God's Word Our Only Standard.

 The excerpts I've been studying of late are from the very early 1900's. In the studies right now they are studying the very early history of Christianity. They are talking about things leading up to the reformation, bits of history not often thought of any longer. History that we tend to acknowledge and then ignore. 

That old saying- that we are to remember history or we're doomed to repeat it, is often spouted.  There is another saying, ignoring truth doesn't make it any less truthful. 

Take out your favorite search engine and look up the Reformation and do a really good study on it all. Read about the large numbers of people willing to die for their faith, or rather wanting to return to the truth of the matter of faith. 

Some argue that people should be allowed to believe whatever they want, and guess what, they are allowed. They can believe and others can kill them for their beliefs, unfortunately. Right now, this very month, people have been killed for their beliefs. Being killed for believing is nothing new, most of the Apostles were martyrs- killed for their beliefs. 

Jesus NEVER advocated killing someone because they don't believe in Him. He did advocate dying for believing in Him, He died for us. The fact that there are those dying for believing in Jesus even today, is reality. 

Take God's word when you read things, such as these excerpts. When you read about people believing that we shouldn't worship idols, check that against your Bible. Find out where God's people are instructed to worship emblems, statues and so on and so forth. If you can't find where God has written such a thing, why do you do it then?  We need to find our answers in God's word, not in mankind's traditions. Do an honest study, don't accept beliefs blindly. Make an informed decision. You don't want to be worshiping in the ways of man, because when our Savior returns, He won't know you because you never really knew Him.  

God help us to only ever search for His truth in all things! May the Holy Spirit enlighten all who in sincerity of heart only want to follow their Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ our Lord now and forever! Amen. 

(Excerpt) 

April 16, 1901

“The Keeping of the Commandments. The Second Commandment” Advent Review and Sabbath Herald 78, 16, pp. 249, 250.

THE KEEPING OF THE COMMANDMENTS

The Second Commandment "I AM the Lord thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or, that is in the water under the earth: thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; and showing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments." 

We have seen that from the days of Constantine to the end of the sixth century image worship had become universally established in the Catholic Church. Thus stood Catholic idolatry when, early in the seventh century, the Mohammedans swarmed up from the deserts of Arabia, executing judgment upon the " idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and of wood: which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk." Rev. 9 : 20. " 

The triumphant Mussulmans, who reigned at Damascus and threatened Constantinople, cast into the scale of reproach the accumulated weight of truth and victory. The cities of Syria, Palestine, and Egypt had been fortified with the images of Christ, His mother, and His saints; and each city presumed on the hope or promise of miraculous defense. " 

In the rapid contest of ten years, the Arabs subdued those cities and these images;, and, in their opinion, the Lord of hosts pronounced a decisive judgment between the adoration and contempt of these mute and inanimate idols. 

In this season of distress and dismay the eloquence of the monks was exercised in the defense of images." 'Under the influence of the charge of idolatry, which the Mohammedans incessantly urged against the Catholics, some began to awake to the thought that perhaps the charge was true, and strongly desired the reformation of the Church. Besides these there were scattered throughout Christendom true Christians who constantly opposed, with the word of God 'and the example of primitive times, the worship of images. 

In a hundred years these influences had become so strong that Emperor Leo the Isaurian, in 727, ' took his stand, and issued an edict, against the worship of images: 'Opposition to this movement of the emperor's caused' the famous konoclastic Controversy, between the worshipers and the breakers of the images, which continued with bloody and unabated fury for one hundred and twenty years,— 726- 846,— and which finally resulted in the triumph of the worship of images, and the " religion of Constantine." The emperor ordered the images to be broken to pieces,- the walls of the churches to be whitewashed, and prosecuted with honest but imprudent vigor his design of extirpating idolatry. 

But a fierce dissension at once raged throughout all Christendom: the monks and the people arose in defense of their images and pictures, and the emperor, even in his own capital, was denounced as a heretic and a tyrant. There was an image of the Saviour, renowned for its miraculous powers, over the -gate of the imperial Palace called the Brazen Gate; from the rich tiles ,of gilt bronze that covered its magnificent vestibule. The emperor ordered the sacred figure to be taken down and broken to pieces. But the people from all parts of the City flew to the defense of their favorite idol, fell upon the officers; and put many of them -death. 

The women were even more violent than the men. Like furies they rushed to the spot, and, finding one of the soldiers engaged in the unhallowed labor at the top of the ladder, 'they pulled it down and tore him to pieces as he lay bruised upon the ground. "Thus,' exclaims the pious annalist, did the minister of the emperor's injustice fall at once from the top of the ladder to the bottom of hell.'

The women next flew to the great church, and finding the iconoclastic patriarch officiating at the altar, overwhelmed him with a shower of stones and a thousand opprobrious names. He escaped, bruised and fainting, from the building. The guards were now called out, and the female insurrection was suppressed; but not until several of the women had perished in the fray." 

"The execution of the imperial edicts was resisted by frequent tumults in Constantinople and the provinces; the person of Leo was endangered, his officers were massacred, and the popular enthusiasm was quelled by the strongest efforts of the civil and military power." 

In 728 the edict of the Eastern emperor abolishing "the worship of images was published in Italy. The pope defended the images, of course, and " the Italians Swore to live and die in defense of the pope and the holy images." And thus there was begun a war which, in its' nature and consequences, was in every 'sense characteristic of. the papacy. It established the worship of images, as' an article' of Catholic faith; it developed the supremacy of the pope in ' temporal affairs. When Leo's decree, against the worship of images was published in the West, "the images of Christ and the Virgin, of the angels, martyrs, and saints, were abolished in all the churches in Italy;" and the emperor threatened the pope that if he did not 'comply with the decree, he should be degraded and sent into exile. But the pope , Gregory II stood firmly for the worship of images, and sent pastoral letters throughout Italy, exhorting the faithful to do the same. 

"At this signal, Ravenna, Venice, dud the cities of the' exarchate and Pentapolis adhered to the cause of religious images ; their military force by sea and land consisted, for the most part, of the natives; and the spirit Of patriotism and zeal was transfused into the mercenary strangers. The Italians swore to live and die in the defense of the pope and the holy images. . . . The Greeks were overthrown and massacred, their leaders suffered an ignominious death, and the popes, however inclined to mercy, refused to intercede for these guilty victims." 

At Ravenna, A. D. 729, the riot and bloody, strife was so great that even the exarch, the personal representative of the emperor, was slain. " To punish this flagitious deed, and restore his dominion in Italy, the emperor sent a fleet and army into the Adriatic Gulf. 

After suffering from the winds and the waves much loss and delay, the Greeks made' their descent in the neighborhood of Ravenna. . . . In a hard-fought day, as the two armies alternately yielded and advanced,, a phantom was seen, a voice was heard, and Ravenna was victorious by the assurance of victory. The strangers retreated to their ships, but the populous seacoast poured forth a multitude of boats; the waters of the Po were so deeply infected with blood, 'that during six years the public prejudice abstained from the fish of the river; and the institution of an annual feast perpetuated the worship of images, and the abhorrence of the Greek tyrant. 

Amidst the triumph of the Catholic arms, the Roman pontiff convened a synod of ninety-three bishops against the heresy of the Iconoclasts. With their consent he pronounced a general excommunication against all who by word or deed should attack the traditions of the Fathers and the images of the saints." 

The establishment of the worship of images as an article of Catholic faith, will be related 'next week.'

Ever Look to God.

 Yesterday we talked a little about having object to remind us of God's Word, God's Commandments.  

Deu 6:4  Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD: 

Deu 6:5  And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. 

Num 15:37  And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 

Num 15:38  Speak unto the children of Israel, and bid them that they make them fringes in the borders of their garments throughout their generations, and that they put upon the fringe of the borders a ribband of blue: 

Num 15:39  And it shall be unto you for a fringe, that ye may look upon it, and remember all the commandments of the LORD, and do them; and that ye seek not after your own heart and your own eyes, after which ye use to go a whoring: 

Num 15:40  That ye may remember, and do all my commandments, and be holy unto your God. 

Num 15:41  I am the LORD your God, which brought you out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: I am the LORD your God.

Were the children of Israel told to worship the blue ribboned fringes on the borders of their garments?

No. 

They were told that when they look at it they would REMEMBER.

They were told to put the blue ribbon with fringes on their clothes… clothes they wear every day, and when they would happen to look upon that blue ribbon and fringes they were to REMEMBER to do ALL God's commandments, and to be HOLY to God.

Reminders, not items to worship.

The clothes you wear, you see them constantly. I see my jeans and my tee-shirt, my shoes. None of my clothing is blue ribbon fringed. I mentioned yesterday that I wear tee-shirts with Jesus (Biblical) themes. I am reminded of God when I wear them. Because I wear them often it's odd to me when I don't have one on and it seems strange, because I have to admit, I try to be aware that I am representing my Lord when I visibly wear a shirt proclaiming as much. Do I need reminding, do I need to be aware of being a representative of Christ? I do, I'm so far from perfect, I really do. 

Is that what God wanted though? For those wearing the ribbons and fringes to be reminded to represent God, or to be reminded to do all God's commandments, to be Holy to God. 

Num 15:41  I am the LORD your God, which brought you out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: I am the LORD your God.

Perhaps a reminder that I'm representing the God I proclaim to represent by wearing my tee-shirts, is a reminder of God to me, because to represent Him I need to be reminded of Him. How others view my behavior in light of my proclamation means something. If I didn't wear my belief in God for all to see I have no reason to think that anyone would associate my scowling face with God. Yet, if I walk around with a scowl on my face and I love God on my tee shirt, clearly it may appear differently. Oh, I KNOW that Christians ARE not perfect, but forgiven, still… we need to put God first in all things and that does mean trusting in Him in all things. That means God brought me out of my sin life and into new life in Him- the former things of my life before Him are not to be treated as acceptable, but tragic temptations, tragic sins that easily beset me, tragic sins that need forgiveness and to be forsaken in repentance. 

You can tell by reading this that it truly is a personal study I'm undertaking. I'm searching just as many others are. I'm in this spiritual battle just as so many others are. My warfare is real, the weapons I have are those given to me by God- His Word is my sword. 

The fringes and ribbon reminders of our God… the ONE and ONLY GOD, the GOD THAT SAVES. OUR GOD who COMMANDS US. We ARE to remember that He commands us, our love, and He is love. 

We CANNOT worship anything other than GOD- not a single item we see are we to worship!

God alone is to be WORSHIPED. God alone!

Let us be reminded of GOD alone. No statue, no jewelry, no shirt, no building can replace GOD. We must find God in SPIRIT beyond all outward displays of any kind. No object I hold replaces GOD not even the written WORD, because Psa_119:11  Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.  The word must be written in my heart! 

Joh_4:24  God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and truth.

I am not to worship the Bible, but the GOD who authored the Bible! The very same God who authored the Bible can bring any and all of the Bible to my mind if He so chooses. The word of God is there for me to read, praise God, but I am not to worship the Bible itself.  The Bible was burned by many and the tragedy of that was it was done to keep the words of truth from people. When the Bible was burned, God wasn't burned, He lives always! He is living truth! 

There are a lot of good things done with various things, but the things themselves should never be worshiped, never.

Let us ever look to GOD.  All by His grace and mercy, His love! 

(Excerpt)

April 9, 1901

“The Keeping of the Commandments. The Second Commandment” Advent Review and Sabbath Herald 78, 15, p. 232.

“I AM the Lord thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.

“Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; and showing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.” 

We have seen that no similitude or likeness was seen on Sinai when God spoke His law, though there were many similitudes and likenesses there. We have seen that this was so, especially “lest ye corrupt yourselves, and make you a graven image” or likeness. And thus in the Second Commandment there is forbidden, in the worship of God, the use of any similitude or likeness of any kind in any way whatever. 

Yet there are a great number of professed Christians who use images, similitudes, and likenesses in abundance in their professed worship of God. This is worth inquiring into. 

“This first introduction of a symbolic worship was in the veneration of the cross and of relics.”—Gibbons. In “honor” of Christ and the martyrs. 

And the first introduction of the cross as a visible symbol was by Constantine, and in the midst of that flood of evil that made the papacy. 

It is true that the sign of the cross was used as early as the days of Tertullian; but it was only a sign, made with a motion of the hand upon the forehead or breast. 

Constantine enlarged upon this by the introduction of the visible cross itself: in the Labarum. He erected in Rome his own statue, “bearing a cross in its right hand, with an inscription which referred the victory of his arms and the deliverance of Rome to that salutary sign, the true symbol of force and courage. 

“The same symbol sanctified the arms of the soldiers of Constantine; the cross glittered on their helmets, was engraved on their shields, was interwoven into their banners; and the consecrated emblems which adorned the person of the emperor himself were distinguished only by richer materials and more exquisite workmanship.” 

The Labarum was “a long pike intersected by a transversal beam,” forming a cross. “The silken veil which hung down from the beam was curiously inwrought with the images of the reigning monarch and his children. The summit of the pike supported a crown of gold, which inclosed the mysterious monogram, at once expressive of the figure of the cross and the initial letters of the name of Christ.” 

The basis of all this was the fiction and the imposture of Constantine’s “vision of the cross.” And from it “the Catholic Church, both of the East and of the West, has adopted a prodigy which favors, or seems to favor, the popular worship of the cross.” 

Under Constantine’s patronage also, “magnificent churches were erected by the emperor in Rome, adorned with images and pictures, where the bishop sat on a lofty throne, encircled by inferior priests, and performing rites borrowed from the splendid ceremonial of the pagan temple.”—Lawrence.

Pictures were used first. The introduction of these pictures was made under the plea that they were useful to instruct the ignorant, to awaken the cold, and to gratify the prejudices of the heathen proselytes. What some person imagined and produced as a picture of Christ, would be painted on the wall or window; and these people would gaze upon that, and sail away upon a sea of their own imagination. In this they thought they were contemplating Christ, and honoring Him, and indeed worshiping Him. But it was as sheer idolatry as ever was. They were only worshiping themselves, in their own imaginings. Never yet has there been made a picture of Christ. All that ever pretended to be such are only idolatrous imagings. 

Soon images were set up along with the pictures, and thus “by a slow, though inevitable, progression, the honors of the original were transferred to the copy; the devout Christian prayed before the image of a saint; and the pagan rites of genuflexion, luminiaries, and incense again stole into the Catholic Church. The scruples of reaon or piety were silenced by the strong evidence of visions and miracles; and the pictures which speak, and move, and bleed, must be endowed with a divine energy, and may be considered as the proper objects of religious adoration.” 

And thus “the use and even the worship of images was firmly established before the end of the sixth century [before A.D. 600]; they were fondly cherished by the warm imagination of the Greeks and Asiatics; the pantheon and Vatican were adorned with the emblems of a new superstition.... The style and sentiments of a Byzantine hymn will declare how far their worship was removed from the grossest idolatry: ‘How can we with mortal eyes contemplate this image, whose celestial splendor the host of heaven presumes not to behold? He who dwells in heaven condescends this day to visit us by His venerable image. He who is seated on the cherubim visits us this day by a picture which the Father has delineated with His immaculate hand; which He has formed in an ineffable manner; and which we sanctify by adoring it with fear and love.’”—Gibbon. '

All Glory Must Go to God, It Is God's.

 Have you ever wanted to direct your attention to something tangible in order to focus more fully on God? Millions want to do just that. Millions build shrines, simple or elaborate, but still they are shrines where they put their focus when they want to think on God. I have a prayer closet of sorts where I've hung several verses of the Bible- my focus on reading the words of God. I don't have a cross, or any figurine to focus on, I simply want the word of God in my sight. Yet, how many do have figurines, and altars, and candles, and pictures that they behold. Jesus never asked us to erect a statue in His likeness and we could have been told to do that, there were artists even in Jesus' time. Jesus never sat down for a portrait to be drawn of Him, suggesting that all get a copy so they wouldn't forget what He looked like. Jesus did not want us to worship His image, not ever. Jesus used the WORD, His word and we are told that His word is our SWORD in this spiritual warfare. HE used the WORD in His personal confrontation with Satan in the wilderness. He didn't whip out a statue of an image of what someone imagined God to look like and wield it at Satan threateningly.  He didn't hold up any kind of staff- trying to imitate Moses' staff that was in the Ark. He didn't yank out a miniature set of the two tablets of stone where the Law was written and placed in the Ark of the Covenant. Objects weren't used by God, never condoned by God. Our God is a God of SPIRIT- unseen, invisible, everywhere, always and never confined! He can be with us wherever we are, at any time! There are no constraints upon God. Even when Solomon built the temple where God's spirit would dwell, it wasn't confined there because EVERYONE knew that no temple could truly hold God.  There were so many false gods with temples- and the people had to go to those temples or at the least erect tiny shrines with miniature replicas of their gods in them, and they believed those idols to be their gods. We are to worship NO IDOLS. Our thoughts are NOT to be focused upon statues! Our thoughts are to be on a God who cannot be contained in any wood, stone, plastic, metal of any sort! Yes, God did set up various reminders-

Deu 6:4  Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD: 

Deu 6:5  And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. 

Deu 6:6  And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: 

Deu 6:7  And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. 

Deu 6:8  And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes. 

Deu 6:9  And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates.

WORDS- reminders- written upon posts of the house and on gates. 

Num 15:37  And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 

Num 15:38  Speak unto the children of Israel, and bid them that they make them fringes in the borders of their garments throughout their generations, and that they put upon the fringe of the borders a ribband of blue: 

Num 15:39  And it shall be unto you for a fringe, that ye may look upon it, and remember all the commandments of the LORD, and do them; and that ye seek not after your own heart and your own eyes, after which ye use to go a whoring: 

Num 15:40  That ye may remember, and do all my commandments, and be holy unto your God. 

Num 15:41  I am the LORD your God, which brought you out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: I am the LORD your God. 

REMEMBER WORDS!

Jesus didn't like how the Jewish leaders of His day used words on cloths and such and decorated themselves with them as if those things declared their righteousness with God. They weren't using them as reminders any longer even if they had started out that way, they were using them to promote their own self-righteousness. The dangers of decorations, of idols are very real.

I wear tee-shirts with various Bible/God promoting sayings/verses and I love when people tell me they like them, because that means they are others who love God. I wear these tee-shirts not because I'm righteous in anyway. I wear them because I can't speak to share God, my personality isn't such that allows for that ability, that's not something I was gifted with- and yet I want to shout to all about God's love. My tee-shirts shout for me. I don't worship the clothes I wear in any way at all. I know I'm a sinner in need of constant forgiveness. My righteousness is like a filthy rag, I have none! All glory must go to God, it is God's!

*******

'April 2, 1901

“The Keeping of the Commandments. The Second Commandment” Advent Review and Sabbath Herald 78, 14, p. 216.

“I AM the Lord thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. 

“Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; and showing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.” Exodus 20:2, 4-6. 

The First Commandment forbids the having of any other god than the Lord; and so calls upon all to have God alone, and Him with all the heart, and all the soul, and all the mind, and all the strength. 

Thus the First Commandment requires all creatures to worship only the true God; and the Second Commandment forbids the worshiping of Him in any but the true way. 

The First Commandment forbids the having of any false gods; the Second Commandment forbids the having of the true God in a false way. 

It is thus forbidden to worship God, or to think of Him, under any form or representation of any kind whatever. This is made clear by the word of the Lord in Deuteronomy 4. Having described how God came down upon Mount Sinai and spoke to the people out of the midst of the fire, declaring the Ten Commandments, it is remarked especially: “Ye heard the voice of the words, but saw no similitude.” 

It is not suggested that there was no similitude there. There were similitudes: multitudes of the host of heavenly angels were there; four-winged and four-faced cherubim were there; six-winged bright seraphim were there; Christ was there; and the glory of God, which was like devouring fire, was there. 

But all this glory, and all these similitudes, were completely hidden from any eye of man by the “blackness, and darkness, and tempest: that enveloped the whole mount. For “Mount Sinai was altogether on a smoke;” and “the smoke thereof ascended as the smoke of a furnace,” which formed a “thick cloud upon the mount,” a cloud of “thick darkness;” and the voice of God was heard “out of the midst of the darkness.”

Now, why was it that this wonderful scene of glory, even the brightness of the glory itself, was so completely hidden from the eyes of the people? Here is the answer: “Ye saw no manner of similitude on the day that the Lord spake unto you in Horeb out of the midst of the fire: lest ye corrupt yourselves, and make you a graven image, the similitude of any figure, the likeness of male or female, the likeness of any beast that is on the earth, the likeness of any winged fowl that flieth in the air, the likeness of anything that creepeth on the ground, the likeness of any fish that is in the waters beneath the earth: and lest thou lift up thine eyes unto heaven, and when thou seest the sun, and the moon, and the stars, even all the host of heaven, shouldest be driven to worship them, and serve them.” Deuteronomy 4:15-19. 

If the people had been allowed that day to see any similitude, or any figure, on Sinai, they would inevitably have formed a likeness of it, as a means of their worshiping God. If they could have seen but the wings of the cherubim or seraphim, they would have used winged creatures, or the likeness of them, as a means of their worshiping God. And even though they had seen no figure or similitude, yet if only they had seen the brightness of the glory, then they would have employed the brightness of the glory, then they would have employed the brightness of the sun or the moon, or the stars, as symbols, representations, by which they would offer worship to the true God. 

Nor would they have taken these representations which they would have made as of themselves gods, so as to worship the images or representations themselves; but would have used them as visible symbols, as aids in fixing their attention upon God, the better and more exactly to worship Him. And they would have claimed all the time that, in this, they were worshiping the true God, and that such worship was true worship of God. 

But all such idea as this, even all possibility of such idea, was utterly excluded by the Lord himself, in enveloping the whole grand array and glorious scene in impenetrable darkness. And then, by this fact, and in telling them why He did it, He gave His own clear interpretation of His own Second Commandment, and the plainest possible instruction to men as to how to observe it. In this the Lord himself has given, in the plainest and most forcible way, instruction to all people, that in the worship of God no conceivable form or similitude can be used in any way, or to any extent whatever. And thus there was said at Sinai precisely what Jesus said to the woman at the well, neither more nor less: that “God is Spirit: and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth.” 

God is Spirit, and is to be only spiritually discerned, and, therefore, can be worshiped only in spirit and in truth. 

He can be worshiped only in truth as in spirit, because it is only by His word, which is the truth, that men can know what is true and acceptable worship. No man can know God except by revelation; and God must be worshiped strictly according to His own revelation: otherwise He is not worshiped at all. '

Giving Not Always Good

 Giving, it sounds wonderful. The ol' it's better to give than receive. However, logic dictates that there have to be those who receive in order for those to give to them. You can't give when there is no one to give to. So, giving and receiving, giving and taking, it's something that goes hand in hand. Is it better to give than receive? The spirit of giving is better than cultivating a spirit of receiving, especially if that spirit of receiving is from one who is able to give and chooses rather to receive.  If we have- then what we have we can give, if we have nothing, then we have nothing to give. When you are given something, you can choose to give of that something. We've all seen videos of a homeless person being given a meal only to turn around and take it to another homeless person and share that meal. Giving, yes, this is a true blessing when done righteously, the intent pure, no selfish gain in anyway.

Giving can be deceitful in many ways. Satan loves to shroud giving in a cloak of generosity, when there is no generosity but only sinful self-righteousness. How many people use ill-gotten gains in good ways? Does that make their giving a good thing, making them better people? No. The old Robin Hood tale teaches it is good to take from bad people and give to the good, but truth… if you steal from those who have stolen, you are stealing what was stolen not necessarily giving what was stolen from them- back. What was stolen could have been stolen from others, not them. We want to make evil good so we don't appear evil, but we have no power to make evil good. We have the choice not to do evil in the first place, but not to make our evil good. We need to seek forgiveness and repent- turn from evil, not embrace it, or cover it up. God sees through all of our thinly veiled disguises, no matter how perfectly we think we've made them.

May God help us to see through all the evil encompassing our lives, helping us not to call any evil good. May He help us and keep us from all evil, as Jesus prayed He would do. 

All through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior, now and forever!!!!!!! Amen.

*******

March 26, 1901

“The Keeping of the Commandments. The First Commandment” Advent Review and Sabbath Herald 78, 13, p. 200.

“I AM the Lord thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. 

“Thou shalt have no other gods before me.” Exodus 20:2, 3. 

Last week we noticed that phase of idolatry manifested in the worship of Mammon, in the getting of money. A further method of manifesting idolatry in the worship of Mammon is in giving away the money that has been so obtained. There is just as much idolatry in giving away money that is obtained by idolatry, as there is in getting it by idolatry. Not all Mammon worshipers are misers; only a few of them. Many of them are abundant givers; and these have just as much satisfaction in giving away the money as they had in getting it, because it is further indulgence of the same idolatry. 

Last week we cited how the laboring man is oppressed and robbed in his wages; the poor man is oppressed and robbed in the increased prices; small dealers are oppressed and robbed or driven entirely out of business in order that a few in the great combinations may draw to themselves the tribute of all the people. and when that is done, they will make gifts of millions to colleges and universities, hundreds of thousands to hospitals, thousands to churches, etc., etc.; and then further pride themselves upon the world’s idolatry of their “great benevolence.” But there is not a particle of benevolence in any gift that is thus made: it is sheer idolatry. 

By the Lord, in perfect justice and righteousness, all our gifts are measured, and stand, altogether upon the basis upon which we get the money. 

We say it again; for it is applicable to people who are not millionaires, as truly as to those who are: All the value of our giving as measured by the Lord, in perfect justice and righteousness, rests altogether upon the basis upon which we make our money. If my money is not made honestly, not a cent that I ever gave away will stand to my credit: it can not in righteousness: it can not in justice. I robbed another man to get it; it is his still, and when I give it away, it is his money that I give away. 

And this is another reason why the two mites of the poor widow that day when she gave it, was more than all that the wealthy put in of their abundance. We know that the Mammon worshipers in Christ’s day were like the Mammon worshipers in this day: they would crowd down in the dealing when people were selling to them; and they would crowd up on the price when people were to buy of them, and thus at both ends they increased their gains. Of these it is written: “It was this spirit that was manifested by the priests and temple officials in their gatherings for the Passover. Cattle were bought by the dignitaries, the moneyed men, who oppressed those of whom they purchased. The representation was made [to these owners out in the country, who had the cattle, the sheep, and the doves, and whoever had these to sell] that these animals were to be offered as a sacrifice to God at the Passover, and thus urged, the owners sold them at a cheap price. Then these scheming men brought their purchases to the temple,—purchases which meant double robbery,—robbery of the men of whom they had purchased, and robbery of those who wished to sacrifice, to whom they were again sold at exorbitant prices.” 

And when they would put great offerings into the temple treasury of the Lord, and take credit to themselves because they gave so much to “the cause.” But that poor widow, who, because of these men who devoured widows’ houses and for a pretense made long prayers, was reduced to a pittance honestly gotten, but by the hardest,—that widow, who, out of her love to the Lord, gave what little she had left after she had passed through the devouring hands of these men,—when she came into the temple of the Lord, giving the little that she had, she gave more than all the others together. Every particle of it was honest. Every particle of it came from honest effort. And that was a gift that measured according to righteousness in the sight of God. There is such a thing as honest dealing; and it can be practiced in this world. And whatever means is not acquired in that way, how much soever of it may be given, it can not be counted as the gift of him that gives it. It will be counted to those widows and the poor whom he has ground down to get it, to the laborers whose wages he ground down to the lowest notch to increase or to preserve his great gains. 

This is why God says to the laborers, Be patient unto the coming of the Lord. The husbandman waiteth for the precious fruits of the earth, and hath long patience for it. Be ye also patient; your labor is not in vain. God knows the just wages that you earn, and of just how much of it you are robbed. And in the day of reckoning He will reckon it to you in full justice and righteousness. 

Be ye patient. Serve God. “Obey in all things your masters according to the flesh; not with eye-service, as men-pleasers; but in singleness of heart, fearing God; and whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance; for ye serve the Lord Christ.” 

In that day God will distribute justly all the rewards of labor. He is the righteous God. The Christian can cheerfully bear to be ground down, robbed, and oppressed: he can wait for the day of grand distribution in righteousness; for he knows that in that day he will receive all that his honest toil ever earned, and he shall have the eternal glory of it. Even though in this world some Mammon worshiper absorbed it, and made a great gift of it, and got the worldly fleeting glory of it; yet since from the beginning it belonged in righteousness to him who was defrauded of it, in righteousness it, with all the fruits of it, will be reckoned to him to whom in righteousness from the beginning it belonged. 

This is the word and the message of God to the robbed, oppressed, and defrauded workingmen everywhere to-day, who are clamoring for a righteous distribution of the fruits of their labor: “Fear God, and keep His commandments.” No righteous distribution can be made by force and violence. In that way, an iniquitous and bad condition can only be made more iniquitous and worse. “Sanctify the Lord of hosts himself; and let Him be your fear, and let Him be your dread. Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts; for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh.” Then shall every man receive his own reward according to his own labor. 

“I am the Lord thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.” “Out of Egypt have I called my son.” “Thou shalt have no other gods before me.” 

Our Particular Sins.

 Money, foolish and hurtful lusts, these exist much to our dismay. We would much rather live in a world without the temptation to sin surrounding us, yet that isn't this world. As long as we live we will face temptations. I used to smoke- years and years and years ago… about 30 of them at least, and at that time I was addicted to cigarettes. When I made the choice to quit smoking I found quitting very hard to do. The temptation to continue to smoke was so awful and it continued for a long time. I can't say when, but at some point, cigarettes stopped being tempting to me. Today I can honestly say I have no desire whatsoever to smoke. Are all the sins we choose to give up like the one of choosing to stop smoking? The temptation did NOT go away instantly, the choice remained and the pull towards it lasted for some time. Can it be that other sins have long lasting temptations- lifelong even? Lifelong temptations that must be resisted for as long as we live? That seems so daunting doesn't it? I know alcoholics, at least some of them, will say even thirty years after giving up alcohol they still are tempted to drink it and must resist. Yet, others, say they haven't felt the pull of temptation towards alcohol for many years. I suppose it is an individual experience for us all. We don't all have the exact same temptations towards all sins. What may tempt one will not tempt another at all. The various combinations of temptation to sin is different for each of us. For some it may be drink, for others drugs, and other sex, and then there are those who are prideful, selfish, covetous, backbiting, gossipers… and so on. 

Sin is anything that is against God's law, and God's law is of loving Him and loving others. 

I'm sure you've heard it said- "It's a harmless sin, hurting no one." There is no such thing as a harmless sin. All sin needs to be confessed, forsaken and forgiveness sought for committing it. 

Recognizing all the sins in our lives isn't always easy. Satan loves to hide our sins from us. He's normalized so many sins that in truth- some are called good, while good is often called sinful. He's a monster who will stop at nothing to deceive. He wants as few human beings to belong to God as possible. He tempted Eve and corrupted mankind with the purpose of destroying God's created beings. When they weren't instantly eradicated, Satan was furious. He'd done his part, he'd gotten them to disobey God. But God in His wisdom knew that it was the temptation by Satan that caused His created humans to give in to disobedience. God made a way for His creations to belong to Him still. The way, however, was not in making it so that all human beings would be His - but rather all human beings would have a choice to be His. Satan would be allowed to continue His evil ways and tempt all human beings to sin. There would be among the humans though a heart desire to not sin, and if they leaned into that heart desire, they would be directed to the way of belonging to God again.  

The choice belongs to all of mankind.

Satan will continue his tempting of all- right up until his destruction. 

Those who choose God will still be tempted by Him, but a way has been made for them to overcome and that Way is through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior, the slain innocent Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.

All by His amazing grace and love, through His mercy now, and forever! Amen!

1Ti 6:9  But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. 

1Ti 6:10  For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. 

2Ti 4:10  For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed unto Thessalonica; Crescens to Galatia, Titus unto Dalmatia.

1Jn 2:16  For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.

March 19, 1901

“The Keeping of the Commandments. The First Commandment” Advent Review and Sabbath Herald 78, 12, p. 184.

“I AM the Lord thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. 

“Thou shalt have no other gods before me.” Exodus 20:2, 3. 

Yet another phase of the worship of “the god of this world,” included in “the pride of life,” is the worship of Mammon, or riches. And this is not by any means least, though it is the last one in the list. For is it not written, “The love of money is the root of all evil”?  1Ti 6:10  

This is so wrapped up with that phase of “the pride of life” which was noticed last week,—ambition, self-exaltation, self-aggrandizement, gloriosus,—that it is, in great measure, inseparable from it. For there is nothing that gives worldly glory so quickly, so easily, and so abundantly as money; and there is nothing that gives power so quickly and so easily as does money. All this, simply because Mammon is such a familiar deity to mankind, because mankind is naturally so worshipful of Mammon. And yet it is all idolatry; it is all a denial of the true God; it is a breaking of the First Commandment, which says, “Thou shalt have no other gods before me.” For, says Jesus: “Yet can not,“—not, Ye ought not; not, Ye should not; but,—“Ye can not serve God and Mammon.” 

Since the true worship of God is to love God with all the heart, and all the soul, and all the mind, and all the strength; and anything that draw away either the heart, soul, mind, or strength to it, and comes between man and the true worship of God, is another god; so the allowing of money, the desire for money, the love of money, to come between a man and his true service to God, is the worship of Mammon. And to allow the desire for money, the love of money, to separate a man from true Christian thoughtfulness, and care of mankind temporally and eternally, is the worship of Mammon; it is to have another god than the Lord; it is to break the First Commandment. 

The distinction may be clearly drawn by saying that the keeping of the First Commandment is the being right, and doing right, with no thought whatever, at any time, as to what it will cost. No amount of money can ever have any consideration whatever in any question of serving God; in any question of loving God with all the heart, or our neighbor as ourself. And yet everybody knows that “What will it cost?” does have a positive bearing with the vast majority, even of professed Christian people, upon the exercise of their love to God with all the heart, and their neighbor as themselves. 

But to allow this question to have any bearing whatever is the worldly way. It is not of the Father, but of the world. For with the world the first question is always, “What will it cost?” “How much can I make?” In all the dealing, all the traffic of business relationship, in the world, the way of the world, and the inquiry of the world, is only, “How much can I make?” And if more can be made by oppressing the neighbor, the oppression takes precedence of the love of the neighbor; and the neighbor is deliberately robbed. 

If a neighbor begins business of the same order as that of a man who has already begun, he is deliberately underbidden, undersold, that, if possible, he may be crowded completely out of the business, in order that the first one may be left alone, to have all, in order that he alone may be rich, and have the worldly glory of his little kingdom of the crossroads. And those that have succeeded most fully at this, form gigantic combinations to crush out, or absorb, all lesser ones, until there remains but one vast combination drawing tribute from all the people in the nations, and even of the whole world. 

But God has written of it all that “he is a proud man” “who enlargeth his desire as hell, and is as death, and can not be satisfied, but gathered unto him all nations, and heapeth unto him all people;” “that coveteth an evil covetousness to his house, that he may set his nest on high, that he may be delivered from the power of evil.” But “shall not all these take up a parable against him, and a taunting proverb against him, and say, Woe to him that increaseth that which is not his? how long?” “Shall they not rise up suddenly that shall bite thee, and awake that shall vex thee, and thou shalt be for booties unto them? Because thou hast spoiled many nations, all the remnant of the people shall spoil thee.” Habakkuk 2:5-9. 

This is all “the pride of life,” which is not of the Father, but is of the world. It is all Mammon worship. And since the literal, original meaning of the word “mammon” is “that in which one trusts,” it is particularly appropriate that these various combinations, which crush out all individuality and demand tribute of all peoples, should be called “trusts.” 

Yet the most gigantic of the “trusts” is but the extreme of that trick of trade held by the individual, by which, to get the trade, he undersells and crowds out the man across the way. 

The most gigantic “trust” is but the extreme of that trick in trade by which the individual or the little partnership or corporation asks more for a thing when there is no competition than would be asked if there were competition. Whosoever, without competition, demands a greater price than he knows that he would take if there were competition, is an exactor of unjust gain. And “he that by usury and unjust gain increases his substance, he shall gather it for him that will pity the poor.” Proverbs 28:8. 

The most gigantic “trust” is but the extreme of that trick in trade on the part of the individual, by which, through his beating down, or “jewing,” he tries his best to get a thing for less than he knows that it is worth. “It is naught, it is naught, saith the buyer: but when he is gone his way, then he boasteth.” Proverbs 20:14. 

The organizer or the president of the “trust” who boasts in his enormous gains is no more an idolater and a sinner in this thing than is the individual who, in his degree, and to the extent of his power, does the same thing precisely. If he had the ability, or the power, of the organizer or the president of the “trust,” he would be doing precisely the same things that he is doing now, only in the larger measure that would be his, as the head of a mighty corporation. And so certainly is it true, as written, “In the world, the god of traffic is the god of fraud.” 

All such is but the worship of Mammon; it is idolatry; it is to have another god before the Lord; it is not of the Father, but is of the world; it is neither loving God with all the heart nor the neighbor as the self. “If I have made gold my hope, or have said to the fine gold, Thou art my confidence; if I rejoiced because my wealth was great, and because mine hand had gotten much; ... this also were an iniquity to be punished by the judge: for I should have denied the God that is above.” And this equally and as really as if I were a worshiper of the sun and the moon. Job 31:24-29. 

There is a better way: it is the way of the keeping of the commandments of God: “Thou shalt have no other gods before me.” It is the way of Christianity: “All things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them.” You know that you do not like to have a man work a scheme upon you, by which he requires you to pay for a thing more than he would take for it if there were competition. You know that you would not like to have people “jew” you down to take for a thing less than you know that it is worth. Put yourself in the other man’s place—and stay there. Look at things from his side, and continue to do so. “Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.” This is Christianity; it is the keeping of the First Commandment. Yea, it is the keeping of all “the law and the prophets.” 

Nor is it hard to do this. It is the easiest thing in the world for him who has the heart to do it. And God gives the heart to do it; as it is written: “A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you.” 

“I am the Lord thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.” “Our of Egypt have I called my Son.” “Thou shalt have no other gods before me.” 

Death to Our Selfish Pride.

 Jesus did not put Himself up on any pedestal of any kind, He shunned pedestals. He drew no corrupt attention to Himself. He did not proclaim Himself king and enjoy ordering people about to do His bidding. He stood on no ceremony expecting none to respect Him. He didn't order the respect of people. He didn't order any into prisons, or any to be taken to task for their bad behavior. He did not even condemn those who crucified Him. 

Luk 23:33  And when they were come to the place, which is called Calvary, there they crucified him, and the malefactors, one on the right hand, and the other on the left. 

Luk 23:34  Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots. 

Father forgive them!

We marvel at such behavior, because we take great offense all the time for the way others treat us. Forgiving those who offend us wrongfully goes against our grain because we suffer from pride of our own life, we suffer placing ourselves in a position to expect no offense, so when it comes we are injured in our pride.  Jesus of ALL men had a right to take offense, His innocence was pure in all things and He deserved absolutely no reviling, none! Jesus is our all in all, He is our GOD, He in US should have no pride. Having Christ in us should negate the pride we encourage. Our shame should be in our reacting to our offenders because of our injured pride. Let our pride be wounded until it is dead inside of us and no more there to be injured. Let each prick of our pride serve to remind us it shouldn't exist, and let us seek forgiveness every time we feel that pride rise up taking offense against all the injustices placed upon us. God help us to this end! All by the grace and mercy of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, now and forever! Amen. 

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The third of the three forms under which "the world" is embraced and idolatry manifested…

March 12, 1901

“The Keeping of the Commandments. The First Commandment” Advent Review and Sabbath Herald 78, 11, p. 168.

“I AM the Lord thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. 

“Thou shalt have no other gods before me.” Exodus 20:2, 3. 

The third of the three forms under which “the world” is embraced, and idolatry manifested, is— 

“The pride of life.” 

The word here used to express the thought of “life” is a form of the Greek word Bios, and signifies not animal life; not the breath of life; not spiritual life; not life itself, the life which comes from God; but “the life which we live; the life led; hence, manner of life, course of life.” 

The word used to express the thought of “pride” is alazoneia (“alazoneia”), “the character of an alazon (“alazon”). And an alazon is literally “a wanderer about the country;” hence, literally, “a false pretender, imposter, quack; hence, swaggering, boastful, braggart; and by implication, ostentation, arrogance, pride.” It is the same word that is used in 1 Timothy 3:6: “Being lifted up with pride.” 

The closest equivalent English word is “ambition,” which signifies, literally, “a going about, as of a candidate soliciting votes;” again, “the act of going about to solicit or obtain an office or other object of desire;” a “desire for some object that confers distinction;” “desire to distinguish one’s self from other men;” “desirous of obtaining power, superiority, or distinction.” 

Another word that corresponds to this “pride of life” and “ambition,” is “self-exaltation,” self-aggrandizement. The Latin word that corresponds to the Greek word used to express “pride of life,” is gloriosus, and expresses the idea of worldly glory. 

In the light of these definitions, it is easier to see the real nature of the temptation of Jesus, when “the devil taketh Him up into an exceeding high mountain, and showeth Him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; and saith unto Him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.” And then all the fires of ambition, of worldly glory, that were ever manifested in human flesh—in Alexander, Napoleon, and all other like—poured like a driving storm upon Jesus, to entice Him to the desire of that which was before Him. 

But by the Spirit of God, Jesus knew that none of all that “glory” which He saw was “of the Father,” but all “of the world.” He knew that it was only a false, fleeting glory. He knew that true glory lies not in “the pride of life,” not in ambition, not in self-exaltation; but in self-emptying, self-renunciation. And, therefore, He promptly answered: “Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and Him only shalt thou serve.” 

As points out in a previous study, the divine account of this temptation reveals the fact that worldly glory, the glory of the kingdoms of this world; the glory of rulership, of overlordship; the glory of position, of office,—all this, or any of it, can be had only by idolatry, only by the worship of “the god of this world.” 

Christianity, the true keeping of the commandments of God, is not rulership, but service. The liberty wherewith Christ makes men free, the liberty in which Christians stand fast, is the liberty by love to serve one another; as it is written, and as it has been studied only lately, in the Sabbath-school lessons all over the world: “Brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another. For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.” Galatians 5:13, 14. And to love our neighbor as ourselves is to do good to him always, in all things, and by whatsoever means. In “all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them.” 

And when, in this same “pride of life,” this spirit of ambition, the disciples were striving among themselves as to who should be the greatest, or who should be counted the greatest, “Jesus called them unto Him, and said, Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them. But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister; and whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant: even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give His life a ransom for many.” Matthew 20:25-28. 

Thus, all desire for place or for position; all exercise of dominion or of authority in place or position; all national distinctions, all racial distinctions, all aristocratic distinctions, all class distinctions, all place or official distinctions, are only of the pride of life, are not of the Father, but of the world, and are idolatry. They are all vanity, which is only idolatry. 

The greatest curse that has ever come upon the earth since the original curse itself, has been, and is, in men, in the world and in the Church occupying places of authority, and exercising authority, who have no true authority. What has been the greatest curse that all history has known among men in the world, as they have existed in nations or organizations? What organization has been the most oppressive, and the most far-reaching in its oppression? Everybody can answer in a moment and in a word—the papacy. And what is the papacy?—It is summed up in a man in place of authority, who has no true authority. It is simply a man, having seized authority over men, and the means of enforcing it, and demanding respect and subjection to that authority, who yet has not authority at all except that which he has seized by unlawful means. And the Scripture description of the papacy is that he “opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshiped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.” This is the extremity to which men can possibly go in the violation of the First Commandment. And yet it is all simply the desire for place, position, and to exercise authority. 

But the papacy has no true authority, because it has no truth. Truth is the only source of authority. He who has the truth has authority. And he who has the most truth has the most authority. This is why it is that Jesus had all authority in heaven and in earth: He had all authority because He had all the truth—He is the Truth itself. “All authority hath been given unto me in heaven and on earth.” “I am the Way, the Truth.” Those two sentences belong together. Each explains the other. 

And yet Jesus had no position: He occupied no place. And that simply expresses the eternal truth that position never gives true authority. And that is simply to say that, in the Church and work of God, position never gives authority to anybody. Authority may qualify a person for a position that he has not. But position never can give to a person authority that he has not without the position. Position entails responsibility, but never gives authority. 

Jesus taught “as one having authority.” And that authority was readily recognized by those who heard. This was because the authority was in what He taught. The authority was in the truth that He had. And whosoever in the world has the truth as it is in Jesus, in that he has also authority in heaven and on earth—not to exercise authority, but to speak with authority. “The princes of the Gentiles exercise... authority,” “but it shall not be so among you.” God does give authority; but He gives it in the truth which He gives; and he who receives the truth of God as it is, as it is in Jesus, in that receives authority. The authority which he has is in the truth which he has, in the message which he bears. 

Where, then, is the true position of greatness, and the position of true greatness? Here is the answer: “Whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister; and whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant.” The greatest position is that of servant; and the greatest work is that of service. “Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister.” “I am among you as He that serveth.” 

In Christ and the way of Christ is the keeping of the First Commandment. In the papacy and in the way of the papacy is the breaking of the First Commandment. 

“I am the Lord thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.” “Out of Egypt have I called me son.” 

“Thou shalt have no other gods before me.”

Self-Gods.

 Individuality. God has made each of us unique. Even identical twins have different thoughts from one another, though physically they may the same. We are all unique to ourselves for a purpose. We each have our own path to walk with God. We are not supposed to lust after the things others possess. God has made us unique for a reason and it's for His glory- not our own. You don't like the way you look- you were born with features the world doesn't consider acceptable to their standards, your intelligence doesn't match that of others, your personality is skewed to the norm and you don't quite fit in so that is makes life difficult in many ways, I could go on and on. There are many who do not find life easy in many ways. Many do things to make themselves more acceptable to their peers and colleagues, things that don't come completely natural to themselves, yet they long so much to fit in they try desperately to change who they uniquely are.  

If we are to live for GOD'S GLORY and not our own why are we so incredibly caught up in trying to fit in? God is to be our constant beacon, the light to which we look for all aspects of our lives. Is it God who wants us to own the latest style? Is it God who wants us to find favor in the eyes of those around us? Is it God who tells us that we need to be world like, to be liked by the world or more specifically the people in the world? Are we to desire acceptance and lament our inability to get that acceptance? How many young men and women long to attract the attention of potential marriage partners- that true love that is like no other? Is it wrong to desire to be married? It is if it's not going to be a marriage to God's glory. God does not have marriage in mind for all, but the world dictates this is the majority accepted ideal of our lives- marriage, family, jobs, careers, and so on. The world has its plan and when we aren't a part of that plan we mourn our not being on the path to that plan. We feel rejected, we feel sad, depressed, anxious, and more because our lives haven't gone according to how we've perceived they should. We need to ask ourselves though, if the world's ideal path is God's, and if we answer that it is, then we need to read God's word which tells us otherwise. God's path is for us to seek HIS glory, HIS path and allow HIM to lead us. If we can't say that we are living to glorify God in all we do, but rather to satisfy ourselves and our world path ideas, then we need to fall to our knees and seek God FIRST in our lives- not second. We aren't told that we are to have no other gods but ourselves and God, we are told we are to have no other gods but GOD.  NO other gods… not even the self-god we can so easily possess and seems to be an innate part of us all. The self-god is Satan's greatest tool and he knows how to use that tool to his pleasing. He knows how to play each and every one of us- building on our self-god- whether it's through pride, or self-hate, self-love or self-degradation… whichever self-god we are in need of on any given day- Satan will urge that upon us just so long as we do not take our minds off ourselves. Satan does not want us to put our minds on GOD, and will stop at nothing to that end.

May God help us to glorify HIM and seek HIM first, and serve Him as our ONLY God and not try to take His place or let any other take His place in our lives.  All through the love, the grace, the mercy of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, now and forever!!!!!!! Amen!

*******

March 5, 1901

“The Keeping of the Commandments. The First Commandment” Advent Review and Sabbath Herald 78, 10, p. 152

“I AM the Lord thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. 

“Thou shalt have no other gods before me.” Exodus 20:2, 3. 

The second of the three forms under which “the world” is embraced, and idolatry manifested, is— 

“The lust of the eyes.” 

The lust of the eyes can be summed up in one word, vanity; and vanity is simply love of display. Something is put on ourselves, or that which is ours, merely for display, to attract the attention and excite the lust of the eyes of others, and cause them to envy our condition.

Further, on our own part, this idolatry is indulged in our seeing something that somebody else has, and not being content until we have imitated him by obtaining for ourselves a like thing. 

That which we see with others may be perfectly proper, and strictly becoming, to them; yet, when imitated by us, it may be altogether improper, and unbecoming in itself, besides our indulging idolatry in the use of it. Because, if our eyes had not seen that particular thing, no thought of our own, and no need of our life, would ever have suggested that we should have it. The only reason of our having it being solely that our eyes saw it in possession of some other one, the possession of it by us is sheer idolatry in the lust of the eyes. 

This principle of idolatry is expressed in the one word, the worldly word, “fashion.” The world spends time in inventing particular styles of dress, or whatever else may be a part of the living. The world is expected to follow, and expects to follow, the fashion set by the world. 

But we are studying how to serve God. We are studying how to be separate from the world; how to be “not of the world;” how to be completely divorced from the love of the world, or of the things that are in the world. And in this we are studying how to be separated from this lust of the eyes which follows the world, which accepts the dictates of the world, and which itself is “of the world.”

God has made no two persons alike. He has made each person with characteristics which single him out distinctly from all others in the universe. This is for a purpose. We are created for the glory of God; that is, the purpose of our creation is that each one, in the characteristics which make him himself alone, distinct from all others in the universe, shall be a means of making God manifest,—of reflecting a ray of the light of God, in a way that no other can possibly do, that by each one God shall be manifested as not by any other one. And, in order that this shall be so, it is essential that each one shall be joined only to God, and this with all his heart, and all his soul, and all his mind, and all his strength—the whole being. 

This principle is expressed in the parable of the talents in Matthew 25. When the master took his journey into a far country, and delivered to his servants his goods,—to one five talents, to another two, and to another one, he gave “to every man according to his several [individual; not common to two or more; separate, particular] ability.” And from the master, at His returning and reckoning, each one receives according as he has used the gift of God, according to this “several ability.” 

No one is to use, indeed no one can use, this gift of God in imitation of others. To attempt to use it in imitation of others is to separate from God, and put others in His place; it is to have other gods before the Lord; it is idolatry. 

There are desires of the flesh which are not lusts of the flesh, in the wrong sense. While we are in this world, it will be necessary for us to eat and to drink—not to make a god of the belly, not for the satisfaction of appetite, not for the lust of the flesh, but for the glory of God. Those who serve God in the keeping of the First Commandment eat and drink that which, in every respect, enables them best to discern what is the will of God, and how best to serve Him according to that will. 

While we are in the world, it will be essential to clothe ourselves—not to please the world; not to conform to some silly style that our eyes see, which is altogether of the world, and which we ourselves would never think of if our eyes had not seen it as displayed by the world—not that; but the glory of God. 

It is proper, indeed it is essential, to our glorifying God, that we shall dress neatly; that we shall wear as good clothing as we honestly can; that it shall be made to fit us becomingly, that is, that it shall conform strictly to our own individuality; that it shall be a proper expression of our own several selves, as God has made us. But to imitate the dress of others, to put something on ourselves simply because we have seen it on others, to adopt a style for ourselves which we have seen adopted by others,—all this is of the lust of the eyes; all this is not of the Father, but is of the world; it is idolatry. 

A long coat is strictly becoming to a long man, but not at all so to a short man. A high collar is entirely proper for a man who has a long neck; but for a man with a short neck to wear a collar so high that it throws up his head as if he were constantly gazing at the moon, is not at all proper. A blue dress, or one of some other color, may be exactly becoming to the one whom you saw wearing it; but it may be the last color in the world that you should wear in a dress. 

Now, all this imitating of others, all following of fashion, is but the lust of the eyes, is of the world, and is idolatry. 

Ask God what He will have you do. It can never be a proper question with you, as to whether anybody else in the wide universe does it. You are to glorify God, not others. 

Study, in the fear of God, your own self as the workmanship of God; and study, in the fear of God, asking Him only what you shall wear, what you shall eat, what you shall drink, what you shall do, that shall most fully glorify Him, that shall most fully represent the talent which He has given you to be used for Him only, according to your “several ability.” 

In every way it means much to love God with all the heart and all the soul and all the mind and all the strength. It means much to be not of the world; to love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. Yet that which it means is simply the keeping of the First Commandment. 

“I am the Lord thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.” “Out of Egypt have I called my son.” “Thou shalt have no other gods before me.” “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” “Here are they that keep the Commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.”