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Joy By and By

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Franklin E. Beldin was a prolific hymn writer and a Seventh-day Adventist. He was born March 21, 1858, in Battle Creek, Michigan. His mother was Ellen G. White’s older sister. He began writing in his late teens after the family moved to California. However, in 1881, his ill health took him to Colorado where he met and married Harriet C. McDearmon. They had a daughter, Linnie Louise. They eventually returned to Battle Creek where Franklin became involved in the Adventist publishing work.

Franklin was known as “the sweet singer of Israel.” He had the ability to spontaneously compose both music and poetry together to fit the sermon topic as it was being presented. Then, he and Harriet would sing the newly-composed song at the end of the sermon, giving the manuscript to the preacher.

He served as music editor and contributor along with Edwin Barnes and J. Edson White on the compilation of a number of Adventist hymn books. He is especially associated with the Christ in Song hymnbook, Adventism’s most popular songbook.

Sadly, Franklin had disputes with the Review and Herald Publishing Association over the ownership of the copyrights on his music. For several reasons of his own, he also developed an animosity toward his aunt, Ellen White.

At the beginning of the 20th century, after a renewal in his spiritual life, he would reconcile with her for a time, only to turn away from her again over the continuing disputes regarding the publication of his music. He remained embittered against her and church leadership to the end of his life.

The 1941 Church Hymnal included 22 of Franklin’s songs and hymns. The 1985 Seventh-day Adventist Hymnal includes 12 hymns and four tunes.

Franklin E. Belden died in Marshall, Michigan, on December 2, 1945, at the age of 87.

My personal favorite of his hymns is Joy By and By. Written in 1886, he composed both music and words.

O there’ll be joy when the work is done,
Joy when the reapers gather home,
Bringing the sheaves at set of sun
To the new Jerusalem.

Joy By and By

Sweet are the songs that we hope to sing,
Grateful the thanks our hearts shall bring,
Praising forever Christ our King
In the New Jerusalem.

Pure are the joys that await us there,
Many the golden mansions fair;
Jesus Himself doth them prepare,
In the New Jerusalem.

Joy, joy, there’ll be joy by and by,
Joy, joy where the joys never die;
Joy, joy; for the day draweth nigh
When the workers gather home.

Source: Encyclopedia.adventist.org/article?id+D8YK&highlight+y; hymnary.org/text/o_therell_be_joy_when_the_work_is_done

Do You Doubt God’s Love?

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

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

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

I am reminded of the song When Jesus Comes:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Story – Only a Boy

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More than a half a century ago a faithful minister coming early to the church met one of his deacons, whose face wore a very resolute expression.

“I came early to meet you,” he said. “I have something on my conscience to say to you. Pastor, there must be something radically wrong in your preaching and work; there has been only one person added to the church in a whole year, and he is only a boy.”

The old minister listened. His eyes moistened, and his thin hand trembled on his broad-headed cane.

“I feel it all,” he said; “I feel it, but God knows that I have tried to do my duty, and I can trust Him for the results.”

“Yes, yes,” said the deacon, “but ‘by their fruits ye shall know them,’ and one new member, and he, Robert, only a boy, seems to me rather a slight evidence of true faith and zeal. I don’t want to be hard, but I have this matter on my conscience, and I have done but my duty in speaking plainly.”

“True,” said the old man; “but ‘charity suffereth long and is kind; beareth all things, hopeth all things.’ Ay, there you have it; ‘hopeth all things’! I have great hopes for Robert. Some seed that we sow bears fruit late, but that fruit is generally the most precious of all.”

The old minister went to the pulpit that day with a grieved and heavy heart. He closed his discourse with dim and tearful eyes. He wished that his work was done forever, and that he was at rest among the graves under the blossoming trees in the old graveyard.

He lingered in the dear old church after the rest were gone. He wished to be alone. This place was sacred and inexpressibly dear to him. It had been his spiritual home from his youth. Before this altar he had prayed over the dead forms of a bygone generation, and had welcomed the children of a new one; and here, yes, here, he had been told at last that his work was no longer owned and blessed!

No one remained—no one?—“Only a boy.”

The boy was Robert Moffat. He watched the trembling old man. His soul was filled with loving sympathy. He went to him, and laid his hand on his black gown.

“Well, Robert?” said the minister.

“Do you think if I were willing to work hard for an education, I could become a preacher?”

“A preacher?”

“Perhaps a missionary.”

There was a long pause. Tears filled the eyes of the old minister. At length he said: “This heals the ache in my heart, Robert. I see the divine hand now. May God bless you, my boy. Yes, I think you will become a preacher.”

Some years ago, an aged missionary returned to London from Africa. His name was spoken with reverence. When he went into an assembly, the people rose. When he spoke in public, there was a deep silence. Priests stood uncovered before him; nobles invited him to their homes.

He had added a province to the church of Christ on earth; had brought under the gospel influence the most savage of African chiefs; had given the translated Bible to strange tribes; had enriched with valuable knowledge the Royal Geographical Society; and had honored the humble place of his birth, the Scottish church, the United Kingdom, and the universal missionary cause.

It is hard to trust when no evidence of fruit appears. But the harvests of right intentions are sure. The old minister sleeps beneath the trees in the humble place of his labors, but men remember his work because of what he was to one boy, and what that one boy was to the world.

“Do thou thy work: it shall succeed
In thine or in another’s day;
And if denied the victor’s meed,
Thou shalt not miss the toiler’s pay.”
—Youth’s Companion

Stories Worth Re-Reading, ©1913, 178–180

Encouragement in the Face of Disappointment and Depression

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Let nothing depress you. It will not pay to allow yourself to become cast down. Satan is pleased when he can work his will in this respect. You are to look to the One who has never failed you, who will never leave you. You need not be discouraged, notwithstanding there may be many things of a discouraging nature to meet right among professed believers. Strange things will be revealed, but we are warned in the word of God that thus it will be.

The Lord has made some remarkable revelations regarding the experiences that His people will pass through, and we have reason to wonder that we have been so well protected thus far from the plottings of the enemy, and that his schemes against us have been to such a large degree unsuccessful. Let us gather to our souls the sure encouragements the Lord has given, and read often the precious promises of His word. Christ is our Mediator and our Redeemer.

Read in the thirty-fifth chapter of Isaiah the precious promises for the future. The prophet says, “The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them; and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose. It shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice even with joy and singing; the glory of Lebanon shall be given unto it, the excellency of Carmel and Sharon, they shall see the glory of the Lord, and the excellency of our God. Strengthen ye the weak hands, and confirm the feeble knees” [verses 1–3].

We are given a special message to bear in times of depression and discouragement, “Say to them that are of a fearful heart. Be strong, fear not: behold, your God will come with vengeance, even God with a recompence; He will come and save you. Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing: for in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert. And the parched ground shall become a pool, and the thirsty land springs of water …” [verses 4–7].

Please read the whole of this chapter with the fiftieth. When you are disappointed because of the spiritual lack you see in the churches and in individuals, read these promising words of inspiration. They are given for the encouragement of our churches, and are to be claimed in times of emergency. When you meet with those who are not willing to be helped and strengthened, do not allow yourself to become discouraged. When you find halting and disaffection among the believers, let your faith be strong in God, whom in the past you have proved to be true. …

It is time now that every soul who has a knowledge of present truth come into line and renew his consecration to God. We are to come up to a much higher standard. When there come into our meetings strange spirits, let us not, whatever may be their testimony, repeat their words, but let us repeat the encouraging words that the Lord has given to us. Let us make His word our strong testimony. We are to learn to lean upon His sure promise, and be ready to communicate our encouragement to others. Let us take hold of the mighty assurances that God has given us in Christ and in His word, and endeavor daily to carry on the work that the Redeemer undertook in behalf of humanity. In the life and death of Christ we can see what sacrifice heaven was willing to make that we might not perish but have everlasting life. …

A great work will be accomplished by the people of God if they will work in unity and unselfishness and with humility of heart. All self-exaltation must be seen and put away. Truth and righteousness alone will stand the test for this time. We need to have the Spirit of God daily with us, that we may be kept from all evil thoughts and unwise actions, from lifting the soul unto vanity. We should fear lest our eyes become blinded to our individual spiritual needs in these perilous times. Many professed believers have been allowing themselves to become absorbed in the upbuilding of selfish interests. We are now to awake out of sleep (Romans 13:11).

… I would plead with our churches to watch unto prayer, lest they fall under the deceptive arts of Satan. Watch, watch lest the enemy obtain a hold upon your souls. Satan is playing the game of life for every soul, and those who are unguarded will be caught in his snares. …

Ministers of the gospel, Satan is watching for your souls. Some will fall suddenly who have long been tested and tried, but who are unprepared to close up their earthly account with joy. Let our ministering brethren keep their souls guardedly. Those who claim to be children of God should keep the heart with all diligence, guarding every point of attack, lest Satan take us unawares. Temptations will come to every soul.

“And Moses verily was faithful in all his house, as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken after; But Christ as a Son over His own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end. Wherefore (as the Holy Ghost saith, Today if ye will hear His voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness… .

Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God. But exhort one another daily, while it is called Today; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast unto the end.” Hebrews 3:5–8, 12–14

Manuscript Releases, Vol. 19, 62–66

The Marriage Vow

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“Do not touch, do not taste, do not handle.”
Colossians 2:21

“If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell.”
Matthew 5:29

If King David had followed these two principles, a great deal of trouble might have been avoided for himself, the children of Israel, and the world.

“I was in the night season in my dreams brought in connection with the Health Retreat. I felt grieved to see you unhappy and much discouraged. … But while I was distressed over this revelation to me, there was One speaking with you, Dr. Q. His words reproved you, but were mingled with tender compassion. I cannot write the exact words as He spoke them. I will try my best to give you the import of them. He said:

“ ‘You are nourishing despondency, but in this you are not wise; you will become weak and inefficient. This will give the enemy advantage over you. God would have you grow nearer and closer to Himself, to resemble the image and character of Christ. Your heart is the seat of many tumultuous feelings, which you do not strive vigorously to overcome. You do not put your full heart and will into the work of cleansing the soul temple. Your mind is unwisely exercised on the subject of divorce from your wife. God is not leading you in this. You are not keeping this matter bound within your own mind. You are telling your ideas and plans to others, and in thus doing you are preparing the way for Satan to affect the minds of others by your suggestions.

“ ‘The matter of the marriage covenant does not stand sacred and elevated in your mind as it should, and you will be certainly in danger of pursuing a wrong course yourself, and endangering other souls by your suggestions. Your mind while stirred up on this subject cannot be prepared to do the best work, and you cannot be an earnest seeker for the blessing of the Lord, unless you shall come up on higher ground. You have done positive injury to the hearts and minds of others. Close quickly the door of your heart that has been open to the enemy. Open wide the door of your heart and invite Jesus to come in. You will then have a balance wheel to your somewhat erratic nature, that you can put your whole being into your work, realizing its importance. Improve every opportunity to work your way upward, exerting a firm and healthful influence. Lose no time in this matter. If you would be a free and happy man, you must resist the enemy. …’

“Dr. Q, your mind is not in a healthful state. You center your mind upon things that do not bring to you physical or mental soundness. You must have a change of heart; then your thoughts will flow into a higher, purer channel. You enjoy the society of women and girls. This becomes to you a snare. In such an institution, the physician’s mind should be constantly uplifted to God for strength and wisdom. There is constant danger of the thoughts taking a low level. Unless the Lord is the center of attraction, unless He is a special defense against the temptations of the enemy, he [Satan] will gain power over your mind and separate you from God.

“In a dream on another occasion you were presented before me. Your head was bowed down upon a table. You were almost unconscious. Words were spoken to you with a firm, decided emphasis: ‘Put that out of your hand! You need not take that; your life is not your own; your medicine is not needed to bring you peace and rest. What you need is heart religion, a heart purified, refined, elevated from common things, taking hold upon the divine. Be a man. Call your wife to your side, become better acquainted with the truth, be molded by the Spirit of God, and you will have peace. If you take the right course, if you are unwavering in the truth, if you keep your own soul in the love of God, you will be in the hands of the Lord the means of saving your wife, and in her turn, if she accepts the truth of heavenly origin, if she is a meek and humble follower of Christ, she will be the means in the hands of God of being a great blessing to you. …

“Now, Dr. Q, stand up in your God-given manhood! Lift the cross of Christ daily, uplift your thoughts into a higher, purer channel. Respect your marriage vows, and be God’s own servant for the uplifting of the human race. If you are an overcomer, you will be among those who will have possession of all things; the eternal weight of glory will be yours.

“There is an animal that strikes the arm with feebleness the moment it touches it. The muscles become as if paralyzed. In a similar way, will it be with you spiritually, if your thoughts are allowed to run in a certain channel, and you give attention and preferences to young girls or married women. All this familiarity is death to spirituality.

“Let your affections and your sympathies entwine about God, else your impulses will become impure, your character will be defective, your heart estranged from God. Who ever touched or handled that which pollutes, and yet continued pure? The soul cannot remain pure breathing the atmosphere of that which taints and corrupts. These things steal the heart away from God. The soul withers and becomes deformed, because the tent is pitched too near Sodom to breathe the pure atmosphere of heaven.

“The violation of one of God’s precepts does violence to your moral nature. For Christ’s sake, I implore you to reach a higher standard. Give yourself unreservedly to the Lord. You have lessons to learn that your only safety is to meet the requirements of God, to present your body ‘a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.’ Then the word of God will be found a pleasant and profitable guide, a light to your feet, and a lamp to your path. Then you can bear perplexities, and they will not overcome you; for you know that your soul is riveted to the eternal Rock, because you abide by the simple truth of God.” Testimonies on Sexual Behavior, Adultery, and Divorce, 160–163

Pastor John J. Grosboll is the Director of Steps to Life and pastors the Prairie Meadows Church in Wichita, Kansas. He may be reached by email at historic@stepstolife.org or by telephone at 316-788-5559.

Neither Do I

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“Now early in the morning He came again into the temple, and all the people came to Him; and He sat down and taught them. Then the scribes and Pharisees brought to Him a woman caught in adultery. And when they had set her in the midst, they said to Him, ‘Teacher, this woman was caught in adultery, in the very act. Now Moses, in the law, commanded us that such should be stoned. But what do You say?’ … Jesus stooped down and wrote on the ground with His finger, as though He did not hear. So, when they continued asking Him, He raised Himself up and said to them, ‘He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.’ And again, He stooped down and wrote on the ground.

“Then those who heard it, being convicted by their conscience, went out one by one, beginning with the oldest even to the last. And Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. When Jesus had raised Himself up and saw no one but the woman, He said to her, ‘Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?’ She said, ‘No one, Lord.’ And Jesus said to her, ‘Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.’ ” John 8:1–11

“From the excitement and confusion of the city, from the eager crowds and the treacherous rabbis, Jesus turned away to the quiet of the olive groves, where He could be alone with God. But in the early morning He returned to the temple, and as the people gathered about Him, He sat down and taught them.

“He was soon interrupted. A group of Pharisees and scribes approached Him, dragging with them a terror-stricken woman, whom with hard, eager voices they accused of having violated the seventh commandment. Having pushed her into the presence of Jesus, they said to Him, with a hypocritical show of respect, ‘Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest Thou?’

“Their pretended reverence veiled a deep-laid plot for His ruin. They had seized upon this opportunity to secure His condemnation, thinking that whatever decision He might make, they would find occasion to accuse Him. Should He acquit the woman, He might be charged with despising the law of Moses. Should He declare her worthy of death, He could be accused to the Romans as one who was assuming authority that belonged only to them.

“Jesus looked for a moment upon the scene—the trembling victim in her shame, the hard-faced dignitaries, devoid of even human pity. His spirit of stainless purity shrank from the spectacle. Well He knew for what purpose this case had been brought to Him. He read the heart, and knew the character and life history of everyone in His presence. These would-be guardians of justice had themselves led their victim into sin, that they might lay a snare for Jesus. Giving no sign that He had heard their question, He stooped, and fixing His eyes upon the ground, began to write in the dust.

“Impatient at His delay and apparent indifference, the accusers drew nearer, urging the matter upon His attention. But as their eyes, following those of Jesus, fell upon the pavement at His feet, their countenances changed. There, traced before them, were the guilty secrets of their own lives. The people, looking on, saw the sudden change of expression, and pressed forward to discover what it was that they were regarding with such astonishment and shame.

“With all their professions of reverence for the law, these rabbis, in bringing the charge against the woman, were disregarding its provisions. It was the husband’s duty to take action against her, and the guilty parties were to be punished equally. The action of the accusers was wholly unauthorized. Jesus, however, met them on their own ground. The law specified that in punishment by stoning, the witnesses in the case should be the first to cast a stone. Now rising, and fixing His eyes upon the plotting elders, Jesus said, ‘He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.’ And stooping down, He continued writing on the ground.

“He had not set aside the law given through Moses, nor infringed upon the authority of Rome. The accusers had been defeated. Now, their robe of pretended holiness torn from them, they stood, guilty and condemned, in the presence of Infinite Purity. They trembled lest the hidden iniquity of their lives should be laid open to the multitude; and one by one, with bowed heads and downcast eyes, they stole away, leaving their victim with the pitying Saviour.

“Jesus arose, and looking at the woman said, ‘Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee?’ She said, ‘No man, Lord.’ And Jesus said unto her, ‘Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.’

“The woman had stood before Jesus, cowering with fear. His words, ‘He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone,’ had come to her as a death sentence. She dared not lift her eyes to the Saviour’s face, but silently awaited her doom. In astonishment, she saw her accusers depart speechless and confounded; then those words of hope fell upon her ear, ‘Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.’ Her heart was melted, and she cast herself at the feet of Jesus, sobbing out her grateful love, and with bitter tears confessing her sins.

“This was to her the beginning of a new life, a life of purity and peace, devoted to the service of God. In the uplifting of this fallen soul, Jesus performed a greater miracle than in healing the most grievous physical disease; He cured the spiritual malady which is unto death everlasting. This penitent woman became one of His most steadfast followers. With self-sacrificing love and devotion she repaid His forgiving mercy.

“In His act of pardoning this woman and encouraging her to live a better life, the character of Jesus shines forth in the beauty of perfect righteousness. While He does not palliate [excuse] sin, nor lessen the sense of guilt, He seeks not to condemn, but to save. The world had for this erring woman only contempt and scorn; but Jesus speaks words of comfort and hope. The Sinless One pities the weakness of the sinner, and reaches to her a helping hand. While the hypocritical Pharisees denounce, Jesus bids her, ‘Go, and sin no more.’

“It is not Christ’s follower that, with averted eyes, turns from the erring, leaving them unhindered to pursue their downward course. Those who are forward in accusing others, and zealous in bringing them to justice, are often in their own lives more guilty than they. Men hate the sinner, while they love the sin.” The Desire of Ages, 460–462

Interesting, isn’t it?  How man condemns, not because the person is worthy of condemnation, but because those doing the condemning are likelier to be as guilty, or even more so, than those they condemn.

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.” John 3:16, 17

“Christ hates sin but loves the sinner. This will be the spirit of all who follow Him. Christian love is slow to censure, quick to discern penitence, ready to forgive, to encourage, to set the wanderer in the path of holiness, and to stay his feet therein.” The Desire of Ages, 462

Judy Rebarchek is the managing editor of LandMarks magazine. She can be reached at judyrebarchek@stepstolife.org or by phone at 316-788-5559.

Joy and Happiness or Purgatory

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Do you have joy in your heart? Are you really happy? A true Christian should be one of the happiest people in the world. But if a Christian isn’t happy, then the next question to ask would be, “What’s the matter with his religion?” Many Seventh-day Adventists have left worldly things behind, but have failed to acquire those things which are spiritually necessary to take their place.

Many people do not know why man was created; however, Christ’s Object Lessons tell us why.

“Through disobedience to God, Adam and Eve had lost Eden, and because of sin the whole earth was cursed. But if God’s people followed His instruction, their land would be restored to fertility and beauty. … As in obedience to His natural laws the earth should produce its treasures, so in obedience to His moral law the hearts of the people were to reflect the attributes of His character. Even the heathen would recognize the superiority of those who served and worshiped the living God.

“ ‘Behold,’ said Moses, ‘I have taught you statutes and judgments, even as the Lord my God commanded me, that ye should do so in the land whither ye go to possess it. Keep therefore and do them; for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the nations, which shall hear all these statutes, and say, “Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.” …’ ” Deuteronomy 4:4–6.

“The children of Israel were to occupy all the territory which God appointed them. Those nations that rejected the worship and service of the true God were to be dispossessed. But it was God’s purpose that by the revelation of His character through Israel men should be drawn unto Him. To all the world the gospel invitation was to be given. Through the teaching of the sacrificial service Christ was to be uplifted before the nations, and all who would look unto Him should live. …

“God desired to bring all peoples under His merciful rule.” Now notice the next two sentences: “He desired that the earth should be filled with joy and peace. He created man for happiness, and He longs to fill human hearts with the peace of heaven.” Op. Cit., 289, 290

Man was created for happiness.

The framers of the Constitution of the United States were not ignorant when they determined that everyone has the right to pursue happiness. The question is, How can happiness be successfully pursued? The religion of Christ produces the greatest joy that human beings can experience, and if we do not have happiness, there is something wrong with our religion.

So, where do we go to find the greatest happiness?

“We must fall upon the Rock and be broken before we can be uplifted in Christ. Self must be dethroned, pride must be humbled, if we would know the glory of the spiritual kingdom. The Jews would not accept the honor that is reached through humiliation. Therefore, they would not receive their Redeemer. He was a sign that was spoken against. …

“In the light of the Saviour’s life, the hearts of all, even from the Creator to the prince of darkness, are revealed. Satan has represented God as selfish and oppressive, as claiming all, and giving nothing, as requiring the service of His creatures for His own glory, and making no sacrifice for their good. But the gift of Christ reveals the Father’s heart. It testifies that the thoughts of God toward us are ‘thoughts of peace, and not of evil.’ Jeremiah 29:11. It declares that while God’s hatred of sin is as strong as death, His love for the sinner is stronger than death. Having undertaken our redemption, He will spare nothing, however dear, which is necessary to the completion of His work. No truth essential to our salvation is withheld, no miracle of mercy is neglected, no divine agency is left unemployed. Favor is heaped upon favor, gift upon gift. The whole treasury of heaven is open to those He seeks to save. Having collected the riches of the universe, and laid open the resources of infinite power, He gives them all into the hands of Christ, and says, All these are for man. Use these gifts to convince him that there is no love greater than Mine in earth or heaven. His greatest happiness will be found in loving Me.” The Desire of Ages, 57

Even in this world, most people recognize that there is no happiness without love. Until you have a loving relationship with your Creator, you will never experience the greatest happiness that you can enjoy. So, if you do not have happiness, you must wonder what your relationship with your Creator is.

Our Creator is the only source of true joy and happiness. You will not have true joy or happiness if you are not connected to Him. “You will show me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” Psalm 16:11. Before they sinned, Adam and Eve knew that their relationship with Jesus Christ was the source of their joy and happiness. But fallen man is deceived, believing that Adam’s joy was in Eve and Eve’s joy was in Adam.

“The sacrifice demanded by their transgression revealed to Adam and Eve the sacred character of the law of God; and they saw, as they had never seen before, the guilt of sin and its dire results. In their remorse and anguish they pleaded that the penalty might not fall upon Him whose love had been the source of all their joy; rather let it descend upon them and their posterity.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 66

In the book Confrontation, we read the account of how the devil and the angels who followed him were cast out of heaven. Mrs. White explains that being in charge of the angels outside of heaven was completely different than being in charge of them inside of heaven, and the devil found that he had lost his joy, and the angels had lost their joy as well. With their joy gone, there was only contention and bitterness as they fought among themselves. They discovered the hard way the real source of joy, and that they no longer had access to it.

Today, many people are empty, searching for something they can’t see, but know they must have. To prevent them from finding the true source of joy, the devil keeps them totally occupied with worldly things that are of no value to the soul. Some will find relief from this emptiness in the things of this world, but these things are spiritually empty, and being excited is not the same as being happy.

To be truly happy, you need to know the source of happiness and where to find it. There is a saying that “Home is wherever your mother is.” Our spiritual home—heaven—is wherever Jesus is. Inspiration tells us, “It was heaven to be in His presence.” The Ministry of Healing, 18. What makes heaven so heavenly? Jesus is there.

Before the disciples knew Jesus, they thought of heaven as a place somewhere in the sky beyond their sight, but after He ascended to heaven, “What a source of joy to the disciples to know that they had such a Friend in heaven to plead in their behalf! Through the visible ascension of Christ all their views and contemplation of heaven are changed. Their minds had formerly dwelt upon it as a region of unlimited space, tenanted by spirits without substance. Now heaven was connected with the thought of Jesus, whom they had loved and reverenced above all others, with whom they had conversed and journeyed, whom they had handled, even in His resurrected body, who had spoken hope and comfort to their hearts, and who, while the words were upon His lips, had been taken up before their eyes, the tones of His voice coming back to them as the cloudy chariot of angels received Him: ‘Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.’

“Heaven could no longer appear to them as an indefinite, incomprehensible space, filled with intangible spirits. They now looked upon it as their future home, where mansions were being prepared for them by their loving Redeemer. Prayer was clothed with a new interest, since it was a communion with our Saviour. With new and thrilling emotions and a firm confidence that their prayer would be answered, they gathered in the upper chamber to offer their petitions and to claim the promise of the Saviour, who had said, ‘Ask, and ye shall receive.’ ” Heaven, 67, 68

Heaven is real because Jesus is real and wherever Jesus is will be heaven.

The good news—is a little fuzzy.

Jesus had died, was resurrected, and had ascended to heaven to minister before the Father on our behalf. Now, the disciples had good news to proclaim—the gospel of Jesus Christ. They talked of Jesus all the time, so much so that the people began to call them Christians. They preached that Christ was the Messiah, having come in human form to save them from their sinfulness. They preached of His humiliation and of the wicked hands that took Him and crucified Him; of how He had risen from the grave and ascended into heaven. They told the people that He was standing in the presence of God as man’s advocate and that He would soon come again with power and great glory to take His people out of this world to the place He had prepared for them. This gospel turned the world upside down, and the world and those in it have not been the same since.

The Bible describes Jesus as:

  • The Chiefest among ten thousand (Song of Solomon 5:10)
  • Altogether lovely (Song of Solomon 5:16)
  • The Source of all true pleasure and satisfaction (1 Corinthians 8:6)
  • The Giver of every good and perfect gift (James 1:17)
  • The Author of every blessing (Proverbs 10:22; Ezekiel 34:26; Numbers 6:24–26)
  • The One in whom our hope of eternal life is centered (John 10:28-30; 1John 5:11; John 3:16)
  • The One who alone can cure the disease of sin and transform the character of man (1John 3:8; James 4:12; 1 John 1:9)

The disciples understood what Adam and Eve had understood at the beginning. They understood that Jesus is the real source of joy and happiness. But sadly, there is so much unhappiness in the lives of so many people because they do not know the Source of happiness; they do not know where to find Him, therefore, they have no connection with Him.

Not only do people have a fuzzy idea about the love of our Lord and Saviour, but they also have an indistinct and deluded idea about God the Father. Satan has been working for millennia to deceive people into thinking that Jesus isn’t real, or perhaps He might have been a good man but not our Saviour. And he plants doubt into the minds of men about God’s true character. Instead, he mixes his own evil attributes with God’s righteous ones, and as a result, man becomes so mixed up that he turns away from God and looks to the devil to be his benefactor. But, praise God, we have been given the words of Inspiration that prove just how false this idea is.

“Many conceive of the Christian’s God as a being whose attribute is stern justice—one who is a severe judge, a harsh, exacting creditor. The Creator has been pictured as a being who is watching with a jealous eye to discern the errors and mistakes of men, that He may visit judgment upon them. In the minds of thousands, love and sympathy and tenderness are associated with the character of Christ, while God is regarded as the law-giver, inflexible, arbitrary, devoid of sympathy for the beings He has made.

“Never was there a greater error. Nature and revelation alike testify of God’s love. It is from Him that we receive every good gift. He is the source of life, of wisdom, and of joy. …

“It is transgression of God’s law that has brought woe and death. … God made man perfect and holy and happy; and the fair earth, as it came from the Creator’s hand, bore no blight of decay nor shadow of the curse. … God cursed the ground for man’s sake. … The trials that make his life one of toil and care, were appointed for his good, as a part of the training needful in God’s plan for his uplifting from the ruin and degradation.” Bible Training School, November 1, 1908

Helping others.

There is a way, available to every son and daughter of Adam, to have greater joy in this life than anything the devil can offer. Astonishingly, very few Christians have a clear understanding of this.

“Whoever succors the poor, or sympathizes with the afflicted and oppressed, or befriends the orphan, is brought into closer relationship with the pitying Saviour. He who is the Source of all blessing, has granted to men the privilege of becoming partakers of the divine nature, and in their turn, of diffusing blessings to their fellowmen. This is the highest honor, the greatest joy, which it is possible for God to bestow upon men. Those who thus become participants in labors of love are brought nearest to their Redeemer.” The Home Missionary, July 1, 1891

Only by being a blessing to our fellowmen are we able to experience the great joy that God wishes to give His children.

“He who refuses to become a laborer together with God, the man who for the sake of selfish indulgence ignores the wants of his fellowmen, is withholding from himself the richest blessings that God could give him.” Ibid.

Bliss or dissatisfaction.

I have met many dissatisfied people. Without sin, there would never have been an unhappy person. All dissatisfaction and unhappiness are a consequence of sin. Before sin entered the world, there was no unhappiness in the garden of Eden. A literal translation of the word Eden means garden of delight and bliss. There was constant joy and happiness within its boundary branches, but sin brought problems to all.

However, in spite of sin, God shows His people that if they will but follow Him, they will find joy, happiness, and satisfaction.

“In the arrangements for the education of the chosen people, it is made manifest that a life centered in God is a life of completeness. Every want He has implanted, He provides to satisfy; every faculty imparted, He seeks to develop.” Education, 41

God has promised completeness to every Christian. The devil seeks to engender doubt regarding this promise. He brings terrible problems and troubles that snatch away our happiness. But God has promised that He will provide whatever we need to endure these experiences. He reminds us that we can have faith in Him, and that even if following Jesus may cost us worldly things, following Him will secure us a place that will abound in joy and happiness forever.

“Everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My name’s sake, shall receive a hundredfold, and inherit eternal life.” Matthew 19:29

“Whatever crosses they [God’s people] have been called to bear, whatever losses they have sustained, whatever persecution they have suffered, even to the loss of their temporal life, the children of God are amply recompensed.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 180

The God we serve is a wonderful God. We may lose everything in this life, just as Job did, but God will restore happiness and satisfaction to us throughout eternity that nothing in this world can compare to. If you get to know Him, you will love Him.

We need to know Christ.

The reason that people are sad is because they don’t know Jesus or His Father.

“The life in which the fear of the Lord is cherished will not be a life of sadness and gloom. It is the absence of Christ that makes the countenance sad, and the life a pilgrimage of sighs.” Ibid., 162

“When the light of heaven shines upon the human agent, his countenance will express the joy of the Lord within. It is the absence of Christ from the soul that makes people sad and of a doubtful mind.” The Seventh-day Adventist Commentary, Vol. 5, 1144

A short time before He was to be crucified, Jesus told His disciples that He would soon be going away and that this would bring them great sorrow. However, they would see Him again, filling their hearts with joy and happiness no one could take away. It was their relationship with Christ that caused the disciples to be both sorrowful and later joyful.

God has great plans for our happiness.

This world is not our home, yet God tells us we have a specific work to accomplish here. Our future will be in heaven. No matter what the troubles and difficulties of this life may be, it is God’s plan that we will have an eternity to contemplate a place filled with great joy and happiness.

A few facts about heaven.

  1. The Bible says, “They shall build houses and inhabit them; they shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit. They shall not build and another inhabit; they shall not plant and another eat. … My elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands.” Isaiah 65:21, 22. We will have work to do in heaven and will find pleasure in doing it.
  2. “I shall know just as I also am known.” 1 Corinthians 13:12, last part. “The loves and sympathies that God has planted in the soul will find truest and sweetest exercise.” Education, 306
  3. Jesus is there. Heaven is not so much a place as an atmosphere. Heaven is where Jesus is. If Jesus is in our hearts, we are filled with a heavenly atmosphere.
  4. “In our life here, earthly, sin-restricted though it is, the greatest joy and the highest education are in service. And in the future state, untrammeled by the limitations of sinful humanity, it is in service that our greatest joy and our highest education will be found.” Ibid., 309. To be part of the joy and happiness of heaven, which is found in service, our greatest joy here on earth will be in service to God and our fellow man.
  5. Our home here should be a reflection of our home in heaven. “There must be no angry words spoken in the home, no seeds of coarse, common talk sown in your children’s hearts, or they will have no confidence in you when you speak in meeting. God help us to have the peace of Christ in our hearts, that we may teach our children the way of life and peace! We may have a little heaven to go to heaven in, if Christ breathes upon us His Holy Spirit.” The Review and Herald, April 21, 1891

If our homes are more like purgatory than heaven, how can we hope to see heaven? “Parents, make your home a little heaven on earth. You can do this, if you so choose. You can make home so pleasant and cheerful that it will be the most attractive place on earth to your children. Let them receive all the blessings of the household. You can so relate yourselves to God that His Spirit will abide in your home. Come close to the bleeding side of the Man of Calvary. Those who are partakers with Him in His sufferings will at last be partakers with Him in His glory.” Manuscript 77, 1902. By receiving the Holy Spirit into our homes, we will have a little bit of heaven here.

“We must let Christ into our hearts and homes if we would walk in the light. Home should be made all that the name implies. It should be a little heaven upon the earth, a place where the affections are cultivated instead of being studiously repressed.” The Review and Herald, June 22, 1886

Love is freely expressed.

In heaven, the angels love one another, and this love is freely, openly, and often expressed. They work together. They have companions. Sadly, there are many so-called Christian homes today where love and affection are not expressed. And yet, we claim to be getting ready to go to heaven. If we receive the Holy Spirit, the Lord will put love in our hearts for our families. But if there is no love in our hearts for our families, then we must go to the Lord seeking to be converted, allowing the Holy Spirit to change us and give us a new heart so that we can love our families and our fellowman. Anything less than this makes us pretend Christians, playing at religion.

“Our happiness depends upon this cultivation of love, sympathy, and polite courtesy to one another. The reason why there are so many hard-hearted men and women in our world, is because true affection has been regarded as weakness, and has been discouraged and repressed. The better part of the nature of those of this class was perverted and dwarfed in childhood; and unless rays of divine light can melt away their coldness and hard-hearted selfishness, the happiness of such is buried forever.” Ibid.

Just like Jesus.

“If we would have tender hearts, such as Jesus had when He was upon the earth, and sanctified sympathy, such as the angels have for sinful mortals, we must cultivate the sympathies of childhood, which are simplicity itself. Then we shall be refined, elevated, and directed by heavenly principles.” Ibid. Friends, the Lord intended that our homes would be filled with free, open, and frequent expressions of affection, love, and sympathy, with courtesy and politeness. Do we treat each other with gentleness so that our homes become a little heaven to go to heaven in?

If your home is more like purgatory than heaven, bring your loved ones to the family altar and pray that each one will be converted; ask for the rays of divine light to come into each heart, melting away the cold selfishness that dwells there. Do you know Jesus? Are you trying to copy His character in your home with your loved ones so that your home will be a happy place? Home should be the happiest, most heavenly place on earth for every family member. Only then are we ready to go to heaven.

Pastor John J. Grosboll is the Director of Steps to Life and pastors the Prairie Meadows Church in Wichita, Kansas. He may be reached by email at historic@stepstolife.org or by telephone at 316-788-5559.

Religious Laws

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Who has the right to make a religious law? Governments in this world are authorized by the God of heaven to make civil laws, laws that relate to the relationships between human beings—the second table of the ten commandments.

Paul makes this very plain in Romans 13. Peter also makes it plain in 1 Peter 2. For example, the Bible supports the death penalty for those who commit murder (Genesis 9; Romans 13).

But the first four commandments—the first table of the ten commandments—relate to our relationship with God; and concerning these commandments, no government has the right to interfere.

In 1 Peter 2, Peter encourages submission to government, but he himself said when the religious authorities commanded him to violate his conscientious convictions toward God, “We ought to obey God rather than men.” Acts 5:29, last part

In Romans 13, Paul states explicitly the authority of the state to enforce the commandments relating to murder, adultery stealing, and lying (Romans 13:9). But Romans 14 tells us, in the most explicit language, that there is no civil or religious authority that has the authority to enforce the first four commandments in the law:

“One person esteems one day above another; another esteems every day alike. Let each be fully convinced in his own mind.

“He who observes the day, observes it to the Lord, and he who does not observe the day, to the Lord he does not observe it. He who eats, eats to the Lord, for he gives God thanks; and he who does not eat, to the Lord he does not eat, and gives God thanks.

“For none of us lives to himself, and no man dies to himself.

“For if we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s.

“For to this end Christ died and rose, and lived again, that He might be Lord of both the dead and living.

“But why do you judge your brother? Or why do you show contempt for your brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.

“For it is written: ‘As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to Me, and every tongue shall confess to God.’

“So, then each of us shall give account of himself to God.” Romans 14:5–12

Concerning religious laws, the Bible says, we have one Lawgiver, one Judge and one King (Isaiah 33:22).

To Be Sealed as Blameless

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June 22 – 28, 2025

Key Text

“Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” 1 Thessalonians 5:23, 24

Study Help: Selected Messages, Book 2, 367–375; Testimonies, Vol. 5, 207–216

Introduction

“Not one of us will ever receive the seal of God while our characters have one spot or stain upon them.” Testimonies, Vol. 5, 214

Sunday

1 AN EXPERIENCE ESSENTIAL TO SALVATION

1.a. What has Christ promised for all who gain the victory over sin? Revelation 3:5

1.b. Upon what must we set our affections in order to experience this victory? Colossians 3:1–3

Note: “Christ says of the overcomer, ‘I will not blot out his name out of the book of life.’ The names of all those who have once given themselves to God are written in the book of life, and their characters are now passing in review before Him. Angels of God are weighing moral worth. They are watching the development of character in those now living, to see if their names can be retained in the book of life. A probation is granted us in which to wash our robes of character and make them white in the blood of the Lamb. Who is doing this work? Who is separating from himself sin and selfishness? ‘Ye are dead,’ says the apostle Paul of the true followers of Christ, ‘and your life is hid with Christ in God.’ When we are alive to God, we are dead to self. May God help us to die to self. Whose names will not be blotted out of the book of life? Only the names of those who have loved God with all the powers of their being, and their neighbors as themselves.” Historical Sketches of the Foreign Missions of the Seventh-day Adventists, 138

Monday

2 A WORK FOR THIS ERA

2.a. Four mighty angels carry out a crucial work throughout the Day of Atonement. What is this work? Revelation 7:1–4

Note: “Four mighty angels hold back the powers of this earth till the servants of God are sealed in their foreheads. The nations of the world are eager for conflict; but they are held in check by the angels. When this restraining power is removed, there will come a time of trouble and anguish.” Maranatha, 257

“A terrible conflict is before us. We are nearing the battle of the great day of God Almighty. That which has been held in control is to be let loose. The angel of mercy is folding her wings, preparing to step down from the throne and leave the world to the control of Satan. The principalities and powers of earth are in bitter revolt against the God of heaven. They are filled with hatred against those who serve Him, and soon, very soon, will be fought the last great battle between good and evil. The earth is to be the battlefield—the scene of the final contest and the final victory.

“While their hands were loosening, and the four winds were about to blow, the merciful eye of Jesus gazed on the remnant that were not sealed, and He raised His hands to the Father and pleaded with Him that He had spilled His blood for them. Then another angel was commissioned to fly swiftly to the four angels and bid them hold until the servants of God were sealed with the seal of the living God in their foreheads.” My Life Today, 308

2.b.  What determines the outcome of the coming conflict for each of us? Romans 8:6–8. What are the evidences of a carnal heart or mind? 1 Corinthians 3:3, 4 

Note: “As yet the four winds are held until the servants of God shall be sealed in their foreheads. Then the powers of earth will marshal their forces for the last great battle. How carefully we should improve the little remaining period of our probation!

“Minds that have been given up to loose thought need to change. … The thoughts must be centered upon God. Now is the time to put forth earnest effort to overcome the natural tendencies of the carnal heart.” Maranatha, 243

Tuesday

3 A SOLEMN TASK

3.a. Explain how the sealing work involves the third angel of Revelation 14. What shows the solemn importance of being fully sanctified? Revelation 14:9–12; 1 Thessalonians 5:23, 24

Note: “I … saw the third angel. Said my accompanying angel, ‘Fearful is his work. Awful is his mission. He is the angel that is to select the wheat from the tares, and seal, or bind, the wheat for the heavenly garner. These things should engross the whole mind, the whole attention.’ ” Early Writings, 118

“Many do not realize what they must be in order to live in the sight of the Lord without a high priest in the sanctuary through the time of trouble. Those who receive the seal of the living God and are protected in the time of trouble must reflect the image of Jesus fully.

“I saw that many were neglecting the preparation so needful and were looking to the time of ‘refreshing’ and the ‘latter rain’ to fit them to stand in the day of the Lord and to live in His sight. Oh, how many I saw in the time of trouble without a shelter! They had neglected the needful preparation; therefore they could not receive the refreshing that all must have to fit them to live in the sight of a holy God. Those who refuse to be hewed by the prophets and fail to purify their souls in obeying the whole truth, and who are willing to believe that their condition is far better than it really is, will come up to the time of the falling of the plagues, and then see that they needed to be hewed and squared for the building. But there will be no time then to do it and no Mediator to plead their cause before the Father.” Ibid., 71

3.b What final blessing does God bestow especially to prepare the harvest of souls for His kingdom? Joel 2:23; Zechariah 10:1

Note: “The sins of Israel must go to judgment beforehand. Every sin must be confessed at the sanctuary, then the work will move. It must be done now. …

“When the four angels let go, Christ will set up His kingdom. None receive the latter rain but those who are doing all they can. Christ would help us. All could be overcomers by the grace of God, through the blood of Jesus.” Spalding and Magan Collection, 2a, 2, 3

Wednesday

4 CONDITIONS FOR THE LATTER RAIN

4.a. What is required to receive the latter rain? Isaiah 43:25; 44:22

Note: “The names of some will be blotted out of the book of life. Whose shall it be? Let us each examine ourselves carefully to see if we are in the faith; let us be diligent to make sure work for eternity. Jesus says that He will confess the name of the overcomer before His Father, and before the holy angels.” Historical Sketches of the Foreign Missions of the Seventh-day Adventists, 139

“Those that overcome the world, the flesh, and the devil, will be the favored ones who shall receive the seal of the living God. Those whose hands are not clean, whose hearts are not pure, will not have the seal of the living God. Those who are planning sin and acting it will be passed by. Only those who, in their attitude before God, are filling the position of those who are repenting and confessing their sins in the great anti-typical day of atonement, will be recognized and marked as worthy of God’s protection.” Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers, 445

“No special work for God can be accomplished until self and selfishness are overcome.” Historical Sketches of the Foreign Missions of the Seventh-day Adventists, 139

“Those who come up to every point, and stand every test, and overcome, be the price what it may, have heeded the counsel of the True Witness, and they will receive the latter rain, and thus be fitted for translation.” Testimonies, Vol. 1, 187

“We want the deep movings of the Spirit of God in our hearts, that we may not only be able to secure for ourselves the white raiment, but that we may so influence others that their names may be entered in the book of life, never to be blotted out.” Historical Sketches of the Foreign Missions of the Seventh-day Adventists, 140

4.b. What should we realize about the latter rain? Hosea 6:3; Acts 3:19

Note: “The prophecies which were fulfilled in the outpouring of the former rain at the opening of the gospel, are again to be fulfilled in the latter rain at its close. Here are ‘the times of refreshing’ to which the apostle Peter looked forward when he said, ‘Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out [in the Investigative Judgment], when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord; and He shall send Jesus.’ [Acts 3:19, 20].

“Servants of God, with their faces lighted up and shining with holy consecration, will hasten from place to place to proclaim the message from Heaven. By thousands of voices, all over the earth, the warning will be given.” The Great Controversy, (1888), 611, 612

Thursday

5 ULTIMATE VICTORY

5.a. When Jesus completes His ministry in heaven, what encouraging declaration will He make in behalf of the overcomers? Revelation 22:11, last part

5.b. How may we realize the wonderful promises made to all who gain the victory through the blood of the Lamb? Revelation 22:14; Isaiah 26:2–4

Note: “Glorious will be the reward bestowed when the faithful workers gather about the throne of God and of the Lamb. … They will stand before the throne, accepted in the Beloved. All their sins have been blotted out, all their transgressions borne away. Now they can look upon the undimmed glory of the throne of God. They have been partakers with Christ in His sufferings, they have been workers together with Him in the plan of redemption, and they are partakers with Him in the joy of seeing souls saved in the kingdom of God, there to praise God through all eternity.

“My brother, my sister, I urge you to prepare for the coming of Christ in the clouds of heaven. Day by day cast the love of the world out of your hearts. Understand by experience what it means to have fellowship with Christ. Prepare for the judgment, that when Christ shall come, to be admired in all them that believe, you may be among those who will meet Him in peace. In that day the redeemed will shine forth in the glory of the Father and the Son. The angels, touching their golden harps, will welcome the King and His trophies of victory—those who have been washed and made white in the blood of the Lamb. A song of triumph will peal forth, filling all heaven. Christ has conquered. He enters the heavenly courts, accompanied by His redeemed ones, the witnesses that His mission of suffering and sacrifice has not been in vain.” Testimonies, Vol. 9, 285, 286

Friday

PERSONAL REVIEW QUESTIONS

1    With Christ’s help, why must we overcome our character defects?

2    Why has Jesus bidden four mighty angels to hold back the winds?

3    What do many people misunderstand about the latter rain?

4    If our sins are blotted out, with what blessed task can God entrust us?

5    What can I do today to ensure I am one of the ultimate overcomers?

Copyright 2019, Reformation Herald Publishing Association, 5240 Hollins Road, Roanoke, Virginia 24019-5048, U.S.A.

“As a Lamp That Burns”

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June 15 – 21, 2025

Key Text

“For Zion’s sake will I not hold My peace, and for Jerusalem’s sake I will not rest, until her righteousness goes forth as brightness, and her salvation as a lamp that burns.” Isaiah 62:1

Study Help: Testimonies, Vol. 5, 157–162, 307, 308, 385–389

Introduction

“Let us not allow the light which is in us to go out because we refuse to give that light to others.” Pacific Union Recorder, February 20, 1908

Sunday

1 AWAKENING OUR PRIORITIES

  1. What is God’s goal for His church? Isaiah 62:1, 12

Note: “There is no greater evidence that those who have received great light do not appreciate that light, than is given by their refusal to let their light shine upon those who are in darkness.” The Review and Herald, July 16, 1895

“If you … were in a saved state, you would all feel the perilous condition of the unsaved. The day will come, unless a great change is wrought in you, when you will hear from many lips. ‘I associated with these Christians, yet they never told me of my danger. They never warned me. I thought that if I was in danger of being lost, they would not rest day or night without arousing me to see my lost condition. Now I am lost. If I had been in their place and had seen one in a similar condition, I would not have rested until I had made them sensible of their state and pointed them to the only One who can save them.’ ” Testimonies, Vol. 2, 181, 182

“What can be said to the idlers that will lead them to understand, and arouse them from their do-nothing position? O, that Zion would arouse and put on her beautiful garments. Brethren and sisters, as members of the church, let us act our part faithfully. …

“God has given to every man his work; not one is excused from service.” Pacific Union Recorder, February 20, 1908

Monday

2 IN AN AGE OF MORAL DARKNESS

2.a. How is it that morning and night are coming at the same time? Isaiah 21:11, last part, 12

Note: “Everything seems to be stirred with an intense activity from beneath. Excitement is continually kept up. Feasting, buying, and selling, are brought into the churches. The watchman cries, ‘The morning cometh, and also the night.’ The night symbolizes prevalence of error, misinterpretation and misapplication of Scripture. Every species of delusion is now being brought in. The plainest truths of God’s word are covered with a mass of man-made theories. Deadly errors are presented as the truth to which all must bow. The simplicity of true godliness is buried beneath tradition.” The Bible Echo, February 1, 1897

“A great work is to be done in the world, and what efforts are we making for its accomplishment? The people have had too much sermonizing; but have they been taught how to labor for those for whom Christ died? Has a line of labor been devised and placed before them in such a way that each has seen the necessity of taking part in the work?

“It is evident that all the sermons that have been preached have not developed a large class of self-denying workers. This subject is to be considered as involving the most serious results. Our future for eternity is at stake.” Testimonies, Vol. 6, 431

“We are certainly living in the closing days of this earth’s history. We need to devote much time to our spiritual interests, if we would experience the spiritual growth that is essential in this age. We are to make decided reforms. The Voice said: The watchmen need to awake, and give the trumpet a certain sound. The morning cometh; and also the night. Wake up, My watchmen. Voices that should now be heard presenting the truth are silent. Souls are perishing in their sins, and ministers and physicians and teachers are asleep. Wake up the watchmen!” Pacific Union Recorder, February 20, 1908

2.b. What is the light and glory of the Lord, and what is the darkness described in Isaiah 60:1, 2?

Note: “The churches are withering up because they have failed to use their talents in diffusing the light of truth to others. Careful instruction should be given that will be as lessons from the Master that all may put their light to practical use in benefiting others.” The Review and Herald, February 28, 1893

Tuesday

3 RESULTS PROMISED

3.a. What is promised to those who seek to communicate God’s message to the world? Proverbs 1:23; Luke 24:39; Acts 1:7, 8; Luke 11:9–13; Ephesians 1:13, 14

Note: “All who have received the light of truth are placed under solemn obligations to let that light shine forth to others. Each can, in his humble sphere, do something for the Master. He may not be able to make magnificent offerings to advance the cause of God, but he can give the willing, cheerful, service of an obedient heart. All cannot be preachers; all cannot be generals in the army of the Lord; but all can be faithful privates, following in humble obedience the commands of the Captain of their salvation. They can cheer their companions with words of hope and courage, and by so doing will show forth the praises of Him who hath called them out of darkness into His marvelous light. God demands of all the very best service that they can give. If they can only do the lowly errands for Him, these should not be neglected.” The Review and Herald, August 24, 1886

“Church members need to be taught that the measure of their success in ministering to souls will be the measure of their self-denial and their faithfulness in following Christ’s example.” Pacific Union Recorder, February 20, 1908

3.b. What results from faithful efforts to share light? Zechariah 8:20–23

Note: “God will move upon men of humble position in society, men who have not become insensible to the bright rays of light through so long contemplating the light of truth, and refusing to make any improvement or advancement therein. Many such will be seen hurrying hither and thither, constrained by the Spirit of God to bring the light to others. The truth, the word of God, is as a fire in their bones, filling them with a burning desire to enlighten those who sit in darkness. Many, even among the uneducated, now proclaim the words of the Lord. Children are impelled by the Spirit to go forth and declare the message from Heaven. The Spirit is poured out upon all who will yield to its promptings, and, casting off all man’s machinery, his binding rules and cautious methods, they will declare the truth with the might of the Spirit’s power. Multitudes will receive the faith and join the armies of the Lord.” The Review and Herald, July 23, 1895

Wednesday

4 COURAGE AMID OPPOSITION

4.a. Describe the experience of Jeremiah when mocked and derided while witnessing for God, and how he overcame his fears. Jeremiah 20:7–11

Note: “Because of the bitterness, hatred, and opposition manifested against the word of God spoken in reproof, many other messengers of God have decided to do as Jeremiah decided. But what did this prophet of the Lord do after his decision? Try as much as he would, he could not hold his peace. As soon as he came into the assemblies of the people, he found that the Spirit of the Lord was stronger than he was. …

“In this generation, when God’s servants speak the word of the Lord to reprove wrongdoers, to rebuke those who bring in wrong principles, have they not had an experience similar to that which Jeremiah had? When a course of action to pervert justice and judgment is introduced, the word of the Lord must be spoken in reproof.” The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, Vol. 4, 1156

4.b. What should we learn from how prophets and apostles shared God’s messages with such tremendous power? Micah 3:8; 1 Corinthians 2:4, 5

Note: “The word of God was preached by His ministers in early days ‘in demonstration of the Spirit and of power.’ The hearts of men were stirred by the proclamation of the gospel. Why is it that the preaching of the truth has now so little power to move the people? Is God less willing to bestow His blessing upon the laborers in His cause in this age than in the apostles’ day?

“The warning which we bear to the world must prove to them a savor of life unto life or of death unto death. And will the Lord send forth His servants to proclaim this fearfully solemn message and withhold from them His Holy Spirit? Shall frail, erring men, without special grace and power from God, dare to stand between the living and the dead to speak the words of everlasting life? Our Lord is rich in grace, mighty in power; He will abundantly bestow these gifts upon all who come to Him in faith. He is more willing to give the Holy Spirit to them that ask Him than are parents to give good gifts to their children. The reason why the precious, important truth for this time is not powerful to save is that we do not work in faith.” Testimonies, Vol. 5, 157, 158

Thursday

5 REAPING THE BOUNTY

5.a. What did the disciples learn from the miraculous catch of fish? Luke 5:4–10

Note: “Be not so self-caring. There are thousands whose lives are just as precious as yours. Then why do you wrap your coat about you, and hug the shore? Awake to duty and to usefulness! If you will launch out into the deep and let down your nets, the Master will gather in the fishes, and you will see of the mighty working of God. …

“Teach the people to have light in themselves, and not to depend upon the ministers. They should have Christ as their helper, and should educate themselves to help one another, so that the minister can be free to enter new fields.” Historical Sketches of the Foreign Missions of the Seventh-day Adventists, 139

“Our people have had great light, and yet much of our ministerial force is exhausted on the churches, in teaching those who should be teachers; enlightening those who should be ‘the light of the world.’ ” Evangelism, 382

5.b.  How is our Creator able to perform His work using the individuality He has graciously bestowed upon each one of us? Job 34:11; 37:7

Note: “Men with one talent may reach a class that those with two or five talents cannot approach. Great and small alike are chosen vessels to bear the water of life to thirsting souls. … Let God work through whom He will. The message must go.” Testimonies, Vol. 5, 462

“My brethren and sisters, study your plans; grasp every opportunity of speaking to your neighbors and associates or of reading something to them from books that contain present truth. Show that you regard as of first importance the salvation of the souls for whom Christ has made so great a sacrifice.” Ibid., Vol. 9, 129

Friday

PERSONAL REVIEW QUESTIONS

1    Of what will many lost souls rightfully complain after it’s too late?

2    Beyond mere sermonizing, what is the heart of the church’s duty?

3    Explain God’s plan to enlighten the world with the present truth.

4    How is the example taught by Jeremiah to be rewarded?

5    In what ways can I wean myself from burdening the ministers?

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