The Poor in Spirit
 
        Blessed are the poor in spirit: for there is the kingdom of heaven.  Matthew 5:3
 
    As something strange and new, these words fall upon the ears of the wandering multitude.  Such teaching is contrary to all they have ever heard from priest or rabbi.  They see in it nothing to flatter their pride or to feed their ambitious hopes.  But there is about this new Teacher a power that holds them spellbound.  The sweetness of divine love flows from His very presence as the fragrance from a flower.  His words fall like "rain upon the mown grass: as showers that water the  earth" (Psalm 72:6).  All feel instinctively that here is One who reads the secrets of the soul, yet who comes near to them with tender compassion.  Their hearts open to Him, and, as they listen, the Holy Spirit unfolds to them something of the meaning of that lesson which humanity in all ages so needs to learn. (Thoughts from the Mount of Blessing, 6)
 
Reflection:  Christ has not changed.  He still reads the secrets of the soul.  If we will let Him, Jesus still comes near with tender and compassionate entreaties, longing for us to give our sinful burdens to Him, the One who saves to the uttermost.  Let us read His Word like it was directed to us personally.

Our Perfect Example
 
        And Jesus answering sad unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfill all righteousness.  Then suffered him.  Matthew 3:15
 
    As Jesus asked for baptism, John drew back, exclaiming, " I have need to be baptized of Thee, and comest Thou to me?"  With firm yet gentle authority, Jesus answered, "Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfill all righteousness."  And John, yielding, led the Saviour down into the Jordan, and buried Him beneath the water.  "And straightway coming up out of the water," Jesus "saw the heavens opened, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon Him."
 
    Jesus did not receive baptism as a confession of guilt on His own account.  He identified Himself with sinners, taking the steps that we are to take, and doing the work that we must do.  His life of suffering and patient endurance after His baptism was also an example to us.
 
    Upon coming up put of the water, Jesus bowed in prayer on the river bank.  A new and important era was opening before Him.  He was now, upon a wider stage, entering on the conflict of His life." (The Desire of Ages, 111)
 
Reflection:  Immediately after baptism Jesus was led into the wilderness and tempted by Satan.  This is another illustration of the Christian walk.  When we make the decision to follow Christ, the  devil will work even harder on us; but if God is for us, who can be against us? (See Romans 8:31.)

God With Us
 
        Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.  Matthew 1:23
 
    God commanded Moses for Israel, "Let them make Me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them" (Exodus 25:8), and He adobe in the sanctuary, in the midst of His people.  Through all their weary wandering in the desert, the symbol of His presence was with them.  So Christ set up His tabernacle in the midst of our human encampment.  He pitched His tent by the side of the tents of men, that He might dwell among us, and make us familiar with His divine character and life.  "The Word became flesh, and tabernacled among us (and we beheld His glory, glory as of the One Begotten from the Father), full of grace and truth" (John 1:14, R.V., margin).
 
    Since Jesus came to dwell with us, we know that God is acquainted with our trials, and sympathizes with our griefs.  Every son and daughter of Adan may understand that our Creator is the friend of sinners.  For in every doctrine of grace, every promise of joy, every deed of love, every divine attraction presented in the Saviour's life on earth, we see "God with us." (The Desire of Ages, 23, 24)
 
Reflection:  God makes it plain He wants us for eternity.  In all we do and all we go through God gives us a special promise that He will always be with us.  We never need to feel alone, and we can always claim His promise.

Saved From Sin
 
        And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.  Matthew 1:21
 
    But instead of destroying the world, God sent His Son to save it.  Though corruption and defiance might be seen in every part of the alien province, a way for its recovery was provided.  At the very crisis, when Satan seemed about to triumph, the Son of God came with the embassage of divine grace.  Through every age, through every hour, the love of God had been exercised toward the fallen race.  Notwithstanding the perversity of men, the signals of mercy had been continually exhibited.  And when the fullness of the time had come, the Deity was glorified by pouring upon the world a flood of healing grace that was never to be obstructed or withdrawn till the plan of salvation should be fulfilled.
 
    Satan was exulting that he had succeeded in debasing the image of God in humanity.  Then Jesus came to restore in man the image of his Maker.  None but Christ can fashion anew the character that has been ruined by sin.  He came to expel the demons that had controlled the will.  He came to lift us up from the dust, to reshape the marred character after the pattern of His divine character, and to make it beautiful with His own glory. (The Desire of Ages, 37)
 
Reflection:  God's gift of His Son proves He wanted to save the inhabitants of our world, not destroy them.

The Spirit and Power of Elijah
 
        Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord.  Malachi 4:5
 
    Today, in the spirit and power of Elias and of John the Baptist, messengers of God's appointment are calling the attention of a judgment-bound world to the solemn events soon to take place in connection with the closing hours of probation and the appearance of Christ Jesus as King of kings and Lord of lords.  Soon every man is to be judged for the deeds done in the body.  The hour of God's judgment has come, and upon the members of His church on earth rests the solemn responsibility of giving warning to those who are standing as it were on the very brink of eternal ruin.  To every human being in the wide world who will give heed must be made plain the principles at stake in the great controversy being waged, principles upon which hang the destinies of all mankind.
 
    In these final hours of probation for the sons of men, when the fate of every soul is so soon to be decided forever, the Lord of heaven and earth expects His church to arouse to action as never before.  Those who have been made free in Christ through a knowledge of precious truth, are regarded by the Lord Jesus as His chosen ones, favored above all other people on the face of the earth; and He is counting on them to show forth the praises of Him who hath called them out of darkness into marvelous light. (Prophets and Kings, 716)
 
Reflection:  Don't delay in making your decision for Christ and salvation.  Time is running out and we have a great work to do.  That work is to lead as many as we can to Christ.

Finally Destruction of Evil
 
    For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an ocean; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the Lord of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.  Malachi 4:1
 
    Satan, the root of every sin, and all evil workers, who are his branches, shall be utterly cut off.  An end will be made of sin, with all the woe and ruin that have resulted from it.  Says the psalmist, "Thou hast destroyed the wicked, thou hast put out their name forever and ever.  O thou enemy, destructions are come to a perpetual end" (Psalm 9:5, 6).
 
    But amid the tempest of divine judgment the children of God will have no cause for fear.  "The Lord will be the hope of His people, and the strength of the children of Israel" (Joel 3:16).  The day that brings terror and destruction to the transgressors of God's law will bring to the obedient "joy unspeakable and full of glory" "Gather My saints together unto Me," saith the Lord, "those that have made a covenant with Me by sacrifice.  And the heavens shall declare His righteousness: for God is Judge Himself." (Patriarchs and Prophets, 341)
 
Reflection:  Be sure that you are on the Lord's side by making a full surrender of every area of your life to Him today. 

God's Strange Act
 
    The Lord is slow to anger, and great in power, and will not at all acquit the wicked: the Lord hath his way in the whirlwind and in the storm, and the clouds are the dust of his feet.  Nahum 1:3
 
    God's judgment will be visited upon those who are seeking to oppress and destroy His people.  His long forbearance with the wicked emboldens men in transgression, but their punishment is nonetheless certain and terrible because it is long delayed.  "The Lord shall rise up as in Mount Perazim, He shall be wroth as in the valley of Gibeon, that He may do His work, His strange work; and bring to pass His act, His strange act" (Isaiah 28:21).  To our merciful God the act of punishment is a strange act.  "As I live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked" (Ezekiel 33:11).  The Lord is "merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth,...forgiving iniquity and transgression of sin."  Yet He will "by no means clear the guilty."  "The Lord is slow to anger, and great in power, and will not at all acquit the wicked" (Exodus 34:6, 7; Nahum 1:3).  By terrible things in righteousness He will vindicate the authority of His downtrodden law.  The severity of the retribution awaiting the transgressor may be judged by the Lord's reluctance to execute justice.  The nation with which He bears long, and which He will not smite until it has filled up the measure of its iniquity in God's account, will finally drink the cup of wrath unmixed with mercy. (The Great Controversy, 627)
 
Reflection:  To be with Christ forever will be more amazing than we can ever imagine.  Why would we do anything to miss that?  When Christ comes there will be only two classes: the saved and the lost.  Let's make the right choice.  Eternal life is at stake

Christ's First Advent
 
        But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall be come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.  Micah 5:2
 
    At the time of Christ's first advent the priests and scribes of the Holy City, to whom were entrusted the oracles of God, might have discerned the signs of the times and proclaimed the coming of the Promised One.  The prophecy of Micah designated His birthplace; Daniel specified the time of His advent (Micah 5:2; Daniel 9:25).  God committed these prophecies to the Jewish leaders; they were without excuse if they did not know and declare to the people that the Messiah's coming was at hand.  Their ignorance was the  result of sinful neglect.  The Jews were building monuments for the slain prophets of God, while by their deference to the great men of earth they were paying homage to the servants of Satan.  Absorbed in their ambitious strife for place and power among men, they lost sight of the divine honors proffered them by the King of heaven. (The Great Controversy, 313)
 
Reflection:  How careful we need to be to not allow wrong influences to affect our discernment of truth and our commitment to God.  Let's make sure that we are discerning the times in which we are living and not be like the leaders of old.

Unbelieving Companions
 
        Can two walk together, except they be agreed?  Amos 3:3
 
    The wife of Lot was a selfish, irreligious woman, and her influence was exerted to separate her husband from Abraham.  But for her, Lot would not have remained in Sodom, deprived of the counsel of the wise, God-fearing patriarch.  The influence of his wife and the associations of that wicked city would have led him to apostatize from God had it not been for the faithful instruction he had early received from Abraham.  The marriage of Lot and his choice of Sodom for a home were the first links in a chain of events fraught with evil to the world for many generations.
 
    No one who fears God can without danger connect himself with one who fears Him not.  "Can two walk together, except they be agreed?" (Amos 3:3).  The happiness and prosperity of the marriage relation depends upon the unity of the parties; but between the believer and the unbeliever there is a radical difference of tastes, inclinations, and purposes.  They are serving two masters, between whom there can be no concord.  However pure and correct one's principles may be, the influence of an unbelieving companion will have a tendency to lead away from God. (Patriarchs and Prophets, 174)
 
Reflection:  This verse applies to all of our relationships.  Do you have an unbelieving spouse or friend?  Pray for him or her to accept Jesus and experience the beautiful life that only He can give.  Another point that is vital to our safety is that we don't get involved with others in a personal relationship when we are not on the same foundation.  They will always tend to draw us away from Christ instead of us drawing them to Christ.

Seventy Weeks
 
        Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy.  Daniel 9:24
 
    Seventy weeks, representing 490 years, are declared by the angel to be cut off, specially pertaining to the Jews...
 
    "From the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks"--namely, sixty-nine weeks, or 483 years.  The decree of Artaxerxes went into effect in the autumn of 457 B.C.  From this date, 483 years extend to the autumn of A.D. 27.  At that time this prophecy was fulfilled....In the autumn of A.D. 27 Christ was baptized by John and received the anointing of the Spirit...
 
    "And He shall confirm the covenant with many for one week."  The "week" here brought to view is the last one of the seventy; it is the last seven years of the period allotted especially to the Jews.  During this time, extending from A.D. 27 to A.D. 34.
 
    "In the midst of the week He shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease." In A.D. 31, three and a half years after His baptism, our Lord was crucified.  With the great sacrifice offered upon Calvary, ended that system of offerings which for four thousand years had pointed forward to the Lamb of God. (The Great Controversy, 326, 327)
 
Reflection:  Nearly six hundred years before the crucifixion of Christ, Daniel was given a time prophecy that pinpointed to the exact year Jesus would die for our sins.  What wisdom there is in being connected with God!