August 12, 2020
FROM YOUR PASTOR’S DESK:
NOT ONCE-ENLIGHTENED-ALWAYS-ENLIGHTENED
Apostasy means “falling away from the truth.” An apostate is one who once knew the truth but turned away from it, gave it up and the light of truth he once possessed and cherished, turns to darkness and hates what he once loved. Hence the warning of the prophets to God’s people from the earliest of times!
“Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent to their own sight.”
Isa. 5:20,21, A.V.
“Jesus repeated that same warning: “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, the whole body shall be full of light. But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!” Then He explains what this means: “No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.” Matt. 6: 21-24.
“It suits the policy of Satan, that men should retain the FORMS of religion, if but the spirit of VITAL godliness is lacking. [it is superficial].”
“After their rejection of the gospel, the Jews continued zealously to maintain their ancient rites, they rigorously preserved their national exclusiveness [even today], while they themselves could not but admit that presence of God was NO longer manifest among them.”
Note the following:
“The prophecy of Daniel pointed so unmistakably to the time of the Messiah’s coming [first advent], and so directly foretold His death that they DISCOURAGED its study, and finally the RABBIS PRONOUNCED A CURSE on all who should attempt a computation of the time [of the 70-week prophecy of Daniel 9].”
“In blindness and impenitence, the people of Israel for 1,800 years have stood, indifferent to the gracious offers of salvation, unmindful of the blessings of the gospel, A SOLEMN AND FEARFUL WARNING OF THE DANGER OF REJECTING LIGHT FROM HEAVEN [particularly through the prophecies]!” E.G. White, Great Controversy, p.378.
Almighty God bless all! NMF