Upper Ridge Seventh-day Adventist Church

06/04/2026

The Work of Heart-Keeping, June 4

Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of
life. Proverbs 4:23

Diligent heart-keeping is essential to a healthy growth in grace.
The heart in its natural state is a habitation for unholy thoughts and
sinful passions. When brought into subjection to Christ, it must be
cleansed by the Spirit from all defilement. This can not be done
without the consent of the individual.

When the soul has been cleansed, it is the duty of the Christian
to keep it undefiled. Many seem to think that the religion of Christ
does not call for the abandonment of daily sins, the breaking loose
from habits which have held the soul in bo***ge. They renounce
some things condemned by the conscience, but they fail to represent
Christ in the daily life. They do not bring Christlikeness into the
home. They do not show a thoughtful care in their choice of words.
Too often, fretful, impatient words are spoken, words which stir
the worst passions of the human heart. Such ones need the abiding
presence of Christ in the soul. Only in His strength can they keep
guard over the words and actions.

In the work of heart-keeping we must be instant in prayer, unwearied in petitioning the throne of grace for assistance. Those who
take the name of Christian should come to God in earnestness and
humility, pleading for help.... The Christian cannot always be in
the position of prayer, but his thoughts and desires can always be
upward.

To keep your heart in heaven will give vigor to all your graces
and put life into all your duties. To discipline the mind to dwell upon
heavenly things will put life and earnestness into all our endeavors.
Our efforts are languid, and we run the Christian race slowly, and
manifest indolence and sloth, because we so little value the heavenly
prize. We are dwarfs in spiritual attainments. It is the privilege and
duty of the Christian to be increasing in the knowledge of the Son
of God, “unto a perfect man.”

06/03/2026

Beware of the Hard Heart, June 3

For he is our God; and we are the people of his pasture, and
the sheep of his hand. To day if ye will hear his voice, harden
not your heart, as in the provocation, and as in the day of
temptation in the wilderness. Psalm 95:7, 8

No man can even once devote his God-given powers to the
service of worldliness or pride without placing himself on the enemy’s ground.... Every repetition of the sin weakens his power of
resistance, blinds his eyes, and stifles conviction....

The Lord sends us warning, counsel, and reproof, that we may
have opportunity to correct our errors before they become second
nature. But if we refuse to be corrected, God does not interfere to
counteract the tendencies of our own course of action. He works no
miracle that the seed sown may not spring up and bear fruit. That
man who manifests an infidel hardihood or a stolid indifference to
divine truth, is but reaping the harvest which he has himself sown.
Such has been the experience of many. They listen with stoical
indifference to the truths which once stirred their very souls. They
sowed neglect, indifference, and resistance to the truth; and such is
the harvest which they reap. The coldness of ice, the hardness of
iron, the impenetrable, unimpressible nature of rock—all these find
a counterpart in the character of many a professed Christian. It was
thus that the Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh. God spoke to the
Egyptian king by the mouth of Moses, giving him the most striking
evidences of divine power; but the monarch stubbornly refused the
light which would have brought him to repentance. God did not send
a supernatural power to harden the heart of the rebellious king, but
as Pharaoh resisted the truth, the Holy Spirit was withdrawn, and
he was left to the darkness and unbelief which he had chosen. By
persistent rejection of the Spirit’s influence, men cut themselves off
from God. He has in reserve no more potent agency to enlighten their
minds. No revelation of His will can reach them in their unbelief.
Unbending principle will mark the course of those who sit at the
feet of Jesus and learn of Him.

05/30/2026

Pledge of Our Acceptance, May 30

And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of
the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he
saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting
upon him: and lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my
beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Matthew 3:16, 17

What does this scene mean to us? How thoughtlessly we have
read the account of the baptism of our Lord, not realizing that its
significance was of the greatest importance to us, and that Christ
was accepted of the Father in man’s behalf. As Jesus bowed on the
banks of Jordan and offered up His petition, humanity was presented
to the Father by Him who had clothed His divinity with humanity.
Jesus offered Himself to the Father in man’s behalf, that those who
had been separated from God through sin, might be brought back to
God through the merits of the divine Petitioner....

The prayer of Christ in behalf of lost humanity cleaved its way
through every shadow that Satan had cast between man and God, and
left a clear channel of communication to the very throne of glory....

The voice of God was heard in answer to the petition of Christ,
and this tells the sinner that his prayer will find a lodgment at the
throne of the Father. The Holy Spirit will be given to those who seek
for its power and grace, and will help our infirmities when we would
have audience with God. Heaven is open to our petitions, and we
are invited to come “boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may
obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.” Hebrews 4:16.

With all our sins and weakness we are not cast aside as worthless.
“He hath made us accepted in the beloved.” Ephesians 1:6. The glory
that rested upon Christ is a pledge of the love of God for us. It tells
of the power of prayer—how the human voice may reach the ear of
God, and our petitions find acceptance in the courts of heaven. The
light that fell from the open portals upon the head of our Saviour,
will fall upon us as we pray for help to resist temptation. The voice
that spoke to Jesus says to every believing soul, “This is my beloved
child, in whom I am well pleased.”

05/29/2026

The Time of the Spirit’s Power, May 29

But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come
upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem,
and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part
of the earth. Acts 1:8

We should pray as earnestly for the descent of the Holy Spirit as
the disciples prayed on the day of Pentecost. If they needed it at that
time, we need it more today. All manner of false doctrines, heresies,
and deceptions are misleading the minds of men; and without the
Spirit’s aid, our efforts to present divine truth will be in vain.

We are living in the time of the Holy Spirit’s power. It is seeking
to diffuse itself through the agency of humanity, thus increasing its
influence in the world. For if any man drinks of the water of life,
it will be in him “a well of water springing up into everlasting life”
(John 4:14); and the blessing will not be confined to himself, but
will be shared by others....

To reject the Holy Spirit, through whose power we conquer the
forces of evil, is the sin that surpasses all others; for it cuts us off
from the source of our power—from Christ and communion with
Him....

The warfare between good and evil has not grown less fierce
than it was in the days of the Saviour. The path to heaven is no
smoother now than it was then. All our sins must be put away. Every
darling indulgence that hinders our religious life must be cut off.
The right eye or the right hand must be sacrificed, if it causes us to
offend. Are we willing to renounce our own wisdom, and to receive
the kingdom of heaven as a little child? Are we willing to part with
our self-righteousness? Are we willing to sacrifice the approbation
of men? The prize of eternal life is of infinite value. Are we willing
to welcome the Holy Spirit’s aid, and cooperate with it, putting forth
efforts and making sacrifices proportionate to the value of the object
to be obtained?

The heart of man may be the abode of the Holy Spirit. The peace
of Christ, which passeth understanding, may rest in your soul; and
the transforming power of His grace may work in your life, and fit
you for the courts of glory

05/28/2026

Revealer of Christ’s Grace, May 28

Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you
into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever
he shall hear, that he shall speak: and he will shew you things
to come. John 16:13

Of the Comforter it is written, “He will guide you into all truth....”
Through the Holy Spirit, Christ will open more clearly to those
who believe on Him that which He has inspired holy men to write
concerning the truth.

Christ said of the Spirit, “He shall glorify me.” John 16:14. As
Christ glorified the Father by the demonstration of His love, so the
Spirit was to glorify Christ by revealing to the world the riches of
His grace. The very image of God is to be reproduced in humanity.
The honor of God, the honor of Christ, is involved in the perfection
of the character of His people....

The Spirit works in us by bringing to mind, vividly and often,
the precious truths of the plan of redemption. We should forget these
truths, and for us God’s rich promises would lose their efficiency,
were it not for the Spirit, who takes of the things of God, and shows
them to us.... The Spirit illumines our darkness, informs our ignorance, and helps us in our manifold necessities. But the mind must
be constantly going out after God. If worldliness is allowed to come
in, if we have no desire to pray, no desire to commune with Him who
is the source of strength and wisdom, the Spirit will not abide with
us. Those who are unbelieving do not receive the rich endowment of
grace that would make them wise unto salvation, patient, forbearing,
quick to perceive and appreciate heavenly ministrations, quick to
discern Satan’s devices, and strong to resist sin.

The religion of Christ means more than the forgiveness of sin;
it means that sin is taken away, and that the vacuum is filled with
the Spirit. It means that the mind is divinely illumined, that the
heart is emptied of self, and filled with the presence of Christ. When
this work is done for church members, the church will be a living,
working church.

05/27/2026

Yielding to the Spirit’s Control, May 27

For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the
Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. For as
many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.
Romans 8:13, 14

The will of man is aggressive, and is constantly striving to bend
all things to its purposes. If it is enlisted on the side of God and right,
the fruits of the Spirit will appear in the life; and God has appointed
glory, honor, and peace to every man that worketh good.

When Satan is permitted to mold the will, he uses it to accomplish his ends.... He stirs up the evil propensities, awakening unholy
passions and ambitions. He says, “All this power, these honors, and
riches, and sinful pleasures, will I give thee”; but his conditions are
that integrity shall be yielded, conscience blunted. Thus he degrades
the human faculties, and brings them into captivity to sin.

But God is ever seeking to impress our hearts by His Holy Spirit,
that we shall be convinced of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment
to come. We may place our will on the side of God’s will, and in His
strength and grace resist the temptations of the enemy. As we yield
to the influence of the Spirit of God, our conscience becomes tender
and sensitive, and sin that we have passed by with little thought,
becomes exceeding sinful.

God calls upon men to oppose the powers of evil. He says: “Let
not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in
the lusts thereof. Neither yield ye your members as instruments of
unrighteousness unto sin; but yield yourselves unto God, as those
that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of
righteousness unto God.” Romans 6:13, 14....

In this conflict of righteousness against unrighteousness, we can
be successful only by divine aid. Our finite will must be brought
into submission to the will of the Infinite; the human will must be
blended with the divine. This will bring the Holy Spirit to our aid;
and every conquest will tend to the recovery of God’s purchased
possession, to the restoration of His image in the soul.

05/25/2026

Spirit Given on Condition, May 25

If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your
children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the
Holy Spirit to them that ask him? Luke 11:13

Christ has promised the gift of the Spirit to His church, and the
promise belongs to us as much as to the first disciples. But like
every other promise, it is given on conditions. There are many who
believe, and profess to claim the Lord’s promise; they talk about
Christ and about the Holy Spirit, yet receive no benefit. They do not
surrender the soul to be guided and controlled by the divine agencies.
We cannot use the Holy Spirit. The Spirit is to use us. Through
the Spirit, God works in His people “to will and to do of his good
pleasure.” Philippians 2:13. But many will not submit to this. They
want to manage themselves. This is why they do not receive the
heavenly gift. Only to those who wait humbly upon God, who watch
for His guidance and grace, is the Spirit given....

There is no limit to the usefulness of one who, putting aside self,
makes room for the working of the Holy Spirit upon his heart, and
lives a life wholly consecrated to God....If His people will remove the
obstructions, He will pour forth the waters of salvation in abundant
streams through human channels....

The Spirit furnishes the strength that sustains striving, wrestling
souls in every emergency, amid the unfriendliness of relatives, the
hatred of the world, and the realization of their own imperfections
and mistakes. A union of divine and human endeavor, a close
connection first, last, and ever, with God, the source of all strength—
this is absolutely necessary.

To Jesus, who emptied Himself for the salvation of lost humanity,
the Holy Spirit was given without measure. So it will be given to
every follower of Christ when the whole heart is surrendered for His
indwelling. Our Lord Himself has given the command, “Be filled
with the Spirit,” and this command is also a promise of its fulfillment.
It was the good pleasure of the Father that in Christ should “all the
fulness” dwell; and “in him ye are made full” (Colossians 2:9, 10,
R.V.).

05/25/2026

05/24/2026

Jesus’ Crowning Gift, May 24

Nevertheless, I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I
go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto
you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. John 16:7

Christ declared that after His ascension, He would send to His
church, as His crowning gift, the Comforter, who was to take His
place. This Comforter is the Holy Spirit—the soul of His life, the
efficacy of His church, the light and life of the world....

In the gift of the Spirit, Jesus gave to man the highest good that
heaven could bestow.... It is the Spirit that makes effectual what
has been wrought out by the world’s Redeemer. It is by the Spirit
that the heart is made pure. Through the Spirit the believer becomes
a partaker of the divine nature. Christ has given His Spirit as a
divine power to overcome all hereditary and cultivated tendencies to
evil, and to impress His own character upon the church.... It is the
privilege of every son and daughter of God to have the indwelling
of the Spirit.

Let every church member kneel before God, and pray earnestly
for the impartation of the Spirit. Cry, “Lord, increase my faith. Make
me to understand thy word; for the entrance of thy word giveth light.
Refresh me by thy presence. Fill my heart with thy Spirit”....

When a man is filled with the Spirit, the more severely he is tested
and tried, the more clearly he proves that he is a representative of
Christ. The peace that dwells in the soul is seen on the countenance.
The words and actions express the love of the Saviour.... Self is
renounced. The name of Jesus is written on all that is said and done.

We may talk of the blessings of the Holy Spirit, but unless we
prepare ourselves for its reception, of what avail are our works? Are
we striving with all our power to attain to the stature of men and
women in Christ? Are we seeking for His fullness, ever pressing
toward the mark set before us—the perfection of His character?
When the Lord’s people reach this mark, they will be sealed in their
foreheads. Filled with the Spirit, they will be complete in Christ,
and the recording angel will declare, “It is finished.”

05/23/2026

Friendship with Jesus, May 23

Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you. John
15:14

The character and course of the Christian is in marked contrast
to that of worldlings. The Christian cannot find pleasure in the
amusements and in the varied scenes of gaiety of the world. Higher
and holier attractions engage the affections. Christians will show
that they are the friends of God by their obedience. “Ye are my
friends,” says Christ, “if ye do whatsoever I command you.... If ye
were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are
not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore
the world hateth you.”

Christ is your rock and your fortress. Unto His name the righteous runneth and are safe.... The righteousness and excellency of
His requirements are not comprehended by the world, who look
upon the religion of Christ as a yoke of bo***ge, a surrender of their
liberty. Each of God’s requirements is an order to become wise, rich,
and noble by uniting our weak strength with the power of the Infinite. While following the footsteps of Christ we need never blush,
for our conscience will never reproach us. His service is always
reasonable. His work is always honorable and glorious. Our friends
who desire us to choose the pleasures of the world and to conform
to the customs of the world, who look upon us as obstinate, can
have no claims upon us that bear any comparison with the claims of
Christ....

The value of man as God estimates him is through his union
with Christ; for God is the only One able to raise man in the scale of
moral worth through the righteousness of Christ. Worldly honor and
worldly greatness are of just that value that the Creator of man places
upon them. Their wisdom is foolishness, their strength weakness.

Let us value what God esteems. True elevation of character is
found alone through Christ. Our Saviour imputes His righteousness
to the man who yields to Him his heart’s best and holiest affections.
Our value is in proportion to our alliance to God.