The Glory of God

[Sean James]

Behold Him. By beholding Jesus, something supernatural can take place in the heart and mind that yields fully to Him. Christ has the power to convert the most hardened sinner and make the soul into a repentant child of God whose union and communion with Him by the Holy Spirit will be revealed in a character experiencing manifesting affectionate obedience to God with all of the fruits of the Spirit without one missing! How can these things be? By beholding we become changed, and we will become like what we allow our minds to value and dwell upon. Jesus' sinless life, His immense sufferings, His sacrificial death, His victorious resurrection, His high priestly ministry in heaven, and His soon return as King to take His children home--well would it be for us to keep Christ uppermost in our minds! Abiding in Him, we can courageously give the Three Angels' Messages of Revelation 14:6-12, proclaiming Christ's present-truth message to our generation because we are motivated by His love that constrains us!

There stood the Son of God, wearing the robe of mockery and the crown of thorns. Stripped to the waist, His back showed the long, cruel stripes, from which the blood flowed freely. His face was stained with blood, and bore the marks of exhaustion and pain; but never had it appeared more beautiful than now. The Saviour's visage was not marred before His enemies. Every feature expressed gentleness and resignation and the tenderest pity for His cruel foes. In His manner there was no cowardly weakness, but the strength and dignity of long-suffering. In striking contrast was the prisoner at His side. Every line of the countenance of Barabbas proclaimed him the hardened ruffian that he was. The contrast spoke to every beholder. Some of the spectators were weeping. As they looked upon Jesus, their hearts were full of sympathy. Even the priests and rulers were convicted that He was all that He claimed to be.

Christ, the innocent One, would bear all our sin and suffer for all of it to make a way of escape for us. When you think you are being tempted beyond what you can bear, look to Calvary and contemplate the uncomplaining endurance of Jesus who for the joy set before Him endured the cross to save us. He IS THE WAY of escape. In every temptation and in every trial, we have a never-failing helper in Jesus! "There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it" (1 Corinthians 10:13).

[Sean James]

What trials are you going through? Whatever they are, and however much you are tempted in the midst of your experience, the place to go in mind and heart in those trials is to the foot of the cross. As we by faith look up to Jesus and see Him suffering and dying to save us from sin, we see what the "faith of Jesus" (Revelation 14:12) is all about--as Christ still CHOSE to trust His Father's character even when feeling utterly forsaken because He was bearing the sins of the whole world and suffering the wrath of God against transgression. By faith, He defeated Satan, fully paid for sin, and offers us eternal life that no one can take from us (except our own choice to reject it). Let us more fully appreciate what Jesus has given us in His divine-human sufferings at Calvary!

Amid the awful darkness, apparently forsaken of God, Christ had drained the last dregs in the cup of human woe. In those dreadful hours He had relied upon the evidence of His Father's acceptance heretofore given Him. He was acquainted with the character of His Father; He understood His justice, His mercy, and His great love. By faith He rested in Him whom it had ever been His joy to obey. And as in submission He committed Himself to God, the sense of the loss of His Father's favor was withdrawn. By faith, Christ was victor.

As you rely on God's character and praise Him for who He is, the trial may still be there, the suffering may not immediately go away, but you can have the sweet peace of acceptance with God in knowing that you are surrendered fully to Him and trusting Him through it all. The dying Savior wore a crown of thorns so we could wear a crown of victory. By faith, we can choose to live on the Son of God in complete surrender of the whole heart, and He will manifest through us His character victory--true obedience with love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance without one of the fruits of the Spirit missing! Trust God in everything you face! Jesus has set the perfect example for us, and His death means our sins are PAID IN FULL!! So turn from sin motivated by the love of Christ to do God's will!

"Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love Him" (James 1:12).

[Sean James]

Jesus won! You can win, too, by surrendering fully to Christ and letting His experience of character become yours! By His atoning blood, your sins are cancelled as you confess and forsake them in true repentance! The Holy Spirit comes to live in the heart renewed by divine grace, reflecting through the converted heart all of the fruits of the Spirit without one missing! True obedience to all of God’s commandments will flow forth as an expression of love to the God who gave all heaven in the gift of Jesus!! Hallelujah!!

Christ did not yield up His life till He had accomplished the work which He came to do, and with His parting breath He exclaimed, "It is finished." John 19:30. The battle had been won. His right hand and His holy arm had gotten Him the victory. As a Conqueror He planted His banner on the eternal heights. Was there not joy among the angels? All heaven triumphed in the Saviour’s victory. Satan was defeated, and knew that his kingdom was lost.

Since Satan has been fully defeated, it follows that through Christ we can be kept from sitting, for sin is the power of the devil. The only way this is possible is through constant union and communion of the soul with Christ by the Holy Spirit! ”Sanctify them through Thy truth: Thy word is truth” (John 17:17).

[Sean James]

Happy Sabbath! The death of Jesus fulfilled the prophecies and also deeply moved the hearts of three very different men to confess their faith in Him as the Son of God. Christ's divine-human sufferings at Calvary are for all of us, for upon all lays the guilt of crucifying the Son of God, for the wages of sin, which is death, was laid upon Him. We can also confess our faith and walk in His truth, surrendering fully to Jesus and letting all of the fruits of the Spirit without one missing be revealed in our lives as we are truly converted and are empowered to be obedient to God's Ten Commandments!

Now when the centurion, and they that were with him, watching Jesus, saw the earthquake, and those things that were done, they feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God.

These words were said in no whispered tones. All eyes were turned to see whence they came. Who had spoken? It was the centurion, the Roman soldier. The divine patience of the Saviour, and His sudden death, with the cry of victory upon His lips, had impressed this heathen. In the bruised, broken body hanging upon the cross, the centurion recognized the form of the Son of God. He could not refrain from confessing his faith. Thus again evidence was given that our Redeemer was to see of the travail of His soul. Upon the very day of His death, three men, differing widely from one another, had declared their faith,—he who commanded the Roman guard, he who bore the cross of the Saviour, and he who died upon the cross at His side.

May each of our testimonies of what Jesus has done to save us reach the lives of those around us, knowing that God's word is true:
"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).

[Sean James]

In the last post, this is the Scripture reference:

"Now when the centurion, and they that were with him, watching Jesus, saw the earthquake, and those things that were done, they feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God" (Matthew 27:54).

[Sean James]

He knows it’s over soon. Satan will die.

When Jesus was laid in the grave, Satan triumphed. He dared to hope that the Saviour would not take up His life again. He claimed the Lord’s body, and set his guard about the tomb, seeking to hold Christ a prisoner. He was bitterly angry when his angels fled at the approach of the heavenly messenger. When he saw Christ come forth in triumph, he knew that his kingdom would have an end, and that he must finally die.

With a few moments remaining in the raging conflict Satan has waged against God‘s unselfish character in the universe, the enemy of our souls directors fierce attacks against the church and all those who are in it or seeking to enter in. Keep your eyes fixed on Jesus, and don’t look back at the old sinful world with its deceitful lusts (whether those temptations come from without or within). In the powerful transformation of character Christ offers as you surrender fully to Him, you can experience continuously His resurrection power to live with all of the fruits of the Spirit without one missing as you stay in the path of true obedience to God’s will—His law of love!

[Sean James]

He is risen! Rejoice in the Lord and let your sorrows and griefs be laid upon Him, going forward in triumphant joy as we get ever closer to the second coming of Jesus!!

Oh that the bowed head might be lifted, that the eyes might be opened to behold Him, that the ears might listen to His voice! “Go quickly, and tell His disciples that He is risen.” Bid them look not to Joseph's new tomb, that was closed with a great stone, and sealed with the Roman seal. Christ is not there. Look not to the empty sepulcher. Mourn not as those who are hopeless and helpless. Jesus lives, and because He lives, we shall live also. From grateful hearts, from lips touched with holy fire, let the glad song ring out, Christ is risen! He lives to make intercession for us. Grasp this hope, and it will hold the soul like a sure, tried anchor. Believe, and thou shalt see the glory of God.

By faith we are able to experience the grace of God that changes our character from sinful and unbelieving to repentant and faithful! All of the fruits of the Spirit without one missing will be revealed in the life that is fully surrendered to Jesus and abiding in Him! We can rejoice in His promises because they make us partakers of the divine nature as we receive them into our very thoughts and feelings! "Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust" (2 Peter 1:4).

[Sean James]

Be of good courage! Initially, the disciples walking to Emmaus were so discouraged because they did not understand the Scriptures that clearly point to the sacrifice of Christ, but as He walked with them, He opened to them the Scriptures so they could understand! Then their whole experience changed! The word of God changes things in our lives! We see Christ clearly and become changed into His image! As we surrender the whole heart to Him, all of the fruits of the Spirit without one missing will be revealed in the life as Christ empowers us to affectionately obey His law of love!

The night is dark, but the Sun of Righteousness is shining upon them. Their hearts leap for joy. They seem to be in a new world. Christ is a living Saviour. They no longer mourn over Him as dead. Christ is risen—over and over again they repeat it. This is the message they are carrying to the sorrowing ones. They must tell them the wonderful story of the walk to Emmaus. They must tell who joined them by the way. They carry the greatest message ever given to the world, a message of glad tidings upon which the hopes of the human family for time and for eternity depend.

We cannot be silent if we truly love Jesus wholeheartedly and understand the power of the word of God that reveals the loveliness of Jesus! As Jesus said, "It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life" (John 6:63). Let us live in the Spirit by having the word of God transforming our inmost motives, thoughts, feelings and actions! "Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever" (1 Peter 1:23). The word of God, received into the life, creates miraculous lives that reflect Jesus!

[Sean James]

Let's learn to be gracious, like Jesus.

In His treatment of Thomas, Jesus gave a lesson for His followers. His example shows how we should treat those whose faith is weak, and who make their doubts prominent. Jesus did not overwhelm Thomas with reproach, nor did He enter into controversy with him. He revealed Himself to the doubting one. Thomas had been most unreasonable in dictating the conditions of his faith, but Jesus, by His generous love and consideration, broke down all the barriers. Unbelief is seldom overcome by controversy. It is rather put upon self-defense, and finds new support and excuse. But let Jesus, in His love and mercy, be revealed as the crucified Saviour, and from many once unwilling lips will be heard the acknowledgment of Thomas, “My Lord and my God.”

As souls come to Jesus, behold His tender, affectionate loveliness, and realize that He has a better way than they were choosing to live or think, it is so wonderful to realize that God's grace is powerful enough to change a sinner into a saint and fill such a newly converted soul with all of the fruits of the Spirit without one missing empowered to true obedience to all of God's commandments up to the light revealed! Thomas received a new revelation of Jesus, and so can we--by His word!

[Sean James]

Praise God for the mercy we see shown towards Peter after his denial of Jesus. Christ restored Peter by His tender, forgiving love, and Peter came to experience the power of God's grace to make Him a new creation, reflecting each of the attributes of God's character of love up to the light of the experience Peter had with Jesus at that time. So it may be with us! We may walk and abide in Jesus with new hearts that rise above the old, sinful evil heart that clamors for selfish expression. With Jesus, we can resist every temptation, however strong--by the means Jesus used--the word of God! But if we do fall into sin, we can know that if we receive the gift of repentance and forsake sin in true confession, Jesus will freely accept us back and make us new in heart and mind again!

The Saviour's manner of dealing with Peter had a lesson for him and for his brethren. It taught them to meet the transgressor with patience, sympathy, and forgiving love. Although Peter had denied his Lord, the love which Jesus bore him never faltered. Just such love should the undershepherd feel for the sheep and lambs committed to his care. Remembering his own weakness and failure, Peter was to deal with his flock as tenderly as Christ had dealt with him.

Let us never lose sight of the true character of God! By beholding Christ, we become changed!

[Sean James]

Jesus is calling for earnest missionaries! He desires them to go to "all the world"! Will you let Him make you into a true missionary? As Christ comes to abide in the heart, all of the fruits of the Spirit without one missing will be reflected as you are empowered to obey God up to the light He has shown you, and you can go forward in His faith that works by love to seek and save souls!

But the command, “Go ye into all the world,” is not to be lost sight of. We are called upon to lift our eyes to the “regions beyond.” Christ tears away the wall of partition, the dividing prejudice of nationality, and teaches a love for all the human family. He lifts men from the narrow circle which their selfishness prescribes; He abolishes all territorial lines and artificial distinctions of society. He makes no difference between neighbors and strangers, friends and enemies. He teaches us to look upon every needy soul as our brother, and the world as our field.

Let us keep looking up to Jesus and trust His leading to go according to God's holy will! We can start right where we are, and go forward from there to the ends of the earth!

[Sean James]

Happy Sabbath!! Why fear? In the light of Christ's victory over Satan, His ascension to heaven, and His glorious work there as our High Priest with the prophetic assurance of what He said would take place before His second coming, we need not fear. We need to remember what God has said to us and how He has led, and keep looking up to Jesus who is able to save each soul to the uttermost from sin and make such a soul a true reflection of His pure, holy character because the new heart and mind Jesus gives us by the Holy Spirit is stronger than the fallen nature we are compassed with until Christ gives us a new, glorified body. Partaking of the divine nature by the promises of God, all of the fruits of the Spirit without one missing will be reflected in a life of true obedience to all of God's commandments! Praise God!!

The disciples no longer had any distrust of the future. They knew that Jesus was in heaven, and that His sympathies were with them still. They knew that they had a friend at the throne of God, and they were eager to present their requests to the Father in the name of Jesus. In solemn awe they bowed in prayer, repeating the assurance, “Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in My name, He will give it you. Hitherto have ye asked nothing in My name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.” John 16:23, 24. They extended the hand of faith higher and higher, with the mighty argument, “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 8:34. And Pentecost brought them fullness of joy in the presence of the Comforter, even as Christ had promised.

Ask for God's will in your life, and trust He will lead you in it day by day, moment by moment, for He is gracious and faithful!

[Sean James]

What good news! Sin will be no more, and Christ will be eternally our Brother! Today is the day of salvation to all who come unto Him, allowing the Holy Spirit to transform us with all of the fruits of His abiding presence in the soul! Not one of His divine attributes will be missing as long as we are fully surrendered in heart and life to Christ and willing to be made willing in true obedience, following the light He has revealed to us!

The work of redemption will be complete. In the place where sin abounded, God's grace much more abounds. The earth itself, the very field that Satan claims as his, is to be not only ransomed but exalted. Our little world, under the curse of sin the one dark blot in His glorious creation, will be honored above all other worlds in the universe of God. Here, where the Son of God tabernacled in humanity; where the King of glory lived and suffered and died,—here, when He shall make all things new, the tabernacle of God shall be with men, “and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself shall be with them, and be their God.” And through endless ages as the redeemed walk in the light of the Lord, they will praise Him for His unspeakable Gift,— Immanuel, “God with us.”

While the work of redemption is not yet complete, it is so encouraging to have this eternal reality ever in view as we seek to win souls to Christ so they can enjoy the bliss of eternal life in the presence of God. He is merciful to give us time still to share the everlasting gospel (Revelation 14:6-12), helping souls be ready to meet Jesus at His glorious second coming!

[Sean James]

Why is understanding the mission of the Messiah so important? We can learn much from what happened when Jesus first came to this earth.

While the Jews desired the advent of the Messiah, they had no true conception of His mission. They did not seek redemption from sin, but deliverance from the Romans. They looked for the Messiah to come as a conqueror, to break the oppressor's power, and exalt Israel to universal dominion. Thus the way was prepared for them to reject the Saviour.

By failing to have a true conception of Christ's mission when Jesus actually walked among men, so few were ready to receive Him. And the parallel carries through to today, as Jesus is now our High Priest in the heavenly sanctuary, and how He longs for souls to understand His mission to cleanse the soul from sin! He is able to save to the uttermost all who come unto God by Him! When the soul is surrendered fully to Jesus, He fills the soul with the Holy Spirit who manifests His divine presence with all of the fruits of the Spirit without one missing! Then instead of being deceived in the paths of sin, the soul is enabled to walk in true obedience the the light of God's law revealed because of the power of the abiding Savior!

[Sean James]

Truth WILL triumph!! No matter how far Satan has tried to lead you away from God, Jesus has ALL POWER to save you to the uttermost! Let Him!!! As He fashions your character anew, it will reflect the loveliness of His divine nature as long as you are surrendered fully to Him, allowing all of the fruits of the Spirit to be revealed in the life that is offered to God in true obedience that results from intelligently appreciating God's love for us!

Satan was exulting that he had succeeded in debasing the image of God in humanity. Then Jesus came to restore in man the image of his Maker. None but Christ can fashion anew the character that has been ruined by sin. He came to expel the demons that had controlled the will. He came to lift us up from the dust, to reshape the marred character after the pattern of His divine character, and to make it beautiful with His own glory.

The glory of God restored in humanity is such a glorious ideal, and thankfully, it is possible in Christ! Christ is more powerful than Satan, and this fact is demonstrated in the truth that He has already translated two human beings to heaven (Enoch and Elijah), has already resurrected Moses (see Jude 9), and also took with Him those who were raised with Him at His resurrection! Thankfully, Christ is also preparing the 144,000 to stand through the time of trouble and also be translated without seeing death, living to sing the song of Moses and the Lamb that glorifies God both now and forever! Jesus will have His heart's desire FULLY realized: "Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to Him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and His wife hath made herself ready" (Revelation 19:7). A people ready to serve God in this life and in the life to come--a church that reflects His image perfectly by the power of His divine grace! "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect" (Matthew 5:48). Praise God for His power to fulfill this promise!