Some of Grandpa’s best lessons were never taught on purpose. They were simply lived close enough for a little boy to notice. Getting ready for Sunday morning was one of them.

Three Angels Broadcasting Network Devotional
He Listened to His Angel

By Julie Marie

June 6th, 2026

“The angel of the Lord encamps all around those who fear Him, and delivers them.” Psalm 34:7

My maternal grandpa was a short, stocky, hard-working man. He was also very quiet and gentle, and never raised his voice or argued with anyone. Proverbs 15:1 says that a soft answer turns away wrath, and my grandpa lived that—and followed many other things written in God’s Word.

My mom used to tell me how her dad loved the Lord and His Word, and that he taught her from a very early age to love them, also. His Bible was always close at hand, and every time we’d see him sitting in his favorite chair, he was reading it.



When Grandpa was in his late 20s he worked in a wooden butter tub factory, and there was a large engine in the middle with belts that went up to several large pulley systems mounted to the ceiling around the plant.

One day, as he stood working alone in his usual place, he heard a voice say to him, Go get a drink of water.

I am not thirsty, he thought, I don’t need a drink.

Again he heard the voice, more insistent now: Go and get a drink.

This puzzled him and he thought, I am not thirsty! I don’t need a drink!

Then he heard the voice again—and this time it was very firm, Go and get a drink—right now!”

Finally, he walked to the water fountain and got a drink, and as he turned around to walk back, the pulley system right over where he’d been standing came crashing down to the floor! Without a doubt, my grandpa suddenly realized that the voice he’d heard was that of his guardian angel!

I praise the Lord for His loving watchcare over Grandpa and my mother throughout their lives, and that I’ve had the opportunity to witness the close relationship they both had with God.

GUIDELINES FOR LIVING
February 25th, 2026

7 Steps to Protecting Your Child from a Sexual Predator.

Be on guard! Be alert! You do not know when that time will come. It’s like a man going away: He leaves his house and puts his servants in charge, each with his assigned task, and tells the one at the door to keep watch. Mark 13:33-34

As we drove past the elementary school, we noticed the long line of cars waiting to pick up the children who were finishing their school day. “Boy,” I commented, half speaking to my wife and half to myself, “things are surely different from when our kids went to school.” A generation ago, perhaps even a decade ago, few parents had much concern when kids walked home alone. After all, there were neighbors and it was generally safe.

Today, it’s a different world. Sexual predators know where to find kids, and a youngster with a backpack walking by himself becomes an unsuspecting target, a potential victim. Dangers far more deadly than nerve gas or chemical warfare lurk out there, as predators target our children with sexual violence.

How do you, as a parent, protect your child from sexual predators? How do you warn your kids that everybody can’t be trusted at the same time you emphasize family solidarity and respect for elders? It’s not easy, but if you don’t teach your child to be heads up and perceptive, it can be the gravest mistake you ever make. In some cases, a parent’s negligence can be fatal; in others, a parent’s failure results in emotional scars to a child that are there for life.

Step #1: Know who is apt to take advantage of your child. The most likely predator is not the notorious ex-con who has just been released from prison, whose picture has appeared in your local newspaper. It’s someone you, and probably your child, already know. The fact is that 80% of all sexual predators are acquaintances or friends of the family, and that fact in itself disarms the youngster, who reasons, “How could this nice person—daddy’s friend, Uncle Paul or Grandpa—do something bad?” He’s apt to be a nice guy—a stepdad, a distant relative, the brother of your babysitter, a scoutmaster, the single young pastor, or the parish priest.

Step #2: Educate, teach, and instruct. Make sure your children know what is proper and improper, that it’s OK for a family member or close friend to touch a shoulder but not any part of a body that would be covered by a swimsuit.

Step #3: Be perceptive without being paranoid. This is for both you and your child. Many children become victims when a stranger asks for help, or someone shows up and says, “You mom wants me to take you home,” when you are the one who normally picks up your child. In a non-frightening but firm manner, you need to teach your youngster that if someone tries to grab him or her, bite, yell, scream, run, but don’t get in the car and go with the stranger.

Step #4: Know the symptoms of abuse. In an article entitled, “Sudden Mood Swings Called Clues to Abuse,” Carolyn Poirot says, “If children have been sexually abused outside the home, they may not want to go to school or the daycare center and may cry and cling to mother. Or they regress …”

Step #5: Never give anyone a second chance. Forgiveness is not the issue; the safety of your child is. In all probability, your youngster is not the first victim taken by a sexual predator.

Step #6: Always believe your child when he or she tells you about inappropriate activity. Your child has no cause for deception or dishonesty.

Step #7: Realize there is healing and help if you have been a victim. This applies not only to your child but to you too.

God forbid that by indifference or neglect we should make it easy for anyone to be a sexual predator.

Resource reading: 2 Timothy 3:1-9

#10 Holy Wit – Sidecar Reflections
I Am With You: Courage Rooted in God’s Nearness – Isaiah 46:4

Carried All the Way Home

He had stopped driving at night.
Not because he wanted to, but because the road signs had begun to blur in a way that no amount of squinting could fix. His hands, once steady on the wheel of farm trucks and family station wagons, now trembled slightly when he lifted a coffee cup.

The house felt bigger than it used to. Quieter.

On the dresser sat an old photograph — black and white, edges curling. A young man stood there with squared shoulders and sharp jawline, holding a baby wrapped too tightly in a blanket. He used to be that man. Or at least, he remembered being him.
Now his granddaughter visited and gently took his arm when they walked from the porch to the mailbox.

“I’ve got you, Grandpa,” she would say.

He would smile, a little embarrassed, a little grateful.

One afternoon, after she left, he sat in his chair and read Isaiah 46. His eyes moved slowly, but they moved.

“Even to your old age, I am He,
And even to gray hairs I will carry you!”
He paused there.

Carried.

He had spent most of his life carrying things. Feed sacks. Lumber. Children. Worries. The family name. He had carried the sense that he was the strong one, the dependable one, the one who didn’t lean.

Now he was the one being leaned over to be helped.

And there in the quiet of that room, something shifted. The shame he hadn’t named softened into something else.

“I have made, and I will bear;
Even I will carry and will deliver you.”

He wasn’t falling out of usefulness. He wasn’t drifting into divine forgetfulness. He was not being phased out of God’s concern like an old model no longer supported.
He was being carried.

Not by his granddaughter.

By the same God who had carried him when he did not know he was being carried at twenty-five.

Isaiah 46 is not written to flatter aging saints. It is written to expose false gods. Babylon’s idols have to be strapped onto animals because they cannot move themselves. They burden their worshipers.

But the Lord says, in effect: I am not like that.
I have carried you from the womb.
I will carry you to gray hair.
I will carry you to deliverance.

The entire span of life — from origin to final rescue — rests on His shoulders.
That is the courage of this promise.

We tend to believe that God is most near when we are most useful. When we are building, leading, producing, striving. But Isaiah 46:4 declares something far steadier: God’s nearness is not measured by our output but by His covenant.

“I am He.”

He does not age. He does not tire of us. He does not quietly withdraw when we slow down. The same God who formed us sustains us. The same God who sustained us will deliver us.

And this is not only a promise for the elderly.

It is a rebuke to the self-sufficient young.

If God must carry us into old age, then He has been carrying us all along.
We do not grow independent of Him; we simply grow more aware of how dependent we have always been.

The courage rooted in God’s nearness is not loud. It does not shout. It rests.
You are not holding yourself together.

You are not holding onto God by your own grip.
You are being borne.
From birth.
Through strength.
Through decline.
Into glory.
And the One who carries does not stumble.
Even to gray hairs, He is still He.
#HolyWitBibleStudy #GordonMcGinnis #IAmWithYou #Isaiah464

Good morning, brethren.

1. Morning devotional for today.

MORNING TEA. THE WORD FOR TODAY
MONDAY, JANUARY 26, 2026.
"QUESTIONS YOU SHOULD ASK YOURSELF (1)"
‘Though it cost you all you have, get understanding.’ Proverbs 4:7 NIV

LIKE ANY good parent, God wants His children to succeed. But to succeed in life, you must periodically ask yourself two questions: 1) Am I committed to personal growth? ‘Wisdom is supreme; therefore get wisdom. Though it cost all you have, get understanding.’ Keep reading, keep learning, keep asking questions. A Chinese proverb says, ‘He who asks is a fool for five minutes; he who doesn’t ask remains a fool forever.’ Some of us are like the little girl who thought she’d exhausted the subject of mathematics once she learned her twelve-times tables. When her grandfather asked with a twinkle, ‘What’s 13 times 13?’ she scoffed, ‘Don’t be silly, Grandpa, there’s no such thing!’ Your hunger for wisdom and knowledge determines your future. In order to keep giving out, you must keep taking in. 2) Am I enjoying what I do? You’ll never fulfil your destiny doing something you despise. Passion lies at the core of true success and fulfilment; it’s the spark for your fuse. It energises you when those around you grow tired. It helps you come up with answers when others cease to have creative ideas and strengthens you when they drop out. It gives you courage to take risks while others crave security. When you lose your passion, two things happen: first, you fail to pursue excellence; second, you jeopardise your integrity, because you’re tempted to take shortcuts and compromise by settling for less than God intended. One leader says, ‘What generates passion in you is a clue to your destiny. What you love is often a clue to something you can achieve.’

Bible In A Year: Rom 15-16, Luke 6:17-26, Ps 104:24-35, Pro 3:11-12. Courtesy Grace So Amazing Foundation

*To partner with us, kindly refer to page 9 of the hard copy edition or simply send us a WhatsApp message/call on +2348128000068.*.

2. Morning Prayer for today.

Morning Prayer

Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as [it is] in heaven. ⏤ Matthew 6:10

In prayer it is better to have a heart without words than words without a heart. ⏤ John Bunyan

Our Father in Heaven, hallowed be Your name. May Your kingdom come. May Your will be done on earth as it is in Heaven. This is our prayer this morning. We want Your kingdom to come fully into our hearts so that everything in us submits to Your rule. We want You to be the King of our lives, seated on the throne of our hearts, ruling over our affections, feelings, and desires. So we pray that Your kingdom may come in our lives. May everything in us that opposes You be brought into submission. May our ways that are not right be changed to align with Your holy ways.

Sometimes we get frustrated and upset when things don't go our way, when our work is hard, or when our plans don't succeed as we hoped. Father, forgive us for our discontent and rebellion. We know You are training us and that we are in Your school all the time. We know that when we complain and get upset about our circumstances, we not only grieve You but also hinder Your work in us. Help us to humbly submit to all Your ways and learn well the lesson of submission and trust in Your sovereign plan for us. We want to be truly able to say, "May Your will be done." Give us the grace to say it every day and every hour. Help us to look up to You . . .
when the path is rough,
when the tasks are hard,
when it hurts us to go on—
and to say with love, "Not my will, but Yours be done."

We commit ourselves to You for the day. It may not bring us all sunshine, gladness, and ease. It may have clouds, pain, and hardship. But, Father, we want to make it a sweet, beautiful day—whether it is bright or dark. Give us much of Your Spirit, and may we live close to You all day. We ask all this in Jesus' precious name. Amen.

https://www.youdevotion.com/daily-prayer/miller/22/morning

#taptapstudio
#youdevotion.

God hears and answers our prayers. Grandpa's faithfulness inspired me to pray daily for my grandkids. I'm thankful for the power of prayer and God's presence in times of trouble.

Elf on the Plate: A Christmas Feast In The Ozarks

In a cozy country kitchen, decked out in twinkling lights and fragrant pine garlands, the air buzzed with excitement. Christmas was here, and with it came the delightful chaos of preparing the family’s legendary dish: the one and only Elf on the Plate.

“Are you ready for this?” she grinned, hands dusted with flour, as the oven worked its magic. “We've been waiting all year!”

He chuckled, stirring a bubbling pot of rich gravy that somehow smelled like a hug. “Can’t believe it’s that time again! Smells like elf spirits already!”

The recipe was a cherished secret, handed down like an heirloom. It featured roasted root veggies—carrots, parsnips, and potatoes, all golden and crispy—nestled alongside tender meats marinated with festive herbs. It was more than a meal; it was nostalgia incarnate, each bite a reminding echo of holidays past.

As they gathered around the table, the whole family could barely contain their excitement. The beautifully plated dish, generous and colorful, made its grand entrance. She winked, “Remember, it’s not just food; it’s magic!”

They all dove into the feast, laughter bubbling over as flavors exploded in their mouths. Each bite was warm and comforting, wrapping them in a snowball of holiday cheer. “Goodness, this elf is packed with love!” he exclaimed between mouthfuls, causing everyone to chuckle.

As they savored every bite, the kitchen filled with stories—about Christmases long ago, mishaps in the kitchen, and cherished memories of those who couldn’t join them this year. The walls seemed to absorb their joy, echoing laughter that danced through the air.

After a joyful meal, they plopped onto the couch, bellies blissfully full, surrounded by holiday cheer. “That was epic!” he sighed, leaning back. “I truly think this elf gets better every year.”

“It’s the love, you know,” she replied, smiling softly. “It's the magic we create together that makes it special.”

They snuggled under a warm blanket, cozied up by the crackling fire, the spirit of Christmas wrapping around them like a soft hug. The Elf on the Plate had once again brought their family together, a delicious reminder of joy, warmth, and the magic of sharing moments that would become cherished memories.

With twelve more Christmas elves packed in salt hanging from the roof of the root cellar awaiting another future Christmas dinner.

This was Christmas—filled with laughter, love, and a little dash of elf magic in every tummy as Grandpa told the stories of how to catch an elf by one leg or two!

DAILY SERMON # 17
“Cross the Jordan… Don’t Retreat”

Good morning, brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ! God has greatly blessed in allowing us the privilege to worship together in San Antonio on this last Sabbath morning of the 60th General Conference session. We come from all parts of the globe. People filled with the Holy Spirit and ready to proclaim the three angels’ messages with greater power as we learn from Jesus everyday what it means to be His followers united this morning as God’s great Advent movement and spiritual family. We thank the Lord for the ways He has led this General Conference Session during the last 10 days and we give Him all the glory for the unity and singleness of purpose in accomplishing His mission for this dying Earth.

As I stated five years ago, the Seventh-day Adventist Church is God’s remnant movement made up of those who according to Revelation 12:17 keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ, and we are on a heaven-directed journey. We must go forward, not backward, because we are almost home! I am more convinced than ever that Jesus’ return is near, even at the door! Our session theme song that has served us well for so many years, “We Have this Hope,” proclaims the great expectation of Seventh-day Adventists all around the world — Jesus is coming soon!

[Wilson repeats this phrase in 10 other languages: Spanish, French, Portuguese, Swahili, Russian, Korean, Arabic, Chinese, Hindi and Tagalog]

And in so many other languages of the world we share those words of encouragement and hope. It’s the great theme of this 2015 General Conference session: ”Arise! Shine! Jesus Is Coming!”

We long for Jesus’ return. But why are we still here? For some time, Jesus has longed to come back. We have no more time prophecies. Those ended in 1844 with the beginning of the investigative judgment. At this very moment, Christ is ministering for us in the most holy place of a real sanctuary in heaven. He wants to pour out the latter rain of the Holy Spirit upon His people to finish His work on this Earth. He longs for us to humble ourselves before Him and lean completely upon His everlasting arms. He wants us to share His good news of salvation that we are saved by grace and that not of ourselves lest we should boast, but it is a gift of God as we read in Ephesians 2:8-9. As we share His righteousness of justification and sanctification that works in us “both to will and to do for His good pleasure” as Philippians 2:13 tells us. As we share that the work that He has begun He “will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ” as Philippians 1:6 states. But we are Laodicean and need to humble ourselves before the Lord and buy of Him, as instructed in Revelation 3:18, “gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see.”

Yes, Lord. Take us, mold us, make us and fill us. Revive and reform us through your daily sanctifying power as we read your Holy Word, your Spirit of Prophecy and earnestly pray for the Holy Spirit in our lives. Yes, Revival and Reformation for this new quinquennium and until the end of probation. “Revival and Reformation: You, Your Family, Your Church, Your Community.” We want this experience through the blood and grace of Jesus Christ and a daily walk with Him. We want to go home!

We know the signs of Matthew 24 and realize political challenges are now beyond the control of most governments today, economic conditions are fragile and untrustworthy, natural disasters are increasing in intensity and destruction, social changes are challenging the very Word of God, ecumenism is rapidly growing in its false, non-biblical and neutralizing influence on society and yet we are still here. But God says, “Arise! Shine!” He is telling us to be powerful testimonies of Christ’s marvelous message to this chaotic world indicating that the great controversy is about to close and Jesus will return for His people! Three times in the last chapter of the last book of the Bible, Revelation 22:7, 12 and 20, Jesus Himself says, “I am coming quickly.” Lord, we want to go home! We want to cross over the Jordan River to the Promised Land. Open the way before us. Take us through the water. We place our trust completely in you. Lead us through the raging Jordan to our everlasting home and don’t let us retreat. Help us to fully depend on you for every need in spite of the temptation to retreat. You are our Rock and Salvation. Help us to cross the Jordan and not retreat!

Turn with me to Deuteronomy 34:1-5. “Then Moses went up from the plains of Moab to Mount Nebo to the top of Pisgah, which is across from Jericho. And the Lord showed him all the land. Then the Lord said to him, ‘This is the land of which I swore to give Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, saying, ‘I will give it to your descendants.’ I have caused you to see it with your eyes, but you shall not cross over there.’ So Moses the servant of the Lord died there in the land of Moab, according to the word of the Lord.”

Moses was so close and yet so far. The Bible indicates that when Moses died, God Himself buried him. We know that God raised Moses back to life and took him to heaven as an example of those who will die in Christ and be raised through His reviving power of His second coming trumpet sound.

About a year ago, it was a privilege to stand on Mount Nebo and look out at the vast plains below, north towards the Sea of Galilee, across the Jordan River to Jericho, southward to the Dead Sea. It was a thrilling experience to realize that God spoke to Moses there and let him see the future history of Israel’s ups and downs, their revived commitment to God, and their falling away back into self-centered and idolatrous practices. He saw their subjection to foreign powers. He saw Jesus coming as a baby and His wonderful, perfect life and ministry. He saw the agony in Gethsemane, the betrayal, the beatings and the crucifixion. Patriarchs and Prophets, page 475-476, says, “His heart was wrung with anguish, and bitter tears fell from his eyes, in sympathy with the sorrow of the Son of God. Grief, indignation, and horror filled the heart of Moses as he viewed the hypocrisy and satanic hatred manifested by the Jewish nation against their Redeemer. He heard Christ’s agonizing cry, ‘My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?’ (Mark 15:34). But he looked again, and beheld Him coming forth a conqueror, and ascending to heaven escorted by adoring angels and leading a multitude of captives. He saw the shining gates open to receive Him, and the host of heaven with songs of triumph welcoming their Commander. And it was there revealed to him that he himself would be one who should attend the Saviour, and open to Him the everlasting gates.”

God revealed to Moses the history of the Christian church as the disciples preached the Gospel, how all those who accepted Christ’s message would become, by faith, part of Abraham’s seed making “to the world the law of God and the gospel of His Son” (PP 476). He saw the Christian world profess to accept Christ but deny God’s law. He saw the seventh-day Sabbath ignored and rejected by the majority but respected by a faithful few. Patriarchs and Prophets, page 477, says, “He saw the last great struggle of earthly powers to destroy those who keep God’s law. He heard God’s covenant of peace with those who have kept His law. He saw the second coming of Christ in glory.” Then he saw the New Earth, the Promised Land more beautiful than anything that was spread out before him. Patriarchs and Prophets, page 477, describes it this way, “With joy unutterable Moses looks upon the scene — the fulfillment of a more glorious deliverance than his brightest hopes have ever pictured. Their earthly wanderings forever past, the Israel of God have at last entered the goodly land.”

Let’s go to Mt. Nebo for a few moments where Moses viewed this prophetic vision of the future.

What a privilege Moses had seeing what God was going to do for His people throughout history up until today. We will soon cross the figurative Jordan into that Promised Land and be welcomed by the Father, by Christ, by the Holy Spirit, by Moses, by Elijah, by Enoch and the angels.

But back to the Israelites, they were still on the east side of the Jordan after their 40 years in the wilderness. They had not crossed yet. They spent thirty days mourning the loss of Moses. Not until he had been taken from them did they fully understand his fatherly role in their lives, his wisdom and counsel. However they were not alone. The pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night over the sanctuary were constant reminders that the Mighty God was by their side. Brothers and sisters, the Almighty God is with us today in this dome and around the world as we prepare to cross the Jordan. Don’t retreat!

As Moses’ understudy, Joshua became the recognized leader of Israel. He was courageous, quiet, faithful, firm, caring, loyal and had complete faith in God. It was Joshua whom God chose to lead the Children of Israel into the Promised Land through God’s complete and supernatural power.

Our Scripture reading in Joshua 1:2 tells us God spoke directly to Joshua saying, “Moses My servant is dead. Now therefore, arise, go over this Jordan” GO OVER THIS JORDAN … DON’T RETREAT … CROSS THE JORDAN … ”you and all this people, to the land which I am giving to them … every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given you.” Joshua and the children of Israel were not to be discouraged or retreat. God continued in verses 6 and 7 with words for us today in San Antonio, “Be strong and of good courage. Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses my servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go.”

Seventh-day Adventist believers, be of good courage in the Lord, ask Him to help us keep His moral law and make God’s Holy Word central in all we do. Don’t get stuck on one side or the other of the road. Stay in the middle of God’s will, cross the Jordan and don’t retreat!

God’s Holy Word — what a precious book this is! His law, His prophecies, His instructions, His gospel, His love letters to us. You can count on the Word of God!

I have three Bibles with me and they are precious. Two of them belonged to ordained ministers of the gospel who have died in Jesus. This first Bible was my grandfather’s, N.C. Wilson — the first N.C.

Grandpa was a wonderful student of the Word. He would write me letters of encouragement when I was a young pastor. I loved my Grandma and Grandpa Wilson. They both loved the Word of God and the Spirit of Prophecy.

This second Bible was my dear father’s, Neal C. Wilson — the second N.C. Dad taught me to revere and believe in God’s Holy Word. Dad loved to preach from the Word, an inexhaustible source of God’s instruction. Both my precious mother and dear father loved the Holy Bible and the Spirit of Prophecy. They both bequeathed to me a complete trust in and love for a plain reading of the Word of God and a great appreciation for the Spirit of Prophecy. I never heard one disparaging remark from my parents about the Bible or the Spirit of Prophecy, only great respect and acceptance.

I plead with you to have that same love and respect for this Book and the Spirit of Prophecy. If you haven’t read much from either one for a while, pick up the Bible and read it. Pick up Steps to Christ, The Desire of Ages, The Ministry of Healing, The Great Controversy, Patriarchs and Prophets, the Testimonies or any other Spirit of Prophecy book and read it. See what God will do for your heart and life. Participate with church members all over this globe as we begin this quinquennium by daily reading one chapter of the Bible and approximately two pages of the Conflict of the Ages series. Last quinquennium it was a joy to read the Bible through and this quinquennium will be the same. Of course, if you are on your own reading program, please move ahead, but let’s experience the Word of God and the Spirit of Prophecy in our lives everyday.

As Seventh-day Adventists, we fully accept the Bible as God’s inspired Word. We understand the Spirit of Prophecy to be the lesser light, inspired by that same heavenly inspiration that leads to the greater light, the Bible. At the last General Conference session that Ellen White attended, she delivered her message and left the platform. She stopped and returned taking the large pulpit Bible in her hands and proclaimed, “I commend to you this Book.” Brothers and sisters, if we wish to cross the Jordan, let’s seriously read God’s Word letting its instructions, through the Holy Spirit’s guidance, change our lives. David said in Psalm 119:11, “Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You.” You can count on God’s Word and His Spirit of Prophecy!

And here is my Bible. I’ve had it now for five years since at that time I lost another precious Bible on an airplane. I bought this one and have cherished it. However, since that time, I have lost THIS Bible two times, but both times the Lord has miraculously returned it to me. It is precious not only because it is my study and preaching Bible, but because it is the Word of God! Someone who retrieved this Bible the last time I lost it, gave me a special connection so I won’t lose it again. It is “Ted’s Bible’s Leash!” My friends, I may lose this actual Bible again, but I will not lose God’s Holy Word because it can never be lost! God’s Word is sure and foundational. It is everlasting and you can believe this Word — as it reads!

This precious Book, the Bible, is true and reliable. You can read it in the plain language of your choice and it rings true!

Yes, God actually created this world recently in six, literal, consecutive days and rested on the seventh-day Sabbath and asks us to do the same as an eternal sign of our allegiance to Him. The Israelites did miraculously cross the Red Sea! God did provide manna! The Ten Commandments were written with God’s own finger! The sanctuary service does show Christ’s salvation and ministry on earth and in heaven! Jesus did come as a babe, lived a perfect life, died for us, rose for us, went to heaven and will return in like manner! Christ is ministering for us as our High Priest and entered the most holy place in 1844 to complete His investigative judgment! Jesus is coming again! God’s Word is accurate and true and can be understood. Just. As. It. Reads.

Joshua 1:8-9 says, “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have a good success. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage: do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

This was God’s signal to the Israelites to cross the Jordan. Joshua commanded the crossing preparation.

Joshua 3:1 says Joshua rose early and all the Children of Israel lodged at the edge of the river. The test had come. It was again time to see God’s great miracles! Verse 3 says, “When you see the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God, and the priests, the Levites, bearing it, then you shall set out from your place and go after it.” Verse 5 instructed, “Sanctify yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you.” As we humble ourselves before the Lord and each other, as we plead with God for the latter rain of the Holy Spirit, as we allow the sanctifying power of the Holy Spirit to make us more and more like Christ, we will see “wonders” among us as the Advent message goes like wildfire!

In verse 9, Joshua told the people, “Hear the words of the Lord your God.” God promised to drive out the inhabitants of the Promised Land.

The next developments are riveting! Joshua 3:14-16 records, “When the people set out from the camp to cross over the Jordan, with the priests bearing the ark of the covenant before the people, and as those who bore the ark came to the Jordan, and the feet of the priests who bore the ark dipped in the edge of the water (for the Jordan overflows all its banks during the whole time of harvest), that the waters which came down from upstream stood still and rose in a heap very far away.”

It was the springtime and the water was very high. Patriarchs and Prophets, page 483 reports, “The host descended to the border of the Jordan. All knew, however, that without divine aid they could not hope to make the passage. At that time of the year — in the spring season — melting snows of the mountains had so raised the Jordan that the river overflowed its banks, making it impossible to cross at the usual fording places. God willed that the passage of Israel over the Jordan should be miraculous.”

Many times God leads us into difficult or impossible situations where we give Him the glory when we see how He arranges our progress through that difficulty. Brothers and sisters, cross the Jordan, don’t retreat! Do we react by giving God glory when He opens the way for us? That’s why God wants us to remember His interventions in our lives and set up landmark memorials to never forget to “Cross the Jordan and don’t retreat.”

Verse 17 says the priests who carried the ark into the middle of the Jordan stayed there until the people had crossed the river. Before the priests left, Joshua called for representatives from each of the twelve tribes to take a large rock from the riverbed to represent their tribe in setting up a memorial. Joshua 4:6-7 says, “That this may be a sign among you when your children ask in time to come saying, ‘What do these stones mean to you?’ Then you shall answer them that the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord. And these stones shall be for a memorial to the children of Israel forever.”

There has always been a need to remember, to establish something that will constantly remind you. That was the purpose of the stone landmark monument of the Israelites’ crossing, to remember what God had done. That’s exactly why He wants us to remember what is happening here in San Antonio, what the Holy Spirit is doing in our lives, that our mission is to proclaim “Arise! Shine! Jesus Is Coming!” You are the “landmarks.” God has a special purpose for each of us who make up His remnant church to remember how He has led in the past.

In Life Sketches, page 196, we read, “In reviewing our past history, having traveled over every step of advance to our present standing, I can say, Praise God! As I see what the Lord has wrought, I am filled with astonishment, and with confidence in Christ as leader. We have nothing to fear for the future, except as we shall forget the way the Lord has led us, and His teaching in our past history.”

What a privilege to testify of God’s power in leading His Advent movement and what He will do during the final days of earth’s history! Of course, God does not only wish that we remember, He wants us to actively participate in the real mission of His church, the reason you and I are members of this precious Seventh-day Adventist Church. I call on all local church members everywhere to participate in a vibrant Revival and Reformation — You, Your Family, Your Church, Your Community! Lay members, I challenge you to become involved in the daily mission of the church far more than you ever have before. We are counting on you! God is counting on you! You are a “landmark,” a walking testimony and memorial for God’s truth. Become involved in the greatest evangelistic and mission outreach possible. Take time to read and pray about the worldwide Seventh-day Adventist strategic plan, “Reach the World.” It is your plan. It is our plan. It is God’s plan. Evangelism is the lifeblood of the church. All of us are to be in involved in it — either through personal witnessing, small group evangelism or public evangelism in its various forms. Every time I preach a full evangelistic series like I did in May in Harare, Zimbabwe, I get spiritually re-energized and more grounded in the marvelous Biblical understanding that God has given to us as Seventh-day Adventists. I get so excited about God’s logical, solid precious Advent message. I appeal to all our administrators, pastors and lay people everywhere, become involved in personal and especially public evangelism even if you think it won’t work where you live. Adapt your methods, but reach out. Every effort, under God’s guidance, that you make in reaching the hearts of people will bear fruit. Evangelism is not dead! It is more alive than ever before! God is in it! It’s His plan. He will bless it!

We are in this together under the omnipotent hand of God, church leaders and church members working hand in hand for mission outreach. Watch Him work as we learn to lean completely on His power. Testimonies for the Church, Volume 9, page 117 says, “The work of God in this Earth can never be finished until the men and women comprising our church membership rally to the work and unite their efforts with those ministers and church officers.” God wants us to unite in the greatest mission outreach the world has ever seen. The latter rain of the Holy Spirit will fall and the work will be finished.

Church members, let the Holy Spirit revolutionize your thinking. Take the church’s mission of outreach into your hands on a daily basis working closely with church leaders and pastors. Let it be total participation. Don’t only get involved in the mechanics of the church. Yes, you do need to be involved in the inner working of the church to keep it moving ahead, but even more, we need a total empowerment of lay people in carrying the burden of the church’s evangelistic and mission outreach along with pastors and church workers. Tell someone else about your relationship with Christ! It’s time to go home! “Arise! Shine! Jesus Is Coming!” Take up God’s command, “Cross the Jordan, don’t retreat!”

Young people of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, this is your church. This is your Advent movement. This is your mission. Christ is your Master. Take advantage of every opportunity of service for others in Jesus’ name! Take up God’s command, “Cross the Jordan, don’t retreat.”

Pastors, health professionals and teachers, you are doing a wonderful work for the Lord. Stay strong in God’s Word. Remain grounded in the pillars of God’s Advent movement. Take up God’s command, “Cross the Jordan, don’t retreat.”

Husbands, wives and families, don’t allow anything to creep into your homes that will distract you from God’s plans for you and your children. Eliminate any television, social media, music, books and other influences that will distract you from Jesus and His biblical truth. Take up God’s command, “Cross the Jordan, don’t retreat.”

I appeal to all of us in the church to put away differences of opinion, to humble ourselves before God. Now is the time to unify under Christ, our Righteousness.

Counsels to Ministers, page 145, tells us that, “In loving sympathy and confidence God’s workers are to unite with one another. He who says or does anything that tends to separate the members of Christ’s church is counterworking the Lord’s purpose. Wrangling and dissension in the church, the encouragement of suspicion and unbelief, are dishonoring to Christ.” God spoke through Ellen White with a pleading entreaty to each of us in Testimonies, Vol. 9, page 219, “I pray that He will soften and subdue every heart. … Let there be no self-exaltation. If the workers will humble their hearts before God, the blessing will come.”

As we unite under God’s direction, He is leading His children toward the Jordan in so many ways around the world as heaven touches their lives and those with whom they come in contact. I think of Tihomir Min, a Bulgarian-Vietnamese young man I met last year in Hanoi who shared his personal testimony and ongoing journey towards God’s truth. Tihomir wondered about God and his roots while growing up in Bulgaria with a Bulgarian mother and Vietnamese father. When he was about ten, his parents divorced. Tihomir faced challenges in his search for God including attacks by evil spirits as he tried to find peace. He prayed that if there was a God, would He please help him. Suddenly, he began to find relief and encouragement. He finally found a Christian website which offered him encouragement, some CDs and the book The Great Controversy. He found out that the administrator of the website was a Seventh-day Adventist. Reading The Great Controversy led Tihomir to read the Bible, which excited him greatly and changed his life. He said, “My life changed when I opened my eyes for God.”

Tihomir felt compelled to travel to Vietnam. He found part of his family there, but he discovered a much larger and greater family, the family of God. While in Vietnam, Tihomir experienced some difficult challenges and looked for a church. He tried to find a Seventh-day Adventist Church but we do not own a single building and have only a small number of believers in that great city. The Southern Asia-Pacific Division, the Southeast Asia Union, the Vietnam Mission, the General Conference and others have plans to see God’s work established in a stronger way in that major capital city. If there is someone who would like to assist in some way, please contact the Southern Asia-Pacific Division or our office.

Tihomir searched the Internet to find the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Hanoi. He finally found information and said he didn’t know what we really believed but wanted to visit to find out. He began meeting with our small Sabbath-keeping group that has primarily ADRA/Vietnam workers. Tihomir continued to attend because he found so many happy and encouraging people. Eventually, he became much more acquainted with Christ and our biblical beliefs. He was overjoyed to find peace at last. Tihomir was baptized and joined the small Seventh-day Adventist Church in Hanoi. He still has personal challenges and difficulties in his Christian journey but he is witnessing to so many people in high levels of society and is learning more about walking with God every step of the way. In spite of the problems he still faces, he says that finding God was the best thing that has ever happened in his life. Pray for Tihomir in his daily walk with the Lord as God leads him towards the crossing of the Jordan and the Promised Land.

I think of Dolores Slikkers, a wonderfully loving and generous church member, who, along with her devoted husband, Leon, helped so many students to find real meaning in life bringing glory to God in their professions. Last March at the Andrews University Board meeting, there was a vacant chair in front of Dolores’ nameplate and some lovely flowers placed there by Niels-Erik Andreasen, Andrews University president, as a token of respect and hope. You see, Dolores died last December in a car accident but awaits her coming King who will lead her across the Jordan to the Promised Land along with hundreds of students she helped.

I think of Ricky, a deaf-mute young man from Riveralta, Bolivia, whose prayers were answered after he began to study the Bible on his own. According to Winston Sarzuri, East Bolivia Mission Personal Ministries and Evangelism Director and Robert Costa, associate GC Ministerial secretary, Ricky came in contact with the church and its Biblical teachings through the Internet. In the public school where Ricky studied there are several other young deaf students. Among those students without disabilities, there was a faithful young Seventh-day Adventist girl who was asking God how to share with her classmates the love of Jesus, His saving power and the joyous hope it brings. When she realized that Ricky was really interested in studying the Bible, she pushed herself in record time to learn sign language in order to witness for Christ. As this faithful girl shared Jesus with Ricky through sign language, he accepted Christ and all our fundamental beliefs. He became a strong disciple and a Bible instructor who taught the Advent message to eight other deaf students. Last April, all the deaf students from that school attended an evangelistic series in Bolivia led by John Bradshaw of It Is Written. The local government leader in charge of the deaf attended the meetings to translate in sign language and was impressed that our church was interested in the deaf group and she is now interested in Seventh-day Adventist beliefs! She and her deaf husband are in contact with our local pastors to obtain Adventist materials for the deaf. Let’s always show interest in groups with special needs. Take time for those in special situations with whom you can share Christ and this precious Advent message. As a result, a new congregation is on the horizon with many potential deaf-mute as members in Santa Cruz, the largest city in Bolivia. Last April, Ricky was baptized. He came out of the water with glad sign language gestures, telling the world how happy he was to give his life to Jesus.

My fellow church members here in this dome and those watching worldwide, do not be discouraged as you march towards the crossing of the Jordan. We are nearing home! We are almost there! Do not be distracted or dismayed. Go forward with complete trust in the Creator, the Redeemer, the Lamb and the High Priest who tells us in Hebrews 4:16 to “come boldly to the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” That time of need may be upon you now and it certainly is coming in the near future according to biblical prophecy when our only hope and salvation will be in totally leaning on Christ, the Rock. He is what we need right now in our worldwide work of proclaiming the three angels’ messages entrusted to us by heaven.

Jesus, with His grace, His strength, His matchless love and His righteousness, is the core of the three angels’ messages and is the only answer for making it across the Jordan. Let us claim the marvelously comforting and encouraging promises of Psalm 37:5-7, “Commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass. He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday. Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him.”

God is calling you today to join in the final proclamation of Christ’s salvation, His good news and His soon coming!

Let’s believe God’s Word, believe the prophetic books of Daniel and Revelation, believe the Spirit of Prophecy. Jesus is coming soon! What a day that will be! Cross the Jordan, don’t retreat into disbelief and cynicism.

We are saved through the justifying and sanctifying power of Jesus Christ and Him alone — saved through His righteousness. God’s sanctuary service points to Christ and His righteousness and should be thoroughly studied and shared. Dig deep in your understanding of our Savior, Jesus Christ. Stay away from superficiality and the suggestion to just say “Jesus” and ignore Christ’s doctrinal truths. My brothers and sisters, our biblical foundational beliefs and fundamental doctrines all have Christ at the center of each one. What a privilege to share this prophetic message and humbly ask God for revival and reformation through the power of the Holy Spirit. Cross the Jordan, don’t retreat into legalism, mysticism, superficiality or meaningless emotionalism.

The three angels’ messages are to be proclaimed with Holy Spirit power by each of us. Live the truth through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit and your diligent study of the Bible and the Spirit of Prophecy. Cross the Jordan, don’t retreat toward worldly or unbiblical contemporary ideas about theology or carelessness in Christian practical living!

Accept and promote God’s complete health message that can bless us physically, mentally, socially and spiritually. Use this right arm of comprehensive health ministry in reaching people in Mission to the Cities and in the rural areas. It is exciting to see how people are accepting the health emphasis with full commitment to allowing God to control their lives and their lifestyles. Cross the Jordan, don’t retreat into skepticism, higher criticism, fanaticism or formalism!

One of these days very soon, we will look up and see a small, dark cloud about half the size of a man’s hand. It will get larger and brighter. All of heaven poured out for this climactic event with millions of angels making up that marvelous cloud with a brilliant rainbow above and lightning beneath. Right in the middle of that incredible cloud will be the One we have waited for, the One who is altogether lovely, our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ, coming as the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. We will look up and say, “This is the God we have waited for” and Christ will look down and say, “Well done, good and faithful servants, enter into the joy of your Lord.” At last we will be with Him and receive the reward of the righteous who have depended completely on Jesus. We will figuratively cross the Jordan to begin the final journey through space to enter the Promised Land in heaven. We will be with Him in a perfect setting never again to part as a fulfillment of His promises unfolded in Revelation 22, the last chapter of the Bible. In verses 3 to 7 we read that, “There shall be no more curse, but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and His servants shall serve Him. They shall see His face, and His name shall be on their foreheads. There shall be no night there: they need no lamp nor light of the sun, for the Lord God gives them light. And they shall reign forever and ever. The he said to me, ‘These words are faithful and true.’ And the Lord God of the holy prophets sent His angel to show His servants the things which must shortly take place. ‘Behold, I am coming quickly! Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book.’”

Those are God’s promises for you, for me and for this remnant church, His Advent movement. That wonderful Promised Land revealed in Revelation is where we will go as we rise to meet Him in the air. We will cross the Jordan and go to heaven to be with Him forever. What a day that will be! By the grace and righteousness of Jesus Christ, I want to be there that day!

If that is your wish, as you humbly submit to Christ and sharing His love and prophetic messages with the world, would you join me in standing right now?

As we commit ourselves into the hands of Jesus, our Almighty Captain, He will lead us across the Jordan and into the Promised Land! Reach the World with the extraordinary Good News of ultimate victory through the blood and grace of our Creator, Redeemer, High Priest, Coming King and Best Friend, Jesus Christ! “Arise! Shine! Jesus Is Coming!”

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Choices

By Lynette Jaque November 30th, 2025

“Trust​ in​ the​ Lord​ with​ all​ your​ heart, and lean not on​ your​ own understanding;​ in​ all​ your​ ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct​ your​ paths.” Proverbs 3:5–6

As I approached the door at work, I heard them. As I turned the key in the lock, I felt the air disturbed behind me. I turned around and beheld an amazing aerial ballet mere feet from my head. Barn swallows! They wheeled and dove, weaving a beautiful tapestry of flight, calling out to each other in synchronized song. Suddenly it dawned on me: they were trying to warn me away! I had intruded on their chosen territory.

Sure enough, on a corner of the overhang sheltering the door was the tiniest dab of mud and grass—the beginning of a new home. Quite possibly, this was their first-ever nesting attempt. The unfortunate part was that they had chosen the wrong overhang. People's constant traffic through this door would disrupt and eventually drive them away, leaving their nest to perish. They had truly made an unwise choice.

For us, the choice-making process starts when we are very young. Vegetables or fruit? Jump rope or bicycle? Hug Grandma first, or Grandpa? As we grow and mature, the decisions become more pressing. Do we spend our paycheck or scrimp for a while? Where do we send our children to school? Where to live, where to work, who to see?

One overriding theme with every decision in life is, "Do we choose to let God guide us?" Sometimes He leads us gently, and it's smooth sailing. Sometimes He might need to lead us on a difficult road we wouldn't have chosen but for His leading. Choosing to ignore God's guidance—be the way easy or hard—can cause us needless suffering due to our poor choices. Like our little swallow friends, our choices—large or small—impact our lives.

Choosing to take advantage of prayer's "ultimate wireless connection" to our Heavenly Father is the first best step. Although I still make plenty of "me-driven" mistakes and pay for my poor choices, I know Jesus is readily waiting for me to again choose Him as my guide. Though sometimes the way is rough, there is always victory and growth at the end—always a lesson to be learned and shared. So won't you choose to take advantage of your connection with God? He's always there, waiting, willing, loving. There will be joy in the morning when you choose Jesus as your guide!

“Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning.” Psalm 30:5