The Desire of Ages--66--Controversy

[Pastor Sean Brizendine]

Amen, Brother Beacon and Sister Dorine!

When God fills us with love, it heals our relationship with Him and others!

"The first four of the Ten Commandments are summed up in the one great precept, 'Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart.' The last six are included in the other, 'Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.' Both these commandments are an expression of the principle of love. The first cannot be kept and the second broken, nor can the second be kept while the first is broken. When God has His rightful place on the throne of the heart, the right place will be given to our neighbor. We shall love him as ourselves. And only as we love God supremely is it possible to love our neighbor impartially." {The Desire of Ages, page 607, paragraph 2}

Only by love is love awakened, and thankfully, God first loved us to woo us to Himself so we can experience His true character manifest in all of the fruits of the Spirit without one missing as we gladly are empowered to obey the Ten Commandments from the new heart given us when we surrender fully to Christ!

[Richard Myers]

Amen my dear brothers and sister!!  If we love God with the whole heart, we will keep His commandments to the degree we know them.

     The lawyer approached Jesus with a direct question, "Which is the first commandment of all?" The answer of Christ is direct and forcible: "The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: and thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment." The second is like the first, said Christ; for it flows out of it, "Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these." "On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets."
     The first four of the Ten Commandments are summed up in the one great precept, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart." The last six are included in the other, "Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself." Both these commandments are an expression of the principle of love. The first cannot be kept and the second broken, nor can the second be kept while the first is broken. When God has His rightful place on the throne of the heart, the right place will be given to our neighbor. We shall love him as ourselves. And only as we love God supremely is it possible to love our neighbor impartially.   

[Pastor Sean Brizendine]

Praise God for what is coming in the future life! Today by surrendering fully to Christ, all of the fruits of the Spirit will be seen in our lives without one missing, and we will be enabled to live in obedience to all of God's commandments! Such an experience is a foretaste of heaven, for we can have heaven in our hearts!

"Christ declared to His hearers that if there were no resurrection of the dead, the Scriptures which they professed to believe would be of no avail. He said, “But as touching the resurrection of the dead, have ye not read that which was spoken unto you by God, saying, I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living.” God counts the things that are not as though they were. He sees the end from the beginning, and beholds the result of His work as though it were now accomplished. The precious dead, from Adam down to the last saint who dies, will hear the voice of the Son of God, and will come forth from the grave to immortal life. God will be their God, and they shall be His people. There will be a close and tender relationship between God and the risen saints. This condition, which is anticipated in His purpose, He beholds as if it were already existing. The dead live unto Him." {The Desire of Ages, page 606, paragraph 1}

What a blessing it is to look forward to the future life!

[Richard Myers]

Amen Pastor Sean! We long to live in a world with Jesus and without sin. Let us begin to practice living without sinning here and Earth!

My first inclination was to share what is the greatest of all commandments, but instead I am going to follow the intent of the title of this chapter.

The priests and rulers had listened in silence to Christ’s pointed rebukes. They could not refute His charges. But they were only the more determined to entrap Him, and with this object they sent to Him spies, “which should feign themselves just men, that they might take hold of His words, that so they might deliver Him unto the power and authority of the governor”...........And no man was able to answer Him a word, neither durst any man from that day forth ask Him any more questions."

Yes, there was much controversy in the nation caused by the uprising against  the truth and the life of Jesus. The pointed rebukes brought forth much hate.

And since all the commandments are summed up in love to God and man, it follows that not one precept can be broken without violating this principle.

And no, we cannot leave without commenting on the love of God. If we do not love the Lord our God with all of the heart, then we cannot keep any of the commandments.

[Pastor Sean Brizendine]

Happy Sabbath! Oh, how wonderful are fresh glimpses of Jesus! When questions arose that were intended to draw Jesus into controversy, He wisely answered by asking questions, letting the questioners answer what they asked. He pointed to the law of God as a divine unity, and it is as we receive Christ into the heart as a personal Savior that we are enabled to obey the law from the heart with the supernatural accompanying witness of all of the fruits of the Spirit in the life without one missing. True conversion--the result of entire surrender of the heart, mind, will and character to God--is a far happier experience than any counterfeit path of sin that Satan has devised.

"The scribe was near to the kingdom of God, in that he recognized deeds of righteousness as more acceptable to God than burnt offerings and sacrifices. But he needed to recognize the divine character of Christ, and through faith in Him receive power to do the works of righteousness. The ritual service was of no value, unless connected with Christ by living faith. Even the moral law fails of its purpose, unless it is understood in its relation to the Saviour. Christ had repeatedly shown that His Father's law contained something deeper than mere authoritative commands. In the law is embodied the same principle that is revealed in the gospel. The law points out man's duty and shows him his guilt. To Christ he must look for pardon and for power to do what the law enjoins." {The Desire of Ages, page 608, paragraph 2} 

Trust God to work out His will in your life as you surrender fully to Christ as personal Lord and Savior. Nothing is too hard for God to do. He can save to the uttermost all who come unto God by Him!

[Beacon]

color=maroon]"Jesus sees the end from the beginning, and beholds the result of His work as though it were now accomplished.'

"The precious dead, from Adam down to the last saint who dies, will hear the voice of the Son of God, and will come forth from the grave to immortal life."[/color]

"God will be their God, and they shall be His people."

"There will be a close and tender relationship between God and the risen saints."

"This condition, which is anticipated in His purpose, He beholds as if it were already existing."

 "The dead live unto Him."

Praise the Lord!  Yes, Jesus sees the end from the beginning and therefore is able to supply all the necessary resources needed for us to be ready to meet Him. But we must willing to ask Him to be King of Kings and Lord of Lords in our daily lives.

===============================
1 Would you be free from your burden of sin?
  There’s power in the blood, power in the blood;
Would you o’er evil a victory win?
  There’s wonderful power in the blood.
  There is power, power, wonder-working power,
  In the blood of the Lamb;
There is power, power, wonder-working power,
    In the precious blood of the Lamb.
2
Would you be free from your passion and pride?
  There’s power in the blood, power in the blood;
Come for a cleansing to Calvary’s tide,
  There’s wonderful power in the blood.
3
Would you be whiter, much whiter than snow?
  There’s power in the blood, power in the blood;
Sin-stains are lost in its life-giving flow,
  There’s wonderful power in the blood.
4
Would you do service for Jesus your King?
  There’s power in the blood, power in the blood;
Would you live daily His praises to sing?
  There’s wonderful power in the blood.

Lyrics:/Music: Lewis Ellis Jones (1865-1936)


HAPPY SABBATH TO ALL GOD'S CHILDREN AROUND THE WORLD AND BEYOND.

[Beacon]

"Christ declared to His hearers that if there were no resurrection of the dead, the Scriptures which they professed to believe would be of no avail."

He said, “But as touching the resurrection of the dead, have ye not read that which was spoken unto you by God, saying, I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living.”

God counts the things that are not as though they were. He sees the end from the beginning, and beholds the result of His work as though it were now accomplished.

"The precious dead, from Adam down to the last saint who dies, will hear the voice of the Son of God, and will come forth from the grave to immortal life."

"God will be their God, and they shall be His people."

What Day that will be when our Jesus we shall see and He takes up by the hand and leads us to the promised land What a day glorious day that will be.!!

=====================
1
Beneath the cross of Jesus
  I fain would take my stand,
The shadow of a mighty Rock
  Within a weary land;
A home within the wilderness,
  A rest upon the way,
From the burning of the noontide heat,
  And the burden of the day.
2
Oh, safe and happy shelter!
  Oh, refuge tried and sweet!
Oh, trysting place where heaven’s love
  And heaven’s justice meet.
As to the holy patriarch
  That wondrous dream was given,
So is my Savior by the cross
  A ladder up to heaven.
3
There lies beneath its shadow,
  But on the farther side,
The darkness of an awful grave
  That gapes both deep and wide;
And there between us stands the cross,
  Two arms outstretched to save,
Like a watchman set to guard the way
  From that eternal grave.
4
Upon that cross of Jesus
  Mine eye at times can see
The very dying form of One,
  Who suffered there for me;
And from my smitten heart, with tears,
  Two wonders I confess,
The wonders of His glorious love,
  And my own worthlessness.
5
I take, O cross, thy shadow
  For my abiding place;
I ask no other sunshine than
  The sunshine of His face;
Content to let the world go by,
  To know no gain nor loss,
My sinful self my only shame,
  My glory all the cross.

Lyrics:Elizabeth Cecilia Clephane (1830-1869)
Music:Frederick Charles Maker (1844-1927)

[Pastor Sean Brizendine]

Amen, Brother Beacon!!

What a blessing it is to see in Jesus a life of supernatural power that is now accessible to us by the same grace He received in relying upon the word of God to lead and guide by the Holy Spirit! As we surrender fully to Christ as a personal Savior, living by faith on Him means that we partake of the divine nature that brings the continual witness of all of the fruits of the Spirit without one missing as long as the soul remains in continual union and communion with God in the path of true obedience up to the light of truth God has revealed!

"By His words and His works, Christ testified to a divine power that produces supernatural results, to a future life beyond the present, to God as a Father of the children of men, ever watchful of their true interests. He revealed the working of divine power in benevolence and compassion that rebuked the selfish exclusiveness of the Sadducees. He taught that both for man's temporal and for his eternal good, God moves upon the heart by the Holy Spirit. He showed the error of trusting to human power for that transformation of character which can be wrought only by the Spirit of God." {The Desire of Ages, page 605, paragraph 1}

"I can of Mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and My judgment is just; because I seek not Mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent Me" (John 5:30). Just as surely as Jesus depended upon the Father, we are to depend on Jesus to do any good thing by receiving the Holy Spirit into our hearts and lives! What a blessing it is to go forth in His service to win souls because we are vitally connected to Christ!

[Dorine]

  "The Sadducees had flattered themselves that they of all men adhered most strictly to the Scriptures. But Jesus showed that they had not known their true meaning. That knowledge must be brought home to the heart by the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit. Their ignorance of the Scriptures and the power of God He declared to be the cause of their confusion of faith and darkness of mind. They were seeking to bring the mysteries of God within the compass of their finite reasoning. Christ called upon them to open their minds to those sacred truths that would broaden and strengthen the understanding. Thousands become infidels because their finite minds cannot comprehend the mysteries of God. They cannot explain the wonderful exhibition of divine power in His providences, therefore they reject the evidences of such power, attributing them to natural agencies which they can comprehend still less. The only key to the mysteries that surround us is to acknowledge in them all the presence and power of God. Men need to recognize God as the Creator of the universe, One who commands and executes all things. They need a broader view of His character, and of the mystery of His agencies."

We must take God at His word. He has given us a multitude of evidence to show that Jesus is who He says He is. We do not need to understand all things. He has proven Himself to be faithful and true. Let us be faithful in the things that are clearly revealed and trust His every word. 

[Richard Myers]

Amen my dear friends, let God be God. Jesus' Words have now as He nears the end become more pointed.

  The Saviour's words, "Render . . . unto God the things that are God's," were a severe rebuke to the intriguing Jews. Had they faithfully fulfilled their obligations to God, they would not have become a broken nation, subject to a foreign power. No Roman ensign would have waved over Jerusalem, no Roman sentinel would have stood at her gates, no Roman governor would have ruled within her walls. The Jewish nation was then paying the penalty of its apostasy from God.....   By His words and His works, Christ testified to a divine power that produces supernatural results, to a future life beyond the present, to God as a Father of the children of men, ever watchful of their true interests. He revealed the working of divine power in benevolence and compassion that rebuked the selfish exclusiveness of the Sadducees. He taught that both for man's temporal and for his eternal good, God moves upon the heart by the Holy Spirit. He showed the error of trusting to human power for that transformation of character which can be wrought only by the Spirit of God.
     This teaching the Sadducees were determined to discredit. In seeking a controversy with Jesus, they felt confident of bringing Him into disrepute, even if they could not secure His condemnation. The resurrection was the subject on which they chose to question Him. Should He agree with them, He would give still further offense to the Pharisees. Should He differ with them, they designed to hold His teaching up to ridicule..... "If David then call Him Lord, how is He his son? And no man was able to answer Him a word, neither durst any man from that day forth ask Him any more questions." 

[Pastor Sean Brizendine]

What a joy it is to know and love a God who sees the WHOLE PICTURE of eternity! Because He sees things that way, we can start living and thinking that way, and it changes our perspective to be one of joy and gratitude that His plan to repopulate heaven with a holy, happy family of saints from this little world will be fulfilled!

"Christ declared to His hearers that if there were no resurrection of the dead, the Scriptures which they professed to believe would be of no avail. He said, 'But as touching the resurrection of the dead, have ye not read that which was spoken unto you by God, saying, I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living.' God counts the things that are not as though they were. He sees the end from the beginning, and beholds the result of His work as though it were now accomplished. The precious dead, from Adam down to the last saint who dies, will hear the voice of the Son of God, and will come forth from the grave to immortal life. God will be their God, and they shall be His people. There will be a close and tender relationship between God and the risen saints. This condition, which is anticipated in His purpose, He beholds as if it were already existing. The dead live unto Him." {The Desire of Ages, page 606, paragraph 1}

Praise God for the power of God to raise the dead, which is also His same power to raise us from spiritual death and make us partakers of the divine nature! When we are vitally connected to Jesus by a living faith surrender, all of the fruits of the Spirit without one missing will be seen in our lives and we will be enabled by His divine grace to love God from the heart and love others as ourselves!

[Philip T]

  And since all the commandments are summed up in love to God and man, it follows that not one precept can be broken without violating this principle. Thus Christ taught His hearers that the law of God is not so many separate precepts, some of which are of great importance, while others are of small importance and may with impunity be ignored. Our Lord presents the first four and the last six commandments as a divine whole, and teaches that love to God will be shown by obedience to all His commandments


When our characters become like God's character, our character is one of love, and that love reflects out of us to those around us. As the ten commandments are God's character, when transformed they become our character. Then they naturally just flow out of us. Yes, by our obedience to them we show the love of God.

[Beacon]

"God is not the God of the dead, but of the living.'

"God counts the things that are not as though they were."

"He sees the end from the beginning, and beholds the result of His work as though it were now accomplished."

"The precious dead, from Adam down to the last saint who dies, will hear the voice of the Son of God, and will come forth from the grave to immortal life."

"God will be their God, and they shall be His people."

"There will be a close and tender relationship between God and the risen saints."

The invitation from God to spend eternity with Him is, however, based upon our acceptance of His Grace and Mercy "NOW" and to demonstrate that commitment on a daily basis. The Bible makes it clear that we cannot serve 2 masters. Which side will "You and I chose??

 ================================

1
Take my life, and let it be
Consecrated, Lord, to Thee;
Take my moments and my days,
Let them flow in ceaseless praise.

2 For me, You were mocked and crucified;
For me, willingly You bled and died.
Lord, my life and love I willingly outpour
And will serve You evermore.
3
Take my hands, and let them move
At the impulse of Thy love;
Take my feet and let them be
Swift and beautiful for Thee.
4
Take my voice, and let me sing
Always, only, for my King;
Take my lips, and let them be
Filled with messages from Thee.
5
Take my silver and my gold;
Not a mite would I withhold;
Take my intellect, and use
Every power as Thou shalt choose.
6
Take my will, and make it Thine;
It shall be no longer mine.
Take my heart; it is Thine own;
It shall be Thy royal throne.
6
Take my love; my Lord, I pour
At Thy feet its treasure-store.
Take myself, and I will be
Ever, only, all for Thee.

Lyrics:Frances Ridley Havergal (1836-1879)
Music:H.A. Cesar Malan(1787-1844)

[Pastor Sean Brizendine]

Amen, Brother Beacon! I choose to be fully surrendered to Jesus! I need Him moment-by-moment!!

Do you really believe that God is leading your life as the Good Shepherd? While you may not understand all of His providences yet, as you become acquainted with His selfless character by spending time in His word, yield the whole heart to Him in sincere prayer, and seek to discern His will each day, it is such an adventure to be where God directs! His plans are better than we can ask or think, and His timing is perfect! All He asks is that we come to Him, and in thus coming to Him in sincere surrender, we begin the life eternal by beholding Him and abiding in Him. All of the fruits of the Spirit without one missing flow from a truly converted life, for Christ empowers the soul to live in true obedience to all of His commandments! What a miracle! What a gift by grace through faith!

"By His words and His works, Christ testified to a divine power that produces supernatural results, to a future life beyond the present, to God as a Father of the children of men, ever watchful of their true interests. He revealed the working of divine power in benevolence and compassion that rebuked the selfish exclusiveness of the Sadducees. He taught that both for man's temporal and for his eternal good, God moves upon the heart by the Holy Spirit. He showed the error of trusting to human power for that transformation of character which can be wrought only by the Spirit of God." {The Desire of Ages, page 605, paragraph 1}

Only the Holy Spirit can change a sinful, evil heart into a new one that delights to do God's will. So let us pray ever more earnestly for the Holy Spirit and let God direct us this day in the plans He has! Share your testimony of how God has led in your life, thus inspiring and encouraging others to go "all in" for Jesus!! The wisest thing to do in this brief, temporal life is to surrender it completely to the service of God and man, knowing that one's eternal life is secure as long as Christ remains on the throne of the heart!

[Richard Myers]

Amen my dear brothers!

The law of God is a revelation of love, it is a transcript of His character of love. But, the law can save no one. It brings conviction so that we can know we lack love.

      The first four of the Ten Commandments are summed up in the one great precept, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart." The last six are included in the other, "Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself." Both these commandments are an expression of the principle of love. The first cannot be kept and the second broken, nor can the second be kept while the first is broken. When God has His rightful place on the throne of the heart, the right place will be given to our neighbor. We shall love him as ourselves. And only as we love God supremely is it possible to love our neighbor impartially.   
     And since all the commandments are summed up in love to God and man, it follows that not one precept can be broken without violating this principle. Thus Christ taught His hearers that the law of God is not so many separate precepts, some of which are of great importance, while others are of small importance and may with impunity be ignored. Our Lord presents the first four and the last six commandments as a divine whole, and teaches that love to God will be shown by obedience to all His commandments.   


Controversy, what is it?