2 Thessalonians 3

Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may have free course, and be glorified, even as it is with you: And that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men: for all men have not faith.
But the Lord is faithful, who shall stablish you, and keep you from evil. And we have confidence in the Lord touching you, that ye both do and will do the things which we command you.
And the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God, and into the patient waiting for Christ.
Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly, and not after the tradition which he received of us. For yourselves know how ye ought to follow us: for we behaved not ourselves disorderly among you; Neither did we eat any man's bread for nought; but wrought with labour and travail night and day, that we might not be chargeable to any of you: Not because we have not power, but to make ourselves an ensample unto you to follow us.
For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat. For we hear that there are some which walk among you disorderly, working not at all, but are busybodies. Now them that are such we command and exhort by our Lord Jesus Christ, that with quietness they work, and eat their own bread.
But ye, brethren, be not weary in well doing. And if any man obey not our word by this epistle, note that man, and have no company with him, that he may be ashamed. Yet count him not as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother.
Now the Lord of peace Himself give you peace always by all means. The Lord be with you all.
The salutation of Paul with mine own hand, which is the token in every epistle: so I write.
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.

The Priest That Lives

Jesus is not only the Lamb that dies for us, but He is also the High Priest who lives for us. What does a priest do? He “is ordained to offer gifts and sacrifices” (Hebrews 8:3). 

Cannot I present my own gifts? No, a sinner cannot approach God directly. “Your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear” (Isaiah 59:2). Sin can be atoned for and man brought back to God only by shedding the blood of an innocent substitute. But shed blood is not enough. It must be presented in the sanctuary. Yet the sinner cannot do this. Someone must act for him. “Every high priest taken from among men is ordained for men in things pertaining to God, that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins” (Hebrews 5:1). 

The prophet speaks to men for God. The priest speaks to God for men. Jesus came from heaven to represent God to men. He returned to heaven “to appear in the presence of God for us” (Hebrews 9:24). 

The priest who ministered in the earthly tabernacle served “unto the example and shadow of heavenly things” (Hebrews 8:5). As we observe their movements we discern in shadowy outline the ministry of our great High Priest above. 

Leviticus 4 relates several important details concerning a priest’s work in the ancient sanctuary. Notice the sequence outlined in verses 13-20. In case of transgression by the whole congregation, the elders brought a young bullock to the altar in the court. As they laid their hands upon the bullock’s head, the sin was transferred in type from the people to the substitute. Now the bullock must be slain, but was this the end of the service? No! The work has just begun. Notice carefully the next step. “The priest that is anointed shall bring of the bullock’s blood to the tabernacle of the congregation: and the priest shall dip his finger in some of the blood, and sprinkle it seven times before the Lord, even before the veil. And he shall put some of the blood upon the horns of the altar which is before the Lord, that is in the tabernacle of the congregation” (Leviticus 4:16-18). 

Verse 20 makes the purpose of it all plain: “The priest shall make an atonement for them, and it shall be forgiven them.” The shedding of the substitute’s blood and the sprinkling of that blood before the inner veil and on the horns of the golden altar provided forgiveness. “Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered” (Romans 4:7). 

When God forgives sin, He covers it with blood, and “the blood of it is for the life thereof ” (Leviticus 17:14). Jesus’ blood represents His perfect life, and the shed blood shows the life poured out in sacrifice. In the sprinkled blood at the sanctuary we can see the forgiveness of sin provided by a Saviour who laid down His life for us. Thus when the Father looks at you and me, He does not see the filthy garments of our own righteousness but, instead, the life of Jesus. 

So Wesley sings: 

“Arise, my soul, arise; Shake o thy guilty fears: The bleeding Sacrifice in my behalf appears: 

Before the throne my Surety stands, My name is written on His hands. 

“He ever lives above, for me to intercede; His all-redeeming love, His precious blood to plead; 

His blood was shed for all our race, And sprinkles now the throne of grace.” 

This service not only shows that the sin is forgiven and covered by the sprinkled blood, but also represents the transfer of sin from the sinner through the substitute into the sanctuary. Think carefully as we study it together. 

When the sinner approached the sanctuary, he came bearing his own sin. As he placed his hand on the animal, his confessed sin was transferred to the substitute, and this transferred sin required the death of the substitute. The victim bore sin when it died. Then the priest carried that sin-bearing blood into the sanctuary and sprinkled it before the veil, thus transferring sin to the sanctuary. 

In the great antitypical service, Jesus our Substitute died for us, bearing our sins. “The Lord hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all” (Isaiah 53:6). He “bare our sins in His own body on the tree” (1 Peter 2:24). But Jesus is not only our Lamb, He is also our High Priest. 

On the cross He died for us. In the sanctuary He lives for us. “But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building; neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us” (Hebrews 9:11, 12). 

We see Jesus on Calvary dying for us with our sins on Him. Then we see Him rising from the dead and going to heaven as our High Priest. By His own blood He enters the temple of God there to cover our iniquities with His blood. us He transfers our sins from us to the sanctuary, from earth to heaven. “As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us” (Psalm 103:12). 

Where are your sins just now? It is your privilege to know. For this the Saviour died. For this He lives. Either they remain with you (here on the earth), or through Jesus’ blood God has transferred them to the heavenly sanctuary. 

Guilt, fear, worry, concern over sin, are driving people sick. Millions suffer from ulcers, heart attacks, and nervous breakdowns. If the burden of guilt presses down on your soul, bring your sin to the sanctuary and put it on the Lamb of God. Confess it. Give it to Him. Let Him be your Sin Bearer. Let His death take the place of your death. 

The only way sin can get into the sanctuary is for the priest to take it there, but Jesus will never take your sin unless you give it to Him. He will not grab it from you. If He ever puts it into the sanctuary and covers it with His blood, it will be because of your own free choice to confess that sin to Him. Then you will know personally that your sin has been “transferred, in fact, to the heavenly sanctuary” (GC 421). “Blessed,” indeed, “is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered” (Psalm 32:1). 

Another wonderful lesson concerning the transfer of sin appears in Leviticus 4:27-35. Here God made provision for bringing a goat or a lamb when “one of the common people” had transgressed. After the sin had been transferred to the animal by confession, the substitute was slain, and the priest dipped his finger in the blood and dabbed it upon the horns of the altar of burnt offering. The promise of forgiveness applied in this case just as when the priest sprinkled the blood in the holy place: “The priest shall make an atonement for his sin that he hath committed, and it shall be forgiven him” (Leviticus 4:35). 

How did this sin get into the sanctuary? When the priest did not sprinkle the blood in the holy place, he ate a portion of the sacrifice (see Leviticus 6:25, 26). Concerning this, Moses told the priests, “God hath given it [to] you to bear the iniquity of the congregation, to make atonement for them before the Lord” (Leviticus 10:17, 18). 

Similarly, Christ bears our sins in His own body—not only on Calvary but in the heavenly sanctuary. He was “offered in sacrifice in order that He might bear the sins of many” (Hebrews 9:28, Weymouth). On the cross He bore our sins as the Dying Lamb. In the sanctuary He bears them as the Living Priest. How long must He carry them? We will answer this question as we study further. R&R WDF

Philadelphia

And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write; These things saith He that is holy, He that is true, He that hath the key of David, He that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth; I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept My word, and hast not denied My name. Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee. Because thou hast kept the word of My patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth. Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown. Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of My God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of My God, and the name of the city of My God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from My God: and I will write upon him My new name. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

Names of Christ – Burden Bearer

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. For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light. Matthew 11:28-30

The weaker and more helpless you know yourself to be, the stronger will you become in His strength. The heavier your burdens, the more blessed the rest in casting them upon the Burden Bearer. The rest that Christ offers depends upon conditions, but these conditions are plainly specified. They are those with which all can comply. He tells us just how His rest is to be found. 

“Take My yoke upon you,” Jesus says. The yoke is an instrument of service. Cattle are yoked for labor, and the yoke is essential that they may labor effectually. By this illustration Christ teaches us that we are called to service as long as life shall last. We are to take upon us His yoke, that we may be co-workers with Him. DA 329

The Net

Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a net, that was cast into the sea, and gathered of every kind: Which, when it was full, they drew to shore, and sat down, and gathered the good into vessels, but cast the bad away. So shall it be at the end of the world: the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just, And shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Matthew 13:47-50

The casting of the net is the preaching of the gospel. This gathers both good and evil into the church. When the mission of the gospel is completed, the judgment will accomplish the work of separation. Christ saw how the existence of false brethren in the church would cause the way of truth to be evil spoken of. The world would revile the gospel because of the inconsistent lives of false professors. Even Christians would be caused to stumble as they saw that many who bore Christ's name were not controlled by His Spirit. Because these sinners were in the church, men would be in danger of thinking that God excused their sins. Therefore Christ lifts the veil from the future and bids all to behold that it is character, not position, which decides man's destiny.

Both the parable of the tares and that of the net plainly teach that there is no time when all the wicked will turn to God. The wheat and the tares grow together until the harvest. The good and the bad fish are together drawn ashore for a final separation.

Again, these parables teach that there is to be no probation after the judgment. When the work of the gospel is completed, there immediately follows the separation between the good and the evil, and the destiny of each class is forever fixed.

God does not desire the destruction of any. “As I live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die?” Ezekiel 33:11. Throughout the period of probationary time His Spirit is entreating men to accept the gift of life. It is only those who reject His pleading that will be left to perish. God has declared that sin must be destroyed as an evil ruinous to the universe. Those who cling to sin will perish in its destruction. COL 122,123

3 Times

Our beloved prophet to Laodicea uses several words/phrases which are repeated at least twice (usually 3 times), as admonition for us at this time right now -

“Out of the cities, out of the cities, out of the cities”

“Get ready, get ready, get ready”

“Press together, press together, press together” 

“Educate, educate, educate”

In vision she witnesses:

“Hold! Hold! Hold! Hold! until the servants of God are sealed in their foreheads.”

Can you recall any others?

A fellow believer has just shared this one -

”Agitate, agitate, agitate”

STOP PRESS

⚠️ ALERT!

To fathers and to mothers I am instructed to say, Fail not to keep your children within your own premises. CL 12

Many millions of children simply go missing, without a trace, every year, worldwide. Parents, please heed this timely counsel from “the testimony of Jesus”. 

Every lamb is precious to The Good Shepherd.

“Help Thou Mine Unbelief”

Mark 9:14-30

The entire night had been passed in the mountain; and as the sun arose, Jesus and His disciples descended to the plain. Absorbed in thought, the disciples were awed and silent. Even Peter had not a word to say…

At the foot of the mountain a large company had gathered, led hither by the disciples who had remained behind, but who knew whither Jesus had resorted. As the Saviour drew near, He charged His three companions to keep silence concerning what they had witnessed, saying, “Tell the vision to no man, until the Son of man be risen again from the dead.” The revelation made to the disciples was to be pondered in their own hearts, not to be published abroad…

As the people on the plain caught sight of Jesus, they ran to meet Him, greeting Him with expressions of reverence and joy. Yet His quick eye discerned that they were in great perplexity. The disciples appeared troubled. A circumstance had just occurred that had caused them bitter disappointment and humiliation.

While they were waiting at the foot of the mountain, a father had brought to them his son, to be delivered from a dumb spirit that tormented him. Authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, had been conferred on the disciples when Jesus sent out the twelve to preach through Galilee. As they went forth strong in faith, the evil spirits had obeyed their word. Now in the name of Christ they commanded the torturing spirit to leave his victim; but the demon only mocked them by a fresh display of his power. The disciples, unable to account for their defeat, felt that they were bringing dishonor upon themselves and their Master. And in the crowd there were scribes who made the most of this opportunity to humiliate them. Pressing around the disciples, they plied them with questions, seeking to prove that they and their Master were deceivers. Here, the rabbis triumphantly declared, was an evil spirit that neither the disciples nor Christ Himself could conquer. The people were inclined to side with the scribes, and a feeling of contempt and scorn pervaded the crowd.

But suddenly the accusations ceased. Jesus and the three disciples were seen approaching, and with a quick revulsion of feeling the people turned to meet them. The night of communion with the heavenly glory had left its trace upon the Saviour and His companions. Upon their countenances was a light that awed the beholders. The scribes drew back in fear, while the people welcomed Jesus.

As if He had been a witness of all that had occurred, the Saviour came to the scene of conflict, and fixing His gaze upon the scribes inquired, “What question ye with them?” But the voices so bold and defiant before were now silent. A hush had fallen upon the entire company. Now the afflicted father made his way through the crowd, and falling at the feet of Jesus, poured out the story of his trouble and disappointment…

Again the Prince of life and the prince of the powers of darkness had met on the field of battle,—Christ in fulfillment of His mission to “preach deliverance to the captives, ... to set at liberty them that are bruised” (Luke 4:18), Satan seeking to hold his victim under his control. Angels of light and the hosts of evil angels, unseen, were pressing near to behold the conflict. For a moment, Jesus permitted the evil spirit to display his power, that the beholders might comprehend the deliverance about to be wrought.

The multitude looked on with bated breath, the father in an agony of hope and fear. Jesus asked, “How long is it ago since this came unto him?” The father told the story of long years of suffering, and then, as if he could endure no more, exclaimed, “If Thou canst do anything, have compassion on us, and help us.” “If Thou canst!” Even now the father questioned the power of Christ.

Jesus answers, “If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.” There is no lack of power on the part of Christ; the healing of the son depends upon the father's faith. With a burst of tears, realizing his own weakness, the father casts himself upon Christ's mercy, with the cry, “Lord, I believe; help Thou mine unbelief.”

Jesus turns to the suffering one, and says, “Thou dumb and deaf spirit, I charge thee, come out of him, and enter no more into him.” There is a cry, an agonized struggle. The demon, in passing, seems about to rend the life from his victim. Then the boy lies motionless, and apparently lifeless. The multitude whisper, “He is dead.” But Jesus takes him by the hand, and lifting him up, presents him, in perfect soundness of mind and body, to his father. Father and son praise the name of their Deliverer. The multitude are “amazed at the mighty power of God,” while the scribes, defeated and crestfallen, turn sullenly away.

“If Thou canst do anything, have compassion on us, and help us.” How many a sin-burdened soul has echoed that prayer. And to all, the pitying Saviour's answer is, “If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.” It is faith that connects us with heaven, and brings us strength for coping with the powers of darkness. In Christ, God has provided means for subduing every sinful trait, and resisting every temptation, however strong. But many feel that they lack faith, and therefore they remain away from Christ. Let these souls, in their helpless unworthiness, cast themselves upon the mercy of their compassionate Saviour. Look not to self, but to Christ. He who healed the sick and cast out demons when He walked among men is the same mighty Redeemer today. Faith comes by the word of God. Then grasp His promise, “Him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out.” John 6:37. Cast yourself at His feet with the cry, “Lord, I believe; help Thou mine unbelief.” You can never perish while you do this—never.

In a brief space of time the favored disciples have beheld the extreme of glory and of humiliation. They have seen humanity as transfigured into the image of God, and as debased into the likeness of Satan. From the mountain where He has talked with the heavenly messengers, and has been proclaimed the Son of God by the voice from the radiant glory, they have seen Jesus descend to meet that most distressing and revolting spectacle, the maniac boy, with distorted countenance, gnashing his teeth in spasms of agony that no human power could relieve. And this mighty Redeemer, who but a few hours before stood glorified before His wondering disciples, stoops to lift the victim of Satan from the earth where he is wallowing, and in health of mind and body restores him to his father and his home.

It was an object lesson of redemption,—the Divine One from the Father's glory stooping to save the lost. It represented also the disciples’ mission. Not alone upon the mountaintop with Jesus, in hours of spiritual illumination, is the life of Christ's servants to be spent. There is work for them down in the plain. Souls whom Satan has enslaved are waiting for the word of faith and prayer to set them free.

The nine disciples were yet pondering upon the bitter fact of their own failure; and when Jesus was once more alone with them, they questioned, “Why could not we cast him out?” Jesus answered them, “Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you. Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.” Their unbelief, that shut them out from deeper sympathy with Christ, and the carelessness with which they regarded the sacred work committed to them, had caused their failure in the conflict with the powers of darkness. 

The words of Christ pointing to His death had brought sadness and doubt. And the selection of the three disciples to accompany Jesus to the mountain had excited the jealousy of the nine. Instead of strengthening their faith by prayer and meditation on the words of Christ, they had been dwelling on their discouragements and personal grievances. In this state of darkness they had undertaken the conflict with Satan.

In order to succeed in such a conflict they must come to the work in a different spirit. Their faith must be strengthened by fervent prayer and fasting, and humiliation of heart. They must be emptied of self, and be filled with the Spirit and power of God. Earnest, persevering supplication to God in faith—faith that leads to entire dependence upon God, and unreserved consecration to His work—can alone avail to bring men the Holy Spirit's aid in the battle against principalities and powers, the rulers of the darkness of this world, and wicked spirits in high places.

“If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed,” said Jesus, “ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove.” Though the grain of mustard seed is so small, it contains that same mysterious life principle which produces growth in the loftiest tree. When the mustard seed is cast into the ground, the tiny germ lays hold of every element that God has provided for its nutriment, and it speedily develops a sturdy growth. If you have faith like this, you will lay hold upon God's word, and upon all the helpful agencies He has appointed. Thus your faith will strengthen, and will bring to your aid the power of heaven. The obstacles that are piled by Satan across your path, though apparently as insurmountable as the eternal hills, shall disappear before the demand of faith. “Nothing shall be impossible unto you.” DA 426-431

Withdraw to the Freedom of Rural Areas

The time is fast coming when the controlling power of the labor unions will be very oppressive. 

Again and again the Lord has instructed that our people are to take their families away from the cities, into the country, where they can raise their own provisions; for in the future the problem of buying and selling will be a very serious one. We should now begin to heed the instruction given us over and over again: Get out of the cities into rural districts, where the houses are not crowded closely together, and where you will be free from the interference of enemies. 

 and shall put on the garments of vengeance. Satanic agencies are in every city, busily organizing into parties those opposed to the law of God. Professed saints and avowed unbelievers take their stand with these parties. This is no time for the people of God to be weaklings. We cannot afford to be off our guard for a moment. 

To fathers and to mothers I am instructed to say, Fail not to keep your children within your own premises. CL 9-12 

Persecuted

“Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”—Matthew 5:10.

Jesus does not present to His followers the hope of attaining earthly glory and riches, and of having a life free from trial, but He presents to them the privilege of walking with their Master in the paths of self-denial and reproach, because the world knows them not. 

He who came to redeem the lost world was opposed by the united forces of the adversaries of God and man. In an unpitying confederacy, evil men and evil angels arrayed themselves against the Prince of Peace. Though His every word and act breathed of divine compassion, His unlikeness to the world provoked the bitterest hostility. Because He would give no license for the exercise of the evil passions of our nature, He aroused the fiercest opposition and enmity. So it is with all who will live godly in Christ Jesus. Between righteousness and sin, love and hatred, truth and falsehood, there is an irrepressible conflict. When one presents the love of Christ and the beauty of holiness, he is drawing away the subjects of Satan's kingdom, and the prince of evil is aroused to resist it. Persecution and reproach await all who are imbued with the Spirit of Christ. The character of the persecution changes with the times, but the principle—the spirit that underlies it—is the same that has slain the chosen of the Lord ever since the days of Abel. 

As men seek to come into harmony with God, they will find that the offense of the cross has not ceased. Principalities and powers and wicked spirits in high places are arrayed against all who yield obedience to the law of heaven. Therefore, so far from causing grief, persecution should bring joy to the disciples of Christ, for it is an evidence that they are following in the steps of their Master. 

While the Lord has not promised His people exemption from trials, He has promised that which is far better. He has said, “As thy days, so shall thy strength be.” “My grace is sufficient for thee: for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Deuteronomy 33:25; 2 Corinthians 12:9. If you are called to go through the fiery furnace for His sake, Jesus will be by your side even as He was with the faithful three in Babylon. Those who love their Redeemer will rejoice at every opportunity of sharing with Him humiliation and reproach. The love they bear their Lord makes suffering for His sake sweet.

In all ages Satan has persecuted the people of God. He has tortured them and put them to death, but in dying they became conquerors. They revealed in their steadfast faith a mightier One than Satan. Satan could torture and kill the body, but he could not touch the life that was hid with Christ in God. He could incarcerate in prison walls, but he could not bind the spirit. They could look beyond the gloom to the glory, saying, “I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.” “Our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.” Romans 8:18; 2 Corinthians 4:17. 

Through trials and persecution, the glory—character—of God is revealed in His chosen ones. The church of God, hated and persecuted by the world, are educated and disciplined in the school of Christ. They walk in narrow paths on earth; they are purified in the furnace of affliction. They follow Christ through sore conflicts; they endure self-denial and experience bitter disappointments; but their painful experience teaches them the guilt and woe of sin, and they look upon it with abhorrence. Being partakers of Christ's sufferings, they are destined to be partakers of His glory. In holy vision the prophet saw the triumph of the people of God. He says, “I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: and them that had gotten the victory, ... stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God. And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvelous are Thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are Thy ways, Thou King of saints.” “These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve Him day and night in His temple: and He that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them.” Revelation 15:2, 3; 7:14,15. MB 29-31

Colossians 1:9-12

We also, since the day we 
heard it, do not cease to 
pray for you,  
desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of His will 
in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; 
That ye might 
walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, 
being fruitful in every good work, 
increasing in the knowledge of God; 
Strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, 
unto all patience 
longsuffering 
with joyfulness; 
Giving thanks unto the Father.

The Lamb That Dies

 Basic in the plan of salvation is Christ’s sacrifice for sin, which provides both ransom and reunion. “Christ...hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God” (1 Peter 3:18). The innocent must suffer for the guilty. The Sinless One must take the sinner’s place. 

From the day that man fell, God sought to reveal His wonderful plan. In the sacrificial system He showed that He would accept a substitute in the sinner’s place. In His wisdom God gave man an opportunity to exercise both faith and choice by participating in the sacrificial ceremonies. When, through Moses, God instituted the sanctuary service in the wilderness, He more fully revealed the significance of the plan of salvation. 

In our imagination let us visit the court and observe the worshipers as they enter, longing for freedom from their burden of sin. One man leads a bullock, another has a goat, a third brings a lamb. We watch the man with the lamb approach the altar and place his hand upon the lamb. Leviticus 4:33 makes the meaning clear: “And he shall lay his hand upon the head of the sin offering.” The laying of his hand upon the lamb implies confession—and genuine confession is specific. (Leviticus 5:5 in its description of the trespass offering points this out: “He shall confess that he hath sinned in that thing.”) In symbol his sin has thus been transferred from himself to the lamb. And so the lamb must die. 

Who slays the sacrifice? The repentant sinner who has transferred his sin to the substitute. “And he shall...slay it for a sin offering in the place where they kill the burnt offering” (Leviticus 4:33). 

Notice the steps involved. “Day by day the repentant sinner brought his offering to the door of the tabernacle and, placing his hand upon the victim’s head, confessed his sins, thus in figure transferring them from himself to the innocent sacrifice. The animal was then slain” (GC 418). 

There are further steps in the service of atonement, but now let us note the lessons that this typical shadow has for you and me. “It is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins” (Hebrews 10:4). In all ages man’s only hope has been Jesus Christ, the True Sacrifice. Hence, to every sinner the message comes, “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). 

In the typical service when the contrite sinner transferred his sin to the innocent lamb, it became a sin bearer. So concerning Christ the Scriptures state, “Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree” (1 Peter 2:24). As the repentant sinner brought a substitute that died in his place, so every penitent person can come to Calvary and, looking at the crucified Son of God, say, He “loved me, and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20). 

But there is more. The man who sought forgiveness slew the sacrifice. It was not enough that the penitent should confess his sins and transfer them to the substitute. He must raise his hand to take the lamb’s life. So as we bring our sins to Jesus and lay them on His head we are to linger at Calvary and behold what our sins do to our Substitute. Here we can find true repentance. 

“When they look on him whom they have pierced, they shall mourn for him, as one mourns for an only child, and weep bitterly over him, as one weeps over a firstborn” (Zechariah 12:10, RSV). Whom do we see pierced? Yes, Jesus on the cross—His hands and feet pierced with nails, His brow pierced with thorns. “When they look on him whom they have pierced...” Who will look? Those who pierced Him. And with what result? “They shall mourn for him, as one mourns for an only child.” 

But when you and I come to Calvary, we face an infinitely greater tragedy, for we see Jesus slain, not by an accident, but by our deliberate sin. We have broken God’s holy law. And as we see Him die, the just for the unjust, the nature of sin begins to dawn on us. We confront a love so deep that God took our sins upon His innocent soul. No wonder Satan tries to keep us from looking at the cross! 

You see, people sin because they want to sin. Something must happen that will cause sin to lose its hold. If I put my finger on a hot stove, I pull it away at once. Why? It hurts me! But suppose I keep my hand on something while saying to you, “Oh! is is so hot it hurts me; it burns me!” You would think, “It must not hurt you very much or you would take your hand off!” 

When we keep on losing our temper, when we continue going to places of worldly amusement, when immodest fashions hold us in their grasp, when we criticise and gossip again and again, it is simply because these things don’t hurt us enough. 

But if we will come to Calvary, we will see what those sins have done to Christ. “Sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death” (James 1:15). And when we look at what sin did to Jesus, we see what it will do to us if we hang on to it. It will take us into the darkness of separation from God, where we will weep and wail and gnash our teeth. 

Jesus longs to show us what sin costs. He seeks to reveal to us what sin does to God’s heart. In the dying lamb by the altar in the court, He wants us to see the dying Lamb hanging on Calvary. He wants us to understand that our sins nailed Him there. 

“But,” someone may reason, “I wasn’t there. Roman soldiers drove the nails in His hands.” 

Granted, but nail wounds didn’t kill Him. Jesus died of a broken heart, broken under the weight of sin, and unless it was your sin that broke His heart, where will you find forgiveness, cleansing, and deliverance? “It is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul” (Leviticus 17:11). 

If you and I want to have the power of sin broken our lives, if we want sin taken out of our hearts, we must do in the antitype what repentant sinners did back there in the type. We must lay our sin on the innocent head of the Saviour. We must transfer our sin to Christ and then watch Him pay the price. We must “behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). 

Some things can be caught in a ash picture, but other take a time exposure. Have you seen the photographs of distant galaxies? Some of those photographic plates were exposed for hour after hour as light from the faraway stars accumulated on the plate. Similarly, we need more than a brief glimpse of Calvary. It would be well for us to spend a thoughtful period every day contemplating Jesus’ life, especially the closing scenes of His life. Why? at we can see His love for us and thus realize how terrible sin is. Thank God, we have a place of deliverance. 

If, as you look into the mirror of God’s holy law, you see yourself a transgressor, will you not come and put your sins upon the Lamb? God has no other way to separate you from your sins. And no matter how little your sin may seem to you, it murdered the Son of God. 

“Just as I am, without one plea But that Thy blood was shed for me, 

And that Thou bid’st me come to Thee, O Lamb of God, I come.” R&R WDF

Sardis

And unto the angel of the church in Sardis write; 

These things saith He that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars; I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead. Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die: for I have not found thy works perfect before God. Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee. Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with Me in white: for they are worthy. He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before My Father, and before His angels.

He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

Names of Christ – Author and Finisher

Looking unto Jesus the Author and Finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:2

They are to keep looking unto Jesus, the Author and Finisher of their faith. CH 555

My brother, my sister, take up your work right where you are. Do your best, ever looking to Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith. In no other way can we do the work of God and magnify His truth than by following in the footsteps of Him who gave up His high command to come to our world, that through His humiliation and suffering, human beings might become partakers of the divine nature. For our sake He became poor, that through His poverty we might come into possession of the eternal riches. CH 320

The Pearl - Pt. 2

The parable of the merchantman seeking goodly pearls has a double significance: it applies not only to men as seeking the kingdom of heaven, but to Christ as seeking His lost inheritance. 

Christ, the heavenly merchantman seeking goodly pearls, saw in lost humanity the pearl of price. In man, defiled and ruined by sin, He saw the possibilities of redemption. Hearts that have been the battleground of the conflict with Satan, and that have been rescued by the power of love, are more precious to the Redeemer than are those who have never fallen. God looked upon humanity, not as vile and worthless; He looked upon it in Christ, saw it as it might become through redeeming love. He collected all the riches of the universe, and laid them down in order to buy the pearl. And Jesus, having found it, resets it in His own diadem. “For they shall be as the stones of a crown, lifted up as an ensign upon His land.” Zechariah 9:16. “They shall be Mine, saith the Lord of hosts, in that day when I make up My jewels.” Malachi 3:17.

But Christ as the precious pearl, and our privilege of possessing this heavenly treasure, is the theme on which we most need to dwell. It is the Holy Spirit that reveals to men the preciousness of the goodly pearl. The time of the Holy Spirit's power is the time when in a special sense the heavenly gift is sought and found. In Christ's day many heard the gospel, but their minds were darkened by false teaching, and they did not recognize in the humble Teacher of Galilee the Sent of God. But after Christ's ascension His enthronement in His mediatorial kingdom was signalized by the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. On the day of Pentecost the Spirit was given. Christ's witnesses proclaimed the power of the risen Saviour. The light of heaven penetrated the darkened minds of those who had been deceived by the enemies of Christ. They now saw Him exalted to be “a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.” Acts 5:31. They saw Him encircled with the glory of heaven, with infinite treasures in His hands to bestow upon all who would turn from their rebellion. As the apostles set forth the glory of the Only-Begotten of the Father, three thousand souls were convicted. They were made to see themselves as they were, sinful and polluted, and Christ as their friend and Redeemer. Christ was lifted up, Christ was glorified, through the power of the Holy Spirit resting upon men. By faith these believers saw Him as the One who had borne humiliation, suffering, and death that they might not perish but have everlasting life. The revelation of Christ by the Spirit brought to them a realizing sense of His power and majesty, and they stretched forth their hands to Him by faith, saying, “I believe.”

Then the glad tidings of a risen Saviour were carried to the uttermost bounds of the inhabited world. The church beheld converts flocking to her from all directions. Believers were reconverted. Sinners united with Christians in seeking the pearl of great price. The prophecy was fulfilled, The weak shall be “as David,” and the house of David “as the angel of the Lord.” Zechariah 12:8. Every Christian saw in his brother the divine similitude of benevolence and love. One interest prevailed. One object swallowed up all others. All hearts beat in harmony. The only ambition of the believers was to reveal the likeness of Christ's character, and to labor for the enlargement of His kingdom. “The multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul...With great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus; and great grace was upon them all.” Acts 4:32, 33. “And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.” Acts 2:47. The Spirit of Christ animated the whole congregation; for they had found the pearl of great price.

These scenes are to be repeated, and with greater power. The outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost was the former rain, but the latter rain will be more abundant. The Spirit awaits our demand and reception. Christ is again to be revealed in His fulness by the Holy Spirit's power. Men will discern the value of the precious pearl, and with the apostle Paul they will say, “What things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord.” Philippians 3:7, 8. COL 118-121

But Christ as the precious pearl, and our privilege of possessing this heavenly treasure, is the theme on which we most need to dwell. COL 118

The Pearl - Pt. 1

Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls: Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it. Matthew 13:45, 46.

The blessings of redeeming love our Saviour compared to a precious pearl. He illustrated His lesson by the parable of the merchantman seeking goodly pearls “who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it.” Christ Himself is the pearl of great price. In Him is gathered all the glory of the Father, the fullness of the Godhead. He is the brightness of the Father's glory and the express image of His person. The glory of the attributes of God is expressed in His character. Every page of the Holy Scriptures shines with His light. The righteousness of Christ, as a pure, white pearl, has no defect, no stain. No work of man can improve the great and precious gift of God. It is without a flaw. In Christ are “hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” Colossians 2:3. He is “made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption.” 1 Corinthians 1:30. All that can satisfy the needs and longings of the human soul, for this world and for the world to come, is found in Christ. Our Redeemer is the pearl so precious that in comparison all things else may be accounted loss.

Christ “came unto His own, and His own received Him not.” John 1:11. The light of God shone into the darkness of the world, and “the darkness comprehended it not.” John 1:5. But not all were found indifferent to the gift of heaven. The merchantman in the parable represents a class who were sincerely desiring truth. In different nations there were earnest and thoughtful men who had sought in literature and science and the religions of the heathen world for that which they could receive as the soul's treasure. Among the Jews there were those who were seeking for that which they had not. Dissatisfied with a formal religion, they longed for that which was spiritual and uplifting. Christ's chosen disciples belonged to the latter class, Cornelius and the Ethiopian eunuch to the former. They had been longing and praying for light from heaven; and when Christ was revealed to them, they received Him with gladness.

In the parable the pearl is not represented as a gift. The merchantman bought it at the price of all that he had. Many question the meaning of this, since Christ is represented in the Scriptures as a gift. He is a gift, but only to those who give themselves, soul, body, and spirit, to Him without reserve. We are to give ourselves to Christ, to live a life of willing obedience to all His requirements. All that we are, all the talents and capabilities we possess, are the Lord's, to be consecrated to His service. When we thus give ourselves wholly to Him, Christ, with all the treasures of heaven, gives Himself to us. We obtain the pearl of great price.

Salvation is a free gift, and yet it is to be bought and sold. In the market of which divine mercy has the management, the precious pearl is represented as being bought without money and without price. In this market all may obtain the goods of heaven. The treasury of the jewels of truth is open to all. “Behold, I have set before thee an open door,” the Lord declares, “and no man can shut it.” No sword guards the way through this door. Voices from within and at the door say, Come. The Saviour's voice earnestly and lovingly invites us: “I counsel thee to buy of Me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich.” Revelation 3:8, 18.

The gospel of Christ is a blessing that all may possess. The poorest are as well able as the richest to purchase salvation; for no amount of worldly wealth can secure it. It is obtained by willing obedience, by giving ourselves to Christ as His own purchased possession. Education, even of the highest class, cannot of itself bring a man nearer to God. The Pharisees were favored with every temporal and every spiritual advantage, and they said with boastful pride, We are “rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing”; yet they were “wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked.” Revelation 3:17. Christ offered them the pearl of great price; but they disdained to accept it, and He said to them, “The publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you.” Matthew 21:31.

We cannot earn salvation, but we are to seek for it with as much interest and perseverance as though we would abandon everything in the world for it.

We are to seek for the pearl of great price, but not in worldly marts or in worldly ways. The price we are required to pay is not gold or silver, for this belongs to God. Abandon the idea that temporal or spiritual advantages will win for you salvation. God calls for your willing obedience. He asks you to give up your sins. “To him that overcometh,” Christ declares, “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.” Revelation 3:21.

There are some who seem to be always seeking for the heavenly pearl. But they do not make an entire surrender of their wrong habits. They do not die to self that Christ may live in them. Therefore they do not find the precious pearl. They have not overcome unholy ambition and their love for worldly attractions. They do not take up the cross and follow Christ in the path of self-denial and sacrifice. Almost Christians, yet not fully Christians, they seem near the kingdom of heaven, but they cannot enter there. Almost but not wholly saved, means to be not almost but wholly lost. 

But Christ as the precious pearl, and our privilege of possessing this heavenly treasure, is the theme on which we most need to dwell. COL 115-118

Stand on the Word of God Only

Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against Thee. So shall I have wherewith to answer him that reproacheth me: for I trust in Thy word. Many are my persecutors and mine enemies; yet do I not decline from Thy testimonies. Psalm 119:11,42,157

Those who endeavor to obey all the commandments of God will be opposed and derided. They can stand only in God. In order to endure the trial before them, they must understand the will of God as revealed in his Word; they can honor him only as they have a right conception of his character, government, and purposes, and act in accordance with them. None but those who have fortified the mind with the truths of the Bible will stand through the last great conflict. To every soul will come the searching test, Shall I obey God rather than men? The decisive hour is even now at hand. Are our feet planted on the rock of God's immutable Word? Are we prepared to stand firm in defense of the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus? GC88 593

We have the Word of God and then there is Revelation 19:10 "for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy." We have in these two resources, all of His advice and as He lives His life in and through us while abiding in our hearts we can also have the bonus of, we will “hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it” Isaiah 30:21. What a comfort this is to each one of us also with all that we are personally and as believers facing at this time, waiting on Christ for every thought, word, deed and place to go. Living by the “faith of Jesus”.  

His Face Did Shine

Matthew 17:1-9

Evening is drawing on as Jesus calls to His side three of His disciples, Peter, James, and John, and leads them across the fields, and far up a rugged path, to a lonely mountainside…The disciples do not venture to ask Christ whither He is going, or for what purpose…The disciples follow where Christ leads the way; yet they wonder why their Master should lead them up this toilsome ascent when they are weary, and when He too is in need of rest. 
Presently Christ tells them that they are now to go no farther. Stepping a little aside from them, the Man of Sorrows pours out His supplications with strong crying and tears. He prays for strength to endure the test in behalf of humanity. He must Himself gain a fresh hold on Omnipotence, for only thus can He contemplate the future. And He pours out His heart longings for His disciples, that in the hour of the power of darkness their faith may not fail…

So the hours pass slowly by. At first the disciples unite their prayers with His in sincere devotion; but after a time they are overcome with weariness, and, even while trying to retain their interest in the scene, they fall asleep…Not all, even of the twelve, can receive the revelation He desires to give. Only the three who are to witness His anguish in Gethsemane have been chosen to be with Him on the mount. Now the burden of His prayer is that they may be given a manifestation of the glory He had with the Father before the world was, that His kingdom may be revealed to human eyes, and that His disciples may be strengthened to behold it. He pleads that they may witness a manifestation of His divinity that will comfort them in the hour of His supreme agony with the knowledge that He is of a surety the Son of God and that His shameful death is a part of the plan of redemption.

His prayer is heard. While He is bowed in lowliness upon the stony ground, suddenly the heavens open, the golden gates of the city of God are thrown wide, and holy radiance descends upon the mount, enshrouding the Saviour's form. Divinity from within flashes through humanity, and meets the glory coming from above. Arising from His prostrate position, Christ stands in godlike majesty. The soul agony is gone. His countenance now shines “as the sun,” and His garments are “white as the light.”

The disciples, awaking, behold the flood of glory that illuminates the mount. In fear and amazement they gaze upon the radiant form of their Master. As they become able to endure the wondrous light, they see that Jesus is not alone. Beside Him are two heavenly beings, in close converse with Him. They are Moses, who upon Sinai had talked with God; and Elijah, to whom the high privilege was given—granted to but one other of the sons of Adam—never to come under the power of death…

Moses upon the mount of transfiguration was a witness to Christ's victory over sin and death. He represented those who shall come forth from the grave at the resurrection of the just. Elijah, who had been translated to heaven without seeing death, represented those who will be living upon the earth at Christ's second coming, and who will be “changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump;” when “this mortal must put on immortality,” and “this corruptible must put on incorruption.” 1 Corinthians 15:51-53…The Saviour's promise to the disciples was now fulfilled. Upon the mount the future kingdom of glory was represented in miniature,—Christ the King, Moses a representative of the risen saints, and Elijah of the translated ones…

The disciples are confident that Moses and Elijah have been sent to protect their Master, and to establish His authority as king.

But before the crown must come the cross. Not the inauguration of Christ as king, but the decease to be accomplished at Jerusalem, is the subject of their conference with Jesus…These men, chosen above every angel around the throne, had come to commune with Jesus concerning the scenes of His suffering, and to comfort Him with the assurance of the sympathy of heaven. The hope of the world, the salvation of every human being, was the burden of their interview.

Through being overcome with sleep, the disciples heard little of what passed between Christ and the heavenly messengers. Failing to watch and pray, they had not received that which God desired to give them,—a knowledge of the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow. They lost the blessing that might have been theirs through sharing His self-sacrifice. Slow of heart to believe were these disciples, little appreciative of the treasure with which Heaven sought to enrich them.

Yet they received great light. They were assured that all heaven knew of the sin of the Jewish nation in rejecting Christ. They were given a clearer insight into the work of the Redeemer. They saw with their eyes and heard with their ears things that were beyond the comprehension of man. They were “eyewitnesses of His majesty” (2 Peter 1:16), and they realized that Jesus was indeed the Messiah, to whom patriarchs and prophets had witnessed, and that He was recognized as such by the heavenly universe.

While they were still gazing on the scene upon the mount, “a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye Him.” As they beheld the cloud of glory, brighter than that which went before the tribes of Israel in the wilderness; as they heard the voice of God speak in awful majesty that caused the mountain to tremble, the disciples fell smitten to the earth. They remained prostrate, their faces hidden, till Jesus came near, and touched them, dispelling their fears with His well-known voice, “Arise, and be not afraid.” Venturing to lift up their eyes, they saw that the heavenly glory had passed away, the forms of Moses and Elijah had disappeared. They were upon the mount, alone with Jesus. DA 419-425

God's Efforts to Arouse the People

While at Loma Linda, Calif., April 16, 1906, there passed before me a most wonderful representation. During a vision of the night, I stood on an eminence, from which I could see houses shaken like a reed in the wind. Buildings, great and small, were falling to the ground. Pleasure resorts, theaters, hotels, and the homes of the wealthy were shaken and shattered. Many lives were blotted out of existence, and the air was filled with the shrieks of the injured and the terrified. 
The destroying angels of God were at work. One touch, and buildings so thoroughly constructed that men regarded them as secure against every danger, quickly became heaps of rubbish. There was no assurance of safety in any place. I did not feel in any special peril, but the awfulness of the scenes that passed before me I cannot find words to describe. It seemed that the forbearance of God was exhausted, and that the judgment day had come.
The angel that stood at my side then instructed me that but few have any conception of the wickedness existing in our world today, and especially the wickedness in the large cities. He declared that the Lord has appointed a time when He will visit transgressors in wrath for persistent disregard of His law. 
Terrible as was the representation that passed before me, that which impressed itself most vividly upon my mind was the instruction given in connection with it. The angel that stood by my side declared that God's supreme rulership, and the sacredness of His law, must be revealed to those who persistently refuse to render obedience to the King of kings. Those who choose to remain disloyal, must be visited in mercy with judgments, in order that, if possible, they may be aroused to a realization of the sinfulness of their course. In harmony with the light given me, I am urging people to come out from the great centers of population. Our cities are increasing in wickedness, and it is becoming more and more evident that those who remain in them unnecessarily do so at the peril of their soul's salvation. CL 8,9

Peacemaker?

“Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.”—Matthew 5:9.

Christ is “the Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6), and it is His mission to restore to earth and heaven the peace that sin has broken. “Being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Romans 5:1. Whoever consents to renounce sin and open his heart to the love of Christ, becomes a partaker of this heavenly peace. 

There is no other ground of peace than this. The grace of Christ received into the heart, subdues enmity; it allays strife and fills the soul with love. He who is at peace with God and his fellow men cannot be made miserable. Envy will not be in his heart; evil surmisings will find no room there; hatred cannot exist. The heart that is in harmony with God is a partaker of the peace of heaven and will diffuse its blessed influence on all around. The spirit of peace will rest like dew upon hearts weary and troubled with worldly strife. 

Christ's followers are sent to the world with the message of peace. Whoever, by the quiet, unconscious influence of a holy life, shall reveal the love of Christ; whoever, by word or deed, shall lead another to renounce sin and yield his heart to God, is a peacemaker. 

And “blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.” The spirit of peace is evidence of their connection with heaven. The sweet savor of Christ surrounds them. The fragrance of the life, the loveliness of the character, reveal to the world the fact that they are children of God. Men take knowledge of them that they have been with Jesus. “Everyone that loveth is born of God.” “If any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His;” but “as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.” 1 John 4:7; Romans 8:9, 14. 

“And the remnant of Jacob shall be in the midst of many people as a dew from the Lord, as the showers upon the grass, that tarrieth not for man, nor waiteth for the sons of men.” Micah 5:7. MB 27-28