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[Music] lesson six [Music] playing god sabbath afternoon [Music] january 30. it was pride and ambition that prompted lucifer to complain of the government of god and to seek the overthrow of the order which had been established in heaven since his fall it has been his object to infuse the same spirit of envy and discontent the same ambition for position and honor into the minds of men he thus worked upon the minds of korah dathan and abyram to arouse the desire for self-exaltation and excite envy distrust and rebellion satan caused them to reject god as their leader by rejecting the men of god's appointment yet while in their murmuring against moses and aaron they blasphemed god they were so deluded as to think themselves righteous and to regard those who had faithfully reproved their sins as actuated by satan do not the same evil still exist that lay at the foundation of korra's ruin pride and ambition are widespread and when these are cherished they open the door to envy and are striving for supremacy the soul is alienated from god and unconsciously drawn into the ranks of satan patriarchs and prophets pages 403 and 404 when men choose to have their own way without seeking counsel from god or in opposition to his revealed will he often grants their desires in order that through the bitter experience that follows they may be led to realize their folly and to repent of their sin human pride and wisdom will prove a dangerous guide that which the heart desires contrary to the will of god will in the end be found a curse rather than a blessing patriarchs and prophets pages 605 and 606 advancement in christian experience is characterized by increasing humility as the result of increasing knowledge everyone who is united to christ will depart from all iniquity i tell you in the fear of god i have been shown that many of you will fail of everlasting life because you are building your hopes of heaven on a false foundation god is leaving you to yourselves to humble thee and to prove thee to know what was in thine heart you have neglected the scriptures you despise and reject the testimonies because they reprove your darling sins and disturb your self-complacency when christ is cherished in the heart his likeness will be revealed in the life humility will reign where pride was once predominant submission meekness patience will soften down the rugged features of a naturally perverse impetuous disposition love to jesus will be manifested in love to his people it is not fitful not spasmodic but calm and deep and strong the life of the christian will be divested of all pretense free from all affectation artifice and falsehood it is earnest true sublime christ speaks in every word he is seen in every deed the life is radiant with the light of an indwelling savior testimonies for the church volume 5 pages 49 and 50. sunday january 31 doom on the nations in the annals of human history the growth of nations the rise and fall of empires appears as if dependent on the will and prowess of man the shaping of events seems to a great degree to be determined by his power ambition or caprice but in the word of god the curtain is drawn aside and we behold above behind and through all the play and counter play of human interest and power and passions the agencies of the all-merciful one silently patiently working out the councils of his own will [Music] prophets and kings pages 499 and 500 in sparing the life of cain the murderer god gave the world an example of what would be the result of permitting the sinner to live to continue a course of unbridled iniquity through the influence of cain's teaching and example multitudes of his descendants were led into sin until the wickedness of man was great in the earth and every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually the earth also was corrupt before god and the earth was filled with violence genesis chapter 6 verses 5 and 11 in mercy to the world god blotted out its wicked inhabitants in noah's time in mercy he destroyed the corrupt dwellers in sodom through the deceptive power of satan the workers of iniquity obtain sympathy and admiration and are thus constantly leading others to rebellion it was so in keynes and in noah's day and in the time of abraham and lot it is so in our time it is in mercy to the universe that god will finally destroy the rejecters of his grace the great controversy page 543 it was satan that prompted the world's rejection of christ the prince of evil exerted all his power and cunning to destroy jesus for he saw that the savior's mercy and love his compassion and pitying tenderness were representing to the world the character of god satan contested every claim put forth by the son of god and employed men as his agents to fill the savior's life with suffering and sorrow the sophistry and falsehood by which he had sought to hinder the work of jesus the hatred manifested through the children of disobedience his cruel accusations against him whose life was one of unexampled goodness all sprang from deep-seated revenge the pent-up fires of envy and malice hatred and revenge burst forth on calvary against the son of god while all heaven gazed upon the scene in silent horror when the great sacrifice had been consummated christ ascended on high refusing the adoration of angels until he had presented the request i will that they also whom thou hast given me be with me where i am john chapter 17 verse 24 then with inexpressible love and power came forth the answer from the father's throne let all the angels of god worship him hebrews chapter 1 verse 6 not a stain rested upon jesus his humiliation ended his sacrifice completed there was given unto him a name that is above every name the great controversy pages 501 and 502 monday february 1 the late great city of babylon babylon is suddenly fallen and destroyed the spoiler is come upon her even upon babylon and her mighty men are taken every one of their bows is broken for the lord god of recompenses shall surely requite and i will make drunk her princes and her wise men her captains and her rulers and her mighty men and they shall sleep a perpetual sleep and not awake saith the king whose name is the lord of hosts i have laid a snare for thee and thou art also taken o babylon and thou was not aware thou art found and also caught because thou hast striven against the lord the lord hath opened his armory and hath brought forth the weapons of his indignation for this is the work of the lord god of hosts in the land of the chaldeans thus saith the lord of hosts the children of israel and the children of judah were oppressed together and all that took them captives held them fast they refused to let them go their redeemer is strong the lord of hosts is his name he shall thoroughly plead their cause that he may give rest to the land and disquiet the inhabitants of babylon jeremiah chapter 51 verse 41 chapter 50 verses 23 and 46 and jeremiah 51 verses 8 56 and 57 and chapter 50 verses 24 25 33 and 34. thus the broad walls of babylon became utterly broken and her high gates burned with fire thus the jehovah of hosts caused the arrogancy of the proud to cease and lay low the haughtiness of the terrible thus did babylon the glory of kingdoms the beauty of the chaldees excellency become as sodom and gomorrah a place forever accursed it shall never be inhabited inspiration has declared neither shall it be dwelt in from generation to generation neither shall the arabian pitch tent there neither shall the shepherds make their fold there but wild beasts of the desert shall lie there and their houses shall be full of doleful creatures and owls shall dwell there and satire shall dance there and the wild beasts of the island shall cry in their desolate houses and dragons in their pleasant palaces i will also make it a possession for the bittern and pools of water and i will sweep it with the beesome of destruction saith the lord of hosts jeremiah chapter 51 verse 58 isaiah chapter 13 verses 11 and 19-22 and chapter 14 verse 23 prophets and kings pages 532 and 533 every nation that has come upon the stage of action has been permitted to occupy its place on the earth that the fact might be determined whether it would fulfill the purposes of the watcher and the holy one prophecy has traced the rise and progress of the world's great empires babylon medo-persia greece and rome with each of these as with the nations of less power history has repeated itself each has had its period of test each has failed its glory faded its power departed while nations have rejected god's principles and in this rejection have wrought their own ruin yet a divine overruling purpose has manifestly been at work throughout the ages prophets and kings page 535 tuesday february 2 fall of the mountain king it was a being of wonderful power and glory that had set himself against god lucifer had been the covering cherub he had stood in the light of god's presence he had been the highest of all created beings and had been foremost in revealing god's purposes to the universe after he had sinned his power to deceive was the more deceptive and the unveiling of his character was the more difficult because of the exalted position he had held with the father god could have destroyed satan and his sympathizers as easily as one can cast a pebble to the earth but he did not do this rebellion was not to be overcome by force compelling power is found only under satan's government the lord's principles are not of this order his authority rests upon goodness mercy and love and the presentation of these principles is the means to be used god's government is moral and truth and love are to be the prevailing power the desire of ages pages 758 and 759 the teaching of this parable of the wheat and the tares is illustrated in god's own dealing with men and angels satan is a deceiver when he sinned in heaven even the loyal angels did not fully discern his character this was why god did not at once destroy satan had he done so the holy angels would not have perceived the justice and love of god a doubt of god's goodness would have been as evil seed that would yield the bitter fruit of sin and woe therefore the author of evil was spared fully to develop his character through long ages god has borne the anguish of beholding the work of evil he has given the infinite gift of calvary rather than leave any to be deceived by the misrepresentations of the wicked one for the tares could not be plucked up without danger of uprooting the precious grain and shall we not be as forbearing toward our fellow men as the lord of heaven and earth is toward satan christ's object lessons page 72 meekness is a precious grace willing to suffer silently willing to endure trials meekness is patient and labors to be happy under all circumstances meekness is always thankful and makes its own songs of happiness making melody in the heart of god meekness will suffer disappointment and wrong and will not retaliate it is the humble life of goodness of fidelity that will make you the object of the heavenly angel special guardianship the pattern man lived nearly 30 years in an obscure galilean town hidden away among the hills all the angel host was at his command yet he did not claim to be anything great or exalted he was a carpenter working for wages a servant to those for whom he labored showing that heaven may be very near to us in the common walks of life and that angels from the heavenly courts will take charge of the steps of those who come and go at god's command my life today page 56 wednesday february 3 heaven's gate the term babylon is derived from babel and signifies confusion it is employed in scripture to designate the various forms of false or apostate religion in revelation chapter 17 babylon is represented as a woman a figure which is used in the bible as the symbol of a church a virtuous woman representing a pure church a vile woman an apostate church the great controversy page 381 the lord knew the evil influences that would surround jacob and the perils to which he would be exposed in mercy he opened up the future before the repentant fugitive that he might understand the divine purpose with reference to himself and be prepared to resist the temptations that would surely come to him when alone amid the idolaters and scheming men in the vision the plan of redemption was presented to jacob not fully but in such parts as were essential to him at that time the mystic ladder revealed to him in his dream was the same to which christ referred in his conversation with nathanael said he ye shall see heaven open and the angels of god ascending and descending upon the son of man john chapter 1 verse 51 the latter represents jesus the appointed medium of communication had he not with his own merits bridge the gulf that sin had made the ministering angels could have held no communion with fallen man christ connects man in his weakness and helplessness with the source of infinite power jacob awoke from his sleep in the deep stillness of night the shining forms of his vision had disappeared only the dim outline of the lonely hills and above them the heavens bright with stars now met his gaze but he had a solemn sense that god was with him and unseen presence filled the solitude surely the lord is in this place he said and i knew it not this is none other but the house of god and this is the gate of heaven patriarchs and prophets pages 184 and 187 our house of worship may be very humble but it is nonetheless acknowledged by god if we worship in spirit and in truth and in the beauty of holiness it will be to us the very gate of heaven as lessons of the wondrous works of god are repeated and as the heart's gratitude is expressed in prayer and song angels from heaven take up the strain and unite in praise and thanksgiving to god these exercises drive back the power of satan they expel murmurings and complainings and satan loses ground god teaches us that we should assemble in his house to cultivate the attributes of perfect love this will fit the dwellers of earth for the mansions christ has gone to prepare for those who love him where from sabbath to sabbath from one new moon to another they will assemble in the sanctuary to unite in loftier strains of song in thanksgiving and praise to him that sitteth upon the throne and to the lamb forever and ever in heavenly places page 288 thursday february 4 final triumph of zion men are prone to abuse the long-suffering of god and to presume on his forbearance but there is a point in human iniquity when it is time for god to interfere and terrible are the issues the lord is slow to anger and great in power and will not at all acquit the wicked nahum chapter 1 verse 3 the long-suffering of god is wonderful because he puts constraint on his own attributes but punishment is nonetheless certain every century of profligacy has treasured up wrath against the day of wrath and when the time comes and the iniquity is full then god will do his strange work it will be found a terrible thing to have worn out the divine patience for the wrath of god will fall so signally and strongly that it is presented as being unmixed with mercy and the very earth will be desolated selected messages book 2 pages 372 and 373 paul writes that if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the lord jesus and shalt believe in thine heart that god hath raised him from the dead thou shalt be saved for with the heart man believeth unto righteousness and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation romans chapter 10 verse 9 the faith that is unto salvation is not a casual faith it is not the mere consent of the intellect it is belief rooted in the heart that embraces christ as a personal savior assured that he can save unto the uttermost all that come unto god by him to believe that he will save others but will not save you is not genuine faith but when the soul lays hold upon christ as the only hope of salvation then genuine faith is manifested this faith leads its possessor to place all the affections of the soul upon christ his understanding is under the control of the holy spirit and his character is molded after the divine likeness his faith is not a dead faith but a faith that works by love and leads him to behold the beauty of christ and to become assimilated to the divine character selected messages book 1 pages 391 and 392. from india from africa from china from the islands of the sea from the downtrodden millions of so-called christian lands the cry of human woe is ascending to god that cry will not long be unanswered god will cleanse the earth from its moral corruption not by a sea of water as in noah's day but by a sea of fire that cannot be quenched by any human devising from garretts from hovels from dungeons from scaffolds from mountains and deserts from the caves of the earth and the caverns of the sea christ will gather his children to himself the rebuke of his people shall he take away isaiah chapter 25 verse 8 white robes will be given to every one of them revelation chapter 6 verse 11 and they shall call them the holy people the redeemed of the lord isaiah chapter 62 verse 12 christ's object lessons page 179 [Music] for further reading reflect in christ revealing the triumphs of grace page 347 and ellen g white comments in the sda bible commentary battling with unseen powers volume 6 pages 11 18 and 11 19. you