COMMUNITY: Face to Face

by David Birkenstock
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Psalm 42:1-4 (RSV): “As a hart longs for flowing streams, so longs my soul for thee, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and behold the face of God? My tears have been my food day and night, while men say to me continually, ‘Where is your God?’ These things I remember, as I pour out my soul: how I went with the throng, and led them in procession to the house of God, with glad shouts and songs of thanksgiving, a multitude keeping festival.”

INTRODUCTION

From the very beginning, creation was filled with sound, and every possible means of communication. In His desire to communicate with His children, God met them in the cool of the day to educate and guide them. He had placed Adam and Eve in a splendid garden and declared that all was good. “The book of nature, which spread its living lessons before them, afforded an exhaustless source of instruction and delight. On every leaf of the forest and stone of the mountains, in every shining star, in earth and sea and sky, God's name was written. With both the animate and the inanimate creation—with leaf and flower and tree, and with every living creature, from the leviathan of the waters to the mote in the sunbeam—the dwellers in Eden held converse, gathering from each the secrets of its life” (Education, p. 21). God, who created human beings in His image, loved to communicate with them and to share with them the wonders of creation.

Today we find that animals, insects, and all living creatures have ways to communicate. The dancing bee indicating to his fellow workers where the nectar can be found; a young bird’s song that is learned from his parents; all of nature is abuzz with the sounds, smells and colors of communication. The herring gull, for example, communicates with its hungry chick by the red spot on its beak, and in response the chick tries to peck at the red spot, thus causing the mother gull to regurgitate food for it. Communication is indeed the common bond that holds all nature together.

Karl Jaspers, the German philosopher, wrote, “Man’s supreme achievement in the world is communication from personality to personality” (The Way to Wisdom). All our successes in our careers, family, friendships, and companionships depend on communication. The fact is that we need contact with others, want contact with other people, and must have contact with fellow human beings if we are to become fully human. We have an inborn need to be in contact with other people and to communicate with them.

One of the most distinctive aspects of being alive is our potential for joy, fun, excitement, caring, and showing warmth; and this is only possible through communication. Just imagine what life would be like if we suddenly lost all the inventions that have to do with communication: the written word, newspapers, radio, TV, faxes, telephones, cell phones, the internet. Without communication our world would grind to a halt! Communication is vital for human existence, and if communication is so vital to us, how important it must be to God. God’s preferred means of communication is face to face; this is the way God instituted His initial communication with Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. “Our heavenly Father personally directed their education” (Education, p. 21)—it was that important to Him! So it was that God met them in the cool of the evening and educated them in all the secrets of the created world. What a joy and delight that must have been, to hold face-to-face communion with God! Ellen White reminds us of how heaven viewed this matter: “All heaven took a deep and joyful interest in the creation of the world and of man. Human beings were a new and distinct order. They were made ‘in the image of God,’ and it was the Creator’s design that they should populate the earth” (Review and Herald, February 11, 1902).

Adam and Eve were the rulers of the Garden. Adam had been crowned king in Eden and was given dominion over everything that God had created (God’s Amazing Grace, p. 40). For Adam to be the king of this perfect domain, God had to instruct him in what was expected of him in caring for the garden and all the animals that God had created. Although angels were also sent to instruct him, it was God himself who taught Adam what he needed to know. Adam and Eve had to learn how to care for the garden, and as they worked they learned the secrets of the plants and flowers. There was perfect harmony on earth, and God was very pleased with His creation; in fact, He pronounced it very good. (Gen. 1:31). Then came sin, and the perfect harmony was lost—including the face-to-face communion with their Creator.

COMMUNICATION AND THE FALL

God’s desire to guide and save us is so strong that He designed a way to communicate His plans to us after sin entered the picture. Amos 3:7 tells us, “Surely the Lord God does nothing, unless He reveals His secret to His servants the prophets.” We have the assurance that God will make His plans for the affairs of this world known to us, and therefore we need not fear the future.
The purpose of this sermon is to explore how God continued to communicate with humanity and how that in the planning and providence of God the time will come when the perfect mode of face-to-face communication will again be restored.

The entrance of sin brought separation between God and His children; no longer could there be face-to-face communion. As Isaiah 59:2 reminds us, “Your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear.” Sin is the great separator between people and between us and God. This was a crisis moment in the history of the world, and we need to take a closer look at how God solved this problem. Along with the sentence that God pronounced over mankind because of sin came also the promise that a Savior would come and restore us to our rightful place in the universe. This promise of hope implied that God would continue to communicate with mankind on a different level. Time revealed how he would do this. God would communicate with us through a Mediator, Jesus Christ. Christ was now Jacob’s ladder, bringing heaven and earth together. Through a system of worship and sacrifices, God would teach fallen human beings that a Substitute would take their place. God would communicate with us through the Substitute and the angels. No longer would He speak to us face to face but through Christ and His angels, His Spirit, and His chosen servants. (See passages below: CC 20, CON20, CON21, GC v1, PP 184.)

COMMUNICATION DURING PATRIARCHAL TIMES

During the time of the Patriarchs, God continued to speak to humanity through the system of sacrifices He instituted; He also sent His Son and His angels to be His messengers and spoke directly to His people. God now called certain people to be His voice in the world. After Adam and Eve left the garden they started to see the results and effects of sin, not only in nature but also in their own family. Despite even the powerful ministry of Enoch, people became progressively more wicked until God decided to destroy the earth by water. Before bringing this destruction on the world, He called Noah to be His spokesman and preacher for 120 years! Evil had made such inroads into their lives that God thought it best to destroy humanity and all their works and to start anew with the family of Noah.

God’s call to Abram demonstrated a new strategy in His communication with His fallen creatures. He not only called a man, but He promised him descendants and gave him the prospect of being the father of a great nation. This new nation would evangelize others and keep alive God’s purposes in the world. Now it was no longer just a single leader or person that was called to be God’s mouthpiece, but an entire nation was to do His bidding (Gen. 12:1-3). Thereby God illustrated His will for all people, namely that they should be a blessing in the world where they are (Gen. 12:2).

As this nation of faith grew, God chose to speak to His people in various ways. He spoke to Joseph through dreams, to the High Priest by means of the Urim and Thummim, and then through visions to the prophets who were called to be God’s spokespersons. During the time of the Judges the Lord continued to speak through the leaders, and especially through His messengers, including people like Deborah, Samuel, and others. After settling in the Promised Land, the people desired to be ruled by a king like the nations around them; it was then that the role of prophets came into greater prominence.

Why did God continue to care and try to communicate with His people despite their rebellion and sinfulness? In 2 Chronicles 36:15 we are given an insight into how God felt about His people: “He had compassion on His people and on His dwelling place.”

Prophets are not only spokesmen for God but are also known as the foretellers of things to come. During the time of the kings the prophets played a very important role in the affairs of the nation. In the days of the prophet Samuel we hear of the Schools of the Prophets—special schools that trained the nation’s spiritual leaders. These prophets had the responsibility of keeping the kings and the royal family on track, even having to rebuke kings who were not living in harmony with God’s requirements for the nation. It is from this time that we come across the well known text from 2 Chronicles 20:20, when King Jehoshaphat said to the people, “‘Believe in the Lord your God, and you shall be established; believe His prophets, and you shall prosper.’”
The work of the prophet was two-fold: to receive the Lord’s messages, and to deliver them. The Hebrew language has three words for the word “prophet: “chozeh” which means seer, akin to seeing or vision. The second word is “nabi” which is most frequently used for prophet and means “one who speaks for God.” The third word is “roeh” which is also translated as a seer, or one who discerns God’s will, one who receives visions in guiding the nation. The New Testament Greek word is “prophetes” which means one who speaks forth. God used various methods to transmit His message to the prophet, and the prophet was to interpret and transmit the message to the people.

By the time the nation was being established there were already some criteria for testing a prophet. False prophets have often plagued the people of God. Moses gave one of the first criteria of a true prophet: The predictions a prophet makes should come to pass, otherwise the Lord has not spoken (Deut. 18:21, 22). (The Bible does allow, however, for some prophecies to be conditional. These may not be fulfilled if the conditions are not met or the situation has changed; see Jer. 18:7-10 and the Book of Jonah.) Another important criterion is that the prophet teaches truth and obedience, as noted by Moses in Deuteronomy 13:1-4. A prophet does not deny truth previously given by another prophet but teaches obedience to God and His will. A similar thought is given in Isaiah 8:20: genuine prophets speak in harmony with the word and revealed will of God. With the passage of time it became very clear that a prophet also had to be a man or woman of God, whose life was in harmony with his or her beliefs and thus their lives would produce fruit in line with their profession (Matt. 7:15-23).

In compassion for His people, God reveals Himself during periods of crisis. The appearance of prophets is often linked with a major crisis in the history of the world. Think of the flood, before which God sent Noah to warn the world of the impending doom. Think of Israel in bondage in Egypt, to whom God sent Moses to take them to the Promised Land. Think of the severe oppression during the time of the Judges, and people such as Deborah and later Samuel who were sent to bring relief and courage to the people. Think of the periods of dark apostasy during the reign of the kings of Israel, when God sent men like Elijah to save the nation. Think of the time of national decline, and God’s grace in sending Isaiah and Jeremiah to encourage the people. During their captivity we find Daniel and Ezekiel, who brought messages of courage to the remnant.

It is clear from Scripture that God used prophets and that His choice of spokesperson was not limited by gender or genealogy, as in the choice of priests and the High Priest; but God used both men and women to be His spokespersons. In times of crisis for the nation of Israel God sent His prophets to give guidance, to rebuke, and to lead the nation. At some of these crucial points God had a number of prophets working to guide the people, but after the captivity of Israel there came a period of nearly 500 years when the prophetic office was silent. When the time was ripe in the history of Israel and in the history of the world, God sent the greatest of the prophets in the person of His Son with the true messages about God (Heb. 1:2).

TEACHING IN THE EARLY CHRISTIAN CHURCH

The prophetic voice was heard again when the time had come for the Messiah to be born and the Christian church to be established. We see the prophetic voice in the amazing work of John the Baptist who alerted the people of the coming Messiah, finally baptized Him, and pointed Him out to the people as the Lamb of God (John 1:36). John was God’s means of communicating hope to His people and calling them to repentance. The ministries of both John and Jesus were accompanied by signs and miracles, confirming their messages in the minds of a skeptical Jewish nation.

Jesus gave His message into the hands of a special community. This community, made up of apostles, leaders and believers, were to go into the whole world. It was up to them, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, to tell the world about the price that was paid for their redemption, and that salvation was now freely available to all humanity. They were to voice God’s intention of bringing heaven and earth together again after a final showdown between Good and Evil. At the Cross, Satan knew he was a defeated foe, but he would continue trying to deceive the world into following him in opposition to God. Jesus, by His life and ministry, had given the greatest revelation of who God is; He was indeed the greatest of the prophets (Heb. 1:2, 3).

God raised up great and mighty prophets in the ministry of Paul, Peter, John, and many other leaders. They clearly taught that the prophetic gift was to continue to the end of time in the church. In His compassion and care for His church, God would again raise up prophets to lead the church in time of crisis. The apostle Paul expected the prophetic gift to be with God’s people till the end of time, and so in his writings he admonished the Corinthian church not to come short in any gift (1 Cor. 1:7). Paul assured the Galatians that the fruits of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22) were for the Christian, and that besides this God gives the gifts of the Spirit to various ones whom He selects (1 Cor. 12:11), for the blessing of the church. In looking down the passage of time, Jesus expected the prophetic gift to continue to the end of time, for He warned the end-time church to beware of false prophets (Matt. 24:24). A warning against false prophets implies that there should also be genuine prophets, from whom the false ones must be distinguished, or else the warning would be against any prophets. Therefore we need to heed carefully the words of Paul in 1 Thessalonians 5:20, “Do not despise prophecies.”

It is clear that God’s last church on earth would have the prophetic gift. In fact, this gift would be one of the marks of the remnant church as recorded in Revelation 12:17 and Revelation 19:10. The disciples on the road to Emmaus were dismayed as they walked in the shadow of the crucifixion, thinking all was lost. Then Jesus came near and opened their minds to the events of their day and brought them hope and comfort. In a similar way, after the confusion and despair following the October 22 disappointment of 1844, God came close to His people by means of the prophetic gift, to encourage them, warn them of what was coming, and to prepare a people to meet their God.

SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTISTS AND THE PROPHETIC GIFT

The Seventh-day Adventist Church that arose after the great disappointment of October 22, 1844, came to believe strongly in the role and place of the prophetic gift in the church. The great disappointment shattered the faith of many who had believed that Christ would return in October of that year. Many gave up their faith. Various groups emerged from the disappointment, all seeking to find a way through the events that had so devastated them. One of these groups became the forerunners of the Seventh-day Adventist church. It was to this group that Ellen Gould Harmon, at the age of 17, revealed what God had shown her.
She was sickly, shy, and by no means one to promote herself, but she had a message for the people that God had shown her in vision. She saw herself as the weakest of the weak and a handmaiden of the Lord. She never made a claim for herself to the prophetic office but saw her role as a lesser light leading others to the Word of God and to the Savior. Through His communication with this shy teenager, who encouraged the people to restudy the Bible and pray for God’s revelation of the truth, God once again came close to His people. Perplexity and gloom changed to hope and courage. Soon these early Adventists were sharing their joy and hope in the present truth with the entire world.

Young Ellen had to contend with the prevailing sentiment among Millerite leaders that all charismatic phenomena, such as visions and trances, were to be rejected (Douglass, Messenger of the Lord, p 39). Equally troubling were the widening divisions and fearsome fanaticisms within the Millerite movement after the disappointment (ibid.). Ellen was a frail and sickly teenager who could barely speak above a whisper. Yet she was given a vision in December, 1844, which she was told to share with early believers. In time, because of her humble, unswerving fidelity to God’s will for her to be His messenger, she became the rallying point for earnest Bible students who wanted to know what was right and wrong about the 1844 disappointment. From this humble beginning came the formation of the Seventh-day Adventist church in the years 1860-1863.

The pioneers of the church were very watchful for anything that would indicate that these manifestations of the prophetic gift were not genuine. Ellen Harmon was therefore subjected to rigorous tests by doctors, ministers, and other leaders; however, she passed the biblical tests of a genuine prophet with flying colors, and her experience corresponded to the Bible’s descriptions of the prophets’ physical condition in vision. There are numerous eyewitness accounts of those who observed her and became convinced that she was a genuine spokesperson for God. The guidance she gave in the early days of the church, confirming the doctrinal positions of the church, and also her personal work in the church gave credence to her words and testimony. She married James White, a minister, in 1846, and therefore became known to members of the church as Ellen G White.

Faced with this manifestation of the Spirit of prophecy in the church, the church had to develop an understanding of the role of spiritual gifts in the church, especially that of the Spirit of prophecy. The early believers did so with much prayerful searching of Scripture, and their findings have remained largely unchanged as one of the fundamental beliefs of the Seventh-day Adventist church. This belief recognizes the biblical view of the Spirit of prophecy in the church and how the gift was manifested through the life and work of Ellen G. White and her writings. For seventy years her ministry and writings guided the church, and today, 93 years after her death, her writings still continue to point God’s church to the Bible and the Savior that it presents, the Lord Jesus Christ.

CONCLUSION

In the history of mankind God has revealed Himself through the prophetic gift in times of great crisis, in times of need, in times when God had something special to share with humanity. This type of communication through the prophets was not limited to just some biblical periods of history but was manifested throughout human history. Though there were periods when the prophetic voice was silent and we have little knowledge of what happened during these periods, God’s Word assures us in Amos 3:7 that God will do nothing in our world without first revealing it to His prophets. With every new initiative, every new epoch in sacred history, God informs us of His intentions for the future.

After giving His Son to pay the price on the cross for our salvation, God will not abandon us in these last days, but will continue to seek and to save all who accept Jesus and come into harmony with Him. With the Bible writers we also exclaim, “Maranatha! Come Lord Jesus, Come!” Come and restore the original mode of communication with all mankind—face to face!
David Birkenstock is the Director of the Ellen G. White Research Center, Helderberg College, South Africa
Unless otherwise noted, Bible quotations are from the New King James Version.

APPENDIX. – ELLEN G. WHITE QUOTATIONS

1. CHRIST THE NEW WAY OF COMMUNICATION BETWEEN MAN AND GOD

{CC 20} After the fall Christ became Adam's instructor. He acted in God's stead toward humanity, saving the race from immediate death. He took upon him the office of mediator. Adam and Eve were given a probation in which to return to their allegiance, and in this plan all their posterity were embraced.
Without the atonement of the Son of God there could have been no communication of blessing or salvation from God to man. God was jealous for the honor of His law. The transgression of that law had caused a fearful separation between God and man. To Adam in his innocence was granted communion, direct, free, and happy, with his Maker. After his transgression, God would communicate to man only through Christ and angels. (Conflict and Courage, p. 20)

2. MAN’S SIN—IMPOSSIBILITY OF COMMUNION WITH GOD

{Con 20} The holy and infinite God, who dwelleth in light unapproachable, could no longer talk with man. No communication could now exist directly between man and his Maker.
God forbears, for a time, the full execution of the sentence of death pronounced upon man. Satan flattered himself that he had forever broken the link between heaven and earth. But in this he was greatly mistaken and disappointed. The Father had given the world into the hands of His Son for Him to redeem from the curse and the disgrace of Adam's failure and fall. Through Christ alone can man now find access to God. And through Christ alone will the Lord hold communication with man. (Confrontation, p. 20)

3. MAN SAVED BY THE SACRIFICIAL SYSTEM

{Con 21} Fallen man, because of his guilt, could no longer come directly before God with his supplications; for his transgression of the divine law had placed an impassable barrier between the holy God and the transgressor. But a plan was devised that the sentence of death should rest upon a Substitute. In the plan of redemption there must be the shedding of blood, for death must come in consequence of man’s sin. The beasts for sacrificial offerings were to prefigure Christ. In the slain victim, man was to see the fulfillment for the time being of God’s word, "Thou shalt surely die." And the flowing of the blood from the victim would also signify an atonement. There was no virtue in the blood of animals; but the shedding of the blood of beasts was to point forward to a Redeemer who would one day come to the world and die for the sins of men. And thus Christ would fully vindicate His Father's law. (Confrontation, pp. 21, 22)

4. AFTER ENTRANCE OF SIN GOD COMMUNICATES BY HOLY SPIRIT

{GC v} Before the entrance of sin, Adam enjoyed open communion with his Maker; but since man separated himself from God by transgression, the human race has been cut off from this high privilege. By the plan of redemption, however, a way has been opened whereby the inhabitants of the earth may still have connection with heaven. God has communicated with men by His Spirit, and divine light has been imparted to the world by revelations to His chosen servants. "Holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost." 2 Peter 1:21. (The Great Controversy, Introduction, p. v)

5. JESUS AS MEDIATOR AND THE LADDER BETWEEN HEAVEN AND EARTH

{PP 184} Up to the time of man's rebellion against the government of God, there had been free communion between God and man. But the sin of Adam and Eve separated earth from heaven, so that man could not have communion with his Maker. Yet the world was not left in solitary hopelessness. The ladder represents Jesus, the appointed medium of communication. Had He not with His own merits bridged the gulf that sin had made, the ministering angels could have held no communion with fallen man. Christ connects man in his weakness and helplessness with the source of infinite power. (Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 184)

6. COMMUNION WAS TO BE FOREVER.

Face-to-face, heart-to-heart communion with his Maker was his high privilege. Had he remained loyal to God, all this would have been his forever. Throughout eternal ages he would have continued to gain new treasures of knowledge, to discover fresh springs of happiness, and to obtain clearer and yet clearer conceptions of the wisdom, the power, and the love of God. More and more fully would he have fulfilled the object of his creation, more and more fully have reflected the Creator's glory. (Education, p. 15)

7. GOD COMMUNICATED THROUGH CHRIST—INCARNATION IN CHRIST

Ever since Adam's sin, the human race had been cut off from direct communion with God; the communication between heaven and earth had been through Christ; but now that Jesus had come "in the likeness of sinful flesh" (Romans 8:3), the Father Himself spoke. He had before communicated with humanity through Christ; now He communicated with humanity in Christ. Satan had hoped that God's abhorrence of evil would bring an eternal separation between heaven and earth. But now it was manifest that the connection between God and man had been restored. (The Desire of Ages, p. 116)

8. IMPORTANCE OF COMMUNICATION

Power to Communicate--The extent of a Christian's usefulness is measured by his power to communicate that which he has received, and which has become experience to him. Education falls short if students do not obtain a knowledge of how to use the faculty of speech, and how to use to the best advantage the education they have obtained. The youth are to commence when young to learn the proper manner of speech.--Ms 74, 1897. (The Voice in Speech and Song, p. 43)

9. THE WORD A CHANNEL OF COMMUNICATION WITH GOD.

The Word of God is a channel of communication with the living God. He who feeds upon the Word will become fruitful in all good works. He . . . will be the discoverer of rich mines of truth which he must work to find the hidden treasure. When [he is] surrounded with temptations, the Holy Spirit will bring to his mind the very words with which to meet the temptation at the very moment when they are most needed, and he can use them effectually. (The Faith I Live By, p. 8)

STEWARDSHIP

Sabbath Afternoon

Memory Text: Matthew 25:29 NIV 29 For everyone who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him.


Sunday

Talents

Matthew 25:14-30 NKJV 14 "For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them. 15 "And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his own ability; and immediately he went on a journey. 16 "Then he who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and made another five talents. 17 "And likewise he who had received two gained two more also. 18 "But he who had received one went and dug in the ground, and hid his lord's money. 19 "After a long time the lord of those servants came and settled accounts with them. 20 "So he who had received five talents came and brought five other talents, saying, 'Lord, you delivered to me five talents; look, I have gained five more talents besides them.' 21 "His lord said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.' 22 "He also who had received two talents came and said, 'Lord, you delivered to me two talents; look, I have gained two more talents besides them.' 23 "His lord said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.' 24 "Then he who had received the one talent came and said, 'Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed. 25 'And I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground. Look, there you have what is yours.' 26 "But his lord answered and said to him, 'You wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have not scattered seed. 27 'So you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received back my own with interest. 28 'Therefore take the talent from him, and give it to him who has ten talents. 29 'For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away.

Matthew 25:30 'And cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'

Matthew 25:30 NIV 30 And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'

Matthew 25:30 NKJV 30 'And cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'


Monday

Time

Matthew 4:23 NKJV 23 And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people.

Mark 1:29-31 NKJV 29 Now as soon as they had come out of the synagogue, they entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. 30 But Simon's wife's mother lay sick with a fever, and they told Him about her at once. 31 So He came and took her by the hand and lifted her up, and immediately the fever left her. And she served them.

Luke 4:16 NKJV 16 So He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up. And as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read.

John 2:1-11 NKJV 1 On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. 2 Now both Jesus and His disciples were invited to the wedding. 3 And when they ran out of wine, the mother of Jesus said to Him, "They have no wine." 4 Jesus said to her, "Woman, what does your concern have to do with Me? My hour has not yet come." 5 His mother said to the servants, "Whatever He says to you, do it." 6 Now there were set there six waterpots of stone, according to the manner of purification of the Jews, containing twenty or thirty gallons apiece. 7 Jesus said to them, "Fill the waterpots with water." And they filled them up to the brim. 8 And He said to them, "Draw some out now, and take it to the master of the feast." And they took it. 9 When the master of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and did not know where it came from (but the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom. 10 And he said to him, "Every man at the beginning sets out the good wine, and when the guests have well drunk, then the inferior. You have kept the good wine until now!" 11 This beginning of signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and manifested His glory; and His disciples believed in Him.

John 12:2 NKJV 2 There they made Him a supper; and Martha served, but Lazarus was one of those who sat at the table with Him.


Tuesday

Stewards of Our Body

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 NKJV 19 Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? 20 For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's.


Wednesday

Our Material Possessions

Leviticus 27:30 NKJV 30 'And all the tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land or of the fruit of the tree, is the LORD'S. It is holy to the LORD.

Deuteronomy 8:18 NKJV 18 "And you shall remember the LORD your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day.

Psalms 50:12 NKJV 12 "If I were hungry, I would not tell you; For the world is Mine, and all its fullness.

Malachi 3:8-10 NKJV 8 "Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed Me! But you say, 'In what way have we robbed You?' In tithes and offerings. 9 You are cursed with a curse, For you have robbed Me, Even this whole nation. 10 Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, That there may be food in My house, And try Me now in this," Says the LORD of hosts, "If I will not open for you the windows of heaven And pour out for you such blessing That there will not be room enough to receive it.

Matthew 6:31 NKJV 31 "Therefore do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?'

Matthew 23:23 NKJV 23 "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone.

Acts 20:35 NIV 35 In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.'"

Acts 20:35 NKJV 35 "I have shown you in every way, by laboring like this, that you must support the weak. And remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He said, 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.'"


Thursday

While We Are Waiting

Matthew 25:19 NIV 19 "After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them.

Matthew 25:12 NIV 12 "But he replied, 'I tell you the truth, I don't know you.'

Matthew 25:15 NIV 15 To one he gave five talents of money, to another two talents, and to another one talent, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey.

Matthew 25:19 NKJV 19 "After a long time the lord of those servants came and settled accounts with them.

Matthew 25:12 NKJV 12 "But he answered and said, 'Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you.'

Matthew 25:15 NKJV 15 "And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his own ability; and immediately he went on a journey.
Matthew 24:42-46 NKJV 42 "Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming. 43 "But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into. 44 "Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect. 45 "Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his master made ruler over his household, to give them food in due season? 46 "Blessed is that servant whom his master, when he comes, will find so doing.
Ellen G. White, The Adventist Home, p. 23

Vigilance and Diligence to Be Blended.--When we give ourselves unreservedly to the Lord, the simple, commonplace duties of home life will be seen in their true importance, and we shall perform them in accordance with the will of God. We are to be vigilant, watching for the coming of the Son of man; and we must also be diligent; working as well as waiting is required; there must be a union of the two. This will balance the Christian character, making it well developed, symmetrical. We should not feel that we are to neglect everything else, and give ourselves up to meditation, study, or prayer; neither are we to be full of bustle and hurry and work,
to the neglect of personal piety. Waiting and watching and working are to be blended. "Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord." {AH 23.1}

Provide Laborsaving Facilities.--In many a home the wife and mother has no time to read, to keep herself well informed, no time to be a companion to her husband, no time to keep in touch with the developing minds of her children. There is no time or place for the precious Saviour to be a close, dear companion. Little by little she sinks into a mere household drudge, her strength and time and interest absorbed in the things that perish with the using. Too late she awakes to find herself almost a (p. 24) stranger in her own home. The precious opportunities once hers to influence her dear ones for the higher life, unimproved, have passed away forever. {AH 23.2}

Matthew 25:21 NIV 21 "His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!'

Matthew 25:21 NKJV 21 "His lord said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.'

Friday

Ellen G. White, Counsels on Stewardship, pp. 195-206

Chap. 39 - The True Motive in All Service In the days of Christ the Pharisees were continually trying to earn the favor of Heaven, in order to secure the worldly honor and prosperity which they regarded as the reward of virtue. At the same time they paraded their acts of charity before the people in order to attract their attention, and gain a reputation for sanctity. {CS 195.1}
Jesus rebuked their ostentation, declaring that God does not recognize such service, and that the flattery and admiration of the people, which they so eagerly sought, was the only reward they would ever receive. {CS 195.2}
"When thou doest alms," He said, "let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth; that thine alms may be in secret; and thy Father, which seeth in secret, Himself shall reward thee openly." {CS 195.3}
In these words Jesus did not teach that acts of kindness should always be kept secret. Paul the apostle, writing by the Holy Spirit, did not conceal the generous self-sacrifice of the Macedonian Christians, but told of the grace that Christ had wrought in them, and thus others were imbued with the same spirit. He also wrote to the church at Corinth and said, "Your zeal hath stirred up very many." {CS 195.4}
Christ's own words make His meaning plain,--that in acts of charity the aim should not be to secure praise and honor from men. Real godliness never prompts an effort at display. Those who desire words of praise and flattery, and feed upon them as a sweet morsel, are Christians in name only. {CS 195.5}
By their good works, Christ's followers are to bring glory, not to themselves, but to Him through whose grace and power they have wrought. It is through the Holy Spirit that every good work is accomplished, and (p. 196) the Spirit is given to glorify, not the receiver, but the Giver. When the light of Christ is shining in the soul, the lips will be filled with praise and thanksgiving to God. Your prayers, your performance of duty, your benevolence, your self-denial, will not be the theme of your thought or conversation. Jesus will be magnified, self will be hidden, and Christ will appear as all in all. {CS 195.6}
We are to give in sincerity, not to make a show of our good deeds, but from pity and love to the suffering ones. Sincerity of purpose, real kindness of heart, is the motive that Heaven values. The soul that is sincere in its love, wholehearted in its devotion, God regards as more precious than the golden wedge of Ophir. . . . We are not to think of reward, but of service.--MB 120, 121. {CS 196.1}
Motive for Giving Is Chronicled I was shown that the recording angel makes a faithful record of every offering dedicated to God, and put into the treasury, and also of the final result of the means thus bestowed. The eye of God takes cognizance of every farthing devoted to His cause, and of the willingness or reluctance of the giver. The motive in giving is also chronicled. Those self-sacrificing, consecrated ones who render back to God the things that are His, as He requires of them, will be rewarded according to their works.--2T 518, 519. {CS 196.2}
Higher Motives Than Sympathy The moral darkness of a ruined world pleads to Christian men and women to put forth individual effort, to give of their means and of their influence, that they may be assimilated to the image of Him who, though He possessed infinite riches, yet for our sakes became poor. The Spirit of God cannot abide with those to whom He has sent the message of His truth, but (p. 197) who need to be urged before they can have any sense of their duty to be coworkers with Christ. The apostle enforces the duty of giving from higher grounds than merely human sympathy, because the feelings are moved. He enforces the principle that we should labor unselfishly with an eye single to the glory of God. --3T 391. {CS 196.3}
Love the Principle of Action Love must be the principle of action. Love is the underlying principle of God's government in heaven and earth, and it must be the foundation of the Christian's character. This alone can make and keep him steadfast. This alone can enable him to withstand trial and temptation. {CS 197.1}
And love will be revealed in sacrifice. The plan of redemption was laid in sacrifice,--a sacrifice so broad and deep and high that it is immeasurable. Christ gave all for us, and those who receive Christ will be ready to sacrifice all for the sake of their Redeemer. The thought of His honor and glory will come before anything else. {CS 197.2}
If we love Jesus, we shall love to live for Him, to present our thank offerings to Him, to labor for Him. The very labor will be light. For His sake we shall covet pain and toil and sacrifice. We shall sympathize with His longing for the salvation of men. We shall feel the same tender craving for souls that He has felt. {CS 197.3}
This is the religion of Christ. Anything short of it is a deception. No mere theory of truth or profession of discipleship will save any soul. We do not belong to Christ unless we are His wholly. It is by halfheartedness in the Christian life that men become feeble in purpose and changeable in desire. The effort to serve both self and Christ makes one a stony-ground hearer, and he will not endure when the test comes upon him. --COL 49, 50. {CS 197.4}
Chap. 40 - Freewill Offerings All that we do is to be done willingly. We are to bring our offerings with joy and gratitude, saying as we present them, Of Thine own we freely give Thee. The most costly service we can render is but meager compared to the gift of God to our world. Christ is a gift every day. God gave Him to the world, and He graciously takes the gifts entrusted to His human agents for the advancement of His work in the world. Thus we show that we recognize and acknowledge that every thing belongs to God, absolutely and entirely.--MS 124, 1898. {CS 198.1}
The offering from the heart that loves, God delights to honor, giving it highest efficiency in service for Him. If we have given our hearts to Jesus, we also shall bring our gifts to Him. Our gold and silver, our most precious earthly possessions, our highest mental and spiritual endowments, will be freely devoted to Him who loved us, and gave Himself for us.--DA 65. {CS 198.2}
Thank and Trespass Offerings Come to the Lord with hearts overflowing with thankfulness for past and present mercies, and manifest your appreciation of God's bounties by bringing to Him your thank offerings, your freewill offerings, and your trespass offerings.--R. & H., Jan. 4, 1881. {CS 198.3}
Grudging Gift a Mockery to God God has made men His almoners, copartners with Himself in the great work of advancing His kingdom on the earth; but they may pursue the course pursued by the unfaithful servant, and by so doing lose the (p. 199) most precious privileges ever granted to men. For thousands of years God has worked through human agencies, but at His will He can drop out the selfish, the money-loving, and the covetous. He is not dependent upon our means, and He will not be restricted by the human agent. He can carry on His own work though we act no part in it. But who among us would be pleased to have the Lord do this? {CS 198.4}
It were better not to give at all than to give grudgingly; for if we impart of our means when we have not the spirit to give freely, we mock God. Let us bear in mind that we are dealing with One upon whom we depend for every blessing. One who reads every thought of the heart, every purpose of the mind.-- R. & H., May 15, 1900. {CS 199.1}
The Cheerful Giver Accepted "But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully. Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver." If we act in the spirit of this counsel, we may invite the Divine One to audit the accounts of our temporal matters. We may feel that we are only giving offerings from that which is our Lord's entrusted gift. {CS 199.2}
All our offerings should be presented with cheerfulness; for they come from the fund which the Lord has seen fit to place in our hands for the purpose of carrying forward His work in the world, in order that the banner of truth may be unfurled in the highways and byways of the earth. If all who profess the truth would give to the Lord His own in tithes and gifts and offerings,
there would be meat in the house of the Lord. The cause of benevolence would no longer be dependent (p. 200) on the uncertain gifts of impulse, and vary according to the changing feelings of men. God's claims would be welcomed, and His cause would be considered as justly entitled to a portion of the funds entrusted to our hands. {CS 199.3}
How much more eager will every faithful steward be to enlarge the proportion of gifts to be placed in the Lord's treasure house, than to decrease his offering one jot or tittle. Whom is he serving? For whom is he preparing an offering?--For the One upon whom he is dependent for every good thing which he enjoys. Then let not one of us who is receiving the grace of Christ, give occasion for the angels to be ashamed of us, and for Jesus to be ashamed to call us brethren. {CS 200.1}
Shall ingratitude be cultivated, and made manifest by our niggardly practices in giving to the cause of God?--No, no! Let us surrender ourselves a living sacrifice, and give our all to Jesus. It is His; we are His purchased possession. Those who are recipients of His grace, who contemplate the cross of Calvary, will not question concerning the proportion to be given, but will feel that the richest offering is all too meager, all disproportionate to the great gift of the only-begotten Son of the infinite God. Through self-denial, the poorest will find ways of obtaining something to give back to God.--R. & H., July 14, 1896. {CS 200.2}
Chap. 41 - Popular Methods of Appeal We see the churches of our day encouraging feasting, gluttony, and dissipation, by the suppers, fairs, dances, and festivals gotten up for the purpose of gathering means into the church treasury. Here is a method invented by carnal minds to secure means without sacrificing. {CS 201.1}
Such an example makes an impression upon the minds of youth. They notice that lotteries and fairs and games are sanctioned by the church, and they think there is something fascinating in this way of obtaining means. A youth is surrounded by temptations. He enters the bowling alley, the gambling saloon, to see the sport. He sees the money taken by the one who wins. This looks enticing. It seems an easier way of obtaining money than by earnest work, which requires persevering energy and strict economy. He imagines there can be no harm in this; for similar games have been resorted to in order to obtain means for the benefit of the church. Then why should he not help himself in this way? {CS 201.2}
He has a little means, which he ventures to invest, thinking it may bring in quite a sum. Whether he gains or loses, he is in the downward road to ruin. But it was the example of the church that led him into the false path. {CS 201.3}
Lame and Diseased Offerings Let us stand clear of all these church corruptions, dissipations, and festivals, which have a demoralizing influence upon young and old. We have no right to throw over them the cloak of sanctity because the (p. 202) means is to be used for church purposes. Such offerings are lame and diseased, and bear the curse of God. They are the price of souls. The pulpit may defend festivals, dancing, lotteries, fairs, and luxurious feasts, to obtain means for church purposes; but let us participate in none of these things; for if we do, God's displeasure will be upon us. We do not propose to appeal to the lust of the appetite or resort to carnal amusements as an inducement to Christ's professed followers to give of the means which God has entrusted to them. If they do not give willingly, for the love of Christ, the offering will in no case be acceptable to God. {CS 201.4}
Characters Wrecked Death, clad in the livery of heaven, lurks in the pathway of the young. Sin is gilded over by church sanctity. These various forms of amusement in the churches of our day have ruined thousands who, but for them, might have remained upright and become the followers of Christ. Wrecks of character have been made by these fashionable church festivals and theatrical performances, and thousands more will be destroyed; yet people will not be aware of the danger, nor of the fearful influences exerted. Many young men and women have lost their souls through these corrupting influences.--R. & H., Nov. 21, 1878. {CS 202.1}
Giving for Selfish Considerations In professedly Christian gatherings, Satan throws a religious garment over delusive pleasures and unholy revelings to give them the appearance of sanctity, and the consciences of many are quieted because means are raised to defray church expenses. Men refuse to give for the love of God; but for the love of pleasure, (p. 203) and the indulgence of appetite for selfish considerations, they will part with their money. {CS 202.2}
Is it because there is not power in the lessons of Christ upon benevolence, and in His example, and the grace of God upon the heart to lead men to glorify God with their substance, that such a course must be resorted to in order to sustain the church? The injury sustained to the physical, mental, and moral health in these scenes of amusement and gluttony is not small. And the day of final reckoning will show souls lost through the influence of these scenes of gaiety and folly. {CS 203.1}
It is a deplorable fact that sacred and eternal considerations do not have that power to open the hearts of the professed followers of Christ to make freewill offerings to sustain the gospel, as the tempting bribes of feasting and general merriment. It is a sad reality that these inducements will prevail when sacred and eternal things will have no force to influence the heart to engage in works of benevolence. {CS 203.2}
Moses Did Not Institute Lotteries The plan of Moses in the wilderness to raise means was highly successful. There was no compulsion necessary. Moses made no grand feast. He did not invite the people to scenes of gaiety, dancing, and general amusement. Neither did he institute lotteries or anything of this profane order to obtain means to erect the tabernacle of God in the wilderness. God commanded Moses to invite the children of Israel to bring the offerings. Moses was to accept gifts of every man that gave willingly from his heart. These freewill offerings came in so great abundance that Moses proclaimed it was enough. They must cease their presents; for they had given abundantly, more than they could use. (p. 204) {CS 203.3}
Satan's temptations succeed with the professed followers of Christ on the point of indulgence of pleasure and appetite. Clothed as an angel of light, he will quote Scripture to justify the temptations he places before men to indulge the appetite, and in worldly pleasures which suit the carnal heart. The professed followers of Christ are weak in moral power, and are fascinated with the bribe which Satan has presented before them, and he gains the victory. {CS 204.1}
How does God look upon churches that are sustained by such means? Christ cannot accept these offerings, because they were not given through their love and devotion to Him, but through their idolatry of self. But what many would not do for the love of Christ, they will do for the love of delicate luxuries to gratify the appetite, and for love of worldly amusements to please the carnal heart.--R. & H., Oct. 13, 1874. {CS 204.2}
Repeating the Sin of Nadab and Abihu Professed Christians reject the Lord's plan of raising means for His work; and to what do they resort to supply the lack? God sees the wickedness of the methods they adopt. Places of worship are defiled by all manner of idolatrous dissipation, that a little money may be won from selfish pleasure lovers to pay church debts or to sustain the work of the church. Many of these persons would not of their own accord pay one shilling for religious purposes. Where, in God's directions for the support of His work, do we find any mention of bazaars, concerts, fancy fairs, and similar entertainments? Must the Lord's cause be dependent upon the very things He has forbidden in His word--upon those things that turn the mind away from God, from sobriety, from piety and holiness? (p. 205) {CS 204.3}
And what impression is made upon the minds of unbelievers? The holy standard of the word of God is lowered into the dust. Contempt is cast upon God and upon the Christian name. The most corrupt principles are strengthened by this un-Scriptural way of raising means. And this is as Satan would have it. Men are repeating the sin of Nadab and Abihu. They are using common instead of sacred fire in the service of God. The Lord accepts no such offerings. {CS 205.1}
All these methods for bringing money into His treasury are an abomination to Him. It is a spurious devotion that prompts all such devising. O what blindness, what infatuation, is upon many who claim to be Christians! Church members are doing as did the inhabitants of the world in the days of Noah, when the imagination of their hearts was only evil continually. All who fear God will abhor such practices as a misrepresentation of the religion of Jesus Christ.--R. & H. Dec. 8, 1896. {CS 205.2}
Liberality With No Depth of Principle The minister may be the special favorite of some wealthy man, and he may be very liberal with him; this gratifies the minister, and he in turn lavishes praise upon the benevolence of his donor. His name may be exalted by appearing in print, and yet that liberal donor may be entirely unworthy of the credit given him. {CS 205.3}
His liberality did not arise from a deep, living principle to do good with his means, to advance the cause of God because he appreciated it, but from some selfish motive, a desire to be thought liberal. He may have given from impulse, and his liberality have no depth of principle. He may have been moved upon by listening to stirring truth, which for the time being loosed his purse strings; yet, after all, his liberality has no deeper motive. He gives by spasms; his purse opens spasmodically, and closes just as securely, spasmodically. He deserves no commendation, for he is in every sense of the word a stingy man; and unless thoroughly converted, purse and all, will hear the withering denunciation, "Go to, now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you. Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are moth-eaten." {CS 205.4}
Such will awake at last from a horrible self-deception. Those who praised their spasmodic liberalities, helped Satan to deceive them, and make them think that they were very liberal, very sacrificing, when they know not the first principles of liberality or self-sacrifice. --1T 475, 476. {CS 206.1}
Ellen G. White Comments, The SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 5, p. 1100
14, 15 (Luke 19:12, 13; see EGW on John 17:20, 21). Talents Not Restricted to a Few.--To every man is committed individual gifts, termed talents. Some regard these talents as being limited to certain men who possess superior mental endowments and genius. But God has not restricted the bestowal of His talents to a favored few. To every one is committed some special endowment, for which he will be held responsible by the Lord. Time, reason, means, strength, mental powers, tenderness of heart--all are gifts from God, entrusted to be used in the great work of blessing humanity. {5BC 1100.1}
Some apparently have but few talents, but by diligent trading on their Lord's goods their endowments will be greatly increased. . . . {5BC 1100.2}
The Lord is watching every one to see whether he will use his talents wisely and unselfishly, or whether he will seek his own advancement. The talents are distributed to every man according to his several ability, that he may add to them by wise investment. Each one must give an account to the Master for his own actions. {5BC 1100.3}
The Lord will not require from those who are poor that which they have not to give; He will not require from the sick the active energies which bodily weakness forbids. No one need mourn because he cannot glorify God with talents that were never entrusted to Him. But if you have only one talent, use it well, and it will accumulate. If the talents are not buried, they will gain yet other talents. {5BC 1100.4}
The goods we receive are not our own. The entrusted capital is to be used, and when the returns are made, they are still the Lord's property. We have no right to hoard these talents; when the Lord Jesus returns He expects to receive His own with usury (Letter 180, 1907). {5BC 1100.5}
21. See EGW on 1 Corinthians 15:51-55. {5BC 1100.6}
Chapter 26 2 (Mark 14:1; Luke 22:1, 2). Attention Called to Sacrifice.-- Christ was crowned with thorns. His hands and feet were pierced by nails. Every step onward in the shameful scene was one of intense suffering. But it was God's purpose that publicity should be given to the whole transaction, point after point, scene after scene, one phase of humiliation reaching into another. It was appointed that these events should take place on the occasion of the Passover (MS 111, 1897). {5BC 1100.7}
3 (Mark 14:53; Luke 22:54; John 18:13). A Corrupted Priesthood.-- The priesthood had become so corrupt that the priests had no scruples in engaging in the most dishonest and criminal acts to accomplish their designs. Those who assumed the office of high priest prior to, and at, the time of Christ's first advent, were not men divinely appointed to the sacred work. They had eagerly aspired to the office through love of power and show. They desired a position where they could have authority, and practice fraud under a garb of piety, and thereby escape detection. The high priest held a position of power and importance. He was not only counselor and mediator, but judge; and there was no appeal from his decision. The priests were held in restraint by the authority of the Romans, and were not allowed the power of legally putting anyone to death. This power rested with those who bore rule over the Jews. Men of corrupt hearts sought the distinguished office of high priest, and frequently obtained it by bribery and assassination.
The high priest, clad in his consecrated and expensive robes, with the breastplate upon his breast, the light flashing upon the precious stones inlaid in the breastplate, presented a most imposing appearance, and struck the conscientious, true-hearted people with admiration, reverence, and awe. The high priest was designed in an especial manner to represent Christ, who was to become a high priest forever after the order of Melchisedec (RH Dec. 17, 1872). {5BC 1100.8}
No High Priest.--With Caiaphas the Jewish high priesthood ended. The service had become base and corrupt. It had (p. 1101) no longer any connection with God. Truth and righteousness were hateful in the eyes of the priests. They were tyrannical and deceptive, full of selfish, ambitious schemes. Such ministration could make nothing perfect; for it was itself utterly corrupt. The grace of God had naught to do with it. {5BC 1100.9}

FROM GOD, WITH LOVE

By Kenneth H. Wood


“Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love” (1 John 4:8, NRSV).
“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning” (James 1:17).*
These passages from Scripture set forth two major truths about God. The first is, God is a God of love. The second grows out of the first: God gives gifts—not just ordinary gifts but “good” and “perfect” gifts.


Satan has endeavored to obscure the truth about God. Throughout the centuries and in every part of the world he has pictured God as a God of anger, a God who wants to harm His earthly children, a God who watches their every move in order to catch them in some mistake, and punish them. He has portrayed God as being far more interested in justice than in mercy. But here is the truth about God:


“Could we with ink the ocean fill, and were the skies of parchment made, Were ev’ry stalk on earth a quill, and ev’ry man a scribe by trade; To write the love of God above would drain the ocean dry; Nor could the scroll contain the whole, though stretched from sky to sky.”—F. M. Lehman.


More than we do, we need to spend time focusing on our heavenly Father as a God of love. We need to be clear in our own minds why God watches us. He watches us closely not to judge us but because He loves us and is interested in our welfare. It is said that when Isaac Watts was but a child he was visiting in the home of an elderly Christian woman who asked him to read a framed Bible text hanging on the wall. The text was Genesis 16:13 as it reads in the King James Version: “Thou God Seest Me.” After Watts had read it, the saintly woman said: “When you are older, people will tell you that God is always watching you to see when you do wrong, in order to punish you. I don’t want you to think of it that way. I want you to take the text home and remember all your life that God loves you so much He can’t take His eyes off you.”


I am grateful that my own mother had this concept. Once in early childhood I went to her in tears with the comment, “I’m afraid I’ll never get to heaven!” She took me in her arms and talked to me about God’s love. Then she said, “I don’t think of God as Someone who’s trying to keep people out of heaven. I think of Him as Someone who’s trying to let everyone in that He possibly can.” Yes, though He is a God of justice, He also is a God of mercy. He is a God of love.


God Loves to Give


And because He is a God of love, He loves to give. In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus said: “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!” (Matt. 7:11). What an understandable comparison! How easy to identify with! Parents enjoy finding “just the right” gifts for their children, especially for the little ones. Their hearts leap with pleasure as their children tear open the bright wrappings and squeal with delight at sight of the gift. Using this joyful experience as a base, Jesus continued, “How much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!” Truly, God gives “to those who ask.” But He does more. He gives some gifts to everybody! Jesus highlighted this when He said: “Your Father in heaven . . . makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust” (Matt. 5:45).


God is a giver! Whatever we have—whether little or much—it has come to us as a gift from God. The apostle Paul highlighted this well when he wrote: “We brought nothing into this world” (1Tim. 6:7). And David, the Psalmist, declared: “The earth is the Lord’s, and all its fullness” (Ps. 24:1).


I like the story of the little girl who told an older friend that she was going to buy her father a pair of slippers for his birthday. “Where will you get the money?” the friend asked. Opening her eyes wide, the little girl responded, “Why, Daddy will give me the money.” And so it is with us. We receive everything from God. Nothing is truly ours. Our “giving” to God is merely “returning.”

“We give Thee but Thine own, Whatever the gift may be; All that we have is Thine alone, A trust, O Lord, from Thee.”—Selected.
Ellen White tells us that God “loads us with His benefits. We are indebted to Him for the food we eat, the water we drink, the clothes we wear, the air we breathe. . . . He is a bountiful benefactor and preserver.

“The sun which shines upon the earth, and glorifies all nature, the weird, solemn radiance of the moon, the glories of the firmament, spangled with brilliant stars, the showers that refresh the land, and cause vegetation to flourish, the precious things of nature in all their varied richness, the lofty trees, the shrubs and plants, the waving grain, the blue sky, the green earth, the changes of day and night, the renewing seasons, all speak to man [us] of his [our] Creator’s love.”—Counsels on Stewardship, p. 17.

Other Gifts

Beyond doubt the gift that most people prize above all others is the gift of life itself. Of this gift Ellen White wrote: Young people “are holding God’s gift of life. He makes the heart beat; He gives strength to every faculty” (The Adventist Home, p. 497). This precious gift God asks us to return to Him. His invitation is, “?My son, give Me thine heart; I will keep it pure; I will satisfy its longings with true happiness’” (ibid.).

In The Acts of the Apostles (p. 71), Ellen White mentions other gifts—“money, time, influence,” all of which are to be used “as a means of advancing the work of the gospel.”
Two of God’s gifts were first bestowed on the human race in Eden—the Sabbath and marriage. Of marriage as a gift Mrs. White has written: “Like every other one of God’s good gifts entrusted to the keeping of humanity, marriage has been perverted by sin; but it is the purpose of the gospel to restore its purity and beauty.”—The Adventist Home, p. 100. And of the Sabbath she says: “It was a gift to all his [Adam’s] posterity.”—Sermons and Talks, vol. 1, p. 233. Every believer who understands and embraces the many spiritual dimensions of the Sabbath truth will welcome its weekly appearance as a gift of love from the Creator and Redeemer of the human family. They will prize its sacred hours as a priceless opportunity to become better acquainted with the great God of the universe and His Son who died for them on the cross.

In this end-time of the world’s history, one of God’s special gifts is the three-fold message of Revelation 14. Of this gift God’s servant declares: “We knew that this present light was the special gift of God. The impartation of this gift was the prerogative of God.”—Selected Messages, book 2, p. 110. Embodied in this gift is the everlasting gospel, the judgment hour message, the true Sabbath, and a call to separate from the traditions and confusion of modern Babylon (Rev.18:4). What a great gift this is! It is a gift not only to be received and enjoyed but to be shared with the entire world.

God’s Best Gift

In this overview of God’s gifts, let us now place the gift of Jesus in its rightful place—at the top. This is the gift that reveals the infinite dimensions of God’s love. “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).

If a little child asks mother or father, “How much do you love me?” the parent sometimes responds by extending both arms and spreading them out as far as possible, saying, “This much!” followed by a hug and a kiss. But when we as a lost race of sinners ask God how much He loves us, He points to Jesus dying in agony on the cross, and says, “This much!” “The gift of Christ reveals the Father’s heart. It testifies that, having undertaken our redemption, He will spare nothing, however dear, which is necessary to the completion of the work.”—Counsels on Stewardship, p. 14.

“He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?” (Rom. 8:32).

In a message urging Christians at the Christmas season to recall “the rich gifts which Providence has so bounteously bestowed,” Ellen White urged that above all they “remember the priceless Gift of God’s dear Son. Here is an exhaustless theme for thought.”—Signs of the Times, Dec. 8, 1887.

To me, one of the most moving passages in all of Mrs. White’s writings is her description of Christ on the cross. After recounting the fact that Jesus had been arrested at midnight in Gethsemane, “dragged to and fro from palace to judgment hall, . . . mocked, scourged, [and] condemned,” she wrote: “Heaven viewed with grief and amazement Christ hanging upon the cross, blood flowing from His wounded temples, and sweat tinged with blood standing upon His brow. From His hands and feet the blood fell, drop by drop, upon the rock drilled for the foot of the cross. The wounds made by the nails gaped as the weight of His body dragged upon His hands. His labored breath grew quick and deep, as His soul panted under the burden of the sins of the world. . . . What a sight for the heavenly universe!”—The Desire of Ages, p. 760.
But out of the Gift of the life and death of Jesus came another great gift—justification for repentant sinners. “Christ, coming to earth as man, lived a holy life, and developed a perfect character. These He offers as a free gift to all who will receive them. His life stands for the life of men. They have remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God. More than this, Christ imbues men with the attributes of God. He builds up the human character after the similitude of the divine character, a goodly fabric of spiritual strength and beauty. Thus the very righteousness of the law is fulfilled in the believer in Christ.”—Ibid., p. 762.

And, unbelievable though it may seem, God loves His redeemed earthly children as much as He loves His own Son. Jesus made this clear in His final prayer to His Father in Gethsemane when He said: “You have . . . loved them as You have loved Me” (John 17:23).

Spiritual Gifts

When Jesus returned to heaven, did God cease to love His people? Did He stop giving them gifts? No. But in addition to the numberless gifts that He had already bestowed, He gave a special kind of gifts—gifts of the Spirit, gifts often referred to as spiritual gifts. In First Corinthians 12 the apostle Paul wrote: “Now concerning spiritual gifts, brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be uninformed” (v. 1, NRSV). Then, in verse 11 he said: “These are activated by one and the same Spirit, who allots to each one individually just as the Spirit chooses” (NRSV).

“The gifts He gave were that some would be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers” (Eph. 4:11, NRSV). The purpose of the gifts was “to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ” (v. 12, NRSV).

In this same chapter—First Corinthians 12—the apostle compares the church to a body. He states that the church is the body of Christ (vs. 12, 27) and that every person in the church is important, just as every part of the human body is essential. He declares that Christ is the Head (Eph. 4:15) and that each member fills an essential role in making the body function successfully. The work that each member is to do is determined by the Holy Spirit. The “Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills” (1 Cor. 12:11).

“There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord. There are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works in all. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all: for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues” (vs. 4-10).

Let us note two facts: 1) These spiritual gifts are not merely natural talents that come through physical inheritance, and 2) the Holy Spirit decides who is to receive them. The Spirit may take into account the natural aptitudes or abilities of the one on whom the spiritual gift is to be bestowed, but not necessarily. The Spirit knows the overall needs of the body, Christ’s church, and makes the choice based on that need. Chaos would result if spiritual gifts were distributed randomly or in response to personal request. The human body is not all eyes, ears, arms, or legs. Neither can the church body be all pastors, administrators, healers, or prophets.

The Gift of Prophecy

As we have already noted, the gift of prophecy is among the gifts bestowed by the Holy Spirit (1 Cor 12:10, 28; Eph. 4:11). The importance of this gift becomes clear when we remember that in Old Testament times prophets were called “seers.” This is mentioned in First Samuel 9:9: “Formerly in Israel, anyone who went to inquire of God would say, ?Come, let us go to the seer’; for the one who is now called a prophet was formerly called a seer” (NRSV). Using Paul’s illustration, we might say that prophets are the eyes of the church, which is the body of Christ. They see what others do not see. They see behind the scenes in the great controversy between Christ and Satan. They see dangers from false doctrines and false teachers, and by revealing Satan’s plans they enable the church to avoid retreat or defeat. No wonder the writings of prophets often contain the expression, “I saw.” As the prophet Amos wrote: “Surely the Lord God does nothing, unless He reveals His secret to His servants the prophets” (Amos 3:7).
The Scriptures abound with incidents that reveal how God has given His prophets special “eyes,” and has worked through these inspired messengers for the benefit of His people. In the days of Elisha the king of Syria was conducting war against Israel. Hoping to ambush the king of Israel, “he consulted with his servants, saying, ‘My camp will be in such and such a place’” (2 Kings 6:8). But the prophet sent a warning to the king, “‘Beware that you do not pass this place, for the Syrians are coming down there’” (v. 9).

Several times the secret, evil plans of the Syrian king were frustrated in this way by Elisha. “Therefore the heart of the king of Syria was greatly troubled by this thing; and he called his servants and said to them, ‘Will you not show me which of us is for the king of Israel?’ And one of his servants said, ‘None, my lord, O king; but Elisha, the prophet who is in Israel, tells the king of Israel the words that you speak in your bedroom’” (vs. 11, 12). What a blessing it was for God’s people to have a seer! And among the spiritual gifts promised to the church this side of the cross, the gift of prophecy is one of the most valuable.

The prophetic witness becomes increasingly important as the church approaches the world’s final crisis. John the Revelator described Satan’s attack against the church by saying, “The dragon was enraged with the woman, and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ” (Rev. 12:17). Of this time Jesus said, “False christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect” (Matt. 24:24).

“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.”—The Great Controversy, pp. 593, 594.

In a very real sense, the Holy Scriptures in their entirety are the testimony of Jesus and are a product of the Spirit of prophecy. This is clear from Revelation 19:10 that records the response of the angel when John fell at his feet to worship him. The angel protested, saying, “‘See that you do not do that! I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren who have the testimony of Jesus. Worship God! For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.’”

But in addition to the written Word, throughout past ages when God’s people faced new challenges, trials, or dangers, the Holy Spirit inspired men and women and gave them the “testimony of Jesus” to meet the unique needs of the hour. Uriah Smith, well-known pioneer of the Advent movement, likened the role of these prophets to that of a pilot who boards a ship as it approaches the port of its destination. While on the high seas the captain, with his experience and general expertise, is capable of guiding the ship safely. But as the ship enters the narrow channel of a foreign port, with giant rocks possibly concealed beneath the surface of the sea, the captain slows his ship and welcomes a pilot aboard. He recognizes that the specialized situation requires someone with added skill and more complete knowledge of the dangers and challenges that lie ahead. By accepting the pilot, the captain is cooperating with the owner of the ship who arranged for this special help before the ship began its voyage. (Editorial in the Review and Herald, Jan. 13, 1863.)

Special Help in the End-time

Thus, when God’s last-day church needed special help to meet Satan’s final attacks successfully, God gave visions to a young woman named Ellen Harmon. Beginning immediately after the Great Disappointment of 1844, Jesus inspired young Ellen to help His people regain confidence in the way the Lord had led them. She joined with them in careful study of the Bible, the “testimony of Jesus” that God had provided for seekers of truth. Often they spent whole nights in prayer and study, endeavoring to understand God’s will as found in the Scriptures. And God rewarded them with additional light and a wonderful sense of His presence. At times, however, when the group could not agree on the meaning of a Bible passage, God used Ellen to define what was error and what was truth. The usual result was unity. In 1846 Ellen married James White, a young man who had been much involved in proclaiming the soon coming of Christ. Gradually, under the urging of the Holy Spirit, Ellen White wrote out the messages and counsel she received from the Lord. These messages helped the early Adventists avoid fanaticism, unite on doctrine and organization, and attempt to reach the entire world with the message of Revelation 14.
Of her experience she testified: “The Spirit of God rests upon me with power, and I cannot but speak the words given me. I dare not withhold one word of testimony. . . . I speak the words given me by a power higher than human power, and I cannot, if I would, recall [retract] one sentence. In the night season the Lord gives me instruction in symbols, and then explains their meaning. He gives me the word, and I dare not refuse to give it to the people.”—The 1888 Materials, pp. 578, 579.

During her 70-year ministry Mrs. White wrote approximately 25 million words, resulting in 100,000 printed pages. Her writings included letters, diaries, books, and articles in periodicals. Among her best-known works are The Great Controversy Between Christ and Satan and Steps to Christ, which has been translated into more than 140 languages. Not surprisingly, the theme of the first chapter of Steps to Christ is God’s great love for our world and the human race. Both in writing and in speaking she emphasized this theme, ever pointing to Jesus and His matchless charms as the greatest evidence of God’s love. The overall theme of her writings is the great controversy between Christ and Satan, which began in heaven and has increased with ferocity here on earth. In line with this theme, she made clear that every human being is involved in the controversy. “To restore in man the image of his Maker, to bring him back to the perfection in which he was created, to promote the development of body, mind, and soul, that the divine purpose in his creation might be realized—this was to be the work of redemption. This is the object of education, the great object of life.”—Education, pp. 15, 16.

Burdened to win souls and give guidance in character development, she wrote books on a wide range of subjects—education, healthful living, family life, temperance, evangelism, sacred history, medical ministry, and other subjects that might help advance the cause of truth and prepare a people for the return of Christ.

At times students of the Bible compare the Advent movement to the experience of Israel in leaving Egypt and journeying to the Promised Land. In this connection they quote Hosea 12:13: “By a prophet the Lord brought Israel out of Egypt, and by a prophet he was preserved.” We all know how God used Moses to guide His people from Egypt to Canaan. Every Adventist should know also the exciting story of how God used Ellen White during the seven decades of her ministry, and how He is still using her today through her writings. There is much truth in the statement that is commonly repeated: “Without Ellen White there would be no Adventist church as we know it today.” God knew that His last-day church would need special help, and, like the great Gift-giver that He is, He provided it in what Adventists often speak of as the “Spirit of prophecy.”

Like the early church in the city of Corinth, it can be said of the remnant church: “I thank my God always concerning you for the grace of God which was given you by Christ Jesus, that you were enriched in everything by Him in all utterance and all knowledge, even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you, so that you come short in no gift, eagerly waiting for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Cor.1:4-7).

As the apostle Paul considered the gift of Jesus and the wonderful evidences of God’s grace in the Corinthian church, he exclaimed: “Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!” (2 Cor. 9:15). And today, as we review God’s infinite love and the countless gifts that flow from that love, we can well borrow Paul’s language and say, “Thanks be to God for His indescribable gifts, especially the Gift of Jesus and the testimony of Jesus, which is the Spirit of prophecy!”

DISCIPLESHIP

Sabbath Afternoon

Memory Text: John 15:8 NIV 8 This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.

Sunday

Followers and Leaders

Exodus 18:13-27 NKJV 13 And so it was, on the next day, that Moses sat to judge the people; and the people stood before Moses from morning until evening. 14 So when Moses' father-in-law saw all that he did for the people, he said, "What is this thing that you are doing for the people? Why do you alone sit, and all the people stand before you from morning until evening?" 15 And Moses said to his father-in-law, "Because the people come to me to inquire of God. 16 "When they have a difficulty, they come to me, and I judge between one and another; and I make known the statutes of God and His laws." 17 So Moses' father-in-law said to him, "The thing that you do is not good. 18 "Both you and these people who are with you will surely wear yourselves out. For this thing is too much for you; you are not able to perform it by yourself. 19 "Listen now to my voice; I will give you counsel, and God will be with you: Stand before God for the people, so that you may bring the difficulties to God. 20 "And you shall teach them the statutes and the laws, and show them the way in which they must walk and the work they must do. 21 "Moreover you shall select from all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place such over them to be rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens. 22 "And let them judge the people at all times. Then it will be that every great matter they shall bring to you, but every small matter they themselves shall judge. So it will be easier for you, for they will bear the burden with you. 23 "If you do this thing, and God so commands you, then you will be able to endure, and all this people will also go to their place in peace." 24 So Moses heeded the voice of his father-in-law and did all that he had said. 25 And Moses chose able men out of all Israel, and made them heads over the people: rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens. 26 So they judged the people at all times; the hard cases they brought to Moses, but they judged every small case themselves.

Exodus 18:27 Then Moses let his father-in-law depart, and he went his way to his own land.

Mark 3:13-19 NKJV 13 And He went up on the mountain and called to Him those He Himself wanted. And they came to Him. 14 Then He appointed twelve, that they might be with Him and that He might send them out to preach, 15 and to have power to heal sicknesses and to cast out demons: 16 Simon, to whom He gave the name Peter; 17 James the son of Zebedee and John the brother of James, to whom He gave the name Boanerges, that is, "Sons of Thunder"; 18 Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Cananite; 19 and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed Him. And they went into a house.

Mark 2:18 NKJV 18 The disciples of John and of the Pharisees were fasting. Then they came and said to Him, "Why do the disciples of John and of the Pharisees fast, but Your disciples do not fast?"

Monday

Marks of Discipleship: Obedience and Loyalty

Matthew 4:19 NKJV 19 Then He said to them, "Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men."
Matthew 9:9 NKJV 9 As Jesus passed on from there, He saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax office. And He said to him, "Follow Me." So he arose and followed Him.

Mark 8:34 NKJV 34 When He had called the people to Himself, with His disciples also, He said to them, "Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.

Ellen G. White, Testimonies for the Church, vol. 2, p. 178

Your actions testify that you are strangers to Christ. "Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter? Can the fig tree, my brethren, bear olive berries? either a vine, figs? so can no fountain both yield salt water and fresh. Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him show out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom. But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth. This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish. For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace." {2T 178.1}

Here are enumerated the fruits which are marked evidences (p. 179) that one who has been walking in the vigor of life has met with a change--a change so marked as to be represented by death. From living, active life, to death! What a striking figure! None need be deceived here. If this transformation has not been experienced by you, rest not. Seek the Lord with all your hearts. Make this the all-important business of your lives. {2T 178.2}

John 6:60-70 NKJV 60 Therefore many of His disciples, when they heard this, said, "This is a hard saying; who can understand it?" 61 When Jesus knew in Himself that His disciples complained about this, He said to them, "Does this offend you? 62 "What then if you should see the Son of Man ascend where He was before? 63 "It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life. 64 "But there are some of you who do not believe." For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who would betray Him. 65 And He said, "Therefore I have said to you that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted to him by My Father." 66 From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more. 67 Then Jesus said to the twelve, "Do you also want to go away?" 68 But Simon Peter answered Him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. 69 "Also we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." 70 Jesus answered them, "Did I not choose you, the twelve, and one of you is a devil?"

Tuesday

Sacrifice

Matthew 20:20-23 NKJV 20 Then the mother of Zebedee's sons came to Him with her sons, kneeling down and asking something from Him. 21 And He said to her, "What do you wish?" She said to Him, "Grant that these two sons of mine may sit, one on Your right hand and the other on the left, in Your kingdom." 22 But Jesus answered and said, "You do not know what you ask. Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?" They said to Him, "We are able." 23 So He said to them, "You will indeed drink My cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with; but to sit on My right hand and on My left is not Mine to give, but it is for those for whom it is prepared by My Father."

Mark 10:35-41 NKJV 35 Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to Him, saying, "Teacher, we want You to do for us whatever we ask." 36 And He said to them, "What do you want Me to do for you?" 37 They said to Him, "Grant us that we may sit, one on Your right hand and the other on Your left, in Your glory." 38 But Jesus said to them, "You do not know what you ask. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?" 39 They said to Him, "We are able." So Jesus said to them, "You will indeed drink the cup that I drink, and with the baptism I am baptized with you will be baptized;

Mark 10:40-41 40 "but to sit on My right hand and on My left is not Mine to give, but it is for those for whom it is prepared." 41 And when the ten heard it, they began to be greatly displeased with James and John.

Isaiah 14:12-14 NKJV 12 "How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, You who weakened the nations! 13 For you have said in your heart: 'I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation On the farthest sides of the north; 14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High.'

Mark 8:31-38 NKJV 31 And He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. 32 He spoke this word openly. And Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him. 33 But when He had turned around and looked at His disciples, He rebuked Peter, saying, "Get behind Me, Satan! For you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men." 34 When He had called the people to Himself, with His disciples also, He said to them, "Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. 35 "For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel's will save it. 36 "For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? 37 "Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? 38 "For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him the Son of Man also will be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels."

Wednesday

The Rewards of Discipleship

Luke 9:57-58 NKJV 57 Now it happened as they journeyed on the road, that someone said to Him, "Lord, I will follow You wherever You go." 58 And Jesus said to him, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head."

John 15:18-25 NKJV 18 "If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. 19 "If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. 20 "Remember the word that I said to you, 'A servant is not greater than his master.' If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also. 21 "But all these things they will do to you for My name's sake, because they do not know Him who sent Me. 22 "If I had not come and spoken to them, they would have no sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin. 23 "He who hates Me hates My Father also. 24 "If I had not done among them the works which no one else did, they would have no sin; but now they have seen and also hated both Me and My Father. 25 "But this happened that the word might be fulfilled which is written in their law, 'They hated Me without a cause.'

John 21:15-18 NKJV 15 So when they had eaten breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me more than these?" He said to Him, "Yes, Lord; You know that I love You." He said to him, "Feed My lambs." 16 He said to him again a second time, "Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?" He said to Him, "Yes, Lord; You know that I love You." He said to him, "Tend My sheep." 17 He said to him the third time, "Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?" Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, "Do you love Me?" And he said to Him, "Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You." Jesus said to him, "Feed My sheep. 18 "Most assuredly, I say to you, when you were younger, you girded yourself and walked where you wished; but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will gird you and carry you where you do not wish."

Revelation 1:9 NIV 9 I, John, your brother and companion in the suffering and kingdom and patient endurance that are ours in Jesus, was on the island of Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus.

Revelation 1:9 NKJV 9 I, John, both your brother and companion in the tribulation and kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was on the island that is called Patmos for the word of God and for the testimony of Jesus Christ.

John 10:10 NKJV 10 "The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.

Romans 8:28-39 NKJV 28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. 29 For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. 30 Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified. 31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? 33 Who shall bring a charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 As it is written: "For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter." 37 Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. 38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

John 14:27 NKJV 27 "Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

Philippians 4:7 NKJV 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

John 10:10 NKJV 10 "The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.

Romans 8:18 NKJV 18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

Thursday

Through the Word

The Lordship of Jesus Christ

John 20:28 NKJV 28 And Thomas answered and said to Him, "My Lord and my God!"

1 Corinthians 16:22 NKJV 22 If anyone does not love the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be accursed. O Lord, come!

Matthew 7:22-23 NKJV 22 "Many will say to Me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?' 23 "And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!'

Luke 6:46 NKJV 46 "But why do you call Me 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do the things which I say?

Matthew 7:23 NKJV 23 "And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!'

John 14:15 NKJV 15 "If you love Me, keep My commandments.

Friday

Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages, pp. 132-143

Chap. 14 - "We Have Found the Messias” John the Baptist was now preaching and baptizing at Bethabara, beyond Jordan. It was not far from this spot that God had stayed the river in its flow until Israel had passed over. A little distance from here the stronghold of Jericho had been overthrown by the armies of heaven. The memory of these events was at this time revived, and gave a thrilling interest to the Baptist's message. Would not He who had wrought so wonderfully in ages past again manifest His power for Israel's deliverance? Such was the thought stirring the hearts of the people who daily thronged the banks of the Jordan. {DA 132.1}

The preaching of John had taken so deep a hold on the nation as to demand the attention of the religious authorities. The danger of insurrection caused every popular gathering to be looked upon with suspicion by the Romans, and whatever pointed toward an uprising of the people excited the fears of the Jewish rulers. John had not recognized the authority of the Sanhedrin by seeking their sanction for his work; and (p. 133) he had reproved rulers and people, Pharisees and Sadducees alike. Yet the people followed him eagerly. The interest in his work seemed to be continually increasing. Though he had not deferred to them, the Sanhedrin accounted that, as a public teacher, he was under their jurisdiction. {DA 132.2}

This body was made up of members chosen from the priesthood, and from the chief rulers and teachers of the nation. The high priest was usually the president. All its members were to be men advanced in years, though not aged; men of learning, not only versed in Jewish religion and history, but in general knowledge. They were to be without physical blemish, and must be married men, and fathers, as being more likely than others to be humane and considerate. Their place of meeting was an apartment connected with the temple at Jerusalem. In the days of Jewish independence the Sanhedrin was the supreme court of the nation, possessing secular as well as ecclesiastical authority. Though now subordinated by the Roman governors, it still exercised a strong influence in civil as well as religious matters. {DA 133.1}

The Sanhedrin could not well defer an investigation of John's work. There were some who recalled the revelation made to Zacharias in the temple, and the father's prophecy, that had pointed to his child as the Messiah's herald. In the tumults and changes of thirty years, these things had in a great measure been lost sight of. They were now called to mind by the excitement concerning the ministry of John. {DA 133.2}

It was long since Israel had had a prophet, long since such a reformation as was now in progress had been witnessed. The demand for confession of sin seemed new and startling. Many among the leaders would not go to hear John's appeals and denunciations, lest they should be led to disclose the secrets of their own lives. Yet his preaching was a direct announcement of the Messiah. It was well known that the seventy weeks of Daniel's prophecy, covering the Messiah's advent, were nearly ended; and all were eager to share in that era of national glory which was then expected. Such was the popular enthusiasm that the Sanhedrin would soon be forced either to sanction or to reject John's work. Already their power over the people was waning. It was becoming a serious question how to maintain their position. In the hope of arriving at some conclusion, they dispatched to the Jordan a deputation of priests and Levites to confer with the new teacher. {DA 133.3}

A multitude were gathered, listening to his words, when the delegates approached. With an air of authority designed to impress the people (p. 134) and to command the deference of the prophet the haughty rabbis came. With a movement of respect, almost of fear, the crowd opened to let them pass. The great men, in their rich robes, in the pride of rank and power, stood before the prophet of the wilderness. {DA 133.4}

"Who art thou?" they demanded. {DA 134.1} Knowing what was in their thoughts, John answered, "I am not the Christ." {DA 134.2} "What then? Art thou Elias?" {DA 134.3}

"I am not." {DA 134.4} "Art thou that prophet?" {DA 134.5} "No." {DA 134.6}

"Who art thou? that we may give an answer to them that sent us. What sayest thou of thyself?" {DA 134.7} "I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Esaias." {DA 134.8}

The scripture to which John referred is that beautiful prophecy of Isaiah: "Comfort ye, comfort ye My people, saith your God. Speak (p. 135) ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her appointed time is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned. . . . The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain: and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together." Isaiah 40:1-5, margin. {DA 134.9}

Anciently, when a king journeyed through the less frequented parts of his dominion, a company of men was sent ahead of the royal chariot to level the steep places and to fill up the hollows, that the king might travel in safety and without hindrance. This custom is employed by the prophet to illustrate the work of the gospel. "Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low." When the Spirit of God, with its marvelous awakening power, touches the soul, it abases human pride. Worldly pleasure and position and power are seen to be worthless. "Imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God" are cast down; every thought is brought into captivity "to the obedience of Christ." 2 Corinthians 10:5. Then humility and self-sacrificing love, so little valued among men, are exalted as alone of worth. This is the work of the gospel, of which John's message was a part. {DA 135.1}

The rabbis continued their questioning: "Why baptizest thou then, if thou be not that Christ, nor Elias, neither that prophet?" The words "that prophet" had reference to Moses. The Jews had been inclined to the belief that Moses would be raised from the dead, and taken to heaven. They did not know that he had already been raised. When the Baptist began his ministry, many thought that he might be the prophet Moses risen from the dead, for he seemed to have a thorough knowledge of the prophecies and of the history of Israel. {DA 135.2}

It was believed also that before the Messiah's advent, Elijah would personally appear. This expectation John met in his denial; but his words had a deeper meaning. Jesus afterward said, referring to John, "If ye are willing to receive it, this is Elijah, which is to come." Matthew 11:14, R. V. John came in the spirit and power of Elijah, to do such a work as Elijah did. If the Jews had received him, it would have been accomplished for them. But they did not receive his message. To them he was not Elijah. He could not fulfill for them the mission he came to accomplish. {DA 135.3}

Many of those gathered at the Jordan had been present at the baptism of Jesus; but the sign then given had been manifest to but few among them. During the preceding months of the Baptist's ministry, many had refused to heed the call to repentance. Thus they had hardened their hearts and darkened their understanding. When Heaven bore testimony to Jesus at His baptism, they perceived it not. Eyes that had never been turned in faith to Him that is invisible beheld not the revelation of the glory of God; ears that had never listened to His voice heard not the words of witness. So it is now. Often the presence of Christ and the ministering angels is manifest in the assemblies of the people, and yet there are many who know it not.

They discern nothing unusual. But to some the Saviour's presence is revealed. Peace and joy animate their hearts. They are comforted, encouraged, and blessed. {DA 136.1}

The deputies from Jerusalem had demanded of John, "Why baptizest thou?" and they were awaiting his answer. Suddenly, as his glance swept over the throng, his eye kindled, his face was lighted up, his whole being was stirred with deep emotion. With outstretched hands he cried, "I baptize in water: in the midst of you standeth One whom ye know not, even He that cometh after me, the latchet of whose shoe I am not worthy to unloose." John 1:26, 27, R. V., margin. {DA 136.2}

The message was distinct and unequivocal, to be carried back to the Sanhedrin. The words of John could apply to no other than the long-promised One. The Messiah was among them! In amazement priests and rulers gazed about them, hoping to discover Him of whom John had spoken. But He was not distinguishable among the throng. {DA 136.3}

When at the baptism of Jesus, John pointed to Him as the Lamb of God, a new light was shed upon the Messiah's work. The prophet's mind was directed to the words of Isaiah, "He is brought as a lamb to the slaughter." Isaiah 53:7. During the weeks that followed, John with new interest studied the prophecies and the teaching of the sacrificial service. He did not distinguish clearly the two phases of Christ's work,--as a suffering sacrifice and a conquering king,--but he saw that His (p. 137) coming had a deeper significance than priests or people had discerned. When he beheld Jesus among the throng on His return from the desert, he confidently looked for Him to give the people some sign of His true character. Almost impatiently he waited to hear the Saviour declare His mission; but no word was spoken, no sign given. Jesus did not respond to the Baptist's announcement of Him, but mingled with the disciples of John, giving no outward evidence of His special work, and taking no measures to bring Himself to notice. {DA 136.4}

The next day John sees Jesus coming. With the light of the glory of God resting upon him, the prophet stretches out his hands, declaring, "Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world! This is He of whom I said, After me cometh a man which is become before me. . . . And I knew Him not; but that He should be made manifest to Israel, for this cause came I baptizing in water. . . . I have beheld the Spirit descending as a dove out of heaven; and it abode upon Him. And I knew Him not: but He that sent me to baptize in water, He said unto me, Upon whomsoever thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and abiding upon Him, the same is He that baptizeth with the Holy Spirit. And I have seen, and have borne witness that this is the Son of God." John 1:29-34, R. V., margin. {DA 137.1}

Was this the Christ? With awe and wonder the people looked upon the One just declared to be the Son of God. They had been deeply moved by the words of John. He had spoken to them in the name of God. They had listened to him day after day as he reproved their sins, and daily the conviction that he was sent of Heaven had strengthened. But who was this One greater than John the Baptist? In His dress and bearing there was nothing that betokened rank. He was apparently a simple personage, clad like themselves in the humble garments of the poor. {DA 137.2}

There were in the throng some who at Christ's baptism had beheld the divine glory, and had heard the voice of God. But since that time the Saviour's appearance had greatly changed. At His baptism they had seen His countenance transfigured in the light of heaven; now, pale, worn, and emaciated, He had been recognized only by the prophet John. {DA 137.3}

But as the people looked upon Him, they saw a face where divine compassion was blended with conscious power. Every glance of the eye, every feature of the countenance, was marked with humility, and expressive of unutterable love. He seemed to be surrounded by an (p. 138) atmosphere of spiritual influence. While His manners were gentle and unassuming, He impressed men with a sense of power that was hidden, yet could not be wholly concealed. Was this the One for whom Israel had so long waited? {DA 137.4}

Jesus came in poverty and humiliation, that He might be our example as well as our Redeemer. If He had appeared with kingly pomp, how could He have taught humility? how could He have presented such cutting truths as in the Sermon on the Mount? Where would have been the hope of the lowly in life had Jesus come to dwell as a king among men? {DA 138.1}

To the multitude, however, it seemed impossible that the One designated by John should be associated with their lofty anticipations. Thus many were disappointed, and greatly perplexed. {DA 138.2}

The words which the priests and rabbis so much desired to hear, that Jesus would now restore the kingdom to Israel, had not been spoken. For such a king they had been waiting and watching; such a king they were ready to receive. But one who sought to establish in their hearts a kingdom of righteousness and peace, they would not accept. {DA 138.3}

On the following day, while two disciples were standing near, John again saw Jesus among the people. Again the face of the prophet was lighted up with glory from the Unseen, as he cried, "Behold the Lamb of God!" The words thrilled the hearts of the disciples. They did not fully understand them. What meant the name that John had given Him,--"the Lamb of God"? John himself had not explained it. {DA 138.4}

Leaving John, they went to seek Jesus. One of the two was Andrew, the brother of Simon; the other was John the evangelist. These were Christ's first disciples. Moved by an irresistible impulse, they followed Jesus,--anxious to speak with Him, yet awed and silent, lost in the overwhelming significance of the thought, "Is this the Messiah?" {DA 138.5}

Jesus knew that the disciples were following Him. They were the first fruits of His ministry, and there was joy in the heart of the divine Teacher as these souls responded to His grace. Yet turning, He asked only, "What seek ye?" He would leave them free to turn back or to speak of their desire. {DA 138.6}

Of one purpose only were they conscious. One presence filled their thought. They exclaimed, "Rabbi, . . . where dwellest Thou?" In a brief interview by the wayside they could not receive that for which they longed. They desired to be alone with Jesus, to sit at His feet, and hear His words. {DA 138.7}

"He saith unto them, Come and see. They came and saw where He dwelt, and abode with Him that day." {DA 139.1}

If John and Andrew had possessed the unbelieving spirit of the priests and rulers, they would not have been found as learners at the feet of Jesus. They would have come to Him as critics, to judge His words. Many thus close the door to the most precious opportunities. But not so did these first disciples. They had responded to the Holy Spirit's call in the preaching of John the Baptist. Now they recognized the voice of the heavenly Teacher. To them the words of Jesus were full of freshness and truth and beauty.

A divine illumination was shed upon the teaching of the Old Testament Scriptures. The many-sided themes of truth stood out in new light. {DA 139.2}

It is contrition and faith and love that enable the soul to receive wisdom from heaven. Faith working by love is the key of knowledge, and everyone that loveth "knoweth God." 1 John 4:7. {DA 139.3}

The disciple John was a man of earnest and deep affection, ardent, yet contemplative. He had begun to discern the glory of Christ,--not the worldly pomp and power for which he had been taught to hope, but "the glory as of the Only-begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth." John 1:14. He was absorbed in contemplation of the wondrous theme. {DA 139.4}

Andrew sought to impart the joy that filled his heart. Going in search of his brother Simon, he cried, "We have found the Messias." Simon waited for no second bidding. He also had heard the preaching of John the Baptist, and he hastened to the Saviour. The eye of Christ rested upon him, reading his character and his life history. His impulsive nature, his loving, sympathetic heart, his ambition and self-confidence, the history of his fall, his repentance, his labors, and his martyr death,--the Saviour read it all, and He said, "Thou art Simon the son of Jona: thou shalt be called Cephas, which is by interpretation, A stone." {DA 139.5}

"The day following Jesus would go forth into Galilee, and findeth Philip, and saith unto him, Follow Me." Philip obeyed the command, and straightway he also became a worker for Christ. {DA 139.6}

Philip called Nathanael. The latter had been among the throng when the Baptist pointed to Jesus as the Lamb of God. As Nathanael looked upon Jesus, he was disappointed. Could this man, who bore the marks of toil and poverty, be the Messiah? Yet Nathanael could not decide to reject Jesus, for the message of John had brought conviction to his heart. {DA 139.7}

At the time when Philip called him, Nathanael had withdrawn to a quiet grove to meditate upon the announcement of John and the prophecies concerning the Messiah. He prayed that if the one announced by John was the deliverer, it might be made known to him, and the Holy Spirit rested upon him with assurance that God had visited His people and raised up a horn of salvation for them. Philip knew that his friend was searching the prophecies, and while Nathanael was praying under a fig tree, Philip discovered his retreat. They had often prayed together in this secluded spot hidden by the foliage. {DA 140.1}

The message, "We have found Him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write," seemed to Nathanael a direct answer to his prayer. But Philip had yet a trembling faith. He added doubtfully, "Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph." Again prejudice arose in Nathanael's heart. He exclaimed, "Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth?" {DA 140.2}

Philip entered into no controversy. He said, "Come and see. Jesus saw Nathanael coming to Him, and saith of him, Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile!" In surprise Nathanael exclaimed, "Whence knowest Thou me? Jesus answered and said unto him, Before that Philip called thee, when thou wast under the fig tree, I saw thee." {DA 140.3}

It was enough. The divine Spirit that had borne witness to Nathanael in his solitary prayer under the fig tree now spoke to him in the words of Jesus. Though in doubt, and yielding somewhat to prejudice, Nathanael had come to Christ with an honest desire for truth, and now his desire was met. His faith went beyond that of the one who had brought him to Jesus. He answered and said, "Rabbi, Thou art the Son of God; Thou art the King of Israel." {DA 140.4}

If Nathanael had trusted to the rabbis for guidance, he would never have found Jesus. It was by seeing and judging for himself that he (p. 141) became a disciple. So in the case of many today whom prejudice withholds from good. How different would be the result if they would "come and see"! {DA 140.5}

While they trust to the guidance of human authority, none will come to a saving knowledge of the truth. Like Nathanael, we need to study God's word for ourselves, and pray for the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit. He who saw Nathanael under the fig tree will see us in the secret place of prayer. Angels from the world of light are near to those who in humility seek for divine guidance. {DA 141.1}

With the calling of John and Andrew and Simon, of Philip and Nathanael, began the foundation of the Christian church. John directed two of his disciples to Christ. Then one of these, Andrew, found his brother, and called him to the Saviour. Philip was then called, and he went in search of Nathanael. These examples should teach us the importance of personal effort, of making direct appeals to our kindred, friends, and neighbors. There are those who for a lifetime have professed to be acquainted with Christ, yet who have never made a personal effort to bring even one soul to the Saviour. They leave all the work for the minister. He may be well qualified for his calling, but he cannot do that which God has left for the members of the church. {DA 141.2}

There are many who need the ministration of loving Christian hearts. Many have gone down to ruin who might have been saved if their neighbors, common men and women, had put forth personal effort for them. Many are waiting to be personally addressed. In the very family, the neighborhood, the town, where we live, there is work for us to do as missionaries for Christ. If we are Christians, this work will be our delight. No sooner is one converted than there is born within him a desire to make known to others what a precious friend he has found in Jesus. The saving and sanctifying truth cannot be shut up in his heart. {DA 141.3}

All who are consecrated to God will be channels of light. God makes them His agents to communicate to others the riches of His grace. His promise is, "I will make them and the places round about My hill a blessing; and I will cause the shower to come down in his season; there shall be showers of blessing." Ezekiel 34:26. {DA 141.4}

Philip said to Nathanael, "Come and see." He did not ask him to accept another's testimony, but to behold Christ for himself. Now that Jesus has ascended to heaven, His disciples are His representatives among men, and one of the most effective ways of winning souls to Him is in exemplifying His character in our daily life. Our influence upon others depends not so much upon what we say as upon what we are. Men may combat and defy our logic, they may resist our appeals; but a life of disinterested love is an argument they cannot gainsay. A consistent life, characterized by the meekness of Christ, is a power in the world. {DA 141.5}

The teaching of Christ was the expression of an inwrought conviction and experience, and those who learn of Him become teachers after the divine order. The word of God, spoken by one who is himself sanctified through it, has a life-giving power that makes it attractive to the hearers, and convicts them that it is a living reality.

When one has received the truth in the love of it, he will make this manifest in the persuasion of his manner and the tones of his voice. He makes known that which he himself has heard, seen, and handled of the word of life, that others may have fellowship with him through the knowledge of Christ. His testimony, from lips touched with a live coal from off the altar, is truth to the receptive heart, and works sanctification upon the character. {DA 142.1}

And he who seeks to give light to others will himself be blessed. "There shall be showers of blessing." "He that watereth shall be watered also himself." Proverbs 11:25. God could have reached His object in saving sinners without our aid; but in order for us to develop a character like Christ's, we must share in His work. In order to enter into His joy,--the joy of seeing souls redeemed by His sacrifice,--we must participate in His labors for their redemption. {DA 142.2}

Nathanael's first expression of his faith, so full and earnest and sincere, fell like music on the ears of Jesus. And He "answered and said unto him, Because I said unto thee, I saw thee under the fig tree, believest thou? thou shalt see greater things than these." The Saviour looked forward with joy to His work in preaching good tidings to the meek, binding up the brokenhearted, and proclaiming liberty to the captives of Satan. At thought of the precious blessings He had brought to men, Jesus added, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, Hereafter ye shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man." {DA 142.3}

Here Christ virtually says, On the bank of the Jordan the heavens were opened, and the Spirit descended like a dove upon Me. That scene was but a token that I am the Son of God. If you believe on Me as such, your faith shall be quickened. You shall see that the heavens are opened, and are never to be closed. I have opened them to you. The (p. 143) angels of God are ascending, bearing the prayers of the needy and distressed to the Father above, and descending, bringing blessing and hope, courage, help, and life, to the children of men. {DA 142.4}

The angels of God are ever passing from earth to heaven, and from heaven to earth. The miracles of Christ for the afflicted and suffering were wrought by the power of God through the ministration of the angels. And it is through Christ, by the ministration of His heavenly messengers, that every blessing comes from God to us. In taking upon Himself humanity, our Saviour unites His interests with those of the fallen sons and daughters of Adam, while through His divinity He grasps the throne of God. And thus Christ is the medium of communication of men with God, and of God with men. {DA 143.1}

Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages, p. 437

It was not enough for the disciples of Jesus to be instructed as to the nature of His kingdom. What they needed was a change of heart that would bring them into harmony with its principles. Calling a little child to Him, Jesus set him in the midst of them; then tenderly folding the little one in His arms He said, "Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven." The simplicity, the self-forgetfulness, and the confiding love of a little child are the attributes that Heaven values. These are the characteristics of real greatness. {DA 437.1}

Again Jesus explained to the disciples that His kingdom is not characterized by earthly dignity and display. At the feet of Jesus all these distinctions are forgotten. The rich and the poor, the learned and the ignorant, meet together, with no thought of caste or worldly preeminence. All meet as blood-bought souls, alike dependent upon One who has redeemed them to God. {DA 437.2}

The sincere, contrite soul is precious in the sight of God. He places His own signet upon men, not by their rank, not by their wealth, not by their intellectual greatness, but by their oneness with Christ. The Lord of glory is satisfied with those who are meek and lowly in heart. "Thou hast also given me," said David, "the shield of Thy salvation: . . . and Thy gentleness"--as an element in the human character--"hath made me great." Psalm 18:35. {DA 437.3}

"Whosoever shall receive one of such children in My name," said Jesus, "receiveth Me: and whosoever shall receive Me, receiveth not Me, but Him that sent Me." "Thus saith the Lord, The heaven is My throne, and the earth is My footstool: . . . but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at My word." Isaiah 66:1, 2. {DA 437.4}

The Saviour's words awakened in the disciples a feeling of self-distrust. No one had been specially pointed out in the reply; but John was led to question whether in one case his action had been right. With the spirit of a child he laid the matter before Jesus. "Master," he said, "we saw one casting out devils in Thy name, and he followeth not us: and we forbade him, because he followeth not us." {DA 437.5}

James and John had thought that in checking this man they had had in view their Lord's honor; they began to see that they were jealous for their own. They acknowledged their error, and accepted the reproof of Jesus, "Forbid him not: for there is no man which shall do a miracle in My name, that can lightly speak evil of Me." None who showed (p. 438) themselves in any way friendly to Christ were to be repulsed. There were many who had been deeply moved by the character and the work of Christ, and whose hearts were opening to Him in faith; and the disciples, who could not read motives, must be careful not to discourage these souls. When Jesus was no longer personally among them, and the work was left in their hands, they must not indulge a narrow, exclusive spirit, but manifest the same far-reaching sympathy which they had seen in their Master. {DA 437.6}