Tuesday, May 19, 2020

Heaven Begins on Earth

Today's Devotion
Wednesday, May 20, 2020
Heaven Begins on Earth
Today's Text

Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

Matthew 11:28
Heaven is to begin on this earth. Testimonies for the Church 7:131.

Those who take Christ at His word, and surrender their souls to His keeping, their lives to His ordering, will find peace and quietude. Nothing of the world can make them sad when Jesus makes them glad by His presence. In perfect acquiescence there is perfect rest. The Lord says, “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.” Isaiah 26:3. Our lives may seem a tangle; but as we commit ourselves to the wise Master Worker, He will bring out the pattern of life and character that will be to His own glory. And that character which expresses the glory—character—of Christ will be received into the Paradise of God. A renovated race shall walk with Him in white, for they are worthy.

As through Jesus we enter into rest, heaven begins here. We respond to His invitation, Come, learn of Me, and in thus coming we begin the life eternal. Heaven is a ceaseless approaching to God through Christ. The longer we are in the heaven of bliss, the more and still more of glory will be opened to us; and the more we know of God, the more intense will be our happiness. The Desire of Ages, 331.

When the Lord's people are filled with meekness and tenderness, they will realize that His banner over them is love, and His fruit will be sweet to their taste. They will make a heaven below in which to prepare for heaven above. Testimonies for the Church 7:131.

As we walk with Jesus in this life, we may be filled with His love, satisfied with His presence. All that human nature can bear, we may receive here. But what is this compared with the hereafter? There “are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them. For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters.” Revelation 7:15-17. The Desire of Ages, 331, 332.

Note: In some areas phrases have been omitted by the compilers for whatever reason. I have restored them as underlined text, that the full intent of the author may be given.
My Thoughts:
My friend, Jesus began His ministry saying "Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." (Matthew 4:17), for His ministry was to bring a knowledge of God to man that through Him we wold be prepared to enter into the kingdom of God. Heaven begins on this earth, for it is here that we accept Christ as our Savior, and the work of cleansing begins.

"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." (1 John 1:9). It is in this life that we may confess that we are sinners and accept Christ as our Savior, and as we do this we receive salvation; a new life from above. But the stain of sin is upon our characters and only the indwelling of the Spirit of Christ can wash this away. Thus in this life the work of cleansing us from all unrighteousness begins.

This work is the work of our High Priest in the sanctuary of our hearts. This work continues as long as we live. As we daily surrender our hearts to Him, spending time with Him in prayer and in the searching after Him in the Word of God, the unholy desires that fill our hearts are little by little erased away. New desires are put in its place as His righteousness begins to fill our hearts. As we partake of the divine nature of Christ we are transformed little by little into His lovely image.

The process of sanctification is the work of a lifetime, and for most this process is not completed in this life, but "Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:" (Philippians 1:6). The work of cleaning us from all unrighteousness is solely the work of Christ upon the soul. That which He does not complete on this earth He completes in the heavenly sanctuary above. Thus our salvation and sanctification are assured, for He is the Author and Finisher of our faith.

My friend, Heaven begins when we accept Jesus the only begotten Son of God as our Savior. Won't you accept Him into your heart today?

God bless,
I encourage your comments: wtaitague@gmail.com or directly in the blog (Click Here)
How God Saves us Part III - The Perfecting of our Characters

In the third part of the topic "How We Are Saved", we look at how God removes the the stain of sin is removed from our characters, and prepares us to live with Him in heaven. This message was presented at the Advent Bible Fellowship online Sabbath service on May 9, 2020.
Thursday: Heaven a Real Place

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Monday, May 18, 2020

Speculations About the Future Life

Today's Devotion
Tuesday, May 19, 2020
Speculations About the Future Life
Today's Text

For when they shall rise from the dead, they neither marry, nor are given in marriage; but are as the angels which are in heaven.

Mark 12:25
There are men today who express their belief that there will be marriages and births in the new earth, but those who believe the Scriptures cannot accept such doctrines. The doctrine that children will be born in the new earth is not a part of the “sure word of prophecy.” The words of Christ are too plain to be misunderstood. They should forever settle the question of marriages and births in the new earth. Neither those who shall be raised from the dead, nor those who shall be translated without seeing death, will marry or be given in marriage. They will be as the angels of God, members of the royal family.

I would say to those who hold views contrary to this plain declaration of Christ: Upon such matters silence is eloquence. It is presumption to indulge in suppositions and theories regarding matters that God has not made known to us in His Word. We need not enter into speculation regarding our future state....

“Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season.” 2 Timothy 4:2. Do not bring to the foundation wood, and hay, and stubble—your own surmisings and speculations, which can benefit no one.

Christ withheld no truths essential to our salvation. Those things that are revealed are for us and our children, but we are not to allow our imagination to frame doctrines concerning things not revealed.

The Lord has made every provision for our happiness in the future life. But He has made no revelations regarding these plans, and we are not to speculate concerning them. Neither are we to measure the conditions of the future life by the conditions of this life.... It is presented to me that spiritual fables are taking many captive.... To all who are indulging these unholy fancies, I would say, Stop; for Christ's sake, stop right where you are. You are on forbidden ground. Medical Ministry, 99-101.

Note: In some areas phrases have been omitted by the compilers for whatever reason. I have restored them as underlined text, that the full intent of the author may be given.
My Thoughts:
My friend, all that is good for us to understand about heaven at this time is given to us in the Scriptures. We can trust that our life there will be beyond what we have hear on this earth. Our true joy in heaven will not be in the mansions, or the things that will fill our senses, but that we will be there with Jesus and our Father. Our joy will also be to fellowship with angles and other heavenly beings, all of which were involved in protecting and keeping us while on the earth.

There will undoubtedly many others, but one particular joy will be to fellowship with those to whom we had a part in leading to Christ, and with those who led us to Christ; and together we will sing praises to our Father and to Jesus our brother. "And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it." (Revelation 21:22).

My friend, we are on the cusp of eternity. Heaven is just before us. The struggles that we are facing here on this earth will pale in comparison to the joys that await us in the life to come. Our salvation is found in the life of God given to us through His Son. May you accept Jesus, the only begotten Son of God into your heart today.

God bless,
I encourage your comments: wtaitague@gmail.com or directly in the blog (Click Here)
How God Saves us Part III - The Perfecting of our Characters

In the third part of the topic "How We Are Saved", we look at how God removes the the stain of sin is removed from our characters, and prepares us to live with Him in heaven. This message was presented at the Advent Bible Fellowship online Sabbath service on May 9, 2020.
Wednesday: Heaven Begins on Earth

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Sunday, May 17, 2020

The Blessedness of Heaven

Today's Devotion
Monday, May 18, 2020
The Blessedness of Heaven
Today's Text

He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.

Revelation 21:7
No man stumbles into heaven. No man goes there blindfold. If he will take time to consider, every man may know whether he is in the strait and narrow path, or in the broad road that leads to death and hell. The Bible Echo, July 31, 1899 (The Bible Echo, January 25, 1897).

If we do not receive the religion of Christ by feeding upon the Word of God, we shall not be entitled to an entrance into the city of God. Having lived on earthly food, having educated our tastes to love worldly things, we would not be fitted for the heavenly courts; we could not appreciate the pure, heavenly current that circulates in heaven. The voices of the angels and the music of their harps would not satisfy us. The science of heaven would be as an enigma to our minds. We need to hunger and thirst for the righteousness of Christ; we need to be molded and fashioned by the transforming influence of His grace, that we may be fitted for the society of heavenly angels. The Review and Herald, May 4, 1897.

We must have a vision of the future and of the blessedness of heaven.... There the redeemed ones greet those who directed them to the uplifted Saviour.... The conflict is over. All tribulation and strife are at an end. Songs of victory fill all heaven as the redeemed stand around the throne of God. Testimonies for the Church 8:44.

Then the nations will own no other law than the law of heaven. All will be a happy, united family, clothed with the garments of praise and thanksgiving.... Over the scene the morning stars will sing together, and the sons of God will shout for joy, while God and Christ will unite in proclaiming, “There shall be no more sin, neither shall there be any more death. Testimonies for the Church 8:42.

We want to get in the habit of talking of heaven, beautiful heaven. Talk of that life which will continue as long as God shall live, and then you will forget your little trials and difficulties. Let the mind be attracted to God. Historical Sketches of the Foreign Missions of the Seventh-day Adventists, 146.

Note: In some areas phrases have been omitted by the compilers for whatever reason. I have restored them as underlined text, that the full intent of the author may be given.
My Thoughts:
My friend, the kingdom of heaven is cheap enough that all that desire to be there, can. The salvation offered to us is available to all that would surrender their lives here, for the decisions that we make in this life will determine our destinies for all eternity.

When Jesus said to His disciples that He was going away to prepare a place for them in heaven, He was not talking about the mansions in heaven, He was talking about preparing us for heaven. Though we have received His life in the new birth, our characters have been corrupted by sin. The desires for sin runs deep within us and only the life of the only begotten Son of God that has united divinity and humanity, can cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

This sanctification process takes time to work out the defects that sin has wrought upon the heart. As we are in daily communion with Jesus, these defects begin to fade and are eventually replaced with the righteousness of Christ. Our carnal desires are replaced by holy and righteous desires. The things of this world that we once looked upon with desire, no longer hold sway upon us. New and holy desires begin to take their place within our hearts. We begin to hunger and thirst after the righteousness of Christ, and we long for the pure and holy atmosphere of heaven.

The vast majority of those who have accepted Christ as their Savior, have gone into the grave without this work of perfection being completed, for it takes time in this life to make us holy. Thus the work is completed in the heavenly sanctuary above where the souls of the righteous are brought before the throne of God and the Jesus our High Priest, applies His life to them, that they may be cleansed from all unrighteousness.

My friend, there is no consciousness in the grave, but that which makes us who we are is preserved in our souls. The decision that we make here on this earth is final, but the work of Christ for us continues in the heavenly sanctuary. Those who are still alive, Christ works within the sanctuary of their hearts, working to cleanse the soul from the defilement of sin by applying His life to theirs. This process takes time, but we can be assured that all those who have trusted in Him will be cleansed from all unrighteousness, either in this world, or in the heavenly sanctuary above.

God bless,
I encourage your comments: wtaitague@gmail.com or directly in the blog (Click Here)
How God Saves us Part III - The Perfecting of our Characters

In the third part of the topic "How We Are Saved", we look at how God removes the the stain of sin is removed from our characters, and prepares us to live with Him in heaven. This message was presented at the Advent Bible Fellowship online Sabbath service on May 9, 2020.
Tuesday: Speculations About the Future Life

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Thursday, May 14, 2020

Two Worlds Compared

Today's Devotion
Friday, May 15, 2020
Two Worlds Compared
Today's Text

But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.

1 Corinthians 2:9
The glory of the eternal world has been opened before me. I want to tell you that heaven is worth winning. It should be the aim of your life to fit yourself for association with the redeemed, with holy angels, and with Jesus, the world's Redeemer. If we could have but one view of the celestial city, we would never wish to dwell on earth again. There are beautiful landscapes on earth, and I enjoy all these prospects of loveliness in nature. I associate them with the Creator. But I know that if I love God, and keep His commandments, there is a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory reserved in heaven for me. The Signs of the Times, April 8, 1889.

There, when the veil that darkens our vision shall be removed, and our eyes shall behold that world of beauty of which we now catch glimpses through the microscope; when we look on the glories of the heavens, now scanned afar through the telescope; when, the blight of sin removed, the whole earth shall appear in “the beauty of the Lord our God,” what a field will be open to our study! There the student of science may read the records of creation and discern no reminders of the law of evil. He may listen to the music of nature's voices and detect no note of wailing or undertone of sorrow. In all created things he may trace one handwriting—in the vast universe behold “God's name writ large,” and not in earth or sea or sky one sign of ill remaining. Education, 303.

Let your imagination picture the home of the saved, and remember that it will be more glorious than your brightest imagination can portray. In the varied gifts of God in nature we see but the faintest gleaming of His glory. Steps to Christ, 86, 87.

Human language is inadequate to describe the reward of the righteous. It will be known only to those who behold it. No finite mind can comprehend the glory of the Paradise of God. The Story of Redemption, 430, 431.

Note: In some areas phrases have been omitted by the compilers for whatever reason. I have restored them as underlined text, that the full intent of the author may be given.
My Thoughts:
My friend, the salvation that God has provided to us is a real salvation, it is a real life that is given to us that we may be without sin. Our true problem is that we have inherited a unrighteous life that is prone to sin and death. Thus the remedy for us is in receiving a new life; a life that is righteous and is not prone to sin and death, and that life can only come from God who alone is righteous and has life that is without sin and is everlasting.

In our salvation God has given to us His life through His Son, "For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself;" (John 5:26). "And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son." (1 John 5:11). Thus our salvation is a real salvation in that we receive the very life of God through His Son.

As we are born again in Christ, we become sons and daughters of God. This is not just a declaration, but is a reality. "But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:" (John 1:12). In order for us to become children of God, divinity must be united with humanity. In Jesus this has been accomplished "For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily." (Colossians 2:9). Thus as we accept the only begotten Son of God as our Savior, we are born again with the divine human life of Jesus living within us.

My friend, the glories of heaven are made available to us today through the indwelling of the Spirit of Christ. Won't you accept Him into your heart today?

God bless,
I encourage your comments: wtaitague@gmail.com or directly in the blog (Click Here)
Adam's Legacy - Nadar Monsour

Adam's legacy is what we naturally inherit from Adam. Some people are not happy about that inheritance. In this study, Nader Mansour shares some reminders from the Bible that there is ANOTHER Adam and another legacy we can inherit. How does all this fit in with the Father & Son message? Find out in the video.
Monday: The Blessedness of Heaven

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