The Glory of God

[Sean James]

Let us allow Christ to give us His true character as we surrender unreservedly to Him!

 The one who stands nearest to Christ will be he who on earth has drunk most deeply of the spirit of His self-sacrificing love,--love that "vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, . . . seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil" (1 Corinthians 13:4, 5),--love that moves the disciple, as it moved our Lord, to give all, to live and labor and sacrifice, even unto death, for the saving of humanity. This spirit was made manifest in the life of Paul. He said, "For to me to live is Christ;" for his life revealed Christ to men; "and to die is gain,"--gain to Christ; death itself would make manifest the power of His grace, and gather souls to Him. "Christ shall be magnified in my body," he said, "whether it be by life or by death." Philippians 1:21, 20. 

Christ knows what is best for us. Look to Him in full surrender so He can imbue you with the Holy Spirit so all of the fruits of without one missing!

[Sean James]

Jesus gives us true repentance, giving us a new heart and filling us with all the traits of the divine nature without one missing--the fruits of the Spirit leading us to true obedience!

No repentance is genuine that does not work reformation. The righteousness of Christ is not a cloak to cover unconfessed and unforsaken sin; it is a principle of life that transforms the character and controls the conduct. Holiness is wholeness for God; it is the entire surrender of heart and life to the indwelling of the principles of heaven.   

Let us look to Jesus always!

[Sean James]

Go higher. Listen not to the voice of accusing, but the loving voice of Jesus inviting you to repent and overcome sin by the merits of His blood so that His character may be reproduced in you. Let the experience of Mary Magdalene whom Jesus healed and pardoned encourage you to believe more fully, pray more fervently, and realize the power of God's grace to transform sinners into saints imbued with all of the fruits of the Spirit without one missing! Let Jesus live out His life in you today in affectionate obedience to His law of love!

The souls that turn to Him for refuge, Jesus lifts above the accusing and the strife of tongues. No man or evil angel can impeach these souls. Christ unites them to His own divine-human nature. They stand beside the great Sin Bearer, in the light proceeding from the throne of God. "Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us." Romans 8:33, 34.

As we realize the power of grace, we will gladly extend it to others! May you let the grace of God flow through you on a moment-by-moment basis today through constant union and communion with God by the Holy Spirit!

[Sean James]

Jesus is coming very soon, but before He comes, all will decide their eternal destiny. We are either softening under His gracious overtures of mercy or we are hardening our hearts against the infinite gift of salvation that He offers us so we may in turn impart blessings selflessly to others. May you surrender fully to Him so the light of His character will produce in you all of the fruits of His Spirit without one missing, and your life be a living witness of affectionate obedience to His will as He has defined relational freedom in His law of love!

In every age there is given to men their day of light and privilege, a probationary time in which they may become reconciled to God. But there is a limit to this grace. Mercy may plead for years and be slighted and rejected; but there comes a time when mercy makes her last plea. The heart becomes so hardened that it ceases to respond to the Spirit of God. Then the sweet, winning voice entreats the sinner no longer, and reproofs and warnings cease.   

May we listen to Jesus by the Holy Spirit while mercy still lingers for our human race. Let us avail ourselves of every opportunity of becoming like Jesus, that He may reproduce His character in and and then use us as witnesses to draw others, too! May you today be a loving and lovable Christian!

[Sean James]

Children are very receptive to the gospel in many instances. Jesus loved children and still does, and it is a joy to see how when Christ came to the temple to cleanse it, the children who were happy in Jesus' presence were glad to be rejoicing in Him! May we be truly converted as little children who let Jesus manifest through us all of the fruits of the Spirit without one missing so that we may affectionately obey God out of a heart renewed by the Holy Spirit!

The sound of these happy, unrestrained voices was an offense to the rulers of the temple. They set about putting a stop to such demonstrations. They represented to the people that the house of God was desecrated by the feet of the children and the shouts of rejoicing. Finding that their words made no impression on the people, the rulers appealed to Christ: "Hearest Thou what these say? And Jesus saith unto them, Yea; have ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings
Thou hast perfected praise?" Prophecy had foretold that Christ should be proclaimed as king, and that word must be fulfilled. The priests and rulers of Israel refused to herald His glory, and God moved upon the children to be His witnesses. Had the voices of the children been silent, the very pillars of the temple would have sounded the Saviour's praise.   

Praise the Lord today constantly in an attitude of praise and thanksgiving and watch how others hearts may be drawn to Him in selfless love! Hallelujah!

[Sean James]

Love is from God, for God is love. We need His love in our hearts by beholding the love of Jesus who reveals the Father's love to us. As we surrender fully to Him, He imbues us with all of the attributes of His love, which includes love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, meekness, goodness, faith and temperance! All glory to God!

"The first four of the Ten Commandments are summed up in the one great precept, 'Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart.' The last six are included in the other, 'Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.' Both these commandments are an expression of the principle of love. The first cannot be kept and the second broken, nor can the second be kept while the first is broken. When God has His rightful place on the throne of the heart, the right place will be given to our neighbor. We shall love him as ourselves. And only as we love God supremely is it possible to love our neighbor impartially." {The Desire of Ages, page 607, paragraph 2}

Let this love flow through you and you will be a blessing to others as Jesus does a new work in and through you today to manifest the love that is infinite!

[Sean James]

What a blessing it is that even when Christ was giving His rebukes in love to the Pharisees to seek to lead them to repentance that He offered such beautiful gems of truth that those who listened were drawn to Him and the true religion that leads from God to God. When we behold Christ in His loveliness, we will realize that His love is infinite and can be experienced in every moment of our lives as we surrender unreservedly to Him and let Him live out His life in us manifest by all of the fruits of the Spirit without one missing. When we have a clear knowledge of His character, Satan cannot lead us into doubt and despondency, for we have learned to trust His true character over any thing else!

The gems of truth that fell from Christ's lips on that eventful day were treasured in many hearts. For them new thoughts started into life, new aspirations were awakened, and a new history began. After the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ, these persons came to the front, and fulfilled their divine commission with a wisdom and zeal corresponding to the greatness of the work. They bore a message that appealed to the hearts of men, weakening the old superstitions that had long dwarfed the lives of thousands. Before their testimony human theories and philosophies became as idle fables. Mighty were the results flowing from the words of the Saviour to that wondering, awestruck crowd in the temple at Jerusalem. 

Let us yield fully to Christ moment-by-moment so His truth may bear a great harvest--the harvest of character like Him--in our lives and in the lives of others who are influenced heavenward! May we today choose to be like Jesus by abiding in Him!

[Sean James]

May the Lord guide us to evermore keep our focus on Jesus and what His sacrifice has accomplished--even much more than our redemption. As we surrender unreservedly to Christ He creates in us a clean heart, renews a right spirit within us, and imbues us with all of the fruits of the Spirit without one missing as we affectionately obey God's law of love!

But the work of human redemption is not all that is accomplished by the cross. The love of God is manifested to the universe. The prince of this world is cast out. The accusations which Satan has brought against God are refuted. The reproach which he has cast upon heaven is forever removed. Angels as well as men are drawn to the Redeemer. "I, if I be lifted up from the earth," He said, "will draw all unto Me." 

Being drawn to Jesus is tremendous healing adventure. We may safely have much more exalted conceptions of what we may become in Christ as we learn of Him! By the cross, our loving God purposed to unite the family of heaven and earth as one for eternity in selfless, happy ministry!

[Sean James]

But the day and the hour of His coming Christ has not revealed. He stated plainly to His disciples that He Himself could not make known the day or the hour of His second appearing. Had He been at liberty to reveal this, why need He have exhorted them to maintain an attitude of constant expectancy? There are those who claim to know the very day and hour of our Lord's appearing. Very earnest are they in mapping out the future. But the Lord has warned them off the ground they occupy. The exact time of the second coming of the Son of man is God's mystery.

While the mystery of exactly when Jesus' return will take place is left unstated in the word of God, there is a mystery that also must take place before He returns--the mystery of "Christ in you, the hope of glory" (Colossians 1:27). As you surrender your heart, mind and will fully to Jesus, let Him live out His life in you so all of the fruits of the Spirit may be manifest in your life without one missing as you affectionately obey God's law of love!

[Sean James]

You have infinite value--yes, YOU! What you pay for something reveals its value, and since Jesus paid His very LIFE for us with His DEATH on Calvary, we can see that every soul is worth more than worlds, because the One who can by a word create entire planets and galaxies created and redeemed us! Oh, let us look to Jesus and not miss the blessed opportunities to show His love to others, for Jesus said: "And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these My brethren, ye have done it unto Me" (Matthew 25:40). We get to be part of His royal family!! He sends His angels to help us all get home to heaven! May you surrender unreservedly to His will so He can guide you to heaven and help bring many others to heaven, too! Jesus is coming again SO SOON!!!

The angels of heaven are sent forth to minister to those who shall be heirs of salvation. We know not now who they are; it is not yet made manifest who shall overcome, and share the inheritance of the saints in light; but angels of heaven are passing throughout the length and breadth of the earth, seeking to comfort the sorrowing, to protect the imperiled, to win the hearts of men to Christ. Not one is neglected or passed by. God is no respecter of persons, and He has an equal care for all the souls He has created.

May the love of Christ constrain you forward in His infinite will of redeeming grace to transform sinners into saints. Let us not look at the outward appearance of people as to know their value, but keep our eyes fixed on Calvary's cross to know that no matter how fallen or sinful, each soul is worth more than the universe, because Jesus created the universe and gave Himself for that soul!! Speak words of grace and truth so souls can come to Christ as you treat them with the medical missionary healing ways of Jesus working through you!

[Sean James]

Christ is offering us His unselfish experience! Let us embrace Him so He can live out His life in us!

In His life and lessons, Christ has given a perfect exemplification of the unselfish ministry which has its origin in God. God does not live for Himself. By creating the world, and by upholding all things, He is constantly ministering for others. "He maketh His sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust." Matthew 5:45. This ideal of ministry God has committed to His Son. Jesus was given to stand at the head of humanity, that by His example He might teach what it means to minister. His whole life was under a law of service. He served all, ministered to all. Thus He lived the law of God, and by His example showed how we are to obey it.

By beholding Christ we become changed and we get to experience His love in our hearts in true conversion so that all of the fruits of the Spirit will be seen in our lives without one missing for God's glory and not our own!

[Sean James]

Looking upon the crucified Redeemer, we more fully comprehend the magnitude and meaning of the sacrifice made by the Majesty of heaven. The plan of salvation is glorified before us, and the thought of Calvary awakens living and sacred emotions in our hearts. Praise to God and the Lamb will be in our hearts and on our lips; for pride and self-worship cannot flourish in the soul that keeps fresh in memory the scenes of Calvary.   

Let us keep our eyes fixed on Jesus' loveliness so we will become like Him in mind and character in the fruition of true conversion whereby we receive a new heart, a new life actuated by all of the fruits of the Spirit without one missing, and a new mission in perfect harmony with the law of love!

[Sean James]

Since Satan's craft is most successful against those who are depressed by difficulties, we should continually fix our focus higher to the heavenly home Jesus is preparing for us and seek to win as many more souls to Christ by exemplifying His true character in our lives to those we meet. Let us allow all of the fruits of the Spirit to be seen in our lives without one missing as we allow Christ to have full possession of the heart and make it His abiding place!

 But the Saviour's words to them were full of hope. He knew that they were to be assailed by the enemy, and that Satan's craft is most successful against those who are depressed by difficulties. Therefore He pointed them away from "the things which are seen," to "the things which are not seen." 2 Corinthians 4:18. From earthly exile He turned their thoughts to the heavenly home.

Keep your focus onward, upward, forward in God's will! Joy awaits the overcomer!

[Sean James]

You are human. But don't miss this--so is Jesus! As a Man, He longed for what we long for when we go through times of suffering and adversity; yet as God He has power to save the world. Yet when He most needed it, His disciples were asleep. May we all choose to be wide awake to depart from sin by seeing what it cost Jesus in Gethsemane, and may the love He has for you totally motivate you to be a blessing--a true friend--to those around you who need to see Jesus living through you to draw them to Him. As in complete surrender the heart is yielded to Christ, all of the fruits of the Spirit will be manifest through your life as you let Jesus reveal the miracle of His character through you in affectionate obedience to His will!

The human heart longs for sympathy in suffering. This longing Christ felt to the very depths of His being. In the supreme agony of His soul He came to His disciples with a yearning desire to hear some words of comfort from those whom He had so often blessed and comforted, and shielded in sorrow and distress. The One who had always had words of sympathy for them was now suffering superhuman agony, and He longed to know that they were praying for Him and for themselves. How dark seemed the malignity of sin! Terrible was the temptation to let the human race bear the consequences of its own guilt, while He stood innocent before God. If He could only know that His disciples understood and appreciated this, He would be strengthened. 

As we head closer to the soon return of Jesus, let us seek to be intentional about how we live to bless others by letting Christ live out His life in and through us!

[Sean James]

Do you know yourself? Not like Jesus does. Jesus knows you completely (Psalm 139). He foretold that Peter would deny Him, and if Peter had humbly recognized the weakness of his own character, he would have surrendered then and there to Jesus and asked Christ to keep him from such an act of unfaithfulness. May we never think we can do any good thing apart from Jesus. Let us yield fully to Jesus the whole heart so all of the fruits of the Spirit will be seen in our lives without one missing!

The sight of that pale, suffering face, those quivering lips, that look of compassion and forgiveness, pierced his heart like an arrow. Conscience was aroused. Memory was active. Peter called to mind his promise of a few short hours before that he would go with his Lord to prison and to death. He remembered his grief when the Saviour told him in the upper chamber that he would deny his Lord thrice that same night. Peter had just declared that he knew not Jesus, but he now realized with bitter grief how well his Lord knew him, and how accurately He had read his heart, the falseness of which was unknown even to himself.   

As we recognize that Jesus desires to protect us from going in the way of selfishness and self-destruction, we may find great joy in heeding Christ's warnings and invitations so we may go forth to bless others in true conversion!