The Glory of God

[Sean James]

Let us patiently bear the trials as they come as we approach the great consummation of all our hopes: the second coming of Jesus!!

 Christ is coming with clouds and with great glory. A multitude of shining angels will attend Him. He will come to raise the dead, and to change the living saints from glory to glory. He will come to honor those who have loved Him, and kept His commandments, and to take them to Himself. He has not forgotten them nor His promise. There will be a relinking of the family chain. When we look upon our dead, we may think of the morning when the trump of God shall sound, when "the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 1 Corinthians 15:52. A little longer, and we shall see the King in His beauty. A little longer, and He will wipe all tears from our eyes. A little longer, and He will present us "faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy." Jude 24. Wherefore, when He gave the signs of His coming He said, "When these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh." 

As we look upward to Christ, not down at our difficulties, we are given increased strength of character for the way God is leading us day by day!

[Sean James]

Let us allow Jesus to accomplish in us His mission! "For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost" (Luke 19:10).

Those who minister to others will be ministered unto by the Chief Shepherd. They themselves will drink of the living water, and will be satisfied. They will not be longing for exciting amusements, or for some change in their lives. The great topic of interest will be, how to save the souls that are ready to perish. Social intercourse will be profitable. The love of the Redeemer will draw hearts together in unity.

Unity is the result of union with Christ. There was perfect unity in heaven until Lucifer was not content with the ministry entrusted to him as the covering cherub. Coveting the place of Christ, he wanted to be God. That was impossible. No created being can be God! May we learn the lesson that our truest happiness today and always is found in complete surrender to Christ and joyful conformity to God's will--which is high, noble and elevating!

[Sean James]

Let us realize the unity Christ offers us and experience it today by a complete surrender to Him!

The holy Watcher from heaven is present at this season to make it one of soul searching, of conviction of sin, and of the blessed assurance of sins forgiven. Christ in the fullness of His grace is there to change the current of the thoughts that have been running in selfish channels. The Holy Spirit quickens the sensibilities of those who follow the example of their Lord. As the Saviour's humiliation for us is remembered, thought links with thought; a chain of memories is called up, memories of God's great goodness and of the favor and tenderness of earthly friends. Blessings forgotten, mercies abused, kindnesses slighted, are called to mind. Roots of bitterness that have crowded out the precious plant of love are made manifest. Defects of character, neglect of duties, ingratitude to God, coldness toward our brethren, are called to remembrance. Sin is seen in the light in which God views it. Our thoughts are not thoughts of self-complacency, but of severe self-censure and humiliation. The mind is energized to break down every barrier that has caused alienation. Evil thinking and evilspeaking are put away. Sins are confessed, they are forgiven. The subduing grace of Christ comes into the soul, and the love of Christ draws hearts together in a blessed unity.

While it is often at the communion service that we seek to have differences between us and others reconciled, let us not wait for that time to seek to be the Christ-like missionaries that are true peacemakers who are seeking not to exalt self, but to save souls, and bring each heart to a complete surrender to Christ. Only in Him is there true rest from self and sin, and the happiness of His presence flows forth spontaneously!

[Sean James]

"The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance" (2 Peter 3:9).

And the Saviour had still another purpose. He had not withheld His ministry from him whom He knew to be a traitor. The disciples did not understand His words when He said at the feet washing, 'Ye are not all clean,' nor yet when at the table He declared, 'He that eateth bread with Me hath lifted up his heel against Me.' John 13:11, 18. But afterward, when His meaning was made plain, they had something to consider as to the patience and mercy of God toward the most grievously erring.

God is patient, but He also lets us choose. Let us remember how Jesus treated Judas as a lesson of why He is being so longsuffering with our world in its deeply wicked state, knowing that there will be many whose hearts will be touched by the exceedingly great loveliness of Jesus and yield fully to Christ and be saved at the eleventh hour of earth's history! When hearts fully yield to Him, all of the fruits of the Spirit supernaturally flow forth from a heart renewed by divine grace, cleansed from selfishness, and imbued with His purity! What a miracle Jesus does by His grace for the whole universe to see!!

[Sean James]

Looking to Jesus we may have continual victory in His will! Let us look up to Christ continually! Surrendering our hearts to Christ is truest freedom and victory!

Christ rejoiced that He could do more for His followers than they could ask or think. He spoke with assurance, knowing that an almighty decree had been given before the world was made. He knew that truth, armed with the omnipotence of the Holy Spirit, would conquer in the contest with evil; and that the bloodstained banner would wave triumphantly over His followers. He knew that the life of His trusting disciples would be like His, a series of uninterrupted victories, not seen to be such here, but recognized as such in the great hereafter. 

Let us look away from self, upward to Christ, and experience God's constant victory! Uninterrupted victory is only possible when we abide in Christ and allow all of the fruits of the Spirit to flow through our lives in continual obedience to God's will!

[Sean James]

Even Jesus had to battle through depression and discouragement when He was contemplating the price to be paid for the human race. What an infinite sacrifice He made for us, so we, too, may fully overcome all sin in Him and remember the price He paid for us! What wondrous love is this!!

Christ's agony did not cease, but His depression and discouragement left Him. The storm had in nowise abated, but He who was its object was strengthened to meet its fury. He came forth calm and serene. A heavenly peace rested upon His bloodstained face. He had borne that which no human being could ever bear; for He had tasted the sufferings of death for every man. 

Let us never forget the infinite love of Jesus! It is as we yield the whole heart to Him that He cleanses us from sin, creates in us a clean heart and a new mind, makes us partakers of the divine nature, and imbues us with all of the fruits of the Spirit so that our lives are brought into willing, happy obedience to all the commandments of God as revealed in the Ten Commandments, including the commandment that invites us to remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy! Praise the Lord for God's gift of His Son to us!

[Sean James]

"Watch ye and pray, lest ye enter into temptation. The spirit truly is ready, but the flesh is weak" (Mark 14:38). Oh, let us realize our continual need of Jesus and why He desires us to be wide awake to behold Him in His sufferings so we can be prepared to face temptation--not alone, but with Him abiding in our hearts!

It was in sleeping when Jesus bade him watch and pray that Peter had prepared the way for his great sin. All the disciples, by sleeping in that critical hour, sustained a great loss. Christ knew the fiery ordeal through which they were to pass. He knew how Satan would work to paralyze their senses that they might be unready for the trial. Therefore it was that He gave them warning. Had those hours in the garden been spent in watching and prayer, Peter would not have been left to depend upon his own feeble strength. He would not have denied his Lord. Had the disciples watched with Christ in His agony, they would have been prepared to behold His suffering upon the cross. They would have understood in some degree the nature of His overpowering anguish. They would have been able to recall His words that foretold His sufferings, His death, and His resurrection. Amid the gloom of the most trying hour, some rays of hope would have lighted up the darkness and sustained their faith. 

As we approach the time of trouble such as never was, we can learn from the experience of the disciples who slept in the Garden of Gethsemane that now is the time to be wide awake to look upon Jesus and the promises of His word! As we behold Jesus' loveliness and appreciate His character, knowing how much He suffered for us to make salvation possible, we will consider it a privilege to suffer for His dear name and be His witnesses to a world soon to perish! As we allow Christ to reign on the throne of our hearts by a continual surrender of our will to Him, He will signify His presence in and through us by manifesting all of the fruits of the Spirit without one missing in our lives, leading us to gladly obey the Ten Commandments which are a transcript of His character!

[Sean James]

The case of Judas is very similar to many people in our world today, and also many who are in the church. They are in a course of sin that keeps getting stronger the more they go in the wrong direction, but they are not beyond the possibility of repentance! Oh, let us do as Jesus did and give every soul EVERY reason to come to repentance and faith in Him! As Jesus washed Judas' feet, He gave Him the final appeal. May we never consider a soul unreachable--even if that soul will not yield to Christ. Let us look upon souls the way Jesus did, and give people the freedom to see the loveliness of Jesus which has power to melt and subdue hearts!!

But Judas was not yet wholly hardened. Even after he had twice pledged himself to betray the Saviour, there was opportunity for repentance. At the Passover supper Jesus proved His divinity by revealing the traitor's purpose. He tenderly included Judas in the ministry to the disciples. But the last appeal of love was unheeded. Then the case of Judas was decided, and the feet that Jesus had washed went forth to the betrayer's work. 

Many today are making their final decision, but they may not realize that is what they are doing. By every sin we crucify Christ afresh and make it harder to yield to Him the next time. Let us not tamper with sin but turn from it. May today be a day be a day of rest from sin in your life and rejoicing in choosing to walk in harmony with Christ in true conversion, whereby He give us a new heart and imbues us with all of the fruits of the Spirit without one missing! Only abiding in Christ are we able to truly obey the Ten Commandments!

[Sean James]

Our witness depends not so much upon what we say as upon what we are. Jesus' real character shone forth in His countenance and brought conviction to Pilate. Let us so deeply commune with God in these closing moments of earth's history that our countenances will reflect the loveliness of Jesus whom we may behold continually by grace through faith. His life is to be our experience; He died for our sins, and now He offers us His righteousness. When Christ is abiding in the heart moved by divine grace, it is because we have yielded our will to Him and chosen to allow the Holy Spirit to shape our characters, reflecting all of the fruits of the Spirit without one missing as He guides our lives in harmonious obedience to the Ten Commandments.

Standing behind Pilate, in view of all in the court, Christ heard the abuse; but to all the false charges against Him He answered not a word. His whole bearing gave evidence of conscious innocence. He stood unmoved by the fury of the waves that beat about Him. It was as if the heavy surges of wrath, rising higher and higher, like the waves of the boisterous ocean, broke about Him, but did not touch Him. He stood silent, but His silence was eloquence. It was as a light shining from the inner to the outer man.   

As our world becomes increasingly violent and immoral, let us ever remember how Christ treated everyone during His unjust trial. He was patient, calm and self-possessed, and He offers us the same experience by union and communion with Him! May His longing of soul for the salvation of those around us lead us to graciously reflect Jesus and present the present truth for this time, for Jesus is coming again in power and great glory!

[Sean James]

To compare the time to trouble that is about to come upon the whole world with what Christ endured on Calvary, we learn what will sustain the righteous who live through that time. "And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book" (Daniel 12:1). Knowing that Christ stands for us, we can remember His character and how He has treated us in our life journey. Though God's people may feel utterly forsaken, and even though every earthly support may fail, Christ's victory on Calvary will be the victory of the triumphant saints who pass through that time, for Christ will come the second time in power and great glory. Let us learn the lessons now to prepare us for what is to come as an overmastering surprise to the world soon to perish! Let us live lives that invite ALL to repent and come to Christ while there is still time!!

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.

This victory is for us. Let us walk in the victory in Christ by beholding His loveliness of character and accept His atoning blood to cleanse us from all sin, so that this amazing grace may melt and subdue our hearts, lead us to gladly yield our will to Him, and become partakers of the divine nature through appropriating His promises to our lives! As we do so, all of the fruits of the Spirit will be manifest in our characters because Christ is abiding in us by a living faith surrender to Him! Such a life will be lived in happy obedience to all of the Ten Commandments, including the fourth commandment that enjoins the observance of the seventh day Sabbath as the light comes to the soul!

[Sean James]

When Jesus comes in power and great glory VERY VERY VERY SOON, the righteous go to be with Him in heaven, but what is it that destroys the wicked? Notice how 2 Thessalonians 2:8 answers this: "And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of His mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of His coming."

This is not an act of arbitrary power on the part of God. The rejecters of His mercy reap that which they have sown. God is the fountain of life; and when one chooses the service of sin, he separates from God, and thus cuts himself off from life. He is "alienated from the life of God." Christ says, "All they that hate Me love death." Ephesians 4:18; Proverbs 8:36. God gives them existence for a time that they may develop their character and reveal their principles. This accomplished, they receive the results of their own choice. By a life of rebellion, Satan and all who unite with him place themselves so out of harmony with God that His very presence is to them a consuming fire. The glory of Him who is love will destroy them.

Everyone right now is making eternal decisions. We either choose to surrender to God, the Life-Giver, and thus enjoy eternal life with Him because we accept Jesus' atoning blood and allow Him to give us new hearts and minds imbued with all of the fruits of His Spirit without one missing, or we choose death. Life is defined in the Ten Commandments and will be gladly kept by all who have Jesus, the Author of these principles of life, in the heart! Another way to say it is that the Ten Commandments are "FREEDOM DEFINED"!! Why would someone choose death? It is because sin is deceptive, and the one who chooses sin may think that "this is better than what God has for me" or they may even not believe God exists. Why risk not believing in God? Oh, let us turn from the strange, insane infatuation with sin and YIELD to Christ and experience LIFE FOREVER!!! Please join me in the adventure of letting God give you life and life more abundantly starting NOW!!!

[Sean James]

Is your faith wavering? Are you struggling to really believe? Look to Calvary, and as it happened in Nicodemus' life when He saw Jesus dying for Him on Calvary's cross, faith was made sure for He knew that all Jesus said was true, and the faith that works by love moved Nicodemus to be willing to be "all in" for Jesus. As Jesus is about to come in power and great glory, let us not only look to Calvary, but by faith see Him finishing His ministry as our High Priest in the sanctuary in heaven from whence He is so soon to come and take all who have overcome in Him home to heaven!

  Nicodemus, when he saw Jesus lifted up on the cross, remembered His words spoken by night in the Mount of Olives: "As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have eternal life." John 3:14, 15. On that Sabbath, when Christ lay in the grave, Nicodemus had opportunity for reflection. A clearer light now illuminated his mind, and the words which Jesus had spoken to him were no longer mysterious. He felt that he had lost much by not connecting himself with the Saviour during His life. Now he recalled the events of Calvary. The prayer of Christ for His murderers and His answer to the petition of the dying thief spoke to the heart of the learned councilor. Again he looked upon the Saviour in His agony; again he heard that last cry, "It is finished," spoken like the words of a conqueror. Again he beheld the reeling earth, the darkened heavens, the rent veil, the shivered rocks, and his faith was forever established. The very event that destroyed the hopes of the disciples convinced Joseph and Nicodemus of the divinity of Jesus. Their fears were overcome by the courage of a firm and unwavering faith. 

Unwavering faith is the faith of Jesus. Christ offers that to you and me today as we yield the whole heart to Him and let Christ abide in us. All of the fruits of the Spirit will be manifest in our lives without one missing when Christ is abiding in us by a living faith surrender to Him! Then the obedience that Christ is calling us to experience becomes a delight! May this be our experience this day and continually!

[Sean James]

Jesus loves you and is personally interested in your happiness. He offers you His endless life because He has conquered sin and death. No matter how great your present trials or how difficult your past has been, by looking unto Jesus, we all may freely find healing for all the diseases and disorders of our souls, experiencing the power of the gospel of His grace whereby our lives are brought into loving obedience to His law as He manifests through us all the fruits of His divine nature without one trait missing!

The voice that cried from the cross, "It is finished," was heard among the dead. It pierced the walls of sepulchers, and summoned the sleepers to arise. Thus will it be when the voice of Christ shall be heard from heaven. That voice will penetrate the graves and unbar the tombs, and the dead in Christ shall arise. At the Saviour's resurrection a few graves were opened, but at His second coming all the precious dead shall hear His voice, and shall come forth to glorious, immortal life. The same power that raised Christ from the dead will raise His church, and glorify it with Him, above all principalities, above all powers, above every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in the world to come.   

Victory! Victory in Jesus! The goal of the Christian life is to be like Jesus and bring others to Him! Let us always allow the same resurrection life of Jesus that raised Him from the dead to keep us on a moment-by-moment basis from sin because we have found something infinitely better: God's love that heals us and gives us peace that passes all understanding!

[Sean James]

Be of good courage! Though things will get worse in this world before Jesus, comes, HE IS COMING AGAIN!! "Behold, He cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see Him, and they also which pierced Him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of Him. Even so, Amen" (Revelation 1:7). As surely as Jesus rose from the dead, He will come again in power and great glory the second time to take all who have been saved by His grace to be with Him for ALL ETERNITY!! As you look upon Jesus and realize His infinite love, remember how much He loves you and patiently bear each trial He allows for your good so that your character may be refined and elevated to reflect Him! As we yield the whole heart to Jesus, He cleanses and renews the mind and heart by His atoning blood, imbues us with all of the fruits of the Spirit so not one is missing, and gives us the miraculous experience of affectionate obedience to all His commandments!!

Christ's first work on earth after His resurrection was to convince His disciples of His undiminished love and tender regard for them. To give them proof that He was their living Saviour, that He had broken the fetters of the tomb, and could no longer be held by the enemy death; to reveal that He had the same heart of love as when He was with them as their beloved Teacher, He appeared to them again and again. He would draw the bonds of love still closer around them. Go tell My brethren, He said, that they meet Me in Galilee.

Let us meet Jesus when He comes AGAIN!! Look up and be of happy that He will fulfill His word!! "And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh" (Luke 21:28).

[Sean James]

While things may get darker in our world through a misapprehension and misunderstanding of God's character of love, let us look to the RISEN CHRIST who is SOON TO RETURN in power and great glory to take home to heaven all who have yielded their lives fully to Him! As we look to Christ, the light of His countenance shines upon us! "Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee" (Isaiah 60:1). As surely as the disciples on the road to Emmaus found hope in Jesus who anchored their faith in His word, let us find in the word of God the anchor for our souls in the troubles we face and in the great time of trouble to transpire before Jesus returns, knowing that He will lighten our darkness by the sure word of His truth!

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.

Share the glad tidings of Jesus as a living Savior far and wide! As we behold His loveliness, He lifts our hearts into His presence, forgives our sins, renews our minds, and fills us with all of the fruits of the Spirit so not one is missing! Such a life testifies that obedience is a delight in Christ! Let the light of His love shine through you this day!