Unpardonable Sin

No one need to look upon the unpardonable sin against the Holy Spirit as mysterious. The unpardonable sin is the persistent refusal to repent.

In the Bible book of Acts, the apostle Paul pleaded with Governor Felix twice to repent, but Felix told Paul to go away and that he might call for Paul at a more convenient time. But Felix never called for Paul again.

Felix slighted his last offer of mercy; never was he to receive another call from God.

If we are honest with ourselves, we can count many calls from God to repent and be saved.
 How many calls will God give us? Felix had only two!

Based on writing of G Edward Reid

Your Past Experience

Whatever may have been your past experience, however discouraging your present circumstances, if you will come to Jesus just as you are: weak, helpless, and despairing, our compassionate Savior will meet you a great way off, and will throw about you His arms of love and His robe of righteousness.

  Jesus presents us to the Father clothed in the white raiment of His own character. He pleads before God in our behalf, saying: I have taken the sinner’s place. Look not upon this wayward child, but look on Me.

           Thoughts from the Mount of Blessing 21, E G White

FINAL JUDGMENT GOING ON NOW!

Solemn are the scenes connected with the closing work of the Judgment. Momentous are the interests involved. The Judgment is now passing in Heaven above. …In the awful presence of God our lives are to come up in review.

When the work of the investigative Judgment closes, the destiny of all will have been decided for eternal life or eternal death. Probation ends a short time before the appearing of the Lord in the clouds of heaven.

The righteous and the wicked will still be living on earth in their mortal state –there will be planting and building, eating and drinking - they will all be unconscious that the final, irrevocable decision has been pronounced in Heaven above….

Watch and pray; for you know not when the time is. Mark 13:33

Watch…lest coming suddenly He find you sleeping. Mark 13:35-36

Perilous is the condition of those who, growing weary of their watch, turn to the attractions of the world. 


While business men and women are absorbed in the pursuit of wealth, while the pleasure-lover is seeking indulgence, while the daughter of fashion is arranging her adornments – it may be in that hour the Judge of all the earth will pronounce the sentence, “Thou art weighed in the balances and art found wanting.”  (Daniel 5:27)

Based on Excerpts from The Great Controversy, p 490-491 E G White

God always hears Our Cries

Amid the anthems of the celestial choir, God hears the cries of the weakest human being.

 We pour out our heart’s desire in our closets, we breathe a prayer as we walk by the way, and our words reach the throne of the Monarch of the Universe

. [Our prayers] may be inaudible to any human ear, but they cannot die away into silence, nor can they be lost through the activities of business that are going on.

   Nothing can drown the soul’s desire. 

  Christ’s Object Lessons 177, E G White

PRAY !

The Lord is disappointed when His people place a low estimate on themselves. Desire of Ages 668

Prayer is Heaven’s ordained means of success in the conflict with sin and the development of Christian character. Acts of the Apostles 564

When we come to Him in faith, every petition enters the heart of God. When we have asked for His blessing, we should believe that we receive it, and thank Him that we have received it. Then we are to go about our duties assured that the blessing will be realized when we need it most. Desire of Ages 200

When every other voice is hushed, and in quietness we wait before Him, the silence of the soul makes more distinct the voice of God. Desire of Ages 363

Make every effort to keep the communion between Jesus and your own soul. Steps to Christ 98


all quotes by E G White

Confirmation

Search the Scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of Me." John 6:39 [KJV]

In seventh and eighth grade (1967-1969) church catechism class was conducted by Pastor Keith. This class prepared us for the "Rite of Confirmation" when we renewed our baptismal vows spoken for us by our parents and godparents when we were infants.

Catechism was not as expected. A Catechism book was used in our study. We memorized printed answers to printed questions and the Bible seemed to take second place. Being in the last row, where I could not see, did not help my concentration, but "we must sit alphabetically."

Thumbing through the Bible I read a text that was so impressive that I wrote it in large letters in my catechism book, "We ought to obey God rather than man," Acts 5:29.

We were required to memorize the catechism's version of the Ten Commandments.

One day in Catechism we were studying the Sabbath commandment, third in the Catechism, fourth in the Bible, when Kurt asked, "Why are the catechism's Ten Commandments different from the Bible's?"

Pastor Keith asked if anyone had mentioned this to him. Kurt said his grandmother had.

 The pastor said the Bible and Catechism agree on everything, then changed the subject.

Kurt persisted and the class urged him on. As he read the Sabbath commandment from the Bible and then from the Catechism we were amazed they did not agree. Kurt pointed out that the Bible specified the seventh day of the week as the Sabbath, not Sunday the first day as the pastor taught.

Pastor Keith angrily snapped, "Do not mention this subject again! You are too young to understand, you do not know anything! You have not even been confirmed! You are to take my word for what the Bible says and accept it!"

He dismissed us early under a veil of fear and confusion.

. Questions were raised such as, “Why does the Bible say one thing and the catechism another? Why does the pastor get upset if we ask Bible questions?”

On Confirmation Sunday the pastor gave each confirmand a personal Bible text. Mine was, "lo, I am with you always even unto the end of the world," Matthew 28:20. I had never heard this text before, and it filled me with questions and awe; "the end of the world?"

Hasty Temper...Spirit of Strife

Great is our need of the saving grace of Christ. Everywhere we turn we see more or less clearly revealed the spirit of strife for place and position, a reaching out for honor and recognition.

My brethren and sisters, if you desire honor, seek it in the right way. How shall you seek it, do you ask? In obedience to the word of truth. Our ambition in this life should be to honor Christ at every step.

The hasty temper, the cruel speech, the unkind thought, are not to be indulged. It is not for us to exalt this one, and condemn that one. In right words, words that bless and encourage, we are to reveal the fruits of righteousness.

An Appeal for Unity and Confidence, pamphlet 14, page 13, Ellen G White

This entry is just as much for me as anyone. In the past week, I too, had a hasty temper.

Christ will Freely Give

When the law of God and the Spirit of God have made the sinner conscious of his sin, let him come to Christ. The forgiveness that the law could not provide, Christ will freely give.

...The woman taken in adultery Christ did not condemn, for she already felt condemned and ashamed. She needed sympathy and forgiveness, and Christ was ready to grant it to her.

God Speaks to Modern Man, p 386, Arthur E Lickey

Destroy the Law...?

God's law and His character are inseparable. He did not and will not change either. Calvary is God's final and unanswerable argument in favor of His eternal law. Destroy the law and Calvary becomes a meaningless tragedy.

God Speaks to Modern Man, p 372, by Arthur E. Lickey

The Story of the Good Samaritan according to me

There once was a young woman who was walking in a rough neighborhood (sin). Suddenly she was mugged by a gang (Satan and his demons). They hurt her physically and emotionally, and left her for dead in the gutter.

After awhile a church member walked by. The young woman called out for help, but the church member cursed her and continued walking.

Then the head elder walked by. The young woman pleaded with him to please help her, but he stuck his nose in the air and pretended not to see her.

Then the pastor walked by and was disgusted to see her lying in the gutter. He too passed her by.

Finally, Jesus Himself walked by and when the young woman weakly called out for help Jesus immediately stopped and helped her. He didn’t call her a “stupid idiot” for walking in such a rough neighborhood, but He did dress her physical and emotional wounds and carried her to the nearest Inn and continued to care for her.

The next day, before He left, Jesus told the innkeeper to feed the young woman and wash her wounds, saying He would repay the innkeeper when He returned.

“Inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.” - Jesus

Purchased by the Blood of God

God is a judge. He is passionately concerned with justice. But He alone is our Intercessor. He presents His own perfect life and shed blood as our Substitute. He satisfies His own demand for justice - at great cost to Himself. That is the foundation of His righteous empire.

We are guilty. There is nothing we can do to cover our shameful acts. We deserve to die. But God looks through all that and sees Jesus' sacrifice. Mercy and justice come together in that great act of Love.

We have been purchased and saved by the shed blood of God Himself.


Selections from Empires in Collision, p 70, George E Vandeman

The Christian Life

While the Christian's life will be characterized by humility, it should not be marked with sadness and self-depreciation.

...It is not the will of our heavenly Father that we should be ever under condemnation and darkness.

There is no evidence in true humility in going with the head bowed down and the heart filled with thoughts of self.

 We may go to Jesus and be cleansed, and stand before the law without shame and remorse.

"There is no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit." Romans 8:1

From The Great Controversy p 477, E G White

The Path where God Leads is Safe

The path where God leads may lie through the desert or the sea, but it is a safe path.
  Patriarchs & Prophets page 290 E G White

He who slumbers not, who in every crisis has been the strength and dependence of His people, will carry out His eternal purpose. He will thwart the designs of wicked men, and will bring to confusion the counsels of those who plot mischief against His people.

He who is the King, the Lord of hosts…amidst the strife and tumult of nations guards His children still.

 When the strongholds of kings shall be overthrown, when the arrows of wrath shall strike through the hearts of His enemies, His people will be safe in His hands. E G White

Jesus is our friend; all Heaven is interested in our welfare; We may find rest and peace in God, casting all our care upon Him; for He cares for us. See 1 Peter 5:7
  Patriarchs & Prophets page 294 E G White

Christ will never abandon those for whom He has died. We may leave Him and be overwhelmed with temptation, but Christ can never turn from one for whom He has paid the ransom of His own life. Prophets & Kings page 176 E G White