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Bible Study Guides – Hebrews 3:12 – 4:3

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February 2–February 8, 2003

MEMORY VERSE: “For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end.” Hebrews 3:14.

SUGGESTED READING: The Great Controversy, 457–459; Selected Messages, Book 1, 68, 69.

INTRODUCTION: “We shall be saved eternally when we enter in through the gates into the [holy] city. Then we may rejoice that we are saved, eternally saved. But until then we need to heed the injunction of the apostle, and to ‘fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of us should seem to come short of it’ (Hebrews 4:1). Having a knowledge of Canaan, singing the songs of Canaan, rejoicing in the prospect of entering into Canaan, did not bring the children of Israel into the vineyards and olive groves of the Promised Land. They could make it theirs in truth only by occupation, by complying with the conditions, by exercising living faith in God, by appropriating His promises to themselves. . . .” That I May Know Him, 162.

1 What warning did the apostle Paul give to his brethren in Hebrews 3:12? Compare Matthew 24:4.

NOTE: “It is right to study closely the teachings of the Bible and to search into ‘the deep things of God’ so far as they are revealed in Scripture. 1 Corinthians 2:10. While ‘the secret things belong unto the Lord our God,’ ‘those things which are revealed belong unto us.’ Deuteronomy 29:29. But it is Satan’s work to pervert the investigative powers of the mind. A certain pride is mingled with the consideration of Bible truth, so that men feel impatient and defeated if they cannot explain every portion of Scripture to their satisfaction. It is too humiliating to them to acknowledge that they do not understand the inspired words. They are unwilling to wait patiently until God shall see fit to reveal the truth to them. They feel that their unaided human wisdom is sufficient to enable them to comprehend the Scripture, and failing to do this, they virtually deny its authority. It is true that many theories and doctrines popularly supposed to be derived from the Bible have no foundation in its teaching, and indeed are contrary to the whole tenor of inspiration. These things have been a cause of doubt and perplexity to many minds. They are not, however, chargeable to God’s word, but to man’s perversion of it.” Steps to Christ, 108, 109.

2 What did Paul direct the Hebrews to do? Hebrews 3:13, first part.

NOTE: “Never entertain the thought that you can be Christians and yet withdraw within yourselves. Each one is a part of the great web of humanity, and the nature and quality of your experience will be largely determined by the experiences of those with whom you associate. Jesus says: ‘Where two or three are gathered together in My name, there am I in the midst.’ Matthew 18:20. Then let us not forsake the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhort one another; and so much the more, as we see the day approaching.” Testimonies, vol. 7, 190.

“As brethren of our Lord, we are called with a holy calling to a holy, happy life. Having entered the narrow path of obedience, let us refresh our minds by communion with one another and with God. As we see the day of God approaching, let us meet often to study His Word and to exhort one another to be faithful unto the end. These earthly assemblies are God’s appointed means by which we have opportunity to speak with one another and to gather all the help possible to prepare, in the right way, to receive in the heavenly assemblies the fulfillment of the pledges of our inheritance.” Our High Calling, 166.

3 What did the apostle say would befall them if they failed to exhort one another? Hebrews 3:13, last part.

NOTE: “Like the hard-beaten path, trodden down by the feet of men and beasts, is the heart that becomes a highway for the world’s traffic, its pleasures and sins. Absorbed in selfish aims and sinful indulgences, the soul is ‘hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.’ Hebrews 3:13. The spiritual faculties are paralyzed. Men hear the word, but understand it not. They do not discern that it applies to themselves. They do not realize their need or their danger. They do not perceive the love of Christ, and they pass by the message of His grace as something that does not concern them.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 44.

4 What is the nature of sin? Hebrews 3:13, last part; Jeremiah 17:9.

NOTE: “Here is a work for man to do. He must face the mirror, God’s law, discern the defects in his moral character, and put away his sins, washing his robe of character in the blood of the lamb. Envy, pride, malice, deceit, strife, and crime will be cleansed from the heart that is a recipient of the love of Christ and that cherishes the hope of being made like Him when we shall see Him as He is. The religion of Christ refines and dignifies its possessor, whatever his associations or station in life may be. Men who become enlightened Christians rise above the level of their former character into greater mental and moral strength. Those fallen and degraded by sin and crime may, through the merits of the Saviour, be exalted to a position but little lower than that of the angels.” God’s Amazing Grace, 232.

5 How was it that the first sin on earth was committed? 1 Timothy 2:14.

NOTE: “Adam was not deceived by the serpent, as was Eve, and it was inexcusable in Adam to rashly transgress God’s positive command. Adam was presumptuous because his wife had sinned. He could not see what would become of Eve. He was sad, troubled, and tempted. He listened to Eve’s recital of the words of the serpent, and his constancy and integrity began to waver. Doubts arose in his mind in regard to whether God did mean just as He said. He rashly ate the tempting fruit.” Review and Herald, April 1, 1875.

6 On what condition are we partakers of Christ? Hebrews 3:14.

NOTE: “It is difficult to hold fast the beginning of our confidence firm unto the end; and the difficulty increases when there are hidden influences constantly at work to bring in another spirit, a counterworking element, on Satan’s side of the question. In the absence of persecution, there have drifted into our ranks some who appear sound, and their Christianity unquestionable, but who, if persecution should arise, would go out from us. In the crisis, they would see force in specious reasoning that has had an influence on their minds. Satan has prepared various snares to meet varied minds. When the law of God is made void the church will be sifted by fiery trials, and a larger proportion than we now anticipate, will give heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils. Instead of being strengthened when brought into strait places, many prove that they are not living branches of the True Vine. . . .” Maranatha, 28.

7 How many of the children of Israel who came out of Egypt provoked the Lord? Hebrews 3:16.

NOTE: “God appointed Moses to lead out his people from their bondage in the land of Egypt, that they might consecrate themselves to serve him with perfect hearts, and be to him a peculiar treasure. Moses was their visible leader, while Christ stood at the head of the armies of Israel, their invisible leader. If they could have always realized this, they would not have rebelled and provoked God in the wilderness by their unreasonable murmurings. God said to Moses, ‘Behold I send an Angel before thee, to keep thee in the way, and to bring thee into the place which I have prepared. Beware of him, and obey his voice, provoke him not; for he will not pardon your transgressions; for my name is in him.’ ” Review and Herald, March 3, 1874.

8 How many of those who came out of Egypt were so faithful as to go into the promised land? Numbers 14:30.

NOTE: “Though they shared with their brethren the forty years’ wandering, Caleb and Joshua entered the Land of Promise. As courageous of heart as when with the hosts of the Lord he set out from Egypt, Caleb asked for and received as his portion the stronghold of the giants. In God’s strength he drove out the Canaanites. The vineyards and olive groves where his feet had trodden became his possession. Though the cowards and rebels perished in the wilderness, the men of faith ate of the grapes of Eschol.” Education, 149.

9 Why could not the other Israelites enter into this rest? Hebrews 3:18, 19.

NOTE: “God did not design that His people, Israel, should wander forty years in the wilderness. He promised to lead them directly to the land of Canaan, and establish them there a holy, healthy, happy people. But those to whom it was first preached, went not in ‘because of unbelief.’ Their hearts were filled with murmuring, rebellion, and hatred, and He could not fulfill His covenant with them.

“For forty years did unbelief, murmuring, and rebellion shut out ancient Israel from the land of Canaan. The same sins have delayed the entrance of modern Israel into the heavenly Canaan. In neither case were the promises of God at fault. It is the unbelief, the worldliness, unconsecration, and strife among the Lord’s professed people that have kept us in this world of sin and sorrow so many years.—Manuscript 4, 1883.” Evangelism, 696.

10 What fear is held before the brethren? Hebrews 4:1.

NOTE: “The exhortation of the apostle applies to us as well as to those to whom this epistle was directed. . . . Shall we who are living near the close of this world’s history ‘take heed’? Shall we heed the apostle’s warning, [Hebrews 4:1 quoted]? The Lord would have his people trust in him and abide in his love, but that does not mean that we shall have no fear or misgivings. Some seem to think that if a man has a wholesome fear of the judgments of God, it is a proof that he is destitute of faith; but this is not so. A proper fear of God, in believing his threatenings, works the peaceable fruits of righteousness, by causing the trembling soul to flee to Jesus. Many ought to have this spirit today, and turn to the Lord with humble contrition, for the Lord has not given so many terrible threatenings, pronounced so severe judgments in his word, simply to have them recorded, but he means what he says. One says, ‘Horror hath taken hold upon me because of the wicked that forsake thy law.’ [Psalm 119:53.] Paul says, ‘Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men.’ [2 Corinthians 5:11.]” Review and Herald, October 21, 1890.

11 Why did the gospel preached to the children of Israel not profit them, and why would it not profit us today? Hebrews 4:2.

NOTE: “The unbelief and murmurings of the children of Israel illustrate the people of God now upon the earth. Many look back to them, and marvel at their unbelief and continual murmurings, after the Lord had done so much for them, in giving them repeated evidences of his love and care for them. They think that they should not have proved thus ungrateful. But some who thus think, murmur and repine at things of less consequence. They do not know themselves. God frequently proves them, and tries their faith in small things, and they do not endure the trial any better than did ancient Israel.” Spiritual Gifts, vol. 3, 251.

“We need to realize the necessity of exercising that faith which is acceptable to God—the faith which works by love and purifies the soul. Without faith it is impossible to hear the Word in such a way as to profit by the hearing, even though it be presented in a most impressive manner. . . .

“Unless we mix faith with our hearing of the Word, unless we receive the truths we hear as a message from heaven, to be carefully studied, to be eaten by the soul and assimilated into the spiritual life, we lose the impression of the Spirit of God.” The Upward Look, 75.

12 What is said of those that believe? Hebrews 4:3. Compare Joshua 1:13.

NOTE: “As thru Jesus we enter into rest, heaven begins here. We respond to His invitation, ‘Come, learn of Me,’ and in thus coming, we begin the life eternal. Heaven is a ceaseless approaching to God thru Christ. The longer we are in the heaven of bliss, the more and still more of glory will be revealed to us; and the more we know of God the more intense will be our happiness. As we walk with Jesus in this life, we may be filled with His love, satisfied with His presence. All that human nature can bear, we may receive here. But what is this compared with the hereafter! There ‘are they before the throne of God, and serve Him day and night in His temple; and He that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them. They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat. For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters; and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.’ [Revelation 7:15–17].” The Signs of the Times, May 20, 1908.

Bible Study Guides – Hebrews 2:17-3:12

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January 26- February 1, 2003

MEMORY VERSE: “Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God.” Hebrews 3:12.

SUGGESTED READING: Patriarchs and Prophets, 293, 294.

INTRODUCTION: “Some have given a willing ear to the tempter and have talked out their unbelief and wounded the cause. Satan has claims upon them, for they have not recovered themselves from his snare. They have conducted themselves like children who were wholly unacquainted with the wiles of the tempter. They have had sufficient experience and should have understood his workings. He has suggested doubts to their minds, and, instead of repelling them at once, they have reasoned and parleyed with the archdeceiver, and listened to his reasonings, as though charmed by the old serpent. A few texts which were not perfectly explainable to the satisfaction of their own minds have been sufficient to shake the whole structure of truth and to obscure the plainest facts of the word of God. These men are erring mortals. They have not perfect wisdom and knowledge in all the Scriptures. Some passages are placed beyond the reach of human minds until such a time as God chooses, in His own wisdom, to open them. Satan has been leading some on a trail which ends in certain infidelity. They have suffered their unbelief to becloud the harmonious, glorious chain of truth, and have acted as though it was their business to solve every difficult passage of Scripture, and if our faith did not enable them to do this, it was faulty.” Testimonies, vol. 1, 377.

1 How does the priesthood of Christ relate to things pertaining to God? Hebrews 2:17; 9:15.

NOTE: “Christ is our Mediator and officiating High Priest in the presence of the Father. He was shown to John as a Lamb that had been slain, as in the very act of pouring out His blood in the sinner’s behalf. When the law of God is set before the sinner, showing him the depth of his sins, he should then be pointed to the Lamb of God, that taketh away the sin of the world. He should be taught repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ. Thus will the labor of Christ’s representative be in harmony with His work in the heavenly sanctuary.” Testimonies, vol. 4, 395.

2 What strong assurance have the tempted sufferers that Jesus can sympathize with them and help them? Hebrews 2:18.

NOTE: “Jesus was tempted in all points like as we are, that He might know how to succor those who should be tempted. His life is our example. He shows by His willing obedience that man may keep the law of God and that transgression of the law, not obedience to it, brings him into bondage. The Saviour was full of compassion and love; He never spurned the truly penitent, however great their guilt; but He severely denounced hypocrisy of every sort. He is acquainted with the sins of men, He knows all their acts and reads their secret motives; yet He does not turn away from them in their iniquity. He pleads and reasons with the sinner, and in one sense—that of having Himself borne the weakness of humanity—He puts Himself on a level with him.” Testimonies, vol. 4, 294.

3 Because of Christ’s sufferings for us, what are we exhorted to do? Hebrews 3:1.

NOTE: “Study Christ. Study His character, feature by feature. He is our Pattern that we are required to copy in our lives and our characters, else we fail to represent Jesus, but present to the world a spurious copy. Do not imitate any man, for men are defective in habits, in speech, in manners, in character. I present before you the Man Christ Jesus. You must individually know Him as your Saviour before you can study Him as your pattern and your example.” Selected Messages, Book 3, 170.

4 Webster defines apostle as “one sent.” Why is Jesus called an apostle? John 17:3, 8.

NOTE: “[John 17:3 quoted.] These words mean much. It is only by knowing Christ that we can know God. The Sent of God calls upon all to listen to these words. They are the words of God, and all should give heed to them; for by them they will be judged.” The Signs of the Times, January 27, 1898.

5 Christ was counted worthy of more glory than Moses. Why? Hebrews 3:3.

NOTE: “[Heb. 3:1-3 quoted.] Because of the unbelief manifested toward Christ, the originator and foundation of the whole Jewish economy, a heavier retribution will come upon men than befell unbelieving Israel in the wilderness. Moses was the prophet by whom God communicated to the church in the wilderness; but great as was Moses, a greater than he is the Son of God, who builded the house.

“The presence of Jesus Christ, enshrouded in the pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night, followed this people in their wilderness wandering. The Angel of the covenant came in the name of God, as the invisible leader of Israel. . . . (Letter 97, 1898).” “Ellen G. White Comments,” Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 7, 927, 928.

6 Who built all things, and what bearing has this fact on the glory of Christ? Hebrews 3:4. Compare Hebrews 1:2; John 1:1–3.

NOTE: “The King of the universe summoned the heavenly hosts before Him, that in their presence He might set forth the true position of His Son and show the relation He sustained to all created beings. The Son of God shared the Father’s throne, and the glory of the eternal, self-existent One encircled both. . . . Before the assembled inhabitants of heaven the King declared that none but Christ, the Only Begotten of God, could fully enter into His purposes, and to Him it was committed to execute the mighty counsels of His will. The Son of God had wrought the Father’s will in the creation of all the hosts of heaven; and to Him, as well as to God, their homage and allegiance were due. Christ was still to exercise divine power, in the creation of the earth and its inhabitants. But in all this He would not seek power or exaltation for Himself contrary to God’s plan, but would exalt the Father’s glory and execute His purposes of beneficence and love.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 36.

7 In what capacity did Moses act over his house? Hebrews 3:5.

NOTE: “Moses was a type of Christ. He himself had declared to Israel, ‘The Lord thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto Him ye shall hearken.’ Deuteronomy 18:15. God saw fit to discipline Moses in the school of affliction and poverty before he could be prepared to lead the hosts of Israel to the earthly Canaan. The Israel of God, journeying to the heavenly Canaan, have a Captain who needed no human teaching to prepare Him for His mission as a divine leader; yet He was made perfect through sufferings; and ‘in that He Himself hath suffered being tempted, He is able to succor them that are tempted.’ Hebrews 2:10, 18. Our Redeemer manifested no human weakness or imperfection; yet He died to obtain for us an entrance into the Promised Land.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 480.

8 Over whose house does the Son preside? Hebrews 3:6, first part.

NOTE: “The church of Christ is God’s agency for the proclamation of truth; she is empowered by Him to do a special work.” Testimonies, vol. 8, 11.

9 On what condition are we Christ’s house? Hebrews 3:6, last part.

NOTE: “If she [church of Christ] is loyal to God, obedient to His commandments, there will dwell within her the excellence of divine power. If she will honor the Lord God of Israel, there is no power that can stand against her. If she will be true to her allegiance, the forces of the enemy will be no more able to overpower her than is the chaff to resist the whirlwind.” Testimonies, vol. 8, 11.

10 Is not our faith, our conversation, sufficient evidence that we are the house of Christ? Hebrews 3:7–10. Compare Matthew 24:14; 2 Peter 1:10.

NOTE: “But faith is in no sense allied to presumption. Only he who has true faith is secure against presumption. For presumption is Satan’s counterfeit of faith. Faith claims God’s promises, and brings forth fruit in obedience. Presumption also claims the promises, but uses them as Satan did, to excuse transgression. Faith would have led our first parents to trust the love of God, and to obey His commands. Presumption led them to transgress His law, believing that His great love would save them from the consequence of their sin. It is not faith that claims the favor of Heaven without complying with the conditions on which mercy is to be granted. Genuine faith has its foundation in the promises and provisions of the Scriptures.” The Desire of Ages, 126.

11 To whom does the apostle apply the warning given in Hebrews 3:7–11? Hebrews 3:7, 12.

NOTE: “The unbelief and murmurings of the children of Israel illustrate the people of God now upon the earth. Many look back to them, and marvel at their unbelief and continual murmurings, after the Lord had done so much for them, in giving them repeated evidences of his love and care for them. They think that they should not have proved thus ungrateful. But some who thus think, murmur and repine at things of less consequence. They do not know themselves. God frequently proves them, and tries their faith in small things, and they do not endure the trial any better than did ancient Israel.” Spiritual Gifts, vol. 3, 251.

12 What is the character of an unbelieving heart? Hebrews 3:12.

NOTE: “There is no encouragement given for unbelief. The Lord manifests His grace and His power over and over again, and this should teach us that it is always profitable under all circumstances to cherish faith, to talk faith, to act faith. We are not to have our hearts and hands weakened by allowing the suggestions of suspicious minds to plant in our hearts the seeds of doubt and distrust [Heb. 3:12 quoted] (Letter 97, 1898).” “Ellen G. White Comments,” Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 7, 928.

[The questions in this series are adapted from lessons written in 1889.]

Food for Life – Melty Cheese

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“Cheese should never be introduced into the stomach.” Testimonies, vol. 2, 68. “Cheese is still more objectionable [than butter]; it is wholly unfit for food.” The Ministry of Healing, 302.

“The question whether we shall eat butter, meat, or cheese, is not to be presented to anyone as a test, but we are to educate and to show the evils of the things that are objectionable. Those who gather up these things and drive them upon others, do not know what work they are doing. The Word of God has given tests to His people. The keeping of God’s holy law, the Sabbath, is a test, a sign between God and His people throughout their generations forever. Forever this is the burden of the third angel’s message—the commandments of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ.

“Tea, coffee, tobacco, and alcohol we must present as sinful indulgences. We cannot place on the same ground, meat, eggs, butter, cheese and such articles placed upon the table. These are not to be borne in front, as the burden of our work. The former—tea, coffee, tobacco, beer, wine, and all spirituous liquors—are not to be taken moderately, but discarded. The poisonous narcotics are not to be treated in the same way as the subject of eggs, butter, and cheese. In the beginning animal food was not designed to be the diet of man. We have every evidence that the flesh of dead animals is dangerous because of disease that is fast becoming universal, because of the curse resting more heavily in consequence of the habits and crimes of man. We are to present the truth. We are to be guarded how to use reason and select those articles of food that will make the very best blood and keep the blood in an unfevered condition.—Manuscript 5, 1881. . . .” Manuscript Releases, vol. 2, 107.

Recipe – Melty Cheese

2 cups water

1/4 cup raw cashews

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon onion powder

1/2 teaspoon garlic

2 Tablespoons cornstarch or arrowroot powder

dash of cayenne (optional)

1/4 cup Brewers yeast or nutritional yeast flakes

2 teaspoons lemon juice

1 to 4 Tablespoons pimientos, canned (for coloring; adjust to your preference)

Place all ingredients in blender, and blend extremely well for at least 2 minutes. Pour into saucepan and cook on moderate heat, stirring until thickened. Yummy for nachos, enchiladas, macaroni and cheese, scalloped potatoes—anywhere you need a cheese sauce.

Children’s Story – Spare Moments

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Alean, awkward boy cameone morning to the door of the principal of a celebrated school and asked to see him.

A servant eyed his thread-worn clothes, and thinking he looked more like a beggar than anything else, told him to go around to the kitchen.

The boy did as he was directed, and soon appeared at the back door.

“I should like to see Mr. Brown,” said he.

“You want a breakfast, more like,” said the servant girl, “and I can give you that without troubling him.”

“Thank you,” responded the boy, “I should have no objection to a bit of bread, but I should like to see Mr. Brown, if he can see me.”

“Some old clothes, may be what you want,” remarked the servant, again eyeing the boy’s patched trousers. “I guess he has none to spare; he gives away a lot,” and without minding the boy’s request, she set out some food upon the kitchen table and went about her work.

“Can I see Mr. Brown?” again asked the boy, after finishing his meal.

“Well, he’s in the library. If he must be disturbed, he must, but he does like to be alone sometimes,” replied the girl in a peevish tone. She seemed to think it very foolish to admit such an ill-looking fellow into her employer’s presence. However, she wiped her hands, and told him to follow her.

Opening the library door, she said: “Here’s somebody, sir, who is dreadfully anxious to see you, and so I let him in.”

I don’t know how the boy introduced himself, or how he opened his business, but I know that after talking awhile, the principal put aside the volume he was studying, took up some Greek books, and began to examine the new-comer. The examination lasted some time. Every question that the principal asked, the boy answered as readily as could be.

“Upon my word,” exclaimed the principal, “you certainly do well!” Looking at the boy from head to foot, over his glasses, he asked, “Why, my boy, where did you pick up so much?”

“In my spare moments,” answered the boy.

Here he was, poor, hard-working, with but few opportunities for schooling, yet almost fitted for college, by simply improving his spare moments. Truly, are not spare moments the “gold dust of time”? How precious they should be! What account can you give of your spare moments? What can you show for them? Look and see.

This boy can tell you how very much can be laid up by improving them; and there are many other boys [and girls], I am afraid, in the jail, in the house of correction, in the bar or in the pool hall, who, if you should ask them when they began their sinful courses, might answer, “In my spare moments.”

“In my spare moments I played addictive games.”

“In my spare moments I began to smoke and drink.”

“It was in my spare moments that I began to steal candy from the corner store.”

“It was in my spare moments that I gathered with wicked associates.”

Oh, be very, very careful how you spend your spare moments! Temptation always hunts you out in small seasons like these when you are not busy; Satan gets into your hearts, if he possibly can, in just such gaps. There he hides himself, planning all sorts of mischief. Take care of your spare moments. “Satan finds some mischief still for idle hands to do.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 2, 216.

Reprinted from Tiger and Tom and Other Stories for Boys, A. B. Publishing, Inc., Ithaca, MI., 1993.

Nature Nugget – Shorebirds Talents

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Shorebirds are a diverse avian group consisting of four families: plovers, avocets and stilts, oystercatchers, and sandpipers. Most North American shorebirds migrate over incredible distances from the arctic, where they breed, to coastal and interior wetland areas in South America, where they winter. Shorebirds need to eat up to one-third their body weight a day. Some can store fat reserves of up to 30 percent of their body’s weight in preparation for migration. Most shorebirds are closely associated with wetland areas where they feed on various shoreline habitats, mudflats, and marshes, in both fresh and saltwater environments.

Shorebirds have an amazing variety of bill shapes and sizes allowing them to feed in various habitats from dry soil to shallow water. Differences in bill length and shape and in leg length allow various species to flock together for protection without seriously competing with each other for food. These differences allow each species to find food at a different depth or location in the substrate. Some pick prey off the surface of the ground; others probe various depths underground, while others prey on aquatic creatures in the water and others on the surface of the water. Some feed at tideline, while others follow the waterline, and others feed in shallow water.

Plovers feed by picking, and have large eyes by which they locate their food. They feed above the waterline on wet to dry ground. Plovers are also known to use a technique called “foot patting” where the bird patters its feet on loose sand or mud, causing its prey to come to the surface. A well-known plover species in North America is the Killdeer, which is commonly found in pastures and farmland.

Oystercatchers have a long, triangular bill that is a cross between a knife and a chisel. They use it to stab into open bivalves, such as mussels and clams, severing the muscles that close the shell, or they smash open the shell if it is closed.

Avocets and Stilts have long legs and can feed in deeper water than most other shorebirds. Avocets have long, thin, upcurved bills, which they use as a scythe, sweeping it back and forth in the water stirring the bottom, and snatching up insects and crustaceans thus exposed.

The Sandpiper family constitutes the largest group of shorebirds. Body size, leg length, and bill size and shape are highly variable from one species to another. Sandpipers vary in size from the tiny 6-inch Least Sandpiper, which probes shallowly with its short bill, to the 23-inch Long-billed Curlew, which uses its long, decurved, forceps-like bill to probe deep into the burrows of marine worms. Two very odd members of this family are the Turnstones and Phalaropes. The Turnstones use their short upturned bills to flip over rocks and debris in search of food. Phalaropes gather their food in an ingenious way. They spin in circles on the surface of the water creating a whirlpool beneath them, which sucks up bottom dwelling insect larvae to the surface, where the Phalarope pick them off with their needle-like beaks.

Just as the Creator has given shorebirds a diversity of bill shapes and sizes and leg lengths, to allow them to exploit a variety of habitats and food sources, so He has provided mankind with a diversity of talents for use in His work. “To every person is committed some peculiar gift or talent which is to be used to advance the Redeemer’s kingdom.” Testimonies, vol. 4, 618. “In the Lord’s plan there is a diversity in the distribution of talents. . . . These talents are not bestowed capriciously, but according to the ability of the recipient.” Counsels on Stewardship, 116. “We must be always on the watch for opportunities to use for God the talents He has given us.” Testimonies, vol. 8, 27.

David Arbour writes from DeQueen, Arkansas.

Restoring the Temple – The Integumentary System

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“And I will lay sinews upon you, and will bring up flesh upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and ye shall live; and ye shall know that I [am] the Lord.”

—Ezekiel 37:6.

What is the largest organ of the body? With an average area of about 22 square feet (2 square meters) and a weight of 10–11 pounds (4.5–5 kg), skin—called the integument—wins hands down. It is obvious that skin covers us and protects our internal organs from injury. But skin has several other very important functions, including protection against dehydration, body temperature regulation, sensory reception, metabolic function, blood reservoir, absorption, and excretion.

Surprised about that last one? Indeed, our skin is our body’s largest waste organ. You can see why cleanliness is so important. Recent research has shown that exposure to the dirt we come into contact with daily does not harm us. Yet Ellen White spent a lot of time discussing the benefits of cleanliness. Does this conflict with what scientists have now found? Absolutely not! Ellen White understood this concept long ago when she wrote: “Do not misunderstand me in this. I do not say that you must keep them [children] indoors, like dolls. There is nothing impure in clean sand and dry earth; it is the emanations from the body that defile, requiring the clothing to be changed and the body washed.” Child Guidance, 107. She further states, “Impurities are constantly and imperceptibly passing from the body, through the pores, and if the surface of the skin is not kept in a healthy condition, the system is burdened with impure matter.” Healthful Living, 188.

Skin is composed of two layers: the epidermis and the dermis. The epidermis is the outer layer of skin, made relatively waterproof by the protein keratin. The cells of the epidermis are constantly sloughing off and being replaced by new cells as they are pushed up from below. Not only do epidermal cells have a life span of only 35–45 days, but you are likely to shed some 40 pounds of skin in a lifetime! In fact, about 30,000–40,000 dead skin cells fall from your body every minute!

Some of the cells of the epidermis are called melanocytes, and they are where the skin color comes from. Melanocytes make a pigment called melanin. Melanin protects the DNA in our skin cells from harmful UV radiation. Your genes, or what you inherit from your parents, determine the amount of melanin, and its particular shade. Carotene is another pigment, giving a yellowish cast (which can be seen clearly if you eat a lot of carrots every day). The pink coloration of skin comes from the blood in your capillaries showing through.

The dermis is composed of connective tissue, thread-through with lots of tiny blood vessels called capillaries. The dermis is also where hair follicles, nerve endings, and sweat and sebaceous glands are found. The dermis consists of two layers, the papillary layer and the reticular layer. In the papillary layer, fingerlike projections called the dermal papillae extend up into the epidermis. The epidermis is very thin on your fingertips, making them more sensitive to stimuli. This thinness also makes those dermal papillae stand out. You know them as your fingerprints. When you lightly burn your fingertip, your fingerprints do not disappear forever, because it is the epidermis that is damaged, not the dermis from which the prints project.

The Lord made us with several skin appendages, including hair, sebaceous glands, sweat glands, and nails. Have you ever wondered how your hair stands on end when you are cold? Tiny muscles, called arrector pili muscles are attached to each strand of hair. The nervous system causes them to involuntarily contract, pulling each strand of hair upright. This is the same way a cat’s hair stands on end when it is scared or angry. The reason why your hair does this is that erect hair traps more air, keeping a layer of warmth around you.

What about the differences we have in hair color? Pigments produced by melanocytes in the root of the hair cause these variations in color. Your own hair color is mostly predetermined genetically, but hormone and environmental conditions can play a part. So why do you grow gray as you age? It is because pigment production decreases with age. White hair is a combination of pigment loss and air bubbles within the medulla, or central core of the hair shaft.

Sweat glands are coiled tubes found in the dermis. Sweat generally does not have an odor. The bacterium on your skin that is attracted to this moisture causes the odor associated with sweat. Sweat is more than just water. It also contains salts, antibodies, and waste products. Sweating helps to regulate your body temperature. Depending on the circumstances, you lose 2–4 pints (1–2 liters) of water every 24 hours through the skin. You can see why drinking adequate amounts of water (8 8-ounce glasses) each day is so essential. When we are overheated, more blood is directed to the skin’s surface so that heat can be wicked away. This is why skin, especially lighter skin, turns red when hot.

Each day your skin is being constantly abused, attacked, and abraded. Radiation from sunlight beats down on it, germs are constantly attacking it, chemicals in the air and chemicals we use abuse it. Yet, for most of us, all we see is a freckle here or a pimple there. There is nothing remotely like the skin that can be made by man. The best-manufactured fabrics deteriorate quickly under the same conditions. Some materials are durable but are incapable of all the additional functions of skin. God made the wondrous fabric that is our skin. We must take care of it, follow the laws of health, and thank the Lord for His love and infinite science.

“Thou hast clothed me with skin and flesh, and hast fenced me with bones and sinews.” “And [though] after my skin [worms] destroy this [body], yet in my flesh shall I see God.” Job 10:11; 19:26.

Sheryle Beaudry, a certified teletriage nurse, writes from Estacada, Oregon, where she lives with her husband and twin daughters.

From the Pen of Inspiration – Think on These Things

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Another year has almost passed into eternity. A few more days, and we shall enter a new year. My brethren and sisters, employ wisely the remaining hours of the old year. If you have in any wise neglected your duty, repent before God, and return to the path from which you have wandered. Remember how brief the period of life allotted you. You know not how soon your probation may close. Say not presumptuously, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain.” [James 4:13.] God may have different plans for you. Life is but a vapor, “that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth.” [Verse 14.] You know not how soon your hand may lose its cunning, your step its firmness. There is peril in a moment’s delay. “Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.” [Isaiah 55:6, 7.]

What is your stewardship? Have you during the past year robbed God in tithes and offerings? Look at your well-filled barns, at your cellars stored with the good things the Lord has given you, and ask yourselves whether you have returned to the Giver that which belongs to him. If you have robbed the Lord, make restitution. As far as possible, make the past right, and then ask the Saviour to pardon you. Will you not return to the Lord his own, before this year, with its burden of record, has passed into eternity? . . .

Let your prayers and your alms rise as a memorial before God. Remember that faith without works is dead. We are to pray, and we are to give all that we can, both of our labor and of our means, for the fulfillment of our prayers.

From age to age Jesus has been delivering his goods to men and women. Soon will come the day when he will call each to account for the use made of these goods. It is God who gives men power to get wealth. He waters the earth with the dews of heaven and with the showers of refreshing rain. He gives the sunlight, which warms the earth, awakening to life the things of nature, and causing them to flourish and bear fruit. And he asks for a return of his own.

Hoarded wealth is not merely useless; it is a curse. In this life it is a snare to the soul, drawing the affections away from the heavenly treasure. In the great day of God its witness to unused talents and neglected opportunities will condemn its possessor.

There are many who in their hearts charge God with being a hard master because he claims their possessions and their service. But we can bring to God nothing that is not already his. “All things come of thee,” said King David, “and of thine own have we given thee.” [1 Chronicles 29:14.] All things are God’s, not only by creation, but by redemption. All the blessings of this life and of the life to come are delivered to us stamped with the cross of Calvary. Review and Herald, December 23, 1902

Thoughts for the New Year

In God’s plan for His ancient people, He gave the command, “On the first day of the first month shalt thou set up the tabernacle.” [Exodus 40:2.] We have no tabernacle to set up as had the children of Israel, but we have a work of building to do, the importance of which all need to understand. Let us remember that character is not the result of accident, but day by day it is forming for good or for evil. Great importance attaches to this work of character building; for it is far-reaching in its results. We are builders for time and for eternity. Few realize the power of habit. Examine your own heart and life in the light of God’s Word, and ask yourself, “What has my record been for the year that is just closing? What advancement have I made in the Christian life? What victories have I gained? And what have I done to help others, and to lead them to Christ?”

God has not placed you in the world to lead an aimless life. He designs that you should be useful, and reach a high standard of moral excellence. To each one some work is given. During the old year have you performed your appointed tasks with cheerfulness and fidelity, having an eye single to the glory of God? Opportunities and privileges have been granted you; what use have you made of these gifts entrusted to you by our Heavenly Father? Have you made yourself a blessing to those around you? Have you done what you could to make them happy and win them to Christ?

All this is a part of your appointed work. God also requires each of us to subdue self, not giving the rein to self-indulgence or appetite, and to form characters that will stand the test of the judgment and go with us into the future life.

Shall the close of the year find you further advanced than you are today? Will you put away evil habits? Will you be considerate of others, faithful to do the work of a Christian? If you will carry the principles of right-doing into all the affairs of life, you will find that it will promote health of body, peace of mind, and prosperity of soul. You will have a strength, dignity, and sweetness of character that will have a transforming influence upon others.

We are now entering upon a new year, and may it prove a beginning of years to us. If in the old year we have made failures, let us commence the new by rectifying these errors as far as we can. If the old year has borne into eternity a spotted record of opportunities neglected and privileges slighted, let us see that that of the new year is free from these blemishes. Its days are all before us; let us begin now to make the history of each as it passes, such as we shall not tremble to meet in the judgment. Let us fill each one full of loving, helpful work for others. Let us develop all our powers, and make of ourselves all that God designed that we should.

In the keeping of God’s commandments there is great reward. A reward awaits the overcomer in the great day, when he shall hear from the lips of our Lord, “Well done, good and faithful servant;” [Matthew 25:23] and there is also a present reward in the peace and happiness that flow from the conscience at rest, from the sweet assurance that we enjoy the favour of God. “All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth unto such as keep His covenant and His testimonies.” [Psalm 25:10.] To all who walk in His ways the new year will be crowded with goodness and blessing. Australasian Union Conference Record, January 5, 1914.

Ellen G. White (1827–1915) is the most translated woman writer in the entire history of literature, and the most translated American author of either gender. Seventh-day Adventists believe that Mrs. White was appointed by God as a special messenger to draw the world’s attention to the Holy Scriptures and help prepare people for Christ’s second advent.

Power, Righteousness, Certainty, and Eternity

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We are living in a troubled world. Every time we listen to the news on the radio, pick up a newspaper, or look at the television, there is trouble somewhere, and the trouble seems to continually worsen, just as God said it would.

God tells us the reason we live in perilous times: “This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God.” 2 Timothy 3:1–4. That is quite a list! Living in the last days, we could expect that godless people, professing nothing of God, would be acting this way. But verse 5 tells us about whom God is talking: “Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.”

Perilous times will come as a result of those professing to be God’s people acting like the world. These people have a form of godliness, a profession of godliness, but they are lacking the power of godliness in their lives.

Jesus tells us more about these people in Revelation. “Thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked . . . .” Revelation 3:17.

Jesus is saying that these people who have a form of godliness but deny the power, believe they have the power. They are totally deceived. They say that they are increased with goods and have need of nothing. Yet Jesus says, You do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked, without power. If they believe they have the power with the form of godliness, they must be sensing something that gives them an idea that they have the power.

What are some things that would make them believe that they have the power, when in reality they have no power? We hear about such things in Christianity today. Professed Christianity is boasting of its increased number of members, and when we see those numbers, and the increase of wealth, and the larger-sized church buildings being constructed, what might we think? We might think they have the power of God. What about their influence, the influence they seem to have on the world? Could this lead them to believe that their influence means they have the power of God? What about their good works? There are many good works being done by professed Christian institutions today. Can we rely upon works as evidence that they have the power of God? What about the unity that we see coming into the midst of professed Christendom, do they call that the power of God?

Power of the Word

All, or any one, of these things might lead them to believe that they have the power of God working in their lives. But God says, They have a form of godliness, but they deny the power. What is this power that God says is lacking among His professed people in the last days? Paul describes it: “Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.” Hebrews 11:3. The power that is lacking is the power of the Word of God in the lives of His professed people! Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the Word of God—God speaks and something happens! The things that we see are not made of things that appear.

“In the creation of the earth, God was not indebted to preexisting matter. ‘He spake, and it was; . . . He commanded, and it stood fast.’ Psalm 33:9. All things, material or spiritual, stood up before the Lord Jehovah at His voice and were created for His own purpose. The heavens and all the host of them, the earth and all things therein, came into existence by the breath of His mouth.” The Ministry of Healing, 414, 415.

There are many things that we have seen that are very powerful, but there is nothing as powerful as the Word of the living God. God can take nothing and make something out of it! Nothing else that we can think of is that powerful. God says, I brought all things into existence by a word that I spoke. Even though you think you are nothing, God can make you something, if you are willing to receive His Word. God’s Word is the most powerful thing in the entire universe.

How powerful is it? Peter says God’s Word is so powerful it can separate a sinner from his sins: “Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.” 1 Peter 1:23. Not only does God’s Word bring inanimate nature into being, it can change animate nature, your nature, my nature, back into the original intention of His mind for our creation.

How powerful does Paul say God’s Word is? “For the word of God [is] quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and [is] a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” Hebrews 4:12. The Word of God makes things happen instantaneously. We do not have to wait and wonder, if we choose to receive God’s Word. We can believe that whatever He has promised is happening.

How is God able to separate a sinner from his sins? God says, through the apostle Paul, “All Scripture [is] given by inspiration of God, and [is] profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.” 2 Timothy 3:16, 17. If the sinner receives God’s Word, it will correct him. Most of the time we do not like to be corrected, because we think that we are right. But we have been proven wrong. God’s Word is able to help us see the difference between what is right and what is wrong. If we are willing to receive God’s Word, He is able to correct us.

God’s Words are Righteous

Besides being the most powerful thing in the entire universe, there is another quality to God’s Word. “Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I [am] God, and [there is] none else. I have sworn by myself, the word is gone out of my mouth [in] righteousness, and shall not return, That unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear.” Isaiah 45:22, 23. All of God’s words are righteousness. He says they shall not return. “So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper [in the thing] whereto I sent it.” Isaiah 55:11.

God’s words are not empty words. God never speaks empty words—He speaks words of righteousness, and He said His words will accomplish what He intends for them to do. And they will accomplish what He wants today. God wants us to not only hear the words He has spoken but to receive them. He has something in mind to accomplish in us.

All of God’s words are righteousness. He does everything right; He says everything right, and when He says we need Him, He means what He says, and all we have to do is believe and respond in simple faith, taking Him at His Word. Remember, His Word is the most powerful thing in the whole universe. His Word brought this universe into existence. His Word can help separate you from sin and make you fully His. He wants to see His Word prosper in us!

What makes God’s words righteousness? “Thy righteousness also, O God, [is] very high, who hast done great things: O God, who [is] like unto Thee!” Psalm 71:19. Why does God speak words that are righteousness? Because He is righteous, so the words that He speaks are righteous. We have all at some time spoken words of unrighteousness, because our character is unrighteous, but He wants us to be like Him.

“The righteousness of God is absolute. [You can depend on it.] This righteousness characterizes all His works, all His Laws.” Selected Messages, Book 1, 198. Those ten brief commandments, by which God is going to judge the entire world, have been given in righteousness. It means that the Ten Commandment Laws which God has created are for our benefit. They are laws that are right for you and me, if we will receive them.

John says it well, “For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.” 1 John 5:3. They are not grievous, because they are right for us. His words are all powerful; His words are all righteous!

Words of Certainty

There is another quality, revealed in Proverbs 22:20 and 21, which God’s Word possesses. Solomon says, under the inspiration of God’s Spirit, “Have not I written to thee excellent things in counsels and knowledge, That I might make thee know the certainty of the words of truth; that thou mightest answer the words of truth to them that send unto thee?” The only words of truth in this world today, the pure truth, are the words of the living God that come to us from His Holy Book.

There is certainty in God’s Word. We just saw that God’s righteousness is absolute; we see now that God’s Word is certain. We can trust what it says about us; we can trust what it promises to us, because the God of righteousness stands behind it. The reception of God’s Word is the most powerful thing that can happen to us in our lives. It can change us! That is the expected end that God has in mind for His Word. That is what He wants it to accomplish in us. It can do what God intended for it to do, if we are willing to receive it. It is certain! Its warnings are certain, and its promises are just as certain. We can rely fully upon God’s Word. It can correct us; it can reprove us; it can instruct us in righteousness; it can make us perfect in character, like Him.

God’s Word Eternal

There is one more quality to consider in regards to God’s Word: “The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever.” Isaiah 40:8. The Word of God is not only powerful, not only filled with righteousness, not only certain, but it will last through eternity!

Word Became Flesh

Man’s condition in this world, without God’s Word, is one of hopelessness. The Word of God is the only hope for man, but God saw that man was going to need more than the written Word, so He devised a plan: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.” John 1:1–3. Who is the Word? The Word is Jesus Christ. He proclaims Himself to be the Word. Now notice what the Word became: “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.” Verse 14. The Word became flesh! God became man! Why? to reach man where he is with the Word, the most powerful thing in God’s entire universe.

“Since Jesus came to dwell with us, we know that God is acquainted with our trials, and sympathizes with our griefs. Every son and daughter of Adam may understand that our Creator is the friend of sinners. For in every doctrine of grace, every promise of joy, every deed of love, every divine attraction presented in the Saviour’s life on earth, we see ‘God with us.’ ” The Desire of Ages, 24.

Jesus not only came into this world to be our substitute, to pay the penalty for our transgressing God’s Law, which penalty is death (see Romans 6:23), but He came to be something more. “For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow His steps.” 1 Peter 2:21. Jesus is not only our substitute, but He is our example. This is where nominal Christianity parts ways with true Christianity. The majority of the professed Christian world wants nothing to do with following the steps of Jesus. They are satisfied with speaking His name; they are satisfied with singing His songs; they are satisfied with praying to Him, but they do not want to go further.

Christ our Example

“By His humanity, Christ touched humanity; by His divinity, He lays hold upon the throne of God. As the Son of man, He gave us an example of obedience; as the Son of God, He gives us power to obey.” The Desire of Ages, 24. How did Jesus, in the flesh, realize the power of His own Word? How did He recognize the righteousness of His own Word in His life? How did He recognize the certainty of His own Word? “For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as [we are, yet] without sin.” Hebrews 4:15. Jesus met every temptation with the Word of God—the Words that He had spoken. His own Words were the power of His life. He not only listened to His Word, but He received it; He acted upon it; He met every temptation with “It is written.” (See Matthew 4:4.)

How is it with us? Are we following the example that He has left us? Do we believe that His Word has power in it to separate us from our sins, to make us like He was regarding every temptation? There is only one thing that can produce such an experience as that of Jesus, an experience that we have been called to receive. Only one thing can produce such a life. As Christians, we are called to be like Him. The secret to becoming like Jesus is found in Psalm 119:11: “Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.”

You see, God’s Word was hidden in the heart of Jesus. He met every temptation with a “Thus saith the Lord.” He recognized where temptation would lead, and He said, No! He did not go beyond the temptation, and He wants to give us that kind of power, that kind of righteousness, that kind of certainty in our lives. We can have it, if we are willing to receive His Word, not merely believe it.

His Law in our Hearts

The only thing that can produce such a life is having the Word of God in our hearts. What else is going to be in the heart of such a life? “The mouth of the righteous speaketh wisdom, and his tongue talketh of judgment. The law of his God [is] in his heart; none of his steps shall slide.” Psalm 37:30, 31.

God wants to help us make progress in the Christian life. We do not have to be backslidden, and if we recognize that we are, then God is calling us to the power of His Word, because God wants us to experience eternity with Him. If we are to receive God’s Word in our hearts, His Law will be in our hearts.

“The word of God must be interwoven with the living character of those who believe it. The only vital faith is that faith which receives and assimilates the truth till it is a part of the being and the motive power of the life and action.” Testimonies, vol. 5, 576.

Until the Word of God is received, we are left destitute of the very power of that Word.

Believing and Receiving

You may ask, How can I know if I am believing and receiving, or just believing? I would ask you, How did you meet the temptations of yesterday? Do you sense and see that you were defeated? Then you are merely a believer, not a receiver. If you sense victory, you are a believer and a receiver; you are allowing the Word of God to do what God intended it to do in your life. You are becoming like Him.

There are four essential areas in which we need to cooperate with God’s Spirit to allow Him to produce a believing, receiving experience. The first three are found in one text of Scripture: “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.” Galatians 2:20.

The motivating factor of a believing, receiving Christian is found in the last phrase of that text. Paul recognized that Jesus loved him enough to die for him, to become his substitute. This was the motivating factor in the apostle’s life. Our love to God can never be the motivating factor in our Christian experience. It must always be His love for us—never, our love for Him. We are not to estimate our experience by what we are doing for God. We are to estimate our experience by what God has done, and is doing, for us.

This realization led the apostle Paul to declare the second essential: “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live.” He further states: “But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.” Galatians 6:14. When we recognize the tremendous love that God has for us personally, and that He was willing to demonstrate that love by becoming our substitute and dying in our place, we are going to be willing to die, to our sins, for Him.

“I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live.” Is that not a paradox? We die, but we live? The Word of God is able to do abundantly above all that we ask or think. It may look like we are going to lose our lives if we give ourselves over to Him, but in fact, we gain everything—we have won.

Paul recognized the love God had for him, personally, and he was willing to, with the help of God’s Spirit and His Word, to separate from his sins. But then he makes plain the third essential: “the life which I now live in the flesh [this fallen, sinful flesh] I live by the faith of the Son of God.” He was living the faith; he was exercising the faith that Jesus exercised. What kind of faith did Jesus have that Paul said he was also exercising?

We can get a glimpse of Jesus’ faith: “At the same time came the disciples unto Jesus, saying, Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven? And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them, And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 18:1–3.

Jesus had the faith of a child—the faith of a child who knew that His parent loved Him, and He chose to love that parent. That is the kind of faith we must have.

The fourth and final essential that we need if we are going to have a believing, receiving experience is found in Luke 11:28: “He said, Yea rather, blessed [are] they that hear the word of God, and keep it.” Jesus said, the words that I speak unto you are Spirit and life. And to those who hear them and keep them, they will have the power of God, the righteousness of God, the certainty of God, and they will have an eternity with God.

Such an experience that we have studied is answered by the good ground hearer in Matthew 13; it is answered by the wise virgins in Matthew 25; it is answered by the man who built his house on a rock versus the man who built his house on the sand in Luke 6. What we have just studied from the Word of God, is the truth of God to our hearts if we are willing to receive it.

Are we allowing God’s Word to do its work? If we are, we shall have the power that we need; we will have the righteousness, the certainty, and we will have an eternity with God.

Craig Meeker directs the Bible correspondence school for Steps to Life Ministry.

Remember The Sabbath Day . . . Part V

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Parental Responsibility

Parents should explain the Sabbath sermon to their children that they may understand the way of salvation.

“Ministers are engaged in a sacred, solemn work, but upon those who hear rests just as sacred a responsibility. They are to hear with a determination to follow the instruction that all must practice who gain eternal life. Each hearer should strive to understand each presentation of Bible truth as God’s message to him, to be received by faith and put into practice in the daily life. Parents should explain to their children the words spoken from the pulpit, that they also may understand and have that knowledge which if put into practice brings abundant grace and peace.” Child Guidance, 531.

The Sabbath is not only a day for going to Sabbath school and church, but a day that the parents should spend time with their children, not allowing them to find their own amusement on this special day.

Prevalent Disregard

“Very many of the parents who profess to believe the solemn message for this time have not trained their children for God. They have not restrained themselves and have been irritated with anyone who attempted to restrain them. They have not by living faith daily bound their children upon the altar of the Lord. Many of these youth have been allowed to transgress the Fourth Commandment, by seeking their own pleasure upon God’s holy day. They have felt no compunctions of conscience in going about the streets on the Sabbath for their own amusement. Many go where they please, and do what they please; and their parents are so fearful of displeasing them that, imitating the management of Eli, they lay no commands upon them.

“These youth finally lose all respect for the Sabbath and have no relish for religious meetings or for sacred and eternal things.” Ibid., 527.

“On the Sabbath day many [parents] are indifferent and do not know where their children are or what they are doing.

“Parents, above everything take care of your children upon the Sabbath. Do not suffer them to violate God’s holy day by playing in the house or out-of-doors. You may just as well break the Sabbath yourselves as to let your children do it, and when you suffer your children to wander about and suffer them to play upon the Sabbath, God looks upon you as Sabbathbreakers.” Ibid., 533.

What to do With the Children

Do we understand that we, as parents, become Sabbath breakers when we knowingly allow our children to do as they please, without guidance, on the Sabbath day?

“The Sabbath school and the meeting for worship occupy only a part of the Sabbath. The portion remaining to the family may be made the most sacred and precious season of all the Sabbath hours. Much of this time parents should spend with their children.” Ibid., 532.

“In many families the younger children are left to themselves to find entertainment as best they can. Left alone, the children soon become restless and begin to play or engage in some kind of mischief. Thus the Sabbath has to them no sacred significance.

“In pleasant weather let parents walk with their children in the fields and groves. Amid the beautiful things of nature tell them the reason for the institution of the Sabbath. Describe to them God’s great work of creation. Tell them that when the earth came from His hand, it was holy and beautiful. Every flower, every shrub, every tree, answered the purpose of its Creator. Everything upon which the eye rested was lovely and filled the mind with thoughts of the love of God. Every sound was music in harmony with the voice of God. Show that it was sin which marred God’s perfect work; that thorns and thistles, sorrow and pain and death, are all the result of disobedience to God. Bid them see how the earth, though marred with the curse of sin, still reveals God’s goodness. The green fields, the lofty trees, the glad sunshine, the clouds, the dew, the solemn stillness of the night, the glory of the starry heavens, and the moon in its beauty all bear witness of the Creator. Not a drop of rain falls, not a ray of light is shed on our unthankful world, but it testifies to the forbearance and love of God.

“Tell them of the way of salvation; how ‘God so loved the world, that He gave His only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.’ John 3:16. Let the sweet story of Bethlehem be repeated. Present before the children Jesus, as a child obedient to His parents, as a youth faithful and industrious, helping to support the family. Thus you can teach them that the Saviour knows the trials, perplexities, and temptations, the hopes and joys, of the young, and that He can give them sympathy and help. From time to time read with them the interesting stories in Bible history. Question as to what they have learned in the Sabbath school, and study with them the next Sabbath’s lesson.” Testimonies, vol. 6, 358, 359.

Parents should plan suitable reading and conversation for their children on the Sabbath.

“The Sabbath—oh!—make it the sweetest, the most blessed day of the week. . . .

“Parents can and should give attention to their children, reading to them the most attractive portions of Bible history, educating them to reverence the Sabbath day, keeping it according to the commandment. This cannot be done if the parents feel no burden to interest their children. But they can make the Sabbath a delight if they will take the proper course. The children can be interested in good reading or in conversation about the salvation of their souls. But they will have to be educated and trained. The natural heart does not love to think of God, of heaven, or of heavenly things. There must be a continual pressing back of the current of worldliness and inclination to evil and a letting in of heavenly light.” Child Guidance, 532, 533.

Also, the Sabbath is a day that the family should, if possible, spend a portion of it outdoors educating their children about the God who created nature.

“During a portion of the day all should have an opportunity to be out of doors. . . . Let their young minds be associated with God in the beautiful scenery of nature, let their attention be called to the tokens of His love to man in His created works. . . . As they view the beautiful things which He has created for the happiness of man, they will be led to regard Him as a tender, loving Father. . . . As the character of God puts on the aspect of love, benevolence, beauty, and attraction, they are drawn to love Him.

“The Sabbath is the golden clasp that unites God and His people.

“It means eternal salvation to keep the Sabbath holy unto the Lord.” My Life Today, 287.

Avoid Unnecessary Travel

We have also been given instruction about traveling on the Sabbath. As far as possible, we should avoid travel that is not necessary.

“If we desire the blessing promised to the obedient, we must observe the Sabbath more strictly. I fear that we often travel on this day when it might be avoided. In harmony with the light which the Lord has given in regard to the observance of the Sabbath, we should be more careful about traveling on the boats or cars on this day. In these matters we should set a right example before our children and youth. In order to reach the churches that need our help, and to give them the message that God desires them to hear, it may be necessary for us to travel on the Sabbath; but so far as possible we should secure our tickets and make all necessary arrangements on some other day. When starting on a journey we should make every possible effort to plan so as to avoid reaching our destination on the Sabbath.

“When compelled to travel on the Sabbath we should try to avoid the company of those who would draw our attention to worldly things. We should keep our minds stayed upon God and commune with Him. Whenever there is opportunity we should speak to others in regard to the truth. We should always be ready to relieve suffering and to help those in need. In such cases God desires that the knowledge and wisdom He has given us should be put to use. But we should not talk about matters of business or engage in any common, worldly conversation. At all times and in all places God requires us to prove our loyalty to Him by honoring the Sabbath.” Testimonies, vol. 6, 359, 360.

Ellen White wrote of her travel: “We expected to leave for Tasmania on Thursday evening, but learned that the steamer was not going out until Friday afternoon, and would bring us into Launceston after the Sabbath had begun. I could not consent to go on this steamer when we should thus have to trespass on the Sabbath, if there was any way possible by which we could avoid it. We learned that a boat left Melbourne Tuesday afternoon, and we decided that it would be much better to go on this early boat than to travel on the Sabbath.” Special Testimonies to Ministers and Workers, No. 3, 42.

As Mrs. White explains, there are times that it is necessary for us to travel on the Sabbath.

“[En route from Colorado to Battle Creek] Sabbath, November 8, 1873. Traveled on Sabbath, Regretfully. [See Testimonies, vol. 6, 360.]—We rested well on the car during the night. We were unwilling to report ourselves on the cars this morning, but circumstances connected with the cause and work of God demand our presence at the General Conference. We could not delay. If we were doing our own business we should feel it a breach of the fourth commandment to travel on the Sabbath. We engaged in no common conversation. We endeavored to keep our minds in a devotional frame and we enjoyed some of the presence of God while we deeply regretted the necessity of traveling upon the Sabbath.—Manuscript 13, 1873.” Selected Messages, vol. 3, 265.

Care for the Sick

Is caring for the sick breaking the fourth commandment? Is it not a work of mercy?

“And he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the sabbath. And, behold, there was a woman which had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bowed together, and could in no wise lift up [herself]. And when Jesus saw her, he called [her to Him], and said unto her, Woman, thou art loosed from thine infirmity. And he laid [his] hands on her: and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God. And the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation, because that Jesus had healed on the sabbath day, and said unto the people, There are six days in which men ought to work: in them therefore come and be healed, and not on the sabbath day. The Lord then answered him, and said, [Thou] hypocrite, doth not each one of you on the sabbath loose his ox or [his] ass from the stall, and lead [him] away to watering? And ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan hath bound, lo, these eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the sabbath day? And when he had said these things, all his adversaries were ashamed: and all the people rejoiced for all the glorious things that were done by him.” Luke 13:10–17.

The Pen of Inspiration puts it this way: “God has directed that the sick and suffering be cared for; the labor required to make them comfortable is a work of mercy, and no violation of the Sabbath; but all unnecessary work should be avoided.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 296.

“And it came to pass, as he went into the house of one of the chief Pharisees to eat bread on the sabbath day, that they watched him. And, behold, there was a certain man before him which had the dropsy. And Jesus answering spake unto the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath day? And they held their peace. And he took [him], and healed him, and let him go; And answered them, saying, Which of you shall have an ass or an ox fallen into a pit, and will not straightway pull him out on the sabbath day? And they could not answer him again to these things.” Luke 14:1–6.

The Physician as a Sabbath Observer

“Christ was a Seventh-day Adventist, to all intents and purposes. It was He who called Moses into the mount and gave him instruction for His people. . . . In awful grandeur Christ made known the law of Jehovah, giving, among other charges, this charge: ‘Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.’ My brother, you have not placed upon the Sabbath the sanctity that is required by God. Irreverence has come in, and an example has been set that the Lord does not approve. He is not honored and glorified.

“There will always be duties which have to be performed on the Sabbath for the relief of suffering humanity. This is right, and in accordance with the law of Him who says, ‘I will have mercy, and not sacrifice.’ [Matthew 12:7.] But there is danger of falling into carelessness on this point, and of doing that which it is not positively essential to do on the Sabbath.

“Unnecessary traveling is done on the Sabbath, with many other things which might be left undone. Take heed, saith the Lord, to all thy ways, lest I remove My Holy Spirit because of the lax regard given to My precepts. ‘Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.’ [Exodus 20:8.] Bear in mind the charge to remember. Do not carelessly forget, ‘Six days shalt thou labor, and do all thy work.’ [Verse 9.] In this time all the duties necessary to prepare for the Sabbath are to be done.—Letter 51, 1901.” Medical Ministry, 49, 50.

Never Neglect the Suffering

“Often physicians and nurses are called upon during the Sabbath to minister to the sick, and sometimes it is impossible for them to take time for rest and for attending devotional services. The needs of suffering humanity are never to be neglected. The Saviour by His example has shown us that it is right to relieve suffering on the Sabbath. But unnecessary work, such as ordinary treatments and operations that can be postponed, should be deferred. Let the patients understand that physicians and helpers should have one day for rest. Let them understand that the workers fear God and desire to keep holy the day that He has set apart for His followers to observe as a sign between Him and them.

“The educators and those being educated in our medical institutions should remember that to keep the Sabbath aright means much to them and to the patrons. In keeping the Sabbath, which God declares shall be kept holy, they give the sign of their order, showing plainly that they are on the Lord’s side.” Counsels on Health, 236.

“The necessities of life must be attended to, the sick must be cared for, the wants of the needy must be supplied. He will not be held guiltless who neglects to relieve suffering on the Sabbath. God’s holy rest day was made for man, and acts of mercy are in perfect harmony with its intent. God does not desire His creatures to suffer an hour’s pain that may be relieved upon the Sabbath or any other day.

“The demands upon God are even greater upon the Sabbath than upon other days. His people then leave their usual employment, and spend the time in meditation and worship. They ask more favors of Him on the Sabbath than upon other days. They demand His special attention. They crave His choicest blessings. God does not wait for the Sabbath to pass before He grants these requests. Heaven’s work never ceases, and men should never rest from doing good. The Sabbath is not intended to be a period of useless inactivity. The law forbids secular labor on the rest day of the Lord; the toil that gains a livelihood must cease; no labor for worldly pleasure or profit is lawful upon that day; but as God ceased His labor of creating, and rested upon the Sabbath and blessed it, so man is to leave the occupations of his daily life, and devote those sacred hours to healthful rest, to worship, and to holy deeds. The work of Christ in healing the sick was in perfect accord with the law. It honored the Sabbath.” The Desire of Ages, 207.

As the Sun Sets

Special instruction has been given us as to how the close of the Sabbath should be honored.

“As the sun goes down, let the voice of prayer and the hymn of praise mark the close of the sacred hours, and invite God’s presence through the cares of the week of labor.

“Thus parents can make the Sabbath, as it should be, the most joyful day of the week. They can lead their children to regard it as a delight, the day of days, the holy of the Lord, honorable.” Child Guidance, 536, 537.

“I counsel you, my brethren and sisters: ‘Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.’ [Exodus 20:8.] If you desire your children to observe the Sabbath according to the commandment, you must teach them by both precept and example. The deep engraving of truth in the heart is never wholly effaced. It may be obscured, but can never be obliterated. The impressions made in early life will be seen in after years. Circumstances may occur to separate the children from their parents and their home, but as long as they live the instruction given in childhood and youth will be a blessing.” Testimonies, vol. 6, 359.

[All emphasis supplied.]

To be concluded . . .

Benjamin S. Brown writes from Madisonville, Tennessee, where he has been instrumental in opening a home church and a health food store.

New Year Resolutions

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“Although in one sense the first day of a new year is no more to God than any other day, yet he often puts into the heart of his children at that time a desire to begin the new year with good resolves,—perhaps with plans to carry out some worthy enterprise,—and with purposes to depart from the wrongs of the old year, and to live the new year with new determination.” The Youth’s Instructor, February 11, 1908.

“I never make new year’s resolutions anymore,” a friend told me. “I never keep them anyway.”

Regrettably I can remember all too many resolutions I have made and let slip away. But I believe new year’s resolutions are worth making. Let me tell you why.

Time for Assessment

First, when we change calendars, at the beginning of the new year, is an excellent time for reassessment. How did last year go? How did we grow—not just physically or materialistically but in our spiritual life, in character perfection? What percentage of our lives is producing something of value for God?

There are some examples in the Bible of people taking stock of their lives and determining or resolving to do better. For instance, Paul told the Corinthians, in 2 Corinthians 8:10, that they should be resolved or purposed to be ahead of where they were a year before. This would involve measuring where they were last year at this time and being sure that they have made progress during the ensuing 12 months. There is no indication that Paul told them to do this at the beginning of a new calendar year, but he referred to the year as a measuring unit.

Needed Change

Second, we all need to make changes in our lives. It is good, at times, to look honestly at our lives and determine to change some of the things that need changing. For example, it may be the time to rid our lives of a harmful habit that has been part of our lifestyle for some time. Or this may be the time to resolve to start daily Bible study. We may have tried this before with little success, but that should give us determination to fulfill the resolution this year.

In Genesis 28:20–22, Jacob made a resolution, or a vow, to give consistently and routinely to the Lord, specifying ten percent as his commitment. If we have not made such a commitment, this could be one of the changes we implement as part of our new year’s resolutions.

U-turns Allowed

Third, the beginning of a new year is an excellent time for mid-course corrections. In the back of my mother’s Bible is written a simple reminder: “God allows U-turns!” We may feel like failures in our attempted spiritual journey in the past, but there is no reason to continue down a road that is filled with sin and disappointment. We can turn around. We can make a fresh start.

God gives some wonderful promises to those, traveling down sinful paths, who are willing to make U-turns. “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.” 2 Chronicles 7:14. “If that nation, against whom I have pronounced, turn from their evil, I will repent of the evil that I thought to do unto them.” Jeremiah 18:8. “If the wicked will turn from all his sins that he hath committed, and keep all my statutes, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall surely live, he shall not die. All his transgressions that he hath committed, they shall not be mentioned unto him: in his righteousness that he hath done he shall live.” Ezekiel 18:21, 22.

What better time to resolve to follow a different path than when a clean calendar, a new year, is before us?

Fear of Failure

There are some that fear making any kind of resolution, or commitment, believing such to be a vow to the Lord. Their belief is based on counsel given in Ecclesiastes 5:4, 5. “When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer not to pay it; for [he hath] no pleasure in fools: pay that which thou hast vowed. Better [is it] that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest vow and not pay.” With that deliberation, our very first action as we consider our new year’s resolutions should be seeking guidance from God. We should ask Him to show us where we need to improve in the coming year; ask Him to guide us in setting our goals, and ask Him to help us to keep the resolutions we make. “For that ye [ought] to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that.” James 4:15.

We should not flippantly enter into resolutions, or we will be doomed for failure. But we should not look at failure as a destructive end. It should be to us an opportunity to learn, a lesson in the importance of strengthening our prayer life, a chance to develop a stronger faith. One of my favorite Biblical characters is the apostle Paul. Talk about failure! Throughout his life he was opposed, persecuted, shipwrecked, stoned and left for dead, deserted by trusted co-workers, slandered, and scorned. Sometimes it seems that projects to which he had devoted years were turning to dust before his eyes. But during one of his stints in prison, we can see, from a letter he wrote, an unwillingness to quit: “Forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:13, 14. Paul did not claim, however, to be able to do this of his own accord. He reveals the source of his strength in Philippians 4:13: “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.”

If, during the last year, or years, you did not practice reliance on God as much as you should have, there is no time like this new year to make a resolution to change. Tell the Lord how you want the new year to be different for you. Spell out in your prayer some of the changes you would like to make, and ask Him to show you others that need to be made. Tell Him that you know you are going to need a lot of help to make these changes. Place yourself in His hands. Ask Him every day of the year to help you receive His strength, to give you a willing spirit to accept His wisdom and guidance as you incorporate in your life the changes you have resolved to make.

Now, you have a much better chance of a Happy New Year!

Anna Schultz writes from her home near Sedalia, Colorado.