Third Quarter 2023
EGW Notes - Lesson 3, 8 – 14 July
The Power of the Exalted Jesus
Sabbath Afternoon, July 8
The Saviour longs to give us a greater blessing than we ask; and He delays
the answer to our request that He may show us the evil of our own hearts, and
our deep need of His grace. He desires us to renounce the selfishness that
leads us to seek Him. Confessing our helplessness and bitter need, we are to
trust ourselves wholly to His love. . . .
Not because we see or feel that God hears us are we to believe. We are to
trust in His promises. When we come to Him in faith, every petition enters the
heart of God. When we have asked for His blessing, we should believe that we
receive it, and thank Him that we have received it. Then we are to go about
our duties, assured that the blessing will be realized when we need it most.
When we have learned to do this, we shall know that our prayers are
answered. God will do for us “exceeding abundantly,” “according to the riches
of His glory,” and “the working of His mighty power.” Ephesians 3:20, 16; 1:19.
—The Desire of Ages, p. 200.
All created beings live by the will and power of God. They are recipients of the
life of the Son of God. However able and talented, however large their
capacities, they are replenished with life from the source of all life. He is the
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spring, the fountain, of life. Only He who alone hath immortality, dwelling in
light and life, could say, “I have power to lay down My life, and I have power to
take it again.” . . .
All who are one with Christ through faith in Him gain an experience which is
life unto eternal life. “Because I live, ye shall live also.”
Christ became one with humanity, that humanity might become one in Spirit
and life with Him. By virtue of this union in obedience to the Word of God, His
life becomes their life.
—My Life Today, p. 295.
The power of godliness has almost ceased to be in our churches. And why is
this? The Lord is still waiting to be gracious; He has not closed the windows of
heaven. We have separated ourselves from Him. We need to fix the eye of
faith upon the cross and believe that Jesus is our strength, our salvation. . . .
It is faith that is lacking. God has an abundance of grace and power awaiting
our demand. But the reason we do not feel our great need of it is because we
look to ourselves and not to Jesus. We do not exalt Jesus and rely wholly
upon His merits.
—Testimonies for the Church, vol. 5, pp. 166, 167.
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Sunday, July 9 Praying and Thanksgiving
Have we not reason to talk of God’s goodness and to tell of His power? When
friends are kind to us we esteem it a privilege to thank them for their kindness.
How much more should we count it a joy to return thanks to the Friend who
has given us every good and perfect gift. Then let us, in every church, cultivate
thanksgiving to God. Let us educate our lips to praise God in the family circle.
Let our gifts and offerings declare our gratitude for the favors we daily receive.
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In everything we should show forth the joy of the Lord and make known the
message of God’s saving grace.
The hearts of those who reveal the attributes of Christ glow with divine love.
They are imbued with the spirit of gratitude. Lift up Jesus. Lift Him up, the man
of Calvary, with the voice of song and prayer.
—My Life Today, p. 170.
In the work of heart-keeping we must be instant in prayer, unwearied in
petitioning the throne of grace for assistance. Those who take the name of
Christian should come to God in earnestness and humility, pleading for help.
The Saviour has told us to pray without ceasing. The Christian cannot always
be in the position of prayer, but his thoughts and desires can always be
upward. Our self-confidence would vanish, did we talk less and pray more.
The affections should center upon God. Contemplate His greatness, His
mercy and excellences. Let His goodness and love and perfection of character
captivate your heart. Converse upon His divine charms, and the heavenly
mansions He is preparing for the faithful. He whose conversation is in heaven,
is the most profitable Christian to all around him. His words are useful and
refreshing. They have a transforming power upon those who hear them, and
will melt and subdue the soul.
—Ellen G. White Comments, in The Seventh-day Adventist Bible
Commentary, vol. 3, p. 1157.
To praise God in fullness and sincerity of heart is as much a duty as is prayer.
We are to show to the world and to all the heavenly intelligences that we
appreciate the wonderful love of God for fallen humanity and that we are
expecting larger and yet larger blessings from His infinite fullness. Far more
than we do, we need to speak of the precious chapters in our experience.
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After a special outpouring of the Holy Spirit, our joy in the Lord and our
efficiency in His service would be greatly increased by recounting His
goodness and His wonderful works in behalf of His children.
These exercises drive back the power of Satan. They expel the spirit of
murmuring and complaint, and the tempter loses ground. They cultivate those
attributes of character which will fit the dwellers on earth for the heavenly
mansions.
Such a testimony will have an influence upon others. No more effective means
can be employed for winning souls to Christ.
—Christ’s Object Lessons, pp. 299, 300.
Monday, July 10 Experiencing Insight From the Holy Spirit
Here are revealed the heights of attainment that we may reach through faith in
the promises of our heavenly Father, when we fulfill His requirements.
Through the merits of Christ, we have access to the throne of infinite power.
“He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he
not with him also freely give us all things?” Romans 8:32. . . .
It is the mystery of God in the flesh, God in Christ, divinity in humanity. Christ
bowed down in unparalleled humility, that in His exaltation to the throne of God
He might also exalt those who believe in Him to a seat with Him upon His
throne. “Exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think,” will be given
unto us “the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him”
(Ephesians 1:17), that we may be able to “comprehend with all saints what is
the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; and to know the love of Christ,
which passeth knowledge,” that we may be “filled with all the fulness of God.”
—Our High Calling, p. 366.
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What we need is to know God and the power of His love, as revealed in Christ,
by an experimental knowledge. We must search the Scriptures diligently,
prayerfully; our understanding must be quickened by the Holy Spirit, and our
hearts must be uplifted to God in faith and hope and continual praise.
Through the merits of Christ, through His righteousness, which by faith is
imputed unto us, we are to attain to the perfection of Christian character. Our
daily and hourly work is set forth in the words of the apostle: “Looking unto
Jesus the Author and Finisher of our faith.” While doing this our minds become
clearer and our faith stronger, and our hope is confirmed; we are so engrossed
with the view of His purity and loveliness, and the sacrifice He has made to
bring us into agreement with God, that we have no disposition to speak of
doubts and discouragements.
The manifestation of God’s love, His mercy and His goodness, and the work of
the Holy Spirit upon the heart to enlighten and renew it, place us, through faith,
in so close connection with Christ that, having a clear conception of His
character, we are able to discern the masterly deceptions of Satan. Looking
unto Jesus and trusting in His merits we appropriate the blessings of light, of
peace, of joy in the Holy Ghost. And in view of the great things which Christ
has done for us, we are ready to exclaim: “Behold, what manner of love the
Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God.”
—Testimonies for the Church, vol. 5, pp. 743, 744.
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Tuesday, July 11 Participating in Resurrection Power
The Saviour came forth from the grave by the life that was in Himself. Now
was proved the truth of His words, “I lay down My life, that I might take it
again. . . . I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again.” Now
was fulfilled the prophecy He had spoken to the priests and rulers, “Destroy
this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” John 10:17, 18; 2:19.
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Over the rent sepulcher of Joseph, Christ had proclaimed in triumph, “I am the
resurrection, and the life.” These words could be spoken only by the Deity. All
created beings live by the will and power of God. They are dependent
recipients of the life of God. From the highest seraph to the humblest animate
being, all are replenished from the Source of life. Only He who is one with God
could say, I have power to lay down My life, and I have power to take it again.
In His divinity, Christ possessed the power to break the bonds of death.
—The Desire of Ages, p. 785.
Go to Christ for relief. Cling to Him. Stay long enough to yield up your will to
the will of God. Many are in too great a hurry to pray. With hurried steps they
pass through the shadow of Christ’s loving presence, pausing perhaps for a
few moments within the sacred precincts, but not waiting for counsel. They
have no time to sit down, no time to remain with the divine Teacher. With their
burdens, they return to their work.
Fix your thoughts upon the Saviour. Go apart from the bustle of the world, and
sit down under Christ’s shadow. This you must do if you receive the rich
blessings He is waiting to bestow on you. Give your thoughts to high and holy
things. Then, amidst the din of the daily toil and conflict, your spiritual strength
will be renewed.
—This Day With God, p. 154.
There is no man living that has any power or ability which he has not received
from God, and the source from whence it came is open to the weakest human
being. If he will draw near to God, the unfailing source of strength, he will
realize that God fulfills His promise. . . . “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek,
and ye shall find.” . . .
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The Holy Spirit waits to give aid to every believing soul, and Jesus declares,
“Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.” Let those who
believe in Jesus be strong, prayerful, and full of trust in Christ’s power to save.
“Call upon Me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify
Me.”
—Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers, pp. 379, 380.
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Wednesday, July 12 Christ Above All Powers
“The head of every man is Christ.” God, who put all things under the Saviour’s
feet, “gave Him to be the head over all things to the church, which is His body,
the fullness of Him that filleth all in all.” 1 Corinthians 11:3; Ephesians 1:22, 23.
The church is built upon Christ as its foundation; it is to obey Christ as its
head. It is not to depend upon man, or be controlled by man. Many claim that
a position of trust in the church gives them authority to dictate what other men
shall believe and what they shall do. This claim God does not sanction.
—The Desire of Ages, p. 414.
The early Christians were often called to meet the powers of darkness face to
face. By sophistry and by persecution the enemy endeavored to turn them
from the true faith. At the present time, when the end of all things earthly is
rapidly approaching, Satan is putting forth desperate efforts to ensnare the
world. He is devising many plans to occupy minds and to divert attention from
the truths essential to salvation. In every city his agencies are busily
organizing into parties those who are opposed to the law of God. The
archdeceiver is at work to introduce elements of confusion and rebellion, and
men are being fired with a zeal that is not according to knowledge.
Wickedness is reaching a height never before attained, and yet many
ministers of the gospel are crying, “Peace and safety.” But God’s faithful
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messengers are to go steadily forward with their work. Clothed with the
panoply of heaven, they are to advance fearlessly and victoriously, never
ceasing their warfare until every soul within their reach shall have received the
message of truth for this time.
—The Acts of the Apostles, pp. 219, 220.
[In the] hour of utmost extremity David, instead of permitting his mind to dwell
upon . . . circumstances, looked earnestly to God for help. He “encouraged
himself in the Lord.” He reviewed his past eventful life. Wherein had the Lord
ever forsaken him? His soul was refreshed in recalling the many evidences of
God’s favor. . . . “What time I am afraid, I will trust in Thee” (Psalm 56:3), was
the language of his heart. Though he himself could not discern a way out of
the difficulty, God could see it, and would teach him what to do. . . .
All earthly powers are under the control of the Infinite One. To the mightiest
ruler, to the most cruel oppressor, He says, “Hitherto shalt thou come, but no
further.” Job 38:11. God’s power is constantly exercised to counteract the
agencies of evil; He is ever at work among men, not for their destruction, but
for their correction and preservation.
—Patriarchs and Prophets, pp. 692, 694.
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Thursday, July 13Jesus, All Things, and His Church
We expect too little, and we receive according to our faith. We are not to cling
to our own ways, our own plans, our own ideas; we are to be transformed by
the renewing of our minds, that we may prove what is that good and
acceptable and perfect will of God. Besetting sins are to be conquered, and
evil habits overcome. Wrong dispositions and feelings are to be rooted out,
and holy tempers and emotions begotten in us by the Spirit of God. . . .
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Then let us lay hold of this mighty power by living faith, praying and believing,
trusting and working. Then God will do that which only God can do. . . .
Hand yourself over to Jesus, to be molded and fashioned by Him, that you
may be made vessels unto honor. Your temptations, your ideas, your feelings,
must all be laid at the foot of the cross. Then the soul is ready to listen to
words of divine instruction. Jesus will give you to drink of the water which flows
from the river of God. Under the softening and subduing influence of His Spirit
your coldness and listlessness will disappear. Christ will be in you a well of
water, springing up into everlasting life.
—The Upward Look, p. 218.
The prayer of faith is the great strength of the Christian and will assuredly
prevail against Satan. This is why he insinuates that we have no need of
prayer. The name of Jesus, our Advocate, he detests; and when we earnestly
come to Him for help, Satan’s host is alarmed. It serves his purpose well if we
neglect the exercise of prayer, for then his lying wonders are more readily
received. That which he failed to accomplish in tempting Christ, he
accomplishes by setting his deceitful temptations before man.
—Testimonies for the Church, vol. 1, p. 296.
Prayer is the breath of the soul. It is the secret of spiritual power. No other
means of grace can be substituted, and the health of the soul be preserved.
Prayer brings the heart into immediate contact with the Well-spring of life, and
strengthens the sinew and muscle of the religious experience. Neglect the
exercise of prayer, or engage in prayer spasmodically, now and then, as
seems convenient, and you lose your hold on God. The spiritual faculties lose
their vitality, the religious experience lacks health and vigor.
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It is only at the altar of God that we can kindle our tapers with divine fire. It is
only the divine light that will reveal the littleness, the incompetence, of human
ability, and give clear views of the perfection and purity of Christ. It is only as
we behold Jesus that we desire to be like Him, only as we view His
righteousness that we hunger and thirst to possess it; and it is only as we ask
in earnest prayer, that God will grant us our heart’s desire.
—Gospel Workers, pp. 254, 255.
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Friday, July 14 For Further Reading
My Life Today, “Thanksgiving and Praise,” p. 171;
That I May Know Him, “On the Threshold of Eternity,” p. 362.
Thanksgiving and Praise
Roads to Happiness That Are Never Closed
Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be
thankful unto him, and bless his name. Psalm 100:4 {ML 171.1}
If we will consecrate heart and mind to the service of God, doing the work He
has for us to do and walking in the footsteps of Jesus, our hearts will become
sacred harps, every chord of which will send forth praise and thanksgiving to
the Lamb sent by God to take away the sins of the world.... {ML 171.2}
Christ would have our thoughts center upon Him.... Look away from self to
Jesus Christ, the life of every blessing, every grace, the life of all that is
precious and valuable to the children of God.... {ML 171.3}
The Lord Jesus is our strength and happiness, the great storehouse from
which, on every occasion, men may draw strength. As we study Him, talk of
Him, become more and more able to behold Him—as we avail ourselves of
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His grace and receive the blessings He proffers us, we have something with
which to help others. Filled with gratitude, we communicate to others the
blessings that have been freely given us. Thus receiving and imparting, we
grow in grace; and a rich current of praise and gratitude constantly flows from
our lips; the sweet spirit of Jesus kindles thanksgiving in our hearts, and our
souls are uplifted with a sense of security. The unfailing, inexhaustible
righteousness of Christ becomes our righteousness by faith. {ML 171.4}
Let the fresh blessings of each new day awaken praise in our hearts for these
tokens of His loving care. {ML 171.5}
When you open your eyes in the morning, thank God that He has kept you
through the night. Thank Him for His peace in your heart. Morning, noon, and
night let gratitude as a sweet perfume ascend to heaven.... {ML 171.6}
The angels of God, thousands upon thousands, ... guard us against evil and
press back the powers of darkness that are seeking our destruction. Have we
not reason to be thankful every moment, thankful even when there are
apparent difficulties in our pathway? {ML 171.7}
On the Threshold of Eternity
So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall
have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is
written, Death is swallowed up in victory. 1 Corinthians 15:54. {TMK 362.1}
How precious to those who are losing their loved of this world are their faith
and hope in the promises of God which open before them the future immortal
life! Their hopes may fasten upon unseen realities of the future world. Christ
has risen from the dead the first fruits. Hope and faith strengthen the soul to
pass through the dark shadows of the tomb, in full faith of coming forth to
immortal life in the morning of the resurrection. The Paradise of God, the
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home of the blessed! There all tears shall be wiped from off all faces! When
Christ shall come the second time, to be “admired in all them that believe”
(2 Thessalonians 1:10), death shall be swallowed up in victory, and there shall
be no more sickness, no more sorrow, no more death! A rich promise is given
to us: “Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right
to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city” (Revelation
22:14). Is not this promise rich and comforting to those who love God? {TMK 362.2}
The resurrection of Jesus was a sample of the final resurrection of all who
sleep in Him. The risen body of the Saviour, His deportment, the accents of
His speech, were all familiar to His followers. In like manner will those who
sleep in Jesus rise again. We shall know our friends even as the disciples
knew Jesus. Though they may have been deformed, diseased, or disfigured in
this mortal life, yet in their resurrected and glorified body their individual
identity will be perfectly preserved, and we shall recognize, in the face radiant
with the light shining from the face of Jesus, the lineaments of those we love.
{TMK 362.3}
The Life-giver will call up His purchased possession in the first resurrection,
and until that triumphant hour, when the last trump shall sound and the vast
army shall come forth to eternal victory, every sleeping saint will be kept in
safety and will be guarded as a precious jewel, who is known to God by name.
{TMK 362.4}
