Therefore, if at any time you fail to receive this post as a text, please visit
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where devotionals are first posted daily (almost without fail). From there devotionals are publicly shared to my page on FB, LinkedIn, and Signal (in My Story), and to a response-restricted group on WhatsApp (once again when I am able to find the time to successfully rebuild it).
NOTE: These began as daily texts to encourage my academy roommate and dear friend of nearly 50 years, until she suddenly passed March 2023. Now I continue to compile and send them to anyone who will receive them and to her family in honor of their mom. Lately, I have begun featuring consecutive chapter portions of a select Bible-based book.
If you agree to continue receiving them, then this is my personal gift to you; and in this way, I not only honor God but the memory of a very dear friend whom I desperately miss.
My personal prayer is that God will bless me to find ways to multiply this gift, so that we all may be encouraged to be found faithful in the sight of a Holy God, whenever Christ returns or our eyes are shut in the sleep of death.
It is a prayerful process that leads me to share from my personal study.
So please feel free to forward to your loved ones or to anyone, as God leads you.
I’m calling them Barb’s Devotionals.