The Ensign of Christ's Kingdom

Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. John 1:29


To Daniel was given a vision of fierce beasts, representing the powers of the earth. But the ensign of the Messiah's kingdom is a lamb. While earthly kingdoms rule by the ascendancy of physical power, Christ is to banish every carnal weapon, every instrument of coercion. His kingdom was to be... established to uplift and ennoble fallen humanity.

To Adam, the offering of the first sacrifice was a most painful ceremony. His hand must be raised to take life, which only God could give. . . . As he slew the innocent victim, he trembled at the thought that his sin must shed the blood of the spotless Lamb of God. This scene gave him a deeper and more vivid sense of the greatness of his transgression, which nothing but the death of God's dear Son could expiate. And he marveled at the infinite goodness that would give such a ransom to save the guilty.

The types and shadows of the sacrificial service, with the prophecies, gave the Israelites a veiled, indistinct view of the mercy and grace to be brought to the world by the revelation of Christ. . . . Only through Christ can man keep the moral law. By transgression of this law man brought sin into the world, and with sin came death. Christ became the propitiation for man's sin. He proffered His perfection of character in the place of man's sinfulness. He took upon Himself the curse of disobedience. The sacrifices and offerings pointed forward to the sacrifice He was to make. The slain lamb typified the Lamb that was to take away the sin of the world. . . .

The law and the gospel are in perfect harmony. Each upholds the other. In all its majesty the law confronts the conscience, causing the sinner to feel his need of Christ as the propitiation for sin. The gospel recognizes the power and immutability of the law. "I had not known sin, but by the law" (Rom. 7:7), Paul declares. The sense of sin, urged home by the law, drives the sinner to the Saviour. In his need man may present the mighty arguments furnished by the cross of Calvary. He may claim the righteousness of Christ; for it is imparted to every repentant sinner. {AG 15.5}

Congress OKs 30,000 flying drones spying on Americans across U.S. cities

Big brother is really going to the heights.

Congress OKs 30,000 flying drones spying on Americans across U.S. cities

A Spiritual Kingdom

Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world. John 18:36.

The kingdom of God comes not with outward show. The gospel of the grace of God, with its spirit of self-abnegation, can never be in harmony with the spirit of the world. The two principles are antagonistic. . . .

But today in the religious world there are multitudes who, as they believe, are working for the establishment of the kingdom of Christ as an earthly and temporal dominion. They desire to make our Lord the ruler of the kingdoms of this world, the ruler in its courts and camps, its legislative halls, its palaces and market places.

They expect Him to rule through legal enactments, enforced by human authority. Since Christ is not now here in person, they themselves will undertake to act in His stead, to execute the laws of His kingdom. The establishment of such a kingdom is what the Jews desired in the days of Christ. They would have received Jesus, had He been willing to establish a temporal dominion, to enforce what they regarded as the laws of God, and to make them the expositors of His will and the agents of His authority.

But He said, "My kingdom is not of this world." He would not accept the earthly throne. . . . Not by the decisions of courts or councils or legislative assemblies, not by the patronage of worldly great men, is the kingdom of Christ established, but by the implanting of Christ's nature in humanity through the work of the Holy Spirit. . .

Here is the only power that can work the uplifting of mankind. And the human agency for the accomplishment of this work is the teaching and practicing of the Word of God. . . . {AG 13.4}

Now, as in Christ's day, the work of God's kingdom lies not with those who are clamoring for recognition and support by earthly rulers and human laws, but with those who are declaring to the people in His name those spiritual truths that will work in the receivers the experience of Paul: "I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me" (Gal. 2:20). {AG 13.5}

At God's Appointed Time

When the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, . . . to redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. Gal. 4:4, 5.

In heaven's council the hour for the coming of Christ had been determined. When the great clock of time pointed to that hour, Jesus was born in Bethlehem. . . . Providence had directed the movements of nations, and the tide of human impulse and influence, until the world was ripe for the coming of the Deliverer. . . .

The deception of sin had reached its height. All the agencies for depraving the souls of men had been put in operation. The Son of God, looking upon the world, beheld suffering and misery. With pity He saw how men had become victims of satanic cruelty. He looked with compassion upon those who were being corrupted, murdered, and lost. . . . It was demonstrated before the universe that, apart from God, humanity could not be uplifted. A new element of life and power must be imparted by Him who made the world.

With intense interest the unfallen worlds had watched to see Jehovah arise, and sweep away the inhabitants of the earth. . . . But instead of destroying the world, God sent His Son to save it. . . . At the very crisis, when Satan seemed about to triumph, the Son of God came with the embassage of divine grace. Through every age, through every hour, the love of God had been exercised toward the fallen race. Notwithstanding the perversity of men, the signals of mercy had been continually exhibited. And when the fullness of the time had come, the Deity was glorified by pouring upon the world a flood of healing grace that was never to be obstructed or withdrawn till the plan of salvation should be fulfilled.

Satan was exulting that he had succeeded in debasing the image of God in humanity. Then Jesus came to restore in man the image of his Maker. None but Christ can fashion anew the character that has been ruined by sin. He came to expel the demons that had controlled the will. He came to lift us up from the dust, to reshape the marred character after the pattern of His divine character, and to make it beautiful with His own glory. {AG 11.5}

Hosea 4:1-5 Hear the word of the LORD, ye children of Israel: for the LORD hath a controversy with the inhabitants of the land, because there is no truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge of God in the land.

Here is, I. The court set, and both attendance and attention is demanded:

“Hear the word of the Lord, you children of Israel, for to you is the word of this conviction sent, whether you will hear or whether you will forbear.”
To whom may God expect to give a fair warning, but the children of Israel, his own professing people?
Yea, they will be ready enough to hear when God speaks comfortably to them; but are they willing to hear when he has a controversy with them?
Yes, they must hear him when he pleads against them, when he has something to lay to their charge:
The Lord has a controversy with the inhabitants of the land, of this land, of this holy land.

Note, Sin is the great mischief-maker; it sows discord between God and Israel. God sees sin in his own people, and a good action he has against them for it. Some more particular actions lie against his own people, which do not lie against other sinners. He has a controversy with them for breaking covenant with him, for bringing a reproach upon him, and for an ungrateful return to him for his favours. God's controversy will be pleaded, pleaded by the judgments of his mouth before they are pleaded by the judgments of his hand, that he may be justified in all he does and may make it appear that he desires not the death of sinners; and God's pleadings ought to be attended to, for, sooner or later, they shall have a hearing.

II. The indictment read, by which the whole nation stands charged with crimes of a heinous nature, by which God is highly provoked.

 

1. They are charged with national omissions of the most important duties:

There is no truth nor mercy, neither justice nor charity, these most weighty matters of the law, as our Saviour accounts them (Mat_23:23), judgment, mercy, and faith.

The generality of the people seemed to have no sense at all of the thing called honesty; they made no conscience of what they said and did, though ever so contrary to the truth and injurious to their neighbour.

Much less, had they any sense of mercy, or any obligation they were under to pity and help the poor. And it is not strange that there is no truth and mercy when there is no knowledge of God in the land. What good can be expected where there is no knowledge of God?

It was the privilege of that land that in Israel God was made known, and his name was great, which was an aggravation of their sin, that they did not know him, Psa_76:1.

2. Hence, follows national commissions of the most enormous sins against both the first and second table, for they had no regard at all to either.

Swearing, and lying, and killing, and stealing, and committing adultery, against the third, ninth, sixth, eighth, and seventh commandments, were to be found in all corners of the land, and among all orders and degrees of men among them, Hos_4:2.

The corruption was universal; what good people there were among them were either lost or hid, or they hid themselves. By these, they break out, that is, they transgress all bounds of reason and conscience, and the divine law; they have exceeded (Job_36:9);
they have been overmuch wicked (Ecc_7:17);
they suffer their corruptions to break out; they themselves break over, and break through, all that stands in their way and would stop them in their sinful career, as water overflows the banks.

Note, Sin is a violent thing and its power exorbitant; when men's hearts are fully set in them to do evil (Ecc_8:11) what will be restrained from them? Gen_11:6. When they break out thus blood touches blood, that is, abundance of murders are committed in all parts of the country, and, as it were, in a constant series and succession. Caedes aliae aliis sunt contiguae - Murders touch murders; a stream of blood runs down among them, even royal blood. It was about this time that there was so much blood shed in grasping at the crown; Shallum slew Zechariah, and Menahem slew Shallum, Pekah slew Pekahiah, and Hoshea slew Pekah; and the like bloody work, it is likely, there was among other contenders, so that the land was polluted with blood (Psa_106:38); it was filled with blood from one end to the other, 2Ki_21:16.

III. Sentence passed upon this guilty and polluted land, Hos_4:3.

Sentance Passed: Guilty

It shall be utterly destroyed and laid waste. The whole land is infected with sin, and therefore the whole land shall mourn under God's sore judgments, shall sit in mourning, being stripped of all its wealth and beauty. As the valleys are said to shout for joy, and sing, when there are plenty and peace, so here they are said to mourn when, by war and famine, they are made desolate. The whole land shall be brimstone, and salt, and burning, was as threatened in the law, Deu_29:23.

They had broken all God's commandments, and now God threatens to take away all their comforts. The land mourns when there is neither grass for the cattle nor herbs for the service of man; and then every one that dwells therein, shall languish for want of nice food to support a wasting life, and fret for want of the usual dainties for delight.
The beasts of the field will languish, Jer_14:5, Jer_14:6.

Dead Animals

Nay, the destruction of the fruits of the earth shall be so great that, there shall not be picking for the fowls of the air, to keep them alive; they shall suffer with man, and their dying, or growing lean, will be a punishment to those who used to have their tables replenished with wild-fowl.

Nay, the fishes of the sea shall be taken away, or gathered together, that they may go away in shoals to some other coast, and then the fishing trade will be worth nothing. This desolation shall be in that respect more general than that by Noah's flood, for that did not affect the fishes of the sea, but this shall. It was part of one of the plagues of Egypt that he slew their fish (Psa_105:29); when the waters are dried the fish die, Isa_50:2; Zep_1:2, Zep_1:3.

Note, When man becomes disobedient to God, it is just that the inferior creatures should be made unserviceable to man. Oh what reason have we to admire God's patience and mercy to our land, that though there is in it so much swearing, and lying, and killing, and stealing, and adultery, yet there is plenty of flesh, and fish, and fowl, on our tables!

IV. An order of court that no pains should be taken with the condemned criminal, to bring him to repentance, with the reason for that order.

Observe, 1. The order itself (Hos_4:4): Yet let no man strive nor reprove another;
let no means be used to reduce and reclaim them; let their physicians give them up as desperate and past cure. It intimates that, as long as there is any hope, we ought to reprove sinners for their sins; it is a duty we owe to one another to give, and to take reproofs; it was one of the laws of Moses (Lev_19:17),
Thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbour; it is an instance of brotherly love.
Sometimes there is need to rebuke sharply, not only to reprove, but to strive, so loth are men to part with their sins. But it is a sign that persons and people are abandoned to ruin, when God says, Let them not be reproved. Yet this is to be understood as God's commands sometimes to the prophets not to pray for them, notwithstanding which they did pray for them; but the meaning is, They are so hardened in sin, and so ripened for ruin, that it will be to little purpose either to deal with them or to deal with God for them.

Note, It bodes ill to a people when reprovers are silenced, and when those who should witness against the sins of the times, retire into a corner, and give up the cause. See 2Ch_25:16. 2. The reasons of this order. Let them not reprove one another; for,

Hardened Heart

(1.) They are determined to go on in sin, and no reproofs will cure them of that: Thy people are as those that strive with the priests; they have grown so very impudent in sin, so very insolent, and impatient of reproof, that they will fly in the face even of a priest himself if he should but give them the least check, without any regard to his character and office; and how then can it be thought that they should take a reproof from a private person?



Results of a hardened Heart



Note, Those sinners have their hearts wickedly hardened who quarrel with their ministers for dealing faithfully with them; and those who rebel against ministerial reproof, which is an ordinance of God for their reformation, have forfeited the benefit of brotherly reproof too. Perhaps this may refer to the late wickedness of Joash king of Judah, and his people, who stoned Zechariah, the son of Jehoiada, for delivering them a message from God, 2Ch_24:21.

He was a priest; with him they strove when he was officiating between the temple and the altar; and Dr. Lightfoot thinks the prophet had an eye to his case when he spoke (Hos_4:2) of blood touching blood; the blood of the sacrificer was mingled with the blood of the sacrifice, That, says he, was the apex of their wickedness - thence their ruin was to be dated (Mat_23:35), as this is of their incorrigibleness, that they are as those who strive with the priest, therefore let no man reprove them; for,

(2.) God also is determined to proceed in their ruin (Hos_4:5): “Therefore, because thou wilt take no reproof, no advice, thou shalt fall, and it is in vain for any to think of preventing it, for the decree has gone forth. Thou shalt stumble and fall in the day, and the prophet, the false prophet that flattered and seduced thee, shall fall with thee in the night; both thou and thy prophet shall fall night and day, shall be continually falling into one calamity or other; the darkness of the night shall not help to cover thee from trouble nor the light of the day help thee to flee from it.”

The prophets are blind leaders and the people, blind followers; and to the blind, day and night are alike, so that whether it be day, or night, both shall fall together into the ditch.
“Thou shalt fall in the day, when thy fall is least feared by thyself and thou art very secure; and in the day, when it will be seen and observed by others, and turn most to thy shame; and the prophet shall fall in the night, when to himself it will be most terrible.”

Note, The ruin of those who have helped to ruin others will, in a special manner, be intolerable. And did the children think that when they were in danger of falling their mother would help them? It shall be in vain to expect it, for I will destroy thy mother, Samaria, the mother-city, the whole state, or kingdom, which is as a mother to every part. It shall all be made silent.

Note, When all are involved in guilt nothing less can be expected than that all should be involved in ruin.

To the end, it says that:  My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.

God forbid!

Radioactive tissue holders found at Bed, Bath & Beyond reveal hypocrisy of failed national security

Radioactive tissue holders found at Bed, Bath & Beyond reveal hypocrisy of failed national security

Where Did My B-12 Go?

How You Get Vitamin B12 Deficient 

The older you get the more likely you are to have a vitamin B12 deficiency. The two ways that you become deficient in vitamin B12 are from not getting enough in your diet and from losing the ability to absorb it.

I recently visited India which is primarily a vegetarian based culture and current studies there show about 80% of the adults are deficient in vitamin B12. However, vegans are not the only ones who can become vitamin B12 deficient.

The older you get the more your digestive system breaks down, especially if you have been following the standard American diet. Specifically the lining of your stomach gradually loses its ability to produce hydrochloric acid which releases vitamin B 12 from your food. The use of antacids or anti ulcer drugs will also lower your stomach acid secretion and decrease your ability to absorb vitamin B 12. Infection with Helicobactor pylori, a common contributor to stomach ulcers, can also result in vitamin B12 deficiency. 

However the main cause of vitamin B 12 deficiency is a term researchers call food-cobalamin malabsorption syndrome. Cobalamin is the scientific term for vitamin B12. This typically results when your stomach lining loses its ability to produce intrinsic factor which is a protein that binds to vitamin B12 and allows your body to absorb it at the end of your small intestine.

The Joy of Jesus

"God, thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows." Psa_45:7

For all the sorrows that lay upon His heart and the heaviness of the cross He had to bear, there can be little question that Jesus impressed people as a very contented person. When He spoke about His joy nobody had to ask Him what He meant. It never seemed strange to those who knew Him best that He should talk to them about His gladness. They were so familiar with it in their daily conversation, even when everything was dark and menacing, that the mention of it never took them by surprise. His enemies described Him as a wine-bibber, and that does not suggest a gloomy person. He called Himself a bridegroom, and the ideal bridegroom is a radiant person. We want children to be men and women; He wanted men and women to be children, and children, whatever else they may be, are extraordinarily carefree little beings. How, then, shall we explain this gladness of the Man of Sorrows? How did He maintain, through darkest hours, this unworrying and radiant heart? It is profoundly helpful to meditate on that.

Jesus Never Swerved From His Appointed Task

Supremely faithful to His high vocation, our Lord shone in the tranquil radiance of fidelity. One of the deepest attributes of duty is that the doing of it always leads to gladness. Wordsworth says of the man who does his duty that flowers laugh before him in their beds. To have a vocation and to hold to it, in spite of seductive and alluring voices, is the source of half the singing in the world. In the World War, in spite of all its sorrow, there was more singing than I ever heard before. Millions had something great to live for: something that was great enough to die for. And one of the sources of the joy of Jesus was that something great enough to live and die for had been given Him in the ordering of God. Voices called Him, as they call us all. Sometimes they bore the accents of a friend. He was urged to be careful and to guard Himself and to shun the agony of Calvary. But to all such voices He was deaf; He set His face stedfastly towards Jerusalem, and "flowers laughed before Him in their beds."

The Abundance of His Life

Another source of that joy of heart is to be found in the abundance of His life. We all know how when life is rich and full there comes to us a kind of inward radiance. Seasons arrive when life is at the ebb, and then "melancholy marks us for her own." But when the tide of life comes to the full again, immediately everything is different. The grasshopper has ceased to be a burden; everything is clothed in vivid coloring; in the dreariest period of bleak February we awaken in the morning singing. That is not only true of physical life; it is true of life in every sphere. It is "more life and fuller" if the jarring is to be changed into a song. How profoundly significant it is, then, that Jesus should be the enemy of death and should quietly affirm I am the Life.

All sin in its last results is impoverishing: of such impoverishing our Lord was ignorant. The life of God flowed through Him like a river, unchecked by any barrier of evil. Moment by moment drawing for His need out of the boundless life within His Father's heart, He had a joy the world could never give and could never take away.

Jesus Never Doubted God

The deepest root of all Christ's joy was that He never doubted God. And if ever a child had cause to doubt his father, I make bold to say that it was Jesus. Sent of God, He was a homeless wanderer: the Son of Man had not where to lay his head. Sent of God, men turned their backs on Him: He came to His own, and His own received Him not. Sent of God, He was ridiculed and mocked; He was beaten and insulted, and the nails were driven into His hands and feet. In such a life to trust was victory, and victory always is conjubilant. To live as He did, in a faith unfailing, is the victory that overcomes the world. That is why, right through the life of Jesus, there "steals on the ear the distant triumph song," sung not in celestial bliss but in the shame and agony of our mortality.

Why is a child such an unworried little creature? It is because he trusts his father and his mother. Why is the boat passenger untroubled in the tempest? It is because he absolutely trusts the captain. And the deepest root of the joy of Jesus was a trust in His Father which was perfect and which never faltered in the darkest hour. Why should you and I not live like that? The victories of Christ were won for us. A Christian does not so much win his victories as he appropriates the victories of Christ. Live as He did, trust as He did, keep the heart open to the inflowing tide, and in the dreariest days of February the time of the singing of the birds is come.

What Happens When You Really See God?

A few years ago a group of salesmen went to a regional sales convention in Chicago .

They had assured their wives that they would be home in plenty of time for Friday night's dinner.

In their rush, with tickets and briefcases, one of these salesmen inadvertently kicked over a table which held a display of apples.

Apples flew everywhere.

Without stopping or looking back, they all managed to reach the plane in time for their nearly missed boarding.

ALL BUT ONE !!!

He paused, took a deep breath, and experienced a twinge of compassion for the girl whose apple stand had been overturned.

He told his buddies to go on without him, waved good-bye, told one of them to call his wife when they arrived at their home destination and explain his taking a later flight.

Then he returned to the terminal where the apples were all over the terminal floor.

He was glad he did.

The 16 year old girl was totally blind! She was softly crying, tears ,running down her cheeks in frustration, and at the same time helplessly.

Groping for her spilled produce as the crowd swirled about her, no one stopping, and no one to care for her plight.

The salesman knelt on the floor with her, gathered up the apples, put them back on the table and helped organize her display.

As he did this, he noticed that many of them had become battered and bruised; these he set aside in another basket.

When he had finished, he pulled out his wallet and said to the girl,

'Here, please take this $40 for the damage we did. Are you okay?'

She nodded through her tears. He continued on with, 'I hope we didn't spoil your day too badly.‘

As the salesman started to walk away, the bewildered blind girl called out to him, 'Mister....'

He paused and turned to look back into those blind eyes. She continued,

'Are you Jesus?‘

She asked the question because she could not see the man.

Mark 10:46-52 has the story of Blind Bartimaeus

In this story, you have kind of the same situation.

A blind man hears Jesus, but longs to see Him.

Verse 51 says: And Jesus answered and said unto him, What wilt thou that I should do unto thee? The blind man said unto him, Lord, that I might receive my sight.

10:52 And Jesus said unto him, Go thy way; thy faith hath made thee whole. And immediately he received his sight, and followed Jesus in the way.

What did he do when he seen God

Bartimaeus followed Him.

Gen. 32:24

• And Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day.

Jacob had been guilty of a great sin in his conduct toward Esau; but he had repented. His transgression had been forgiven, and his sin purged; therefore he could endure the revelation of God's presence.

To Jacob the divine touch at break of day revealed the One with whom he had been contending .... and, weeping and helpless, he fell upon the breast of Infinite Love, to receive the blessing for which his soul longed.

• Gen. 32:30 And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: for I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved.

Moses Exodus 3:1-6

3:5 And he said, Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground.

Standing on Holy ground

Exodus 33:9

And it came to pass, as Moses entered into the tabernacle, the cloudy pillar descended, and stood at the door of the tabernacle, and the LORD talked with Moses.

33:10 And all the people saw the cloudy pillar stand at the tabernacle door: and all the people rose up and worshipped, every man in his tent door.

33:11 And the LORD spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend.

Daniel 10:4-8

• And in the four and twentieth day of the first month, as I was by the side of the great river, which is Hiddekel;

• 10:5 Then I lifted up mine eyes, and looked, and behold a certain man clothed in linen, whose loins were girded with fine gold of Uphaz:

• 10:6 His body also was like the beryl, and his face as the appearance of lightning, and his eyes as lamps of fire, and his arms and his feet like in colour to polished brass, and the voice of his words like the voice of a multitude.

• 10:7 And I Daniel alone saw the vision: for the men that were with me saw not the vision; but a great quaking fell upon them, so that they fled to hide themselves.

• 10:8 Therefore I was left alone, and saw this great vision, and there remained no strength in me: for my comeliness was turned in me into corruption, and I retained no strength.

• No strength

Steven

Acts 6:8

• And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and miracles among the people.

• 6:9 Then there arose certain of the synagogue, which is called the synagogue of the Libertines, and Cyrenians, and Alexandrians, and of them of Cilicia and of Asia, disputing with Stephen.

• 6:10 And they were not able to resist the wisdom and the spirit by which he spake.

• 6:11 Then they suborned men, which said, We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses, and [against] God.

• 6:12 And they stirred up the people, and the elders, and the scribes, and came upon [him], and caught him, and brought [him] to the council,

• 6:13 And set up false witnesses, which said, This man ceaseth not to speak blasphemous words against this holy place, and the law:

• 6:14 For we have heard him say, that this Jesus of Nazareth shall destroy this place, and shall change the customs which Moses delivered us.

• 6:15 And all that sat in the council, looking stedfastly on him, saw his face as it had been the face of an angel.

• Acts 6:8 And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and miracles among the people.

Scripture Reading

Isa. 6: 1-3

6:1 In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple.

6:2 Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly.

6:3 And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory.

Let’s now turn to Isa.6:1-3

6:1 In the year that king Uzziah died.....

When did Uzziah die?

• We will find that out in 2 Chron. 26:1-16

• Let’s read that. The story is pretty self explanatory.

• But look at this.....vs. 16 says that Uzziah got a big head

• Look at what happen next....vss.16-23

• He took his eyes off of God, and put it on himself.

• Again the question is, what year did Uzziah die?  year 739

• Let’s turn back to Isa. 6:1-3....

Isa. 6

Isa. 6:1

In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple.

In the year that King Uzziah died, Isaiah was permitted ..... to look into the holy place, and into the holy of holies in the heavenly sanctuary.

The curtains of the innermost sanctuary were drawn aside, and a throne high and lifted up, towering as it were to the very heavens, was revealed to him.

An indescribable glory emanated from a personage on the throne, and His train filled the temple....

Isa. 6:2

Above it stood the seraphims:

each one had six wings;

with twain he covered his face,

and with twain he covered his feet,

and with twain he did fly.

Angels Fully Satisfied to Glorify God

The angel’s before the throne are so filled with reverential awe in beholding the glory of God, that they do not for an instant, look upon themselves with self-complacency, or in admiration of themselves or one another.

• Their praise and glory are for the Lord of Hosts, who is high and lifted up, and the glory of whose train fills the temple.

• .... the triumphant song of praise is echoed from one to another in melodious chant, "Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of Hosts."

• They are fully satisfied to glorify God;

• and in His presence, .... they wish for nothing more.

• In bearing His image,

• in doing His service,

• and worshiping Him,

• their highest ambition is fully reached

• {4BC 1140.3}

When we really truly see God,

it will lead to a Genuine Conviction of Unworthiness

Question: Who are you?

1 Peter 2:9

• But ye are a chosen generation,

• a royal priesthood,

• an holy nation,

• a peculiar people;

• that ye should show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light:

Jer. 1:5

• Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee;

• and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.

Isa. 6:3

• And one cried unto another, and said,

• Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts:

• the whole earth is full of his glory.

• Angel’s were on either side of the mercy-seat,

• as guards round the great king,

• and they glowed with the glory that enshrouded them from the presence of God.

• As their songs of praise resounded in deep, earnest notes of adoration,

• the pillars of the gate trembled, as if shaken by an earthquake.

• These holy beings sang forth the praise and glory of God with lips unpolluted with sin.

• The contrast between the feeble praise which he had been accustomed to bestow upon the Creator, and the fervid praises of the angels,

• astonished and humiliated the prophet.

• He had.... the beautiful privilege of appreciating the spotless purity of Jehovah's exalted character. {4BC 1139.7}

Isaiah's Experience Represents Last-Day Church

• As the prophet Isaiah beheld the glory of the Lord, he was amazed, and, overwhelmed with a sense of his own weakness and unworthiness, he cried,

• "Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of Hosts."

• {4BC 1138.6}

• Isaiah had denounced the sin of others;

• but now he sees himself exposed to the same condemnation he had pronounced upon them.

• He had been satisfied with a cold, lifeless ceremony in his worship of God.

• He had not known this until the vision was given him of the Lord.

How little now appeared his wisdom and talents, as he looked upon the sacredness, and majesty, of the sanctuary.

• How unworthy he was! how unfitted for sacred service! His view of himself might be expressed in the language of the apostle Paul,

• "O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?" Romans 7:24

The vision given to Isaiah represents the condition of God's people in the last days.

They are privileged to see, by faith, the work that is going forward in the heavenly sanctuary.

Isaiah had a wonderful view of God's glory.

He saw the manifestation of God's power, and after beholding His majesty, a message came to him to go and do a certain work.

He felt wholly unworthy for the work.

.... when he beheld the inexpressible majesty of God, he said,

"I am undone;

because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips;

for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts”.

Isa.6:5

{4BC 1139.4}

John on the island of Patmos... Rev. 1:12-17

And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks;

1:13 And in the midst of the seven candlesticks on like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle.

1:14 His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire;

1:15 And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters.

1:16 And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength.

1:17 And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last:

Rev. 4:1-3

After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will show thee things which must be hereafter.

4:2 And immediately I was in the spirit; and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne.

4:3 And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone: and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald.

As John viewed the scene in the Most Holy Place, he listened to the song of the angels, as they cried,

"Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory,"

Rev. 4:8

In the light of this matchless radiance, all he could bear was his own inward defilement, with startling clearness.

His very words seemed vile to him.

{4BC 1140.1}

So what about when we come to the sanctuary

So what about when we sing the opening song,

The Lord is in His Holy Temple?

It is too true that reverence for the house of God has become almost extinct.

Sacred things, and places, are not discerned;

The holy and exalted, are not appreciated.

.... Is it not because the high standard of religion is left to trail in the dust?

God gave rules of order, perfect and exact, to His ancient people.

Has His character changed?

Is He not the great and mighty God who rules in the heaven of heavens?

Would it not be well for us often to read the directions given by God Himself to the Hebrews, that we.... may imitate their reverence for the house of God?

We have many reason to maintain a fervent, devoted spirit in the worship of God.

We have reason even to be more thoughtful and reverential in our worship than had the Jews.

But an enemy has been at work to destroy our faith in the sacredness of Christian worship.

{PP 252.1}

We should not do what Uzziah had done.

Remember 2 Chron. 26:16?

“But when he was strong, his heart was lifted up to his destruction:

for he transgressed against the LORD his God, and went into the temple of the LORD to burn incense upon the altar of incense”.

The place dedicated to God, should not be a room where worldly business, or conversation, is to be conducted.

Humility and reverence should characterize the deportment of all who come into the presence of God.

In the name of Jesus,

we may come before Him with confidence,

but we must not approach Him with the boldness of presumption,

as though He were on a level with ourselves.

There are those who address the great and all-powerful and holy God.... as they would address an equal, or even an inferior.

There are those who conduct themselves in His house as they would not .... do in the audience chamber of an earthly ruler, like the court houses of the world.

These souls should remember that they are in His sight, whom angels adore,

before whom angels veil their faces.

Remember what Jacob said when he woke up.

Gen. 28:16

And Jacob awaked out of his sleep, and he said, Surely the LORD is in this place; and I knew it not.

28:17 And he was afraid, and said, How dreadful is this place! this is none other but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.

God is greatly to be reverenced;

all who truly realize His presence, will bow in humility before Him, and,

like Jacob beholding the vision of God, they will cry out,

"How dreadful is this place! This is none other but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven."

As Christ gave His wonderful lessons, Mary sat at His feet,

a reverent and devoted listener.

Rev. 5:11-14

5:11 And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands;

5:12 Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing.

5:13 And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, [be] unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever.

5:14 And the four beasts said, Amen. And the four and twenty elders fell down and worshipped him that liveth for ever and ever.

Closing: Remember when we first came to the Lord, how reverent we were when we came into the house of God?

If there is anyone listening to the sound of my voice, who feels that they have not given God His due reverence, please stand with me as I read the lyrics to a song that request that He takes us back.

Take me back

The question is: praise and worship, are we ready ?

5:11 And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands;

5:14 And the four beasts said, Amen. And the four and twenty elders fell down and worshipped him that liveth for ever and ever.

What Happens When You Really See God?

A few years ago a group of salesmen went to a regional sales convention in Chicago .

They had assured their wives that they would be home in plenty of time for Friday night's dinner.

In their rush, with tickets and briefcases, one of these salesmen inadvertently kicked over a table which held a display of apples.

Apples flew everywhere.

Without stopping or looking back, they all managed to reach the plane in time for their nearly missed boarding.

ALL BUT ONE !!!

He paused, took a deep breath, and experienced a twinge of compassion for the girl whose apple stand had been overturned.

He told his buddies to go on without him, waved good-bye, told one of them to call his wife when they arrived at their home destination and explain his taking a later flight.

Then he returned to the terminal where the apples were all over the terminal floor.

He was glad he did.

The 16 year old girl was totally blind! She was softly crying, tears ,running down her cheeks in frustration, and at the same time helplessly.

Groping for her spilled produce as the crowd swirled about her, no one stopping, and no one to care for her plight.

The salesman knelt on the floor with her, gathered up the apples, put them back on the table and helped organize her display.

As he did this, he noticed that many of them had become battered and bruised; these he set aside in another basket.

When he had finished, he pulled out his wallet and said to the girl,

'Here, please take this $40 for the damage we did. Are you okay?'

She nodded through her tears. He continued on with, 'I hope we didn't spoil your day too badly.‘

As the salesman started to walk away, the bewildered blind girl called out to him, 'Mister....'

He paused and turned to look back into those blind eyes. She continued,

'Are you Jesus?‘

She asked the question because she could not see the man.

Mark 10:46-52 has the story of Blind Bartimaeus

In this story, you have kind of the same situation.

A blind man hears Jesus, but longs to see Him.

Verse 51 says: And Jesus answered and said unto him, What wilt thou that I should do unto thee? The blind man said unto him, Lord, that I might receive my sight.

10:52 And Jesus said unto him, Go thy way; thy faith hath made thee whole. And immediately he received his sight, and followed Jesus in the way.

What did he do when he seen God

Bartimaeus followed Him.

Gen. 32:24

• And Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day.

Jacob had been guilty of a great sin in his conduct toward Esau; but he had repented. His transgression had been forgiven, and his sin purged; therefore he could endure the revelation of God's presence.

To Jacob the divine touch at break of day revealed the One with whom he had been contending .... and, weeping and helpless, he fell upon the breast of Infinite Love, to receive the blessing for which his soul longed.

• Gen. 32:30 And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: for I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved.

Moses Exodus 3:1-6

3:5 And he said, Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground.

Standing on Holy ground

Exodus 33:9

And it came to pass, as Moses entered into the tabernacle, the cloudy pillar descended, and stood at the door of the tabernacle, and the LORD talked with Moses.

33:10 And all the people saw the cloudy pillar stand at the tabernacle door: and all the people rose up and worshipped, every man in his tent door.

33:11 And the LORD spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend.

Daniel 10:4-8

• And in the four and twentieth day of the first month, as I was by the side of the great river, which is Hiddekel;

• 10:5 Then I lifted up mine eyes, and looked, and behold a certain man clothed in linen, whose loins were girded with fine gold of Uphaz:

• 10:6 His body also was like the beryl, and his face as the appearance of lightning, and his eyes as lamps of fire, and his arms and his feet like in colour to polished brass, and the voice of his words like the voice of a multitude.

• 10:7 And I Daniel alone saw the vision: for the men that were with me saw not the vision; but a great quaking fell upon them, so that they fled to hide themselves.

• 10:8 Therefore I was left alone, and saw this great vision, and there remained no strength in me: for my comeliness was turned in me into corruption, and I retained no strength.

• No strength

Steven

Acts 6:8

• And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and miracles among the people.

• 6:9 Then there arose certain of the synagogue, which is called the synagogue of the Libertines, and Cyrenians, and Alexandrians, and of them of Cilicia and of Asia, disputing with Stephen.

• 6:10 And they were not able to resist the wisdom and the spirit by which he spake.

• 6:11 Then they suborned men, which said, We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses, and [against] God.

• 6:12 And they stirred up the people, and the elders, and the scribes, and came upon [him], and caught him, and brought [him] to the council,

• 6:13 And set up false witnesses, which said, This man ceaseth not to speak blasphemous words against this holy place, and the law:

• 6:14 For we have heard him say, that this Jesus of Nazareth shall destroy this place, and shall change the customs which Moses delivered us.

• 6:15 And all that sat in the council, looking stedfastly on him, saw his face as it had been the face of an angel.

• Acts 6:8 And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and miracles among the people.

Scripture Reading

Isa. 6: 1-3

6:1 In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple.

6:2 Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly.

6:3 And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory.

Let’s now turn to Isa.6:1-3

6:1 In the year that king Uzziah died.....

When did Uzziah die?

• We will find that out in 2 Chron. 26:1-16

• Let’s read that. The story is pretty self explanatory.

• But look at this.....vs. 16 says that Uzziah got a big head

• Look at what happen next....vss.16-23

• He took his eyes off of God, and put it on himself.

• Again the question is, what year did Uzziah die?

• Let’s turn back to Isa. 6:1-3....

Read page 656 of your bible, and read the “Historical Setting” and “Theme”.

Isa. 6

Isa. 6:1

In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple.

In the year that King Uzziah died, Isaiah was permitted ..... to look into the holy place, and into the holy of holies in the heavenly sanctuary.

The curtains of the innermost sanctuary were drawn aside, and a throne high and lifted up, towering as it were to the very heavens, was revealed to him.

An indescribable glory emanated from a personage on the throne, and His train filled the temple....

Isa. 6:2

Above it stood the seraphims:

each one had six wings;

with twain he covered his face,

and with twain he covered his feet,

and with twain he did fly.

Angels Fully Satisfied to Glorify God

The angel’s before the throne are so filled with reverential awe in beholding the glory of God, that they do not for an instant, look upon themselves with self-complacency, or in admiration of themselves or one another.

• Their praise and glory are for the Lord of Hosts, who is high and lifted up, and the glory of whose train fills the temple.

• .... the triumphant song of praise is echoed from one to another in melodious chant, "Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of Hosts."

• They are fully satisfied to glorify God;

• and in His presence, .... they wish for nothing more.

• In bearing His image,

• in doing His service,

• and worshiping Him,

• their highest ambition is fully reached

• {4BC 1140.3}

When we really truly see God,

it will lead to a Genuine Conviction of Unworthiness

Question: Who are you?

1 Peter 2:9

• But ye are a chosen generation,

• a royal priesthood,

• an holy nation,

• a peculiar people;

• that ye should show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light:

Jer. 1:5

• Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee;

• and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.

Isa. 6:3

• And one cried unto another, and said,

• Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts:

• the whole earth is full of his glory.

• Angel’s were on either side of the mercy-seat,

• as guards round the great king,

• and they glowed with the glory that enshrouded them from the presence of God.

• As their songs of praise resounded in deep, earnest notes of adoration,

• the pillars of the gate trembled, as if shaken by an earthquake.

• These holy beings sang forth the praise and glory of God with lips unpolluted with sin.

• The contrast between the feeble praise which he had been accustomed to bestow upon the Creator, and the fervid praises of the angels,

• astonished and humiliated the prophet.

• He had.... the beautiful privilege of appreciating the spotless purity of Jehovah's exalted character. {4BC 1139.7}

Isaiah's Experience Represents Last-Day Church

• As the prophet Isaiah beheld the glory of the Lord, he was amazed, and, overwhelmed with a sense of his own weakness and unworthiness, he cried,

• "Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of Hosts."

• {4BC 1138.6}

• Isaiah had denounced the sin of others;

• but now he sees himself exposed to the same condemnation he had pronounced upon them.

• He had been satisfied with a cold, lifeless ceremony in his worship of God.

• He had not known this until the vision was given him of the Lord.

How little now appeared his wisdom and talents, as he looked upon the sacredness, and majesty, of the sanctuary.

• How unworthy he was! how unfitted for sacred service! His view of himself might be expressed in the language of the apostle Paul,

• "O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?" Romans 7:24

The vision given to Isaiah represents the condition of God's people in the last days.

They are privileged to see, by faith, the work that is going forward in the heavenly sanctuary.

Isaiah had a wonderful view of God's glory.

He saw the manifestation of God's power, and after beholding His majesty, a message came to him to go and do a certain work.

He felt wholly unworthy for the work.

.... when he beheld the inexpressible majesty of God, he said,

"I am undone;

because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips;

for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts”.

Isa.6:5

{4BC 1139.4}

John on the island of Patmos... Rev. 1:12-17

And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks;

1:13 And in the midst of the seven candlesticks on like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle.

1:14 His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire;

1:15 And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters.

1:16 And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength.

1:17 And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last:

Rev. 4:1-3

After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will show thee things which must be hereafter.

4:2 And immediately I was in the spirit; and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne.

4:3 And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone: and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald.

As John viewed the scene in the Most Holy Place, he listened to the song of the angels, as they cried,

"Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory,"

Rev. 4:8

In the light of this matchless radiance, all he could bear was his own inward defilement, with startling clearness.

His very words seemed vile to him.

{4BC 1140.1}

So what about when we come to the sanctuary

So what about when we sing the opening song,

The Lord is in His Holy Temple?

It is too true that reverence for the house of God has become almost extinct.

Sacred things, and places, are not discerned;

The holy and exalted, are not appreciated.

.... Is it not because the high standard of religion is left to trail in the dust?

God gave rules of order, perfect and exact, to His ancient people.

Has His character changed?

Is He not the great and mighty God who rules in the heaven of heavens?

Would it not be well for us often to read the directions given by God Himself to the Hebrews, that we.... may imitate their reverence for the house of God?

We have many reason to maintain a fervent, devoted spirit in the worship of God.

We have reason even to be more thoughtful and reverential in our worship than had the Jews.

But an enemy has been at work to destroy our faith in the sacredness of Christian worship.

{PP 252.1}

We should not do what Uzziah had done.

Remember 2 Chron. 26:16?

“But when he was strong, his heart was lifted up to his destruction:

for he transgressed against the LORD his God, and went into the temple of the LORD to burn incense upon the altar of incense”.

The place dedicated to God, should not be a room where worldly business, or conversation, is to be conducted.

Humility and reverence should characterize the deportment of all who come into the presence of God.

In the name of Jesus,

we may come before Him with confidence,

but we must not approach Him with the boldness of presumption,

as though He were on a level with ourselves.

There are those who address the great and all-powerful and holy God.... as they would address an equal, or even an inferior.

There are those who conduct themselves in His house as they would not .... do in the audience chamber of an earthly ruler, like the court houses of the world.

These souls should remember that they are in His sight, whom angels adore,

before whom angels veil their faces.

Remember what Jacob said when he woke up.

Gen. 28:16

And Jacob awaked out of his sleep, and he said, Surely the LORD is in this place; and I knew it not.

28:17 And he was afraid, and said, How dreadful is this place! this is none other but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.


God is greatly to be reverenced;

all who truly realize His presence, will bow in humility before Him, and,

like Jacob beholding the vision of God, they will cry out,

"How dreadful is this place! This is none other but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven."

As Christ gave His wonderful lessons, Mary sat at His feet,
a reverent and devoted listener.

Rev. 5:11-14

5:12 Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing.

5:13 And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, [be] unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever.

Closing: Remember when we first came to the Lord, how reverent we were when we came into the house of God?

If there is anyone listening to the sound of my voice, who feels that they have not given God His due reverence, please stand with me as I read the lyrics to a song that request that He takes us back.

Take me back

A real valentines day letter

Luke 7:36 And one of the Pharisees desired him that he would eat with him. And he went into the Pharisee's house, and sat down to meat.
7:37 And, behold, a woman in the city, which was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at meat in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster box of ointment,

7:38 And stood at his feet behind him weeping, and began to wash his feet with tears, and did wipe them with the hairs of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment.


Simon had been healed of the leprosy, and it was this that had drawn him to Jesus. He desired to show his gratitude, and at Christ's last visit to Bethany he made a feast for the Saviour and His disciples. . . . At the table the Saviour sat with Simon... on one side, and Lazarus . . . on the other. Martha served at the table, but Mary was earnestly listening to every word from the lips of Jesus. In His mercy, Jesus had pardoned her sins, He had called forth her beloved brother from the grave, and Mary's heart was filled with gratitude. She had heard Jesus speak of His approaching death, and in her deep love and sorrow she had longed to show Him honor. At great personal sacrifice she had purchased an alabaster box of "ointment of spikenard, very costly," with which to anoint His body. But now many were declaring that He was about to be crowned king. Her grief was turned to joy, and she was eager to be first in honoring her Lord. Breaking her box of ointment, she poured its contents upon the head and feet of Jesus; then, as she knelt weeping, moistening them with her tears, she wiped His feet with her long, flowing hair. . . . {CC 305.3}


If you would, please listen to the song before reading the rest of this.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2efP9eZrs5U


The fragrant gift which Mary had thought to lavish upon the dead body of the Saviour she poured upon His living form. At the burial its sweetness could only have pervaded the tomb; now it gladdened His heart with the assurance of her faith and love. Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus offered not their gift of love to Jesus in His life. With bitter tears they brought their costly spices for His cold, unconscious form. The women who bore spices to the tomb found their errand in vain, for He had risen. But Mary, pouring out her love upon the Saviour while He was conscious of her devotion, was anointing Him for the burial. And as He went down into the darkness of His great trial, He carried with Him the memory of that deed, an earnest of the love that would be His from His redeemed ones forever. {CC 306.2}


Many there are who bring their precious gifts for the dead. . . . Tenderness, appreciation, devotion, all are lavished upon one who sees not nor hears. Had these words been spoken when the weary spirit needed them so much, when the ear could hear and the heart could feel, how precious would have been their fragrance!. . . {CC 306.3}



Christ told Mary the meaning of her act. . . . He said, "she did it for my burial." As the alabaster box was broken, and filled the whole house with its fragrance, so Christ was to die, His body was to be broken; but He was to rise from the tomb, and the fragrance of His life was to fill the earth. . . . Looking into the future, the Saviour spoke with certainty concerning His gospel. It was to be preached throughout the world. And as far as the gospel extended, Mary's gift would shed its fragrance, and hearts would be blessed through her unstudied act. Kingdoms would rise and fall; the names of monarchs and conquerors would be forgotten; but this woman's deed would be immortalized upon the pages of sacred history. Until time should be no more, that broken alabaster box would tell the story of the abundant love of God for a fallen race. {CC 306.4}

Febuary 14......."Happy Valentines Day"........

The history of Valentine's Day — and its patron saint — is shrouded in mystery. But we do know that February has long been a month of romance. St. Valentine's Day, as we know it today, contains vestiges of both Christian and ancient Roman tradition. So, who was Saint Valentine and how did he become associated with this ancient rite? Today, the Catholic Church recognizes at least three different saints named Valentine or Valentinus, all of whom were martyred.

One legend contends that Valentine was a priest who served during the third century in Rome. When Emperor Claudius II decided that single men made better soldiers than those with wives and families, he outlawed marriage for young men — his crop of potential soldiers. Valentine, realizing the injustice of the decree, defied Claudius and continued to perform marriages for young lovers in secret. When Valentine's actions were discovered, Claudius ordered that he be put to death.

Other stories suggest that Valentine may have been killed for attempting to help Christians escape harsh Roman prisons where they were often beaten and tortured.

According to one legend, Valentine actually sent the first "valentine" greeting himself. While in prison, it is believed that Valentine fell in love with a young girl — who may have been his jailor's daughter — who visited him during his confinement. Before his death, it is alleged that he wrote her a letter, which he signed "From your Valentine," an expression that is still in use today. Although the truth behind the Valentine legends is murky, the stories certainly emphasize his appeal as a sympathetic, heroic, and, most importantly, romantic figure. It's no surprise that by the Middle Ages, Valentine was one of the most popular saints in England and France.

While some believe that Valentine's Day is celebrated in the middle of February to commemorate the anniversary of Valentine's death or burial — which probably occurred around 270 A.D — others claim that the Christian church may have decided to celebrate Valentine's feast day in the middle of February in an effort to "christianize" celebrations of the pagan Lupercalia festival. In ancient Rome, February was the official beginning of spring and was considered a time for purification. Houses were ritually cleansed by sweeping them out and then sprinkling salt and a type of wheat called spelt throughout their interiors. Lupercalia, which began at the ides of February, February 15, was a fertility festival dedicated to Faunus, the Roman god of agriculture, as well as to the Roman founders Romulus and Remus.

To begin the festival, members of the Luperci, an order of Roman priests, would gather at the sacred cave where the infants Romulus and Remus, the founders of Rome, were believed to have been cared for by a she-wolf or lupa. The priests would then sacrifice a goat, for fertility, and a dog, for purification.

The boys then sliced the goat's hide into strips, dipped them in the sacrificial blood and took to the streets, gently slapping both women and fields of crops with the goathide strips. Far from being fearful, Roman women welcomed being touched with the hides because it was believed the strips would make them more fertile in the coming year. Later in the day, according to legend, all the young women in the city would place their names in a big urn. The city's bachelors would then each choose a name out of the urn and become paired for the year with his chosen woman. These matches often ended in marriage.

Pope Gelasius declared February 14 St. Valentine's Day around 498 A.D. The Roman "lottery" system for romantic pairing was deemed un-Christian and outlawed. Later, during the Middle Ages, it was commonly believed in France and England that February 14 was the beginning of birds' mating season, which added to the idea that the middle of February — Valentine's Day — should be a day for romance.

The oldest known valentine still in existence today was a poem written by Charles, Duke of Orleans to his wife while he was imprisoned in the Tower of London following his capture at the Battle of Agincourt. The greeting, which was written in 1415.
In Great Britain, Valentine's Day began to be popularly celebrated around the seventeenth century. 

Americans probably began exchanging hand-made valentines in the early 1700s.

However, there is one love letter that everyone seems to forget.

John 3:16 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.

3:17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
 
O what an assurance is this, that the love of God may abide in the hearts of all who believe in Him! O what salvation is provided; for He is able to save unto the uttermost all that come unto God by Him. In wonder we exclaim, How can these things be? But Jesus will be satisfied with nothing less than this. Those who are partakers of His sufferings here, of His humiliation, enduring for His name's sake, are to have the love of God bestowed upon them as it was upon the Son. One who knows, has said, "The Father himself loveth you."
 
One who has had an experimental knowledge of the length, and breadth, and height, and depth of that love, has declared unto us this amazing fact. This love is ours through faith in the Son of God, therefore a connection with Christ means everything to us. We are to be one with Him as He is one with the Father, and then we are beloved by the infinite God as members of the body of Christ, as branches of the living Vine. We are to be attached to the parent stock, and to receive nourishment from the Vine. Christ is our glorified
Head, and the divine love flowing from the heart of God, rests in Christ, and is communicated to those who have been united to Him. This divine love entering the soul inspires it with gratitude, frees it from its spiritual feebleness, from pride, vanity, and selfishness, and from all that would deform the Christian character. {FE 178.1}

The life of Christ was a life charged with a divine message of the love of God, and He longed intensely to impart this love to others in rich measure. Compassion beamed from His countenance, and His conduct was characterized by grace, humility, truth, and love. Every member of His church militant must manifest the same qualities, if He would join the church triumphant. The love of Christ is so broad, so full of glory, that in comparison to it, everything that men esteem as great, dwindles into insignificance. When we obtain a view of it, we exclaim, O the depth of the riches of the love that God bestowed upon men in the gift of His only-begotten Son!  {FE 179.3}