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

[Beacon]

"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."


Have "WE" surrendered "ALL" to Jesus or are we "Caviling" at the Words of Christ??

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1
O soul, are you weary and troubled?
No light in the darkness you see?
There’s light for a look at the Savior,
And life more abundant and free.
    Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in His wonderful face,
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,
  In the light of His glory and grace.
2
Through death into life everlasting
He passed, and we follow Him there;
O’er us sin no more hath dominion
For more than conqu’rors we are!
3
His Word shall not fail you, He promised;
Believe Him and all will be well;
Then go to a world that is dying,
His perfect salvation to tell!

Lyrics & Music:Helen Howarth Lemmel (1863-1961)

[Dorine]

     "The warning is for all time. 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 staggering revelation of human nature. As I was reading I dared not point my finger but listened to the Holy Spirit pointing out defects in my own character. When our hearts are open and teachable His voice is clear and distinct but gentle and compassionate. He promises to cleanse us and transform us as we continually abide in Him. He has provided a way of escape for each one if we will accept and follow Him.

[Richard Myers]

Amen my dear brother and sister!  God does not leave sinners blind to His love nor His justice. We each decide our fate.

The prophets of God were hated by apostate Israel because through them their hidden sins were brought to light. Ahab regarded Elijah as his enemy because the prophet was faithful to rebuke the king's secret iniquities. So today the servant of Christ, the reprover of sin, meets with scorn and rebuffs. Bible truth, the religion of Christ, struggles against a strong current of moral impurity. 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. 

Sadly too many bristle at the truth that out of love God sends a message of reproof.

[Pastor Sean Brizendine]

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

When Jesus came to the fig tree not long before His crucifixion, He longed to see Israel experiencing His character, not just for their sake, but that they could be the missionaries He intended them to be to seek and save others.

"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. Every opportunity and privilege had been granted them, and in return He sought their sympathy and co-operation in His work of grace. He longed to see in them self-sacrifice and compassion, zeal for God, and a deep yearning of soul for the salvation of their fellow men. Had they kept the law of God, they would have done the same unselfish work that Christ did. But love to God and man was eclipsed by pride and self-sufficiency. They brought ruin upon themselves by refusing to minister to others. The treasures of truth which God had committed to them, they did not give to the world. In the barren tree they might read both their sin and its punishment. Withered beneath the Saviour's curse, standing forth sere and blasted, dried up by the roots, the fig tree showed what the Jewish people would be when the grace of God was removed from them. Refusing to impart blessing, they would no longer receive it. 'O Israel,' the Lord says, 'thou hast destroyed thyself.' Hosea 13:9." {The Desire of Ages, page 583, paragraph 2}

We get to choose if we will respond in full surrender to Christ so we can bear fruit to His glory--the fruits of the Spirit in the life without one missing in true obedience to His commandments as we go forth in His providences to serve and bless others. As long as we abide in Jesus, He will empower us to reflect His character and experience His will as He leads!

[Beacon]

"Jesus longed to see in his disciples self-sacrifice and compassion, zeal for God, and a deep yearning of soul for the salvation of their fellow men."

"Had they kept the law of God, they would have done the same unselfish work that Christ did. But love to God and man was eclipsed by pride and self-sufficiency."

"They brought ruin upon themselves by refusing to minister to others. "The treasures of truth which God had committed to them, they did not give to the world".

"In the barren tree they might read both their sin and its punishment."

"Withered beneath the Saviour's curse, standing forth sere and blasted, dried up by the roots, the fig tree showed what the Jewish people would be when the grace of God was removed from them."

"Refusing to impart blessing, they would no longer receive it. 'O Israel,' the Lord says, 'thou hast destroyed thyself.' Hosea 13:9."

Are we willing to impart God's blessings to others or Will "WE" hear the words " Depart from me I never knew you??

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LIFT UP THE TRUMPET AND LOUD LET IT RING - JESUS IS COMING AGAIN.

[Dorine]

"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.        
That day had come to Jerusalem. Jesus wept in anguish over the doomed city, but He could not deliver her. He had exhausted every resource. In rejecting the warnings of God's Spirit, Israel had rejected the only means of help. There was no other power by which they could be delivered."

The sweet spirit of Jesus yearns for every soul to summit to His love. It's hard to understand why some accept it and others reject it. It all comes down to the choices we make. As the Holy Spirit speaks to our hearts we have a choice to make. Do we listen and obey or do we go our own way. God's mercy is longsuffering and I'm so thankful for that but time is running out and we don't have much longer and probation will be closed. Our eyes need to be fixed on Jesus more than ever and what better way to walk with Him throughout the day but by the time spent with Him through prayer, in the daily reading of the Desire of Ages and our service to others. Cling to Jesus no matter the circumstances. He will never fail us.

[Philip T]

  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.   


Thank you, Beacon, and Dorine.

This paragraph struck me this morning, are we like the Jewish nation was at Jesus time, professing to be of God, while not practicing or putting our faith into action. Are we like the fig tree, all show and no action, producing none of the fruit of the spirit in our lives. It was better for the gentiles who had not heard of Christ then for those professing and not practicing God's will. The ones who have not heard have a time coming yet whent they will hear and can surrender, rather than those who profess to surrender, and do not.

[Pastor Sean Brizendine]

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

Even Christ's strong warnings are out of love!

"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. The Saviour desired to make plain to His disciples the cause and the certainty of Israel's doom. For this purpose He invested the tree with moral qualities, and made it the expositor of divine truth. The Jews stood forth distinct from all other nations, professing allegiance to God. They had been specially favored by Him, and they laid claim to righteousness above every other people. But they were corrupted by the love of the world and the greed of gain. They boasted of their knowledge, but they were ignorant of the requirements of God, and were full of hypocrisy. Like the barren tree, they spread their pretentious branches aloft, luxuriant in appearance, and beautiful to the eye, but they yielded 'nothing but leaves.' The Jewish religion, with its magnificent temple, its sacred altars, its mitered priests and impressive ceremonies, was indeed fair in outward appearance, but humility, love, and benevolence were lacking." {The Desire of Ages, page 582, paragraph 4}

In our time, Jesus speaks plainly:

Revelation 3:14-22: "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. Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: I counsel thee to buy of Me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent. 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. To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with Me in My throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with My Father in His throne. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches."

If we but acknowledge our need, Jesus can work with us. If we consent to the bringing into captivity of every thought to His obedience, walk in total surrender to Jesus by receiving His word, and cooperate with the Holy Spirit, then all of the fruits of the Spirit without one missing will be revealed in our lives as we are empowered to obey His law of love up to the truth He has revealed and do the same good works seen in the life of Jesus--because He lives in us and reproduces His character in our experience! Trust Him and accept His reproof, learning day by day from His word and the counsel He gave in the Spirit of Prophecy!

[Richard Myers]

Amen my dear friends!  Is there any hope in what read in this chapter? How sad to understand the result of sin.

  Christ overlooked the world and all ages from the height of Olivet; and His words are applicable to every soul who slights the pleadings of divine mercy. Scorner of His love, He addresses you today. It is "thou, even thou," who shouldest know the things that belong to thy peace. Christ is shedding bitter tears for you, who have no tears to shed for yourself. Already that fatal hardness of heart which destroyed the Pharisees is manifest in you. And every evidence of the grace of God, every ray of divine light, is either melting and subduing the soul, or confirming it in hopeless impenitence.   

Here we do see a wonderful opportunity to be transformed into the image of our Savior. Every ray of divine light will melt and subdue the soul. How can this happen? Stop rejecting His grace. Stop refusing to repent. It would be well to spend a thoughtful hour a day contemplating the life of Jesus, especially the closing scenes where we behold His great sacrifice. It is by His stripes that belong to us that we are healed (transformed). 2 Cor 3:18 promises all who will do this will be changed from sinner to saint.

[Beacon]

" The Jews stood forth distinct from all other nations, professing allegiance to God."

"They had been specially favored by Him." 

"They laid claim to righteousness above every other people."

"But they were corrupted by the love of the world and the greed of gain."

"They boasted of their knowledge, but they were ignorant of the requirements of God, and were full of hypocrisy."

"Like the barren tree, they spread their pretentious branches aloft, luxuriant in appearance, and beautiful to the eye.

"But they yielded nothing but leaves."

"The Jewish religion, with its magnificent temple, its sacred altars, its mitered priests and impressive ceremonies, was indeed fair in outward appearance."

"But humility, love, and benevolence were lacking."

How about "YOU & I ?? Are "WE" walking the "talk" & "talking the talk" but in realty our lives indicate "WE" have no daily connection but are  running on EMPTY ?? If "WE" were on trial today as a follower of Jesus, would there be enough evidence to convict us??
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1
Alas! and did my Savior bleed?
  And did my Sov’reign die,
Would He devote that sacred head
  For such a worm as I?
2
Was it for sins that I had done
  He groaned upon the tree?
Amazing pity! grace unknown!
  And love beyond degree!
3
Well might the sun in darkness hide,
  And shut his glories in,
When the incarnate Maker died
  For man, His creature’s sin.
4
Thus might I hide my blushing face
  While His dear cross appears
Dissolve my heart in thankfulness,
  And melt mine eyes to tears.
5
But drops of grief can ne’er repay
  The debt of love I owe;
Here Lord, I give myself away:
  ’Tis all that I can do.

Lyrics:Isaac Watts (1674-1748)
Music:Hugh Wilson (1766-1824)


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[Dorine]

"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."

Never, never will anyone be able to say 'I did not know these things; God is unfair in His judgements toward me." God has laid out the plan of salvation that even a child can understand. Children respond to the deep genuine love of Jesus if someone leads them to Him. Many adults have allowed the cares, trials and pleasures of life to harden their hearts against the still small voice that is calling them to repentance. Why would anyone give up a life of eternity in heaven for this dark, sin sick world and then eternal loss? But so many are doing just that. May our lives reveal the joy and peace that serving God brings.

[Pastor Sean Brizendine]

Amen, Brother Beacon and Sister Dorine!

Jesus is hungry--for His character to be revealed in your life! When you respond to His wooing, winning love, yielding the whole heart to Christ, all of the fruits of the Spirit will be revealed in the life without one missing as you grow in true obedience to all of His commandments!

"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. Every opportunity and privilege had been granted them, and in return He sought their sympathy and co-operation in His work of grace. He longed to see in them self-sacrifice and compassion, zeal for God, and a deep yearning of soul for the salvation of their fellow men. Had they kept the law of God, they would have done the same unselfish work that Christ did. But love to God and man was eclipsed by pride and self-sufficiency. They brought ruin upon themselves by refusing to minister to others. The treasures of truth which God had committed to them, they did not give to the world. In the barren tree they might read both their sin and its punishment. Withered beneath the Saviour's curse, standing forth sere and blasted, dried up by the roots, the fig tree showed what the Jewish people would be when the grace of God was removed from them. Refusing to impart blessing, they would no longer receive it. 'O Israel,' the Lord says, 'thou hast destroyed thyself.' Hosea 13:9." {The Desire of Ages, page 583, paragraph 2}

Only by abiding in Jesus is it possible to manifest "self-sacrifice and compassion, zeal for God, and a deep yearning of soul for the salvation" of others. Let us love and live this way!

[Richard Myers]

Amen my dear brothers and sister!  It is indeed a strange act to blast the tree and humans, but grace has her end. It would be good if we did not have to read this chapter, but God knows we need to understand there is more than love for a sinner. We live in a wicked world with wicked people. How we long to be delivered from not only this dark spot in the universe, but from our wicked flesh.

     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. Every opportunity and privilege had been granted them, and in return He sought their sympathy and co-operation in His work of grace. He longed to see in them self-sacrifice and compassion, zeal for God, and a deep yearning of soul for the salvation of their fellow men. Had they kept the law of God, they would have done the same unselfish work that Christ did. But love to God and man was eclipsed by pride and self-sufficiency. They brought ruin upon themselves by refusing to minister to others. The treasures of truth which God had committed to them, they did not give to the world. In the barren tree they might read both their sin and its punishment. Withered beneath the Saviour's curse, standing forth sere and blasted, dried up by the roots, the fig tree showed what the Jewish people would be when the grace of God was removed from them. Refusing to impart blessing, they would no longer receive it. "O Israel," the Lord says, "thou hast destroyed thyself." Hosea 13:9.