Ellen G. White

JESUS! In Word and Song

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WEEK 38

THE HOLY SPIRIT POURED OUT

“And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh” (Joel 2:28 ESV).

Imagine being in Jerusalem during the Passover that Christians now call “Pentecost.” Imagine hearing that “mighty rushing wind” and coming together where Galileans were telling of the “mighty works of GOD” in all languages that surrounded Jerusalem.

Peter’s speech was the first of the “SPIRIT poured out.” Everyone heard Peter’s speech in his or her native language—that was the first miracle. The second was the SPIRIT causing the crowd to be “cut to the heart,” recognizing their sin.

“The sword of the Spirit, newly edged with power and bathed in the lightnings of heaven, cut its way through unbelief. Thousands were converted in a day.”1

“Strengthened by the endowment of the Holy Spirit, [the Apostles] went forth filled with the zeal to extend the triumphs of the cross.”2 “[T]hey were preaching in the power of the amazing gift He had sent to them, a person they called the Holy Spirit.”3

The same signs, wonders and mighty works performed by JESUS were now going to be performed by the Apostles. The supernatural phenomenon given by the HOLY SPIRIT sealed the words of the Apostles as Truth and the Christian Church was born.

“So the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria had peace and was being built up. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it multiplied” (Acts 9:31 ESV).

The “walking in fear” is a reaction to realizing GOD’s desire and ability to provide a way to restore us from the sin that entered us when we were born. And the ‘walking in the comfort of the Holy Spirit’ is the realization that the Spirit’s desire and His present workings is to purify and refine our various ‘faculties and passions’ back to making us ‘a proper habitation for God’ like it was before sin entered the world.4

The ultimate goal of all of life is to know and love God, make him known, and thereby glorify him. This goal is accomplished primarily through the work of the Holy Spirit. Reading the Bible, going to church, Christian fellowship, spiritual disciplines, service, and worship are merely playing at religion if all of these activities are not empowered, guided, and filled by the Spirit.5

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ENDNOTES

(38) The SPIRIT Now Poured Out

            1. Ellen G. White, The Acts of the Apostles (Mountain View, CA: Pacific Press Publishing Association, 1911) 38.

            2. White, 46.

            3. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Life in Christ, Studies in 1 John (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 2002) 316.

            4. Adam Clarke, “Commentary on Acts 9:31,” 1832 Adam Clarke’s Commentary 22 February 2021 https://www.studylight.org/commentary/acts/9-31.html#verse-acc.

            5. ESV Study Bible, English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2001, ESV Text Edition: 2011) 2521.

            6. Ellen G. White, The Acts of the Apostles (Mountain View, CA: Pacific Press Publishing Association, 1911) 46.

            7. Samuel Chadwick, The Way to Pentecost (Fort Washington, PA: CLC Publications, 2000, 2014) 56.

            8. Ellen G. White, The Acts of the Apostles (Mountain View, CA: Pacific Press Publishing Association, 1911) 39.

            9. “ . . . in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith” (Galatians 3:14 ESV).

            10. “For I am sure that . . . no things present nor things to come . . . will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:38-39 ESV).

            11. “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you” (John 14:26 ESV).

            12. “For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son . . .” (Romans 8:29 ESV).

            13. “ . . . I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh . . .” (Joel 2:28 ESV).

            14. “ . . . I will put my laws into their minds, and write them on their hearts, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people” (Hebrews 8:10 ESV).

            15. “So the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria had peace and was being built up . . .” (Acts 9:31 ESV).

            16. “You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit . . .” (Romans 8:9 ESV).

            17. “And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each of them” (Acts 2:3 ESV).

            18. Samuel Chadwick, The Way to Pentecost (Fort Washington, PA: CLC Publications, 2000, 2014) 125.

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WEEK 35

CHRIST, NOW HEAD OF THE CHURCH

The Pentecostal outpouring was Heaven’s communication that the Redeemer’s inauguration was accomplished. According to His promise He had sent the Holy Spirit from heaven to His followers as a token that He had, as priest and king, received all authority in heaven and on earth, and was the Anointed One over His people.1

“[I]n Messiah Jesus alone dwells the Plenitude of the Godhead, that He is the only Mediator, the only Saviour, the Head of the Church, the Source of life; that whatever celestial beings exist are subjected to Him.”2

“Jesus Christ is preeminent over all creation, Lord over all human rulers and cosmic powers.”3 “Through his sacrificial death, Jesus Christ has conquered Satan, the accuser, and has ransomed people from every nation.”4 “World history, including its woes and disasters, is firmly in the control of Jesus, the victorious Lamb.”5

“[I]mmortal God and mortal man is the only Saviour of the world.”6

“[T]he God of our Lord Jesus Christ seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, which is his body” (Eph 1:17,20-23 ESV).

“He is the image of the invisible God. And he is the head of the body, the church, making peace by the blood of his cross” (Col 1:15,18,20 ESV).

“Christ is Lord over all creation, including the invisible realm. He has secured the redemption for his people, enabling them to participate with him in his death, resurrection, and fullness.”7

“’Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!’” (Rev 5:12 ESV).

“It is impossible to overvalue Christ.”8

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ENDNOTES

(35) King of Kings, JESUS

            1. Ellen G. White, The Acts of the Apostles (Mountain View, CA: Pacific Press Publishing Association, 1911) 39.

            2. Arthur S. Way, Letters of Paul, Hebrews and the Book of Psalms (Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Publications, 1901, 1981) 164.

            3. ESV Study Bible, English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2001, ESV Text Edition: 2011) 2290.

            4. ESV Study Bible, 2455.

            5. ESV Study Bible.

            6. Horatius Bonar, Words Old and New (Carlisle, PA: THE BANNER OF TRUTH TRUST, 1866, 1994) 85.

            7. ESV Study Bible, English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2001, ESV Text Edition: 2011) 2089.

            8. I.D.E. Thomas, ed., Puritan Daily Devotional Chronicles (Oklahoma City, OK: Hearthstone Publishing, Ltd., 1995) 152.

            9. “ . . . he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places,” (Ephesians 1:20 ESV).

            10. “ . . . in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, . . .” (Hebrews 1:2 ESV).

            11. “ . . . ‘Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!’” (Revelation 5:12 ESV).

            12. “far above all rule and authority and power and dominion . . . not only in this age but also in the one to come” (Ephesians 1:21 ESV).

            13. “And he is the head of the body, the church. . . .” (Colossians 1:18 ESV).

            14. Horatius Bonar, Words Old and New (Carlisle, PA: THE BANNER OF TRUTH TRUST, 1866, 1994) 85.

            15. Bonar, 232.

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WEEK 33

APOSTLES DAY

“Then [Jesus] opened [the Apostles] minds to understand the Scriptures, and said to them, ‘Thus it is written, repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in [my] name. You are witnesses of these things” (Luke 24:45-48 ESV).

The Holy Spirit energized the hearts and minds of the apostles in their ministry, helping them to produce the NT Scripture. The disciples had failed to understand many things about Jesus and what He taught, but because of his supernatural work, they came to an inerrant and accurate understanding of the Lord and His work and recorded it in the gospels and the rest of the NT Scriptures.1

“The Holy Spirit was to be given them in its fullness, sealing them for their work.”2 “So long as they obeyed His word, and worked in connection with Him, they could not fail.”3

The Sent One (Jesus) has now become the Sender, commissioning his followers to serve as his messengers and representatives. All three persons of the Godhead are involved in this commissioning: as the Father sent Jesus, so Jesus sends his disciples equipping them with the Holy Spirit.4

“The whole position of the Apostles is that they have something to declare, something to say. They have seen something, they are reporting it. [I]t is a proclamation; there is an urge and an authority behind it.”5

“The disciples were to carry their work forward in Christ’s name. Their every word and act was to fasten attention on His name, as possessing that vital power by which sinners may be saved.”6

They told that ancient world of certain things which had happened; they talked about a person, and they reported what had happened to Him. And with a very special emphasis, they told people of the amazing fact of the Resurrection; how this person, Jesus of Nazareth—who had been completely misunderstood, not only by the common people, but by the rulers and elders of the people—how He had been put to death. But, they said, God had raised Him from the dead, and He had manifested Himself to them, His chosen witnesses.7

“[The Apostles] had the amazing privilege of seeing Him, of hearing Him, of examining Him and touching Him and listening to Him.”8

“The authority of the Apostles in the Church was unquestionable from the very beginning. Their powers were derived from Christ Himself. They preached boldly and acted as His representatives, teaching and speaking ‘in the Holy Spirit.’”9

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ENDNOTES

(33) Stay Close on His Heels

            1. John MacArthur, One Perfect Life (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2012) 415.

2. Ellen G. White, The Acts of the Apostles (Mountain View, CA: Pacific Press Publishing Association, 1911) 30.

            3. White, 29.

            4. ESV Study Bible, English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2001, ESV Text Edition: 2011) 2070.

            5. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Life in Christ, Studies in 1 John (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 2002) 45.

            6. Ellen G. White, The Acts of the Apostles (Mountain View, CA: Pacific Press Publishing Association, 1911) 28.

            7. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Life in Christ, Studies in 1 John (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 2002) 316.

            8. Lloyd-Jones, 51.

            9. Rev. Fr. Andrew G. George, “Feast of the Twelve Apostles,” Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, 1 September 2021 https://www.goarch.org/-/feast-of-the-twelve-apostles?inheritRedirect=true.

            10. Horatius Bonar, Words Old and New (Carlisle, PA: THE BANNER OF TRUTH TRUST, 1866, 1994) 57.

            11. “In Him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will,” (Ephesians 1:11 ESV).

            12. “To the sound of musicians . . . they repeat the righteous triumphs of the LORD . . .” (Judges 5:11 ESV).

            13. “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses . . .” (Acts 1:8 ESV).

            14. “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you” (John 14:26 ESV).

            15. “But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed” (Isaiah 53:5 ESV).

            16. “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses . . .” (Acts 1:8 ESV).

            17. “In Him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will,” (Ephesians 1:11 ESV).

            18. “’This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my laws on their hearts, and write them on their minds,’” (Hebrews 10:16 ESV).

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WEEK 32

THE CROSS STILL STANDS

“Responsive readings can be beneficial because they invoke the congregation in voicing the sacred text.”1

These paragraphs are to be recited before the start of each verse:

VERSE 1:

“God sent His only begotten, dearly loved Son into this world in order that He might go to the cross. It was God who sent Him. It was God who smote Him and struck Him and gave Him the punishment that we deserved.”2

“Why did God bruise his Son? He did it to resolve the dissonance between his love for his glory and his love for sinners.”3 “The cross of Christ justifies God; he remains holy because He has punished sin in the death, the shed blood, of His Son.”4

VERSE 2:

“In the Old Testament the Israelites transferred their guilt to a lamb, and then the lamb was killed.”9

“For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it for you on the altar to make atonement for your souls, for it is the blood that makes atonement by the life” (Lev 17:11 ESV).

“God has provided His own sacrifice; it is His own Son.”10

“[Jesus] carried up to the Cross our sins in His body and offered himself there as on an altar (1 Peter 2:24).”11

VERSE 3:

“For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost” (Luke 19:10 ESV).

“The cross tells me that I am a complete failure, and that I am such a failure that He had to come from heaven not merely to teach and preach in this world, but to die on that cross. Nothing else could save us.”14

“It is the cross alone that saves any one of us from the destruction that is coming to the world.”15

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ENDNOTES

(32) I Will Praise the Cross

            1. 1 ESV Study Bible, English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2001, ESV Text Edition: 2011) 2575.

2. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Walking With God Day by Day (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 2003) April 23rd.

            3. John Piper, The Pleasures of GOD (Sisters, OR: Multnomah Publishers, Inc., 1991, 2000) 161.

            4. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Life in Christ, Studies in 1 John (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 2002) 134.

5. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Walking With God Day by Day (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 2003) April 23rd.

            6. Lloyd-Jones, April 23rd.

            7. Lloyd-Jones.

            8. Ellen G. White, The Acts of the Apostles (Mountain View, CA: Pacific Press Publishing Association, 1911) 333.

            9. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Walking With God Day by Day (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 2003) April 3rd.

            10. Lloyd-Jones, April 3rd.

            11. Kenneth S. Wuest, The New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1961) 554.

            12. “For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it for you on the altar to make atonement for your souls, for it is the blood that makes atonement by the life” (Leviticus 17:11 ESV).

            13. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Walking With God Day by Day (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 2003) April 3rd.

            14. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, April 14

            15. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, April 11th.

            16. Lloyd-Jones.

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WEEK 29

BETWEEN RESURRECTION AND ASCENSION

“Christ had finished the work that was given Him to do. He had gathered out those who were to continue His work among men.”1

They were to work as He had worked, depending on Him for strength. Though their way would be obstructed by apparent impossibilities, yet by His grace they were to go forward, despairing of nothing and hoping for everything. 2

GOD, the FATHER, provided a transition for the confused followers of CHRIST between His resurrection and ascension—“[T]he 40-day period when Jesus prepared the disciples for their witness.”3 “He presented himself alive to them after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God”(Acts 1:3 ESV).

This good news about the Kingdom of GOD is called the gospel. “It perceives this as saving acts of God due to the work of Jesus on the cross and Jesus’ resurrection from the dead which bring reconciliation between people and God.”4

[T]he gospel in Acts represents the beginning of the fulfillment of God’s kingdom promises. The “kingdom of God” means the present spiritually directed reign of God, gradually transforming individual lives and entire cultures through the power of the Holy Spirit.5

[W]hen Christ’s work on earth was accomplished, Christ was exalted to the second highest position of authority in the universe, namely, at the right hand of God, with ruling power delegated to him by God the Father. Then Christ received authority from the Father to send the Holy Spirit. Jesus himself poured out the Holy Spirit on the disciples in a new and more powerful way.6

“And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh” (Acts 2:17 ESV).

[T]his powerful new work of the Holy Spirit after Pentecost brought several beneficial results: more effectiveness in witness and ministry, effective proclamation of the gospel, power for victory over sin, power for victory over Satan and demonic forces, and a wide distribution of gifts for ministry.7

After the descent of the Holy Spirit, the disciples were so filled with love for [Christ] and for those for whom He died, that hearts were melted by the words they spoke and the prayers they offered. They spoke in the power of the Spirit; and under the influence of that power, thousands were converted. 8

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ENDNOTES

(29) Far Above What I Could Ever Think

            1. Ellen G. White, The Acts of the Apostles (Mountain View, CA: Pacific Press Publishing Association, 1911) 24.

            2. White, 23.

3. ESV Study Bible, English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2001, ESV Text Edition: 2011) 2080.

            4. “Gospel,” Wikipedia, Wikipedia, 18 February 2021 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_gospel.

            5. ESV Study Bible, English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2001, ESV Text Edition: 2011) 2080.

            6. ESV Study Bible, 2085.

            7. ESV Study Bible, 2081.

            8. Ellen G. White, The Acts of the Apostles (Mountain View, CA: Pacific Press Publishing Association, 1911) 22, brackets mine.

            9. “Rejoice in the Lord Always Again I Say Rejoice,” Hymnary, 18 February 2021 https://hymnary.org/text/rejoice_in_the_lord_always_and_again_i_s.

            10. “Rejoice in the Lord Always Again I Say Rejoice.”

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WEEK 27

PENTECOST

Pentecost Sunday is a commemoration and celebration of the official birthday of the Christian church, marked by the receiving of the Holy Spirit by the early believers. Pentecost Sunday is observed on the seventh Sunday after Easter and ten days after Ascension.1

“[Y]ou will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now” (Acts 1:5 ESV).

The effects are seen in the Apostles on the Day of Pentecost. Pentecost changed all their outlook. The Scriptures were made luminous in the light of the Holy Ghost. The change in their characters was even greater than the change in their knowledge. The Gospels portray these men as proud and contentious, selfish and cowardly; but the first pages of the Acts of the Apostles tell another story. Pentecost transformed them.2

Under the training of Christ the disciples had been led to feel their need of the Spirit. Under the Spirit’s teaching they received the final qualification, and went forth to their lifework. No longer were they ignorant and uncultured. No longer were they a collection of independent units or discordant, conflicting elements.3

“[L]et us recall and realize all the mighty and marvelous signs of this first Pentecost, and its instant and immediate results and effects; of conquered cowardice, of utterance, of courageous speech, of other tongues.”4

The preaching of the cross of Christ was the very center and heart of the message of the apostles. It was not the teaching of Christ, nor the example of Christ either. What they preached was His death on the cross and the meaning of that event.5

[T]hey were to proclaim to the world the truths entrusted to them. The events of Christ’s life, His death and resurrection, the prophecies pointing to these events, the mysteries of the plan of salvation, the power of Jesus for the remission of sins.6

“[T]he gospel must be proclaimed. The wonderful truth that through Christ alone could remission of sins be obtained, was to be made plain.”7

[W]e should read the writings of the New Testament as God’s very words, still living and powerful to speak to our hearts today with the authority of God himself. No other words spoken today can ever equal the words of Scripture itself in authority, in purity, or in power.8

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ENDNOTES

(27) Abiding Miracle

            1. Joe Carter, “9 Things You Should Know About the Christian Calendar,” 1 December 2019, The Gospel Coalition, 3 July 2021 https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/9-things-know-christian-calendar/.

            2. Samuel Chadwick, The Way to Pentecost (Fort Washington, PA: CLC Publications, 2000) 169-170.

            3. Ellen G. White, The Acts of the Apostles (Mountain View, CA: Pacific Press Publishing Association, 1911) 45.

            4. W.C. Doanne, “Commentary on Acts 1:2,” 1876, James Nisbet’s Church Pulpit Commentary, 16 February 2021 https://www.studylight.org/commentary/acts/2-1.html#verse-cpc.

            5. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Walking With God Day by Day (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 2003) April 2nd.

            6. Ellen G. White, The Acts of the Apostles (Mountain View, CA: Pacific Press Publishing Association, 1911) 27.

            7. White, 31-32.

            8. Wayne Grudem, The Gift of Prophecy (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 1988) 49.

            9. W.C. Doanne, “Commentary on Acts 1:2,” 1876, James Nisbet’s Church Pulpit Commentary, 16 February 2021 https://www.studylight.org/commentary/acts/2-1.html#verse-cpc.

            10. Samuel Chadwick, The Way to Pentecost (Fort Washington, PA: CLC Publications, 2000) 35.

            11. Chadwick, 37.

            12. Chadwick, 40.

            13. Chadwick.

            14. Chadwick 43.

            15. W.C. Doanne, “Commentary on Acts 1:2,” 1876, James Nisbet’s Church Pulpit Commentary, 16 February 2021 https://www.studylight.org/commentary/acts/2-1.html#verse-cpc.

            16. Alexander MacLaren, “Commentary on Acts 2:1,” Alexander MacLaren’s Expositions of Holy Scripture, 16 February 2021 https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/eng/mac/acts-2.html.

            17. MacLaren.

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IN AFFLICTION, LET THE REDEEMER BE GLORIFIED IN YOU

“Be watchful against everything that would mar the simplicity of your faith, and so dim the glory of Jesus; especially guard against the adoption of unlawful or doubtful measures intended to disentangle you from present difficulties” Octavius Winslow (ref#135, July 14th).

“We are quick to think that our hardships merit a time of peace and ease. But we can see from the apostles’ example that this is not the case at all. Submitting to hardships is so often difficult; let us pray for God’s grace so that we might be spurred on to new and radical obedience by the trials we face” John Calvin (ref#164, July 22nd).

“The believer should never fail to remember that the present is, by the appointment of God, his state of affliction. It is God’s ordained, revealed will that His covenant children here should be afflicted. When called by grace, they should never take into their account any other state. They become the disciples of the religion of the cross, become the followers of a crucified Lord, put on a yoke, and assume a burden: they must, then, expect the inward cross and the outward cross. To escape it is impossible. To pass to glory without it is to go by a way other than God’s ordering, and in the end to fail to arrive there. The gate is strait and the way is narrow that leads to life, and a man must become nothing if he would enter and be saved. He must deny himself; he must become a fool that he may be wise, and receive the sentence of death in himself that he should not trust in himself” Octavius Winslow (ref#135, June 29th).

“If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rest upon you” (1 Pet 4:14 ESV).

“In the face of opposition, envy, and prejudice [the apostles] went on with their work, ‘speaking boldly in the Lord’” Ellen G. White (ref#331, p177).

“Believer suffering for Christ, rejoice that you are counted worthy to suffer shame for His sake. What distinction is awarded you! What honor is put on you! What a favored opportunity you have to bring glory to His name; to illustrate His sustaining grace, upholding strength, almighty power, infinite wisdom, and comforting love! By the firm yet mild preservation of your principles, by the dignified yet gentle spirit of forbearance, by the uncompromising yet kind resistance to temptation, let the Redeemer by glorified in you” Octavius Winslow (ref#135, July 14th).

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GOD DISCIPLINES HIS CHURCH

“God is presently restraining his own wrath and his enemies’ efforts to destroy the church as he patiently gathers his redeemed people through the testimony that his suffering people proclaim about Jesus” The ESV Study Bible (ref#125, p2455).

“the believer often expects all his heaven on earth [Y]et the present is only the wilderness state of the Church. Life now is only a pilgrimage and sojourning. If we do not have affliction, we lack the evidence of our true sonship, for the Father ‘scourgeth every son whom he receiveth’ (Heb 12:6). The Spirit also comforts by revealing the purpose for which the affliction is sent. [The] wounded, bleeding, and suffering, seeks a wounded, bleeding, suffering Savior more earnestly than ever. When the purpose for which the trial was sent is accomplished, it may be in the discovery of some departure or in the removal of an obstruction to the growth of grace—some object that obscured the glory of Jesus and that suspended His visits of love to the soul” Octavius Winslow (ref#135, Nov 3rd).

“[God] suffers no affliction to come upon His children but such as is essential for their present and eternal good. He will purify His church, even as Christ purified the temple during His ministry on earth. All that He brings upon His people in test and trial comes that they may gain deeper piety and greater strength to carry forward the triumphs of the cross” Ellen G. White (ref#331, p524-525).

“When God afflicts the godly, he holds a remedy in his hand; and when he throws the godly into the grave, he can restore them to life and safety. We therefore can understand the design of God to chasten his church with temporal evils” John Calvin (ref#164, May 23rd).

“Some people seem to be naturally gifted leaders in the church, raise children in the faith with seemingly little effort, and succeed in evangelizing others at every opportunity without any hesitation. They communicate well spiritually, live close to the Lord, and are filled with Christ and genuine joy in believing. These 100 percent yielders intimidate us who struggle at producing even 30 percent. But according to our Lord, all believers are reckoned as ‘good soil’ if the Word of God flourishes in them. Take heart in our Savior’s encouragement to stand firm in the faith, and ask for grace to bear more fruit in days to come, to his praise” John Calvin (ref#164, June 27th).

“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (Ps 119:105 ESV). If your law had not been my delight I would have perished in my affliction” (Ps 119:92 ESV).

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TRIALS CANNOT INJURE THE SOUL

“Love is when God gets you to God” John Piper. And most often He does that through tribulation.

“The normal person simply doesn’t esteem the spiritual value of hardship. They say they believe in the truths of Scripture, but they live in an unspoken state of disappointment, irritation, impatience, or frustration with God. The trials in our lives exist not because he has forgotten us but because he remembers us and is changing us by his grace” Paul David Tripp (ref#190, June 17th).

“He who reads the hearts of men knows their weaknesses better than they themselves can know them. He sees that some have qualifications which, if rightly directed, could be used in the advancement of His work. In His providence He brings these souls into different positions and varied circumstances, that they may discover the defects that are concealed from their own knowledge. He gives them opportunity to overcome these defects and to fit themselves for service. Often He permits the fires of affliction to burn, that they may be purified” Ellen G. White (ref#331, p524).

“Let us remember that these outward trials cannot injure the soul, that they last only for a time, and that they are working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory (2 Cor 4:17)” Charles Ross (ref#241, p154).

“We are treated as impostors, and yet are true; as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold, we live; as punished, and yet not killed; as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, yet possessing everything” (2 Cor 6:8-10 ESV).

“The truth is, persecution of the godly [is] of God, and never intended for [men’s] destruction, but for their glory; to make them shine the more when they are beyond [the] valley of the shadow of death. God will have the spirit of His servants kept sound. [T]he ground that the enemy has to play upon [is] the body and outward substance of the people of God. The spirit is reserved that it might be capable of maintaining communion with God” John Bunyan (ref#225, Jan 10th).

“How God loves: by doing everything He has to do, like remove every obstacle, to bring me to the place where I make much of Him” John Piper

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GOD’S PURPOSE IN AFFLICTION

“God loves to show off his greatness by being an inexhaustible source of strength to build weak people up. His exuberance in delighting in the welfare of his servant is the measure of the immensity of his resources” John Piper (ref#220, p186).

“[A]ll afflictions are God’s rod, and therefore there is no remedy for them other than God’s grace” John Calvin (ref#164, March 17th).

“If God intended for all the days of your life to be easy, they would be. No, in grace, he intends for your days to be his tools of refinement” Paul David Tripp (ref#190, April 22nd).

“Our sins have been forgiven. We’ve been bought by the blood of the Savior. We’ve become part of God’s family, destined to become like Christ. God is now using our trials to accomplish his good and redemptive purposes in us (Romans 8:28-29)” Bob Kauflin (ref#199, p131).

“In the upbuilding of His work the Lord does not always make everything plain before His servants. He sometimes tries the confidence of His people by bringing about circumstances which compel them to move forward in faith. Often He brings them into strait and trying places, and bids them advance. It is at such times, when the prayers of His servants ascend to Him in earnest faith, that God opens the way before them and brings them out into a large place” Ellen G. White (ref#331, p357).

“Behold, I will refine them and test them, for what else can I do” (Jer 9:7 ESV).

“[H]e will purge them of their sin” ESV Study Bible (ref#125, p1391).

“He that suffers for righteousness’ sake suffers by the order and design of God. It is not what enemies will, but what God wills, and what God appoints, that shall be done” John Bunyan (ref#225, Oct 17th).