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

[Dorine]

"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."

Oh if every professed Christian would believe this and live it we would have a revived church. The whole world would be lighted up with the Glory of God. Souls would be won by the matchless love of Christ they see in us and we would be headed 'home'. We have a most privileged work to do in partnership with heaven. May we take it seriously as we search for souls who need to hear the gospel story.

[Beacon]

"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."

In a world that is so BUSY with everything, except making sure that our salvation is secure in Jesus, we are at high risk of being too BUSY - To DISTRACTED by things that are only going to pass away and CREEPING COMPRISE takes hold of our souls and we don't even realize that we have put Jesus out of the CENTER OF OUR LIVES. Re-read paragraph 1 in this post again. Is this not what happened to Demas? The Apostle Paul gave us an example when he  wrote in....

"2 Timothy 4:10 "For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed unto Thessalonica;"

Being too "BUSY" with the things of this world could mean ( "Being Under Satan's Yoke" )
 
Who has 1st Place in our lives? Jesus or Satan?

[Pastor Sean Brizendine]

Amen, Sister Dorine and Brother Beacon!

Happy Thanksgiving! Wherever we are today, may we be grateful for having our Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ as our Brother, and the Holy Spirit guide us and bless us as partakers of the divine nature as we receive His promises moment-by-moment! Then, through a vital union with Christ, we may experience all of the fruits of the Spirit without one missing!

"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." {The Desire of Ages, page 327, paragraph 2}

Let us be truly grateful, for gratitude and praise are such a blessing to experience through abiding in Christ!

[Dorine]

...."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."

I remember back many, many years when I was in high school and the school would bring in a speaker for our week of prayer. There would be long sessions of testimonies and repentance from the students and it was wonderful. But within a week it was forgotten and the kids were getting into more mischief than before. I could never understand why.

This quote makes it clear what the problem was. The speakers would present justification but then leave us not knowing how to maintain our connection with God. The devil wants to keep it that way so that he may return to the empty house with many demons worse than himself. Do you suppose the problem is still with us?

But Christ offers freedom from this horrible condition if only we will receive Him into our hearts to take residence and fill us with His Holy Spirit. Moment by moment, hour by hour, day by day we abide in Him and He in us and there will be no place for the enemy to return to.

[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."

In a world that is soo BUSY with everything, except making sure that our salvation is secure in Jesus, we are at high risk of being Too BUSY - To DISTRACTED by things that are only going to pass away and CREEPING COMPRISE takes hold of our souls and we don't even realize that we have put Jesus out of the CENTER OF OUR LIVES. Re-read paragraph 1 in this post again. Is this not what happened to Demas? The Apostle Paul gave us an example when he  wrote in....

"2 Timothy 4:10 "For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed unto Thessalonica;"

Being too "BUSY" with the things of this world could mean ( "Being Under Satan's Yoke" ) Who has 1st Place in your life? Jesus or Satan?

[Philip T]

"The last state of that man is worse than the first. Even so," said Jesus, "shall it be also unto this wicked generation." There are none so hardened as those who have slighted the invitation of mercy, and done despite to the Spirit of grace. The most common manifestation of the sin against the Holy Spirit is in persistently slighting Heaven's invitation to repent. Every step in the rejection of Christ is a step toward the rejection of salvation, and toward the sin against the Holy Spirit.
     In rejecting Christ the Jewish people committed the unpardonable sin; and by refusing the invitation of mercy, we may commit the same error.

While reading this statement it came to me that in the Acts of the Apostles Ellen White states it was not the Crucifixion of Christ that caused the Priest to be lost but the continue denial of the fact. So it was the refusal to ask for forgiveness or to acknowledge that they had committed this sin and confess it to God that led to their eternal destruction upon the 2nd Advent, they grieved away the Holy Spirit. I would hope that we are willing to let go of cherished sins lest we find ourselves in the same situation.
Repentance through Faith in Jesus blood is the only way to forgiveness from sin.

[Richard Myers]

Amen Brother Philip!  We need to go one step further for those who do not understand what they must do in order to obtain true repentance. Faith in Jesus blood is correct. Many will say they have faith in Jesus blood, but have no power to resist sin. How do we obtain that faith? Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word. The Word is a revelation of Christ. Man does not live by bread alone, but by every Word that proceeth out of the mouth of God. "I am the Manna which came down from heaven.....you must drink my blood and eat my flesh." It would be well to spend a thoughtful hour a day contemplating the life of Christ. But they do not do so. It is that simple.

I am not preaching you or those who know this and practice it. There are and will be some who read our posts. They are seeking truth. This is the truth that Satan has blinded them to. This is the truth that will make the wise unto salvation because by beholding the character of Christ, they will be changed into His image (character). 2 Cor. 3:18. They cannot trust someone they do not intimately know. By spending time contemplating His character, they will fall in love with God because they see He first loved them while they were yet sinners.
 For 35 years I have been contending for the faith and I understand what Satan has done in our (His) church. Like Israel many sincere church members have been deceived as to the plan of salvation. Poor Peter did not know Jesus had to die  for his sins while Jesus was suffering for the sins of the world while hanging on the cross. So it was with the rest of Israel. Such a deception. So it is today in a Laodicean church, but not for long. God is pouring out His Spirit upon a dead people. Let not anyone suggest that these dead dry bones cannot live again! The power of grace defies our understanding. Even a sinner such as myself can be brought to life. God has promised revival and reformation in His church. It is for His glory and our good that this is happening.

Let us encourage those who are bowed down with guilt and do not know how to resist and conquer the evil within. What sinful man  cannot do in  and of himself, God is well able to do if they will learn of Him, if they will spend that thoughtful hour a day contemplating His character. It is a promise!  The Bible is full of those promises beginning with Genesis 3:15 where "enmity' means hatred. Praise God!!

[Richard Myers]

...."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."

I remember back many, many years when I was in high school and the school would bring in a speaker for our week of prayer. There would be long sessions of testimonies and repentance from the students and it was wonderful. But within a week it was forgotten and the kids were getting into more mischief than before. I could never understand why.

This quote makes it clear what the problem was. The speakers would present justification but then leave us not knowing how to maintain our connection with God. The devil wants to keep it that way so that he may return to the empty house with many demons worse than himself. Do you suppose the problem is still with us?

But Christ offers freedom from this horrible condition if only we will receive Him into our hearts to take residence and fill us with His Holy Spirit. Moment by moment, hour by hour, day by day we abide in Him and He in us and there will be no place for the enemy to return to.

Yes, dear sister, the problem still exists in God's church and in Babylon.


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. { DA 324.1}

One of the devices Satan has used to keep us blinded to the plan of salvation is this truth written our so plain none need be deceived. But, because of false teaching in the church, there are "gospels" that attempt to undo this truth. Only the working of the Holy Spirit can open blind eyes to see that they are accepting lies that accord with their experience. How very sad.

We understand that there is need for continual communion in order to maintain what theologians call our justification. There are many very conservative church members who believe the lie that a known sin is not a revelation of separation from God if it was not deliberate or willful. They fail to understand the truth here presented. And when they read it, they will often find an excuse to not believe it. God gives us time to understand we sinning and we are not justified by the blood of Christ when having committed a known sin. "I say these things that you sin not, but if we sin, we have an Advocate, Jesus Christ." What does that Advocate do? He holds up His hands to our Father and says, Father give him more time, and God does. More time for what? For the sinner to see his continual need of Jesus in order to retain justification for eternal life. The character will not be changed when Jesus comes, it is our habits in our probationary time that will fit us for heaven and our true saving faith that the blood of Christ not only covers past confessed and forsaken sins, but those sins we are ignorant of if we are not willfully ignorant. But, not all sins does God wink at. When one kicks his wife, it makes no difference what the sinner understands. All of the fruits of the Spirit are in the life when the Holy Spirit takes possession of the heart, not one is missing. If one is missing, it is because the soul is separated from God. There is no partaking of the divine nature. The sinner need not willfully wander away from God, but only neglect to cling to Christ as you have shared, dear sister in  your post. Thank for your sharing that most important truth that has ensnared thousands if not millions.

[Richard Myers]

"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."

In a world that is soo BUSY with everything, except making sure that our salvation is secure in Jesus, we are at high risk of being Too BUSY - To DISTRACTED by things that are only going to pass away and CREEPING COMPRISE takes hold of our souls and we don't even realize that we have put Jesus out of the CENTER OF OUR LIVES. Re-read paragraph 1 in this post again. Is this not what happened to Demas? The Apostle Paul gave us an example when he  wrote in....

Amen Brother Beacon!   It is so very dangerous to not have our morning devotions, morning and evening family worship, and even failing to understand what Daniel understood, our need of continual prayer. He removed himself from the courts of Babylon and went home to pray at noon. This is a revelation that he understood what you are sharing. So, he maintained his connection with God throughout the day. How do we know? Look at his character.

[Dorine]

When I read this part of my post again I realized that there are probably no demons worse than the devil so I've made changes below.

"The devil wants to keep it that way so that (the demon that was cast out) may return to the empty house with many demons worse than himself".

[Pastor Sean Brizendine]

Our closest relationship is to be with Jesus! We need to have Him as the center of our experience, and when He is on the throne of the heart, all of the fruits of the Spirit will be seen in our lives without one missing!

“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}

Let us choose Christ in a full-heart surrender so He can fill us with all of the fruits of the Spirit without one missing! He is the One closer to us than any other, and from Him we may always find comfort and strength!

[Pastor Sean Brizendine]

There really is no middle ground. You are either ALL IN for Jesus, or you are holding back from complete surrender and are thus still under Satan's control. We need to realize our CONTINUAL need of Jesus to do ANY GOOD THING, for there is nothing good in us by nature because we are fallen, and we must have the divine nature at work in us by continually beholding Christ, yielding to Christ, and communing with Christ to walk in the humble path of victory over sin that Jesus offers us at the cost of His very life that He gave us at Calvary as our Sacrifice and in every moment of His life as our perfect Example. Let us choose this day to be ALL IN for Jesus!!

"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}   

When Christ takes the whole heart a miracle takes place--He gives us a new heart and a new mind and fills us with all of the fruits of the Spirit so not one is missing as we gladly obey the law of God from the new heart He has given us (Ezekiel 36:26). Praise the Lord for the power of the gospel that we may experience today moment-by-moment!

[Beacon]

"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."

"Without a vital connection with God, through the surrender of ourselves to Him moment by moment, we shall be overcome."

In order to be successful in our spiritual connection and experience the power to resist evil as did Daniel we also should follow his pattern and set aside to time pray at least three times a day. Remember Jesus has told us....

In the gospel of John 15:5  "I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing."

[Philip T]

 "The last state of that man is worse than the first. Even so," said Jesus, "shall it be also unto this wicked generation." There are none so hardened as those who have slighted the invitation of mercy, and done despite to the Spirit of grace. The most common manifestation of the sin against the Holy Spirit is in persistently slighting Heaven's invitation to repent. Every step in the rejection of Christ is a step toward the rejection of salvation, and toward the sin against the Holy Spirit.

This paragraph cause me to stop and contemplate deeply. How often do we slight the invitation of grace as the Holy Spirit convicts us of something we should change and surrender to Jesus.  Every step in the rejection of Christ is a step in the rejection of salvation, or I believe it could be paraphrased Every step in rejection of Christ is a step in accepting Satan as our leader and the blocking of the Holy Spirits ability to convict the heart of sin.  Only by having a close one on one relationship with Jesus can we continue to walk in the light.

[Richard Myers]

"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........ 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."

When Christ takes the whole heart a miracle takes place--He gives us a new heart and a new mind and fills us with all of the fruits of the Spirit so not one is missing as we gladly obey the law of God from the new heart He has given us (Ezekiel 36:26).

Amen Pastor Sean!  It is a miracle that we can obey God and not sin.  And, it is instructive to understand that there is no excuse for a known sin, even if we do not deliberately choose to sin. Moses did not plan to sin, yet he suffered the consequence of sin. Because he was repentant, he is in heaven today.

Brother Beacon understands and has shared the same thing. Praise God for the Holy Spirit who is the Great Instructor!

Amen Brother Philip. Each time we refuse to submit, we harder the heart against the Truth. But, God's grace is powerful to changing all this if we will cooperate by spending time with Jesus each day. By beholding we are transformed into His image. And, we can maintain our experience by beholding His great love for us.

And what a love that is!

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.

Now is not only something to contemplate, but to keep in the forepart of our brain! How can we hurt our heavenly Father understanding this great love He has for each of us who fully surrender the heart to Jesus.

[Beacon]

"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."

On this Sabbath Day as we enter into Divine Worship of Him who gave His life for us....May Jesus hear us sing or pray these words....

All to Jesus I surrender,
All to Him I freely give;
I will ever love and trust Him,
In His presence daily live.
    I surrender all,
  I surrender all.
All to Thee, my blessed Savior,
    I surrender all.
2
All to Jesus I surrender,
Humbly at His feet I bow,
Worldly pleasures all forsaken;
Take me, Jesus, take me now.
3
All to Jesus I surrender,
Make me, Savior, wholly Thine;
Let me feel Thy Holy Spirit,
Truly know that Thou art mine.
4
All to Jesus I surrender,
Lord, I give myself to Thee;
Fill me with Thy love and power,
Let Thy blessing fall on me.
5
All to Jesus I surrender,
Now I feel the sacred flame.
Oh, the joy of full salvation!
Glory, glory to His name!

[Dorine]

"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."

By spending the thoughtful hour each day in beholding Christ and in submission to His will we will be given power to resist the enemy and Satan has to flee. It is the hard proud heart that the Holy Spirit can not penetrate because they refuse to listen or acknowledge that the wooing impulses are from God. Evil becomes good and good becomes evil. We see it all around us but the encouraging part to this quote is the opening statement.
"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."

So there are souls today who may seem hard and cold and rough and rude but do not realize they are warring against heaven. God looking into their hearts may see a spark that He can fuel into a flame for Him if only He can reach them through us. May we never give up on anyone for we only see what's on the outside. Jesus sees what is inside.

[Pastor Sean Brizendine]

Who is the closest to you?

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" (Isaiah 43:1).

Even if you are far away from family and friends, and if circumstances have made it such that you cannot be with them, remember that Jesus is the CLOSEST and will carry you through life's trials as you surrender all to Him. He will work in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure as you are truly converted, and He graciously manifests all of the fruits of the Spirit without one missing through the new heart and mind He gives you while guiding in affectionate obedience to His law of love! Praise the Lord! 

[Beacon]

"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."

"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."

Today, while the door of mercy, grace and forgiveness is still open won't you tell Jesus that you want to accept His offer of Divine Love?

"Would you be free from your burden of sin?
  There’s power in the blood, power in the blood;
Would you o’er evil a victory win?
  There’s wonderful power in the blood.
    There is power, power, wonder-working power,
  In the blood of the Lamb;
There is power, power, wonder-working power,
    In the precious blood of the Lamb.
2
Would you be free from your passion and pride?
  There’s power in the blood, power in the blood;
Come for a cleansing to Calvary’s tide,
  There’s wonderful power in the blood.
3
Would you be whiter, much whiter than snow?
  There’s power in the blood, power in the blood;
Sin-stains are lost in its life-giving flow,
  There’s wonderful power in the blood.
4
Would you do service for Jesus your King?
  There’s power in the blood, power in the blood;
Would you live daily His praises to sing?
  There’s wonderful power in the blood.

[Richard Myers]

Amen Pastor Sean! Jesus is our very best friend, and if we will not forget Him, He is our strength and our wisdom!

"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."

Over and over and over we are being instructed on our continual need of Jesus in order to do any good thing. So it is in today's reading. The most important question to be answered is what must I do in order to be saved. This is where Satan has stolen a march on God's church. So many remain in a Laodicean condition and do not know it. In order to be vitally connected with God, what must we do? How do we come to the point of a whole heart surrender to the One who gave all  for us? Jesus tells us we must eat His flesh and drink His blood. Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word, because the Word was made flesh. In other words, the Word of God is a revelation of God's character and the plan of salvation. Jesus said to Nicodemus "as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up," that we might behold His grace. It is grace that saves us. We do not get grace for tomorrow, only for today. Thus, we must come to the Fountain daily in order to receive His grace which surrounds us as thick as the air we breathe. It is this unmerited love that breaks and cleanses the heart and transforms sinners into saints.

May we experience this grace today and every day.