The Desire of Ages--13--The Victory

[Pastor Sean Brizendine]

Amen, Brother Beacon!!

It's just too expensive and valuable to understand. If someone said that they were giving you a planet worth $500 Trillion, would you grasp what that meant? Likely not. Well, what if you were actually being given the entire universe for eternity to enjoy? How can you put that into a financial value? And then to make it better, what if you knew you got to enjoy all that you were being given with heavenly beings and redeemed humanity in perfect fellowship with your Creator forever? So, it is hard for us to grasp what God is giving us, and it is even harder for us to realize what Jesus gave up in coming to this earth, but let us praise Him now and forever!!

"Never can the cost of our redemption be realized until the redeemed shall stand with the Redeemer before the throne of God. Then as the glories of the eternal home burst upon our enraptured senses we shall remember that Jesus left all this for us, that He not only became an exile from the heavenly courts, but for us took the risk of failure and eternal loss. Then we shall cast our crowns at His feet, and raise the song, 'Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honor, and glory, and blessing.' Revelation 5:12." {The Desire of Ages, page 131, paragraph 2}

Not only has Jesus given us eternity and Himself to enjoy, but He endured a death-on-account-of-sin experience at Calvary that is incomprehensibly horrific because the Godhead had never been separated before Their experience at the Jesus' death. When the Son of God, divinity did not die, but in becoming sin for us, He felt and experienced a separation that is beyond our power to fully grasp, for every time we have sinned or fallen short of God's glory, up to this point, God has tempered that experienced with mercy. When Jesus died, He felt the full wrath of God against transgression, as will those who are finally lost and consumed in the lake of fire and turn to ashes (Malachi 4) will experience! Oh, let us be INTENSELY in EARNEST to save souls from the death that Christ already endured for us, and day by day overcome sin, the world and the devil by continually surrendering our WHOLE HEART to Jesus so all of the fruits of the Spirit may be in our lives without one missing as we affectionately obey God!!

[Dorine]

"The tempter thought to take advantage of Christ's humanity, and urge Him to presumption. But while Satan can solicit, he cannot compel to sin. He said to Jesus, "Cast Thyself down," knowing that he could not cast Him down; for God would interpose to deliver Him. Nor could Satan force Jesus to cast Himself down. Unless Christ should consent to temptation, He could not be overcome. Not all the power of earth or hell could force Him in the slightest degree to depart from the will of His Father."

This should be such encouragement to each of us. Satan has no power to force us to do anything against our will unless we let go of God. Contemplating temptation draws us onto Satan's ground. We must never see how close we can come to evil without sinning but cast ourselves at Jesus feet for protection and victory. Our weapon against temptation is putting to memory God's word. "Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee." (Psa 119:11)

[Richard Myers]

Amen!! It is the knowledge of God's grace that keeps us from sinning. How can we hurt the One who loves us so!  How is it that we actually are moved so that we do not forget God?

     Often when Satan has failed of exciting distrust, he succeeds in leading us to presumption. If he can cause us to place ourselves unnecessarily in the way of temptation, he knows that the victory is his. God will preserve all who walk in the path of obedience; but to depart from it is to venture on Satan's ground. There we are sure to fall. The Saviour has bidden us, "Watch ye and pray, lest ye enter into temptation." Mark 14:38. Meditation and prayer would keep us from rushing unbidden into the way of danger, and thus we should be saved from many a defeat.   
     Yet we should not lose courage when assailed by temptation. Often when placed in a trying situation we doubt that the Spirit of God has been leading us. But it was the Spirit's leading that brought Jesus into the wilderness to be tempted by Satan. When God brings us into trial, He has a purpose to accomplish for our good. Jesus did not presume on God's promises by going unbidden into temptation, neither did He give up to despondency when temptation came upon Him. Nor should we. "God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it." He says, "Offer unto God thanksgiving; and pay thy vows unto the Most High: and call upon Me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify Me." 1 Corinthians 10:13; Psalm 50:14, 15. 

If we will watch and pray then we will not be tempted beyond what we can bear. It is a most precious promise we all ought to understand and believe.

[Beacon]

"When God brings us into trial, He has a purpose to accomplish for our good."

"Jesus did not presume on God's promises by going unbidden into temptation, neither did He give up to despondency when temptation came upon Him."

"Nor should we."

"God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it."

"He says, "Offer unto God thanksgiving; and pay thy vows unto the Most High: and call upon Me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify Me." 1 Corinthians 10:13; Psalm 50:14, 15."

Again we see..." POWERFUL PROMISES BEING SUPPLIED FOR OUR ENCOURAGEMENT. Where else could we find such re-assurance. I have decided to follow Jesus...How about "YOU" ?

========================

Not I, but Christ be honored, loved, exalted,
Not I, but Christ be seen, be known and heard;
Not I, but Christ in every look and action,
Not I, but Christ in every thought and word.
    Oh, to be saved from myself, dear Lord,
  Oh, to be lost in Thee,
Oh, that it may be no more I,
    But Christ that lives in me.
2
Not I, but Christ to gently soothe in sorrow,
Not I, but Christ to wipe the falling tear;
Not I, but Christ to lift the weary burden,
Not I, but Christ to hush away all fear.
3
Christ, only Christ, no idle word e’er falling,
Christ, only Christ, no needless bustling sound;
Christ, only Christ, no self-important bearing,
Christ, only Christ, no trace of I be found.
4
Not I, but Christ my every need supplying,
Not I, but Christ my strength and health to be;
Christ, only Christ, for spirit, soul, and body,
Christ, only Christ, live then Thy life in me.
5
Christ, only Christ, ere long will fill my vision,
Glory excelling soon, full soon I’ll see;
Christ, only Christ, my every wish fulfilling,
Christ, only Christ, my all in all to be.

Lyrics:Mrs. Ada A. Whiddington (1891)
Music:Albert Benjamin Simpson (1843-1919)

[Dorine]

"The tempter can never compel us to do evil. He cannot control minds unless they are yielded to his control. The will must consent, faith must let go its hold upon Christ, before Satan can exercise his power upon us. But every sinful desire we cherish affords him a foothold. Every point in which we fail of meeting the divine standard is an open door by which he can enter to tempt and destroy us. And every failure or defeat on our part gives occasion for him to reproach Christ." 

As we store and claim the beautiful promises in scripture in our hearts and minds we will be protected from falling into temptations. I'm so thankful that we can not be forced to do anything we do not want to do when we are abiding in Jesus. I'm also very thankful to Jesus for His longsuffering as He patiently works in each of us to will and do of His good pleasure. He puts a song in my heart every day.

[Pastor Sean Brizendine]

Amen, Brother Beacon and Sister Dorine!

Victory is offered you and me by abiding in Jesus. How did He overcome Satan? It was by the word of God. And as by grace through faith we live by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God here, we can joyfully look forward to our heavenly home in the hereafter and more fully realize the value of the salvation so freely offered us today!

"Never can the cost of our redemption be realized until the redeemed shall stand with the Redeemer before the throne of God. Then as the glories of the eternal home burst upon our enraptured senses we shall remember that Jesus left all this for us, that He not only became an exile from the heavenly courts, but for us took the risk of failure and eternal loss. Then we shall cast our crowns at His feet, and raise the song, 'Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honor, and glory, and blessing.' Revelation 5:12." {The Desire of Ages, page 131, paragraph 2}

What a blessing to get to sing the song of Moses and the Lamb in triumph because of His victory! All of the fruits of the Spirit without one missing flow forth through the truly converted life because Christ gives us a new heart and mind! What a joy that He can keep us from falling into sin from temptations that assail us from the world, the flesh and the devil. Look to Jesus and contemplate heaven as the REAL PLACE we belong! We are simply here in this world as missionaries to help more souls come to Him!

[Richard Myers]

Amen pastor Sean! Worthy is the lamb! Amen sister Doreen, I was impressed with the same  truth. When I sin i bring recroach upon the one I love. How very sad.   

  The tempter can never compel us to do evil. He cannot control minds unless they are yielded to his control. The will must consent, faith must let go its hold upon Christ, before Satan can exercise his power upon us. But every sinful desire we cherish affords him a foothold. Every point in which we fail of meeting the divine standard is an open door by which he can enter to tempt and destroy us. And every failure or defeat on our part gives occasion for him to reproach Christ.   

[Beacon]

"The tempter can never compel us to do evil"

"He cannot control minds unless they are yielded to his control."

"The will must consent, faith must let go its hold upon Christ, before Satan can exercise his power upon us."

"However, every sinful desire we cherish affords him a foothold."


"Every point in which we fail of meeting the divine standard is an open door by which he can enter to tempt and destroy us."

"And every failure or defeat on our part gives occasion for him to reproach Christ."

Let us humbly ask Jesus for the power to resist Satan. Lets read, study, and pray so that we will not give " No occasion for Satan to reproach Christ.

Jesus invites us to.... "Ask, Seek, and Knock  for His help"

“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened."

=======================

Encamped along the hills of light,
  Ye Christian soldiers rise,
And press the battle ere the night
  Shall veil the glowing skies;
Against the foe in vales below
  Let all our strength be hurled;
Faith is the victory, we know,
  That overcomes the world.
    Faith is the victory!
Faith is the victory!
O glorious victory,
  That overcomes the world.
2
His banner over us is love,
  Our sword the Word of God;
We tread the road the saints before
  With shouts of triumph trod.
By faith, they like a whirlwind’s breath,
  Swept on o’er every field;
The faith by which they conquered death
  Is still our shining shield.
3
On every hand the foe we find
  Drawn up in dread array;
Let tents of ease be left behind,
  And onward to the fray.
Salvation’s helmet on each head,
  With truth all girt about,
The earth shall tremble ’neath our tread,
  And echo with our shout.
4
To him that overcomes the foe,
  White raiment shall be giv’n;
Before the angels he shall know
  His name confessed in heav’n;
Then onward from the hills of light,
  Our hearts with love aflame,
We’ll vanquish all the hosts of night,
  In Jesus’ conqu’ring name.

Lyrics:John Henry Yates (1837-1900)
Music:Ira David Sankey (1840-1908)

[Dorine]

"So we may resist temptation, and force Satan to depart from us. Jesus gained the victory through submission and faith in God, and by the apostle He says to us, "Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh to God, and He will draw nigh to you." James 4:7, 8. We cannot save ourselves from the tempter's power; he has conquered humanity, and when we try to stand in our own strength, we shall become a prey to his devices; but "the name of the Lord is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe." Proverbs 18:10. Satan trembles and flees before the weakest soul who finds refuge in that mighty name."  {DA 130.4}

What an encouraging chapter of warning and promise. Christ has made a way of escape for each one of us. The more time we spend with Him the quicker we will recognize temptation before we fall into it. Day by day we may grow in Christ and realize the victory that He experienced because our ears are open to hear and our hearts are ready and quick to obey.

[Pastor Sean Brizendine]

Amen, Brother Beacon and Sister Dorine!

We can never truly say, "The devil made me do it." God gives us the freedom to choose Christ who has the power to save us from sin. When we yield fully to Christ, He lives in us and imbues us with the Holy Spirit so all of the traits of the divine nature are manifest in us so we can experience consistent victory in affectionate obedience to God's law of love! Ask God to remove any sinful desires that afflict you and let Christ empower you to overcome as He did--by the word of God, whereby we are made "partakers of the divine nature" (2 Peter 1:4) as we trust in His promises!

"The tempter can never compel us to do evil. He cannot control minds unless they are yielded to his control. The will must consent, faith must let go its hold upon Christ, before Satan can exercise his power upon us. But every sinful desire we cherish affords him a foothold. Every point in which we fail of meeting the divine standard is an open door by which he can enter to tempt and destroy us. And every failure or defeat on our part gives occasion for him to reproach Christ." {The Desire of Ages, page 125, paragraph 1} 

When we do God's will it is a blessing, but to let go of Jesus for even a moment is a great loss. Let us acknowledge Him in all our ways, for He will direct our paths!

[Philip T]

    Yet we should not lose courage when assailed by temptation. Often when placed in a trying situation we doubt that the Spirit of God has been leading us. But it was the Spirit's leading that brought Jesus into the wilderness to be tempted by Satan. When God brings us into trial, He has a purpose to accomplish for our good. Jesus did not presume on God's promises by going unbidden into temptation, neither did He give up to despondency when temptation came upon Him. Nor should we. "God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it." He says, "Offer unto God thanksgiving; and pay thy vows unto the Most High: and call upon Me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify Me." 1 Corinthians 10:13; Psalm 50:14, 15.  {DA 126.3}

God through the Holy Spirit may lead us in areas of trial, this is to strengthen our faith and develop our character, he left the promise and truth for us to claim that he would leave us a way out, a way to victory through faith in Him. That way is through prayer and the study of His word. He laid out a blueprint of how Satan goes about tempting us to fall ins Psalms 1:1-2, And they way out, turn and walk away when it starts. That is when we go to God in prayer and claim the promises of God to escape.

[Richard Myers]

Amen my dear friends! So important are the lessons we learn daily. Brother Philip was impressed as was I. We are not to venture onto Satan's ground, but when we end up facing him face to face, then we can claim that most precious promise that God will not allow us to be tempted beyond what we can bear. As our brother has shared it is not only for God's glory, as the love of God is shed abroad as we reveal that love, but for our good also. Jesus learned obedience through what He suffered  (Hebrews 5:, so are we to learn obedience by the things we suffer. See Romans 5:3-5.

  Often when Satan has failed of exciting distrust, he succeeds in leading us to presumption. If he can cause us to place ourselves unnecessarily in the way of temptation, he knows that the victory is his. God will preserve all who walk in the path of obedience; but to depart from it is to venture on Satan's ground. There we are sure to fall. The Saviour has bidden us, "Watch ye and pray, lest ye enter into temptation." Mark 14:38. Meditation and prayer would keep us from rushing unbidden into the way of danger, and thus we should be saved from many a defeat.  {DA 126.2}
     Yet we should not lose courage when assailed by temptation. Often when placed in a trying situation we doubt that the Spirit of God has been leading us. But it was the Spirit's leading that brought Jesus into the wilderness to be tempted by Satan. When God brings us into trial, He has a purpose to accomplish for our good. Jesus did not presume on God's promises by going unbidden into temptation, neither did He give up to despondency when temptation came upon Him. Nor should we. "God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it." He says, "Offer unto God thanksgiving; and pay thy vows unto the Most High: and call upon Me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify Me." 1 Corinthians 10:13; Psalm 50:14, 15.  {DA 126.3}

[Beacon]

"When God brings us into trial, He has a purpose to accomplish for our good."

"Jesus did not presume on God's promises by going unbidden into temptation, neither did He give up to despondency when temptation came upon Him."

"Nor should we."

"God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it."

"He says, "Offer unto God thanksgiving; and pay thy vows unto the Most High: and call upon Me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify Me." 1 Corinthians 10:13; Psalm 50:14, 15."

God said it and I believe it.!!  How about you?? "WE" need to "REMEMBER" Jesus is the one who came forth victorious from the tomb and if "WE" are willing to faithfully commit our lives to Him, "WE" also will be victorious through His Resurrection Power to life Eternal..

=======================

1
Jesus, keep me near the cross,
  There a precious fountain,
Free to all—a healing stream,
  Flows from Calv’ry’s mountain.
    In the cross, in the cross,
  Be my glory ever;
From the cross my ransomed soul
    Nothing then shall sever.
2
Near the cross, a trembling soul,
  Love and mercy found me;
There the Bright and Morning Star
  Sheds its beams around me.
3
Near the cross! O Lamb of God,
  Bring its scenes before me;
Help me walk from day to day,
  With its shadow o’er me.
4
Near the cross I’ll watch and wait,
  Hoping, trusting ever,
Till I see my Savior’s face,
  Leave His presence never.

Lyrics:Fanny Jane Crosby (1820-1915)
Music:William Howard Doan

[Richard Myers]

Brother Beacon, thank you for sharing a hymn every day. It is such  a blessing. This had me in tears as I contemplated the relationship Sister Crosby had with Jesus. "Till I see my Savior’s face,   Leave His presence never." O how I pray that our people will understand the importance of never leaving His presence. How often my mind has wandered away from the Savior. How shameful. Our only hope of not sinning is to never leave His presence.

     So we may resist temptation, and force Satan to depart from us. Jesus gained the victory through submission and faith in God, and by the apostle He says to us, "Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh to God, and He will draw nigh to you." James 4:7, 8. We cannot save ourselves from the tempter's power; he has conquered humanity, and when we try to stand in our own strength, we shall become a prey to his devices; but "the name of the Lord is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe." Proverbs 18:10. Satan trembles and flees before the weakest soul who finds refuge in that mighty name......
     Never can the cost of our redemption be realized until the redeemed shall stand with the Redeemer before the throne of God. Then as the glories of the eternal home burst upon our enraptured senses we shall remember that Jesus left all this for us, that He not only became an exile from the heavenly courts, but for us took the risk of failure and eternal loss. Then we shall cast our crowns at His feet, and raise the song, "Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honor, and glory, and blessing." Revelation 5:12.

Yes, He not only left the glory of heaven for us, He and our heavenly Father took the risk of failure and eternal loss. Wonder O heavens and be astonish O Earth, herein is love! Let us stop for a moment and consider what this risk was.  It would have been an almost infinite humiliation for the Son of God to take man's nature, even when Adam stood in his innocence in Eden. But Jesus accepted humanity when the race had been weakened by four thousand years of sin. Satan in heaven had hated Christ for His position in the courts of God. He hated Him the more when he himself was dethroned. He hated Him who pledged Himself to redeem a race of sinners. Yet into the world where Satan claimed dominion God permitted His Son to come, a helpless babe, subject to the weakness of humanity. He permitted Him to meet life's peril in common with every human soul, to fight the battle as every child of humanity must fight it, at the risk of failure and eternal loss. The heart of the human father yearns over his son. He looks into the face of his little child, and trembles at the thought of life's peril. He longs to shield his dear one from Satan's power, to hold him back from temptation and conflict. To meet a bitterer conflict and a more fearful risk, God gave His only-begotten Son, that the path of life might be made sure for our little ones.

[Dorine]

  "Christ's mission could be fulfilled only through suffering. Before Him was a life of sorrow, hardship, and conflict, and an ignominious death. He must bear the sins of the whole world. He must endure separation from His Father's love. Now the tempter offered to yield up the power he had usurped. Christ might deliver Himself from the dreadful future by acknowledging the supremacy of Satan. But to do this was to yield the victory in the great controversy. It was in seeking to exalt himself above the Son of God that Satan had sinned in heaven. Should he prevail now, it would be the triumph of rebellion."

If Jesus won the victory over evil by scripture and surrender to His Fathers will so can we. His life is proof of that. We have the same help available to us in every trial and weakness. We have so much to praise God for even in our most trying crucibles. 

[Pastor Sean Brizendine]

Amen, Brother Beacon, Brother Richard, and Sister Dorine!! What a wonderful gift we have in Christ's victory over Satan! His victory is ours by grace through faith!! He is our MIGHTY SAVIOR!!

Wow! If you and I could realize HOW MUCH GOD LOVES US and HOW MUCH CHRIST GAVE UP in giving Himself to save us, our perceived value of salvation would catapult us into such zealous, earnest, loving service for Jesus who left heaven and chose to lay aside His omnipotence for eternity so He could become our Brother! Amazing love! Received into our lives, we will yearn to bless others and find creative ways to reach souls so they can taste the bliss of relational selflessness (also known as true obedience)! Such grace, dwelt upon and appreciated, is so powerful that it can change us into the image of Christ and propel us to live such selfless lives that the only way to understand the self-sacrifice is to continually behold the loveliness of Jesus and overcome as He did, too!!

"Never can the cost of our redemption be realized until the redeemed shall stand with the Redeemer before the throne of God. Then as the glories of the eternal home burst upon our enraptured senses we shall remember that Jesus left all this for us, that He not only became an exile from the heavenly courts, but for us took the risk of failure and eternal loss. Then we shall cast our crowns at His feet, and raise the song, 'Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honor, and glory, and blessing.' Revelation 5:12." {The Desire of Ages, page 131, paragraph 2} 

When we live by faith on the Son of God, the fruits of the Spirit will be seen in our lives without one missing! We will gladly go forth in God's plans for us as we discover more and more of His loveliness of character--which will be our experience for eternity as we choose to keep letting God's will become our own!