The Desire of Ages--62--The Feast at Simon's House

[Beacon]

"Jesus knows the circumstances of every soul. You may say, I am sinful, very sinful. You may be;

But the worse you are, the more you need Jesus. He turns no weeping, contrite one away..

He does not tell to any all that He might reveal, but He bids every trembling soul take courage.

Freely will He pardon all who come to Him for forgiveness and restoration."

"The plan of redemption has invested humanity with great possibilities, and in Mary these possibilities were to be realized.[

Through His grace she became a partaker of the divine nature.

The one who now had fallen, and whose mind had been a habitation of demons, was brought very near to the Saviour in fellowship and ministry."

That same AMAZING GRACE AND TRANSFORMING POWER is available to ALL OF US!! Jesus said in ...

Matthew 11:28 "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest."

I invite you, yes urge you, to come while this offer is still available.

[Richard Myers]

Amen! Grace is more than a word, it is the power that converts sinners into saints while living in fallen sinful flesh!

I appreciated the manner in which Jesus dealt with Judas. Notice that He could have rebuked him many times before, but did not. Why not?

 But the look which Jesus cast upon Judas convinced him that the Saviour penetrated his hypocrisy, and read his base, contemptible character. And in commending Mary's action, which had been so severely condemned, Christ had rebuked Judas. Prior to this, the Saviour had never given him a direct rebuke. Now the reproof rankled in his heart. He determined to be revenged. From the supper he went directly to the palace of the high priest, where he found the council assembled, and he offered to betray Jesus into their hands.   

[Dorine]

Merry Christmas! TRO family.
Christ might commission the angels of heaven to pour out the vials of His wrath on our world, to destroy those who are filled with hatred of God. He might wipe this dark spot from His universe. But He does not do this. He is today standing at the altar of incense, presenting before God the prayers of those who desire His help.

The souls that turn to Him for refuge, Jesus lifts above the accusing and the strife of tongues. No man or evil angel can impeach these souls. Christ unites them to His own divine-human nature. They stand beside the great Sin Bearer, in the light proceeding from the throne of God. "Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us." Romans 8:33, 34.

What a compelling description of the grace of God to dwell upon today as we enjoy the celebrations of His birth with family and friends. Wouldn't it be wonderful if this was our last Christmas on earth!

[Beacon]

"Simon was touched by the kindness of Jesus in not openly rebuking him before the guests. He had not been treated as he desired Mary to be treated. He saw that Jesus did not wish to expose his guilt to others, but sought by a true statement of the case to convince his mind, and by pitying kindness to subdue his heart. Stern denunciation would have hardened Simon against repentance, but patient admonition convinced him of his error.

"He saw the magnitude of the debt which he owed his Lord. His pride was humbled, he repented, and the proud Pharisee became a lowly, self-sacrificing disciple."

Jesus says to each of us....if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives to all generously and without reproach; and it will be given to him. James 1:5 & In Matthew 11:28-29 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

As we celebrate another Christmas Day what better time could it be to Renew or To Make our commitment to the One who came to set us Free?

[Richard Myers]

Amazing, is it not Brother Beacon, that one such manifestation of grace can transform a sinner into a saint. Imagine if we were to pattern our lives after the life of Christ, how successful we would be if we manifested such grace to those who are likewise unkind.

Merry Christmas! TRO family.

Merry Christmas! May Christ be at the center of our day.

Christ might commission the angels of heaven to pour out the vials of His wrath on our world, to destroy those who are filled with hatred of God. He might wipe this dark spot from His universe. But He does not do this. He is today standing at the altar of incense, presenting before God the prayers of those who desire His help.

The souls that turn to Him for refuge, Jesus lifts above the accusing and the strife of tongues. No man or evil angel can impeach these souls. Christ unites them to His own divine-human nature. They stand beside the great Sin Bearer, in the light proceeding from the throne of God. "Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us." Romans 8:33, 34.

What a compelling description of the grace of God to dwell upon today as we enjoy the celebrations of His birth with family and friends. Wouldn't it be wonderful if this was our last Christmas on earth!

Amen!! But, it will not be our last Christmas because Jesus cannot close the heavenly sanctuary. Why not? Because His people are still sinning and need an Intercessor. He will dung the tree another year. If the church had been reformed years ago, we would have done our work and Jesus would have come. He is waiting upon us to quit sinning. His grace is still needed to convert the church and prepare a people who can go through a time of trouble such as never was without sinning.

Let us take advantage of the opportunities we will be given to love those who despitefully use us today and in the new year. Thus, we will be giving glory to God, the glory He deserves.

     Mary knew not the full significance of her deed of love. She could not answer her accusers. She could not explain why she had chosen that occasion for anointing Jesus. The Holy Spirit had planned for her, and she had obeyed His promptings. Inspiration stoops to give no reason. An unseen presence, it speaks to mind and soul, and moves the heart to action. It is its own justification.

Neither do we know the full significance of our deeds of love. God does and it is He who impresses our minds and hearts to do them. It is His grace that is the power that moves us to do good deeds even while living in fallen evil flesh.  When converted and still living in fallen flesh, we are partakers of God's divine nature. Such a miracle!

     When to human eyes her case appeared hopeless, Christ saw in Mary capabilities for good. He saw the better traits of her character. The plan of redemption has invested humanity with great possibilities, and in Mary these possibilities were to be realized. Through His grace she became a partaker of the divine nature. The one who had fallen, and whose mind had been a habitation of demons, was brought very near to the Saviour in fellowship and ministry. It was Mary who sat at His feet and learned of Him. It was Mary who poured upon His head the precious anointing oil, and bathed His feet with her tears. Mary stood beside the cross, and followed Him to the sepulcher. Mary was first at the tomb after His resurrection. It was Mary who first proclaimed a risen Saviour.

[Pastor Sean Brizendine]

Merry Christmas! Let’s look to Jesus and remember He came to save souls as broken as we!

“Jesus knows the circumstances of every soul. You may say, I am sinful, very sinful. You may be; but the worse you are, the more you need Jesus. He turns no weeping, contrite one away. He does not tell to any all that He might reveal, but He bids every trembling soul take courage. Freely will He pardon all who come to Him for forgiveness and restoration.” {The Desire of Ages, page 568, paragraph 3}

This is good news! Share this grace in how you live and treat others today by looking upon Jesus, yielding the whole heart to Him, and letting Him imbue you with all of the fruits of the Spirit without one missing! Then we can gladly obey the Holy Spirit’s promptings like Mary Magdalene did in how she anointed Jesus in gratitude! Affectionate obedience from a converted heart is the miracle He offers us as the greatest of all gifts! One soul is worth more than worlds!

[Beacon]

"When to human eyes her case appeared hopeless, Christ saw in Mary capabilities for good. He saw the better traits of her character. The plan of redemption has invested humanity with great possibilities, and in Mary these possibilities were to be realized.

"Through His grace she became a partaker of the divine nature."The one who had fallen, and whose mind had been a habitation of demons, was brought very near to the Saviour in fellowship and ministry. "

It was Mary who sat at His feet and learned of Him. It was Mary who poured upon His head the precious anointing oil, and bathed His feet with her tears. Mary stood beside the cross, and followed Him to the sepulcher. Mary was first at the tomb after His resurrection. It was Mary who first proclaimed a risen Saviour."[/b]

What great hope and encouragement this story brings to all of us for the Bible says in....Romans 3:23-24 "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. Acts 22:16 "And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord".[/u]

Jesus came to seek and to save that which was lost and that includes " ALL of Us " and whatever our past may be, when we come humbly to Jesus seeking His forgiveness,  He marks a solid line through our recorded sins and gives us a brand new page and marks our sinful record ..."Forgiven". If you need to ask Jesus for forgiveness don't delay--He paid a tremendous price to be able to be our Redeemer. Come today without delay and He will fill your heart with peace,purpose and new found power to live the Christian life and be ready to meet Him when He comes to take His children home to glory.

I was lost in sin but Jesus rescued me,
  He’s a wonderful Savior to me;
I was bound by fear but Jesus set me free,
  He’s a wonderful Savior to me.
    For He’s a wonderful Savior to me,
  He’s a wonderful Savior to me;
I was lost in sin, but Jesus took me in,
    He’s a wonderful Savior to me.
2
He’s a Friend so true, so patient and so kind,
  He’s a wonderful Savior to me;
Everything I need in Him I always find,
  He’s a wonderful Savior to me.
3
He is always near to comfort and to cheer,
  He’s a wonderful Savior to me;
He forgives my sins, He dries my every tear,
  He’s a wonderful Savior to me.
4
Dearer grows the love of Jesus day by day,
  He’s a wonderful Savior to me;
Sweeter is His grace while pressing on my way,
  He’s a wonderful Savior to me.

[Dorine]

"Christ delighted in the earnest desire of Mary to do the will of her Lord. He accepted the wealth of pure affection which His disciples did not, would not, understand. The desire that Mary had to do this service for her Lord was of more value to Christ than all the precious ointment in the world, because it expressed her appreciation of the world's Redeemer. It was the love of Christ that constrained her. The matchless excellence of the character of Christ filled her soul. That ointment was a symbol of the heart of the giver. It was the outward demonstration of a love fed by heavenly streams until it overflowed."

I look forward to meeting Mary and hearing her tell her story. We are only given a glimpse of her life but what a glimpse it is. I pray for that love that Mary had which brought such joy to Jesus' heart.

I was also strongly impressed with the following quote....
"The loneliness of Christ, separated from the heavenly courts, living the life of humanity, was never understood or appreciated by the disciples as it should have been. He was often grieved because His disciples did not give Him that which He should have received from them. He knew that if they were under the influence of the heavenly angels that accompanied Him, they too would think no offering of sufficient value to declare the heart's spiritual affection."

Jesus is with His heavenly family receiving all the adoration and love He deserves but His heart longs for that devotion from each of us. Heavenly angels are influencing our lives continually. What messages are they winging back to heaven? Where does our devotion lie? May the love of Jesus fill our hearts so completely that we will not consider any sacrifice too costly for our Saviour.

[Richard Myers]

Amen Sister Dorine! How sad that we would deny Him that love which He more than deserves. That grace ought to motivate us to walk with Him continually. And we shall if we will remember continually what He has done.

I saw something this morning I had not seen before.

 But the atonement for a lost world was to be full, abundant, and complete. Christ's offering was exceedingly abundant to reach every soul that God had created. It could not be restricted so as not to exceed the number who would accept the great Gift. All men are not saved; yet the plan of redemption is not a waste because it does not accomplish all that its liberality has provided for. There must be enough and to spare.

Evangelicals do not understand the final atonement when Jesus cleansed the heavenly sanctuary.  They think that the atonement made on the cross was enough. It was enough to save every sinner who has ever lived. Communications is difficult at the best of times. Here we see that the atonement at the cross was enough to save all. But, notice how the statement is structured. It did not close off the rest of the work Jesus would do in the sanctuary. "But the atonement for a lost world was to be full, abundant, and complete."  This leaves open that more was to be done for us, as Jesus continues to apply His blood given for us. He will blot out the sins of all who died sanctified and all who will be translated.

His suffering and His death was enough to pay the price for all who have ever lived. Nothing more could be done. But the plan of salvation is more than saving sinners. God is going to put and end to sin for ever. Many have no understanding of this, and many will go to the grave not understanding and will be in heaven. Let us be tactful in presenting the gospel message in a manner that will reach the hearts of those we long to see save.

[Pastor Sean Brizendine]

Amen, Brother Beacon, Sister Dorine, and Brother Richard!

Even when you do not feel like you are worth it, Jesus sees your true value, for He paid for your life with His very blood! Let us appreciate the loveliness of Jesus and let Him work in and through us so by the power of transforming grace we may have new hearts, new minds, and a full infilling of the Holy Spirit manifested in love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (without one of the fruits of the Spirit missing!). Praise the Lord God can do this great miracle in us!

"When to human eyes her case appeared hopeless, Christ saw in Mary capabilities for good. He saw the better traits of her character. The plan of redemption has invested humanity with great possibilities, and in Mary these possibilities were to be realized. Through His grace she became a partaker of the divine nature. The one who had fallen, and whose mind had been a habitation of demons, was brought very near to the Saviour in fellowship and ministry. It was Mary who sat at His feet and learned of Him. It was Mary who poured upon His head the precious anointing oil, and bathed His feet with her tears. Mary stood beside the cross, and followed Him to the sepulcher. Mary was first at the tomb after His resurrection. It was Mary who first proclaimed a risen Saviour." {The Desire of Ages, page 568, paragraph 2}

Jesus is not only a risen Savior, He is also our High Priest in heaven, interceding for us and working out His plan to restore us fully to the moral image God intended for us to have in our creation. Then He is very soon to come as our King, taking the redeemed saints to heaven--both the resurrected and those who will be translated! As we learn of Him, we may experience rest of soul by having selfishness banished by His selfless love!

[Philip T]

   Jesus knows the circumstances of every soul. You may say, I am sinful, very sinful. You may be; but the worse you are, the more you need Jesus. He turns no weeping, contrite one away. He does not tell to any all that He might reveal, but He bids every trembling soul take courage. Freely will He pardon all who come to Him for forgiveness and restoration. [/b]

I was struck with this short paragraph near the end of this chapter Christ does not tell anyone who comes to Him all that he may reveal, He just calls all souls to come to him and He will pardon all who come to him for forgiveness, but this was not the end of the statement, just asking for forgiveness is not all, we need to ask for restoration as well, we need to be willing to give that sin to Jesus with no plans to repeat it again. So God can restore us i.e. finish the good work He has begun in us. This we need for the plan of salvation to be completed in us.

[Pastor Sean Brizendine]

Go higher. Listen not to the voice of accusing, but the loving voice of Jesus inviting you to repent and overcome sin by the merits of His blood so that His character may be reproduced in you. Let the experience of Mary Magdalene whom Jesus healed and pardoned encourage you to believe more fully, pray more fervently, and realize the power of God's grace to transform sinners into saints imbued with all of the fruits of the Spirit without one missing! Let Jesus live out His life in you today in affectionate obedience to His law of love!

"The souls that turn to Him for refuge, Jesus lifts above the accusing and the strife of tongues. No man or evil angel can impeach these souls. Christ unites them to His own divine-human nature. They stand beside the great Sin Bearer, in the light proceeding from the throne of God. 'Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.' Romans 8:33, 34." {The Desire of Ages, page 568, paragraph 5}

As we realize the power of grace, we will gladly extend it to others! May you let the grace of God flow through you on a moment-by-moment basis today through constant union and communion with God by the Holy Spirit!

[Beacon]

"When to human eyes her case appeared hopeless, Christ saw in Mary capabilities for good."

"He saw the better traits of her character. The plan of redemption has invested humanity with great possibilities, and in Mary these possibilities were to be realized." Through His grace she became a partaker of the divine nature."

"The one who had fallen, and whose mind had been a habitation of demons, was brought very near to the Saviour in fellowship and ministry."

"It was Mary who sat at His feet and learned of Him. It was Mary who poured upon His head the precious anointing oil, and bathed His feet with her tears. Mary stood beside the cross, and followed Him to the sepulcher. Mary was first at the tomb after His resurrection. It was Mary who first proclaimed a risen Saviour."

This story should bring great hope to all of us for it tells of the mighty power of Jesus to transform our lives so that we may live for Him.

The question is...Are "we" willing to come and surrender our lives to Jesus? He will do the same for us as He did for Mary!

[Dorine]

"By curing Simon of leprosy, Christ had saved him from a living death. But now Simon questioned whether the Saviour were a prophet. Because Christ allowed this woman to approach Him, because He did not indignantly spurn her as one whose sins were too great to be forgiven, because He did not show that He realized she had fallen, Simon was tempted to think that He was not a prophet. Jesus knows nothing of this woman who is so free in her demonstrations, he thought, or He would not allow her to touch Him."

Only Jesus in the heart can cleanse it from such error. As we study the life of Mary and the attitude of Jesus towards her no one can honestly look down their nose at anyone they think as not worthy of Jesus' love and mercy. Simon had a heart change when He saw how the grace of Jesus protected his reputation when Jesus could have openly revealed what really resided there. This is an amazing story that affects me deeply every time I read it.

[Richard Myers]

Amen dear Sister Dorine!! Grace has a greater effect upon those who are forgiven much.

In today's reading we find something we hardly ever, if at all, hear from the pulpit or published on our presses.

"He saw the better traits of her character. The plan of redemption has invested humanity with great possibilities, and in Mary these possibilities were to be realized." Through His grace she became a partaker of the divine nature."

"The souls that turn to Him for refuge, Jesus lifts above the accusing and the strife of tongues. No man or evil angel can impeach these souls. Christ unites them to His own divine-human nature.

The Bible tells us this in 2 Peter 1:4. "Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust."

Let us pray that ministers in God's church will preach this most amazing truth. This is how the Bible can call those who are converted "holy." God wants you to be holy today. And you will be holy if you will allow Jesus to take possession of your whole heart....no matter what you have done in the past. Grace is the power that brings us to this point, and we need this grace daily.

     Jesus knows the circumstances of every soul. You may say, I am sinful, very sinful. You may be; but the worse you are, the more you need Jesus. He turns no weeping, contrite one away. He does not tell to any all that He might reveal, but He bids every trembling soul take courage. Freely will He pardon all who come to Him for forgiveness and restoration.
     Christ might commission the angels of heaven to pour out the vials of His wrath on our world, to destroy those who are filled with hatred of God. He might wipe this dark spot from His universe. But He does not do this. He is today standing at the altar of incense, presenting before God the prayers of those who desire His help.

[Beacon]

"The one who had fallen, and whose mind had been a habitation of demons, was brought very near to the Saviour in fellowship and ministry."

"It was Mary who sat at His feet and learned of Him. It was Mary who poured upon His head the precious anointing oil, and bathed His feet with her tears. Mary stood beside the cross, and followed Him to the sepulcher. Mary was first at the tomb after His resurrection. It was Mary who first proclaimed a risen Saviour."

This story should bring great hope to all of us for it tells of the mighty power of Jesus to transform our lives so that we may live for Him.

The question is...Are "we" willing to come and surrender our lives to Jesus? He will do the same for us as He did for Mary!

[Dorine]

"Simon of Bethany was accounted a disciple of Jesus. He was one of the few Pharisees who had openly joined Christ's followers. He acknowledged Jesus as a teacher, and hoped that He might be the Messiah, but he had not accepted Him as a Saviour. His character was not transformed; his principles were unchanged."

This opening paragraph struck me this morning.  How many who claim to be followers of Christ today are in the same condition as Simon in this story? The bible gives us a standard by which we judge a persons character and that is by the fruits of the Spirit with not one missing. When we love God our spirit will be like His and all will know that Jesus resides in our hearts. The best part of the story of Simon is his change of heart as a result of the gentle way that Jesus reproved him. We too can be used by God to help turn someone to Christ by our love and gentleness when they are in need of spiritual guidance.

[Philip T]

  Simon's coldness and neglect toward the Saviour showed how little he appreciated the mercy he had received. He had thought he honored Jesus by inviting Him to his house. But he now saw himself as he really was. While he thought himself reading his Guest, his Guest had been reading him. He saw how true Christ's judgment of him was. His religion had been a robe of Pharisaism. He had despised the compassion of Jesus. He had not recognized Him as the representative of God. While Mary was a sinner pardoned, he was a sinner unpardoned. The rigid rule of justice he had desired to enforce against her condemned him.
    Simon was touched by the kindness of Jesus in not openly rebuking him before the guests. He had not been treated as he desired Mary to be treated. He saw that Jesus did not wish to expose his guilt to others, but sought by a true statement of the case to convince his mind, and by pitying kindness to subdue his heart. Stern denunciation would have hardened Simon against repentance, but patient admonition convinced him of his error. He saw the magnitude of the debt which he owed his Lord. His pride was humbled, he repented, and the proud Pharisee became a lowly, self-sacrificing disciple.   

How many of us like Simon do not show forth our love of Christ's gift of forgiveness on the cross, the dying on Calvary, so we could by faith claim His wonderful free gift of salvation, are we truly grateful for the free gift of grace or do we take if for granted, does this unmeasurable love poured out from heaven show forth to those around us as we come in contact with them. Jesus kindness, love, and care for us should be reflected to all of those around us.

[Richard Myers]

Amen! We are converted by God's grace, His love that we do not deserve.

     Jesus knows the circumstances of every soul. You may say, I am sinful, very sinful. You may be; but the worse you are, the more you need Jesus. He turns no weeping, contrite one away. He does not tell to any all that He might reveal, but He bids every trembling soul take courage. Freely will He pardon all who come to Him for forgiveness and restoration.
     Christ might commission the angels of heaven to pour out the vials of His wrath on our world, to destroy those who are filled with hatred of God. He might wipe this dark spot from His universe. But He does not do this. He is today standing at the altar of incense, presenting before God the prayers of those who desire His help.

[Beacon]

"The souls that turn to Him for refuge, Jesus lifts above the accusing and the strife of tongues. No man or evil angel can impeach these souls".

"Christ unites them to His own divine-human nature. They stand beside the great Sin Bearer, in the light proceeding from the throne of God. 'Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.' Romans 8:33, 34."

"Jesus said....Come unto me all ye who labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest. Matthew 11:28"

"When to human eyes her case appeared hopeless, Christ saw in Mary capabilities for good. He saw the better traits of her character."

"The plan of redemption has invested humanity with great possibilities, and in Mary these possibilities were to be realized. Through His grace she became a partaker of the divine nature. The one who had fallen, and whose mind had been a habitation of demons, was brought very near to the Saviour in fellowship and ministry."

How thankful we should be that Jesus looks beyond what we are to ..."WHAT WE CAN BE"! Let's not be too proud or stubborn to invite Him in!