Category: Mid-week Manna

MID-WEEK MANNA FROM PASTOR NAT’S DESK:

December 25, 2024

The Third Person of the Godhead Series – Part 42

JOY: THE SECOND ‘FRUIT’ OF THE HOLY SPIRIT (Part 4) 

Jesus said: “I say unto you, that likewise JOY SHALL BE in HEAVEN OVER ONE SINNER THAT REPENTETH, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need not repentance.” . . . Likewise, I say unto you, there is JOY IN THE PRESENCE OF THE ANGELS of God over one sinner that repenteth.” Luke 15: 7-10, KJV. There is joy in heaven, and in the presence of the angels on earth as well, when even one sinner sincerely repents. 

Why? See John 16:7-15. Because that repentance was produced by the convicting power of the Holy Spirit alone—not by any finite mortal regardless of his persuasive talents of speech, charisma, demeanor, aura, or theological expertise—upon the  heart and conscience of any sinner, whether condemned criminal, murderer, rapist, terrorist, etc., who has not yet fully grieved away the Holy Spirit thereby closing his own probation. (Matt. 12: 31, 32; Mark 3: 28, 29; Eph. 4:30; 1 John 5:16). 

He may be deemed and officially judged a hopeless case worthy of being eliminated from human society by either/or  or both the state (secular government) and the church (religion) by their own different standards of morality and justice, but God alone in Christ through the HOLY SPIRIT reads the hidden thoughts, motives, and intents of the heart and mind. (See 2 Cor. 2: 10-14; cf. Heb 4: 12, 13; Eph. 6: 17, last part). 

Moreover, his assigned  personal guardian angel from birth recorded his every thought, word, and deed in the heavenly records where there are no false or defective entries. And Jesus alone is the merciful Intercessor and righteous Judge of all the earth. (Rom. 14: 10, 12; Eccl. 12: 13, 14; 2 Cor. 5:10

This repentance that brings spiritual joy is the genuine one, not the counterfeit  “repentance that needs to be repented of.” (See 2 Cor. 7: 8-11). Bitter regret is not synonymous with godly repentance. The former is bereft of all hope, joy, and peace whatsoever, for it is carnal in nature. Two classic yet fearfully-sad examples are  Esau in the OT, and Judas Iscariot in the NT. The latter is spiritual in nature, filled with hope and promises of justification by faith, reconciliation with God, clearing of the conscience, inner peace and joy, and ultimate victory over one’s sins and desertions of loyalty to God. Such were the encouraging and powerful recorded life examples of David, Solomon, Peter, from Saul the persecutor to Paul the venerable apostle to the Gentiles, etc. 

They all experienced, manifested, testified, and witnessed to in word, deed, and in their victorious lives the spiritual JOY of working with and privilege and honor of suffering for the cause of Christ on earth in their respective “calling and election.” They “presented their bodies, a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which was their reasonable service” and turned away from “conforming to the world” and were “transformed by the renewing of their mind” and thereby “proved what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God.” (Rom. 12: 1, 2, KJV). 

Here are one of the most precious and sweetest words to ever fall from the mouth of our soon-coming Savior to all His faithful, humble, hard-working disciples and servants on earth, who experienced the joy of the Holy Spirit and joyfully worked the works of Christ! 

    “Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou has been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the JOY of thy Lord.” Matt. 25: 21, 23.

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

MID-WEEK MANNA FROM PASTOR NAT’S DESK:

December 18, 2024

The Third Person of the Godhead Series – Part 41

JOY: THE SECOND ‘FRUIT’ OF THE HOLY SPIRIT (Part 3)

Since this joy is a fruit borne of the Holy Spirit, who, unlike the incarnate Creator, “is devoid of the personality of humanity and independent thereof,” it is exclusively divine in nature and power. It cannot be manufactured, “new modeled,” or re-invented by any finite mortal nor duplicated or “cloned” by artificial intelligence. However, it is Satan, the “father of lies” and master deceiver, working through his evil agencies, who has all too successfully counterfeited joy (and all the other “fruits”) in many forms—all pseudo, fleeting, sensual, fleshly, and spiritualistic (the counterfeit of spiritual). 

And since “spiritual things are spiritually discerned”, this joy can only be discerned and experienced with a spiritual mind, not a carnal one for “the carnal mind is at enmity with the law of God,” which is spiritual. 

So, Jesus carefully taught His disciples to not only pray “the Lord’s Prayer” but “with importunity to ask, seek, and knock for the Holy Spirit.”(Luke 11:1-13).

Having first done this with a contrite heart and meek spirit, let us now savor the precious truths contained in the following sampling verses on joy, beginning with Psalms (kJV): 

    “Thou shalt shew me the path of life: in Thy presence is fullness of JOY; at Thy right hand are pleasures forever more.” Ps.16:11, 12. 

      “For His anger endureth for but a moment; in His favor is life: weeping may endure for a night but JOY cometh in the morning.” Ps. 30:5.

      “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from Thy presence [in the Holy Spirit]; and take not the Holy Spirit from me. Restore unto to me the JOY of Thy salvation [from sin and Satan]; and uphold me with Thy free Spirit Ps. 51: 10-12. 

      “They that sow in tears shall reap in JOY. He that goeth forth and weepers, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with REJOICING, bringing his sheaves with him.” Ps. 126:5, 6; cf. Gal.6: 7-10.

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

MID-WEEK MANNA FROM PASTOR NAT’S DESK:

December 11, 2024

The Third Person of the Godhead Series – Part 40

JOY: THE SECOND ‘FRUIT’ OF THE HOLY SPIRIT (Part 2)

    “Joy to the world the Lord is come, let earth receive her king. . . “ 

Christ the Creator incarnate “came” to the earth two thousand years ago and was finally “manifest in the flesh” as the helpless Babe, the very prophesied “seed of a woman” (Gen. 3:15; Gal. 4:4) wrapped in swaddling clothes” with the manger of humble animals as His first crib. Yes, truth matters from eternity past to eternity future. It testifies to as to exactly how the fallen Earth and sinful man “received” and “welcomed” her King! And then mysteriously “celebrates with EARTHLY JOY AND ENJOYMENT His unscriptural birthdate and birthday! 

The mortal “motley crew” that repped the whole earth then, fallen in the darkness of sin and ignorance four thousand years after the first catastrophic experiment with disobedience in Eden, were the eyes of but a very but a small handful. This welcoming party were: 

The earthly parents of Jesus welcomed the universal moment of His birth with indescribable sacredness, fear of awe and wonderment, and yes, JOY heretofore and thereafter unknown. They were so poor and inconsequential to that society and community that there “was no room at the inn” made available somehow, much less prepared in advance, for the first couple” of the New Testament where Adam and Eve were of the Old Testament. The latter had a perfect home and environment to welcome their appearance on earth, originally designed and created to be Adam’s dominion. And then the  actual and precise BIRTHDATE of mankind’s Creator-Redeemer-Savior and supposed King were never given in advance any prophetic announcement. This is in stark contrast to the imminent warning message of John the Baptist immediately before the adult Christ would be publicly introduced as the promised Messiah and Lamb of God!  

The second class of mortal eyes that beheld with utmost reverence, awe, and yes, JOY, were unnamed, hardworking shepherds who had left their precious flocks behind in the fields, the ones they defended with their lives in order to gaze and pay homage to “their King!” Courageous shepherds yet humble worshippers of the true God! 

The third class of mortals who welcome the birth and the birthday Celebrant were several heathen/pagan (non Jewish or Israelites) yet scholarly magi or “wisemen from the east” (Medo-Persians) bringing with them three kinds of gifts officially given to royalty at that time: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. That is the true Scriptural record—three kinds of gifts, not “three wise men,” an invention of man propagated by church tradition along with false doctrines and superstitions. Because they were diligently searching the Holy Scripture and its prophecies of the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit guided and enlightened their minds. As they set out on their fateful journeys without a map, yet on a predetermined general direction, a bevy of angels appearing as a bright star in the heavens led them to the exact location and day where Jesus was to be born. They still had to ask around a bit from the Jewish residents for the precise location, unintentionally alerting the wicked Jewish king Herod as to their real mission and location of “the manger of the Bible.” That stands as one of the starkly grim pillars of the truth “He came to His own and His own received Him not.”

The third class of eyes that witnesses the actual human baby form of the incarnated Creator were not human but angelic, both evil led by Satan, and the heavenly led likely by angel Gabriel who took on the lead role after the fall and banishment of Lucifer-turned “Satan, the serpent and devil,”

the adversary of God and man. 

Satan, the primary “dragon,” bitterly joyless, filled with hatred and malice immediately got to work and enlisted the secondary “dragon” power of pagan Rome through their wretched boot-licking instrument, the cringing apostate Herod, to set about the immediate murder of the infant “King Jesus.” Heaven had to intervene and Egypt was anointed as the temporary place of refuge for the holy family! When Herod realized that the magi had misled him, In satanic fury, Herod had all the firstborn make infants slaughtered. 

But the whole angelic host, gathered in the heavens just above the field of Bethlehem, led by the angelic choir, sang with jubilant SACRED HEAVENLY JOY the first anthem announcing the birth of the Desire of Ages, which glorious strains will be re-echoed with greatest glory and harmony when Christ this time finally comes the second time in all His glory as fully and truly the eternal the King of kings and Lord of lords.” 

Such spiritual joy and joys are only that which the Holy Spirit produces as “fruits” in and whomsoever He abides and dwells as a welcome and much sought-after Guest. It is still our privilege to “ask, seek, and knock” for Him while “He is still near.” But the antitypical Noachian plea and warning is sounding loudly: “Repent ye therefore” for “My Spirit will not always strive with men!” We need to “number our days and apply it unto wisdom.” 

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

MID-WEEK MANNA FROM PASTOR NAT’S DESK:

December 4, 2024

The Third Person of the Godhead Series – Part 39

JOY: THE SECOND ‘FRUIT’ OF THE HOLY SPIRIT – Part 12

    “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, JOY, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, (and) temperance: against such [fruits] there is no law.” Gal. 5: 23, 24, KJV (Authorized Version, A.V.)

There is no divine law whatsoever from eternity past to eternity future that can ever be against THE FRUITS produced and manifested in the lives of the true believer. In fact it is the indisputable proof and living evidence of “the word of their testimony” that “the Holy Spirit of truth” is indeed abiding in the “body temple” of the professed believer. (1 Cor. 3:16, 17; 6:19-20).  It is “by their fruits,” not by any “great swelling words of professions, “that ye shall know them.” 

These scripturally identified and defined “fruits of the Spirit” are also the inevitable products of the works of righteousness” (in stark contrast to the “works of the flesh” verses 17-21), produced by genuine “righteousness by faith” patterned after the example perfected by Christ in His incarnated human flesh nature, verily “the second Adam” (see John 1:1-3, 14; Rom. 8:1-8; 1 Cor. 15:45-50; Heb. 5: 8, 9, etc.). It is that of “faith that works by love” (Gal. 5: 6), and “purifies the soul” from all the defilement of sin. 

All that is yet carnal is “earthly,” “fleshly,” and “worldly,” and are “at enmity with the law of God” and “war against” the Spirit, the truth, Christ and His perfect righteousness and sinless purity.

As the month of December traditionally is “the Season to  be JOLLY,” and most still heartily sing “JOY to the world,” etc. we must clear-eyed where truth is concerned: the “joy” of the world fallen in sin, and the “joy of the Lord” are at the opposite ends of the truth spectrum. And Satan, “the father of lies and murderer from the beginning,” and the master deceiver and “central power of the earth and “the prince of the power of the air” has, sadly and fearfully continues successfully to switch or confuse one for the other by his diabolical schemes. 

Thus, I will start this subject of the “joy fruit” of the Holy Spirit from His side, the spiritual side as “spiritual things are only spiritually discerned.” Here is what this joy IS NOT, as determined by “the Spirit of Prophecy which is the Testimony of Jesus” for these last days: 

1. It is not a “jovial disposition” for such in fact has a “leavening” not sanctifying “effect upon the churches.” (Evangelism, 63). 

2.  It is not “jovial talk,” too much of which men and women indulge in. (Vol. 2 Testimonies for the Church, 455; Counsels on Health, 569. 

3. It is not a “jovial mood,” for believers who “run in this as naturally as water flows DOWNHILL.” (Gospel Workers, 130). 

No wonder that Paul admonished the early churches agains indulging in jesting, joking, etc. Jesus never ever left such an example for sanctified believers. Gods’s servant cited this one of the over as dozen ways we are denying Christ! 

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

MID-WEEK MANNA FROM PASTOR NAT’S DESK:

November 27, 2024

The Third Person of the Godhead Series – Part 38

LOVE: THE FIRST ‘FRUIT’ OF THE HOLY SPIRIT (Part 11)

Jesus said to His true disciples then and through all time:

     “If you LOVE ME, keep My commandments. And I will pray the Father that He shall give you ANOTHER COMFORTER, that He might abide with you forever. Even the SPIRIT OF TRUTH whom the WORLD cannot receive, because it seeth Him not, neither knoweth Him: but ye know Him for He DWELLETH with you, and shall be IN you.” John 15: 14-17, KJV. 

     “He that hath MY COMMANDMENTS, and keepeth them, he it is that LOVETH ME: and he that loveth Me shall be LOVED OF MY FATHER, and I will LOVE HIM, and will MANIFEST Myself to him.” 

     “Judas (not Iscariot but Jude) said unto Him, Lord, how is it that Thou wilt manifest Thyself unto us, and NOT unto the world? Jesus answered and said unto him (Jude), If a man love Me, he will keep My words: and My Father will love him, and WE (the Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit) will come INTO him, and make OUR ABODE with him.” verses 21-23. 

    “Ye have heard how I said unto you, I GO AWAY, AND COME AGAIN TO YOU [through the Holy Spirit!]. If you loved Me, YE WOULD REJOICE, because I said, I go unto the Father: for My Father is greater than I.” verse 28. 

John 15: “Herein is My Father GLORIFIED, that ye bear MUCH FRUIT; so shall ye be My disciples. As the Father hath loved Me, so have I loved you: CONTINUE YE IN MY LOVE. 

    “If ye keep My commandments, ye shall ABIDE

In My love: EVEN AS I have kept My Father’s commandments, and ABIDE in His love. These things have I spoken unto you, that MY JOY MIGHT REMAIN IN YOU, and that YOUR JOY MAY BE FULL. This is My commandment, that ye LOVE ONE ANOTHER, AS I have loved you.” verses 8-12. 

It is only when the Holy Spirit abides in the heart and dwells in the body as His temple will the “fruits of Christ’s love”

be manifested in the true believer and disciple towards God first and then towards his “neighbor” or fellow finite mortals! 

It is this love that “greater than faith or hope” 1 Cor. 13: 13)! For it is that “love that works by love” (Gal. 5:6) and purifies the soul” through the “baptism with fire by the Holy Spirit!”

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

MID-WEEK MANNA FROM PASTOR NAT’S DESK:

November 20, 2024

The Third Person of the Godhead Series – Part 37

LOVE: THE FIRST “FRUIT” OF THE HOLY SPIRIT (Part 10)

I am quoting hereunder excerpts from the inspired pen of God’s servant, bolding the word “love” where it appears, emphasizing what it does for those in whom the presence of Christ abides through the Holy Spirit! (all bracketed words mine): 

    “A life in Christ is a life of restfulness [not restlessness]. There may be no ecstasy of feeling [the stuff of carnal pleasures], but there should be an abiding, peaceful trust. Your hope is not in yourself; it is in Christ.

     “Your weakness is united to His strength, your ignorance to His wisdom, your frailty to His enduring might.

    “So you are not to look to yourself, not to let the mind dwell upon self [the idolatry of self-love], but to LOOK TO CHRIST. Let the mind dwell upon HIS LOVE, upon the BEAUTY OF HIS CHARACTER [and ‘the beauty of holiness’]. 

    “Christ in His SELF-DENIAL. Christ in His HUMILIATION [in the incarnation, ‘the great mystery of godliness’ that God Creator, ‘the Word from the beginning, was made and was manifest in the flesh and dwelt among us.” John 1:1-3, 14; 2 Tim. 3:16]. Christ in His purity and holiness. Christ IN HIS MATCHLESS LOVE—this is the subject for the soul’s contemplation.

     “It is by LOVING HIM, copying Him [as our human-divine Example and Pattern Man], depending wholly upon Him [the sum and substance of the whole gospel truth of the plan of salvation] that you [and I] are to be TRANSFORMED INTO HIS LIKENESS.” – E. G. White, Steps to Christ, pp. 70, 71. 

     “If we abide in Christ [by the indwelling and infilling of the Holy Spirit], if the LOVE OF GOD   dwells in us, our FEELINGS, our THOUGHTS, our ACTIONS will be IN HARMONY with the will of God.” -Ibid, p. 66. 

David, “the man after God’s own heart,” by inspiration of the Holy Spirit, wrote of Christ’s  testimony and witness as the Example for all His true disciples through all time: 

     “O, how I LOVE THY LAW! It is my meditation all the day.” Ps. 119: 97. 

     “Great peace have they WHICH LOVE THY LAW: and nothing shall offend them!” Verse 165, KJV. 

     “And this is LOVE, that we walk after His commandments. This is the commandment, that, as ye have heard from the beginning, ye should walk in it.” 2 John 6. 

    Jesus, our living, loving Savior  declares: “If you LOVE ME, keep My commandments.” John 14:15. 

The highest and most sublime expression of love, adoration, and worship of the creature to the Creator, and the redeemed to the Redeemer is obedience “constrained by love” alone to His law of love, the transcript of His character! 

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

MID-WEEK MANNA FROM PASTOR NAT’S DESK:

November 6, 2024

Third Person of the Godhead Series – Part 35

LOVE: THE FIRST ‘FRUIT’ OF THE HOLY SPIRIT (Part 8)

     “But unto the Son He (the Father) saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Thy kingdom. Thou hast LOVED righteousness, and HATED iniquity (sin, transgression); therefore God, even Thy God (the Father) hath anointed Thee with the oil of gladness above Thy fellows. And Thou, Lord (the Son), in the beginning has laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of Thy hands [as the Creator]: They shall perish but Thou remainest; and they all shall wax old as doth a garment; and as a vesture shalt Thou fold them up, and they shall be changed: but Thou art THE SAME and Thy years shall not fail.” Heb. 1: 8-12, KJV. 

 In no place in the Bible will we find such an astounding statement except in the Scripture cited above: that the Father addressing His only-begotten Son as God! And in reiterating His office and role as the Creator of the universe, the heaven and the earth, emphasis is made that righteousness is the scepter-authority of the eternal throne of Him “who is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” As the existence of a throne implies a kingdom, His is a kingdom of righteousness even as it is a kingdom of grace, and glory.

Thus, the love ‘fruit’ of the divine Spirit, is one and the same as the love of the Father manifested in “giving His only begotten Son” to fallen humanity to become one with them in the mystery of the incarnation “for the suffering of death,” and the love of the Son for His fallen, undeserving creatures that He volunteered to offer His own sinless life and sin-cleansing blood as the penitent sinner’s only Substitute and Surety. 

This is the divine “selfless love” which proceeds only from and is imparted to fallen humanity by the Holy Spirit of Christ and the Father. It is divine love that loves the sinner unconditionally and hates sin unconditionally—in the same breath. One without the other is not the love of the Godhead but of finite, sinful mortals. 

It is only such love of, in, and from God the Father in Christ through the indwelling Holy Spirit in the heart of the penitent sinner, that “constrains” (2 Cor. 5:14) him to obey God’s commandments lovingly, willingly, voluntarily, and by practice and repetition, spontaneously; it becomes habitual, then a part of the character. Nothing less will suffice or is acceptable in the judgment for indeed, “God is love.” Once more, this love hates sin unconditionally for “our sins and transgressions separate us from God.” 

The highest and most sublime  form of worship is the unquestioning, intellectually and spiritually-founded loving obedience to God’s law of love and righteousness. It is only this love that “conquers all” for together with divine grace, empowers the striving disciple to successfully “resist the devil” (James 4:7) and victoriously “overcome even as Christ overcame.” (Rev. 3:21).

This is the love that is “greater than faith or hope” (1 Cor. 13: 13, 1-12); love that absolutely “nothing can separate God from us”(Rom. 8:35-39). By this, you will know them by their fruits.” 

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