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Restoring the Temple – The Endocrine System

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So, what’s the endocrine system? You may have heard of adrenal glands and of people who are hypoglycemic or diabetic. The endocrine system is the collection of the body’s glands along with their hormones, and other hormone-producing organs. The endocrine system is extremely important as it regulates and controls an extraordinary number of functions in our bodies. Just as the nervous system uses electricity to send and receive messages, the endocrine system uses chemicals called hormones to accomplish even more amazing things. The endocrine system may not work as fast as the nervous system, but its effects last longer. The endocrine system is extremely complex, and scientists are continually discovering new functions and interactions of hormones throughout the body. We’ll discuss just a very small portion of the endocrine system in this article.

Glands are organs whose function is to manufacture hormones. Glands are found all over the body. For example, in our heads we have the hypothalamus, pituitary and pineal glands. In our neck and chest are the thyroid, parathyroid, and thymus glands. Some endocrine organs are also part of other systems, such as the pancreas which produces hormones but is also part of the digestive system, ovaries and testes which are glands but are also part of the reproductive system, and kidneys which produce hormones but are also part of the urinary system.

Hormones are chemical messengers that are produced and released in a gland and are transported, via the circulatory system, to other cells. In fact, each hormone has its target cells, which means that there are specific cells that will respond to it. Think of the hormone as a package and the bloodstream as the postal service. Only the cell with the correct “address” will accept the package. Other “packages” or hormones will be ignored. This use of hormones to coordinate cellular activities in distant parts of the body is called endocrine communication.

Let’s take a look at one organ in particular. The pancreas is situated just behind the stomach. As previously noted, it is part of both the endocrine system and the digestive system. In its role as a digestive organ, the pancreas releases certain pancreatic digestive juices through a tube and into the small intestine. The endocrine function of the pancreas involves controlling your blood sugar or glucose. Pancreatic endocrine cells produce hormones called glucagon and insulin. These two hormones work as a check and balance system. Glucagon raises blood glucose by affecting the liver, which can break down other substances and turn them into glucose and send it into the bloodstream. Insulin lowers blood glucose by increasing the glucose uptake of the body’s cells. Without insulin, glucose would circulate without being taken in by the cells, which need it for energy production. Think of insulin as the big brother that holds the little brother’s (glucose) hand, making it “ok” to go into the cell.

You have certainly heard of the disease called diabetes. Diabetes can be caused by several things but is generally characterized by glucose concentrations that are high enough to spill into the urine, making urine production excessive. In Type I diabetes, the pancreas fails to produce enough insulin. Type II diabetes is caused by the body’s inability to respond to insulin normally. In each case, the “big brother” isn’t available to help glucose into the cell. Without glucose, the body cannot produce energy necessary for life. Left untreated, diabetes can kill. When this system is working normally, the body is kept in balance, or homeostasis, which is how God planned it to work.

Homeostasis is another major function of the endocrine system. The following is an illustration of one of the processes of homeostasis, thermoregulation.

A frog, a rock, and you are sitting in the shade on your porch for a little while. It is late afternoon and the outside temperature is 102.0 degrees F. After a while, the temperature of the frog and the rock are approximately 102.0 degrees F; your temperature is 98.6 degrees F. As night falls, the temperature plummets to freezing. The temperature of the frog and the rock are now about 32.0 degrees F. Your temperature is 98.6 degrees F.

This illustrates the fact that man, unlike the frog or the rock, is homeothermic, which means that we maintain a constant temperature regardless of our surroundings. How is this possible? The process of this temperature regulation is called thermoregulation and it is quite complex. Heat is produced as a byproduct of metabolism. That is not a problem, but the body must remove heat, or we will get too hot. We lose heat through our skin, especially through evaporation when we sweat. You will have noticed that your skin gets red when you are hot. This occurs because blood vessels in your skin dilate which allow more blood flow to the surface and therefore more heat can be radiated off the skin. Conversely, when you are cold, your skin turns pale as the skin blood vessels constrict so that less heat is lost to the air. Your extremities get cold first because the body shunts blood to the head and trunk to protect the vital organs. Shivering is the body’s way to increase metabolism, which increases heat production. This occurs when you are too cold or during an infection when the body needs to increase its temperature.

The part of the brain called the diencephalon is the heat-regulating center. Neural messages pass to and from the heat center, keeping the body in constant temperature balance. If any portion of this process is not functioning, the entire process can fail. In other words, Adam must have been fully formed when God breathed life into him; he could not have gradually developed over time or his thermoregulatory system, and other body systems that are so intricately linked, would have failed, and he would not have lived.

Though we have touched on just a miniscule portion of the endocrine system, it is clear that God’s plan incorporates a wondrous balance within our intricate inner workings. “He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry [them] in his bosom, [and] shall gently lead those that are with young. Who hath measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, and meted out heaven with the span, and comprehended the dust of the earth in a measure, and weighed the mountains in scales, and the hills in a balance?” Isaiah 40:11, 12.

From the Pen of Inspiration – The First Advent of Christ

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The Jews had separated themselves so far from God by their wicked works, that angels could not communicate to them the tidings of the advent of the infant Redeemer. God chooses the wise men of the East to do his will.

“Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the East to Jerusalem, saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.” [Matthew 2:1, 2.] These men were not Jews; but they had been waiting for the predicted Messiah. They had studied prophecy, and knew the time was at hand when Christ would come; and they were anxiously watching for some sign of this great event, that they might be among the first to welcome the infant heavenly King, and worship him. These wise men were philosophers, and had studied the works of God in nature. In the wonders of the heavens, in the glories of the sun, moon, and stars, they traced the finger of God. They were not idolaters. They lived up to the dim light which shone upon them. These men were regarded by the Jews as heathen; but they were more pure in the sight of God than the Jews who had been privileged with great light, and who made exalted professions, yet did not live up to the light God had given them. These wise men had seen the heavens illuminated with light, which enshrouded the heavenly host who heralded the advent of Christ to the humble shepherds. And after the angels returned to Heaven, a luminous star appeared, and lingered in the heavens.

This light was a distant cluster of flaming angels, which appeared like a luminous star. The unusual appearance of the large, bright star which they had never seen before, hanging as a sign in the heavens, attracted their attention. They were not privileged to hear the proclamation of the angels to the shepherds. But the Spirit of God moved them out to seek this heavenly Visitor to a fallen world. The wise men directed their course where the star seemed to lead them. And as they drew nigh to the city of Jerusalem, the star was enshrouded in darkness, and no longer guided them. They reasoned that the Jews could not be ignorant of the great event of the advent of the Messiah, and they made inquiries in the vicinity of Jerusalem.

The wise men are surprised to see no unusual interest upon the subject of the coming of the Messiah. They fear that after all they may not have read the prophecies correctly. Uncertainty beclouds their minds, and they become anxious. They hear the priests repeating and enforcing their traditions, and expounding the law, and exalting their religion, and their own piety. They point to their phylacteries, and the borders of their garments, upon which the precepts of the law and their traditions are inscribed, as evidences of their devotion, while they denounce the Romans and the Greeks as heathen and sinners above all men. The wise men leave Jerusalem not as confident and hopeful as when they entered it. They marvel that the Jews are not interested and joyful in prospect of this great event of the advent of Christ.

The churches of our time are seeking worldly aggrandizement, and are as unwilling to see the light of the prophecies, and receive the evidences of their fulfillment which show that Christ is soon to come, as were the Jews in reference to his first appearing. They were looking for the temporal and triumphant reign of Messiah in Jerusalem. Professed Christians of our time are expecting the temporal prosperity of the church, in the conversion of the world, and the enjoyment of the temporal millennium. . . .

The city of Jerusalem was thrown into great excitement by the sayings of the wise men. The news was immediately carried to Herod. He was exceedingly troubled, yet disguised the discomfiture, and received the men with apparent courtesy.

The advent of Christ was the greatest event which had taken place since the creation of the world. The birth of Christ, which gave joy to the angels of Heaven, was not welcome to the kingly powers of the world. Suspicion and envy were aroused in king Herod, and his wicked heart was planning his dark purposes for the future. The Jews manifested a stupid indifference to the story of the wise men. But Herod is intensely interested and excited. He summons the scribes, and the chief priests, and urges upon them to search carefully prophetic history, and tell him where the infant king was to be born. The careless indifference and apparent ignorance of the scribes and chief priests, as they turn to their books for the words of prophecy, irritate the fully aroused king. He thinks they are trying to conceal from him the real facts in regard to the birth of the Messiah. He authoritatively commands them to make close search in relation to their expected king. [Matthew 2:4–8 quoted.]

Although Herod received the wise men with apparent respect, yet the intimation by them of the birth of a King to reign in Jerusalem, excited his envy and hatred against the infant whom he thought might prove his rival, and drive him, or his descendants, from the throne. A storm of opposition and satanic fury took possession of Herod, and he determined to destroy this infant king. Yet he put on a calm exterior, and requested a private interview with the wise men. . . . The wise men were not able to read the heart of the tyrant Herod; but God, who is acquainted with every emotion of the soul, with the intents and purposes of the heart, was not deceived by his hypocritical pretenses. . . .

After the wise men had left Jerusalem, they again saw, to their great joy, the guiding star in the heavens, which directed them to the birthplace of our Saviour. [Matthew 2:11 quoted.] The wise men found no loyal guard to debar their entrance to the presence of Christ. The honorable of the world are not in attendance. In place of the people who should have welcomed with grateful homage the Prince of life, he is surrounded with dumb, beasts. . . .

The Lord moved upon the wise men to go in search of Jesus, and he directed their course by a star. This star, leaving them when near Jerusalem, led them to make inquiries in Judah; for they thought it was not possible for the chief priests and scribes to be ignorant of this great event. The coming of the wise men made the whole nation acquainted with the object of their journey, and directed their attention to the important events which were transpiring. God well knew that the advent of his Son to earth would stir the powers of darkness. Satan did not want that light should come into the world. The eye of God was upon his Son every moment. . . . The Lord provided a way for Joseph to preserve his own life, and the life of Jesus, and that of the mother, by their fleeing into Egypt. He provided for the necessities of their journey, and for their sojourn in Egypt, by moving upon the wise men of the East to go in search of the infant Saviour, and to bear him valuable offerings as a token of honor. The Lord is acquainted with the hearts of all men. He directed the course of Joseph into Egypt, that he might there find an asylum from the wrath of a tyrannical king, and the life of the infant Saviour be preserved. The earthly parents of Jesus were poor. The gifts brought to them by the wise men sustained them while in the land of strangers.

Herod waited anxiously for the return of the wise men; for he was impatient to carry out his determined purpose to destroy the infant King of Israel. After he had waited long for the knowledge he desired, he feared his purpose might be thwarted. . . .

Herod issued a proclamation to a large body of soldiers, whose hearts were hardened by crime, war, and bloodshed, to go throughout Bethlehem and all the coasts thereof and massacre all the children from two years old and under. . . .

This was the reception the Saviour met as he came to a fallen world. . . . He who came to bring life to man, met, from the very ones he came to benefit, insult, hatred, and abuse. God could not trust his beloved Son with men while carrying on his benevolent work for their salvation, and final exaltation to his own throne. He sent angels to attend his Son and preserve his life, till his mission on earth should be accomplished, and he should die by the hands of the very men he came to save. Review and Herald, December 24, 1872.

[All Emphasis Supplied.]

The Race to Contact the Dead, Part III

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The fascination with death, and the realization of the impossibility of escape from death, has led many into a race to contact the dead. The phenomenon of claiming to contact the dead is becoming almost common place. With the increased interest in afterlife, it becomes necessary for every Christian to thoroughly investigate the Scriptures to see what God’s Word teaches about what happens at death. In both the Old and New Testaments, death is referred to as a sleep. In the King James Version of the Bible, similar words such as “sleep, sleepeth, asleep” are used to describe death in no less than 60 verses. The testimony of the Bible is unmistakable. “For the living know that they will die; But the dead know nothing, And they have no more reward, For the memory of them is forgotten. Also their love, their hatred, and their envy have now perished; Nevermore will they have a share In anything done under the sun. . . . Whatever your hand finds to do, do [it] with your might; for [there is] no work or device or knowledge or wisdom in the grave where you are going.” Ecclesiastes 9:5, 6, 10.

What happens at death? The spirit, that spark of life, returns to God, and the body decays back into dust. Man is sleeping in the grave, peacefully awaiting the resurrection.

By saying that the soul does not die, that it simply floats to eternal bliss or eternal misery, we are in reality saying that the soul is immortal. The soul is not immortal; God alone is immortal. “Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, [be] honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.” 1 Timothy 1:17.

Reward Received at the Resurrection

We see all through the New Testament that the great hope of the apostles was the resurrection, and it is the resurrection that is to be our great hope as well. It is the resurrection that is to be our comfort in the time of loss.

It is the resurrection, not death, which we are repeatedly taught to look forward to—when we will receive our reward. Jesus said, “And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you; for you shall be repaid at the resurrection of the just.” Luke 14:14. Paul hoped, “if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.” Philippians 3:11. He was looking forward, as Jesus said, to the resurrection of the dead. Paul also said, “I have hope in God, which they themselves [the Jews, his accusers] also accept, that there will be a resurrection of [the] dead, both of [the] just and [the] unjust.” Acts 24:15.

In 1 Corinthians 15, Paul combats the belief that there is no resurrection (similar to today’s belittling of the importance of the resurrection) and makes some very revealing statements. “But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ is not risen.” “Then also those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable.” Verses 13, 18, 19. If there is no resurrection, then the dead have perished. He did not say that they are in heaven without bodies, he said they are perished, and the only thing that we would have to look forward to is this life, which would be most miserable.

Paul clearly did not teach that immediately when a person dies he ascends to heaven. He taught that at the resurrection all ascend to heaven together. The babies who have died do not go to a strange place without their mother or their father; they are in an unconscious sleep until the resurrection when all can go to heaven together. God’s way truly is best.

When we rationally think about the resurrection, it is the only thing that would make sense anyway, for the Bible constantly talks about a judgment. God has an appointed time for the judgment (see Acts 17:31), and throughout the Bible it is repeatedly talked about as a future event. (See Ecclesiastes 12:13, 14; 3:15, 17; 11:9.) We are also told, “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ . . . .” 2 Corinthians 5:10. If a person went directly to heaven or to hell before the judgment day, that would be incredibly unfair. Who has ever heard of a judge condemning a person to prison before he was found guilty? Yet this is what people think God is doing. What a misrepresentation of our loving God! God would never sentence a person to death, or life, before a fair trial had been given. Revelation pictures the judgment taking place (see Revelation 20:11–13) and then, after the judgment occurs, is the “lake of fire.” Revelation 20:14, 15. God is just, and the punishment will not be executed until the judgment, or trial, takes place. Thus all the dead righteous and wicked are asleep in their graves, awaiting their respective resurrections. (See John 5:28, 29.)

The Thief on the Cross

As in any subject that we study from the Bible, there are a few texts that can confuse us and make things hard to understand. We must always remember the Biblical principle of getting the weight of the evidence. “Whom will he teach knowledge? And whom will he make to understand the message? Those [just] weaned from milk? Those [just] drawn from the breasts? For precept [must be] upon precept, precept upon precept, Line upon line, line upon line, Here a little, there a little.” Isaiah 28:9, 10. “These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual.” 1 Corinthians 2:13. If we are going to understand what God is telling us in His Word about a subject, we must compare scripture with scripture. We must put precept upon precept, line upon line, here a little and there a little. We must get the entire picture to see what God is trying to tell us. We must not isolate one verse from the rest of the Bible and build a doctrine upon it. We must get the weight of evidence and allow the weight of evidence to determine our thinking upon a subject. There are always going to be a few verses that make it difficult for us to understand, but if we look upon the subject as a whole, comparing all the verses, the Holy Spirit will teach us the truth.

One such verse, that can be used to stand in contradiction to the weight of evidence of what the Bible says about death, is what Jesus said to the thief on the cross. “Then he said to Jesus, ‘Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.’ And Jesus said to him, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.’ ” Luke 23:42, 43. At first glance it does appear that Jesus is promising the thief that he will be in Paradise that very day. There are a few problems with that interpretation, though. The first is that it contradicts the vast majority of other references on the subject. The second is that Jesus did not even go to Paradise that day!

On resurrection morning, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and found that Jesus was not there. She immediately ran to get the other disciples and they came and verified that what she said was correct; then they returned to their own homes. Mary, on the other hand, stayed at the garden weeping, where she mistakes Jesus for the gardener, until He calls her by name. Immediately she throws herself at His feet, but “Jesus said to her, ‘Do not cling to Me, for I have not yet ascended to My Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, “I am ascending to My Father and your Father, and [to] My God and your God.” ’ ” John 20:17. Jesus plainly told Mary that He had not yet ascended to the Father. On Sunday morning, shortly after the resurrection, Jesus had not yet ascended to the throne of God, where Paradise and the Tree of Life are. (Compare Revelation 2:7; 22:1, 2.) How could Jesus have been with the thief in Paradise on Friday, if He had not even gone to Paradise before Sunday morning? Clearly it must not be teaching that Jesus promised that the thief would be in Paradise that very day, for that would make a liar out of Him.

What was Jesus saying? When we look back to the Greek, we find that there was no punctuation. Not only was there no punctuation, there were not even spaces or lowercase letters. The translators did a marvelous job in translating and putting in the punctuation, but they did not always put the punctuation in the right places. An example of this can be found in Acts 19:12. In the King James Version it reads that the handkerchiefs were sick and so Paul healed them, and the diseases and unclean spirits went out from them. Clearly the comma was misplaced in this instance. If it is placed after the word “sick,” it makes perfect sense. By putting the comma after “today” instead of before “today,” Luke 23:43 agrees with all the rest of scripture. It would then read, “Assuredly, I say to you today, you will be with me in Paradise.” Jesus is simply making the declaration today; even though the thief had waited until the last hours of his life, today he was guaranteed that he would be in Paradise. Jesus was saying to the thief, as he said to Zacchaeus, “Today salvation has come to this house.” Luke 19:9. The thief is now unconsciously sleeping in the grave until the resurrection, just like all the other righteous dead.

Saul and the Witch

Since we are talking about contacting the dead, we should look at another instance that is sometimes used to justify this activity and the erroneous idea that we can communicate with the dead. This instance is found in 1 Samuel 28:3–19. We find here that even though Saul had previously “put the mediums and the spiritists out of the land” (verse 3), in his apostasy he consulted a medium, an act which the Lord calls an abomination. Notice verse 6: “And when Saul inquired of the Lord, the Lord did not answer him, either by dreams or by Urim or by the prophets.” The Lord had left Saul. Now when Saul longed for communication with the Lord, the Lord refused to answer him. So Saul turned to the agent of Satan, one who claimed to be able to call up the dead.

Saul asks for Samuel to be brought up. Samuel was a true prophet, and verse 6 already made it clear that the Lord did not answer by prophets. When Saul asks what the woman sees, she replies, “I saw a spirit ascending out of the earth.” Verse 13. Saul did not see anything; it was only the medium who saw this spirit. It also does not say that she saw Samuel, but simply a spirit. Saul then “perceived that it [was] Samuel.” Verse 14. Saul bows down to the spirit. This is conclusive evidence that it was not Samuel, for not even good angels allow people to bow down to them. (See Revelation 19:10.) If it was truly Samuel, there is no way that Samuel would have tolerated obeisance to him. It is true that the spirit claimed to be Samuel, but would not an evil spirit follow through with its deception and claim to be the one it is impersonating? It is also true that “the spirit” told the truth about what was going to happen, but the devil tells the truth at times when it makes his deceptions more plausible. The devils repeatedly told the truth that Jesus was the Son of God. (See Matthew 8:29; Mark 1:23–25; 3:11.) Does that mean that they are good spirits? Absolutely not! The evil spirit in this instance was just telling the truth to be more deceptive.

It would have been unnecessary to try to deceive Saul anyway, for he was already a lost man. The Lord had become his enemy, and he was to die the next day. Notice one of the reasons that Saul was killed: “So Saul died for his unfaithfulness which he had committed against the Lord, because he did not keep the word of the Lord, and also because he consulted a medium for guidance.” 1 Chronicles 10:13.

Saul, in total apostasy, consulted a medium, which is an abomination, and he died because of it. The medium was the only one who saw anything—a “spirit ascending out of the earth,” not Samuel, although it resembled Samuel. Saul worshipped this spirit, which Samuel would never have allowed. The Lord would not answer Saul by prophets, and Samuel was a prophet. Surely it was not Samuel who was consulted, but an evil spirit impersonating Samuel.

Spirits in the Last Days

In the days in which we live, it is so important that we understand the truth about contacting the dead. Revelation tells us that it will be the spirits of devils that are going to gather the world together for the Battle of Armageddon. “And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs [coming] out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. For they are spirits of demons, performing signs, [which] go out to the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.” Revelation 16:13, 14. John sees the spirit of demons doing signs and deceiving the world into uniting on the wrong side of the Battle of Armageddon. “And he cried mightily with a loud voice, saying, ‘Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and has become a dwelling place of demons, a prison for every foul spirit, and a cage for every unclean and hated bird!’ ” Revelation 18:2. The last day power of Babylon is mentioned as being a habitation of demons and a prison for every foul spirit.

In the last days, these foul spirits and demons are going to play a large part in deceiving the world into worshipping the beast power. They will appear, impersonating our dead loved ones, to teach us that we need to worship the beast. Beware! Do not listen to them, for they are the spirits of demons. They may even appear as the apostles or other early Christian figures, teaching things contrary to the writings of Scripture, but beware! The apostles and early Christians are sleeping in the grave awaiting the resurrection. They will not rise “till the heavens [are] no more, They will not awake Nor be roused from their sleep.” Job 14:12.

The race to contact the dead is well under progress today, but it will grow and increase. Do not be surprised to see miraculous appearances and signs from those who claim to be deceased—they are none other than the agents of Satan to deceive the world into accepting the mark of the beast. Everything must be tested by the great test given in God’s Word: “To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, [it is] because [there is] no light in them.” Isaiah 8:20. It does not matter how good and wonderful a spirit may appear; if it claims to have returned from the dead, it is false, because it is contradicting the testimony of the Word of God. There is no light in it. We must know for a certainty and remember what the Word of God teaches on this crucial topic, or we will be deceived by the wiles of the devil in the last days.

We do not need to fear, though, for God is stronger than all the might of the adversary. God has promised that “neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:38, 39. If we keep our life hid in Christ, we will be safe from the powerful delusions that will take the world captive. The ones who are deceived are those who do “not receive the love of the truth.” 2 Thessalonians 2:10. All who are carefully and prayerfully studying the Word of God, for His “word is truth” (John 17:17), and who are purifying their “souls in obeying the truth” (1 Peter 1:22), will be shielded from the deceptions of the devil. Those who are willing to follow and believe God’s Word, whatever it says, will be “kept by the power of God through faith” and will receive the end of their faith—the salvation of their souls. (1 Peter 1:5, 9.) Praise God for teaching us the truth from His Word that we need not be deceived. May each one of us be among that group who are protected from the last powerful delusions.

The Perfect Gift

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“The holiday season is fast approaching with its interchange of gifts, and old and young are intently studying what they can bestow upon their friends as a token of affectionate remembrance. It is pleasant to receive a gift, however small, from those we love. It is an assurance that we are not forgotten, and seems to bind us to them a little closer. . . . It is right to bestow upon one another tokens of love and remembrance . . . .” The Adventist Home, 478.

“Do you have all your shopping done yet?” This question is often used as a greeting to our friends during the holiday time of the year. Even strangers ask strangers this question as they endure long cashier checkout lines. More often than not the answer is an agonized No!

There are some people for whom it is very hard to make the right gift selection. You have no idea what they need or want. You have no clue what their size or color preference might be. Perhaps the recipient is picky, or when you have decided, after days of struggle, on just the right present, you discover they have purchased the item for themselves. The biggest challenge in gift buying is purchasing for the person who seems to be in need of nothing; they have every necessity and imaginable gadget anyone could desire. But God knows exactly what each person needs.

Gift of the Saviour

If ever there was a gift where “everybody needs one,” “one size fits all,” or “you cannot do without it,” this is it! This Promised Gift became a need when, in the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve chose to believe the smooth enticements of the serpent rather than the life-giving instructions of their Father.

“Plain and specific prophecies had been given regarding the appearance of the Promised One. To Adam was given an assurance of the coming of the Redeemer. The sentence pronounced on Satan, ‘I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel’ (Genesis 3:15), was to our first parents a promise of the redemption to be wrought out through Christ.” The Acts of the Apostles, 222.

God did not hold the human race in suspense as to when the Promised Gift would be given. He revealed the time: “But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law.” Galations 4:4. “When the fullness of time was come, He sent forth His Son. The One appointed in the councils of heaven came to this earth as man’s instructor. The rich benevolence of God gave Him to our world, and to meet the necessities of human nature He took humanity upon Himself. To the astonishment of the heavenly host the eternal Word came to this world as a helpless babe. Fully prepared, He left the royal courts and mysteriously allied Himself with fallen human beings. ‘The Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us.’ John 1:14.” Counsels to Parents, Teachers, and Students, 259.

Can any of you who are parents comprehend giving your only son to people who, for the most part, do not have an interest in him? That is exactly what God did for us: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son . . . .” John 3:16. Imagine giving to someone an item that is very precious to you, that you have sacrificed greatly to give, and they put it away on a closet shelf and forget about it! “The priests . . . of Israel had been given the privilege of receiving Christ as their Saviour, without money and without price. But they refused the precious gift offered them in the most tender spirit of constraining love.” The Desire of Ages, 564.

“It is your Creator who has poured out to you all heaven in one wondrous gift,—His only-begotten Son. . . .” Counsels on Stewardship, 46.

You may have heard the phrase, “The gift that goes on giving.” That definitely describes what happens when the gift of the Saviour is given and accepted!

Gift of Salvation

After telling of the incomprehensible gift God gave, John 3:16 continues: “. . . that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” “For the wages of sin [is] death; but the gift of God [is] eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Romans 6:23.

It is the desire of God’s heart to continue to give, especially to those individuals who accept the gift of His Son. Even to those who do not at first appreciate and accept the gift of His Son, He continues to offer the Gift—just as human parents desire to give special things to their children and continue to sacrificially offer gifts, even when their offerings are scorned and rejected. “The great gift of salvation has been placed within our reach at an infinite cost to the Father and the Son. To neglect salvation, is to neglect the knowledge of the Father and of the Son whom God hath sent in order that man might become a partaker of the divine nature, and thus, with Christ, an heir of all things. A neglect to lay hold of the priceless treasure of salvation, means the eternal ruin of your soul. The peril of indifference to God and neglect of his gift, is measured by the greatness of salvation. God has done to the uttermost of his almighty power. The resources of infinite love have been exhausted in devising and executing the plan of redemption for man. God has revealed his character in the goodness, the mercy, compassion, and love manifested to save a race of guilty rebels.” Review and Herald, March 10, 1891.

“The paternal character of God is revealed in his holy law, proving him to be full of mercy, goodness, and truth. God has manifested unparalleled love in giving his beloved Son to die for fallen man; but men have not appreciated this love, and have refused the gift of salvation. How patiently God has borne with sinners, and will still bear with them till the measure of ingratitude and iniquity is full, and the world is ripe for judgment and wrath.” Ibid., September 3, 1889.

He does not, however, want the action of acceptance to be based purely on the desire of future reward. “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: [it is] the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” Ephesians 2:8, 9.

“The sinner views the spirituality of the law of God and its eternal obligations. He sees the love of God in providing a substitute and surety for guilty man, and that substitute is One equal with God. This display of grace in the gift of salvation to the world fills the sinner with amazement. This love of God to man breaks every barrier down. He comes to the cross, which has been placed midway between divinity and humanity, and repents of his sins of transgression, because Christ has been drawing him to Himself. He does not expect the law to cleanse him from sin, for there is no pardoning quality in the law to save the transgressors of the law. He looks to the atoning Sacrifice as his only hope, through repentance toward God—because the laws of His government have been broken—and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ as the One who can save and cleanse the sinner from every transgression.” Selected Messages, Book 3, 194.

“The gift of God is eternal life. The Lord desires all who receive His grace to trust entirely in Him. He calls upon us to exercise pure, simple faith, trusting in Him, without a question as to what recompense we shall receive. We are to work heartily in His service, showing that we have perfect confidence that He will judge righteously.” Lift Him Up, 343.

“The faith in Christ which saves the soul is not what it is represented to be by many. ‘Believe, believe,’ is their cry; ‘only believe in Christ, and you will be saved. It is all you have to do.’ While true faith trusts wholly in Christ for salvation, it will lead to perfect conformity to the law of God. Faith is manifested by works. And the apostle John declares, ‘He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.’ [1 John 2:4.]” Review and Herald, October 5, 1886.

Gift of the Holy Spirit

As we accept the gift of the Saviour and, subsequently, the gift of salvation, our loving Father has promised yet another gift: “And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; [Even] the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.” “But the Comforter, [which is] the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.” John 14:16–18, 26.

God desires to give this Gift to us that we, like Christ, through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, may be prepared for the coming conflict. (See Counsels on Diet and Foods, 153.) Instruction is given to us from the pen of inspiration on how we are to prepare for this Gift. We “should uplift the standard of temperance from a Christian point of view, showing that the body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, and bringing to the minds of the people the responsibility resting upon them as God’s purchased possession to make mind and body a holy temple, fit for the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.” Testimonies, vol. 7, 75. We are to control our appetites and passions so we “have a sound physical constitution, and mental and spiritual strength,” ready to accept the indwelling Spirit. Conflict and Courage, 271.

Other character weaknesses must be overcome as well. “The Holy Spirit does not abide in the heart of him who is peevish if others do not agree with his ideas and plans. From the lips of such a man there come scathing remarks, which grieve the Spirit away, and develop attributes that are satanic rather than divine. The Lord desires those connected with His work to speak at all times with the meekness of Christ. If you are provoked, do not become impatient. Manifest the gentleness of which Christ has given us an example in His life. . . .” Counsels on Stewardship, 115.

“Every individual must realize his own necessity. The heart must be emptied of every defilement, and cleansed for the indwelling of the Spirit. It was by the confession and forsaking of sin, by earnest prayer and consecration of themselves to God, that the early disciples prepared for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost. The same work, only in greater degree, must be done now. . . .” The Faith I Live By, 333.

As the Holy Spirit dwells within, additional gifts will be shared: “To hearts that have become purified through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, all is changed. These can know God.” Reflecting Christ, 378.

“We do not see Christ and speak to Him, but His Holy Spirit is just as near us in one place as in another. It works in and through every one who receives Christ. Those who know the indwelling of the Spirit reveal the fruits [gifts] of the Spirit—love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith.” The Faith I Live By, 57.

“The talents that Christ entrusts to His church represent especially the gifts and blessings imparted by the Holy Spirit. ‘To one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; to another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; to another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues: but all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as He will.’ 1 Corinthians 12:8–11. All men do not receive the same gifts, but to every servant of the Master some gift of the Spirit is promised.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 327.

Gift of Grace

The last precious gift God gives to us that we will address in this article is the gift of grace. ” ‘Unto every one of us is given grace, according to the measure of the gift of Christ,’ the Spirit ‘dividing to every man severally as He will.’ Ephesians 4:7; 1 Corinthians 12:11. The gifts are already ours in Christ, but their actual possession depends upon our reception of the Spirit of God.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 327.

“The Lord saw our fallen condition; He saw our need of grace, and because He loved our souls, He has given us grace and peace. Grace means favor to one who is undeserving, to one who is lost. The fact that we are sinners, instead of shutting us away from the mercy and love of God, makes the exercise of His love to us a positive necessity in order that we may be saved.” Selected Messages, Book 1, 347.

“In the matchless gift of His son, God has encircled the whole world with an atmosphere of grace as real as the air which circulates around the globe. All who choose to breathe this life-giving atmosphere will live, and grow up to the stature of men and women in Christ Jesus.” God’s Amazing Grace, 238.

What do You do with a Gift?

Every parent has had the experience of searching for some special gift for their child and then, after all their effort, seeing the child spend more time playing with the box the gift came in than with the gift itself. The feeling you have at that time approximates the feeling God must have about the attitudes some of His children display towards the gifts He gives. What should our attitude be to God?

Express Gratitude

We should first express our gratitude. “Thanks [be] unto God for his unspeakable gift.” 2 Corinthians 9:15. How we appreciate receiving a note of thanks for a gift we have given! Our feelings toward the gift recipient become more tender, and we look forward to the pleasure of bestowing more gifts upon them. But, how disappointed we become when we do not receive an acknowledgement of our carefully selected gift. Since we are created in the image of God, it would seem feasible that He experiences the same feelings from our reactions to His gifts.

“The thought that Christ died to obtain for us the gift of everlasting life, is enough to call forth from our hearts the most sincere and fervent gratitude, and from our lips the most enthusiastic praise.” Sons and Daughters of God, 238.

“Before angels and men we should reveal our gratitude for what he has done for us.” Review and Herald, September 12, 1899.

Use It

It is a pleasure to us to see a gift we have given being utilized. It makes us happy to know that it is benefiting the receiver. It gives God pleasure when we use His gifts.

“Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery.” 1 Timothy 4:14.

“And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry; Who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: but I obtained mercy, because I did [it] ignorantly in unbelief. And the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.” 1 Timothy 1:12–14.

“As stewards of the grace of God, . . . It means much, very much to us to be strengthened by His rich grace day by day, to be enabled to understand His will, to be found faithful in that which is least as well as in that which is great. When this is our experience, the service of Christ will be a reality to us. God demands this of us, and before angels and men we should reveal our gratitude for what he has done for us.” Counsels on Stewardship, 111.

“The work of labor for the salvation of souls does not rest alone upon the delegated minister, but that to every man God had given his work. The Lord’s work is to be carried forward by the living members of Christ’s body, and in the great divine appointment of God each one is to be educated to act a part in the conversion of souls. He has enlisted in the army of the Lord, not for ease, not to study his own amusement, but to endure hardships as a faithful soldier of the cross of Christ. Every private must act his part, be vigilant, be courageous, be true.” This Day With God, 368.

Share It

A gift brings even more enjoyment and fulfillment when it is shared. “Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee by the putting on of my hands. For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” 2 Timothy 1:6, 7.

“There are some who are liberal with their gifts, and these gifts call forth the grateful praise of those who through them are given a knowledge of the gospel. The givers become the subject of the prayers of those who receive the benefit of the offerings made.” Pacific Union Recorder, November 14, 1907.

“As the plan of redemption begins and ends with a gift, so it is to be carried forward. The same spirit of sacrifice which purchased salvation for us will dwell in the hearts of all who become partakers of the heavenly gift. Says the apostle Peter: ‘As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.’ Said Jesus to His disciples as He sent them forth: ‘Freely ye have received, freely give.’ In him who is fully in sympathy with Christ there can be nothing selfish or exclusive. He who drinks of the living water will find that it is ‘in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.’ [John 4:14.] The Spirit of Christ within him is like a spring welling up in the desert, flowing to refresh all, and making those who are ready to perish, eager to drink of the water of life.” Testimonies, vol. 5, 730.

As you review your gift list this holiday season, consider sharing the Perfect Gift. Ellen White advises that “We should make our gifts such as will prove a real benefit to the receiver. I would recommend such books as will be an aid in understanding the word of God or that will increase our love for its precepts. Provide something to be read during these long winter evenings.” The Adventist Home, 479. What greater gift can be given than the knowledge of the Saviour who longs to give, through His grace, salvation? The recipient who receives and accepts this Perfect Gift will be offering praise and thanks throughout eternity.

Remember The Sabbath Day . . . Part IV

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Reverence His Name

Not only should our reverence be guarded, but we should be guarded against using God’s name in vain. Psalm 111:9 tells us: “Holy and reverend [is] his name.”

“Reverence should be shown also for the name of God. Never should that name be spoken lightly or thoughtlessly. Even in prayer its frequent or needless repetition should be avoided.

“Those who are brought into covenant relation with God are pledged to speak of Him in the most respectful, reverential manner. . . .

“Swearing, and all words spoken in the form of an oath, are dishonoring to God. The Lord sees, the Lord hears, and He will not hold the transgressor guiltless. He will not be mocked. Those who take the name of the Lord in vain will find it a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

“By the thoughtless mention of God in common conversation, by appeals to Him in trivial matters, and by the frequent and thoughtless repetition of His name, we dishonor Him.

“What faint views some have of the holiness of God, and how much they take His holy and reverend name in vain, without realizing that it is God, the great and terrible God, of whom they are speaking. While praying, many use careless and irreverent expressions, which grieve the tender Spirit of the Lord and cause their petitions to be shut out of heaven.

” ‘Holy and reverend is His name.’ We are never in any manner to treat lightly the titles or appellations of the Deity. In prayer we enter the audience chamber of the Most High, and we should come before Him with holy awe. The angels veil their faces in His presence. The cherubim and the bright and holy seraphim approach His throne with solemn reverence. How much more should we, finite, sinful beings, come in a reverent manner before the Lord, our Maker!” My Life Today, 282.

Can we afford to shut out heaven? Let us be careful then, in our prayers, that we do not uselessly take God’s name in vain.

“Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and ye shall be my people: and walk ye in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well unto you.” Jeremiah 7:23.

Reverence the Holy Scriptures

We should also reverence the Holy Scriptures.

“The Bible is God’s voice speaking to us, just as surely as if we could hear it with our ears. If we realized this, with what awe we would open God’s Word and with what earnestness we would search its precepts. The reading and contemplation of the Scriptures would be regarded as an audience with the Infinite One.

“We are to open the Word of God with reverence and with a sincere desire to know the will of God concerning us. The heavenly angels will direct our search. God speaks to us in His Word. We are in the audience chamber of the Most High, in the very presence of God. Christ enters the heart.

“Show that you reverence your faith, speaking reverently of sacred things. Never allow one expression of lightness and trifling to escape your lips when quoting Scripture. As you take the Bible in your hands, remember that you are on holy ground.” My Life Today, 283.

So, the next time you pick up your Bible, remember to be reverent with it. When you read it, remember that you are in the presence of God, if you have a sincere heart to know the truth.

It is interesting to note that Ellen White tells us we are also to reverence our faith. Do you have respect for your faith in Christ, in the Bible, or in the Spirit of Prophecy? Have you ever considered that you are to have reverence toward your faith?

A Little Bit of Heaven

Reverence, as it is to be expressed in its different aspects, should be taught in the church, but the foundational teaching begins in the home.

“Wherefore the Lord God of Israel saith, I said indeed that thy house, and the house of thy father, should walk before me for ever: but now the Lord saith, Be it far from me; for them that honour me I will honour, and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed.” 1 Samuel 2:30.

“Make the home life as nearly as possible like heaven.

“In the home the foundation is laid for the prosperity of the church. The influences that rule in the home life are carried into the church life; therefore, church duties should first begin in the home. Those who govern their families in the right way will bring into the church an influence of order and reverence.

“Fathers and mothers who make God first in their households, who teach their children that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, glorify God before angels and before men. . . . Christ is not a stranger in their homes; His name is a household name, revered and glorified. Angels delight in a home where God reigns supreme and the children are taught to reverence religion, the Bible, and their Creator. Such families can claim the promise, ‘Them that honour Me, I will honour.’ [1 Samuel 2:30.]

“The sacred privilege of communing with God makes distinct and clear the sight of the glorious things prepared for those who love God and reverence His commandments. We need to bring reverence into our daily lives. . . .

“We bring too much that is little and common into the daily duties of life, and the result is that we fail to see Him who is invisible. Thus we lose many rich blessings in our religious experience.

“True reverence is revealed by obedience. God has commanded nothing that is unessential, and there is no other way of manifesting reverence so pleasing to Him as by obedience to that which He has spoken.” My Life Today, 284.

Respect God’s Representatives

There also must be reverence for God’s representatives. We must show respect for those whom God has sent to bring us the bread of life. Reverence should not only be shown to the ministers but to teachers and parents.

“Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.” Exodus 20:12.

“And the Lord God of their fathers sent to them by his messengers, rising up betimes, and sending; because he had compassion on his people, and on his dwelling place: But they mocked the messengers of God, and despised his words, and misused his prophets, until the wrath of the Lord arose against his people, till [there was] no remedy.” 11 Chronicles 36:15, 16.

“Reverence should be shown for God’s representatives—for ministers, teachers, and parents who are called to speak and act in His stead. In the respect shown to them He is honored.

“The education and training of the youth should be of a character that would exalt sacred things and encourage pure devotion for God in His house. Many who profess to be children of the heavenly King have no true appreciation of the sacredness of eternal things. . . .

“They are seldom instructed that the minister is God’s ambassador, that the message he brings is one of God’s appointed agencies in the salvation of souls, and that to all who have the privilege brought within their reach it will be a savor of life unto life or of death unto death. . . .

“Many . . . make the service a subject of criticism at home, approving a few things and condemning others. . . . In regard to the service of the sanctuary, if the speaker has a blemish, be afraid to mention it. Talk only of the good work he is doing, of the good ideas he presented, which you should heed as coming through God’s agent. . . .

“Unless correct ideas of true worship and true reverence are impressed upon the people, there will be a growing tendency to place the sacred and eternal on a level with common things, and those professing the truth will be an offense to God and a disgrace to religion. They can never, with their uncultivated ideas, appreciate a pure and holy heaven, and be prepared to join with the worshipers in the heavenly courts above, where all is purity and perfection, where every being has perfect reverence for God and His holiness.

“Paul describes the work of God’s ambassadors as that by which every man shall be presented perfect in Christ Jesus.” My Life Today, 285.

Reformation Needed!

There must be a reform now among God’s people in the church. Many think lightly about reverence in the church. Whether in a church building or in a home church, many disrespect God in the way they conduct themselves. This is wrong, and when we find these things are wrong, we must make changes, if we are to remove the displeasure of God. If we continue in our irreverence, we are just as surely breaking God’s Law as we are breaking the fourth commandment when we are working, cooking, and doing other things on the Sabbath about which we have been studying.

Reverence for that which is Holy

Ellen White had a great deal to say about our attitude as we come before God. She wrote:

“The Precious Grace of Reverence.—Another precious grace that should be carefully cherished is reverence.

“The education and training of the youth should be of a character that would exalt sacred things, and encourage pure devotion for God in His house. Many who profess to be children of the heavenly King have no true appreciation of the sacredness of eternal things.

“God Is to Be Had in Reverence.—True reverence for God is inspired by a sense of His infinite greatness and a realization of His presence. With this sense of the Unseen the heart of every child should be deeply impressed.

” ‘God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints, and to be had in reverence of all them that are about him.’ Psalm 89:7. . . .

“His Word Is Sacred.—We should reverence God’s Word. For the printed volume we should show respect, never putting it to common uses or handling it carelessly. And never should Scripture be quoted in a jest or paraphrased to point a witty saying. ‘Every word of God is pure;’ ‘as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times.’ (Proverbs 30:5; Psalm 12:6.)

“Children should be taught to respect every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God. Parents are ever to magnify the precepts of the law of the Lord before their children, by showing obedience to that law, by themselves living under the control of God. If a sense of the sacredness of the law takes possession of the parents, it will surely transform the character by converting the soul.

“The Place of Prayer—God Is There.—In every Christian home God should be honored by the morning and evening sacrifices of prayer and praise. Children should be taught to respect and reverence the hour of prayer.

“The hour and place of prayer and the services of public worship the child should be taught to regard as sacred because God is there. And as reverence is manifested in attitude and demeanor, the feeling that inspires it will be deepened.

“The House of God—His Holy Temple.—Well would it be for young and old to study and ponder and often repeat those words of Holy Writ that show how the place marked by God’s special presence should be regarded.

” ‘Put off thy shoes from off thy feet,’ He commanded Moses at the burning bush, ‘for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground.’ Exodus 3:5.

“Jacob, after beholding the vision of the angels, exclaimed, ‘The Lord is in this place; and I knew it not. . . . This is none other but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.’ Genesis 28:16, 17.

” ‘The Lord is in His holy temple: let all the earth keep silence before Him.’ Habakkuk 2:20.

“Many . . . have no true appreciation of the sacredness of eternal things. Nearly all need to be taught how to conduct themselves in the house of God. Parents should not only teach, but command, their children to enter the sanctuary with sobriety and reverence.

“Guard Against a Growing Carelessness.—From the sacredness which was attached to the earthly sanctuary, Christians may learn how they should regard the place where the Lord meets with His people. There has been a great change, not for the better, but for the worse, in the habits and customs of the people in reference to religious worship. The precious, the sacred things which connect us with God are fast losing their hold upon our minds and hearts and are being brought down to the level of the common things. The reverence, which the people had anciently for the sanctuary, where they met with God in sacred service, has largely passed away. Nevertheless God Himself gave the order of His service, exalting it high above everything of a temporal nature.

“The house of God is often desecrated, and the Sabbath violated by Sabbath-believers’ children. In some cases they are even allowed to run about the house, play, talk, and manifest their evil tempers in the very meetings where the saints should worship God in the beauty of holiness. And the place that should be holy, and where a holy stillness should reign, and where there should be perfect order, neatness, and humility, is made to be a perfect Babylon, ‘confusion.’ This is enough to bring God’s displeasure and shut His presence from our assemblies.

“We Have More Reasons for Reverence Than the Hebrews.—It is too true that reverence for the house of God has become almost extinct. Sacred things and places are not discerned; the holy and exalted are not appreciated. Is there not a cause for the want of fervent piety in our families? Is it not because the high standard of religion is left to trail in the dust? God gave rules of order, perfect and exact, to His ancient people. Has His character changed? Is He not the great and mighty God who rules in the heaven of heavens? Would it not be well for us often to read the directions given by God Himself to the Hebrews, that we who have the light of the glorious truth shining upon us may imitate their reverence for the house of God? We have abundant reason . . . even to be more thoughtful and reverential in our worship than had the Jews. But an enemy has been at work to destroy our faith in the sacredness of Christian worship.

“The Church—the Sanctuary of the Congregation.—The house is the sanctuary for the family, and the closet or the grove the most retired place for individual worship; but the church is the sanctuary for the congregation. There should be rules in regard to the time, the place, and the manner of worshiping.

“Teach Children to Enter Reverently.—Parents, elevate the standard of Christianity in the minds of your children; help them to weave Jesus into their experience; teach them to have the highest reverence for the house of God and to understand that when they enter the Lord’s house, it should be with hearts that are softened and subdued by such thoughts as these: ‘God is here; this is His house. I must have pure thoughts and the holiest motives. I must have no pride, envy, jealousy, evil surmising, hatred, or deception in my heart; for I am coming into the presence of the holy God. This is the place where God meets with and blesses His people. The high and holy One who inhabiteth eternity looks upon me, searches my heart, and reads the most secret thoughts and acts of my life.’

“Remain With Their Parents.—The moral taste of the worshipers in God’s holy sanctuary must be elevated, refined, sanctified. This matter has been sadly neglected. Its importance has been overlooked, and as the result disorder and irreverence have become prevalent, and God has been dishonored. When the leaders in the church, ministers and people, fathers and mothers, have not had elevated views of this matter, what could be expected of the inexperienced children? They are too often found in groups, away from the parents, who should have charge of them. Notwithstanding they are in the presence of God, and His eye is looking upon them; they are light and trifling; they whisper and laugh, are careless, irreverent, and inattentive.

“To Be Sober and Quiet.—Do not have so little reverence for the house and worship of God as to communicate with one another during the sermon. If those who commit this fault could see the angels of God looking upon them and marking their doings, they would be filled with shame and abhorrence of themselves. God wants attentive hearers. It was while men slept that the enemy sowed tares.

“Not to Act as in a Common Place.—There should be a sacred spot, like the sanctuary of old, where God is to meet with His people. That place should not be used as a lunchroom or as a business room, but simply for the worship of God. When children attend day school in the same place where they assemble to worship on the Sabbath, they cannot be made to feel the sacredness of the place, and that they must enter with feelings of reverence. The sacred and common are so blended that it is difficult to distinguish them.

“It is for this reason that the house or sanctuary dedicated to God should not be made a common place. Its sacredness should not be confused or mingled with the common everyday feelings or business life. There should be a solemn awe upon the worshipers as they enter the sanctuary, and they should leave behind all common worldly thoughts, for it is the place where God reveals His presence. It is as the audience chamber of the great and eternal God; therefore pride and passion, dissension and self-esteem, selfishness, and covetousness, which God pronounces idolatry, are inappropriate for such a place.

“To Manifest No Spirit of Levity.—Parents, it is your duty to have your children in perfect subjection, having all their passions and evil tempers subdued. And if children are taken to meeting, they should be made to know and understand where they are—that they are not at home, but where God meets with His people. And they should be kept quiet and free from all play, and God will turn His face toward you, to meet with you and bless you.

“If order is observed in the assemblies of the saints, the truth will have better effect upon all that hear it. A solemnity which is so much needed will be encouraged, and there will be power in the truth to stir up the depths of the soul, and a deathlike stupor will not hang upon those who hear. Believers and unbelievers will be affected. It has seemed evident that in some places the ark of God was removed from the church, for the holy commandments have been violated and the strength of Israel has been weakened.

“Take the Disturbing Child Out.—Your child should be taught to obey as the children of God obey Him. If this standard is maintained, a word from you will have some weight when your child is restless in the house of God. But if the children cannot be restrained, if the parents feel that the restraint is too much of an exaction, the child should be removed from the church at once; it should not be left to divert the minds of the hearers by talking or running about. God is dishonored by the loose way in which parents manage their children while at church.

“Irreverence Encouraged by Display of Apparel.—All should be taught to be neat, clean, and orderly in their dress, but not to indulge in that external adorning which is wholly inappropriate for the sanctuary. There should be no display of the apparel, for this encourages irreverence. . . . All matters of dress should be strictly guarded, following closely the Bible rule. Fashion has been the goddess who has ruled the outside world, and she often insinuates herself into the church. The church should make the Word of God her standard, and parents should think intelligently upon this subject.

“Show Reverence for Ministers—God’s Representatives.— . . . Nothing that is sacred, nothing that pertains to the worship of God, should be treated with carelessness and indifference. When the word of life is spoken, you should remember that you are listening to the voice of God through His delegated servant. Do not lose these words through inattention; if heeded, they may keep your feet from straying into wrong paths.

“Accountability of Critical Parents.—Parents, be careful what example and what ideas you give your children. Their minds are plastic, and impressions are easily made. . . . It may be readily seen why children are so little impressed with the ministry of the Word, and why they have so little reverence for the house of God. Their education has been defective in this respect.

“The delicate and susceptible minds of the youth obtain their estimate of the labors of God’s servants by the way their parents treat the matter. Many heads of families make the service a subject of criticism at home, approving a few things and condemning others. Thus the message of God to men is criticized and questioned and made a subject of levity. What impressions are thus made upon the young by these careless, irreverent remarks, the books of heaven alone will reveal. The children see and understand these things very much quicker than parents are apt to think. Their moral senses receive a wrong bias that time will never fully change. The parents mourn over the hardness of heart in their children and the difficulty in arousing their moral sensibility to answer to the claims of God. But the books of heavenly record trace with unerring pen the true cause. The parents were unconverted. They were not in harmony with Heaven or with Heaven’s work. Their low, common ideas of the sacredness of the ministry and of the sanctuary of God were woven into the education of their children.

“It is a question whether anyone who has for years been under this blighting influence of home instruction will ever have a sensitive reverence and high regard for God’s ministry and the agencies He has appointed for the salvation of souls. These things should be spoken of with reverence, with propriety of language, and with fine susceptibility, that you may reveal to all you associate with that you regard the message from God’s servants as a message to you from God Himself.

“Practice Reverence Till It Becomes Habitual.—Reverence is greatly needed in the youth of this age. I am alarmed as I see children and youth of religious parents so heedless of the order and propriety that should be observed in the house of God. While God’s servants are presenting the words of life to the people, some will be reading, others whispering and laughing. Their eyes are sinning by diverting the attention of those around them. This habit, if allowed to remain unchecked, will grow and influence others.

“Children and youth should never feel that it is something to be proud of to be indifferent and careless in meetings where God is worshiped. God sees every irreverent thought or action, and it is registered in the books of heaven. He says, ‘I know thy works.’ Nothing is hid from His all-searching eye. If you have formed in any degree the habit of inattention and indifference in the house of God, exercise the powers you have to correct it, and show that you have self-respect. Practice reverence until it becomes a part of yourself.” Child Guidance, 538–547.

[All Emphasis Supplied.]

To be Continued . . .

No Room

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And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judæa, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:) To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child. And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.” Luke 2:4–7.

The travel-worn couple arrived at the little town of Bethlehem at the end of a long and difficult journey. The arduous trip had been especially trying for the young woman, for obviously she was about to give birth to a child. Needing a shelter for the night, they made their way to the inn, only to find it filled. All the bedrooms were taken. No rooms were available. No room. The young man pled for a room, even an attic, because of the condition of his wife, but he was gruffly turned aside. No room. No room.

Business was good. Hundreds were on the roads returning to their birthplace to be counted in the Roman census. The jingle of the coins was music to the Innkeeper’s ears. The young couple? Well, too bad, but that’s the way it was. No room. It happens. That’s life. There’s just no room.

As a result, the birth of Jesus, the Incarnation, took place in the lowliest of places. “And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.” Verse 7. The baby Jesus was tenderly cradled in a manger, among the donkeys and cattle, by His virgin mother. The King of Glory, the Creator of the Universe, the Promised Redeemer, made His entrance in a dirty stable.

How near to fame was the Innkeeper. The Promised Messiah could have been born in his inn! His name would have been honored for all time. But he missed his great moment. Opportunity passed him by for he did not recognize it. He had no room. No room for the Saviour of the world.

“And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.” “And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.” John 1:14, 5.

Still Seeking Lodging

Today, the timeless Saviour is still seeking lodging. He comes to this earth to be born in the lives of men and women, boys and girls. You and I are each an “inn” into which Jesus seeks entrance. He never forces entrance, but patiently knocks at the door of our hearts. Have you opened the door to invite Him in? The “inn” of our heart has many rooms. We must be careful not to exclude Jesus from any of them, saying “No room!” to certain areas of our lives. He must have access to every room.

“The consecration must be entire. God will admit of no reserve, of no divided sacrifice, no idol. All must die to self, and to the world.” Our High Calling, 308.

Our Bedrooms

The Innkeeper said every bedroom was occupied. Let us think of self as the bedrooms in our inn. Selfishness, which manifests itself in a variety of ways, must die. Selfishness—I want; I need; I think; I can’t! I won’t! I have rights! I want it my way—me, me, me! So many bedrooms filled with self. Have you invited Jesus to enter into all your bedrooms, to rule over self?

“The warfare against self is the greatest battle that was ever fought. The yielding of self, surrendering all to the will of God, requires a struggle; but the soul must submit to God before it can be renewed in holiness.” Steps to Christ, 43.

“We must gain the victory over self, crucify the affections and lusts; and then begins the union of the soul with Christ.” Testimonies, vol. 5, 47.

“If one sin is cherished in the soul, or one wrong practice retained in the life, the whole being is contaminated.” The Desire of Ages, 313.

Our Living Rooms

Joseph asked for any room. What about the living room in your home? Is there room for Jesus there? Would He enjoy the television programs you are watching? Or could you let Him read the books or magazines lying around? The living room is generally reserved for special occasions, parties and such, for special guests. Would Jesus be comfortable there, if He were to drop by? Is there room for Jesus at the special occasions in your life? What about in your conversation? How about at Christmas, birthdays, vacations, family visits and outings? Do you invite Him along, or turn Him away as the Innkeeper barred the lowly carpenter and his wife?

“These [pleasures of this life] are not necessarily things sinful in themselves, but something that is made first instead of the kingdom of God. Whatever attracts the mind from God, whatever draws the affections away from Christ, is an enemy to the soul.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 53.

Our Dining Rooms

Then there is the dining room. That’s another place where we might not like to have Jesus. The table is loaded, perhaps overloaded. Are there things there that shouldn’t be? Could Jesus sit down and be pleased with what you serve and the way you eat? Is the Saviour a welcome guest at your table?

“The physical, mental, and moral powers must be kept in the most perfect condition if he would obtain the approval of God. ‘I keep under my body’ the apostle says [1 Corinthians 9:27]. This means literally to beat back its desires and impulses and passions by severe discipline, even as did those competing for an earthly prize.” “Ellen G. White Comments,” Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 6, 1089.

“All habits of indulgence that weaken the physical powers, that becloud the mind, or that benumb the spiritual perceptions, are ‘fleshly lusts, which war against the soul.’ 1 Peter 2:11.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 53.

“Your thoughts, your words, and your actions, as well as your appetites and passions, must be brought into subjection to the will of God.” Testimonies, vol. 3, 538.

Our Kitchens

Surely there must be room in the kitchen. Or are we like Martha of old, too cumbered with serving? We can be so busy doing good things for the Lord, things which seem so necessary, that there is no room for Him in the kitchen. Remember our Lord’s words: “Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.” Luke 10:41, 42. How easy it is to become so busy that we have no room for Jesus.

“We must establish an unyielding enmity between our souls and our foe; but we must open our hearts to the power and influence of the Holy Spirit. We want Satan’s darkness to be shut out, and the light of Heaven to flow in. We want to become so sensitive to holy influences, that the lightest whisper of Jesus will move our souls . . . .” The Signs of the Times, March 23, 1888.

Our Attics

Many homes have attics. Attics are cluttered with our castoffs, with things we no longer use. How easy it is to let the attic of our personal life retain the accumulation of the past wrongs, of personal grievances and bygone failures. Too often, instead of cleaning out the attic, the old stuff just gets reshuffled to another corner—too many comfortable, familiar things we want to hang on to. Our attic can become so full that there is no room for the only One who can cleanse the area of all messy disarray.

“The Christian’s life is not a modification or improvement of the old, but a transformation of nature.” The Desire of Ages, 172.

“The old nature, born of blood and the will of the flesh, cannot inherit the kingdom of God. The old ways, the hereditary tendencies, the former habits, must be given up; for grace is not inherited. The new birth consists of having new motives, new tastes, new tendencies. Those who are begotten unto a new life by the Holy Spirit, have become partakers of the divine nature, and in all their habits and practices they will give evidence of their relationship to Christ.” “Ellen G. White Comments,” Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 6, 1101.

“Many are sensible of their great deficiency, and they read, and pray, and resolve, and yet make no progress. They seem to be powerless to resist temptation. The reason is, they do not go deep enough. They do not seek for a thorough conversion of the soul, that the streams which issue from it may be pure, and the deportment may testify that Christ reigns within. All defects of character originate in the heart. Pride, vanity, evil temper, and covetousness proceed from the carnal heart unrenewed by the grace of Christ.” Our High Calling, 336.

“When souls are converted, their salvation is not yet accomplished. They then have the race to run; the arduous struggle is before them to ‘fight the good fight of faith.’ . . . The battle is lifelong, and must be carried forward with determined energy proportionate to the value of the object you are in pursuit of, which is eternal life.” Ibid., 163.

“Each day he must renew his consecration, each day do battle with evil. Old habits, hereditary tendencies to wrong, will strive for the mastery, and against these he is to be ever on guard, striving in Christ’s strength for victory.” The Acts of the Apostles, 477.

Our Basements

And how is your basement? Some people do all their living in the basement. Their thoughts, words, and deeds are always on such a low level that there is no desire, no room, to read their Bible, or to do kind things for other people, to speak a kind word. No room, no place for the King of Glory to speak to them.

“The new birth is a rare experience in this age of the world. This is the reason why there are so many perplexities in the churches. Many, so many, who assume the name of Christ are unsanctified and unholy. They have been baptized, but they are buried alive. Self did not die, and therefore they did not rise to newness of life in Christ.” “Ellen G. White Comments,” Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 6, 1075.

“The lower passions have their seat in the body and work through it. The words ‘flesh’ or ‘fleshly’ or ‘carnal lusts’ embrace the lower, corrupt nature; the flesh of itself cannot act contrary to the will of God. We are commanded to crucify the flesh, with the affections and lusts. How shall we do it? Shall we inflict pain on the body? No; but put to death the temptation to sin. The corrupt thought is to be expelled. Every thought is to be brought into captivity to Jesus Christ. All animal propensities are to be subjected to the higher powers of the soul. The love of God must reign supreme; Christ must occupy an undivided throne.” The Adventist Home, 127, 128.

” ‘To whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey’ [Romans 6:16]. If we indulge anger, lust, covetousness, hatred, selfishness or any other sin, we become servants of sin. ‘No man can serve two masters’ [Matthew 6:24]. If we serve sin, we cannot serve Christ. The Christian will feel the promptings of sin, for the flesh lusteth against the Spirit; but the Spirit striveth against the flesh, keeping up a constant warfare. Here is where Christ’s help is needed. Human weakness becomes united to divine strength, and faith exclaims, ‘Thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!’ [1 Corinthians 15:57].” Messages to Young People, 114.

“The righteousness of Christ is not a cloak to cover unconfessed and unforsaken sin; it is a principle of life that transforms the character and controls the conduct. Holiness is wholeness for God; it is the entire surrender of heart and life to the indwelling of the principles of heaven.” The Desire of Ages, 555, 556.

“Even your thoughts must be brought into subjection to the will of God and your feelings under the control of reason and religion. . . . If the thoughts are wrong the feelings will be wrong, and the thoughts and feelings combined make up the moral character.” Testimonies, vol. 5, 310.

“The eye is the sensitive conscience, the inner light, of the mind. Upon its correct view of things the spiritual healthfulness of the whole soul and being depends. The ‘eyesalve,’ the word of God, makes the conscience smart under its application; for it convicts of sin. But the smarting is necessary that the healing may follow, and the eye be single to the glory of God.” “Ellen G. White Comments,” Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 7, 965.

Suitable Place for Him

Jesus was born in Bethlehem’s stable that night many years ago. The only place available to Him was a lowly manger. The only suitable place should have been Bethlehem’s best inn. But He was denied that.

“It is not necessary for us deliberately to choose the service of the kingdom of darkness in order to come under its dominion. We have only to neglect to ally ourselves with the kingdom of light. If we do not cooperate with the heavenly agencies, Satan will take possession of the heart, and will make it his abiding place . . . . We may leave off many bad habits, for the time we may part company with Satan; but without a vital connection with God, through the surrender of ourselves to Him moment by moment, we shall be overcome. Without a personal acquaintance with Christ, and a continual communion, we are at the mercy of the enemy, and shall do his bidding in the end.” The Desire of Ages, 324.

There is only one suitable place for Jesus today. Give Him the best. Open the “inn” of your heart. He stands at the door and knocks today. (See Revelation 3:20.) Will you let Him in? Don’t drive Him away with the cold words, “No room; not now, I’m too busy; I can’t.”

“Oh, why does not the church of Christ arise, and put on her beautiful garments! Why does she not shine? The great reason of such feeble Christianity is that those who claim to believe the truth have so little knowledge of Christ, and so low an estimate of what He will be to them, and what they may be to Him. We have the most solemn, weighty truths ever committed to mortals.

“Were our words, our thoughts, our actions, more pure and elevated, more in accordance with the holy faith we profess, we should view our responsibilities in a far different light. How solemn, how sacred, they would appear! We would have a deeper sense of our obligations, and should make it our constant aim to perfect holiness in the fear of God. Earthly, temporal things would be subordinate to the heavenly and eternal.” This Day With God, 17.

Our Prayer

“Our heavenly Father, we come to Thee this morning just as we are, needy and wholly dependent upon Thee. Help us to have a clear knowledge of what we must be, and of the characters that we must form, in order that we may be prepared to unite with the heavenly family in the city of our God. We ask Thee that Thou wilt remove the reproach that has come upon Thee through the neglect of those who profess to be Thy people, but who have not walked in Thy counsel. Lord, Help us to understand our individual responsibilities, that our hearts may be worked by the Holy Spirit. We ask Thee that Thou wilt open blind eyes, that they may see; to enlighten the darkened understanding, that all may understand that there must be a reconversion, that hearts must break before God. Give us hearts of repentance, hearts of humiliation. O my Father, how can we proclaim Thy goodness, and Thy mercy, and Thy love, unless we cherish them in our own hearts, and reveal them in our own experiences? Thou knowest how Thou hast presented this matter to Thy servant. Thou knowest what a dishonor it has been to Thee because Thy people have failed to come to a knowledge of the truth as it is in Jesus, and to obey Thy commandments.

“Let not Thy wrath come upon Thy people while they are in their sins, unconverted and unsaved. . . . May the sanctification of the Spirit come to them. May there be a purifying of character and a breaking of heart before God. . . .

“Oh, pardon our transgressions, and forgive our sins! Show us where we have come short. Let Thy Holy Spirit descend upon us. . . . We desire to be weighted down with the Holy Spirit. We desire to stand where Thou canst reveal Thyself to us. Take away our hardness of heart, and give us softened hearts. I ask Thee, for Christ’s sake, that Thou wouldst give understanding, that Thou wouldst give spiritual knowledge, that Thou wouldst give sensitive hearts, that all may see that it is high time to open the door of the heart to Jesus. Thou hast said that Thou hast heard the many words of complaint, and faultfinding, and murmuring, brother against brother, and friend against friend. Thou hast heard these words, and they are written in Thy book. They have stood as a block against the wheel of salvation, hindering its advancement. Convert Thy people in this the day of Thy preparation, that the time may not come when they will say, ‘The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved.’

“Thou hast opened these things before me, and Thou alone canst prepare minds and hearts to hear the message that unless those who have left their first love shall return to recognize the work that needs to be done in their individual hearts, Thou wilt come quickly and remove the candlestick out of his place. Open the eyes of Thy people that they may see their deficiencies. We do not want one to be separated from the work. We do not want one to perish. We ask Thee that Thou wilt move upon hearts by the quickening influence of Thy Spirit . . . .

“We must be reconverted, sanctified, and made fit to bear the message of the Lord. Cleanse the vessel, that the message that shall be given shall not taste so strongly of the dish that those to whom it is given shall have no appetite to partake of it. Let Thy melting mercy come upon us. Work in the midst of us with Thy power and with Thy love and with Thy majesty and glory. Put to shame the listlessness of those who have not come up to the help of the Lord, to the help of the Lord against the mighty [Judges 5:23]. Sweep back the cloud of darkness and unbelief. Let the Holy Spirit come into our hearts and break down every barrier. Thou King of glory, look upon Thy people in these closing scenes of this earth’s history. It seems as if nothing could arouse many of them to realize that they are on the very eve of the day of God, that His judgments are in the land.

“Wilt Thou hear our petition! Wilt Thou answer our petition! Wilt Thou reveal Thyself to us! May we behold Thy glory, and be changed into Thine image. We thirst for the waters of Lebanon, and we hunger for the bread of life. We ask Thee to break our hearts today. We ask Thee to help us to put away our sinful thoughts, our disparagement of one another, and to seek the Lord while He may be found. . . . May the Spirit of God come in; and Thy blessed name shall have all the glory. Amen. [Offered by Ellen White, Tuesday Morning, March 31, 1903.]” General Conference Bulletin, April 2, 1903.

This prayer was offered at a time that Mrs. White would later recount as one of the darkest periods of her life. The Conference brethren had rejected God’s expressed will concerning the organization and government of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. By selecting a man to rule over them, they had formally rejected God as their King. They felt no need, “no room,” in their worldly wisdom to obey God’s entreaty.

Though the pages of the calendar have passed along for almost 100 years, spiritually speaking it seems we are no closer home than were they. But this prayer, so humbly imploring God’s intervening presence, can still be answered. In fact, it will be answered—but not by the majority. Only those who choose God as their King will find the unity that Jesus desired for His disciples in John 17: “That they all may be one; as thou, Father, [art] in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: . . . I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one . . . .” Verses 21, 23.

Today, only those who make room for Jesus, serving Him daily, moment by moment, with an undivided heart, will enter into that perfect unity. That hand of entreaty is still extended to you right now—but you do not know for how long. One day, very soon, the ransomed of the Lord will see the glorious city and the mansions He has prepared for those who love Him! Friend, pray that on that day you do not hear the words “No room”!

The Jewish Rejection of Christ

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This article will be a disturbing study to many Seventh-day Adventists because of what it reveals. The subject is the rejection by the Jews of Jesus when He came to this earth as a babe. I want to be sure that we understand its application to the last days.

We are going to study history, but we are not just studying history. We are studying history that prophecy has told us is going to be repeated. I have learned that God’s people are very poor at understanding prophecy when they see it being fulfilled. We are not too bad at understanding prophecy that has been fulfilled in the past, because we can read a history book and compare history with the prophecy. We can go back and forth and see that the history book confirms what a prophet said 2,500 years before.

Such a comparison can be done with the history of the Messiah. We can look at the history and the prophecies and ask why the Jews rejected Jesus. They had been expecting the Messiah to come for over 1,000 years. They were preaching about it every week in the synagogue. They were all expecting it to happen. They were talking about it, they had been studying about it, and every Jewish boy, ever since he could remember, had been told about the wonderful things that were going to happen when the Messiah came. Yet, when He came, they rejected Him.

The Jewish people did not recognize that they were rejecting the Messiah. They said, “The Messiah has not yet come. We are expecting the Messiah to come, and we want the Messiah to come, but that event is in the future; it is not right now.” One of the great dangers of God’s people today is that when prophecy is fulfilled right in front of our eyes, we will not recognize it. We will say, “No, that is not it. It is coming in the future.”

I get telephone calls and letters from people all of the time who agree that the Lord is going to purify the church, but they are talking about the future. Friends, that is a terrible mistake. God is purifying His church right now, in front of us. While they are looking for something to start, it is going to all be over, and they will not even know it. Ellen White indicated that it had started in her day, and that was over 100 years ago. We need to ask the Lord to open our eyes so that we will be able to understand what is happening in the spiritual world right in front of us.

Devil in Control

Ellen White writes, “We want to understand the time in which we live. We do not half understand it. We do not half take it in. My heart trembles in me when I think of what a foe we have to meet, and how poorly we are prepared to meet him. The trials of the children of Israel, and their attitude just before the first coming of Christ, have been presented before me again and again to illustrate the position of the people of God in their experience before the second coming of Christ—how the enemy sought every occasion to take control of the minds of the Jews, and today he is seeking to blind the minds of God’s servants, that they may not be able to discern the precious truth.” Selected Messages, Book 1, 406.

She said that the devil had been trying to take control of the minds of the Jews. Was he very successful? Yes, he was. Then let me ask you another question: Those Jews, of whom the devil was able to take control of their minds, did they know that the devil was in control? No, they did not. And she said, to illustrate the position of the people of God in their experience before the Second Coming, the Lord showed her over and over that the devil would try to do the same thing again.

By What Authority

Why did the Jews reject Jesus? In John 2:13–22 we read about the beginning of Jesus’ ministry. It is at the Passover time, 28 A.D. Jesus began His ministry as the Messiah by cleansing the temple. Verse 18 reads, “So the Jews answered and said to Him, ‘What sign do You show to us, since You do these things?’ ”

In Matthew we see some of the reasons they were asking for a sign. Let us see if this sounds familiar to anybody. “Now when He came into the temple [this is the time after He had just cleansed the temple the second time, at the close of His ministry], the chief priests and the elders of the people confronted Him as He was teaching, and said, ‘By what authority are You doing these things? And who gave You this authority?’ ” Matthew 21:23.

To understand the significance of the question they were asking, you have to understand the system with which they were working. These people believed that they were God’s people, God’s church, His children. They had a worldwide representative body that they called the Sanhedrin. It is equivalent to what we call the General Conference today. This was a group of 70 individuals which, they said, had been duly appointed by God. They could prove it by the Scriptures.

“So the Lord said to Moses: ‘Gather to Me seventy men of the elders of Israel, whom you know to be the elders of the people and officers over them; bring them to the tabernacle of meeting, that they may stand there with you. Then I will come down and will talk with you there. I will take of the Spirit that [is] upon you and will put [the same] upon them; and they shall bear the burden of the people with you, that you may not bear [it] yourself alone.’ ” Numbers 11:16, 17.

The Lord directed Moses to choose 70 of the elders of the people. He said He would put His spirit on these people. Now, obviously the time came when those people died, right? And after they died they selected other elders. And then after they died, they selected other elders, and they kept doing that. In Christ’s day they still had this group of 70. They said:

  • This group of 70, the Sanhedrin, is the group that is duly appointed. God directed us through Moses to have this group of people as the elders of His people.
  • These are the duly appointed leaders of God’s people.
  • These men are representatives from all parts of the field.
  • These men have been ordained since the days of Moses that they should represent the Lord to His people and that they should have divine authority. It is the responsibility of these men to plan for the prosperity and the advancement of God’s work.
  • This is the highest authority God has on earth and this authority must be respected.

Individual Responsibility

In the days of Christ, before you could be a teacher or a preacher and talk to God’s people and be known as an instructor, you needed to have authorization from this group. We have a modern name for it; today we call it credentials.

Jesus and John the Baptist did not have these credentials. You see, in order to get these credentials, you had to go through their school system and neither Jesus nor John the Baptist had done this. That is why, in Matthew 21:23 and in John 2, the question is being asked, Who gave you authority to do this? The Sanhedrin had not given authority, and the people thought that if the Sanhedrin had not given authority, then you were like what we would call an offshoot. So they accused both Jesus and John the Baptist of taking something upon their own individual responsibility.

Have you ever heard that you are not supposed to work on your own individual responsibility? that you are to be appointed and directed by the church? The Jews rejected both John the Baptist and Jesus; because they had not gone through their school system; they had not received the proper theological training, and therefore, they did not have any credentials. They were taking upon their individual responsibility when they should have not done anything except as they were directed through the Sanhedrin. They had a total misconception in those days about who the church was. That is what led to that kind of thinking.

John the Baptist talked very plain and straight to them. “But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, ‘Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come.’ ” Matthew 3:7.

Harmony With the Law

We know that the Judgment is not based on profession but on character. The Judgment is not based on who your father is or to what organization or group you belong. Oh, no. In the Judgment the question is not going to be, Did you belong to this church organization or that organization? Ellen White says that God is only going to ask one question on the Day of Judgment: Did this person keep My law or not? That is it, because that reveals the character. (See The Signs of the Times, May 19, 1887.)

Abraham’s Children

The Jews did not understand this. They said, “We are God’s people.” How did they know that they were God’s people? Because, they said, “We are Abraham’s children.” They had all been circumcised. They were all Abraham’s children, but notice what John the Baptist had to say about this. He does not call them Abraham’s children. He calls them a brood of poisonous snakes, and in verse 8 he says, “Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance.” In other words, your life, your character has to be in harmony with what you say you are doing. You say you are repenting of your sins, well, your life has to be in harmony with that repentance. “And do not think to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as [our] father.’ ” Matthew 3:9. That is what they were saying: “We are God’s people because Abraham is our father; we are the children of Israel; we are God’s chosen people.” John the Baptist told them that profession was worthless. He told them that unless their lives were in harmony with the Law of God, they were not God’s people. (See The Desire of Ages, 107.)

That was pretty strong, because they had been taught ever since they were little children that they were God’s chosen people because they were Abraham’s children. You know, you tend to believe something if you have been taught it ever since you were a little child, if you learned it from your mother’s knee.

You can see why John the Baptist was not very popular with the leaders. It was not just because he called them a bunch of poisonous snakes; it was because He was attacking something that they had cherished as a belief ever since they could remember. He was attacking one of their most fundamental beliefs—that they were Abraham’s children, God’s people.

John the Baptist said, No, that is not true. Profession is worthless unless your character backs up your profession. Unless your character is in harmony with God’s Law, you are not His people. It was a shock! They knew they were not obeying the Law of God. They knew that there was a prophecy, but they said, “We are God’s people because we are Abraham’s children.” They believed that, when the Messiah came, He would purify the church. He would straighten out the Sanhedrin. So they said, “Even though things are bad, we are just praying, hoping, and waiting. The Messiah is coming, and when the Messiah comes, He will purify the church.” Now let me ask you something. When the Messiah came, did He purify the church?

Church Purified

Whether you believe He purified the church or not depends upon who the church is in your thinking.

You see, if you believe that the church is those people who are Abraham’s children—the Sanhedrin, Caiaphas and company, and all of those in that whole group,—if that is who you believe the church is, then it did not get purified. The question is, Is that really the church?

Did the true church actually get purified? Yes, it did. Who is the church? That is not difficult. The Bible tells us in Colossians 1 who and what the church is. It says that the church is the body of Christ. How many heads does the body have? One! The Bible is very clear about that in Ephesians 1. The church has one head. There are beasts in the Bible that have seven heads, four heads, and all sorts of things, but the church has just one head.

When Jesus was here in the flesh, who was the head of the church? He was! There are many people who believe that Caiaphas was the head of the church when Jesus was here. Who you believe to be the head of the church has all kinds of implications. Because of the Jew’s belief about who and what the church is, they believed that Jesus and John the Baptist were tearing down the church.

Ellen White says, “Though He was the Prince of Peace, His coming must be as the unsheathing of a sword. The kingdom He had come to establish was the opposite of that which the Jews desired. He who was the foundation of the ritual and economy of Israel would be looked upon as its enemy and destroyer. He who had proclaimed the law upon Sinai would be condemned as a transgressor. He who had come to break the power of Satan would be denounced as Beelzebub.” The Desire of Ages, 111.

With all of the miracles that Jesus performed, with all of His preaching and teaching, and with the character that He brought, why was it that He could not turn the Jewish nation around? It was because of their understanding of the Scriptures!

Scriptures “Prove” Error

Do you realize that they used the Scriptures to prove that Jesus was not the Messiah? There were hundreds of Scriptures that they used. We will read only two, so you can get a feel for the way they developed Bible studies to prove to the Jewish people that Jesus was not the Messiah. These Bible studies were very effective.

You need to understand, friends, that there is a right way and a wrong way to use inspired writings. You can prove error from the Bible and from the Spirit of Prophecy. It has happened many times, and it will continue to happen. That is one of the reasons Ellen White counsels us that before we ever study the Bible, we should pray. (See The Spirit of Prophecy, vol. 4, 350.) We should say, Lord, help me to understand truth so that the devil does not work on my mind and wrest the Scripture so that the very Word of truth is taken to teach error.

“He [that is the Messiah] shall have dominion also from sea to sea, And from the River to the ends of the earth.” Psalm 72:8. The Jews would read that Scripture and ask, “Is this Jesus of Nazareth? Does He reign from sea to sea? Does His dominion go to the ends of the earth?” Everybody would see the answer was No. The Romans were ruling the world then. Jesus was not ruling to the ends of the earth. So, they reasoned, that proves that He is not the Messiah.

Another text they used says, “Thus says the Lord, Who gives the sun for a light by day, the ordinances of the moon and the stars for a light by night, Who disturbs the sea, And its waves roar (The Lord of hosts [is] His name): ‘If those ordinances depart From before Me, says the Lord, [Then] the seed of Israel shall also cease From being a nation before Me forever.’ Thus says the Lord: ‘If heaven above can be measured, And the foundations of the earth searched out beneath, I will also cast off all the seed of Israel For all that they have done, says the Lord.’ ” Jeremiah 31:35–37.

They would read this Scripture and say, “This Jesus and John the Baptist are preaching against the Sanhedrin and against the church organization, and if they get their way, they are going to destroy our nation.” That is what Caiaphas said. (See John 11.) They would ask, “Is the sun still up there? Is the moon still up there? Are the stars still up there?” Well, yes. “Then, Israel is still God’s people.”

Character Counts

Now I want you to see how much different their idea was than Jesus’ ideas. Jesus, just like John the Baptist, showed them that it was character that counted. Character is always what has counted in God’s sight.

In John 8:37, 38 is recorded Jesus’ words: “I know that you are Abraham’s descendants, but you seek to kill Me, because My word has no place in you. I speak what I have seen with My Father, and you do what you have seen with your father.” Jesus tells them, My Father and your father are not the same.

They said, “Abraham is our father.” Jesus immediately denied that in verse 39: “If you were Abraham’s children, you would do the works of Abraham.” In other words, If Abraham were your father, you would manifest the character of Abraham. Jesus denied their allegation. He acknowledged in verse 37 that Abraham was their father according to the flesh, but He denied in verse 39 that Abraham was their father spiritually.

He said, Abraham is not really your father. He proved to them that they were doing something completely contrary to what Abraham would ever do. In verse 41 He said, “You do the deeds of your father.” Your character shows who your spiritual father is. That was too much. They got sarcastic.

All of His life Jesus was accused of being a product of fornication and of being an illegitimate son. The Jews never accepted the fact of the virgin birth, because if they had, they would have had to acknowledge that He was the Messiah. So they said, “We have not been born of fornication. We have one Father, God.” Verse 41. They did have some standards and rules. You could not be born of fornication and be part of the Sanhedrin. Jesus immediately replied, “If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and came from God; nor have I come of Myself, but He sent Me. . . . Your father is the devil.” Verses 42, 44.

He hit them right between the eyes! My Father is God, but your father is the devil. You say that God is your Father, but it is not true. The devil is your father. How did Jesus know that the devil was their father? “You are of [your] father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and [does not] stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own [resources], for he is a liar and the father of it.” Verse 44. How do you tell who your father is? Your character tells.

Of the Devil

The devil was a liar and a murderer, Jesus says, from the beginning. He told them they were lying and murdering, plotting His murder. That proved that the devil was their father. Or as the same writer says in 1 John 3:8, “He who sins is of the devil.”

Oh, no, we say, we are Christians. That is not what the Bible says. No matter what we profess, if we are living in sin, the Bible says our father, our spiritual father, is the devil. In fact, John is so strong about this in 1 John 3:4–10, that he says, If you really are converted, if you are born again, you will not sin. And if you are sinning, you are of the devil.

So why did the church in Jesus’ day reject Him? Why did they reject the Messiah? Oh, it was because of all these theological theories that they had built up directly from the Old Testament. Even in the face of miracles and everything else, they said, “The miracles have to be from the devil, because He could not be the right one. We can prove it from the Bible.”

The same thing is happening today. People say to me, “We just have to wait. God is going to purify the church someday, and then we will finish the work.” Let me tell you something, God will have the work all finished while these people are waiting for the purifying to happen.

The evidence right now is that God is getting ready to finish His work all over the world. And the most wonderful experience that you and I can have is if we could just be a little part of it.

[Bible texts quoted are literal translation.]

Editorial – Divorce, Part I

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Divorce is generally the end of a relationship that was originally intended to continue. Although Lucifer could have chosen to remain as a covering cherub, the highest of all the angelic host, he left his position. Eventually, “He who was once the covering cherub, whose work it was to hide from the heavenly intelligences the glory of God, perverted his intellect, and divorced himself from God. If a being so exalted could fall so low as to become the author of sin, let not man boast, but learn to wear gracefully the yoke of Christ, revealing His meekness and lowliness, believing on Him, cooperating with Him.” The Upward Look, 286.

Concerning this divorce there was no hope of a reinstatement: “Understanding the character of God, knowing His goodness, Satan chose to follow his own selfish, independent will. This choice was final. There was no more that God could do to save him.” The Desire of Ages, 762.

However not all divorces are final. “It is a wonderful thing that after man had violated the law of God and separated himself from God, was divorced, as it were, from God—that after all this there was a plan made whereby man should not perish, but that he should have everlasting life. . . .” In Heavenly Places, 11.

“The world, divorced from God by sin, has been restored to favor by the sacrifice of his Son. With his own body the Saviour has bridged the gulf that sin has made.” The General Conference Bulletin, April 8, 1901.

“Christ took upon him the nature of man, that he might carry man with him, and place him in the domains of mercy, in the arms of the infinite God. Through disobedience, man had divorced himself from God, and had become an apostate against his government. But it was God’s design that man should be restored, and again have access to the tree of life.” Review and Herald, May 30, 1899.

Following a divorce, the relationship cannot be developed again without a price being paid. In the case of Adam’s sin, the price involved all heaven in sacrifice. For the human being, who wants again to have the benefits of this atonement, a price must be paid—this price is not in terms of money or merit developed from human works. It is repentance toward God and faith in Jesus Christ as both savior and Lord. (See Acts 2:36; Acts 20:21.) This price includes everything, every asset that a man has. (See Luke 14:33.)

The development of a relationship with God again, after a divorce has occurred, has happened many times in human history. For example, Isaiah writes, “Thus says the Lord, where is the certificate of divorce by which I sent your mother away? . . . Behold you were sold for your iniquities and for your transgressions your mother was sent away. . . . Is my hand so short that it cannot ransom or have I no power to deliver?” Isaiah 50:1, 2. (See also Jeremiah 3:1–20.)

The forbearance of God, in allowing rebels or offenders against His law and government to return and repent, is beyond our comprehension. It happens over and over again, often for a period of many years. However, the forbearance of God does have limits, and there comes a time, just as in the case of Lucifer, when the choice becomes final, and an irrevocable or final divorce is enacted. We want to understand this, because during the closing period of the age of grace, Bible prophecy predicts a final divorce occurring again.

To be continued . . .

Bible Study Guides – Hebrews 5

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February 16–February 22, 2003

MEMORY VERSE: “So also Christ glorified not himself to be made an high priest; but he that said unto him, Thou art my Son, to day have I begotten thee.” Hebrews 5:5.

SUGGESTED READING: Selected Messages, Book 1, 261, 262.

INTRODUCTION: “Christ is the Minister of the true tabernacle, the High Priest of all who believe in Him as a personal Saviour: and His office no other can take. He is the High Priest of the church, and He has a work to do which no other can perform. By His grace He is able to keep every man from transgression. His ambassadors, those who receive Him, are born again, and are thus fitted to represent Him. ‘Such an High Priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens; who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for His own sins, and then for the people’s; for this He did once, when He offered up Himself. For the law maketh men high priests which have infirmity; but the word of the oath, which was since the law, maketh the Son, who is consecrated forevermore.’ [Hebrews 7:26–28.]” The Signs of the Times, February 14, 1900.

1 For whom did the priests, from among men, serve? Hebrews 5:1, first part.

NOTE: “The people were drawn to the society of the priests and Levites, that they might receive instruction and encouragement in the service of God.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 530.

2 What did the priests offer? Hebrews 5:1, last part.

NOTE: “Important truths concerning the atonement are taught by the typical service. A substitute was accepted in the sinner’s stead; but the sin was not canceled by the blood of the victim. A means was thus provided by which it was transferred to the sanctuary. By the offering of blood the sinner acknowledged the authority of the law, confessed his guilt in transgression, and expressed his desire for pardon through faith in a Redeemer to come; but he was not yet entirely released from the condemnation of the law. On the Day of Atonement the high priest, having taken an offering from the congregation, went into the most holy place with the blood of this offering, and sprinkled it upon the mercy seat, directly over the law, to make satisfaction for its claims. Then, in his character of mediator, he took the sins upon himself and bore them from the sanctuary. Placing his hands upon the head of the scapegoat, he confessed over him all these sins, thus in figure transferring them from himself to the goat. The goat then bore them away, and they were regarded as forever separated from the people.” The Great Controversy, 420.

“When the high priest entered the holy place, representing the place where our High Priest is now pleading, and offered sacrifice on the altar, no propitiatory sacrifices were offered without. While the high priest was interceding within, every heart was to be bowed in contrition before God, pleading for the pardon of transgression. Type met antitype in the death of Christ, the Lamb slain for the sins of the world. The great High Priest has made the only sacrifice that will be of any value. . . .” That I May Know Him, 73.

3 What qualified Jesus for the office of High Priest? Hebrews 5:1, first part.

NOTE: “[Hebrews 2:17, 18 quoted.] Christ came to this world, and clothed his divinity with humanity, taking upon Him the nature of man. He came to pass through the experiences of humanity, to pass over the ground on which Adam had fallen, to redeem his failure, to meet and conquer the adversary of God and man, that through his grace man might be an overcomer, and finally have a place with Him upon his throne.” The Bible Echo, November 1, 1892.

4 As high priest, what sacrifice did He make? Hebrews 5:1, last part.

NOTE: “Christ saw man’s fearful danger, and He determined to save him by the sacrifice of Himself. That He might accomplish His purpose of love for the fallen race, He became bone of our bone and flesh of our flesh.” Reflecting Christ, 17.

“As the high priest laid aside his pontifical dress, and officiated in the white linen dress of a common priest, so Christ emptied Himself, and took the form of a servant, and offered sacrifice, Himself the priest, Himself the victim. As the high priest, after performing his service in the holy of holies, came forth to the waiting congregation in his pontifical robes, so Christ will come the second time clothed in glorious garments of the whitest white, ‘such as no fuller on earth can whiten them.’ [See Mark 9:3.] He will come in His own glory, and in the glory of His Father, as King of kings and Lord of lords, and all the angelic host will escort Him on His way (Manuscript 113, 1899).” “Ellen G. White Comments,” Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 1, 1111, 1112.

5 For what purpose did He make this sacrifice? Matthew 18:11–13.

NOTE: “By the lost sheep Christ represents not only the individual sinner but the one world that has apostatized and has been ruined by sin. This world is but an atom in the vast dominions over which God presides, yet this little fallen world—the one lost sheep—is more precious in His sight than are the ninety and nine that went not astray from the fold. Christ, the loved Commander in the heavenly courts, stooped from His high estate, laid aside the glory that He had with the Father, in order to save the one lost world. For this He left the sinless worlds on high, the ninety and nine that loved Him, and came to this earth, to be ‘wounded for our transgressions’ and ‘bruised for our iniquities.’ (Isaiah 53:5.) God gave Himself in His Son that He might have the joy of receiving back the sheep that was lost.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 190, 191.

6 What is sin? 1 John 3:4.

NOTE: “What is sin? The transgression of God’s law. God wants all connected with him to loathe sin, to hate anything that approaches to it.” Review and Herald, June 3, 1880.

“It is through the law that men are convicted of sin; and they must feel themselves sinners, exposed to the wrath of God, before they will realize their need of a Saviour. Satan is continually at work to lessen man’s estimate of the grievous character of sin. And those who trample the law of God under their feet are doing the work of the great deceiver; for they are rejecting the only rule by which they can define sin, and bring it home to the conscience of the transgressor.” Selected Messages, Book 1, 219.

7 Why was Christ’s sacrifice necessary? Romans 3:23.

NOTE: “The human family have all transgressed the law of God, and as transgressors of the law, man is hopelessly ruined; for he is the enemy of God, without strength to do any good thing. ‘The carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be’ (Romans 8:7). Looking into the moral mirror—God’s holy law—man sees himself a sinner, and is convicted of his state of evil, his hopeless doom under the just penalty of the law. But he has not been left in a state of hopeless distress in which sin has plunged him; for it was to save the transgressor from ruin that He who was equal with God offered up His life on Calvary.” Selected Messages, Book 1, 321.

8 Why is compassion a necessary element in ministering to others? Hebrews 5:2.

NOTE: “The preaching of the gospel was committed to erring men rather than to the angels. It is manifest that the power which works through the weakness of humanity is the power of God; and thus we are encouraged to believe that the power which can help others as weak as ourselves can help us. . . . Having been in peril themselves, they are acquainted with the dangers and difficulties of the way, and for this reason are called to reach out for others in like peril. There are souls perplexed with doubt, burdened with infirmities, weak in faith, and unable to grasp the Unseen; but a friend whom they can see, coming to them in Christ’s stead, can be a connecting link to fasten their trembling faith upon Christ.” The Desire of Ages, 297.

9 Are men to take the office of priest upon themselves? Did Aaron? Hebrews 5:4. See also Exodus 28:1.

NOTE: “God had called him [Aaron] to unite with Moses in his great and important mission. He had co-operated with his brother in leading the children of Israel from Egypt. He had held up the great leader’s hands when the Hebrew hosts gave battle to Amalek. He had been permitted to ascend Mount Sinai, to approach into the presence of God, and to behold the divine glory. The Lord had conferred upon the family of Aaron the office of the priesthood, and had honored him with the sacred consecration of high priest.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 425, 426.

10 How was Christ made our High Priest? Hebrews 5:5.

NOTE: “Christ glorified not Himself in being made High Priest. God gave Him His appointment to the priesthood. He was to be an example to all the human family. He qualified Himself to be, not only the representative of the race, but their Advocate, so that every soul if he will may say, I have a Friend at court. He is a High Priest that can be touched with the feelings of our infirmities (Manuscript 101, 1897).” “Ellen G. White Comments,” Seventh-day Adventist Commentary, vol. 7, 930.

11 How long was His priesthood to endure? Hebrews 5:6.

NOTE: “The high priest was designed in an especial manner to represent Christ, who was to become a high priest forever after the order of Melchisedec. This order of priesthood was not to pass to another, or be superseded by another (Redemption: The First Advent of Christ, p. 14).” “Ellen G. White Comments,” Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 7, 930.

“Priest and victim combined, He [Christ] entered the Temple as a place of sacrifice. Christ our Passover was sacrificed for us. He was the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. He is a true high priest, for after enduring humiliation, shame, and reproach, after being crucified and buried, He was raised from the grave, triumphing over death. He is a priest forever, after the order of Melchisedec.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 12, 398.

12 What did He offer up in the “days of His flesh”? Hebrews 5:7, first part.

NOTE: “As a man He supplicated the throne of God, till His humanity was charged with a heavenly current that connected humanity with divinity. Receiving life from God, He imparted life to men.” Education, 80, 81.

13 In what manner did He pray? Hebrews 5:7, middle part.

NOTE: “With strong crying and tears He sent His petitions to heaven, that His human nature might be strengthened, that He might be braced to meet the wily foe in all his deceptive workings, and fortified to fulfill His missions of uplifting humanity. To His workers He says, ‘I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done.’ John 13:15.” The Ministry of Healing, 500.

14 What example of prayer did Christ give us, and how was His prayer heard? Mark 1:35; Luke 5:16.

NOTE: “The Majesty of heaven, while engaged in His earthly ministry, prayed much to His Father. He was frequently bowed all night in prayer. His spirit was often sorrowful as He felt the powers of the darkness of this world, and He left the busy city and the noisy throng, to seek a retired place to make His intercessions. The Mount of Olives was the favorite resort of the Son of God for His devotions. Frequently after the multitude had left Him for the retirement of the night, He rested not, though weary with the labors of the day. In the Gospel of John we read: ‘And every man went unto his own house. Jesus went unto the Mount of Olives.’ [John 7:53; 8:1.] While the city was hushed in silence, and the disciples had returned to their homes to obtain refreshment in sleep, Jesus slept not. His divine pleadings were ascending to His Father from the Mount of Olives that His disciples might be kept from the evil influences which they would daily encounter in the world, and that His own soul might be strengthened and braced for the duties and trials of the coming day. All night, while His followers were sleeping, was their divine Teacher praying. The dew and frost of night fell upon His head bowed in prayer. His example is left for His followers.” Testimonies, vol. 2, 508.

“He prayed with strong crying and tears, and He was heard in that He feared. God strengthened Him, as He will strengthen all who will humble themselves, and throw themselves, soul, body, and spirit, into the hands of a covenant-keeping God.” Selected Messages, Book 3, 131.

Bible Study Guides – Hebrews 4

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February 9–February 15, 2003

MEMORY VERSE: “Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast [our] profession.” Hebrews 4:14.

SUGGESTED READING: Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 7, 928, 929.

INTRODUCTION: “I have been shown that God has a work for you to do, and you can do it to His acceptance if you rely firmly upon the arm that is infinite. But you must not think that He would have you bear the whole burden of His work. The cause is the Lord’s; He will take care of His own. You could do much greater and more efficient work if you would cultivate calm trust in God, and not become anxious and worried, as though Jesus still lay in the sepulcher, and you had no Saviour. He has risen; He has ascended to the heavens, and is your advocate before the throne of God. You may prefer your requests to God, knowing that you have a faithful High Priest, who will be touched with the feeling of your infirmities; for He has been tempted in all points like as we are. Do not feel that God is unmindful of you, but always remember that He loves you, and is willing to give you rest and peace in Him.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 20, 132.

1 Of the children of Israel, whom did God determine would enter into rest? Hebrews 4:6, first part; Numbers 14:29–32.

NOTE: “Moses was soon to die, and he was commanded to gather the children of Israel together before his death and relate to them all the journeyings of the Hebrew host since their departure from Egypt, and all the great transgressions of their fathers, which brought His judgments upon them, and compelled Him to say that they should not enter the Promised Land. Their fathers had died in the wilderness, according to the word of the Lord. Their children had grown up, and to them the promise was to be fulfilled of possessing the land of Canaan.” The Story of Redemption, 170.

2 Why had those who left Egypt been denied entrance to the Promised Land, and how does this apply to us today? Hebrews 4:6, last part.

NOTE: “The lesson of this record is for us. The Lord had prepared the way before His people. They were very near the promised land. A little while and they would have entered Canaan. They themselves delayed the entering. In the first place, it was they who requested that spies should be sent up to search the land. . . .

“The request that the spies be sent into Canaan showed a lack of faith . . . .

“Brethren and sisters, from the light given me, I know that if the people of God had preserved a living connection with Him, if they had obeyed His Word, they would today be in the heavenly Canaan.” The General Conference Bulletin, March 30, 1903.

“Many who, like ancient Israel, profess to keep God’s commandments have hearts of unbelief while outwardly observing the statutes of God. Although favored with great light and precious privileges, they will nevertheless lose the heavenly Canaan, even as the rebellious Israelites failed to enter the earthly Canaan that God had promised them as the reward of their obedience.

“As a people we lack faith.” Testimonies, vol. 4, 162.

3 What warning was given to David, long after the time of Moses? Hebrews 4:7.

NOTE: “There is a day that God hath appointed for the close of this world’s history. ‘This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.’ [Matthew 24:14.] . . . The day is at hand when the destiny of every soul will be fixed forever. This day of the Lord hastens on apace. The false watchmen are raising the cry, ‘All is well;’ but the day of God is rapidly approaching. Its footsteps are so muffled that it does not arouse the world from the deathlike slumber into which it has fallen. While the watchmen cry, ‘Peace and safety,’ ‘sudden destruction cometh upon them,’ ‘and they shall not escape;’ ‘for as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth.’ [1 Thessalonians 5:3; Luke 21:35.] It overtakes the pleasure-lover and the sinful man as a thief in the night. When all is apparently secure, and men retire to contented rest, then the prowling, stealthy, midnight thief steals upon his prey. When it is too late to prevent the evil, it is discovered that some door or window was not secured. ‘Be ye also ready: for in an such hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.’ [Mathew 24:44.] People are now settling to rest, imagining themselves secure under the popular churches; but let all beware, lest there is a place left open for the enemy to gain an entrance. Great pains should be taken to keep this subject before the people. The solemn fact is to be kept not only before the people of the world, but before our own churches also, that the day of the Lord will come suddenly, unexpectedly. The fearful warning of the prophecy is addressed to every soul. Let no one feel that he is secure from the danger of being surprised. Let no one’s interpretation of prophecy rob you of the conviction of the knowledge of events which show that this great event is near at hand.” Fundamentals of Christian Education, 335, 336.

4 What was the rest into which Joshua led the children of Israel? Joshua 21:43, 44; Deuteronomy 12:10.

NOTE: “The Hebrew reads, ‘rest from round about,’ that is, from the surrounding nations.” Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 2, 284.

5 If this was not the true rest, when is the true rest to be given? Hebrews 4:8, 9.

NOTE: “More than fourteen centuries before Jesus was born in Bethlehem, the children of Israel gathered in the fair vale of Shechem, and from the mountains on either side the voices of the priests were heard proclaiming the blessings and the curses—‘a blessing, if ye obey the commandments of the Lord your God: . . . and a curse, if ye will not obey.’ Deuteronomy 11:27, 28. And thus the mountain from which the words of benediction were spoken came to be known as the mount of blessing. But it was not upon Gerizim that the words were spoken which have come as a benediction to a sinning and sorrowing world. Israel fell short of the high ideal which had been set before her. Another than Joshua must guide His people to the true rest of faith.” Thoughts from the Mount of Blessing, 1.

6 What are the conditions for entering this future rest? Hebrews 4:10, 11.

NOTE: “Here are the conditions upon which every soul will be elected to eternal life. Your obedience to God’s commandments will prove your right to an inheritance with the saints in light. God has elected a certain excellence of character; and every one who, through the grace of Christ, shall reach the standard of His requirement, will have an abundant entrance into the kingdom of glory. All who would reach this standard of character, will have to employ the means that God has provided to this end. If you would inherit the rest that remaineth for the children of God, you must become a co-laborer with God.” Christian Education, 118.

“If you are willing to learn meekness and lowliness of heart in Christ’s school, He will surely give you rest and peace. It is a terribly hard struggle to give up your own will and your own way. But this lesson learned, you will find rest and peace. . . .

“In being co-workers with Christ in the great work for which He gave His life, we shall find true rest.” Sons and Daughters of God, 76.

7 How is the Word of God described? Hebrews 4:12.

NOTE: “The Bible is the standard by which to test the claims of

all who profess sanctification. Jesus prayed that his disciples might be sanctified through the truth, and He says, ‘Thy word is truth;’ while the psalmist declares, ‘Thy law is the truth.’ [John 17:17; Psalm 119:142.] All whom God is leading will manifest a high regard for the Scriptures in which his voice is heard. The Bible will be to them ‘profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.’ ‘Ye shall know them by their fruits.’ [2 Timothy 3:16, 17; Matthew 7:16.] We need no other evidence in order to judge of men’s sanctification; if they are fearful lest they shall not obey the whole will of God, if they are listening diligently to his voice, trusting in his wisdom, and making his word the man of their counsel, then, while they make no boasts of superior goodness, we may be sure that they are seeking to attain to perfection of Christian character. But if the claimants of holiness even intimate that they are no longer required to search the Scriptures, we need not hesitate to pronounce their sanctification spurious. They are leaning to their own understanding, instead of conforming to the will of God.” Review and Herald, October 5, 1886.

8 What is that Word of God that will discern every thought and intent of the heart? Ecclesiastes 12:13, 14.

NOTE: “To those who love God it will be the highest delight to keep His commandments and to do those things that are pleasing in His sight. . . .” My Life Today, 163.

“Let those who feel inclined to make a high profession of holiness look into the mirror of God’s law. As they see its far-reaching claims, and understand its work as a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart, they will not boast of sinlessness.” The Acts of the Apostles, 562.

9 Before whom are all things open? Hebrews 4:13.

NOTE: ” ‘A book of remembrance’ is written before God . . . . Malachi 3:16. . . . Every deed of righteousness is immortalized. There every temptation resisted, every evil overcome, every word of tender pity expressed, is faithfully chronicled. And every act of sacrifice, every suffering and sorrow endured for Christ’s sake, is recorded.” The Great Controversy, 481.

“God will bring to light every word and every action. He is in every place. . . . The hidden works of darkness will be brought to light. The thoughts, the intents and purposes of the heart, will stand revealed. All things are naked and open to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do.” Counsels on Health, 412.

10 What position has Jesus taken in the courts of Heaven? Hebrews 4:14.

NOTE: “The Son of God . . . has fulfilled His pledge, and has passed into the heavens, to take upon Himself the government of the heavenly host. He fulfilled one phase of His priesthood by dying on the cross for the fallen race. He is now fulfilling another phase by pleading before the Father the case of the repenting, believing sinner, presenting to God the offerings of His people. Having taken human nature and in this nature having overcome the temptations of the enemy, and having divine perfection, to Him has been committed the judgment of the world. The case of each one will be brought in review before Him. He will pronounce judgment, rendering to every man according to his works (Manuscript 42, 1901).” “Ellen G. White Comments,” Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 7, 929.

11 What assurance is given to us because of His position? Hebrews 4:15. Compare Hebrews 2:17, 18.

NOTE: “In Christ were united the human and the divine. His mission was to reconcile God and man, to unite the finite with the infinite. This was the only way in which fallen men could be exalted through the merits of the blood of Christ to be partakers of the divine nature. Taking human nature fitted Christ to understand man’s trials and sorrows, and all the temptations wherewith he is beset. Angels who were unacquainted with sin could not sympathize with man in his peculiar trials. Christ condescended to take man’s nature and was tempted in all points like as we, that He might know how to succor all who should be tempted.” Testimonies, vol. 2, 201.

12 How may we come to the throne of grace, and what will we find there? Hebrews 4:16.

NOTE: “Heaven is open to our petitions, and we are invited to come ‘boldly unto the throne of grace . . .’ (Hebrews 4:16). We are to come in faith, believing that we shall obtain the very things we ask of Him.” In Heavenly Places, 80.

“With the trusting faith of a little child, we are to come to our heavenly Father, telling Him of all our needs. He is always ready to pardon and help. The supply of divine wisdom is inexhaustible, and the Lord encourages us to draw largely from it. The longing that we should have for spiritual blessings is described in the words, ‘As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God.’ [Psalm 42:1.] We need a deeper soul-hunger for the rich gifts that heaven has to bestow.” Sons and Daughters of God, 121.