The Glory of God

[Sean James]

Temptations may not be comfortable to face. But in them we may always flee to Christ who is "the way, the truth, and the life" (John 14:6). Thus, we see the access point of deliverance in this promise: "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).

When every earthly support is cut off for those who choose to follow God by a living union and communion with Him as they obey the Ten Commandments by the faith of Jesus at work in their lives by His infinite love that has transformed them by the Holy Spirit, it will be so important to keep the focus on Christ who alone has power to uphold us in every time of trial, even the time of trouble such as never was. Let us not forget that His victory is ours by His faith by His grace! We reach out our hand and grasp it today by beholding Him and yielding the whole heart to Christ!! Then the fruit of such faith is that all of the fruits of the Spirit will be in our lives without one missing!

Not without a struggle could Jesus listen in silence to the arch-deceiver. But the Son of God was not to prove His divinity to Satan, or to explain the reason of His humiliation. By conceding to the demands of the rebel, nothing for the good of man or the glory of God would be gained. Had Christ complied with the suggestion of the enemy, Satan would still have said, Show me a sign that I may believe you to be the Son of God. Evidence would have been worthless to break the power of rebellion in his heart. And Christ was not to exercise divine power for His own benefit. He had come to bear trial as we must do, leaving us an example of faith and submission. Neither here nor at any subsequent time in His earthly life did He work a miracle in His own behalf. His wonderful works were all for the good of others. Though Jesus recognized Satan from the beginning, He was not provoked to enter into controversy with him. Strengthened with the memory of the voice from heaven, He rested in His Father's love. He would not parley with temptation. 

Let us not invite temptation by going in a direction that we know makes it more difficult to hear God's still, small voice leading us on step-by-step to heaven. Let us realize our continual need of Jesus to do any good thing!

[Sean James]

What a privilege it is to realize the value of the salvation offered us in Christ. His victory becomes ours by a living faith experience as we yield the whole heart to Him because His love attracts us and motivates us to be anything or nothing as His providence shall indicate. Only in eternity will the value of what we have been offered more fully unfold before us. So let us value it now more and more each day as we look upon Jesus and live!

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.   

The more fully we contemplate the loveliness of Jesus, the more the things of this world look like dimness and darkness by contrast. Let not the focus be for the things that pass away, but for the things which will never pass away: the word of God, the soul transformed by His grace, and the souls that are saved by the witness Christ is effecting in our lives!

[Sean James]

If someone asked you if you loved God, and you realized your weakness and lack of love in and of yourself, the good news is that you can go to God to receive the love that is to flow back to Him. Only by love is love awakened, and as we behold the loveliness of Jesus and see His perfect character, we see our deep need of His love to transform our hearts. He turns no one away. Do not stay away because you do not "feel" good enough, for Christ came to save the ungodly (we are all qualified). As we acknowledge our sinfulness, yield the whole heart to Him, and experience the power of His transforming grace, He gives us a new heart and a new mind that is filled with love--and all that accompanies that love: joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance (all of the fruits of the Spirit without one missing as promised in Galatians 5:22-23). Then the life of obedience that Christ invited us to live that once seemed impossible is seen to be a delight as it really is by abiding in Him!

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 the love of Christ so fill your life today that His promise is fulfilled: "There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love" (1 John 4:18). Let the love of Christ cast out all selfish fear and instead give you the power and sound mind that is the fruit of His love in the life so you may walk even as Jesus walked!

[Sean James]

We need Jesus to abide in our hearts in order for our sins to be cast out and for His presence to keep us from returning to the path of sin and selfishness! HE IS ABLE!! Let us fully yield to Jesus so all of the fruits of the Spirit will be manifest in our lives without one 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.

Jesus will energize you with the Holy Spirit so He can work in and through you to accomplish His good pleasure! We were made of His pleasure (Revelation 4:11), and it pleases Him that we avail ourselves of His cleansing grace!! He is able to keep us from falling by the power of His word!

[Sean James]

We need to be converted daily, and abide in the converting, renewing grace of God on a moment-by-moment basis!

"Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit" (John 3:5-8).

While the wind is itself invisible, it produces effects that are seen and felt. So the work of the Spirit upon the soul will reveal itself in every act of him who has felt its saving power. When the Spirit of God takes possession of the heart, it transforms the life. Sinful thoughts are put away, evil deeds are renounced; love, humility, and peace take the place of anger, envy, and strife. Joy takes the place of sadness, and the countenance reflects the light of heaven. No one sees the hand that lifts the burden, or beholds the light descend from the courts above. The blessing comes when by faith the soul surrenders itself to God. Then that power which no human eye can see creates a new being in the image of God.

But how does the Spirit of God renew us? What motivates the heart to yield FULLY to Jesus? "And 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. For God so loved the world, that He gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be saved" (John 3:14-17).

By beholding the loveliness of Jesus, and meditating upon the infinite love of God the Father who gave His only begotten Son to the shameful death of Calvary, we are enabled to truly experience a renewing of the our hearts and minds by the supernatural agency of the Holy Spirit. Then all of the fruits of the Spirit will be seen in our lives without one missing as we live by faith upon Him, gladly living the principles of the law of God with affectionate obedience!

[Sean James]

Let us keep our focus on Jesus, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world. Our part, though small, is to behold Him in HIs loveliness and yield the entire heart to Him! Then we will be glad to say with John the Baptist, "He must increase, but I must decrease" (John 3:30).

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. 

May this day be filled with the joy of self-abnegation--letting God direct your steps and guide you in His selflessness. Only in perfect acquiescence is perfect rest. Then all of the fruits of the Sprite flow spontaneously from a life that is in union and communion with Christ!

[Sean James]

Are you satisfied? If you are looking for anything in this world to supply that sense of want, it will always prove to be unsatisfying. Nothing earthly can satisfy us, because we were made in the image of God. Only as we receive the faith that comes from God will there be true satisfaction. We need to realize our continual need of Jesus and yield the whole heart to Him so He can truly satisfy us, keeping every earthly blessing--even water and food--in their proper place. Then, with heart yielded to Him totally, all of the fruits of the Sprit will be seen in the life without one missing, for the life-giving Spirit flowing in the converted soul is the living water that truly does satisfy--and gives us a new capacity and desire for more and more from God that we may also impart to others!! "Therefore with joy shall ye draw waters from the well of salvation" (Isaiah 12:3).

Jesus did not convey the idea that merely one draft of the water of life would suffice the receiver. He who tastes of the love of Christ will continually long for more; but he seeks for nothing else. The riches, honors, and pleasures of the world do not attract him. The constant cry of his heart is, More of Thee. And He who reveals to the soul its necessity is waiting to satisfy its hunger and thirst. Every human resource and dependence will fail. The cisterns will be emptied, the pools become dry; but our Redeemer is an inexhaustible fountain. We may drink, and drink again, and ever find a fresh supply. He in whom Christ dwells has within himself the fountain of blessing,--"a well of water springing up into everlasting life." From this source he may draw strength and grace sufficient for all his needs.

Let us go to Christ just as we are--no matter how satisfied we are with what He is to us now or how unsatisfied we may feel. He is the ANSWER in the drought of this world's desert!

[Sean James]

We are fallen beings, and as such, until Christ has the ENTIRE heart, our motives in seeking Him will still be selfish--but He does not turn us away from Him! We can come to Him as we are, and we may find healing in His presence! Let us look to Christ and persevere in prayer, knowing He DOES want to answer our prayers in a way that not only brings us to true conversion (total surrender in abiding in His will so we allow His blood to cleanse us from all sin in true repentance so all of the fruits of the Spirit will be seen in our lives without one missing). Then the trial turns to a benefit, and we have a testimony of His grace to share with others of what Christ has done for us!

Like a flash of light, the Saviour's words to the nobleman laid bare his heart. He saw that his motives in seeking Jesus were selfish. His vacillating faith appeared to him in its true character. In deep distress he realized that his doubt might cost the life of his son. He knew that he was in the presence of One who could read the thoughts, and to whom all things were possible. In an agony of supplication he cried, "Sir, come down ere my child die." His faith took hold upon Christ as did Jacob, when, wrestling with the Angel, he cried, "I will not let Thee go, except Thou bless me." Genesis 32:26. 
     Like Jacob he prevailed. The Saviour cannot withdraw from the soul that clings to Him, pleading its great need. "Go thy way," He said; "thy son liveth." The nobleman left the Saviour's presence with a peace and joy he had never known before. Not only did he believe that his son would be restored, but with strong confidence he trusted in Christ as the Redeemer. 

No matter how much the world seems to be falling apart, our lives may be held in the palm of God's hand by His divine grace as we choose Him continually! We need Jesus continually in order to do any good thing!

[Sean James]

Let us realize there are only two paths in life--the path of eternal life and the path of eternal death. "Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore" (Psalm 16:11). There are many ways to walk the path of eternal death. Satan tries to make it look fun and inviting with lots of distractions and delusions, but in the end, it leads to death--separation from God and His infinite plan of blessing for the life He created. But as we yield the will to Christ because we are drawn by His loveliness of character, we see that He has a plan for our lives that exceeds our highest expectations! He renews our hearts and minds with His selflessness and imbues us with all of the fruits of the Spirit so that not one is missing! Then duty becomes a delight, and sacrifice a pleasure! Let us allow God to chart our destiny, and praise Him as our Provider, for all the things needful for this life and the life to come are already ours in Christ!!

The words of Christ teach that we should regard ourselves as inseparably bound to our Father in heaven. Whatever our position, we are dependent upon God, who holds all destinies in His hands. He has appointed us our work, and has endowed us with faculties and means for that work. So long as we surrender the will to God, and trust in His strength and wisdom, we shall be guided in safe paths, to fulfill our appointed part in His great plan. But the one who depends upon his own wisdom and power is separating himself from God. Instead of working in unison with Christ, he is fulfilling the purpose of the enemy of God and man.

Dependence upon God is our real condition, and when we appreciate all He is to us and all He does for us, we may gladly be "ALL IN" for Him. Would you like to yield completely to Christ today? If so, you may rejoice in His purpose being fulfilled in and through you! What a blessing!

[Sean James]

How does divinity really reveal itself? What was seen in Jesus' life? The evidence of His divinity was seen in its adaptation to the needs of suffering humanity. His glory was shown in His condescension to our low estate.

And Jesus offers us this same character! This is His promise: "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).

When the Holy Spirit takes full possession of the heart and mind that is surrendered unreservedly to Christ, Christ's blood atones for the sin of the soul, a new heart and mind is given! Thus, there is such healing and transformation when we live by faith on the Son of God so that all of the fruits of the Spirit without one missing is seen in a life of true, affectionate obedience to all of the commandments of God! Let us go forth to bless others as God provides for all our needs and leads us to bless others!

[Sean James]

Jesus wants us to understand what is happening in our world and what is so soon to come to pass. As Jesus ministers in the sanctuary in heaven, ministering cleanse the record of those who have confessed and forsaken their sin in true repentance by beholding His loveliness and yielding the entire heart and mind to Him, how He longs to give us the moral courage to stand victorious in the closing moments of earth's history! All who yield in total faith surrender by His grace will be filled with all of the fruits of the Spirit without one missing! As the seven last plagues described in Revelation 16 will fall upon the world after Jesus finishes His high priestly ministry in the heavenly sanctuary, only those who have received the seal of the living God (applied by the Holy Spirit, and which is seen in keeping all of the commandments of God, including the fourth commandment that enjoins us to remember the Sabbath of the seventh day to keep it holy) will be spared the unutterable agony of those judgments that fall upon the wicked without mercy. Oh, let us make use of the time of probation now! Let us search the Scriptures that we may see Jesus high and lifted up, and in beholding Him, have every desire and aspiration bound up with His plan to save the world from the ruin that is so swift to come!!

“The Lord God will do nothing, but He revealeth His secret unto His servants and prophets.” While “the secret things belong unto the Lord our God,” “those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children forever.” Amos 3:7; Deuteronomy 29:29. God has given these things to us, and His blessing will attend the reverent, prayerful study of the prophetic scriptures.

God is not trying to hide things from the world. He desires ALL to be saved! But alas, how few are willing to yield to Him! Let us not grow discouraged in the good fight of faith, but keep presenting Christ as the center of prophecy, studying the books of Daniel and Revelation together as they give us PRESENT TRUTH that Jesus is SO SOON TO COME--an event that is the ultimate deliverance of the righteous, but that which destroys the wicked by the brightness of His coming, for sin cannot exist in the full glorious presence of God. There is still time to repent! Look to Jesus even now, and there is still hope!! What wondrous love God has manifested in being SO SO PATIENT with us and with our world--but soon His judgements will fall in full measure, and now is the day of salvation!!

[Sean James]

Christ is being SUPER patient with us—let us avail ourselves of these closing seconds of earth’s history and receive and exercise the gift of true repentance offered us in Him by a total surrender!!

Not without one more call to repentance could He give them up. Toward the close of His ministry in Galilee, He again visited the home of His childhood. Since His rejection there, the fame of His preaching and His miracles had filled the land. None now could deny that He possessed more than human power. The people of Nazareth knew that He went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed by Satan. About them were whole villages where there was not a moan of sickness in any house; for He had passed through them, and healed all their sick. The mercy revealed in every act of His life testified to His divine anointing.

We see Jesus’ character that attracts us to Him! Look and live!

[Sean James]

God sees the end from the beginning. It is so encouraging to remember that Jesus thought of us when He was in His ministry on earth!

Beside the throng on the shores of Gennesaret, Jesus in His sermon by the sea had other audiences before His mind. Looking down the ages, He saw His faithful ones in prison and judgment hall, in temptation and loneliness and affliction. Every scene of joy and conflict and perplexity was open before Him. In the words spoken to those gathered about Him, He was speaking also to these other souls the very words that would come to them as a message of hope in trial, of comfort in sorrow, and heavenly light in darkness. Through the Holy Spirit, that voice which was speaking from the fisherman's boat on the Sea of Galilee, would be heard speaking peace to human hearts to the close of time.

Let Jesus speak lasting peace to your heart--a peace that passes all understanding in the trials and tribulations of this moral life that will soon be swallowed up in glory by the coming of Jesus! As we yield the whole heart to Christ He cleanses us from sin by His atoning blood, imparts to us a living union and communion with Him by the Holy Spirit, and empowers us to happily obey God's law of love!

[Sean James]

The light of the glory of God as seen in the face of Jesus Christ is shining brighter and brighter in our world! Let us surrender unreservedly to Christ today so He may shine the light of His love through us whereby all of the fruits of the Holy Spirit's presence may be revealed in our lives! Then we will go forth in affectionate obedience to God's law of love, for our highest delight is in doing His service!

The Sun of Righteousness did not burst upon the world in splendor, to dazzle the senses with His glory. It is written of Christ, "His going forth is prepared as the morning." Hosea 6:3. Quietly and gently the daylight breaks upon the earth, dispelling the shadow of darkness, and waking the world to life. So did the Sun of Righteousness arise, "with healing in His wings." Malachi 4:2. 

The gradually increasing brightness of the sunlight is a reminder of how God keeps shedding more and more light upon our life path as we follow Christ, the Light of the world! May this be your experience today so others are drawn to Jesus, too!

[Sean James]

Let us remember that when God answers prayer, it is always in the best way and the best time. But when we truly come to Christ in full surrender and repent of sin, confessing and forsaking it, we can know that God pardons IMMEDIATELY! What a blessing to know that sin need not weigh us down as we come to Christ who has power to forgive sin and restore us to His moral image! Then in the life surrendered totally to Christ, we may enjoy the experience of having all of the fruits of the Sprit in our lives without one missing as we gladly obey God's law of love from the heart and mind renewed by divine grace!

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.

Let us remember how much God loves us this entire day and cultivate the intimacy that He is seeking with us. Only sin separates us from God (Isaiah 59:2), and He desires us to have nothing between our souls and Him! May we walk with God even as Enoch did, and as the healed paralytic and healed leper walked in the joy of total restoration!