January 18, 2020

January 18                                JESUS OR SATAN--WHICH IS YOUR CHOICE?
 
        By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God.--1 John 4:2-3
 
    Satan is at work from beneath to stir up the hellish powers of his confederacy against the just.  He imbues agencies with his own attributes.  Efforts will be put forth by evil angels, united with evil men to harass, persecute, and destroy, but the Lord God of Israel will not forsake those who trust in Him.  Amid the strengthening of infidelity and apostasy, amid pretended illumination, which is the blindest presumption of delusion, there will be a light shining upon God's people from the sanctuary above.  The truth of God will triumph....
 
    Every individual in our world will be arrayed under one of two banners--the chosen and loyal under the blood-stained banner of Prince Immanuel, and all others under Satan's standard.  All who are on Satan's side will unite with him in honoring the spurious sabbath, thus paying homage to the man of sin who exalted himself above all that is called God, and thought to change times and laws.  They trample upon the laws of Jehovah and frame a law to compel all to worship the false sabbath, the idol they have exalted.  But the day of deliverance to God's people is not far distant....
 
    He who stands in defense of the truth will draw upon himself the dislike, the criticism, the decided opposition of relatives and professed friends; he will become the subject of ridicule.  All opposition and persecution, whether in its mildest or most terrible forms, is only the development of a principle that originated with the first great rebel in heaven.  This work will continue as long as Satan exists. (Letter 30a, September 6, 1892)
 
 
REFLECTION:  In this age of the world we see every grade and degree of skepticism.  There are rank infidels, those who believe in the lying wonders of Spiritualism, and those who reject the claims of divine truth.  All these are...controlled by the spirit of antichrist.  Ignorance of the character of God, pride of understanding, and the love of sin, are the source of infidelity. (The Signs of the Times, September 3, 1894)