We have an advocate at the throne of God, which is encircled by the bow of promise, and we are invited to present our petitions in the name of Christ before the Father. Jesus says: Ask what ye will in My name, and it shall be done unto you. In presenting My name, you bear witness that you belong to Me, that you are My sons and daughters, and the Father will treat you as His own, and love you as He loveth Me.

Your faith in Me will lead you to exercise close, filial affection toward Me and the Father. I am the golden chain by which your heart and soul are bound in love and obedience to My Father. Express to My Father the fact that My name is dear to you, that you respect and love Me, and you may ask what you will. He will pardon your transgressions, and adopt you into His royal family?make you a child of God, a joint heir with His only-begotten Son.  

With anthems of celestial melody the holy angels, a vast, unnumbered throng, attend Him on His way. The firmament seems filled with radiant forms??ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands.? No human pen can portray the scene; no mortal mind is adequate to conceive its splendor. ?His glory covered the heavens, and the earth was full of his praise. And his brightness was as the light.? Habakkuk 3:3, 4. As the living cloud comes still nearer, every eye beholds the Prince of life. No crown of thorns now mars that sacred head; but a diadem of glory rests on His holy brow. His countenance outshines the dazzling brightness of the noonday sun. ?And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, King of Kings, and Lord of Lords.? Revelation 19:16.?Maranatha, p. 288.

All we have to do with is this one day. Today we must be faithful to our trust. Today we must love God with all the heart and our neighbor as ourselves. Today we must resist the temptations of the enemy, and through the grace of Christ gain the victory. Thus we shall watch and wait for Christ?s coming.?In Heavenly Places, p. 355.

The second coming of Christ is not based on idle speculation. It is not based on a vain wish or human philosophy. It is based on the unchangeable, reliable, and certain promises of God?s Word. All of history is moving toward one glorious climax?one final destiny. Life is going somewhere, and we are to meet Someone who has the ultimate answer to all of life?s problems. Without this conviction, there is little left to live for.

The Bible writers, as well as Christians in every generation, fervently believed in the promise of Christ?s soon return. His second coming inspired them to persevere in the most difficult times. The following are just a few of the Bible?s promises concerning Christ?s return.

One of the earliest predictions is found in Jude 14: ?Now Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about these men also, saying, ?Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of His saints.? ? The psalmist, a thousand years before the first coming of Jesus, prophesies that ?our God shall come, and shall not keep silent? (Psalm 50:3).

The lessons of the ancient sanctuary are for every one of us. The ancient tabernacle is gone, but Jesus, the true sacrifice, the reality that represented, has come. Through His blood, forgiveness, freedom from condemnation, and cleansing are available to all those who follow the same steps, placing their faith in His perfect sacrifice. The guilt of our past sins can be gone. Our hearts can be filled with peace. Jesus offers us forgiveness. The voices of an accusing conscience can be silenced. Here is how you can experience this today:

1. Accept and acknowledge the reality that you are a sinner.
2. Acknowledge and confess your sins to God.
3. Believe and accept the forgiveness He has provided through Jesus.
4. Praise God and thank Him as peace and light come flooding into your soul.

That quiet voice speaking to your soul is the Holy Spirit. Don?t hesitate or wait.

Finding Cain guilty of murder, God now pronounces judgment: ?You are cursed from the earth, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother?s blood from your hand. When you till the ground, it shall no longer yield its strength to you. A fugitive and a vagabond you shall be on the earth? (Genesis 4:11, 12). Since the earth has been forced to swallow his brother?s blood, it will no longer produce crops for this farmer because sin has also affected the ground. Ironically, Cain is forced to be a wanderer? like a shepherd?and he complains bitterly! He also greatly fears for his life.

Notice the interesting way God?s compassion is illustrated: In Genesis 1, the Creator is called ?God,? Elohim in Hebrew?the God of power. Later, when creating man in Genesis 2, He is called ?the Lord God,? Yahweh Elohim?the God of covenant (personal relationship) and power. But as He deals with Cain in Genesis 4, He?s simply called Yahweh ?the Lord? (the loving, personal God). Trying His best to reach His guilty child, the Lord senses his great fear and promises to protect Cain with a mark or warning to others. God vows to bring a heavy, seven fold judgment upon anyone who dares kill him!

After Cain rejects God?s grace and forgiveness, the Bible says he walks away going from the east (where God lives) to the west, away from the Lord. How sad that Cain begins this story drawing near to God and ends it by permanently leaving His presence. He settles in the land of Nod that has the meaning of ?wandering,? ?flight,? or ?exile.?

Worry and anxiety have gripped millions of people. They are afraid that the coronavirus or some other disease may strike them next. They heard about the rising death toll and trembled with fear. They were concerned about their children or grandchildren or elderly parents, and many of them still are. Or possibly it?s financial fear. Many people are worried that they may not be able to pay their rent or their mortgage. They are concerned about a business that has closed, and are fearful they will not have a job when this pandemic is over. For some it is even more dire?they are concerned about how to feed their families. They are on edge filled with uncertainty about the future. The answer to crippling fear is trust in God?s love, care, and provisions for us.

The Word of God provides real-life examples of God?s people in crisis and how they developed deeper trust in trying times. These biblical stories reveal eternal principles that are faith building. They were written in another time and another place, but they speak to us at this time and in this place. They were written centuries ago, but speak with relevance in the twenty-first century to a world devastated by a devastating, death-dealing pandemic.  

Fighting among brothers and sisters has always been a problem. The first story about siblings in Scripture tells of Cain becoming so angry with his brother that he killed him. Before you get too excited with this option, remember that God got really ticked off at Cain.

Try these seven tips on how to keep from pummeling your siblings.

1. Fight fair. Fighting fair means never physically or verbally attacking your brother or sister. Fight, but limit your conflict to the specific issue at hand.

2. Vent your anger in positive ways. Give yourself some time to cool off and think of alternative ways of handling the dilemma. Find an outlet for your anger: take a walk, listen to your favorite Spotify playlist, etc.

3. Set up rules to protect your privacy. The biggest cause of fights is the invasion of personal privacy. Set up ?Don?t you dare touch? zones in your closets and drawers. Don?t borrow anything without permission.

4. Choose your battles wisely. I?ve seen siblings almost start World War III over the dumbest things: ?But Mom, he keeps staring at me!? ?Don?t you dare cross this line!? Mature teenagers learn to avoid senseless battles.

5. Keep your parents out of it. Consult your parents only when you both agree to do so because you can?t settle the dispute any other way. This will not only help you get along better with your brothers and sisters but also save your parents money on Pepto Bismol bills.

6. Treat your brothers and sisters like you would treat Jesus. Jesus told us as we treat others, so we treat Him. When we start looking at our siblings as Christ, it changes our perspective?and how we treat them.

7. Pray for your brothers and sisters. Prayer connects you to divine power that can help you overcome conflicts that otherwise seem impossible. It also purifies you and makes you easier to get along with.

Liking yourself isn?t something you can buy. Other people can?t make you happy about and able to appreciate yourself. That deep-down-inside-the-skin feeling that you are worth a lot comes only by cultivating inner qualities. Once you understand this, you can develop these ingredients to like yourself.

1. Kindness. Too few people have discovered this ingredient for liking ourselves. Everyone can express kindness. Kindness means you smile. Kindness means you sit next to the new redhead from Arkansas when you?d rather eat lunch with ?the gang.? Kindness means listening to your Aunt Maggie tell the same story for the trillionth time. Kindness means chuckling at your dad?s stale joke for the trillionth time. It?s keeping a secret, passing on a compliment, honoring your word. The better we treat others, the more we like ourselves. Look for ways to show kindness and notice how you feel about yourself.

2. Integrity. Four high school boys, afflicted with spring fever, skipped morning classes. After lunch, they reported to the teacher that their car had had a flat tire. Much to their relief, she smiled and said: ?Well, you missed a test this morning, so take seats apart from one another and get out your notebooks.?

Still smiling, she waited for them to settle down. Then she said, ?First question: Which tire was flat??

Dishonesty always comes back to sting us. Even if no one discovers the truth, you like yourself less when you compromise what is right. You can read every book on self-esteem, but if you are dishonest, you have no right to feel good about yourself. And I promise, you won?t. Integrity is the cornerstone of liking yourself.

It?s not what we do or whom we know that makes us like ourselves. Rather, it?s what we are. Feeling good about yourself goes deeper than just doing?it comes from being.

3. Productivity. One of the seven deadly sins in the Middle Ages was laziness. It?s hard to feel good about yourself when your biggest accomplishment for the week was guzzling a six-pack of Squirt and devouring a bag of Cheetos. But it?s hard not to feel good about yourself when you look at the acre of lawn you mowed or you finish the last sentence of a term paper. Being productive builds self-esteem.

 The great plan of redemption results in fully bringing back the world into God?s favor. All that was lost by sin is restored. Not only man but the earth is redeemed, to be the eternal abode of the obedient. For six thousand years Satan has struggled to maintain possession of the earth. Now God?s original purpose in its creation is accomplished. ?The saints of the Most High shall take the kingdom, and possess the kingdom forever, even forever and ever.? Daniel 7:18.

?From the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same the Lord?s name is to be praised.? Psalm 113:3. ?In that day shall there be one Lord, and His name one.? ?And Jehovah shall be king over all the earth.? Zechariah 14:9. Says the Scripture, ?Forever, O Lord, Thy word is settled in heaven.? ?All His commandments are sure. They stand fast forever and ever.? Psalm 119:89; 111:7, 8. The sacred statutes which Satan has hated and sought to destroy, will be honored throughout a sinless universe. And ?as the earth bringeth forth her bud, and as the garden causeth the things that are sown in it to spring forth; so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all nations.? Isaiah 61:11.?Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 342.

Despite the attacks of the enemy, God?s work on Earth will come to a glorious climax. The gospel will be preached to ?every nation, tribe, tongue, and people? (Revelation 14:6). The great controversy between Christ and Satan will end with Christ completely defeating the powers of hell. God?s kingdom will triumph over evil, and sin will be eradicated forever from the universe.

Revelation 11 begins with Satan?s attempt to destroy the Christian faith through the French Revolution and eradicate belief in God. The chapter ends with the triumph of God?s kingdom over the principalities and powers of evil. Revelation 11 is an encouragement to all who go through fiery trials and experience opposition for the cause of Christ. Although according to Revelation, God?s faithful people will once again experience fierce opposition, vicious ridicule, and unjust persecution, it also promises that they will ultimately triumph when Jesus Christ gloriously returns.

Righteousness triumphs. Truth wins.

The process of dying to self includes admitting and confessing our sins to God. Proverbs 28:13 says, ?Whoever conceals their sins does not prosper, but the one who confesses and renounces them finds mercy.? Confessing our sins means that we state what our sins are, we are sorry for them, we are willing to renounce them or give them up, and we are willing to be transformed by God. Then we really should accept forgiveness?because it is a promise. First John 1:9 says, ?If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.?

People may not forgive us for things we have done even if we ask forgiveness, but God always forgives. And God instantly accepts us when we confess our sins. Christ?s death was not just for me personally, but it is a universal reconciliation.

Personally, I have found a great way to start the day with God. I read a devotional entry, the quarterly Bible lesson study, and the Bible and then pray with God about the day and prayer requests others may have. Many times, I notice that something I read applies to a situation I face later in the day. Another good way to see how God is with us is to take some quiet time away from our regular routine. This is a good ?filter? from the storms of life that helps to keep us fresh in our relationship with Jesus.

Sometimes God uses one event to encourage two people. Many years ago, my grandmother was in great tooth pain but lacked money to fix the issue. Thankfully, I was able to find a low-cost dental place near her. As we pulled up and stopped in front of the door, she told me she was anxious, and I took her hand and said, ?Then let?s have a prayer first.? Next, we walked to the counter to check in and then took our seats. Just then a golden lab dog walked around the corner over to her and set his head on her lap as she giggled. He left his head there as though he knew she was anxious and needing soothing. I felt relieved, too, that God helped ease my grandmother?s anxiety.