Month: December 2023

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Special Message

SPECIAL MESSAGE TO WGM TEAM PARTNERS December 12, 2023: THE SIMULTANEOUS CLEANSING OF THE SANCTUARY IN HEAVEN & THE BODY TEMPLE ON EARTH

SPECIAL MESSAGE TO WGM TEAM PARTNERS:

THE SIMULTANEOUS CLEANSING OF THE SANCTUARY IN HEAVEN & THE BODY TEMPLE ON EARTH

“Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all the filthiness of the flesh and the spirit, perfecting HOLINESS in the fear of God.” 2 Cor. 7: 1, KJV.

Spiritual things are spiritually discerned. And the carnal mind is enmity against the law of righteousness. The “cleansing” of the flesh here does not refer to outward, physical cleanliness or sanitation, as important as they are, but to moral pollution, secret or public.

The following quotes are extracts from the chapter “Clean Hands and Pure Hearts,” a reprint from the tract, The Sin of Licentiousness, Testimonies to Ministers & Gospel Workers, pp. 427, 428 (all emphasis and words in brackets mine):

“There is much preaching of the truth, but few are sanctified through the truth [see John 17:17]. Piety and righteousness are NOT brought into the practical life, and the Lord is DISHONORED; and having no VITAL connection with God, poor, weak human nature has NO strength to resist temptation, and never will have TILL the converting power of God [in His grace imparted by the Holy Spirit] takes hold upon the soul [the living person].

“We are nearing the judgment, and those who bear the message of warning to the world MUST HAVE clean hands and pure hearts They must have a living [and vital, not superficial, mere form or professed]. Their THOUGHTS must be pure and holy for God ‘examines the reins of the mind, the thoughts and intents of the heart’], the soul untainted, the BODY, soul, and SPIRIT [the moral character and individual personality] be a pure, clean OFFERING to God [not the pecuniary ‘tithes and offerings’], or He will NOT accept it!

“Recent painful developments of EVIL are one of the greatest EVIDENCES that the end is NEAR. Satan, like a roaring lion, is going about [all around us], seeking whom he may devour, and IF men and women, under the BLAZING LIGHT [of the Present, testing truth] that now shines in these PERILOUS times, will be found FORNICATORS [both literal and spiritual], I [God’s last-day messenger] am afraid that God will SEPARATE them from the work forever!” – E. G. White.

Lest we forget or yield to the deadly peace-and-safety, once-saved-always saved, “we are already forgiven because of Christ’s sacrifice counterfeit gospel—the lives of all who “profess faith in Christ” have been passing in review during the ongoing pre-advent, Investigative Judgement session in the most holy of the heavenly sanctuary. It began with the cases of the dead, starting with Adam and Eve and soon will pass on to the cases of the living! Remember Peter’s solemn warning:

“For the time has come that Judgment must begin at the house of God [‘household of faith]: and if it first begin at US, what shall the end be of them that obey not the GOSPEL of God? And if the righteous SCARCELY be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?” 1 Pet. 4: 17, 18.

Humbly ponder upon these solemn thoughts dear ministry partners! I will continue quoting from this particular resource. Bless all, NMF.

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Mid-week Manna

DECEPTION: THE DEADLIEST FORM OF SATANIC WRATH

MID-WEEK MANNA FROM PASTOR NAT’S DESK:
December 27, 2023

DECEPTION: THE DEADLIEST FORM OF SATANIC WRATH Series

(“To be forewarned is to be forearmed.”)

“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 deceive many.” Matt. 24:4, K.J.V.

Deception heads the list of Christ’s familiar ‘mini Apocalypse’ recorded in Matt. 24:1-51, given in answer to His disciples’ two-part question of time and circumstance: “WHEN shall these things be? And WHAT shall be the sign of Thy [second] coming, and of the END of the world?” vs 1-3. A parallel chapter to this is Luke 21: 1-36. Read it.

Beginning with Eve’s fall first, followed by Adam’s, rendering thereafter all “their seed” as sinners till the close of earth’s second and last probation, there are two general classes of sinners, where deception in all its forms and variations are concerned, namely: the honestly deceived and the willingly ignorant.

An example of the former is the Pharisee Saul, the over zealous persecutor of Christ’s earliest followers before his dramatic conversion and amazing transformation to Paul, Christ’s leading “apostle to the Gentiles” after His resurrection. Hear his confession and testimony: “And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that He counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry; who was before a blasphemer, and a PERSECUTOR, and injurious: but obtained mercy, because I DID IT IGNORANTLY in unbelief.” 1 Tim. 1: 12, 13, KJV (emphasis mine).

In verse 15 he reveals the spirit and attitude of all previously honestly-deceived but were convicted when they saw the light of truth, then were transformed by grace. “This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to SAVE SINNERS, OF WHOM I AM CHIEF.”

The latter are revealed as countless by another apostle: “Knowing this first, there shall come in the LAST DAYS, SCOFFERS, walking in their own lusts, and saying, Where is the promise of His [second] coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation: for this they WILLINGLY ARE IGNORANT OF.” (Read verses 5-18 for fuller context).” 1 Pet. 3: 3-5, KJV.

Therefore, remember this: When the honestly deceived see the truth they will cease to be deceived, or else they cease to be honest and join the class of the willingly ignorant, thereby ending up willingly deceived!

Added to this is the fearful truth, first manifested and demonstrated in Eden—-that one who becomes deceived, soon becomes a deceiver himself. Mark this: After being deceived into yielding to the serpent’s cunning temptation, Instead of faithfully functioning as a “helpmate” to her husband, Eve, the woman became the first agent of the master deceiver and ‘father of lies.”

The difference makers here are clearly “the truth as it is in Jesus,” (“to the law and testimony,” in “it is written” only), and the rational individual’s exercise of willing and voluntary choice, as a free moral agent endowed with will power in response to the conviction of his conscience by the Holy Spirit.

As someone put it so succinctly: “If a man deceived me once, shame on him; if twice, shame on me.”

Self-deception resulting from
self-love, self-worship, self-promotion, self-confidence, and all forms of self-centeredness are all fatal to the soul.

Only in and through Christ Jesus, the self-denying, self-sacrificing incarnated Creator, Savior, and Example can any and all sinners receive His Life and Light of truth that will dispel the darkness of sinful and willful ignorance of sin through the tempter’s cunning and deadly deceptions!

More souls will lose both temporal and eternal life through Satan’s tender and subtle deceptions rather than his wrathful persecutions. We will show this next time.

To be continued next MWM, God willing. Bless all, NMF.

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Special Message

SPECIAL MESSAGE TO WGM TEAM MEMBERS December 22, 2023: A MAJOR CAUSE OF INEFFICIENCY AND WEAKNESS IN WITNESSING FOR THE TRUTH AND ITS REMEDY

SPECIAL MESSAGE TO WGM TEAM MEMBERS:

A MAJOR CAUSE OF INEFFICIENCY AND WEAKNESS IN WITNESSING FOR THE TRUTH AND ITS REMEDY

“Wherefore He saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble. . . . Humble yourselves in the sight of God, and He shall lift you up.” James 4: 6, 10, KJV.

“I would address those who preach [and teach] the word: ‘The entrance of Thy words giveth life; it giveth understanding to the simple [humble of mind and heart].’ All the advantages and privileges that may be MULTIPLIED for your benefit, that you should be educated and trained, rooted and grounded in the TRUTH, will be NO real help to you PERSONALLY unless the mind and heart are OPENED so that the truth shall find ENTRANCE, and you make a CONSCIOUS SURRENDER of every habit and practice, and every sin that has CLOSED THE DOOR against Jesus [even if we know the doctrines intellectually].

Let the LIGHT from Christ [brought home to the conscience by the Holy Spirit through the Word] SEARCH every dark corner of the soul; [then] with EARNEST determination adopt a right course of action.

“If you hold on to a wrong course, as many of you are NOW doing; if the truth does not work in you with TRANSFORMING power, so that you OBEY IT FROM THE HEART [not in mere lip and mouth service] because you LOVE its pure principles: [you can] be sure that for you the truth will LOSE ITS VITALIZING POWER, and SIN WILL STRENGTHEN [rather than weaken].

“This is why many are not efficient agents for the Master. They are constantly making provisions to please and glorify THEMSELVES, or they cherish LUST in their heart. True, they ASSENT to the law of Ten Commandments, and many TEACH THE LAW IN THEORY, but they do not cherish its PRINCIPLES [one of the main reasons why I am emphasizing the sermon/studies on ‘Magnifying the Spiritual Nature of the Law and Making it Honorable’].

They do not obey the commandments of God to be PURE, to love God SUPREMELY, and their neighbor AS themselves. While constantly living a lie, can such have strength? Can they have confidence? Will such become efficient workers for God [not merely for the ‘church’ or the ‘ministry’]? “Testimonies to Ministers & Gospel Workers, p. 159. July 3, 1892. (All emphasis and bracketed words mine).

May these special Testimonies I am sharing with you truly prove to be, spiritually, a more incisive tool of eye-opening and heart-searching counsels for the truly humble workers of God in these last days. Bless all, NMF.

Categories
Mid-week Manna

God’s Saving Enmity (Last Part of this Series)

MID-WEEK MANNA FROM PASTOR NAT’S DESK:
December 20, 2023

God’s Saving Enmity
(Last Part of this Series)

Here’s a summary of this series, “God’s Saving Enmity.”

God Creator decreed the first of all the promises and prophecies of the Bible immediately after Eve, followed by Adam fell by disobedience in the garden of Eden (prototype of all the homes, houses, and households to the close of time) God’s command and yielded to Satan’s first cunning and subtle deception by taking on the appearance of a serpent, the most beautiful animal before it was cursed, as the first of all forms and types of mediums thereafter, in the first of all the unnumbered schemes and temptations of “the father of lies and murderer from the beginning.

God Creator’s first promise and prophecy of hope to the now fallen, sinful, and guilt-laden First Couple was a revelation that God’s own ENMITY, verily divine hatred toward sin, the transgression of His law, was what He would PUT BETWEEN the deceiver and the deceived, the tempter and the tempted. Without the divine power of enmity imparted by God’s saving grace, there was absolutely nothing that could break the attraction, affinity, loyalty, and propensity for sin and disobedience that Adam and Eve now possessed. One seemingly little act of disobedience of the originally sinless, unfallen pair and instantly their natures now became fallen and sinful, their bodies subject to death, decay, and corruption. Such is the fearfully malignant power of the exceeding sinfulness of sin in the mystery of iniquity!

The divine solution to the SIN PROBLEM and the nature of the great controversy between good and evil that started in heaven and continued on earth beginning in Eden, is the comprehensive Plan of Redemption of the everlasting gospel, indeed “the good news of salvation! God Creator introduced it in Eden with these part of the plan of redemption in these momentous words: “I will put ENMITY between thee (Satan) and the woman and between your seed and her Seed; it (the Seed shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise His [the Seed’s] heel.” Gen. 3:15, KJV.

And what or who is this “seed of the woman who would “bruise the head of the serpent,” that is, finally and eternally destroy Satan? Paul tells us with a clear and plain words:

 “But when the fulness of time was come, God sent forth His Son, made of a woman, made under the law [the natural law of conception and birth], to redeem them that were under [the condemnation of the law for transgressing it], that we might receive the adoption of sons [through the true rebirth by the twin baptisms of water and the Spirit and transformation into the “new man in Christ Jesus” through the work of sanctification).” Gal. 4: 4, 5.

Paul further clarifies who this “seed” is by comparing and contrasting Him with Abraham (emphasis mine):

 “Now to Abraham and his seed [isaac, Jacob, etc.] were the promises made. He saith not, and to seeds, as of many; but as of one, and to thy Seed, which is CHRIST.” Gal. 3:16.

The only hope of the sinner is to cease from sin by enmity and hatred for sin that comes with the whole package of the comprehensive plan of redemption taught in detail by the wonderful sanctuary doctrine revealing the twin aspects of sacrifice and intercession, all through Christ as both the Sacrificial Lamb of God and the all-powerful yet merciful High Priest, Intercessor, Mediator, Advocate and now as righteous Judge of all the earth during this most solemn period of earth’s history in the ongoing pre-advent or investigative judgment.

In short, we cannot successfully overcome and triumph over sin and Satan until we hate sin as Christ hates it. Mark this scripture (emphasis mine):

“But unto the Son, He [the Father] saith, Thy throne O GOD, is forever and ever: a scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Thy kingdom. Thou hast LOVEST righteousness and HATED INIQUITY [or sin; unrighteousness]; therefore God, even Thy God, hath anointed Thee with the oil of gladness above Thy fellows.” Heb. 1: 8, 8. And lastly and solemnly: 
 “For it is IMPOSSIBLE for those who were ONCE enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come [by way of prophecy], IF they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance, seeing they CRUCIFY TO THEMSELVES THE SON OF GOD AFRESH [the promised Seed of Gen. 3:15], AND PUT HIM TO AN OPEN SHAME.” Heb 6: 4-6, KJV.

By God’s permission and grace, we will start a new series next MWM, but by no means can we ever exhaust the enlightening, testing truths of this subject!Bless all, NMF.

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Special Message

SPECIAL MESSAGE TO WGM TEAM MEMBERS: December 19, 2023

SPECIAL MESSAGE TO WGM TEAM MEMBERS:

“Be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a REASON of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear: having a good CONSCIENCE, that, whereas THEY [see verses 12-15] speak evil of you, as of evil doers, they may be ASHAMED that FALSELY accuse your good conversation [conduct; life] IN CHRIST. For it is better, if the will of God be so that ye suffer for well doing [doing God’s express will] than for evil doing [disobeying God’s will by transgressing His law of righteousness].” 1 Pet. 3: 12-17, KJV.

That we may be better equipped and empowered to fulfill the above divine injunction that will soon become the lot of all who choose to “endure to the end and be saved, we must quickly heed this counsel from the Testimonies:

“We do not go deep enough in our search for truth. EVERY SOUL who believes PRESENT TRUTH [be sure to personally know what this truth comprehends] will be brought where he will be REQUIRED to give a reason of the hope that is in him. The people of God will be called upon to STAND BEFORE kings, princes, rulers, and great men of the earth. [see Matt. 10: 18, 1-43] and they MUST know what they do know WHAT is truth! They must be CONVERTED men and women.

“God can teach you MORE IN ONE MOMENT BY HIS HOLY SPIRIT THAN YOU CAN LEARN from the great men of the earth.” [I have long believed and taken this edifying, enlightening, and sanctifying truth to heart].

“The UNIVERSE is looking upon the controversy that is going on upon the earth. At an INFINITE cost, God has provided for EVERY man to an OPPORTUNITY to know that which will make him WISE unto salvation [from ‘the world, the flesh, and the devil’].

“How eagerly do the ANGELS look to see WHO will avail himself of this opportunity! [are you and I one of them?]. When a MESSAGE is presented to God’s people, they should NOT RISE UP IN OPPOSITION to it; [instead] they should go to the BIBLE, comparing it with ‘the law and testimony,’ and IF it does not bear this test, is is NOT true.

“God wants our MINDS TO EXPAND. He desires to put His GRACE upon us [to expand, not shrink in shallowness, surface work, and mere appearance, forms, and profession]. We may have a FEAST [of God’s word] every day [not only on the Sabbath or scheduled Bible studjes], for God can OPEN THE WHOLE TREASURE OF HEAVEN to us [this is what I personally desire and long for more than the ‘mansions,’ ‘streets of gold,’ the 12 different monthly fruits of the tree of life, etc.].” -Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers, p. 119. RH Feb. 19, 1890. [all emphasis and bracketed words mine].

May all constantly strive to please God only as Enoch did and was translated to heaven. Bless all in your particular work for the ministry. Pastor Nat

Categories
Mid-week Manna

God’s Saving Enmity Part 48: THE ONLY BATTLE AND WAR TRUE CHRISTIANS SHOULD BE ENGAGED IN

MID-WEEK MANNA FROM PASTOR NAT’S DESK:
December 13, 2023

God’s Saving Enmity
Part 48

THE ONLY BATTLE AND WAR TRUE CHRISTIANS SHOULD BE ENGAGED IN

 “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of darkness of this world, against WICkED SPIRITS in high places.” Eph. 6:12 (margin), KJV.

While Satan is constantly seeking to blind their minds to the fact, let CHRISTIANS never forget that that they ‘wrestle not against flesh and blood [verse above quoted]. The inspired warning is sounding down the centuries to our [present] time: ‘Be sober, be vigilant; because your ADVERSARY THE DEVIL, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.’ 1 Pet. 5:8. [Therefore] ‘Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.’ Eph. 6:11.

From the days of Adam to our time, OUR great enemy [in his enmity of God and man] has been exercising his power to oppress and destroy. HE IS NOW PREPARING FOR HIS LAST CAMPAIGN AGAINST THE CHURCH.

[What or which ‘church’?]. “All who seek to follow Jesus will be brought into CONFLiCT with this relentless foe. THE MORE NEARLY THE CHRISTIAN IMITATES THE DIVINE PATTERN, THE MORE SURELY WILL HE MAKE HIMSELF A MARK FOR THE ATTACKS OF SATAN.

All who are actively engaged in the cause of God, seeking to UNVEIL THE DECEPTIONS of the evil one and to PRESENT CHRIST to the people, will be able to join in the testimony of Paul, in which he speaks of serving the Lord in all humility of MIND [not performative appearance or professions], with many tears and temptations. [Why?]:

Satan assailed Christ with his FIERCEST AND MOST SUBTLE TEMPTATIONS; but he was repulsed in every conflict. Those battles were fought in OUR BEHALF; those victories make it POSSIBLE for us to conquer [‘overcome the world, the flesh, and the devil’]. Christ will GIVE strength to all who SEEK IT [by prayer and study of His Word through the Holy Spirit and ministry of holy angels that excel in strength].

[As free moral agents, divinely and originally endowed with the will, which is the governing power in man], “No man WITHOUT HIS OWN CONSENT can be overcome by Satan [i.e., yield to his temptations or fall for his temptations]. The tempter has no power to CONTROL the will of FORCE the soul to sin [disobey God’s law]. He may DISTRESS, but he cannot CONTAMINATE. He can cause AGONY, but not DEFILEMENT.

The fact that Christ [‘The Word made flesh,’ John 1: 1-3, 14] has CONQUERED should INSPIRE His followers [as their Example and Pattern Man] with courage to FIGHT MANFULLY the battle against SIN and SATAN.” – E. G. White, Great Controversy, p. 1911 ed., Pacific Press Publishing Asso.[all emphasis and words in brackets mine].

Jesus said. “By their fruits ye shall know them.” All who for any excuse, reason, political, national, or worse, religious agenda trains any form of weapon of warfare against his fellow mortal and sinner cannot be a true follower of Jesus Christ. Why? Simply because when the Creator and Redeemer introduced the nature of the kingdom He came to inaugurate on earth in His Sermon on the Mount (which of course includes the famous Beatitudes) declared: “Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbor, and hate thine enemy [cf. Lev. 19:18; Deut. 23:6].

But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; THAT YE MAY BE CHILDREN OF YOUR FATHER WHICH IS IN HEAVEN: for He maketh His sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.” Matt. 5: 43-45, 36-48, KJV.

Apostle Paul echoes this unadulterated kingdom truth for the true and faithful New Testament Christian:

“Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him a drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good [not ‘an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth’].” Rom. 12: 20, 21, see verses 9-19, KJV.

To be continued next MWM, God willing. Bless all, NMF.

Categories
Mid-week Manna

God’s Saving Enmity Part 47: THE GREATER HIS ENMITY AND WRATH THE GREATER HIS DEADLY DECEPTIONS

MID-WEEK MANNA FROM PASTOR NAT’S DESK:
December 6, 2023

God’s Saving Enmity
Part 47

THE GREATER HIS ENMITY AND WRATH THE GREATER HIS DEADLY DECEPTIONS

“Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and the sea! For the devil is come down upon you, having great wrath, because he knoweth he hath but a short time.” Rev. 12:12, KJV.

Great Controversy, page 509:
“The tempter often works MOST successfully through those who are LEAST suspected of being under his control. The possessors of TALENT AND EDUCATION are admired and honored, as if these qualities could ATONE for the absence of the fear of God, or ENTITLE men to His favor. Talent and culture considered in themselves, are GIFTS of God; but when these are made to SUPPLY the place of piety, when INSTEAD of bringing the soul nearer to God, they lead away from Him, then they become a CURSE AND A SNARE.

“The opinion prevails with many that all which APPEARS as courtesy or refinement must, in some sense, pertain to CHRiST [and Christianity]. Never was there a GREATER mistake. [True] these qualities should grace the CHARACTER of every Christian, for they would exert a powerful influence in favor of TRUE RELIGION; but they must be CONSECRATED to God; or else they are a power for EVIL.

“Many a man [or woman] of cultures intellect and pleasant manners, who would not stoop to what is COMMONLY regarded as an immoral act, is but a POLISHED INSTRUMENT in the hands of Satan. The insidious, deceptive character of his influence and example renders him a MORE DANGEROUS ENEMY to the cause [of ‘the truth as it is in Jesus’] THAN THOSE WHO ARE IGNORANT AND UNCULTURED.” -E. G. White, Great Controversy, 1911 ed., p. 509 (all emphases and bracketed words mine).

How timeless and awesomely timely is the divine rebuke and warning raised by the weeping prophet to backsliding ancient Israel: “Cursed is the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm.” Jer. 17: 5, KJV.

To be continued next MWM, God willing. Bless all, NMF.