He was locked up, put in jail, and accused of crimes he did not commit, when in truth, He was healing the sick, letting the blind see, and bringing His light to the Gentiles for all to see He is the King of the Jews, Lord of lords, and King of kings. Hallelujah!
“Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me; for thou lovest me before the foundation of the world.” John 17:24.
In our work, we meet with many discouragements. But we shall not gain a particle of strength by dwelling on the discouragements. By beholding we become changed. As we look in faith to Jesus, His image is engraved on the heart. We are transformed in character.
There are many who, in dwelling too largely upon theory, have lost sight of the living power of the Saviour’s example. They have lost sight of Him as the humble, self-denying worker. What they need is to behold Jesus. Daily we need the fresh revealing of His presence.
As we discern the perfection of our Saviour’s character, we shall desire to become wholly transformed, and renewed in the image of His purity. The more we know of God, the higher will be our ideal of character, and the more earnest our longing to reflect His likeness. A divine element combines with the human when the soul reaches out after God.
As one becomes acquainted with the history of the Redeemer he discovers in himself serious defects. . . He catches the looks, the spirit, of his beloved Master. . . . It is not by looking away from Him that we imitate the life of Jesus, but by talking of Him by dwelling upon His perfections, by seeking to refine the taste and elevate the character, by trying, through faith and love, and by earnest, persevering effort, to approach the perfect Pattern. By having a knowledge of Christ, — His words, His habits, and His lessons of instructions, we borrow the virtues of the character we have so closely studied, and become imbued with the spirit we have so much admired. Jesus becomes to us “the chiefest among ten thousand,” the One “altogether lovely.”
Jacobs’s time of trouble found him wrestling with His angel. . . and the angel won. . . and Jacob said as he hugged his angel, “Do not go until you bless me!”
Job too had many troubles, and the end was superior to the beginning of his life.
Noah preached for 120 years, but no one had seen a flood, the earth was watered from below. . . . until God released the rain shield He created in the beginning to create a zone or cloud of moisture, to protect the earth from the harm of the suns rays.
Then God had to bunch up the layers of land, to form continents, numbering 7. Post-flood era, shows the habitat of pre-flood meadows, lush greens, forests, and trees, and man’s genetic manipulation of God’s creation.
Today we are forced to reckon with those who use genetic modification, which can be detrimental to our health, and create disease and plagues. . . . and God made a promise to Pharaoh, to be recognized. . . . but when the plagues were removed by his request, the next plague was worse yet. Pharaoh did not realize the “blood on the doorpost” would save him from losing his own son. The symbol of a GOD WHO CARES was the symbol of the Lamb slain from before the World Plan of Salvation was made.
The heights and depths of God’s love in creating us to restore the beauty of His Holiness and makes us unworthy and humble as we stumble…to restore the image of God in us. . . Because all we like sheep have gone astray and have gone our own way. I need the Good Shepherd, to bring His sheep into the fold.
Restore in us the joy of Salvation, purchased by the blood of the Lamb!
May our sins be as scarlet, let Him wash us, and make our hearts as white as snow!
“And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we behold His glory as of the Only-begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.” John 1:14
The strength of nations and individuals is not found in the opportunities and facilities that appear to make them invincible; it is not found in their boasted greatness. That which alone can make them great or strong is the power of God. They themselves, by their attitude toward His purpose, decide their own destiny.
Human history relates to man’s achievements, his victories in battle, and his success in attaining worldly greatness. God’s history describes man as heaven views him. In the divine records, all his merit is seen to consist in his obedience to God’s requirements. . .
The centuries have their mission. Every moment has its work. Each is passing into eternity with its burden. . . . God is still dealing with earthly kingdoms. he is in the great cities. his eyes behold, His eyelids try, the doings of the children of men. We are not to say, God was, but, God is. He sees the very sparrow’s fall, the leaf that falls from the tree, and the king who is dethroned. All are under the control of the Infinite One. Everything is changing. Cities and nations are being measured by the plummet in the hand of God. He never makes a mistake. He reads correctly. Everything earthly i s unsettled, but the truth abides forever.
In the eyes of the world, those who serve God may appear weak. They may be apparently sinking beneath the billows, but with the next billow, they are seen rising nearer to their haven. I give unto them eternal life, saith our Lord, and none shall be able to pluck them out of My hand. Though kings shall be cast down, and nations removed, the souls that through faith link themselves with God’s purpose shall abide forever.
Fasten your eyes upon Jesus, and by beholding you will become assimilated to His image.
“Looking to Jesus the author and finisher of our faith.” Hebrews 12:2
“Many of the youth repine because they have not the ability to do some large work, and they covet talents by which they might do some wonderful things; but while they are spending their time in vain desires, they are making a failure of life. They are overlooking opportunities which they might improve in doing deeds of love in the path of life in which their feet are set. . .
“O that you would now consider the things that make for your peace, and devote your affections, your thoughts, your time, your service, to Christ. Satan is concentrating all his energies to bend your will to his, to make you his agent in opposing the plans of Christ, so that you may refuse to have Jesus reign over you. Although you know that “God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him, should not perish, but have everlasting life.” Satan . . . will seek to draw you away from Christ, that you may become his agent in drawing others away, and thus frustrate the plans of God. He is the father of lies, and he waves a net of falsehood in which he binds you with cords of lies to his service. The more intelligent you are, the more attractive, the harder he will work that he may persuade you to lay your talents at his feet and aid him to accomplish his ends in alluring others under his black banner. If he can only keep the mind infatuated, he will do it. Paul inquires, “Who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth?” Satan is the bewitcher, and he has wrought, that Christ may be expelled from the soul and that he himself may be there enthroned.
“I beg of you, sons and daughters, to break from the infatuation of the evil one. Flee to Jesus as your refuge, and lay hold upon eternal life.
“Each day he determined that you will keep nigh to God, looking unto Jesus, the author, and finisher of your faith.”
Sons and Daughters of God, by Ellen White p. 336 for November 25, 2022.
“Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the Lord: his going forth is prepared as the morning.” Hosea 6:3
“The end of all things is at hand. What we have done must not be allowed to place the period to our work. The Captian of our salvation says, “Advance, The night cometh, in which no man can work.” Constantly we are to increase in usefulness. Our lives are always to be under the power of Christ. . .
“Prayer is a heaven-ordained means of success. Appeals, peritions, entreaties, between mand and man, move men, and act as a part in controlling the affairs of nations. But prayer moves heaven. That power alone that comes in answer to prayer will make men wise in the wisdom of heaven, and enable them to work in the unity of the Spirit, joined together by the bonds of peace. Prayer, faith , confidence in God, bring a divine power that sets human calculations at their real worth, –nothingness.
“In all ages God has given human beings divine revelations, that thus He may fulfill His purpose of unfolding gradually to the mind the doctrines of grace. His manner of imparting the truth is illustrated by the words, “His going forth is prepared as the morning.” He who places himself where God can enlighten him or her, advances, as it were, from the partial obscrity of dawn to the full radiance of noonday. . .As the sun goes forth upon its errand of mercy and love, as the golden beams of the day flood the canopy of heaven, and beautify forest and mountain, awakening the world by dispelling the darkness of night, so the followers of Christ should go forth upon their mission of love.
“It is the duty of every youth to place himself decidely and without reserve on the side of Christ in order that he may . . . grow up to the full stature of a man in Christ Jesus. He will then be wirtten as a man and woman in the book of God, and will be a man and woman not only in the estimation of men, but in the sight of God.”
Sons and Daughters of God, by Ellen White p. 335 for November 23, 2022.
“So shall it be at the end of the world: the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just, And shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.” Matthew 13:49-50
Isa 37:35 For I will defend this city to save it for mine own sake, and for my servant David’s sake. Then the angel of the LORD went forth, and smote in the camp of the Assyrians a hundred and fourscore and five thousand: (185,000) and when they arose early in the morning, behold, they were all dead corpses. Isa 37:37 So Sennacherib king of Assyria departed, and went and returned, and dwelt at Nineveh. And it came to pass, as he was worshipping in the house of Nisroch his god, that Adrammelech and Sharezer his sons smote him with the sword; and they escaped into the land of Armenia: and Esarhaddon his son reigned in his stead.
When Isaiah warned those in Jerusalem to repent and destroy their idols. . . the King of Assyria was about to destroy the city of Jerusalem. . . . those in Jerusalem, begin to realize their despair, their lack of forces, and their need of God to send an angel, to save them.
In answer to God, they repented, they walked away from their idols. . . and in a moment the angel of the LORD, destroyed the army of Assyria, a-day Syria.
We abide in Christ, He is the light for our souls, in Him, we find a divine and Holy God, who loves us just the way we are. Jesus was the TEMPLE, He is the LIGHT who guides us, and gives us the path we need to walk on. . .to meet Him. . . and let Him give us the crown of Life, and He opens the Gates of the New Jerusalem, that will be brought down to earth, after the 1000 years with Him. . .
Good is a blessing, evil is a curse. . . so choose ye this day whom ye will serve, if God than God. You can’t go wrong by calling on the name of JESUS!
Dear Jesus, Please walk with me today, and through the night, I know you will be up all night anyway! Thank You, Connie
“Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:” Ephesians 4:13.
“As you make advances in the Christian life, you will be constantly growing up into the mesasure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. In your experience, you will be proving what is the length and breadth, the depth and height, of the love of God, which passeth knowledge. You will feel your unworthiness. You will have no despostion to claim perfection of character, but only to exalt the perfection of your Redeemer. The more thorough and rich your experience in the knowledge of Jesus, the more humble will be your views of self. . .
“To love God supremely, and your neighbor as yourself, is true sanctification. Bible conversion wil lead to constant and abiding activity, which will be free from all selfishness, all self-exaltation, and all boastful claims of holiness. If you ae truly converted to God, you will exert a strong and telling influence on the side of truth. An intelligent knowledge of what it means to be a Christian will make you a blessing wherever you go. Whether you have one, two, or five talents, all will be devoted to the service of Him who has committed them to you in trust. . .
God does not intend that your light shall so shine that your good words or works shall bring he praise of men to yourself; but that the Author of all good shall be glorified and exalted. Jesus in His life, gave to men a model of character. How little power did the world have over Him to mold Him according to its standard! All its influence was thrown off.
“You cannot stand still; you must either advance or retrograde. . . Where there is spiritual health there is growth. The child of God grows up to the full stature of a man or woman in Christ. There is no limit to his or her improvement.”
Sons and Daughters of God, by Ellen White p. 334 for November 23, 2022
“Even so ye, forasmuch as ye are zealous of spiritual gifts, seek that ye may excel to the edifying of the church.” 1 Corinthians 14:12
“Let the youth be taught from childhood that there is no excellence without great labor. Aspirations for eminence will not avail. Young friends, the mountain-top cannot be reached by standing still, and wishing yourselves there. You gain your object only by taking one step at a time, advancing slowly perhaps, but holding every step gained. It is the energetic, persevering worker that will scale the Alps. Every youth should make the most of his talents, improving to the utmost present opportunities. He who will do this, may reach almost any height in moral and intellectual attainments. But he/she must possess a brave and resolute spirit. He will need to close his ears to the voice of pleasure; he/she must often refuse the solicitations of young companions. He/she must stand on guard continually, least he/she be diverted from their purpose.
Leave a field uncultivated, and it will grow up to thorns and briers. You will never see a lovely flower or a choice shrub peering above the unsightly, poisonous weeds. The worthless bramble will grow luxuriantly without thought or care, while plants that are valued for use or beauty require thorough culture. Thus it is with our youth. If right habits are formed, and right principales established, diligence and perseverance are required to accomplish the task. . . . It is far easier to yield to evil influences than to resist them,
Unless they feel the importance of making the improvement that is essential in their characters in order to be better men every day, and thus be enabled to carry the responsibilities that rest upon them, they will be found on the losing side.
Grow in grace, in self-reliance, in self-control. Let every day find you more nearly prepared to unite with the royal family in the heavenly courts.
P.S. The idea of living with “royalty” in God’s Heavenly Courts…seems an almost impossible dream, however with Jesus to guide us, He leads us like a shepherd, to where we need to be.
Ephesians 4:14, 15 “That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; Eph 4:15 But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: “
You cannot weaken you own influence and standing more than in trying to weaken each other.
Constantly let your confidence in your brethren increase, for when you think evil, you speak evil. Thus you hurt yourself and make yourself weak when you ought to be strong in God.
It is not our privilege to measure the actions of others or to criticize their failings. God has not made us the bearers of others’ sins.It is with our own selves we have to do. The more through the work of repentance and reform in our own lives, the less we shall see to criticize in others. We do wrong when we measure ourselves by the defects we see in others. God does not do so. He understands the circumstances of every life, and He measures the human being by the advantages that each one has had for perfecting a Christian character. He takes into consideration the opportunities the human agent has had for obtaining a knowledge of God and the human agent has had for obtaining a knowledge of God and His truth. He who has a true estimation of the law of God will not compare his character with the character of others. He/she will judge his/her life by the holy law of God. . .
In His instruction to His Disciples the Saviour shows how complete must be the work of eradication of evil. “If thy right eye offend thee,” He declares, “pluck it out, and cast it from thee.” . . .
We are to make continual advancement in the perfecting of Christian character, that we may be no more “children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, but speaking the truth in love, may grow up unto him in all things, which is the head, even Christ.
Being polite to even his enemies, Jesus replaced the ear of the guard, that Peter chopped off with his sword.
Love your enemies do good to them that hate you. Smile! Be kind! Be polite!
The growing is a continuous work. (This reminder is necessary…we forget we are a work in progress. . . sometimes. . . we get down on ourselves.)
“And before him shall be gathered all nations: and He shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats.” Matthew 25:32
“The judgment scene will take place in the presence of all the worlds: for in this judgment the Government of God will be vindicated, and His law will stand forth as “holy, just, and good.” Then every case will be decided, and sentence will be passed upon all. Sin will not then appear attractive, but will be seen in all its hideous magnitude.
“And before Him shall be gathered all nations.” . . . Every deed, small and great, is to be brought into recognition . That which has been considered trivial here will then appear as it is. The two mites of the widow will be recognized. The cup of cold water offered, the prison visited, the hungry fed,–each will bring its own reward. And that unfulfilled duty, that selfish act, will not be forgotten. In the open court around the throne of God it will appear a very different thing from what it did when it was performed. . . . It will be seen that these selfish pleasures and indulgences have made the human being a lover of pleasure more than a lover of God. . . . But it is not necessary for any to be deceived; and we shall not be if we have fully taken our stand with Christ to follow Him through evil as well as through good report.
“The character which we now manifest is deciding our future destiny. The happiness of heaven will be found by conforming to the will of God, and if men become members of the royal family in heaven, it will be because heaven has begun with them on earth . . . The righteous will take every grace, every precious, santified ability, into the courts above, and exchange earth for heaven. God knows who are the loyal and true subjects of His kingdom on earth, and those who do His will upon earth as it is done in heaven, will be made the members of the royal family above.”
Sons and Daughters of God by Ellen White for December 20, 2022.
The holy fear of judgment hour, standing before God and the universe, was a very troubling thought to me as a young adult. To see my sins, replayed on a screen, before the throne of God, like a movie. . . was something I cared very much about. . .it brought a holy fear of my weaknesses, and a desire to be right with My Father God in Heaven, and His Son on earth and in my heart.
That “fear” is a holy respect for His Government, for He alone can read my mind and know my motives. . . just as I had a great awe and wonder for my own daddy. . . I wished to never break his heart, or dissapoint him. My Mother was seriously sincere in her plans for my life. She was doing her best to find the right man for my marriage. She also did her best to get along with the choices I made. And only God knows the how, why and what happens in my life. . . like the woman at the well. . . he knows me. . . and He has given me living water of life, to know why I could not remain in my first marriage.
The temptation to spend a life, again, with a man who could find nothing good in me…and thought he needed a new wife. . . and he could afford to keep me. . . in a second house, with a car and monthly allowance. . . made me feel like he was ordering me into a polygamy marriage. . . which I could not do. It is also illegal by state laws.
This blot on my marriage, sons raised with a crazy mother, has been decided. . . that my talent of being creative, is not a curse in the books of heaven. Two sons who have included me in their lives, and taken time to visit me, and send me gifts, makes me proud to be their Mother.
My self-confidence was never high of myself. . . if I and my two sisters could please “Mom” that was enough. But pleasing God, and walking with His Holy Spirit, has been a real challenge for me. . . Daily wondering “if” I am doing the right thing. . .and placing myself in the right place. . . trying to help others. . . can be me, making choices. . . and learning by the things I’ve suffered. . .which is why we are here. We can make mistakes like Peter, and fall away from the path Jesus led us to follow…after Him.
No one will ever be perfect. . . because we are 666 humans. However, the death of Jesus conquered our enemy. . . the one who sends us on errands . . . to make fools of ourself. . . and learn good is much more welcome, then the effects of tasting life. . . with its consequences.
All have sinned and come short of the glory of God. . . including me. I can appreciate what He did on Calvary, by conquering the death sentence, and giving me freedom to appreciate the lawgiver, and creator.
God Bless and Keep You, and may every KNOW…I am not alone in making mistakes…and learning by experience…the JOY in knowing how much Jesus loves each one of us, including you! His forgiveness is the kindest thing He can do for me!
Baptized in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost unites us with the Family of God.
The Red Horse War Against Gods Government understood by the parables of Jesus 