The Glory of God

[Sean]

What a blessing it is to discern the loving character of God! He is drawing all, and this promise shares that many will be saved whom may surprise us! Let’s surrender all to Jesus and experience all of the fruit of the Spirit in our lives without one missing as we gladly obey Christ from the new heart!

Those whom Christ commends in the judgment may have known little of theology, but they have cherished His principles. Through the influence of the divine Spirit they have been a blessing to those about them. Even among the heathen are those who have cherished the spirit of kindness; before the words of life had fallen upon their ears, they have befriended the missionaries, even ministering to them at the peril of their own lives. Among the heathen are those who worship God ignorantly, those to whom the light is never brought by human instrumentality, yet they will not perish. Though ignorant of the written law of God, they have heard His voice speaking to them in nature, and have done the things that the law required. Their works are evidence that the Holy Spirit has touched their hearts, and they are recognized as the children of God.

When the heart is reached, the life is changed. No matter how God reaches the heart in full surrender, what a joy it is to become converted and look forward to heaven when we meet all our family in heaven and earth in one glorious experience!

[Sean]

Let us behold Christ and cooperate with Him in the selfless love He manifested to us! In true conversion all of the fruits of the Spirit will be manifest in the life without one missing as long as we remain vitally connected to Christ and gladly obey God where He leads 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.   

What joy it is to become like Jesus! Perfect love casts out fear as we bless others in God's will and way!

[Sean]

There is infinitely more love from Jesus when we behold Him in His pure, unselfish loveliness! All of the fruits of the Spirit without one missing will be seen in our lives without one missing as long as we abide in Him who gave ALL for us! Let us yield ALL we have and are to Him so we can be empowered to affectionately obey God from the new heart of faith that works by love!

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.   

We glory in the cross as that is where Christ paid the price for every human soul. Oh, let us talk it, sing it, pray it and live it! "Christ in you, the hope of glory" (Colossians 1:27) is the surety of constant victory over sin!!

[Sean]

God helps us through Jesus! Contemplate Gethsemane!

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. 

What a gift! Let's yield the whole heart to Christ!

[Sean]

What if we realized the true value of eternal things over the temporal, and by beholding Christ became changed into His lovely image? Day by day we can contemplate more fully the loveliness of Jesus and become like Him in mind and character! A full-heart surrender to Christ will produce in the converted soul all of the fruits of the Spirit without one missing as we are empowered to affectionately obey God from the new heart and new mind He gives us in His love!

The story of Bethlehem is an exhaustless theme. In it is hidden "the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God." Romans 11:33. We marvel at the Saviour's sacrifice in exchanging the throne of heaven for the manger, and the companionship of adoring angels for the beasts of the stall. Human pride and self-sufficiency stand rebuked in His presence. Yet this was but the beginning of His wonderful condescension. It would have been an almost infinite humiliation for the Son of God to take man's nature, even when Adam stood in his innocence in Eden. But Jesus accepted humanity when the race had been weakened by four thousand years of sin. Like every child of Adam He accepted the results of the working of the great law of heredity. What these results were is shown in the history of His earthly ancestors. He came with such a heredity to share our sorrows and temptations, and to give us the example of a sinless life."

No temptation is too great for Jesus to help us navigate without yielding to the power of evil. As we abide in Him, He will direct our steps in unselfish service! May God bless you today in being a blessing to others by letting Jesus live and work out His plan through you!

[Sean]

What a gift Jesus is to us, and thankfully He can restore us into His image of unselfishness! God's healing power to renew our hearts and minds is so powerful that He can keep us from falling as we trust in Him day by day! Let us choose to yield to Christ and overcome sin through Him! He will give us the desire and capacity for serving Him in true conversion so all of the fruits of the Spirit will be manifest in our lives as we are empowered to obey God from the new heart!

By the life and the death of Christ, the thoughts of men also are brought to view. From the manger to the cross, the life of Jesus was a call to self-surrender, and to fellowship in suffering. It unveiled the purposes of men. Jesus came with the truth of heaven, and all who were listening to the voice of the Holy Spirit were drawn to Him. The worshipers of self belonged to Satan's kingdom. In their attitude toward Christ, all would show on which side they stood. And thus everyone passes judgment on himself. 

May we all pass judgment on ourselves in the way of saying, "I surrender all" rather than choosing to go our own way. God is gracious to woo us and win us to His purity and power! In the midst of the greatest suffering and trials of this life we can have the peace that passes all understanding because we can recognize Christ living in us, the hope of glory!

[Sean]

We live in a fallen world, and God does not bid us to seek great things for ourselves, but to seek Him. He is drawing us to Himself. When we fully acquiesce to His will as revealed in His word, we find rest and peace in our hearts and all of the fruits of the Spirit without one missing flow in as a result of a living union and communion with Christ. Christ empowers us to affectionately obey Him so we can be a blessing to others. The wise men who sought Christ were being drawn by the Holy Spirit, and today the Holy Spirit is drawing souls to Him so we can happily persevere in our journey towards heaven!

As by faith Abraham went forth at the call of God, "not knowing whither he went" (Hebrews 11:; as by faith Israel followed the pillar of cloud to the Promised Land, so did these Gentiles go forth to find the promised Saviour. The Eastern country abounded in precious things, and the magi did not set out empty-handed. It was the custom to offer presents as an act of homage to princes or other personages of rank, and the richest gifts the land afforded were borne as an offering to Him in whom all the families of the earth were to be blessed. It was necessary to journey by night in order to keep the star in view; but the travelers beguiled the hours by repeating traditional sayings and prophetic utterances concerning the One they sought. At every pause for rest they searched the prophecies; and the conviction deepened that they were divinely guided. While they had the star before them as an outward sign, they had also the inward evidence of the Holy Spirit, which was impressing their hearts, and inspiring them with hope. The journey, though long, was a happy one to them. 

Whatever God leads us to, He will lead us through, as by grace through faith we may be partakers of the divine nature and overcome the world, the flesh and the devil by the same power Christ relied upon--the word of God! Let us treasure each moment as a treasure to be employed for holy purposes, so others will be drawn to Christ by our life and example! "Christ in you, the hope of glory" offers you a new heart and mind. Let us abide in Him!

[Sean]

Happy Sabbath to all! Let us behold Jesus and become like Him in mind and character, growing in grace and knowledge of the truth for this time! As we share the Three Angels' Messages (Revelation 14:6-12) with the world, let us do it reflecting the character of Christ (Revelation 14:1-5)!

As a child, Jesus manifested a peculiar loveliness of disposition. His willing hands were ever ready to serve others. He manifested a patience that nothing could disturb, and a truthfulness that would never sacrifice integrity. In principle firm as a rock, His life revealed the grace of unselfish courtesy.

Jesus will abide in the heart that is fully yielded to Him, and all of the fruits of the Spirit without one missing will flow through the life to bless others as we let our Savior lead us this day in His ideal will! May you be blessed in His happy presence today! Jesus' presence is the only source of true, lasting happiness!

[Sean]

When God invites us to do something, it is well to remember that it is selfless--an unselfish desire on His part to bless us so we may bless others! It is in this light that we are invited to behold the loveliness of Jesus daily, as it makes us happy!

It would be well for us to spend a thoughtful hour each day in contemplation of the life of Christ. We should take it point by point, and let the imagination grasp each scene, especially the closing ones. As we thus dwell upon His great sacrifice for us, our confidence in Him will be more constant, our love will be quickened, and we shall be more deeply imbued with His spirit. If we would be saved at last, we must learn the lesson of penitence and humiliation at the foot of the cross. 
     As we associate together, we may be a blessing to one another. If we are Christ's, our sweetest thoughts will be of Him. We shall love to talk of Him; and as we speak to one another of His love, our hearts will be softened by divine influences. Beholding the beauty of His character, we shall be "changed into the same image from glory to glory." 2 Corinthians 3:18.

By beholding Christ we become changed into His image and all of the fruits of the Spirit without one missing will be manifest in the life that is abiding in Jesus. He empowers us to affectionately obey Him, living up to all the light He has shed on our path from His inspired sources, so we can go forth to bless others as Jesus did! What a joy it is to have a true conversion experience and have it renewed each day!

[Sean]

When the whole heart is yielded to Christ, we will desire what Jesus desires for us! He yearned to commune with the Father and found His hours of happiness in such sweet fellowship, thus preparing Him for the opportunities to minister to others! All of the fruits of the Spirit without one missing will be manifest in our lives when we are abiding in Jesus in true surrender of all we have and are!

From the time when the parents of Jesus found Him in the temple, His course of action was a mystery to them. He would not enter into controversy, yet His example was a constant lesson. He seemed as one who was set apart. His hours of happiness were found when alone with nature and with God. Whenever it was His privilege, He turned aside from the scene of His labor, to go into the fields, to meditate in the green valleys, to hold communion with God on the mountainside or amid the trees of the forest. The early morning often found Him in some secluded place, meditating, searching the Scriptures, or in prayer. From these quiet hours He would return to His home to take up His duties again, and to give an example of patient toil. 

What a blessing it is to let Christ strengthen us to walk even as He walked, knowing that His grace is strong and mighty to keep us from falling into sin, no matter how weak we may be!

[Sean]

We need HELP!! The Holy Spirit has the power to give us strength and grace to enables us to overcome--and our part is yielding to Him continually so all of the fruits of the Spirit will be seen in our lives without one missing! Grace and strength proportionate to our need will be given to each soul that desires the help that God alone can give!

John declared to the teachers of Israel that their pride, selfishness, and cruelty showed them to be a generation of vipers, a deadly curse to the people, rather than the children of just and obedient Abraham. In view of the light they had received from God, they were even worse than the heathen, to whom they felt so much superior. They had forgotten the rock whence they were hewn, and the hole of the pit from which they had been digged. God was not dependent upon them for the fulfilling of His purpose. As He had called Abraham out from a heathen people, so He could call others to His service. Their hearts might now appear as lifeless as the stones of the desert, but His Spirit could quicken them to do His will, and receive the fulfillment of His promise.

May the Holy Spirit take us from where we are to where we need to be in character and experience. All that we have and are is a gift from God, and the worse we are, the more we need Jesus! Yield to Him and let Him empower you to do what is right from the right motives out of love!

[Sean]

What an encouraging reality to dwell upon that we are "accepted in the Beloved" as we abide in Christ! May we internalize how God regards us and allow the word of God to transform our characters into the image of Christ!

And the word that was spoken to Jesus at the Jordan, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased," embraces humanity. God spoke to Jesus as our representative. With all our sins and weaknesses, we are not cast aside as worthless. "He hath made us accepted in the Beloved." Ephesians 1:6. The glory that rested upon Christ is a pledge of the love of God for us. It tells us of the power of prayer,--how the human voice may reach the ear of God, and our petitions find acceptance in the courts of heaven. By sin, earth was cut off from heaven, and alienated from its communion; but Jesus has connected it again with the sphere of glory. His love has encircled man, and reached the highest heaven. The light which fell from the open portals upon the head of our Saviour will fall upon us as we pray for help to resist temptation. The voice which spoke to Jesus says to every believing soul, This is My beloved child, in whom I am well pleased.

As we allow Christ into the heart as He knocks for entrance, all of the fruits of the Spirit without one missing will be manifest in our lives as we affectionately obey God from the heart He renews by His divine grace! Nothing is too hard for the Lord, and His grace is sufficient for us to empower us to do His will cheerfully and faithfully!

[Sean]

Are you struggling? In truth, we all are. The battle that we daily face against the world, the flesh and the devil is as real as the battles that often hit news headlines, but they are often unseen. In our inmost soul, we are daily deciding whether we will allow God's word to produce the victory we see it brought in the life of Jesus. He wrought out a perfect character in humanity as the divine Son of God and died as our perfect sacrifice, so we can have His victory manifest in character with all of the fruits of the Spirit without one missing as we are simultaneously empowered to obey God's law from the new heart He gives us in true conversion! While the struggle is real, the victory is also real. Let His mind "be in you" (Philippians 2:5) and see where He leads you by His grace!

Let him who is struggling against the power of appetite look to the Saviour in the wilderness of temptation. See Him in His agony upon the cross, as He exclaimed, "I thirst." He has endured all that it is possible for us to bear. His victory is ours. 

The joy of victory is so wonderful that it encourages us to face each new trial with the triumph of His grace at work in heart and life. When others see how happy we are having Jesus give us victory, we make Christ and His service appear attractive--as they really are--and get to live in this sinful world as witnesses of the gospel's supernatural power to keep us from falling into sin through constant union and communion with Jesus! 

[Sean]

Victory is offered you and me by abiding in Jesus. How did He overcome Satan? It was by the word of God. And as by grace through faith we live by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God here, we can joyfully look forward to our heavenly home in the hereafter and more fully realize the value of the salvation so freely offered us today!

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.   

What a blessing to get to sing the song of Moses and the Lamb in triumph because of His victory! All of the fruits of the Spirit without one missing flow forth through the truly converted life because Christ gives us a new heart and mind! What a joy that He can keep us from falling into sin from temptations that assail us from the world, the flesh and the devil. Look to Jesus and contemplate heaven as the REAL PLACE we belong! We are simply here in this world as missionaries to help more souls come to Him!

[Sean]

Happy Sabbath to you all! Remember the loveliness of Jesus and let His character transform you as you behold Him! All of the fruits of the Spirit without one missing will be manifest in the life of one who is truly abiding in Him! Let us look away from self to Jesus and walk by faith in the path His word leads us to follow!

"But as the people looked upon Him, they saw a face where divine compassion was blended with conscious power. Every glance of the eye, every feature of the countenance, was marked with humility, and expressive of unutterable love. He seemed to be surrounded by an atmosphere of spiritual influence. While His manners were gentle and unassuming, He impressed men with a sense of power that was hidden, yet could not be wholly concealed. Was this the One for whom Israel had so long waited?" {The Desire of Ages, page 137, paragraph 4}

What a blessing it is to realize that Jesus of Nazareth fulfilled the prophecies of the Messiah! He is soon to return in power and great glory! Let us look to Him and be saved from sin and prepared for holy, happy service!