A New Direction

This blog is currently being reformatted. In the near future you will see a drastic change to the Morning Sonshine devotional blog. The details of the change we will share soon. Yet I will tell you one thing, you will not only be blessed, you will be challenged and transformed in your walk with the Savior of this world! Because of the changes that are taking place, this will be the last post of the Morning Sonshine devotional blog for a time. Thank you for being part of Morning Sonshine and we are looking forward to many more postings (once we update the blog) in the near future! 

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Christ's Touch

In the old testament you find many incidences where God uses His hands to touch humanity. In Isaiah God says that with an outstretch hand He is calling out to a people who do not know Him to come to Him freely. In Exodus God physically moved Moses to the cleft of the rock and with His hand He shield him from His glory. In Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, Zechariah, and other books of the Bible, shows a God who wants to be close, personal, intimate with His people! Oh how He yearns within Himself to gather us in His arms, in His lovely embrace! 

I believe many of us view God as personable, but as a God who likes to be touched and likes to touch? We can not comprehend it! Yet God is asking us to resemble Him in every aspect of our lives, including touching people with our hands and our heart.

"Physical touch is another method Christ used in His longing to connect with us, and I believe He still uses it when we touch each other through hugs, etc.

Another example of God touching humans is Genesis 2:7, when He FORMED man of the dust of the ground. That means God created the first human being exclusively by touch! Touching is how we as a race came into existence. That's powerful."(Steven Winn)

A New Creation

I was struck by Romans 8:11 this morning.  In our Christian journey we realize that it is Christ alone that forgives us.  It is Him alone that cleanses us.  He Alone can give us that new heart.  None of these things can we do or do we have any part in accept accepting and believing in Him to accomplish them in us.

Its Christ work alone that forgives, cleanses, and transforms us (basically kills the old man of sin that we are).  And then it is Christ's work alone through the Spirit that will "also quicken" our "mortal bodies".  But this is no partial work.  He does not just cleanse or forgive some of our sins.  It is all or nothing.  It is complete.  So to with our life in Christ.  He will not only work in some but in and through all or nothing.

The old man made choices for us in the past.  He said eat that, do that, enjoy that, have that, strive for that, etc.  And we did it.  He controlled us and it was his power that was in control.  Many of us are trying to live godly in Christ Jesus while still being under the control of that old man.  He is a crafty one though.  He will allow you to have just enough power to do just enough good things to think you are not still under his control.  Yet you are never truly happy cause he is still dictating certain aspects of your life even when you don't know it.

The only answer is to have a new master in complete control.  One that is doing it all for you as you simply allow Him to work in and through you as the old man did.  If Jesus does not have all the old man is letting you think He (Jesus) has some.  Don't be deceived.  A life in Jesus is a life that is completely Free.

Matt F Mattzella

The War is Fierce!

"This is what the LORD says to you: 'Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God's." 2 Chronicles 20:15 
The battle is hot, with vengeance the enemy is attacking, and there seems to be no end in sight. Bombs exploding, guns firing, swords clashing, men and women screaming as the battle rages on. Solider of Jesus, are you weary and worn from fighting? Are you severely wounded?

Do not lose heart, Jesus is on your side! He is the best general you can trust your life with, He hasn't lost a battle yet! He is your commander, your trusted companion and friend in this war we are in. He hasn't left you to fight alone, in fact He is in the front lines braving the attacks that may come your way!

He is our help, our protector and our strong fortress--Psalms 18:2
We do not have to fear, He will uphold us--Isaiah 41:10
He is with us, He will go before us--Deuteronomy 31:8
He is our shield and our strength--Psalms 28:7
He is our rock and our deliever--Psalms 18:2
He is our healer--Psalms 30:2
He was wounded for us, and by Him we are healed--Isaiah 53:4,5
He knows our needs--Philippians 4:19
He has found a way of escape--1 Corinthians 10:3

The Lord will win this battle and very soon we will live in peace with Him in His kingdom! Have hope! The Lord is on your side!

Keeping Our Eyes on Jesus!

"What is it that we are to focus on now then that will prepare us for and even hasten the second coming?"  The answer is simply JESUS in the context of where He is, what He is doing, and what He is trying to accomplish right now.

Dan. 8:14 gives us a clue and key as to what Jesus is doing right now and what He is desperately trying to draw our focus to.  The heavenly sanctuary is being cleansed.  All of our sins are being washed/put way.  All the sins of those who are willing to have them taken away anyway.  To get a full picture of what is taking place and where are focus should be please refer to the day of atonement as described in Lev. 16 and 23.  Are we corresponding to these things.  If not we will not be happy with the results of the second coming.

Why is this so important to understand?  We have been looking for the second coming yet there are things that must come first that if we do not undersand and correspond to we will be lost.  Good thing Jesus has not come. Why!?  Because the overwhelming evidence, especially among Christians is that the world and God's people are not ready.  They are pushing God away while trying to draw near to Him because they/we have not understood the things that we must understand, correspond to, and accomplish before He comes.

We must participate and correspond with Him in the work of Atonement.  This must be our focus right now.  Once that becomes our focus than it will be completed.  Then what?  Then the sealing must become our focus. (Rev. 7 and 14)  We cannot be sealed unless we have corresponded with Christ in the atonement.  We need to be ready for the sealing.  When God's people make this their focus because it is Christ's focus then it will be completed and the second coming will be able to take place and the second coming will become the focus not only of God's people but of Jesus as well.

Oh may our eyes be open to the realities of our living Saviour.  Let us turn to Him.  May we focus on Him where He is, not where we want Him to Be.  Let us not look past Him looking to Far in the Right Direction.

Matt F Mattzella

God Accepts All

To this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word. Isaiah 66:2.

Those who search for worldly distinction and glory make a sad mistake. It is the one who denies self, giving to others the preference, who will sit nearest to Christ on His throne. He who reads the heart sees the true merit possessed by His lowly, self-sacrificing disciples, and because they are worthy He places them in positions of distinction, though they do not realize their worthiness and do not seek for honor....

God places no value on outward display or boasting. Many who in this life are looked upon as superior to others will one day see that God values men according to their compassion and self-denial.... Those who follow the example of Him who went about doing good, who help and bless their fellow men, trying always to lift them up, are in God’s sight infinitely higher than the selfish ones who exalt themselves.

God does not accept men because of their capabilities, but because they seek His face, desiring His help. God sees not as man sees. He judges not from appearances. He searches the heart, and judges righteously. “To this man will I look,” He declares, “even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word.” He accepts and communes with His lowly, unpretentious followers; for in them He sees the most precious material, which will stand the test of storm and tempest, heat and pressure.

Our object in working for the Master should be that His name May be glorified in the conversion of sinners. Those who labor to gain applause are not approved of God....
Humble workers, who do not trust in their great gifts, but who work in simplicity, trusting always in God, will share in the joy of the Saviour. Their persevering prayers will bring souls to the cross. Heavenly angels will respond to their self-sacrificing efforts....
These workers are trees of the Lord’s planting. In a peculiar sense they bear fruit equal to the fruit borne by the apostles. A rich reward awaits them in the future life.

This devotional is from In Heavenly Places, by Ellen G. White.

Waiting...

"Lord, I wait for you; you will answer, Lord my God."  Psalms 38:15

Waiting can be wearisome.  Waiting to hear back from your Doctor about the latest test result.  Waiting for your son or daughter to call you once they reach their destination.  Waiting for a friend to pick you up so you guys can go shopping.  Waiting is so hard.

Did you know the word "wait" is one of God's favorite verb?   Noah waited for God 120 years before the great flood came.  Abraham had to wait 25 years for God to fulfill His promise of giving Abraham and Sarah a son.  Because of Israel's sin, they had to wait 40 years to enter the promise land.  Through out the old and new testament God's people had to wait on Him.

Yet God wants us to wait and while we are waiting for Him to take action, we are to trust Him. We are very impatient people, and God knows that, that is why He wants us to learn the value of "waiting patiently". If we let God reveal His will in His time, we will see it came at the right time, therefore the beauty of waiting is we will receive the blessing just when we need it.

Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for Him..Psalms 37:7

Prayer and Decisions – The Example of Jesus

"And it came to pass in those days, that he went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God. And when it was day, he called unto him his disciples: and of them he chose twelve, whom also he named apostles;” – Luke 6:12-13
 
Jesus had been busy preaching and building up His public ministry work for lost humanity. Although He was indeed the Son of God, he was also the Son of Man. He keenly sensed His need for reliance upon the Heavenly Father and for the wisdom that only the Great God of Heaven could reveal. As Christ entered human flesh he also became subject to the dependance of human beings upon the power, strength, and wisdom of God the Father. Jesus knew that they only way to tap into this power was through prayer! Sincere, earnest, heartfelt, humble, passionate, persevering prayer. Christ often spent whole nights in prayer as He needed strength and wisdom for the activities of the next day.

When it came time for choosing His twelve disciples who were to become the apostles or messengers of the gospel to the whole world, Christ felt the need for much prayer! He chose these 12 men from among those who had begun to take an interest in His work, and who had a heart to follow Him, and even Judas.

Christ prayed for wisdom all night long. And then, knowing that He had received from the Father what was needed, he begun the work of choosing His 12 disciples from among the others. He chose the men who were later going to spearhead the carrying of the gospel to the entire world and begin His church upon the earth. What an important task to be done, and what a terribly important job of selecting these men.

Should we not follow the example of Christ? Oh, let us pray! Let us pray earnestly for the Lord’s wisdom and guidance for our lives and for His work! Before making those critical decisions of life let us bow before the throne of the Almighty God of Heaven and Earth and pour out our hearts to Him for wisdom! Let us linger upon our knees before the Lord, talking with Him sincerely. Let it not be a surface work merely, or just a short uninterested few lines, but rather a season of heartfelt and sincere prayer. Praying about a job? Praying about a move? Praying about a spouse? Consider well our need for God’s incredible wisdom and let us seek it earnestly!

Benjamin Burkhardt

It Is Time to be Alert

And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. Romans 13:11.

My brethren, you must have Jesus enthroned within, and self must die. We must be baptized with the Holy Spirit, and then we shall not sit down, saying unconcernedly, “What is to be will be; prophecy must be fulfilled.” Oh, awake, I pray you, awake! for you bear the most sacred responsibilities. As faithful watchmen, you should see the sword coming, and give the warning, that men and women may not pursue a course through ignorance that they would avoid if they knew the truth.

The Lord has enlightened us in regard to what is coming upon the earth, that we may enlighten others, and we shall not be held guiltless if we are content to sit at ease, with folded hands, and quibble over matters of minor importance. The minds of many have been engrossed with contentions, and they have rejected the light given through the Testimonies, because it did not agree with their own opinions.

God does not force any man into His service. Every soul must decide for himself whether or not he will fall on the Rock and be broken. Heaven has been amazed to see the spiritual stupidity that has prevailed. You need individually to open your proud hearts to the Spirit of God, You need to have your intellectual ability sanctified to the service of God. The transforming power of God must be upon you, that your minds may be renewed by the Holy Spirit, that you may have the mind that was in Christ.

If the watchmen sleep under an opiate of Satan’s and do not recognize the voice of the true Shepherd, and do not take up the warning, I tell you in the fear of God, they will be charged with the blood of souls. The watchmen must be wide awake, men who will not slumber at their post of duty, day nor night. They must give the trumpet a certain sound, that the people may shun the evil, and choose the good. Stupidity and careless indifference cannot be excused. On every side of us there are breakers and hidden rocks which will dash our bark in pieces, and leave us helpless wrecks, unless we make God our refuge and help.—The Review and Herald, December 24, 1889.

This devotional is taken from Ye Shall Receive Power by Ellen G. White.

Learning to Reverence the Lord through His Word!

“And it shall be with him, and he shall read therein all the days of his life: that he may learn to fear the LORD his God, to keep all the words of this law and these statutes, to do them:” -Deuteronomy 17:19

We are to read and meditate in God’s word all the days of our life! I would submit that we cannot learn to “fear the Lord” our God without diligently studying and respecting His word! We must hear it and study it much. We must learn about the God who can turn waters into blood, who can drive back oceans, who can call the dead to life, who can create creatures from nothing and humans from dust.

 Learn of the God who can open blind people’s eyes, cause the deaf to hear, the lame to walk, and the dumb to speak. Learn about the God who rebukes disease and sends demons running and cowering in fear. Learn about the One who can change the heart of a sinner (you and me) and make us to desire holiness and seek it forever. Learn about the God who can forgive the hated and despised of human beings and make them into a person you could love and respect. 

Know the God who put our Solar system into orbit and who is soon coming again to re-claim this planet, to take it over, and who will destroy all evil. Get to know Him today while mercy yet lingers! Who cannot fear, reverence and respect such a God? Let us learn from His word to deeply respect/reverence (fear) and follow Him. 

Only with such a relationship with God can we be overcomers and grow in His Holiness. “By the fear of the LORD men depart from evil” (Proverbs 16:6). And only through the Bible (plus prayer and contemplation of His mighty works in nature) can we learn to love Him! Go and fill yourself daily with His Holy words!!! Be blessed in Christ Jesus today!

Benjamin Burkhardt

Letters to Heaven

Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we May obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. Hebrews 4:16.

Prayer is not an expiation for sin. It is not a penance. We need not come to God as condemned criminals, for Christ has paid the penalty of our transgression. He has made an atonement for us. His blood cleanses from sin. Our prayers are as letters sent from earth, directed to our Father in heaven. The petitions that ascend from sincere, humble hearts will surely reach Him. He can discern the sincerity of His adopted children. He pities our weakness and strengthens our infirmities. He has said, “Ask, and ye shall receive.”

Many of the human family know not what they should ask for as they ought. But the Lord is kind and tender. He helps their infirmities by giving them words to speak. He who comes with sanctified desire has access through Christ to the Father. Christ is our intercessor. The prayers that are placed in the golden censer of the Saviour’s merits are accepted by the Father.

Every promise in the Word of God is for us. In your prayers, present the pledged word of Jehovah and by faith claim His promises. His word is the assurance that if you ask in faith, you will receive all spiritual blessings. Continue to ask, and you will receive exceeding abundantly above all that you ask or think. Educate yourself to have unlimited confidence in God. Cast all your care upon Him. Wait patiently for Him, and He will bring it to pass.

We are to come to God, not in a spirit of self-justification, but with humility, repenting of our sins. He is able to help us, willing to do for us more than we ask or think. He has the abundance of heaven wherewith to supply our necessities.... God is holy, and we must pray, “lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting” (1 Timothy 2:8)....

We are to seek “first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness” (Matthew 6:33). We are to be ready to receive the blessing which God will bestow upon those who seek Him with the whole heart, in sincerity and truth. We must keep the heart open if we would receive of the grace of Christ.

This devotional is from In Heavenly Places, by Ellen G. White.

Let Me Take You There

"He leads me..." (Psalm 23:2).

Have you ever been looking for something at some huge warehouse-type store? You finally stumble upon an unsuspecting employee and blurt out what you're seeking. He doesn't even make eye contact with you as he continues stocking shelves and mumbles, "Right at the diapers, left at the chainsaws, straight ahead past the TVs."

You start on your adventure, become more lost than ever, then come upon another employee. She greets you and asks if she can help with anything. You repeat the object of your quest and she smiles warmly. "Let me take you there."

God doesn't just give us directions and wish us luck in life. Leading us means He walks with us; He takes us there. Wow! The Ruler of the Universe is not only willing, but eager, to walk with you and me today!

Have you ever...

Have you ever looked at the stars and wondered how they emit their light?
Have you ever contemplated about the functional components of the nucleolus of a cell?
Have you watched in awe and wonder at the birds as they take flight in the skies?
Have you gawked at the majestic mountains or the swelling turquoise oceans?
Have you stopped to think that God made everything so very beautiful and good?
Praise the Lord all ye saints of the earth and rejoice for your God reins!

For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether [they be] thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him. Colossians 1:16

Jesus Saw a Man

“As Jesus passed on from there, He saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax office” (Matthew 9:9).

Jesus saw a man. The hated Romans occupying Palestine recruited Jews to collect taxes from other Jews. Tax collectors made big money because they were authorized to take whatever they wanted on top of the tax rate. Other Jews and even those of other nations saw a traitor and a greedy, harsh, devious scum-of-the-earth heel, but Jesus saw a man. And by seeing him, Jesus connected with him.

Jesus saw not only this man, but He also saw into his heart. "The Pharisees had judged Matthew according to his employment, but Jesus saw in this man a heart open for the reception of truth" (The Desire of Ages, 272).

I would really love to be able to see into the heart of someone today, to see a man when everyone else sees something less, maybe even something terrible. Is it possible? Can I be like Jesus in this way and really connect with someone?

Heaven is Waiting

Heavenly intelligences are waiting to cooperate with human instrumentalists, that they may reveal to the world what human beings may become and what, through their influence, they may accomplish for the saving of souls that are ready to perish. He who is truly converted will be so filled with the love of God that he will long to impart to others the joy that he himself possesses. The Lord desires His church to show forth to the world the beauty of holiness. She is to demonstrate the power of Christian religion. Heaven is to be reflected in the character of the Christian. The song of gratitude and praise is to be heard by those in darkness. For the good tidings of the gospel, for its promises and assurances, we are to express our gratitude by seeking to do others good. The doing of this work will bring rays of heavenly righteousness to wearied, perplexed, suffering souls. It is as a fountain opened for the wayworn, thirsty traveler. At every work of mercy, every work of love, angels of God are present. {LHU 275.3}

If It Were All About Me

If it were all about me...

I'd be:

Upset,
Fearful,
Hestitating,
Depressed,
Distracted, and
Worried...

I'm soooooooooooooooooooooooo thankful that...
It's all about Jesus!!!

Now I'm free to be:

Peaceful,
Calm,
Confident,
Joyful,
Focused, and
Trusting...!!!