The Glory of God

[Sean]

It was by personal contact and association that Jesus trained His disciples. Sometimes He taught them, sitting among them on the mountainside; sometimes beside the sea, or walking with them by the way, He revealed the mysteries of the kingdom of God. He did not sermonize as men do today. Wherever hearts were open to receive the divine message, He unfolded the truths of the way of salvation. He did not command His disciples to do this or that, but said, "Follow Me." On His journeys through country and cities He took them with Him, that they might see how He taught the people. He linked their interest with His, and they united with Him in the work.

Let us follow Christ in every aspect as He reproduces His character in us! All of the fruits of the Spirit without one missing will be seen in our lives as long as we are connected to Him in a vital union and communion of our souls by grace through faith!

[Sean]

Since Jesus' presence alone can make us happy, it is so encouraging to know that it is also only His presence that can cleanse our souls from sin! As we receive true repentance from Christ and confess our sins, He freely forgives us and renews our hearts and minds to have all of the fruits of the Spirit in our lives without one missing as we are empowered to obey God from the heart! Sin destroys our true happiness, while holiness brings the sweetest bliss that can ever be known both for this life and the life to come!

"Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are." 1 Cor. 3:16, 17. No man can of himself cast out the evil throng that have taken possession of the heart. Only Christ can cleanse the soul temple. But He will not force an entrance. He comes not into the heart as to the temple of old; but He says, "Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear My voice, and open the door, I will come in to him." Rev. 3:20. He will come, not for one day merely; for He says, "I will dwell in them, and walk in them; . . . and they shall be My people." "He will subdue our iniquities; and Thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea." 2 Cor. 6:16; Micah 7:19. His presence will cleanse and sanctify the soul, so that it may be a holy temple unto the Lord, and "an habitation of God through the Spirit." Eph. 2:21, 22.

When we abide in Jesus and He abides in us by His word, there can be no such thing as failure, loss or defeat because God works out His divine purpose through teaching us our continual need of Jesus! May you stay in constant union and communion with Christ today!

[Sean]

You are being drawn to Christ right now. If you do not resist Him, you will be led to look to Christ in simple faith and live. A new heart and a new mind are offered you by the atoning blood of Christ and the renewing of the Holy Spirit. When you surrender the whole heart to Christ, the greatest miracle takes place--you become a new creation--and all of the fruits of the Spirit without one missing will be revealed in the life as affectionate obedience to all the light God has revealed becomes your highest delight in doing His service!

Nicodemus was being drawn to Christ. As the Saviour explained to him concerning the new birth, he longed to have this change wrought in himself. By what means could it be accomplished? Jesus answered the unspoken question: “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.”

Do you long for a change? Are you yearning to be what God has planned for your life? Then look to Christ uplifted on Calvary's cross, and by grace through faith lay hold of the miraculous experience He is offering you right now. Look away from sin, self and the devil's lies and "let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 2:5). Confess and forsake the sins that the Holy Spirit reveals to you and go forward in His appointed plan for you which He so graciously will unfold day by day!

[Sean]

Self-abnegation is in no way akin to self-depreciation. Selflessness is the foundation for the highest development for this life and the life to come, and it can only come into the soul from Jesus as a gift, for selflessness is love. As John looked to Jesus, his entire focus was the mission that was given him from heaven. May we realize our heaven-given mission to proclaim and live the everlasting gospel (Revelation 14:6-12), prepare for translation, and see Jesus come to end the sin and suffering in the universe as soon as possible! Victory over sin begins the moment the heart is fully yielded to Christ in faith and all of the fruits of the Spirit will be manifest in the life (even as at ever advance step our repentance will deepen, and we confess and forsake the sins the Holy Spirit reveals), but Christ also is performing a work in the heavenly sanctuary to blot out all of the sins that have been confessed and forsaken by His people. The judgment taking place above will pass to the cases of the living saints right before the time of trouble during which time the seven last plagues will be poured out, climaxing in the return of Jesus to take those redeemed from the grave (resurrected saints) and those redeemed from among men (the translated saints) to heaven to judge the wicked for 1000 years, following which time Christ will return the third time to this earth with His people in the New Jerusalem, the wicked will be raised to receive the judgment written, and the fires of hell will consume the wicked to ashes (Malachi 4:1,3) so that the earth can be made new (Revelation 21:1) and sin and sinners will be no more (Nahum 1:9)! The entire universe will be clean! Let us look in faith to Christ and give the WHOLE MESSAGE out of love in Christ Jesus!! We can help hasten His return by being faithful to let His word produce in us the experience He has promised!

     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. 

Look up to Christ and be victorious! With Him there is no such thing as defeat!! Jesus is coming again!! Hallelujah!!

[Sean]

What a blessing it is to know Jesus, the source of true satisfaction, and ever go to Him afresh for strength and grace for all His providence assigns as best for us!

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. 

When we live by faith on the Son of God, all of the fruits of the Spirit will be seen in our lives without one missing and we are empowered to obey God from the new heart given us in true conversion! Jesus calls us to receive Him in ever-increasing measure as the living water that alone can satisfy us! May we reflect Christ to others in a way that invites them to know and love Him in whom our hope of eternal life is centered!

[Sean]

We are so obvious to God. He reads us like an open book. He gets why we do what we do, even more fully than we can discern. That is why what He says is so important. When the nobleman came to Jesus desiring to have his son healed, he put conditions on whether he would accept Christ as the Messiah, and upon those conditions he based his faith. But Christ longed to give to him an unconditional faith that works by love--a faith that could trust that no matter what the outcome of the immediate situation, his faith would be anchored in Christ as Redeemer. May we learn from this our deep need of God's grace to have Him transform the reason we do things from being selfish to being founded upon God's unchanging character and believing fully all His word reveals!

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. 

When we see our sinfulness, we are not to despond as is we have no Savior; rather, we are to come to Him as we are, surrender fully to the Holy Spirit, and let Him fill us with all of the fruits of the Spirit without one missing as we are empowered to obey God affectionately because He first loved us! What goodness He lavishes upon us to lead us to repentance! Hallelujah!

[Sean]

We need Jesus continually! As we stay connected to Him by a living faith surrender, all of the fruits of the Spirit without one missing will be manifest in our lives to His glory as we are gladly obedient to His law of love!

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.

Let us allow God to fulfill His will through us by His word and by His Spirit!

[Sean]

Who is leading you? Are you submitting daily your will to God and letting His word direct your path? If so, rejoice in the midst of trial and tribulation, even unto death for the sake of Christ, knowing that His plans are best and His love is infinite. He knows what is best and plans for the good of His creatures. Then trust God. Praise Him in the midst of all the experiences of life, and depend upon the Holy Spirit to produce in you all of the fruits of the Spirit without one missing as you grow in His grace, love and truth, affectionately obeying God's law from the new heart He gives you.

John the Baptist lost his life as he was faithful to the end, and we should not fear to lose our lives if we choose to be faithful, too. As our Savior suffered beyond our comprehension, in His gracious love He offers us fellowship with Him in that experience as we are on the verge of the close of the great controversy between Christ and Satan. Our lives and the witness manifest through us can help hasten Christ's return as He desires living witnesses for Him who reveal His character to the universe! He is preparing a people who enjoy sweetest fellowship with Him though they will suffer with Him in the experience, and He will have a living witness of saints prepared for translation without seeing death, because self is dead and Christ "the hope of glory" shines forth from them spontaneously! Let us this victory offered us be our choice by the love and purity given us through abiding in Jesus moment-by-moment!

God never leads His children otherwise than they would choose to be led, if they could see the end from the beginning, and discern the glory of the purpose which they are fulfilling as co-workers with Him. Not Enoch, who was translated to heaven, not Elijah, who ascended in a chariot of fire, was greater or more honored than John the Baptist, who perished alone in the dungeon. "Unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on Him, but also to suffer for His sake." Philippians 1:29. And of all the gifts that Heaven can bestow upon men, fellowship with Christ in His sufferings is the most weighty trust and the highest honor.

We can trust God to lead us this day, for faithfulness today prepares us for faithfulness tomorrow. Only by abiding in Christ by grace through faith will we have strength to resist evil and be empowered by God to bless others unselfishly. Looking upon the Savior's crucifixion puts everything in perspective as we more fully appreciate the cost our salvation!

[Sean]

Looking to Jesus we find strength and grace as we ask for it in His name to overcome sin as we abide in Him! By the Holy Spirit we can do God's will as He unfolds His plan for us!

As the message of Christ’s first advent announced the kingdom of His grace, so the message of His second advent announces the kingdom of His glory. And the second message, like the first, is based on the prophecies. The words of the angel to Daniel relating to the last days were to be understood in the time of the end. At that time, “many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.” “The wicked shall do wickedly: and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand.” Daniel 12:4, 10. The Saviour Himself has given signs of His coming, and He says, “When ye see these things come to pass, know ye that the kingdom of God is nigh at hand.” “And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares.” “Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.” Luke 21:31, 34, 36.

Let us rejoice in His promises and abide in His character! When we live by faith on the Son of God, all of the fruits of the Spirit will be seen in our lives without one missing, giving us affectionate obedience to all of God's commandments!

[Sean]

If it happened at the time of Christ, it can surely happen again. Prejudice, unbelief and misunderstanding can blind hearts and minds to the truth for this time so that it become nearly impossible for many to discern it. But we can look to God's word in sincerity for ourselves and let the Holy Spirit interpret spiritual things to us so we can walk humbly in truth with all of the fruits of the Spirit in the life like Jesus did. Let us walk even as He walked thought many errors abound in our time, too.

Because their understanding was darkened by selfish prejudice, they could not harmonize the power of Christ's convicting words with the humility of His life. They did not appreciate the fact that real greatness can dispense with outward show. This Man's poverty seemed wholly inconsistent with His claim to be the Messiah. They questioned, If He was what He claimed to be, why was He so unpretending? If He was satisfied to be without the force of arms, what would become of their nation? How could the power and glory so long anticipated bring the nations as subjects to the city of the Jews? Had not the priests taught that Israel was to bear rule over all the earth? and could it be possible that the great religious teachers were in error?

[Sean]

When you go through a difficult season, remember who is right there to help you look up--it is Jesus!! He desires to inspire your heart with faith, hope and love and empower you to do more than you thought was possible because the Holy Spirit will imbue your soul with His very divine nature!! All of the fruits of the Spirit without one missing will be in your life and character as long as you stay connected to the Source of life--Jesus Christ and Him crucified!! Then affectionate obedience becomes the focus of life--to do as much as possible in harmony with the present truth for this time (proclaiming the three angels' messages while living in preparation for translation)!

During that sad night on the lake, when they were separated from Christ, the disciples were pressed hard by unbelief, and weary with fruitless toil. But His presence kindled their faith, and brought them joy and success. So it is with us; apart from Christ, our work is fruitless, and it is easy to distrust and murmur. But when He is near, and we labor under His direction, we rejoice in the evidence of His power. It is Satan's work to discourage the soul; it is Christ's work to inspire with faith and hope. 

Don't listen to Satan who wants you to stay away from Christ because of your past sins. Look up to Christ and move forward in faith in His providential leadings!! Jesus has great plans for you that will glorify His name and clothe you in humility!

[Sean]

Freedom is what we need. And freedom from sin can only be found in Christ. Through a complete surrender of the heart, mind and will to Him, all of the fruits of the Spirit without one missing will be manifest in the life that is centered in Him. Christ living in the soul then constrains us out of love to obey Him up to the light He has revealed to us! Let us walk in this glorious freedom!!

Every man is free to choose what power he will have to rule over him. None have fallen so low, none are so vile, but that they can find deliverance in Christ. The demoniac, in place of prayer, could utter only the words of Satan; yet the heart's unspoken appeal was heard. No cry from a soul in need, though it fail of utterance in words, will be unheeded. Those who will consent to enter into covenant relation with the God of heaven are not left to the power of Satan or to the infirmity of their own nature. They are invited by the Saviour, "Let him take hold of My strength, that he may make peace with Me; and he shall make peace with Me." Isaiah 27:5. The spirits of darkness will battle for the soul once under their dominion, but angels of God will contend for that soul with prevailing power. The Lord says, "Shall the prey be taken from the mighty, or the lawful captive delivered? . . . Thus saith the Lord, Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken away, and the prey of the terrible shall be delivered: for I will contend with him that contendeth with thee, and I will save thy children." Isaiah 49:24, 25. 

What promises God offers us! Let us keep our eyes of faith fixed on Christ and overcome even as He did--by the power of the word of God!!

[Sean]

Let us accept all the spiritual help Christ offers us. He is willing to make us new in Him--with new motives, thoughts, feelings and character from His very "divine nature" (2 Peter 1:4), taking away the leprosy of sin!

The work of Christ in cleansing the leper from his terrible disease is an illustration of His work in cleansing the soul from sin. The man who came to Jesus was "full of leprosy." Its deadly poison permeated his whole body. The disciples sought to prevent their Master from touching him; for he who touched a leper became himself unclean. But in laying His hand upon the leper, Jesus received no defilement. His touch imparted life-giving power. The leprosy was cleansed. Thus it is with the leprosy of sin,--deep-rooted, deadly, and impossible to be cleansed by human power. "The whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint. From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness in it; but wounds, and bruises, and putrefying sores." Isaiah 1:5, 6. But Jesus, coming to dwell in humanity, receives no pollution. His presence has healing virtue for the sinner. Whoever will fall at His feet, saying in faith, "Lord, if Thou wilt, Thou canst make me clean," shall hear the answer, "I will; be thou made clean." Matthew 8:2, 3, R. V. 

[Sean]

Happy Sabbath! Let us allow Jesus to do in us the true heart work that makes us like Him in mind and character as we overcome sin through union and communion with Him, receiving new hearts that have all of the fruits of the Spirit without one missing as we gladly obey God's law of love!

"The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, Thou wilt not despise." Psalm 51:17. Man must be emptied of self before he can be, in the fullest sense, a believer in Jesus. When self is renounced, then the Lord can make man a new creature. New bottles can contain the new wine. The love of Christ will animate the believer with new life. In him who looks unto the Author and Finisher of our faith the character of Christ will be manifest.

What a joy to have Jesus revealed in our characters today to bless others in willing service! Go forth with Christ and let Him be revealed to this world I harmony with the present truth messages for this time calling people to prepare for His return in experiencing true conversion and proclaiming the three angels' messages of Revelation 14! Christ is coming!! He will prepare our hearts as we grow in His grace!

[Sean]

Praise the Lord for God's plan to redeem us from sin! He gave us the Sabbath to continually bring our minds to this great purpose, and to deepen our relationship with Christ! Let us appreciate all that God has for us and walk even as Jesus walked--by the word through the Holy Spirit's grace and power! In such an experience, all of the fruits of the Spirit without one missing will be in our lives as we are empowered to affectionately obey God's Ten Commandment law of love! Hallelujah!

Christ would teach His disciples and His enemies that the service of God is first of all. The object of God's work in this world is the redemption of man; therefore that which is necessary to be done on the Sabbath in the accomplishment of this work is in accord with the Sabbath law. Jesus then crowned His argument by declaring Himself the "Lord of the Sabbath,"--One above all question and above all law. This infinite Judge acquits the disciples of blame, appealing to the very statutes they are accused of violating. 

Christ never broke the Sabbath of the seventh day of the week, for He created it for our benefit! He gave us a perfect example of following the word of God in the face of all the conflicting traditions that would only confuse the mind and life. He is the One we are to follow by His grace through His faith at work in our hearts by His infinite love!