Keys Storehouse

Who Touched Me?

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This woman had been ill for many years. The physicians could not help her, but she believed that if she could touch Jesus, she would be healed.

I’ve been thinking lately about one of my favorite Bible stories. Mark 5 tells us about a woman who had been ill for 12 years. She had seen doctor after doctor, went through treatment after treatment, and spent every dinar she had. She was alone, broke, discouraged, and still sick. Have you ever spent days, weeks, years, living with something, but you don’t know what it is, and the best anyone can tell you is that it just is? She was desperate.

One day she heard that Jesus, the Teacher and Healer, would be coming close by. She had heard what He taught and about those He had healed. Perhaps she personally knew someone He had healed. Sick and weak, she still determined to join the crowd waiting for Him. If she could just get close enough to ask Him to heal her. But when she arrived at the spot He would pass by, there were so many people already gathered, waiting to see Him. How would she ever get close enough?

She determined that if she could just get close enough to touch the hem of His garment, she had faith enough to believe that she would be healed.

I’d like to think about a couple of things that I personally find to be so profound about this story.

  1. The path Christ took that day was not His usual path. Mrs. White tells us that, “Christ understood all that was in her heart, and He placed Himself where she could have the opportunity she desired. He would use that act to distinguish the touch of genuine faith from the casual contact of those who were crowding about Him.” In Heavenly Places, 108
  2. When it seemed impossible for her to connect with Jesus, she pressed forward and touched just the hem of His garment. Immediately, she felt the healing surge spread throughout her body. Because of her faith, Jesus knew the difference between her touch and the indifferent jostling of the crowd. This was no casual touch. It was the touch of faith, and His divine power could not be withheld. It responded to the longing of her heart.

Christ said, “Who touched Me?” Surrounded by people pressing around Him on every side, He felt the touch of faith, the yearning desire for the help only He could give. When it was clear that she could not conceal herself, she came forward, relating the story of her suffering for the last 12 years and her belief that if she could just touch His garment, she would be healed. Then Christ said, “Daughter, your faith has made you well.” (See Mark 5:25–34; Daughters of God, 63, 64.)

“Here was distinguished the casual contact from the touch of faith. Prayer and preaching, without the exercise of living faith in God, will be in vain. But the touch of faith opens to us the divine treasure house of power and wisdom; and thus, through instruments of clay, God accomplishes the wonders of His grace.

“This living faith is our great need today. …

“There is a wide difference between a pretended union and a real connection with Christ by faith. …

“This spiritual relation can be established only by the exercise of personal faith. … Our will must be wholly yielded to the divine will … .” Testimonies for the Church, Vol. 5, 228, 229

Highest Regard

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The Bible teaches that we are to show our utmost regard for Jesus Christ, our Creator, Redeemer, our Friend.

But the Bible and Spirit of Prophecy also tell us that Jesus looks upon His children with supreme regard.

Job. The man God trusted and chose as His champion to exemplify that through faith and complete surrender to Him, man can overcome.

Abraham. The man God trusted and chose to be the progenitor of His people.

Moses. The man God trusted and prepared to lead His people out of a heathen country into the promised land.

God’s church, His people, were carried through time by these men and those who came after bearing the same spirit and love for God.

Enoch. The man who walked with God. David. The man after God’s own heart. Joseph, Daniel and the three worthies. Men who remained faithful no matter the cost. Paul. The man who spread the gospel of Jesus Christ before kings. The Waldenses, Ellen White, the early Adventist Church, and so many others.

Listen to how Mrs. White expresses God’s supreme regard for His people:

“The church is God’s appointed agency for the salvation of men. It was organized for service, and its mission is to carry the gospel to the world.” Christian Service, 15

“Christ loves His church. He will give all needed help to those who call upon Him for strength for the development of Christlike character.

“The church is the repository of the riches of the grace of Christ; and through the church will eventually be made manifest, even to ‘the principalities and powers in heavenly places,’ the final and full display of the love of God. …

“God’s love for His church is infinite. His care over His heritage is unceasing.” Sons and Daughters of God, 13

“The church of Christ is the only object on the earth upon which He bestows His supreme regard … .” The Review and Herald, December 11, 1888

“The love which Christ has evinced for us is without a parallel. How earnestly He labored! How often was He alone in fervent prayer, on the mountainside or in the retirement of the garden, pouring out His supplications with strong crying and tears. How perseveringly He urged His petitions in behalf of sinners! Even on the cross He forgot His own sufferings in His deep love for those whom He came to save.” Testimonies for the Church, Vol. 5, 385

“Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord from the heavens; praise Him in the heights!

“Praise Him, all His angels; praise Him, all His hosts!

“Praise Him, sun and moon; praise Him, all you stars of light!

“Praise Him, you heavens of heavens, and you waters above the heavens!

“Let them praise the name of the Lord, for He commanded and they were created.

“He also established them forever and ever; He made a decree which shall not pass away.

“Praise the Lord from the earth, you great sea creatures and all the depths; fire and hail, snow and clouds; stormy wind, fulfilling His word; mountains and all hills; Fruitful trees and all cedars; beasts and all cattle; creeping things and flying fowl; kings of the earth and all peoples; princes and all judges of the earth; both young men and maidens; old men and children.

“Let them praise the name of the Lord, For His name alone is exalted; His glory is above the earth and heaven.”
Psalm 148:1–13

Our Own Hearts Deceive Us

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Two years ago, I installed an electric fence in the backyard at my home. My dog, Finn, wears a collar that receives a signal from a transmitter inside the house that reminds him, if he gets too close to the fence, to remain within its confines. A green light on his collar’s receiver flashes telling me it is receiving a strong signal.

The fence is a two-wire barrier. If Finn gets too close to the first strand, he receives a warning tone, and if he stops there, nothing further happens. But if he gets too close to the second strand, he receives a more powerful, though painless, incentive to remain in the yard. Let me share with you just how powerful it is.

Not long ago, I noticed that the green light on the receiver was flashing red. This meant that the battery was or very near dead. If Finn got too close to the fence, there would be a weak warning tone or maybe no tone at all nor any other deterrent to keep him inside the fence. Finn had the ability to leave the backyard any time he chose. However, as accustomed as he was to receiving the warnings, he didn’t know that. Yet.

I don’t know how long the battery was weak or dead, but I watched him for two days go outside, wander around the backyard, sometimes for a very long time, or sit in his special spot, surveying his domain. He never tested the fence, and he never crossed it.

That got me thinking about our sinful nature, besetting sins, and how we are too often so settled in our lives of sin that we do not recognize the opportunity to leave that life when it comes.

“The secret of Satan’s power over God’s professed people lies in the deceitfulness of the human heart.” The Signs of the Times, December 13, 1899

Our own hearts deceive us. If we are satisfied to stay as we are, then the devil’s work is easy, but when we realize that we have the chance to be made better, to be changed, then he opens the floodgates against us.

I thought this quote from a popular Christian movie explains it pretty well.

“Sometimes the devil allows people to live a life free of trouble because he doesn’t want them turning to God. Their sin is like a jail cell, except it is all nice and comfy and there doesn’t seem to be any reason to leave. The door’s wide open. Till one day, time runs out, and the cell door slams shut, and suddenly it’s too late.” (God’s Not Dead, Pure Fix Entertainment 2014)

“We must be sanctified through the truth, be wholly consecrated to God … . Every moment that we are not on our watch we are liable to be beset by the enemy and are in great danger of being overcome by the powers of darkness. Satan commissions his angels to be vigilant and overthrow all they can; to find out the waywardness and besetting sins of those who profess the truth, and throw darkness around them, that they may cease to be watchful, take a course that will dishonor the cause they profess to love, and bring sorrow upon the church. The souls of these misguided, unwatchful ones grow darker, and the light of heaven fades from them. They cannot discover their besetting sins, and Satan weaves his net about them, and they are taken in his snare.” Early Writings, 105

Lord, help us to depend upon You alone, and to turn away from Satan’s snares.

Who Do We Think We Are?

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One night not long ago, I woke up with the thought of balloons, and promptly went back to sleep. But the thought of balloons followed me for several days. I thought about helium-filled balloons being let loose to float up and around in the sky. I wondered what happened to them, and my brother told me that they eventually go high enough that they implode.

That started me thinking about the Tower of Babel. I couldn’t really make a spiritual connection between balloons and the Tower of Babel, so I dropped the balloons and focused on the Tower of Babel.

I don’t know how high the people building the Tower of Babel thought they could go, but their purpose was clear. So, let’s take a short look at why they built it.

The Flood happened because mankind had become so evil that God regretted creating them (Genesis 6:5–7). Think about that! A merciful, patient, and loving Father, driven to regret by the actions of His children.

While the Bible isn’t specific concerning the length of time, most religious scholars accept that the tower was built more than 200 years, or approximately three generations, after the Flood. These people knew of the Flood by word of mouth, passed down from one generation to the next; but it was still a significant event in their history.

Many of the descendants of Noah followed his example and obeyed God’s commandments, but some apostatized. They were unbelieving and rebellious, even disbelieving in the existence of God, attributing the Flood to natural causes. Convicted on a daily basis by the righteous conversation and godly lives of those who loved and followed God, these enemies of God decided to separate themselves from the faithful.

They journeyed until they found a large plain, and there they built a city and ultimately, the Tower of Babel. The Bible says they built their city in the Plain of Shinar located in present-day Iraq, but just exactly where in the Plain, we do not know.

They intended to dwell there together and not be scattered all about. They also reasoned that if they built the Tower high enough, if another flood came, they could save themselves by climbing to its upper reaches. They believed that the world would honor them and look upon them as gods, and they would rule over all the people.

The tower was designed to exalt its builders and intended to make God’s promise to never destroy the world again with a flood of none effect. Who did they think they were? They built a tower with the intention of turning the attention of the world to themselves and their idolatry, and away from God. They intended to be worshiped as gods.

They built their tower to a great height, but God would not allow them to complete their work. He sent two angels to confound their language and all work stopped. All the people of Babel spread out across the land.

God then sent lightning from heaven and broke off the top of the tower, as an expression of His wrath, and to show rebellious mankind that He is supreme (The Story of Redemption, 72–74).

Dear Lord, help us to take to heart the Bible stories that You have especially included in Your book so that we can remember that You are Supreme in this universe, so that we can be drawn nearer to You, becoming more Christlike in character.

It’s Time

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It was April 2014. Alumni weekend at Enterprise Academy. The weekend, like all those that had come and gone before, was a wonderful time to reconnect with friends you haven’t seen in a while, some maybe since graduation. For a lot of us now, that’s as long as a lifetime.

It was during this reunion that I reconnected with Roger, my then soon-to-be husband. Heidi who had been one of my best friends growing up was also there, and Ms. Sanders—Mrs. Hay for the last umpteen years—probably the most popular teacher for every class for decades. Former Reflectors of God’s Love members, and Beth, Debbie, Gary, Glenn, Rob, Brant, Cheryl, Warren, and Cherie, to name just a few. Parents and grandparents of many of the students, who had once been students themselves, were there, too.

Sid and Melody had a huge outbuilding on their property. Everybody brought food and set up a big potluck so that the members of the classes who wanted to come, could gather after Sabbath. Include good conversation and music from our class guitarists and musicians, and it was a weekend to remember.

Today, eleven years down the line, Sid and Melody have sold their property, and a couple years ago Sid contracted Covid and died, so did Ron. Dana had been fighting cancer for years, and, finally, the cancer won. Roger and I got married, and then he died. DJ lost both her husband and mother. Cheryl and Lee lost their mothers, too.

You’re probably tired of hearing me ask, “Are you ready for Jesus to come?” Friends, a reunion is coming. Just think, we will see our family and friends again; not for just a weekend, but for eternity. And best of all, we’ll see Jesus. We’ll sit at His feet and listen to the voice we’ve longed 6,000 years to hear, and feel the touch of His nail-scarred hand.

It’s time, no, it’s way past time. Let’s get ready to go home.

“And when you have finished your course, yours will be the unspeakable joy of being welcomed with the words, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; … enter thou into the joy of thy Lord.’ And with your loved ones around you, you will stand on Mount Zion, and cast your crown at Jesus’ feet, saying, Not unto us, but unto Thy name be glory.” The Signs of the Times, August 20, 1902

Is Anything Impossible for God?

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With God all things are possible.
(Matthew 19:26; Mark 9:23; Luke 1:37)

But is that true?

The Bible tells us in Jeremiah 32:17, “There is nothing too hard for You [God].”

Inspiration tells us God is omnipotent, omnipresent, and omniscient.

“God always has been. He is the great I AM. … He is infinite and omnipresent.” The Upward Look, 326

“Nothing can happen in any part of the universe without the knowledge of Him who is omnipresent. Not a single event of human life is unknown to our Maker.” The Signs of the Times, July 14, 1881

“He [Jesus] was equal with God, infinite and omnipotent.” The Faith I Live By, 46

“The Lord God omnipotent, who reigneth in the heavens, declares, ‘I am with you.’ ” Ibid., 62

“Satan will move mightily from beneath, and will delude the world, while the Lord God Omnipotent will move from above and prepare a people to stand in the great day of His wrath.” Manuscript Releases, Vol. 16, 177, 178

“God is omnipotent, omniscient, immutable.” Christ Triumphant, 291

“God is omniscient. No sin escapes His notice.” Manuscript Releases, Vol. 21, 271

“The Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, powers infinite and omniscient, receive those who truly enter into covenant relation with God.” The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, Vol. 6, 1075

“The first and great commandment is, ‘Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind.’ To love Him, the infinite, the omniscient One, with the whole strength, and mind, and heart, means the highest development of every power. It means that in the whole being—the body, the mind, as well as the soul—the image of God is to be restored.” The Signs of the Times, April 21, 1909

“Is anything too hard for the Lord?”
Genesis 18:14

Clearly, we can see from the Bible and the Spirit of Prophecy that God has all the qualifications to say what He means, and mean what He says, to create and maintain universes, to know every thought, to hear every cry, and to see every act, both good and bad.

God is all-powerful, present everywhere, and all-knowing, and yet, there is one thing that is impossible for Him.

“The gift to our world in sending Jesus is an exhibition of His grace which God Himself cannot surpass. … But one thing is impossible with God—the power of eclipsing the greatness of His gift in showing His love for fallen man.” That I May Know Him, 338

“[God] sent to our world the only Messenger that He could trust with His great treasure of pardon and grace. Christ. … And in this gift the Father gave all heaven to the world.” Lift Him Up, 208

“The gift of God to man is beyond all computation. Nothing was withheld. God would not permit it to be said that He could have done more or revealed to humanity a greater measure of love.” Sons and Daughters of God, 11

Friends, God, in the person of His Son Jesus Christ, freely gave everything, the Best that heaven had so that you and I could be restored to His image. Are we willing to surrender everything to Him?

“Let us come to God in faith, fully assured that as we surrender all to Him, He will make us Christlike in character. Then, one with Christ, we can reveal Him to the world.” Manuscript Releases, Vol. 5, 342

“From the cross of Calvary, Christ calls for an unconditional surrender … . All we have should be consecrated to God.” The Faith I Live By, 244

Giving Up Heaven

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Think about this. The children of Israel were determined to be God’s chosen people, rulers of the world, as they saw themselves, on their own terms. This led them to refuse Jesus as the Messiah. Further still, it led them to kill Him. There are people today, all over the world, who feel the same way and they exist even in our church. They want to go to heaven, but on their terms.

Imagine giving up heaven for a job that pays six figures and allows a person to travel all over the world on the company’s dime, but requires that he work one Sabbath a month. Or, not paying tithe for a long time to save up for that fancy sports car he has always wanted? Or, giving up heaven because he can’t give up that cup of coffee or latté? What about a big juicy steak with some equally juicy jumbo shrimp on the side? Or, a handful of M&Ms, a bowl of macaroni and cheese. Or, giving up heaven for your spouse or child?

Friends, it isn’t about what we give up, it’s the giving up—obedience or disobedience. The Bible tells us that there is nothing we should put ahead of God, not even our family. We can rationalize all we want, but just because we need a home doesn’t mean we have to buy a mansion. We need transportation, but we don’t need a Rolls Royce. We need food, but we need to consume food that is healthy for our bodies, and does not make us crave “the fleshpots of Egypt.” We need clothes, but we don’t need to spend thousands of dollars for the latest fashions so that we can fit in with the world. What keeps me from God, doesn’t have to be big; just that little darling sin I can’t seem to let go of.

“The Saviour of the world … laid aside His glory and clothed His divinity with humanity. He became the meek and lowly Jesus. He left His riches and glory in heaven and became poor that we, through His poverty, might be made rich. … But selfish men will repine and murmur if called to leave their little earthly treasure for Christ’s sake … ! No one can appreciate the blessings of redemption unless he feels that he can joyfully afford to make any and every sacrifice for the love of Christ. …

“You know but little of real sacrifice and genuine denial of self. … The young man who asked Jesus what he should do that he might have eternal life was answered: ‘Keep the commandments.’

“He confidently and proudly replied: ‘All these things have I kept from my youth up: what lack I yet?’ Jesus looked pityingly upon the young man; He loved him, and He knew the words He spoke would forever separate the youth from Himself. Nevertheless, Jesus touched the plague spot of his soul. He said to him: ‘Go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow Me.’ The young man wanted heaven, but not enough to withdraw his affections from his earthly treasure. … His decision was to give up heaven and to cling to his earthly treasure. How many are now making the very same decision which fixed the destiny of this young man?” Testimonies for the Church, Vol. 4, 219, 220

Not Home Yet

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Colonel Henry Gariepy was born in 1930, and as a young man, joined the Salvation Army serving as an officer until his retirement in 1995. He was also the national editor-in-chief of the The War Cry during this time. He wrote more than 29 books and was a contributor to an additional 50 works ranging from devotional works to biography and history. One of his best known titles is 100 Portraits of Christ.

In this book, Colonel Gariepy tells of former president Theodore Roosevelt returning home from an African hunting safari. As he boarded the ocean liner at the African port, crowds cheered as he walked up the red carpet. He was given the finest suite aboard the ship. Stewards waited on him hand and foot during the journey home. The former president was the center of the entire ship’s attention.

Also, on board the vessel was another passenger, an elderly missionary who had given his entire life in God’s service in Africa. His wife had died, his children were gone, and he was now returning to his homeland alone. Not one soul on the ship noticed him.

Once the ocean liner arrived in the port of San Francisco, Roosevelt was given a hero’s welcome—whistles blowing, bells ringing, and the waiting crowd’s cheering—as he descended the gangplank. But nobody was there to welcome the returning missionary.

Alone, the elderly man found a small hotel for the night. As he knelt by his bed, his heart broke; “Lord, I am not complaining, but I don’t understand. I gave my life for You in Africa. But it seems to me that no one cares. I just don’t understand.”

Then, in the darkness, it was as if God reached down from heaven, and placing His hand upon the old man’s shoulder, He whispered, “Missionary, you’re not home, yet.”

It brings to mind the old King’s Heralds song, Welcome Home, Children.

Not Home Yet

A great day is coming

Heaven’s gates will open wide

And all who love the Lord may enter in

To join with their loved ones

Who in Jesus Christ have died

Their eternal life in heaven will begin

And the Lord Himself will greet us

Oh, what joy will fill that day

When with a smile of the proudest Father

He’ll look at us and say

Welcome home, children

This is the place I’ve prepared for you

Welcome home, children

Now that your work on earth is through

Welcome home children

You who have fought on so faithfully

Welcome home, children

Welcome home, children

Here where I am you shall always be

Forever rejoicing with Me

“Let your faith be pure and strong and steadfast. … When you rise in the morning, kneel at your bedside and ask God to give you strength to fulfill the duties of the day and to meet its temptations. Ask Him to help you to bring into your work Christ’s sweetness of character. Ask Him to help you to speak words that will draw those around you nearer to Christ.” Sermons and Talks, Vol. 1, 332, 333

Source: wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Gariepy

Do You Doubt God’s Love?

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Do you doubt that God loves you? Are you afraid that your life has just been too bad for God to want to save you? Let me suggest a few words to help us remember just exactly how much He does love us.

  • Peter
  • David
  • Paul
  • Nebuchadnezzar
  • Job
  • Mary Magdalene
  • Jacob
  • The thief on the cross

“And great multitudes came unto Him, having with them those that were lame, blind, dumb, maimed, and many others, and cast them down at Jesus’ feet; and He healed them.” Matthew 15:30

I am reminded of the song When Jesus Comes:

One sat alone beside the highway begging,
His eyes were blind, the light he could not see.
He clutched his rags and shivered in the shadows
Then Jesus came and bade his darkness flee.

From home and friends the evil spirits drove him,
Among the tombs he dwelt in misery;
He cut himself as demon powers possessed him,
Then Jesus came and set the captive free.

“Unclean, unclean!” the leper cried in torment,
The deaf, the dumb, in helplessness stood near;
The fever raged, disease had gripped its victim,
Then Jesus came and cast out every fear.

Their hearts were sad as in the tomb they laid him,
For death had come and taken him away;
Their night was dark and bitter tears were falling,
Then Jesus came and night was turned to day.

So men today have found the Saviour able,
They could not conquer passion, lust and sin;
Their broken hearts had left them sad and lonely,
Then Jesus came and dwelt, Himself, within.

When Jesus comes, the tempter’s power is broken;
When Jesus comes, the tears are wiped away,
He takes the gloom and fills the life with glory,
For all is changed when Jesus comes to stay.

“Now when Jesus came … the Prince of heaven was among His people. The greatest gift of God had been given to the world. Joy to the poor; for Christ had come to make them heirs of His kingdom. Joy to the rich; for He would teach them how to secure eternal riches. Joy to the ignorant; He would make them wise unto salvation. Joy to the learned; He would open to them deeper mysteries than they had ever fathomed; truths that had been hidden from the foundation of the world would be opened to men by the Saviour’s mission.” The Desire of Ages, 277

“Jesus came to suffer in our behalf, that He might impart to us His righteousness. There is but one way of escape for us, and that is found only in becoming partakers of the divine nature.” The Review and Herald, March 1, 1892

“When Jesus came to our world, … He devoted His life to the teaching of those truths that pertain to the salvation of the soul. …

“God has claims upon every power of our being. His service demands the action of the whole man—all the heart, all the soul, all the strength, and all the mind. How to render this complete service to God is the only subject of any value in this life.” The Upward Look, 105

Predestined or Predestined

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We are predestined to be saved because God created us to be His children. Sin and the separation it brings, had no place in His creation.

We are predestined to be saved because God formulated a plan so that if man exercised his free will and chose to love and serve another, there would be a way to bring him back.

We are predestined to be saved because Jesus came to this world to live the life that would restore us to the condition of holiness and righteousness that is necessary to live in the presence of Almighty God.

We are predestined to be saved because Jesus died on the cross to pay the penalty that justly belongs to each one of us as sinners and to make forgiveness available to every man, woman, and child who choose to unite with Him as His child.

We are predestined to be saved when we accept the gift of salvation.

Everyone who commits his or her life to Christ is predestined to be saved, because God has promised that all who make a full surrender of their lives to Him are saved.

We are not predestined because God has a naughty or nice list on which He places a check mark by my name or your name and, regardless of our life, saves us while others on the list are left behind.

God has provided salvation through His Son, and when we accept that salvation and allow the Holy Spirit to transform us to be, once again, holy and righteous, then we become a part of His people, His church, all of whom are predestined to be saved by virtue of their acceptance of salvation and obedience to God’s law.

“Just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself … .” Ephesians 1:4, 5, first part

“These promises are not made to a few, but to all who will come to the heavenly banquet that God has prepared by sending His Son to our world to die in our behalf, that through faith in Him, we should become one with God. … The predestination of which God speaks includes all who will accept Christ as a personal Saviour, who will return to their loyalty, to perfect obedience to all God’s commandments. This is the effectual salvation of a peculiar people, chosen by God from among men. All who are willing to be saved by Christ are the elect of God. It is the obedient who are predestinated from the foundation of the world.” Manuscript Releases, Vol. 6, 388

God gives me the ability to reject His offer of salvation, but if I do not reject salvation, if I seek to develop a Christlike character, then I am predestined to be saved.

“The struggle is lifelong and the victory is certain. Every soul who has Christ abiding in him … will maintain a noble spirit, after the holy example of Christ. He will represent Christ’s character, maintaining integrity, purity, and holiness.” The Ellen G. White 1888 Materials, 938, 939