Author Topic: The Glory of God  (Read 154783 times)

Richard

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The Glory of God
« on: January 11, 2018, 08:18:18 AM »
What truth!! The glory of God is seen in Christ. That makes me think of the words of Jesus when He said, If you have seen me, you have seen the Father.  What a joy to know God through Christ!

Doreen

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Re: The Glory of God
« Reply #1 on: January 11, 2018, 08:54:45 AM »
Thank you for sharing that Richard. What an awesome privilege we have been given to get to know God through His Son.  I love to read the stories in the bible about His life and to learn that God the Father loves me with the same tender passion that His Son Jesus does.

Richard

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Re: The Glory of God
« Reply #2 on: January 16, 2018, 08:38:14 PM »
Amen, Dorine. What a God we serve!  " Both the redeemed and the unfallen beings will find in the cross of Christ their science and their song. It will be seen that the glory shining in the face of Jesus is the glory of self-sacrificing love. In the light from Calvary it will be seen that the law of self-renouncing love is the law of life for earth and heaven." What a thought!!!

Sean James

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Re: The Glory of God
« Reply #3 on: March 27, 2020, 10:15:11 AM »
God loves to do miracles--the kind that change lives!! If you read John 8:1-11, you see one of the great miracles Jesus performed in giving a woman hope and purpose by His pardoning grace. This is all to the glory of God!! So it is with us. As we realize our true identity as sons and daughters of God, we gladly yield all to Christ whose atoning blood pardons our sins and offers us the Holy Spirit to live in and through us to reveal all of the attributes of His divine nature without one of those fruits missing!

This was to her the beginning of a new life, a life of purity and peace, devoted to the service of God. In the uplifting of this fallen soul, Jesus performed a greater miracle than in healing the most grievous physical disease; He cured the spiritual malady which is unto death everlasting. This penitent woman became one of His most steadfast followers. With self-sacrificing love and devotion she repaid His forgiving mercy.

May we extend the same grace today to those around us, that they may find true purpose and joy even as Christ has first treated us!

Sean James

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Re: The Glory of God
« Reply #4 on: March 28, 2020, 04:24:57 AM »
May you find the true help in Jesus--there is no limit to what He can do! He can take our sinful, weak, broken lives and as we behold Him in His infinite loveliness, transform our characters as we surrender fully to Him by giving us a new heart and a new mind--filled with all of the fruits of the Spirit without one missing!

May this reflection based on John 9 be a blessing!

The manifestation of divine power that had given to the blind man both natural and spiritual sight had left the Pharisees in yet deeper darkness. Some of His hearers, feeling that Christ's words applied to them, inquired, 'Are we blind also?' Jesus answered, 'If ye were blind, ye should have no sin.' If God had made it impossible for you to see the truth, your ignorance would involve no guilt. 'But now ye say, We see.' You believe yourselves able to see, and reject the means through which alone you could receive sight. To all who realized their need, Christ came with infinite help. But the Pharisees would confess no need; they refused to come to Christ, and hence they were left in blindness,--a blindness for which they were themselves guilty. Jesus said, 'Your sin remaineth.'

If we will but acknowledge our need, Jesus offers us His infinite help. Let us cleave to Him this Sabbath and abide in the light of His word, letting it guide all we say and do!

Sean James

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Re: The Glory of God
« Reply #5 on: March 29, 2020, 07:40:15 AM »
As we take time to behold the loveliness of Jesus, the great miracle of conversion takes place in our hearts as we surrender unreservedly to Him because His love has awakened love in our hearts, and we gladly allow Him to recreate us into His image. The image of His purity is manifest in all of the fruits of the Spirit, not one missing, and it is only by abiding continually in Christ that we may have this blessed experience! Let us look upon Jesus and invite others to do so by a life of continual, affectionate obedience to the One who gave all for us in dying as our Sacrifice and rising as our Victor over sin and death!!

Because we are the gift of His Father, and the reward of His work, Jesus loves us. He loves us as His children. Reader, He loves you. Heaven itself can bestow nothing greater, nothing better. Therefore trust.

I love Jesus because He first loved me, and it is by communion with Him and contemplation upon His character that sin truly becomes hateful and we find that we would truly rather have Jesus than anything this world affords today! As the Divine Shepherd, Jesus is able to safely lead us all the way to heaven as we choose continually to surrender all to Him and let His Spirit fill us to be His witnesses!   

Sean James

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Re: The Glory of God
« Reply #6 on: March 30, 2020, 07:30:07 AM »
Jesus offers us a complete experience of victory over the world, the flesh and the devil, and the more weak we know ourselves to be, and the more firmly we cling to Jesus, the more deeply will we reflect His character. As we surrender unreservedly to the Holy Spirit, He fills us with all of the fruits of the Spirit so not one is missing, and others will be drawn to Christ by the revelation of His loveliness wrought out in our lives and characters! Let us keep looking up to Jesus, even amid the trials multiplying in our world!!

 Jesus added, "Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven." Rejoice not in the possession of power, lest you lose sight of your dependence upon God. Be careful lest self-sufficiency come in, and you work in your own strength, rather than in the spirit and strength of your Master. Self is ever ready to take the credit if any measure of success attends the work. Self is flattered and exalted, and the impression is not made upon other minds that God is all and in all. The apostle Paul says, "When I am weak, then am I strong." 2 Corinthians 12:10. When we have a realization of our weakness, we learn to depend upon a power not inherent. Nothing can take so strong a hold on the heart as the abiding sense of our responsibility to God. Nothing reaches so fully down to the deepest motives of conduct as a sense of the pardoning love of Christ. We are to come in touch with God, then we shall be imbued with His Holy Spirit, that enables us to come in touch with our fellow men. Then rejoice that through Christ you have become connected with God, members of the heavenly family. While you look higher than yourself, you will have a continual sense of the weakness of humanity. The less you cherish self, the more distinct and full will be your comprehension of the excellence of your Saviour. The more closely you connect yourself with the source of light and power, the greater light will be shed upon you, and the greater power will be yours to work for God. Rejoice that you are one with God, one with Christ, and with the whole family of heaven. 

Sean James

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Re: The Glory of God
« Reply #7 on: March 31, 2020, 04:51:05 AM »
Praise the Lord for such a Savior as Jesus, who willingly fills us with all of the fruits of the Spirit without one missing as we surrender the whole heart to Him and go forth to bring the light of His love to those around us!

"Ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness." Galatians 6:1. By faith and prayer press back the power of the enemy. Speak words of faith and courage that will be as a healing balsam to the bruised and wounded one. Many, many, have fainted and become discouraged in the great struggle of life, when one word of kindly cheer would have strengthened them to overcome. Never should we pass by one suffering soul without seeking to impart to him of the comfort wherewith we are comforted of God.   

Let us help others by relating how Jesus has helped us. As we experience the fulfillment of the promise: "And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death" (Revelation 12:11), many hearts that were discouraged or felt their case was hopeless will hear of what Jesus has done for us, and they also may find complete restoration through beholding Christ's infinite loveliness and surrendering fully to Him! What a blessed mission we have to share the love of Jesus with others today as He guides us step by step!

Sean James

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Re: The Glory of God
« Reply #8 on: April 01, 2020, 09:44:51 AM »
What a Savior we have who offers us the true solution to our sin-polluted hearts that must be cleansed and made new by His blood and imbued fully with the Holy Spirit as we behold Him and surrender unreservedly to Him! Oh, let us lift high the cross of Christ in this time in earth's history when all need a fresh revelation of His character--lived in humanity as all of the fruits of the Spirit (not one missing) are seen in the life of each truly converted soul!

When the apostle Paul began his ministry in Corinth, that populous, wealthy, and wicked city, polluted by the nameless vices of heathenism, he said, "I determined not to know anything among you, save Jesus Christ, and Him crucified." 1 Corinthians 2:2. Writing afterward to some of those who had been corrupted by the foulest sins, he could say, "But ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God." "I thank my God always on your behalf, for the grace of God which is given you by Jesus Christ." 1 Corinthians 6:11; 1:4. 

Sean James

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Re: The Glory of God
« Reply #9 on: April 02, 2020, 04:11:31 AM »
Simple lessons, often repeated, can make a deep impression on the heart and mind. We are God's children and no two of us have the same experience. Let us not look for a certain emotion to tell whether we are converted, but simply yield the whole heart to Christ and allow Him to fill us with all of the fruits of the Spirit without one missing--which are character traits of the divine nature that will be manifest in each converted soul regardless of how he or she is feeling at the moment. When we learn how to simply point souls to Christ because we are living in union and communion with Christ, we will find a grace, a joy and a simplicity in life that is refreshing and invigorating!

In working for the conversion of our children, we should not look for violent emotion as the essential evidence of conviction of sin. Nor is it necessary to know the exact time when they are converted. We should teach them to bring their sins to Jesus, asking His forgiveness, and believing that He pardons and receives them as He received the children when He was personally on earth. 

Sean James

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Re: The Glory of God
« Reply #10 on: April 03, 2020, 04:11:36 AM »
Jesus is all we need, but the entire heart must be yielded to Him so He may abide in us in order for the promise to be fulfilled: "And ye are complete in Him, which is the head of all principality and power" (Colossians 2:10). The rich young ruler who came to Christ was not complete in Christ, for he had not chosen to surrender his life unreservedly to Jesus. That was why he felt he was missing something. Whatever we put first in life--if it be other than Jesus--will inevitably absorb our time, focus, and attention, and of that we do make an idol. May we see our continual need of Jesus, and trust Him to be all we truly need to be complete, yet knowing that He has more to give us in the fulfillment of His purposes of omnipotence!

Christ was drawn to this young man. He knew him to be sincere in his assertion, "All these things have I kept from my youth." The Redeemer longed to create in him that discernment which would enable him to see the necessity of heart devotion and Christian goodness. He longed to see in him a humble and contrite heart, conscious of the supreme love to be given to God, and hiding its lack in the perfection of Christ. 

Let us have all our weakness and imperfection hidden in Christ--not as a cloak for sin, but inasmuch as we are finite beings, we need a divine-human Savior to guide us moment-by-moment in His perfect will in the use of all the blessings He has entrusted to us for the fulfillment of the purpose of blessing others and helping them to come to total surrender. That complete surrender brings the joyful miracle of the Holy Spirit filling the heart and mind and bringing all of the fruits of the Spirit without one missing and an affectionate obedience to all God calls us to do!

Sean James

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Re: The Glory of God
« Reply #11 on: April 04, 2020, 04:13:15 AM »
As we behold His loveliness in His word, accept His atoning blood to cleanse us from our sins, and let the Holy Spirit transform our thoughts and feelings with His own through a complete surrender of the entire heart and mind, we are prepared to go forth to bless others by being imbued with Christ's character--all of the fruits of the Spirit without one missing in harmony with the law of love--and thus we will reflect His grace to others who need to see Jesus!

The "one thing" that Martha needed was a calm, devotional spirit, a deeper anxiety for knowledge concerning the future, immortal life, and the graces necessary for spiritual advancement. She needed less anxiety for the things which pass away, and more for those things which endure forever. Jesus would teach His children to seize every opportunity of gaining that knowledge which will make them wise unto salvation. The cause of Christ needs careful, energetic workers. There is a wide field for the Marthas, with their zeal in active religious work. But let them first sit with Mary at the feet of Jesus. Let diligence, promptness, and energy be sanctified by the grace of Christ; then the life will be an unconquerable power for good. 

Let us rest in Jesus' presence today and invite others to rest in Him--the one who has power to raise the dead and has power to keep us from falling into sin as we enjoy moment-by-moment union and communion with Christ!

Sean James

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Re: The Glory of God
« Reply #12 on: April 05, 2020, 05:20:49 AM »
Jesus is reasonable and logical. He speaks to our hearts and minds, and what He does is true. If we are willing to see truth as it really is, how can we not come to Him that we may have eternal life? Well, here lies the deeper issue--truth requires the surrender of the will to Christ. We, naturally as sinful and proud beings, must come to a point of total acknowledgement of our sinfulness and our need of a Savior. This is the struggle we all must realize; Christ longs to give us the victory over this "warfare against self." When Jesus had just raised Lazarus from the dead, there were so many who KNEW He was the Messiah, yet so many who just kept opposing His work. Why? Not because they couldn't see "the facts," but because they did not want to acknowledge that they had been in error and needed to come to repentance. Oh, may we not be hardhearted and obstinate in turning from the light Jesus longs to bless us with!! Today as we behold the infinite loveliness of Jesus may our hearts yield to omnipotent love and allow the miracle of a fresh conversion to take place in our experience in which all of the fruits of the Spirit are manifest, and not one will be missing as we gladly obey the law of God from the heart renewed by divine grace! Let us allow Jesus to give us a new heart and a new mind in which all the pride, vanity, and selfishness are fully cleansed away and we experience His character on a moment-by-moment basis all the way to heaven!!

Bethany was so near Jerusalem that the news of the raising of Lazarus was soon carried to the city. Through spies who had witnessed the miracle the Jewish rulers were speedily in possession of the facts. A meeting of the Sanhedrin was at once called to decide as to what should be done. Christ had now fully made manifest His control of death and the grave. That mighty miracle was the crowning evidence offered by God to men that He had sent His Son into the world for their salvation. It was a demonstration of divine power sufficient to convince every mind that was under the control of reason and enlightened conscience. Many who witnessed the resurrection of Lazarus were led to believe on Jesus. But the hatred of the priests against Him was intensified. They had rejected all lesser evidence of His divinity, and they were only enraged at this new miracle. The dead had been raised in the full light of day, and before a crowd of witnesses. No artifice could explain away such evidence. For this very reason the enmity of the priests grew deadlier. They were more than ever determined to put a stop to Christ's work. 

We can choose to oppose Jesus or join Him in His work. Let us learn from the lessons of the past as recorded in sacred history and choose this day to serve Jesus--not by our finite strength, but by His Spirit working in us in our human weakness as we yield completely and continually to Him!!

Sean James

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Re: The Glory of God
« Reply #13 on: April 06, 2020, 06:21:05 AM »
God gives us freedom. Sin, the transgression of the law, is simply bondage to selfishness and Satan. True freedom is entire conformity to His will, and yet how we choose to respond to God's love and be set free from sin by yielding the entire heart to Christ to cleanse and purify is a matter of freedom of conscience. No one is forced to follow Christ, and we are to remember that in all our dealings with others, that we are to reflect the law of the new kingdom, which is self-sacrificing love that seeks the glory of God and the benefit of humanity. When that love is implanted in the soul by the Holy Spirit, all of the fruits of God's character will be manifest in and through the life of the soul! We can rejoice in the freedom Christ offers us today--not freedom that is to be used in the way of sin, but freedom in the way of righteousness! "And an highway shall be there, and a way, and it shall be called The way of holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it; but it shall be for those: the wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err therein" (Isaiah 35:8).

In matters of conscience the soul must be left untrammeled. No one is to control another's mind, to judge for another, or to prescribe his duty. God gives to every soul freedom to think, and to follow his own convictions. "Every one of us shall give account of himself to God." No one has a right to merge his own individuality in that of another. In all matters where principle is involved, "let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind." Romans 14:12, 5. In Christ's kingdom there is no lordly oppression, no compulsion of manner. The angels of heaven do not come to the earth to rule, and to exact homage, but as messengers of mercy, to co-operate with men in uplifting humanity. 

Let us live to bless others this day, even as Jesus did--by ever having Him as an abiding guest in our soul teaching us how to go out and how to come in (see 1 Kings 3:7).

Sean James

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Re: The Glory of God
« Reply #14 on: April 07, 2020, 04:58:40 AM »
Let us invite Jesus into our homes! Though many are worshipping at home during this time with the risk of the coronavirus, we can be thankful that no matter what reason we are at home, Christ longs to enter in and bless us with His divine presence! Zacchaeus and his family had not been welcome at the synagogue because of his occupation as a tax collector--but Jesus came to him and his family in a personal way to bring hope and salvation! Jesus longs to take up residence in every heart fully surrendered to Him, cleansing us from sin by His atoning blood as we confess our continual need of Him, and imbuing us with all of the fruits of the Spirit, so not one is missing.

To Zacchaeus the Saviour said, "This day is salvation come to this house." Not only was Zacchaeus himself blessed, but all his household with him. Christ went to his home to give him lessons of truth, and to instruct his household in the things of the kingdom. They had been shut out from the synagogues by the contempt of rabbis and worshipers; but now, the most favored household in all Jericho, they gathered in their own home about the divine Teacher, and heard for themselves the words of life. 

Let us daily gather about the Bible to hear the word of eternal life, meditating upon it, memorizing it, and sharing it with others! We find strength and nobility of character by receiving the word of God into our character building experience!