The Desire of Ages--64--A Doomed People

[Beacon]

"The last appeal to Jerusalem had been in vain. The priests and rulers had heard the prophetic voice of the past echoed by the multitude, in answer to the question, "Who is this?" but they did not accept it as the voice of Inspiration. In anger and amazement they tried to silence the people. There were Roman officers in the throng, and to them His enemies denounced Jesus as the leader of a rebellion."

Are we not seeing the same spirit today? Men in high positions of leadership within Gods Remnant Church, are denouncing the duly elected church leadership and seem very determine to Go Their Own Way - GIVING NO HEED to the vote of the World Wide Church in Session, which God clearly indicated is the Official Voice of His Church on Earth. Are they not selling Jesus out to the Enemies of God's Church in The World today? It seems They are as blind as the church leadership was in the days that Christ was on earth. Oh how Jesus must weep and plead through the Holy Spirit with them to open the door of their hearts before it's Eternally TOO LATE....and not only for them BUT EACH OF US!! What Amazing Grace!!

Revelation 3:20 Says..."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."

DO WE REALLY UNDERSTAND THAT THIS IS...."A LIMITED TIME OFFER" ??

[Richard Myers]

Amen Brother Beacon! The priests and Pharisees thought they were just fine and in no need of a savior. But, the Holy Spirit was speaking to them and they rejected Him. Sadly, so it is today. The Holy Spirit speaks to us, and what is our response? Some yield, and others reject the pleading of Christ through the Holy Spirit. You are so right Brother Beacon. To each is given a period of Probation, and soon that probation will be closed for all sinners. And for some, their probation will close today.

In every age there is given to men their day of light and privilege, a probationary time in which they may become reconciled to God. But there is a limit to this grace. Mercy may plead for years and be slighted and rejected; but there comes a time when mercy makes her last plea. The heart becomes so hardened that it ceases to respond to the Spirit of God. Then the sweet, winning voice entreats the sinner no longer, and reproofs and warnings cease. 

[Pastor Sean Brizendine]

"God 'delighteth in mercy.' 'As I live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked.' Micah 7:18; Ezekiel 33:11. To Him the work of destruction and the denunciation of judgment is a 'strange work.' Isaiah 28:21. But it is in mercy and love that He lifts the veil from the future, and reveals to men the results of a course of sin." {The Desire of Ages, page 582, paragraph 3}

Jesus would rather we see our true condition and how much we need His cleansing blood to remove sin from our lives than have us pass along unmindful of how much we need revival and reformation in our lives. Let us learn of Christ and overcome every defect in our characters!

[Dorine]

   All the trees in the fig orchard were destitute of fruit; but the leafless trees raised no expectation, and caused no disappointment. By these trees the Gentiles were represented. They were as destitute as were the Jews of godliness; but they had not professed to serve God. They made no boastful pretensions to goodness. They were blind to the works and ways of God. With them the time of figs was not yet. They were still waiting for a day which would bring them light and hope. The Jews, who had received greater blessings from God, were held accountable for their abuse of these gifts. The privileges of which they boasted only increased their guilt.
Jesus is constantly revealing to us the beautiful life that is found only in Him and how we too can be a partaker of His life.

[Richard Myers]

Amen Sister Dorine. And we who have seen His loveliness, He has blessed greatly with spiritual discernment. Thus, we have a greater obligation to be a blessing to humanity. We are modern-day Israel because we have been entrusted with the truth. It will be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah than for Seventh-Day Adventists who have been given great light and do not walk in it. God has of people who will go through a time of trouble such as never was without a Mediator. Let us press together as the remnant of God, reflecting the glory of our Savior.

[Beacon]

"Some who think themselves excellent Christians do not understand what constitutes service for God. They plan and study to please themselves. They act only in reference to self. Time is of value to them only as they can gather for themselves. In all the affairs of life this is their object. Not for others but for themselves do they minister. God created them to live in a world where unselfish service must be performed. He designed them to help their fellow men in every possible way. But self is so large that they cannot see anything else. They are not in touch with humanity. Those who thus live for self are like the fig tree, which made every pretension but was fruitless. They observe the forms of worship, but without repentance or faith. In profession they honor the law of God, but obedience is lacking. They say, but do not. In the sentence pronounced on the fig tree Christ demonstrates how hateful in His eyes is this vain pretense. He declares that the open sinner is less guilty than is he who professes to serve God, but who bears no fruit to His glory."

This is a very strong message filled with the pleading voice of Jesus to all who "claim to be" His disciples. It is filled with great pathos because in spite of His enormous sacrifice many of those who claim to be His people will hear at His second coming those awful words. "Depart from me I never knew you"

In the closing book of God's Holy Word we again hear His loving plea.....

Revelation 3:14-16  "And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God; I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth."
 
Time is running out...Prophecy is being fast fulfilled... Soon the review of our lives in the books of Heaven where our names are written down will be closed and the eternal destiny of all people will be sealed either for Eternal Life or Eternal Death. The choices we make from day to day will determine our final destiny...Jesus has made provision for all of us to be able to have Eternal Life. WHAT WILL YOUR CHOICE BE? 

[Pastor Sean Brizendine]

Amen, Brother Beacon!

I choose Jesus this day, and desire His help to be in complete harmony with His will. Looking upon Jesus whose heart was pained by the fruitless fig tree that represented His nation that had not responded as a corporate people to His pleading love, I pray that each of our hearts may be sensitive the Holy Spirit and willing to accept the gift of repentance in turning us away from our iniquities. Only true repentance will bring true fruit into the life. What fruit? "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law" (Galatians 5:22-23). We cannot originate or perpetuate these traits of the divine nature. Like a complete whole (like light from the sunshine that contains every hue of the light spectrum), all these traits of the infilling of the Holy Spirit will be manifest in one who has invited Jesus into the soul temple to abide there and live out His self-sacrificing life. Only in Christ is there life. "He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life" (1 John 5:12). May you today--for only today is granted us--respond to Jesus' loving invitation to have Him give you His life by yielding your entire heart to Him, for apart from Him there is only eternal death, the results of resisting His loving call to repentance.

"All the trees in the fig orchard were destitute of fruit; but the leafless trees raised no expectation, and caused no disappointment. By these trees the Gentiles were represented. They were as destitute as were the Jews of godliness; but they had not professed to serve God. They made no boastful pretensions to goodness. They were blind to the works and ways of God. With them the time of figs was not yet. They were still waiting for a day which would bring them light and hope. The Jews, who had received greater blessings from God, were held accountable for their abuse of these gifts. The privileges of which they boasted only increased their guilt." {The Desire of Ages, page 583, paragraph 1}

The greater part of the world's teeming billions have not yet seen an accurate picture of the character of God. Jesus understands all this. And so it is to those who have had the privilege of knowing the loveliness of His character that He calls upon to walk with Him in total heart surrender in an ever-deepening repentance, that the final movement to prepare for His second coming may be fulfilled: "And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come" (Matthew 24:14). My prayer is that we may be found faithful to do our part in sharing this revelation of Jesus' character--not merely in words, but in how we allow the Holy Spirit to so shape our thoughts and aims that we are doing God's will continually--and inviting others into the miraculous joy of what it means to be converted and live for the glory of God and the benefit of humanity. The world needs a message of hope, and Jesus has entrusted that to us as we commune with Him!

I pray that you will be able to join, starting on April 17, 2020 at 7pm ET/6pm ET and also 7pm Pacific for "Hope Awakens," a free online event that will present hope in these final moments of earth's history. You can register and invite others to do so simply by going to hopeawakens.com! May God bless you in letting Christ in you, the hope of glory, bear fruit through your life this day on a moment-by-moment basis!

[Richard Myers]

The reprover of sin meets with scorn and rebuff. Thus, the need for strong truth of what will happen to unrepentant sinner.

 "The Son of man is not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them." Luke 9:56. His wonderful works had been done to restore, never to destroy. The disciples had known Him only as the Restorer, the Healer. This act stood alone. What was its purpose? they questioned.   
     God "delighteth in mercy." "As I live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked." Micah 7:18; Ezekiel 33:11. To Him the work of destruction and the denunciation of judgment is a "strange work." Isaiah 28:21. But it is in mercy and love that He lifts the veil from the future, and reveals to men the results of a course of sin.
     The cursing of the fig tree was an acted parable. That barren tree, flaunting its pretentious foliage in the very face of Christ, was a symbol of the Jewish nation.

We can rejoice that God has promised to pour out clean water upon His church and even though the church is full of dead dry dry dry bones, many will be cleansed from sin and go through a time of trouble such as never was without a Mediator. That day is fast approaching. Look up for our redemption draweth nigh.

[Dorine]

"Men prompted by Satan cast doubt upon God's word, and choose to exercise their independent judgment. They choose darkness rather than light, but they do it at the peril of their souls. Those who caviled at the words of Christ, found ever-increased cause for cavil, until they turned from the Truth and the Life. So it is now. God does not propose to remove every objection which the carnal heart may bring against His truth. To those who refuse the precious rays of light which would illuminate the darkness, the mysteries of God's word remain such forever. From them the truth is hidden. They walk blindly, and know not the ruin before them."

I thank God every day for rescuing me from a life of darkness. I was a church member in good standing, SS leader and teacher. I know what it means to turn away from the truth of my condition. I know what it's like to sin and believe that God understands, and believe that I'm justified. I know what it's like to hit rock bottom and the sin of my heart revealed in stark reality. I know what it's like to have no where to look but up and that was the turning point of my life. I have not looked back. You can not sink so low that God can not reach you. We do not want to walk blindly. We want to look up and take hold of the everlasting arm that reaches down to each one of us. Reach out and He will grab hold and never let you go unless you take your eyes off Him to return to your previous state. Christ is so gentle, kind and strong. That's why spending this time each day with Him and sharing with each other brings spiritual strength for the day ahead.

[Dorine]

"Christ's act in cursing the tree which His own power had created stands as a warning to all churches and to all Christians. No one can live the law of God without ministering to others. But there are many who do not live out Christ's merciful, unselfish life. Some who think themselves excellent Christians do not understand what constitutes service for God. They plan and study to please themselves. They act only in reference to self. Time is of value to them only as they can gather for themselves. In all the affairs of life this is their object. Not for others but for themselves do they minister. God created them to live in a world where unselfish service must be performed. He designed them to help their fellow men in every possible way. But self is so large that they cannot see anything else. They are not in touch with humanity. Those who thus live for self are like the fig tree, which made every pretension but was fruitless. They observe the forms of worship, but without repentance or faith. In profession they honor the law of God, but obedience is lacking. They say, but do not. In the sentence pronounced on the fig tree Christ demonstrates how hateful in His eyes is this vain pretense. He declares that the open sinner is less guilty than is he who professes to serve God, but who bears no fruit to His glory."

This is a most startling warning. It brings cause for self evaluation through the aid of the Holy Spirit. God in His great mercy does not want anyone of us to be deceived into thinking we are spiritually secure when in fact we are like the fig tree that was fruitless. What more could He do? what more could He say? What love.

[Beacon]

"Those who thus live for self are like the fig tree, which made every pretension but was fruitless. They observe the forms of worship, but without repentance or faith. In profession they honor the law of God, but obedience is lacking. They say, but do not. In the sentence pronounced on the fig tree Christ demonstrates how hateful in His eyes is this vain pretense. He declares that the open sinner is less guilty than is he who professes to serve God, but who bears no fruit to His glory."

This is a very strong message filled with the pleading voice of Jesus to all who "claim to be" His disciples. It is filled with great pathos because in spite of His enormous sacrifice many of those who claim to be His people will hear at His second coming those awful words. "Depart from me I never knew you - Matthew 7:23 "

In the closing book of God's Holy Word we again hear His loving plea.....

Revelation 3:14-16  "And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God; I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth."
 
Time is running out!!...Prophecy is being fast fulfilled... Soon the review of our lives in the books of Heaven where our names are written down will be closed and the eternal destiny of all people will be sealed either for Eternal Life or Eternal Death. The choices we make from day to day will determine our final destiny...Jesus has made provision for all of us to be able to have Eternal Life.

WHAT WILL OUR CHOICE BE?

[Richard Myers]

To what end has this chapter been written? Does it have some importance to Christianity today? Of course it does or else we would not have it set before us. As Sister Dorine has pointed out, it is given with hope that we today will learn from the experience of Israel who is an ensample to those whom the end of the world is come. God loves the sinner or else He would not have allowed His innocent Son to come to this dark spot in the universe a helpless baby subject to the weakness of humanity at the risk of losing Him for eternity. We are so very evil by nature and so dull of mind that we need to be warned, as Brother Beacon has pointed out, that time is running out. We are approaching the close of probation for all in the world. And, even today probation will close for many who no longer hear that still small voice pleading to turn from sin. But, for those who still have opportunity to turn to Jesus, He still calls. As Brother Beacon has pointed out the Laodicean message applies to the church at this time. Read it for yourself. It is a message of rebuke and love. "Repent" is the message, and how to repent is clearly spelled out.

   God "delighteth in mercy." "As I live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked." Micah 7:18; Ezekiel 33:11. To Him the work of destruction and the denunciation of judgment is a "strange work." Isaiah 28:21. But it is in mercy and love that He lifts the veil from the future, and reveals to men the results of a course of sin. 

[Pastor Sean Brizendine]

What does Jesus say through His prophet Hosea? "O Israel, thou hast destroyed thyself; but in Me is thine help" (Hosea 13:9).

When the fig tree was cursed by Jesus it was a warning and a lesson for us, too!

"The parable of the fig tree, spoken before Christ's visit to Jerusalem, had a direct connection with the lesson He taught in cursing the fruitless tree. For the barren tree of the parable the gardener pleaded, Let it alone this year, until I shall dig about it and dress it; and if it bear fruit, well; but if not, then after that thou shalt cut it down. Increased care was to be given the unfruitful tree. It was to have every advantage. But if it remained fruitless, nothing could save it from destruction. In the parable the result of the gardener's work was not foretold. It depended upon that people to whom Christ's words were spoken. They were represented by the fruitless tree, and it rested with them to decide their own destiny. Every advantage that Heaven could bestow was given them, but they did not profit by their increased blessings. By Christ's act in cursing the barren fig tree, the result was shown. They had determined their own destruction." {The Desire of Ages, page 584, paragraph 1}

We are choosing our eternal destiny, for we reap what we sow, we reap more than what we sow, and we reap later than what we sow. God is letting things in our world reach a final harvest point so that the righteous and the wicked "go to seed" in the sense that they come to full maturity. We are invited to "go to seed" in Christ and bear much fruit to His glory! "Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God" (Luke 8:11). Rather than have a fruitless experience, let us have roots deep in His word of love, branches reaching high to experience the "Sun of righteousness" (Malachi 4:2) and fruit that is from God as these which are all present when the heart is fully yielded to Christ: "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law" (Galatians 5:22-23).

[Beacon]

"In the sentence pronounced on the fig tree Christ demonstrates how hateful in His eyes is this vain pretense. He declares that the open sinner is less guilty than is he who professes to serve God, but who bears no fruit to His glory."

In the closing book of God's Holy Word we again hear His loving plea.....

Revelation 3:14-16  "And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God; I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth."

This stern message of warning is directed to the church of Laodicea which represents the time period we are now living in, therefore there is no time for delay in making sure that we actively proclaiming and demonstrating in our daily lives the message we profess to believe. I want Jesus to be able to say to me...

..."Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord." Matthew 25:21

How About You?

[Dorine]

"Prejudice is even stronger in the hearts of men now than in Christ's day. Christ did not fulfill men's expectations; His life was a rebuke to their sins, and they rejected Him. So now the truth of God's word does not harmonize with men's practices and their natural inclination, and thousands reject its light. Men prompted by Satan cast doubt upon God's word, and choose to exercise their independent judgment. They choose darkness rather than light, but they do it at the peril of their souls. Those who caviled at the words of Christ, found ever-increased cause for cavil, until they turned from the Truth and the Life. So it is now. God does not propose to remove every objection which the carnal heart may bring against His truth. To those who refuse the precious rays of light which would illuminate the darkness, the mysteries of God's word remain such forever. From them the truth is hidden. They walk blindly, and know not the ruin before them."

When the Spirit of God is resisted repeatedly, the heart becomes hardened and cold towards the gentle persuasive entreaties of God.  May our hearts be open to His still small voice. Spending these precious moments each day with Jesus and surrendering our hearts to Him will protect us from the power of the enemy whose aim it is to destroy us. May our lives be a testimony to the gracious and mighty power of God to create a new heart within us.

[Richard Myers]

Amen sister Dorine!

[Pastor Sean Brizendine]

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

"In every age there is given to men their day of light and privilege, a probationary time in which they may become reconciled to God. But there is a limit to this grace. Mercy may plead for years and be slighted and rejected; but there comes a time when mercy makes her last plea. The heart becomes so hardened that it ceases to respond to the Spirit of God. Then the sweet, winning voice entreats the sinner no longer, and reproofs and warnings cease." {The Desire of Ages, page 587, paragraph 1}

Let us yield fully to Christ and utilize every moment for God's glory! By yielding continually fully to Jesus, all of the fruits of the Spirit will be manifest in our lives without one missing as we through Christ in us the hope of glory gladly, affectionately obey the law of God even under the most exciting and trying circumstances!

[Pastor Sean Brizendine]

Let us look to Jesus and choose to make the best use of the time He gives us in our probation. We each can choose Christ and by choosing to surrender fully to Christ, allow Him to live out His life in us by grace through faith so that all of the fruits of the Spirit will be seen in our lives without one missing! We can only bear fruit by abiding in Christ!

"In every age there is given to men their day of light and privilege, a probationary time in which they may become reconciled to God. But there is a limit to this grace. Mercy may plead for years and be slighted and rejected; but there comes a time when mercy makes her last plea. The heart becomes so hardened that it ceases to respond to the Spirit of God. Then the sweet, winning voice entreats the sinner no longer, and reproofs and warnings cease." {The Desire of Ages, page 587, paragraph 1}

May God's Spirit not cease to lead us to repentance as we choose to listen to His still, small voice today! May our earnest desire be to do His will so His plans may come to pass!

[Beacon]

"Those who thus live for self are like the fig tree, which made every pretension but was fruitless. They observe the forms of worship, but without repentance or faith. In profession they honor the law of God, but obedience is lacking. They say, but do not. In the sentence pronounced on the fig tree Christ demonstrates how hateful in His eyes is this vain pretense. He declares that the open sinner is less guilty than is he who professes to serve God, but who bears no fruit to His glory."

This is a very strong message filled with the pleading voice of Jesus to all who "claim to be" His disciples. It is filled with great pathos because in spite of His enormous sacrifice many of those who claim to be His people will hear at His second coming those awful words. "Depart from me I never knew you - Matthew 7:23 "

In the closing book of God's Holy Word we again hear His loving plea.....

Revelation 3:14-16  "And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God; I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth."
 
Time is running out!!...Prophecy is being fast fulfilled... Soon the review of our lives in the books of Heaven where our names are written down will be closed and the eternal destiny of all people will be sealed either for Eternal Life or Eternal Death. The choices we make from day to day will determine our final destiny...

Jesus has made provision for all of us to be able to have Eternal Life.

WHAT WILL YOUR CHOICE BE?

[Philip T]

 Jesus had come to the fig tree hungry, to find food. So He had come to Israel, hungering to find in them the fruits of righteousness. He had lavished on them His gifts, that they might bear fruit for the blessing of the world.

As I meditated on this chapter,  my thoughts were on this quotation, it is not enough to know the knowledge of God, and have the Spirit of the Fruit, we are to share it with those of the fig trees who bore no fruit as the time was not yet.  That represented the Gentile world around Israel, or those around us who have not yet heard the word of God . We are to be a witness to them that as with Lydia in[ Act 16:14 "And a certain woman name Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, which worshiped God, heard us, whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul. 15) That she was baptized . . .If we truly have the spirit of the fruit in us this should be the truth flows from us to others, and then the Holy Spirit works or convicts the heart of the one receiving the truth, and the fruit of the Spirit works in their lives converting them.
I pray that I may be this light to the world as the Holy Spirit works in me bearing fruit, that I may plant that seed into others and the Spirit may grow it to fruition in them