Author Topic: The Desire of Ages--24--"Is Not This the Carpenter's Son?"  (Read 15510 times)

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Richard Myers

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Re: The Desire of Ages--24--"Is Not This the Carpenter's Son?"
« Reply #20 on: October 16, 2017, 10:16:10 AM »
Amen, Pastor Sean. We must be transformed if we wish to spend eternity with Jesus. We must first become saints on this earth if we wish to be saints in heaven. By beholding His grace we will be changed into His image (2 Cor. 3:18). We have been given great light as a people, but we do not walk in that light, it will be tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah on judgment day.

Our standing before God depends, not upon the amount of light we have received, but upon the use we make of what we have. Thus even the heathen who choose the right as far as they can distinguish it are in a more favorable condition than are those who have had great light, and profess to serve God, but who disregard the light, and by their daily life contradict their profession. 
Jesus receives His reward when we reflect His character, the fruits of the Spirit......We deny Jesus His reward when we do not.

Pastor Sean Brizendine

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Re: The Desire of Ages--24--"Is Not This the Carpenter's Son?"
« Reply #21 on: January 11, 2018, 04:24:22 AM »
Let us be open to receive light whenever it comes to us. Let us look to Jesus and not question truth, but prayerfully bring our hearts before God so He can make them new, and Christ can give us the ability not just to perceive truth, but to live it out in the life. Without Christ in the heart, we cannot live truth for the right reason (having pure motives). We need Jesus in order to do any good thing. As Jesus came to His people in Nazareth (Luke 4:16-30), we realize that they did not appreciate the light shining from Him in harmony with the word of God. Let us heed the lesson, and receive the light God has for us today!

"Because their understanding was darkened by selfish prejudice, they could not harmonize the power of Christ's convicting words with the humility of His life. They did not appreciate the fact that real greatness can dispense with outward show. This Man's poverty seemed wholly inconsistent with His claim to be the Messiah. They questioned, If He was what He claimed to be, why was He so unpretending? If He was satisfied to be without the force of arms, what would become of their nation? How could the power and glory so long anticipated bring the nations as subjects to the city of the Jews? Had not the priests taught that Israel was to bear rule over all the earth? and could it be possible that the great religious teachers were in error?"  {The Desire of Ages, page 242, paragraph 3}
     "But it was not simply the absence of outward glory in His life that led the Jews to reject Jesus. He was the embodiment of purity, and they were impure. He dwelt among men an example of spotless integrity. His blameless life flashed light upon their hearts. His sincerity revealed their insincerity. It made manifest the hollowness of their pretentious piety, and discovered iniquity to them in its odious character. Such a light was unwelcome."  {The Desire of Ages, page 242, paragraph 3}


Welcome the light of Jesus at whatever cost--only a full-heart surrender to Him will produce in you the experience of living by the divine nature--a walk of faith made fruitful with all of the fruits of the Spirit without one missing!
"When we live by faith on the Son of God, the fruits of the Spirit will be seen in our lives; not one will be missing." {The Desire of Ages, 676.4}

JimB

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Re: The Desire of Ages--24--"Is Not This the Carpenter's Son?"
« Reply #22 on: January 11, 2018, 06:25:41 AM »
Pastor Sean, what you shared this morning brought this passage to mind.

John 3:18-20

18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.

20 For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.

It can be a painful process to let the light of Christ shine on your life and you may be reproved but don't be like the religious leaders of Christ's day and purposely remain in the dark. Let His light burn off the selfishness and pride and there you'll find true freedom.
By communion with God in nature, the mind is uplifted, and the heart finds rest.  {DA 291.1}

Richard Myers

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Re: The Desire of Ages--24--"Is Not This the Carpenter's Son?"
« Reply #23 on: January 11, 2018, 06:27:23 AM »
Amen Jim and Pastor Sean! Jesus wants the heart, the whole heart. As I read this morning, I kept trying to make application in my life and the life of our church today. Sadly we see a similar experience in the church. The Laodicean condition continues, but we know that there will be revival and reformation. So, our experience will differ from Israel's. But, when looking at my own life, I see little good, and take the lesson to Heart, that I need to cling to Christ continually. As a people, we are not what we ought to be. As individuals we are not what we ought to be. But, God loves us, and will continue to call us to be his witnesses to a world soon to perish. Today, the truth is no more appreciated than it was when Jesus came to his home Church, to set the captives free. Today, the idea of being set free from sin is not a popular one. We ought not expect to be treated any differently then was Christ when he spoke the truth. But, it is our joy to partake of the sufferings of Christ, for it is the most weighty trust and the highest honor that God can bestow upon us.
Jesus receives His reward when we reflect His character, the fruits of the Spirit......We deny Jesus His reward when we do not.

Dorine

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Re: The Desire of Ages--24--"Is Not This the Carpenter's Son?"
« Reply #24 on: January 11, 2018, 09:30:41 AM »
Human nature does not like rejection. We want to be liked and accepted but if we are following in Christ's footsteps we will receive the same insults, rejection and hate that Jesus experienced. When we stand for truth come what may we may be surprised at the animosity from those that proclaim the truth and love for God.

"Truth was unpopular in Christ's day. It is unpopular in our day. It has been unpopular ever since Satan first gave man a disrelish for it by presenting fables that lead to self-exaltation.......If Christ had called attention to the Pharisees, and had extolled their learning and piety, they would have hailed Him with joy. But when He spoke of the kingdom of heaven as a dispensation of mercy for all mankind, He was presenting a phase of religion they would not tolerate."

But as you said in your post Richard...."it is our joy to partake of the sufferings of Christ, for it is the most weighty trust and the highest honor that God can bestow upon us." 

This will be possible only through the power of God in our lives because my human nature shrinks from the thought of suffering of any kind.
But this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press  toward the mark. Phil. 3:13,14

Pastor Sean Brizendine

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Re: The Desire of Ages--24--"Is Not This the Carpenter's Son?"
« Reply #25 on: April 08, 2018, 05:58:28 AM »
I am so thankful that in spending this "thoughtful hour" upon the life of Christ (my morning devotions in Luke 4), that I have the privilege of being able to see Jesus in His loveliness in a way that heals all my deficiencies of character because love infills my heart and I desire to be wholly transformed in His holiness. Jesus is so kind to us; He does not want us to be embarrassed or humiliated, so He desires to open to us the rich treasures of His grace and impart to us His divine nature that enables us to be perfect overcomers as was He. What an inestimable blessing we receive when rather than hardening our hearts to His loving reproof, we accept His word cheerfully! That work in our lives is the greatest miracle, and it is what the onlooking universe loves to see because they take note that we are beholding Jesus and being changed into His image from glory to glory.

Why not live your life today in a way that will bless the onlooking universe (and all in this world) with an enjoyable, glorious story of God's love being wrought out in your life? "Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God" (Hebrews 12:1-2). I choose to let God author my life in ALL ITS DETAILS so that He may be glorified! You will never regret making that full surrender to Christ, the Author, moment-by-moment!

"Oh, how Christ longed to open to Israel the precious treasures of the truth! But such was their spiritual blindness that it was impossible to reveal to them the truths relating to His kingdom. They clung to their creed and their useless ceremonies when the truth of Heaven awaited their acceptance. They spent their money for chaff and husks, when the bread of life was within their reach. Why did they not go to the word of God, and search diligently to know whether they were in error? The Old Testament Scriptures stated plainly every detail of Christ's ministry, and again and again He quoted from the prophets, and declared, 'This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.' If they had honestly searched the Scriptures, bringing their theories to the test of God's word, Jesus need not have wept over their impenitence. He need not have declared, 'Behold, your house is left unto you desolate.' Luke 13:35. They might have been acquainted with the evidence of His Messiahship, and the calamity that laid their proud city in ruins might have been averted. But the minds of the Jews had become narrowed by their unreasoning bigotry. The lessons of Christ revealed their deficiencies of character, and demanded repentance. If they accepted His teachings, their practices must be changed, and their cherished hopes relinquished. In order to be honored by Heaven, they must sacrifice the honor of men. If they obeyed the words of this new rabbi, they must go contrary to the opinions of the great thinkers and teachers of the time." {The Desire of Ages, page 241, paragraph 4}

Let us remember that repentance is a gift. When Christ's character reveals to us our infinite need, we must go to Him at the foot of the cross to have our need supplied. And He will turn no one away who comes to Him in humble faith desiring grace to overcome! Praise the Lord!
"When we live by faith on the Son of God, the fruits of the Spirit will be seen in our lives; not one will be missing." {The Desire of Ages, 676.4}

Richard Myers

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Re: The Desire of Ages--24--"Is Not This the Carpenter's Son?"
« Reply #26 on: April 08, 2018, 08:05:10 AM »
Amen, Pastor Sean. Repentance is a gift from God. But, it requires something on our part. It is true that the Spirit will convict, even if we do not have a Bible. But, once we are convicted of sin, how can we find repentance? Man does not have true repentance in and of himself. It is a gift of God. But, it does not come to all. All are not saved. What must I do to be saved? What must I do to receive the gift of repentance? What saith the Lord? 

Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?" Romans 2:4.


Amen! It is beholding the goodness of God that the heart melts and conversion comes. Repentance is the response to grace accepted into the heart.

For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death." 2 Cor 7:10.


Israel would not accept the reproof that came.

     The words of Jesus to His hearers in the synagogue struck at the root of their self-righteousness, pressing home upon them the bitter truth that they had departed from God and forfeited their claim to be His people. Every word cut like a knife as their real condition was set before them. They now scorned the faith with which Jesus had at first inspired them. They would not admit that He who had sprung from poverty and lowliness was other than a common man.
 
Their unbelief bred malice. Satan controlled them, and in wrath they cried out against the Saviour. They had turned from Him whose mission it was to heal and restore; now they manifested the attributes of the destroyer.

     When Jesus referred to the blessings given to the Gentiles, the fierce national pride of His hearers was aroused, and His words were drowned in a tumult of voices. These people had prided themselves on keeping the law; but now that their prejudices were offended, they were ready to commit murder. The assembly broke up, and laying hands upon Jesus, they thrust Him from the synagogue, and out of the city. All seemed eager for His destruction. They hurried Him to the brow of a precipice, intending to cast Him down headlong. Shouts and maledictions filled the air. Some were casting stones at Him, when suddenly He disappeared from among them. The heavenly messengers who had been by His side in the synagogue were with Him in the midst of that maddened throng. They shut Him in from His enemies, and conducted Him to a place of safety.


Until we see the loveliness of Jesus, until we see His character that then will give us a true standard to measure our own character by, we do not see our need of a Savior. Are we seeking truth? Are we willing to accept that truth when it comes? In and of ourselves we have no power to walk in that light for the right reason. We must be born again of the Spirit. It is by seeing His goodness that repentance not to be repented of will come to the heart. Then we will be filled with the Living Water that will be imparted to others seeking truth.

Grace for grace. It is by grace we are saved. It is by grace received into the heart that true repentance comes.
Jesus receives His reward when we reflect His character, the fruits of the Spirit......We deny Jesus His reward when we do not.

Dorine

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Re: The Desire of Ages--24--"Is Not This the Carpenter's Son?"
« Reply #27 on: April 08, 2018, 08:15:50 AM »
Amen Pastor Sean. This time spent with Jesus every morning is the most precious part of my day. It gives me motivation, energy, and spiritual renewal, to face the challenges of the day because Jesus is walking with me throughout.  It is so hard to understand the blindness of so many of God's people but here is the reason for it....

"But it was not simply the absence of outward glory in His life that led the Jews to reject Jesus. He was the embodiment of purity, and they were impure. He dwelt among men an example of spotless integrity. His blameless life flashed light upon their hearts. His sincerity revealed their insincerity. It made manifest the hollowness of their pretentious piety, and discovered iniquity to them in its odious character. Such a light was unwelcome.  {DA 243.1} 
     If Christ had called attention to the Pharisees, and had extolled their learning and piety, they would have hailed Him with joy. But when He spoke of the kingdom of heaven as a dispensation of mercy for all mankind, He was presenting a phase of religion they would not tolerate. Their own example and teaching had never been such as to make the service of God seem desirable. When they saw Jesus giving attention to the very ones they hated and repulsed, it stirred up the worst passions of their proud hearts. Notwithstanding their boast that under the "Lion of the tribe of Judah" (Revelation 5:5), Israel should be exalted to pre-eminence over all nations, they could have borne the disappointment of their ambitious hopes better than they could bear Christ's reproof of their sins, and the reproach they felt even from the presence of His purity."


Open our eyes Lord, we want to see Jesus and reflect His character.
But this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press  toward the mark. Phil. 3:13,14

Richard Myers

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Re: The Desire of Ages--24--"Is Not This the Carpenter's Son?"
« Reply #28 on: July 04, 2018, 06:26:12 AM »
Amen, Dear Sister!!  Good to have you back with us!!

It is interesting to note that we see in this morning's reading the loveliness of Jesus and His purity. But, the chapter spends time presenting what we do not often speak of, the rejection of His loveliness. We are being shown that the world and even in the church are those who will react to His righteousness differently than those seeking truth.

 Truth was unpopular in Christ's day. It is unpopular in our day. It has been unpopular ever since Satan first gave man a disrelish for it by presenting fables that lead to self-exaltation. Do we not today meet theories and doctrines that have no foundation in the word of God? Men cling as tenaciously to them as did the Jews to their traditions. 


The piety of Jesus caused many of the Jews to want to kill Jesus. When we behold the character of Jesus, our hearts long to be with Him and like Him. Such a contrast! And, the situation today in the church is different than with the Jews, but similar in that we have many who remain in a Laodicean condition. The difference is we shall see revival and reformation as a church. The similarity is that it is hard to work for a people who believe they are God's chosen, but are not consecrated. Many rise up against the truth because it  condemns their behavior and does not support their particular version of the gospel. There are churches in our denomination that we cannot present the truth without meeting strong objections. Sadly, we too have to leave them joined to their idols. Let us seek out those who are hungering and thirsting for truth. The harvest field is white and ready to harvest!!
Jesus receives His reward when we reflect His character, the fruits of the Spirit......We deny Jesus His reward when we do not.

Pastor Sean Brizendine

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Re: The Desire of Ages--24--"Is Not This the Carpenter's Son?"
« Reply #29 on: July 04, 2018, 07:34:53 AM »
Amen, Richard! It is a privilege to find even one more soul ripe for the harvest!

While the loveliness of Jesus is being presented, and His purity of character and glorious mission are being unfolded before us morning by morning, we have a choice. Do we let His love melt our hearts, and heal our wounds, or do we rebel against the light because it calls us to repentance and reformation? We can do nothing of ourselves; we must come to Christ just as we are. We are not to wait for a better opportunity to receive the light than right now. May the mission of Jesus become ours today, as in quoting from Isaiah 61:1-2, Jesus spoke these words in Luke 4:18-19:

  "The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, Because He hath   
   anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor;
         He hath sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,
         To preach deliverance to the captives,
         And recovering of sight to the blind,
         To set at liberty them that are bruised,
         To preach the acceptable year of the Lord." 


I choose to let Christ work out His message in me as I surrender fully to Him. He promises to impute and impart His righteousness in our lives as we yield our whole heart for Him to cleanse and purify, so He can live out His life in us. Such a life in Christ will produce fruit--the fruits of the Spirit are seen in the life without one missing, and we can share what we have found in Jesus--His exceeding loveliness! We live in the time when the light of truth will shine and bring revival and reformation by the power of the Holy Spirit, and by magnifying "THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS" (Jeremiah 23:6), our trials and tribulations sink into proper insignificance while being a continual impetus for rejoicing in that we have an ever-abiding Savior to help us. Will you join me in this experience today?
"When we live by faith on the Son of God, the fruits of the Spirit will be seen in our lives; not one will be missing." {The Desire of Ages, 676.4}

Pastor Sean Brizendine

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Re: The Desire of Ages--24--"Is Not This the Carpenter's Son?"
« Reply #30 on: September 29, 2018, 02:46:59 AM »
Can we trust what man teaches us? Follow Jesus, and His word; test everything a person teaches by Scripture. Isaiah 8:20. Jesus lived and spoke in a manner as to call attention to what the Scriptures ACTUALLY taught, and because this teaching did not harmonize with the popular theology of His day, along with the fact that His life was the embodiment of the truths He taught in purity and righteousness, the light of a cheerful piety that He ever shed about Him was unwelcome in Nazareth in His ministry because His life rebuked their sins. Jesus longs to find interested hearers who give Him a sincere welcome, whose hearts are open to become channels of light to bless the needy souls all around us. Will you learn of Him today in humility, be still and know that He is God, and by beholding the loveliness of Jesus cooperate with the Holy Spirit in the transformation of your character? What is our part? It is to behold; it is to yield the whole heart for Jesus to purify, so we can become partakers of the divine nature and dispense with outward show like Jesus did, and minister to seek to reach the hearts of those around us, because He first loved us. The missionary Spirit of Jesus is the evidence of conversion, in which all of the fruits of the Spirit are manifest in the life without one missing as we gladly walk even as He walked!

"Because their understanding was darkened by selfish prejudice, they could not harmonize the power of Christ's convicting words with the humility of His life. They did not appreciate the fact that real greatness can dispense with outward show. This Man's poverty seemed wholly inconsistent with His claim to be the Messiah. They questioned, If He was what He claimed to be, why was He so unpretending? If He was satisfied to be without the force of arms, what would become of their nation? How could the power and glory so long anticipated bring the nations as subjects to the city of the Jews? Had not the priests taught that Israel was to bear rule over all the earth? and could it be possible that the great religious teachers were in error?" {The Desire of Ages, page 242, paragraph 3}
"When we live by faith on the Son of God, the fruits of the Spirit will be seen in our lives; not one will be missing." {The Desire of Ages, 676.4}

Richard Myers

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Re: The Desire of Ages--24--"Is Not This the Carpenter's Son?"
« Reply #31 on: September 29, 2018, 08:17:31 AM »
How very sad that character is judged by appearance and position by so many even in the church. It is not so with those who love Jesus supremely. For this reason I have not encouraged photos in our fellowship. Why? Because our impressions of each other is not influenced by how we appear or our position, but by what we say and how we say it. No one could tell that we had moderators of different races, from different cultures. It did not influence what readers thought of what was being shared. Judgment was based upon the truth that was being shared and how it was shared. Jesus was a servant, and so must we be servants.

The Holy Spirit was attempting to point the Nazarenes to the truth of Scripture, but they would not yield up self to study to show themselves approved of God. They would not believe Jesus to be other than a common man. How many today in the church are rejecting truth unless it comes from their pastor. Like the Catholics and Orthodox, it is the pastor or priest that we must learn from. Paul commended the Bereans because they went home and opened their Bibles to see if what Paul had taught was truth.

Truth was unpopular then, and truth is unpopular today. Thus those who teach it are also unpopular and even persecuted.

     Oh, how Christ longed to open to Israel the precious treasures of the truth! But such was their spiritual blindness that it was impossible to reveal to them the truths relating to His kingdom. They clung to their creed and their useless ceremonies when the truth of Heaven awaited their acceptance. They spent their money for chaff and husks, when the bread of life was within their reach. Why did they not go to the word of God, and search diligently to know whether they were in error? The Old Testament Scriptures stated plainly every detail of Christ's ministry, and again and again He quoted from the prophets, and declared, "This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears." If they had honestly searched the Scriptures, bringing their theories to the test of God's word, Jesus need not have wept over their impenitence. He need not have declared, "Behold, your house is left unto you desolate." Luke 13:35. They might have been acquainted with the evidence of His Messiahship, and the calamity that laid their proud city in ruins might have been averted. But the minds of the Jews had become narrowed by their unreasoning bigotry. The lessons of Christ revealed their deficiencies of character, and demanded repentance. If they accepted His teachings, their practices must be changed, and their cherished hopes relinquished. In order to be honored by Heaven, they must sacrifice the honor of men. If they obeyed the words of this new rabbi, they must go contrary to the opinions of the great thinkers and teachers of the time.
     Truth was unpopular in Christ's day. It is unpopular in our day. It has been unpopular ever since Satan first gave man a disrelish for it by presenting fables that lead to self-exaltation. Do we not today meet theories and doctrines that have no foundation in the word of God? Men cling as tenaciously to them as did the Jews to their traditions. 


How much do we value truth?
Jesus receives His reward when we reflect His character, the fruits of the Spirit......We deny Jesus His reward when we do not.

Dorine

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Re: The Desire of Ages--24--"Is Not This the Carpenter's Son?"
« Reply #32 on: December 25, 2018, 06:09:31 AM »
"Not without one more call to repentance could He give them up. Toward the close of His ministry in Galilee, He again visited the home of His childhood. Since His rejection there, the fame of His preaching and His miracles had filled the land. None now could deny that He possessed more than human power. The people of Nazareth knew that He went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed by Satan. About them were whole villages where there was not a moan of sickness in any house; for He had passed through them, and healed all their sick. The mercy revealed in every act of His life testified to His divine anointing."

Jesus never gives up on anyone. No matter how hardened and evil our hearts are His heart reaches out to heal our sin-sick lives. We are the ones that make that final decision to either accept His merciful offer or cling to our selfish pride and reject it.

The more I read the more God reveals to me the ugliness of a life filled with self and how it shuts the door to be able to hear the sound of Jesus knocking at our hearts' door seeking entrance.

I want to hate sin in all it's forms so much that I would rather die than yield to it. Come Lord Jesus and abide in my heart today. Search me, cleanse me, and fill me with Your Spirit.
But this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press  toward the mark. Phil. 3:13,14

Pastor Sean Brizendine

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Re: The Desire of Ages--24--"Is Not This the Carpenter's Son?"
« Reply #33 on: December 25, 2018, 09:15:12 AM »
Amen, Dorine!

Merry Christmas to you all! Jesus' humble birth and life teach a powerful, simple, and profound lesson for us as much of the world remembers the birth of Jesus! What a precious truth that "real greatness can dispense with outward show." {The Desire of Ages, page 242, paragraph 3} Jesus was born in a borrowed manger, lived a humble, simple life, and yet He manifested the perfection of the divine nature and spoke the words of God with authority. We can learn of Christ today and be cheered to let Him abide in our hearts as a manger--not a borrowed resting place, but as the rightful place for Him to dwell throughout eternity!

Lord, come abide in my heart today as Your manger and fill me with all of the fruits of the Spirit so not one is missing, that Your glory may be seen!
"When we live by faith on the Son of God, the fruits of the Spirit will be seen in our lives; not one will be missing." {The Desire of Ages, 676.4}

Beacon

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Re: The Desire of Ages--24--"Is Not This the Carpenter's Son?"
« Reply #34 on: December 25, 2018, 09:58:50 AM »
 
"It was not simply the absence of outward glory in His life that led the Jews to reject Jesus. He was the embodiment of purity, and they were impure. He dwelt among men an example of spotless integrity. His blameless life flashed light upon their hearts. His sincerity revealed their insincerity. It made manifest the hollowness of their pretentious piety, and discovered iniquity to them in its odious character. Such a light was unwelcome."  {DA 243.1}

As we celebrate the birth of our Savior and express our thanks for His wonderful willingness to come to this sin sick planet to offer us an opportunity to have Eternal Life...Should we not also be willing to do a spiritual introspection of our own spiritual condition to make sure that we are "completely" open and honest about our relationship with Him and that our strongest desire is to let Him be " The King of Kings and Lord of Lords in our life. Like the song says...." All Jesus I surrender, Humbly at His feet I bow. Worldly pleasures all forsaken. Take me Jesus, take me now. 

 Jesus, may this Christmas day be filled with Peace and Joy for each of your children and their families as we contemplate your great love, Amen
   
Look up and listen for the shout.

Beacon

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Re: The Desire of Ages--24--"Is Not This the Carpenter's Son?"
« Reply #35 on: December 26, 2018, 08:26:46 AM »
The disciples were discouraged....John the Baptist had been arrested and was in prison, The Jewish leaders in the church and government of Israel were showing their contempt for Jesus by harassing Jesus at every opportunity. The future of the disciples of Jesus looked very bleak. In their discouragement they decided to go back to their former occupation of fishing. But after Jesus had addressed the morning crowd while sitting in Peters boat he bade him to pull out a little further and let down the nets. Can't you just imagine what Peter must have thought..." What does he know about fishing?..., right!! No one fished in the daytime...they would become the laughing stock of the community. But their love for Jesus was strong and they decided to listen to His command.  Instantly the nets were full to overflowing and they had to call for help to get the load to shore.

"During that sad night on the lake, when they were separated from Christ, the disciples were pressed hard by unbelief, and weary with fruitless toil. But His presence kindled their faith, and brought them joy and success. So it is with us; apart from Christ, our work is fruitless, and it is easy to distrust and murmur. But when He is near, and we labor under His direction, we rejoice in the evidence of His power. It is Satan’s work to discourage the soul; it is Christ’s work to inspire with faith and hope. {DA 249.2}
The deeper lesson which the miracle conveyed for the disciples is a lesson for us also,—that He whose word could gather the fishes from the sea could also impress human hearts, and draw them by the cords of His love, so that His servants might become “fishers of men.” {DA 249.3}

Today my heart desires to say to Jesus... Lord I believe---Help thou mine unbelief--Take me and use me to your glory. Amen

Look up and listen for the shout.

Pastor Sean Brizendine

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Re: The Desire of Ages--24--"Is Not This the Carpenter's Son?"
« Reply #36 on: March 22, 2019, 07:43:01 AM »
God's character is the real measure of greatness. Jesus' outward poverty in no way detracted from His divine glory. He condescended to humanity to show the true dignity and glory God intended for us in character--available to all of us if we are willing to open up our hearts to Christ fully, invite Him in, and let Him transform us by His grace!

"Because their understanding was darkened by selfish prejudice, they could not harmonize the power of Christ's convicting words with the humility of His life. They did not appreciate the fact that real greatness can dispense with outward show. This Man's poverty seemed wholly inconsistent with His claim to be the Messiah. They questioned, If He was what He claimed to be, why was He so unpretending? If He was satisfied to be without the force of arms, what would become of their nation? How could the power and glory so long anticipated bring the nations as subjects to the city of the Jews? Had not the priests taught that Israel was to bear rule over all the earth? and could it be possible that the great religious teachers were in error?"  {The Desire of Ages, page 242, paragraph 3}

Let us humbly follow Christ in the path He has for us today--even if it goes against the grain of what many teach. We must hold firmly to the word of God and accept the humble Lamb, Jesus, in preparation for His second coming in glory as a Lion!
"When we live by faith on the Son of God, the fruits of the Spirit will be seen in our lives; not one will be missing." {The Desire of Ages, 676.4}

Beacon

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Re: The Desire of Ages--24--"Is Not This the Carpenter's Son?"
« Reply #37 on: March 22, 2019, 09:19:27 AM »
"Truth was unpopular in Christ's day. It is unpopular in our day. It has been unpopular ever since Satan first gave man a dislike for it by presenting fables that lead to self-exaltation. Do we not today meet theories and doctrines that have no foundation in the word of God? Men cling as tenaciously to them as did the Jews to their traditions."

It is with great concern that I see men & women clinging to ideas which they passionately present from today's pulpit that are without a sound Biblical foundation and reminds me of this text found in 2 Timothy 4:2-4 .." preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long suffering and doctrine. 3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; 4 and they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.    

"But it was not simply the absence of outward glory in His life that led the Jews to reject Jesus. He was the embodiment of purity, and they were impure. He dwelt among men an example of spotless integrity. His blameless life flashed light upon their hearts. His sincerity revealed their insincerity. It made manifest the hollowness of their pretentious piety, and discovered iniquity to them in its odious character. Such a light was unwelcome. "

What will we do...how will we respond when Jesus flashes the "truth"  upon "our" heart and invites us to come up higher and be prepared to witness for Him and also be prepared to welcome Him when He comes again?

Look up and listen for the shout.

Beacon

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Re: The Desire of Ages--24--"Is Not This the Carpenter's Son?"
« Reply #38 on: June 16, 2019, 07:46:23 PM »
"Our standing before God depends, not upon the amount of light we have received, but upon the use we make of what we have. Thus even the heathen who choose the right as far as they can distinguish it are in a more favorable condition than are those who have had great light, and profess to serve God, but who disregard the light, and by their daily life contradict their profession. "

"Our Prayer should be the same as David  when he said in Psalm 51:9-11 King James Version (KJV)

Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities.

Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.

Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me."


DOES OUR DAILY LIFE CONTRADICT WHAT WE PROFESS?? IF WE ARE HOLDING ON TO HEAVEN WITH OUR RIGHT HAND AND ONTO THE THINGS OF EARTH WITH OUR LEFT HAND -- NEVER COMING TO A FULL SURRENDER FOR JESUS---THEN  SOMEDAY WE WILL HEAR THOSE VERY SAD WORDS - DEPART FROM ME I NEVER KNEW YOU. 

God Allow U-Turns John 10:27 says...."My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me."  Won't you come today???

Revelation 3:20 Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.



Look up and listen for the shout.

Pastor Sean Brizendine

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Re: The Desire of Ages--24--"Is Not This the Carpenter's Son?"
« Reply #39 on: June 17, 2019, 05:20:18 AM »
Amen, Brother Beacon!

As we receive the precious rays of light emanating from the loveliness of Jesus, and as we see our unlikeness to Him by nature, let us turn our eyes upon Him who has given promises that are able to make us partakers of His divine nature, so that all of the fruits of the Spirit will be seen in our lives lives without one missing and people will indeed know that Christ lives in us, the hope of glory! Let us improve every opportunity we have today to share the light of the character of God by being loving and lovable Christians!

"Our standing before God depends, not upon the amount of light we have received, but upon the use we make of what we have. Thus even the heathen who choose the right as far as they can distinguish it are in a more favorable condition than are those who have had great light, and profess to serve God, but who disregard the light, and by their daily life contradict their profession." {The Desire of Ages, page 239, paragraph 2}

Jesus is so merciful to us, and He longs for us to know the joy of being like Him in mind and character. As we behold Him, we are changed into the same image from glory to glory, from character to character, and we will glady follow in the path that Jesus has appointed for us because He is selfless and desires us to win souls by living the truth of His character! Let the light shine today that you are improving the light God has shed on your path! 
"When we live by faith on the Son of God, the fruits of the Spirit will be seen in our lives; not one will be missing." {The Desire of Ages, 676.4}