Daily Living

Little Things

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For the kingdom of heaven is as a man traveling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods.” Matthew 25:14. The one with the five talents worked with them by trading and made five more talents. “His lord said unto him, ‘Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.’ ” Matthew 25:21. The same thing happened to the man with two talents.

What happened to the man with one talent? Why did he not work it? He just had one talent, and he complained. He received no commendation from the Lord. “The Lord said to him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed: thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury.” Matthew 25:26, 27

What will it take for the Lord to say “Well done, thou good and faithful servant” to me? Will the Lord say, “Well done” if I am hard-hearted?

Do You Have a Talent?

“To every man is committed individual gifts. Some regard these talents as being limited to certain men who possess superior mental endowments and genius. But God has not restricted the bestowal of His talents to a favored few.” Bible Commentary, vol. 5, 1100

“To every one is committed some special endowment for which you will be responsible by the Lord.” Ibid. Six different things are listed, one may be your gift. “Time, reason, means, strength, mental powers and tenderness of heart all are gifts from God and trusted to be used in the great work of blessing humanity . . . The Lord is watching everyone to see whether he will use his talents wisely and unselfishly, or whether he will seek his own advancement. The talents are distributed to every man according to his several ability that he may add to them by wise investment. Each one must give an account to the Master for his own actions . . . The Lord will not require from those who are poor that which they have not to give. No one need mourn because he cannot glorify God with talents that were never intrusted to him. But if you only have one talent, use it well and it will accumulate.” Ibid.

How Do You Spend Your Time?

The goods we have received are not our own and that includes our time. Also, the reason, the means, the strength, and the mental powers, are not ours. They belong to the Lord. He will require of us an account. We are only stewards for all these things that God has given to us.

At one time I worked as a colporteur in Germany. A lady we were trying to sell the magazines to told us she had no time to read. We asked, “Why not?” She replied that she worked from 6:00 AM until 10:00 PM. We asked her, “What’s wrong with before 6:00 and after 10:00?” She bought the magazine.

Ellen White says, “Of no talent He has given will He require a more strict account than our time. The value of time is beyond computation. We have no time to waste. We have no time to devote to selfish pleasures. We have no time for the indulgence of sin.” Christ Object Lessons, 342. Why do people devote their time to selfish pleasures? We do things because we like them, and that is our problem. The question is, how do I reform? If we are expecting to hear the words “Well done,” it is required of us to be faithful in the little things. Jesus says in Luke 16:10, “He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much.”

Little Things

Inspiration tells us about little things.

“Holy angels whose work it is to watch the development of character and weigh moral worth make a record of every transgression in the books of heaven. In the day of judgment many will be shut out of the city of God by sins which they supposed to be unworthy of notice.” Signs of the Times, December 17, 1896

“Faithfulness in little things should characterize the life. True integrity should mark every course of action. It is conscious attention to what the world calls little things that makes a great beauty and success of life. Little deeds of charity, little words of kindness, little acts of self-denial and wise improvement of little opportunities, a diligent cultivation of little talents, make great men in the sight of God.” Youth Instructor, April 21, 1898

Count the Cost

“Well done” includes such things as our commitments. When we make a commitment, the Lord expects us to keep it. Before we make a commitment, we should first think it over. We should count the cost.

Do not make a commitment you know that you cannot meet later. Many times people make commitments because it makes them feel good. Sometimes that is why people get married. It feels good right now and they do not count the cost. But we need to count the cost.

Do you think that men count the cost before they commit sin? The Bible says the wages of sin is death. If people realized that when they sin, they are working for the wages of eternal death, would they think twice? Jesus says, “Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin.” John 8:34.

Is sin a choice? No one is forcing us to sin. We have a choice. “It is Satan’s act to tempt you, but your own [choice] act to yield.” Testimonies, vol. 4, 623. The devil tempts and we yield. This statement continues, “It is not in the power of all the host of Satan to force the tempted to transgress.” Ibid. The devil cannot make you do it.

“Satan cannot touch the mind or intellect unless we yield to him.” Bible Commentary, vol. 6, 1105. The devil is not able to force us against our will. He can only do it if we allow him to. When we are under pressure, we should call upon the name of the Lord, who is our strong tower.

100% Commitment

Jesus expects total commitment. “He that loveth father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me, and he that loveth son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of Me.” Matthew 10:37, 38. What does it mean to take up the cross of Christ? “To bear the cross of Christ is (first) to control our sinful passions, (second) to practice Christian courtesy even when it is inconvenient to do so, (third) to see the wants of the needy and distressed and deny ourselves in order to relieve them, and (fourth) to open our hearts and our doors to the homeless orphan, although to do this may tax our means and our patience.” Testimonies, vol. 4, 627. That is what the prophet said it means to bear the cross of Christ. “Whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple.” Luke 14:33

Little Things

“He who does not give himself wholly to God is under the control of another power.” Thoughts From the Mount of Blessings, 94.

If I do not give myself 100% to God, I am under the control of Satan. It is going to be either 100% or nothing. “Satan takes control of every mind that is not decidedly under the control of the Spirit of God.” Testimonies to Ministers, 79. “Almost but not wholly saved, means to be not almost but wholly lost.” Christ Object Lessons, 118. If you think about these statements, what does it take for Jesus to say, Well done, thou good and faithful servant”?

There will be a group of people who will be wholly and totally committed to Jesus Christ. They are described in Revelation 14:1-5. They will follow the Lamb wherever He goes.

Inspiration says, “Half-hearted Christians are worse than infidels. For their deceptive words and non-committal positions lead many astray. The infidel shows his colors, the lukewarm Christian deceives both parties. He is neither a good worldling nor a good Christian and Satan uses a lukewarm Christian to do a work that no one else can do.” Bible Commentary, vol. 7, 963. We must be 100% for Jesus because He will not tell us “Well done,” if we are only half and half, lukewarm, sitting on the fence, halting between two opinions.

God will not say to Laodicea, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant,” unless Laodicea is converted. We need to make a total commitment to Jesus. We need to be consecrated to Him and by His grace we shall conquer.

Do You Pass the Test?

Here is a self-test. “Let no one deceive his own soul in this matter. If you harbor pride, self-esteem, a love for the supremacy, vainglory, unholy ambition, murmuring, discontent, bitterness, evil speaking, lying, deception, slandering . . . you have not Christ abiding in your heart, and the evidence shows that you have the mind and character of Satan, not of Jesus Christ . . . You may have good intentions, good impulses, can speak the truth understandingly, but you are not fit for the kingdom of heaven.” Testimonies to Ministers, 441. God gave us these instructions to help us. We must be totally committed to Jesus Christ. When we have that type of commitment, then Jesus can give us the welcome as expressed in Matthew 25:21, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy Lord.”

Meek but Unyielding

James 4:7 says, “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil and He will flee from you.”

Bible Commentary, vol. 2, 1003, says, “True Christian character is marked by a singleness of purpose, an indomitable determination which refuses to yield to worldly influences which will aim at nothing short of the Bible standard. Moses stood for the right, but he was meek at the same time.”

“Those who can be bribed or seduced or terrified will be of no service in the Christian warfare. Those who set their affections on worldly treasures or worldly honors will not push the battle against principalities and powers and spiritual wickedness in high places. All who would be soldiers of Christ must gird on the whole armor and prepare for the conflict. They should not be intimidated by threats, or terrified by dangers. They must be cautious in peril, yet firm and brave in facing the foe and doing battle for God. The consecration of Christ’s followers must be complete. Father, mother, wife, children, houses, land’s, everything must be held secondary to the work and to the cause of God.” Bible Commentary, vol. 2, 1003.

We Must Sacrifice All

In Testimonies to the Church, vol. 1, 126, it says, “Those who are willing to make any sacrifice for eternal life, will have it.” If we are committed to gain eternal life, we will get it. The problem is that if we are not committed 100%, we will not get it.

In Messages to Young People, 29, it says, “Make it the law of your life from which no temptation or side interest shall cause you to turn, to honor God.” How often do we have to make that decision? Every day.

You remember the vision Ellen White had about the two roads. There was a wide and a narrow road. She saw people walking on the wide road that had written on their garments, not “Adventist”, but something equivalent. But where were they? On the wide road. They made a great profession, but what did she say? Where were they going? They were going to eternal destruction. She says in Testimonies to the Church, vol. 1, 127, “The roads are distinct, separate, in opposite directions. One leads to eternal life, the other to eternal death. I saw the distinctions between the roads, also the distinction between the companies traveling them.” And what does she say about the distinctions—the two groups were different in four areas— “in character, in life, in dress, and in conversation.” Ibid. They looked different, they acted different, they talked different, and their hearts were different.

That was written in 1856. The general conference was not organized until 1863. So it was seven years before the general conference was organized. It says here in the first sentence, “I was shown in vision some things that concern the church generally.” Ibid. What was the church? It was not the general conference or any local conference (the first local conference was organized in 1861) But the church was there already. There is a statement in Testimonies, vol. 4, 402 that says, “Men who are not half converted, who are self-confident and self-sufficient in character, preach the truth to others. But God does not work with them, for they are not holy in heart and life.” What was the problem? The truth made no change in the life.

The Testing Place

How do you know if you are a Christian? Where is the best place to prove it? At home. There you find out if you are a Christian or not. How you treat your wife, your husband and your children? Inspiration tells us if we want to be saints in heaven, we must be saints first in our own families. This is how we can find out if we are Christians. We can check ourselves for what comes out of our mouth and how we treat others at home.

We live in the Day of Atonement. Inspiration tells us, “The great work is before us of leading the people away from worldly customs and practices, up higher and higher in spirituality.” Testimonies, vol. 5, 520

Jesus says if your right eye troubles you and it keeps you from entering the kingdom of heaven, get rid of it. (See Matthew 5:29.) So if our television gives us trouble, what should we do with it? Get rid of it, if it keeps us from heaven.

I believe it is time for God’s professed people to wake up and to make a total commitment to Jesus Christ, to be faithful to His work, to His law, to His instruction. It is time that we are concerned about the things of God instead of trying to be “nice guys” toward the world loving. The majority are concerned about the people around them and in pleasing them, but God is calling us to stand for something, to be counted on to preach the Word—the whole counsel of God. Doing this will not offend those who are hungering and thirsting after righteousness.

Forty Men of God

During the years of the pagan persecutions forty men of God were dragged on a cold winter night, out in the middle of a frozen lake and then they were soaked with water and put in a place out on the lake where the wind howled unobstructed against their form. They huddled together knowing that they could not live very long. On the shore, the Romans pitched camp and built huge fires and sent words to those 40 men, out there on that lake freezing to death that if any of them were ready to recant, they could simply indicate the same by walking out of that group, [that little unpopular minority] and take the stand with the majority. “Come over and join us at the fire. That’s all you have to do and warm up with us.”

Those men stood shivering and praying and they began to sing together, “Forty men of God are we, faithful forever we shall be. Forty men of God are we, faithful forever we shall be.” Their clothes began to harden on their bodies. It was not long before one had fallen over unconscious to await the voice of the Lifegiver, and the men put him just outside the group on the ice. But though there was one death, they continued to sing of him and of themselves, “Forty men of God are we, faithful forever we shall be.”

That song split the night air and floated across the frozen ice to the Romans where the captain heard it and he was disturbed. They kept on singing as they piled up the dead, one after another. “Forty men of God are we, faithful forever we shall be.” The Romans stood solemn, hearing, haunted, provoked, disturbed. They wouldn’t do that for their god. And the captain was impressed. The Holy Spirit began to work and to move on his heart and finally there was, among those Christians, one fellow who decided that he could not take it any longer. He would become a defector. He announced his intentions to his brethren, to their pity, and then he went walking across the ice towards that fire and they stood in silence watching him go.

When they saw him taken into the circle of the Romans, others were about to become discouraged when someone brought up the song again, “Thirty-nine men of God are we, faithful forever we shall be.” When the captain heard it, the power of heaven touched his heart and the love of Jesus, which is the only power that can save us and make us witnesses, came upon him and penetrated his armor and his very soul. He turned to his lieutenant and said, “You take charge here. You look after things.” He threw down his shield and his sword, dropped his buckler and went out across the ice. When he had taken his place among the frozen Christians, the song was heard again in greater volume, “Forty men of God are we, faithful forever we shall be.”

When we stand up and stop being like everybody else, when we are committed to His cause and quit being hypocrites, we will bring Romans out of their armor. Men will cry, “What shall I do to be saved?”

The End

The Reason Why We Sin

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When I was in the world, it was very easy for me to sin while still believing that I was a good person. It was only when I came to Jesus and looked at the cross that I began to see who I really was. After I was baptized and gave my heart fully to Jesus, I realized something even more strange: I realized that I was more wicked than I ever realized before. The closer I came to Jesus, the worse my condition became.

Suddenly I was struggling with evil thoughts. I could not understand why, because I had just given my heart to the Lord. As Jesus went into the wilderness of temptation after His baptism, so I went into my own wilderness of temptation. I began to see that, depending on myself, I was uncontrollable and in continuous sin. The difference was that as a Christian I could now see my condition. So I prayed to God to tell me the reasons why it is so easy to sin.

To fully appreciate what Jesus has done in making salvation possible, we must first understand and accept our true condition. First, let’s define what sin is. John wrote, “Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law” (1 John 3:4).

In James 2:9–11, James explains which law is being referred to: “But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors. For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all. For He that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law.”

This law is the ten commandments and Scripture tells the consequences of breaking that law. “For the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). The Bible says, “… when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death” (James 1:15).

The result of sin is death. Sin is not merely a concept. It is an action and power. Sin is contrary to the law. The question must be asked, Can sin be present in a person without the person actually committing sin?

Psalm 51:5 says, “Behold, I was shapen in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me.” From the womb, this is our true condition. A baby has not committed sin, but can a baby die? Death only occurs because of the presence of sin. Though a baby has not committed any sin and can die means there is sin present, even in the nature of the child. This is the condition in which all human beings were born, hence the struggle and battle with sin. Because we were shaped and conceived in sin, it is impossible to overcome by ourselves. We need help from above.

To discover the way out, we first must come face to face with who we really are.

Isaiah 48:1–8 says, “Hear ye this, O house of Jacob, which are called by the name of Israel, and are come forth out of the waters of Judah, which swear by the name of the Lord, and make mention of the God of Israel, but not in truth, nor in righteousness. For they call themselves of the holy city, and stay themselves upon the God of Israel; The Lord of hosts is His name. I have declared the former things from the beginning; and they went forth out of My mouth, and I showed them; I did them suddenly, and they came to pass. Because I knew that thou art obstinate, and thy neck is an iron sinew, and thy brow brass; I have even from the beginning declared it to thee; before it came to pass I showed it thee: lest thou shouldest say, Mine idol hath done them, and my graven image, and my molten image, hath commanded them.

“Thou hast heard, see all this; and will not ye declare it? I have showed thee new things from this time, even hidden things, and thou didst not know them. They are created now, and not from the beginning; even before the day when thou heardest them not; lest thou shouldest say, Behold, I knew them.

“Yea, thou heardest not; yea, thou knewest not; yea, from that time that thine ear was not opened: for I knew that thou wouldest deal very treacherously, and wast called a transgressor from the womb.”

God says, I knew you were a transgressor from the womb, right from the beginning.

In Psalm 58, notice what it says in verse 3 regarding why we sin. The Bible says, “The wicked are estranged.” In defining the wicked, the Bible says in Jeremiah 17:9, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked … .”

That includes you and me. When God says “wicked,” He is talking about us. “The wicked are estranged from the womb: they go astray as soon as they be born, speaking lies.”

This was no surprise to Jesus. He knew from the beginning that we would deal very treacherously. Treacherously is the Hebrew bagad which means to deal deceitfully, unfaithfully, to transgress. Jesus said, I knew that you would be very deceitful. I knew that you would be very unfaithful to Me and transgress My law.

He gives the reason for knowing that we would eventually commit these things: “Thou wast called a transgressor from the womb.” I knew you were going to do it because this is who you are. The Hebrew word for transgressor is pasha. This verb means to rebel, to revolt, to break away from just authority, to apostatize, to be in transgression, a transgressor.

So, Jesus says we broke away from His just authority and were in rebellion to the law of God from the womb. We have been transgressors before we were born. We are trapped.

To find out why we are in this condition, we must go back to the beginning. Genesis 2:16, 17 says, “And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.” A command was given that, if broken, would result in death.

Adam and Eve were created pure and holy. God was their Father and their teacher. While they listened and obeyed all that He said, they would absorb the attributes of their Master. When a master tradesman takes on an apprentice and he copies all that his master teaches him, he will reflect the attributes of his master.

Notice what happened next: “Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made, And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil” (Genesis 3:1–5).

Our first parents knew what “good” was. They had experienced it in their relationship with God in the garden, but they had no experience of “evil” apart from the knowledge of the consequences if they chose to disobey. They knew the result of evil – death­­.

The devil said, If you disobey God, you will be as God, knowing good and evil. The word know means to know it intimately like when the Bible says, Adam knew his wife – intimately. The devil said, Do not worry about what God says. You can disobey and still be all right. You can intimately know good and intimately know evil at the same time. There is no punishment for that. This same lie is deceiving many young people today.

“And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat” (verse 6).

They chose to obey another master. The Bible says, “Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness” (Romans 6:16)? By choosing a new master they developed his attributes—sin.

Adam was the father of us all. We share the genes which he has passed on throughout all generations. Before Adam sinned, his nature was holy, after the divine nature of God, his Creator. However, after he sinned his nature became sinful or corrupt. That which corrupts will eventually die.

The nature of corruption is that it constantly weakens to the point where it can no more exist, thus the result of sin is death. The question for us now as Adam’s descendants is, Did Adam have children when his nature was holy or when his nature was sinful? That is going to determine how we are.

The Bible says, “And the Lord God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou? And he said, I heard Thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself. And He said, Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat? And the man said, The woman whom Thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat” (Genesis 3:9–12). So, they sinned!

“And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from the Lord” (Genesis 4:1). Because we are all Adam’s descendants and we came on the scene after his nature changed, after he sinned, that means we are now in trouble.

The Bible says, “Wherefore, as by one man [Adam] sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned: … For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners” (Romans 5:12, 19).

By one man’s [Adam’s] offence, death reigned by one and judgment came upon all men to condemnation. Therefore, as the descendants of Adam and Eve, sin, or the transgression of the law, must be in our genes from the womb. The Bible says, “… one sinner destroyeth much good” (Ecclesiastes 9:18). This is called the law of heredity.

From the book, Patriarchs and Prophets, 118, we note: “As a rule, children inherit the dispositions and tendencies of their parents, and imitate their example; so that the sins of the parents are practiced by the children from generation to generation.”

We are in trouble. No one should ever think that they are high and above anyone else. Because of our inherited sin, we are all in the same boat. “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it” (Jeremiah 17:9)?

The devil tempted, saying, Listen, you are going to be like God. The devil could not even tell what was going to happen because he did not even know how this would play out. Sin is so strong, so powerful, that the devil himself could not overcome it. Sin is more powerful than Satan himself. Sin is not to be played with—this is the condition of the unrenewed heart.

Jesus said, “For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: all these evil things come from within, and defile the man” (Mark 7:21).

Again, we are in trouble, for this is our true state. In this condition, there can be no victory over sin. Without victory, you cannot do anything but sin. Even if we try to do good of ourselves, we are still evil. Look at what Jesus said: “If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children …” (Matthew 7:11). Even if we do good, we are still evil.

Notice what it says in Job 15:14–16: “What is man, that he should be clean? and he which is born of a woman, that he should be righteous? Behold, He [God] putteth no trust in His saints; yea, the heavens are not clean in His sight. How much more abominable and filthy is man, which drinketh iniquity like water?” God says, We drink sin as if it is water. We are in a bad state.

We have found thus far that we are guilty of sin from conception. We are transgressors from the womb because of the law of heredity. Without committing even one sin, we are still sinners.

In James chapter 4, we found out who we really are, but will God charge us before we understand what is right or wrong, and choose wrong? Notice what it says in James 4:17: “Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.” Praise God. He winks at our ignorance and sin is not charged on us until we understand what is right or wrong, and then choose the wrong.

How does sin have so strong a hold on us? In Romans 7:14, 15, notice what Paul wrote: “For we know that the law [God’s law] is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin [by Adam]. For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I.”

Paul is being tricked. The things that I hate, that I do not want to do anymore, I find myself doing. Have you ever experienced that before? The things that you want to do – Lord, I want to do this, I want to be holy – you find that you just do not do it. Have you said, Lord, I am not going over there to that place. I am just not doing it, and then you find yourself at that place. Notice what he goes on to say in verse 16: “If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good.”

He says, Look, if I find myself looking at those ten commandments and say I cannot keep this thing, I cannot. That thing must be good, and I must be evil.

Then, in verse 17, he says, “Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.” He says, Lord, I want to do the right thing, but I find myself not doing the right thing. Therefore, it must be a power within me that is causing me to do the wrong thing.

There is a monster within. We want to do right, but that thing that is in the flesh pushes us to do that which we would not. It is a monster within—sin. Paul goes on to say. “For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) dwelleth no good thing” (verse 18). He said, I can see clearly now. For to will is present with me, I want to do the right thing, I will to do the right thing, but how to perform that which is good, I do not know how to do it. This is often our experience. Notice verse 19: “For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.” What is wrong with me?

“Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin [the evil presence] that dwelleth in me” (verse 20). I am controlled by a power within. I do not want to be, but I cannot help it. If you do not receive any help, outside from you, you will automatically sin and sin, and you will not be able to control yourself.

Paul continues,  “I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. For I delight in the law of God after the inward man [I want to do the law of God. I love it. I want to keep it]: But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members” (verses 21–23).

Paul says, I have finally figured it out, sin is a law and a law is a principle. That is why you cannot beat a principle – it is a law.

Notice his conclusion to this dilemma: “O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin” (verses 24, 25).

In recapping, He said, The Lord showed me that sin is a law within me and why I just keep sinning, even though I do not want to. It is within my body, within my flesh. I need a power outside of myself to save me from myself.

Therefore, it is impossible to save yourself. All your good works do not mean anything. In fact, the Bible describes them as “filthy rags” (Isaiah 64:6). We need a power outside of ourselves, to save us from ourselves. Remember, the wages of sin is death. Because we have sinned we are already under a death sentence. The only way out is if Someone dies in our place and lives again, that we might be able to live and not die. Do not let anybody tell you that you are somebody without Jesus.

Colossians 1:20–22 states, “And, having made peace through the blood of His cross, by Him to reconcile all things unto Himself; by Him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven. And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now  hath He reconciled in the body of His flesh [not ours] through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in His sight.”

”But Thou art He that took me out of the womb: Thou didst make me hope when I was upon my mother’s breasts. I was cast upon Thee from the womb: thou art my God from my mother’s belly” (Psalm 22:9, 10).

Yes, friends, there is hope, even from the womb. “Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations” (Jeremiah 1:5).

“For he [John the Baptist] shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from His mother’s womb” (Luke 1:15).

“Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, And saying, the time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel” (Mark 1:14).

This is our hope! The only way we can take hold of it is by faith and believing in Jesus, our Deliverer. We cannot pay for our past sins. We are already guilty. Our own works mean nothing. Jesus is our only Mediator. Jesus takes our prayers and presents them to our heavenly Father who answers, not because of our worthiness, but because of Jesus’ worthiness.

Jesus is the only way. He pleads with us to follow Him, trust Him, and rest in His victory.

Marlowe Parks was a guest speaker at the 2017 Steps to Life Camp Meeting.

A Bear Robbed of Her Cubs

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“Let a man meet a bear robbed of her cubs, rather than a fool in his folly.” Proverbs 17:12 NKJV.

A few years ago we were visiting the home of a friend and noticed a most interesting poster on the wall depicting the truth that is expressed in this verse. As you can imagine, it caught the attention of our young children; and they stood for some time studying it. We discussed it at the time. As time passed, however, I did not think much more about it.

In our family worship, we often read the chapter from Proverbs that corresponds to the day of the month. Some time later, when in our worship we again read this verse, events that we had recently experienced had so shaped our thinking that the verse took on new meaning for us; and we were reminded of the poster that we had seen some time before. As we reflected on the significance of the wise man’s words, we began to realize that they have a depth of meaning beyond what words can adequately express. This text of Scripture has caused me to ask the Lord to deliver me from the folly of the fool! Before we can be delivered from the folly of fools, we must, of course, have first had folly taken out of our own hearts.

The events that prepared us to better appreciate the meaning of this warning began during a visit to Yellowstone Park a few months ago. While looking for a book to buy the children, I became interested in one about bears. We bought the book and began reading it during our evening worships. We prefaced our reading with Proverbs 17:12. The children, of course, wanted to know what a “fool in his folly” is.

Before they could fully understand the danger involved in the situation, they needed to more fully understand the significance of the term, a bear robbed of her cubs. One story entitled, “A Mother’s Revenge” particularly caught my attention. Although this was not necessarily the most thrilling of the bear stories, it did make the point; and I would like to briefly share it with you.

In 1907, in the virgin forest of northwest Montana, a mother bear and her cub were preparing for winter. Unbeknownst to them, a small government survey team, accompanied by some adventurous tourists, was packing into this uninhabited region. The area was a section of high and rugged mountain peaks, snowfields, and living glaciers, wholly uninhabited except by the wild animals and well-nigh inaccessible save in the dead of winter. Soon after the party arrived, bad weather set in, making survey work impossible. The inactivity soon prompted the suggestion of a hunt, but only two hardy souls were interested. These two men, both experienced hunters, set out from camp with their horses and guns, little dreaming of the adventure that awaited them.

The men traveled some distance by horseback to a glacier, where they left their horses at the head of the basis. At this point, they separated, Mr. Stiles going one direction and Dr. Penrose another. Mr. Stiles soon spotted a buck dear and began stalking it when he heard three shots in rapid succession. Paying no special attention to the reports which came from the other side of the ridge, he was about to shoot the deer when he heard two more shots, rapidly followed by a third. Immediately becoming alarmed, he ran back in the direction of the shots. Within a few minutes he came around a mass of broken boulders and saw Dr. Penrose wandering aimlessly around in the canyon bed without his gun. His hat was gone, his coat torn off, and his trousers rent. Blood poured from his head and neck, and he gripped his left arm in his crimson right hand, presenting a horrible sight. As Mr. Stiles approached him, he murmured piteously, “Water, water.” As he tried to drink the water, part of it ran out through a gash in his cheek. He then said: “Stiles, I am all in; I have had a fight with a bear.”

As the story unfolded, it revealed that Dr. Penrose had come upon a young grizzly cub. Being late in the year, the cub was large enough that it appeared full-grown, to all but the careful observer. Dr. Penrose’s first three shots had killed the cub; and in his excitement, he failed to note that it was a cub that he had killed. Having laid his gun aside, he was bending over the young bear that he had so recently killed when suddenly, not more than sixty feet behind him, the doctor heard a cry of anger as the grief-stricken and enraged mother bear rushed forward to avenge the death of her offspring.

Turning, with almost superhuman presence of mind, Dr. Penrose caught up his rifle again and fired two shots into the enraged beast. Rapidly removing his last cartridge from his pocket, he worked it into the rifle and sent a third steel-jacketed bullet into the on-rushing bear. Swift and sure as were the little bullets, the bear continued her charge, her fury unchecked. With one stroke of her paw she sent him into the gulch, eight feet below. Springing down after him, she caught him in her mouth and shook him as a cat might shake a mouse, before dropping him. Again she caught him up, this time by his face, narrowly missing his eyes but tearing his cheek and throat wide open. There were five gaping wounds in his chest. His thigh was torn, the flesh handing in ragged pieces, and his left wrist was twisted and broken. Before she could again shake her half-dead victim, the mother bear staggered, and falling dead at his feet. In spite of the terrible beating that he had taken, Dr. Penrose did survive, though he spent several months recuperating from the attack.

The purpose of recounting this event is to bring home the point that, as terrible as is the wrath of a mother bear who has been robbed of her cubs, it is not so much to be feared as is a fool in his deceit.

Solomon also tells us “the folly of fools is deceit.” Proverbs 14:8. As severely as Dr. Penrose was mauled by the enraged mother bear, he did live; but those who are taken with a fool in his folly, do not fare so well. The Lord has warned us, “A companion of fools shall be destroyed.” Proverbs 13:20. As you are confidently passing along the road of life, you need to be aware that lurking not far from you, possibly just around the next corner, is a secret and hidden enemy, far more dangerous than an angered mother bear, and that enemy is deceit.

False Friends More to be Feared than Open Enemies

In all of the stories of angry bears, we found them to be an aggressive and open enemy. Far less to be feared is an enemy who openly seeks to destroy you than one who professes friendship, flattering with his lips, but in whose heart is hatred. The Bible describes what this secret enemy is like. “He that goeth about as a talebearer revealeth secrets: therefore meddle not with him that flattereth with his lips.” Proverbs 20:19. “The words of a talebearer are as wounds, and they go down into the innermost parts of the belly. Burning lips and a wicked heart are like a potsherd covered with silver dross. He that hateth dissembleth with his lips, and layeth up deceit within him; when he speaketh fair, believe him not; for there are seven abominations in his heart. Whose hatred is covered by deceit, his wickedness shall be shown before the whole congregation. Whoso diggeth a pit shall fall therein: and he that rolleth a stone, it will return upon him. A lying tongue hateth those that are afflicted by it; and a flattering mouth worketh ruin.” Proverbs 26:22–28.

Friend, a direct command from God cannot be disobeyed without terrible results, and the command is “meddle not with him.”

“It is not the open and avowed enemies of the cause of God that are most to be feared. Those who . . . come with smooth words and fair speeches, apparently seeking for friendly alliance with God’s children, have greater power to deceive. Against such every soul should be on the alert, lest some carefully concealed and masterly snare take him unaware.” Prophets and Kings, 570, 571.

“Go from the presence of a foolish man, when thou perceivest not in him the lips of knowledge.” “Speak not in the ears of a fool.” Proverbs 14:7; 23:9.

In our family worship, we made a list of the texts that were descriptive of a fool in his folly, describing his deceit. It would be well for all of us to keep these words of wisdom in mind. Here is a partial list from the book of Proverbs:

 

  • Fools despise wisdom and instruction. 1:7

 

  • Fools hate knowledge. 1:22

 

  • He that hides hatred with lying lips, and who utters slander is a fool. 10:18.

 

  • It is a sport to a fool to do mischief. 10:23.

 

  • The way of a fool is right in his own eyes. 12:15.

 

  • A fool’s wrath is presently known. 12:16.

 

  • A fool lays open, or reveals, his folly. 13:16.

 

  • A foolish woman plucketh down her house with her hands. 14:1.

 

  • In the mouth of the fool is a rod of pride. 14:3.

 

  • The folly of fools is deceit. 14:8.

 

  • Fools make a mock at sin. 14:9.

 

  • The fool rageth and is confident. 14:16.

 

  • A fool despiseth his father’s instruction. 15:5.

 

  • A foolish man despiseth his mother. 15:20.

 

  • A reproof entereth more into a wise man than an hundred stripes into a fool. 17:10.

 

  • The eyes of a fool are in the ends of the earth. 17:24.

 

  • A fool’s lips enter into contention, and his mouth calleth for strokes. 18:6.

 

  • A fool’s mouth is his destruction, and his lips are the snare of his soul. 18:7.

 

  • He that answereth a matter before he heareth it, it is folly and shame unto him. 18:13.

 

  • Every fool will be starting a quarrel. 20:3.

 

  • A foolish man spends up the treasure. 21:20.

 

  • A fool returns to his folly as a dog returns to his vomit. 26:11.

 

  • A fool uttereth all his mind, but a wise man keepeth it till afterward. 29:11.

 

After you have thoughtfully considered the traits of a fool, as the Lord has identified them for us, remember the seriousness of the matter. The wise man was not given to making an exaggerated statement when he warned us that a furious mother bear was less to be feared than the deceit of a fool. It is well summed up in this verse. “The simple believeth every word: but the prudent man looketh well to his going.” Proverbs 14:15.

We need to keep ever before our minds that the One Who counseled us to be harmless as doves also admonished us to be as wise as serpents. (See Matthew 10:16.) We would do well to remember that “those in the synagogue of Satan will profess to be converted, and unless God’s servants have keen eyesight, they will not discern the working of the power of darkness.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 1, 281. How said it is that so often “the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light.” Luke 16:8.

Friends, if we are simple minded we are liable to be destroyed, because someone will come to you with fair words, concealing the hatred that is hidden in the heart. That, friends, is deceit and is more dangerous than an open enemy. That which appears to be a comparatively small snake is, in reality, worse than a dragon.

“Infidelity in many specious forms will have to be met. Satan works under disguise, and it will require a well-trained mind, sharpened by divine enlightenment, to meet his wily devices.” Signs of the Times, October 24, 1900. We can be so thankful that the Lord has not left us to our own demise. He has promised to help the simple minded. Proverbs 1:4 tells us that if we listen to His words, they will “give subtlety to the simple.” What a fabulous promise. Even fools can become wise. “O ye simple, understand wisdom: and, ye fools, be ye of an understanding heart.” Proverbs 8:5.

The terrible truth of the power of deceitful subtlety is found in the history of Adam and Eve.

“If he [Satan] should come boldly upon Adam and Eve and make complaints of God’s own Son, they would not listen to him for a moment but would be prepared for such an attack. Should he seek to intimidate them because of his power, so recently an angel in high authority, he could accomplish nothing. He decided that cunning and deceit would do what might, or force, could not.” The Story of Redemption, 29.

In the passage of time, Satan has lost none of his cunning and deceitfulness. Those of God’s people whom he can not destroy through an open, frontal attack he is often successful in overthrowing by deceitfulness. As you study the book of Proverbs, you can readily see that there are several tell-tale signs that deceit may be being used.

Twelve Ways to Know a Fool

In closing, I would like to summarize twelve character traits that quickly reveal to us, regardless of profession, that a person is a fool.

  • He indulges in flattery.

 

  • A fool finds pleasure in evil conduct.

 

  • He has a quick, or uncontrolled temper.

 

  • He mocks at making amends for sin.

 

  • He refuses to listen to his parents.

 

  • He is talkative, speaking all of his mind.

 

  • He does not listen to reproof.

 

  • He is contentious and quarrelsome.

 

  • He is arrogant.

 

  • He spends all that he has, often living beyond his means.

 

  • He is quick to answer, without pausing to give a thought-out reply.

 

  • He is a talebearer, or gossip.

Trials Alone Will not Save Us

We all face many trials; but trials, in and of themselves, will not save us; otherwise, the whole world would be saved. “Though you grind a fool in a mortar with a pestle along with crushed grain, yet his foolishness will not depart from him.” Proverbs 27:22. NKJV. Though we may lack wisdom, our condition does not have to remain such, for we have been promised, “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.” James 1:5. We must, however, submit our wills to God’s will in every matter of life; for “all who do not earnestly search the Scriptures and submit every desire and purpose of life to that unerring test, all who do not seek God in prayer for a knowledge of His will, will surely wander from the right path and fall under the deception of Satan.” Testimonies, vol. 5, 192.

If we do this, determining to do nothing that will dishonor our Lord, He will gently reprove our wrongs and change us into His image. “Therefore, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” II Corinthians 5:17.

The time in which we are living is a momentous one, weighed with eternal consequences. The rapidly unfolding events in the world speak eloquently to the shortness of time. Now is the time that we must remedy the defects of our character, becoming wise in the wisdom of the Lord, lest we stumble and fall amidst the trials and temptations of the last days. “At the time of the Loud Cry of the Third Angel, those who have been in any measure blinded by the enemy, who have not fully recovered themselves from the snare of Satan, will be in peril, because it will be difficult for them to discern the light from heaven, and they will be inclined to accept falsehood. Their erroneous experience will color their thoughts, their decisions, their propositions, their counsels. The evidences that God has given will be no evidence to those who have blinded their eyes by choosing darkness. After rejecting light, they will originate theories which they will call ‘light,’ but which the Lord calls, ‘Sparks of their own kindling,’ by which they will direct their steps.” Review and Herald, December 13, 1892.

 

The Quiet Place

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The Bible has very specific marks for identifying the Roman Catholic Church as the anti-christ of Bible prophecy. In II Thessalonians she is referred to as the mystery of iniquity. There are some very interesting things written about this from history, the Spirit of Prophecy and the Bible of how she could deceive people, Protestants and Adventist groups alike, into praying the rosary.

In the book, Last Day Events, 164, are three paragraphs that are not in the public domain. The entire document, called “The Personation of Satan,” is available from the White estate on request.

Referring to right near the end of the probationary period, it says, “Satan sees that he is about to lose his case. He cannot sweep in the whole world. He makes one last desperate effort to overcome the faithful by deception. He does this in personating Christ. He clothes himself with the garments of royalty which have been accurately described in the vision of John (Revelation 1:13–16). He has power to do this. He will appear to his deluded followers, the Christian world who received not the love of the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness (transgression of God’s law), as Christ coming the second time (II Thessalonians 2).

“He proclaims himself Christ, and he is believed to be Christ, a beautiful, majestic being clothed with majesty and, with soft voice and pleasant words, with glory unsurpassed by anything their mortal eyes had yet beheld. Then his deceived, deluded followers set up a shout of victory, ‘Christ has come the second time! Christ has come! He has lifted up His hands just as He did when He was upon the earth, and blessed us.’ …

“The saints look on with amazement. Will they also be deceived? Will they worship Satan? Angels of God are about them. A clear, firm, musical voice is heard ‘Christ is come. Christ is come!’ ” How could they say such a thing unless they had previously seen Christ? I believe they have, and I will show here from the Spirit of Prophecy and the Bible that they have seen him many times, just not in this appearance. Those who stubbornly retain even one cherished sin will say, “Christ is come, Christ is come!” and be deceived. Sin, in its very nature, is deceiving.

There is a type of prayer that seems to bring Christ down from heaven into your mind so that you can actually converse with Him personally. About 500 years ago this method was called, “The Spiritual Exercises of Loyola.” Today it is called “Contemplative Prayer.”

Ellen White says, “Prayer does not bring God down to us, but brings us up to Him.” The Signs of the Times, June 18, 1902. The reverse of this is, I can bring God down to me any time I want, just as long as I’m in this state of mind. The deluded followers of Christ can say, “Christ is come, Christ is come,” because they have seen Him or who they think is Him many times right here in their own lives.

There are some important principles about prayer that we need to take into account:

In I Kings 8:46–49 is the story of Solomon when the temple he built was dedicated. He said, “If they sin against Thee, [he said if] (for there is no man that sinneth not), and Thou be angry with them, and deliver them to the enemy, so that they carry them away captives unto the land of the enemy, far or near; yet if they shall bethink themselves in the land whither they were carried captives, and repent, and make supplication unto Thee in the land of them that carried them captives, saying, We have sinned, and have done perversely, we have committed wickedness; and so return unto Thee with all their heart, and with all their soul, in the land of their enemies, which led them away captive, and pray unto Thee toward their land, which Thou gavest unto their fathers, the city which Thou hast chosen, and the house which I have built for Thy name then hear Thou their prayer and their supplication in heaven Thy dwelling place, and maintain their cause.”

The condition for God hearing and answering prayer is confession, repentance, and turning away from sin. (See Psalm 55.) The devil would like to develop a method of prayer that allows you to converse with him and have a religious experience while still living in sin.

God can reach down to us no matter where we are but raises our prayer to Him in His holy temple. Jonah was in the belly of a fish with seaweed wrapped around his head and said, “When my soul fainted within me I remembered the Lord: and my prayer came in unto Thee, into Thine holy temple.” Jonah 2:7. His prayer was directed to heaven. He wasn’t asking God to come down in the belly of the fish with him; he said, “My prayer ascended up to heaven.” Prayer does not bring God down to us; it lifts us up to God.

It would be wise to realize that the devil is a student of Bible prophecy. In fact, we are told in the Spirit of Prophecy that the devil knows the Bible better than anyone. His intelligence far exceeds that of men, and only by a diligent study of the Word can he be beat. In the sixteenth century, two movements were raised. Martin Luther, born in 1483, grew up in a home that was very, very strict. He completed his college studies, but during those years he began to feel that his soul was not right with God. His father wanted him to be a lawyer, so after he graduated from college he went on to the university to further his study in that field. He was a very bright and intelligent man and the monks wanted him to join them. After a short time in the university he dropped out of law, and searching for a way to find peace in his heart and to be right with God, he joined the monastery. But he found no peace there. He beat himself, and sometimes so severely that he would go unconscious and lose much blood. He also fasted for many days on end in his search for peace.

Finally a man came to Martin Luther and said, “Martin, God loves you. You don’t need to go through all these strict austerities to try to find peace in your heart with God. Accept His love into your heart.” Martin Luther began reading a Latin Vulgate on the wall of his monastery and began to find the love of God. He began to discover that God would supply the grace to enable him to be forgiven and find that peace he so desired. Martin Luther started the Protestant Reformation, the reformation that you and I need to complete.

Another man was born eight years later in 1491, Ignatius Loyola. He also struggled with the same burden that Martin Luther had in his own life, going through the same rituals, whipping himself, fasting and living in monasteries to try to find the peace that he desired. These two monks were destined to follow entirely different paths. Ignatius, instead of feeling that his remorse was sent to drive him to the foot of the cross, persuaded himself that these inner reproaches proceeded not from God, but from the devil, and he resolved never more to think of his sins. He erased them from his memory and buried them into eternal oblivion.

Luther turned towards Christ; Loyola only fell back on himself. This is very interesting. One falls upon Christ, the other falls upon himself. If you don’t like your sins and you try to erase them, as Loyola did, the devil is going to give you an experience. Visions came along to confirm Loyola in the conviction to which he had arrived. His own resolves had become a substitute for the grace of the Lord. His visions had become his substitute.

His own imaginings had supplied the place of God’s word. He had looked upon the voice of God in his conscience as the voice of the devil, and accordingly the remainder of his history represents him as given up to the inspirations of the spirits of darkness. One day Loyola met an old woman, as Luther in the hour of his trial, was visited by an old man. But the Spanish woman, instead of proclaiming remission of sins to the penitent, Manresah predicted visitations from Jesus. Such was the Christianity to which Loyola had recourse.

Loyola did not seek truth in the Holy Scriptures, but imagined in their place immediate communication with the world of spirits. He soon lived entirely in ecstasies and contemplation. These numerous apparitions had removed all his doubts. He believed he was right with God because of the experiences that he was having. He believed, not as Luther believed by faith what is written in the word of God, but because of the visions he had seen. This is very fascinating history as we look at what is happening in modern-day times. This is not old stuff buried in history; this is new stuff, resurrected for Christianity today.

Just about 40 or 50 years ago Vatican II, which was called the ecumenica, had a specific agenda of how to bring the Roman Catholic Church and all the Protestant churches, and all the Muslem churches, as well as everybody else, into union with one another.

Notice a statement found on their website: “The theology of the church forged at Vatican II provided the relationship of the church with the other Christian traditions in more positive terms than had hereto been the case. The council gave the green light for full participation of the Catholic Church in a search for Christian unity which had already been under way for over 50 years.” www.vatican2voice.org/4basics/themes.htm

Not too long ago there was a segment on the news about the importance of Vatican II, because it was an anniversary. It was reported that the theme of the documents of Vatican II was reconciliation, and they allowed for Catholics to pray with other Christian denominations and encourage friendship with other non-Christian faiths.

It’s very interesting that they would mention prayer as a means to bring Christian unity. Now I ask, “Could the Roman Catholic Church teach Protestants and even Adventists to pray rosaries?” The Roman Catholic Church went on a quest to evangelize the world, including Protestants, because you and I are considered separated brethren, separate from the Mother church. Notice this apostolic letter, which was written in 2002, and its reference to the rosary.

John Paul II, Apostolic letter, 2002:

“It can be said that the rosary is in some sense, a prayer-commentary on the final chapter of the Vatican II Constitution. To recite the rosary is nothing other than to contemplate with Mary the face of Christ. I desire that during the course of this year, the rosary should be especially emphasized and promoted in various Christian communities [not just Roman Catholic!] But the most important reason for strongly encouraging the practice of the rosary is that it represents a most effective means of fostering among the faithful that commitment to the contemplation of the Christian mystery which I have proposed in the apostolic letter, Novo Millennio Ineunte, as a genuine training in holiness.”

Do you have holiness of heart when you pray to God while you are still living in sin, and you know it? No.

“What is needed is a Christian life distinguished above all in the art of prayer.” Remember, Roman Catholics were given permission to pray with other Christian denominations. What are they teaching us? “We should not be surprised that our relationship with Christ makes use of a method. God communicates Himself to us respecting our human nature and its vital rhythms. Hence, the Christian’s spirituality is familiar with the most sublime forms of mystical silence in which images, words, and gestures are all, so to speak, superseded by an intense and ineffable union with God.”

What is this mystical silence he is talking about? It is contemplative prayer, a spiritual exercise of Ignatius Loyola, which teaches you to pray through meditation. Meditation is mentioned in the Bible, but it’s much different than the meditation you see nowadays. In contemplative prayer, you empty your mind of all your thoughts and activities, and you enter into a quiet place, and there, you empty your thoughts and focus in on one of the mysteries he is speaking about, and that’s the only thing you focus in on. Keating, who is a Jesuit, has written many books that are used in our Seventh-day Adventist universities today.

He describes this silence you come to, and in the meditative process of prayer you repeat words over and over again, as in the rosary, which is why it has been emphasized. As the rosary is repeated, your mind comes into a state of quietness, and there you see in your mind the face of Jesus, or the face of the Father or you see Mary, and you go in and you can converse with one of them, one on one. Remember, prayer does not bring God down to us; it lifts us up to God. Most religions have engaged this system of prayer, and it is willingly accepted among many groups today.

This is a mystical silence. In the book, The Secret History of the Jesuits, by Edmond Paris (Chick Publications, Chino, California, 1975), is a statement that Loyola made that sounds very similar to John Paul II’s statement. In talking about the methods of prayer in his life, he states, “The third way of praying is by measuring the words and periods of silence.” In reference to the rosary you will see this word mentioned over and over again, entering into this quiet place, this stillness, this silent time, in your own mind, and there you have an experience with God within you.

Continuing the John Paul II Apostolic Letter 2002: “A discovery of the importance of silence is one of the secrets of practicing contemplation and meditation. Just as moments of silence are recommended in the liturgy, so too in the recitation of the rosary, it is fitting to pause briefly after listening to the word of God, while the mind focuses on the content of a particular mystery.” You can see this official letter on the Vatican website, www.vatican.va.

While in Africa, I walked by a Muslim with beads in his hands. Like Catholics, Muslims pray on beads. He was about ready to go to prayers, and I asked him what was in his hand. He told me that they were his prayer beads. There were 90 beads on the string and he prayed every single one of them, rolling them through his hand. I calculated in my mind that 90 beads prayed the five times each day that Muslim’s are required to pray, add to 450 times per day praying the same prayer. Continual repetition of the same phrase causes a hypnotic state. Statistics show that of a population of around 7 billion in 2013, there are 1.6 billion Muslims and 1.2 billion Roman Catholics in the world. Add to this number the non-Christian religions, Buddhists and other Eastern religions that embrace this same method of prayer or trance using prayer beads or sticks of incense and you find that it numbers in excess of half the population.

The devil is preparing the world for something big. When you see him coming as Christ and everybody is saying, “Christ has come, Christ has come,” you can know that they have seen this person before in their own minds and they recognize him, for they have been hypnotized. The spiritual exercises of Loyola have been resurrected in these last days, especially after Vatican II, evangelizing the world through this method. Today it is called centering prayer—bringing the mind into the center and entering into the quiet place!

On the website, www.centeringprayer.com, Thomas Keating says: “Centering prayer is a method of silent prayer that prepares us to receive the gift of contemplative prayer, prayer in which we experience God’s presence within us.”

Eve was told the same lie in the Garden of Eden. “Ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.” This same thing is happening here in contemplative prayer. It says this presence of God is within us and it says, “closer than breathing, closer than thinking, closer than consciousness itself is God in us.”

Looking at what is going on, the following text in Matthew 24:23, 24 is very fascinating: “Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not. For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.” They are going to show us “great signs.” The Greek word is semeion, which means miracles or wonders, something to wonder at. These wondrous signs from the devil are going to be so hypnotic that even the elect could be deceived.

Then verses 25 and 26 say: “Behold, I have told you before. Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, He is in the desert; go not forth: behold, He is in the secret chambers; believe it not.” Who are these personators? They are false christs and false prophets, and if they tell you Jesus is in the desert or secret chambers, do not believe.

In the desert I can understand, but what does it mean by “the secret chambers”? This expression is often translated as inner rooms. The original Greek word for inner rooms means a dispensary or magazine. This is a chamber on the ground floor or interior of an Oriental house (generally used for storage or privacy, a spot for retirement)—secret chamber, closet, storehouse. A dispensary or a magazine is an old term. Gun shells like bombs and things were put in what we call a magazine, a holding place, a storehouse of some sort. If you were to go to this place, you would be given something in this secret chamber.

The text says that this could deceive even the elect. How could this be if God’s elect are studying their Bibles, or has something else been substituted for the study of God’s word, an experience maybe?

Could these secret chambers or inner rooms where we retire and go to pray, entering into these silent meditations to find Christ, the deception that Jesus warned about? The devil will love to give an experience to all who seek God but refuse His cleansing power. “I turned to look at the company who were still bowed before the throne; they did not know that Jesus had left it. Satan appeared to be by the throne, trying to carry on the work of God. I saw them look up to the throne, and pray, ‘Father, give us Thy Spirit.’ Satan would then breathe upon them an unholy influence; in it there was light and much power, but no sweet love, joy, and peace. Satan’s object was to keep them deceived and to draw back and deceive God’s children.” Early Writings, 56.

“Satan determines to unite them [church members] in one body and thus strengthen his cause by sweeping all into the ranks of Spiritualism.” The Great Controversy, 588.

Spiritualism is the uniting factor that joins all the churches together, regardless of religion. “Papists, who boast of miracles as a certain sign of the true church, will be readily deceived by this wonder-working power; and Protestants, having cast away the shield of truth, will also be deluded. Papists, Protestants, and worldlings will alike accept the form of godliness without the power and they will see in this union a grand movement for the conversion of the world and the ushering in of the long-expected millennium.” Ibid.

Paul says, “Even him [the lawless one], whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth.” II Thessalonians 2:9, 10.

Why didn’t they love the truth? They loved the experience that they were having more than they loved God and His word. “They received not the love of the truth that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: that they all might be damned who believed not the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.” Verses 10–12.

To be saved in sin is a very attractive lie, one that the devil loves to promote. I John 5:17 says, “All unrighteousness is sin” and I John 3:4 says, “sin is the transgression of the law.” People are going to come to a point in earth’s history where they are going to love breaking God’s law, while claiming Christ and having a “form of godliness” (II Timothy 3:5).

The devil is working to sweep the entire world into one mind by using these methods of prayer. Revelation 17:13 says, “These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast.” The beast is the papal power. It is going to have the lending hand of Protestants and worldlings alike.

“The Protestants of the United States will be foremost in stretching their hands across the gulf to grasp the hand of spiritualism; they will reach over the abyss to clasp hands with the Roman power; and under the influence of this threefold union, this country [America] will follow in the steps of Rome in trampling on the rights of conscience.” The Great Controversy, 588.

I believe that hand is already extended, and we are welcoming the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church into our communion. There are people who do not have a love for the truth, but have pleasure in unrighteousness, in breaking God’s law. God is going to send them strong delusions. That powerful delusion of Satan coming as Christ is going to sweep in the whole world except for a little group of people, the remnant, who have put away sin in their life.

The devil is going to give an experience to people who won’t put away sin just like he did with Ignatius Loyola. He will give visions, dreams, and all kinds of experiences. He is a master at trickery.

“Satan has long been preparing for his final effort to deceive the world. The foundation of his work was laid by the assurance given to Eve in Eden. ‘Ye shall not surely die.’ ‘In the day you eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil’ (Genesis 3:4, 5). Little by little he has prepared the way for his masterpiece of deception in the development of spiritualism.” The Great Controversy, 561.

His coming as Christ is the masterpiece of his deception.

“They must have some means of quieting their consciences, and they seek that which is least spiritual and humiliating. What they desire is a method of forgetting God which shall pass as a method of remembering Him.” Ibid., 572. Loyola wanted his conscience to be quiet, so he cast his sin off into oblivion and the devil supplied him with visions and ecstatic experiences.

The new spirituality is teaching that we can have an experience with God while living in sin. When you come into this quiet place where you see these apparitions in your mind, it is the devil speaking to you, not God. Prayer does not bring God down to us. We are viewing the enemy himself. And when he appears as this majestic being from heaven, like in Revelation chapter 1, the majority will say, “Christ has come. Christ has come!” They will know him because they have seen him over and over again in their experience.

Our only defense is God’s word. The true method of prayer is to get on your knees and confess your unworthiness, your sinfulness, and ask God to search your heart. When you cooperate with the heavenly agencies, by God’s grace, sin will be eliminated from your life.

If you don’t have a real experience with the only true God, the devil will certainly give you one, a method of forgetting His word, but at the same time passing as a Christian.

These new methods of prayer are deluding many people. We need God’s grace to enable us to put sin out of our lives. May our hearts and minds continue to be lifted up to heavenly things.

(Unless appearing in quoted references or otherwise identified, Bible texts are from the King James Version.)

Mike Bauler was ordained into the ministry in 2005 and serves as pastor of the Historic Message Church in Portland, Oregon. Prior to locating in Portland, Pastor Bauler served as a Bible worker for Steps to Life Ministries. His goal is to help give the gospel to the greater Portland area with an emphasis in helping his Bible students discover the truths in Bible prophecy, which are so often neglected today. His wife, Amanda, a family nurse practitioner, and their daughters Hannah, Esther and Abigail assist him in his ministry.

The Christian Life

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The Christian life is a life lived with Christ, abiding in Him (John 15: 4), a life rooted and built up in Him (Colossians 2:7). It is a life lived in the love of God (Jude 21), a life lived by the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:16, 25), a life led by the Spirit (Galatians 5:18). The Christian life is a life regenerated, a life made new by the power of God.

The word submission is a very appropriate word that sums up the attitude of the Christian in his or her relationship to Christ. The posture of the Christian is a surrendered will. F. E. Belden describes it in these words:

  • Thy way, not mine, O Lord, However dark it be; Lead me by Thine own hand, and choose the path for me. I dare not choose my lot; I would not if I might; Choose Thou for me, my God, so shall I walk aright.
  • The kingdom that I seek is Thine; so let the way that leads to it be Thine, else I must surely stray. Hold Thou my cup of life; with joy or sorrow fill as best to Thee may seem: Choose thou my good and ill.
  • Choose Thou for me my friends, my sickness or my health; choose Thou my cares for me, my poverty or wealth. Not mine, not mine the choice, in either great or small; Be Thou my Guide, my Strength, my Wisdom, and my All.

[F. E. Belden was the author of the famous Seventh-day Adventist church hymnal called Christ in Song. He was also a nephew of Ellen White, the son of Sarah Belden, Ellen’s sister.]

The idea cherished by the world is the self-reliant man. But what men call self-reliance never gets beyond man’s dependence on himself. Man’s claim to superior knowledge, the conceit of self-sufficiency, the flaunting of pride, is fatal to the Christian life. Any claim we make for the glory of man can only render our fall and depravity more complete. To be ruled by self-seeking means to lose everything.

There is only one possibility left for survival: to find our true self in Jesus Christ. You see, the Christian experience is not an improvement of the self-life that merits congratulations. We affirm our manhood and womanhood always in utter dependence on Christ.

Key Texts

The key texts for this message are recorded by the apostle John in chapter 6 of his gospel, verses 38–40: “For I came down from heaven, not to do Mine own will, but the will of Him that sent Me. And this is the Father’s will which hath sent Me, that of all which He hath given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day. And this is the will of Him that sent Me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on Him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.”

The scenes, which led up to Jesus uttering these words, are as follows: The day before He had fed five thousand men with five barley loaves and two fishes. Thereupon the people would have made Him king, but He withdrew Himself and afterward walked on the water to His disciples. The next day Jesus was teaching in Capernaum, and the people flocked to hear Him, but Jesus reproved them. “Jesus answered them and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye seek Me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled.” John 6:26. Then He declared Himself to be the bread of life to believers.

As the bread of life He came down from heaven on a definite mission, “… not to do Mine own will, but the will of Him that sent Me.” Verse 38. I would like to draw our attention briefly to the expression “Bread of Life” with emphasis on the word “Life.” It is said that bread is the staff of life, thus it could be considered the universal food for mankind. The life that Jesus referred to transcends the physical temporary life of all creatures on this earth. The life He spoke of is what the Greeks called Zoe, the life principle shared by all living things, the antithesis of death. It has to do with spiritual life and, more particularly, of everlasting life to which the one that receives Christ and believes in Him is given access.

So, as we focus on our key texts, Jesus taught that as the Bread of Life He came down from heaven not to do His own will but the will of Him that sent Him. In this statement is embodied the true meaning of what constitutes being a Christian. Jesus emphatically states the one and only purpose for coming to this earth, which is to do the will of My Sender. Christ declares that He has no separate will from His Father. The Christian must understand the reason for being a Christian, and that is to do the will of Him who has called us out of darkness into His marvelous light. Repeatedly our Saviour acknowledges the will of His Father: “Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.” Matthew 6:10; “Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of Him that sent Me, and to finish His work.” John 4:34; “I can of Mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and My judgment is just; because I seek not Mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent Me.” John 5:30; “Saying, Father, if Thou be willing, remove this cup from Me: nevertheless not My will, but Thine, be done.” Luke 22:42.

In order for us to know what it is to live the Christian life we need therefore to understand what is the Father’s will to which Jesus referred. We see Jesus’ explanation of the Father’s will in verses 39 and 40 of John’s gospel chapter 6: “And this is the Father’s will which hath sent Me, that of all which He hath given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day. And this is the will of Him that sent Me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on Him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.”

Here Christ reveals the “Father’s will” as follows:

1

Every person who truly comes and surrenders to Christ and remains so, will be kept by Christ even to the last days. This statement speaks to the fact that “on being a Christian” means a complete surrender to the will of Christ instead of my will! It addresses a full and complete commitment to Jesus. This commitment means the point of no return. We place ourselves entirely at Christ’s disposal. We acknowledge His full claim as the Master of our lives. It is this lack of surrender and commitment to Jesus that prevents many a Christian from remaining true to Christ; consequently, He cannot keep them. So, bear in mind the fact that Christ works out His will in us only to the extent of our surrender and commitment. Without this surrender and commitment our Christian profession is in vain!

Illustration – Martin Luther, in one of his legends, tells of Satan, who called a council of his chiefs to defeat the Christian. Said one, “I let loose the wild beasts on many Christians. Their bones now bleach the sands in the arena.” “What of that?” said Satan. “Their souls are still saved.” Said another, “I drove the storm against a shipload of Christians, and they all perished in the sea.” “What of that?” said Satan. “Their souls are all saved.” Said another, “I have labored for ten years to lull Christians to sleep and get them to be neutral. At last I have succeeded.” Then Satan shouted for joy and all the angels of hell rejoiced together.

2

That everyone who seeth the Son and believeth on Him will have everlasting life. This implies beholding Christ with the eye of faith. Men must see Christ in order to obtain everlasting life. They are naturally blind. The Scripture proves that, “But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.” II Corinthians 4:3, 4. The Holy Spirit’s job is to open our eyes that we may see not merely ourselves, our sins, our helplessness; but Christ, His righteousness, His peace, His grace, His salvation. This emphasis on faith clearly shows that intellectual assent is not enough; those who will have part in the resurrection of the righteous are those who have faith acting beyond the limits of their natural senses.

Ellen White explains further the meaning of believeth: “Those who claim to believe the word of God, and yet cherish their own hereditary and cultivated traits of character, are the greatest stumbling blocks we shall meet as we present the grand, holy truths for this time. Those who believe present truth are to practice the truth, live the truth. They are to study the Word and eat the Word, which means eating the flesh and drinking the blood of the Son of God. They are to bring that Word, which is spirit and life, into their daily, practical life. It is the bread from heaven, and it will give life to the world. Power will be given to every man and woman who will eat of the bread that came down from heaven. Oh, cannot we take this in? Cannot we comprehend it? Why is our imagination so dull? ‘This is the will of Him that sent Me,’ said Christ, ‘that every one [how comprehensive, how far-reaching] that seeth the Son, and believeth on Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day’ (John 6:40). If this, the life of Christ, be in us, what may we not accomplish in His name? ‘As many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name’ (John 1:12).” The Review and Herald, August 13, 1959.

3

I will raise him up at the last day. To all those who live the Christ life here on earth the promise is, “I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in Me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: and whosoever liveth and believeth in Me shall never die.” John 11:25, 26. Here is pictured the salvation story, the redemption of the human race. The Father’s will was Jesus’ mission. This was the driving motivation of Christ, and it certainly will be the constraining force in the life of the true Christian. It may be summed up this way: to glorify God and to bless humanity. The servant of the Lord establishes the purpose of our being; she states, “Many misunderstand the object for which they were created. It was to bless humanity and glorify God, rather than to enjoy and glorify self.” Sons and Daughters of God, 289.

Jesus not only understood this but He lived it every day of His life and so it will be for the true follower of Christ! In The Youth’s Instructor, March 12, 1896, we are told the following: “The followers of Christ are to imitate His example, and scatter broadcast the seeds of divine truth. They are to tell all with whom they come in contact, that Jesus Christ came into our world and assumed our nature, in order that God might be glorified in humanity, in order that humanity might be uplifted and glorified in Christ. All heaven rejoices at the redemption of the lost race. Christ rejoiced in the secret consciousness of what He purposed to do for man. He desires to do far more abundantly than we are able to ask or think. The fountain of His inexpressible love is inexhaustible, and it flows toward all those who believe in Him, who are willing to practise self-denial and to suffer reproach for His name. When we submit to truth, we submit to its Author. The Holy Spirit works within us, casting down imaginations and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and brings into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. Through sin the heart and the mind have been defiled and enfeebled, but Jesus came to impart moral power, to reshape moral taste, to fashion man after the divine similitude, and to elevate humanity in the scale of moral value with God. If we would learn of Christ, we must have the faith which works by love and purifies the soul. Faith is valueless if it does not work by love and expel from the soul all selfishness, all pride and self-righteousness. Assent to the truth will never win heaven; but those who tremble at the word of the Lord, who desire to know and do His will, will not be disappointed in their hope of heaven.”

Jesus modeled what it truly means to be a Christian, for while here among us He perfectly subordinated His will to His Father, therefore leaving us a perfect example, and gained eternal life for us. We now must understand that by complete subordination of our will to Jesus we become agents of salvation to our fellowmen. By the practicality of our profession, people will be led to make total and permanent surrender and commitment to Christ. They will come to see and believe on Him who only is able to raise them up even though they die. This is really the only true and lasting hope that they have, that we have, that the world has. We are their hope, and that’s why Jesus commands us, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” Matthew 5:16.

The servant of the Lord affirms, “If all who have a knowledge of the truth will daily put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and by a well-ordered life and godly conversation correctly represent what they claim to believe, a work may be accomplished in the salvation of souls that will make Heaven rejoice.” The Review and Herald, February 12, 1889. Speaking of practical Christianity, she states, “The beauty of his (the Christian’s) well-ordered life and godly conversation inspires faith and hope and courage in others. This is Christianity in practice.” Ibid., August 28, 1897.

Pastor Ivan Plummer ministers through the Emmanuel Seventh Day Church Ministries in Bronx, New York. He may be contacted by telephone at: 718-882-3900.

True Courage

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Most persons speak of the acts of those who in battle may storm forts or stand undaunted before the enemy’s fire, as “very brave,” or possessed of “true courage.” And yet, in many instances, it may be ambition for honor, or a selfish pride which actuates such in their course. Let them examine carefully their own hearts, and they may find that a desire for earthly glory, and to gain the applause of their fellow men is the mainspring of their actions. That is really true courage, which is apparent in those who choose the right, although the course they pursue may call down the frowns of their fellow men upon them. All candid people can but admire the answer of the great Kossuth in his reply to the Sultan of Turkey, who offered him wealth and power if he would embrace the Moslem faith. Said Kossuth, “Welcome if need be the axe or gibbet; but curses on the tongue that dares to make to me so infamous a proposal!” This he said when and where the Sultan might kill him if he saw fit.

Of a similar nature also, is the answer that Zwingli, the Swiss reformer, gave the Papists when they offered him wealth and honor if he would adhere to the Romish faith. “Do not think that for any money I would suppress a single syllable of the truth.”

Here are cases of true moral courage. No honor or worldly praise did they expect for the words they said; but to say what they did was placing them in jeopardy of their own lives.

Christ has laid down what I will call a great rule of true courage. It is this: “He that seeks to save his life shall lose it, but he that will lose his life shall keep it unto life eternal” (John 12:25). Again, He says: “He that will come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me” (Matthew 16:24). To follow in a course, which is in perfect harmony with all around us, does not so test our courage as to be brought to the knowledge of truths which clearly point out to us duties, which in many respects are at variance with the habits and customs of the people around us. This is the self-denial of Christ’s cause.

When duties are presented for our acceptance that conflict with our natural feelings of ease seeking, then is the time to dare to do right, and to be true, to our convictions of duty, let the consequences be what they may. We have heard many sing with zeal the old hymn,

“Must I be carried to the skies
On flowery beds of ease,
Whilst others fought to win the prize,
And sailed through bloody seas?”
And especially as they came to the stanza:
“I’ll bear the cross, endure the shame
Supported by Thy Word.”

One would think, to hear them sing, that they were about to be burned at the stake; but alas! when their courage is tested, as to their readiness to deny self or make a real sacrifice in the cause of God, they are found wanting.

How many such we meet who, when the clear light of truth comes, and they see the claims of God’s law, and admit them all binding, and even admit that it is their duty to keep His commandments, and yet refuse to obey because it conflicts with their business. Let me ask right here, “Can a man who fails to deny self for the purpose of obeying God in what he knows and admits to be right, be of that class who would lose their lives for God’s cause?”

The words of Christ are forcible right here, “He that is faithful in the least is faithful also in much” (Luke 16:10). That is, that he would deny himself for God’s cause; might possibly die for it if necessary. While he who will not deny himself for the sake of obeying the truth, never need talk of dying for his faith, until some other principle actuates him.

It’s not many months since I heard a very earnest person in a social meeting, make remarks like the following: “God knows I would be willing to give Him my head in His cause.” Again he said, “I would be ready to die in a minute for my faith in God.” It was not many days after this, however, that this same person was brought to see a point of duty, relative to the keeping of the fourth commandment. What did he do? Admitted his duty to keep it, and then said, “I cannot keep the Sabbath of the fourth commandment, because it conflicts with my business.” I wonder if he had stopped to think how it would conflict with his business to die for his faith, and be obliged to leave all his business. Here is where true courage is needed.

In conclusion, I would say, we must learn to call that true courage which leaves a person to do that this his judgment and an enlightened conscious show him to be right, if all the world frowns upon him.

N. Loughborough, The Signs of the Times, June 25, 1874.

Christianity-Not like Other Philosophies

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To be a true Christian means to completely disown self, giving up the will to God with the understanding that by complete subordination of our will to Jesus we become agents of salvation to our fellow men. This indeed fulfills the true object of our creation and existence namely, to bless humanity and to glorify God.

Robert Bruce Thurber, in his book Personal Power for the New Age, (Signs of the Times Publishing Association), 27, 28 seeks to clarify on being a Christian. He writes, “Being a Christian is not like being a Buddhist, or a Mohammedan, or an atheist, or a Liberal, or a Democrat, or an evolutionist or an osteopath. These are all systems of belief in religion, politics, science or healing. Christianity in its true sense is also a system of belief, but it is more: it is a system of release. It frees.

“All these others are professions which more or less influence men’s lives. Christianity is somewhat of a profession, but very much of a possession. Not that a man possess it, but it possesses a man. It is not a pose before men. It is a rest in Christ. But it rests in him that it may awake to power.”

He continues by affirming, “Christianity is not a ‘comparative religion.’ That is, it is not a religion among other religions, all of which have their strong and weak elements; so that if a person would get all the good, he must pick from each and combine. No, Christianity is all good, or it couldn’t be Christianity. Its very existence depends on the assertion that it is all good.”

What makes all the difference in Christianity? It is Christ and His matchless, perfect life, which makes all the difference! Jesus stated emphatically while here on this earth, “And He that sent Me is with Me: the Father hath not left Me alone; for I do always those things that please Him.” John 8:29.

Elements of Christianity

Jesus had just finished dealing with the Jews and the woman caught in adultery, then, He proclaimed Himself the light of the world and established His relationship with His father; this of course the Pharisees and Jewish people debated. It is out of this background that Jesus reveals another significant component concerning what it really means to be a Christian. These are His words to the Jews: “And He that sent Me is with Me: the Father hath not left Me alone; for I do always those things that please Him.” John 8:29.

Notice in this verse three important elements namely:

  • He that sent Me is with Me
  • The Father hath not left Me alone
  • For I do always those things that please Him

This doctrine that Jesus presented to the Jewish people establishes the totality of what it really means to be a Christian, a follower of Him. It shows clearly the fact that our Saviour is not asking any one of us to do something or be something that He has not modeled. Within these words of our Lord is embedded the secret of living the godly, holy life. Jesus strongly emphasized the reason for His sinless life and the reality of its constancy. Let us examine these three important elements stated by Christ in John’s gospel.

First element of Jesus’ statement on being a Christian

Our Saviour stated, “He that sent Me is with Me.” What does this mean and what is the message that Christ was seeking to convey? Jesus could confidently attest to the fact that the Father who sent Him is with Him, that from the moment of the sending up to the present moment the Father did not leave Him. The presence of God with the believer is significant in that it means the presence of power.

King David in his psalm of thanksgiving for God’s deliverance recorded, “For who is God, save the Lord? and who is a rock, save our God? God is my strength and power: and He maketh my way perfect.” II Samuel 22:32, 33. David’s use of the word power in relation to God means that this God is whatever he needs Him to be to him. Jesus acknowledges this fact in His model prayer, “And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.” Matthew 6:13. In Mark’s gospel chapter 9 verse 1 our Lord taught that the kingdom of God comes with power: “And He said unto them, Verily I say unto you, that there be some of them that stand here, which shall not taste of death, till they have seen the kingdom of God come with power.”

Now, this word power that is spoken of in Matthew and Mark is the Greek word dunamis which means miraculous power, power that is outside the realm of human ability, power that human beings do not possess. Power that can work the impossible; like, change a hardened sinner into a loving Christian; like, change a fully confirmed homosexual into a straight, happy, holy saint. It is power that can change a drunkard into a sober follower of Christ; power that can root out any and every addiction, hereditary or cultivated which sin may have produced. This is the truth wrapped up in the words of Jesus, “He that sent Me is with Me.” That’s why the apostle Paul states, “For the kingdom of God is not in word, but in power.” I Corinthians 4:20.

We are told from the pen of inspiration, “Man needs power outside of, and beyond, himself to restore him to the likeness of God, and to enable him to do the work of God; but this does not make the human agency unessential. Humanity lays hold upon divine power. Christ dwells in the heart by faith; and, through co-operation with the divine, the power of man becomes efficient for good.” The Signs of the Times, April 6, 1904.

Christ clearly taught that divine power is available to Him to perform whatever the One who sends Him requires of Him, and that same power will be given to all those who accept Him as Master. John in his gospel states, “But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name.” John 1:12.

While on earth He gave this power to His followers, as recorded in Luke 10:19: “Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.” Notice that the word power to tread on serpents and scorpions is the Greek word exousia, which means authority or delegated influence. In the Scriptures, people who are obdurate [stubbornly persistent in wrongdoing] are likened to serpents and scorpions. God told the prophet Ezekiel, “And thou, son of man, be not afraid of them, neither be afraid of their words, though briers and thorns be with thee, and thou dost dwell among scorpions: be not afraid of their words, nor be dismayed at their looks, though they be a rebellious house.” Ezekiel 2:6.

John the Baptist also proclaimed, “O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?” Matthew 3:7.

The Christian who is conscious of the presence of God with him or her will not and cannot be affected by the ungodly attitudes of those who regard not God. They will not allow their Christian influence to be tarnished or weakened because of the unchristlike attributes of those who desire to make of none effect their Christian witness. They will ever remember that because God’s presence is with them, He is able to keep them from falling, and to present them faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy (Jude 1:24), for His presence means power.

Going back to Luke 10:19, the second part of the text says, “… and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.” The word power in this statement is the Greek word dunamis, which Satan has, but the authority or power that the Christian has by virtue of the presence of God with him or her makes it impossible for Satan to defeat him or her. So the reason why Satan could not overthrow Christ is as He stated, “… the Father hath not left Me alone.” John 8:29.

Second element of Jesus’ statement on being a Christian.

In coming to this earth, the Father was with Him. He came to this world on the Father’s mission. John 5:19 and 30 tell us that, “Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He seeth the Father do: for what things soever He doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise. … I can of Mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and My judgment is just; because I seek not Mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent Me.” While on this earth Christ did not abandon His Father or His mission, for if this was done He would have separated Himself from His Father’s presence and therefore would have been overcome by the Devil. So, because He did not disregard His Father throughout His sojourn here, He could confidently say, “the Father hath not left Me alone.”

We cease being Christians when we stop following Christ. It’s good to begin with the Lord but it’s better to continue with Him, for it is only then that we are assured of His constant presence with us and it is only then that we have power over the enemy! The servant of the Lord made this statement: “We cannot for one moment separate ourselves from Christ with safety. We may have His presence to attend us at every step, but only by observing the conditions which He has Himself laid down.” The Review and Herald, May 3, 1881.

Here is another counsel that we need to think seriously about if we are going to remain Christians in the truest sense of the word: “If by associating with worldlings for pleasure, by conforming to worldly practices, by uniting our interests with unbelievers, we place our feet in the path of temptation and sin, how can we expect God to keep us from falling?

“Keep yourselves away from the corrupting influences of the world. Do not go unbidden to places where the forces of the enemy are strongly entrenched.

“Do not go where you will be tempted and led astray. But if you have a message for unbelievers, and if you live so near to God that you can speak to them a word in season, you can do a work that will help them and will honor God.” Messages to Young People, 81, 82.

Many professed Christians wonder why they are not advancing in the Christian life, why they keep on being overcome by the enemy. Well, the answer is simple; they have not made a wholehearted commitment to God. Yes, they started with Him, but somewhere along the journey they abandon Christ in order to satisfy self. Remember, it will be impossible to continue with God and for God to continue with us if we allow self to take over at some point in our Christian journey. We will utterly fail and fall under the power of the devil so long as we are separated from the presence of God. From the pen of inspiration we are reminded: “In giving ourselves to God, we must necessarily give up all that would separate us from Him. Hence the Saviour says, ‘Whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be My disciple’ (Luke 14:33). Whatever shall draw away the heart from God must be given up. Mammon is the idol of many. The love of money, the desire for wealth, is the golden chain that binds them to Satan. Reputation and worldly honor are worshiped by another class. The life of selfish ease and freedom from responsibility is the idol of others. But these slavish bands must be broken. We cannot be half the Lord’s and half the world’s. We are not God’s children unless we are such entirely.” Steps to Christ, 44.

Ellen White explains in The Review and Herald article dated June 28, 1887, that when we separate ourselves from God we automatically place ourselves on the side of the enemy. This means we stop working for God and are working for the devil. It means we cease receiving power from God, but power from the devil. It means we are no longer Christians but children of the devil. It is self evident then that by our own experiences, the majority of us who profess to be Christians are only Christians in name, having a form of godliness but denying the power (II Timothy 3:5). For many Christians, they have never experienced the power of God working in their lives, bringing about changes that will allow them to reflect the attributes of Christ in a most significant way to the degree that the lives of others will be totally transformed to the glory of God.

We need to answer the question as to why Jesus was successful in His righteous journey here on earth. Why is it that He did not sin? Is it a planned thing between Him and His Father that, no matter what, He would not sin? What made our Saviour defeat the devil and win the victory for us?

Third element of Jesus’ statement on being a Christian

This leads us to our third and final element as stated by Jesus in John 8:29, “And He that sent Me is with Me: the Father hath not left Me alone; for I do always those things that please Him.”

The question, Who am I? cannot be answered by man outside of Christ. From within our sinful state we are tempted to believe that our true self is the self apart from God. Such a life only distorts and warps our identity. Therefore man puts total stock in himself. Self is his chief interest and center of reference. His basic loyalty is to himself. The higher the position he occupies, the more important his status, the greater the desire for recognition, the more he exaggerates his own importance. This exaggerated importance attached to self is wholly contrary to our Lord and His chosen role as servant.

So the truth is, it will be impossible to please Jesus if we do not first deny or disown self completely and surrender totally our will to Him. Christ taught that the Father was with Him and that the Father did not leave Him alone because Jesus always did those things that were pleasing to Him. I, for my part, choose to do likewise. So, where we are concerned, for Christ to be with us always, giving us overcoming power to melt away every weight and the sins which doth so easily beset us (Hebrews 12:1) enabling us to be true Christians, we then must resolve in our minds that we will please Him.

The word please which Christ used in John 8:29 is the Greek word arestos meaning agreeable, hence Jesus was always in total agreement with His Father, and this was so throughout His life here on earth setting us an example. The prophet Amos asked the question, “Can two walk together, except they be agreed?” Amos 3:3. The answer is obvious! We will never be able to agree with God and His program as long as self is in control. Listen to what the servant of the Lord has to say about that:

“Half-hearted Christians obscure the glory of God, misinterpret piety, and cause men to receive false ideas as to what constitutes vital godliness. Others think that they, also, can be Christians and yet consult their own tastes and make provision for the flesh, if these false-hearted professors can do so. On many a professed Christian’s banner the motto is written, ‘You can serve God and please self—you can serve God and mammon.’ ” The Review and Herald, August 19, 1890.

Also, in The Review and Herald article dated June 11, 1901, we are further counseled, “If we constantly receive grace from God, we shall be vessels unto honor, sanctified and meet for the Master’s use. Daily receiving blessings, we shall daily impart blessings to those around us. But in order to be successful in this work, we must deny self. We cannot at the same time please self and serve Christ. We are not to follow our own inclinations, but look to Jesus, waiting to receive orders from our Captain.”

Here is one final statement that will make the matter clear to our minds: “Those who live to please and gratify self are dishonoring the Lord. He cannot work through them, for they would misrepresent Him before those who are ignorant of the truth.” Notebook Leaflets from the Elmshaven Library, vol. 1, 13.

So, let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter. The apostle Paul sums it up wonderfully, “So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.” Romans 8:8. May we remember that the whole adventure of living the Christian life is a continual challenge to die to self and live for Christ. This problem is not solved by human wisdom, but by the power of God. Nothing but a miracle can free us from self-centeredness. But God is used to working miracles of this kind.

I encourage us all; let us accept the challenge of every day allowing Christ to live His life in and through us. Our personal failure, the discouragement resulting from self-will and pride, this sensitiveness that is always getting hurt—face it with Christ. Life with Christ provides us with a margin of power greater than the self-life. Paul wrote, “Furthermore then we beseech you, brethren, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus, that as ye have received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God, so ye would abound more and more.” I Thessalonians 4:1. Knowing “For even Christ pleased not Himself; but, as it is written, the reproaches of them that reproached Thee fell on Me.” Romans 15:3.

The words of the song, “Yes Lord Yes” (www.hymnlyrics.org), sums up what I believe God wanted to convey to us in this message:

Yes, Lord, yes, to Your will and to Your way.
Yes, Lord, yes, I will trust You and obey.
When Your Spirit speaks to me,
With my whole heart I’ll agree,
And my answer will be, yes Lord, yes!

May it be said of us as was said of faithful Enoch, “By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God.” Hebrews 11:5. Thus I say to all of us, being a Christian means in the truest sense pleasing God, always agreeing fully and completely with Jesus!

Pastor Ivan Plummer ministers through the Emmanuel Seventh Day Church Ministries in Bronx, New York. He may be contacted by telephone at: 718-882-3900.

Are you a Christian?

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In order to establish in your minds and mine the urgency of maintaining the substance of apostolic Christianity, I would like to direct your minds to two very important statements made by two prominent religious leaders. These two statements help us Christians to understand that there is an outright war on apostolic Christianity with a sinister motive. Quoting Arthur Goldwag from his book, ISMS & OLOGIES (Vintage Books, New York, October 2007), 237, “Secular humanism is the bugaboo (some imaginary thing that causes fear or worry) of many fundamentalist Christian groups in the United States. Dr. David Noebel, the founder of Summit Ministries and author of many books … argues that secular ‘humanists preach a faith every bit as dogmatic as Christianity. Moral relativism is foundational for Secular Humanist ethics; spontaneous generation and evolution are basis to their biology; naturalism is foundational to their philosophy; and atheism is their theological perspective.’ ”

Before I share the second statement, I would like to define naturalism, seeing it is foundational to secular humanists philosophy. Naturalism in philosophy apart from other areas is the rejection of supernaturalism (magic, religion, mysticism, etc.) as an explanation for natural phenomena or as a category of being. Naturalists assumed that environment and heredity were the chief determinants of human character (no great believer in religion or the soul). Emile Zola (1840–1902), who is considered to be literary naturalist’s leading theorist once declared, “Civilization will not attain to its perfection until the last stone from the last church falls on the last priest.”

Can a born again Christian be a naturalist or secular humanist? Something to think about in light of what it truly means to be a Christian! The second statement is also from Arthur Goldwag; he writes, “In April 2005, Cardinal Ratzinger (who would shortly become Pope Benedict XVI) delivered a homily before the College of Cardinals in which he contrasted a steadfast faith in Christ and church with the pernicious pluralism of the day: ‘The small boat of thought of many Christians has often been tossed about by these waves—thrown from one extreme to the other: from Marxism to liberalism, even to libertinism; from collectivism to radical individualism; from atheism to a vague religious mysticism; from agnosticism to syncretism, and so forth. … Having a clear faith, based on the Creed of the Church, is often labeled today as a fundamentalism. Whereas, relativism, which is letting oneself be tossed and “swept along by every wind of teaching,” looks like the only attitude (acceptable) to today’s standards. We are moving towards a dictatorship of relativism which does not recognize anything as for certain and which has as its highest goal one’s own ego and one’s own desires.’ ” Ibid., 125.

While the statement in itself is a statement of challenge to every follower of Christ, yet being a Christian means more than “having a clear faith, based on the Creed of the Church.” Christianity means having a clear faith based on the infallible word of God. As Augustine puts it, “Faith is to believe, on the word of God, what we do not see, and its reward is to see and enjoy what we believe.” So in the context of pleasing God which is the heart of the Christian experience, the apostle Paul states, “But without faith it is impossible to please Him: for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and [that] He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him.” Hebrews 11:6.

The question is, how can a person truly please or agree with God in such a world like ours plagued with all these Isms: pluralism, relativism, humanism, secularism, intellectualism, materialism, etc., which in a general sense are expressed in such dictums as “Do your own thing!” “Be yourself!” and “Have fun!” The matter of agreeing with God is out of the question, the focus is self-centeredness and self-pleasing. So to quiet the conscience, God and true Christianity is denied and rejected for the imperatives are too restricting. Drs. Colin and Russell Standish in their book, Keepers of the Faith (Hartland Publications, Rapidan, Virginia, January 2003), 57, wrote the following: “In the skeptical climate of the 20th century, fueled by the philosophical concepts of scientific investigation, it is no longer popular to hold firm and unequivocal views. It is considered arbitrary and closed-minded. The scientific methods allows for no absolutes, no final proofs or truths. Scientific hypotheses and theories can never be proved, but may be disproved. This same notion has been applied to the word of God.”

Therefore, what has happened to the minds of many, many Christians today is that they have been immersed so deeply in these philosophies to the extent that they have little regard for the word of God which says, “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” Romans 10:17. So, if the word of God is lightly regarded or is disregarded by so called Christians, how then can there be faith, and if there be no faith how then can we truly please God, and how then can we be Christians? Let us remember the words of Scripture, “But without faith it is impossible to please Him: for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him.” Hebrews 11:6.

The true Christian possesses faith in Jesus Christ, for it is the means, avenue by which he/she pleases or agrees with God. That’s why Paul states, “Without faith” or “apart from faith” or “apart from faithfulness” it is impossible to please God.

Faith is defined by the pen of Inspiration in the following ways: “Faith is the living power that presses through every barrier, overrides all obstacles, and plants its banner in the heart of the enemy’s camp.” Testimonies, vol. 4, 163.

“Faith is the condition upon which God has seen fit to promise pardon to sinners; not that there is any virtue in faith whereby salvation is merited, but because faith can lay hold of the merits of Christ, the remedy provided for sin. Faith can present Christ’s perfect obedience instead of the sinner’s transgression and defection.” “Ellen G. White Comments,” The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 6, 1073. So then, it is our faith in Christ and His righteousness, which allows us to become Christians. Ellen White also says of faith, “Faith is the very lifeblood of the soul. Its presence gives warmth, health, consistency, and sound judgment.” Testimonies, vol. 6, 472.

This definition of faith says it all for this message within the context of what we are studying: “Said the angel: ‘Feeling is not faith. Faith is simply to take God at His word.’ ” Ibid., vol. 1, 620.

To begin the Christian journey, faith is necessary, and to continue being a Christian, faith is indispensable! Faith recognizes and acknowledges the absoluteness of the word of Jesus. It accepts without questioning the immutability of God, that in Him “is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.” James 1:17. Therefore, without taking God at His word it is impossible to measure up to His requirement, and isn’t this what Christianity is all about, agreeing with God? So, for the apostle, what makes any man well-pleasing to God is faith; without it there is no possibility of pleasing Him (Hebrews 11:6).

In order to gain a deeper understanding of what it means to please God or agree with God, Paul said in Hebrews 11:5, “By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God.” He connects this verse with the account that Moses wrote concerning Enoch in Genesis 5:22–24, “And Enoch walked with God after he begat Methuselah three hundred years, and begat sons and daughters: and all the days of Enoch were three hundred sixty and five years: and Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him.”

Moses records that “Enoch walked with God.” This phrase was used also of Noah (Genesis 6:9) and by Micah (Micah 6:8) and the similar expressions, “to walk before God” (Genesis 17:1; Psalm 116:9), and “to walk after God” (Deuteronomy 13:4; Ephesians 5:1), portrays a life of singularly elevated piety, not merely a constant realization of the Divine presence or even a perpetual effort at holy obedience, but also a maintenance of the most confidential intercourse with the personal God. It implies a situation of nearness to God, if not in place at least in spirit, a character of likeness to God (Amos 3:3), and a life of converse with God. The apostle describes it as a life that was “pleasing to God,” as springing from the root of faith (Hebrews 11:5). What we see here is that Enoch’s life was most evidently in complete and beautiful harmony with the divine will. Therefore we can all agree that the walk that Enoch walked for over three hundred years was a life lived in perfect harmony to the word of God. We can agree that he was a true Christian.

Enoch’s walk with God was a walk of faith, and this is how he did it: “Enoch walked with God three hundred years previous to his translation to heaven, and the state of the world was not then more favorable for the perfection of Christian character than it is today. And how did Enoch walk with God? He educated his mind and heart to ever feel that he was in the presence of God, and when in perplexity his prayers would ascend to God to keep him. He refused to take any course that would offend his God. He kept the Lord continually before him. He would pray, ‘Teach me Thy way, that I may not err. What is Thy pleasure concerning me? What shall I do to honor Thee, my God?’ ” Christ Triumphant, 43.

Enoch lived out in his life the words of King Solomon: “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths. Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the Lord, and depart from evil.” Proverbs 3:5–7. For Enoch, self was disowned; his will was always subordinated to God’s will, and he endeavored always to agree with God. This was so because he had a conscious realization of the existence of God, “for he that cometh to God must believe that He is.” Hebrews 11:6.

Enoch did not allow the isms and ideologies of his day to destroy his Christian witness or influence. Though he was not in the actual presence of the Eternal, yet he accepted the word of the Lord, which said, “In the beginning God.” Genesis 1:1. He believed when the word of God states, “For He spake, and it was done; he commanded, and it stood fast.” Psalm 33:9. Enoch was a creationist; he totally rejected the naturalist and evolutionist philosophies. For him, God was a living, active, ever present being, “in Him we live, and move, and have our being.” Acts 17:28.

With the realization of God’s existence comes the acknowledgment of our responsibility to Him, the fact that, “He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him.” Hebrews 11:6. There are those who believe that God is morally indifferent, that He has given man freedom of choice and is not concerned about the kinds of choices he makes. This verse informs us that this conception is not true. God does care what men do, and virtue will not go unrewarded. God will reward those who diligently seek Him.

The servant of the Lord instructs us that we Christians, living in this perverse and wicked generation, should endeavor to live as did faithful Enoch: “Like Enoch, we must walk with God, bringing the will into submission to His will. We must be willing to go where Jesus leads, willing to suffer for His dear sake. In seeking to save the souls for whom Christ has died, in conquering difficulties, and in keeping ourselves unspotted from the world, we reveal the genuineness of our religion. Faithful Christians do not seek the easiest place, the lightest burdens. They are found where the work is hardest, where their help is most needed.” Christ Triumphant, 48. She further states, “Our present work is to come out from the world and be separate. This is the only way we can walk with God, as did Enoch.” Conflict and Courage, 29.

The word of God declares, “Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith.” Habakkuk 2:4. The prophet here affirms that he who lives by a simple faith and trust in the Lord will be saved, but “the soul which is lifted up” through its own willful pride and perverseness in sin will perish. Therefore is it any wonder that so many professed Christians today are not able to please God or agree with His word? Through false education they are greatly affected by the many manmade philosophies, which repudiate the existence of God and His word. Skepticism is the order of the day. It is from the Greek word skepsis meaning consideration or doubt. It is the view that reason has no capacity to come to any conclusions at all. Therefore a skeptic is a person who questions the validity or authenticity of something purporting to be factual, one who doubts the truth about a religion, especially Christianity. So we hear expressions like “Yea hath God said … ?”

It is customary today for professed Christians to question and doubt the word of God. Satan would have it so, for he knows that so long as Christians doubt God’s word, they are no longer pleasing God. Many, many Christians claim that they accept and believe the Bible, but at the same time they are very selective concerning the imperatives that are applicable to their lives. This act of accepting some part of the Scriptures and rejecting those areas with which they are not in agreement is the plan of the devil. Ellen White wrote, “It is one thing to treat the Bible as a book of good moral instruction, to be heeded so far as is consistent with the spirit of the times and our position in the world; it is another thing to regard it as it really is—the word of the living God, the word that is our life, the word that is to mold our actions, our words, and our thoughts. To hold God’s word as anything less than this is to reject it. And this rejection by those who profess to believe it, is foremost among the causes of skepticism and infidelity in the youth.” Prayer, 319.

Jonathan Edwards, the famous puritan preacher, in one of his sermons made the following remarks, “If the godly had only a heart to purpose to do the will, but did not have a heart to actually do as they purpose, they would still be slaves to sin.” We read of some who believed on Christ, but Christ would not commit Himself to them. The reason was that He knew they did not have a heart to actually do the will of God. The gospel writer John in chapter 2:23, 24, tells us, “Now when He was in Jerusalem at the passover, in the feast day, many believed in His name, when they saw the miracles which He did. But Jesus did not commit Himself unto them, because He knew all men.”

Jesus knew that many of those now eager to acknowledge Him would turn away and walk no more with Him. He knew the fickleness of the human heart, and how many fair-weather converts were heedless or hypocritical. They were only following for the loaves and fishes. They did not possess that faith which works by love and purifies the soul, thus they were unable to please Jesus, likewise many Christians today!

Jesus, recognizing the overwhelming influence that vain philosophies would have on His followers, asks a question which each one of us needs to answer: “When the Son of man cometh, shall He find faith on the earth?” Luke 18:8.

I leave with you these words, “But without faith it is impossible to please Him: for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him.” Hebrews 11:6. With this in mind I ask you, are you a Christian?

Pastor Ivan Plummer ministers through the Emmanuel Seventh Day Church Ministries in Bronx, New York. He may be contacted by telephone at: 718-882-3900.

The Power of Forgiveness

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In the area of forgiveness and as far as the gospel is concerned, Seventh-day Adventists believe differently from many other denominations and Christians. We believe that the gospel of Jesus Christ is at the heart of the Three Angels’ Messages, and for that reason it is called the everlasting gospel. It was first preached in the Garden of Eden and then repeated through many prophets and apostles. Jesus Christ presented this same gospel to the dying humanity in this world. For many thousands of years it has never been altered or changed.

Christians of other faiths often proclaim with jubilance that they are saved and have been forgiven. What does forgiveness mean to you? I have literally had a resurrection experience (after heart surgery), and I really feel that the life I now enjoy in my heart is a new life. This is a gift from God. We cannot entertain, we cannot abuse, we cannot create a single day of our lives, but the new heart experience is a precious gift from God every day. Each inhale and exhale, each heartbeat every moment of your life is an infinite, which should be received with gratitude.

Forgiveness is the act of pardon after a guilty party recognizes his/her wrong and repents. It can be the result when two parties both recognize they have not been right or fair and they forgive each other. Of course, we can never say we forgive God, but what happens between God and us when He forgives us? The answer to this is really the center discussion of the gospel. Our salvation begins with forgiveness. Through God’s grace and mercy, He forgives our sins, which is the beginning of our salvation.

When we believe that Jesus Christ has forgiven us, we believe that something tremendous was done on Calvary. Jesus was crucified on the cross as a redemptive sacrifice for us and prepared a platform for our salvation. This is not just the fact of forgiveness but the power of forgiveness. We all believe in God’s mercy and His love, but His forgiveness is more than a judicial act, it is more than a legal action from our condemnation. After all, we are condemned sinners and can do nothing about our sins. We cannot forgive ourselves, or save ourselves from sins or from our own false information. We are puppets to sin and can do nothing, except to trust that God will save our souls from condemnation and from guilt.

Unlike ourselves who have to physically put action to our words to accomplish any act, God is the Creator of all things. When He speaks, whatever it is that He says, happens. “By the word of the Lord were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of His mouth.” Psalm 33:6.

There is power in God’s word. When He speaks something is created, something is going to be transformed and changed. So when God forgives, something happens. His Word is a full promise of His forgiveness, and when read and received and believed and the gift of forgiveness is accepted, it changes the heart and behavior of the penitent. We celebrate the Sabbath because our God is the Creator. He has done His own work for our salvation. When we accept His work we accept His creative power. It is this power that keeps us from falling into the same sins; it guarantees us salvation and holiness.

Jesus Heals a Paralytic

“And He entered into a ship, and passed over, and came into His own city. And, behold, they brought to Him a man sick of the palsy, lying on a bed: and Jesus seeing their faith said unto the sick of the palsy; Son, be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee.” Matthew 9:1, 2.

Not only does Jesus heal a person by His power, but at the same time gives a living illustration to future Bible students’ understanding of what it means to be forgiven; to see what it means to be touched by God and be forgiven. Mark records this same incident in his epistle chapters 1 and 2, where we find out that the house in which this healing took place was the house of Peter. Wherever Jesus was, the crowds gathered, and Peter’s house was packed with people. Others stood by the doors and windows, everywhere; people surrounded the house that not a single other soul could enter.

This story reminds me of an experience I had several years ago while in China. I was standing in a small room (to hold about 100 people). I stood in the front and watched the people as they came in. They kept coming until I was pushed into the corner. I counted 92 people in that small room. It was jammed packed, and when I looked up there were two heads hanging down from the holes in the ceiling, not able to come down because there was no more room.

There was such a crowd that not another person could fit into the house of Peter where Jesus was. There was a man who heard that Jesus Christ had even cured others of the leprosy. His heart pounded with joy at the thought of seeing Jesus. He believed that his own crippled condition would be cured and his own sins forgiven, if he could only get into the house and talk to Jesus. He asked his friends to take him to Jesus. Seeing the crowd, they were not discouraged but took him up onto the roof and tore apart a section large enough to lower him down into the room.

You can only imagine the reaction of Peter seeing his home being demolished and the revival meeting being interrupted. This man needed Jesus, more than anybody that was crowded in the house. With ropes they lowered him on his bed. His muscles had become hard and stiff like a stick, and he could not move his hands or his feet. There are many Christians today that, even though they go to church every Sabbath, are crippled. They do not know how to walk, how to witness, how to share with others their salvation experiences. They are lame and palsied; they always need to be carried by their pastors and elders and their brothers and sisters in the church. They are sick and do not know how to move around and show the world about God’s healing power.

If you are one of those Christians, you need to come to Jesus Christ and be revived and healed by His power. We are talking here about the power of forgiveness. When the paralytic was lowered, Jesus Christ looked at him and had pity. When we come to Jesus Christ, we faint with yearning hearts appealing to Him and say, “Jesus, I’m here. All I want is Your simple touch. I believe and trust Your power. So come, put Your hand on me and save me.”

When we come as we are with that simple yearning heart not desiring anything else, Christ will perform the miracle that only the Creator can perform. Jesus said this: “Son, be of good cheer, thy sins be forgiven thee” (Matthew 9:2). Jesus saw this as more important than physical healing. Healing came secondary as a result of the forgiveness of his sins. Do you want to receive the forgiveness that God wants to give you? So many Christians do not realize that to be forgiven by the Saviour is the most important single thing for your soul in the entire world. When Jesus looked at the man on the stretcher, He saw the heart-felt desire of his soul. He had made many mistakes, and when he was young, he was intemperate and committed many sins. He had many regrets in his life, and when he came to Jesus Christ, the thing that he really wanted was the assurance of his own salvation. Can I be saved? Can my sins be forgiven? He witnessed the priests, the scribes, Pharisees and Levites, who served in the service of the synagogues, look at him demeaningly because of his affliction. As he reviewed his life, all he saw was filthiness and wickedness and questioned if there was hope for him. He longed to find the hope and assurance of forgiveness and salvation from Jesus.

As he was being lowered down, Jesus could read his heart. So the first thing he spoke was, “Son, be of good cheer. Don’t be so desperate. Don’t be distressed or depressed. You have a hope, be of good cheer, my son. Your sins are forgiven.” Matthew 9:2. He was so happy and relieved from the burden of sins and the guilt of condemnation that he wanted to jump up and stand. Jesus told him, “Arise, and take up thy bed, and go thy way into thine house.” Mark 2:11.

There were many witnesses to this event. “And, behold, certain of the scribes said within themselves, This man blasphemeth. And Jesus knowing their thoughts said, Wherefore think ye evil in your hearts? For whether is easier, to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and walk?” Matthew 9:3–5.

Which one is easier? Is it easier to say your sins are forgiven? This can be spoken by anyone. Actors and actresses can say it, and I can say it. Jesus called Himself, Son of man. He became one of us, assumed our sinful nature, the incarnation, and lived our lives in our shoes, a holy life by the touch of the fullness of the Holy Spirit, a sinless life. You see, this was not because He was a different man. He was the same man with the same nature as we have, but He was filled with the Spirit of God.

New Life in Jesus

This same life of Jesus is available to all who consecrate themselves to Him; a life that is powered of God, with the authority of God. Jesus, as one of us, and as the Son of man, He had the authority and the power of God to forgive sins. I am not saying that we can have power to forgive sin, but Jesus did in His Father’s power. He and His Father identified with each other.

Jesus said, “But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (then saith He to the sick of the palsy,) Arise, take up thy bed, and go unto thine house.” Verse 6. Jesus was here demonstrating the freedom of forgiveness. He said, Get up, take your bed with you and walk home. You are not tied to that filthy bed anymore. You do not have to stay there anymore. Rise and walk. You are, by the cords of condemnation, no longer tied down, but are free to live a new life. God has forgiven you and has given you the power to rise and to walk.

He immediately understood the meaning of freedom from sin, and in the sight of the crowd, he arose and took up his bed. He could walk again!

When the people saw him and heard him praising God’s name, they were amazed, having never seen anything like this happen before. As he departed to his house, multitudes saw it and marveled, glorifying God Who had given such power unto man.

When Christians experience this same power of forgiveness in their lives, others will notice they have been touched by the power of God and freed from the power and bondage of sin and been released by God’s word; their sins are forgiven.

When Christians are released from this bondage and arise and live and walk, praise and pray, and help others and live like a forgiven person, others will witness the true gospel of Jesus Christ. This is what it means to “Fear God, and give glory to Him.” Revelation 14:7.

Understanding Forgiveness

Do you really understand what it means to be forgiven? When God forgives, He does not only forgive the sinful records of the past, as does a judge in a courtroom, reminding you of the amount of sins you have committed and then forgiving them. There is legal forgiveness, which is seen in the sacrificial service. But His main objective in forgiving is to heal. He restores you from the condemnation of sin. He cleanses, He claims you from the power of sin so that you do not sin anymore. Forgiveness releases you from the chains and bondage of sin so that you become a new person, a free person. That is not merely a judicial act, but that is power, the healing power of Jesus Christ who frees us from the bondage of Satan.

Jesus Christ, our God who created us, came down to this earth to save us from sin, not in the sin. I really believe it; do you? When we really understand this, then we will understand what is God’s salvation.

“But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing ye might have life through His name.” John 20:31. If we believe in Jesus’ name, then we are going to be saved. When we are saved, we are going to receive the life of God. When God gives us this life, we will be revived in Spirit, in our thoughts, in our desires, in our intentions. Our plans, our thoughts and our lifestyles are all going to be changed. We are new creatures, and we don’t dwell in the past anymore. We become a living witness of the Saviour, who has forgiven our sins. Salvation brings with it the forgiveness of God. When we come to Jesus Christ with a contrite heart, and say, “Lord, Jesus, I’m a sinner, I’ve sinned against Thee, only against Thee. Forgive me, cleanse me, and give me a new heart.” When we come to Jesus with all our heart, begging for forgiveness, Jesus Christ is going to forgive us with the power of the Creator. He will give us a new heart, new thoughts, new motivations, new desires, created for His honor and glory. This is the gospel!

No Sin Too Bad

One time when I was in China, a pastor’s meeting was called. With the political climate, the meeting had to be held secretly. The pastors were asked to write questions for me to answer, and when one question came and was translated I thought it a bit odd, as I thought everyone at the meeting were either evangelists or pastors. The question was, “Pastor Kang, can God forgive my sins? Can my great sins that I have committed in the past be forgiven, even me and my sins?” That was not the kind of question I expected from anyone in that group. So, after the meeting I requested that the person who asked that question remain. I found out that the man was a layman who had tagged along with his pastor, for he wanted to attend the meeting and listen to the lectures.

This big man began to sob as he told his story. He told me, “Pastor, I had a wife and children and I was a gangster, a loan shark. I went from business to business and house to house to get the money for our boss and our gang groups. I have committed many, many great sins. I cannot even look up to heaven. I do not know if God is able to forgive me or not. I don’t know if He really wants to forgive me or if I’m condemned. But I heard you and I have a little hope in my heart. Can God forgive my sins?” I asked if he believed in the word of God, the Bible. He did, so I asked him to open his Bible and read a few verses with me.

“He will turn again, He will have compassion on us; He will subdue our iniquities; and Thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea.” Micah 7:19.

“Come now, let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.” Isaiah 1:18.

I asked him, “Can you believe it? Do you see any conditions mentioned here? As long as you come to Jesus Christ, and say, ‘Lord Jesus, I’m a sinner, forgive me.’ That’s all it takes, if you come with all your heart.” I asked him, “Do you believe in His promise?” And he said, “Yes. I want to believe this promise.” “Do you want to, or do you believe it?” And he said, “I believe it.”

Praise God! I knelt down with him and I prayed, going over the promise of Jesus again in the prayer. I told the man to thank Him for His forgiveness. I finished the prayer saying, “Jesus, You heard his confession; he came to You with all his heart. As You have promised, forgive his sin now, so he may go with a happy heart and with a healing touch.”

With tears in his eyes, the man rose, he hugged me with a hug so hard it was suffocating.

You may attend church for twenty or thirty years or for all your life, but are you really forgiven? Do you know for sure that Jesus Christ has forgiven your sins?

When God forgives you, He reclaims you from the condemnation of sin. He heals you from all the scars and takes away the excess baggage loaded with past sins. When God heals the palsy and says, “Son, thy sins are forgiven,” at that same time He says, “Rise, take up your bed and walk.” He means arise from your past. Shun all those weaknesses and problems, sorrows, pains and sufferings that are caused by your sins and iniquities. Arise from that; you don’t have to be entangled with them anymore. He is healing you just as He created the earth. He created the trees and flowers, the sun, moon and stars and with that same power He will heal you. He commands you, come, arise and walk in newness of life.

There is a power in God’s forgiveness, something happens. Many Christians believe that when God forgives, something happens on God’s part, that a contrite heart and confession in the spirit of repentance will cause in God’s heart the release of His anger and condemnation. They forget that God the Father is the One who sent Jesus Christ to save us. Long before we have a contrite heart, like the father of the prodigal son, He already has determined in His mind to forgive us. It was when the prodigal son remembered the love of his father that he rose and turned and began to walk home. But even before he made that decision to return, his father turned on the lantern on the porch every night in anticipation. He was waiting and waiting for his son to return. So when his father saw him in the distance, he immediately recognized him, saying, “That is my son!”

When the distance was still far, the father ran and embraced his son in his bosom and accepted him, even before he said, “Father, forgive me.” His father had already forgiven him, and just like that father long ago, our heavenly Father is waiting for our return. Many people say they are forgiven and that maybe it is only in the books or records, but God’s intention is to heal our soul from the problems caused by our iniquities.

This is good news. When God forgives, something happens to us, not to God. We can rise with healing.

“Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of His dear Son; in whom we have redemption through His blood, even the forgiveness of sins.” Colossians 1:12–14.

Through the blood of Jesus Christ, we are redeemed. Many Christians have a different gospel, claiming the forgiveness of God while retaining habitual sins in their heart. They claim forgiveness of the records of sin only and without the power to cleanse the heart.

“But forgiveness has a broader meaning than many suppose. When God gives the promise that He ‘will abundantly pardon,’ He adds, as if the meaning of that promise exceeded all that we could comprehend: ‘My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts’ (Isaiah 55:7–9). God’s forgiveness is not merely a judicial act by which He sets us free from condemnation. It is not only forgiveness for sin, but reclaiming from sin. It is the outflow of redeeming love that transforms the heart.” Thoughts from the Mount of Blessing, 114.

Pastor David Kang is the director of Light for Life U.S. Ministry operation out of Fort Lee, New Jersey. His sermons are broadcast weekly on New York and Virginia Korean television stations. Pastor Kang also frequently travels to Asia where he trains pastors who often work “underground.” 

“In Wrath, Remember Mercy”

by

If you want to study the character of the children of Jacob, a good place to begin is in Genesis 49. That chapter begins, “And Jacob called unto his sons, and said, ‘Gather yourselves together, that I may tell you that which shall befall you in the last days. Gather together and hear, you sons of Jacob, and listen to Israel your father’ (Genesis 49:1, 2).”

Jacob then proceeds to relate the fate of all twelve of his children and of their descendants.

These depictions can be read simply as interesting stories, or they can serve as a basis for self-examination, using them as Paul suggested in I Corinthians 10:11: “Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come.”

Of particular note should be those character traits that are unchristlike in nature. If I am truly desirous of being among the 144,000, I need to be diligent to expunge these traits from myself and to “uproot every plant which my heavenly Father has not planted” (Matthew 15:13).

A quick scan of Genesis 49 reveals the following unchristlike character traits:

  • Instability
  • Incest
  • Cruelty
  • Murder
  • Anger
  • Wrath
  • Envy
  • Jealousy
  • Backbiting

A continuing study of these tribes through the Old Testament reveals even more barriers to salvation as the descendants of Jacob’s children multiply and spread.

It is not possible in this limited space to address each of these flaws. The one I would like to look at closely here is wrath—anger, and a hasty temper.

As I studied the character of Jacob’s children, I was particularly struck by what Jacob prophesied about Simeon and Levi: “Cursed be their anger, for it is fierce; and their wrath, for it is cruel (Genesis 49:7)!”

My study revealed that in Scripture, there are three depictions of wrath: man’s, God’s, and Satan’s. Each has definite characteristics and definite outcomes.

Strong’s Concordance defines wrath as violent anger; vehement [passionate, heated, violent, intense] exasperation; indignation.

The first mention of wrath in Scripture occurs in the reference mentioned initially, when Jacob is prophesying about the future of his children:

Genesis 49:5–7: “Simeon and Levi are brothers; instruments of cruelty are in their dwelling place. Let not my soul enter their council; let not my honor be united to their assembly; for in their anger they slew a man, and in their self-will they hamstrung an ox. Cursed be their anger, for it is fierce; and their wrath, for it is cruel! I will divide them in Jacob and scatter them in Israel.”

Throughout Scripture, examples of man’s wrath have similar outcomes as did that of Simeon and Levi—it is never good.

We are given much instruction and caution in the Scriptures, thankfully, about wrath and anger. Of particular note is James 1:19: “So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath.”

Inspiration alludes to that text in Testimonies, vol. 4, 243: “That which is done in haste and anger is not excusable. … You may, by a single word spoken in haste and passion, leave a sting in the hearts of friends which may never be forgotten.”

James expands on this theme in several places as his letter continues.

“Even so the tongue is a little member and boasts great things. See how great a forest a little fire kindles! And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity. The tongue is so set among our members that it defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire by hell.” James 3:5, 6.

The single Greek word that is translated into the English phrase “set on fire” means to inflame with passion. Clearly James understood that outbursts of wrath are provoked by Satan: “set on fire by hell.”

Solomon in his wisdom had earlier addressed this same issue several times in his proverbs.

“A quick-tempered man acts foolishly.” Proverbs 14:17.

“A wrathful man stirs up strife, but he who is slow to anger allays [dispels, alleviates, relieves] contention.” Proverbs 15:18.

“He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, And he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city.” Proverbs 16:32.

It was also on his mind when he wrote out his repentance for his grievous sins: “Do not hasten in your spirit to be angry, for anger rests in the bosom of fools.” Ecclesiastes 7:9.

Paul also addresses this issue. Apparently anger, wrath, and a hasty temper were a significant problem in the early church.

In his letter to the Galatians, Paul includes outbursts of wrath among the works of the flesh. (See Galatians 5:19–21.) He advised the Ephesians to “Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice.” Ephesians 4:31. To the Colossians, he wrote, “But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth.” Colossians 3:8.

Imagine what a peaceful world this would be if all the world’s professed Christians would follow Paul’s advice.

Inspiration addresses these issues very directly and very often.

“Meekness in the school of Christ is one of the marked fruits of the Spirit. It is a grace wrought by the Holy Spirit as a sanctifier, and enables its possessor at all times to control a rash and impetuous temper. When the grace of meekness is cherished by those who are naturally sour or hasty in disposition, they will put forth the most earnest efforts to subdue their unhappy temper. Every day they will gain self-control, until that which is unlovely and unlike Jesus is conquered. They become assimilated to the Divine Pattern, until they can obey the inspired injunction, ‘Be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath’ (James 1:19).” The Sanctified Life, 15, 16.

It is interesting to note, by the way, that every one of the fruits of the spirit Paul gave to the Galatians—and subsequently to us—is the antithesis of anger.

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.” Galatians 5:22, 23 KJV.

Obviously, one whose heart is filled with love, joy, and peace, one who is longsuffering, gentle, meek, and temperate, will not be guilty of outbursts of wrath or anger.

Interestingly, there is only one instance in the New Testament in which it is specifically stated that Christ was angry. It occurred after He had been accused of Sabbath-breaking when He was about to perform another miracle that would result in the same charge.

“And He entered the synagogue again, and a man was there who had a withered hand. So they watched Him closely, whether He would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse Him. And He said to the man who had the withered hand, ‘Step forward.’ Then He said to them, ‘Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?’ But they kept silent. And when He had looked around at them with anger, being grieved by the hardness of their hearts, He said to the man, ‘Stretch out your hand.’ And he stretched it out, and his hand was restored as whole as the other.” Mark 3:1–5.

Of all the references to wrath and anger in Scripture, by far the most frequent are to God. The words wrath and anger occur over 400 times. Of those, the majority refer to God’s, which, it should be noted, is always manifested toward sin and sinners. A study of these occurrences will give the serious Bible student a comprehensive understanding of what God deems to be sinful actions and character traits.

Paul and Isaiah give us two general examples among the many hundreds that occur in Scripture:

“For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness.” Romans 1:18.

“Behold, the day of the Lord comes, cruel, with both wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate; and He will destroy its sinners from it.” Isaiah 13:9.

One of the most surprising revelations that resulted from the study of wrath and anger is that only one reference to Satan occurs. It is in a text that is familiar to all Adventists: “Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell in them! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea! For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time.” Revelation 12:12.

Obviously, that time is far shorter now than it was when John was inspired to write these words. Inspiration addressed this issue as follows:

“I have been shown that Satan has not been stupid and careless these many years since his fall, but has been learning. He has grown more artful. His plans are laid deeper and are more covered with a religious garment to hide their deformity. The power of Satan now to tempt and deceive is ten-fold greater than it was in the days of the apostles. His power has increased, and it will increase, until it is taken away. His wrath and hate grow stronger as his time to work draws near its close.” Spiritual Gifts, vol. 2, 277.

Though we do indeed have an enemy, we also have a divine Redeemer, who has pledged to redeem those who turn their hearts to Him for salvation. The promises in Scripture that assure us of eternal life are too numerous to detail here. However, if we truly fear the Lord and hate evil, these promises are for us—His children by creation, by redemption, by adoption, by choice, and by faith.

The Lord is merciful and gracious,
Slow to anger, and abounding in mercy.
He will not always strive with us,
Nor will He keep His anger forever.
He has not dealt with us according to our sins,
Nor punished us according to our iniquities.
For as the heavens are high above the earth,
So great is His mercy toward those who fear Him;
As far as the east is from the west,
So far has He removed our transgressions from us.
As a father pities his children,
So the Lord pities those who fear Him.

Psalm 103:8-13

“In wrath remember mercy.”

Habakkuk 3:2

(Unless appearing in quoted references or otherwise identified, Bible texts are from the New King James Version.)

John Pearson is the office manager and a board member of Steps to Life. After retiring as chief financial officer for the Grand Canyon Association, Grand Canyon, Arizona, he moved to Wichita, Kansas, to join the Steps team. He may be contacted by email at: johnpearson@stepstolife.org.