A Thought For Today

[Richard Myers]

There is much truth in your message, dear brother!  It points to our need of Jesus. It reveals that the "new heart" is indeed a new heart. It is no longer the carnal heart that many insist is in the converts body. No, when we become partakers of God's divine nature, it is the heart that is made new, not the flesh. We retain the evil fallen flesh, but it is kept under as Paul stated. We possess the mind of Christ and it has power to control the flesh. As soon as we let go of Christ, the flesh takes control over the mind, because we then have the carnal mind back. It may seem strange to those who have been educated to believe they may sin and be saved, but when they begin to see the lie, they will study for themselves what the Bible says. Then they will believe that God's promise that He will not allow us to be tempted beyond what we can bear is a conditional promise. It is only a promise to those who abide in Jesus and have the Holy Spirit in their hearts. 2 + 2=4.  Soon, we shall see that harvest field that is white come into the church. But, first we need to get the gospel message right. We need to be His witnesses so that we do not bring reproach upon Christ and His Word. When converted, we have pure motives and power to obey. When we sin, it is because are not partakers of God's divine nature. We have separated from God and are walking in the flesh. We then have no power to resist the smallest temptation, not from the heart.  The carnal heart is wicked. "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?" Jeremiah 17:9. That is why we need a new heart. Here is the promise of a new heart. "Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you.  A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them." Ezekiel 36:25-27. This is a radical change in nature when we are in a converted state.  It is Christ, not I when He has possession of the heart.

[Glen]

God's promise that He will not allow us to be tempted beyond what we can bear is a conditional promise.

Amen Richard! Could we say that: The "us" and "we" of the above thought, is Christ in you, the hope of glory?

To be genuinely "balanced" while wholeheartedly on the side of the Lord; if anything, is to appear to the Unbelieving professing SDA, and to the world in general, as fanatical. ....after the way which they call heresy, so worship I the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the law and in the prophets: Acts 24:14 -Because we know that we know, and are happy doing them. (See John 13:17)

As kings and priests in training (Revelations 1:6; Revelations 5:10), a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that (we) should shew forth the praises of him who hath called (us) out of darkness into his marvellous light (1 Peter 1:29), we, as with Christ dwelling within, Who can have compassion on the ignorant, and on them that are out of the way; for that (we ourselves) also (are) compassed with infirmity. Hebrews 5:2

[Richard Myers]

Amen! Jesus wants to live on our hearts, all of the time. It is up to us to invite Him in and then to continue to ask Him to stay. He will not stay if we do not hold on to Him. If we allow our minds to wander away, He will not stay. He will call us back to Him. But, we must open the door and ask Him to come in. It is a continual matter. We do not believe in once saved always saved or any version of it. We need to be connected with Jesus continually by our active participation. We need to be in an  attitude of prayer continually. This is a strange thought to many professing Christians.

[Glen]

....We do not believe in once saved always saved or any version of it. We need to be connected with Jesus continually by our active participation. We need to be in an  attitude of prayer continually...

To "die daily" is to choose moment by moment to keep the Light on.

Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Ephesians 6:13

Jesus did not convey the idea that merely one drink of the water of life would be enough. All who taste the love of Christ will continually long for more, but they seek for nothing else. Humble Hero 78.03

Prayer is the breath of the soul. It is the secret of spiritual power. No other means of grace can be substituted and the health of the soul be preserved. Prayer brings the heart into immediate contact with the Wellspring of life, and strengthens the sinew and muscle of the religious experience. Prayer 182.1

The impartation of the Spirit is the impartation of the life of Christ.... God's Amazing Grace 212.03

In every respect you are to honor God by being partakers of His divine nature that you may have the assurance of sins pardoned which would testify of the love of God. But there is not in our experience that pleasantness and joyousness that there should be. Christ says that if He is in us, our joy will be full. Let us then be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. Let us not, by living inconsistent, earthly, sensual lives, heap reproach upon Christ. Let us rise above the malarious atmosphere that pervades the world, and breathe the breath of God. Let us feed upon the bread of life. Lift Him Up 109. 04

Christ declares that if we eat His flesh and drink His blood, we shall have eternal life. His word will be to us as the leaves of the tree of life if we will believe in Christ as our personal Saviour. If we eat the bread that came down from heaven, we shall have a live connection with God. We shall bring eternity into our reckoning. We shall live as in the presence of the whole heavenly host. Lift Him Up 109. 05

Heaven begins in the soul, and as heavenly-mindedness increases, Christ is more and more appreciated, and finally becomes the Chiefest among ten thousand, the One altogether lovely....

If we would see heaven, we must have heaven below. We must have a heaven to go to heaven in. We must have heaven in our families, through Christ continually approaching unto God. Christ is the great center of attraction, and the child of God hid in Christ, meets with God, and is lost in the divine being. Prayer is the life of the soul; it is feeding on Christ; it is turning our faces fully toward the Sun of Righteousness. As we turn our faces toward Him, He turns His face toward us. He longs to give us divine grace; and as we draw nigh to God with full assurance of faith, our spiritual conceptions are quickened. We do not then walk in blindness, bemoaning our spiritual barrenness; for by diligent, prayerful searching of the Word of God, we (Who? Christ in us) apply His rich promises unto our souls. Angels draw close to our side, and the enemy with his manifold devices is driven back.—The Signs of the Times, July 31, 1893.

The fruit of the tree of life in the Garden of Eden possessed supernatural virtue. To eat of it was to live forever. Its fruit was the antidote of death. Its leaves were for the sustaining of life and immortality.Heaven 172.02

We need to understand these words of Christ, “The flesh profiteth nothing. The words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life”—the Holy Word accepted and brought into the practical life. Spiritual life consists in Christ’s being the light and life of the soul temple, as the blood is the life of the body. All who study the word are represented as eating the word, feeding on Christ.... Even as the bodily necessities must be supplied daily, so the word of God must be daily studied—eaten, and digested, and practiced. This sustains the nourishment, to keep the soul in health. The neglect of the word means starvation to the soul. The word describes the blessed man as one meditating day and night upon the truths of God’s word. We all are to feast upon the word of God. The relation of the word to the believer is a vital matter. Appropriating the word to our spiritual necessities is the eating of the leaves of the tree of life that are for the healing of the nations. Study the word, and practice the word, for it is your life.
—Ellen G. White Letter 4, 1902.

I understand that those sealed with the seal of the Living God will sin no more; -that is, I perceive, the summation of God's purpose for mankind, the ideal that the Godhead desires. This, too, finally becomes the burning desire of the Believer at End-Time. The sooner the Wise Virgins comprehend this, the sooner will they have their supply of oil at the ready; they, who have received the Mind of Christ. thus; desire the final eradication of Sin(s) -They've accepted the prayer of Christ in John 17, they've sought for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life.... Romans 2:7 and have found it in receiving joyfully the indwelling of Jesus Christ through the impartation of His life as they received that heavenly oil, the Spirit of God. "Oh, what a day that will be"! Saved forever; yet, "lost in the divine being." To become one with Christ is the genuine article that the idea of "once saved always saved" attempts to counterfeit. Those who let the Word of God dwell in them richly, will have the Word of God dwell in them richly; thus, Paul could say,I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. Galatians 2:20

The plea of the fully Penitent, in union with the Saviour through His Holy Spirit, with humble violence (Matthew 11:12) seizes the moment, every fiber of the being inflamed (See Isaiah 4:4), with rapt attention, fixed focus, to receive the will of God (John 1:13).

I am come to send fire on the earth; and what will I, if it be already kindled? 50 But I have a baptism to be baptized with; and how am I straitened till it be accomplished!
Luke 12:49, 50

....Even so, come, Lord Jesus. Revelation 22:20

[Richard Myers]

The Great Sin of Pluralism

"The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened."  Matthew 13:33

   
Among the Jews leaven was sometimes used as an emblem of sin. At the time of the Passover the people were directed to remove all the leaven from their houses as they were to put away sin from their hearts. Christ warned His disciples, "Beware ye of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy." Luke 12:1. And the apostle Paul speaks of the "leaven of malice and wickedness." 1 Corinthians 5:8. But in the Saviour's parable, leaven is used to represent the kingdom of heaven. It illustrates the quickening, assimilating power of the grace of God. 

None are so vile, none have fallen so low, as to be beyond the working of this power. In all who will submit themselves to the Holy Spirit a new principle of life is to be implanted; the lost image of God is to be restored in humanity.
 
But man cannot transform himself by the exercise of his will. He possesses no power by which this change can be effected. The leaven--something wholly from without--must be put into the meal before the desired change can be wrought in it. So the grace of God must be received by the sinner before he can be fitted for the kingdom of glory. All the culture and education which the world can give will fail of making a degraded child of sin a child of heaven. The renewing energy must come from God. The change can be made only by the Holy Spirit. All who would be saved, high or low, rich or poor, must submit to the working of this power. 
 
As the leaven, when mingled with the meal, works from within outward, so it is by the renewing of the heart that the grace of God works to transform the life. No mere external change is sufficient to bring us into harmony with God. There are many who try to reform by correcting this or that bad habit, and they hope in this way to become Christians, but they are beginning in the wrong place. Our first work is with the heart.

A profession of faith and the possession of truth in the soul are two different things. The mere knowledge of truth is not enough. We may possess this, but the tenor of our thoughts may not be changed. The heart must be converted and sanctified.

The man who attempts to keep the commandments of God from a sense of obligation merely--because he is required to do so--will never enter into the joy of obedience. He does not obey. When the requirements of God are accounted a burden because they cut across human inclination, we may know that the life is not a Christian life. True obedience is the outworking of a principle within. It springs from the love of righteousness, the love of the law of God. The essence of all righteousness is loyalty to our Redeemer. This will lead us to do right because it is right--because right doing is pleasing to God. 

The great truth of the conversion of the heart by the Holy Spirit is presented in Christ's words to Nicodemus: "Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born from above, he can not see the kingdom of God. . . . That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh and whither it goeth. So is every one that is born of the Spirit." John 3:3-8, margin.

The apostle Paul, writing by the Holy Spirit, says, "God, who is rich in mercy, for His great love wherewith He loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) and hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God." Ephesians 2:4-8. 

The leaven hidden in the flour works invisibly to bring the whole mass under its leavening process; so the leaven of truth works secretly, silently, steadily, to transform the soul. The natural inclinations are softened and subdued. New thoughts, new feelings, new motives, are implanted. A new standard of character is set up--the life of Christ. The mind is changed; the faculties are roused to action in new lines. Man is not endowed with new faculties, but the faculties he has are sanctified. The conscience is awakened. We are endowed with traits of character that enable us to do service for God. 

Often the question arises, Why, then, are there so many, claiming to believe God's word, in whom there is not seen a reformation in words, in spirit, and in character? Why are there so many who cannot bear opposition to their purposes and plans, who manifest an unholy temper, and whose words are harsh, overbearing, and passionate? There is seen in their lives the same love of self, the same selfish indulgence, the same temper and hasty speech, that is seen in the life of the worldling. There is the same sensitive pride, the same yielding to natural inclination, the same perversity of character, as if the truth were wholly unknown to them. The reason is that they are not converted. They have not hidden the leaven of truth in the heart. It has not had opportunity to do its work. Their natural and cultivated tendencies to evil have not been submitted to its transforming power. Their lives reveal the absence of the grace of Christ, an unbelief in His power to transform the character.

"Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." Romans 10:17. The Scriptures are the great agency in the transformation of character. Christ prayed, "Sanctify them through Thy truth; Thy word is truth." John 17:17. If studied and obeyed, the word of God works in the heart, subduing every unholy attribute. The Holy Spirit comes to convict of sin, and the faith that springs up in the heart works by love to Christ, conforming us in body, soul, and spirit to His own image. Then God can use us to do His will. The power given us works from within outwardly, leading us to communicate to others the truth that has been communicated to us. 

The truths of the word of God meet man's great practical necessity--the conversion of the soul through faith. These grand principles are not to be thought too pure and holy to be brought into the daily life. They are truths which reach to heaven and compass eternity, yet their vital influence is to be woven into human experience. They are to permeate all the great things and all the little things of life. 

Received into the heart, the leaven of truth will regulate the desires, purify the thoughts, and sweeten the disposition. It quickens the faculties of the mind and the energies of the soul. It enlarges the capacity for feeling, for loving. 

The world regards as a mystery the man who is imbued with this principle. The selfish, money-loving man lives only to secure for himself the riches, honors, and pleasures of this world. He loses the eternal world from his reckoning. But with the follower of Christ these things will not be all-absorbing. For Christ's sake he will labor and deny self, that he may aid in the great work of saving souls who are without Christ and without hope in the world. Such a man the world cannot understand; for he is keeping in view eternal realities. The love of Christ with its redeeming power has come into the heart. This love masters every other motive, and raises its possessor above the corrupting influence of the world.

The word of God is to have a sanctifying effect on our association with every member of the human family. The leaven of truth will not produce the spirit of rivalry, the love of ambition, the desire to be first. True, heaven-born love is not selfish and changeable. It is not dependent on human praise. The heart of him who receives the grace of God overflows with love for God and for those for whom Christ died. Self is not struggling for recognition. He does not love others because they love and please him, because they appreciate his merits, but because they are Christ's purchased possession. If his motives, words, or actions are misunderstood or misrepresented, he takes no offense, but pursues the even tenor of his way. He is kind and thoughtful, humble in his opinion of himself, yet full of hope, always trusting in the mercy and love of God.

The apostle exhorts us, "As He which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy." 1 Peter 1:15, 16. The grace of Christ is to control the temper and the voice. Its working will be seen in politeness and tender regard shown by brother for brother, in kind, encouraging words. An angel presence is in the home. The life breathes a sweet perfume, which ascends to God as holy incense. Love is manifested in kindness, gentleness, forbearance, and long-suffering. 

The countenance is changed. Christ abiding in the heart shines out in the faces of those who love Him and keep His commandments. Truth is written there. The sweet peace of heaven is revealed. There is expressed a habitual gentleness, a more than human love. 
 
The leaven of truth works a change in the whole man, making the coarse refined, the rough gentle, the selfish generous. By it the impure are cleansed, washed in the blood of the Lamb. Through its life-giving power it brings all there is of mind and soul and strength into harmony with the divine life. Man with his human nature becomes a partaker of divinity. Christ is honored in excellence and perfection of character. As these changes are effected, angels break forth in rapturous song, and God and Christ rejoice over souls fashioned after the divine similitude.

[Richard Myers]

God's Strength is to be Our Strength

"Yet shall I be glorious in the eyes of the Lord, and My God shall be My strength." Isaiah 49:12

   
In the last meeting with His disciples, the great desire which Christ expressed for them was that they might love one another as He had loved them. Again and again He spoke of this. "These things I command you, that ye love one another." His very first injunction when alone with them in the upper chamber was, "A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another." To the disciples this commandment was new; for they had not loved one another as Christ had loved them. He saw that new ideas and impulses must control them; that new principles must be practiced by them; through His life and death they were to receive a new conception of love. The command to love one another had a new meaning in the light of His self-sacrifice. The whole work of grace is one continual service of love, of self-denying, self-sacrificing effort. During every hour of Christ's sojourn upon the earth, the love of God was flowing from Him in irrepressible streams. All who are imbued with His Spirit will love as He loved. The very principle that actuated Christ will actuate them in all their dealing one with another.

This love is the evidence of their discipleship. "By this shall all men know that ye are My disciples," said Jesus, "if ye have love one to another." When men are bound together, not by force or self-interest, but by love, they show the working of an influence that is above every human influence. Where this oneness exists, it is evidence that the image of God is being restored in humanity, that a new principle of life has been implanted. It shows that there is power in the divine nature to withstand the supernatural agencies of evil, and that the grace of God subdues the selfishness inherent in the natural heart. 
 
This love, manifested in the church, will surely stir the wrath of Satan. Christ did not mark out for His disciples an easy path. "If the world hate you, ye know that it hated Me before it hated you. If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted Me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept My saying, they will keep yours also. But all these things will they do unto you for My name's sake, because they know not Him that sent Me." The gospel is to be carried forward by aggressive warfare, in the midst of opposition, peril, loss, and suffering. But those who do this work are only following in their Master's steps. 
 
As the world's Redeemer, Christ was constantly confronted with apparent failure. He, the messenger of mercy to our world, seemed to do little of the work He longed to do in uplifting and saving. Satanic influences were constantly working to oppose His way. But He would not be discouraged. Through the prophecy of Isaiah He declares, "I have labored in vain, I have spent My strength for nought, and in vain: yet surely My judgment is with the Lord, and My work with My God. . . . Though Israel be not gathered, yet shall I be glorious in the eyes of the Lord, and My God shall be My strength." It is to Christ that the promise is given, "Thus saith the Lord, the Redeemer of Israel, and His Holy One, to Him whom man despiseth, to Him whom the nation abhorreth; . . . thus saith the Lord: . . . I will preserve Thee, and give Thee for a covenant of the people, to establish the earth, to cause to inherit the desolate heritages; that Thou mayest say to the prisoners, Go forth; to them that are in darkness, Show yourselves. . . . They shall not hunger nor thirst; neither shall the heat nor sun smite them: for He that hath mercy on them shall lead them, even by the springs of water shall He guide them." Isaiah 49:4, 5, 7-10. 

[Richard Myers]

God, Our Teacher

"Cease ye from man, whose breath is in his nostrils..."  Isaiah 2:22

   
Do we want to understand the time in which we live? The trials of the children of Israel, and their attitude just before the first coming of Christ, are an illustration of our position today. How the enemy sought every occasion to take control of the minds of the Jews. Likewise, he is seeking to blind the minds of God's servants today, that we may not be able to discern what is truth.
 
When Christ came to our world, Satan was on the ground, and disputed every inch of advance in his path from the manger to Calvary. We cannot conceive of the humiliation Jesus endured in taking our nature upon himself. He was the Majesty of heaven, the King of glory, and He humbled Himself to become a human baby and suffer the wants and woes of mortals. He humbled himself not to the highest position, to be a man of riches and power, but though he was rich, yet for our sake he became poor, that we through his poverty might be made rich.

Christ had given precious truth, but men had bound it up in the rubbish of superstition and error. He had imparted to them the words of life, but they did not live by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God. He saw that the world could not find the word of God, for it was hidden by the traditions of men. He came to place before the world the relative importance of heaven and earth, and put truth in its own place. Jesus alone could reveal the truth which it was necessary men should know in order that they might obtain salvation. He only could place it in the frame-work of truth, and it was his work to free it from error and to set it before men in its heavenly light. 

In Christ, divinity and humanity were combined. Divinity was not degraded to humanity; divinity held its place, but humanity by being united to divinity, withstood the fiercest test of temptation in the wilderness. The prince of this world came to Christ after his long fast, when he was hungered, and suggested to him to command the stones to become bread. But the plan of God, devised for the salvation of man, provided that Christ should know hunger, and poverty, and every phase of man's experience. He withstood the temptation, through the power that man may command. He laid hold on the throne of God, and there is not a man or woman who may not have access to the same help through faith in God. Man may become a partaker of the divine nature. Christ came to reveal the Source of his power, that man might never rely on his unaided human capabilities.

Those who would overcome must put to the tax every power of their being. They must agonize on their knees before God for divine power. Christ came to be our example, and to make known to us that we may be partakers of the divine nature. How? By having escaped the corruptions that are in the world through lust. Satan did not gain the victory over Christ. He did not put his foot upon the soul of the Redeemer. He did not touch the head though he bruised the heel. Christ, by his own example, made it evident that man may stand in integrity. Men may have a power to resist evil, a power that neither earth, nor death, nor hell can master; a power that will place them where they may overcome as Christ overcame. Divinity and humanity may be combined in them. 

There are many who cannot distinguish between the work of God and that of man. Jesus said to his disciples, "I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now." They were not in a condition to appreciate sacred and eternal things. Are we? Or have we placed our dependence in man? "Cease ye from man, whose breath is in his nostrils: for wherein is he to be accounted of?"  We must hang our helpless souls upon Jesus. If there is a point of truth that you do not understand, upon which you do not agree, investigate, compare scripture with scripture. We must lay ourselves and our opinions on the altar of God, put away our preconceived ideas, and let the Spirit of Heaven guide us into all truth. 

God wants us to depend upon him, and not upon man. He desires us to have a new heart. We do not go deep enough in our search for truth. Every soul who believes present truth will be brought where he will be required to give a reason of the hope that is in him. The people of God will be called upon to stand before kings, princes, rulers, and great men of the earth, and they must know that they do know what is truth. They must be converted men and women. God can teach you more in one moment by His Holy Spirit than you could learn from the great men of the earth in a lifetime. God has provided for every man an opportunity to know that which will make him wise unto salvation. We are to be one with Christ as he is one with the Father, and the Father will love us as he loves His Son. We may have the same help that Christ had, we may have strength for every emergency. Now may God help us to come to the feet of Jesus and learn of him, before we seek to become teachers of others. 
 

[Mimi]

A solemn Amen! The messages contained in virtually every single sentence of that piece should so resonate in our minds as to cause a serious self reexamination. Only through humility of heart are we in a condition to learn of God.

Today, I especially appreciate this message.

[Richard Myers]

Practical Godliness

"And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works." Revelaton 20:12

   
The world watches to see what fruit is borne by professed Christians. It has a right to look for self-denial and self-sacrifice from those who claim to believe the Bible and profess to be followers of Jesus.
                                             
There have been, and will continue to be, among us those who do not feel their need of Jesus at every step. They think they cannot take time to pray and attend religious meetings. They have so much to do that they cannot find time to keep their souls in the love of God. When this is the case, Satan is there to fill their minds with thoughts of self and the world. There is no peace in the life.

Church members who are not diligent and faithful do incalculable harm. They set a wrong example for others. Jesus warned the church that leaven will affect others in the church. When men claiming to be representatives of Christ reveal that they are unconverted, their characters gross, selfish, impure, they should be separated from leadership positions in the church.

Workers need to realize the sacredness of the trust with which the Lord has honored them. Impulsive motives, fitful actions, must be put aside. Those who cannot distinguish between the sacred and the common are not safe stewards of high responsibilities. When tempted, they will betray their trust. Those who do not appreciate the privileges and opportunities of a connection with the work of God will not stand when the enemy presents his temptations. They are easily misled by selfish, ambitious projects. If, after the light has been presented to them, they still fail of distinguishing right from wrong, the sooner they are disconnected from their position in the church or her institutions, the purer and more elevated will be the character of the work in God's church.

A neglect to conform in every particular to God's requirements means certain failure and loss to the wrongdoer. Failing to keep the way of the Lord, he robs his Maker of the service that is His due. This reacts upon himself; he fails of gaining that grace, that power, that force of character, which it is the privilege of each to receive who surrenders all to God. Living apart from Christ, he is exposed to temptation. He makes mistakes in his work for the Master. Untrue to principle in little things, he fails of doing God's will in things greater. He acts on the principles to which he has accustomed himself. His character has been formed in the wrong direction.

By choosing to make a full surrender to Jesus the direction in life may be reversed. It is the greatest miracle that God can perform, but it is impossible without our help. We must choose to flee to Christ, to eat His flesh and drink His blood. If we refuse, then we are left to ourselves. 

Our power is not in our talents of education or means, neither is it in our popularity; it is in self-sacrifice, our willing obedience to Jesus Christ. Those who truly surrender all to Him, will carry a weight of influence, and will carry others along with them, because they walk in the light. Intelligence will be inefficient, wealth of little account with God; but heart power, thorough godliness, humble fidelity, will bear a weight of influence that will be irresistible. 

Shall we not consecrate ourselves to God without reserve? Christ, the King of glory, gave Himself a ransom for us. Can we withhold anything from Him? Shall we think our poor, unworthy selves too precious, our time or property too valuable, to give to Jesus?  Our crucified Lord is pleading for us in the presence of the Father at the throne of grace. His atoning sacrifice we may plead for our pardon, our justification, and our sanctification. The lamb slain is our only hope that our names may be written in "the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world."

[Richard Myers]

The Need for Revival

"It is of the LORD'S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not." Lamentations 3:22

God calls for a spiritual revival and a spiritual reformation in His church. Unless this takes place, those who are lukewarm will continue to grow more abhorrent to the Lord, until He will refuse to acknowledge them as His children. Many who call themselves Christians are mere human moralists. They have refused the gift which alone could enable them to honor Christ by representing Him to the world. The work of the Holy Spirit is to them a strange work. They are not doers of the word. The heavenly principles that distinguish those who are one with Christ from those who are one with the world have become almost indistinguishable. The professed followers of Christ are no longer a separate and peculiar people. The line of demarcation is indistinct. The people are subordinating themselves to the world, to its practices, its customs, its selfishness. The church has gone over to the world in transgression of the law, when the world should have come over to the church in obedience to the law. Daily the church is being converted to the world.

In the past history of Israel we find a similar situation. Among those who had hoped for a permanent spiritual revival as the result of the reformation under Josiah was Jeremiah, called of God to the prophetic office while still a youth. In the youthful Jeremiah, God saw one who would be true to his trust and who would stand for the right against great opposition. "Say not, I am a child," the Lord bade His chosen messenger; "for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee, and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak. Be not afraid of their faces: for I am with thee to deliver thee."

For forty years Jeremiah was to stand before the nation as a witness for truth and righteousness. In a time of unparalleled apostasy he was to exemplify in life and character the worship of the only true God. Naturally of a timid and shrinking disposition, Jeremiah longed for the peace and quite of a life of retirement, where he need not witness the continued impenitence of his beloved nation. His heart was wrung with anguish over the ruin wrought by sin.

The experiences through which Jeremiah passed in the days of his youth and also in the later years of his ministry, taught him the lesson that "the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps." He learned to pray, "O Lord, correct me, but with judgment; not in thine anger, lest thou bring me to nothing." Jeremiah 10:23, 24.
 
When called to drink of the cup of tribulation and sorrow, and when tempted in his misery to say, "My strength and my hope is perished from the Lord," he recalled the providences of God in his behalf and triumphantly exclaimed, "It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.  The Lord is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him."

The future of the church today, as in the days of Jeremiah, depends on the efforts made by its members to understand the sinfulness of selfishness, and their willingness to take the remedy which will cure the disease from which they are suffering. Let a reformation take place, that those who accept the truth in the future shall not be contaminated by the corrupting influence of Satan.  "Ye are not your own; for ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's." "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven." Christ gave His life for a fallen race, leaving us an example that we should follow in His steps. To him who does this will be spoken the words of approval, "Well done, good and faithful servant; . . . enter thou into the joy of thy Lord." 
   

[Richard Myers]

Faith and Works

"As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance: but as He which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy."        1 Peter 1:14, 15

Those who would follow Christ must be grounded upon the principles of truth. They need to understand what the Bible teaches in regard to faith, and sanctification through the truth. They must be so established in this knowledge that they cannot be moved to take false positions on the doctrine of holiness, but will be able to illustrate in their lives the practical workings of this heaven-given principle. The people of God must be able to distinguish between the genuine and the false.

There are those who profess holiness, who declare that they are wholly the Lord's, who claim a right to the promises of God, while they do not render obedience to His commandments. It is true that there are many who have never had the light of present truth, who, through the grace given them of Christ, are keeping the law as far as they understand it. Those who are thus living up to the best light they have, are not of the class whom the apostle John condemns. His words apply to those who boast of believing in Jesus, who claim holiness, while they lightly regard the requirements of the law of God. While they talk of the love of Jesus, their love is not deep enough to lead to obedience. The fruit they bear, shows the character of the tree. It proves that their faith is not genuine. Yet this class, though entitled to nothing, though they have no right to the promises of God, boldly claim all His blessings. While they give nothing, they claim everything. They close their ears to the truth, refuse to listen to the plain "Thus saith the Lord," but by professing holiness they deceive many, leading souls away by their pretentious faith that has no foundation.

We as a people acknowledge the claims of God's law, and teach the people the duty of rendering obedience. We believe in giving everything, but we do not see that we must take as well as give. We fail to have that trust, that faith, which keeps the soul abiding in Christ. We claim little, when we might claim much; for there is no limit to the promises of God.

Through a lack of faith, many who seek to obey the commandments of God have little peace and joy; they do not correctly represent the sanctification that is to come through obedience to the truth. They are not anchored in Christ. Many feel a lack in their experience; they desire something which they have not; and thus some are led to attend meetings of those who profess to teach "victory over sin".

Let us talk faith, to present the love of Christ in connection with the claims of the law; for neither can be rightly understood without the other. In every teaching the love of God, as manifested in Christ, the sinner's only hope, should be dwelt upon until the people realize something of its power and preciousness. If this is done as it should be, it will not be said of Seventh-day Adventists that they teach the law but do not believe in repentance, faith, and conversion. We want these subjects to be blended as God has blended them; then will the truth be presented in its completeness, not as a mere theory, but as a power that will transform the character. It will then be preached in demonstration of the Spirit and with power. Then those who have accepted the doctrines of the Bible will not be unfed; they will receive the power of the Holy Spirit to do the works written in the law. "He that saith he abideth in Him ought himself also so to walk, even as He walked." 1 John 2:6.

[Richard Myers]

A Still Small Voice

"A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them." Ezekiel 36:26, 27   

"Next time you hear a peal of thunder, stop and praise God for His awesome power that could speak nature into existence. And then praise Him for being the God that is powerful enough to speak—yes, even whisper—and create a new heart within you."  Read More 

[Mimi]

Amen. Here is a bit more ...

All who are under the training of God need the quiet hour for communion with their own hearts, with nature, and with God. In them is to be revealed a life that is not in harmony with the world, its customs, or its practices; and they need to have a personal experience in obtaining a knowledge of the will of God. We must individually hear Him speaking to the heart. When every other voice is hushed, and in quietness we wait before Him, the silence of the soul makes more distinct the voice of God. He bids us, "Be still, and know that I am God." Psalm 46:10. This is the effectual preparation for all labor for God. Amidst the hurrying throng, and the strain of life's intense activities, he who is thus refreshed will be surrounded with an atmosphere of light and peace. He will receive a new endowment of both physical and mental strength. His life will breathe out a fragrance, and will reveal a divine power that will reach men's hearts.  {MH 58.3}

[Richard Myers]

Amen!!   "In them is to be revealed a life that is not in harmony with the world..."  In light of the events transpiring around us, the tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School yesterday among others, we certainly need to be transformed. We need to be born again so that we may be delivered from the fallen nature that bears sway in all who have not been filled with the Spirit of God. We need that "divine power" without which we will neither reach others, nor be saved ourselves. The world is sinking deeper and deeper into sin.  America, which has been a bright shining light in the world is now rejecting her Protestant heritage and is reflecting the immorality so rampant in the world. Jesus is coming very soon. He is even at the doors.

[Richard Myers]

"The Light of Life"

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

The Bible, and the Bible only, gives a correct view history and coming events. Here are revealed the great final scenes in the history of our world, events that already are casting their shadows beforehand. The sound of their approach will cause the earth to tremble and men's hearts to fail them for fear.   

"Behold, the Lord maketh the earth empty, and maketh it waste, and turneth it upside down, and scattereth abroad the inhabitants thereof. . . . They have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, broken the everlasting covenant. Therefore hath the curse devoured the earth, and they that dwell therein are desolate. . . . The mirth of tabrets ceaseth, the noise of them that rejoice endeth, the joy of the harp ceaseth." Isaiah 24:1-18.

Only those who have been diligent students of the Scriptures and who have received the love of the truth will be shielded from the powerful delusion that takes the world captive. By the Bible testimony these will detect the deceiver in his disguise. To all the testing time will come. By the sifting of temptation the genuine Christian will be revealed. Are the people of God now so firmly established upon His Word that they would not yield to the evidence of their senses? Would they, in such a crisis, cling to the Bible and the Bible only? Satan will, if possible, prevent them from obtaining a preparation to stand in that day. He will so arrange affairs as to hedge up their way, entangle them with earthly treasures, cause them to carry a heavy, wearisome burden, that their hearts may be overcharged with the cares of this life and the day of trial may come upon them as a thief.

 Christians should be preparing for what is soon to break upon the world as an overwhelming surprise, and this preparation they should make by diligently studying the word of God and striving to conform their lives to its precepts.

The Lord Jesus took upon Him the form of sinful man, clothing His divinity with humanity. But He was holy, even as God is holy. If He had not been without spot or stain of sin, He could not have been the Saviour of mankind. He was a Sinbearer, needing no atonement. One with God in purity and holiness of character, He could make a propitiation for the sins of the whole world. Christ is the light of the world. Through Him light is shining amid the moral darkness. If He were not light, the darkness would not be apparent, because light reveals darkness. The clearer the light, the more manifest the contrast between light and darkness. Let the light be removed, and there is nought but darkness.
 
Christ has declared our position. “He that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.” John 8:12. He is Himself the bright and morning Star. He is the Sun of Righteousness, the brightness of His Father’s glory. He is the “true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.” John 1:9. A Physician, a Healer, He came to restore the moral image of God that was lost by transgression. When Christ abides in the soul by faith, He makes the one who loves Him a light in the Lord. It is true that many who say they believe the truth have only a nominal faith. They are not doers of the Word. They profess to believe, but their profession will not convert them.
 
When Christ dwells in the heart, His presence is apparent. Good and pleasant words and actions reveal the Spirit of Christ. Sweetness of temper is manifested. There is no angry passion, no obstinacy, no evil-surmising. There is no hatred in the heart, because ideas and methods are not accepted and appreciated by others. When the truth controls the life, there is purity and freedom from sin. The glory, the fullness, the completeness of the gospel plan is fulfilled in the life. The light of truth irradiates the soul temple when the Spirit of God has possession of the heart and mind. "Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus." Philippians 2:5.

[Richard Myers]

Christmas

"Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child" Luke 2:15-17


What matchless love Jesus has manifested for a fallen world! If angels sang because the Saviour was born in Bethlehem, shall not our hearts echo the same joy, Glory to God in the highest, peace on earth, good will to men? Although we do not know the exact day of Christ's birth, we would honor the sacred event. Let us not overlook the event because there is an uncertainty in regard to the exact time. Let us do what we can to fasten the minds of the children upon those things which are precious to everyone who loves Jesus. Let us teach them how Jesus came into the world to bring hope, comfort, peace, and happiness to all. Let the hearts of all respond with exceeding joy for the priceless gift of the Son of God.

Christmas used to celebrate the birth of the world's Redeemer. Today, it is generally spent in feasting. Appetite and pleasure are indulged at the expense of physical, mental, and moral power. This has become a habit. Often, Christmas is spent in glorifying self rather than God. Jesus would be glorified by His children should we enjoy a plain, simple diet, and use the means intrusted to us in bringing to His work offerings, small and great, to be used in sending the light of truth to souls that are still in darkness. The hearts of the widow and fatherless may be made to rejoice because of gifts which will add to their comfort and satisfy their hunger. There are indeed many in the world who are in great need. There are missionaries to be sent into new fields, and others to be supported in their labor for Jesus. These missionaries have to practice the strictest economy, even denying themselves the very things we enjoy daily, and which we consider the necessities of life. They enjoy few of these luxuries.

Satan has sought to place temporal things above spiritual Many families who have but little to spare for God's cause, will spend money freely to purchase expensive cars, furniture, fashionable clothing, and sporting goods. How much is spent for holiday feasts, and often for that which is injurious to health. How much more pleasing to God it would be if all this money were invested in publications which would direct souls to Christ. The money wasted on needless things would supply many souls with reading material on present truth, which would be a great blessing to many who are seeking an understanding of religious matters. Satan's suggestions are carried out in many, many things. Our birthday anniversaries, Christmas, and Thanksgiving celebrations are too often devoted to selfish gratification, when the mind should be directed to the mercy and loving kindness of God. Jesus is not happy that His goodness, His constant care, His unceasing love, are not brought to mind on these occasions.  If all the money that is used extravagantly, for needless things, were used for evangelism, we would see men, women, and youth converted. The richest blessing of God would come into our churches. 

What does a wrong approach to Christmas and holidays do to our children who we are attempting to lead to Jesus, to His way of life? If we encourage them to think of themselves and what they are going to receive on Christmas Day, have we not worked contrary to that which is most important to us, the salvation of our children? The character of a child is formed by the habits created mainly in the home and church. We ought to ever keep before them their obligation to obey the word of God and to live for the purpose of serving Jesus and others, not self.

We are teaching them "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart; . . . and thy neighbor as thyself." Then let us do so when the world is doing the opposite. We are to be in the world, but not of the world. This ought not change at Christmas. Many parents have not taught their children the precepts of the law as God has commanded them. They have educated them in selfish habits. They have taught them to regard Christmas as an occasion when they expect to receive gifts, and to follow the habits and customs of the world, when we should use Christmas as an opportunity to increase their knowledge of God and to awaken thankfulness in their hearts for His mercy in letting His only Son come into our sin cursed world, a helpless little baby. What an opportunity that many squander.

If children and youth are properly instructed, what honor, what praise and thanksgiving, would flow from their lips to God! God would be remembered instead of forgotten. Christmas ought to be a pleasant and happy day for our children. And we can help to make it also a pleasant day for the poor and the afflicted. Do not let the day pass without bringing thanksgiving and thank offerings to Jesus. Let parents and children now make earnest effort to redeem the time, and to remedy past neglect. Let us follow a different course of action from that which the world follows, else when children leave home, they may continue doing as they were taught, living a life for self.   

There are many things which can be devised with taste and cost far less than the unnecessary presents that are so frequently bestowed upon our children and relatives, and thus courtesy can be shown, and happiness brought into the home. You can teach your children a lesson while you explain to them the reason why you have made a change in the value of their presents, telling them that you are convinced that you have in the past considered their pleasure more than the glory of God. Tell them that you have thought more of your own pleasure and of their gratification and of keeping in harmony with the customs and traditions of the world, in making presents to those who did not need them, than you have of advancing the cause of God.   God will richly bless all who will make Jesus, whom Christmas was to celebrate, the center of their thoughts and their lives.

Have a blessed Christmas Day!

[Richard Myers]

Who am I that a king would bleed and die for?  Precious Jesus will lead me, even unworthy me, and will bring me to the haven of rest at last, if I humbly follow where he leads. If Satan tempts you to believe you are unworthy, tell him he is right, but that you have a Saviour that died for you while you were a great sinner! Tell him that Christ came into the world to save sinners. We have nothing to recommend us to God; but the plea that we may urge now and ever is our utterly helpless condition that makes His redeeming power a necessity. Renouncing all self-dependence, we may look to the cross of Calvary and say,-- "In my hand no price I bring; Simply to Thy cross I cling."   


From our Heavenly Music Forum

[Richard Myers]

A New Year!

"Whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things." Philippians 4:8


Tonight a new year will begin; yet before we greet its coming, we pause to ask, What has been the history of the year that with its burden of records has now passed into eternity? The admonition of the apostle comes to every one of us,"Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves." God forbid that at this important hour we should be so engrossed with other matters as to give no time to serious, candid, critical self-examination! Let things of minor consequence be put in the background, and let us now bring to the front the things which concern our eternal interests.

No one of us can in our own strength represent the character of Christ; but if Jesus lives in the heart, the spirit dwelling in Him will be revealed in us; all our lack will be supplied. Who will seek at the beginning of this new year to obtain a new and genuine experience in the things of God? Let us make our wrongs right as far as possible. Let us confess our errors and sins one to another. Let all bitterness and wrath and malice be put away; let patience, long-suffering, kindness, and love become a part of our very being; then whatsoever things are pure and lovely and of good report will mature in our experience. 

What fruit have we borne during the year that is now past? What has been our influence upon others? Whom have we gathered to the fold of Christ? The eyes of the world are upon us. Are we living epistles of Christ, known and read of all men? Do we follow the example of Jesus in self-denial, in meekness, in humility, in forbearance, in cross-bearing, in devotion? Will the world be compelled to acknowledge us to be the servants of Christ?

Shall we not in this new year seek to correct the errors of the past? It behooves us individually to cultivate the grace of Christ, to be meek and lowly of heart, to be firm, unwavering, steadfast in the truth; for thus only can we advance in holiness, and be made fit for the inheritance of the saints in light. Let us begin the year with an entire renunciation of self; let us pray for clear discernment, that we may understand our Saviour's claims upon us, and that we may always and everywhere be witnesses for Christ.

Let us lift up Jesus. Lift Him up in sermons, in songs, in prayer. Let all  of our efforts be directed to pointing souls, confused, bewildered, and lost, to "the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world." Bid them look and live. "And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up," that all might look upon Jesus hanging upon the cross and live. 

[Mimi]

Amen! In our calendar, we have many events that can be taken advantage of to examine ourselves; a new year, a high Sabbath, a holy convocation, the prayer meeting. Yet it is every single day at its beginning and end that we should mark as the day to again make a thorough examination.

"Search me O God!"

"Today is the day of salvation!" Not yesterday or tomorrow, but today!

As I view this spent year, it is as clear as a bright and shining day that God's steady hand has guided my path as He would have it be. My plans were not His plans. They had to be set aside as I waited on Him. I pled for His intervention in a very personal matter and He heard my cry. Hallelujah and amen! What a Friend, what a God that He would notice one such as me, a sinner, saved by grace. And why do I love Him so? Because He first loved me!

Amen and amen! 

[Richard Myers]

Amen!!  It takes some experience to realize that we need Jesus all the time.  When we let go of Him, we will find much to repent of. The carnal heart (before conversion) is wicked. "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?"  Jeremiah 17:9. But, we have been promised new hearts that will be cleansed from all wickedness. "Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you. A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them." Ezekiel 36:25-27. If I remember right, these verses were shared in our Sabbath School lesson today.  Also, this morning I read in the Book of James "But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was." verses 22-24.

How many times have we seen who we are and then instead of clinging to Jesus we forget what we saw and continue on in our sinful ways? It helps to realize that when we see sin in our lives, it is because we are in need of a new heart, in  need of the cleansing grace of Christ. Where is Jesus at this point? He has not forsake us. Neither is He in us. He stands at the door knocking, seeking an entrance. Let us unbar the door to the heart and let Him in!