Author: David

Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus. Philippians 2:5.

What mind are we talking about here?

Lets have a look at the previous few verses to get the context:

Think about what we have in Christ: the encouragement he has brought us, the comfort of his love, our sharing in his Spirit, and the mercy and kindness he has shown us. If you enjoy these blessings, then do what will make my joy complete: Agree with each other, and show your love for each other. Be united in your goals and in the way you think. In whatever you do, don’t let selfishness or pride be your guide. Be humble, and honor others more than yourselves. Don’t be interested only in your own life, but care about the lives of others too. (Phil 2:1-4, ERV)

In your life today, think the way Christ Jesus thought. (Phil.2:5)

God expects those who bear the name of Christ to represent Him in thought, word, and deed. Their thoughts are to be pure and their words and deeds noble and uplifting, drawing those around them nearer to the Savior. For it was Jesus who said

And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” (John 12:32, NIV)

In the life of the true Christian there is nothing of self. Self is dead. There was no selfishness in the life that Christ lived while on this earth. Bearing our nature, He lived a life wholly devoted to the service of others.

“Therefore, be perfect” (Matthew 5:48) is God’s word to us today.

Success in this life, success in gaining the future life, depends upon a faithful, conscientious attention to the little things. Perfection is seen in the least, no less than in the greatest, of the works of God. The hand that hung the worlds in space is the hand that wrought with delicate skill the lilies of the field. And as God is perfect in his sphere, so we are to be perfect in ours. The symmetrical structure of a strong, beautiful character is built up by individual acts of duty. And faithfulness should characterize our life in the least as well as in the greatest of its details. Integrity in little things, the performance of little acts of fidelity and little deeds of kindness, will gladden the path of life; and when our work on earth is ended, it will be found that every one of the little duties faithfully performed, has exerted an influence for good,–an influence that can never perish. {CE 217.2}

And in order that we might obey this word, He sent His only-begotten Son to this earth to live in our behalf a perfect life. We have before us His example, and the strength by which He lived this life is at our disposal. In thought, word, and act Jesus was sinless. Perfection marked all that He did. He points us to the path that He trod, saying, “If any person will come after me, let them deny themselves, and take up their cross, and follow me” (Matthew 16:24).

We are to copy no human being. There is no human wise enough to be our criterion. We are to look to the man Christ Jesus, who is complete in the perfection of righteousness and holiness. He is the author and finisher of our faith. He is the pattern man. His experience is the measure of the experience that we are to gain. His character is our model. Let us, then, take our minds off the perplexities and the difficulties of this life and fix them on JESUS, that by beholding we may be changed into His likeness.

The Role of the Church in the Community

“Our neighbors are not merely our associates and special friends; they are not simply those who belong to our church, or who think as we do. Our neighbors are the whole human family. Everyone who is the object of God’s love. NO ONE is a little bit less than us than anyone in our modern Churchianity systems and institutions and abusive priestcraft. No value is attached to a mere profession of faith in Christ; only the love which is shown by heart-felt works is counted genuine. Yet it is love alone which in the sight of Heaven makes any right impulse act of value because all right impulses come from Jesus and His Holy Educating Spirit.

The Book of Heaven reveals the saddest question I have ever heard:

“Who is my neighbor?” (Luke 10:29)

Can you believe it? This is a question that caused endless dispute. The priests back in the day had no doubt as to the heathen and the Samaritans. These were strangers and enemies to them. Not much different than how many Christians choose today to treat gays or other marginalized struggling souls that are not “one of us.” And if we listen to such people with their “Bible excuses” why its OK to publically villify a particular group of people,you will be sickened. Atleast I hope you would be!

Where should the distinction be made among the people of their own nation and among the different classes of society? Whom should the priest, the rabbi, the elder, regard as neighbor? They spent their lives in polished ostentatious rounds of ceremonies to make themselves “pure.” Contact with the ignorant and careless multitude, they taught, would cause defilement that would require wearisome effort to remove. Were they to regard the so-called “unclean” as neighbors?

This question Christ answered in the parable of the good Samaritan. He showed that our neighbor does not mean merely one of the church or faith to which we belong. It has no reference to race, color, or class distinction. Our neighbor is every person who needs our help. Our neighbor is every soul who is wounded and bruised by the adversary. Our neighbor is everyone who is the property of God. {COL 376.2}

Recently I was struck with a nasty bout of pneumonia in my left lung. I was kind of just rotting away in my apartment getting worse each day. At one point I knew I was getting far too dehydrated but I was too sick to get up and get something to drink. One of my dear Catholic friends decided about this same time that I was too quiet for too long so they checked up on me and gave me a big jug of orange juice. Thats all it took friends. Is for someone to care enough to see how I was doing and that was the moment I started to recover.

We are to have an intense interest in Christ Jesus, for He is our Savior. He came to this world to be tempted in all points as we are, to prove to the universe that in this world of sin human beings can live lives that God will approve. Let us seek for the blessings that JESUS has placed within our reach, that we may impart to others the special blessings by which we are saved. We will reap what we sow in this life my friends. And in Christ we may be made capable of receiving more and still more of His grace, and that we may be filled with a living, active, growing faith—a faith that believes the promise

“Lo, I am with you always” (Matthew 28:20).

If others look at you and how you live your life and as a result they too believe the promise, well thats mission accomplished. You will hear the melodious words of Christ Himself:

‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ (Mat 25:23, ESV)

Moreover the LORD spake again unto Ahaz, saying, Ask thee a sign of the LORD thy God; ask it either in the depth, or in the height above. (Isa 7:10-11)

Ahaz appeared righteous by saying he would not test God with a sign (“I will not test the LORD like that”). He sure sounded proud and important when he declared this. His use of ad hominem excuses is almost admirable here. Even though God had actually told him to ask, Ahaz didn’t really want to know what God would say.

Often we use some “Bible” excuse, especially a juicy theological tidbit. Such as not wanting to bother God or blaming some theological question that concerns us—to keep us from communicating with Jesus and in wanting to carry out His express will.

I was once reamed out publically by a family member for trying to say that gays and genders etc were no worse than any other person. We have all sinned and come short. But this person was so proud of all their theological excuses for why I was so wrong. Made sure all my family and friends knew about it. Quoted lots of Bible verses to “prove” it. Jesus didnt seem to matter here. Just self-justification and making sure I appeared wrong, guilty, etc before everyone. Such arrogant words sound just as hollow today as when they came from the mouth of Ahaz back in the day.

CHURCH! Its time to get it right! There is NO ONE who is a little less before God than we are! Period! True story! End of story!

The religion of Christ uplifts the receiver to a higher plane of thought and action, while at the same time it presents the whole human race as equally, alike, as the objects of the love of God. Being purchased by the sacrifice of his Son. “Jesus Christ The Righteous. ” (1 John 2:1)

My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One.  He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.  We know that we have come to know him if we keep his commands. (1 John 2:1-3, NIV)

Fenced From Satan’s Attacks

“If any person sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ, the righteous.” How careful is the Lord Jesus to give no occasion for a soul to despair. How He fences about the soul from Satan’s fierce attacks. If through manifold temptations we are surprised or deceived into sin, He does not turn from us and leave us to perish. No! No! that is not our Savior. Christ prayed for us. He was tempted in all points like as we are; and having been tempted, He knows how to succor those who are tempted. {7BC 948.2}

At the feet of Jesus, the rich and the poor, the learned and the ignorant, meet together, with no thought of cast or creed or race or tongue or people or any kind of worldly pre-eminence.

All earthly distinctions are forgotten as we look upon Him whom our sins have pierced. The self-denial, the condescension, the infinite compassion of JESUS who was highly exalted in heaven, puts to abject shame and poverty all human pride, self-esteem, and preferential social castes or cliques.

Pure and undefiled religion manifests its heaven-born principles in bringing into oneness all who are sanctified through the truth.

The blood of Jesus is pleading with power and efficacy for those who are back-slidden, for those who are rebellious, for those who sin against great light and love. Satan stands at our right hand to accuse us, and our Advocate stands at God’s right hand to plead for us. (Heb 7:25)  JESUS has never lost a case that has been committed to Him. We may trust in our Advocate; for He pleads His own merits in our behalf. Hear His prayer before His betrayal and trial. Listen to His prayer for us; for He had us in remembrance. {7BC 948.5}

May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. (Gal 6:14)

Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted. Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. (Gal 6:1-2)

The restoring is to be done, not in a proud, officious, masterly manner, but in the spirit of meekness. Do not cast your brother aside, saying. He has disappointed me, and I shall not try to help we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of spirits and live! They disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.

Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees. “Make level paths for your feet,” so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed. Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many. (Heb 12:9-15)

“…remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility,(Eph 2:12-14)

Be the change that you desire to see in others. (2 Cor 5:17)

“Now thanks be unto God, which always causes  us to triumph in Christ, and makes manifest the savor of his knowledge by us in every place. For we are unto God a sweet savor of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish; to the one we are a savor of death unto death; and to the other the savor of life unto life. And who is sufficient for these things? For we are not as many, which corrupt the word of God; but as of sincerity, but as of God, in the sight of God speak we in Christ. Do we begin again to commend ourselves? or need we, as some others, epistles of commendation to you, or letters of commendation from you? Ye are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read of all people; forasmuch as you are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshly tables of the heart. And such trust have we through Christ to Godward; not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think anything as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God; who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament.” “But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.

Therefore seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we faint not; but have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but, by manifestation of the truth, commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God. But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost; in whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus’ sake. For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.

We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body. For we which live are always delivered unto death for Jesus’ sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh. . . . For which cause we faint not; but though our outward person perish, yet the inward person is renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, works for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.”

Those who profess the name of Christ, are to represent Christ as their pattern and example. They are to unfold to others the truth in its purity, and make known to them what are the privileges and responsibilities of the Christian life; and this can be done by the professed follower of Christ only as they themselves conform their character to the sacred principles of truth. There must be no betrayal of sacred trusts on the part of any one who professes to be a child of God. There must be no obliterating of the line of demarcation between Christians and the world. There must be no bringing down of the truth to a low, common level; for this will dishonor God, who has given an infinite sacrifice in the gift of his Son for the sins of the world. Christ is the way, the truth, and the life. And hope makes not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us. Romans 5:5.

By nature the heart is evil, and “who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? not one.” Job 14:4.

No human invention or policy can find a remedy for the sinning soul.

The fountain of the heart must be purified before the streams can become pure. Anyone who is trying to reach heaven by their own works in keeping the law is attempting an impossibility. There is no safety for one who has merely a legal religion, a form of godliness. The Christian’s life is not a modification or improvement of the old, but a transformation of nature. (2 Cor 5:17) There is a death to self and sin, and a new life altogether. This change can be brought about only by the effectual working of the Holy Spirit.

It is God’s Holy Educating Spirit that makes effectual what has been wrought out by the world’s Redeemer. It is by the Spirit that the heart is made pure. Through the Spirit the believer becomes a partaker of the divine nature. Christ has given His Spirit as a divine power to overcome all hereditary and cultivated tendencies to evil, and to impress His own character upon His church. God’s holy, educating Spirit is in His word. A light, a new and precious light, shines forth from every page. Truth is there revealed, and words and sentences are made bright and appropriate for the occasion, as the voice of God speaking to the soul. {COL 132.2}

Like the wind, which is invisible, yet the effects of which are plainly seen and felt, is the Spirit of God in its work upon the human heart. That regenerating power, which no human eye can see, begets a new life in the soul; it creates a new being in the image of God. The thoughtless and wayward become serious. The hardened repent of their sins, and the faithless believe. The gambler, the drunkard, the licentious, become steady, sober, and pure. The rebellious and obstinate become meek and Christlike. When we see these changes in the character, we may be assured that the converting power of God has transformed the entire person. Anyone who looks to Christ in simple, childlike faith is made a partaker of the divine nature through the agency of the Holy Spirit. {FLB 55}

Wresting the Scriptures

They that are unlearned and unstable wrest the scriptures, unto their own destruction. 2 Pet 3:16.

In the second letter addressed by Peter to those who had obtained “like precious faith” with himself, the apostle sets forth the divine plan for the development of Christian character. He writes: {AA 529.1}

“Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord, according as His divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him that hath called us to glory and virtue: 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.  {AA 529.2}

“And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; and to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; and to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.”  {AA 529.3}

These words are full of instruction and strike the keynote of victory. The apostle presents before the believers the ladder of Christian progress, every step of which represents advancement in the knowledge of God, and in the climbing of which there is to be no standstill. Faith, virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, godliness, brotherly kindness, and charity are the rounds of the ladder. We are saved by climbing round after round, mounting step after step, to the height of Christ’s ideal for us. Thus, He is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption.  {AA 530.1}

The position that it is of no consequence what people believe is one of Satan’s most successful deceptions. They know that the truth, received in the love of it, sanctifies the soul of the receiver; therefore, some people are constantly seeking to substitute Bible truth with false theories, fables, another gospel.

The vague and fanciful interpretations of Scripture, and the many conflicting theories concerning religious faith, that are found in the Christian world are the work of our great adversary to confuse minds so that they shall not discern the truth. And the discord and division which exist among the churches of Christendom are in a great measure due to the prevailing custom of wresting the Scriptures to support a favorite theory. Instead of carefully studying God’s word with humility of heart to obtain a knowledge of His will, many seek only to discover something odd or original.

To sustain erroneous doctrines or unchristian practices, some will seize upon passages of Scripture separated from the context, perhaps quoting half of a single verse as proving their point, when the remaining portion would show the meaning to be quite the opposite. With the cunning of the serpent, they entrench themselves behind disconnected utterances construed to suit their carnal desires. Thus do many willfully pervert the word of God.  Others, who have an active imagination, seize upon the figures and symbols of Holy Writ, interpret them to suit their fancy, with little regard to the testimony of Scripture as its own interpreter, and then they present their vagaries as the teachings of the Bible.

Whenever the study of the Scriptures is entered upon without a prayerful, humble, teachable spirit, the plainest and simplest as well as the most difficult passages will be wrested from their true meaning.

The Word of God is plain to all who study it with a prayerful heart. Every truly honest soul will come to the light of truth. Jesus says the best way to learn for yourself if something is true or not is to WANT to do whatever God’s Word tells them to do:

“If you really want to obey God, you will know if what I teach comes from God or from me.” (John 7:17)

In the great and measureless gift of the Holy Spirit are contained all of heaven’s resources. It is not because of any restriction on the part of God that the riches of His grace do not flow earthward to men. If all were willing to receive, all would become filled with His Spirit. It is the privilege of every soul to be a living channel through which God can communicate to the world the treasures of His grace, the unsearchable riches of Christ. There is nothing that Christ desires so much as agents who will represent to the world His Spirit and character. There is nothing that the world needs so much as the manifestation through humanity of the Savior’s love. All heaven is waiting for channels through which can be poured the holy oil to be a joy and blessing to human hearts.  {COL 419.1-2}

Do not read the word in the light of former opinions; but, with a mind free from prejudice, search it carefully and prayerfully. If, as you read, conviction comes, and you see that your cherished opinions are not in harmony with the word, do not try to make the word fit these opinions. Make your opinions fit the word. Do not allow what you have believed or practiced in the past to control your understanding. Open the eyes of your mind to behold wondrous things out of the law. Find out what is written, and then plant your feet on the eternal Rock.  {MYP 260.2}

The Knowledge of God’s Will

Our salvation depends upon our knowledge of God’s will as it is contained in His word. Never cease asking and searching for Truth. You need to know your duty. You need to know what you must do to be saved. And it is God’s will that you shall know what He has said to you. But you must exercise faith. As you search the Scriptures, you must believe that God is, and that He rewards those who diligently seek Him.

“Light is sown for the righteous.” (Psalms 97:11).

And no church can advance in holiness unless its members are earnestly seeking for truth as for hid treasure.  Jesus petitioned the Father in His prayer:

Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth. (John 17:17)

Self-satisfaction Is Not Sanctification

“Sanctify them through thy truth; thy word is truth.” A pleasant, self-satisfied feeling is not evidence of sanctification. The Bible is the standard by which to test the claims of all who profess sanctification. Jesus prayed that His disciples might be sanctified through the truth, and He says

“Thy word is truth;” while the psalmist declares, “Thy law is the truth.” (Psalms 119:142)

All whom God is leading will manifest a high regard for the Scriptures in which His voice is heard. The Bible will be to them “profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the children of God may be perfected, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.” (2 Tim 3:16) “Ye shall know them by their fruits.” (Mat 7:16,20)

All the while Jesus was at Jerusalem during the feast He was shadowed by spies. Day after day new schemes to silence Him were tried. The priests and rulers were watching to entrap Him. They were planning to stop Him by violence. But this was not all. They wanted to humble this Galilean rabbi before the people.  {DA 455.1}

On the first day of His presence at the feast, the rulers had come to Him, demanding by what authority He taught. They wished to divert attention from Him to the question of His right to teach, and thus to their own importance and authority.  {DA 455.2}

“My teaching is not Mine,” said Jesus, “but His that sent Me. If any man wills to do His will, he shall know of the teaching, whether it be of God, or whether I speak from Myself.” John 7:16-17, R. V.

The question of these quibblers Jesus met, not by answering the evasion, but by opening truth vital to the salvation of the soul. The perception and appreciation of truth, He said, depends less upon the mind than upon the heart. Truth must be received into the soul; it claims the homage of the will. If truth could be submitted to the reason alone, pride would be no hindrance in the way of its reception. But it is to be received through the work of grace in the heart; and its reception depends upon the renunciation of every sin that the Spirit of God reveals.

Humanity’s advantages for obtaining a knowledge of the truth, however great these may be, will prove of no benefit to him unless the heart is open to receive the truth, and there is a conscientious surrender of every habit and practice that is opposed to its principles. To those who thus yield themselves to God, having an honest desire to know and to do His will, the truth is revealed as the power of God for their salvation. These will be able to distinguish between him who speaks for God, and him who speaks merely from himself. The Pharisees had not put their will on the side of God’s will. They were not seeking to know the truth, but to find some excuse for evading it; Christ showed that this was why they did not understand His teaching.  {DA 455.3}

He now gave a test by which the true teacher might be distinguished from the deceiver:

“They that speak from themselves seek their own glory: but those who seek the glory of Him that sent him, the same is true, and no unrighteousness is in him.” John 7:18, R. V.

Anyone that seeks their own glory is speaking only from themselves. The spirit of self-seeking betrays its origin. But Christ was seeking the glory of God. He spoke the words of God. This was the evidence of His authority as a teacher of the truth. {DA 456.1}

Do you ask, what shall I do to be saved? You must lay your preconceived opinions, your hereditary and cultivated ideas, at the door of investigation. If you search the Scriptures to vindicate your own opinions, you will never reach the truth. Search to learn what the Lord says. If conviction comes as you search, if you see that your cherished opinions are not in harmony with the truth, do not misinterpret the truth to suit your own belief, but accept the light given. Open mind and heart that you may behold wondrous things out of God’s word.  {COL 112.3}

God has called His people to glory and virtue, and these will be manifest in the lives of all who are truly connected with Him. Having become partakers of the heavenly gift, they are to go unto perfection, being “kept by the power of God through faith.” 1 Pet 1:5.

It is the glory of God to give His virtue to His children. He desires to see men and women reaching the highest standard; and when by faith they lay hold of the power of Christ, when they plead His unfailing promises, and claim them as their own, when with an importunity that will not be denied they seek for the power of the Holy Spirit, they will be made complete in Him.  {AA 530.2}

Having received the faith of the gospel, the next work of the believer is to add to his character virtue, and thus cleanse the heart and prepare the mind for the reception of the knowledge of God. This knowledge is the foundation of all true education and of all true service. It is the only real safeguard against temptation; and it is this alone that can make one like God in character. Through the knowledge of God and of His Son Jesus Christ, are given to the believer “all things that pertain unto life and godliness.” No good gift is withheld from him who sincerely desires to obtain the righteousness of God.  {AA 530.3}

“This is life eternal,” Christ said, “that they might know Thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom Thou hast sent.” John 17:3.

And the prophet Jeremiah declared:

“Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches: but let him that glories glory in this, that he understand and know  Me, that I am the Lord which exercise loving-kindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the Lord.” Jer 9:23-24.

Scarcely can the human mind comprehend the breadth and depth and height of the spiritual attainments of him who gains this knowledge.  {AA 531.1}

None need fail of attaining, in their human sphere, to perfection of Christian character. By the sacrifice of Christ, provision has been made for the believer to receive all things that pertain to life and godliness. God calls upon us to reach the standard of perfection and places before us the example of Christ’s character. In His humanity, perfected by a life of constant resistance of evil, the Savior showed that through co-operation with Divinity, human beings may in this life attain to perfection of character. This is God’s assurance to us that we, too, may obtain complete victory. {AA 531.2}

Two Ways to Study Your Bible, fig 1.

Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. (Psalms 119:105)

Thy word is a lamp

This is illustrated thus by Solomon, Proverbs 6:23:

“The commandment is a lamp; and the law is light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life.”

God’s word is a candle which may be held in the hand to give us light in every dark place and chamber; and it is a general light shining upon all his works, and upon all our ways.

Prayer for Spiritual Strength

For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passes knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fullness of God. Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen. (Eph 3:14-21)

The church is God’s appointed agency for the salvation of humanity. It was organized for service, and its mission is to carry the gospel to the world. From the beginning it has been God’s plan that through His church shall be reflected to the world His fullness and His sufficiency. The members of the church, those whom He has called out of darkness into His marvelous light, are to show forth His glory. The church is the repository of the riches of the grace of Christ; and through the church will eventually be made manifest, even to “the principalities and powers in heavenly places,” the final and full display of the love of God. Ephesians 3:10. {AA 9.1}

Many and wonderful are the promises recorded in the Scriptures regarding the church. “Mine house shall be called an house of prayer for all people.” Isaiah 56:7. “I will make them and the places round about My hill a blessing; and I will cause the shower to come down in his season;
there shall be showers of blessing.” “And I will raise up for them a plant of renown, and they shall be no more consumed with hunger in the land, neither bear the shame of the heathen any more. Thus shall they know that I the Lord their God am with them, and that they, even the house of Israel, are My people, saith the Lord God. And ye My flock, the flock of My pasture, are PEOPLE, and I am your God, saith the Lord God.” Ezekiel 34:26, 29-31. {AA 9.2}

“You are My witnesses, saith the Lord, and My servant whom I have chosen: that you may know and believe Me, and understand that I am He: before Me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after Me. I, even I, am the Lord; and beside Me there is no Savior. I have declared, and have saved, and I have showed, when there was no strange god among you: therefore you are My witnesses.” “I the Lord have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles; to open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison house.” Isaiah 43:10-12; 42:6, 7. {AA 10.1}

The church is God’s fortress, His city of refuge, which He holds in a revolted world. Any betrayal of the church is treachery to Him who has bought mankind with the blood of His only-begotten Son. From the beginning, faithful souls have constituted the church on earth. In every age the Lord has had His watchmen, who have borne a faithful testimony to the generation in which they lived. These sentinels gave the message of warning; and when they were called to lay off their armor, others took up the work. God brought these witnesses into covenant relation with Himself, uniting the church on earth with the church in heaven. He has sent forth His angels to minister to His church, and the gates of hell have not been able to prevail against His people. {AA 11.2}

Through centuries of persecution, conflict, and darkness, God has sustained His church. Not one cloud has fallen upon it that He has not prepared for; not one opposing force has risen to counterwork His work, that He has not foreseen. All has taken place as He predicted. He has not left His church forsaken, but has traced in prophetic declarations what would occur, and that which His Spirit inspired the prophets to foretell has been brought about. All His purposes will be fulfilled. His law is linked with His throne, and no power of evil can destroy it. Truth is inspired and guarded by God; and it will triumph over all opposition. {AA 11.3}

During ages of spiritual darkness the church of God has been as a city set on a hill. From age to age, through successive generations, the pure doctrines of heaven have been unfolding within its borders. Enfeebled and defective as it may appear, the church is the one object upon which God bestows in a special sense His supreme regard. It is the theater of His grace, in which He delights to reveal His power to transform hearts. {AA 12.1}

“Whereunto,” asked Christ, “shall we liken the kingdom of God? or with what comparison shall we compare it?” Mark 4:30. He could not employ the kingdoms of the world as a similitude. In society He found nothing with which to compare it. Earthly kingdoms rule by the ascendancy of physical power; but from Christ’s kingdom every carnal weapon, every instrument of coercion, is banished. This kingdom is to uplift and ennoble humanity. God’s church is the court of holy life, filled with varied gifts and endowed with the Holy Spirit. The members are to find their happiness in the happiness of those whom they help and bless. {AA 12.2}

Wonderful is the work which the Lord designs to accomplish through His church, that His name may be glorified. A picture of this work is given in Ezekiel’s vision of the river of healing: “These waters issue out toward the east country, and go down into the desert, and go into the sea: which being brought forth into the sea, the waters shall be healed. And it shall come to pass, that everything that lives, which moves , whithersoever the rivers shall come, shall live: . . . and by the river upon the bank thereof, on this side and on that side, shall grow all trees for meat, whose leaf shall not fade, neither shall the fruit thereof be consumed: it shall bring forth new fruit according to his months, because their waters they issued out of the sanctuary: and the fruit thereof shall be for meat, and the leaf thereof for medicine.” Ezekiel 47:8-12. {AA 13.1}

From the beginning God has wrought through His people to bring blessing to the world. To the ancient Egyptian nation God made Joseph a fountain of life. Through the integrity of Joseph the life of that whole people was preserved. Through Daniel God saved the life of all the wise men of Babylon. And these deliverances are as object lessons; they illustrate the spiritual blessings offered to the world through connection with the God whom Joseph and Daniel worshiped. Everyone in whose heart Christ abides, everyone who will show forth His love to the world, is a worker together with God for the blessing of humanity. As he receives from the Savior grace to impart to others, from his whole being flows forth the tide of spiritual life. {AA 13.2}

“You are my witnesses,” declares the LORD, “and my servant whom I have chosen, so that you may know and believe me and understand that I am he. Before me no god was formed, nor will there be one after me. I, even I, am the LORD, and apart from me there is no savior. I have revealed and saved and proclaimed— I, and not some foreign god among you. You are my witnesses,” declares the LORD, “that I am God. Isa 43:10-12)

Israel’s [the Church’s] task was to be a witness (Isa 44:8), telling the world who God is and what he had done. Believers today share the responsibility of being God’s witnesses. Do people know what God is like through your words and example? They cannot see God directly, but they can see him reflected in you.

The chosen people of God have become witnesses for Christ that he, and he alone, is the true God; that he, and he alone has truly foretold the future. Let the unbelievers prove that their gods have done the same if they can; we know that they cannot.

Even though you may not feel able to speak a word to those who are working on wrong principles, leave them. Your withdrawal and silence may do more than words. Nehemiah refused to associate with those who were untrue to principle, and he would not permit his workmen to associate with them. The love and fear of God were his safeguard. He lived and worked as in view of the unseen world. And David said, “I have set the Lord always before me.” {3BC 1155.4}

Dare to be a Daniel. Dare to stand alone. Thus, as did Moses, you will endure the seeing of Him who is invisible. But a cowardly and silent reserve before evil associates, while you listen to their devices, makes you one with them.

What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people.” Therefore, “Come out from them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you.” And, “I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.” (2 Cor 6:16-18)

As many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: (John 1:12)

“You are my witnesses, saith the Lord”

Christ in you, the hope of glory (Col 1:27)

Christianity’s Biggest Lie EVER

And just as it is appointed for people to die once, and after that comes judgment. Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him. (Heb 9:27-28, ESV)

These days one hardly ever hears a solid Biblical explanation on the second coming of Jesus. It is a rare thing to hear coming from most pulpits. We could spend a long time wondering why this is so, but that is not going to be within the scope of this article. The purpose of this article is to investigate what the Bible tells us about the second coming of Jesus.  Over the next few weeks or so Light in The Clouds will be posting several articles on this vital subject.

Contrary to the Biblical message on the second coming, we do find one theory that has garnered a lot of serious attention over the years. I am sure most people have heard about what certain “highly respected scholars of Bible prophecy” have coined as “THE SECRET RAPTURE.”

I took the trouble to listen to Dr David Jeremiah’s video where he preaches that The Secret Rapture will happen “at any moment.”  This is a video that he posted called “The Rapture of the Church.” Posted March 25th, 2022.  2.7 million views.

Here is a portion of that sermon:

The Bible tells us that there is coming a day when millions of people will be evacuated from this world. In a moment. It will be a time of chaos never experienced on this earth.

Those of us who are watching what is happening in the world today believe that the time for that event is drawing near. The event that I’m describing is what the Bible calls the rapture.

The next event is the church age. That’s where we are right now. We’re living in the church age, the age between the coming of Christ the first time and the coming of Christ the second time. How many of you know what the next thing is? Right after the church age what’s going to change everything forever, is this event we call rapture. Notice, the rapture shows Jesus coming from heaven, but he doesn’t come all the way to the earth. The Bible says, we’re going to be caught up into the heavens to be with him, and then we’re going to go back to heaven with him. In the rapture.

After the rapture, a period of great tribulation will take place on this earth for seven years. At the end of the seven-year tribulation, the second coming of Christ takes place. Now here’s where the disconnect is. For most people who get confused about the future, the rapture and the second coming of Christ are not the same thing. The rapture is when Jesus comes back to take his people back to heaven with him. Then tribulation on the earth takes place. And then the second coming is when Jesus comes back. And the Bible says, he comes with all the people of God and with all the angels and sets up his kingdom on this earth.

To those who know their Bibles, this kind of message about a so-called Secret Rapture will be recognized as the biggest lie being told by Christians today. I have listened to this sermon of Dr Jeremiah’s several times now, trying to make some sense out of it. Each time it just ends in a lot of disappointment. Major confusions.  It contains a general neglect of sound Biblical explanation and is filled with many claims mostly unsubstantiated by Scripture.

There Is No Such Thing as A Secret Rapture

Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Even so, Amen. (Rev 1:7, NKJV)

A Brief Summary Reveals a not so secret “rapture.”

The Second Coming of Christ

The second coming of Christ is the blessed hope of the church, the grand climax of the gospel. The Savior’s coming will be literal, personal, visible, and worldwide. When He returns, the righteous dead will be resurrected, and together with the righteous living will be glorified and taken to heaven, but the unrighteous will die. The almost complete fulfillment of most lines of prophecy, together with the present condition of the world, indicates that Christ’s coming is nearby. The time of that event has not been revealed, and we are therefore exhorted to be always ready.

(Mat 24:1-51; Mark 13:1-37; Luke 21:1-38; John 14:1-3; Acts 1:9-11; 1 Cor 15:51-54; 1 Thes 4:13-18; 1 Thes 5:1-6; 2 Thes 1:7-10; 2 Thes 2:8; 2 Tim 3:1-5; Titus 2:13; Heb 9:28; Rev 1:7; Rev 14:14-20; Rev 19:11-21.) – Adventist Fundamental Belief #25

Just a few simple questions answered straight from the Bible will show how the secret is not so secret after all.

What wonderful promise did Jesus make concerning His Second Advent?

“Let not your heart be troubled: you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you, I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.” John 14:1-3.

What will follow the signs of Christ’s coming?

“And then shall they see the son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.” Luke 1:27.

At His ascension, how was Christ’s return promised?

“And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen Him go into heaven.” Acts 1:10, Acts 1:11.

With what words does Paul express the blessed hope of Christ’s Second Advent for His people?

“Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ.” Titus 2:13.

What does Peter say about this awaited event?

“We have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ but were eyewitnesses of His majesty.” 2 Pet 1:16.

When He returns, will most of the inhabitants of earth be prepared to meet Him?

“Then shall appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of Man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.” Mat 24:30. “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.” Rev 1:7.

Why will so many people not be prepared for this important event?

“But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My Lord delayed His coming,” and shall begin to smite his fellow servants, and to eat and drink with the drunken; the Lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looked not for Him, and in an hour that he is not aware of, and shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” Mat 24:48-51.

What will most of the world be doing when Christ returns in the clouds of heaven for His own?

“But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so, shall also the coming of the Son of Man be.” Verses 37-39. “Likewise, also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built” but the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all. Even thus shall it be in the day when the son of man is revealed.” Luke 17:28-30.

These texts do not teach that it is wrong to eat, drink, marry, buy, sell, plant, or build, but that in many people’s minds they will be so taken up with these things that they will give little or no thought to the future life, and make no plans or preparations to meet Jesus when He comes.

Who is it that blinds people to the message about salvation through Jesus Christ?

“In whom the god of this world [Satan] hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.” 2 Cor 4:4.

DL MOODY once said the following about the second coming of Jesus:

“To my mind this precious doctrine -— for such I must call it -— of the return of the Lord to this earth is taught in the New Testament as clearly as any other doctrine in it; yet I was in the Church fifteen or sixteen years before I ever heard a sermon on it. There is hardly any church that doesn’t make a great deal of baptism, but in all of Paul’s epistles I believe baptism is only spoken of thirteen times, while it speaks about the return of our Lord fifty times; and yet the Church has had very little to say about it. Now, I can see a reason for this; the devil does not want us to see this truth, for nothing would wake up the Church so much. The moment a man takes hold of the truth that Jesus Christ is coming back again to receive His followers to Himself, this world loses its hold upon him. Gas stocks and water stocks and stocks in banks and railroads are of very much less consequence to him then. His heart is free, and he looks for the blessed appearing of his Lord, who, at His coming, will take him into His blessed Kingdom.”—D. L Moody, The Second Coming of Christ (Revell), pp 67.

Another preacher once wrote:

“‘This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven shall so come in like manner as ye have seen Him go into heaven,’ is the parting promise of Jesus to His disciples, communicated through the two men in white apparel, as a cloud received Him out of their sight. When after more than fifty years in glory He breaks the silence and speaks once more in the Revelation which He gave to His servant John, the post-ascension Gospel which he sends opens with, ‘Behold, He cometh with clouds,’ and closes with ‘Surely I come quickly.’ Considering the solemn emphasis thus laid upon this doctrine, and considering the great prominence given to it throughout the teaching of our Lord and of His apostles, how was It that for the first five years of my pastoral life it had absolutely no place in my preaching? Undoubtedly the reason lay in the lack of early instruction. Of all the sermons heard from childhood on, I do not remember listening to a single one upon this subject.” -— A. J. Gordon, How Christ Came to Church, pp. 44-45.

How important is it that we are now prepared in our lives to meet Christ when He returns?

“Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be; but we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is.” 1 John 3:2.

Will the return of Christ be a time of reward?

“For the Son of man shall come in the glory of His Father with His angels; and then He shall reward every person according, to their works.” Mat 16:27. “And behold, I come quickly; and My reward is with Me, to give every person according as their work shall be.” Rev 22:12.

Who will receive the promised salvation when Christ returns?

“So, Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for Him shall He appear the second time without sin unto salvation.” Heb 9:28.

What strong motivation should His return have on our lives right now?

“We know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is. And every person that hath this hope in them purifies themselves, even as Jesus is pure.” 1 John 3:2, 3.

To whom are these crowns of life promised?

“For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought a good fight and finished my course, I have kept the faith: henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that ay: and not to me only, but unto all of them also that love His appearing.” 2 Tim 4:6-8.

What will the waiting ones say when Jesus comes the second time?

“And it shall be said in that day, Lo, this is our God; we have waited for Him, and He will save us: this is the Lord; we have waited for Him, we will be glad and rejoice in His salvation.” Isa 25:9

Has the exact time of Christ’s coming been revealed?

“But of that day and hour knows no one, no, not the angels of heaven, but My Father only.” Mat 24:36.

In view of this fact, how does Christ tell us to prepare for that glorious event?

“Watch therefore: for you know not what hour your Lord will come.” Mat 24: 42.

What warning has Christ given that we might not be taken by surprise when He returns?

“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. For as a snare shall it come on all of them that dwell on the face of the whole earth. 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 21:34-36.

What special attribute should the waiting ones develop?

“Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waits for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receives the early and latter rain. Be ye also patient; establish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh.” Jam 5:7-8.

Turning to the disciples, Christ said, “Take heed that no man deceives you. For many shall come in My name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.” Many false messiahs will appear, claiming to work miracles, and declaring that the time of the deliverance of the Jewish nation has come. These will mislead many. Christ’s words were fulfilled. Between His death and the siege of Jerusalem many false messiahs appeared. But this warning was given also to those who live in this age of the world. The same deceptions practiced prior to the destruction of Jerusalem have been practiced through the ages and will be practiced again.  {DA 628.2}

When one of my sons was little, I tucked him into bed one night and he asked me the most interesting question that an eight-year-old boy could possibly ask their dad. This is what he asked me:

“Dad. When will all the days be over so that we can see Jesus?”

I was a little shocked. I did not dream that an eight-year-old boy could have such views or questions on the second coming of Jesus.

But the answer to my son’s questions is the perfect proof that the second coming of Jesus will be the opposite of “secret.” There is no such thing as a “secret rapture.” Jesus has nothing to hide. No secrets to keep in His second coming. Every eye will see Him.

In unmistakable language, our Lord speaks of His second coming, and He gives warning of dangers to precede His advent to the world.

Some Will Depart from the Faith

1 Tim 4:1  Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons,

“If anyone shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not. For there shall arise false Christ’s, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. Behold, I have told you before. Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, He is in the desert; go not forth: behold, He is in the secret chambers; believe it not. For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so, shall also the coming of the Son of man be.”

As one of the signs of Jerusalem’s destruction, Christ had said.

 “Many false prophets shall rise and shall deceive many.” False prophets did rise, deceiving the people, and leading great numbers into the desert. Magicians and sorcerers, claiming miraculous power, drew the people after them into the mountain solitudes. But this prophecy was spoken also for the last days. This sign is given as a sign of the second advent. Even now false Christs and false prophets are showing signs and wonders to seduce His disciples.

Do we not [today] still hear the clamor?

“Behold, He is in the desert”? Have not thousands gone forth into the desert, hoping to find Christ? And from thousands of gatherings where people profess to hold communion with departed spirits is not the call now heard, “Behold, He is in the secret chambers”? This is the very claim that spiritism puts forth.

But what says Christ?

“Believe it not. For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so, shall also the coming of the Son of man be.”

Next week we will look at how the Bible answers my son’s question on the second coming of Jesus. The Bible declares in both Old and New Testament that it is anything but secret.

Dad, when will all the days be over so that Jesus can come?”

“At sunset he stopped for the night and went to sleep, resting his head on a large rock.” (Gen 28:11, C.E.V.)

A reflection on the present always reflects something of our past and often looks forward to our future, at the same time.

As we prepare to celebrate a new day each morning,  we can reflect upon what we have done and where we have been.

What was our yesterday like?

We wonder why we see no method to the fast-paced troubles and trials that happen to us. I have looked back and thought, “Why on earth did I have to suffer so much these last few months? Why did this, or why did that ever happen? It doesn’t even make sense, let alone seem fair.

I noticed in this text how Jacob came to “a certain place;” and stayed there all night because the sun had set.”

Now Jacob had no mattress, no covers, and a rock for a pillow. Jacob must have wondered what on earth was going on too; and why God had led him there, and apparently “left” him in such a place to sleep for the night. Sound uncomfortable at the very least.

It is quite likely that Jacob had intended to try to reach the city of Luz that day, but because the sun had set, he ran out of time, and had to stay put for the night. With the dark of night coming on, it could have been quite dangerous for him to try to reach the city then. I can imagine how that Jacob was worried about the big city being too dangerous at night.

Like Jacob’s experience, I walked into a few places recently where I was thinking maybe I had run out of time, that some issues had gone unanswered, and had left me in tatters; yet, when I saw this sunset tonight, the thought crossed my mind that another day is promised.

This day, like the setting sun is indeed ebbing away, yet reflected in the beauty and colors of this sunset, the new tomorrow will arise, with a chance to do things differently; and maybe even better.

I find myself wanting to praise the Lord for the Light, and the color that He puts into my life. Sometimes it is through the people He sets in my path, sometimes He communicates the assurance I need through what He has created, like this sunset.

I intend to enter today, this new day, praising God for the answers He has given me, and for the moments of Light, and colors He has gifted me with, and for

“when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord;” (Acts 3:19)

God’s covenant promise to Abraham and Isaac was also offered to Jacob. But it was not enough for Jacob to be Abraham’s grandson; Jacob had to also establish his own personal relationship with God.

God has no grandchildren; each person must have a personal relationship with him. It is not enough to hear wonderful stories about Christians in your family. You need to become part of the story yourself. (Ezekiel 14:14,20, 1 John 5:11-12, 1 John 1:1-3)

Just as Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness, [as conformity to God’s will and purpose so it is with you also]. [Gen 15:6]
Gal 3:7 So understand that it is the people who live by faith [with confidence in the power and goodness of God] who are [the true] sons of Abraham. (Gal 3:6-7, AMP)

Then Abram believed in (affirmed, trusted in, relied on, remained steadfast to) the LORD; and He counted (credited) it to him as righteousness (doing right in regard to God and man). (Gen 15:6, AMP)

Jacob had a very uncomfortable place to sleep that night, not unlike many of us at various points in our life. Things are uncomfortable. Maybe even dangerous. As the text reveals, God had Jacob stay there for a good reason.

Jacob had the stones for his pillows and the heavens for his canopy; no heat, very much exposed to the elements; and yet, the hardship of this night seemed to make him forget that he was fleeing for his life from his own brother. The dream he had in verse 12 reflects the amazing assurance Jacob had in this divine protection. (Rom 4:1-5)

I can see myself, climbing Jacob’s ladder. Each promise of God that I claim seems to be one more step up that ladder. Each promise is one step closer to Heaven, (2 Pet 1:3-4)

May grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire.

I believe God has good reason for whatever I have experienced, for all the pain, the frustration and where I have had to be in recent days. I do not really know what that reason is right now that my suffering intensifies, but it does not matter. The “times of refreshing” have helped me through it all. They tell me that Jesus is here. He will never leave me nor forsake me. (Heb 13:5)

Partakers of the Divine Nature simply means for us today that we must learn of Christ. We must know what He is to those He has ransomed. We must realize that through belief in Him it is our privilege to be partakers of the divine nature, and so escape the corruption that is in the world through wrong desires. Then we are cleansed from all sin, all defects of character. We need not retain one sinful desire or evil propensity. Eph 2:1-6. {7BC 943.1}

Great and precious promises refers to the numerous offers of divine provision found throughout Scripture. These promises offer us the glory and virtue of Christ as the basis for our growing participation in the divine nature. (2 Pet 3:18).

We have Christ within us, as He promised (John 14:23), to enable us to become increasingly Christlike (2 Cor 3:18). Because we have become new creatures in Christ, (2 Cor 5:17), we have already escaped the corruption (the moral ruin) that is in the world through perverted desire.

“In Christ,” through His precious promises, shows how we can make our escape from this world’s ways evident to all by our godly behavior (Acts 4:13), and by the renewing of our mind (Rom 12:2). These promises are the fourth resource (compare also 2 Pet 1:1,2 Pet 1:3) upon which believers today may draw for sustaining help. (Isa 12:3)

“Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid; for the LORD GOD is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation.” With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation. (Isa 12:2-3)

Although Abram had been demonstrating his faith through his actions, it was his belief in the Lord, not his actions, that made Abram right with God (Rom 4:1-5). We, too, can have a right relationship with God by going to Jesus just as we are, and by trusting Him.

Our outward actions, such as church attendance, prayer, good deeds, none of that will ever in or of themselves make us right with God.

A right relationship for me to have with God is based on the shed blood of Christ,(Gal 6:14, Eph 2:13),accessed by our exercised faith. Faith — the heartfelt inner confidence that God is who he says he is and does what he says he will do. (Isa 28:12, Acts 3:19)

The God who began a good work within us continues it throughout our lifetime and will finish it when we meet him face to face. God’s work for us began when Christ died on the cross in our place.

His work within us began when we first believed. Now the Holy Spirit lives in us, enabling us to be more like Christ every day. Paul is describing the process of Christian growth and maturity that began when we accepted Jesus and continues until Christ returns.

Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. I thank God every time I remember you. And I always pray for all of you with joy. I thank God for the help you gave me while I told people the Good News. You helped from the first day you believed until now. I am sure that the good work God began in you will continue until he completes it on the day when Jesus Christ comes again. I know I am right to think like this about all of you because you are so close to my heart. This is because you have all played such an important part in God’s grace to me (Phil 1:2-7, ERV)

No matter where you end up having to lay your head for the night, it is my prayer that you also experience this inner confidence that “…He who has begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ…” (Phil 1:6)

Prayer:

Father In Heaven, draw me close to You, never let me go. I lay it all down again before You. To hear you say that I am your friend

In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen