The Desire of Ages--33--Who Are My Brethren?

[Richard Myers]

Amen, Pastor Sean. This paragraph if prayerfully studied would bring the Laodicean out of his lost condition. The truth therein is opposed to the great deceptions brought into God's church. It is hard to not just stay on what is written there. But, there is more truth in the chapter. 

Those who accept this truth will find they are under attack......by the world....in and out of the church. Is this to be expected? Where is Jesus? He does not leave us alone. We are not left as orphans to contend with the forces of evil by ourselves.  Not only are given supernatural power to live the life of Christ, but we have a living High Priest who knows the number of hairs on our head. He loves us more than we know. What did Jesus experience as He walked on this Earth?

     These things made His path a thorny one to travel. So pained was Christ by the misapprehension in His own home that it was a relief to Him to go where it did not exist. There was one home that He loved to visit,--the home of Lazarus, and Mary, and Martha; for in the atmosphere of faith and love His spirit had rest. Yet there were none on earth who could comprehend His divine mission, or know the burden which He bore in behalf of humanity. Often He could find relief only in being alone, and communing with His heavenly Father.   
     Those who are called to suffer for Christ's sake, who have to endure misapprehension and distrust, even in their own home, may find comfort in the thought that Jesus has endured the same. He is moved with compassion for them. He bids them find companionship in Him, and relief where He found it, in communion with the Father.
     Those who accept Christ as their personal Saviour are not left as orphans, to bear the trials of life alone. He receives them as members of the heavenly family; He bids them call His Father their Father. They are His "little ones," dear to the heart of God, bound to Him by the most tender and abiding ties. He has toward them an exceeding tenderness, as far surpassing what our father or mother has felt toward us in our helplessness as the divine is above the human.

[Pastor Sean Brizendine]

Do you long for companionship and fellowship? Jesus longs to be the One closest to you today. Let Him supply your heart's desire with a closeness and intimacy that surpasses what any human relationship could ever give you. Jesus loves you. Come and behold Him, surrender fully to Him, and abide in His love.

"Closer than father, mother, brother, friend, or lover is the Lord our Saviour." {The Desire of Ages, page 327, paragraph 3}

"The Lord hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee." Jeremiah 31:3

Let us be so filled with Jesus' love today on this beautiful Sabbath that we go forth to diffuse that love and make His service appear attractive, as it really is!!!

[Dorine]

Amen Pastor Sean. When we finally give our all to Jesus we find that His yoke is easy and His burden is light just as He promised. Matt. 11:30. What a chapter this is. It covers so many profound truths. If we are not careful we can feel rather smug reading of the sins of the Pharisees and the family of Jesus thinking we would never be like them but then I read this.....

"It is not only by resistance but by neglect that the soul is destroyed. "When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man," said Jesus, "he walketh through dry places, seeking rest, and findeth none. Then he saith, I will return into my house from whence I came out; and when he is come he findeth it empty, swept, and garnished. Then goeth he and taketh with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there."

And how and why does this happen?

"There were many in Christ's day, as there are today, over whom the control of Satan for the time seemed broken; through the grace of God they were set free from the evil spirits that had held dominion over the soul. They rejoiced in the love of God; but, like the stony-ground hearers of the parable, they did not abide in His love. They did not surrender themselves to God daily, that Christ might dwell in the heart; and when the evil spirit returned, with "seven other spirits more wicked than himself," they were wholly dominated by the power of evil."

It's that DAILY surrender inviting Christ to be the King of our lives for that day that keeps the enemy shut out. That knowledge should make us cling to Him every moment of every day, as if our life depends on it because it does.

[Richard Myers]

Amen, Sister Dorine.  When the heart is swept clean, it must be filled with something. If we do not fill it with Christ, then Satan will fill it for us. We must guard the avenues to the mind. We must fill the mind with thoughts of Christ. It is by beholding Him that we fill the mind with His truth.

We have an important part to play in our salvation. Jesus tells us to feed upon Him, for He is the bread of life. He is the Manna which came down from heaven. We must drink His blood and eat His flesh. It would be well to spend a thoughtful hour each day contemplating the life of Christ. Jesus speaks to us today that this is the key to maintaining our relationship with Him.

     When the soul surrenders itself to Christ, a new power takes possession of the new heart. A change is wrought which man can never accomplish for himself. It is a supernatural work, bringing a supernatural element into human nature. The soul that is yielded to Christ becomes His own fortress, which He holds in a revolted world, and He intends that no authority shall be known in it but His own. A soul thus kept in possession by the heavenly agencies is impregnable to the assaults of Satan. But unless we do yield ourselves to the control of Christ, we shall be dominated by the wicked one. We must inevitably be under the control of the one or the other of the two great powers that are contending for the supremacy of the world.

[Pastor Sean Brizendine]

"It was to redeem us that He became our kinsman. Closer than father, mother, brother, friend, or lover is the Lord our Saviour." {The Desire of Ages, page 327, paragraph 2}

You have One who knows you better than anyone else in your life right now--it is Jesus! I love how intimately He involves Himself with us--He came to drink the very depths of our suffering and participate in our trials (even unto the death of the cross!), to give us infinite help! Praise God for such a Brother, a Father, a Savior, a Lover as Jesus whose grace draws us to Him to accept His blood shed for us, so that by a fully surrendered faith in Him we are justified and He works out His work of righteousness in us by faith through this continual experience of communion with Him! Praise God for Jesus! Hallelujah!

[Sister Marie]

Amen!!! There is no love like Jesus
There is no Grace like that of Jesus
There is no faith worth having, like in Jesus
There is no life worth living, except for Jesus.
And there is no book like the Bible and also Desire of Ages
that tells us Jesus plan for us, His love, His Grace and how
we should live our life for Him.

[Richard Myers]

Amen!! Jesus is our only hope!!!

I am sure I have commented on this paragraph in the past, probably many times. But, in it are truths that reveal the great deception which has come into God's church.

      When the soul surrenders itself to Christ, a new power takes possession of the new heart. A change is wrought which man can never accomplish for himself. It is a supernatural work, bringing a supernatural element into human nature. The soul that is yielded to Christ becomes His own fortress, which He holds in a revolted world, and He intends that no authority shall be known in it but His own. A soul thus kept in possession by the heavenly agencies is impregnable to the assaults of Satan. But unless we do yield ourselves to the control of Christ, we shall be dominated by the wicked one. We must inevitably be under the control of the one or the other of the two great powers that are contending for the supremacy of the world. It is not necessary for us deliberately to choose the service of the kingdom of darkness in order to come under its dominion. We have only to neglect to ally ourselves with the kingdom of light. If we do not co-operate with the heavenly agencies, Satan will take possession of the heart, and will make it his abiding place. The only defense against evil is the indwelling of Christ in the heart through faith in His righteousness. Unless we become vitally connected with God, we can never resist the unhallowed effects of self-love, self-indulgence, and temptation to sin. We may leave off many bad habits, for the time we may part company with Satan; but without a vital connection with God, through the surrender of ourselves to Him moment by moment, we shall be overcome. Without a personal acquaintance with Christ, and a continual communion, we are at the mercy of the enemy, and shall do his bidding in the end. 

Conversion is a "supernatural work." It is the result of Christ taking possession of the heart because we have surrendered it fully. And, we must continually be surrendered in order to keep our salvation. We do not have to premeditate sin in order to lose our justification for eternal life. The mind that wanders away from Christ is at the mercy of the enemy of man.  "It is not necessary for us deliberately to choose the service of the kingdom of darkness in order to come under its dominion. We have only to neglect to ally ourselves with the kingdom of light." Moses' sin of pride and anger was not willful, but it was sin that revealed a separation between him and Christ. Let no one convince you that unless it is willful or premeditated sin, it does not cause the loss of eternal life at that moment. Separation from Christ reveals a loss of one's justification (salvation). Unless the heart is fully surrendered to Christ, we do not possess eternal life. We need Jesus in order to have life.

[Richard Myers]

Conversion is indeed a supernatural brought about by the prompting of the Holy Spirit. He opens the mind to the truth. Conversion is the end of a protracted process of wooing by the Spirit. Paul (Saul) found it hard to resist the Spirit, until he finally gave in to the truth and met Jesus on the road to Damascus.

What happens when one continues to resist the Spirit's revelation of truth?

     It was just before this that Jesus had a second time performed the miracle of healing a man possessed, blind and dumb, and the Pharisees had reiterated the charge, "He casteth out devils through the prince of the devils." Matthew 9:34. Christ told them plainly that in attributing the work of the Holy Spirit to Satan, they were cutting themselves off from the fountain of blessing. Those who had spoken against Jesus Himself, not discerning His divine character, might receive forgiveness; for through the Holy Spirit they might be brought to see their error and repent. Whatever the sin, if the soul repents and believes, the guilt is washed away in the blood of Christ; but he who rejects the work of the Holy Spirit is placing himself where repentance and faith cannot come to him. It is by the Spirit that God works upon the heart; when men willfully reject the Spirit, and declare It to be from Satan, they cut off the channel by which God can communicate with them. When the Spirit is finally rejected, there is no more that God can do for the soul.

The Pharisees did not believe that Jesus' work was from Satan, but in saying this, they were rejecting the work of the Holy Spirit, thus cutting off the channel through which truth was coming to them. If we refuse to listen to those who God is using to bring the truth, then we are rejecting the work of the Holy Spirit. It is by the Holy Spirit that God works upon the heart change sinners into saints. Those who reject this and say it is from Satan are are dangerous ground. Pride will keep some from admitting their wrong, and thus are placing themselves where Christ cannot speak to them. When they continue to work against the Spirit, they will soon be seen to be in rebellion which is as the sin of witchcraft and can seldom be turned around.

God is separating the sheep from the goats by the revelation of truth. Which direction are we headed? Are we rejecting truth that is cutting across a selfish heart? Or are we on our knees praying for the Holy Spirit to help us walk in the light of God's love and grace? Today will to a great degree determine where we shall be tomorrow, and thus for eternity.

[Pastor Sean Brizendine]

Amen, Richard! Character is being formed in our lives by how we respond to or resist the work of the Holy Spirit. When we see the loveliness of Jesus and our Father's great love in giving His Son to come and be born in this dark speck of a world at the risk of failure and eternal loss, love motivates us to willingly follow where the Holy Spirit leads us. As we learn of Christ, we come to experience His character in us. Let us not become blind by resisting the preciousness of the message and the corresponding character that Christ is seeking to develop in us, as all of the fruits of the Spirit are in the life without one missing at conversion, but they are to ever become richer and more abundant as we keep growing in grace.

"It is not God that blinds the eyes of men or hardens their hearts. He sends them light to correct their errors, and to lead them in safe paths; it is by the rejection of this light that the eyes are blinded and the heart hardened. Often the process is gradual, and almost imperceptible. Light comes to the soul through God's word, through His servants, or by the direct agency of His Spirit; but when one ray of light is disregarded, there is a partial benumbing of the spiritual perceptions, and the second revealing of light is less clearly discerned. So the darkness increases, until it is night in the soul. Thus it had been with these Jewish leaders. They were convinced that a divine power attended Christ, but in order to resist the truth, they attributed the work of the Holy Spirit to Satan. In doing this they deliberately chose deception; they yielded themselves to Satan, and henceforth they were controlled by his power." {The Desire of Ages, page 322, paragraph 2} 

[Beacon]

"It is not God that blinds the eyes of men or hardens their hearts. He sends them light to correct their errors, and to lead them in safe paths; it is by the rejection of this light that the eyes are blinded and the heart hardened. Often the process is gradual, and almost imperceptible. Light comes to the soul through God’s word, through His servants, or by the direct agency of His Spirit; but when one ray of light is disregarded, there is a partial benumbing of the spiritual perceptions, and the second revealing of light is less clearly discerned. So the darkness increases, until it is night in the soul. Thus it had been with these Jewish leaders. They were convinced that a divine power attended Christ, but in order to resist the truth, they attributed the work of the Holy Spirit to Satan. In doing this they deliberately chose deception; they yielded themselves to Satan, and henceforth they were controlled by his power."  {DA 322.2)

Jesus says...."Come unto all ye who labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest. "Matthew 11:28 As we come to Him in Faith and abide with Him day by day, as our Savior and Friend He draws us closer and closer , transforming us into His image, preparing us for service on this earth and in the world to come. Thus we honor His sacrifice on the cross of Calvary.

"With their short measuring line, (the brother's of Jesus), they could not fathom the mission which He came to fulfill, and therefore could not sympathize with Him in His trials. Their coarse, unappreciative words showed that they had no true perception of His character, and did not discern that the divine blended with the human. They often saw Him full of grief; but instead of comforting Him, their spirit and words only wounded His heart. His sensitive nature was tortured. ( DA 326 )

The choice is ours to make....Do we want to torture Jesus by our rejection of Him as demonstrated in our...Lives - Our Actions - Our Words  or will our lives show by our lifestyle that we have come under the influence of the Divine Love of Jesus having been drawn by His love, His sacrifice, His promise of Eternal Life with Him ?  A friend of mine once wrote these words in my autograph book.....

"Your life lies before you like a field of pure white snow -- be careful how you step on it--for every step will show. "      May our song ever be:  All to Jesus I surrender - All to Him I freely Give - Amen.

[Pastor Sean Brizendine]

Amen, Beacon! Only with Christ abiding in our hearts are we enabled to walk and live securely in the midst of temptations without and within. Only by His grace and power can the heart be cleansed white as snow, and as long as Jesus lives in us, He will reveal Himself as we cooperate with Him in experiencing true-hearted obedience that reveals all of the fruits of the Spirit--not one of these precious attributes of His character will be missing!

"When the soul surrenders itself to Christ, a new power takes possession of the new heart. A change is wrought which man can never accomplish for himself. It is a supernatural work, bringing a supernatural element into human nature. The soul that is yielded to Christ becomes His own fortress, which He holds in a revolted world, and He intends that no authority shall be known in it but His own. A soul thus kept in possession by the heavenly agencies is impregnable to the assaults of Satan. But unless we do yield ourselves to the control of Christ, we shall be dominated by the wicked one. We must inevitably be under the control of the one or the other of the two great powers that are contending for the supremacy of the world. It is not necessary for us deliberately to choose the service of the kingdom of darkness in order to come under its dominion. We have only to neglect to ally ourselves with the kingdom of light. If we do not co-operate with the heavenly agencies, Satan will take possession of the heart, and will make it his abiding place. The only defense against evil is the indwelling of Christ in the heart through faith in His righteousness. Unless we become vitally connected with God, we can never resist the unhallowed effects of self-love, self-indulgence, and temptation to sin. We may leave off many bad habits, for the time we may part company with Satan; but without a vital connection with God, through the surrender of ourselves to Him moment by moment, we shall be overcome. Without a personal acquaintance with Christ, and a continual communion, we are at the mercy of the enemy, and shall do his bidding in the end." {The Desire of Ages, page 324, paragraph 1} 

[Dorine]

Who is my brethren? Jesus says, “For whosoever shall do the will of My Father which is in heaven, the same is My brother, and sister, and mother." 

As the chapter points out Jesus’ own siblings would not be considered his brethren because of their abuse and rejection of Him.

“Those who accept Christ as their personal Saviour are not left as orphans, to bear the trials of life alone. He receives them as members of the heavenly family; He bids them call His Father their Father. They are His "little ones," dear to the heart of God, bound to Him by the most tender and abiding ties. He has toward them an exceeding tenderness, as far surpassing what our father or mother has felt toward us in our helplessness as the divine is above the human.”

There are many today that stand alone in their families and are ridiculed and even persecuted because of their stand for God. How encouraging these words are to those who find themselves in this situation.

[Richard Myers]

What a precious truth, Sister Dorine. I have often said to myself that Jesus loves my children more than I do. If something were to happen to me, He is better able to care for them than me.

There are foundation truths that have been perverted. In today's reading we find the an important truth opened to our view.

    There were many in Christ's day, as there are today, over whom the control of Satan for the time seemed broken; through the grace of God they were set free from the evil spirits that had held dominion over the soul. They rejoiced in the love of God; but, like the stony-ground hearers of the parable, they did not abide in His love. They did not surrender themselves to God daily, that Christ might dwell in the heart; and when the evil spirit returned, with "seven other spirits more wicked than himself," they were wholly dominated by the power of evil.
     When the soul surrenders itself to Christ, a new power takes possession of the new heart. A change is wrought which man can never accomplish for himself. It is a supernatural work, bringing a supernatural element into human nature. The soul that is yielded to Christ becomes His own fortress, which He holds in a revolted world, and He intends that no authority shall be known in it but His own. A soul thus kept in possession by the heavenly agencies is impregnable to the assaults of Satan. But unless we do yield ourselves to the control of Christ, we shall be dominated by the wicked one. We must inevitably be under the control of the one or the other of the two great powers that are contending for the supremacy of the world. It is not necessary for us deliberately to choose the service of the kingdom of darkness in order to come under its dominion. We have only to neglect to ally ourselves with the kingdom of light. If we do not co-operate with the heavenly agencies, Satan will take possession of the heart, and will make it his abiding place. The only defense against evil is the indwelling of Christ in the heart through faith in His righteousness. Unless we become vitally connected with God, we can never resist the unhallowed effects of self-love, self-indulgence, and temptation to sin. We may leave off many bad habits, for the time we may part company with Satan; but without a vital connection with God, through the surrender of ourselves to Him moment by moment, we shall be overcome. Without a personal acquaintance with Christ, and a continual communion, we are at the mercy of the enemy, and shall do his bidding in the end. 

What is the bottom line of what we have just read? It is summed up here: "Unless we become vitally connected with God, we can never resist the unhallowed effects of self-love, self-indulgence, and temptation to sin. We may leave off many bad habits, for the time we may part company with Satan; but without a vital connection with God, through the surrender of ourselves to Him moment by moment, we shall be overcome. Without a personal acquaintance with Christ, and a continual communion, we are at the mercy of the enemy, and shall do his bidding in the end."

We are evil by nature when we come into the world. We must not only obtain a vital connection with Christ, we must keep that connection in order to have supernatural power to resist temptation to sin. It is by grace we are saved. God does not give us grace for tomorrow, only for today. That grace is more than a word, it is the power that transforms sinners into saints.....today. It is the greatest of all miracles.

[Beacon]

"In rejecting Christ the Jewish people committed the unpardonable sin; and by refusing the invitation of mercy, we may commit the same error. We offer insult to the Prince of life, and put Him to shame before the synagogue of Satan and before the heavenly universe when we refuse to listen to His delegated messengers, and instead listen to the agents of Satan, who would draw the soul away from Christ. So long as one does this, he can find no hope or pardon, and he will finally lose all desire to be reconciled to God."

"[b]Those who accept Christ as their personal Saviour are not left as orphans, to bear the trials of life alone. He receives them as members of the heavenly family; He bids them call His Father their Fath[/b]er. They are His "little ones," dear to the heart of God, bound to Him by the most tender and abiding ties. He has toward them an exceeding tenderness, as far surpassing what our father or mother has felt toward us in our helplessness as the divine is above the human[/u].[/b] "

Jesus says to us today..." Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." Mathew 11:28  But that "rest" is dependent upon our total surrender to Him. The call of God to His children has always been a call of redemption. Heaven has made provision for all mankind to have eternal life. What God is offering is the joy of total surrender to Him which will lead to eternal life. The price has been paid. What will my / your choice be today? 

[Dorine]

  "Of Christ's relation to His people, there is a beautiful illustration in the laws given to Israel. When through poverty a Hebrew had been forced to part with his patrimony, and to sell himself as a bondservant, the duty of redeeming him and his inheritance fell to the one who was nearest of kin. See Leviticus 25:25, 47-49; Ruth 2:20. So the work of redeeming us and our inheritance, lost through sin, fell upon Him who is "near of kin" unto us. It was to redeem us that He became our kinsman. Closer than father, mother, brother, friend, or lover is the Lord our Saviour. "Fear not," He says, "for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art Mine." "Since thou wast precious in My sight, thou hast been honorable, and I have loved thee: therefore will I give men for thee, and people for thy life." Isaiah 43:1, 4."

I don't want to do anything to break this beautiful relationship that we have with Jesus. He is 'closer' than father, mother, brother, friend or lover. Imagine.

As I laid in bed this morning thanking God for a new day the thought came to me that every day I give to Him my ugly sin sick nature in exchange for His beautiful perfect character. Justification, conversion every day. This does not describe a roller coaster ride experience but like the rungs of a ladder we advance by His grace step by step towards the goal God has set for us. I dare not face this day without Him. Not because I'm afraid of Him but because the alternative separates me from my best friend.

[Pastor Sean Brizendine]

Amen, Brother Beacon and Sister Dorine!

Relationships are the fabric of heaven, the loom in which our deepest joys and pleasures are woven together with Christ and those who love Him with the whole heart. As we experience deep love for Christ and love for our fellow human beings because Christ lives in us through the joy of total surrender, we may get a foretaste of the bliss of heaven that is focused on selfless relationships in which we live to bless others because God lives to bless us. No need to fear the future if you remember all the relationships God has brought into your life (past and present, with the joyful anticipation of more in the future) and how in each of them He is speaking to you and me even more deeply of His love for us that is so personal and intimate!

"Closer than father, mother, brother, friend, or lover is the Lord our Saviour. 'Fear not,' He says, 'for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art Mine.' 'Since thou wast precious in My sight, thou hast been honorable, and I have loved thee: therefore will I give men for thee, and people for thy life.' Isaiah 43:1, 4." {The Desire of Ages, page 327, paragraph 3} 

I love living in Christ's love and being able to be real, honest, true and transparent before God--to tell Him all that I am thinking, feeling, and experiencing as He continually binds me closer and closer to His heart of infinite love. And think--this will go on, deeper and deeper still, for all of eternity!! Hallelujah!! 

[Richard Myers]

Amen, Dorine, Beacon, and Pastor Sean! This is the gospel of grace. We are not saved by works, but by the love of Jesus. We are saved by grace which brings about true repentance. We love God because He first loved us while we were yet sinners! It is a simple truth. Jesus holds out the promise of power to do good. What must I do in order to receive this power? Learn of this great love. When we know God as it is our privilege to know Him, we shall have this transforming power. It is hard to believe, but God loves us more than any other can.

"The work of redeeming us and our inheritance, lost through sin, fell upon Him who is "near of kin" unto us. It was to redeem us that He became our kinsman. Closer than father, mother, brother, friend, or lover is the Lord our Saviour. "Fear not," He says, "for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art Mine."

We may read the words, but until we believe this, we shall not love Jesus enough to be saved. Let us daily learn of Him who gave all that we might live!

[Beacon]

"Those who are called to suffer for Christ's sake, who have to endure misapprehension and distrust, even in their own home, may find comfort in the thought that Jesus has endured the same. He is moved with compassion for them. He bids them find companionship in Him, and relief where He found it, in communion with the Father."

"It was the Saviour’s purpose that after He ascended to heaven to become man’s intercessor, His followers should carry on the work that He had begun. Shall the human agent show no special interest in giving the light of the gospel message to those who sit in darkness? There are some who are willing to go to the ends of the earth in order to carry the light of truth to men, but God demands that every soul who knows the truth shall seek to win others to the love of the truth. If we are not willing to make special sacrifices in order to save souls that are ready to perish, how can we be counted worthy to enter into the city of God?"—Testimonies for the Church 9:103. {ChS 8.1}"

"Those who accept Christ as their personal Saviour are not left as orphans, to bear the trials of life alone. He receives them as members of the heavenly family; He bids them call His Father their Father. They are His "little ones," dear to the heart of God, bound to Him by the most tender and abiding ties. He has toward them an exceeding tenderness, as far surpassing what our father or mother has felt toward us in our helplessness as the divine is above the human."

Again my thoughts are drawn to the text in the gospel of Matthew chapter 28...and I would encourage each you and including myself, repeat this promise at the beginning and ending of each day....Matthew 28:18-19...."18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. 19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, and lo I am with you always even unto the end of the world."

 

[Richard Myers]

Amen Brother Beacon, such a precious promise. Thank you for sharing.

What is it that keeps the church from breaking from its Laodicean condition? Over and over again, we read that we need to abide in Christ continually maintain our conversion. How do we lose our connection>?


   There were many in Christ's day, as there are today, over whom the control of Satan for the time seemed broken; through the grace of God they were set free from the evil spirits that had held dominion over the soul. They rejoiced in the love of God; but, like the stony-ground hearers of the parable, they did not abide in His love. They did not surrender themselves to God daily, that Christ might dwell in the heart; and when the evil spirit returned, with "seven other spirits more wicked than himself," they were wholly dominated by the power of evil.

How do we abide in Christ? It is a supernatural event that takes place when we behold God's grace and allow it into the heart. It must be a daily dying to self. Paul said "I die daily."

   When the soul surrenders itself to Christ, a new power takes possession of the new heart. A change is wrought which man can never accomplish for himself. It is a supernatural work, bringing a supernatural element into human nature. The soul that is yielded to Christ becomes His own fortress, which He holds in a revolted world, and He intends that no authority shall be known in it but His own. A soul thus kept in possession by the heavenly agencies is impregnable to the assaults of Satan. But unless we do yield ourselves to the control of Christ, we shall be dominated by the wicked one. We must inevitably be under the control of the one or the other of the two great powers that are contending for the supremacy of the world. It is not necessary for us deliberately to choose the service of the kingdom of darkness in order to come under its dominion. We have only to neglect to ally ourselves with the kingdom of light. If we do not co-operate with the heavenly agencies, Satan will take possession of the heart, and will make it his abiding place. The only defense against evil is the indwelling of Christ in the heart through faith in His righteousness. Unless we become vitally connected with God, we can never resist the unhallowed effects of self-love, self-indulgence, and temptation to sin. We may leave off many bad habits, for the time we may part company with Satan; but without a vital connection with God, through the surrender of ourselves to Him moment by moment, we shall be overcome. Without a personal acquaintance with Christ, and a continual communion, we are at the mercy of the enemy, and shall do his bidding in the end. 

We can comment on what is written here, but there is no need. Prayerfully study this simple statement and it iwll be seen that it is a lack of doing what needs to be done that causes the soul to be lost. It does not have to be premeditated or willfully resisted. In order to be reconciled with God, we must act. If we allow the mind to wander away, then we have no defense against Satan and sin. We are evil by nature and our only hope of victory is to remain in Christ and Him in us. It is supernatural power that we must have in order to have eternal life. Christ is that supernatural power.

[Pastor Sean Brizendine]

Amen, Brothers Beacon and Richard!

The power of the gospel contemplates us experiencing the closest union available to any being in the universe--to be one with God. However, since Jesus is both divine and human, the relationship that we sustain with Him as we surrender fully to His converting grace such that we become partakers of the divine nature by appropriating His promises to our characters enables us to have a union and communion with Him closer than even the angels can know! What grace!! What an incredible experience we may have today in Christ!!

"Closer than father, mother, brother, friend, or lover is the Lord our Saviour. 'Fear not,' He says, 'for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art Mine.' 'Since thou wast precious in My sight, thou hast been honorable, and I have loved thee: therefore will I give men for thee, and people for thy life.' Isaiah 43:1, 4." {The Desire of Ages, page 327, paragraph 3}

Even if every earthly relationship is cut off--even if all that seems dear to you in this life is lost, just remember that Jesus is closer to you than anyone ever can be. The truest reason I choose to live for Christ is His love, the love that has changed my heart and mind and given me hope for ETERNITY! May we go forth to live and share that love with a world that has been darkened through misapprehension of God!