The Desire of Ages--26--At Capernaum

[Pastor Sean Brizendine]

From Jesus' word comes the deliverance we need. It is only by uniting our hearts and minds to Christ by His word in fully surrender that we can present a true witness (all of the fruits of the Spirit manifest in the life in true affectionate obedience to all of God's law of love that we know).

"History is repeating. With the open Bible before them, and professing to reverence its teachings, many of the religious leaders of our time are destroying faith in it as the word of God. They busy themselves with dissecting the word, and set their own opinions above its plainest statements. In their hands God's word loses its regenerating power. This is why infidelity runs riot, and iniquity is rife." {The Desire of Ages, page 258, paragraph 1}

God desires us to live by faith--to express and live the truth as it is in Jesus so that we come to His word with a heart desiring to know and follow all that it reveals!

[Dorine]

The means by which we can overcome the wicked one is that by which Christ overcame,--the power of the word. God does not control our minds without our consent; but if we desire to know and to do His will, His promises are ours: "Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." "If any man willeth to do His will, he shall know of the teaching." John 8:32; 7:17, R. V. Through faith in these promises, every man may be delivered from the snares of error and the control of sin.

What a chapter of divine deliverance. We are not left to struggle and fail over and over. Jesus has set an example of continual victory over sin by a total surrender to his will.

[Richard Myers]

Amen!! Over and over we read the same thing, God delivers from sin if we will give Him the whole heart. Yet, it is like the the church has been reading another Book. So it was with Israel. When Jesus came to His own, His own knew Him not.

     Jesus met the people on their own ground, as one who was acquainted with their perplexities. He made truth beautiful by presenting it in the most direct and simple way. His language was pure, refined, and clear as a running stream. His voice was as music to those who had listened to the monotonous tones of the rabbis. But while His teaching was simple, He spoke as one having authority. This characteristic set His teaching in contrast with that of all others. The rabbis spoke with doubt and hesitancy, as if the Scriptures might be interpreted to mean one thing or exactly the opposite. The hearers were daily involved in greater uncertainty. But Jesus taught the Scriptures as of unquestionable authority. Whatever His subject, it was presented with power, as if His words could not be controverted.   
     Yet He was earnest, rather than vehement. He spoke as one who had a definite purpose to fulfill. He was bringing to view the realities of the eternal world. In every theme God was revealed. Jesus sought to break the spell of infatuation which keeps men absorbed in earthly things. He placed the things of this life in their true relation, as subordinate to those of eternal interest;

So it ought to be with as we share the gospel of grace. So it will be when we are filled with the Spirit and understand what is written.

[Beacon]

"Those who will consent to enter into covenant relation with the God of heaven are not left to the power of Satan or to the infirmity of their own nature. They are invited by the Saviour,...

"Let him take hold of My strength, that he may make peace with Me; and he shall make peace with Me." Isaiah 27:5.


 The spirits of darkness will battle for the soul once under their dominion, but angels of God will contend for that soul with prevailing power.

but the Lord says,

"Shall the prey be taken from the mighty, or the lawful captive delivered? . . . Thus saith the Lord, Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken away, and the prey of the terrible shall be delivered: for I will contend with him that contendeth with thee, and I will save thy children." Isaiah 49:24, 25.

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ - Let us not become discouraged or distracted - What wonderful, powerful and strong promises we have! When Peter walked on the water he was fine until he took his eyes off Jesus. But when he cried out..."Lord Save Me "- Jesus immediately reached down and took Peter's hand and they walked together back to the safety of the  boat.  Let us keep our eyes fixed upon Jesus and He will guide us safely home.  HAPPY SABBATH

[Pastor Sean Brizendine]

Amen, Brother Beacon!!

Happy Sabbath to all, and may you learn of Christ today in His gracious way! As you behold the loveliness of Jesus, yield your whole heart to Him so He can live out His perfect life in you! He longs to give you the joy of His experience!!

"His messages of mercy were varied to suit His audience. He knew "how to speak a word in season to him that is weary" (Isaiah 50:4); for grace was poured upon His lips, that He might convey to men in the most attractive way the treasures of truth. He had tact to meet the prejudiced minds, and surprise them with illustrations that won their attention. Through the imagination He reached the heart. His illustrations were taken from the things of daily life, and although they were simple, they had in them a wonderful depth of meaning. The birds of the air, the lilies of the field, the seed, the shepherd and the sheep,--with these objects Christ illustrated immortal truth; and ever afterward, when His hearers chanced to see these things of nature, they recalled His words. Christ's illustrations constantly repeated His lessons." {The Desire of Ages, page 254, paragraph 2}

Jesus loves to take the simplest things and turn them into beautiful illustrations of His kingdom. May we pray that today our minds and hearts will be open to the precious lessons He has for us!!

[Dorine]

If we are not spending that thoughtful hour each day with Jesus in study and prayer we can never appreciate or love Him or know Him as our Saviour and friend. If only I had made this a habit all my life. But thank God He takes us where we are. He knows our weaknesses and when we realize our great need of Him He responds to our cry for help, and transforms us into His character. Praise God.

His tender compassion fell with a touch of healing upon weary and troubled hearts. Even amid the turbulence of angry enemies He was surrounded with an atmosphere of peace. The beauty of His countenance, the loveliness of His character, above all, the love expressed in look and tone, drew to Him all who were not hardened in unbelief. Had it not been for the sweet, sympathetic spirit that shone out in every look and word, He would not have attracted the large congregations that He did. The afflicted ones who came to Him felt that He linked His interest with theirs as a faithful and tender friend, and they desired to know more of the truths He taught. Heaven was brought near. They longed to abide in His presence, that the comfort of His love might be with them continually.

[Richard Myers]

Amen Sister Dorine. I too was impressed with what you have shared. Do we indeed want to be in His presence? Do we recognize His loveliness of character? If we will spend that thoughtful hour each day with Him, beholding Him, we shall see His grace towards the sinner. We all are being drawn towards Him if we are not hardened in sin. And, even the unfallen worlds are being drawn ever closer to Him as they witness how He deals with the children of man.

[Beacon]

"The tender compassion of Jesus fell with a touch of healing upon wary and troubled hearts. Even amid the turbulence of angry enemies He was surrounded with an atmosphere of peace. The beauty of His countenance, the loveliness of His character, above all, the love expressed in look and tone, drew to Him all who were not hardened in unbelief. Had it not been for the sweet, sympathetic spirit that shone out in every look and word, He would not have attracted the large congregations that he did."

The words of this song is my prayer for today for all who read this post


Teach, me, Father, what to say;
Teach me, Father, how to pray;
Teach me all along the way
How to be like Jesus.

Refrain:
I would be like Jesus,
I would be like Jesus!
Help me, Lord, to daily grow
More and more like Jesus!

Is this your prayer?  If not why not?  What do others hear and see when they interact with us who claim to love Jesus?

[Pastor Sean Brizendine]

Amen, Brother Beacon!! I pray that I may be like Jesus!!

As we learn of Christ, we may willingly enjoy the blessing of complete surrender that brings true conversion, a supernatural recreation of the heart and mind to be filled with His Spirit and the witness of all of the fruits of the Spirit without one missing! Gladly we obey all the light of His holy law that God sends upon our path, that we may be like Him who left heaven to seek and save the lost!

"The means by which we can overcome the wicked one is that by which Christ overcame,--the power of the word. God does not control our minds without our consent; but if we desire to know and to do His will, His promises are ours: 'Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.' 'If any man willeth to do His will, he shall know of the teaching.' John 8:32; 7:17, R. V. Through faith in these promises, every man may be delivered from the snares of error and the control of sin." {The Desire of Ages, page 258, paragraph 5}

What a joy it is to walk in the victory of Jesus today! We may allow Him to set us free by His word, and the more we feed upon the word of God and allow it to become our own experience, the more fully we will reflect His likeness as He matures us and prepares us for eternity with Him!!

[Dorine]

"There are many who believe that if they are careful they can play with fire and not get burned. Here is a quote from the story of the demoniac to show how dangerous such a thought is."

"The secret cause of the affliction that had made this man a fearful spectacle to his friends and a burden to himself was in his own life. He had been fascinated by the pleasures of sin, and had thought to make life a grand carnival. He did not dream of becoming a terror to the world and the reproach of his family. He thought his time could be spent in innocent folly. But once in the downward path, his feet rapidly descended. Intemperance and frivolity perverted the noble attributes of his nature, and Satan took absolute control of him."

Even so called innocent sinful pleasure (of which there is no such thing) if fed will lead a soul into a position where Satan has complete control of them.

What I love about this story and what brings me such joy is to know that even when over come with evil Jesus is there to rescue. When we can not speak our hearts desire He reads our minds and knows our thoughts and will heal us from the evil that has us trapped when from our heart we cry out to Him; save me.

"Every man is free to choose what power he will have to rule over him. None have fallen so low, none are so vile, but that they can find deliverance in Christ."

[Richard Myers]

Amen Sister Dorine and Pastor Sean! God can and wants to deliver us all from self and sin!

Why is it that so many who profess to serve God cannot? They are not truly converted and thus lack spiritual discernment. They then refuse to accept Scripture as it is written. What is simple to you and me, they prefer to keep their own opinion.   Pride is where this all began and remains at the heart of all sin. Self is evil by nature.

     By their interpretation they made it express sentiments that God had never given. Their mystical construction made indistinct that which He had made plain. They disputed over insignificant technicalities, and practically denied the most essential truths. Thus infidelity was sown broadcast. God's word was robbed of its power, and evil spirits worked their will.
     History is repeating. With the open Bible before them, and professing to reverence its teachings, many of the religious leaders of our time are destroying faith in it as the word of God. They busy themselves with dissecting the word, and set their own opinions above its plainest statements. In their hands God's word loses its regenerating power. This is why infidelity runs riot, and iniquity is rife. 

[Richard Myers]

  Jesus had nothing to do with the various subjects of dissension among the Jews. It was His work to present the truth. His words shed a flood of light upon the teachings of patriarchs and prophets, and the Scriptures came to men as a new revelation. Never before had His hearers perceived such a depth of meaning in the word of God. 

So it is our privilege to share the truth as Jesus did. Today, when there is so much wrong in our world, we may be tempted to enter into the discussions involving society, but we ought to learn the lesson from Jesus, that the problems with people deal with the heart. It is the truth that God has entrusted to His church that will touch the hearts of man. Today when good is called evil and evil is called good, it was prophesied. Then we ought not be surprised. Let us present Jesus as the solution to each and every one of our problems. When we love Him with the whole heart, then we shall have love, joy, and peace in the middle of the storm.

[Beacon]

"His tender compassion fell with a touch of healing upon weary and troubled hearts. Even amid the turbulence of angry enemies He was surrounded with an atmosphere of peace. The beauty of His countenance, the loveliness of His character, above all, the love expressed in look and tone, drew to Him all who were not hardened in unbelief. Had it not been for the sweet, sympathetic spirit that shone out in every look and word, He would not have attracted the large congregations that He did. The afflicted ones who came to Him felt that He linked His interest with theirs as a faithful and tender friend, and they desired to know more of the truths He taught. Heaven was brought near. They longed to abide in His presence, that the comfort of His love might be with them continually."

Should we not emulate the same character if we are truly connected to Him?

[Pastor Sean Brizendine]

Amen, Brother Richard and Brother Beacon!

Praise the Lord for the opportunity we have to reflect Jesus!

Simplicity and purity, sincerity and devotion, resolute purpose and strict abeyance to the Father’s will marked every moment of the life of Jesus! The keynote of His life is found in His words: “I must be about my Father’s business” (Luke 2:49). It is only as we behold Him in His infinite loveliness, yield the entire heart to Him, and continuously abide in Him by His word through continual union and communion that His life becomes ours and His love is defused through the world as a witness to the onlooking universe. Oh, let us be like Jesus!

“In marked contrast to all this was the life of Jesus. In that life no noisy disputation, no ostentatious worship, no act to gain applause, was ever witnessed. Christ was hid in God, and God was revealed in the character of His Son. To this revelation Jesus desired the minds of the people to be directed, and their homage to be given.” {The Desire of Ages, page 261, paragraph 2}

As we look upward by faith to Jesus completing His ministry in the heavenly sanctuary, we can rejoice that tribulation here prepares the soul for the rest that He has for us—a rest that only comes in perfect acquiescence to His will. I choose to yield fully Jesus. Will you?

[Beacon]

"Those who will consent to enter into covenant relation with the God of heaven are not left to the power of Satan or to the infirmity of their own nature. They are invited by the Saviour,...

"Let him take hold of My strength, that he may make peace with Me; and he shall make peace with Me." Isaiah 27:5.


"The spirits of darkness will battle for the soul once under their dominion, but angels of God will contend for that soul with prevailing power.

but the Lord says..

"Shall the prey be taken from the mighty, or the lawful captive delivered? . . . Thus saith the Lord, Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken away, and the prey of the terrible shall be delivered: for I will contend with him that contendeth with thee, and I will save thy children." Isaiah 49:24, 25.

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ - Let us not become discouraged or distracted - What wonderful, powerful and strong promises we have! When Peter walked on the water he was fine until he took his eyes off Jesus. But when he cried out..."Lord Save Me "- Jesus immediately reached down and took Peter's hand and they walked together back to the safety of the  boat.  Let us keep our eyes fixed upon Jesus and He will guide us safely home.

[Dorine]

..."Thus were spent the days in the earthly life of Jesus. He often dismissed His disciples to visit their homes and rest; but He gently resisted their efforts to draw Him away from His labors. All day He toiled, teaching the ignorant, healing the sick, giving sight to the blind, feeding the multitude; and at the eventide or in the early morning, He went away to the sanctuary of the mountains for communion with His Father. Often He passed the entire night in prayer and meditation, returning at daybreak to His work among the people."

We all have 24 hours in a day as did Jesus. Time is a gift that God has given to us to use for Him. As we go about our tasks and duties of the day there are opportunities to reach those in need. Life can be very stressful on the mind and body. We have the same source of strength as Jesus did. We may go to God in prayer at any time and He will refresh us to face another day. If we are falling into temptation over and over it would be well to do as Jesus did and spend much more time in prayer.

Isaiah 40:31 says..."But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not  be weary; and they shall  walk, and not faint.

[Richard Myers]

Amen Sister Dorine!  What we do with our time is more important than most understand.

     The secret cause of the affliction that had made this man a fearful spectacle to his friends and a burden to himself was in his own life. He had been fascinated by the pleasures of sin, and had thought to make life a grand carnival. He did not dream of becoming a terror to the world and the reproach of his family. He thought his time could be spent in innocent folly. But once in the downward path, his feet rapidly descended. Intemperance and frivolity perverted the noble attributes of his nature, and Satan took absolute control of him.

Daily we are creating habits, and our habits reveal our character. Let us form habits of spending time with Jesus in study and prayer.

And, as Brother Beacon has pointed out, we have a Savior that will contend with him who is contending with us for the salvation of our children. Praise God!!

[Pastor Sean Brizendine]

Amen, Brother Beacon, Sister Dorine and Brother Richard!

The light of the glory of God as seen in the face of Jesus Christ is shining brighter and brighter in our world! Let us surrender unreservedly to Christ today so He may shine the light of His love through us whereby all of the fruits of the Holy Spirit's presence may be revealed in our lives! Then we will go forth in affectionate obedience to God's law of love, for our highest delight when we are truly converted is in doing His service!

"The Sun of Righteousness did not burst upon the world in splendor, to dazzle the senses with His glory. It is written of Christ, 'His going forth is prepared as the morning.' Hosea 6:3. Quietly and gently the daylight breaks upon the earth, dispelling the shadow of darkness, and waking the world to life. So did the Sun of Righteousness arise, 'with healing in His wings.' Malachi 4:2." {The Desire of Ages, page 261, paragraph 3}

The gradually increasing brightness of the sunlight is a reminder of how God keeps shedding more and more light upon our life path as we follow Christ, the Light of the world! May this be your experience today so others are drawn to Jesus, too!

[Pastor Sean Brizendine]

God's word is so powerful and can subdue our iniquities as we learn of Christ and abide in Him! Then He will manifest in and through us all of the fruits of the Spirit without one missing!

"The means by which we can overcome the wicked one is that by which Christ overcame,--the power of the word. God does not control our minds without our consent; but if we desire to know and to do His will, His promises are ours: 'Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.' 'If any man willeth to do His will, he shall know of the teaching.' John 8:32; 7:17, R. V. Through faith in these promises, every man may be delivered from the snares of error and the control of sin." {The Desire of Ages, page 258, paragraph 5}

The victory is in Christ! Let us experience all God has for us!

[Dorine]

"The Sun of Righteousness did not burst upon the world in splendor, to dazzle the senses with His glory. It is written of Christ, "His going forth is prepared as the morning." Hosea 6:3. Quietly and gently the daylight breaks upon the earth, dispelling the shadow of darkness, and waking the world to life. So did the Sun of Righteousness arise, "with healing in His wings." Malachi 4:2.

There is such quiet hope and peace in these words. Not through loud and harsh arguments does He seek to win our hearts but by tender, loving touch and gentle words. His wings are wide enough to cover all who need his healing touch.

As I read today's chapter I was reminded of how God yearns for our hearts to love Him. He weeps when we take our eyes off Him. He knows we are headed for disaster without Him. No matter how we fight against Him He waits and waits for that moment that He may reach us. If He had given up on me when I was at my lowest point I would be lost forever. Praise God He stuck with me through thick and thin until He was able through His patient, tender love and grace win my heart again. What would we do without Him? Why do we wound Jesus so by taking our eyes off Him for a moment of selfishness?   My heart has been warmed again by the Sun of Righteousness Who has His children engraved in the palm of His loving hands. He does not ever want to let us go.