The Glory of God

[Sean James]

Let us allow Jesus' experience to become our experience as we surrender fully to Him and walk by faith in the word of God that is more powerful than all the subtle temptations of Satan!

"The prince of this world cometh," said Jesus, "and hath nothing in Me." John 14:30. There was in Him nothing that responded to Satan's sophistry. He did not consent to sin. Not even by a thought did He yield to temptation. So it may be with us. Christ's humanity was united with divinity; He was fitted for the conflict by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. And He came to make us partakers of the divine nature. So long as we are united to Him by faith, sin has no more dominion over us. God reaches for the hand of faith in us to direct it to lay fast hold upon the divinity of Christ, that we may attain to perfection of character. 

As we yield fully to Jesus, He cleanses the heart from sin and makes it white as snow so all of the fruits of the Spirit will be manifest in our lives without one missing as we gladly obey God's law of love!

[Sean James]

The value of salvation offered us in Christ--the victory Jesus gives us--is so valuable that we do not fully grasp it yet. Let us then look by faith to Jesus continually in full surrender to Jesus and let Him live out His life in us so all of the fruits of the Spirit will be manifest in our lives without one missing and we may obey God from a heart renewed by His grace!

Never can the cost of our redemption be realized until the redeemed shall stand with the Redeemer before the throne of God. Then as the glories of the eternal home burst upon our enraptured senses we shall remember that Jesus left all this for us, that He not only became an exile from the heavenly courts, but for us took the risk of failure and eternal loss. Then we shall cast our crowns at His feet, and raise the song, "Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honor, and glory, and blessing." Revelation 5:12.   

Praise the Lord for the victory Christ achieved over Satan, and that all who are united to Christ by faith are united to His victory over sin and death and will be with Him for eternity. Let us not let go of Jesus or allow our hearts and minds to wander from Him who has done so much for us and is even now interceding for us in heaven to prepare a place for us and prepare us for the place He has for us! God is so faithful!

[Sean James]

Let us allow Jesus to fill us with His faith working by love--so all of us can reflect Christ to a world that needs to see that His grace is powerful enough to transform sinners into saints and keep us from falling by filling us with all of the fruits of the Spirit without one missing!

It is contrition and faith and love that enable the soul to receive wisdom from heaven. Faith working by love is the key of knowledge, and everyone that loveth "knoweth God." 1 John 4:7.   

May we let love from Jesus move us in His will constantly!

[Sean James]

Happy Sabbath!! The TRUE gospel is NOT bait and switch, but when you receive Jesus, He ALWAYS has infinitely more to give you of His self-sacrificing love! Only by love is love awakened, and Jesus provides His grace that converts the soul and by His blood cleanses us from sin as we surrender the WHOLE HEART to Him so He can fill us with all of the fruits of the Spirit without one missing as we affectionately obey God's law of love--the definition of relational bliss with God and others!

   As men set forth the best wine first, then afterward that which is worse, so does the world with its gifts. That which it offers may please the eye and fascinate the senses, but it proves to be unsatisfying. The wine turns to bitterness, the gaiety to gloom. That which was begun with songs and mirth ends in weariness and disgust. But the gifts of Jesus are ever fresh and new. The feast that He provides for the soul never fails to give satisfaction and joy. Each new gift increases the capacity of the receiver to appreciate and enjoy the blessings of the Lord. He gives grace for grace. There can be no failure of supply. If you abide in Him, the fact that you receive a rich gift today insures the reception of a richer gift tomorrow. The words of Jesus to Nathanael express the law of God's dealing with the children of faith. With every fresh revelation of His love, He declares to the receptive heart, "Believest thou? thou shalt see greater things than these." John 1:50. 

Let us REALLY BELIEVE God loves us and go forward to bless others the way God blesses us!!

[Sean James]

May we appreciate and enter by faith into the experience of having our lives cleansed from sin, especially as we contemplate the ministry of Jesus at this very moment in the heavenly sanctuary, the heavenly temple where every case is decided and each may find strength and grace to overcome every defect of character by continual surrender of the whole heart to Christ. Such a surrender in true repentance, confession, and forsaking of sin allows the blood of Jesus to atone for the sins of that soul and allows the Holy Spirit to produce in the soul the fruits of the divine nature (Galatians 5:22-23), so that not one attribute of God's unselfish character will be missing! 

"Wherefore He is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by Him, seeing He ever liveth to make intercession for them." Heb. 7:25. Though the ministration was to be removed from the earthly to the heavenly temple; though the sanctuary and our great high priest would be invisible to human sight, yet the disciples were to suffer no loss thereby. They would realize no break in their communion, and no diminution of power because of the Saviour's absence. While Jesus ministers in the sanctuary above, He is still by His Spirit the minister of the church on earth. He is withdrawn from the eye of sense, but His parting promise is fulfilled, "Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world." Matt. 28:20. While He delegates His power to inferior ministers, His energizing presence is still with His church.

No matter how weak you are, Jesus is willing to use you--and to produce in and through you His true character. The key is realizing our continual need of Jesus to do any good thing and letting Him keep us from the sin that so easily besets us. Grace is so powerful that it can make sinners into saints who are made holy by the Holy Spirit living in them, keeping the fallen nature crucified with Christ, so not one of the works of the flesh (Galatians 5:19-21) will defile the witness of Christ living in the soul, "the hope of glory" (Colossians 1:27). 

[Sean James]

The question so important to all of us may be asked:

How, then, are we to be saved? “As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness,” so the Son of man has been lifted up, and everyone who has been deceived and bitten by the serpent may look and live. “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.” John 1:29. The light shining from the cross reveals the love of God. His love is drawing us to Himself. If we do not resist this drawing, we shall be led to the foot of the cross in repentance for the sins that have crucified the Saviour. Then the Spirit of God through faith produces a new life in the soul. The thoughts and desires are brought into obedience to the will of Christ. The heart, the mind, are created anew in the image of Him who works in us to subdue all things to Himself. Then the law of God is written in the mind and heart, and we can say with Christ, “I delight to do Thy will, O my God.” Psalm 40:8.

As we surrender all to Jesus in true repentance for our sins leading to confession of our sins and allowing Christ's blood to cleanse us, He imbues us with all of the fruits of the Spirit and we gladly follow in the path that He has for our lives in obedience to His law of love. Only as we look and live and in humble, surrendered faith may we grow more like Jesus and remember that He will not fail the soul that surrenders fully to Him.

[Sean James]

 May we always let Christ be the great center of attention and focus, and allow self to be crucified with Him, hidden, and ever abiding in Jesus so that He may cleanse us from all sin by His atoning blood as we confess our continual need of Him and allow all of the fruits of the Spirit without one missing to be manifest in our lives by a genuine conversion experience which leads to affectionate obedience to all of God's commandments! John the Baptist was a true witness of this experience as he uplifted Jesus and turned people away from himself. May we follow such a selfless example and remember that Christ will lead each of us in the way that is best.

Looking in faith to the Redeemer, John had risen to the height of self-abnegation. He sought not to attract men to himself, but to lift their thoughts higher and still higher, until they should rest upon the Lamb of God. He himself had been only a voice, a cry in the wilderness. Now with joy he accepted silence and obscurity, that the eyes of all might be turned to the Light of life. 

When we realize how great God truly is and how much He has done for us, self need not clamor for attention. Our greatest desire will be to see that souls behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. By beholding Christ we become changed into His lovely image, and there is no limit to what He can do with a life that is completely surrendered to Him! May this be your experience moment-by-moment all day and every day!

[Sean James]

The woman at the well experienced true conversion and went to bless others because she became a partaker of the divine nature, receiving in her own life the promises that led her to true repentance and a willingness to let Christ be all in all! As we surrender the whole heart to Christ, He fills us with all of the fruits of the Spirit so not one will be missing, and then we can gladly go forth to bless others and share with them what Christ is to us!

This woman represents the working of a practical faith in Christ. Every true disciple is born into the kingdom of God as a missionary. He who drinks of the living water becomes a fountain of life. The receiver becomes a giver. The grace of Christ in the soul is like a spring in the desert, welling up to refresh all, and making those who are ready to perish eager to drink of the water of life. 

[Sean James]

Let us expect God to do what He longs to do as we surrender our WHOLE heart to Jesus to cleanse it from ALL selfishness and allow Him to atone for our sins by His blood and fill us with all of the fruits of the Spirit without one missing! There is no limit to what God can do in our lives when we are truly converted, for we are set for "signs and for wonders" (Isaiah 8:16) as true, converted witnesses of what grace can do in transforming sinners into saints!!

The nobleman wanted to see the fulfillment of his prayer before he should believe; but he had to accept the word of Jesus that his request was heard and the blessing granted. This lesson we also have to learn. Not because we see or feel that God hears us are we to believe. We are to trust in His promises. When we come to Him in faith, every petition enters the heart of God. When we have asked for His blessing, we should believe that we receive it, and thank Him that we have received it. Then we are to go about our duties, assured that the blessing will be realized when we need it most. When we have learned to do this, we shall know that our prayers are answered. God will do for us "exceeding abundantly," "according to the riches of His glory," and "the working of His mighty power." Ephesians 3:20, 16; 1:19.

Let God plan for you! Let Him lead you in His perfect will and keep you in His plan. Let us believe that God hears our prayers because of His promises, not to test whether He will fulfill them!! He loves us and is to wise to err, and too good to withhold any good thing from them that walk uprightly!

[Sean James]

Happy Sabbath to all! Let God lead you!

God never leads His children otherwise than they would choose to be led, if they could see the end from the beginning, and discern the glory of the purpose which they are fulfilling as co-workers with Him. Not Enoch, who was translated to heaven, not Elijah, who ascended in a chariot of fire, was greater or more honored than John the Baptist, who perished alone in the dungeon. "Unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on Him, but also to suffer for His sake." Philippians 1:29. And of all the gifts that Heaven can bestow upon men, fellowship with Christ in His sufferings is the most weighty trust and the highest honor.

Invite God to do what He knows is best in your life--for purposes that exceed knowledge. We do not know when we are going through a trial who will be blessed by the testimony or at what time in God's providence others will need to hear that to help them heavenward. Just today I heard a testimony from a church member share that something I had shared months ago--maybe even years ago--about how I had fallen at a well and broken a glass jar by slipping on the ice (though it was a trial) was an opportunity for praising God! This apparently impacted this church member's son who shared it in a testimony in another situation. In that I am reminded that we may not immediately see the benefits of praising God in our adversity, but others will be blessed even at a much later time. Imagine if John the Baptist knew that in 2021 we were being blessed by the testimony of his life that ended in the dungeon (at least on earth), but bore witness to steadfast faith in the most difficult trial! What a joy it will be to meet him in heaven because we also have learned to count all our trials as opportunities for joy! Praise God!!

[Sean James]

We have this hope anchored in prophecy! Jesus preached the present truth for His time and today it is still just as important to know that we have a more sure word of prophecy, that the call to repentance in preparation for the second coming of Christ (both in message and character preparation, see Revelation 14:6-12 and Revelation 3:14-22) may be based on clear evidence that God will do what He says, and that He cannot lie. The fact that the prophecies are true should also encourage us to fully believe in His power to forgive our sins (1 John 1:9, Isaiah 44:22) and the ability He has by His grace to transform sinners into saints and keep us from falling (Jude 24-25) by blotting out our sins and filling us with all of the fruits of the Spirit so not one will be missing (Galatians 5:22-23)! Then we may gladly obey the One who has promised to live out His life in and through us by having constant union and communion with Jesus!

The burden of Christ’s preaching was, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent ye, and believe the gospel.” Thus the gospel message, as given by the Saviour Himself, was based on the prophecies. The “time” which He declared to be fulfilled was the period made known by the angel Gabriel to Daniel. “Seventy weeks,” said the angel, “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. A day in prophecy stands for a year. See Numbers 14:34; Ezekiel 4:6. The seventy weeks, or four hundred and ninety days, represent four hundred and ninety years. A starting point for this period is given: “Know therefore and understand, that 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,” sixty-nine weeks, or four hundred and eighty-three years. Daniel 9:25. The commandment to restore and build Jerusalem, as completed by the decree of Artaxerxes Longimanus (see Ezra 6:14; 7:1, 9, margin), went into effect in the autumn of B. C. 457. From this time four hundred and eighty-three years extend to the autumn of A. D. 27. According to the prophecy, this period was to reach to the Messiah, the Anointed One. In A. D. 27, Jesus at His baptism received the anointing of the Holy Spirit, and soon afterward began His ministry. Then the message was proclaimed. “The time is fulfilled.”

Jesus is coming again!! Let it echo and clearly resound that all may know of a truth from Scripture that God is faithful and will finish what He has begun not only in our lives, but in preparing a people who will stand through the time of trouble such as never was because of the power of the gospel that is stronger than the fallen nature because the divine nature offered us in God's promises gives us access to His strength that is made perfect in our weakness! Cling to Jesus today and know that He will lead you to share the truth for this time as you behold the loveliness of His character and become transformed into His image, from glory to glory!

[Sean James]

In a world or rebellion, truth is unpopular. But in the world to come, truth will be what all holy beings will love and experience! We have a choice as to whether we are preparing for the world to come by inviting Jesus into our hearts in complete surrender, or whether we are living for this world, its traditions, its sinful pleasures, and the things that will soon pass away. I pray that we will choose truth over error, the light of God's love over man-made traditions, and let the Lord change our hearts as we surrender fully to Jesus moment-by-moment! He is the only Way!!

Truth was unpopular in Christ's day. It is unpopular in our day. It has been unpopular ever since Satan first gave man a disrelish for it by presenting fables that lead to self-exaltation. Do we not today meet theories and doctrines that have no foundation in the word of God? Men cling as tenaciously to them as did the Jews to their traditions.

Let go of whatever hinders you from serving God and let Christ live in you, the hope of glory! He is all in all and His word will triumph! When we live by faith on the Son of God whose very life and character is truth, all of the fruits of the Spirit will be seen in our lives without one missing! Then we can gladly obey God's commandments from a heart renewed by His divine grace because the Holy Spirit lives in us! Hallelujah!

[Sean James]

Grace from God takes us as we are, and grace from God transforms us into His image! By beholding the loveliness of Jesus, the heart and mind are brought into union and communion with God through complete surrender to Christ so that all of the fruits of the Spirit without one missing may be manifest in and through the life that is hid with Christ in God! What wondrous love that God is willing to use us and make us like Him in mind and character so we can gladly obey God's law of love!

God takes men as they are, and educates them for His service, if they will yield themselves to Him. The Spirit of God, received into the soul, will quicken all its faculties. Under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, the mind that is devoted unreservedly to God develops harmoniously, and is strengthened to comprehend and fulfill the requirements of God. The weak, vacillating character becomes changed to one of strength and steadfastness. Continual devotion establishes so close a relation between Jesus and His disciple that the Christian becomes like Him in mind and character. Through a connection with Christ he will have clearer and broader views. His discernment will be more penetrative, his judgment better balanced. He who longs to be of service to Christ is so quickened by the life-giving power of the Sun of Righteousness that he is enabled to bear much fruit to the glory of God. 

The fruits of the Spirit as well as souls redeemed are the fruit of letting God work out His purpose through us! May this be your experience today on a moment-by-moment basis in Jesus' surrender wrought out through your life!

[Sean James]

Let us make the focus of our lives what Christ made His focus--the spiritual and eternal. As we look to the loveliness of Jesus and surrender the whole heart to Him, He cleanses us from sin and gives us a new heart imbued with all of the fruits of the Spirit without one missing so we can be true missionaries who live to bless others as did Jesus!

In the excitement which then pervaded Capernaum, there was danger that the object of His mission would be lost sight of. Jesus was not satisfied to attract attention to Himself merely as a wonder worker or a healer of physical diseases. He was seeking to draw men to Him as their Saviour. While the people were eager to believe that He had come as a king, to establish an earthly reign, He desired to turn their minds away from the earthly to the spiritual. Mere worldly success would interfere with His work. 

May our eyes be ever upon Jesus and not think upon mere world success, but realize that a character actuated by moral worth--love and purity--is what God most desires! This He offers us by abiding in Christ!

[Sean James]

God desires to forgive us and is able to answer our prayers as soon as we ask, as we are confessing our deep need of His healing grace, He came to set us free from sin and make us new creatures in Christ Jesus, bearing all of the fruits of the Spirit without one missing! Jesus is able to deliver from any sin when the whole heart is surrendered to Him and we let Him live out His life in us!

In some instances of healing, Jesus did not at once grant the blessing sought. But in the case of leprosy, no sooner was the appeal made than it was granted. When we pray for earthly blessings, the answer to our prayer may be delayed, or God may give us something other than we ask, but not so when we ask for deliverance from sin. It is His will to cleanse us from sin, to make us His children, and to enable us to live a holy life. Christ "gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father." Galatians 1:4. And "this is the confidence that we have in Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He heareth us: and if we know that He hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of Him." 1 John 5:14, 15. "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." 1 John 1:9.

God is faithful to fulfill His promises! Trust Him no matter what!