Blog Archives - WELCOME TO THE JOY OF TROY

May 21, 2020

5/21/2020

May 21                                KING OF KINGS AND RIGHTEOUS JUDGE

        Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.--2 Timothy 4:8

    In His teachings Christ sought to impress human minds with the coming judgment and its publicity. This is not the judgment of a few individuals, or a nation, but of a whole world of human intelligences, of accountable beings. And that judgment must be held in the presence of the world, that the love, the integrity, the service of man for God may be glorified and honored on the largest scale.

    "The Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son." He has given Him authority to execute judgment, because He is the Son of man. In His superadded humanity consists the reason of Christ's appointment. God hath committed all judgment unto the Son, for without controversy He is God manifest in the flesh.

    God designed that the Prince of sufferers in humanity should be judge of the whole world. He who submitted to be arraigned before an earthly tribunal, He who came from the heavenly courts to save man from eternal death, He whom men despised, rejected, and upon whom they heaped all the contempt of which human beings inspired by Satan are capable, He who suffered the ignominious death of the cross--He alone was to pronounce the sentence of reward or of punishment. When every man shall be judged as his works have been, then the words spoken by [Him] in the judgment hall, "Hereafter shall the Son of man sit on the right hand of the power of God," will appear before then as if written in letters of fire. (Manuscript 39, March 11, 1898)

REFLECTION: If we are in Christ, we do not need to fear the judgment. We have a righteous judge who will not only judge us fairly, but He will also do everything He can to "cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9)

May 20, 2020

5/20/2020

SEEK YE FIRST

        Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.--Matthew 6:33

    Farmers, merchants, lawyers, tradesmen, will be wholly engrossed in business, and the day of the Lord will come upon them as a snare. When men are at ease, full of amusement, absorbed in buying and selling, the prowling thief approaches with stealthy tread. So it will be at coming of the Son of man....

    The time is coming when the mountains shall be shaken and removed as a cottage. But the thought, the purposes, the actions, of the faithful worker for the Master, although now unseen, will appear again at the great day of final retribution. Things that now seem a light matter will then appear as witnesses, either to approve or condemn....

    In the great day of judgment no man who has retained the frailty and imperfection of natural humanity, will be vindicated; for he could not enjoy the perfection of the characters of the saints in light. He who has not sufficient faith in Christ to believe that he can keep him from sinning, has not that faith that will give him an entrance into the kingdom of God. (Letter 21, December 19, 1897)

REFLECTION: We are to engage in no business, follow no pursuit, seek no pleasure, that would hinder the outworking of His righteousness in our character and life. Whatever we do is to be done heartily, as unto the Lord...

If we follow His example, His assurance to us is that all things needful in this life "shall be added." Poverty or wealth, sickness or health, simplicity or wisdom--all are provided for in the promise of His grace. (Thoughts from the Mount of Blessing, 99)

May 19, 2020

5/19/2020

PILATE, HEROD, AND THE LAMB

        Clouds and darkness surround Him; righteousness and justice are the foundation of His throne.--Psalm 97:2

    [Jesus] says, "Marvel not at this for the hour cometh in the which all that are in the graves shall hear the voice of the Son of man, and shall come forth." This voice is soon to resound through all the nations of the dead, and every saint who sleeps in Jesus shall awake and leave his prison house. The general judgment shall take place at the end of the one thousand years. Whoever then has disowned Christ, betrayed Him in the person of His saints, will then see the results of their work.

    Christ will then sit on the throne of judgment. He will not stand before the bar of Pilate or Herod. He is the Judge, and Pilate and Herod stand before the man whom they scourged and delivered up to the will of His enemies, while priests and rulers clamored for the death of their Messiah. Pilate and Herod, who suffered the Lord to be scourged, and those who scourged Him, those who struck Him in the face and mocked Him will then understand what it means to meet the wrath of the Lamb. (Manuscript 137, December 16, 1897)

REFLECTION: Oh, the worth of the soul! It cannot be estimated...because you have not cultivated a sense of the great sacrifice made by the Son of God to save the soul from eternal ruin. You do not realize the abhorrence which the Lord has for sin. The prophet says, "I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works....And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire." [Revelation 20:12, 15.] (Letter 27, July 6, 1890)

May 18, 2020

5/18/2020

A VERY SPECIAL GARMENT

        To her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.--Revelation 19:8

    When God's people are clothed with white robes, and crowned as true subjects of His kingdom, those who have been disloyal will see the inconsistency of their uniting with the loyal to honor and magnify the law of God which they have educated themselves to disregard....

    Christ had such an experience in His humanity that He would be close beside every one who passes through suffering for the truth's sake--those who are tortured, imprisoned in dungeons, and bound in chains. Christ ministered unto these. It was Christ in the person of His saints who suffered. And all who cause His people to suffer, will experience this suffering with in their own bodies, be they pope, legate, priests, or people. They will understand in that day that they were dealing with Christ in the person of His saints. Then they will understand the wrath of the Lamb.

    Those who have tried to lay their plans in councils, and by their superior numbers gain power to oppress the saints of God, to compel them to dishonor and disobey their Redeemer, will understand the work they have done upon the earth as enemies of God, betrayers of sacred trusts. They will then know how many souls have deceived and led away from their allegiance to God. They will see that they have made themselves responsible, by misinterpreting the Word of God, for their own destruction and the destruction of God's property, His one heritage, purchased at an infinite cost. The blood of these souls is on their garments. (Manuscript 137, December 16, 1897)

REFLECTION: By the wedding garment in the parable is represented the pure, spotless character which Christ's true followers will possess. To the church it is given "that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white," "not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing." Rev. 19:8. The fine linen, says the Scripture, "is the righteousness of saints." Eph. 5:27. It is the righteousness of Christ, His own unblemished character that through faith is imparted to all who receive Him as their personal Savior. (Christ's Object Lessons, 310)

May 17, 2020

5/17/2020

NO EXCUSES

        Therefore I love Your commandments more than gold, yes, than fine gold! Therefore all Your precepts concerning all things I consider to be right; I hate every false way.--Psalm 119:127-128

    God will never give up His rightful claim. He will never cease to command, however you may be determined to refuse to obey; and if you die following your own will, refusing the will of God, He will eventually justify the reasonableness of your condemnation before the assembled universe. Not one of the countless millions of the human family will stand alone before God, pleading that He had done all that He could to comply with the conditions of salvation revealed in His Word, and yet they are unsaved. Every one who fails to obtain the immortal life will be self-condemned, with not an excuse to offer before God. (Letter 6, November 3, 1877)

    When the sin-cursed earth is purified from every stain of sin, when the Mount of Olives is rent asunder and becomes an immense plain, when the holy city of God descends upon it, the land that is now called the Holy Land will indeed become holy. (Letter 26, October 11, 1895)

    The judgment scene will be held in the presence of all the worlds, for in this judgment the government of God will be vindicated, and His honor, His law, stand forth as "holy, just, and good." Then every case will be decided, and the judgment sentence passed upon the whole world. Sin will not then appear attractive, but will be seen in all its hideous magnitude. Then will be seen the relation in which we stand to God and to each other. (Manuscript 137, December 16, 1897)

REFLECTION: In the day of final judgment, every lost soul will understand the nature of his own rejection of truth....Every lying excuse will be swept away....Men will see what their choice has been. Every question of truth and error in the long-standing controversy will then have been made plain. In the judgment of the universe, God will stand clear of blame for the existence of continuance of evil. (The Desire of Ages, 58)

May 16, 2020

5/16/2020

YOUR LIFE IS AN OPEN BOOK

        I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books.--Revelation 20:12

    Let everyone who profess the name of Christ consider the fact that he must meet every act of injustice, give an account for every harsh word, at the judgment seat of Christ. It will not be pleasant to review the words that have been spoken that have wounded and bruised souls, to review the decisions that have worked against souls for whom Christ died. Every action will come into judgment, and the spirit that prompted it will be made manifest.

    The fruit of every selfish, arbitrary exaction will be made plain, and men will see the results of their doings even as God sees them....We are living in the great Day of Atonement, and it is now time that everyone should repent before God, confess his sins, and by living faith rest upon the merit of a crucified and living Saviour.

    My brethren and sisters, will you bear in mind that in dealing with God's heritage you are not to act out your natural characteristics? The people of God are Christ's purchased possession, and what a price He has paid for them! Shall any of us be found aiding the enemy of God and man in discouraging and destroying souls? What will be the retribution brought upon us if we do this class of work?

    Every one of us should weed out of our conversation everything that is harsh and severe. We should not indulge in condemning others, and we will not do so if we are one with Christ. We are to represent Christ in our dealings with our fellowmen. We are to be laborers together with God in helping those who are tempted. We are not to encourage souls to sow seeds of doubt; for they will bear a baleful harvest. We are to learn of Christ, to practice His methods, to reveal His spirit. (Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers, 224-225)

REFLECTION: Solemn will be the day of final decision....

Sad will be the retrospect in that day when men stand face to face with eternity. The whole life will present itself just as it has been. The world's pleasures, riches, and honors will not then seem so important. Men will then see that the righteousness they despised is alone of value....Then they will see the results of their choice. They will have a knowledge of what it means to transgress the commandments of God. (Christ's Object Lessons, 318-319)

May 15, 2020

5/15/2020

IT'S TIME TO LISTEN

        Thus says the Lord: "In an acceptable time I have heard You, and in the day of salvation I have helped You; I will preserve You and give You as a covenant to the people, to restore the earth, to cause them to inherit the desolate heritages."--Isaiah 49:8

    Angels were sent to aid the mighty angel from heaven, and I heard voices which seems to sound everywhere, "Come out of her, My people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues. For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities."

    This message seemed to be an addition to the third message, joining it as the midnight cry joined the second angel's message in 1844. The glory of God rested upon the patient, waiting saints, and they fearlessly gave the last solemn warning, proclaiming the fall of Babylon and calling upon God's people to come out of her that they might escape her fearful doom.

    The light that was shed upon the waiting ones penetrated everywhere, and those in the churches who had any light, who had not heard and rejected the three messages, obeyed the call and left the fallen churches. Many had come to years of accountability since these messages had been given, and the light shone upon them, and they were privileged to choose life or death. Some chose life and took their stand with those who were looking for their Lord and keeping all His commandments....The last call was carried even to the poor slaves, and the pious among them poured forth their songs of rapturous joy at the prospect of their happy deliverance. Their masters could not check them; fear and astonishment kept them silent.

    Mighty miracles were wrought, the sick were healed, and signs and wonders followed the believers. God was in the work, and every saint, fearless of consequences, followed the convictions of his own conscience and united with those who were keeping all the commandments of God; and with power they sounded abroad the third message. I saw that his message will close with power and strength far exceeding the midnight cry. (Early Writings, 277-278)

REFLECTION: Servants of God, endowed with power from on high with their faces lighted up, and shining with holy consecration, went forth to proclaim the message from heaven. Souls that were scattered all through the religious bodies answered to the call, and the precious were hurried out of the doomed churches, as Lot was hurried out of Sodom before her destruction. God's people were strengthened by the excellent glory which rested upon them in rich abundance and prepared them to endure the hour of temptation. (Early Writings, 278-279)

May 14, 2020

5/14/2020

WILLIAM MILLER PERPLEXED

        False christs and false prophets will rise and show signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.--Mark 13:22

    My attention was then called to William Miller. He looked perplexed and was bowed with anxiety and distress for his people. The company who had been united and loving in 1844 were losing their love, opposing one another, and falling into a cold, backslidden state. As he beheld this, grief wasted his strength. I saw leading men watching him, and fearing lest he should receive the third angel's message and the commandments of God. And as he would lean toward the light from heaven, these men would lay some plan to draw his mind away. A human influence was exerted to keep him in darkness and to retain his influence among those who opposed the truth.

    At length William Miller raised his voice against the light from heaven. He failed in not receiving the message which would have fully explained his disappointment and cast a light and glory on the past, which would have revived his exhausted energies, brightened his hope, and led him to glorify God. He leaned to human wisdom instead of divine, but being broken with arduous labor in his Master's cause and by age, he was not as accountable as those who kept him from the truth. They are responsible; the sin rests upon them.

    If William Miller could have seen the light of the third message, many things which looked dark and mysterious to him would have been explained. But his brethren professed so deep love and interest for him, that he thought he could not tear away from them. His heart would incline toward the truth, and then he looked at his brethren; they opposed it. Could he tear away from those who had stood side by side with him in proclaiming the coming of Jesus? He thought they surely would not lead him astray. (Early Writings, 257-258)

REFLECTION: God suffered him to fall under the power of Satan, the dominion of death, and hid him in the grave from those who were constantly drawing him from the truth. Moses erred as he was about to enter the Promised Land. So also, I saw that William Miller erred as he was soon to enter the heavenly Canaan, in suffering his influence to go against the truth. Others led him to this; others must account for it. But angels watch the precious dust of this servant of God, and he will come forth at the sound of the last trump. (Early Writings, 258)

May 13, 2020

5/13/2020

THAT GREAT DECEIVER

        The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved.--2 Thessalonians 2:9-10

    After the great disappointment in 1844, Satan and his angels were busily engaged in laying snares to unsettle the faith of the body. He affected the minds of persons who had had an experience in the messages, and who had an appearance of humility. Some pointed to the future for the fulfillment of the first and second messages, while others pointed far back into the past, declaring that they had been there fulfilled.

    These were gaining an influence over the minds of the inexperienced and unsettling their faith. Some were searching the Bible to build up a faith of their own, independent of the body. Satan exulted in all this; for he knew that those who broke loose from the anchor he could affect by different errors and drive about with divers winds of doctrine. Many who had led the first and second messages now denied them, and there was division and confusion throughout the body. (Early Writings, 256)

REFLECTION: Satan is constantly working through his agents to dishearten and destroy those whom God has chosen to accomplish a great and good work. They may be ready to sacrifice even life itself for the advancement of the cause of Christ, yet the great deceiver will suggest to their brethren doubts concerning them which, if entertained, would undermine confidence in their integrity of character, and thus cripple their usefulness. Too often he succeeds in bringing upon them, through their own brethren, such sorrow of heart that God graciously interposes to give His persecuted servants rest....Their death may accomplish that which their life has failed to do. (The Acts of the Apostles, 418)

May 12, 2020

5/12/2020

JESUS, OUR HIGH PRIEST

        Where the forerunner had entered for us, even Jesus, having become High Priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.--Hebrews 6:20

    I saw the incense in the censer smoke as Jesus offered their confessions and prayers to His Father. And as it ascended, a bright light rested upon Jesus and upon the mercy seat; and the earnest, praying ones, who were troubled because they had discovered themselves to be transgressors of God's law, were blessed, and their countenances lighted up with hope and joy. They joined in the work of the third angel and raised their voices to proclaim the solemn warning. But few at first received it; yet the faithful continued with energy to proclaim the message. Then I saw many embrace the message of the third angel and unite their voices with those who had first given the warning, and they honored God by observing His sanctified rest day.

    Many who embraced the third message had not had an experience in the two former messages. Satan understood this, and his evil eye was upon them to overthrow them; but the third angel was pointing them to the most holy place, and those who had had an experience in the past messages were pointing them the way to the heavenly sanctuary. Many saw the perfect chain of truth in the angels' messages, and gladly received them in their order, and followed Jesus by faith in the heavenly sanctuary. These messages were represented to me as an anchor to the people of God. Those who understand and receive them will be kept from being swept away by the many delusions of Satan. (Early Writings, 256)

REFLECTION: Though the ministration was to be removed from the earthly to the heavenly temple; though the sanctuary and our great high priest would be invisible to human sight, yet the disciples were to suffer no loss thereby....While Jesus ministers in the sanctuary above, He is still by His Spirit the minister of the church on earth....While He delegates His power to inferior ministers, His energizing presence is still with His church. (The Desire of Ages, 166)