28 Beleifs # 22 CHRISTIAN BEHAVIOR We are called to be a godly people who think, feel, and act in harmony with biblical principles in all aspects of personal and social life. For the Spirit to recreate in us the character of our Lord we involve ourselves only in those things that will produce Christlike purity, health, and joy in our lives. This means that our amusement and entertainment should meet the highest standards of Christian taste and beauty. While recognizing cultural differences, our dress is to be simple, modest, and neat, befitting those whose true beauty does not consist of outward adornment but in the imperishable ornament of a gentle and quiet spirit. It also means that because our bodies are the temples of the Holy Spirit, we are to care for them intelligently. Along with adequate exercise and rest, we are to adopt the most healthful diet possible and abstain from the unclean foods identified in the Scriptures. Since alcoholic beverages, tobacco, and the irresponsible use of drugs and narcotics are harmful to our bodies, we are to abstain from them as well. Instead, we are to engage in whatever brings our thoughts and bodies into the discipline of Christ, who desires our wholesomeness, joy, and goodness.

Daily Devotional Sing and pray with my neighbors. They sang praises with gladness, and they bowed their heads and worshipped. 2 Chronicles 29:30 The presentation of the truth in love and sympathy, from house to house, is in harmony with the instruction that Christ gave to His disciples when He sent them out on their first missionary tour. By songs of praise to God, by humble, heartfelt prayers, by a simple presentation of Bible truth in the family circle, many will be reached. The divine [Worker] will be present to send conviction to hearts. “I am with you alway” is His promise. With the assurance of the abiding presence of such a Helper, we may labor with hope and faith and courage. Those who have the gift of song are needed. Song is one of the most effective means of impressing spiritual truth upon the heart. Often by the words of sacred songs the springs of penitence and faith have been unsealed.... Church members, young and old, should be educated to go forth to proclaim this last message to the world. If they go in humility, angels of God will go with them, teaching them how to lift up the voice in prayer, how to raise the voice in song, and how to proclaim the gospel message for this time. Learn to sing the simplest of songs. These will help you in house-to-house labor, and hearts will be touched by the influence of the Holy Spirit. Christ was often heard singing hymns of praise.... There was joy in His heart. We learn from the Word that there is joy among the angels of heaven over one repentant sinner and that the Lord rejoices over His church with singing. As, like the disciples, you go from place to place telling the story of the Saviour’s love, you will make friends and will see the fruit of your labor. [239]

Conflict and Courage. 2 Kings 20:1-11; Isaiah 38:1-8 I beseech thee, O Lord, remember now how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in thy sight. And Hezekiah wept sore. 2 Kings 20:3. In the midst of his prosperous reign King Hezekiah was suddenly stricken with a fatal malady. “Sick unto death,” his case was beyond the power of man to help. And the last vestige of hope seemed removed when the prophet Isaiah appeared before him with the message, “Thus saith the Lord, Set thine house in order: for thou shalt die, and not live.” The outlook seemed utterly dark; yet the king could still pray to the One who had hitherto been his “refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble” (Psalm 46:1). And so “he turned his face to the wall, and prayed unto the Lord.” ... He whose “compassions fail not,” heard the prayer of His servant. “It came to pass, afore Isaiah was gone out into the middle court, that the word of the Lord came to him, saying, Turn again, and tell Hezekiah the captain of my people, Thus saith the Lord, the God of David thy father, I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears: behold, I will heal thee....” Gladly the prophet returned with the words of assurance and hope. Directing that a lump of figs be laid upon the diseased part, Isaiah delivered to the king the message of God's mercy and protecting care.32Ibid., 340-342. Those who seek healing by prayer should not neglect to make use of the remedial agencies within their reach. It is not a denial of faith to use such remedies as God has provided to alleviate pain and to aid nature in her work of restoration.... God has put it in our power to obtain a knowledge of the laws of life. This knowledge has been placed within our reach for use. We should employ every facility for the restoration of health, taking every advantage possible, working in harmony with natural laws. When we have prayed for the recovery of the sick, we can work with all the more energy, thanking God that we have the privilege of co-operating with Him, and asking His blessing on the means which He Himself has provided.33The Ministry of Healing, 231, 232.

Conflict and Courage. 2 Chronicles 32:1-23 With him is an arm of flesh; but with us is the Lord our God to help us, and to fight our battles. And the people rested themselves upon the words of Hezekiah, king of Judah. 2 Chronicles 32:8. Hezekiah, in the earlier years of his reign, had continued to pay tribute to Assyria, in harmony with the agreement entered into by Ahaz. Meanwhile the king had taken “counsel with his princes and his mighty men,” and had done everything possible for the defense of his kingdom.... The long-expected crisis finally came. The forces of Assyria, advancing from triumph to triumph, appeared in Judea.... Judah's only hope was now in God. All possible help from Egypt had been cut off, and no other nations were near to lend a friendly hand.... Sennacherib wrote “letters to rail on the Lord God of Israel, and to speak against Him, saying, As the gods of the nations of other lands have not delivered their people out of mine hand, so shall not the God of Hezekiah deliver His people out of mine hand.” ... When the king of Judah received the taunting letter, he took it into the temple and “spread it before the Lord” and prayed with strong faith for help from heaven, that the nations of earth might know that the God of the Hebrews still lived and reigned. The honor of Jehovah was at stake; He alone could bring deliverance.... Hezekiah was not left without hope. Isaiah sent to him, saying, “Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, That which thou hast prayed to Me against Sennacherib king of Assyria I have heard.” ... That very night deliverance came. “The angel of the Lord went out, and smote in the camp of the Assyrians an hundred fourscore and five thousand.” ... The God of the Hebrews had prevailed over the proud Assyrian. The honor of Jehovah was vindicated in the eyes of the surrounding nations. In Jerusalem the hearts of the people were filled with holy joy. Their earnest entreaties for deliverance had been mingled with confession of sin and with many tears. In their great need they had trusted wholly in the power of God to save, and He had not failed them.31Ibid., 350-362.

Did you know? If Jesus really broke the Sabbath, then the charge against Him was not small—it was deadly serious. Under God’s law, deliberate Sabbath-breaking was a capital offence (Exodus 31:14–15). So when people say Jesus broke the Sabbath, they are not just saying He disagreed with Jewish tradition. They are saying He violated the law of God, was guilty of sin, and therefore deserved death. But that cannot be true. Jesus was “without sin” (Hebrews 4:15). He did not break the Sabbath. He broke the man-made traditions that had been added around it. That is why Jesus said, “It is lawful to do good on the Sabbath” (Matthew 12:12). His defence was not that the Sabbath no longer mattered, but that His actions were fully in harmony with God’s law. The real conflict was never between Jesus and the Sabbath. It was between Jesus and false religion. Jesus did not break God’s Sabbath. He honoured it, defended it, and showed us how to keep it.

Let's talk about it. SINCERITY IS NOT ENOUGH Sincerity is important, but sincerity alone is not enough. A person can be completely sincere and still be sincerely wrong. What matters is not merely how strongly we believe something, but whether what we believe agrees with the Word and Law of God. Jesus said, “If ye love me, keep my commandments.” — John 14:15. God does not measure obedience by our intentions alone. He calls us to bring our lives into harmony with His truth. Paul said, “For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified.” — Romans 2:13. Consider Saul before his conversion. He was sincere. He believed he was serving God, yet he was persecuting the followers of Christ. His sincerity did not make his actions right. He needed the truth, repentance, and a changed life. The same danger exists today. Many people say, “I love Jesus,” “God knows my heart,” or “I am sincere in my faith.” But Jesus asked: “And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?” — Luke 6:46. Grace does not give us permission to live in disobedience. Faith does not cancel God's Law. True faith produces obedience. “By the law is the knowledge of sin.” — Romans 3:20. And Scripture declares: “Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.” — Revelation 14:12. The question is therefore not simply, “Am I sincere?” The deeper question is: “Am I sincerely following the truth God has revealed?” Let us not use sincerity as a substitute for obedience. Let us study God's Word, accept His truth, repent where we have been wrong, and by His grace walk in obedience to His commandments. Sincerity may explain your intention, but obedience demonstrates your submission to God. Choose truth. Choose obedience. Choose Christ. Amazing Love

28 Beleifs # 20 THE SABBATH The gracious Creator, after the six days of Creation, rested on the seventh day and instituted the Sabbath for all people as a memorial of Creation. The fourth commandment of God’s unchangeable law requires the observance of this seventh-day Sabbath as the day of rest, worship, and ministry in harmony with the teaching and practice of Jesus, the Lord of the Sabbath. The Sabbath is a day of delightful communion with God and one another. It is a symbol of our redemption in Christ, a sign of our sanctification, a token of our allegiance, and a foretaste of our eternal future in God’s kingdom. The Sabbath is God’s perpetual sign of His eternal covenant between Him and His people. Joyful observance of this holy time from evening to evening, sunset to sunset, is a celebration of God’s creative and redemptive acts.

Daily Devotional. Be kind and tenderhearted. Be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you. Ephesians 4:32 Let the tenderness and mercy that Jesus has revealed in His own precious life be an example to us of the manner in which we should treat our fellow beings.... Many have fainted and become discouraged in the great struggle of life, whom one word of kindly cheer and courage would have strengthened to overcome.... We cannot tell how far reaching may be our tender words of kindness, our Christ-like efforts to lighten some burden. The erring can be restored in no other way than in the spirit of meekness, gentleness, and tender love. In all your transactions with your fellow men never forget that you are dealing with God’s property. Be kind; be pitiful; be courteous. Respect God’s purchased possession. Treat one another with tenderness and courtesy. If you have enmity, suspicion, envy, and jealousy in your hearts, you have a work to do to make these things right. Confess your sins; come into harmony with your brethren. Speak well of them. Throw out no unfavorable hints, no suggestions that will awaken distrust in the minds of others. Guard their reputation as sacredly as you would have them guard yours; love them as you would be loved of Jesus. The grace of God leads men to place themselves in all their business transactions in the place of those with whom they are dealing. It leads men to look not only on their own things but also on the things of others. It leads them to reveal tenderness, sympathy, and kindness. Cherishing a right spirit, living a holy life—this is what being Christlike means.... Let your life be controlled by the wide, generous principles of the Bible, the principles of good will, kindness, and courtesy. [236]

🕊️ DOMINION DAILY DEVOTION ~ DAY 231 DATE: 19TH AUGUST 2026 TOPIC: UNITY COMMANDS THE BLESSING ANCHOR SCRIPTURE: Psalm 133:1–3 (NKJV) 1 - Behold, how good and how pleasant it is For brethren to dwell together in unity!2 - It is like the precious ointment poured on the head, that ran down on the beard, even the beard of Aaron [the first high priest], that came down upon the collar and skirts of his garments [consecrating the whole body].3 - It is like the dew of Hermon, Descending upon the mountains of Zion; For there the LORD commanded the blessing-- Life forevermore. Devotional message: Yesterday, we saw that embracing our uniqueness brings order, order produces peace, and peace creates an environment for unity. Today, we see another powerful truth: unity creates an atmosphere where God commands His blessing. The Psalmist declares how good and pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity. He then reveals something significant: “For there the LORD commanded the blessing.” Notice that the blessing was commanded where brethren were dwelling together in unity. God delights when His people walk together in love, honour one another, acknowledge one another's contribution, and function according to the grace He has given each person. Unity does not mean that everyone has the same gift, personality, assignment, or function. Rather, it means that our differences do not divide us because we recognize that we belong to one body and serve one Lord. When the Church embraces this principle, competition gives way to cooperation, jealousy gives way to honour, confusion gives way to order, and division gives way to unity. And where God commands His blessing, His presence becomes evident among His people. The blessing of God is not limited to spiritual manifestations alone. God's desire is that His people experience His goodness in every dimension of life according to His will—spiritually, materially, relationally, and in the work He has entrusted to them. The blessing is ultimately connected to God's presence. Psalm 133 presents the blessing as flowing from the place where God is pleased to dwell among His people. Where there is genuine unity, love, and harmony, there is an atmosphere that honours God. This is why the enemy continually seeks to introduce division into the Church. He understands that a divided house loses strength, but a united people become a powerful testimony of the Gospel. Jesus Himself prayed:John.17.21 that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. (NKJV) Therefore, child of God, do not allow differences in gifts, positions, backgrounds, or responsibilities to become reasons for division. Honour the grace upon another person's life. Take your rightful place. Serve faithfully. Celebrate the success of others. Walk in love. When every member functions according to the grace God has given them and everyone honours the contribution of others, the Church becomes orderly, peaceful, and united—and God is glorified in the midst of His people. Prayer Heavenly Father, thank You for the blessing of belonging to the body of Christ.Let there be order, peace, love, and unity among Your people. May Your presence dwell richly among us and may You command Your blessing upon Your Church for the glory of Your name. In Jesus' name, Amen. Daily bible reading:John 17:21, Genesis 11:6 Author : Alfred Wabuko Manyasi Contact : Email : Dominionvoicesminisrty[gmail].com Facebook : Alfred Wabuko Manyasi 🌐 Dominion Daily Devotion, 2026 © Dominion Voices Ministry

The best thing that could happen in the life of any person, is to be in harmony with the will of God.