For the Whole Man August 25

“The very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” 1Thessalonians 5:23. “The sanctification set forth in the Scriptures embraces the entire being---spirit, soul, and body…. Christians are bidden to present their bodies, “a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God” (Romans 12:1). In order to do this, all their powers must be preserved in the best possible condition. Every practice that weakens physical or mental strength unfits man for the service of his Creator…. Said Christ: “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart” (Matthew 22:37). Those who do love God with all the heart will desire to give Him the best service of their life, and they will be constantly seeking to bring every power of their being into harmony with the laws that will promote their ability to do His will. They will not, by the indulgence of appetite or passion , enfeeble or defile the offering which they present to their heavenly Father. God would have us realize that He has a right to mind, soul, body, and spirit---to all that we possess. We are His by creation and by redemption. As our Creator, He claims our entire service. As our Redeemer , He has a claim of love as well as of right---of love without a parallel…. Our bodies, our souls, our lives, are His, not only because they are His free gift, but because He constantly supplies us with His benefits, and gives us strength to use our faculties…. Shall we not, then, give to Christ that which He has died to redeem? If you will do this, He will quicken your conscience, renew your heart, sanctify your affections, purify your thoughts, and set all your powers at work for Him. Every motive, and every thought will be brought into captivity to Jesus Christ. Those who are sons of God will represent Christ in character. Their works will be perfumed by the infinite tenderness, compassion, love, and purity of the Son of God. And the more completely mind and body are yielded to the Holy Spirit, the greater will be the fragrance of our offering to Him.”

The Reward August 24

“Behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.” Revelations 22:12 “In His divine arrangement, through His unmerited favor, the Lord has ordained that good works shall be rewarded. We are accepted through Christ’s merit alone; and the acts of mercy, the deeds of charity, which we perform, are the fruits of faith; and they become a blessing to us; for men are to be rewarded according to their works. It is the fragrance of the merit of Christ that makes our good works acceptable to God, and it is grace that enables us to do the works for which He rewards us. Our works in and of themselves have no merit….We deserve no thanks from God. We have only done what it was our duty to do, and our works could not have been performed in the strength of our own sinful natures. We need… to bring the light and grace of Christ into all our works. We need to take hold of Christ and retain our hold of Him until we know that the power of His transforming grace is manifested in us. We must have faith in Christ if we would reflect the divine character….Faith in the Word of God and in the power of Christ to transform the life will enable the believer to work His works. To His servants Christ commits “His goods”—something to be put to use for Him. He gives “to every man his work”….Not more surely is the place prepared for us in the heavenly mansions than is the special place designated on earth where we are to work for God…. Christ has paid us our wages, even His own blood and suffering, to secure our willing service. He came to our world to give us an example of how we should work, and what spirit we should bring into our labor. He desires us to study how we can best advance His work and glorify His name in the world. The sanctification of the soul by the working of the Holy Spirit is the implanting of Christ’s nature in humanity. Gospel religion is Christ in the life---a living, active principle. It is the grace of Christ revealed in character and wrought out in good works.”

Jesus Christ is The Present Truth SDA who implemented the 7 Times, the 25/20!

Christians, Christ followers, “Jesus rested the 7th Day Sabbath following His 6 day work week of Creation.” Genesis 2:2 Christs followers, “Jesus rested in the Tomb following His crucifixion, Friday evening and Saturday, Sabbath, prior to rising early Sunday to return to work.” Luke 23:54-56 Jesus was in Church/Synagogue and read to the people on the 7th day Sabbath. Luke 4:16. All Christs followers will worship Him on the 7th day Sabbath, weekly in Heaven. Isaiah 66:23

#WEARETHEPEOPLE

#WEARETHEPEOPLE The world is stirred with the spirit of war. There is murder and blood shed on every hand, in third world countries and wealthier nations alike. There seems to be no respect for human life, Why? Because as noted in the scripture texts above, men, nations, have not respect for, nor obedience towards, the Law of God. I dare say that most people, even so called Christians, Christs followers, have not read the scriptures from beginning to end, nor do they believe all that they read in the scriptures. I did not read the Sacred book completely until I was 47 years of age, and many people don’t even live that many years. I have been a Church member for as long as I can remember, and was educated in Christian schools, for sixteen years. One would think that the schools required the foundational reading of Gods Word. That was and is not the case, even though many Christian and non-christian parents alike, sacrifice , investing many hundreds of dollars sending children to learn of Christ daily. Society in general needs to study and obey Gods Law, but bible prophecy confirms that the majority of people will follow self, sin, and satan to destruction. This is noted in the Seventh Chapter of Matthew, verse 13, and also noted in Revelations 20:7, 8. We are told in the second book of Timothy, chapter 3, verses 16, and 17 that every word of scripture is vital to help us perfect Christlike characters and thus be fitted up for eternity in Heaven. May God help us all to pray more, asking for His understanding as we seek a better knowledge of His will for our lives as individuals and as we pray for the nations and our national leaders.

While Probation Lasts, Aug. 23

#WEARETHEPEOPLE “He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still.” Rev. 22:11 “All the good that man enjoys comes because of the mercy of God. He is the great and bountiful Giver. His love is manifest to all in the abundant provision made for man. He has given us probationary time in which to form characters for the courts above. We believe without a doubt that Christ is soon coming. This is not a fable to us; it is a reality….When He comes He is not to cleanse us of our sins, to remove from us the defects in our characters, or to cure us of the infirmaties of our tempers and dispositions. If wrought for us at all, this work will all be accomplished before that time. When the Lord comes, those who have reserved their bodies and spirits in holiness, in sanctification and honor, will then receive the finishing touch of immortality. But those who are unjust, unsanctified, and filthy will remain so forever. No work will then be done for them to remove their defects and give them holy characters. The Refiner does not then sit to pursue His refining process and remove their sins and their corruption. This is all to be done in these hours of probation. It is now that this work is to be accomplished for us. During probationary time the grace of God is offered to every soul. But if men waste their opportunities in self-pleasing, they cut themselves off from everlasting life. No after probation will be granted them. By their own choice they have fixed am impassible gulf between them and their God. Many are deceiving themselves by thinking that the character will be transformed at the coming of Christ, but there will be no conversion of heart at His appearing. Our defects of character must here be repented of, and through the grace of Christ we must overcome them while probation shall last. This is the place for fitting up for the family above. Probation is almost ended….Get ready! Get ready! Work while the day lasts, for the night cometh when no , man can work.”

Sustaining the Spiritual Life, August 8, 2014

“Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.” John 6:35 “God speaks to us in His Word. Here we have in clearer lines the revelation of His character, of His dealings with men, and the great work of redemption. Here is open before us the history of patriarchs and prophets and other holy men of old. They were men “subject to like passions as we are” (James 5:17). We see how they struggled through discouragements like our own, how they fell under temptation as we have done, and yet took heart again and conquered through the grace of God: and beholding, we are encouraged in our striving after righteousness. As we read of the precious experiences granted them, of the light and love and blessing it was theirs to enjoy, and of the work they wrought through the grace given them, the spirit that inspired them kindles a flame of holy emulation in our hearts and a desire to be like them in character---like them to walk with God. Jesus said of the Old Testament Scriptures---and how much more it is true of the New---“They are they which testify of me” (John 5:39)….If you would become acquainted with the Saviour, study the Holy Scriptures. Fill the whole heart with the words of God. They are the living water, quenching your burning thirst. They are the living bread from heaven…. Our bodies are built up from what we eat and drink; and as in the natural economy: it is what we meditate upon that will give tone and strength to our spiritual nature. The mind must dwell upon it, the heart must be filled with it. The Word of God laid up in the heart and sacredly cherished Spiritual life must be sustained by communion with Christ through His Word. and obeyed, through the power of the grace of Christ can make man right, and keep him right. When His words of instruction have been received, and have taken possession of us, Jesus is to us an abiding presence, controlling our thoughts and ideas and actions….Jesus Christ is everything to us---the first, the last, the best in everything.” AG 228.5

Better Source of Proteins?

A Miracle, August 1, 2014

“God also bearing them witness, both with signs and wonders, and with divers miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost.” Hebrews 2:4. “Christ wrought no miracle at the demand of the Pharisees. He wrought no miracle in the wilderness in answer to Satan’s insinuations. He does not impart to us power to vindicate ourselves or to satisfy the demands of unbelief and pride. But the gospel is not without a sign of its divine origin. Is it not a miracle that we can break from the bondage of Satan? Enmity against Satan is not natural to the human heart; it is implanted by the grace of God. When one who has been controlled by a stubborn, wayward will is set free, and yields himself wholeheartedly to the drawing of God’s heavenly agencies, a miracle is wrought; so also when a man who has been under strong delusion comes to understand moral truth. Every time a soul is converted, and learns to love God and keep His commandments, the promise of God is fulfilled, “A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you” (Ezekiel 36:26). The change in human hearts, the transformation of human characters, is a miracle that reveals an ever-living Saviour, working to rescue souls. A consistent life in Christ is a great miracle. In the preaching of the Word of God, the sign that should be manifest now and always is the presence of the Holy Spirit, to make the word a regenerating power to those that hear. This is God’s witness before the world to the divine mission of His Son. Many are utterly discouraged…. They are looked upon as unable to comprehend or to receive the gospel of Christ. Yet by the miracle of divine grace they may be changed. Under the ministration of the Holy Spirit the stupidity that makes their uplifting appear so hopeless will pass away…. Vice will disappear, and ignorance will be overcome. The chain that has been let down from the throne of God is long enough to reach to the lowest depths. Christ is able to lift the most sinful out of the pit of degradation, and to place them where they will be acknowledged as children of God, heirs with Christ to an immortal inheritance.”