Category: Bible Truths

“If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: ⁷But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.”    1 John 1:6, 7.
 
In the dictionary, the definitions of darkness are given as the absolute or comparative absence of light, secrecy, concealment and blindness.
The definition of light:  The energy that helps us to see things all around us. Something that makes vision possible.

What does the word of God teach us about light and darkness? What revelation does the Bible give us concerning light and darkness and more specifically, the message that Jesus gave?
Recorded for us in Genesis is an introduction to Light and Darkness.  Here the word of God portrayed the distinct contrast between the two and forever separated them by Day and Night.

“And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. ³ And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. ⁴ And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness. ⁵ And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.” Genesis 1:2-5.

Darkness: Absence of light. Night.
Light: Goodness. Dispels darkness. Day.

To continue, we look at John 3:17-21.  “For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.¹⁸ He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.¹⁹ And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.²⁰ For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.²¹ But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.”

Darkness: Evil. Secrecy. Unbelief.
Light: Revelation of Jesus Christ. Truth. Love.

Isaiah 60:1,2: “Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee. ² For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the Lord shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee.”

The words of Jesus declare the same in John, Matthew and in Luke:
“Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.” John 8:12.
“For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. ⁸ All these are the beginning of sorrows.”  Matthew 24:7, 8. 
“And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; ²⁶ Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.” Luke 21:25, 26.

Darkness: Ignorance of God. Hatred. Violence. Natural disasters. Confusion. Fear. Sorrow. Wars.
Light: Sinlessness. Life. Work of God.  

A distinct picture should be forming in our minds about light and darkness, but it continues to be made clear as we let the word of God speak, as we examine the message that our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ gave us by his life.
“ This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. ⁶ If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: ⁷ But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.”  1 John 1:5-7.

“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.”  James 1:17.

“Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: ¹³ Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: ¹⁴ In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:”  Colossians 1:12-14.

“Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; ¹⁵ And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.”  Hebrews 2:14, 15.

“To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.”  Luke 1:79.

“He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him. ¹¹ But he that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes.”  1 John 2:10, 11.

Darkness: Death. Hatred. Lies. Bondage. Works of the Devil. Blindness. Sin.
Light: Love. Fellowship. Consistency. Righteousness. Forgiveness. Peace.

In summary:

Since God is light and in Him is no darkness at all, (1 John 1:5), then in God and Jesus Christ is no sin, no evil, no hatred and no death.  They are the source of love, righteousness, peace, goodness and life.

How do we know which of the two, light or darkness, has greater influence in our lives? 
John explained clearly in 1 John 2:8-11, “Again, a new commandment I write unto you, which thing is true in him and in you: because the darkness is past, and the true light now shineth. ⁹ He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now. ¹⁰ He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him. ¹¹ But he that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes.”

Matthew 6:22, 23 said, “The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. ²³ But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!”

Closing gem from Ellen White in Our High Calling (OHC), “God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all. If there were no light, there would be no shade. But while the shade comes by the sun, it is not created by it. It is some obstruction that causes the shadow. So darkness emanates not from God, but is the result of an intruding object between the soul and God…. Disregard of the light that God has given brings the sure result. It creates a shadow, a darkness that is more dark because of the light which has been sent…. If a man withdraws himself from light and evidence, and yields to Satan’s seducing arts, he himself draws the curtain of unbelief about him, so that light cannot be distinguished from darkness. More light and evidence would only be misunderstood by him. The greater the evidence, the greater will be the indifference. This will lead the deceived soul to call darkness light and truth error.^{38Manuscript 56, 1898.} OHC 26.2
Satan is constantly working to lead men to deny the light. It is but a step from the straightforward path to a diverging one, in which Satan leads the way, and where light is all darkness, and darkness light…. It is a dangerous thing to open the heart to unbelief, for it drives the Spirit of God away from the heart, and Satan’s suggestions come in…. We must … avoid the first admission of doubt and unbelief.^{39Letter 104, 1894.} OHC 26.3

Let us purpose in our hearts to walk in the light that has been sent and still shines, while there is grace. 

I do readings from inspired writers as part of my devotion.  I plan to be more consistent as I strive to draw closer to God daily.  As I read the words, many times my heart is drawn out in need and my mind is agitated to ponder deeply and to reassess my purpose and focus in life.  The word of God says, “For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?” Mark 8:36, Matthew 16:26.
Have you ever pondered those words? Can all we have gained or hope to gain in this world and this life, be better than what God offers and missing out on heaven?  I guess to answer that question, you would first have to believe that heaven is real and that living for an eternity is also real.  Wrap your mind around living for eternity!!
My contribution to this blog that we have started is to not only bring original thought but to share the inspired pages which, if already well-spoken, need not be reinvented but to be shared for others to consider and enjoy.  Hopefully to inspire a deeper understanding of just how much God loves us and how truly wonderful He is.
With that said, this post is an excerpt from one of my favorite books written by the most prolific American female author, Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages (DA).  This is an inspired work on the life of Jesus Christ. The first chapter, God with Us, is worth the purchase of this book alone.  Truly!!  The excerpt is from Chapter 34, The Invitation, where it is beautifully illustrated God’s request for us to come to Him. 

“Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy-laden, and I will give your rest.”  Matthew 11:28. 
These words of comfort were spoken to the multitude that followed Jesus. The Saviour had said that only through Himself could men receive a knowledge of God. He had spoken of His disciples as the ones to whom a knowledge of heavenly things had been given. But He left none to feel themselves shut out from His care and love. All who labor and are heavy-laden may come unto Him. DA 328.2
Tenderly He bade the toiling people, “Take My yoke upon you, and learn of Me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.” DA 328.4
In these words Christ is speaking to every human being. Whether they know it or not, all are weary and heavy-laden. All are weighed down with burdens that only Christ can remove. The heaviest burden that we bear is the burden of sin. If we were left to bear this burden, it would crush us. But the Sinless One has taken our place. “The Lord hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all.” Isaiah 53:6. He has borne the burden of our guilt. He will take the load from our weary shoulders. He will give us rest. The burden of care and sorrow also He will bear. He invites us to cast all our care upon Him; for He carries us upon His heart. DA 328.5

The Elder Brother of our race is by the eternal throne. He looks upon every soul who is turning his face toward Him as the Saviour. He knows by experience what are the weaknesses of humanity, what are our wants, and where lies the strength of our temptations; for He was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. He is watching over you, trembling child of God. Are you tempted? He will deliver. Are you weak? He will strengthen. Are you ignorant? He will enlighten. Are you wounded? He will heal. The Lord “telleth the number of the stars;” and yet “He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds.” Psalm 147:4, 3. “Come unto Me,” is His invitation. Whatever your anxieties and trials, spread out your case before the Lord. Your spirit will be braced for endurance. The way will be opened for you to disentangle yourself from embarrassment and difficulty. The weaker and more helpless you know yourself to be, the stronger will you become in His strength. The heavier your burdens, the more blessed the rest in casting them upon the Burden Bearer. The rest that Christ offers depends upon conditions, but these conditions are plainly specified.  They are those with which all can comply.  He tells us just how His rest is to be found. DA 329.1

“Take My yoke upon you,” Jesus says. The yoke is an instrument of service. Cattle are yoked for labor, and the yoke is essential that they may labor effectually. By this illustration Christ teaches us that we are called to service as long as life shall last. We are to take upon us His yoke, that we may be co-workers with Him. DA 329.2
The yoke that binds to service is the law of God. The great law of love revealed in Eden, proclaimed upon Sinai, and in the new covenant written in the heart, is that which binds the human worker to the will of God. If we were left to follow our own inclinations, to go just where our will would lead us, we should fall into Satan’s ranks and become possessors of his attributes. Therefore God confines us to His will, which is high, and noble, and elevating. He desires that we shall patiently and wisely take up the duties of service. The yoke of service Christ Himself has borne in humanity. He said, “I delight to do Thy will, O My God: yea, thy law is within My heart.” Psalm 40:8. “I came down from heaven, not to do Mine own will, but the will of Him that sent Me.” John 6:38. Love for God, zeal for His glory, and love for fallen humanity, brought Jesus to earth to suffer and to die. This was the controlling power of His life. This principle He bids us adopt. DA 329.3There are many whose hearts are aching under a load of care because they seek to reach the world’s standard. They have chosen its service, accepted its perplexities, adopted its customs. Thus their character is marred, and their life made a weariness. In order to gratify ambition and worldly desires, they wound the conscience, and bring upon themselves an additional burden of remorse. The continual worry is wearing out the life forces. Our Lord desires them to lay aside this yoke of bondage. He invites them to accept His yoke; He says, “My yoke is easy, and My burden is light.” He bids them seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and His promise is that all things needful to them for this life shall be added. Worry is blind, and cannot discern the future; but Jesus sees the end from the beginning. In every difficulty He has His way prepared to bring relief. Our heavenly Father has a thousand ways to provide for us, of which we know nothing. Those who accept the one principle of making the service and honor of God supreme will find perplexities vanish, and a plain path before their feet. DA 330.1

“Learn of Me,” says Jesus; “for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest.” We are to enter the school of Christ, to learn from Him meekness and lowliness. Redemption is that process by which the soul is trained for heaven. This training means a knowledge of Christ. It means emancipation from ideas, habits, and practices that have been gained in the school of the prince of darkness. The soul must be delivered from all that is opposed to loyalty to God. DA 330.2

In the heart of Christ, where reigned perfect harmony with God, there was perfect peace. He was never elated by applause, nor dejected by censure or disappointment. Amid the greatest opposition and the most cruel treatment, He was still of good courage. But many who profess to be His followers have an anxious, troubled heart, because they are afraid to trust themselves with God. They do not make a complete surrender to Him; for they shrink from the consequences that such a surrender may involve. Unless they do make this surrender, they cannot find peace. DA 330.3

It is the love of self that brings unrest. When we are born from above, the same mind will be in us that was in Jesus, the mind that led Him to humble Himself that we might be saved. Then we shall not be seeking the highest place. We shall desire to sit at the feet of Jesus, and learn of Him. We shall understand that the value of our work does not consist in making a show and noise in the world, and in being active and zealous in our own strength. The value of our work is in proportion to the impartation of the Holy Spirit. Trust in God brings holier qualities of mind, so that in patience we may possess our souls. DA 330.4

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.” 

“For they are worthy”.  Love those words.  I want to be worthy to meet Christ in peace, to stand in His presence and live with Him throughout eternity.  What about you? 

My last post was entitled “Early Will I seek Thee”.  I hope that you enjoyed reading and meditating upon those inspiring words as I enjoyed writing and sharing with you.  As I continue to read E.M. Bounds on Prayer, I will share certain excerpts that I believe will challenge us, make us consider our walk with God and our prayer life.  Is it a prayer life that pants and thirsts after righteousness, as David uttered in Psalms 42:1,2  “As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God.  My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God?”

I will begin with a quote from Charles Spurgeon:
“We must remember that the goal of prayer is the ear of God.  Unless that is gained, the prayer has utterly failed. The uttering of it may have kindled devotional feeling in our minds, the hearing of it may have comforted and strengthened the hearts of those with whom we have prayed, but if the prayer has not gained the heart of God, it has failed in its essential purpose.” 

Excerpts from E.M. Bounds on Prayer, Chapter 3:

“In prayer, man’s access to God opens everything, and makes his impoverishment his wealth.  We have seen how prayer changes the purposes of God, and stays or moves His mighty hand.  All things are available to man through prayer.  Man is given the privilege to command God, who has all this authority and power, in accordance with the demands of God’s earthly kingdom.  Look again at the passage in Psalm 2, beginning with verse eight:
“Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession.  Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.”  Psalms 2:8,9.  
Heaven, with all that is has, is under obligation to carry out the ultimate, final, and glorious purposes of God.  Why, then, is the time so long in carrying out these wise benedictions for man?  Why, then, does sin reign so long?  Why are the oath-bound covenant promises so long in coming to their gracious end?  Sin reigns, Satan reigns, sighing marks the lives of many; all tears are fresh and full. 
Why is all this so?  Because we have not prayed to bring the evil to an end; we have not prayed as we must pray.  We have not met the conditions of prayer. 
More praying, and better praying, is the key to the whole matter.  The more time we spend in prayer, and the more preparations we make to meet God, the more we will commune with God through Christ.  But our manner of praying, and the things about which we pray, are not entirely pleasing to God.  Baptist philosopher John Foster has said, “More and better praying will bring the surest and readiest triumph to God’s cause; feeble, formal, listless praying brings decay and death.” 

What, then, are we to do?  We must prepare ourselves to pray, to be like Christ, and to pray like Christ.  We must meet the conditions of prayer.  We can begin to examine the conditions of prayer by reading these verses from Isaiah:
“Thus saith the LORD, the Holy One of Israel, and his Maker, Ask me of things to come concerning my sons, and concerning the work of my hands command ye me.  I have made the earth, and created man upon it:  I, even my hands, have stretched out the heavens, and all their host have I commanded.”  Isaiah 45:11, 12.

Ask of Me. Ask of God.  We have not rested on prayer.  We have not made prayer the sole condition.  There has been a violation of the primary condition of prayer.  We have not prayed correctly.  We have not prayed at all.  God is willing to give, but we are slow to ask.  The Son, through His saints, is ever praying (see Hebrews 7:25), and God the Father is ever answering.
 Ask of Me.  In the invitation is conveyed the assurance of an answer; the shout of victory is there and may be heard by the listening ear.  The Father holds the authority and power in His hands.  How easy is the condition, and yet how slow we are in fulfilling the condition!  Nations are in bondage; the uttermost parts of the earth are still not possessed.  The earth groans (see Romans 8:22); the world is still in bondage; and Satan and evil hold sway. 
Ask of Me.  The Father holds Himself in the attitude of Giver, and a petition to God the Father empowers all agencies, inspires all movements.  The Gospel is divinely inspired, and behind all its inspirations is prayer.  Standing as the endowment of the enthroned Christ is the oath-bound covenant of the Father:  “Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession.” Psalms 2:8.  And men shall prayer to Him continually.  See Psalms 72:15. 
But not all praying is true praying.  The driving power, the conquering force in God’s cause, must be God Himself.  “Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not” (Jeremiah 33:3), is God’s challenge to pray.  Prayer puts God in full force into His own work. “Ask me of things to come concerning my sons, and concerning the work of my hands command ye me” (Isaiah 45:11), is God’s carte blanche to prayer.  Faith is only omnipotent when on its knees; and when its outstretched hands take hold of God, then it draws upon the utmost of God’s capacity, for only a praying faith can get God’s “all things whatsoever.” 

“…The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.  Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months.  And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit.”  James 5:16-18.
But why do we not obtain results by our praying?  Why are our prayers not answered?  Our lack of results, and the cause of all our feebleness in faith, was explained by the apostle James in these words:  “Ye have not, because ye ask not.  Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.”  James 4:2, 3.
Oneness with Christ is the glorious climax of spiritual attainment, because we can then “ask what we will, and it shall be done unto us” (John 15:7).  Therefore, we must be one with Him.  We must pray in His name, for prayer in Jesus’ name puts the crowning crown on God; it glorifies Him through the Son and pledges the Son to give to men “whatsoever” and anything they ask.  That is the whole truth, in a nutshell.” 

What a wonderful promise that we can ask anything in Jesus’ name as it is in God’s will because He knows what is best. 
I will share again, but may God richly bless and strengthen us in our prayer life and to do His will. 

I have struggled for years with getting to bed on time, that is at least by 10 pm.  May be different for others.  As a physician I know the benefits of getting a good night’s rest.  It is during those hours of inactivity that the body has time to heal, rejuvenate and restore.

However, there is also a very important reason to get to bed early, so that we can rise early.  It is for our spiritual health.  Just as the physical body heals, rejuvenates and restores, so it is with our spiritual body when we rise early to meet with God in prayer. 

The Psalmist, David wrote “O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee…”  Psalms 63:1  and “My voice shalt thou hear early in the morning, O Lord; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up”.  Psalms 5:3

I will share a chapter from the book, E.M. Bounds on Prayer, section on Power through Prayer, chapter 7.  Here is eloquently shared the importance and reward of seeking God first and early.  As Robert Murray McCheyne stated, “I feel that it is far better to begin with God – to seek His face first – to get my soul near Him before it is near another”.

E.M. Bounds, Power through Prayer, Chapter 7:

“The men who have done the most for God in this world have been early on their knees.  He who fritters away the early morning – its opportunity and freshness – in other pursuits than seeking God will make poor headway seeking Him the rest of the day.  If God is not first in our thoughts and efforts in the morning, He (God) will be last during the remainder of the day. 

Behind this early rising and early praying is the intense desire that urges us into this pursuit after God.  Morning listlessness indicates a listless heart.   The heart that is lax in seeking God in morning has lost its relish for God.  David’s heart was ardent after God.  He hungered and thirsted after God.  He sought God early, before daylight.  The bed and sleep could not chain his soul in the eagerness after God.  Christ longed for communion with God; and so, rising a great while before day, He would go out to the mountain to pray.  The disciples, when fully awake and ashamed of their indulgence, knew where to find Him.  We could list men who have mightily impressed the world for God, and we would find that they were early in seeking after God. 

A desire for God that cannot break the chains of sleep is a weak thing and will do little good for God.  The desire for God that stays far behind the Devil and the world at the beginning of the day will never catch up. 

It is not simply getting up that has brought men to the front and has made them leaders in God’s hosts.  It is the overwhelming desire that stirs and breaks all self-indulgent chains that does so.  But getting up gives vent, increase, and strength to the desire.  If they had lain in bed and indulged themselves, the desire would have quenched.  The desire aroused them and inspired them to reach out for God. 

This heeding and acting on the call gave their faith its grasp on God, and their hearts the sweetest and fullest revelation of Him.  This strength of faith and fullness of revelation made them saints by eminence.  The halo of their sainthood has come down to us, and we have entered into the enjoyment of their conquests.  But we take our fill in enjoyment of them, and not in imitating them.  We build their tombs and write their epitaphs, but are careful not to follow their examples. 

We need a generation of preachers who seek God and seek Him early.  We need men who give the freshness and dew of effort to God, and in return secure the freshness and fullness of His power, that He may be as the dew to them – full of gladness and strength through all the heal and labor of the day.  Our laziness after God is our crying sin.  The children of this world are far wiser than we.  They are at it early and late.  We do not seek God with ardor and diligence.  No man receives God who does not follow hard after Him.  And no soul follows hard after God who is not after Him in early morn.” 

I will close with an admonition from a renowned preacher, Charles Spurgeon on prayer:

“One night alone in prayer might make us new men (or women), change from poverty of soul to spiritual wealth, from trembling to triumphing.  We have an example of it in the life of Jacob.  He was once the crafty shuffler, always bargaining and calculating, unlovely in almost every respect.  Yet, one night in prayer turned the supplanter into a prevailing prince, and robed him with celestial grandeur.  From that night, he lived on the sacred page as one of the nobility of heaven.  Could we not, at least now and then, in these weary earthbound years, hedge about a single night for such enriching traffic with the skies? 

What, have we no sacred ambition?  Are we deaf to the yearnings of divine love?  Yet, my fellow believers, men will cheerfully quit their warm couches for wealth and for science.  Can we not do it now and again for the love of God and the good of souls?  Where is our zeal, our gratitude, or sincerity?  I am ashamed while I thus upbraid both myself and you.  May we often tarry at Jabbok (the river near which Jacob wrestled through the night), and cry with Jacob, as he grasped the angel –
With thee all night I mean to stay,
And wrestle till the break of day.

Surely brethren, if we have given whole days to folly, we can afford a space for heavenly wisdom.

There was a time when we gave whole nights to chambering and wantonness, to dancing and the world’s revelry; we did not tire then; we were chiding the sun that he rose so soon, and wishing the hours would lag awhile that we might delight in wilder merriment and perhaps deeper sin.  Oh, why then do we weary in heavenly employments?  Why do we grow weary when asked to watch with our Lord?  Up, sluggish heart, Jesus calls you!  Rise and go forth to meet the heavenly Friend in the place where He manifests Himself.”

After reading the chapter and this quote from Spurgeon, I felt as they did, ashamed because God is so faithful to me and He sustains each breath that I breathe, every second of every day.  He does this for you and for me, although so unworthy, because of unconditional love. 

I hope that you are inspired with me to, “purpose in our hearts” to meet with Him early each day to be renewed, strengthened and guided to do His will. 

As the bird by wandering, as the swallow by flying, so the curse causeless shall not come. (Proverbs 26:2 [KJV])

In the creation of the world, God set the principles by which all things operate.  This is known as the seed principle or sowing and reaping. 

And he said, “Whereunto shall we liken the kingdom of God? or with what comparison shall we compare it?  [It is] like a grain of mustard seed, which, when it is sown in the earth, is less than all the seeds that be in the earth: But when it is sown, it groweth up, and becometh greater than all herbs, and shooteth out great branches; so that the fowls of the air may lodge under the shadow of it”.
(Mark 4:30-32 [KJV])

Being familiar with mustard seeds, and how tiny they are, it is no small wonder that a mustard seed cast into a field, competes against so many other plants until it outgrows the others.  Only a God of wonders could invest the mustard with such vitalizing power to withstand all obstacles it faces and rise above it all, thus achieving its full potential. 

So amidst evil, God wants his people to bud, blossom and bloom and bring forth fruit to His glory. “And Moses laid up the rods before the LORD in the tabernacle of witness.  And it came to pass, that on the morrow Moses went into the tabernacle of witness; and, behold, the rod of Aaron for the house of Levi was budded, and brought forth buds, and bloomed blossoms, and yielded almonds”. (Numbers 17:7-8 [KJV])

In the lives of most people, the decisions they make early often fashion the outcome of their life. This is sowing and reaping.  While individuals form groups and groups form nations, this dynamic rarely changes. Often the decision of one or a few affect a whole nation.  As nations, many of the leaders are elected.  Those who are seeking offices and those that elect them pay little attention to what matters most in the individual.  Character, is often overlooked, yet it is one of the most essential aspects of one’s life.  Remember, “Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin [is] a reproach to any people”.
(Proverbs 14:34 [KJV])

The life of Hezekiah presented to us a wonderful lesson.  Hezekiah was the  son of A’haz, a wicked king, who practiced wickedness.  See (2 Chronicles 28:19-25). Thus as a legacy, Hezekiah saw and received wickedness.  Hezekiah, having seen what his father did chose a different path.  The scripture record of Him in the early years as king is such; “Hezekiah began to reign [when he was] five and twenty years old, and he reigned nine and twenty years in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name [was] Abijah, the daughter of Zechariah. And he did [that which was] right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that David his father had done”. (2 Chronicles 29:1-2 [KJV])
He had a very prosperous reign, a life that he should be thankful for.
See 2 Chronicles, chapters 29-32.  In his days Isaiah was the prophet, and we read;

“In those days was Hezekiah sick unto death. And Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz came unto him, and said unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Set thine house in order: for thou shalt die, and not live. Then Hezekiah turned his face toward the wall, and prayed unto the LORD,  And said, Remember now, O LORD, I beseech thee, how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart, and have done [that which is] good in thy sight. And Hezekiah wept sore.  Then came the word of the LORD to Isaiah, saying,  Go, and say to Hezekiah, Thus saith the LORD, the God of David thy father, I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears: behold, I will add unto thy days fifteen years”. (Isaiah 38:1-8 [KJV])

Being a very successful king, news of his sickness spread far and wide.  In granting him fifteen years and the miracle of the sundial going back ten degrees, the Babylonians heard and came to inquire.  With the miracle fresh in his mind, one would think he would lift up the God of Heaven, but no; he showed all the gold and silver in his kingdom. Thus; “Then came Isaiah the prophet unto king Hezekiah, and said unto him, What said these men? and from whence came they unto thee? And Hezekiah said, They are come from a far country unto me, [even] from Babylon. Then said he, What have they seen in thine house? And Hezekiah answered, All that [is] in mine house have they seen: there is nothing among my treasures that I have not shewed them. Then said Isaiah to Hezekiah, Hear the word of the LORD of hosts: Behold, the days come, that all that [is] in thine house, and [that] which thy fathers have laid up in store until this day, shall be carried to Babylon: nothing shall be left, saith the LORD. And of thy sons that shall issue from thee, which thou shalt beget, shall they take away; and they shall be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon. (Isaiah 39:3-7 [KJV])

The actions of Hezekiah started a chain of circumstances which caused the house of Judah to go into captivity. Daniel and his companions, Ezekiel, Jeremiah and all that came from that family, down to Zedekiah, the last king of Judah.
In pleading for his life, Hezekiah suggested that God was not fair and that God did not know what was best. God gave him his desire, but showed what was in his heart. 

“Howbeit in [the business of] the ambassadors of the princes of Babylon, who sent unto him to enquire of the wonder that was [done] in the land, God left him, to try him, that he might know all [that was] in his heart”. (2 Chronicles 32:31 [KJV])

Hezekiah had a son born in the third year of that probationary time. The outworking of Manasseh’s life testified that Hezekiah not only failed concerning the ambassador, but as a father.  It is amazing that a son born at that time knowing what has been done to his father could practice such wickedness.  “Because Manasseh king of Judah hath done these abominations, [and] hath done wickedly above all that the Amorites did, which [were] before him, and hath made Judah also to sin with his idols: Therefore thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Behold, I [am] bringing [such] evil upon Jerusalem and Judah, that whosoever heareth of it, both his ears shall tingle. And I will stretch over Jerusalem the line of Samaria, and the plummet of the house of Ahab: and I will wipe Jerusalem as [a man] wipeth a dish, wiping [it], and turning [it] upside down”.
(2 Kings 21:11-13 [KJV])

Scripture is clear that God is too wise to err, and too good to withhold any good thing from them that walk uprightly.
Hezekiah pressing a perverse will caused the death of tens of thousands, through his son and great grandsons. 
“And I will cause them to be removed into all kingdoms of the earth, because of Manasseh the son of Hezekiah king of Judah, for [that] which he did in Jerusalem”. (Jeremiah 15:4 [KJV])

Lessons we need to learn.. “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding”. (Proverbs 3:5 [KJV])

It is from the wise man Solomon who declares that history always repeats itself. See Ecclesiates 1:9-10; 3:15.

History is a road map whereby we know where we are going.

“The disadvantage of men not knowing the past is they do not know the present.  History is a hill or high point of vantage, from which alone men see the town in which they live or the age in which they are living”. {C.K.Chesterton 1933}

“We can chart our future clearly and wisely only when we know the path which has led to the present”. {Adlai Stevenson, 1952}

America is at a cross road and seems to have forgotten how she ascended the ladder to world dominance.  Thus the lessons which should keep her are forgotten. The lessons of the fall of Babylon, Medio-Persia, Greece, Rome, Britain, Spain, and France are lost in time; hence their mistakes are been followed. 

In his book, “The Peril of the Republic of the United States of America” Dr. Percy T Magan,  carefully lays out the founding principles that established this nation. What follows are his thoughts. We hope it will open eyes to see where we truly are in time.

The wonderful words of James Russell Lowell apply just as much to the present time as to any time in past history:- “Careless seems the great Avenger: history’s pages but record One death-grapple in the darkness ‘twixt false systems and the Word. Truth forever on the scaffold, Wrong forever on the throne; yet that scaffold sways the future, and behind the dim unknown standeth God within the shadow, keeping watch above his own.”

The advent of the United States upon history’s stage broke the dawn of a new era, not alone for the Old Thirteen, but for all mankind. The principles of freedom enunciated in the immortal Declaration of Independence were pregnant with weal for tens of thousands in other climes, and for millions then unborn, as well as for the embattled farmers who fought at Lexington and Concord. {1899 PTM, PRUS 9.1}

The new nation appealed not to tables of dynasty and royal succession to prove her title to life or her right to existence as a sovereign state among peers. Discarding these, her founders bore her into the arena upon certain self-evident truths. Her people assumed their equal and separate station among the powers of the earth by “the laws of nature and of nature’s God.” 1 {1899 PTM, PRUS 9.2}

Hitherto the doctrine had prevailed that the Almighty had created one class to govern and another class to be governed. Statesmen had universally held that all men were not created equal, and ecclesiastics had not been slow in seconding their teachings. When from time-to-time philosophers had arisen inculcating ideas of liberty and equality, they had been branded as anarchists by the state and as atheists by the church. Many a time both the civil and religious powers had buried their own differences of opinion and claims of jurisdiction in order that they might form a union for the sole purpose of more effectively dealing swift and summary punishment to these disturbers of the existing order of things. The rack, the fagot, and all the ingenious and exquisite tortures which the Inquisition could devise had been freely employed to wring from unwilling lips the desired recantation.

Prior to the time of our glorious Revolution the doctrine that governments derive their just powers from the consent of the governed was wholly unknown in national practice. The princes and potentates of the nations of Europe had entrenched themselves behind that wickedest of all political tenets, the divine right of kings. This they amplified till it might better have read, the divine right of kings to govern wrong. With the aid of this as their creed, they had outraged in their subjects the inborn sense of manhood to such an extent that by the time the close of the eighteenth century was reached it was well-nigh extinct; and the majority of the human family, worn out by the struggle of centuries, were about to sink into a long sleep of political death from which it seemed almost impossible that there should be an awakening.

But the spark of light and life still burned; and a few bold sentences, the reflection of a few brave hearts, kindled a pillar of fire to guide mankind out of the wilderness of medieval political errors into the Canaan of governmental truth. As are the ten commandments and the golden rule in divinity, so are the precepts that governments derive their just powers from the consent of the governed, and that all men are created equal, in civility. The Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States are indeed the New and Old Testaments in things pertaining to Cæsar, the one serving as a commentary in the light of which the other must be interpreted. Immortal are the words of Jefferson, the sage of Monticello; grand in their simplicity and “noble roughness:”-

“When, in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume, among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the laws of nature and of nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness; that to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.“

The Declaration of Independence is a declaration of great general principles, as well as a recital of certain specific grievances. It was never written to meet the exigencies of one particular time or people. No nation prior to this one had ever declared it as a principle good for all mankind that all men are created equal, or that governments derive their just powers from the consent of the governed. None of the great nations of Europe ever taught or ever believed these precepts. They were born simultaneously with the American Republic. They constituted her christening robe and her birthright, peculiarly her own, and the first infant cry of her national life. That nation of the old world which has ever been the foremost in promulgating doctrines of freedom and liberty did not believe these things, for she it was who fought them. She did not even believe them in their most limited sense for her most limited self,-the isle of England, as distinguished from colony and dependency. Much less, therefore, did she consider them as divine and immortal truths, applicable to all times and places, and worthy of being the basis of government among men in every kindred and nation and tongue and tribe and people.

Well has Charles Sumner said:- “The words that governments derive their just powers from the consent of the governed are sacred words, full of life-giving energy. Not simply national independence was here proclaimed, but also the primal rights of all mankind. Then and there appeared the angel of human liberation, speaking and acting at once with heaven-born strength, breaking bolts, unloosing bonds, and opening prison doors; always ranging on its mighty errand, wherever there are any, no matter of what country or race, who struggle for rights denied; now cheering Garibaldi at Naples, as it had cheered Washington in the snows of Valley Forge, and especially visiting all who are downtrodden, whispering that there is none so poor as to be without rights which every man is bound to respect, none so degraded as to be beneath its beneficent reach, none so lofty as to be above its restraining power; while before it despotism and oligarchy fall on their faces, like the image of Dagon, and the people everywhere begin to govern themselves.”

And again he says:- “These words in the Declaration of Independence were not uttered in vain. Do you suppose them idle? Do you suppose them mere phrase or generality? No such thing. They are living words, by which this country is solemnly bound, and from which it can never escape until they are fulfilled. Your statutes can not contain any limitation which inflicts an indignity upon any portion of the human family.”  And yet again:- “The Declaration of Independence is the twofold promise; first, that all are equal in rights, and secondly, that just government stands only on the consent of the governed, being the two great political commandments on which hang all laws and constitutions. Keep these truly, and you will keep all. Write them in your statutes; write them in your hearts. This is the great and only final settlement of all existing questions. To this sublime consecration of the Republic let us aspire.” {1899 PTM, PRUS 12.2}

Don’t miss Part 2 of this message in 2 weeks.

While walking through a Flea Market, I stopped at a vendor and he said, “we are definitely living in the end time”.  To which I replied, “that’s true”. Another man who overheard the conversation joined in by saying, “we are definitely in the Revelations”. He continued, “I think Jesus is about to wrap things up and ‘rapture’ the church”.  I was struck by his sincerity.  Rapture the Church – why is this doctrine so popular among the Protestant Churches, especially when scripture clearly marked out the progression of last day events? 
And Jesus answered and said unto them, “Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all [these things] must come to pass, but the end is not yet”. (Matthew 24:4-6 [KJV])

While I will not address the rapture at this time, the level of deceptions that are in the world are staggering. People are prone to be deceived by influential people they know or associate with.  The higher the reputation, the greater the power to deceive.

“There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.” [Proverbs 16:25.] Ignorance is no excuse for error or sin, when there is every opportunity to know the will of God. A man is travelling, and comes to a place where there are several roads, and a guide-board indicating where each one leads. If he disregards the guide-board, and takes whichever road seems to him to be right, he may be ever so sincere, but will in all probability find himself on the wrong road”.  {Great Controversy (GC) 88 597.3}

I have been shown that Satan has not been stupid and careless these many years, since his fall, but has been learning. He has grown more artful. His plans are laid deeper, and are more covered with a religious garment to hide their deformity. The power of Satan now to tempt and deceive is ten-fold greater than it was in the days of the apostles. His power has increased, and it will increase, until it is taken away. His wrath and hate grow stronger as his time to work draws near its close.  {2 Spiritual Gifts (SG) 277.1} 

It was through deception that Eve fell and sin took the world captive.  Likewise, deception will gather the whole world against Christ. 

“And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army.
And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone”. (Revelation 19:19-20 [KJV])

“And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs [come] out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet.
For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, [which] go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty”.
(Revelation 16:13-14 [KJV])

“And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by [the means of] those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live”. (Revelation 13:14 [KJV])

“Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here [is] Christ, or there; believe [it] not. For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if [it were] possible, they shall deceive the very elect”. (Matthew 24:23-24 [KJV])

As Christians we often think of deception in relation to spiritual things, but that should not be.  Sin is a deception, which covers more than doctrine that people believe. The Bible tells us that consumption of alcoholic drink to the point of being inebriated is a form of deception.
“Wine [is] a mocker, strong drink [is] raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise.” (Proverbs 20:1 [KJV])

On the mount of temptation, the Devil offered Christ the whole world if he would bow down and worship.  This was a deception.  Christ is the maker of the world. (See Matthew 4:8-10). That deception is offered to the whole world.

 In  the book of Proverbs, Solomon made it clear that gluttony is deception.
“When thou sittest to eat with a ruler, consider diligently what [is] before thee: And put a knife to thy throat, if thou [be] a man given to appetite.
Be not desirous of his dainties: for they [are] deceitful meat.” (Proverbs 23:1-3 [KJV])

The apostle Paul makes it clear that sin is a deception.
“What shall we say then? Is the law sin? Absolutely not! Certainly, I would not have known sin except through the law. For indeed I would not have known what it means to desire something belonging to someone else if the law had not said, But sin, seizing the opportunity through the commandment, produced in me all kinds of wrong desires. For apart from the law, sin is dead.  And I was once alive apart from the law, but with the coming of the commandment sin became alive and I died. So I found that the very commandment that was intended to bring life brought death! For sin, seizing the opportunity through the commandment, deceived me and through it I died. So then, the law is holy, and the commandment is holy, righteous, and good. (Romans 7:7-12 [NET])

Many choose a life style that produces diabetes, and in many cases lose their health, legs, eyesight and organs instead of changing the lifestyle.

The same goes for smokers.

Many will not consider their fatty diet even after a heart attack.

One of the greatest deceptions is seen below.

“God has given us his Word that we may become acquainted with its teachings, and know for ourselves what he requires of us. When the lawyer came to Jesus with the inquiry, “What shall I do to inherit eternal life?” the Saviour referred him to the Scriptures, saying, “What is written in the law? how readest thou?” Ignorance will not excuse young or old, or release them from the punishment due for the transgression of God’s law, because there is in their hands a faithful presentation of that law and of its principles and its claims. It is not enough to have good intentions; it is not enough to do what a man thinks is right, or what the minister tells him is right. His soul’s salvation is at stake, and he should search the Scriptures for himself. However strong may be his convictions, however confident he may be that the minister knows what is truth, this is not his foundation. He has a chart pointing out every way-mark on the heavenward journey, and he ought not to guess at anything.”  {Great Controversy (GC) 88 598.1}

These words are spoken millions of times per day and in many cases are well intended.  Nevertheless, the outworking  has produced heartaches, pain and even death. How often two individuals meet by chance and, by exchanging names and numbers, develop a friendship.  As this friendship blossoms and intensifies, these words are uttered which causes longing and desire. With these longing and desire come those words.  The result is one or the other is now willing to leave family, friends and associates to be with the other.  They may live on different continents or in different countries, knowing no one except the person in whom their thoughts and emotions are centered.  The willingness to risk all solely on the word of a stranger is truly phenomenal.  That is faith.  

“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” (Hebrews 11:1 [KJV])

This is truly interesting, how is it that such implicit trust can be placed in a person we barely know?  Scripture’s account of the word of mankind is clear. “The heart [is] deceitful above all [things], and desperately wicked: who can know it? (Jeremiah 17:9 [KJV])

 “O LORD, I know that the way of man [is] not in himself: [it is] not in man that walketh to direct his steps”. (Jeremiah 10:23 [KJV])

Thus saith the LORD; Cursed [be] the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the LORD. (Jeremiah 17:5 [KJV])

Mankind’s thoughts and affections are so easily changed that placing so much confidence is not wise, yet it is done daily.

What is so remarkable about that experience is, the great and Sovereign God of the universe who cannot lie (Titus1:2) and who does not change (Malachi 3:6), speaks and is not believed. 

“The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, [saying], Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee”. (Jeremiah 31:3 [KJV])

“But now thus saith the LORD that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called [thee] by thy name; thou [art] mine.  When thou passest through the waters, I [will be] with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.  For I [am] the LORD thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour: I gave Egypt [for] thy ransom, Ethiopia and Seba for thee.  Since thou wast precious in my sight, thou hast been honourable, and I have loved thee: therefore will I give men for thee, and people for thy life.  Fear not: for I [am] with thee: I will bring thy seed from the east, and gather thee from the west”. (Isaiah 43:1-5 [KJV])

 “I will mention the loving kindnesses of the LORD, [and] the praises of the LORD, according to all that the LORD hath bestowed on us, and the great goodness toward the house of Israel, which he hath bestowed on them according to his mercies, and according to the multitude of his loving kindnesses.  For he said, Surely they [are] my people, children [that] will not lie: so he was their Saviour.  In all their affliction he was afflicted, and the angel of his presence saved them: in his love and in his pity he redeemed them; and he bare them, and carried them all the days of old”. (Isaiah 63:7-9 [KJV])

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life”. (John 3:16 [KJV])

“That the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.” In the light of the Saviour’s life, the hearts of all, even from the Creator to the prince of darkness, are revealed. Satan has represented God as selfish and oppressive, as claiming all, and giving nothing, as requiring the service of His creatures for His own glory, and making no sacrifice for their good. But the gift of Christ reveals the Father’s heart. It testifies that the thoughts of God toward us are “thoughts of peace, and not of evil.” Jeremiah 29:11. It declares that while God’s hatred of sin is as strong as death, His love for the sinner is stronger than death. Having undertaken our redemption, He will spare nothing, however dear, which is necessary to the completion of His work. No truth essential to our salvation is withheld, no miracle of mercy is neglected, no divine agency is left unemployed. Favor is heaped upon favor, gift upon gift. The whole treasury of heaven is open to those He seeks to save. Having collected the riches of the universe, and laid open the resources of infinite power, He gives them all into the hands of Christ, and says, All these are for man. Use these gifts to convince him that there is no love greater than Mine in earth or heaven. His greatest happiness will be found in loving Me. {Desire of Ages (DA) 57.1} 

“But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) And hath raised [us] up together, and made [us] sit together in heavenly [places] in Christ Jesus: That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in [his] kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.  For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: [it is] the gift of God.” (Ephesians 2:4-8 [KJV])

“And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savour.” (Ephesians 5:2 [KJV])

“Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it,” (Ephesians 5:25 [KJV])

Even the angels marveled at the love where with God has shown for man. 

“For unto the angels hath he not put in subjection the world to come, whereof we speak. But one in a certain place testified, saying, What is man, that thou art mindful of him? or the son of man, that thou visitest him?  Thou madest him a little lower than the angels; thou crownedst him with glory and honour, and didst set him over the works of thy hands: Thou hast put all things in subjection under his feet. For in that he put all in subjection under him, he left nothing [that is] not put under him. But now we see not yet all things put under him.“ (Hebrews 2:5-8 [KJV])

What has God done or not done for such a deep distrust of all His goodness and love to us?

“For I know what I have planned for you,’ says the LORD. ‘I have plans to prosper you, not to harm you. I have plans to give you a future filled with hope.” (Jeremiah 29:11 [NET])

What shall we then say to these things? If God [be] for us, who [can be] against us? He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? (Romans 8:31-32 [KJV])

“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? [shall] tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? (Romans 8:35 [KJV])

“For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,

Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:38-39 [KJV])

With all the wonderful promises that God has given us, how can we doubt His goodness, mercy and his paternal care?

*Please review the wonderful promises of God on the home page of this site. As you meditate upon them, pick your favorites and commit them to memory.  You will find that He will bring them to your remembrance in time of need*

​​​​​​​What exists now is what will be, ​​​​​​and what has been done is what will be done; ​​​​​​there is nothing truly new on earth. ​​​​​​​Is there anything about which someone can say, “Look at this! It is new!”? ​​​​​​It was already done long ago, before our time.
(Ecclesiastes 1:9-10 [NET])

​​​​​​​Whatever exists now has already been, and whatever will be has already been; ​​​​​​for God will seek to do again what has occurred in the past. (Ecclesiastes 3:15 [NET])

One of the greater signs that a nation has turned away from the word of God is by making a universal decree or mandate that forces the individual to violate his /her conscience. This is often done in the name of the ‘greater good’ for the nation.  It is such that persecution is clothed in so-called reasonable arguments.  Does it matter if a few die to protect the greater majority?  It is the same reason the wily Caiaphas gave in condemning Christ.

“And one of them, [named] Caiaphas, being the high priest that same year, said unto them, Ye know nothing at all, Nor consider that it is expedient for us, that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation perish not”.
(John 11:49-50 [KJV])

Let us look at the argument for ‘the greater good’, and what is the Christian duty.

In a previous article we looked at Rome against Christianity.  We will review some of that article to clearly show the fallacy of the above mentioned argument.

Jesus Christ came into the world to set men free, and to plant in their souls the genuine principle of liberty, — liberty actuated by love, liberty too honorable to allow itself to be used as an occasion to the flesh or for a cloak of maliciousness, liberty led by a conscience enlightened by the Spirit of God, liberty in which man may be free from all men, yet made so gentle by love that he would willingly become the servant of all, in order to bring them to the enjoyment of this same liberty. This is freedom indeed. This is the freedom which Christ gave to man; for “whom the Son makes free is free indeed.” {1898 ATJ, Great Empires of Prophecy (GEP) 346.1}

 In giving to men this freedom, such an infinite gift could have no other result than that which Christ intended; namely, to bind them in everlasting, unquestioning, unswerving allegiance to Him as the royal benefactor of the race. He thus reveals himself to men as the highest good, and brings them to himself as the manifestation of that highest good, and to obedience to His will as the perfection of conduct. {1898 ATJ, GEP 346.2}

Providence saw fit that Christ should be born in the Roman Empire.

The Roman Empire then filled the world, — “the sublimest incarnation of power, and a monument the mightiest of greatness built by human hands, which has upon this planet been suffered to appear.” That empire, proud of its conquests, and exceedingly jealous of its claims, asserted its right to rule in all things, human and divine. In the Roman view, the State took precedence of everything. It was entirely out of respect to the State and wholly to preserve the State, that either the emperors or the laws ever forbade the exercise of the Christian religion. According to Roman principles, the State was the highest idea of good. “The idea of the State was the highest idea of ethics, and within that was included all actual realization of the highest good; hence the development of all other goods pertaining to humanity, was made dependent on this.” — Neander. 5  {1898 ATJ, GEP 346.4}

Man with all that he had was subordinated to the State; he must have no higher aim than to be a servant of the State; he must seek no higher good than that which the State could bestow. Thus every Roman citizen has a subject, and every Roman subject was a slave. “The more distinguished a Roman became, the less was he a free man. The omnipotence of the law, the despotism of the rule, drove him into a narrow circle of thought and action, and his credit and influence depended on the sad austerity of his life. The whole duty of man, with the humblest and greatest of the Romans, was to keep his house in order, and be the obedient servant of the State.” —
Mommsen. 6   {1898 ATJ, GEP 347.1}

As Christ ministered, the Pharisees and the Herodians in an attempt to trick him asked whether it was lawful to give tribute to Caesar or not?  Christ answered:  “Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s; and unto God the things that are God’s.” (Matthew 22:21 KJV)  In this, Christ established a clear distinction between Caesar and God, and between religion and the State. He separated that which pertains to God from that which pertains to the State. Only that which was Caesar’s was to be rendered to Caesar, while that which is God’s was to be rendered solely to God.

“Therefore when Christ made this distinction between God and Caesar, separated that which pertains to God from that which pertains to Caesar, and commanded men to render to God that which is God’s, and to Caesar only that which is Caesar’s, He at once stripped Caesar — the State — of every attribute of divinity. And in doing this He declared the supremacy of the individual conscience; because it rests with the individual to decide what things they are which pertain to God”. {1898 ATJ, GEP 350.4}

What is Caesar’s?

It is abundantly clear that Caesar’s realm is not with the conscience.  A man may have a dirty conscience, he may fantasize about what he wants to do with a woman or even how he would like to hurt someone, but as it is only in mind, no state can convict him of a criminal offence.  The moment the thought becomes a reality by his action, he is now fully under Caesar’s grip and will face the laws of the state.

The commandment; “Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery: But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart”. (Matt 5:2-287 [KJV])

Clearly, the realms of conscience belong only to God.  In an attempt to force conscience, mankind and nations have stepped over the line, and your obedience must not be given. 

To the Romans, “The State was everything, and the majority was in fact the State. What the majority said should be, that was the voice of the State, that was the voice of “God”, that was the expression of the highest good, that was the expression of the highest conception of right; and everybody must assent to that or be considered a traitor to the State. The individual was but a part of the State. There was therefore no such thing as the rights of the people; the right of the State only was to be considered, and that was to be considered absolute. “The first principle of their law was the paramount right of the State over the citizen. Whether as head of a family, or as proprietor, he had no natural rights of his own; his privileges were created by the law as well as defined by it. The State in the plenitude of her power delegated a portion of her own irresponsibility to the citizen, who satisfied the conditions she required in order to become the parent of her children; but at the same time she demanded of him the sacrifice of his free agency to her own rude ideas of political expediency.” — Merivale. 9   {1898 ATJ, GEP 349.1}

 It is also evident that in such a system there was no such thing as the rights of conscience; because as the State was supreme also in the realm of religion, all things religious were to be subordinated to the will of the State, which was but the will of the majority. And where the majority presumes to decide in matters of religion, there is no such thing as rights of religion or conscience. Against this whole system Christianity was diametrically opposed, — {1898 ATJ, GEP 349.2}

When Christ declared, “And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength:…”   (Mark 12:30 KJV)

This placed Jesus Christ above the State, and put allegiance to Him above allegiance to any State; He clearly denied the supremacy of Rome, and established this truth. “And the scribe said unto him, Well, Master, thou hast said the truth: for there is one God; and there is none other but he: (Mark 12:32 [KJV])

All this is not new.  It was against this that Martin Luther stood and declared,
“…for it is unsafe for a Christian to speak against his conscience. Here I stand, I can do no other; may God help me. Amen.”  {Great Controversy (GC) 88 160.2}

“It was the desire for liberty of conscience that inspired the Pilgrims to brave the perils of the long journey across the sea, to endure the hardships and dangers of the wilderness, and with God’s blessing to lay, on the shores of America, the foundation of a mighty nation. {GC88 292.2}

“Eleven years after the planting of the first colony, Roger Williams came to the New World. Like the early Pilgrims, he came to enjoy religious freedom; but unlike them, he saw—what so few in his time had yet seen—that this freedom was the inalienable right of all, whatever might be their creed. He was an earnest seeker for truth, with Robinson holding it impossible that all the light from God’s Word had yet been received. Williams “was the first person in modern Christendom to assert, in its plenitude, the doctrine of the liberty of conscience, the equality of opinions before the law.” He declared it to be the duty of the magistrate to restrain crime, but never to control the conscience. .” 
{GC88 293.1} 

     Making his way at last, after months of change and wandering, to the shores of Narragansett Bay, he there laid the foundation of the first State of modern times that in the fullest sense recognized the right of religious freedom. The fundamental principle of Roger Williams’ colony, was “that every man should have the right to worship God according to the light of his conscience.” His little State, Rhode Island, became the asylum of the oppressed, and it increased and prospered until its foundation principles—civil and religious liberty—became the corner-stones of the American Republic. 
{GC88 294.4}

The foundation principles laid in 1636 in Rhode Island became the rock, and over one hundred forty years later the American Republic was laid on it and it prospered to reach the world’s pinnacle. Apostasy from this principle, will be the downfall of this nation.

We are nearing that moment.  Destiny will be decided shortly.
One may say this is not a religious mandate, but scripture says, “Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God”.
(1 Corinthians 10:31 [KJV])

Daniel understood this principle, and would not take anything into his body that would defile him or cause impure blood.